The heart is the foundation of the spirit; when internal medicine is completed, the mind and spirit must first be cultivated.

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That evening, because a classmate suddenly discovered a spring of clear water, the bonfire party went on as scheduled. I didn’t like crowds, so I lied, saying that I hadn’t fully recovered and wanted to rest early.

While the other classmates were singing, dancing, and enjoying themselves by the fire, I stayed inside the tent, contemplating the path of cultivation.

In the past few days, I had realized that the energy within me had transformed into a liquid form. This indicated that my external medicine was nearly complete, and I was about to enter the stage of refining internal medicine.

Refining Essence into Qi, or the "Hundred Day Pass," is a metaphor in cultivation, representing the hope of success after a hundred days. Of course, it’s just a metaphor. I had already formed my foundation, but it had taken me more than half a month to make some progress in refining Essence into Qi. To finish the entire process in a hundred days was impossible. Since beginning my cultivation, I hadn’t dreamed once.

During this time, through extensive reading and organizing cultivation-related books, I had come to understand what refining Essence into Qi was all about. In Taoist alchemy, it’s a crucial stage. The earlier stage of refining oneself and forming the foundation merely repairs the deficiencies in the three treasures: Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Once they are complete, these three treasures are also referred to as medicine or "the three completions."

In the process of refining Essence into Qi, Essence, Qi, and Spirit change names according to the different stages.

At this point, my meridians were fully open, and the Essence, Qi, and Spirit had been activated. My origin was clear, and my vitality was full. Small cycles of energy were circulating smoothly within me, flowing upwards to the "mud pill" and downward to the "heavenly palace," passing through the Yellow Court and entering the Dantian. This cycle repeated hundreds of times.

At this stage, I had completed the external medicine stage of refining Essence into Qi, which was the initial stage. Now, I was about to focus on the next stage—refining Qi.

My cultivation had allowed me to draw in external energy through the Xuanhuang Banner, which helped me complete the process of absorbing energy from the environment into my body. Last time, I directly absorbed energy from the Xuanhuang Banner, and the overwhelming energy nearly caused me to lose my mind. I realized that my ability to cultivate was entirely due to the existence of the Xuanhuang Banner.

As for why the Xuanhuang Banner could refine the external energy into something I could use, I didn’t fully understand. Maybe, once I deciphered the mysterious symbols and patterns on the banner, I would have an answer.

Now, I was wondering how I could transform external energy into internal energy and then combine both to complete the stage of refining Qi.

Previously, I thought the Qi in the refining process was the same as the true Qi seen in martial arts films, but once I began cultivating, I realized that the two were entirely different. In cultivation, the Qi that is refined from Essence is the true "Golden Elixir," which is the legendary great medicine in Taoism.

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The term "refining" refers to the process of transforming Essence, Qi, and Spirit into one, with the goal of achieving "oneness." The process of transformation is a reversal, a process of returning to the origin.

To break down the stages of refining Essence into Qi:

1. The first stage: Refining the self—nourishing Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

2. The second stage: Establishing the foundation—opening all the meridians.

3. The third stage: Drawing Qi into the body—using the spirit to refine external energy.

4. The fourth stage: Heart-Moving Period—this is when the refining of internal energy begins, and it’s crucial to refine the heart during this stage.

5. The fifth stage: Internal Medicine Birth (Golden Elixir formation).

6. The final stage: Combining internal and external energy to form the Great Medicine (Golden Elixir), completing the refining process.

After reflecting on the stages, I felt more confident. I now understood that I was about to enter the Heart-Moving Period, where refining the heart would be the focus.

Looking at the time, I was surprised to find that I had been contemplating for over an hour. Outside, the classmates were still reveling in their festivities. I walked out of the tent, away from the bustling crowd, and sat alone on a large stone. I took out the little bird and began to daze off, not thinking about anything—just sitting there, letting my mind wander.

I’m not sure how much time passed, but suddenly, a soft voice pulled me back to reality. I turned around and saw Zhang Yu. Though we were far from the bonfire, I noticed that her face was slightly flushed.

"You called for me?" I asked softly. At that moment, my heart was completely calm, and her appearance didn’t stir any emotions.

"I have something to ask you," Zhang Yu’s voice grew a little louder. She seemed to have gathered her courage, and her bright eyes locked onto mine. I could see confusion, hope, and something else I couldn’t identify.

The little bird in my hand chirped a few times, and the evening breeze, carrying the cool air of the canyon, ruffled Zhang Yu’s cute bangs. The wind seemed to stir my heart.

Wait, had I entered the Heart-Moving Period? Was it the wind or her presence that stirred me? Or was it truly the Heart-Moving Period?

The moment I entered the Heart-Moving Period, was my heart not supposed to stir?

I looked at the little bird in my hand, my heart fluttering. But then my attention shifted back to the bird. Wait, the bird’s feathers seemed a bit darker green now!

"Zhang Santu, did you hear what I said?" Zhang Yu called again.

When I looked up, I saw that Zhang Yu’s expression seemed a little hurt. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and with each blink, it seemed like she was trying to hold something back, like starry lights were blinking from her eyes. It softened my heart. Was this heart-softening a part of the Heart-Moving Period?

I quickly suppressed my random thoughts and replied, "Yes, I heard you. What do you want to ask? I know a lot about addresses, astronomy, and more, though there are some things I don’t know!"

She smiled cutely, revealing two small dimples, and my heart skipped a beat. This was it—my heart was stirring again. I had to fix my heart soon!

Zhang Yu then asked, "Do you have a Sanqing Temple in your hometown?"

"No, why do you ask?" I asked curiously, but then my heart suddenly fluttered again. Didn’t I mention the Sanqing Temple in the letter I had written to her? Now I felt a little uneasy. Was I entering the Heart-Moving Period or not?

God, is this what it feels like when the Heart-Moving Period starts? Is it always this erratic?

Should I answer her directly or avoid the question? After thinking for a moment, avoiding it would be contrary to my true heart, and I couldn’t do that if I was to cultivate my heart. I decided to face it.

I smiled slightly at Zhang Yu and said directly, "That letter you received, I wrote it. And the charm was also from me."

Zhang Yu’s lips parted in surprise, and as she blinked a few more times, she suddenly said, "So it was you?"

When she spoke, I saw a mixture of disappointment, surprise, and excitement in her eyes. What else was there? I couldn’t quite tell.

At that moment, I felt like my heart had stopped beating.

Heart, oh heart! Looks like I need to hurry and cultivate my heart. Amitabha Buddha!