I Became an Immortal in the Mountains - Chapter 4 — The Heart-Mind Unity Technique
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
That night, Gu Yuanqing sat cross-legged in quiet meditation when suddenly, his robes began to ripple as if caught in a wind. An invisible force surged outward, sweeping up the lighter objects around him into the air.
Within his body, thirty-six acupoints shimmered with light, resonating in harmony. Vital energy surged through them, forming a natural array.
“At last… I’ve reached the ninth level of the Primordial Warrior stage. The thirty-six acupoints of the Xuantian Technique are fully refined and have formed the Xuantian Array. All that’s left is to unlock the Martial Vault, and I’ll become a true martial cultivator.”
Gu Yuanqing continued to circulate his energy to stabilize the realm he had just broken through. Only after half an hour did he exhale a long breath and open his eyes.
“I’ve read many books over these days and gained insights into cultivation. Yet when it comes to the path of true martial cultivation, I still feel blind—like groping at an elephant in the dark, unable to grasp the whole picture.”
“What I truly need is a complete, authentic cultivation manual. No matter how gifted I am, even the best cook can’t prepare a meal without ingredients.”
With those thoughts, he entered his mountain-observing state once again. Noticing the old servant was no longer in the room, he figured the man must be digging again in the crevice.
“There must be more hidden secrets beneath Beiquan Mountain. But since my spiritual sense has yet to fully form, I can’t perceive them clearly.”
Every day, Gu Yuanqing meditated upon the mountain. His connection with Beiquan Mountain grew ever deeper. When he quieted his mind, he could faintly sense the rhythm of the entire mountain—the expansion and contraction of the land like a great living breath.
The phantom image in his mind became clearer as well, like a mirror reflecting the entire mountain. His sense extended farther each day, gradually spreading toward the mountain’s base.
“So this is what it means to observe the mountain—my consciousness slowly fusing with Beiquan Mountain. One day, when we become one, and I can manipulate it as easily as my own limbs, then this mountain will be more than a place of exile—it will become… my Daoist sanctuary.”
An hour later, he once again “saw” the old man emerge from the crevice, empty-handed as usual.
“Time to sleep. They’ll be delivering supplies again tomorrow. Hopefully, this time there’ll be a book worth reading.”
***
The next morning, after completing his cultivation, Gu Yuanqing kept watch on the mountain trail. When he spotted the young eunuch leading the delivery team, he quickly made his way over.
Before Gu Yuanqing could speak, the eunuch waved a hand, and a soldier stepped forward, pulling a large bundle of books from a bamboo basket.
“Many thanks, truly. Unfortunately, I have nothing here on the mountain to repay you or the soldiers,” Gu Yuanqing said with a warm smile, receiving the books gratefully.
The young eunuch’s expression softened for a brief moment but quickly returned to cold neutrality. He gestured subtly to the soldiers, and the group quickly departed down the mountain again.
Gu Yuanqing felt slightly awkward.
“Even if they’re wary of me saying something dangerous, isn’t this a bit too guarded?”
As usual, he carried the books back to his study and carefully sorted them onto the shelves.
But when he picked up one slim booklet, he suddenly froze.
“Heart-Mind Unity Technique?”
He opened the booklet and was shocked to find it was a genuine cultivation manual—containing methods not only from the Primordial Warrior realm to True Martial, but even insights for breaking through to Master-level cultivation.
The text wasn’t printed, but handwritten in a delicate, elegant script. Judging by the ink and paper, it had been written only recently.
In the back, detailed annotations explained each stage of progression and all the crucial things to watch out for.
“It seems… this was written just for me. But who sent it? Judging by the handwriting, it’s clearly a woman. Could it be Yuan Ying?”
Yuan Ying was also a concubine-born daughter of the Gu household and had always been close to Gu Yuanqing.
“Probably not. A complete cultivation method that reaches the Master stage—only direct heirs in the Gu Palace would have access to something like that. I’ve never heard of this Heart-Mind Unity Technique before. And from the quality of these annotations, no mere Primordial Warrior could have written them.”
“Besides, there’s no way a concubine-born daughter could send something like this up the mountain.”
“Could it be her…?” The thought passed through his mind, only for him to shake his head and dismiss it. They had never even met properly. The fact she hadn’t killed him outright was already a mercy.
Unable to determine the sender, he finally sighed.
“No matter. This technique solves my biggest problem. If I ever learn who sent it, I’ll be sure to thank them properly.”
Hurriedly shelving the rest of the books, Gu Yuanqing sat down and began to study the manual in earnest. Though it contained only tens of thousands of characters, he found himself constantly flipping to the back to read the annotations after each section.
By the time the sun dipped low in the sky, he had finally reached the end.
“Thank the heavens for the annotations. If I’d only received the base manual, I’d be completely lost. All the metaphors, obscure language, and hidden meanings in these manuals—no ordinary person could decipher them.”
He set the booklet down and brought out the notes he had compiled over the past few days, comparing them with what he had just learned. Gradually, a clearer image of his path forward began to form.
“The Heart-Mind Unity Technique is clearly a level above the Xuantian Technique. It requires the refinement of seventy-two acupoints just to reach the ninth level of the Primordial Warrior stage!”
“The Martial Vault has six tiers—Human, Earth, Heaven, Mystic, Saint, and Divine. The Xuantian Technique only allows access up to the Heaven tier at best. But this technique… it might even unlock the Mystic Vault!”
His eyes narrowed in contemplation, fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
“I have three choices. The Heart-Mind Unity Technique contains methods for refining the spirit and locating acupoints. If I borrow just a bit of that knowledge, I might be able to open the Heaven Vault using the Xuantian Technique.”
“Second option—start over. Switch to the Heart-Mind Unity Technique, refine seventy-two acupoints anew, and aim for the Mystic Vault.”
“And third… above the Mystic Vault are the legendary Saint and Divine Vaults.”
Gu Yuanqing weighed his options carefully, then murmured to himself:
“The first path is out. Using the Xuantian Technique as a base to reach the Heaven Vault offers little chance of ever becoming a Master. I’m currently safe here, with no urgent danger pressing on me. There’s no need to rush into True Martial cultivation.”
“With the support of spiritual energy on this mountain, and with my current talent, refining a new set of acupoints won’t take long. Once my comprehension and aptitude improve again… who’s to say I won’t succeed?”
“Yes… go for the safe second, but aim for the third!”
Having made his decision, Gu Yuanqing immersed himself once again in studying the new technique.
“Eighteen of the seventy-two acupoints overlap with those I’ve already refined, so that leaves fifty-four new ones to temper. It’s a long journey—but it will be worth it!”
***
Beyond worldly affairs, time flows differently in the mountains.
Months passed quietly.
Standing at the edge of a cliff, Gu Yuanqing extended his hand. Several birds fluttered down to perch on his palm, hopping about before taking off again to circle around him. Some landed gently on his shoulders or head, pecking playfully at his hair.
He looked completely at peace, elegant and carefree—blending ever more harmoniously with the green mountains around him.
Reading, cultivating, practicing swordsmanship, observing the mountain… or sometimes doing nothing at all. He would lie on a rock ledge, gazing at the sky, letting his thoughts drift like clouds.
“Living here isn’t so bad—surrounded by nature and birdsong, far from worldly noise and schemes.”
“No need to worry about food or clothes. No worries, no stress. Honestly, I’m lying flatter here than I ever was back at the palace.”
He chuckled softly to himself, then looked down toward a crooked pine tree growing out from the cliff face. Beneath it was a new hole—one of several he had noticed recently.
He shifted his gaze slightly and caught sight of the old man, currently fetching water but glancing in his direction.
Gu Yuanqing smiled faintly.
“Maybe he’s worried I’ve discovered something under the mountain.”
With a light wave of his hand, the birds scattered and flew off into the sky.
He closed his eyes—and in his mind’s eye, all of Beiquan Mountain unfolded before him. Compared to months ago, his connection with the mountain had deepened. It felt like he was only one step away from true unity with the land.
Within his body, all seventy-two acupoints required by the Heart-Mind Unity Technique had been refined.
But he was in no hurry to become a True Martial cultivator.
His understanding of cultivation had grown far beyond what it once was. All his insights were now beginning to coalesce—forming the foundation of a cultivation method truly suited to him.