The living room lamp cast a warm, yellow glow.
The wooden floor reflected the light, gleaming with a soft sheen.
Su Wan was sitting on the sofa mending clothes, with Xiaobai nestled beside her.
The little girl held a rag doll in her hand, and a snake tail, invisible to ordinary people, gently swept across the carpet under her skirt. Occasionally, she would look up to watch Su Wan sew.
"Grandma, this little bear's eyes are crooked." She stretched out her little hand and pointed to the button eyes on the doll.
Su Wan smiled as she adjusted the needle and thread, "Once Grandma finishes sewing it, the little bear will look beautiful."
Li Guoqiang had just finished clearing the dishes and came out carrying two glasses of warm water.
Seeing the affectionate interaction between the grandfather and grandson, he couldn't help but smile and placed his water glass on the coffee table.
Li Qingshan sat on the single sofa opposite, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the armrest.
He said he would explain the details of Kunlun's three years and Xiaobai's origins later, but now is the perfect time.
He took a deep breath, breaking the silence of the living room.
"Dad, Mom, these past three years have caused you both so much worry and fear."
I will tell you both everything tonight, from where I went to what I experienced.
Li Qingshan's voice was not loud.
As soon as he finished speaking, you could hear a pin drop in the room.
Su Wan paused, her fingers gripping the steel needle; the fine needle tip trembled slightly under the light.
She slowly put down her work, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Li Guoqiang, sitting opposite him, silently closed his newspaper.
They didn't urge him; they just watched their son quietly.
The worries and wait of the past three years have now vanished in silence.
Xiaobai seemed to sense that something was wrong, so she obediently put down the doll and whispered, "Grandpa and Grandma, Xiaobai will be good." She snuggled closer to Su Wan, her tail gently wrapping around Su Wan's wrist.
Su Wan patted Xiaobai on the back and looked at Li Qingshan: "Go ahead and tell us, we're listening."
Li Qingshan patted Xiaobai's head and turned to his parents, "Three years ago, I went to Kunlun, not for academic research."
It was by chance that they discovered clues to the Mount Hua stone carvings and found the true entrance to the Kunlun Immortal Mountain.
"The real Kunlun?"
Li Guoqiang frowned. "Is it the mythical Kunlun Immortal Mountain?"
Myths are rooted in reality.
Li Qingshan said with certainty, " Kunlun is hidden in the core of the mountains, covered by an ancient array, and is boundless."
Inside, ancient trees reach for the sky, medicinal herbs abound, and there are even strange beasts that have lived for thousands of years.
He paused, then continued, "After I broke in, I encountered the ruins of a cultivator."
Inside were cultivation techniques and insights left by predecessors, so I started learning from them and embarked on the path of cultivation. Su Wan grabbed him. "Is it dangerous in there? Are you hurt?"
"I almost got lost at first, but I got used to it."
Li Qingshan smiled reassuringly, "Besides, I'm lucky; I awakened my innate constitution, which makes me learn things exceptionally quickly."
Suddenly, Xiaobai raised her hand. "Grandpa and Grandma, I met Brother Qingshan in Kunlun!"
Her eyes Jingjing. "I was originally Heaven-Swallowing Snake, and it took me a hundred years to gain wisdom."
Once, when I was being bullied by a bad monster, Brother Qingshan saved me, and that's why I followed him!
"Snake?"
Su Wan instinctively shrank back, then realized it wasn't right and quickly said, " Xiaobai, don't be afraid, Grandma isn't upset with you... Grandma, Xiaobai is being very good!"
As Xiaobai spoke, a faint silver light emanated from its body, and in the next second, most of it vanished into thin air, leaving only its little head sticking out.
"Look, it can become invisible!"
Su Wan and Li Guoqiang were dumbfounded.
After a long while, Li Guoqiang finally came to his senses. "This, this is the skill of a cultivator?"
"Yes, Bai has the bloodline of the Ba Serpent, and he met her by chance."
Li Qingshan revealed Xiaobai's form, saying, "She recognizes me as her master, just like a younger sister."
From now on, they will be our family's children, so you don't need to be afraid.
Xiaobai immediately hugged Su Wan's leg. "Grandma, Xiaobai will help you sweep the floor and wipe the table, and will even pick immortal fruits from Kunlun for you to eat!"
Su Wan's heart softened instantly, and she bent down to pick her up. "Our Xiaobai is so well-behaved, how could Grandma be afraid of you?"
Grandma will make you a new dress later.
Seeing that his parents had accepted Xiaobai, Li Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain the basics of cultivation:
"Dad, Mom, spiritual practice isn't some made-up story from novels."
He knew that making his parents understand what "spiritual practice" meant was the key to putting their minds at ease.
"Dad, Mom, spiritual cultivation isn't just something you imagine; it has a clearly visible path and stages, like climbing stairs, each step revealing a new level."
Li Qingshan spoke calmly as he began to outline the world of cultivation for his parents.
He first picked up the teacup on the table, but did not drink it; instead, his mind was slightly moved.
A soft, pale golden light emanated from his fingertips, flowing like silk threads and gracefully wrapping around the teacup, making it float steadily in the air, while the water inside remained perfectly still.
"This is the most basic power, originating from the ' Sea of Bitterness Secret Realm '."
Li Qingshan controlled the teacup to slowly fly to his parents' side, "The lower dantian below the navel is regarded by cultivators as the location of the Wheel of Life."
The first step in cultivation is to create Bitter Sea here.
He put down his teacup and continued explaining:
The so-called " Bitter Sea " can be understood as the sea of human potential.
Before creation, it was a silent chaos; once creation is successful, it can give rise to these golden " Divine Markings," which are the most primordial divine power.
As he spoke, he raised his hand again, this time pointing to the flower stand in the corner.
An empty purple clay flowerpot on the shelf was wrapped in golden Divine Markings, and it floated up lightly. During the flight, the Divine Markings left a simple cloud pattern mark on its surface, as if carved by a knife.
"Look, this is one of the abilities of the Bitter Sea Realm."
Divine Markings can control external objects, such as taking things from a distance; they can also be used for the initial refining of artifacts, leaving marks on objects.
However, at this time, his power is still weak, like someone who has just learned to walk and cannot fly on his own. His magical treasures also need to be carried with him and nurtured in the Bitter Sea.
Su Wan and Li Guoqiang looked at the small flowerpot, bearing the new mark, falling back into its original place, their eyes filled with amazement. This was a step further than retrieving the cup from a distance just now.
"When the Bitter Sea is opened to a certain extent, and the essence of life is condensed to its extreme, Life Spring will gush forth in the center of the Bitter Sea."
Before Li Qingshan finished speaking, his aura subtly changed.
A purer and more vibrant aura emanated from him. He did not make any large movements, but his body was slightly lifted off the ground and suspended. Although he was only a few inches off the ground, he truly broke free from the earth's constraints.
" With the Life Spring, divine power has an inexhaustible source, far surpassing the Bitter Sea Realm in both quality and quantity."
One of the biggest changes is the ability to ride the Divine Rainbow, allowing one to fly through the sky and disappear into the earth.
"However, under the current special suppression of the Great Dao on Earth, those at the Life Spring Realm cannot truly fly; they can only achieve short-distance gliding or hovering."
With a slight sway, he appeared from the sofa to the balcony doorway as if by teleportation, then instantly returned to his original position, a faint crimson-gold Divine Rainbow flashing past beneath his feet.
"This, this is flying?" Li Guoqiang's voice was filled with shock.
"Yes, Dad, this is the mark of the Life Spring Realm in the normal cultivation world."
Li Qingshan nodded, "Only by reaching the Life Spring can one truly be considered to have entered the inner sanctum of cultivation."
He returned to his seat, his expression becoming even more solemn.
"After the Life Spring, one must use supreme will and divine power to build Divine Bridge across the turbulent Bitter Sea."
This bridge is a stairway to a deeper realm of life, Xiaobai is currently in that realm.
He pointed his fingers like a sword, and a wisp of incredibly condensed divine light shot out from his fingertips. It wasn't an attack, but rather it outlined a miniature, golden, dazzling rainbow bridge in the air.
The flowing runes on the bridge exude a sense of stability and openness.
" With the Divine Bridge spanning the sky, cultivators will achieve a level of mastery over their own divine power, and their divine sense will be greatly enhanced."
More importantly,
Li Qingshan looked at his parents, "Once the Divine Bridge is stable, we can try to cross to the Other Shore."
" The Other Shore Realm is the final stage of the Sea of Bitterness Secret Realm, and also the beginning of truly transcending the mortal body."
He took a deep breath, and the sound of his internal energy surging like the tides echoed within him. "The process of reaching the Other Shore will involve nine transformations of the physical body, like a period of suspended animation. Each time it revives after a period of dormancy, it's like being reborn."
He stretched out his hand, and a faint, precious light flowed beneath the skin of his arm. Upon closer inspection, his skin was smooth and lustrous, as if it were not flesh and blood, but carved from some kind of divine jade.
"After nine transformations, the physical body gradually becomes extraordinary, with strength, speed, and lifespan all increasing significantly, and it begins to move away from the realm of ordinary people."
My current body is the result of undergoing tempering on the Other Shore.
Su Wan couldn't help but reach out and touch her son's arm. It was warm and firm to the touch, far beyond what ordinary people could achieve. Only then did she truly understand what the word "cultivation" meant.
"So, it turns out that cultivation is a process of climbing up step by step."
Li Guoqiang murmured, the shock in his eyes gradually replaced by a sense of understanding.
The son did not acquire divine power overnight, but rather achieved it step by step, enduring hardships unimaginable to ordinary people.
This gave them a sense of reassurance in addition to their shock.
Seeing the growing understanding in his parents' eyes, Li Qingshan knew that his demonstration and explanation had been effective.
The path of spiritual practice is long, but letting loved ones understand its outline is a source of peace of mind.
It has a real, tangible level of understanding, just like going to school from elementary school to university.
He spoke again, "At the beginning, it's the Sea of Bitterness Realm, which is equivalent to elementary school."
"After the Sea of Bitterness comes the Dao Palace Realm, which is equivalent to middle school."
Li Qingshan continued to explain, "The five internal organs of a person correspond to the Five Deities of the Dao Palace: the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Each one, when properly cultivated, strengthens the divine power and can even give rise to minor supernatural abilities."
"Above that is the Four Extremes Realm, like high school, where you train your limbs and can draw upon the power of heaven and earth."
Every movement can be transformed into magical powers; the regeneration of severed limbs is commonplace.
Li Qingshan pointed out the window, "Reaching the Dragon Transformation Realm is like entering university. Your spine can transform into a dragon shape, and you can fly and escape into the earth without any problem. I am currently at the Dragon Transformation Fifth Layer Heaven."
Li Guoqiang listened attentively and couldn't help but ask, "Are there any more?"
"Yes, Immortal Platform Realm is equivalent to pursuing a master's or doctoral degree."
Li Qingshan said calmly, "But that's too far off. The Great Dao of Earth is vast and its essence of heaven and earth is almost nonexistent; it's very difficult to cultivate there."