Immortal Realm Ascension

Chapter 1: Ascension to the Immortal Realm

Wudang Mountain, anciently known as Taihe Mountain, is located in the northwestern part of Hubei Province, within Shiyan City. It is one of China's renowned sacred sites of Daoism. The scenic area, once described as "eight hundred li in circumference," now covers 312 square kilometers. Wudang Mountain boasts not only spectacular natural landscapes but also a rich tapestry of cultural heritage. Its unique topography features one peak piercing the sky while others surround it, possessing the grandeur of Mount Tai and the precipitousness of Mount Hua. Cliffs, deep ravines, hidden caves, and clear springs are scattered throughout, with notable features including 3 pools, 9 springs, 11 caves, 24 streams, 36 cliffs, and 72 peaks. Since ancient times, Wudang Mountain has been an ideal place for Daoists seeking the immortal realm. Daoist architecture is found throughout the mountain, grand in scale. Legend has it that Xuanwu attained enlightenment and ascended here in ancient times, earning it the title "An Unrivaled Scenic Spot Through the Ages, the Foremost Immortal Mountain Under Heaven."

Ascension Cliff, revered by ancient people as Wudang's foremost immortal realm, is located west of Nanyan Palace. Ascension Cliff is a single peak that juts out, with sheer cliffs on three sides. A narrow path on the ridge leads directly to the summit. From the peak, one can gaze upon the magnificent sight of the seventy-two peaks of Wudang paying homage to the main peak.

Legend has it that Great Emperor Xuanwu cultivated here in his youth. He faced the wall for decades, his heart as still as an ancient well, his posture as firm as a coiled pine. Birds even nested on his head, yet he remained motionless. One day, as Xuanwu was close to achieving the Great Dao, Primordial Sovereign of Purple Qi descended to test him. The Sovereign transformed into a beautiful woman to adorn Xuanwu. Xuanwu, avoiding the temptation of beauty, fled to a rock on the precipice... The maiden, ashamed and desperate, leaped into the ten-thousand-zhang abyss. Xuanwu, upon seeing this, also plunged into the depths to save her. At that moment, five dragons soared from the canyon, supporting Xuanwu as he ascended to heaven. Later generations, based on the legend of Great Emperor Xuanwu cultivating and ascending here, built the "Dressing Table" and named the massive rock protruding from the cliff face the "Heart-Testing Stone."

Upon this "Heart-Testing Stone," there lies an unknown immortal realm, the true place where Great Emperor Xuanwu is said to have cultivated. However, it is protected by the Great Array of Inverted Yin-Yang and Five Elements. Not only ordinary people cannot see it, but even highly cultivated cultivators cannot perceive the slightest anomaly without opening their Heavenly Eye!

Five semi-transparent, hundred-zhang peaks float in the sky, with various gems, crystals, and jade scattered across the slopes, radiating dazzling brilliance under the sunlight. Mighty waterfalls cascade from the mountaintops, forming crystal-clear lakes at the foot of the mountains. A gentle breeze carries the splashing water, bringing a refreshing coolness to the valley. The valley, formed by the five surrounding peaks, spans hundreds of acres. Within the valley, adult-sized ginseng and thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum are found everywhere, along with countless strange plants that even the most renowned botanists today cannot name. Small flowers of various colors continuously emit a faint, refreshing fragrance that soothes the heart. Deer wander leisurely in the valley, and tigers, which humans have always considered fierce and cruel, surprisingly stroll through the valley with benevolent expressions. Birds with rainbow-colored wings and pure white cranes fly freely in the sky above the valley. In the center of the valley stands a simple thatched hut.

Two Daoists stand in front of the hut. From a distance, their presence in the center of the valley does not seem out of place; everything appears so natural, as if they were always part of this valley. Both are dressed in blue Daoist robes, with their hair tied up in high buns. The Daoist on the left is rather slender, with a very ordinary appearance, much like a boy next door. His only notable feature is his crystal-clear skin, as white and smooth as porcelain, so much so that even women would grit their teeth in envy! The Daoist on the right is taller and more imposing, with the build of a tortoise and the bones of a crane, large ears, round eyes, and a beard like a halberd. He is none other than Zhang Sanfeng, the founding patriarch of the Wudang Sect.

Zhang Sanfeng, also known as Zhang the Untidy, is the founding patriarch of the Wudang Sect and a martial arts grandmaster. Later, he transitioned from martial arts to Daoism, hence he is also known as Immortal Zhang. In his early years, Zhang Sanfeng roamed the world, his whereabouts unpredictable, dedicated to righting wrongs. He later visited Wudang Mountain, discovering its exceptional spiritual energy. He then led his disciples to clear the wilderness and establish a thatched hut for cultivation. He soon left Wudang Mountain, and the world never saw him again. In his later years, Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, suffering from illness, sought Zhang Sanfeng to concoct immortal elixirs. In the 24th year of Hongwu (1391), he dispatched people to search for him everywhere without success. During this time, he also sent Zhang Yuchu and others to search, all without results. In the 5th year of Yongle (1407), shortly after Emperor Chengzu of Ming, Zhu Di, ascended the throne, he dispatched Imperial Censor Hu Ying with a party and an imperial edict to search for ten years, but still could not find him. It is rumored that Zhang Sanfeng may have already attained enlightenment and ascended. Later, under the management of Zhang Sanfeng's four major disciples—Lu Qiuyun, Zhou Zhende, Liu Guquan, and Yang Shanden, also known as the Four Immortals of Taihe—his self-created Wudang Internal Family Boxing, Wudang Swordplay, Wudang Qigong, and Five Elements Daoist Magic were all carried forward and developed. Wudang subsequently rose to prominence, surpassing other sects and standing shoulder to shoulder with Shaolin, leading to the common saying: "Shaolin revered in the north, Wudang honored in the south."

"Pan'er, I have cultivated here for nearly six hundred years and have finally seen through the Heavenly Dao!" Zhang Sanfeng said with emotion, gazing into the distance. "Now you have also broken through to the Nascent Soul Stage, becoming the first genius in the history of the cultivation world to reach the Nascent Soul Stage before the age of one hundred. Time no longer threatens your life. As long as you cultivate diligently, one day you will be able to see through the Heavenly Dao like me and Shatter the Void!"

"Master, your disciple still needs your constant guidance by his side. Please don't leave, okay!" the Daoist named Pan'er said, his eyes red with reluctance as he looked at the master who had guided and raised him for a century, day in and day out.

"Foolish child! Master must eventually leave, and your path is ultimately one you must walk yourself! The road is long, and I will seek up and down! It's a pity your senior brothers are no longer here!" Seeing his hundred-year-old disciple's reluctance, Zhang Sanfeng couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He reached out and gently patted his disciple's shoulder, his thoughts drifting back to West Lake in 1900. When his most promising and beloved disciple, Yang Shanden, could not comprehend the Dao and break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, he finally departed from him. After cultivating for hundreds of years, Zhang Sanfeng could no longer maintain his composure, which had been as still as an ancient well. He left the cave dwelling on Ascension Cliff, where he had cultivated for five hundred years, and wandered the four seas. Unexpectedly, he found an abandoned infant by the West Lake, and it was this infant who helped him regain his peace of mind and overcome his sorrow. Since he didn't know the child's surname and found him by the lake, he let the child take his surname and named him Hupan, with the Daoist name Yunming. From then on, Zhang Hupan became Zhang Sanfeng's last disciple. Zhang Sanfeng taught him medicine, martial arts, and the Heavenly Dao, hoping that when he Shattered the Void and departed, Zhang Hupan would inherit his legacy. Zhang Hupan did not disappoint his expectations, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage, a realm almost impossible for cultivators to reach, on his hundredth birthday. Zhang Sanfeng's four major disciples—Lu Qiuyun, Zhou Zhende, Liu Guquan, and Yang Shanden, also known as the Four Immortals of Taihe—were unable to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage throughout their lives and could not defy fate, all departing from Zhang Sanfeng before him.

The realms of cultivation are divided into four major stages: 'Qi,' 'Dan,' 'Yuan,' and 'Shen.' These are further subdivided into twelve minor realms: 'Qi Introduction,' 'Qi Condensation,' 'Qi Transformation,' 'Dan Brewing,' 'Dan Condensation,' 'Dan Shattering,' 'Nascent Soul,' 'Infant Accomplishment,' 'Infant Breaking,' 'Spirit Severing,' 'Spirit Nurturing,' and 'Void Breaking.' Each minor realm is further divided into early, middle, and late stages. Once a cultivator reaches 'Qi Introduction,' it signifies their transition from the acquired to the Innate Realm. Their lifespan will also be greatly extended, allowing them to live to around 200 years. The 'Dan Brewing,' 'Dan Condensation,' and 'Dan Shattering' stages signify entry into the Golden Core Path, marking them as highly skilled cultivators with lifespans extending to 500-600 years. The 'Nascent Soul' realm is a major threshold in cultivation. Crossing this threshold means one has attained the Half-Immortal Physique. As long as the Primordial Spirit remains intact, even if the body is destroyed, one can find a new body to be reborn. Their lifespan will then be virtually unlimited, potentially reaching thousands of years. However, only those with extraordinary talent and immense luck can reach the Nascent Soul realm. Even cultivators as gifted as Zhang Sanfeng's four major disciples, Lu Qiuyun, Zhou Zhende, Liu Guquan, and Yang Shanden, could only reach the Golden Core Path in their lifetime and could not step onto the true path of immortal cultivation.

Zhang Hupan not only possessed extraordinary talent but also immense luck. As an infant, he received the meticulous guidance of the grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng. He cultivated in a spiritual mountain rich in Qi from a young age and consumed countless immortal pills and elixirs! It is truly a miracle in the cultivation world that he reached the Nascent Soul Stage at the age of one hundred.

A clear bird chirp pulled Zhang Sanfeng's thoughts back to reality. Looking at Zhang Hupan's reluctant expression, Zhang Sanfeng felt immense reluctance and worry for his young disciple whom he had watched grow up. "Alas!" Zhang Sanfeng sighed softly, unable to bear seeing his disciple so heartbroken. He said, "Pan'er, as long as you also cultivate to the point of Shattering the Void, our master and disciple will meet again!"

Zhang Hupan knew that Zhang Sanfeng had already reached the Void Breaking realm fifty years ago. However, for his sake, he had stayed for another fifty years. Now that Zhang Hupan had finally entered the early Nascent Soul stage, Zhang Sanfeng felt it was time to depart. Although he was very reluctant to see his master leave, he understood that Shattering the Void and pursuing the highest Heavenly Dao had always been his master's greatest wish. Zhang Hupan knew he could not and should not stop his master. His hundred years of cultivation could no longer suppress the tears from welling up.

"Master, please take good care of yourself on your journey! Your disciple wishes you a smooth path to the heavens!" Zhang Hupan said, his voice slightly choked.

Joy and sorrow, perhaps these are the most potent weapons in the mortal world, from which even immortals cannot escape their sharp blades. Although he knew he could not hide his emotions from Zhang Hupan's Spiritual Sense, now that he had cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, Zhang Sanfeng quietly turned his head, wiped away his tears, and then, pretending nothing had happened, said, "Pan'er, although you have cultivated to the early Nascent Soul stage, you have grown up in this valley and have never experienced worldly life or tasted the joys and sorrows of the human world. This will be very detrimental to your future cultivation. Although you are now a hundred years old, your state of mind is still as pure as a child's. While such a state of mind allowed you to cultivate without distractions in the early stages, achieving twice the result with half the effort, you have now entered the Nascent Soul stage. If you have not experienced the ups and downs of the mortal world, your Dao Heart will not be able to advance further, and you will be unable to dispel the interference of Inner Demons during your cultivation. Therefore, after I Shatter the Void and depart, you should leave here and return to the mortal world to undergo trials!" (To be continued)