Most of the time, Alex Stone meditated indoors, imitating the images on the stone table. Sometimes he let his mind wander, other times he entered a state of deep tranquility, using his heart to feel the world. Occasionally, he gathered energy in his dantian, practicing Taoist health techniques. The spiritual energy here was exceptionally abundant; with just a bit of concentration, the energy in his dantian would quickly gather, so much so that Alex Stone didn't dare to always focus on his dantian. Once he felt the energy in his dantian was sufficient, he would focus on other major acupuncture points. The Taoist health techniques he had learned in his youth came in handy now. Over these days, all thirty-six major acupuncture points in his body were filled with energy to the point of bursting, with internal energy flowing through his extraordinary meridians. A slight mistake could indeed lead to a dangerous situation. Therefore, during his meditation, he didn't dare to focus on just one point; instead, he entered a state of tranquility, using his heart to feel nature.
This place was a world of such silence; apart from the sounds of wind and rain, there were no other noises. Over these days, Alex Stone hadn't seen a single bird, rabbit, mouse, or even an ant. The abundant fruits in the low woods at the foot of the hills had not attracted any life, which was truly puzzling—this was a corner forgotten by life. Alex Stone's presence here was either a matter of fate or mere chance.
One day, during a storm, it was likely already the transition between spring and summer outside the mountains. Lightning tore through the sky, and thunderbolts occasionally struck the grassland, with deafening thunder rolling through the mountains. Strangely, the lightning either struck the mountain peaks around or hit the center of the flat land, as if there was a lightning rod there.
Another bolt of lightning struck, and the stone chamber was illuminated with a ghostly blue light. Alex Stone was astonished to see what seemed like a figure on the mat in front of the stone table. The person was sitting upright, continuously forming hand seals. Alex Stone was very familiar with those hand seals—they were exactly the techniques from the scroll. The figure formed the seals at varying speeds, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes still, and sometimes moving, repeating the seals over and over, appearing like a movie in the flashes of lightning. Alex Stone watched in stunned silence, memorizing every detail, not daring to move, fearing he might disturb the figure.
From a young age, Alex Stone knew about this natural phenomenon. According to scientific research, it was because the surrounding environment was rich in ferromagnetic minerals. During thunderstorms, currents formed in the iron ore, turning the ore into a primitive recording device. Modern videotapes are also made using magnetic iron powder, based on the same principle. When the environment matched the conditions during recording, the images would replay. Such a strange occurrence was something he never expected to encounter here.
Finally, the clouds cleared, and the rain stopped.
The moonlight poured down like mercury, with water droplets dancing on the grass tips, filling the eyes with sparkling light. The night was exceptionally beautiful.
Alex Stone had not yet recovered from the shock. The eighty-one hand seals continuously rolled in his mind. Unconsciously, he sat down in front of the table and began forming the hand seals. As he did so, he noticed that the energy filling the thirty-six major acupuncture points and extraordinary meridians in his body started to rotate, eventually all converging towards his dantian. The energy in his dantian became more and more condensed, growing smaller and more solid. The energy from other acupuncture points continuously gathered in his dantian, while he also absorbed spiritual energy from outside. Time flew by, and Alex Stone was unaware that his breathing had already ceased, his body emitting a faint glow. If an outsider saw him, they would surely think he was a celestial being!
The energy ball in his dantian grew larger and then contracted into a single mass, repeating this process over and over. By the ninth repetition, the energy ball had turned colorless, its presence only faintly perceptible. At this point, his body no longer absorbed external energy. Stopping at the final hand seal, Alex Stone felt as if he was enveloped in a transparent light, with a faint energy ball rolling in his dantian, and within the energy, a faint human figure—this was remarkably similar to the legendary Taoist practice of forming an internal elixir!
Could it be that there really are celestial beings and that the primordial spirit can indeed leave the body?
When Alex Stone calmed down and re-examined himself, he was shocked. His skin had turned scaly and could be peeled off easily, revealing fresh pink skin underneath. His hair had grown half a foot, with the original gray hair hanging awkwardly among the new black strands. There was a strange smell about him, and his clothes had become much shorter.
What on earth had happened to him? Was this what they called rebirth? What exactly was that scroll? And where was this place?
In the mountains, time seemed to stand still, while the world outside had already seen the changing of seasons.
All the clocks had stopped, and Alex regretted not bringing an electronic one. The scenery outside remained unchanged; the grass never withered, the trees never shed their leaves. Without the blooming and withering of wildflowers, one might suspect this was a simulated world.
He must have been in meditation for quite some time, as Alex's entire appearance had changed. He now looked no older than 25, with black hair and red lips, and his skin was smooth and rosy. He could even pass for 18. While delighted, Alex was also troubled—how could he meet his daughter looking like this?
In recent days, sitting quietly in the stone chamber no longer allowed him to feel the once-vibrant spiritual energy. This new body was also very unfamiliar to him. He felt as light as a feather, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. Moreover, his flexibility had reached an incredible level; he could easily perform any movement he could think of, even the flashy moves seen in martial arts movies, which were usually created with special effects.
Good heavens, it seemed he had accidentally become a superhuman. If he went out to shoot a movie, he could at least be an unparalleled stunt double.
Until now, Alex had never ventured into that meadow. It was definitely a beautiful carpet woven by nature, with a green base and brightly colored flowers. Walking through it felt like a desecration of nature. But the thunderstorm that night had piqued his curiosity. After all, this place was filled with wonders, and perhaps there were secrets hidden in the center of the meadow.
The outer 10 meters or so showed no abnormalities. As he walked further in, he could feel a mysterious force filling the space. It was warm, like the sun in winter. Under the grass, there were not just yellow soil, but also neatly laid stone paths with some stones even carved with patterns. In the center of the meadow, there was a flat area, about 10 meters in diameter, surrounded by nine intricately carved fire-breathing dragons, all facing the center. In the center were two rotating fish, resembling the Taiji symbol. This meadow must have had a group of buildings in ancient times. The stone paths and this exquisitely carved stone platform were definitely relics of the past.
The sunlight was warm and clear. Looking out from the center, seven mountain peaks formed a circle, and the seemingly flat meadow was not so flat after all. The stone paths radiated outward in concentric circles, with the grass along the paths slightly sunken, resembling crop circles. The mountain wind blew from all directions, converging into a whirlwind at the center of the stone platform, spiraling towards the sky.
Alex ventured into the whirlwind, feeling as if he was about to be lifted off the ground. Then, in an instant, the wind suddenly stopped without any warning. The surroundings became eerily quiet, and a mysterious force began to rise slowly. A wave of unease washed over him, and Alex shivered involuntarily.
Sitting down at the center of the stone platform, he formed a hand seal and let the internal energy from his dantian spread throughout his body. Alex once again felt the warmth of the sun. The internal energy in his dantian began to rotate slowly, and spiritual energy seeped into his skin, continuously flowing in. Alex was overjoyed; he had been unable to absorb spiritual energy in the stone chamber, but now he had found another excellent place to practice.
However, his joy was short-lived. The spiritual energy entering his body grew faster and stronger, and his dantian could not contain it all. Alex tried to stop and withdraw his energy, but his internal energy would not obey. His dantian seemed like a powerful magnet, attracting the explosively increasing energy from outside. He felt like a bottle being filled with water beyond its capacity, unsure if he would burst.
The sunlight became somewhat glaring, and the wind seemed to pick up again.
The violent energy enveloped him like a cocoon, and Alex was now an indisputable chrysalis. The pressure increased, and his bones felt like they were about to shatter. His skin and muscles could not withstand the pressure, swelling and cracking, with streams of blood seeping from his orifices, and his clothes disintegrating into fine powder.
Alex Stone struggled to use his internal energy to protect his vital organs, but he knew he couldn't hold on for much longer. Blood pooled beneath him, forming a small river and seeping into the cracks in the stone ground. His head gradually grew heavy, and the world began to spin as a chill spread slowly over him. Alex decided to give up—fortune and misfortune are so unpredictable; who could have known it would end like this?
Suddenly, the ground emitted a faint tremor. A wave of warmth rose from the ground, quickly enveloping Alex's body, and the pressure vanished in an instant. A rumbling sound like thunder echoed from beneath the ground, growing increasingly intense.
Alex found himself floating above the stone platform, his injuries rapidly healing. Despite this, he still couldn't control his body. Ever since he had sat down on the stone platform, he felt as if he had become a puppet.
The pattern of the two fish began to rotate, and the nine dragons seemed to come to life, spiraling into the air. Each dragon emitted a beam of white light from its mouth, converging onto Alex's body. A massive bolt of lightning struck him from above—how could there be lightning in a cloudless sky?
The rotating fish slowly split apart, and a golden beam shot straight into the sky, filled with countless twinkling stars. The rumbling sound echoed from the distant heavens, and vibrant clouds quickly gathered at the mountaintop. Lightning repeatedly struck down, exploding into a shower of sparks above Alex's head, resembling a heavenly tribulation.
The starlight gradually gathered around Alex, revealing a suit of golden armor. The colorful clouds dispersed, and everything returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
He could control himself again. Alex inwardly examined his body.
His injuries were completely healed, or rather, it was as if he had never been injured. His internal meridians and acupuncture points had vanished. Inside his body, an energy was slowly rotating, making his internal organs feel incredibly comfortable.
He then looked at the suit of armor he was wearing. It seemed to be made of golden metal but felt weightless, fitting him snugly as if it was custom-made. Beneath the heavy gold, faint blue lines flowed subtly. Embedded at the front of the helmet was a deep blue gem, about the size of a walnut, shimmering with a myriad of colors. The gem alone was a rare treasure, and the way this armor had appeared was no different from the celestial treasures described in ancient texts!
However, celestial treasures could change in size and be summoned at will. Could this armor also be stored away? As soon as he thought about it, the armor transformed into golden particles and instantly merged back into his body.
What an incredible object! Good heavens!
What kind of place was this, and what other secrets did it hold?
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