Chapter 466: The Path of Cultivation
The restriction was exceedingly complex and intricate, but fortunately, nothing in this world could withstand the ravages of time, and this was no exception.
Under the relentless erosion of time, the restriction had begun to weaken. The outermost formation patterns had dimmed, their spiritual energy flow obstructed, revealing several vulnerabilities.
This restriction was designed as a unified whole; any flaw in one component would trigger a chain reaction, drastically reducing its effectiveness. This was likely the key to how the yin wind had managed to leak through.
Xu Sanyan frowned in contemplation before turning back the way he had come. He decided to first explore the other passage.
“Aaaah~!!”
The ghost behind the stone door seemed to sense his departure, erupting into a piercing shriek that made the door rattle violently. Its frenzied demeanor bordered on madness.
Ignoring the creature, Xu Sanyan traversed the blood-soaked tunnel to the fork in the path and continued straight along the other route.
Moments later,
Xu Sanyan’s eyes lit up with excitement as he gazed upon dozens of neatly arranged jade slips. Could it be true?
The jade slips were securely encased within a protective formation, shielding them from the ravages of time and preventing them from deteriorating.
This Great Formation was a variation of the Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation, making it relatively easy for Xu Sanyan to decipher. He immediately set to work dismantling it.
Like the restriction, the formation had deteriorated significantly over time, with many parts failing due to age. The spirit energy flow between the formation patterns was blocked, but Xu Sanyan quickly resolved the issues with minimal effort.
Dozens of jade slips lay neatly arranged on the stone steps, radiating a brilliant glow. The steps were divided into four tiers. Three dark golden jade slips occupied the top tier, while the remaining slips were arranged in descending order of color intensity below.
Without a doubt, the three jade slips at the top were the most valuable.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Sanyan picked up the three jade slips and examined them one by one. He probed the first slip with his divine sense and found it contained a cultivation method called the Heavenly Evolution Dao Method, the foundational technique of the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect, renowned for its profound mysteries.
Unfortunately, Xu Sanyan already possessed the Dao-Seizing Vitality Origin Sutra and had no intention of switching cultivation methods, rendering this technique largely useless to him.
He then examined the second jade slip, which contained the Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation—identical to the one he had already mastered. This slip proved equally unhelpful.
When he finally examined the third jade slip, Xu Sanyan’s heart leaped with joy, and a wide smile spread across his face. This one was useful—in fact, it was immensely valuable!
Detailed Explanation of Cultivation
Four large, golden characters flashed into Xu Sanyan’s mind, sending a jolt through his spirit. He eagerly began to study them in detail.
Essence Preservation: Cultivate a leak-proof body, preserve primordial yang, and consume essence-rich meat. Achieve the strength of five oxen, the speed of a galloping horse, and the ability to leap thirty feet in a single bound. This marks the stage of Qi Refinement.
Inner Qi: Cultivate one’s own qi. Close your eyes, place your hands over your dantian, and accumulate sufficient qi there. Harmonize the Governor and Conception Vessels. Generate life energy from the soles of your feet, rendering yourself impervious to heat and cold. This marks the stage of Inner Qi.
The pinnacle of mortal existence is known as the Celestial Being Realm. Cultivate a Peak Stage body…
The jade slip detailed the various bottlenecks of cultivation. Xu Sanyan’s eyes raced down the text, unable to suppress a surge of excitement. He desperately needed methods to attain sagehood and immortality.
Foundation Establishment: Lay the foundation for the Great Dao…
Lost Path…
Soul Refinement…
Void Harmony…
Finally, a line of text caught his attention, and Xu Sanyan steadied his mind:
Divine Returner: Ascend to cultivate the perfection of the heavenly dao, while simultaneously absorbing the spiritual essence of earth qi. Hold the cosmos in your heart and observe all creation with your eyes. Endure for centuries without decay, remain immortal for millennia. With every step and movement, wind and thunder follow. This marks the stage of Divine Returner.
The Return to Divinity Realm, as it was commonly known, was simply another term for the sage realm.
After finishing the text, Xu Sanyan stood frozen, meticulously comprehending the meaning of each word. After a long silence, he murmured, “The spiritual essence of earth qi…”
This contradicts what the Mad Daoist said.
He had claimed that absorbing Gang Qi into one’s body and enduring the process would lead to sagehood. But this jade slip says that absorbing earth qi and contemplating the cosmos are the true path. Who is right?
And what exactly is Earth Qi Spirit Essence?
Xu Sanyan found himself leaning toward the method described in the jade slip, though he couldn’t explain why. Perhaps it was some kind of spiritual resonance.
His divine sense continued exploring the jade slip, reaching the final step of cultivation: ascension to immortality!
“Immortals transcend Reincarnation, untainted by Karma, detached from the mortal realm, and coexistent with heaven and earth.”
“To attain the fruit of immortality, one must endure heavenly thunder, traverse the Sea of Fire, and withstand the netherwind, unifying the inner and outer realms.”
“The heavenly tribulation is perilous, with only one in ten surviving. Exercise utmost caution and avoid reckless advancement.”
Xu Sanyan closed his eyes, withdrawing his divine sense from the jade slip.
Is this the path of cultivation…?
There were no tribulations before reaching immortality, yet all trials seemed to converge in that final, explosive step. Attaining immortality was exceedingly difficult; a single misstep could lead to the annihilation of one’s body and the destruction of one’s cultivation, rendering all previous efforts futile.
When he reached the sage realm, would he truly have the courage to risk everything?
Would he choose ten thousand years of fleeting joy, or gamble on eternal immortality?
Xu Sanyan clenched his fist, flipping the jade slip over and storing it away.
Of course I’ll gamble!
Even if a sage could live for ten thousand years, their lifespan would eventually end. That was not what he sought.
As the calamity in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains intensified, threatening to engulf the entire Central Region, Emperor Qian could no longer remain idle.
Perhaps only the five sages of the world could avert this disaster. However, the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect belonged to the Demonic Path, and their sage would undoubtedly refuse to intervene. Shangyin Mountain had always remained aloof from worldly affairs, never interfering unless directly threatened.
The Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect had long been shrouded in dense fog, their current state unknown. Even if Emperor Qian wished to seek their aid, he couldn’t even locate them.
Now, only the sages of the Heaven’s Will Demon Subduing Temple and the Source Worship Sect remained as potential allies.
Adopting a “cast a wide net” approach, Emperor Qian sent invitations to all four sects—excluding the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect—outlining the dire consequences of the Qian Kingdom’s fall. He emphasized that this was a calamity for the entire Central Region, not merely a threat to the Qian Kingdom.
Within days of dispatching the letters, the gates of the Heaven’s Will Demon Subduing Temple swung open. Thirty-six Golden Body Arhats emerged, carrying a colossal Buddha statue draped in red cloth. Only the vague outline of the seated Buddha could be discerned beneath the crimson veil.
Though the reason for the red cloth remained a mystery, no one dared question it. The procession swiftly advanced toward the Qian Kingdom’s capital.
In the dense mist, the once-celestial Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect now lay in ruins. Within the majestic great hall, dozens of daoist figures sat cross-legged, their bodies withered as if all their essence blood had drained away.
The Luo Family siblings, once renowned in the Hundred Saints Secret Realm, had suffered greatly. The elder brother had already perished at the hands of the ghost king, leaving only his sister, Luo Qingwei. Yet even she was a shadow of her former self.
Her gaunt cheeks were sunken, her skin stretched taut over the barest flesh. Her ashen face, like that of a dying person, stood in stark contrast to her earlier radiance.
On the high platform, a hunched figure stood with its back to the crowd. Over time, it seemed to have grown slightly stronger, though the festering boils covering its body remained repulsive, constantly growing and bursting. Milky-white pus seeped from the wounds, coating its entire body and dripping down to form a thick layer of filth beneath it.
Seeing this scene, no one could imagine that this was the sage of the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect, one of the five renowned sages of the Central Region, Dang Yunshu.
(End of the Chapter)