Guidance Through the Mist: An Ant's Cultivation

The situation within the Celestial Lake gradually calmed. The churning mist thinned away, and their vision slowly cleared.

The three cultivators rose to their feet and began examining the conditions of those inside the Celestial Lake, selecting youths of superior aptitude. Whenever they saw someone whose radiance was robust and brilliant, they recorded it down. Whenever they saw someone whose light was pitifully faint, its brightness negligible, they merely shook their heads. Of the several thousand people they inspected, only two possessed exceptional aptitude.

Just then, when one Daoist saw Lu Chen, there was not a trace of light on him. Thinking his eyes had deceived him, he checked again and again with the utmost care, yet still found not a single gleam. He had cultivated for more than ten years, but had never encountered such a situation, nor had he even heard of one.

He hurriedly called to the other two cultivators, "Have either of you ever heard of someone entering the Celestial Lake for baptism and having no reaction at all?"

The moment Daoist Ru Fa heard those words, he understood that Lu Chen had failed again. He sighed helplessly. "Ah, you'll know soon enough. Continue with the next one."

Blind Lu was also watching everything within the Celestial Lake. Seeing Lu Chen's current state, he put away his zither and smiled faintly. By now, he was likely the only person present who knew just how monstrous Lu Chen's cultivation talent truly was.

Within the Celestial Lake, everything around them had returned to calm, as though nothing had happened. The three cultivators hurriedly opened the Celestial Lake's barrier and guided everyone out.

Once everyone had taken their places, Daoist Ru Fa stepped forward and addressed them. "The Celestial Lake baptism merely helps you open your celestial lake. If you truly wish to cultivate, you must still undergo the Qi Gathering test. Use the Heavenly Net in my hand to draw the spiritual qi of heaven and earth into your body. Once it has traveled through one full circulation, store it in your celestial lake."

"What you need to do is place your hand on the compass and focus on imagining the scene and state you experienced during the baptism. The speed at which the compass lights up is the speed of your affinity with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. That will also be the speed at which you draw qi into your body in the future."

"No matter what method you use, as long as you successfully light it up, a standard Heavenly Net will be generated from it. That means you have entered the First Layer of the Qi Gathering Realm." Having said that, the three Daoists nodded to signal the start.

The three joined forces and released an enormous compass two zhang tall. The giant compass then projected one small compass after another, appearing before the crowd for them to touch.

Ten minutes later, four people had successfully obtained Heavenly Nets and reached the Qi Gathering Realm.

Those who could successfully pass the test within ten minutes were generally descendants of lineages. They possessed excellent cultivation resources and equipment, and had been raised from childhood to learn how to cultivate. Passing the test was as easy as turning over one's hand.

Two hours passed before a large portion of them slowly obtained Heavenly Nets and reached the Qi Gathering Realm, though they had only barely managed to enter it.

Four hours passed, and another large group obtained Heavenly Nets. Most of them had obtained their Heavenly Nets through luck. There was not even more than a thread of the spiritual qi of heaven and earth in their bodies, but receiving a Heavenly Net proved that they truly could cultivate.

Eight hours passed. Other than Lu Chen, everyone taking the test had finished. By then, the crowd had visibly divided into several groups. Those with ordinary talent surrounded those with high talent in the center, while those with almost no talent stood at the very outskirts.

The people on the outskirts bowed their heads and bent at the waist, fawning with extreme servility. As for Lu Chen, everyone treated him as though he were a plague god, keeping far away from him.

Gradually, murmurs began spreading through the crowd. "Can he even do it? It's been so long. Even a pig would have succeeded by now."

"You don't know? His name is Lu Chen. He hasn't succeeded in ten years. Maybe he really is a pig."

"Don't insult pigs. Pigs are smarter than he is. He's nothing but trash, garbage."

"Trash, garbage..." The crowd began clamoring as they pointed and gestured at Lu Chen.

Listening to their discussion, that Daoist finally understood what Daoist Ru Fa's earlier sigh had meant.

Lu Chen did not particularly care about their remarks. Ten years had already made him view such things lightly. Yet his hand remained pressed against the compass, hoping for even the slightest chance. After all, this truly was his final attempt.

Another two hours passed. Lu Chen had reached his limit, and his eyes dimmed. He could not understand why he alone could never succeed. Even if he could obtain just one Heavenly Net, he would at least count as someone capable of cultivation.

At that moment, Lu Chen felt the world spinning around him. Unable to support himself any longer, he fainted.

When he woke the next day, Lu Chen found himself lying in bed. He got up and went beneath the Ancient Parasol Tree outside the village, where Blind Lu was playing the zither.

Noticing that Lu Chen was awake, Blind Lu began playing a piece as tumultuous as crashing waves. The notes rose and fell, like a person in white robes facing ten thousand enemies and slaughtering through a battlefield. Cut down once, he rose once; cut down again, he rose again. This continued over and over, until at last only one person remained, facing mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

When the piece ended, the hero too stepped upon the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, raised his treasured sword, and challenged the world for supremacy.

Then Blind Lu pointed at an ant nest beneath the Ancient Parasol Tree and spoke. "Do you know what cultivation is for? Do you know why heaven and earth are called heaven and earth?"

Lu Chen looked at the ant nest. Just as they had four years ago, the ants climbed upward, fell, and continued climbing. He had answered this question for ten years. Why was his grandfather asking it again?

At that moment, Lu Chen recalled everything he had experienced over the past ten years. He felt as though a divine light had appeared, as though everything lay before his eyes. But it had come too late. Even if he knew the answer now, it was useless.

Lu Chen was about to say that he was giving up when heavy rain suddenly began to fall. The rainwater washed away the ant nest, but even more ants carried over clumps of earth, building up a mound to resist it. Lu Chen slowly crouched down and looked inside.

Blind Lu appeared behind Lu Chen and said, "It seems you have found what you believe to be the answer. Do you still remember when I last asked what cultivation was? You told me that the ants were struggling to climb upward, truly contending with heaven and earth. You too wanted to contend with heaven and earth."

"You only saw the ants climbing upward, but you did not see the sky darkening. You saw the ants climbing upward, but you did not see them carrying earth or seeking food, building a mound outside their nest step by step to shield themselves from the rain. You thought they were cultivating, truly contending with heaven and earth. But have you considered that they were merely trying to live? They had only one goal. When they cultivated, did they ever care about how you looked at them?"

Hearing Blind Lu's words, Lu Chen muttered to himself, "Other people's eyes... the purpose of cultivation. Other people's eyes... the purpose of cultivation."

Seeing the realization on Lu Chen's face, Blind Lu knew Lu Chen had succeeded. He said to him again, "Cultivation does not necessarily require a Heavenly Net. Before Heavenly Nets existed, countless people were already cultivating. If you believe you have figured out your purpose for cultivation, I will take you somewhere you can cultivate."

Lu Chen understood that the place Blind Lu spoke of would bring an earth-shattering change to his life. Blind Lu was asking him: Did he have the courage to touch that place, all for the sake of pursuing the purpose of cultivation?

Lu Chen immediately said, "Grandfather, please take me there. I am willing to keep searching through cultivation for what cultivation truly is. I must become a cultivator. I want to know what I will cultivate for."

Just then, the skies cleared. Light shone in Lu Chen's eyes, and the Twin Fish Plate on his chest flickered, as though agreeing with his words.

Blind Lu told Lu Chen to stand up. Lu Chen asked in confusion, "Grandfather, what are we going to do?"

Blind Lu ignored Lu Chen and merely spoke to himself. "Qingfang Village was not originally called by this name. During the Genesis Era, a Heavenly Emperor emerged from this place. That Heavenly Emperor was revered as the Azure Emperor. Later, to commemorate him, the village was renamed Qingfang Village, and that name has been used ever since. This Ancient Parasol Tree was planted by that Heavenly Emperor."

"A story has always been passed down in the village: when a descendant of Qingfang Village wishes to cultivate and possesses the aptitude, they may enter from this place to seek a fortunate opportunity."

As he spoke, Blind Lu opened a hidden compartment beneath the zither strings and took out a round token. On one side of the token was a city. Half of it had collapsed and was engulfed in raging flames, while the other half brimmed with life, where a towering Giant Tree stood. That Giant Tree was exactly like the Ancient Parasol Tree before them.

It should have been a scene of conflict, yet the silhouette at the boundary made it seem exceptionally harmonious. The person looked toward the city, clutching a tattered military banner in his hand. Upon the banner was written the character for Azure.

Seeing this scene, Lu Chen was suddenly overcome with desolation. At the same time, it felt strangely familiar, as though it were a memory from his own past.

Blind Lu looked at Lu Chen and explained, "This is a token handed down through the generations in Qingshanfang. It has only one use: opening the gateway within this Ancient Parasol Tree. But for hundreds and thousands of years, no one has ever entered it, so no one knows what lies beyond that gate. If you truly wish to cultivate, you may go in and try. But you only have one chance. If you fail, you will never be able to enter again."

Having said that, Blind Lu pressed the token against the tree. It instantly melted into the trunk, and a black, empty portal slowly appeared upon it.

Blind Lu turned to Lu Chen and said, "You only have one chance. Do your best."

"This time, I will succeed, Grandfather. When I come out, I will definitely succeed." With that, Lu Chen prepared to enter.

"Wait." Blind Lu suddenly turned and stopped Lu Chen. He carefully straightened Lu Chen's clothes, adjusted the Twin Fish Token, then patted Lu Chen on the head. "Go on. Since you want to cultivate so badly, going over there to take a look is always one way."

This was the first time since gaining awareness that Lu Chen had seen Blind Lu straighten his clothes for him. Lu Chen looked up at Blind Lu, and a bad premonition rose in his heart.

"Go quickly, or the portal will disappear soon." As he spoke, he began urging Lu Chen to enter.

Hearing this, Lu Chen turned back and glanced at the villagers of Qingshanfang, then waved to them.

Little Doggy waved back at Lu Chen. Lu Chen turned to Little Doggy and said, "When I return, we'll cultivate together."

With that, Lu Chen walked toward the portal. Just as his entire body entered it, a beam of azure-green light shot straight into the heavens, and he suddenly saw a group of cultivators flying in from afar.

Lu Chen wanted to warn Blind Lu, but before he could speak, the portal swallowed him.

After Lu Chen entered the portal, Blind Lu retrieved the token. The surrounding villagers each formed a hand seal and changed their appearances, then bowed to Blind Lu together. "Greetings, Lord of Ceremonies."

Little Doggy, who had just been a child, transformed into a petite spirit beast.

Standing on Blind Lu's shoulder, he said, "My lord, is this really all right? Isn't it too cruel to make him face that future? After all, he knows nothing."

Blind Lu was no longer in the form of an old man. He now stood tall and straight, dressed in plain white robes with a black belt embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns around his waist. His silver-white hair cascaded behind him. He was refined and elegant, his extraordinary bearing gentle and graceful, while his black eyes gazed at the cultivators flying in from afar.

Blind Lu shook his head and said calmly, "There is not much time left. The passage to the Myriad Worlds is nearly open, isn't it? Proceed according to the plan." Blind Lu looked toward the Ancient Parasol Tree, a trace of worry on his face. "I hope it is not too late. The future depends on you now, Young Master."