Fellow cultivator! You are going a bit too far with this!

Even Senior Luo cannot see through it? Chen Jue flicked a trace of confusion across his eyes at these words, leaning back slightly in his chair as his gaze also turned to the three characters "Quanzhen Rock" pointed out by Old Man Luo.

Quanzhen, Quanzhen. The reason it was called Quanzhen—meaning "Complete Truth"—was because only by cultivating the true essence could one avoid going astray and ultimately attain the Dao.

Although Chen Jue had grasped where his emotional resonance was hidden, he was still unable to thoroughly comprehend where his own Dao lay.

At this moment, Old Man Luo perceived Chen Jue's bewilderment, shook his head, and sighed softly: "Fellow Daoist need not sink into these metaphysical and formless abstractions! Everyone has a life that belongs to them, and everyone has their own cultivation and Dao."

"Although this poor Daoist formed his elixir by borrowing the sleeping elixir technique of Ancestor Chen Xiyi, I am likewise a person within the Dao who does not truly know what the Dao is. Just as Laozi stated in the *Tao Te Ching*: The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name."

"Anything that can be spoken with the mouth is no true Dao; it is merely empty talk."

"Your Dao, your cultivation, can only be sought by yourself. Old me is merely an outsider. Although an onlooker sees clearly, I can only point out a general path for you."

Chen Jue nodded upon hearing this. Enlightened by these few words, an indescribable comprehension arose in his heart, so he cupped his hands toward the other: "Being in the Dao yet not knowing it?"

"Thank you, Senior, for dispelling my confusion!"

"By the way, Senior, I see you are also of the Quanzhen lineage. Why do you not need to observe the strict monastic rules and precepts like Daoist Huang Shizhen and the others?" Chen Jue stopped dwelling on what the true essence and the Dao were, turning the topic toward the old man instead.

"Heh!"

"Strict rules and precepts are established for disciples who have not yet attained the Dao. At old me's age, the masters of the older generation have all passed away, and there is no one above to discipline me, so naturally, there is no need to adhere rigidly to old conventions. In the words of you young people, old me is just setting myself free," Old Man Luo said with a cheerful smile.

"So that's how it is!"

"Senior Luo, you are truly carefree!" With his Heaven-Man Induction, Chen Jue could perceive the spiritual imprint on Old Man Luo—a temperament of playing the mundane world and maintaining a cynical detachment.

Although the other's personality was a bit eccentric, this Old Man Luo had genuinely comprehended his own Dao and was a master of the Daoist Golden Elixir who had attained "Complete Truth." His realm of cultivation was vastly higher than that of Master Jiande, who had achieved sudden enlightenment on the spot.

Just like ordinary people, there are sayings such as "at thirty, one stands firm; at forty, one is free from doubts."

Old Man Luo was already over eighty years old, so naturally, he viewed certain matters with detachment and let go of inner obsessions.

However, Chen Jue was still too young at twenty-seven. Although his life had its twists and turns, his experience could not compare to Old Man Luo's.

Yet their cultivation methods were quite similar: one measured the earth with his feet, tempering his heart in the mortal world; the other remained cynical, making a living through physiognomy and divination. Both walked the path of observing others to reflect upon the self.

Just as it is mentioned in the *Book of Tang: Biography of Wei Zheng*: "Using bronze as a mirror, one can properly attire oneself; using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of dynasties; using people as a mirror, one can discern gains and losses."

After observing countless travelers of the red dust, the confusion in Chen Jue's heart also began to gradually take shape.

...

Sitting and chatting with Old Man Luo for a while, Chen Jue recounted his experience of forming the elixir to him.

Upon learning that Chen Jue had formed his elixir through the convergence of Dragon and Tiger, Old Man Luo wore an expression of "so that's how it was," and incidentally exchanged contact information with him.

Feeling that the sky was growing dark, Chen Jue intended to rise and bid farewell, planning to descend the mountain and continue measuring the earth to experience the mortal world.

Just before leaving, however, Chen Jue was grabbed by the sleeve by Old Man Luo.

The old man pulled out a payment QR code from his bosom and said with a beaming smile, "Fellow Daoist, don't rush off just yet! Discussing the Dao and resolving doubts cannot just end with a walk away. Courteously priced at 168 RMB!"

"..."

"Good grief! Senior Luo, don't you usually charge a clearly marked 68 for physiognomy? Why is it an extra hundred yuan in my case?" Chen Jue's eyelid twitched slightly. He finally witnessed the formidable nature of Old Man Luo and truly understood the wondrous feelings of the tourists who had previously sought him out for divination.

"Old me usually only calculates half a hexagram for others, but today I calculated a full hexagram for Fellow Daoist, which even damaged a good deal of my fortune and destiny, so naturally, the fee must be higher."

"I see Fellow Daoist is free from worries of food and clothing, so you surely wouldn't begrudge this mere hundred yuan, right?" Old Man Luo chuckled, his old face reddening slightly as he rubbed his fingers together, striking a posture of refusing to let anyone leave without paying.

Seeing this, Chen Jue lost his temper. With the old man's glowing complexion, not a single trace of damaged fortune was visible; it was obvious he was talking nonsense. Chen Jue took out his phone, scanned the QR code held up by the other, made the payment, and said, "Paid!" Then he shouldered his backpack and fled in a panic.

"Courteously received! Payment collected!"

"If Fellow Daoist has any further doubts in the future, feel free to come up Mount Hua to find old me! Remote divination is also available: a pop-up video call is 88 yuan per session. Double eight brings prosperity, wishing you great fortune and success!" Hearing the prompt chime of the digital wallet app, Old Man Luo narrowed his eyes, waved at Chen Jue with a few polite remarks, and watched him descend the mountain.

However, as soon as he packed up his divination stall and stored it in the warehouse of the neighboring grocery store, he chuckled and muttered to himself, "Business is good today, and a naive little fat sheep delivered himself right to my door. It seems tonight I can find a few female lay practitioners to play mahjong, hehe!"

Yet when Old Man Luo picked up his phone and opened his digital wallet to check today's accounts, he suddenly discovered that the final incoming transfer was written in bold capitals as "250". Snorting a breath of hot air through his nostrils, he jerked his head up, his eyes seeming to generate electricity in the void, and sucked in a breath to roar toward the direction where Chen Jue had vanished: "Fellow Daoist! You're crossing a line here, hello!"

...

Chen Jue naturally heard Old Man Luo's roar. He found interacting with this cynical master rather delightful, and finally couldn't help but burst into loud laughter in response, striding briskly all the way down Mount Hua.

By the time he returned to the urban area of Huayin, it was already past eight o'clock in the night. He found a place for dinner, then returned to the hotel to wash up.

Lying in bed and recalling the day's events, Chen Jue opened WeChat on his phone and found that Old Man Luo had sent an emoji (a knife + anger). Chuckling, Chen Jue brazenly asked if the other had the materials for Ancestor Chen Xiyi's Sleeping Elixir Technique that he had mentioned earlier.

To his surprise, Old Man Luo didn't get angry over the previous "250" yuan; instead, he generously sent over an electronic version, accompanied by a voice message: "Fellow Daoist, this Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Technique is not easy to cultivate. If you feel anything is amiss, it is best to stop early. If you practice it and end up sleeping without waking, old me will bear a heavy sin! Also, the materials on the internet are incomplete; just practice according to old me's version."

Chen Jue smiled slightly, replied with an "OK" and a "cupped fists" emoji, and then tapped open the electronic document of the Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Technique to browse through it.

Just a rough glance told Chen Jue that this Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Technique was extraordinarily profound, losing nothing in comparison to his own practice of the Lesser and Greater Heavenly Cycles.

Rumored to have attained renown through sleep cultivation, Patriarch Chen Tuan once lay high upon Mount Hua for several days without waking, and also practiced the Five Dragons Sleep Method on Mount Wuchang, ultimately attaining the Dao in his sleep and composing the *Hibernating Dragon Chant* to express it. Later, this technique was passed down to True Person Huolong, who in turn passed it to Ancestor Zhang Sanfeng, thus originating the historical ties and exchanges between Mount Hua and Mount Wuchang.

Of course, the sleep technique was much easier to practice than ordinary Daoist elixir methods. Therefore, it came with supplementary posture guides, unlike the Lesser and Greater Heavenly Cycles which relied purely on moving vital energy and blood, possessing an absurdly high entry threshold.

After studying the materials thoroughly, Chen Jue arranged his posture according to the guide and began practicing the Sleeping Elixir Technique on the hotel bed. Moreover, as a true person who had already formed the Golden Elixir, he could freely enter the state of embryonic breathing. After practicing for a short while, amidst a hazy state of consciousness, the attribute panel flashed with the characters: [Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Technique Lv0 (1/100)].

Furthermore, the more he slept, the proficiency of this new skill began to tick upward by +1, +1, while Chen Jue himself sank into an extremely profound state of elixir embracement: his qi and blood retracted inward, and his body and brain began to relax.

Just as True Person Ziyang mentioned in the *Secret Writings of Qinghua*: "Execute the fire clock within stillness, and condense the returned elixir in deep concentration."

Be aware that sleep is an active process; human health and longevity are closely related to the duration of deep sleep.

During the deepest phase of sleep, the body also releases the highest amount of immune substances, enhancing physical immunity and strengthening the body's ability to prevent, resist, and recover from diseases. This was precisely why Old Man Luo, despite being over eighty years old, looked like a middle-aged man in his fifties—it was because he practiced this sleeping elixir technique, making it much easier for him to enter deep sleep than ordinary people.

That night, Chen Jue felt exceptionally sound sleep, and the fatigue brought by days of walking was swept away. When he woke up, the [Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Elixir Technique] had already upgraded to Lv1.

Packing his backpack, checking out of the room, and eating a bowl of broad-noodle soup at a noodle shop on the street outside the hotel, Chen Jue set off once again, walking toward the direction of Xidu.