Aspiring to the Immortal Path

The next day, after the culture classes, Tang Jie went to Morning Sun Summit. Sure enough, Daoist Ku was already waiting at the lecturing stone, and many disciples had gathered in front of him. All of them clearly had problems that they had come across while cultivating.

Wei Tianchong and Shi Meng hadn’t come, instead choosing to stay in their rooms and cultivate. They had run into the same situation as Tang Jie and were currently trying to get used to spirit sensing.

Frightened by the rules of Basking Moon Academy, the students were all much more obedient, all of them standing in line to ask their questions.

A student asked, “Esteemed Teacher, this lowly one was practicing the Divine Gate Energy Controlling Art last night, but when I was moving energy through the Green Spirit point, the energy suddenly dispersed. What is the reason for this?”

Daoist Ku replied, “The Green Spirit is about rectifying energy and letting it proceed according to its nature, and so when you move energy through this point, you should let nature take its course. The Divine Gate Energy Controlling Art emphasizes control, so excessively controlling energy is a must. Since these things are at odds with each other, it is not strange for the energy to disperse. Overcoming this obstacle is simple. Either you let the energy flow naturally or you control the energy by force. You must choose one method or the other, and they will have different effects. Simply choose the one that fits your mood.”

“This lowly one understands.”

The student withdrew, and another student came forward with a question.

Tang Jie very earnestly listened. The Major Circuit Heaven revolution seemed like a simple energy absorption process, but it was a combination of many principles of the human body. Every line and every acupuncture point had a reason to exist. As energy passed through them, it would either transform in accordance with the principle or be forcefully guided through, but no matter which route one chose, it would be closely connected to the nature of the point in question.

Thus, to master the Major Circuit Heaven, one had to understand the function of every part of the human body, its guiding principle and significance.

Basking Moon Academy didn’t have a class that specifically lectured on such things. The culture classes in the morning did discuss such things, but the majority of students didn’t care about it that much. It was only when they ran into problems that they realized how important this was.

Daoist Ku had a rather good personality. One of the esteemed teachers of the culture classes would have probably said with a grim face, “I already explained this in the morning. Since you couldn’t be bothered to listen, go and think about the problem yourself!”

Basking Moon Academy’s thousands of years of development had produced a very mature system, with each step having deep significance.

Even more rare was that they didn’t use modern force-feeding teaching techniques, instead teaching according to need, allowing the students to discover their own problems in the process of cultivation. It probably wouldn’t be long before the students realized the importance of the culture classes.

But for Tang Jie, problems of the arts and sciences had never been problems at all. In this aspect, he was able to quickly deduce many things from one case, and he very soon understood the significance of all the meridians and points that he needed to cultivate. At the moment, all he didn’t understand was the corresponding transformations.

Of course, if he really understood them, then he could design his own mantra.

Once all the students in front were done asking questions, it was finally Tang Jie’s turn.

Tang Jie stepped forward and bowed. “Esteemed Master, I would like to know how one knows when one’s body has reached its limit from too much cultivation and should cease cultivation.”

Daoist Ku smiled at this question. “In all things, you cannot rush too much. Cultivation is a dangerous path, and every mistake has a certain effect on the body. It is just that our bodies will recover on their own most of the time. I understand your meaning. You wish to rapidly improve through harsh cultivation, but finding a limit on this matter is extremely difficult. After all, every person is different. Normally, when energy begins to run astray and jolts the meridians, you should take a small break. But some people with tough constitutions can continue to press forward. However, when the blood energy begins to roil and your spiritual breathing falls into disarray, you must immediately stop!”

“This lowly one understands!” Tang Jie bowed and withdrew.

Daoist Ku suddenly added, “If you wish to accelerate your cultivation without regard for injury, I recommend you learn the Internal Breathing spell. This is a spell for surveying the spiritual energy in your body and determining if you have any internal injuries. It is a necessary cultivation spell for many studies. Learning it is very simple, as it is just a small spell. Anyone who understands how to circulate spiritual energy can use it. But I don’t recommend this. After all, the road is long. The Internal Breathing spell can only check for injuries, not heal them. Once you discover a problem, the injury will still be there and you must still be cautious!”

“Esteemed Teacher, thank you for your guidance. I will be careful!”

Tang Jie withdrew, and another student naturally came up to ask a question. Tang Jie wasn’t in a rush to leave. He stood on the side and continued to listen to the various questions, occasionally discussing cultivation with other students. This Daoist Ku was truly a good person, permitting the students to privately converse. So long as they didn’t discuss the specific details of their cultivation arts, they could discuss cultivation. It was just that they couldn’t talk so loudly that they disturbed others.

As he was listening, a voice suddenly rang out. “Seeking rapid advancement at the expense of your body? Brother Tang, you don’t think that getting into the top ten disciples requires only a high cultivation level, do you?”

Turning around, he saw a refined young man holding a folding fan. Though he couldn’t be described as a god, he was quite handsome. It was just that the pride on his face stirred up distaste in others.

Tang Jie didn’t find it weird that this fellow knew his name. Quite a few students knew him from his declaration at the gate to the academy and his interaction with Li Yu on the ship.

“Might I ask for you…” Tang Jie turned around to ask.

Before the young man could answer, another student scoffed, “You’ve never heard of You Shaofeng, the son of the Lord of Yangling? What a simpleton!”

The speaker was probably the young man’s servant student. Tang Jie didn’t even glance at him. He tilted his head and thought a little before declaring, “Never heard of him.”

That You Shaofeng was expecting him to at least say something like “Honored to meet you” or “Nice to meet you”, but he had gotten a reply like this! He closed his folding fan angrily and pointed it at Tang Jie. “You!” 

Apparently to himself, Tang Jie said, “He’s just a mortal, so why should I have heard about him? Should we immortal cultivators have to care about some mortal’s status? How bizarre.”

You Shaofeng was so furious that his body was trembling. If not for the strict rules, he would have already started a fight.

He growled, “A servant student dares to be so arrogant, a five-cycle-Jade-Gate fantasizes about entering the top ten? I look forward to seeing how you end up dying in the future!”

Before Tang Jie could reply, another voice called, “Yo, Young Master You, this is a little too much. This is a school, not some ruthless and barbaric battlefield. How could you so easily talk about life and death here? I didn’t cultivate Immortality so that I could get into fights on a whim.”

Two other people, a man and a woman, walked over.

The man was holding a copy of “Treatise on Human Order”. The woman wore a long gown of purple gauze, but she was wearing the moon-white robes of the academy beneath it. She was casually waving around a willow branch in her hand, and her appearance was rather pretty.

The one who had spoken was none other than the woman with the willow branch.

You Shaofeng grimaced at the appearance of these two. “Shu Mingyang, Liu Hongyan, what are you two doing here?”

Shu Mingyang!

Liu Hongyan!

Tang Jie raised an eyebrow upon hearing these two names.

It had been three days since the new students had arrived at the academy. They were all strangers at first, but as they gradually grew accustomed to each other, the reputations of some people began to spread.

For example, Tang Jie was currently one of the celebrities among the new students. He was known as “Mad Student Tang Jie” for his declaration made in front of the school.

Shu Mingyang and Liu Hongyan could also be considered celebrities among the new students.

Shu Mingyang (Book Famous) perfectly fit his name, exuding a thick scholarly aura. He sought peace for the world and practiced the Great Dao of Human Order. He was normally one of few words and liked to read the “Treatise on Human Order” when he was free, but nobody dared to underestimate him.

For he had an eight-cycle Jade Gate!

In this class, there was one person with a nine-cycle Jade Gate, four people with an eight-cycle Jade Gate, nine people with a seven-cycle Jade Gate, and twenty-four with a six-cycle Jade Gate. Shu Mingyang was one of the four students with an eight-cycle Jade Gate.

Thus, even though he wasn’t a noble scion or a servant student, Basking Moon Academy had made an exception and admitted him. No one in Basking Moon Academy dared to look down on him.

As for Liu Hongyan, she had a six-cycle Jade Gate, so she wasn’t part of the high grade and hadn’t been given an exception. However, through enormous persistence and resolve, she had walked the Fiend Demon Path and obtained admission.

The Fiend Demon Path was a chance Basking Moon Academy gave to particularly determined potential students among the common people. It was a dangerous path that had many fiends and demons. Moreover, no matter how much you walked, only the top three were admitted.

Tang Jie hadn’t taken this path not because he was afraid, but because too few people took the path. Godhead Palace would probably send people to watch it, so he would probably be captured before even getting onto the path.

That Liu Hongyan was able to stand out on the Fiend Demon Path was a sign that she possessed not only astonishing willpower, but impressive combat prowess. Such a feat would have been impossible without some skill in mortal martial arts. This was precisely why she was rather well known among the new students.

The two of them had relied on themselves to get into Basking Moon Academy, so it wasn’t strange for them to be together, and they naturally wouldn’t fear this You Shaofeng.

As You Shaofeng spoke, Shu Mingyang didn’t even raise his head, continuing to read his book. Meanwhile, Liu Hongyan chuckled. “Young Master You, what are you saying? Are you saying we can’t come to Morning Sun Summit? I just thought that your tone was too boastful, so I made a few casual comments. Was that enough to offend Young Master You? If Young Master You doesn’t like it, why not let Hongyan compensate you?”

She charmingly smiled, but her eyes were cold and sharp, indicating that she had no intention of paying any sort of compensation.

You Shaofeng grunted. “No matter how boastful my tone, it can’t compare to Mad Student Tang Jie who declared that he would enter the top ten.”

Shu Mingyang suddenly spoke. “When speaking of ambitions, how can one be boastful? As a cultivator, I seek to enter the Heavenly Dao through the Human Dao, which is already a lofty ambition. If you do not even dare to strive for the top ten disciples, why even cultivate? What does it matter if he has only a five-cycle Jade Gate? This aptitude is not particularly bad, and it’s not like there are no people with five cycles in the Rosecloud Domain who have entered the Violet Palace Realm.”

“Those are as rare as Phoenix feathers and Qilin horns!” You Shaofeng retorted.

“But they do exist, even those of the Immortal Platform,” Shu Mingyang replied, and then he said no more.

Having been verbally thwarted by the pair, You Shaofeng was so angry that he could hardly speak. He stomped his feet and walked away, but he remembered to shoot Tang Jie a glare before leaving.

Tang Jie couldn’t be bothered with him. Meanwhile, Shu Mingyang and Liu Hongyan walked over.

Shu Mingyang didn’t like to talk, so it was still Liu Hongyan speaking. “It seems like Young Master Tang’s declaration in front of the academy has brought you a lot of trouble.”

“It’s not strange,” Tang Jie breezily replied. “I’m just a little servant student, yet I dared to make such a bold declaration in front of the academy gate. It would be far stranger if people didn’t resent me… though I don’t exactly know what they have to resent.”

Liu Hongyan covered her mouth and chuckled. “You know that people will resent you, but you don’t know why? That’s a rare sight.”

“Not rare at all. If someone becomes famous, trouble is certain to follow. There’s no celebrity in the world that isn’t cursed at by someone. There will always be those petty people who inexplicably can’t stand the sight of you, and those people who will twist black into white, hating you the better you do… If you went and asked them, they wouldn’t be able to give you a proper reason. All they would say is that they just don’t like you, and then like mad dogs, they’ll bite you, attack you, slander you, like you killed their entire family.”

“Excellent words. I was wondering in what way Mad Student Tang Jie would be mad, but it now seems that you’re someone who understands the ways of the world,” Liu Hongyan said with a smile. She looked over Tang Jie with curiosity and appreciation in her eyes.

Tang Jie casually said, “Compared to Liu Hongyan of the Fiend Demon Path and the eight-cycle Young Master Shu, I am still very lacking.”

The three of them began to chat, listening to Daoist Ku answering questions as they did, and they ended up becoming friends.

Once the class was over and everyone went back, Tang Jie went over to the market to seek out the Internal Breathing spell. This spell was considered a staple good, a minor spell used for inspecting the body, so it could be directly bought from the market rather than going to the academy.

This was also why it was a spell recorded in a book rather than one of those illusory books that inscribed their contents into the mind. Real arts were all passed on without the use of paper.

Tang Jie spent three spirit coins to buy the Internal Breathing spell and returned to the Carefree House. He saw that Little Yiyi was playing around in the garden, and next to Yiyi, several little buds had sprouted out of the earth.

“This is…” Tang Jie was taken aback, and then he realized that these were the spirit grain seeds he had planted yesterday.

Spirit grains absorbed spiritual energy to grow, and growing them wasn’t easy. It normally took several years for them to ripen. In areas abundant with spiritual energy like this place, it would still take a year and a half. How had they already begun to sprout after one night?

As he reeled in shock, Tang Jie realized something and looked at Yiyi. “Did you do this?”

Little Yiyi saw that Tang Jie had returned and rushed into Tang Jie’s embrace. Like a baby searching for milk, she buried her head in Tang Jie’s chest. When she heard Tang Jie speak, she raised her head and seriously nodded. “Mm, it’s very fun. When they saw me, they were itching to grow out of the ground!”

They were itching to come out of the ground when they saw you?

Tang Jie felt speechless over this little thing’s way of speaking.

Fine, at least you know how to use the word “itching” in that way.

Putting aside any hope of getting a proper answer out of her, Tang Jie inspected the little buds himself. He discovered that it was only a small number of seeds, not all of the spirit grains.

But all of the ones that had sprouted belong to a single kind: Painted Eyebrow.

Painted Eyebrow was a kind of spirit grain, but while it had a pretty name, it had average properties. It belonged to the Wood element, and after eating it, those who cultivated Wood essence energy would receive additional aid.

Tang Jie had bought several different kinds of seeds to see what sort of effect they had. This Painted Eyebrow had somehow grown faster under Yiyi’s influence, but she hadn’t affected any of the other kinds. Did this have to do with the element? Was it because they were of the same element or because they were complementary elements? What was the secret here?

Moreover, even the Painted Eyebrows had different degrees of growth. Some had just broken out of the ground, while others were as long as a finger.

Tang Jie carefully questioned Little Yiyi, and through her garbled answers, he finally understood that the region with the best growth… was where Little Yiyi had urinated.

Tang Jie now understood that Little Yiyi was a spiritual lifeform and a grass sprite, so the liquids in her body had a stimulating effect on plants that were similar in nature to her… but this required frequent watering.

Once he understood this, he sighed in disappointment.

This meant that he still couldn’t take Little Yiyi as the golden finger that could accelerate the growth of plants. At best, this could only accelerate the growth of a little pinch of spirit grains.

Mm, it’s still better to be able to harvest some early. Tang Jie decided to have Yiyi live in the courtyard from now on.

Tang Jie suddenly had an idea and went out again.

He went back to the market and bought some young fish, then he went back to the Carefree House and dug out a ditch in his garden that connected to the little stream outside. Once he had the water flowing in, he dug out a little pit and put the young fish inside. He then took out Li Yu’s golden scale and placed it in the water.

He had examined this scale quite a few times, but he still didn’t understand how to use it. Now, through Yiyi, he had an idea.