Brian Carter seemed to half understand, nodding his head. At the time, he didn’t pay much attention, but the more he learned later, the more amazed he became.

“This type of visualization method is completely different from those passed down in the world.”

Edward Carter continued, “Cultivators in this world must all nurture essence, refine qi, store spirit, and even harmonize the dragon and tiger, seize Kan and fill Li. On the path of cultivation, it’s like parting the mists, groping forward step by step, gradually making progress.”

Brian Carter asked, “Then what is different about this method?”

“This June Purity Visualization manifests the nine steps of cultivation as nine jade towers, situated in the divine palace of the spirit, within the ancestral aperture of the mysterious capital.”

With a tone of amazement, Edward Carter said, “The path is clear—so long as you push open the jade towers one by one, you can gradually ascend to the heavens. It truly brings the path of the Dao into clear view.”

At the time, Brian Carter didn’t fully understand, but he more or less grasped the meaning.

Others, when cultivating, are still groping forward step by step, unable to see the road ahead.

But with the June Purity Visualization, illuminating the nine jade towers, the future path is made clear.

“It’s precisely because of this that even our master, an immortal patriarch, couldn’t help but be greatly pleased, regarding this June Purity Visualization as a masterpiece and placing its texts in the highest pavilion.”

Edward Carter glanced at him and smiled, “It’s thanks to your bit of fortune and opportunity. Senior White Crane saw your struggles in cultivation and asked the master for permission. Only with the master’s approval did you have the good fortune to practice this visualization method.”

……

The events of the past have already passed.

Now, everything is still before him.

Brian Carter sat cross-legged, the candlelight dim and yellow, casting his face in shadow.

He imagined a bright moon shining above his head.

The bright moon split into six.

The six moons shone clear, moonlight pouring down, dispelling all impure and distracting thoughts.

In the divine palace between his brows, within the Mud Pill Palace, under the moonlight, a tall building faintly appeared.

This tall building had nine levels in all, as if made of jade, with an ancient and simple style. Hidden among clouds and mist, within the moonlight, it was hazy and mysterious, lofty and deep.

After visualizing the nine jade towers, he switched to the method of the Yellow Court Immortal Scripture.

Guiding his thoughts, immediately a breath that seemed both real and illusory followed the power route of the Yellow Court method, passing through various meridians, reaching the divine palace, and pushing at the doors of the jade tower.

It surged and rumbled.

After countless attempts, the doors of the jade tower didn’t budge in the slightest—every effort ended in failure.

Brian Carter opened his eyes, a trace of disappointment on his face.

It was all because he lacked the immortal root and Dao bones needed to generate true qi and power. Thus, the so-called breath was not true qi, but merely an illusory thought formed by his mind.

“After all these years of daily breathing exercises, if it were someone else, even with poor aptitude, they would likely have gained something by now, managed to open the jade tower, and stepped onto the path of cultivation.”

Brian Carter couldn’t help but feel downhearted, thinking to himself, “Alas, with no root or bones at all, no matter how diligently I study and practice, I still can’t condense even a wisp of true qi, and to this day I can’t open the first level.”

Thinking back, when his fellow disciples in the Immortal Palace succeeded in their cultivation, he never felt the need to compare, only thinking his own aptitude was a bit lacking and that he needed to keep working hard.

It wasn’t until the matter of the Immortal Root Register that his assumptions were overturned, and he was shocked to realize that it wasn’t that his aptitude was a bit worse, but that he had no innate root or talent at all.

Since descending to the mortal world, he had continued to practice diligently, but still couldn’t gather even a wisp of true qi, showing no sign of moving that first door.

“No immortal root, no divine fate—by rights, even visualization should be a luxury. Now, relying on the June Purity Visualization of the great immortal, I can at least visualize the nine jade towers, which is already rare.”

“The nine jade towers point out the path, but to push open the towers from here on, I must cultivate carefully and steadily, with no shortcuts to be taken…”

He sighed softly, feeling quite lost about the road ahead.

Looking up at the moonlight by the window, he sighed again, yet remained immersed in his cultivation.

Year after year, nothing had changed.

Even though he still hadn’t managed to move the nine jade towers.

……

In the east, the sky began to glow faintly.

Unknowingly, the night had quietly passed.

Dawn broke, and the sun began to rise.

At this moment, the morning sun had just appeared, but it was not yet the blazing noon sun.

For someone like Brian Carter, who had not yet entered the path of cultivation, the yang energy was present but not at its peak—this was the perfect time to draw a fire talisman.

“The Daoist texts record: Yin and yang transform into the five elements, and from the five elements all things are born.”

Brian Carter flipped through his book, his gaze sweeping over the pages. “Between heaven and earth, there are boundless energies, everywhere, all belonging to the five elements.”

Moist air contains the water of the five elements.

Hot air contains the fire of the five elements.

Amidst smoke and dust is the earth of the five elements.

The vitality in the forest is the wood of the five elements.

Within rocks and stones is hidden the metal of the five elements.

Chapter Four: Talismanic Methods

“All things in heaven and earth, whether living or dead, are born from the evolution of the five elements, so the five elements are everywhere.”

Brian Carter closed the book, pondering for a moment.

This was recorded in Ge Xiang’s book, and since his comprehension was not bad, he had also formed his own understanding.

For example, by the stove, the temperature is higher and it feels dry and hot—naturally, this is due to the abundance of fire energy.

By the lake, the climate is moist, often shrouded in mist—this is because of the abundance of water vapor.

In the deep mountains and forests, the air is fresh and the scenery pleasant—this is the energy of wood, full of vitality.

In addition, dust contains the energy of earth, while metals and iron have a sharpness that can harm the body.