The jade chisel fell, and the cliff wall resounded with a loud crash. A large swath was instantly swept away. Yu Ci began to tread carefully, meticulously grinding down the inner layers of rock. Even so, wherever the jade chisel passed, stone dust fluttered down, as if the front was not a stone wall harder than gold and iron, but a mud sculpture.
At this moment, someone shouted from the nearby mist.
"Uncle Yu, we have three hundred plants here, let's take a break!" The voice of the youth still bore the remnants of his voice-breaking period, hoarse and harsh. Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that he was feigning pitifulness to win sympathy.
Yu Ci turned his head and responded with a sound, and the distant cheers of the youth came faintly. He shook his head and continued his work until he carefully extracted the medicinal herb and placed it into the stone box. This was the last "suspected Fish Dragon Grass" within a fifty-mile radius, and the progress was ten times faster than a few days ago!
Every time this happened, Yu Ci felt that Ye Tu was a very interesting young man.
Ye Tu was the boy he had saved. According to the boy himself, he had flown over from the far east of the world on a massive ship built of clouds, as large as a mountain. He had been sightseeing all the way until he reached Sky Rift Valley. While hunting, he used a golden knife and attracted the attention of a nearby Viper Monk who attempted to rob him.
As for claims like "Mountain Moving Cloud Boat", Yu Ci was skeptical. He was willing to believe in the incredible things in this world and used them as his pursuit goals. The rest was just his displeasure at the boy's tendency to exaggerate.
In Yu Ci's view, this kid had a series of problems besides being boastful: cowardice, pettiness, laziness - all typical traits of a naive rich young master. However, Yu Ci couldn't stand his cowardice and felt that this boy's attitude tarnished his pursuit and admiration for cultivators.
After scolding him a few times, Ye Tu obediently agreed but changed his affectionate address from "Big Brother Yu" to "Uncle" - purely childish behavior.
However, this kid also had some points of pride, such as his wealth!
It was no wonder that Viper Monk was tempted to rob him. This boy was essentially a treasure child. His storage ring was always producing strange and rare items. The jade chisel in Yu Ci's hand was contributed by the boy. It was made entirely of some hard jade and could cut through stone like mud even without infusing True Qi into it, greatly improving Yu Ci's efficiency in digging herbs.
In addition, the boy's cultivation level was astonishing. He was only fifteen years old but had already separated consciousness & thoughts and stepped into the Nature-Connecting Realm. He was a bona fide cultivator. Yu Ci had just achieved this five days ago at the age of twenty-five. No wonder this kid insisted on calling him "Uncle" after knowing his real age.
However, Ye Tu didn't appreciate Yu Ci's praise and even felt insulted. "My sister is only ten years old, but she has already produced a Yin Spirit. If it wasn't for our master thinking she's too young and needs to stabilize, she might have started cultivating swords by now. Compared to her, what am I?"
"You're nothing, then what am I?" Yu Ci was irked by these words and retaliated by messing up the boy's hair, making it a sight for sore eyes. Though the youth grimaced in protest, the expression on his face was one of undeniable enjoyment.
This kid... he must be a dog in the zodiac!
"By the way, what is sword cultivation?"
"Sword cultivation? Sword cultivation is the starting point of the Sword Cultivation Longevity Technique. It's similar to the Golden Elixir of the Daoist sect and the Relics of the Buddhist sect. It emphasizes nurturing one's essence and spirit to cultivate the Sword's Killing Qi, controlling it with one's mind, merging the Three Treasures of human beings with the sword, and supplementing it with predestined Geng Metal Qi, thus rising above all things. No matter what hardships or demonic tribulations come your way, you can cut them all down with a single sword stroke, thereby achieving immortality..."
This... I don't quite understand... Yu Ci managed to keep his expression under control and asked again, "What does it mean to manifest a Yin Spirit?"
Ye Tu, who was engrossed in his explanation, was taken aback by this question. He blinked at Yu Ci, and after a pause, he tentatively asked, "Uncle Yu, you're a Lone Cultivator, aren't you?"
Yu Ci hesitated for a moment before nodding. The youth's gaze immediately filled with sympathy.
Well then, this is another virtue of Young Master Ye: sincerity!
Yu Ci would rather he be a little insincere! Yu Ci was not vain; at least he would not reject someone's kindness for the sake of saving face. But Young Master Ye's kindness was more than most people could bear. Upon learning that Yu Ci was a Lone Cultivator and lacked most of the fundamental knowledge required for cultivation, he immediately offered to teach him this knowledge. This was good, but why was it that while Yu Ci understood every word that came out of this boy's mouth, he couldn't make sense of any of it?
"The heart is the monarch's seat, it is governed by inaction... don't understand?"
"When the temperament is exhausted, the original element begins to appear. When the original element appears, then it can be used... still don't understand?"
"What about the Primordial Qi... okay, I won't say anymore, I know you don't understand!"
Ye Tu, unable to bear the successive setbacks, sat down on the ground clutching his head.
In fact, Yu Ci thought it was quite good. He had heard many unprecedented theories that broadened his horizons and increased his knowledge. At least he finally understood the true meaning of the six major Cultivator realms beyond the "Three Barriers of the Mundane". According to Ye Tu's theory:
Communicating with gods is when a Cultivator clarifies their Divine Soul structure, refines their Divine Soul properties, enhances their Divine Soul level, and eventually refines their Yin Spirit, enabling Astral Travel.
Golden Elixir is when a Cultivator's Divine Soul and Primordial Qi embrace and merge, forming a unity of body and spirit, undergoing the process of nine returns to seven, forming the Golden Elixir. This allows them to undergo a complete transformation, refining their body and spirit to the human limit, extending their lifespan to three hundred years.
"Vacuum Walking," at this stage, a cultivator no longer relies on external objects to control their Qi for flight. This is the beginning of the "Feather Transformation," where one begins to draw from the purest and most pristine "Mysterious Truth" of heaven and earth, gradually increasing their lifespan, cultivating their "True Form." On the level of the Divine Soul, they also transform from a "Yin Spirit" to a "Yang Spirit."
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Taoism Immortal," when a cultivator achieves their "True Form" and "Yang Spirit," aside from tribulations like warfare and death, their life and death become difficult to determine, their lifespan becomes immeasurably long, and they can be said to have achieved Immortality. However, by seizing the creation of heaven and earth and stealing the vitality of nature, they inevitably attract the envy and tribulation of heaven.
"Thunderbolt Tribulated," any authentic cultivator who has survived a heavenly tribulation can be referred to as "Thunderbolt Tribulated." At this stage, tribulations are constantly attacking, but each tribulation passed increases the Divine Power Cultivation Level. Minor tribulations yield minor Divine Power, while major cataclysms yield major Divine Power.
"Earth Immortal," those who have survived at least one Great Cataclysm of Heaven and Earth that recurs every 3,600 years, are indestructible. At this stage, their cultivation is complete, and the tribulations of heaven and earth can do nothing to them. In theory, they can live as long as heaven and earth.
These six realms represent a clearly marked path to Immortality. Especially Ye Tu has divided these six realms into two major phases: "Three Steps to Ascend to Immortal" includes Communicating with Gods, Golden Elixir, and Vacuum Walking; "Three Difficulties of Immortality" includes Taoism Immortal, Thunderbolt Tribulated, and Earth Immortal. Together with the "Three Barriers of the Mundane" at the beginning of mortal cultivation, they form a complete Cultivation Realm system.
As long as one has enough time and is willing to put in hard work, everyone can pass the "Three Barriers of the Mundane" of Qi Movement, Long Breath, and Acupoint Developing. However, when it comes to the "Three Steps to Ascend to Immortal," each step will eliminate most people. As for the "Three Difficulties of Immortality," these are problems only encountered by the top cultivators in the entire Cultivation World. According to Ye Tu, if one fails to "Ascend," they may not necessarily die from falling, but if they cannot pass the "Difficulties of Immortality," they will die, and all their previous achievements will be destroyed. Of course, if they can pass, they will achieve true Immortality, reaching the pinnacle of the Great Path.
Those disheartening tribulations are still far away from Yu Ci. For now, he is merely indulging his imagination, yearning for those lofty realms. This feeling dilutes his anxiety about not understanding Ye Tu's profound theory of Immortality. Just because he is open-minded doesn't mean Ye Tu is.
Ye Tu, looking as if he wanted to declare to the world his life was shrouded in darkness, so dark that he was on the brink of despair.
Observing the young man in such a state, Yu Ci couldn't help but chuckle, stepping forward to pat Ye Tu's head. However, at this moment, the boy was more sensitive than usual.
"Don't console me!" Ye Tu twisted away, not accepting the gesture. "I thought I had mastered it all, only lagging behind Ah Chi because my foundation wasn't as strong. But now I realize how far I still have to go. The master once said that learning should be consistent and non-contradictory; what the listener gains from it varies according to their level, but none should find it difficult. It seems I'm far from achieving that!"
"Weren't you explaining the realms of Immortality quite well? I understood it clearly."
"Those common theories... besides, after all my explanation, can you tell me what is Yin Spirit and what is Yang Spirit?"
Yu Ci was left speechless.
The boy snorted disdainfully and refused to lift his head no matter how much Yu Ci tried to persuade him. He continued sulking. Yu Ci, unable to figure out how to deal with such childish behavior, decided to stay silent. He sat with him for a while before leaving to attend his own matters.
However, he didn't expect Ye Tu's gloominess to last for two days. The boy barely spoke and sometimes at night, he would hide in a corner, wiping away secret tears. Perhaps his frustration here had triggered some past sorrow. Yu Ci reasoned that this made sense. After all, the boy seemed like a spoiled rich kid who had run away from home, probably because he couldn't bear losing to his sister named "Ah Chi". This seemed to fit his petty nature.
Ye Tu's personality was almost the complete opposite of Yu Ci's, making it difficult for Yu Ci to empathize. He let the boy deal with his own issues while he continued collecting herbs. After several days of hard work, he had dug up all fourteen "potential Fish Dragon Grass" plants and harvested about seventy to eighty percent of the Shrimp Whisker Grass. The task was almost done and he was considering when to leave.
Climbing up a cliff wall about a mile from the slope, Yu Ci routinely opened the Divine Map. In the hazy Azure Mist, the landscape of Sky Rift Valley within a fifty-mile radius was clearly displayed. At this location, he didn't have to worry about Ye Tu seeing the light emitted by the Divine Map.
Everyone had secrets they couldn't share with others. Even Ye Tu, this little brat, was no exception. For Yu Ci, the Divine Map was his biggest secret. Until he completely understood its mysteries and could fully control it, he didn't want anyone else to know.
After opening the Divine Map, he habitually scanned the changes in the scenery to ensure there were no dangers nearby. But today was different from before. At first glance, he paused and then laughed: "What's going on? Enemies on a narrow path?"
The figure in the Divine Map was none other than the Viper Monk.
Seeing this Thief Monk, Yu Ci wasn't surprised at all. He had already learned from Ye Tu that this Thief Monk was lingering around Sky Rift Valley, probably up to no good.
Now, a new complication has arisen: Thief Monk is not alone, but accompanied by two others. These three agile figures are scaling down the cliff wall and have already reached a depth of nearly fifteen miles, with no signs of stopping.
In terms of straight-line distance, they are only five miles away from Yu Ci.
Apart from Viper Monk, the other two do not seem to be underestimated either. Here, Viper Monk does not appear to be the leader. There's a man in Taoist attire beside him, with a baby face that belies his age. When he laughs, his forehead and eyebrows crease with wrinkles. He chats and laughs with Viper Monk as if they are old friends.
Leading the way is a middle-aged Cultivator with a partially bald head and bulging eyes that gleam with sharpness. He leads them on a path that seems to have a clear purpose; even if they were to circle around, they would still return to their original direction. Unfortunately, that direction may very well lead them past the slope where Yu Ci and Ye Tu have taken refuge.
Judging by Viper Monk's standard, facing one enemy is manageable, two is challenging, but three... even escaping would be tricky, not to mention having to protect someone else.
Of course, he could take Ye Tu and flee now. But after days of working here, the traces they have left behind would not escape the eyes of their pursuers, alerting them to their presence. To give up the initiative would be frustrating.
"Troublesome!" Yu Ci muttered under his breath, swiftly returning to the slope. At this point, Ye Tu was still wallowing in self-pity. Yu Ci walked up to him and said in a low voice:
"Hey, Thief Monk is here!"
Ye Tu was still lost in self-blame and looked up blankly at Yu Ci's words. Seeing his reaction, Yu Ci felt helpless and kicked him in the thigh. The sharp pain seemed to do the trick, jolting Ye Tu back to reality.
With a yelp, the boy sprang up. To him, there was only one Thief Monk - Viper Monk, who had stolen his Golden Knife and was the number one villain in his eyes.
"Where? Where? Where?"
Ye Tu nervously drew a short knife from his Storage Ring. This knife, like the Jade Chisel he had given to Yu Ci, was made of jade and was extremely sharp. However, it was far inferior to the Golden Knife that had been taken by Monk. That Golden Knife, refined through a special process, was an exceptional magical weapon.
Clearly, this jade knife did not give him any sense of security. Holding the knife in his hand, he still couldn't help but tremble. In this state, it would be a stroke of luck if he could withstand a single attack from Viper Monk.
Yu Ci couldn't bear to see Ye Tu's cowardly appearance and scolded: "What are you panicking for? They're still far away. Even if they were right in front of you, you just need to draw your sword and fight. What are you shaking for?"
His words didn't seem to have much effect. Ye Tu was still breathing heavily and sweating, wasting his limited strength. Yu Ci glanced at him and suddenly said: "Didn't I tell you about the time I beat that bald monk until he cried?"
Ye Tu was taken aback.
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For those readers who thought that Teacher Ye was the female lead, please reflect on your mistake. Also, I'm quite nervous about the voting, so I would appreciate your strong support!
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e