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This lies in the secret formula. Zhenren Yin (Perfected One Yin) said: If you wish for longevity, you should ingest internal Qi (vital energy). The *Suwen* (Basic Questions) states: The sage preserves spirit and mind, conforms to Heaven's Qi, and connects with divine illumination. "Heaven's Qi" refers to internal Qi. The *Yinfu Jing* (Book of the Hidden Talisman) states: Heaven generates and destroys; one consumes the Qi of Yuanhe (Primordial Harmony). Neither Heaven can destroy it nor Earth bury it; such a person is called a Zhenren (Perfected One). Therefore, practitioners of cultivation eat the Qi of Yuanhe when hungry and drink the water of Huachi (Splendid Pool) when thirsty. What Laozi referred to as "filling his abdomen" points to this. For those who have not yet ceased eating grains, if they wish to practice Qi ingestion, they must reduce food intake, ensuring the abdomen remains empty, vast, and tranquil. There is no fixed time for morning or evening; one swallows whenever the stomach is empty. However, the reason the secret formula is emphasized is that Qi ingestion requires distinguishing between internal and external, differentiating clear from turbid, and identifying the throat. Failing to distinguish internal and external leads to inhaling pathogenic Qi; failing to differentiate clear and turbid results in lacking proper dosage; failing to identify the throat prevents the Qi from entering the stomach.

This lies in the secret formula. Human attainment begins below the Primeval Spring of the North Pole. The Primeval Spring is the True Unity (Zhenyi). From the Dantian (Elixir Field), it ascends to two apertures under the tongue, known as Shenshui (Divine Water) and Huachi (Splendid Pool), chewed until thick. Health cultivators call this "refining Jing (essence) to merge with emptiness." By rinsing and stirring into a great medicine, completing one cycle of the Microcosmic Orbit, the Red Dragon (tongue) cannot bear its weight, marking it as the precious treasure of Lead and Mercury. Internally visualizing the Divine Palace, exhale slightly, intentionally swallow, causing a sound in the throat, directing it down into the Dantian, where it condenses like the white yolk of an egg. The Song of Ziheche (Purple River Cart) says: Left is Sun, right is Moon; both halves rise together to become one. Exiting the Jade Pool entering the Golden Chamber, large as a pellet, yellow as an orange. Within lies a fine taste, sweet as honey. If you obtain it, guard it carefully. Careful cultivation completes the Dao of Immortality. The *Neijing Jing* (Classic of Internal Scenery) also states: At Xueying (Dark Diaphragm) under the tongue lies the shore of life and death. It further states: Clear water from the Jade Pool irrigates the Spiritual Root; careful cultivation ensures long life. The *Chicheng Changsheng Ji* (Record of Longevity in Chicheng) states: The fluids in the human body, unless rinsed and swallowed, cannot irrigate the Five Viscera (Zang Organs) and cause them to shine.

Taibai Zhenren (Perfected One Taibai) said: In the art of reversing the Five Elements (Wuxing), the Dragon emerges from Fire. When the Five Elements do not proceed normally, the Tiger is born from Water. He further stated: To know the art of reversal, mutual overcoming is mutual generation. He also stated: To know the origin of reversal lies in Li (Fire/Trigram) and Kan (Water/Trigram); one must recognize floating and sinking to determine host and guest. The *Caotang Ge* (Song of Thatched Cottage) says: If you wish to learn longevity, you must first understand the Five Elements. If the Five Elements are not reversed, the Return Elixir (Huan Dan) cannot be formed. Understanding the reversal of the Five Elements reveals that benefit contains harm, and harm transforms into benefit. Luozi said: Often seeing auspiciousness within ominous signs, auspiciousness often precedes the ominous. As the *Yinfu Jing* states: Heaven has five thieves; those who perceive them prosper. Observing heaven, earth, and all things, nothing is not reversed. However, one must recognize the true Five Elements to comprehend the art of reversal. Cao Zhenren said: The Five Elements are everywhere; does the Perfected One hoard them? To know the truth of the Five Elements, look to one water and one stone. Zheng Zhenren said: One Yin and one Yang is called the Dao; one water and one stone is called the Elixir. Another song states: To obtain the Metal within Lead, and simultaneously the Water within Stone. Essentially, Metal emerges from Water, and fluid emerges from Stone.