Chapter 12 - 7 This is a Joke!

Li Ziye and Xiang Qi popularized some common knowledge of the Immortal Dao to Wang Qi on their way, and it wasn't long before they arrived at Dabai Village. Following that, Li Ziye used his True Yuan to broadcast a message throughout Dabai Village, simply stating that they were apprehending a rebel on behalf of the Immortal Alliance, and the two of them were assigned to stand guard over Dabai Village to prevent any demon from turning back to attack. Although Wang Qi joked that this sounded like a bit of a boast, it significantly reassured the villagers of Dabai Village. In order to placate the villagers, the two also took Wang Qi on a symbolic tour of the residence of the Daoist of Uncertainty. Since the Daoist had been wanted by the Immortal Alliance for a long time, he had developed the habit of carrying everything with him. Apart from a stack of manuscripts that no one could understand, there were no gains from this search. Under Li Ziye's guidance, Wang Qi began his cultivation of Modern methods. The realm divisions of Modern methods are quite different from those of the Ancient Method, to begin with, Modern methods divide realms into four major realms: Nourishing Life Master, Human World, Great Grandmaster, and Carefree Travel. The first major realm's cultivation does not produce Divine Skills nor practice Mana, but rather can only enhance Life Span, hence the term Nourishing Life Master. Under Nourishing Life Master, there are three realms, named Nourishing Heart, Learning Stage, and Heavenly Communication. The Nourishing Heart Stage strengthens the soul and enhances consciousness, laying the foundation for sensing the breathing of Heaven and Earth; the Learning Stage involves extensive study and understanding of the summaries of Heavenly Dao laws by predecessors in preparation for blending into the breathing of Heaven and Earth; and the Heavenly Communication Stage is the official communication with the breathing of Heaven and Earth. Because the cultivation of these three stages can be undertaken simultaneously, some people collectively call it "Heavenly Communication". The three states of Nourishing Life Master correspond perfectly with the Ancient Method's Enlightenment, Xuanzhao, and Fasting. Human World is also divided into three realms: Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation. This realm is the least different from the Ancient Method. During the Qi Cultivation Stage, you gather Outer Heaven Spiritual Energy from Heaven and Earth to refine Mana; during the Foundation Establishment Stage, you use Mana to cast a Magic Foundation; and during the Core Formation Stage, you condense an Inner Core based on the Magic Foundation. Great Grandmaster also has three realms, Primordial Spirit, Void Refining, and Nirvana. By this realm, the differences between the Modern methods and the Ancient Method become quite apparent. After the Ancient Method's Core Formation Stage, a new embryonic form of a Magic Body must be cultivated inside the Golden Core, called the Nascent Soul. Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation signifies the Nascent Soul Stage. After the Nascent Soul Stage, the cultivator repeatedly merges the Primordial Spirit with the Nascent Soul, capable of Divine Separation and possessing infinite mystical uses; this is the Divine Separation Stage. The Unification Stage is when the Mahayana Nascent Soul and the Physical Body become one, forging an unparalleled Magic Body. After Core Formation in the Modern method, instead, you use the Golden Core as the center and your Magic Foundation as the base, constructing your Soul according to the laws of the Heavenly Dao into a "small Heaven and Earth," which is called the Primordial Spirit. Once the small Heavenly Earth inside the Primordial Spirit resembles the grand Heavenly Earth sufficiently, you can refine Mana from the nihility outside of Heaven without relying on the breathing of Heaven and Earth, producing Mana continuously; this is Void Refining. Finally, when the small Heavenly Earth drives the Physical Body to continuously sublimate, that is Nirvana. Under Carefree Travel, there is only one realm, the Carefree Realm, corresponding to Ancient Method Mahayana. As for what cultivation is performed in this realm and what wonders it possesses, Li Ziye and Xiang Qi do not know. After Li Ziye finished explaining, he also gave Wang Qi a small book box, only slightly larger than a briefcase from his previous life. However, Li Ziye said that there were nearly a hundred basic textbooks inside. These textbooks were not only related to the Learning Stage cultivation but were also to be tested in the unified entrance trials. Wang Qi suddenly felt like a freshman receiving his textbooks. After handing the book box to Wang Qi, Li Ziye pondered for a moment and added, "The cultivation of the Learning Stage and the Heavenly Communication Stage is the best test of a person's Talent. Those with average Talent can achieve it in four years, but if you break through the Learning Stage in one year, then you can be considered a Genius. Beyond four years, there is almost no hope for Foundation Establishment—although there are always exceptions. It is said in Fentian Prefecture there is a Master of the Primordial Spirit with the surname Su who took five years to break through Heavenly Communication, which is a classic case of late bloomers." Wang Qi nodded and summarized, "This inspirational story tells us that we must not give up just because of a minor setback..." Li Ziye gave a smile, "You understand, and that's as good as it gets. Since the practices of an Ancient Method Spirit Body and Modern Method Heavenly Communication Cultivation conflict greatly, I do not know how deep the influence of the Ancient Method will be on you. First, familiarize yourself with these books; I will teach you more this afternoon. Especially 'Breaking Profound Chapter' and 'The Calculation of the Great Dao.' The former is a must for Modern Method Heavenly Communication; the latter, though more profound, speaks in brief of grand principles, containing many of the essences of the Modern methods." Wang Qi nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Li Ziye stopped him: "Right, I will seal the Mana within your body. After the Ancient Method's Qi Cultivation Stage, the flow of Mana inside your body will disrupt the Spirit Energy Flower outside your body, making it unfavorable for you to sense the breathing of Heaven and Earth. I think I will need to completely seal your Mana. This process is necessary for the transition from the Ancient to Modern methods, and you shouldn't take offense." —————————————————————————————— At noon, Li Ziye sat cross-legged on an old tree in the courtyard of the Wang Family, allowing the Late Spring sun with a hint of summer warmth to shine on him. Li Ziye quite liked to bask in the sun; during his time at Wanfa Sect, whenever he could not solve a problem or was irritated by repetitive calculations, he would come out to enjoy the sunshine. His brothers teased him for this, saying he would surely marry a disciple from the Light Hall to create sunshine for him, and that they would even need her to shine light to spice up their intimate moments. Li Ziye, an easy-going person, simply laughed off such jokes. At this moment, his mind was not occupied with advanced problems like Xi's Twenty-Three Calculations, but he was reflecting on how his teacher had imparted basic knowledge to him. He rather admired Wang Qi. This child did not have the extreme desire for power like ordinary people; instead, he truly regarded cultivation itself as an interesting affair. For the Modern methods, this is undoubtedly a promising seedling. "Senior Brother Li!" At this time, Xiang Qi's call interrupted his thoughts. Li Ziye looked down to see Xiang Qi, using her Mana to carry over a big pile of food. Li Ziye shook his head: "Junior Sister Xiang, how much Silver Coin did you bring with you?" Xiang Qi was taken aback: "Huh?" "You didn't just demand food and drink from others, did you?" Only then did Xiang Qi realize: "Ah, this was all forcefully given to me by those villagers." Li Ziye glanced skeptically at the floating food around Xiang Qi. The finely sliced potato strands of the vinegar-potato dish, although not as professional as a restaurant chef, were not at a common household level, and vegetarian dishes like green beans and eggplants had been fried; the meat dishes like fried pork and steamed pork were made from the choicest loin and belly meat, not to mention the chicken and duck soups. "Has the standard of living in the secular world already advanced to this level?" Li Ziye was puzzled. Considering Dabai Village's population, farmland, surrounding vegetation, etc., this meal might only be affordable during the New Year by the village's financial capacity. Xiang Qi laughed and said, "Everyone outside was saying that a Immortal emerged from the village and they should celebrate it well to bask in some 'Immortal Energy'—hey, Senior Brother Li, should we also catch some of that so-called 'Immortal Energy'?" The villagers were rather endearing. Li Ziye chuckled and didn't refuse. He leapt down from the tree and picked up a piece of fried meat from the food in front of Xiang Qi, "It's fried quite crispy—It's been a long while since I've tasted this farmhouse skill." "Right? Right?" Xiang Qi delightedly set the food and drinks on the stone table in the courtyard. Li Ziye found two sets of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. They sat opposite each other and enjoyed the dishes on the table. "What the hell is Wang Qi up to?" Xiang Qi suddenly asked. Li Ziye casually answered, "He's shut himself in his room pouring over books. I thought you kinda hated him." Xiang Qi snorted, "Why should I when she's an Ancient Method Practitioner? Practicing the Ancient Method, in the end, harms others as well as oneself. But although he's glib, he's pretty amusing." Li Ziye uttered an "oh," then changed the subject, "Now that things here are settled, has Junior Sister Xiang completed her sect's trial to perfection?" Xiang Qi nodded, "Serving as a Safety Guard for a year, and completed a quite distinctive task, it can be considered perfect." "What's your next plan?" "My merit points are enough to exchange for materials, to refine the first few swords of the fourth Circulation of the Heavenly Order Sword Disc. I want to try to achieve the fourth Circulation during my Foundation Establishment Stage." Li Ziye clapped in admiration, "That's some ambition! Ordinary Burning Gold Valley cultivators refine the Heavenly Order Sword Disc usually by picking the easiest few swords to refine first. Your path could almost rival the legendary Heavenly Order Sword Venerable Meng Jiefu of the past!" Xiang Qi shook her head, "Venerable Meng's accomplishments, how could I compare? A full array of one hundred and eighteen Heavenly Order Sword Discs is beyond my imagination. Moreover, it's widely rumored in Burning Gold Valley that the Venerable has begun refining the theoretically non-existent 'eighth Circulation'!" Li Ziye sighed, "The divine abilities of our predecessors truly are beyond our reckoning! However, this also proves that Junior Sister Xiang's future is limitless." Having said that, Li Ziye poured a cup of the villagers' home-brewed rice wine, "A cup of turbid wine, a little help for Junior Sister's cultivation to progress a thousand miles a day." "That still can't compare to you, Senior Brother Li." Xiang Qi said seriously, "Senior Brother Li is a genius disciple of Wanfa Sect. Before entering the Golden Core, you mastered one of 'Xi's Twenty-Three Calculations,' and upon entering the Golden Core..." She paused for a moment, glancing at the Sword Box behind Li Ziye, eyes shimmering with admiration, and continued, "...you passed the 'Heavenly Sword Heart Inquiry.' Back then, Senior Brother Li, you broke through to Heavenly Communication in half a year, who in the world wouldn't say your future is limitless?" Suddenly, a complex surge of mana fluctuation appeared in the courtyard. Li Ziye's face showed delight, "This is... Breakthrough to Heavenly Communication..." Xiang Qi sounded uncertain, "Heavenly Communication?" Li Ziye nodded, "Heavenly..." Suddenly, his smile froze. There were only three cultivators here, and only one who hadn't achieved Heavenly Communication. Snap! The stone stool beneath Xiang Qi let out a crisp crack. Snap! Without realizing, Li Ziye broke the chopsticks in his hand. Snap, snap, snap! Cracks kept appearing on the stones and floor around them. This was the result of cultivators being severely shocked, unable to control their mana and causing it to leak out! "Who in history... broke through the fastest..." Xiang Qi suddenly felt like she was losing her ability to speak. "Yuanli Master, half a month to Heavenly Communication," Li Ziye almost mumbled dreamily, "Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, Daoist of Uncertainty were also about the same... Wave Motion Lord..." The names of unparalleled geniuses who had left their marks in the history of the Modern traversed Li Ziye's mind, yet, none seemed to hold up in comparison to Wang Qi! The difficulty of breaking through to Heavenly Communication lies in the integration with the Breathing of Heaven and Earth. It requires an understanding of the essential principles of the operation of Heaven and Earth—in other words, the Heavenly Dao, to form a basic concept of "Dao" in one's heart. This necessitates learning the "Dao" summarized by many wise individuals. This process is a long-term accumulation. To break through to Heavenly Communication in a year is already the standard for inner sect disciples of great sects. And among the great cultivators of the Carefree that asked about the Dao today, the most talented still needed over a month! Wang Qi's first contact with the Modern Method was this morning, and since receiving the books from Li Ziye, at most, it had been the time it took to eat a meal. To break through to Heavenly Communication over the course of a meal? This could no longer be called a legend. This, this... this is outright a joke!