Chapter 99 – Cultivation Is Above Life and Death

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Xuanyuan Po carried a tray of food into the library. Now, with the Hundred Herb Garden empty of people, no one was left to send over food, leaving the Orthodox Academy to begin doing its own cooking. In these first few days, the one so unfortunate to draw the short stick of cooking duty was this demi-human youth.

The starlight poured in through the windows of the library. It was very light and mild, just like the food he had cooked today.

At noon, Jin Yulu had tried some. He told them that in the future, they would not have to wait for him to begin eating.

Tang Thirty-Six placed down his chopsticks and looked at Xuanyuan Po very seriously, asking, "Did you forget to add salt again?"

Chen Changsheng chuckled at him and said, "Just as you often say, you changed the subject too roughly."

Tang Thirty-Six's expression did not change. "That's because your demands are too excessive."

After consuming their tasteless dinner, the three began to walk around the Orthodox Academy's lake. They could faintly see the lights from the newly built room by the academy gate, accompanied by the fragrant scent of roast chicken and the smell of alcohol.

Smelling these fragrances, Tang Thirty-Six found himself quite envious of Jin Yulu's dinner. He proposed that from tomorrow onwards, they would always eat out. In any case, neither he nor Chen Changsheng were lacking in money, and it wasn't like Xuanyuan Po was going to eat so much as to bankrupt them. Xuanyuan Po was rather moved at this suggestion, but Chen Changsheng clearly expressed his opposition. Food taken to go was always very oily and salty, and was not at all good for one's health. Although the food Xuanyuan Po cooked had no taste, it was not lacking in nutrition.

Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po had already grown used to Chen Changsheng's strict and even harsh way of living. Besides shaking their heads in regret, they were too lazy to struggle with him. The three continued their walk around the lake, all the way until the night deepened and the surface of the lake glimmered with the light of countless stars.

The branches of the great banyan tree extended over the lake. They gently swayed in the breeze, looking as if they wanted to pluck the stars from the sky.

When Chen Changsheng saw this scene, he was reminded of Luoluo.

They had only been separated for two days, but he was already beginning to deeply miss her. Was she happy in the Li Palace Academy? Who was she studying cultivation with? Had the true Qi obstruction in the second left arm meridian been broken through? Was she…also thinking of this lake and the great banyan tree on its sh.o.r.es?

Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po smelled the fragrances coming from the little house by the gate and were also reminded of Luoluo.

Without Luoluo, there was no one in the Hundred Herb Garden, no vast a.s.sortment of delicacies and gourmet foods, no pretty girls. They would not be able to see the princess cause others to be disappointed and frustrated. To confront so many troubles was truly very troublesome. Just when will you come back? Quickly come back, your teacher truly won't be able to hold on for much longer.

After their walk concluded, Tang Thirty-Six was prepared to stroll around the streets, but then he saw Chen Changsheng walk into the library and sit on the floor, actually preparing to begin meditating for cultivation. Xuanyuan Po also began to practice his strength against several trees on the sh.o.r.e, so Tang Thirty-Six couldn't help but feel somewhat ashamed.

He fell into thought, then followed Chen Changsheng into the library and sat across from him. He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and casually placed his hands on his knees, their palms turned up towards the starry sky. He also began to meditate.

After quite some time had pa.s.sed, he opened his eyes. He calmly perceived the flow of true essence through his meridians. Using his spiritual sense as sight, he carefully examined the situation within his internal palace. This was Meditative Introspection, and as this introspection continued, a faint l.u.s.ter appeared over his eyes.

For Meditative Introspection to show a response on his body was proof that he had already cultivated to the upper level of Meditation. As someone who was able to cultivation to the upper level of Meditation at the age of sixteen, he would inevitably have been nurtured and had great importance placed on him by the Heavenly Dao Academy or the Mount Li Sword Sect, or any other sect. Now, however, he could only cultivate by himself in the Orthodox Academy.

Tang Thirty-Six would naturally not regret this. It was just that the lack of a teacher's instruction would inevitably have some influence on his cultivation progress. Moreover, it had severely weakened his confidence in breaking through.

Just then, Chen Changsheng opened his eyes. Tang Thirty-Six looked at him and thought, you were able teach Princess Luoluo, so what harm is there in me condescending to call upon you and ask for your instruction? While he was still thinking, his voice was already rising, asking several questions on cultivation that had stumped him for many days.

Chen Changsheng seriously considered these questions for a very long time, then said, "…I don't understand."

Tang Thirty-Six somewhat angrily said, "You managed to resolve the difficult question of how demi-humans should circulate true essence…if not for Princess Luoluo and Guardian Ji, I'd dare to wager that His Majesty the White Emperor would have already sent someone to seize you and bring you back to the Red River, and you say that you don't even understand my questions?"

"The const.i.tutions of demi-humans are unique, and Princess Luoluo is even more unique. It's precisely because it's unique that I can think of a few methods…this is because I've researched meridians for many years. But your questions involve specific methods of Meditative Introspection. I can't do Meditative Introspection, so where could I start?"

Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, "I really don't think there's a need for you to be so rushed. At such a young age, you've already reached the upper level of Meditation, and the threshold of Ethereal Opening is right in front of you. As long as you continue cultivating, a day will come where you break through. It's best if you don't disorder your mind."

"It has nothing to do with the Grand Examination."

Tang Thirty-Six looked at the expression in his eyes and knew that Chen Changsheng had misunderstood something. He stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the uncountable stars in the night sky. After a moment of silence, he said, "Cultivation is to row a boat against the current of a river. The farther you travel, the harder it is to progress. For me to have reached the upper level of Meditation is already great no matter how you look at it, but…that threshold is too difficult to step over."

Chen Changsheng said nothing.

In Xining Village's old temple, he had no understanding of cultivation. Now, he had studied in the Orthodox Academy for half a year, and he knew what Tang Thirty-Six wanted to say. However, he had not even succeeded at Purification and was still extremely far from that day, so he had never truly thought about it.

The more one progressed in cultivation, the more difficult and dangerous it became. The threshold between Meditative Introspection and Ethereal Opening was the first high mountain. Each following breakthrough in cultivation required ascending an ever more precipitous peak. And it was that first high peak where the most people collapsed, because it was in that period where cultivators had no experience.

Countless eons ago, the Heavenly Tomes descended to the earth, opening the minds of humanity. Humans began to cultivate, and in the endless years, countless young geniuses appeared. In their youth or even childhood, they were able to easily succeed at Purification and move into Meditation, yet they ultimately fell before Ethereal Opening, their lives paid as the price of moving forward.

Those young geniuses were once paid as much attention as Tang Thirty-Six, and perhaps were also names on the Proclamation of Azure Sky. Unable to cross that threshold, it did not take long after they died for them to be forgotten by the people of the continent and be replaced by new youths.

Why was it that Qiushan Jun, Xu Yourong, Gou Hans.h.i.+, and Mo Yu and Tianhai Shengxue even earlier, were regarded as true geniuses, and were even viewed in a different light by their seniors? They were completely different from other cultivators because when they were very young, they had been able to break through into Ethereal Opening.

These people had already surpa.s.sed that threshold which held both the highest failure and mortality rates. Although they still might fall in other lofty peaks in the long years of their cultivation, like the middle level of Star Condensation, and thus become a wisp of a soul, their chances of becoming true experts were already many times higher than other people's.

Tang Thirty-Six did not want to die, and even less to be forgotten. For the sake of breaking past Meditation, for the sake of obtaining victory in next year's Grand Examination, for the sake of advancing forward on the Proclamation of Azure Sky, he had journeyed far from his hometown to the capital, entering the Heavenly Dao Academy for study.

Only truly powerful schools and sects like the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Mount Li Sword Sect had the deep resources that could increase the chances of success for their students and disciples.

Now, he had withdrawn from the Heavenly Dao Academy and come to the Orthodox Academy which had only students and no teachers, so who could help him?

Guardian Jin was admittedly powerful, but he cultivated in demi-human techniques and would find it very difficult to help him.

After a very long silence, Chen Changsheng proposed, "If you trust me, I can research it and see if I can't find a way to help you."

Tang Thirty-Six forced a smile as he asked, "You're prepared to treat me as an experiment?"

"You're not willing to accept it?" Chen Changsheng said, smiling.

Tang Thirty-Six replied, "I have a lot of courage."

Chen Changsheng replied, "I feel that it's because you have a lot of trust in me."

Tang Thirty-Six didn't know how to respond, so he said, "If I didn't remember wrong, you haven't even succeeded at Purification yet?"

This matter didn't need to be remembered. He only needed a glance to know.

The hands poking out of Chen Changsheng's sleeves and his hair were no different from an ordinary person's, so ordinary that they couldn't be any more ordinary. If he were to take a dull knife and cut at his wrist, it would a.s.suredly leave a thin red line from which blood would soon come forth.

"I also don't understand why."

In this half a year, he had spent every night in meditation, drawing in starlight for Purification. There was clearly no problem with any of the steps he had taken, but he had not gained any sort of result. Even someone with as firm a resolve as him sometimes felt exhausted. As he looked at the profuse stars beyond the window, he shook his head and said, "Maybe it's really a problem of talent."

After hearing all the details from Chen Changsheng regarding the drawing in of starlight for Purification, Tang Thirty-Six extended a hand and gripped Chen Changsheng's wrist. He closed his eyes and used his true essence to carefully perceive the state of Chen Changsheng's body. He realized that he could not sense the slightest bit of star radiance and couldn't help but be very puzzled.

He had always believed that Chen Changsheng was a true genius. After learning of the engagement between Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong, he only grew more confident in this view. He could not understand how someone he had confirmed to be a genius would have a lack of talent in cultivation. How could he not even be able to succeed at Purification?

"Perhaps it's a problem with your meridians."

A voice came from the door of the library. Jin Yulu walked in and glanced at Chen Changsheng. "When we demi-humans cultivate, we also have to bathe in starlight, but because our meridians are different from humans, our methods are different. I don't know if your situation might be similar."

After a pause, Chen Changsheng answered, "Yes, there is a problem with my meridians."

Tang Thirty-Six felt somewhat perturbed. "Earlier, you spoke about talent."

"You're born with your meridians, so they're naturally a sort of talent as well."

Chen Changsheng did not explain too much, as it involved his greatest secret. If Tang Thirty-Six were to continue asking, he wouldn't know how to answer. He was well aware of the enormous pressure cast by that shadow, so he was not willing to let anyone else bear it with him.

Jin Yulu calmly gazed at him, then suddenly said, "The Heavenly Dao has truly never been fair."

Yes, the Dao of the heavens had always been both extremely fair and extremely unfair. 'Excessive harm and insufficient reparations' encapsulated it in its entirety.