In midair, Gu Bai coughed without pause, as though he were about to cough every drop of blood and qi from his body. As his coughing grew more violent, the Cloud Carpet beneath his feet trembled and came apart, on the verge of giving way.
Fortunately, before the Cloud Carpet completely fell apart, Gu Bai summoned the last of his strength and slowly brought it down to the ground, averting a horrific crash.
After landing, Gu Bai regulated his breathing for a long while before his coughing finally stopped. Feeling Wu Ming gently patting his back, he couldn't bring himself to utter a single complaint or take his anger out on him.
He could only laugh at himself. "Ha ha, I'm truly old and useless now. We won't make it back to Yan Mountain today. Let's spend the night here."
Wu Ming nodded. "All right. I'll go pick some oranges and set up camp. Master, just wait here and don't go wandering... I've watched Yao Ye Lu Ying, so I know all about surviving in the wild."
"...What camping?" Gu Bai was taken aback, then smiled. "Hehe, even a cripple isn't so helpless that he'd make a child like you run around doing everything while we camp outdoors. You're today's star, so sit down and get some rest."
As he spoke, Gu Bai tugged at the front of his Daoist robe. The patched gray robe suddenly unfurled, and a Dharma Array ten meters across appeared on the ground, shielding them from wind and rain and muffling all sound from within and without. It also warmed the ground beneath them... as if an invisible palace had appeared.
Afterward, Gu Bai sat cross-legged in the center of the Dharma Array and regulated his breathing for a while. Feeling a little better, he saw that nightfall was still some time away, and that Wu Ming had only just woken up and looked full of energy. The thought of teaching him came to mind.
"Wu Ming, come sit down."
When Wu Ming copied his posture and sat cross-legged, Gu Bai reached into the worn inner layer of his robe and pulled out a little red stick half the length of a finger. Pinching it between his index and middle fingers, he brought it to his lips and took a gentle puff. The red stick turned into a cloud of crimson smoke and was drawn into his mouth, greatly improving the old man's complexion.
A moment later, two pale red streams of smoke flowed from his nostrils, spiraled in midair, and were sucked back into his mouth. They then turned into pink streams of smoke and poured out again.
After doing this three times, until the smoke had nearly lost all color, Gu Bai let out a sage-like sigh, as though he had finally found rain after a long drought. Then he flicked his sleeve, driving all the smoke beyond the Dharma Array without letting any of it reach the boy before him.
Afterward, Gu Bai smiled, though he seemed a little guilty as he cautioned him, "Heh, don't mention this to your senior sister. She has always been against me taking Five Minerals Powder... but it's the only hobby I have."
Once Wu Ming nodded in agreement, Gu Bai patted his head and said, "You've now joined the Gujian Sect, officially registered with Dinghuang Prefecture, and received the Human Dao Seal. You can formally begin your Immortal Path. But cultivating immortality won't be easy for you. Do you know why?"
Wu Ming replied, "My Spirit Root aptitude?"
Gu Bai nodded with a sigh. "That's right. Your Spirit Root aptitude is insufficient. The Three Trials of Spirit Signs your eldest senior sister used is actually a very simple and direct way to test Spirit Roots. If you have the aptitude, you'll be able to see them."
As he spoke, Gu Bai flipped his hand over, and ten paper slips appeared in his grasp.
This time, Wu Ming focused and examined them carefully. He could just barely make out a faint, dim glow on one of the slips, distinguishing it from the others.
Before Dinghuang Prefecture, he had used one of the Purple Stars from his beginner's ten-pull to improve his Wood Spirit Root aptitude by one point, giving him a little Spirit Vision.
But it really was only a little. To him, the difference between Spirit Signs and ordinary paper slips was probably like the difference between DLSS quality mode and native resolution... His aptitude was barely better than nothing. Clearly, a single Purple Star wasn't enough to let him defy fate and remake his life.
Gu Bai was a little surprised by the result. "So you can see a little. In that case, you should just about count as Ninth Grade aptitude."
Wu Ming blinked and waited for him to continue.
Gu Bai explained, "The Sanqing Immortal Sect divides the world's Spirit Roots into nine grades. The Upper Three Grades are one in ten thousand, born Dao Seeds with boundless prospects. The Lower Three Grades fall between immortals and mortals. Cultivators usually stop at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and it is extremely difficult for them to form a Core and become True Persons. As for Ninth Grade, it's even hard to reach Foundation Establishment. Most spend their entire lives trudging along at the Qi Refining Stage."
Wu Ming blinked again and waited for him to continue.
"But times have changed. You were born at a good time. Spirit Root aptitude is no longer unchangeable. There are two common methods in the world today for improving a person's Spirit Root aptitude and smoothing out many of the rough patches on the Immortal Path."
"The first is the Human Emperor Scroll. The Heavenly Book derived by the Celestial Masters Sanqing may be a theoretical doctrine, but it truly has the power to steal from Heaven. Each level of the Human Dao Seal brings one closer to the origin of the Immortal Path established by the Three Purities. Once you've accumulated enough Human Dao Seals, you can cultivate the Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method and even the wondrous arts of the Immortal Mansions, making cultivation twice as effective for half the effort. To a certain extent, accumulating Human Dao Seals can make up for a lack of innate aptitude."
Wu Ming immediately understood: In simple terms, if your hardware is lacking, optimization can make up the difference.
At the same time, he instinctively sensed that this approach carried serious risks. The Human Dao Seals and the secrets of the Immortal Mansions were clearly resources monopolized by the Sanqing Immortal Sect. If he followed this path of cultivation, he would be destined to become a wage slave working for the Sanqing.
And given the Sanqing Immortal Sect's discrimination against the Desolate People's bloodlines, working for them would probably make him an otherworldly Dalit... So even though he was obviously very talented at cultivating through the Human Emperor Scroll, he shouldn't rely too heavily on that path.
Gu Bai continued, "The second method is the secrets left behind by the Immortal Mansions. Ever since Grandmaster Taiqing opened the Immortal Mansions and inherited the Daoist legacy of the Sages, Immortal Mansions have gradually appeared all over the Nine Provinces over the past two thousand years. Countless people have used them to defy fate and remake their lives. Naturally, there are precedents for them making up for deficient Spirit Root aptitude."
Wu Ming listened attentively and nodded.
Gu Bai continued, "But the Immortal Mansions don't simply throw open their gates and let people take whatever treasures they want. Each one can be considered a test left behind by an ancient immortal for future generations, and every test has many rules. Among them, one's cultivation realm is usually the most basic requirement. For example, there's an Immortal Mansion called Moli in your hometown, Feng Prefecture. They say it holds an innate treasure, but only cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage are allowed inside..."
Wu Ming grew curious. "Is there no way around that?"
"Heh, countless people have thought about that question and tried to find a way around it over the past two thousand years. But an Immortal Mansion's rules are iron laws left behind by immortals. Even with all the wisdom of modern people and the combined power of the Sanqing, they're nearly impossible to change. So..."
Wu Ming naturally picked up where he left off. "So all the famous sects and great clans raise their own little accounts, then send them into the mansions to seize the treasures."
Gu Bai nodded. "That's right. The Dharma Sword you won before Dinghuang Prefecture is a top-tier divine weapon for the Qi Refining Stage, forged specifically to explore Immortal Mansions."
As he spoke, the old man raised his left hand and made a grasping motion. A gleaming silver half-length sword appeared in his palm: the Ranxiang Workshop Dharma Sword Wu Ming had won fair and square!
Then the old man swung the sword to the side, unleashing a sharp streak of golden Sword Qi that cleaved a boulder half a person's height in two.
After that, he held the Dharma Sword before his chest, silently recited an incantation, and circulated the True Essence within his body. The colors of the Five Elements gradually appeared along the blade. The next moment, winds, clear water, lightning, flames, and flying flowers... a hundred wondrous sights sprang to life around him, dazzling and vivid.
"This sword is called Taiyi. It's forged from Immortal Mansion Mystic Gold and engraved with superior Sword Patterns. It can not only cut through gold and jade, but also carries sharp Sword Qi of its own. You don't even need to launch it through the air to strike someone from dozens of meters away. It also has Five Elements Spirit Jade set into its hilt, allowing the sword to channel all five elements. Even spells that clash with the wielder's own element can be used with ease for a time."
"Finally, the swordsmith used Sun Fire Essence and Ten Thousand Year Mystic Ice Marrow as materials, then alternately refined the Immortal Mansion's Daoist texts into the sword with yin-yang secret arts, granting it the ability to 'communicate with spirits through objects.' Whoever holds this Dharma Sword can naturally sense the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. Meditating, breathing in and out, nourishing the spirit, and nurturing the Dao all become second nature, greatly benefiting daily cultivation as well."
"Though this sword's various techniques and abilities are limited to the Qi Refining Stage, its actual performance surpasses many flying swords at the Foundation Establishment Realm. The cost of making it is comparable to that of a Golden Core treasure... Ranxiang Workshop went to such lengths, spending dozens or even hundreds of times the usual cost to condense countless abilities into a single Dharma Sword for the Qi Refining Stage, precisely to ensure that it would be unmatched at that level. Such craftsmanship is worth far more than the mere cost of materials. That's why this Dharma Sword is priceless and impossible to find in Qiongzhou. Being able to win such a treasure truly shows how special your Immortal Fate is."
When Gu Bai finished, he held out the Dharma Sword to Wu Ming.
Wu Ming eagerly took the sword. It felt light in his hand, almost like a feather... The next moment, a cool sensation quickly flowed through his body from both palms, as if it were soaking into every meridian and every acupoint.
Even the scenery before him seemed to have gained path tracing, making everything look different from before... Gu Bai still held those paper slips in his right hand, but the Spirit Sign among them now glowed a little more brightly.
Clearly, this Dharma Sword not only enhanced the five senses, but also slightly improved a person's Spirit Root aptitude! For those born Dao Seeds, that degree of enhancement might not matter much, but for Wu Ming, it was already a small qualitative change!
"Just as I thought, Signature Weapons are the way to go..." Wu Ming couldn't help exclaiming. "With a Signature Weapon, conquering an Immortal Mansion is just around the corner!"
Gu Bai couldn't help giving a rueful smile at this. He reached out and flicked Wu Ming on the forehead.
"That was exactly what I was afraid you'd think! You're naturally confident and optimistic. You dared to look down on all those young elites from powerful clans before Dinghuang Prefecture while empty-handed. Now that you've got a sword like this, you'll be even more arrogant... So listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you."
Wu Ming nodded seriously, ready to listen.
"Exploring Immortal Mansions is a perilous path. The Immortal Path is ruthless. Ever since the first Immortal Mansion appeared two thousand years ago, countless cultivators have died inside them. Even Grandmaster Taiqing, who ushered in the era of the Sanqing, died in an Immortal Mansion. Immortal Mansions for the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages are even more brutal. Besides the trials left by the immortals within, you also have to contend with other cultivators."
"Cultivators at these two stages are the most numerous, and the gap in their strength is the greatest. Rogue Cultivators with nothing to their names and Dao Seeds from powerful clans and great sects in Qingzhou are worlds apart in their wealth and resources at the starting line. Winning this Taiyi Dharma Sword means you already surpass nine out of ten of your peers across the world. But in the face of those Immortal Fates that can defy fate and remake a life, when you face competitors from extraordinary backgrounds, this Dharma Sword of yours won't just be an advantage—it could become a fatal vulnerability!"
After a pause, Gu Bai fixed Wu Ming with a serious gaze and admonished him, "Wu Ming, I actually didn't want to tell you about Spirit Root aptitude this soon. I'm telling you now both to encourage and support you, and to warn you. You have a superior Immortal Fate. Even without relying on Immortal Mansions, your lack of aptitude won't be hard to overcome. But the Immortal Path is treacherous. Never let your guard down... Don't squander your good Immortal Fate!"
Looking at the old man's dim, cloudy eyes, Wu Ming could read only a sincerity as heavy as a mountain in them. His heart couldn't help but turn solemn.
"Master, did you suffer for your own lack of caution on the Immortal Path?" Wu Ming asked quietly. "Who was your enemy? I'll remember the name and avenge you someday!"
Gu Bai was silent for a long while. Then he pulled out another little red stick, put it between his lips, and sighed helplessly. "No matter what I say, will you always find a way to act all confident and cool?"
Thanks to Cai Bushi Qiyue and Zhong'erzhong for the donations!
One update a day is a little shameful. I'll pick up the pace starting in July. This book will update faster than my previous ones, so please rest assured.
Before you continue