Chapter 9: Straying from the Immortal Path
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Solitude had its charms, but the company of another always brought discomfort. Ji You raised his bloodied hand, scratching at his cheek absentmindedly.
“You… what exactly happened to you?” Kuang Cheng asked hesitantly.
“I’ve been in seclusion for two days without eating. This afternoon, I fought the Grand Commander of the guards from the Immortal Worship Mountain Manor, expending much of my strength. In the throes of hunger, I had an epiphany and comprehended the Coughing Blood Divine Art.”
His tone was firm despite the absurdity of his claim.
Kuang Cheng was incredulous. “There are countless people in this world who go hungry, some fainting, others starving to death. But I’ve never heard of someone vomiting blood from hunger!”
Ji You pondered for a moment. “Perhaps only we cultivators can achieve such a feat?”
Kuang Cheng fell silent, his gaze fixed on the bloodstains spreading across Ji You’s robe.
Ji You’s thoughts drifted to the moment Kuang Cheng had handed him a scroll that day, urging him to find Fang Ruo Yao. His smile faded as he finally spoke. “Fine. Two days wasn’t enough. I pushed too hard and strayed from the path. Now, I’m suffering backlash from the Immortal Way.”
Among the human race, every individual harbored an innate True Spirit. The first step in cultivation was to sense this True Spirit and establish a connection with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. This awakening was called Spirit Awakening.
Next came the continuous refinement of the True Spirit, strengthening the body and nurturing the essence within, until a faint radiance illuminated one’s inner being. These initial stages were largely similar for all.
But upon reaching the Essence Refinement Stage, cultivators had to draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into their bodies, condensing it within the Spirit Spring and expanding its capacity. The culmination of this process was the formation of a Spiritual Core, marking perfection in the Lower Three Stages.
It was said that in ancient times, this stage was known as Core Formation, but for reasons unknown, this path was abandoned. Later, new cultivation methods emerged, diverging from the traditional three-to-five-stage techniques.
Orthodox cultivators undertaking this stage would typically have a family elder or Celestial Master guarding them, ready to intervene at the first sign of danger. Ji You had no such protection.
Not only did he lack a guardian, but he also had no access to any texts on cultivation. The Iron Law of Great Xia forbidding commoners from pursuing the Immortal Way was no empty threat. All celestial manuals and Daoist texts were tightly controlled, and even fragmented records that circulated among the people were shunned.
The one immortal manual Ji You possessed lacked any information on perfecting the Lower Three Stages. It wasn’t missing pages—it simply omitted this section entirely.
Thus, Ji You could only rely on himself.
At first, channeling heaven and earth’s energy into his Spirit Spring went smoothly. But when he began condensing the Spiritual Core, an overwhelming sense of dissonance struck him.
The sensation nearly trapped him in the mysteries of the Dao, unable to wake. When his consciousness finally returned, he discovered his Spirit Spring had not formed a core. Instead, it had ruptured.
His True Spirit and the celestial energy of heaven and earth had dispersed throughout his body, mingling into a chaotic mess, inseparable.
Yet, he realized he had gained the abilities typically reserved for a perfected Lower Three Stages cultivator: Resonance Between Heaven and Mortal, Spiritual Qi External Defense, and more.
Initially, Ji You thought he had turned misfortune into fortune, achieving perfection by an unconventional path. It wasn’t until he clashed with Bao Yong Sheng, the Grand Commander, that he realized his mistake.
The backlash had been delayed, but it had arrived nonetheless.
Overnight perfection—what an audacious and foolish delusion.
Kuang Cheng studied Ji You’s grim expression and ventured, “Will you die?”
“No, though the pain burns like fire in my heart. A few days of rest should suffice, but… I’m unsure if I can still ascend to the Upper Five Stages.”
“Why push yourself to such an extent instead of seeking Fang Ruo Yao’s help?”
Ji You coughed up a streak of blood before responding, “If I act, I must act decisively. Fang Ruo Yao lacks the weight. Even if she helps, her absence later would render it meaningless. Perfecting the Lower Three Stages was my declaration—I am destined to ascend the Upper Five Stages. I will return to reclaim what’s mine.”
The cold determination in his tone made Kuang Cheng shake his head. “This is far too reckless.”
“The spiritual energy within Qiu Ru’s body,” Ji You said abruptly, “I transferred it to her.”
“I already suspected as much,” Kuang Cheng replied solemnly.
Ji You took a deep breath. “There was Hai Wa, the shepherd boy, Niu Niu from Liu’s household, and the crippled child adopted by Big Mouth…”
Kuang Cheng paused at the mention, looking up in disbelief.
He remembered those children. Weren’t they on the verge of death, their lives hanging by a thread? Yet somehow, they recovered miraculously. Now, it became clear—Ji You was behind it all.
“I am no saint,” Ji You admitted with a faint frown as he spoke. “Many things I’ve done were on a whim. But such is the way of immortals.”
When he mentioned ‘immortals,’ his brow creased even tighter. “The people of the Heavenly Script Academy cannot remain in Yuyang County forever. Those from the Immortal Worship Mountain Manor, if not stopped the first time, will return for a second, a third, and a fourth.”
Kuang Cheng pressed his lips together in thought before speaking. “It’s true. Since word of your mastery of the Lower Three Stages spread, the Immortal Worship Mountain Manor has curbed their arrogance considerably. Elder Fang even seized the Qiu family’s tributes.”
“So effective?” Ji You grinned, revealing a flash of white and red. “Then, if I were to declare kinship with every prominent household in the county for just a token offering, would I not become prosperous overnight?”
Kuang Cheng raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the sudden shift.
That Ji You could jest so easily was a testament to his stable condition, yet he remained oblivious to the potential long-term impact of the collapsed spiritual spring on his cultivation. Without condensing a Spiritual Core, what path could he follow next?
Kuang Cheng, though well-versed in literature, knew little of cultivation. He could only help Ji You sit up and fetch a bowl of water to rinse his mouth.
After resting for a moment, Ji You’s spirit improved significantly. “I’ll be fine after circulating my qi for a few cycles,” he assured, “but don’t mention this to anyone. For now, it’s enough that Qiu Ru survived.”
“You joining the Heavenly Script Academy is also a blessing.”
“I never intended to join the academy. It happened by accident.”
Kuang Cheng’s surprise was evident. “You planned to stay hidden among the common folk, cultivating in secret? What’s the point of that?”
Ji You shook his head. “You insult a man’s ambition. Though I have no desire to become a formal cultivator, I do have plans for my life. If not for the Qiu family’s troubles, I’d have gone to the mountains next year to become a bandit.”
“?”
“West of Yuyang County lies a bandit hideout,” Ji You continued nonchalantly. “It’s full of rogue cultivators with sharp tongues. I’ve heard that if a cultivator who has mastered the Lower Three Stages joins, they’re guaranteed a position as a hall master at minimum. Once I’m there, I can bring Old Qiu’s family to the mountain, and we’ll live comfortably.”
Kuang Cheng was utterly baffled. “Why abandon formal cultivation for the life of a rogue?”
Ji You coughed lightly, hesitating before speaking. “Initially, I didn’t even know I could cultivate. But more importantly, I don’t want to live off the blood of others.”
“The blood of others?”
“Cultivators claim the lion’s share of the world’s resources while doing nothing for the common people. Their greed leaves the populace starving and destitute. I may lack great abilities, but I can at least choose not to become one more weight crushing the masses.”
Ji You tilted his head back. “That said, the Heavenly Script Academy is reputedly the least exploitative of the Seven Great Immortal Sects. They rarely take offerings from the living, which is a small mercy.”
Kuang Cheng paused, lifting a book in hand. “According to this text, only those who reach the Upper Five Stages and are accepted into the Inner Court can partake in the offerings of the common people.”
“?”
Ji You froze, eyes wide. “You’re saying even as a member of the academy, I’ll still have to work my way up?”
Preoccupied with dreams of banditry, Ji You hadn’t paid attention to the requirements of formal cultivation. The realization left him stunned.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to live off the offerings of others? Isn’t this a good thing?” Kuang Cheng’s confusion deepened.
“As a bandit, I could rob immortals to aid the poor and even get a cut of the spoils!” Ji You retorted.
The Great Xia Dynasty paid tributes to the immortal sects annually, but the allocation of these resources remained an internal matter within each sect. For the Heavenly Script Academy, most offerings went to the Inner Court disciples and administrative affairs. As Outer Court disciples, those even at the pinnacle of the Lower Three Stages were excluded from this bounty.
While Ji You wrestled with existential despair, Kuang Cheng spoke up again. “Actually, I’ll be heading to the capital in a few days.”
Ji You snapped back to reality. “Why?”
“For the imperial examinations.”