"The Fire-Spitting Art is the method of storing fire.
"This art originally came from foreign lands in the Western Regions. At first, practitioners would place fire pellets, fire oil, and syrup into their mouths, spitting them forth as flames to entertain onlookers. Those of deep attainment required no external kindling, while those of shallow attainment needed to hold a flame as an ignition source.
"Later, an unknown Daoist improved upon the art, incorporating methods of nourishing qi and Qi Exhalation, giving rise to three distinct grades: superior, intermediate, and inferior. The original Fire-Spitting Art became merely the lowest tier.
"The intermediate Fire-Spitting Art requires neither fire pellets nor fire oil. Instead, by combining the Qi Nourishing Method with the Breathing Method, one draws in the refined essence of fire, stores it within the abdomen, and exhales it when needed. Those of deep attainment can preserve this fire qi for days or even half a month without it dissipating; those of shallow attainment can hold the fire qi for only a fleeting moment. If not exhaled in time, it will either scorch the practitioner or dissipate into nothingness.
"The superior Fire-Spitting Art requires neither fire pellets nor fire oil, nor does it require drawing in fire qi from without. One simply nurtures and stores the five qi within the body, guiding them into flame when needed before exhaling them. The volume of fire qi depends upon the five qi accumulated inside.
"This method differs from the fire arts among Five Elements Spells; regardless of one's depth of attainment, it remains mundane fire in the end. It can kindle flames, provide illumination, scorch a man, startle a horse, burn a newborn ghost, or repel a minor demon, but it serves no grand purpose.
"Thus, it is categorized as a Stage Magic Art."
It seemed to have some connection to Qi Exhalation as well...
Lin Jue finished reading the page in a low murmur, his fingers pinching the edge of the paper.
The moment his hand touched the page, an almost imperceptible glimmer flashed once more. His vision blurred, his focus drawn deep into the void of his mind, and a voice suddenly resounded.
Just as before, it sounded like his own inner voice chanting in his head:
"To practice the inferior Fire-Spitting Art, one must concoct fire pellets and fire oil, practicing diligently to build oral tolerance and mastery of spitting flame. Appended here is a folk recipe for fire pellets from the Shangde era..."
'The Shangde era?'
Catching the key phrase, Lin Jue could not help but ponder.
Several dynasties had already passed since then, it seemed.
'Was that the era when this book's author lived?'
Setting the thought aside for now, he continued listening.
"To practice the intermediate Fire-Spitting Art, one must practice the Breathing Method, understand the method of Qi Exhalation, and perceive the spiritual rhyme of fire. Once attuned to this spiritual rhyme, one can draw fire qi into the belly through breathing; with mastery, one exhales it into flame through Qi Exhalation.
"To practice the superior Fire-Spitting Art, one must cultivate the complete Qi Nourishing Method, incorporating both breathing and guiding. One must likewise perceive the spiritual rhyme of fire, yet the fire qi is generated from within one's own body, guided outward to be exhaled. Those of deep attainment can not only breathe blazing fire from their mouths, but can also scatter fire qi with a wave of the hand or a step of the foot, transforming it into flames.
"Practitioners must not consume foods of extreme cold nature."
It still provided a complete method of cultivation, including personal insights, reflections, and precautions.
Hearing it for the first time, Lin Jue could not commit it all to memory. But as his fingertip turned the page, he was surprised to find another leaf beneath it:
"The Qi Nourishing Method is an ancient, primordial method of cultivation.
"Heaven generates the five qi, and the world holds spirit. Those of fine bone and constitution, even with mortal flesh and common clay, may occasionally catch a glimpse of the spiritual rhyme of the five qi of heaven and earth.
"Ancient people, moved by the wonder of this spiritual rhyme, spent generations probing and exploring until they mastered the means to draw it into their bodies, gradually developing it into the Qi Nourishing Method.
"This method is the origin of all spiritual cultivation between heaven and earth. At its lowest, it strengthens the body and bolsters health; at its highest, it leads to the Dao. Moreover, its demands on innate talent are remarkably low—indeed, many in the Jianghu who practice the Qi Nourishing Method are entirely incapable of cultivating a Spiritual Method. For this reason, it remains to this day the most widely circulated cultivation method across the mortal world and the Jianghu.
"The Qi Nourishing Method exists in many forms, generally consisting of two stages: breathing and guiding. Yet the common folk and mortals of the Jianghu rarely obtain more than half.
"Those who obtain the breathing often study the Stage Magic Art; those who obtain the guiding often strengthen their physiques. Only when the two are united as one does it become a true method of cultivation.
"..."
Only then did Lin Jue suddenly remember—
Over the past year, he had indeed occasionally caught sight of wondrous qi or strange sheens of light: on mountain peaks when the morning sun first rose, in the woods after an early spring rain, or just today in that fleeting instant when the old man drew in the fire qi. Elusive and beyond his control, they had always defied his grasp.
According to the book, his natural talent seemed rather good.
"This is one of the various forms of the Qi Nourishing Method:
"One must understand that qi is divided by yin-yang, the five elements, and the four seasons..." You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Lin Jue continued listening, thinking as he did so.
If what the book said was true and carried great authority, the Fire-Spitting Art possessed three tiers—superior, intermediate, and inferior. What that troupe of jugglers had displayed today were the intermediate and inferior kinds; there was no telling whether they knew the superior art. The Qi Nourishing Method was often broken by mortals into breathing and guiding, and the old man had only demonstrated the Breathing Method. Whether he possessed the complete Qi Nourishing Method remained unknown.
Even so, it was wondrous enough.
Mundane fire was still fire, after all; it held a certain lethal edge and deterrent power against men, and dealing with petty ghosts and minor demons should pose little trouble.
And yet, they still performed in the city streets.
That seemed to make sense, too.
Thinking carefully, Lin Jue had heard from village elders that there were masters in the Jianghu who could claim a life within ten paces in the blink of an eye. True or not, this Fire-Spitting Art had only ordinary power. It could hardly inflict grievous harm in a split second, its range was limited, and if thrust onto a battlefield or into a life-and-death clash, it likely would not prove terribly formidable.
At the very least, it could not match a bow and arrow.
Yet from what the jugglers had said, remaining as they were seemed more a matter of choice.
In any case, yesterday's conversation had offered Lin Jue some inspiration—and beyond that, it had granted him another glimpse into the true nature of this world.
"One who nourishes qi inhales and exhales the five qi, nurturing their spiritual rhyme, and must seek moderation, taking the path of balance..."
Before Lin Jue could hear it through to the end, his cousin's shout drifted in from outside, calling him to eat. The call broke him from that state, which had felt so much like listening to the voice of his own heart.
He could not master it in a single pass anyway, and there was truly no rush. Closing the book, he set it atop the cabinet.
His gaze lingered on the cabinet once more.
Beside this Ancient Book of unknown origin lay over a dozen thread-bound volumes, most of which he had borrowed from the village's prominent families or his teacher's home.
Most merchants in these parts revered Confucian scholarship and were generally happy to lend books. Lin Jue had always been well-mannered and took good care of them, invariably returning them on time, so most were glad to lend to him.
Yet ever since the night he stayed at the Heng Village Ancestral Hall and encountered a demon, he had not opened a single volume in days.
Nor had he attended lectures at the academy much.
"Haah..."
Shaking his head, Lin Jue walked outside.
...
Early the next morning, on a small hillside outside the village.
Lin Jue was already seated there.
According to the book, spiritual qi was distinguished by heaven and earth, yin-yang, the four seasons, and the five elements. It varied from moment to moment, altering even from one location to another in endless permutations.
The Qi Nourishing Method was simple and primitive, and its practitioners all possessed shallow cultivation; thus, when practicing, one had to take great care not to skew toward any extreme. Many who practiced the Qi Nourishing Method strayed off course precisely because they failed to grasp this principle and paid it no heed. As time passed, the qi cultivated within their bodies ceased to be balanced and moderate.
At high noon, Yang Qi was too heavy; at midnight, Yin Qi was too heavy. Neither was suitable for someone learning the Qi Nourishing Method, making early dawn or dusk the ideal time.
As the four seasons rotated, each brought its own distinctions. Solstices, for example—the winter solstice having the shortest day and longest night, the summer solstice having the shortest night and longest day—were moments when either yin or yang reached an absolute peak while the other dwindled to its lowest ebb. Practicing the Qi Nourishing Method at such times yielded half the results for double the effort, bringing harm without benefit, so it was best to avoid them altogether.
Conversely, during the spring and autumn equinoxes, when day and night were equal, the qi of yin and yang was at its most balanced, and the spiritual rhyme of heaven and earth was at its most marvelous. Cultivating then yielded twice the results with half the effort.
Nor was it good to practice constantly in a single place. One needed frequent changes of scenery—amid mountains, rivers, and woods, across the broad expanse of heaven and earth—to gather a greater variety of spiritual rhyme.
Following the book's instructions, Lin Jue calmed his heart and concentrated his spirit.
From ten thousand stray thoughts, he pursued a single thought until he reached a state of no-thought at all. His body naturally blended into heaven and earth, feeling the five qi of heaven and earth and the spiritual rhyme of nature.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes—
Before him, the village looked largely as it always had.
A small brook and a pool of spring water flowed from above, converging from left and right. Built along the water, the village was an expansive sprawl of white walls and black tiles with staggered eaves. In the early morning air, the chirping of birds and the rhythmic thumping of women beating laundry echoed softly.
Behind it stretched continuous green mountains, standing like a folding screen.
It was only largely the same because there was now qi.
Between the low hills, above the flowing streams, amidst the houses, and atop the mountain peaks, faint glimmers and streams of qi rose and circulated. Arising from heaven and earth and returning into heaven and earth, they lent this peaceful scene a touch of the wondrous and surreal.
'How beautiful...'
To his surprise, that was the very first thought that crossed his mind.
Immediately maintaining his focus, he exhaled and began guiding the qi.
"Hsss..."
"Huuu..."
Between breathing in and breathing out, he vaguely felt something, yet at the same time felt nothing at all.
Neither anxious nor perplexed, Lin Jue followed the book's admonitions, remaining patient as he continued his breathing.
Perceiving qi at his mouth and nose, he guided it into his body.
Unexpectedly, he gained a faint sensation on his very first attempt.
Just as the book said, since he could occasionally see the spiritual rhyme of the five qi of heaven and earth, he had to be considered exceptionally talented.
Of course, credit was also due to the book's detailed explanations.
The contents of this book came from a vastly superior vantage point, bringing to bear rich experience, profound insight, and consummate attainment to explain this simplest Qi Nourishing Method with utter clarity and thoroughness.
Only when the sun climbed higher, the temperature rose, and the qi of yin and yang grew increasingly unbalanced did Lin Jue open his eyes.
"Haaa..."
He exhaled a final breath of turbid qi.
According to the book, it was time to stop.
Lin Jue emerged from that tranquil state of mind. The world before him returned to its clear, ordinary appearance, once again resembling a picturesque landscape painting of a village amid hills and streams.
Yet he could not help but continue to ponder—
This world was truly out of the ordinary.
If there were demons, ghosts, and spells, could there truly be Immortals, gods, and eternal life?
Whatever the case, these were the truly wondrous and unique facets of this world.
"..."
Lin Jue remained silent.
His heart was no longer in his studies at all.
Thinking back to that world of gods, ghosts, and strange anomalies described by the village elders, Lin Jue felt in that moment that those magical arts, divine powers, and bizarre wonders were like towering mountains in the distance, like vast and magnificent vistas—seemingly resting there in tranquil silence, yet in truth calling out to him...