Three Stages of the Dao

"Not bad!"

Just as Lu Chuan was about to get up and tell Shen Gongbao the good news—that he had cultivated true qi—he heard a voice from beside him.

Somehow, Shen Gongbao had already appeared in the courtyard. One hand rested behind his back while the other lightly stroked his beard. He gave a gentle nod.

"Master, I've successfully established my foundation. The first stream of true qi has formed in my dantian." Lu Chuan rose with a grin. "I guess I've finally taken my first steps in cultivation."

"Establishing your foundation in just three days means your bones and aptitude are indeed excellent. My disciple, let me tell you something else: cultivation techniques in this world have three stages—minor mastery, intermediate mastery, and great mastery."

Shen Gongbao nodded with satisfaction and said, "Once you've cultivated the Five Elements True Origin Formula to great mastery, you should be able to refine your spirit and return to the void, reverse yourself to the innate, and achieve the Yang Spirit."

"Minor mastery, intermediate mastery, and great mastery?"

Lu Chuan thought it over, then asked, "Master, how long do you think it'll take me to reach great mastery?"

"With your aptitude..."

Shen Gongbao glanced at Lu Chuan and pondered. "If nothing unexpected happens, you can reach minor mastery in three years and intermediate mastery in six. But to reach great mastery... you'll need at least ten years of diligent practice, day and night."

"Ten years?"

Lu Chuan lowered his head and considered it. Ten years wasn't exactly long, but neither was it short.

The trouble was that the timing wasn't right.

In ordinary times, he could simply seclude himself in the mountains for ten years. But this was the age of the Investiture of the Gods Catastrophe. He couldn't just hide away and expect to be safe.

Look at the Qi Refiners and enlightened masters who would end up on the List of Conferred Gods. Weren't they all cultivating in the mountains? Yet, in the end, disaster still fell upon them while they sat at home.

Besides, he had another identity now: he was Shen Gongbao's disciple.

The Three Teachings had joined together to discuss the List of Conferred Gods. This calamity would ensnare the cultivators of all three—human, Chan, and Jie—so no matter which of the Three Teachings he became a disciple of, he would be caught up in it.

Gods, humans, and demons would all be swept into this calamity. It was destined to leave the mortal world awash in blood. Immortals, mortals, and demons alike would all bleed before it was over.

If he didn't take a master and embark on the path of cultivation, he would be a mortal, caught in the calamity of mortals. Whatever he did, this calamity was unavoidable.

It was the ninth year of King Zhou's reign.

No, to be precise, the ninth year of Di Xin's reign was more accurate.

In history, "Zhou" was the posthumous title King Wu of Zhou gave Di Xin after his death. It was an insulting one.

But this wasn't history. This was a world where gods and demons walked among men.

Di Xin was still alive and well, but the infamous name "Zhou" had already arisen because of his cruelty and lack of benevolence. No one dared call him that to his face.

It was the ninth year of King Zhou's reign.

Word had it that last year, King Zhou had imprisoned West Earl Ji Chang in a place called Youli. Lu Chuan remembered that Ji Chang would remain imprisoned for seven years.

When those seven years were up, he would be free to return to his fiefdom in Xiqi, like a tiger returning to the forest and a dragon returning to the sea.

After returning to Xiqi, Ji Chang would seek out Jiang Ziya and make him his chancellor. He would reorganize his troops, govern with vigor, and prepare for Xiqi's campaign against King Zhou.

"So, in six years, the whole realm will fall into chaos?"

Lu Chuan's eyes flickered. At last, a gleam of resolve flashed through them. "That'll be enough. Even if I can't reach great mastery in the Dao, intermediate mastery should be enough to protect myself."

In truth, the realm was already in turmoil; it simply hadn't descended into total chaos yet.

King Zhou had killed Queen Jiang and her father, Jiang Huanchu, the East Earl. So her younger brother, Jiang Wenhuan, had inherited the title of East Earl and led two hundred eastern lords in rebellion. They were now attacking Youhun Pass day and night.

King Zhou had also killed the South Earl. After inheriting his father's title, E Shun had led two hundred southern lords in rebellion to avenge him. They were now attacking Sanshan Pass day and night.

But Sanshan Pass was defended by Deng Jiugong, a famed general of Yin Shang. Kong Xuan, Hong Jin, and others would take command there later. With defenders like that, how could E Shun possibly take the pass?

Back to Lu Chuan.

Once he reached intermediate mastery in the Dao, he could learn some techniques and find a few treasures. Then he should have little trouble surviving the Investiture of the Gods Catastrophe.

"Disciple, what are you thinking about?" Seeing Lu Chuan lost in thought and not answering, Shen Gongbao asked.

Lu Chuan came back to himself and smiled. "Oh, Master, I was thinking that now I've taken my first steps and cultivated true qi, what techniques will you teach me next? That way, I can help you assist a wise ruler and claim the realm in the future."

"Techniques? Hahaha, you little rascal, you're quite greedy!"

Shen Gongbao laughed and raised a hand to point at Lu Chuan. "You're like a newborn baby. You haven't even learned to walk, and you already want to run?"

"Master, that's not fair. Techniques are so mysterious and wondrous. Once you learn them, you can fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth, summon wind and rain, and be like an immortal. Who wouldn't want to learn them?" Lu Chuan pouted.

In this world, techniques and magic treasures shone so brightly that cultivation and spiritual power seemed far less impressive.

Even Guangchengzi and Chi Jingzi, two of the Twelve Golden Immortals, were like tigers without claws and fangs once they lost their magic treasures. And that went without saying for everyone else.

When the two of them were summoned down from the mountain to subdue their disciples, who had gone down to help King Zhou, they were actually unable to defeat the students they had taught because they lacked their magic treasures. In the end, their disciples beat them so badly that they had no choice but to flee in disgrace.

If Lu Chuan had to describe these two uncles, the first word that came to mind was honest.

They had taught their disciples with all their hearts and held nothing back. They had even handed over their most treasured possessions without blinking. There were no more honest men under heaven.

If you wanted to become a disciple and learn the arts, masters like them were absolutely the best choice.

When Lu Chuan had first thought of leaving home to seek a master, these two had been his top choices. But now...

He could only say that he and they were not fated to meet.

Later events proved that, really, it was best not to be too honest.

Then there was his other uncle, Juliusun.

His circumstances had been much the same: his disciple had gone down the mountain to help King Zhou. But the outcome when he intervened was very different.

This uncle knew to hold something back when teaching his disciple.

Later, the little dwarf Tu Xingsun stole the Immortal Binding Rope and went down the mountain to help King Zhou. His superb Earth Travel Technique gave Jiang Ziya, Nezha, Yang Jian, and the others no end of trouble.

But when Juliusun descended the mountain, he casually used the technique Point Ground to Steel and easily broke Tu Xingsun's Earth Travel Technique, bringing his disciple to heel.

Still, masters who held back from their disciples weren't the sort Lu Chuan would recommend seeking out.

"You've only just succeeded in establishing your foundation. Don't reach for what's beyond you."

Shen Gongbao said, "For now, use this stream of true qi to circulate through the Small Heavenly Circuit for two months and build a solid foundation. After that, I'll teach you some martial arts.

"Besides, even if I taught you techniques, do you think you could use them without any foundation in cultivation?"

"Your disciple knows he was wrong."

Lu Chuan hurriedly admitted his mistake. In truth, he hadn't really wanted to learn techniques. He had only said it offhand to humor Shen Gongbao when his master asked what he was thinking.

He knew that learning techniques was like learning to read.

The two things he'd compared were worlds apart, of course, but the principle was the same.

If you didn't first learn some characters and build up a foundation in reading, then even if someone gave you a wondrous manual for becoming an immortal, you wouldn't be able to read it. Right?

"Good!"

Shen Gongbao nodded and smiled. "Now, focus on your studies and work hard. When your master takes charge of the List of Conferred Gods in the future, if you wish to follow the Divine Path, I'll make sure you get an excellent divine position."

"Master..."

Lu Chuan's face darkened. "Are you cursing me?"

"What do you mean, cursing you? You ungrateful brat. A position among the righteous gods is nothing like being a demon in some ruined temple. Once you're made a righteous god, the incense offerings of the whole realm will never cease."

Shen Gongbao's face fell. "Being placed on the List of Conferred Gods is no good thing for an enlightened immortal, but for a mortal, it's a heaven-sent opportunity. And you still won't appreciate it..."

"Then... thank you, Master."

Lu Chuan's expression shifted several times before he bowed. "If I truly have no fate with the Immortal Path in this life... then I'll have to trouble you, Master."

If he really couldn't become an immortal, and didn't want to be reincarnated, then becoming a god was his only option.

Shen Gongbao truly meant well. Lu Chuan understood that.

But as long as there was even the slightest hope, he would never give up the path to immortality for the Divine Path.

Besides...

Watching Shen Gongbao's figure, Lu Chuan sighed inwardly.

Take charge of the List of Conferred Gods?

But, Master, how could you know that you, too, were already a name on that list?