Chapter 92: The Sea of Bitterness is Boundless, Turn Back to Find the Shore; Raising Her as a Grand
Chapter 92 – The Sea of Bitterness is Boundless, Turn Back to Find the Shore; Raising Her as a Grand
After a long silence, Chen Changsheng finally spoke, “Stand up. The ground is cold, and kneeling serves no purpose.”
“A new path of cultivation has been torn open today. As the pioneers of this Dao, do you not intend to bestow a name upon it?”
Hearing his words, A-Li and Gongsun Huaiyu rose respectfully to their feet.
“Sir, without your supreme guidance, this cultivation path would never have seen the light of day.”
“We beseech Sir to bestow a name!”
Facing A-Li’s fervent request, Chen Changsheng pondered for a moment before replying, “Judging from your current state, this path possesses two major realms.”
“Upon perfecting the first major realm, a primordial, golden ocean floods the Dantian.”
“Shall we name it the Sea of Bitterness?”
“The Sea of Bitterness?”
A-Li murmured the title repeatedly, savoring its weight before a rough laugh escaped his lips.
“The Sea of Bitterness is boundless; only by turning back can one find the shore. To step onto the path of cultivation is to thrash endlessly within an ocean of suffering. Sir, the name is impeccably fitting.”
“If the first major realm is the Sea of Bitterness, then its three minor realms ought to be titled the Spring Well, the Divine Bridge, and The Other Shore.”
“My Dantian has become a vast ocean, and the wound Sir pierced acts as a spring well, endlessly violently surging with primal might.”
“Calling the foundation the Spring Well is truly the most appropriate.”
“Adrift in the Sea of Bitterness, turning back grants salvation. Yet, if a cultivator refuses to yield, they must forge a Divine Bridge to reach The Other Shore.”
“Once the Divine Bridge connects, the sovereign power of the bitter waters bends to one’s will. Stepping onto The Other Shore signifies breaking through to the next realm, ascending beyond the Sea of Bitterness entirely.”
Hearing A-Li’s profound deductions, Chen Changsheng nodded in solemn approval.
“And how do you intend to name the subsequent major realm?”
“Grotto-Heaven.”
“Explain.”
“Upon reaching The Other Shore, I pushed further into the void of my own flesh and unearthed a second sovereign treasury.”
“This treasury is the cradle of the mind. Under the orthodox Dao, the spiritual essence born here would be funneled downward to feed the Dantian.”
“However, upon embracing this new Dao, the transformed Qi autonomously surged upward, anchoring itself at the very source of my soul.”
“It violently cracked open a pristine void. This hidden domain defies mortal comprehension, holding Potential I have only barely begun to excavate.”
“Therefore, I named it Grotto-Heaven, symbolizing a realm of boundless, heaven-defying Potential.”
Absorbing A-Li’s enlightenment, Chen Changsheng silently adjusted the flow of Qi within his own withered meridians.
Although Chen Changsheng had pioneered the concept of the Spring Well and laid the bedrock for this heaven-defying path…
…in exploring its subsequent depths, A-Li had actually surpassed him.
The reason was absurdly simple. Across seven long centuries, Chen Changsheng had squandered two hundred years wandering the mortal realm with A-Man, admiring ephemeral landscapes.
He slept through another three hundred years. For the remaining two centuries, he lived a monotonous life of tending to a mysterious egg.
Cultivating the Dao was merely an idle hobby he entertained when boredom struck.
Correcting the flaws in his internal circulation, Chen Changsheng’s aura spiked with ruinous intensity, manifesting faint, terrifying phenomena deep within his flesh.
Yet, he forcefully suppressed the apocalyptic visions born from his Sea of Bitterness, denying the wide-eyed Gongsun Huaiyu a glimpse of true majesty.
“Phew…”
Exhaling a stream of turbid Qi, Chen Changsheng deduced, “Following this logic, upon breaking into the Grotto-Heaven realm, the initial step triggers the birth of Divine Sense.”
“We shall name this first minor realm Divine Sense. The second step, however, is peculiar. I have yet to divine a fitting title.”
With a mere shift of his will, a perfectly identical Chen Changsheng stepped out from his physical vessel.
Witnessing this casual display of supreme mastery, Gongsun Huaiyu’s face instantly darkened in despair.
Gongsun Huaiyu: “…”
Could you monsters not act like this? Why is heaven-defying progression as casual as sipping tea for you two?!
I stood here and bore witness to the birth of an entire Dao!
Yet even now, I haven’t the faintest clue where the Spring Well of the Sea of Bitterness is supposed to be located.
This is utterly soul-crushing. I am supposed to be a peerless genius of my generation!
Why do I look like less than cannon fodder standing next to you?!
Swallowing her bitter internal grievances, Gongsun Huaiyu carefully studied Chen Changsheng’s ethereal duplicate.
In essence, this phantom was the absolute manifestation of Chen Changsheng’s complete Divine Sense.
It bore a passing resemblance to the Nascent Soul of the orthodox path, but where a Nascent Soul was fragile and translucent, this avatar possessed a terrifying density.
It was neither an illusion nor a delicate construct.
Simply put, it was an entirely independent, sovereign Chen Changsheng.
Pouting slightly, Gongsun Huaiyu muttered under her breath, “Stingy old monster. You still haven’t told me the secret to the Sea of Bitterness.”
“A name is just a name. Since it mirrors your exact being, why not simply call it the True Self?”
The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener found profound enlightenment. Hearing this casual remark, a brilliant light flashed in Chen Changsheng’s ancient eyes.
“An exquisite title. This second minor stage is far more than a mere projection of Divine Sense; it harbors an esoteric, primordial rhythm of the Dao.”
“To ascend to the third minor realm, a cultivator must inevitably confront this very existence.”
“Whether you choose to violently shatter the True Self or sever your ties to it… that is a destiny you must carve for yourself, A-Li.”
“Perhaps you will unearth a third path hidden within the void.”
Bathing in Chen Changsheng’s sovereign wisdom, A-Li bowed deeply and cupped his fists. “Thank you for the guidance, Sir. A sliver of the Dao has already revealed itself to my mind.”
“On the day I shatter my bottlenecks and exit Secluded Cultivation, I swear I will not disappoint you.”
“As for the mundane affairs during my retreat, I fear I must burden Sir with their oversight.”
Turning on his heel, A-Li prepared to descend into the depths of the earth, but an anxious Gongsun Huaiyu hastily interrupted him.
“Master, wait! I haven’t comprehended the true essence of this new path yet. Could you impart a fraction of your insight before you enter seclusion?”
Halting his steps, A-Li glared at his disciple with utter exasperation, lamenting her sudden inability to see Mount Tai.
This girl is usually as sharp as a flying sword; why is she behaving like a blind fool today?
Your Master is indeed formidable, but your Master’s teacher is standing right in front of you!
You actually want my meager instruction over his? Were you kicked in the skull by a spiritual beast?!
Entirely ignoring her foolish plea, A-Li dissolved into the shadows, vanishing from the courtyard.
Blinking at the empty space left by her silent Master, Gongsun Huaiyu stood paralyzed, thoroughly confused by his uncharacteristic abandonment.
A moment later, comprehension dawned upon her. Whirling around, she shamelessly clung to Chen Changsheng’s arm.
“Sir, please bestow your teachings upon me!”
Meeting her brazen, fawning gaze, Chen Changsheng replied with infuriating calm. “I am not your Master. Why should I guide your Dao?”
“But you are my Master’s most revered companion!”
“You share a bond forged in blood and tribulation! By the laws of heaven and earth, you are my elder.”
“Is it not the sacred duty of an elder to nurture a promising Junior?”
Amused by her cunning sophistry, a rare, genuine smile tugged at the corners of Chen Changsheng’s lips. He lightly patted her head.
“Very well. For having the gall to invoke my status as an elder, I shall spare you a sliver of guidance.”
With a swish of his robes, Chen Changsheng turned, leading Gongsun Huaiyu out of the courtyard.
With A-Li sealed away in Secluded Cultivation, the iron-fisted governance of the Seventy-Two Wolf Smokes naturally descended onto Chen Changsheng’s weary shoulders.
And as for this brazen brat, Gongsun Huaiyu…
Chen Changsheng had unknowingly resigned himself to raising her as his own granddaughter.