Three Difficulties in Cultivation (Revised)

"She was indeed a deity once, but unfortunately, she fell into the demonic path and became a monster." Shen Gongbao turned back to glance at the statue and sighed softly.

Lu Chuan was greatly startled and hurriedly asked, "Might I ask, Master, why is that? How does a deity become a monster..."

Shen Gongbao said, "Look at this temple. What do you see? Have you discovered anything?"

"This temple..." Lu Chuan looked around the dilapidated structure and said, "It looks like it has been abandoned for a long time. The roof has several holes, and there are so many cracks in the walls..."

Shen Gongbao nodded. "Correct. This temple has not received any incense offerings for many years."

"But what does the lack of incense have to do with a deity turning into a monster?" Lu Chuan was somewhat confused.

Shen Gongbao said, "I believe you, lad, must have noticed just now that she is merely a wandering soul without a physical body, right?"

"A wandering soul?" Lu Chuan was taken aback, muttering, "Does this mean I didn't encounter a demon, but ran into a ghost instead?"

He did not know much about wandering souls and the like.

However, he had indeed seen that the dragon form the female demon took appeared somewhat illusory and unreal—it was merely a draconic shadow.

"In a way... that is about right. She lacks a physical body and belongs to the class of ghost immortals."

Shen Gongbao continued, "Normally, she can only rely on the power of incense to keep her dharma body from dissipating and her soul from fading. But as we just said, this temple has been without incense for many years."

"What happens if there is no incense?" Lu Chuan asked.

Shen Gongbao sighed. "The soul scatters, returning to the heavens and the earth."

"Ah?" Lu Chuan stared blankly. "Are gods without the power of incense really that miserable?"

He remembered that in the List of Conferred Gods, all the gods who made the list seemed to lack physical bodies, existing only as a sliver of true spirit upon the List of Conferred Gods.

Could it be that they were also...

"It is somewhat miserable, but you are right. Only gods without physical bodies suffer such a fate; those with physical bodies do not."

Shen Gongbao said wistfully, "To avoid disappearing from this world, she chose to fall into evil ways and consume humans, using the blood and vitality of people to cultivate demonic energy, and using that demonic energy to keep her soul from perishing."

"So that is how it is."

Lu Chuan's gaze flickered. This was truly chilling to hear—choosing to eat people just to survive...

In truth, Lu Chuan could somewhat understand her.

After all, even an ant clings to life. If anyone were in her position, they would likely not be willing to simply let their soul scatter. Lu Chuan asked himself, and he knew he could not just sit and wait for death.

But regardless, her tragedy could not be a justification for her harming others, for the people she consumed were all innocent passersby.

Today, she was wounded by Shen Gongbao and met her end by being eaten by the Divine Tiger; it could be said she deserved her fate.

Perhaps this was what people often meant when they said: those who are pitiable must have something hateful about them.

No!

That was not a person; it was a monster, a monster formed from a wandering soul.

So, was it a ghost or a monster?

Or should it be called a ghost-monster?

He heard Shen Gongbao sigh, "The method of consuming humans is too vicious and cruel; it is the behavior of a demon. Therefore, from the moment she ate her first victim, she ceased to be a deity and became a monster."

"Oh!"

Lu Chuan nodded after hearing this, falling into a momentary silence.

Suddenly, Shen Gongbao said, "Lu Chuan, your senior brother sent you to cultivate with me. Now, I ask you: what is it that you seek in your cultivation?"

Lu Chuan was stunned and did not hear clearly. "What?"

"Or rather, why do you want to cultivate? What is your purpose?" Shen Gongbao asked again.

"What for?"

Lu Chuan lowered his head and began to think earnestly.

Yes, what was his reason for wanting to cultivate? What was his original goal when he first desired to cultivate?

Seeing Lu Chuan deep in thought, Shen Gongbao chose not to disturb him.

He simply sat cross-legged by the campfire, quietly gazing at the dancing flames consuming the firewood.

After a long while.

"Master, I wish to attain immortality."

After thinking for a long time, Lu Chuan turned his head and looked at Shen Gongbao earnestly. Once he finished speaking, he let out a long breath.

In truth, at the very beginning, he only wanted to learn some Taoist arts and skills from Jiang Ziya to cope with the upcoming Great Tribulation of the Conferred Gods, so as not to become mere cannon fodder.

But since a master was already standing before him, why not simply seek eternal life and roam the world freely?

"Immortality?" Shen Gongbao smiled slightly, not appearing surprised.

Lu Chuan nodded earnestly. "Yes, this disciple wishes to attain the Dao and become an immortal."

"Attain the Dao and become an immortal? Hahaha..." Shen Gongbao burst into loud laughter.

Lu Chuan remained calm and asked, "Might I ask, Master, why do you laugh?"

Shen Gongbao ceased his laughter and asked, "Then let me ask you: what do you think an immortal is?"

Lu Chuan pondered for a moment before replying, "To be ageless and immortal, to ride the clouds and mist, to roam the world in carefree ease..."

Having reached this point, Lu Chuan hesitated slightly.

"Speak your mind. Do not hold back or conceal anything."

Shen Gongbao said, "I am testing you to judge what I should teach you. If you miss this opportunity because of your hesitation, do not blame me for not imparting the Dao to you."

Lu Chuan continued, "To soar through the heavens and burrow into the earth, to move mountains and fill the seas, to be capable of anything..."

He recited every idiom he could think of to describe immortals, rattling them off as if he were reciting a textbook for a long while.

Shen Gongbao: "..."

"Then do you think being an immortal is good?" Once Lu Chuan finally finished, Shen Gongbao hurriedly asked.

This brat, he thought, if I hadn't stopped him, what would I have done if he kept reciting until dawn?

"Is being an immortal good?"

Lu Chuan was taken aback by the question, then replied without a second thought, "Of course it is good. If it weren't, why would everyone in the world want to become an immortal?"

Shen Gongbao asked again, "Since everyone in the world knows it is good, why are those who succeed in becoming immortals so few and far between?"

"This..." Lu Chuan was at a loss for words.

Shen Gongbao said, "Do you know the Three Difficulties of cultivating the Dao?"

Lu Chuan replied respectfully, "This disciple does not know. I ask that Master enlighten me."

"To attain the path of immortality, the first difficulty is to be born with the innate bone structure of an immortal. The second is to possess the predestined affinity and fortune in one's fate. The third is to be able to encounter a renowned master."

Shen Gongbao continued, "To seek the path of immortality, one must first face these three difficulties. To become an immortal, not one of these can be missing."

Immortal bone, predestined affinity, renowned master? Lu Chuan lowered his head, secretly pondering the meaning of these three.

Shen Gongbao acted as if he did not notice and said in a clear voice, "Bone structure is the first barrier. Those without an immortal bone cannot even set foot on the path of cultivation and are destined to fade into the masses."

"Then what of those who have the bone structure but lack the predestined affinity?" Lu Chuan asked.

Shen Gongbao replied, "Predestined affinity is fortune. Those who have the bone structure but lack the fortune will toil in cultivation only to find that, in the end, it was all just a reflection of flowers in a mirror—nothing but an empty dream."

Lu Chuan lowered his head and remained silent after hearing this.

If that were the case, then Jiang Ziya must be in such a situation.

The fact that Jiang Ziya could cultivate the Dao meant he possessed the bone structure, but Yuanshi had said his predestined affinity was too shallow to attain immortality. That was why he had been sent down from Kunlun Mountain to oversee the Investiture of the Gods in his stead.

As for a renowned master...

Lu Chuan thought of a spirit monkey that would be born in the future.

Born of heaven and earth, his bone structure went without saying, and he was naturally endowed with great fortune and affinity.

Yet, even so, did he not spend over a decade searching for a renowned master?

Lu Chuan suddenly asked, "May I ask, Master, what of this disciple's bone structure and fortune?"

"Fortune and predestined affinity are determined by the heavens; how could I possibly know such things?"

Shen Gongbao smiled and said, "As for your bone structure... do you think your senior brother would have allowed you to take me as your master if you lacked it?"

Lu Chuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had actually considered this himself, but he still lacked a bit of confidence. However, Shen Gongbao's words served as a reassurance.

"Master, does this mean... I can also cultivate?" Lu Chuan asked again.

He felt that his current mood was even more exciting and unbelievable than receiving a university acceptance letter.

Shen Gongbao smiled and nodded.

"Then Master, when can I begin to cultivate?" Lu Chuan asked again.

Shen Gongbao shook his head and laughed, "No rush, no rush. You don't even know what an immortal is yet; how can you speak of cultivating to become one?"

"Then Master, what is an immortal?" Lu Chuan asked.

"When a person dies, they can become a ghost; when one attains the Dao, they can become an immortal. Humans occupy the middle ground."

Shen Gongbao said, "The purely yin are ghosts, the purely yang are immortals, and those in whom yin and yang are balanced are humans. Only because humans occupy the middle can they become either ghosts or immortals."

"Immortal, human, ghost?"

Lu Chuan lowered his head in deep thought, looking pensive.