Chapter 9: Coming Of Age [4] (1/2)
”Good. Fire is igneous in nature. Air is gaseous in form. Terra[soil] has nature that's solid. And Water which is in liquid state. The root of life-force is made up of these elements. Since the life-force connects the soul to the body, the body and soul shared these elements. But because of the laws of reincarnation, the mortal soul is only connected to the life-force, which is scattered all over the mortal's body, by a few thread. But with cultivation, the life-force can be gathered and the soul brought out of limbo making the life-force, the body and the soul, become one.”
Zhang Wang Jing spread her hands to encompass her sorrounding.
”Look around you, my grandson. Everything in the universe is composed of the four elements in varying proportions and amounts. I tell you this Jufeng, elements are the basic constituents of all matter. Everything. These four elements formed the foundation of the Dao conception of the universe. The first creation was made out of the elements of matter. Even your body is composed of the four elements.
She placed her hand on Jufeng's shoulder and smiled as she tapped gently on the floor with her foot.
”At the center of our world is the terra, as the planet we live on, the ground and support beneath our feet. Because of terra's great heaviness and density, all things gravitate towards it. Running over and around the soil is Water, in the form of lakes, rivers, and oceans. Water nourishes the terra, giving it Life. Over the spheres of soil and Water is the sphere of Air, the atmosphere in which we live. Mortals relied on this air to breathe while the immortals use the air for mystical arts. And finally.”
Zhang Wang Jing turned her palm upward and a tongue of fire manifested.
”Fire lights up the Sun, the moon and the stars in the celestial firmament. Fire has brilliance and spirit and it symbolizes the Life Force within us. The mortal body, your body, is made up of the four elements in varying proportions. Some elements are more dominant in our bodies than others. For some cultivators, it can be one element that's more dominant than the rest while in others, it could be more than one dominant elements. While in some cultivators, it's the variants of the four basic elements. Like the lightning element. However, one thing is clear, all souls are in affinity with the elements. The Chi energy and elemental energies in the dantian formed the essence fundamentals. These are the fundamentals that transform the state of the soul into a mystical one.”
Zhang Wang Jing shook her head and sighed.
”Your grandmother is in the evanesce core stage and still have a long way to go before forming a true soul. I know my element affinity is fire and I can draw on its power but not as a true nascent soul. Your mother already formed her nascent soul, maybe she can show you what it looks like, one day.”
Zhang Wang Jing touched her grandson on the head and chest while looking at him affectionately. She knew the road ahead was going to be difficult, but she couldn't wait for her grandson to begin his path towards immortality.
”But today, I will teach you the serenity of the soul. Although, your soul is in limbo, you are still connected to it by few threads. I want you to realize that although our universe appears to be expanding, we are cosmically connected. This connection has an impact on the very reason that we are who we are. Serenading the soul will put it in a state of peace. With this calmness, comes enlightenment of the soul. The first step is for your soul to realise that it's in limbo. Then, to gradually come out of it and that's the reason for all these training we are giving you.
Zhang Wang Jing stopped and watched the reactions of her grandson who was standing as if he was in a delicate dream. She gave an easy smile and a gentle shake of her head.
”Ju Feng, I will teach you the soul pith technique now and then the soul serenade technique later. It's simple but very effective. These techniques are different from the astral foetal breathing technique. Unlike astral foetal used for cultivating meditation, these ones are used for the mystical arts. The elements. Our ancestors have all used it to good results. Now, let me show you how it work.”
Zhang Wang Jing showed the technique to her grandson who quickly sat down and started practicing it. He was just like his mother, strong and powerful. Her thoughts quickly went to her daughter, a full demigod with a true nascent soul immortality. She vividly recalled the nascent soul manifestation that her daughter had shown them. A taller and stronger replica of herself in a white feathered amour and two flaming wings on her back. Phoenix wings? Couldn't be sure but it was a sight.
She was joyfully beaming with teary eyes in this recall. How could she not be happy? From hopelessness to one filled with great potentials, it was definitely a source of happiness. A grandmother! And her grandson was growing really fast and strong too. Surely, this must be the heavens. Or, how could she explain all these? Heavens did favoured her.
Lost in thoughts, it was already evening before she realized that time had swiftly passed by. Although Ju Feng was still practicing , she decided it was time to leave. They still had the following day and many days ahead to practice.
Leaving the area, they arrived at the cave to see Zhang Li Qiang returning from the farm with jars of fresh milk to celebrate the beginning of Ju Feng's long journey to immortality. His mother had already made a special food for them. Roasted yellow-green deer and a large bowl of millet, coated in the honey of the cloud honeygourd bee. These went along with the goat milk in its variants and they ate to their satisfaction. It was truly a good day, for one of their own had started his immortal cultivation. It would be hard and dangerous but surely a thing for celebration.
And after the meal, they all raised the drink to Jufeng's future.