The five virtues and twenty-five phases

"Yuyu Realm."

When Li Zhengjun returned, he happened to run into Li Chenxiao coming back from the Lineage treasury with spiritual items.

The old man carried several brocade boxes in his arms, a faint spiritual light glowing within them. They contained spirit-nourishing items prepared for Li Zhengjun's practice of the spirit-binding Technique.

When Li Chenxiao saw Li Zhengjun, he froze for a moment, then smiled and came forward to greet him.

"My lord, you're back so soon? Did your cultivation go smoothly?"

Three days had passed in the Great Scarlet Realm, but only a little over three double-hours had passed in this realm.

Li Zhengjun smiled. "Well enough. I've just barely learned the basics, and I bound the true spirits of two Demon Beasts along the way."

Li Chenxiao's smile froze on his face. His mouth trembled as he asked in disbelief:

"My lord... you've learned the basics?!"

Li Zhengjun nodded, showing him the two Demon Beasts' true spirits in his palm. He smiled and said:

"It was all thanks to your good teaching, uncle. Those two Demon Beasts were nothing formidable, either. They hadn't awakened intelligence, and their true spirits were muddled and weak, so binding them didn't take much effort. I merely followed your instructions and stumbled into success. If I ran into high-level Demon Beasts with solidly formed true spirits, I don't know how much trouble it would take."

Li Chenxiao was utterly dumbfounded. He had prided himself on his exceptional talent in soul Technique Methods, but only after seeing Li Zhengjun today did he understand that beyond every person was another, beyond every heaven another heaven!

Could my lord's former playboy act have been a complete sham? He was hiding his brilliance and biding his time!

Just then, Yuhong appeared and interrupted the two.

"Zhengjun, your youngest uncle is about to emerge from seclusion. Come with me to find him."

Li Zhengjun nodded. The Thawing Ice Bright Jade that he and his second uncle had risked their lives to secure had been intended for this uncle.

He knew there must be something going on. Grandfather was not one to waste time.

Yuhong waved his hand and took Li Zhengjun into the Great Void. A short while later, they arrived at the foot of a spiritual mountain.

The mountain had no name and was inconspicuous among the ranges under the Li Household's rule. Its slopes were gentle, and a narrow river wound past its foot, murmuring beneath wisps of mist.

This was a branch of the Lesser Cold River. Its waters were shallow and clear, and the Spiritual Qi was not particularly dense. An ordinary cultivator passing through would probably pay it little attention.

Yuhong stood before the mountain and cast several Method Formulas in succession. At first, nothing unusual happened at the foot of the mountain. A moment later, however, densely packed runes appeared on the stone wall, linking together into an array.

At the center of the array diagram, spiritual light gathered like a spring, and a doorway rumbled open.

Yuhong stepped inside first, with Li Zhengjun close behind.

The cave abode was hidden in the heart of the mountain, with not the slightest sign of it visible from outside. Its furnishings were extremely simple, yet its spiritual essence was astonishingly abundant. The deeper they went, the denser the cool, cold water-aspected spiritual Qi became.

Yuhong stopped inside the cave and raised a hand to cast a Method Formula. A stone door deep within the cave abode opened in response.

A figure flew out and landed before the two of them.

The man looked to be no more than thirty, with prominent brow bones and a sharply cut nose. He was none other than Li Zhengjun's youngest uncle, Li Chenjun.

He showed no surprise at seeing Yuhong and merely bowed.

"Greetings, True Person."

When his gaze fell on Li Zhengjun, however, he paused briefly, a trace of puzzlement flashing in his eyes.

Even so, he did not rush to ask questions. He simply stood where he was and waited for Yuhong to speak.

Yuhong nodded but did not immediately mention Ye Xiufan.

Li Chenjun had been in seclusion all this time and knew nothing of recent events in the Lineage, so Yuhong spoke first.

"Junjun, your cultivation has advanced again. I brought Zhengjun here to give you some good news."

With that, he waved his sleeve, and a Jade Slip flew steadily out.

Li Chenjun accepted it with both hands and sank his Divine Sense into it. The Li Household's recent affairs and everything Li Zhengjun had done in the other realm were recorded inside in detail.

When he saw that his second brother had been dismembered, grief and fury filled him. Fortunately, his second brother's true spirit remained, and there was still a chance to save him, so he did not lose his composure.

Further on, he read that Li Zhengjun could travel between the two realms, that the Lineage members had followed Zhengjun into battle in the other realm without looking back, and that the Lineage had worked to support him.

Li Chenjun read carefully until he saw that Zhengjun had already cleared the Devil Cultivators out of the Great Scarlet Realm and was about to establish a Lineage there. At last, a trace of a smile appeared on his face.

"Heaven has blessed our Li Household."

A touch of warmth entered his eyes as he looked at Li Zhengjun.

"If third brother's spirit in heaven knew what you had accomplished, he could finally rest in peace."

Yuhong had four sons, and the four had been deeply attached to one another. Sadly and lamentably, the eldest had died competing for treasures in a grotto-heaven, the second had been dismembered by a Devil Cultivator, and the third had been cursed to death by a shaman. Only the fourth was still alive.

Li Chenjun's feelings were complicated. He felt pain and guilt over his second brother sacrificing his life for him, but also joy that the Lineage finally had hope.

Li Zhengjun understood how he felt and said:

"Youngest uncle, the Great Scarlet Realm is rich in resources. We have already found a Frozen Water spiritual item there, and I expect we'll find a Bright Yang spiritual item before long. Then second uncle can be saved as well, so please don't worry. I've already sworn an oath that I'll wake him."

His expression was so earnest that Li Chenjun felt reassured for no apparent reason, and the worries in his heart were swept away.

"I believe you, Zhengjun."

Li Chenjun then turned back to Yuhong, his expression already returned to normal.

"True Person, the Jade Slip says that Zhengjun is considering how to plan the Dao Paths of the Spirit Root bearers in the Great Scarlet Realm. In my view, the Lineage is heading in the right direction. Jade Wave Island lies isolated overseas, with abundant waterways, and Frozen Water spiritual essence is a natural advantage there. Those with Water Spirit Roots in the Ning Kingdom should focus on Frozen Water; everyone who can cultivate it should do so. First, let this group of Frozen Water cultivators grow strong enough to establish the Li Household's foothold in the other realm."

He paused, then continued:

"Once this group of cultivators has a solid foundation, the Water Spirit Root disciples who follow won't all need to cultivate Frozen Water. Beyond Frozen Water, we can gradually expand into the two paths of Weak Water and Gui Water. Both belong to Water Virtue, like Frozen Water, so their Cultivation Methods can be passed on seamlessly, and most of their spiritual items can be shared."

"Aside from Water Virtue, Jade Wave Island has no shortage of mountains and forests, its soil and stone are plentiful, and Metal Qi can be traced there. We can choose the three paths of Horn Wood, Furrowed Earth, and True Metal, which correspond respectively to the Birth Phase of the three virtues of wood, earth, and metal. They resonate with the Frozen Water lineage and can support one another. As for those whose Spirit Roots are incompatible with all the paths mentioned above, there's no need to force the matter. They can cultivate our Li Household's court guard Secret Method, the Winged Yang Wheel-Nurturing Instruction. It brings quick results. Though it has no prospect of reaching the Immortal Foundation, it can produce a sizeable force of capable guards in a short time. Moreover, the court guard method ultimately originates from Bright Yang and is naturally restrained by the Bright Yang Dao Path. Those Spirit Root bearers with other surnames are not of our Li Household's bloodline, after all, so we can never feel quite as secure employing them. Only with this layer of Bright Yang restraint can we truly sleep soundly without worry."

Li Chenjun's analysis was orderly and logical. When it came to the Frozen Water path in particular, he had spoken an almost complete plan for nurturing its cultivators off the top of his head, adding to what the Lineage elders had previously said about the Dao Paths of disciples in the other realm.

After listening, Yuhong stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes full of approval.

"Well said. I brought Zhengjun to see you today first to tell you of the major events in the Lineage of late, and second to ask you to help him draw up a complete path for nurturing Frozen Water disciples. When I overruled everyone and had the younger generation of the Lineage switch to Frozen Water, it was partly because we happened to obtain an inherited Cultivation Method, and partly because I recognized your comprehension. When it comes to attainment in the Frozen Water Dao Path, no one in the Li Household can surpass you."

Li Chenjun smiled and shook his head, his expression humble but not falsely modest.

"You praise me too highly, True Person. I'll refine the specific plan for the Lineage's younger disciples on the Frozen Water Dao Path later and draw up a complete route from Fetal Breath to Immortal Foundation. Then I'll ask Father and the Lineage elders to review it. For now, let's talk about Ye Xiufan first."

Li Chenjun lowered his eyes slightly and waited a moment before speaking.

"The Frozen Water I cultivate is the Birth Phase of Water Virtue, through which I forged the Immortal Foundation Tread on Thin Ice. Frozen Water is the path of drifting ice just beginning to congeal, of dormant spirits sleeping beneath the snow, gathering strength for the moment to strike. Its essence lies not in rushing currents or vastness, but in the words 'conceal' and 'wait.' Like a frozen river, it appears still and motionless on the surface, yet the undercurrents beneath the ice never cease. They need only wait for the first peal of spring thunder to burst through, surging forth with unstoppable force."

He paused, his tone cautious.

"If I wish to reach the Purple Mansion, I must choose one of five known Purple Mansion Divine Abilities to advance with. They are Nurture the Abyssal Spring, Release the Lord of the East, Receive the Golden Dew, Hear the Earth Listen, and Contain the Moon's Shadow. Each has its own strengths, and each is compatible with the Immortal Foundation Tread on Thin Ice to a different degree."

"The choice of the first Divine Ability is crucial. Only if it is properly matched with the Immortal Foundation can they bring out the best in each other and improve the chances of reaching the Purple Mansion. If they are poorly matched, at best one will expend twice the effort for half the result; at worst, the chances of a breakthrough will fall, or the entire Dao Path may even be ruined."

This was a secret of the Purple Mansion, and Li Zhengjun could hear his youngest uncle's helplessness.

But Li Chenjun was not disheartened. Instead, he showed even greater resolve.

"The Frozen Water tradition is rare to begin with, and very few people in the Yuyu Realm cultivate this method. The few records of its Dao are all on the Subduing Heaven Plateau, at the source of the Lesser Cold River. Although the Lineage has collected many observations on Water Virtue Dao Paths, as for the specific ways to match Frozen Water Purple Mansion Divine Abilities, we have almost nothing."

Li Zhengjun paused, then understood his youngest uncle's deeper meaning.

Li Chenjun smiled faintly and continued:

"This young man has already formed a Mystic Radiance Wheel with the Cold Abyss Wave-Guiding Instruction, so his foundation is set. We can let him continue along the Frozen Water lineage and forge the same Immortal Foundation as mine, Tread on Thin Ice. After that, whichever Divine Ability he uses to attempt the Purple Mansion, whether he succeeds or fails, it can serve as a reference for my own breakthrough."

Yuhong nodded slowly. This was the deeper reason he had brought Zhengjun to see Li Chenjun today.

Ye Xiufan carried a remnant soul, had fortune on his side, and had already entered the Frozen Water urn. He was a heaven-sent stone with which to test the road.

Using him to ford the unknown path to the Frozen Water Purple Mansion would cost the Li Household neither sinew nor bone, whether he succeeded or failed.

Li Zhengjun understood and smiled.

"Youngest uncle, that's a brilliant plan. With Ye Xiufan's fortune and speed of cultivation, and that old monster guiding him, reaching the Purple Mansion within a few hundred years in the Great Scarlet Realm shouldn't be difficult. And those 'few hundred years' amount to only a few decades in the Yuyu Realm. Once he reaches the threshold of the Purple Mansion but struggles because he doesn't know how to advance, he'll surely come back looking for me. Then we can ask him for Purple Mansion spiritual items with every justification."

"After all, how could the Lineage searching the whole world for spiritual items be faster than having a child of fortune set out to find them himself? He was born with the fortune to turn danger into safety and misfortune into good luck. Spiritual items we might fail to find after decades of searching could turn up the moment he steps outside."

"Once he has gathered the spiritual items, he'll have to help me break through to the Purple Mansion first. Then I'll 'empty my bag' and share my insights on the breakthrough, doing him a favor that costs me nothing. If his pursuit of truth fails, we can simply count it as him having tested a wrong path for us. If he succeeds by luck, the foundation of his Dao Path will already be tied to the Li Household's Cultivation Method. If he wants to advance further, he'll have no choice but to obediently follow the Li Household's orders for the rest of his life. Only then will he know how to take the next step."

In the midst of his excitement, Li Zhengjun suddenly stopped.

He remembered that Grandfather's lifespan was nearly exhausted. He had only a few decades left.

Even if the plan succeeded, that would still be decades from now. By then, Grandfather might already be gone.

"It's just that... there's no telling how long we'll have to wait."

Yuhong heard the meaning behind his words and said with easy acceptance:

"What of it? As long as our Household gains a few more Purple Mansion cultivators, I can rest in peace even if I die."

He spoke lightly, but Li Zhengjun and Li Chenjun both changed expression almost at the same time and bowed together.

"Father, please don't say such inauspicious things. With the resources of the Great Scarlet Realm now in our hands and Zhengjun cultivating far faster than expected, he will surely reach the Purple Mansion within two hundred years. When the time comes, we'll certainly find a way to extend your life!"

Yuhong looked at the two juniors below the steps, feeling both comforted and saddened.

"All right, all right, let's not talk about this. I know where things stand, so there's no need for you to be so anxious."

He changed the subject and turned his gaze to Li Zhengjun.

"Back then, Zhengjun had yet to show his promise and was only serving as a steward in the borderlands. I imagine he never found the time to study the basic Principles of cultivation at the Lineage school. Were you familiar with the common knowledge of cultivation your youngest uncle was talking about?"

Li Zhengjun had been a playboy back then, spending his days drinking and chasing pleasure. Grandfather was being entirely polite in putting it that way.

"True Person, I'm ashamed to say I never studied it systematically. When youngest uncle spoke of the Birth Phase and Gentle Phase just now, I was lost in the clouds and fog. Youngest uncle, please don't withhold your instruction."

Seeing his nephew speak so frankly, with none of his former playboy manner left, Li Chenjun felt quite gratified and began slowly:

"In this world, the five virtues form the foundation. Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water—the five elements circulate and form the basis of all things. Beneath each virtue are five phases: proper, gentle, birth, flourishing, and tomb. Each of the five virtues has five phases, making twenty-five in all. This is the basic framework of the Yuyu Realm's five-virtue Dao Path system."

"The Proper Phase is a virtue in its proper position. It best represents that virtue's character, upholding what is proper and looking down upon the other four phases. Thus, those who cultivate it rely on no external objects and follow no Evil Dao, producing exceptionally pure Law Power. Once a cultivator takes a crooked path and consumes blood food, they will never be able to reach the Purple Mansion. But this path is arduous, and very few who seek truth attain the Purple Mansion, so not everyone who cultivates the Proper Phase adheres to the righteous path."

"The Gentle Phase is the opposite of the Proper Phase, and also its complement."

"The Proper Phase stands unmoving like a great rock, while the Gentle Phase takes its shape from whatever it meets, like flowing water. Those who cultivate the Gentle Phase can take on the characteristics of every phase under that virtue, drawing on the strengths of many without being bound to a single form."

"For example, a Gui Water cultivator can draw upon Frozen Water's chill clarity, take in Abyssal Water's depths, and borrow Weak Water's utmost purity. Every phase of Water Virtue can be put to use. Though they lack the depth of someone who specializes in a single aspect, they make up for it with varied methods and endless adaptability."

Li Chenjun paused, then continued:

"The Birth Phase is the beginning of a virtue, reflecting its original form just as it first comes into being. Take the Frozen Water I cultivate, for example. Everyone knows Frozen Water as the water of melting ice and snow, but few know the origin of the word 'frozen.'"

"At the beginning of heaven and earth, chaos was undivided. Yin and yang opened apart, and the primal source evolved into all things. At that first parting of primordial chaos, all things passed from oneness into distinction. The entire process of evolution was accompanied by a faint, continuous sound that the ancients called the 'sisi sound.' Later, great powers named the Birth Phase of Water Virtue Frozen Water after it."

"Thus, Frozen Water takes its meaning not from the outward appearance of melting ice and snow, but from that first instant when something emerged from nothing. For that very reason, the Frozen Water path places importance on 'gathering' and 'releasing.'"

Seeing that Li Zhengjun was having some difficulty following, he slowed down and waited for him to digest it before continuing.

"Next is the Flourishing Phase. It is a virtue at the height of its power, displaying that virtue's might to the utmost."

"Every gesture of one who cultivates the Flourishing Phase displays that virtue's imposing character. But on this path, the height of flourishing can easily give way to decline. Those who cultivate it often advance extremely quickly, but bottlenecks come just as fiercely. If they cannot rein in their edge and nurture their foundation at the right time, they can easily suffer Qi Deviation during a breakthrough."

For some reason, Li Chenjun did not know much about the Flourishing Phase, so he did not speak at length about it.

"Last is the Tomb Phase. It is the opposite of the Birth Phase, showing a virtue in its state of decline and extinction."

"But the Dao of heaven and earth turns in an endless cycle. The passing of one virtue is precisely the rise of another. Thus, Tomb Phase Cultivation Methods often possess the characteristics of two or even more Dao Paths, and their transformations are the strangest and most unpredictable."

Because of the powers in the surrounding area, Li Chenjun clearly knew more about the Tomb Phase.

"For example, True Person Mingxin of the Hundred Fei Sect near our Li Household cultivates Remaining Fire, the Tomb Phase of Fire Virtue, and has attained the Divine Ability Embers Rekindle. As the Tomb and Birth Phases intermingle, the fuel is spent but the flame is passed on. Within the dying embers lie sparks of Tinder Fire. Thus, although Remaining Fire belongs to the Tomb Phase of Fire Virtue, it can also display certain characteristics of Tinder Fire. And because fire returns to wei and gives birth to earth, Remaining Fire stores heat and returns its strength, transforming it into Houtu's capacity to bear all things. That is why True Person Mingxin can also cultivate some Houtu methods."

"That is what makes the Tomb Phase so difficult to fathom. You can never know what other virtue's methods an opponent who cultivates it might be hiding."

Having finished his lengthy explanation, he paused and took a Jade Slip from his Storage Bag. It bore the title Record of Observations on Dao Path. He continued:

"What I've described is the five virtues and twenty-five phases. There are many other known Dao Paths, such as the three yang, three yin, five thunders, twelve Qi, and so on. The subject is so vast and complicated that if I explained it to you, I couldn't finish in a short time. Take this book. During my decades in seclusion, I read through the Lineage's records and combined them with my own insights to collect all kinds of information on Dao Paths. I've added my own annotations to each entry. The origins, characteristics, and relationships of mutual generation and restraint among the various traditions are all in there."

His voice carried earnest expectation. "Zhengjun, you are now a Purple Mansion seed, and you also bear the heavy responsibility of establishing a branch of the Lineage in the Great Scarlet Realm. This knowledge of Dao Paths is not just theory on paper. When you fight cultivators of different traditions in the future, you'll be able to recognize their foundations as soon as they make a move. Only then can you seize the advantage between life and death."

"More importantly, the future Dao Paths of those Spirit Root bearers in the Great Scarlet Realm are all in your hands. The breadth of your vision will determine their ceiling."