The Path of Only Me

Zhang Xuezhou was very curious about the Emperor's cultivation methods.

Zhu Jiuyin could quickly teach Zhang Xuezhou the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique, while the Emperor facilitated the introduction of the Heart Sutra in a short period of time.

Zhang Xuezhou was busy brewing the Nine Treasures Wine and also had access to the Mental Strengthening Chapter, but his cultivation speed was still far behind that of the Emperor, which he found hard to understand.

Zhang Xuezhou often reflects on his own actions and also makes self-deprecating remarks about his lack of qualifications.

He truly wanted to understand what this 'qualification' was, and why people were divided into different classes.

If talent is inherited from parental genes, why are there so many incompetent second and third generations in Western Capital City? Why do dynasties change generation after generation? Why do intelligent individuals continue to emerge from ordinary people?

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the idea of genetic inheritance was untenable. Zhang Xuezhou also did not believe in the fatalism promoted by the incompetent, and he was even less convinced of the superior cultivation ideas concocted by class.

Zhang Xuezhou's doubts were quickly answered by the Emperor.

"Only when you climb over one mountain will you realize how insignificant it was; and when you climb over an even higher one, you'll make new discoveries!"

"When you stand tall enough, many things become simpler!"

"Cultivation is the same. If you can reach the True Self Realm and live for hundreds or thousands of years like us, then some cultivation Technique Method won't be so difficult!"

"This is what is meant by understanding one method and understanding all methods!"

"But high cultivation and long lifespan are not all good things. People like us have outdated and stubborn thinking, making it impossible for us to innovate!"

The Emperor patiently explained the reasons.

Compared to Zhang Xuezhou and others, he has traveled a much longer road, so his start will be quick, and the speed at which he promotes the Heart Sutra will also be fast.

However, this speed drops rapidly after reaching a certain threshold, making further progress difficult.

He also envied Zhang Xuezhou's youth and advantages.

Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation may be slower, but Zhang Xuezhou continuous upward progress will provide him with a constant source of motivation, and he may be able to go on a much longer path.

"What if other young people cultivate faster than me?" Zhang Xuezhou asked. "What would be the reason for that?"

"You envy them?" the Emperor asked.

"I really envy him," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I always feel that I'm not lacking in effort or diligence, but I don't know why my self-cultivation is always a notch below!"

"Inferior to the most outstanding cultivators in the Three Realms in the last hundred years?"

The Emperor replied with a smile.

Zhang Xuezhou felt miserable and envied others, but Zhang Xuezhou didn't even realize how strong he was.

Others may achieve temporary success in a particular spiritual practice, but ultimately there can only be one winner.

"Your efforts and diligence are advantages that others can hardly match," the Empress added. "We once encountered a cultivator named Jiang Shang, who, even with his white hair, could not compare to some talented cultivators who had cultivated for ten or eight years. Yet, this seemingly useless old man led the immortals to overthrow the Great Shang Dynasty and sealed us away in the Mount Kunlun!"

Perhaps because Zhang Xuezhou had suffered so many setbacks, even the Emperor and Empress could sense his resentment.

This resentment was not out of jealousy towards the emperor, but rather Zhang Xuezhou's search for his own true meaning.

Every cultivator is completely overshadowed by their seniors, and thus can only look up to others all the way.

Once a cultivator steps onto their own path of cultivation from the Divine Ability Realm, they must be clear about their uniqueness when they reach the Sole Self Realm.

Only by accepting oneself, believing in oneself, and constantly surpassing one's former self can a cultivator continuously ascend through layers of trials.

Zhang Xuezhou is facing a radical and upward-looking Only Me. Not every Sole Self Realm cultivator thinks this way. Some Only Me find solace in nature, some find Only Me in the sword, and some Only Me in power. All sorts of different approaches exist.

This also leads to differences among cultivators in the Sole Self Realm, with even greater differences after entering the True Self Realm.

Zhang Xuezhou's pursuit was unique; the Emperor and Empress felt that what Zhang Xuezhou wanted was speed.

As if someone were whipping him from behind, Zhang Xuezhou wanted to charge forward as fast as possible to achieve his goal.

The Emperor and Empress exchanged a glance, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou had the potential to enter the realm of the Sole Self Realm, but they had rarely seen someone like Zhang Xuezhou in the past.

Being impatient for quick success is a major taboo, but some people have the ability to achieve what they set out to do and accomplish what ordinary people cannot.

Zhang Xuezhou felt lost, but the Emperor and Empress offered encouragement and confidence.

What the Emperor and Empress said was true. Zhang Xuezhou was indeed the most outstanding young cultivator at the centennial celebration, and Jiang Shang had indeed accomplished great things, thus establishing the order of the Three Realms.

However, the former is a once-in-a-century occurrence, while the latter is a once-in-a-millennium occurrence; both are extremely rare.

To break through the encirclement under these circumstances, Zhang Xuezhou would need to elevate himself from a once-in-a-century event to a once-in-a-millennium event, a feat of immense difficulty.

But if Zhang Xuezhou succeeds, the other party will be very unique.

The Emperor couldn't quite explain this unique feeling, but it was roughly that if Zhang Xuezhou were to truly succeed one day, the Emperor would absolutely not want to provoke an opponent like Zhang Xuezhou.

"Hard work and diligence?"

The Emperor's smiling response shouldn't be taken seriously; only Zhang Xuezhou knew how much of his supposed excellence was exaggerated.

If Zhang Xuezhou truly accepted this praise, Zhang Xuezhou would think he must have lost his mind.

But the Emperor and Empress's words stirred something within Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Xuezhou did indeed yearn for shortcuts, but he was also a hardworking and diligent person. Every day of his life was like preparing for the adult college entrance examination in his senior year of high school, and he never let up or slacked off even for a moment.

Everything that seemed like a smooth path was actually paved by him step by step. He overcame countless obstacles and troubles, which enabled him to keep moving forward.

This even includes seemingly simple things like eating and traveling.

If it weren't for the Grain Avoidance Instruction and the Cloud Soaring Technique, Technique Within the Clouds, and Dragon Riding Technique, Zhang Xuezhou would never have had the chance to join in the fun, given his constant exposure to the elements and his exhaustion from traveling.

Technique Method only brings convenience. Continuously using Technique Method requires perseverance and determination. Just as the body can run as long as it has strength, but many people cannot run until they run out of strength. Zhang Xuezhou has been Technique Method continuously for many years and has become accustomed to it. What he takes for granted may be difficult for others to do.

For a moment, Zhang Xuezhou felt that these were the only two advantages he had left.

Of course, the meanings of hard work and diligence overlap somewhat, so Zhang Xuezhou simply considers them as two additional advantages he has.

He grabbed the wine jar and then gulped it down.

It wasn't until he felt slightly dizzy from taking such a large dose that he re-engaged in the final stages of his training.

The Heart Sutra?

Zhang Xuezhou resumed his accelerated study of the Heart Sutra, and the Emperor, while observing Zhang Xuezhou's progress, also kept turning the pages to seek a safer way to advance the next step of his cultivation.

As Jiang Qi chopped wood, he glanced at the palm leaf, the tadpole-like characters constantly flashing through his mind.

Zhang Xuezhou and the Emperor did not keep their discussion private, and Jiang Qi overheard it as well.

Some of these words may sound like they could lead to serious consequences, but the Heavenly Court Emperor and his Holy Son would never engage in a losing proposition.

This was clearly a choice made because the benefits outweighed the risks. Jiang Qi didn't even have time to think about it. He couldn't help but follow suit and try to remember the secrets, hoping that Zhang Xuezhou would reward him with a portion of the wine after he mastered brewing, thus repeating this kind of cultivation.