Chapter 126: Initial Condensation of the Nine Emperors

He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward and parallel, his body upright, and his lower abdomen relaxed. He raised his hands to his chest, fingers slightly spread, forming a semi-circle. His mouth was slightly open yet seemingly closed, breathing naturally through his nose. His hips were positioned as if sitting, yet not quite sitting. This was the Tai Chi Hunyuan Stake.

This was the introductory stake work of Tai Chi. George had practiced this stance since childhood before he transmigrated, for nearly ten years. However, after transmigrating to this world, it was of little use except for stretching his muscles and bones when he was young. In terms of tempering muscles and bones and strengthening Qi and blood internally, the martial arts of this world were far more outstanding. After all, these were the essences inherited from wars with foreign races over thousands of years; in terms of dynamic exercises, this world was far ahead of Tianchao.

However, today was the day chosen to condense the Nine Emperors. George did not know why this impulse arose in his heart. A sudden impulse must have a cause, so George started the stance practice without saying a word. Although he had not used it much for some years, it now felt like instinct; his whole body became relaxed and natural, as if he were truly holding a large ball.

After his Qi and blood slowly calmed down, George lit three Calming and Obstacle-Removing Incense sticks that he had bought at a high price from Wang Qinian’s exotic goods shop. This was a type of stick incense, with old mountain sandalwood as the main ingredient. However, burning sandalwood alone did not smell pleasant; but when cleverly blended with frankincense, safflower, ambergris, and many other spices, it could “guide aromatic substances to the highest realm.”

According to Wang Qinian, this incense could mobilize the spirituality of the mind amidst the fragrance, regulating breath, opening the nose, clearing the orifices, and harmonizing the body and mind between the tangible and intangible, with endless wonderful uses. These incenses made from natural materials were different from Alchemy products. They were not only fragrant, fresh, and refreshing, with a mellow scent, but they also would not cause dizziness after long use. Deep breathing did not feel pungent, making people feel joy and pleasure, and more importantly, achieving a state of calmness, emptiness, and liveliness, reaching a state of correct concentration while relaxed and happy.

Of course, it was hard to say whether the other party was suspected of praising his own goods like Wang Po selling melons. After all, which seller did not boast that their goods were unmatched in heaven and earth? However, he had once lit the powder that fell from this incense during transport in front of George. This behavior was like a food tasting. The scent emitted by the lit powder was elegant, calm, and sweet, gladdening the heart and refreshing the mind. It could make people calm and peaceful, playing a role in regulating the circulation of Qi and blood in the human body and unblocking the body’s Qi mechanism.

The journey was long and transportation was difficult; it was already an incredible thing that these stick incenses could be delivered intact to Karada. However, the fallen powder also gave George an excuse that the stick incense was not in good condition, which he used to bargain with Wang Qinian.

After all, having been in this world for so many years, it was the first time George had seen such a thing in an exotic goods shop in Karada! If he missed it, it would probably be very difficult to wait for the next time. Based on George’s understanding of those exotic goods shops, except for goods with large sales volumes like silk, porcelain, and unprocessed spices, other crafts and consumables could basically only be seen once.

After all, in most cases, the Caravans from The East brought whatever they had, and the exotic goods shops selected some that they thought might sell well to purchase and display in the store. Generally, due to the high risks at sea, those Caravans mostly carried items like silk, porcelain, and unprocessed spices, which had guaranteed sales and high profits. Of course, they would also bring some things that looked novel and mysterious, so that customers would maintain their longing for The East or other countries.

During this period, there were naturally goods that were stuck in their hands, so those novel goods would not be brought in large quantities each time. Plus, with sales all the way through various countries, by the time they reached Karada, there were really very few left. George had not seen any goods stuck within those Caravans themselves. However, in George’s view, the Tachi in Wang Qinian’s hand, if he hadn’t helped, would definitely count as one of them.

However, holding the attitude that rare things are precious, and with George’s desire for this item, Wang Qinian could be said to be sitting securely on the fishing platform. So for George, this was the most difficult bargaining he had ever done in an exotic goods shop. The mental effort consumed was truly not enough to explain to outsiders, but in the end, he still failed to achieve his expected goal.

One of the most critical reasons was that the purchase price and selling price of this thing were not considered very high. A low purchase price meant it would not occupy a large amount of working capital, which meant that even if it was temporarily stuck in his hands, it would not put much pressure on Wang Qinian. And a not-too-high selling price meant, from another perspective, that the consumer group available for sale became larger. Plus, this thing might be helpful for a Mage’s meditation; one had to know that Mages needed to be piled up with Gold Coins, and in the eyes of Commoners, every one of them was not short of money.

In the end, George could only pocket these three stick incenses at a price of 18 Gold Coins each. This was only 2 Gold Coins lower than Wang Qinian’s initial quote of 20 Gold Coins, and there was still a considerable gap from George’s expected target of 15 Gold Coins.

George just sat cross-legged on the bed, with a small table in front of him. In a small wooden bucket filled with fine sand on top, the three lit stick incenses were inserted, emitting a faint scent that calmed the mind.

Relaxing his body and mind, George began the Visualization of Doumu Yuanjun based on past experience. Being skilled, the image of Doumu Yuanjun visualized in his Spirit Platform appeared very quickly in his mind. As the image became more and more vivid and lively, her eight arms—except for the pair clasped in front of her chest—the other six hands respectively holding the sun, the moon, a treasure bell, a golden seal, a curved bow, and a halberd, also began to appear indistinctly. This was an important sign of the great completion of the first stage of the “Doumu Yuanjun” Visualization Method.

“Next is the time to condense the Nine Emperors. Thinking about it, the preparations I should have made are done, and the accumulation is definitely thick enough. I hope this can succeed all at once. It would be best if there were no twists and turns during the process! Although I can’t be said to be a man who does good deeds and is a living Buddha to ten thousand families, I can be considered diligent and conscientious, and by the way, I have sought a lot of welfare for the Commoners of this world. There shouldn’t be any calamity or heavenly punishment waiting for me, although I don’t know if there is a Heavenly Dao in this world.” Before the most critical step, George first comforted himself to calm his somewhat nervous emotions.

Before this, George had also made some preparations. According to records, the first time condensing the Nine Emperors took at least about one hour and at most about six hours. In order not to be disturbed, George specifically greeted Viscount Bolam.

Now recalling the situation at that time, George said to the Viscount, who was drinking tea in Viscount Bolerum’s study: “Father, I seem to have made a new breakthrough in my spiritual cultivation, and I am preparing to meditate in seclusion for a few days.”

As for the tea, it seemed to have been obtained by Val. Since drinking it at the Temple of the Lord of Justice that day, Val had never forgotten the taste of that beverage! He immediately asked people from many sides to purchase it; fortunately, his network of contacts could really be said to cover most of the Western Continent. Not long after, a friend sent a package containing tea to the Manor. The curious Viscount Bolerum naturally shared a part of it; it seemed that he had somewhat fallen in love with this taste.

“What? A spiritual breakthrough and special seclusion? You haven’t already stepped onto the Path of Questioning the Heart, have you?” Viscount Bolerum’s face suddenly changed, and he jumped straight up from the chair he was sitting on. Even the tea beside his hand was almost knocked over.

Steadying the teacup, Viscount Bolerum continued: “If it really is the Path of Questioning the Heart! I’m afraid relying solely on seclusion won’t have much effect. Anyway, the Autumn Hunt is already completed, and since the blind date is arranged in the other party’s Territory, there is no rush for the moment. How about I arrange for you to walk around inside our Duchy of Nohan? This might be of some help. Don’t be in a hurry to object; I know you have your own ideas, and you have been like this since you were a child. But this time, you should listen to me. This is the experience summed up by our Nohan Nobles over so many years, and it is not something you alone can compare with…”

Viscount Bolerum’s long speech really deviated more and more from George’s purpose. Fortunately, the other party was finally a bit tired from talking. While Viscount Bolerum was drinking water to moisten his throat, George spoke up: “Father, you don’t need to persuade me anymore; I know what I want to do myself. Although your words make a lot of sense, my situation this time has nothing to do with the Path of Questioning the Heart. In fact, my Path of Questioning the Heart has already passed on the way from the Territory to Karada.”

“The Path of Questioning the Heart has already passed. Good!” Viscount Bolerum, who was drinking tea, was so excited that he sprayed the liquid from his mouth. “Pfft! You mean your Path of Questioning the Heart has already passed?”

Fortunately, Viscount Bolerum’s mouth was not facing George directly when drinking tea, so the sprayed mist did not get all over George’s head and face. However, many documents on the desk became spotted. At the same time, a patch of color on the carpet beside the table became darker than other places.

“Yes! That time, I don’t know why, it came suddenly like a storm; I really had no preparation at all. And unlike most people, what I experienced this time was not confusion about the path but a self-interrogation of the soul. That feeling really could be described as narrow escape. At that time, it almost made my whole consciousness collapse. Fortunately, I managed to pull through. In fact, Val and the others discovered that I was in a trance during that period, which was the aftereffect of this.” George looked at Viscount Bolerum’s embarrassed appearance and held back his laughter as he gave a detailed answer. This was Viscount Bolerum’s most serious loss of composure in recent years; it would be a waste not to watch.

“Thank heaven and earth! It was actually an explosive soul interrogation. It’s also good that you pulled through; otherwise, you would have either become an idiot or a vegetable. To say so, you really are my good son; you encountered such a small probability event and successfully survived it. In a situation like this, usually only one out of ten is normal.” Viscount Bolerum’s words went from worry and relief at the beginning to pride and feeling good about himself later. A series of changes occurred before and after.

Immediately after, Viscount Bolerum’s tone changed and he said very seriously: “Such an important matter, how come you didn’t even mention it when you got here. Do you think your wings have hardened and you don’t need your old dad to manage you anymore?”

“Look at what you said, there is a reason for this. At that time, Val and the others thought I had a problem with meditation. You also know that not long ago, Hiren was still stuck at the last half-step of his Path of Questioning the Heart and couldn’t get over it! At this time, absolutely no pressure could be put on the other party, otherwise, things would likely develop in a bad direction. So I temporarily made the mistake and concealed this aspect. Although later Hiren himself crossed that biggest hurdle in life and became a Formal Knight. But too many things happened during this period, and I forgot about this matter for a while.” George deliberately made his speaking voice smaller and smaller. He wanted to use this performance and low posture to win understanding. In fact, his approach was really quite successful.

Viscount Bolerum seemed to feel that George had already admitted his mistake, and it was indeed for a reason, so he did not pursue this matter any further. He just said: “Since there are such concerns about this kind of thing, it would have been fine to secretly tell me alone; was it necessary to keep it a secret from everyone like this? Also, I will arrange for your seclusion matters, and no one will disturb you.”

“If I told you, I’m afraid whether this secret could be kept for three days would be a problem! You would definitely not be able to resist boasting to others.” Although George thought so in his heart, he said calmly on the surface: “Then I will listen to your arrangements, Father.”

Although George said that at the time, he didn’t expect Viscount Bolerum to specifically arrange for Val to stand guard outside George’s bedroom door. This really gave George a feeling of using a talented person for a small job. However, he couldn’t refuse his old dad’s kind intentions, so he had to agree.

As George began the preparations to condense the Nine Emperors, the image of Doumu Yuanjun gradually dissipated in George’s mind and turned into a starry sky. This starry sky was neither the one George often saw before transmigrating nor the starry sky of this world. Instead, it was the one drawn in ancient Chinese star maps.

There is a saying, “The Azure Dragon coils on the left, the White Tiger crouches fiercely on the right, the Vermilion Bird spreads its wings in front, and the Spirit Turtle circles its head behind.” The seven constellations of the East were like a giant dragon dancing in the night sky of early summer, so they were called the Eastern Palace Azure Dragon; the seven constellations of the North were like snakes and turtles in the night sky of late summer and early autumn, so they were called the Northern Palace Black Tortoise; the seven constellations of the West were like a fierce tiger leaping out in late autumn and early winter, called the Western Palace White Tiger; the seven constellations of the South were like a Vermilion Bird appearing in the sky in winter and early spring, so they were called the Southern Palace Vermilion Bird. The Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird were collectively called the “Four Symbols.”

They, together with the Three Enclosures located in the mid-heaven—the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, the Supreme Palace Enclosure, and the Heavenly Market Enclosure—constituted the main body of this starry sky.

“To the left of the Emperor’s seat at the North Pole, there are four stars, their shapes connected and slightly curved like a hook, named Gouchen. Below them, a large star sits right in the center, which is the Heaven Emperor. He commands all stars, his position is the same as the North Pole but acts as the pivot, and the Heaven Emperor also follows the essence of the sky, responding to the beginning…” Following the records in the literature, George searched for a small constellation composed of six stars extremely close to the North Star in the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, and then called out to the dark star in their center.

As the saying goes, “Gouchen’s six stars are before the Six Jia, the Heaven Emperor dwells alone within Gouchen.” After George selected the constellation, he began to focus on visualizing it.

Slowly, those six stars lit up one by one starting from the bottom corner. One, two, three, four, five, six. Finally, after all six stars were lit, George also breathed a slight sigh of relief. This first step could be considered a great success. Next was to make the true form of the Heaven Emperor in this small constellation appear, and finally, visualize it in the Sea of Consciousness to transform it into a human figure and condense it into shape, which would be the final completion.

But no matter how hard George tried, the Heaven Emperor star inside would not manifest. This really made George anxious! Affected by this, even the entire starry sky seemed to be affected, becoming flickering and indistinct. Just when George thought this attempt to condense the Nine Emperors was about to fail, the North Star, which was relatively close to it, actually started to flash.

“It seems I really have no destiny with the Heaven Emperor! Forget it, the Purple Micro Emperor is not bad either, and the connection with the other Big Dipper stars is also closer.” After first comforting himself, George slightly adjusted his visualization target to the North Star. This star was located right in the center of the starry sky and not far from Gouchen, plus that unique flashing made it very easy to find.

Different from before, the situation this time was unexpectedly smooth. Not long after, the Purple Micro Star had already condensed into form. After that, the pitch-black starry sky seemed to be covered by a layer of faint purple mist. The light of that multitude of stars was all slightly tinged with purple.

Immediately afterwards, the image of a majestic man with a face that was stern yet kind appeared in George’s Sea of Consciousness. This was the humanized image of the Purple Micro Emperor. He controlled the warp and weft of heaven and earth, the sun, moon, stars, and the four seasons’ climate. He could call the wind and rain, command ghosts and gods, and was the master of all phenomena and the leader of all stars.

With the appearance of this image, George heard a crackling sound like frying beans in his ears, and then suddenly felt himself float up. This was neither George’s illusion nor a technique like a soul leaving the body. If there were other people in the room, they would have discovered that at this time, George was suspended about nine inches high from his bed. However, the unit of measurement used by people here was not the ‘cun’ of Tianchao.

At the same time, the floating George underwent changes in visible places such as his facial features, bones, muscles, and skin. And in invisible places, his internal organs, blood, and bone marrow were also changing.