Chapter 9

"Daoist techniques are the principles of the transformation of heaven and earth, the subtleties of all natural things..."

As the old man explained, Zuo Qingcang gradually understood that the Daoist techniques in this world were different from those he knew in his previous world.

They were more like a summary of the laws of the universe, a kind of science in this world. However, due to the differences in the environment and the human body, Daoist techniques seemed more mysterious and bizarre.

It was said that in ancient times, everyone possessed supernatural powers. Every person was born with the ability to control water and fire, to summon wind and rain. It was an era when everyone could become a god or a demon. A battle involving just a dozen people could cause the seas to turn and the mountains to change color.

"Unfortunately, those days are long gone. With the passage of time and changes in the environment, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth gradually became scarce, and humans gradually lost their supernatural powers, becoming weaker and weaker."

When the old man was halfway through his explanation, he suddenly laughed again: "But some wise people among humans were not content. They were unwilling to lose their power. Through their efforts, after countless sacrifices and contributions, they finally discovered the secrets of supernatural powers and created a method for humans to regain these powers through cultivation. This method is Daoist techniques."

"The source of Daoist techniques is spiritual energy. All things in this world are born with a spirit, and everything is constantly emitting spiritual energy. Daoist techniques allow the human body to absorb this spiritual energy and then exert special powers."

"However, although everything has a spirit, not all spiritual energy can be easily absorbed. Most Daoist techniques still absorb spiritual energy through light, fire, and electricity. The organ in the human body that can absorb spiritual energy is called the 'Mingcong.'"

"Due to the weakening of spiritual energy in the universe, the Mingcong of humans gradually degenerated and eventually lost its ability. The first step in cultivating Daoist techniques is to cultivate the Mingcong."

While Zuo Qingcang was repairing the bricks, he listened to the old man's explanation. When he heard about spiritual energy and the Mingcong, he couldn't help but have some thoughts.

After all, he was not a native of the Da Qi Empire; he came from a modern, technologically advanced world. So when he heard the principles of Daoist techniques, he couldn't help but start guessing the scientific principles behind them. Especially when he heard that everything in the world was constantly emitting spiritual energy, he thought of radiation.

'In nature, everything with a temperature above absolute zero emits heat in the form of electromagnetic waves and particles, a process known as radiation.

This description of spiritual energy is very similar to radiation. If it really is radiation, then the so-called Mingcong is a special organ that humans have evolved to absorb radiation. However, due to environmental changes, this organ has degenerated. The first goal of Daoist techniques might be to reverse this degeneration through cultivation.'

Although he had some scientific speculations about Daoist techniques, Zuo Qingcang naturally couldn't say them out loud. After all, they were just speculations. To truly confirm the essence of Daoist techniques, he would need to gain a deeper understanding of them and conduct various experiments with the help of testing equipment.

"Unfortunately, even though Daoist techniques can reactivate the Mingcong, the number of Mingcong in humans is still decreasing. In the end, most ordinary people no longer have any Mingcong."

The old man, of course, had no idea about the many thoughts flashing through Zuo Qingcang's mind. He continued: "In the ancient era of gods and demons, there were 1,024 recorded types of Mingcong in the human body. Most people were born with more than ten Mingcong.

However, by the middle ancient era, although Daoist techniques were flourishing and the entire Central Plains was ruled by various Daoist sects, the Mingcong had degenerated, and supernatural powers were lost. Only about 400 types of Mingcong were recorded, and most people were born without any. Those with seven or eight Mingcong were considered exceptional talents in cultivation.

Later, during the first unification of the Central Plains by the Western Wei, the number of recorded Mingcong had dwindled to just over 200. Those with two or three Mingcong were considered rare talents in cultivation."

Zuo Qingcang nodded, signaling the old man to continue.

"The Mingcong is the source of human use of spiritual energy. Different Mingcong have different cultivation methods, which can develop different supernatural powers and Daoist techniques. However, the first step is always to sense the Mingcong, activate it, and finally light it up. Only by cultivating the Mingcong to its peak can one proceed to the next steps, such as cultivating the Heavenly Palace, creating the Star River, and building the Golden Bridge."

"Cultivating the Mingcong, the Heavenly Palace, the Star River, and the Golden Bridge, right?" Zuo Qingcang nodded and said, "So the most essential and fundamental aspect of Daoist techniques is to absorb spiritual energy through the Mingcong and use it as a power source to perform Daoist techniques?"

"Yes, but before the Mingcong reaches the 'non-leaking' stage, the spiritual energy in the human body is too weak. All Daoist techniques must be enhanced by the power of the present world to be performed. Only after the Mingcong reaches the non-leaking stage can one perform Daoist techniques without any external aid."

Zuo Qingcang asked, "Like the fire you created with a blink just now, that was performed without any external aid, right?"

The old man lowered his head in embarrassment: "I'm ashamed. I started learning Daoist techniques at the age of five, and after decades, I have only just reached the non-leaking stage. I truly feel unworthy of my ancestors."

"Well, now isn't the time for regrets." Zuo Qingcang asked, "You mean that with enough spiritual energy, one can perform Daoist techniques without any external aid, but when the spiritual energy is low, one needs to use materials from the real world to perform Daoist techniques?"

"Exactly. If spiritual energy is a flame, then the materials for Daoist techniques are like a pot of black oil. Pouring it on makes the flame more intense, amplifying the effect of the spiritual energy. Therefore, besides having deep cultivation, a Daoist must also have extensive knowledge and be proficient in the properties of various materials to perform Daoist techniques smoothly.

Even if one reaches the non-leaking stage or even higher, one can perform Daoist techniques without any external aid, but using materials and various methods, even taking advantage of the weather and terrain, can greatly amplify the power of Daoist techniques."

Zuo Qingcang thought of a question: "So, does this tomb also use spiritual energy? If we cut off its supply of spiritual energy, can we destroy the great array?"

"No, ordinary people can only absorb the weakest spiritual energy bit by bit. However, high-level arrays like the 'Moving Stars and Changing Constellations' use immense forces like the sun and the earth. This great tomb borrows the power of underwater volcanoes. To use such power, one must have both profound cultivation and extensive knowledge. As long as the 'Moving Stars and Changing Constellations' array is still active, every step is carefully calculated. If we destroy it, we might trigger earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which would be a hundred times more dangerous than opening the coffin."

"I see." At this moment, Zuo Qingcang seemingly casually said, "By the way, have you heard of a Daoist book called 'The Fire Baptism Divine Mirror'?"

"The Fire Baptism Divine Mirror?" The old man shook his head in confusion: "I haven't heard of it."

Zuo Qingcang nodded: "I see." He thought to himself, "So the items in that package are materials for performing Daoist techniques, but he hasn't heard of it..."

"In any case, you can use this time to learn about Daoist techniques and related knowledge. It will be very helpful for us to escape from here. You can also practice martial arts to be faster when we need to run..."

"Martial arts and Daoist techniques can't be learned in a day or two." Zuo Qingcang was somewhat skeptical. Based on the martial arts Liu Zhicheng practiced in the Northern Defense Army, which were not much different from modern combat techniques, he didn't think there was much to learn. On the other hand, Daoist techniques sounded more like a combination of special abilities and chemistry and physics, which he found very interesting. However, he doubted he could learn them in a short time, especially since he didn't know if he, or Liu Zhicheng, had a Mingcong.

"Hehe, you'll see soon. Although this place is a dead end, it has unique advantages for cultivating Daoist techniques and martial arts. As long as you have a Mingcong, you can do it."

The old man said this, but when he noticed that Zuo Qingcang didn't respond, he felt a bit strange. He then saw Zuo Qingcang staring intently at his back with wide eyes. His face turned pale, and he said nervously, "Hey, don't scare me. There's nothing behind me, right?"

"Nothing." Before the old man could relax, Zuo Qingcang continued, "But have you noticed that the sound below is getting louder?"

Zuo Qingcang was referring to the 'clicking' sound that initially led him to discover the underground tunnel. At first, they thought it might be water, falling rocks, or some kind of mechanism.

But when the old man heard Zuo Qingcang's words, his heart skipped a beat: "It does seem to be getting a bit louder."

"There's something down there." Zuo Qingcang's face turned cold. "I don't know what it is, but it's getting closer." He walked toward the tunnel, but the tunnel's diameter was less than a meter, and it was pitch black, so he couldn't see anything.

"Come over and help me seal this tunnel." As the 'clicking' sound grew closer, Zuo Qingcang's face changed, and he shouted to the old man.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then immediately went to help. The two of them hurriedly put the bricks back in place that Zuo Qingcang had previously removed. The old man, looking terrified, asked, "Is this tunnel really connected to the main tomb chamber? Could something be climbing up?"

"You're so timid, how have you survived here for so long?" Zuo Qingcang said while working. "We don't know which of these tunnels leads outside and which leads down. It could be an animal from outside."

"Let's seal the tunnel first."

The two worked quickly, putting the bricks back in place. Once sealed, the 'clicking' sound seemed to diminish.

Just as the old man was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Zuo Qingcang stood up and walked toward the bronze sculpture.

"What are you doing?"

"Who knows if something is trying to come up." Zuo Qingcang pushed the sculpture. "Help me. We'll use this sculpture to press down on the tunnel entrance; it should be fine."

The sculpture was about the height of a person, depicting a warrior in armor. As the two of them slowly pushed the sculpture, the 'clicking' sound below suddenly became more urgent.

"What's happening!"

"Push faster!"

The sound grew more urgent and louder, clearly indicating that something was rapidly approaching. Just before they pushed the sculpture onto the tunnel entrance, there was a loud 'bang,' and a blue brick was pushed out from the bottom, revealing a dark hole.

(Thank you, Li Anping, for your generous support. I've added an extra chapter. Thank you!)

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