When he first obtained this Secret Volume, he was undecided on which Daoist Book to practice first. But as he carefully read through and compared them, he discovered many intricate mysteries, realizing his prior worries were completely unnecessary.
The Ming Qi Stage essentially involves refining the True Essence and cultivating Spiritual Energy. In this regard, both Daoist Books are similar, but their emphasis differs greatly.
The "Taiyin Golden Book" focuses on the word "refine," emphasizing the grinding and cultivation of the Qi Mechanism itself, while giving only sparse descriptions of Dharma techniques.
The "Lan Yun Secret Volume," though it also contains spells for cultivating Spiritual Energy, seemed unimpressive to Zhang Yan in comparison, hardly worth mentioning next to the Taiyin Golden Book. However, this does not mean the Secret Volume lacks value—it emphasizes the word "method," focusing on how Spiritual Energy is maneuvered and transformed after refinement.
