If Martial Arts Won't Work, I'll Cultivate Immortality

Once, he had dreamed of roaming the world, sword in hand.

Later, only the dream remained.

Lianshan Xin casually tossed the ornately decorated longsword in his hand onto the ground. After countless failures, he finally accepted reality:

Push someone hard enough and they could do anything-except math. Or martial arts.

Having lived two lives, Lianshan Xin had begun seriously training in martial arts as soon as he learned that this world had the Martial Dao—and even the immortals of legend. He was a boy, after all. What boy didn't harbor a dream of being a wandering martial hero? Girls might have one too. Defensive armor equipped.

After more than a decade of training, Lianshan Xin still hadn't broken through the first threshold of the Martial Dao, the Body Tempering Realm. He remained stuck at the stage of toughening his muscles and bones and strengthening his blood and vital energy.

As his mother, He Miaojun, put it:

"Son, you need to accept that you're a hopeless dud at martial arts. The second realm of the Martial Dao is the Meridian Opening Realm. You need to clear the meridians in your body, begin sensing and drawing the primordial energy of heaven and earth into yourself, and form internal power. Your meridians are blocked from birth, and I was injured while pregnant with you, leaving you with a congenital deficiency. Without some extraordinary stroke of fortune, you'll never cultivate internal power. You'll spend your whole life in the Body Tempering Realm. Stop wasting your energy."

His mother had told him this when he first began learning martial arts at six.

Lianshan Xin hadn't believed her at six, and he still hadn't believed her at sixteen. This year, he was eighteen. If he kept refusing to believe her, he would grow old.

So he changed his dream. "Fine. If martial arts won't work, I'll cultivate immortality."

He Miaojun burst out laughing at her son. "Well, aren't you adaptable?"

Lianshan Xin thought he was pretty great too. "What's the use of learning martial arts? Cultivating immortality has much better prospects. Who would train in martial arts if they could cultivate immortality? I've decided to take my talents to the immortal cultivation world."

He Miaojun stroked Lianshan Xin's head, her eyes full of pity. "Son, immortal cultivation became a legend a thousand years ago. The world's conditions changed drastically, and now the Martial Dao reigns supreme. Martial artists number in the countless thousands, but immortal cultivators can be counted on your fingers. You must understand: immortals are hard to find. They rarely tread the mortal dust. Seeking an opportunity for immortality is easier said than done."

"It's not that hard." Lianshan Xin's gaze was steady and his tone calm. Clearly, he had been thinking about this for more than a day. "Mother, immortals are indeed hard to find, but there's one place that definitely has them."

He Miaojun paused. "You mean the imperial court?"

"Yes. The Imperial Court definitely has immortals anchoring its destiny."

The Great Yu Dynasty had endured for a thousand years.

Familiar with the cyclical laws of history, Lianshan Xin had been deeply shocked when he learned that the Great Yu Dynasty had lasted a millennium. How had a thousand-year dynasty resolved all those conflicts that inevitably arose?

Then he learned that immortals existed. Well, that explained it.

Rumors of immortals elsewhere might be true or false, but the Imperial Court definitely had Land Immortals—and possessed methods of immortal cultivation.

In a world of mighty martial artists, the imperial court could still subdue every corner of the land and stand for a thousand years without falling. It would have been strange if it didn't have immortals presiding over it.

The Great Yu Dynasty was terrifyingly powerful, and its reserves defied heaven itself. Miraculous elixirs and divine weapons were mere legends in the martial world, but within the Imperial Court, they had always circulated.

However, the price of joining the Imperial Court was losing one's freedom, and martial artists yearned for freedom by nature. A powerful court didn't mean joining it would make you powerful. Thus, talented people with an aptitude for the Martial Dao who didn't want to be shackled mostly chose to cultivate independently, becoming part of the martial world.

Given a choice, Lianshan Xin would naturally have preferred to practice martial arts himself and become a carefree wanderer, roaming the martial world with his sword. Scorning princes and lords, standing proud before dukes and ministers.

Immortal cultivation was indeed a distant, uncertain prospect. Every new patch had its own god-tier build; Lianshan Xin understood that principle.

But what could he do? He had no aptitude for the Martial Dao.

In that case, joining the Imperial Court wasn't necessarily a bad choice.

He would be under someone else's control, but those who knew, knew the benefits of a government position.

Where in this world was there absolute freedom?

Did the martial world have no shackles of its own?

"Do you think you can join the Imperial Court just because you want to?" He Miaojun reminded him. "Countless people want to become officials, and plenty of unrealistic dreamers like you hope to pursue immortality through government service. Very few succeed. Joining the court is no easier than cultivating the Martial Dao."

"Mother, when it comes to martial arts, I'm no good. When it comes to civil service exams, you're no good." Lianshan Xin was brimming with confidence.

He Miaojun didn't understand. "Where does all this confidence come from?"

Because I was from Shandong in my previous life.

Seasoned by countless trials.

To someone from Shandong, the universe was one enormous Shandong.

No matter how fierce the competition for Great Yu's civil service exams might be, someone from Shandong wouldn't flinch.

Besides, he had a cheat.

It just happened to be genuinely useless for learning martial arts.

But for civil service exams and securing a government post, it was extremely useful.

"I won't agree to you joining the imperial court."

He Miaojun was usually a doting mother who indulged Lianshan Xin, but her tone was stern now. "The Imperial Court's hunting dogs are despised by the martial world. And once you become an official, you'll face struggles a hundred times more vicious than anything in the martial world. It's too dangerous. I absolutely refuse."

Lianshan Xin wanted to explain, but He Miaojun swept away with a flick of her sleeve, giving him no chance to persuade her.

The couple coordinated quite well, though. Just as He Miaojun swept away, Lianshan Xin's father, Lianshan Jingcheng, strolled over.

Lianshan Jingcheng had the classic looks of a fair-faced, middle-aged pretty boy. In his youth, he had lived off his looks and landed He Miaojun, a wealthy woman. With her support, he had opened a medical clinic called Spring Revival Hall, so he had never had much say at home.

Of course, according to Lianshan Jingcheng, he handled the big matters in their household, while He Miaojun handled the small ones.

It was just that, throughout his childhood, Lianshan Xin had never seen any big matters arise in their family. He wondered whether his civil service ambitions counted.

"Father, you're the real head of this household. You have to stand up for me."

Lianshan Xin tried to get Lianshan Jingcheng to stand tall and stop embarrassing men everywhere.

Lianshan Jingcheng had also heard Lianshan Xin's conversation with He Miaojun. Hoping to indirectly discourage his son's civil service ambitions, he asked, "Xin, you want to become an official, but do you know what routes there are to office in our Great Yu?"

"Of course. Either find someone to recommend me or take the imperial examinations myself."

Lianshan Xin had already looked into it.

Recommendation: ostensibly, it meant recommending worthy talent to the Imperial Court, allowing candidates to become officials directly without taking the imperial examinations. Its stated purpose was to ensure that no worthy talent went overlooked in the countryside.

"The recommendation route is closed to you," Lianshan Jingcheng reminded him. "We're just an ordinary family."

Lianshan Xin glanced at Lianshan Jingcheng and complained, "Isn't that because you didn't work hard enough? If you were the Jiangzhou Governor, I'd be the worthy talent getting recommended."

Lianshan Jingcheng didn't argue. He simply continued with a cheerful smile. "Then that leaves the imperial examinations. But not everyone is eligible to take them. You need an academy background."

"I know."

You needed a university diploma to take civil service exams too.

There was no essential difference.

Someone from Shandong understood immediately.

"Jiangzhou has an academy with a thousand-year heritage—the White Deer Grotto Academy. Once I get in, I can use that academy background to take the imperial examinations. Besides, as one of the World's Four Great Academies, the White Deer Grotto Academy teaches both literary and martial studies. Every cohort's chief disciple receives a Qi Condensation Pill. If I can get one, I can skip the Meridian Opening Realm, condense true qi directly, and become a third-realm martial artist."

Although Lianshan Xin had decided to take his talents to the immortal cultivation world, immortal cultivators truly were hard to find. He had never seen a single one in his entire life.

From what he understood, even the Imperial Court probably only had one or two Land Immortals who could rival an entire nation single-handedly. Meeting them would be difficult enough, let alone receiving their teachings.

So settling for second best and continuing his dream of becoming a martial hero wasn't out of the question.

He was just that accommodating.

Lianshan Jingcheng didn't quite know what to say. "Only a 'Celestial Master' can refine Qi Condensation Pills, and the White Deer Grotto Academy only receives two each year. One Qi Condensation Pill can create a Qi Condensation Realm martial artist. Xin, do you really think you have a chance of obtaining such a miraculous pill?"

"Every cohort's chief disciple at the White Deer Grotto Academy receives one. As long as I join the academy and become chief disciple, naturally, I'll get a Qi Condensation Pill."

Lianshan Xin's confidence didn't rub off on Lianshan Jingcheng in the slightest.

Lianshan Jingcheng shook his head. "Never mind how difficult becoming the White Deer Grotto Academy's chief disciple would be. Just passing its entrance examination is already extremely hard. President Qu of the merchants' association next door has an only son who failed to get in two years running. Your academic performance is about on par with his. As for getting in through Martial Dao ability, you'd need to be at least in the Meridian Opening Realm and under twenty. You're only in the Body Tempering Realm."

Lianshan Xin was unconcerned. "President Qu ought to reflect on himself too. Why did his only son fail to get into the White Deer Grotto Academy two years running? Because he doesn't have enough money. If he were Jiangzhou's richest man, he could batter down the academy's gates with money alone."

Lianshan Jingcheng said, "...Son, now I see that you really are suited to becoming an official. But your father truly hasn't worked hard enough."

"It's fine. Just don't hold me back, either of you. I'll still have to rely on myself to get into the academy."

Until today, Lianshan Xin had never given up on learning martial arts through his own efforts. What if a miracle happened?

But Mr. Lu Xun had said that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

The famous "information broker" Xie Ruolin had a classic line: "Here are two gold bars. Tell me which one is noble and which one is filthy."

Now Lianshan Xin had figured it out too. "Two Qi Condensation Realm martial artists-one reached it through his own hard work, the other by popping pills. Isn't the result the same?"

Before eighteen, he could believe that hard work brought rewards.

Now he was eighteen. He had grown up. It was time to believe that popping pills beat hard work.

What he needed to consider was how to get those pills.

For that, he had prepared two options in advance.

Neither Lianshan Jingcheng nor He Miaojun quite understood Lianshan Xin's confidence.

The two whispered together in the clinic.

He Miaojun said, "Xin has spent most of his energy these past years on martial arts, and he's had to set aside time to study medicine with you too. He's worked reasonably hard at his books, but he can't split himself into multiple people. His grades are only average. Where does he get the confidence that he can pass the White Deer Grotto Academy's entrance examination?"

Lianshan Jingcheng thought for a moment, then said confidently, "Don't worry, my dear. Xin takes after me."

"How so?"

"Blind confidence."

He Miaojun said, "..."

"Once the White Deer Grotto Academy rejects him, he'll realize that obediently inheriting our Spring Revival Hall is his best choice. Talented scholars, beautiful maidens, emperors, kings, generals, and ministers belong in storybooks. For ordinary folk like us, an ordinary life is a blessing."

He Miaojun approved of Lianshan Jingcheng's words. "Exactly. An ordinary life is a blessing. We gave our son the wrong name. He's far too ordinary and confident."

As they gradually relaxed, a scholar in blue robes entered the clinic.

"May I ask if you are Doctor Lianshan, whose miraculous hands restore health?" the scholar asked.

Lianshan Jingcheng was a capable doctor with a modest reputation in Jiangzhou, and people often came seeking treatment after hearing of him. In particular, after he once demonstrated his ability to restore a man's virility, business at Spring Revival Hall had increased fivefold.

Naturally, Lianshan Jingcheng greeted him with a smile. "Young sir, are you looking for me?"

The man looked a little familiar. Lianshan Jingcheng suspected he was a returning patient.

A private ailment at such a young age?

Were young men these days becoming depleted so early?

"No, I'm looking for your son."

Lianshan Jingcheng froze. "Xin? What do you want with him?"

"The White Deer Grotto Academy will soon admit new students. On my teacher's orders, I have come specifically to deliver Young Master Xin's admission letter."