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Li Dongyuan stated that the root of all diseases lies in the damage to the Spleen and Stomach caused by emotions (joy and anger), diet, and overwork. Yuan Qi (Original Qi), Gu Qi (Grain Qi), Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi); Qing Qi (Clear Qi), Wei Qi (Defensive Qi), and the various Yang Qi of generation—these six are all alternative names for Wei Qi (Stomach Qi). Once the Spleen and Stomach are injured, Zhong Qi (Middle Qi) becomes insufficient; if Zhong Qi is insufficient, it cannot nourish Yuan Qi; if Yuan Qi is not nourished, the True Qi of the Zang-Fu organs will all be deficient, while Yin Fire alone flares up, attacking upward into the Yang regions (formless aspects), causing disease in Yuan Qi! This manifests as the Qi of the Upper Jiao (Heart and Lungs) failing externally at the body surface; since the Heart governs Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi) and the Lungs govern Wei Qi (Defensive Qi), Ying and Wei lose their guardianship, giving rise to various diseases! This theory posits that fever arises entirely from internal injury, whereas Liu Wansu’s (Hejian) discussion extends beyond this. He said: Tian Zhen (Innocent Truth/Primordial Essence) is the creative Yuan Qi. Within the body, it also executes the Heavenly Mechanism to circulate the Six Qi, divides the Earthly Register to operate the Five Elements, tours the entire body, and transforms into all things. If regulation and care are appropriate, pathogenic factors cannot harm the body; however, if there is worry, sorrow, excessive thought, irregular eating or fasting, overexertion or idleness, sudden great fright or terror, the True Qi will be consumed and chaotic, Blood and Qi will separate, and the Five Elements and Six Qi will undergo changes of hyperactive Yang, hidden Yin, decline, and prosperity, thus causing a hundred diseases! Therefore, he wrote *Yuan Bing Shi* (Treatise on the Origin of Diseases) to clarify this principle, taking the Pathogenesis from *Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun* (The Most Essential Great Discussion) of the *Huangdi Neijing* as the outline; using the Five Movements (Wu Yun) governing diseases to discuss the variations of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water associated with the Five Zang; using the Six Qi causing diseases to discuss the variations of Wind, Cold, Dampness, Heat, Dryness, and Fire associated with the Three Yin and Three Yang. In terms of the Five Elements, Metal and Water tend to decline, while Fire and Wood tend to flourish; in terms of the Six Qi, Damp-Heat and Ministerial Fire cause the most diseases. As for the Five Elements reaching extremes, hyperactivity causes harm, and restraint brings balance, sometimes involving transformations of the "Ghost-Thief" (controlling element); these can all result in fever-causing conditions, not merely those originating from the Spleen and Stomach?

Master Dai did not confine himself to one school of thought but continually sought areas yet unmastered. He asserted that Heaven’s Yang is greater than Earth’s Yin; Earth’s Yin often cannot withstand Heaven’s Yang. Humans inherit Heaven’s Yang to form Qi, and Earth’s Yin to form Blood; therefore, Qi is often in excess, while Blood is often deficient. Thus, by age forty, Yin Qi has already declined by half! Hence, humans must not indulge desires to self-harm, but must preserve Tian He (Heavenly Harmony), so that Yin suffers no deficiency, allowing it to equal Yang, thereby completing the natural lifespan. Tian He refers to Tian Zhen Yuan Qi. It carries Yin and embraces Yang; Yuan Jing (Original Essence) establishes its substance, and Shen Yuan (Spiritual Mind) exerts its function. If one does not agitate the Essence, the substance remains complete and function unexhausted; if one does not weary the Spirit, the function remains focused and substance undiminished. However, the preservation of Essence is not solely for nurturing Tian Zhen; preserving Essence makes Yin solid. The Classics state: Yin forms structure. When Yin is solid, the structure is whole; when Yin is deficient, the structure deteriorates. Deterioration leads to the cessation of entry and exit, and the stopping of ascent and descent; how can solitary Yang Qi not become hyperactive and fly away? Master Dai once said: People suffer diseases due to the fire of emotions, overwork, and sexual desire, which simmer Kidney Water and exhaust Essence and Blood; such cases account for six or seven out of ten. All Five Zang belong to Yin and store Essence; the Kidney is the master of Yin Qi among the Five Zang, thus receiving and storing the Essence of all Zang. Therefore, all diseases of Yin Essence and Blood originate from the Kidney. One must carefully examine the Kidney’s transport and storage functions! Generally, following Zhang Zhongjing’s Ba Wei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia), the Five Flavors enter their respective Zang to benefit their Essence; the pungency of Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig) and Fu Zi (Aconite Root) opens the Cou Li (skin and hair pores), delivers fluids, and unblocks Qi pathways, transporting and delivering [the medicine]. Methods for tonifying the Kidney certainly adhere to established rules, yet if Earth’s Yin is deficient, Heaven’s Yang cannot descend; or if Yang is chaotic below, preventing Shao Yin (Kidney/Heart) Qi from storing and collecting; or if Essence is exhausted and accumulated without being transported; or if Yin and Yang within the two Kidneys have inherent biases—all these must be treated after careful assessment.

However, Yuan Qi has roots and shoots within the body, but in the Great Void, it is neither Yin nor Yang. Its root originates from the opening of Heaven and Earth, circulating up, down, front, and back, transforming and moving wherever it reaches; this is what Zhang Zhongjing called the Yuan Zhen Zhen Qi (Original True Qi) of the Five Zang. In the Liver, it undergoes warming transformation, and its Qi ascends; in the Heart, it undergoes heating transformation, and its Qi floats; in the Spleen, it undergoes neutral harmony transformation, and its Qi is fully prepared; in the Lungs, it undergoes cooling transformation, and its Qi descends; in the Kidneys, it undergoes cold transformation, and its Qi stores: just as Heaven moves one Yuan Qi through the four seasons. These shoots are discussed and treated according to the Yuan Zhen of their respective root Zang. If what is transformed by Yuan Qi is insufficient, tonify from the Zang where it is transformed; if what is transformed by Yuan Zhen is excessive, drain contrary to its transformation. Thus, discussing Yuan Qi exclusively in the Spleen and Stomach emphasizes grain and water to nourish Tian Zhen. Master Dai further combined the concept of receiving Essence to complete physical formation, emphasizing the two Kidneys as the source of Yuan Jing, establishing the foundation of life and longevity. Qian Zhongyang (Qian Yi) applied only tonification and no draining to the Kidney, precisely reflecting this intent! Both approaches treat from the root.