First Glimpse of the Threshold

"Pot-Heaven, Lake-Heaven."

Pang Jian, maintaining a state of tranquility and relaxation, suddenly felt a mutual resonance one day and realized something with absolute clarity.

The human heart is like a calm, crystalline lake.

The water is incredibly deep, yet because it is clear enough, one should be able to see the objects at the bottom.

However, whenever distracting thoughts arise—wild, unbridled notions—the clear and calm surface of the lake is like a place where stones are constantly being thrown, causing ripples to spread endlessly.

Once these ripples form and merge, the surface of the lake is churned up, making it impossible to see anything at the bottom.

Only by eliminating the many distractions in one's mind and remaining focused on one's inner self can the heart-lake remain free of ripples, allowing one to gaze clearly upon oneself.

After realizing this, Pang Jian focused on his cultivation for a long time, feeling increasingly calm as his mind gradually grew clear.

In this state, Pang Jian could feel his abdominal cavity gently undulating with his deep, long breaths, as if he were giving his internal organs a gentle massage, causing them to become active and filled with strength.

He understood instantly that this ability to perceive the mysteries within himself was what was known as awakening.

With this, he had caught a first glimpse of the path laid out in the "Pot-Heaven Qi Cultivation Art."

This single step alone brought Pang Jian immense benefits; every time he awoke from his meditation, he felt refreshed and clear-headed.

His hearing and vision had also improved slightly, and his inner anxiety and restlessness had been greatly alleviated.

"Eh?"

One day, while Pang Jian was concentrating on sensing the existence of Qi, he noticed a warmth on his chest.

With a twitch of his brow, he pulled back his shirt to gaze at the bronze pendant resting against his skin.

The pendant was primitive and rustic, its back, which pressed against his skin, as smooth as warm jade.

The front was shaped like a bronze door, filled with unknown patterns and featuring two ring handles, as if the door could be opened by pulling them.

This was the only object his father had left him, having torn it from his own neck before departing that day.

Pang Jian had worn the bronze pendant for years without any anomalies, but recently, as he practiced the "Pot-Heaven Qi Cultivation Art" and sensed the movement of "Qi," the bronze plaque would always grow excessively warm.

Holding the plaque on his chest, Pang Jian rubbed his fingertips over the front, feeling the rough textures, and gave the ring handles a gentle tug.

The door-shaped pendant did not open, nor did his actions trigger anything strange.

However, the abnormal warmth of the object faded quickly as his clear state of mind was broken.

Pang Jian thought nothing of it; after rising to wash and eat, he began his next round of concentrating to perceive "Qi."

During this process, the plaque on his chest grew warm again, but Pang Jian no longer paid it any mind.

One day.

Pang Jian, who was focused on his cultivation and introspecting, was disturbed by noises from the outside world.

Stepping out of his stone house, he saw several fragments of withered bone suddenly appear in the dim sky above, plummeting like meteors toward the north of the Fourth Realm.

They vanished into the depths of the Cenji Mountains, causing the earth for ten thousand miles to tremble and roar, making the stone house behind Pang Jian shake violently.

Even from such a distance, Pang Jian could hear the fearful yet frenzied roars of the beasts in the mountains.

Pang Jian naturally associated this with the image of a gleaming white divine bone piercing the divine bird, the Azure Vulture, vaguely sensing that the withered bones falling from the sky might share the same origin as that divine bone.

The difference was that the divine bone that assassinated the Azure Vulture was as bright as jade and shimmering with divine light.

The withered bones falling toward the Cenji Mountains were gray, lusterless, and appeared to have exhausted their mysterious power, looking dim and devoid of vitality.

Startled by the anomaly in the sky, Pang Jian temporarily suspended his practice of the "Pot-Heaven Qi Cultivation Art" to closely monitor the changes above.

Half a day later.

Pang Jian saw a golden chariot bathed in divine light emerge from the depths of the thick clouds, diving all the way into the heart of the Cenji Mountains.

When the chariot landed, a roar erupted from the mountains, and a dazzling golden pillar of light shot into the sky, taking a long time to slowly recede.

A day later.

A massive sailing ship descended from the sky, its black silk banners fluttering; in the center of the flags, a blood-red crescent moon floated, releasing a captivating, eerie radiance.

Not long after, a glowing, translucent five-story white pagoda slowly rotated as it descended from the upper realm.

The chariot, the sailing ship, and the white pagoda were clearly not of the mortal world, leaving Pang Jian filled with yearning.

Pang Jian gradually realized that something must have happened deep within the Cenji Mountains.

The high and mighty figures from the upper realm were either searching for the withered bones or had come because of the anomalies of the "Ghost Mist."

Having hunted in the Cenji Mountains for years, Pang Jian knew most areas of the mountains like the back of his hand; he was well aware of where the dangers lay in the depths of those mountains and lakes, and which places his father had designated as forbidden zones.

Though his heart was filled with infinite curiosity, knowing that a massive change had occurred in the Cenji Mountains, he decided to be cautious and suspend his hunting in the mountains to focus on the rare spiritual art in his hands.

After watching for a while longer and seeing no more artifacts from the upper realm falling, he returned to his house to continue his cultivation.

The "Qi" recorded in the "Pot-Heaven Qi Cultivation Art" was not the air he breathed; it was not meant to be inhaled into the abdominal cavity, but rather needed to be sunk into the Dantian spiritual sea.

This "Qi" was known as "Spiritual Qi," possessing magical power and serving as the fundamental basis for the strength of a Qi Refiner.

Suppressing his inner curiosity and the desire to explore, Pang Jian would often hear roars, human shouts, and the wails of beasts echoing from the depths of the Cenji Mountains as he focused on sensing the existence of "Spiritual Qi."

He was certain that fierce battles must have erupted deep within the Cenji Mountains, and thus he restrained his urge to explore all the more.

"This is the place."

Pang Jian, who had been diligently cultivating that day, was startled by the voices outside his courtyard and hurried out to investigate.

Beyond the picket fence, a group of seven people riding tall, armored warhorses had arrived at his doorstep, though he had no idea when.

Perhaps it was because he had been too focused on his cultivation, intently examining the subtle energies within his own abdomen, that Pang Jian had failed to hear the sound of hooves.

"Crack!"

The visitors rode forward without a hint of courtesy; the heavy hooves shattered the fence and charged directly into the courtyard.

"The people of Linshan Town say you have hunted in the Cenji Mountains for years and are the most familiar with the terrain. Is that so?"

A gloomy old man with a goat-like beard rode his armored steed up to Pang Jian. He had no intention of dismounting, looking down at Pang Jian from his high vantage point with an air that brooked no refusal. "We intend to make a trip to the Cenji Mountains and need someone familiar with the landscape to lead the way. You're the one, kid."

"I'm not going." Knowing that the mountains had been restless lately, Pang Jian steeled himself to refuse.

"That's not for you to decide."

The old man bared his teeth in a sinister grin, unhooking a thick, coarse black rope from his saddle, making it clear he intended to abduct Pang Jian by force.

"Let me speak to him!"

Behind the old man, a young woman gave a sharp command and rode forward on a magnificent white horse.

Arriving beside the old man, she also made no move to dismount. She simply tossed a cloth bag toward Pang Jian, her tone as cold and indifferent as if she were dispensing charity. "We aren't unreasonable; there is a reward for you."

On the white horse, the young woman wore neat, practical attire. Her features were quite beautiful, and her lithe, graceful figure radiated a sense of heroic spirit.

Compared to this girl, the young women of Linshan Town were like grains of rice trying to rival the brilliance of the moon.

Pang Jian, who had spent his entire life only in the vicinity of the Cenji Mountains and rarely even ventured into Linshan Town, found his gaze fixed on the girl, momentarily lost in a daze.

"Look at me again, and I'll dig your eyeballs out."

Before Pang Jian could take more than a few glances, a lean youth in white robes, mounted on a black horse at the rear, barked the threat with cold, piercing eyes.

Pang Jian said nothing, silently withdrawing his gaze before picking up the cloth bag from the ground.

Upon opening it, he found it filled with large silver ingots, enough to trade for years of grain, flour, and oil to satisfy his daily needs.

Clutching the bag, Pang Jian had a change of heart. Since the mountains had been quiet for a long time, perhaps the previous riots and disputes had already subsided.

Wanting to know what had actually happened inside, he replied, "Fine."

"Heh, so he's just a greedy kid." The gloomy old man chuckled, pointing toward the Cenji Mountains. "You lead the way."

Pang Jian looked at the snow-white horse the girl was riding and said, "Walking is too slow. I want a horse."

"A horse?"

The white-robed youth on the black horse, whose eyes had been filled with coldness toward Pang Jian, flew into a rage at these words. "You do exactly what you're told. If you dare to open your mouth again, I'll cut out your tongue."

Between the threats of digging out eyes and cutting out tongues, Pang Jian couldn't help but look at the glaring youth, then at the heroic and beautiful girl, guessing that the youth must be infatuated with her.

"Can you ride?" the girl asked coldly.

"I'm a mountain hunter. What do you think?" Pang Jian retorted.

The girl was startled, not expecting Pang Jian to dare talk back to her. A strange light flickered in her bright eyes, and after a slight nod, she ordered, "Liu Qi, you and Zhang Heng share a horse. Let him ride yours."

"Oh."

The man dismounted reluctantly, led his horse to Pang Jian, patted the head of his chestnut steed, and whispered something before saying, "He's got a fiery temper. If you get hurt, don't come blaming me."

With that, he turned his head with a smirk and glanced at the white-robed youth.

The youth looked on with approval.

Pang Jian remained silent, returning to his house to prepare his bow, arrows, and long blade, and strapping on his bamboo basket. Only then did he take the reins, step into the stirrups, and mount the horse, immediately whipping it toward the Cenji Mountains.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

The chestnut warhorse suddenly bolted, bucking wildly as if it were a ferocious beast that had never been tamed.

Pang Jian's upper body swayed violently with the horse, but his lower body remained glued to the saddle as if it had taken root. No matter how the horse thrashed, he simply wouldn't be thrown off.

The warhorse galloped violently toward the Cenji Mountains, exhausting every trick to shake Pang Jian off, but it ultimately failed.

A moment later, the exhausted horse seemed to resign itself to fate, gradually calming down.

"This kid has some skills," the old man muttered, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"I hope this trip goes smoothly."

The heroic young woman sighed softly, her face full of worry. She didn't let her gaze linger on Pang Jian or the temperamental horse, but kept it fixed on the depths of the Cenji Mountains. "The Blood Moon from the Upper Realm, the Yin Spirit Temple, and the people from the Blazing Sun Sect—they all ventured deep inside, and their fates remain unknown. Not a single one has come out."

The girl paused for a moment before continuing, "The far northern region of the Cenji Mountains is shrouded in Ghost Mist; it has likely become a forbidden zone, and who knows what unknown horrors have spawned there."

"You shouldn't have come. You are destined for the Upper Realm; how can you risk your life in there?" the white-robed youth chided.

"From the moment we stepped onto this path of cultivation, you and I could never have a peaceful life," the girl said, slowly shaking her head. Her fair, flawless face was filled with resolve as she added calmly, "The great upheaval has subsided; it is relatively safe now."

"If I die while exploring the Cenji Mountains, it only proves that my ability and fortune were insufficient, and I wouldn't have survived long in the Upper Realm anyway."

"Let's go."

Following her command, she spurred her horse forward first, leaving the others to scramble and follow in her wake.

As for the new book, I will be updating two chapters every morning. It is a joy to see the figures of old friends appearing, whether they are silently casting votes or leaving tips and comments; I never expected that after all these years, everyone would still remember Old Ni.

Finally, a special thanks to the first Alliance Leader of this book, "Immortal Qi Tian," I offer you a respectful bow.