Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Within the human body was the Jade Gate that served to lock away the world.

Spiritual energy permeated the world, but mortals could not sense, absorb, or digest it, only passively receive it. This was because of the Jade Gate.

If one wished to cultivate immortality, one first had to charge through the Jade Gate. Only then could one step onto the Spirit Platform and sense the world. It was for this reason that cultivators called the first realm the Spirit Platform Realm.

This was the first major threshold of cultivation.

Charging through the Jade Gate required energy, and as mortals normally did not have spiritual energy in their body, they found it very difficult to break through the Jade Gate on their own. They would usually require the assistance of their seniors.

But spiritual energy was not the only way to break through the gate. Those of a sufficiently brave or heroic nature could crash through this gate.

The world abounded with heroic characters, and when they suddenly erupted in strength in the middle of a bitter melee, it was because they had broken through the gate.

This phenomenon was called the Jade Gate Heaven Charge, referring to how someone had managed to break through the Jade Gate without anyone's help.

But the Jade Gate Heaven Charge only sounded nice. It was not necessarily a good thing.

'The Jade Gate of the Spirit Platform; the gate opening of nine cycles.' This referred to the degree to which the Jade Gate was opened during the breakthrough process.

The Spirit Platform Jade Gate had nine layers, like nine circular targets. Opening each layer was like punching a hole through the center of the target, allowing spiritual energy to flow through the hole into the body of the cultivator.

The first cycle of gate opening was to punch through the first target. Three cycles meant that one had punched through the nine, eighth, and seventh layers all at once.

The more gates one opened, the more spiritual energy would come through, and the better results one's cultivation would produce. Once the charge's power was spent, the Jade Gate's form would be fixed. For this reason, each person had only one chance at this in their lifetime.

For this reason, the number of cycles one could achieve when opening a gate would define the quality of a cultivator to a certain extent.

Though the Jade Gate Heaven Charge did not rely on outside aid, as it depended on one's inherent strength, it was difficult to maintain. This meant that the degree to which the Jade Gate opened was never very large. Some people would not even be able to make one full cycle, only opening the gate a hair's width, meaning that they would never be able to step onto the Spirit Platform.

So it was said that not relying on outside aid only sounded nice. A Jade Gate Heaven Charge without external aid was like children in a kindergarten trying to draw without the guidance of a teacher.

Tang Jie was radiating spiritual energy—one of the signs of the Jade Gate Heaven Charge.

Moreover, the spiritual light erupting from his body and the overflowing of spiritual energy were clearly not caused by a surge of blood energy. Rather, it was the result of spiritual energy entering the body and running rampant.

This also meant that Tang Jie was not actually charging at the gate. Instead, the spiritual energy in his body had gone out of control and was running amok in his body, inadvertently ramming into the Jade Gate.

Thus, rather than calling it a Jade Gate Heaven Charge, it would be better to call it energy corruption.

Tang Jie was probably the first in the history of the cultivation world to suffer from energy corruption without even cultivating.

Fortunately, it wasn't difficult for Xu Muyang to save him.

After all, someone with a low foundation was like a child, and the trouble one could cause was ultimately limited.

But Xu Muyang truly didn't understand. Why was there suddenly spiritual energy in Tang Jie's body?

He urgently asked, "What happened to you?"

Had some cultivator come by and sent spiritual energy into Tang Jie's body but failed to teach him how to guide it, resulting in the spiritual energy getting out of control?

Tang Jie struggled out, "Big… Big Brother Xu, I was cultivating the Visceral Manifestation Classic…"

The Visceral Manifestation Classic?

Xu Muyang was stupefied.

How could that be?

He knew the effects of the Visceral Manifestation Classic.

Upon obtaining this art, Xu Muyang had discovered that it was a method for absorbing spiritual energy without passing through the Jade Gate.

At the start, he had treated it as an absolute treasure, believing that while other people could only absorb spiritual energy through the Jade Gate, one who cultivated the Visceral Manifestation Classic could absorb energy from two sources, thus doubling the effectiveness. For this reason, this was an art that excelled at boosting one's cultivation.

But only when he cultivated it did he discover that the amount of spiritual energy that could be absorbed was tiny, far less than what could be absorbed through the Jade Gate. While it seemed like Tang Jie's body was raging with spiritual energy, Xu Muyang could gather this much energy in the space of a single breath.

Moreover, when cultivating the Visceral Manifestation Classic, even the rate at which he absorbed spiritual energy through the Jade Gate was severely reduced. In whole, the effects were worse.

Xu Muyang hadn't taken this seriously at first, believing that he just wasn't proficient in the technique. After all, the creator of the art had been a peerless master who had gone to great lengths to hide this art away, so it could not be so useless. There was no one who would receive a huge boost in cultivation without gaining proficiency in an art, so he continued to diligently study this art.

Yet as the days dragged on without any progress in the Visceral Manifestation Classic, he gradually began to become discouraged and consider the art of dubious worth. Otherwise, he would not have so easily taught it to Tang Jie. 

But when he saw the spiritual energy running amok in Tang Jie's body, the Jade Gate coming under assault, his mind was finally opened.

As if a bolt of lightning flashed across his mind, Xu Muyang shouted, "So that's it! The viscera are within and the manifestations take form on the outside, then, after forming the manifestations, bolster the internals, charging at the Jade Gate without using any external force… The Visceral Manifestation Classic was an art for charging at the gate that the Ninedark Martial Lord prepared for his reincarnation! Damn it! I'm an idiot! A real idiot! How did I not realize this!?"

Xu Muyang slapped his head.

He couldn't be blamed for not thinking of this possibility. No one in the cultivation world had ever created an art for charging at the gate.

Firstly, creating an art for absorbing spiritual energy without going through the Jade Gate was very difficult. Secondly, anyone who was capable of creating such an art had no need for it.

As for their descendants, they could just pour in spiritual energy to open the Jade Gate. There was no need to waste time and energy on something so meaningless.

The rigid thinking of millennia had caused Xu Muyang to not even consider this angle, which was why he had taken it as a treasured art that could double his cultivation speed.

He was excited to realize the truth, but he was also disheartened upon realizing that the art he had been cultivating for so many days was an art for charging at the gate that was completely useless to him.

While he was lost in his own gains and losses, Tang Jie was reaching his breaking point. Lying on the ground, he painfully moaned, "Big Brother Xu… Big Brother Xu…"

Xu Muyang was called back to his senses by his cries, and only now did he remember that Tang Jie was still lingering on the precipice of death.

When he looked at Tang Jie again, there was a complicated mixture of emotion in his eyes.

He reached out a hand and poked Tang Jie's body. That berserk spiritual energy was immediately pacified, no longer bashing around his body. It still remained in Tang Jie's body, making him feel uncomfortable, but at least it was no longer as painful.

Xu Muyang then said, "Do you have a desire to become a cultivator?"

"Yes!" Tang Jie loudly shouted.

At this point, he finally and loudly voiced his desires.

He loudly shouted, "I want to learn, so I followed you. I studied the Visceral Manifestation Classic, and even though I knew that it was dangerous without the mantra, I still wanted to learn it!"

"Why?"

"'Why'?" Tang Jie laughed. "A true man aspires to travel far and make his mark, to stand tall and look with disdain at the heavens. How could I be resigned to the empty life of a fly? Immortals exist, so I want to be one. There's no need for any other reason besides that!"

In Tang Jie's eyes, people wanted to become Immortals for the same reason as they sought promotion and wealth.

Did there need to be a reason to seek promotion and wealth?

No!

Wanting to become an Immortal didn't need a reason. It was not wanting to become an Immortal that needed the reason!

Xu Muyang was stunned. "This is your reason?"

"Is that not enough?" Tang Jie laughed. Although Xu Muyang had pacified the spiritual energy inside him, the pain was still excruciating, yet he still managed to keep up his smile.

He looked at Xu Muyang, mustered all his strength, and shouted, "Then what if I give you another reason? Because… because I don't want to be like the villagers of Little River Village, becoming fish on the chopping board of others!"

With this roar, he finally released all the negative emotions that he had been storing up at the bottom of his heart all this time, bellowing his hatred at those who had destroyed his home and loved ones, bellowing out all the thoughts he had buried away for so long.

Xu Muyang gave a slight nod. "Then… you truly are the last villager of Little River Village… Good, very good; I was actually fooled by a twelve-year-old boy."

If he still couldn't realize the truth after hearing Tang Jie's indignant and sorrowful answer, then he was truly a fool.

Tang Jie fearlessly looked at him. "Yes, but didn't you already guess? Isn't that the reason you didn't want to accept me?"

Xu Muyang wasn't an idiot. He might have been initially fooled by Tang Jie, but as the days went by, he would naturally notice a problem.

But as they spent more time together, Xu Muyang came to like Tang Jie, and there were some things that he wasn't willing to bicker about. Thus, he decided not to wonder about whether Tang Jie was a villager of Little River Village or not.

Hearing Tang Jie's words, Xu Muyang shook his head. "Although you fooled me, I don't blame you. Regardless of what you say, you did save me. Moreover, you've taken care of me, so passing on to you a cultivation method is nothing at all. I did not take you as a disciple because I didn't want to harm you. You must realize… the Immortal path is dangerous!"

Tang Jie coughed blood and smiled. "Is there any place in the world that isn't dangerous? What crime did the villagers of Little River Village commit to be slaughtered?"

"Just because the villagers of Little River Village were unlucky doesn't mean that everyone is unlucky. But all those who walk upon the Immortal path must vie against the heavens and struggle against their fellow men. Not one day will be a peaceful one!"

"And that's why I need to walk it!"

Xu Muyang had nothing more to say.

After some thought, he nodded. "If you want to learn, I can teach you, but you must first answer my question."

"You want to know how I was able to gather spiritual energy?" Tang Jie asked.

"Yes." Xu Muyang nodded. "The Visceral Manifestation Classic has twelve forms, and each movement is incredibly complex and is a combination of numerous hand signs. Moreover, each form has its corresponding cultivation mantra. The mantras of the Visceral Manifestation Classic you have are not complete, and they are all out of order. How were you able to allow spiritual energy into your body without the complete mantra?"

Tang Jie answered, "The mantras I have truly were incomplete, and even the parts I had, I didn't fully understand. The entranced mind that focuses on one's aspirations, engaging the organs and abandoning essence—I don't get it at all. But I can ignore what I don't understand and focus on what I do. Energy running through the one hundred meridians, flowing smoothly and without obstruction—I understand this. Cultivators cultivate using the spiritual energy of the world, right? Since the energy must flow through the hundred meridians, you first have to have energy. I once heard you say that when one can sense the Energy Cave Point, the energy will come through on its own. In other words, energy begins from the Energy Cave Point…"

As Tang Jie explained his thought process, still in pain, Xu Muyang was stupefied.

Tang Jie's method was very simple, skipping past what he didn't understand and trying according to what he did understand.

There was an order needed when sending energy through the one hundred meridians. The Energy Cave Point belonged to the Lesser Yin Foot Kidney Meridian, so the appropriate route was the very same meridian. Thus, he just needed to go along the Four Fullness Point, the Middle Pouring Point, and all the other points in that meridian, thus saving Tang Jie the need for those other mantras. Even if there were missing parts, he could just deduce the missing parts.

(TN: The Lesser Yin Foot Kidney Meridian is also known simply as the Kidney Meridian. All three acupuncture points mentioned here belong to this meridian. In particular, the Energy Cave Point is described as three inches below the navel, while the Four Fullness and Middle Pouring Points are two inches and one inch beneath the navel respectively.)

Besides that, the twelve forms of the Visceral Manifestation Classic were also extremely important, each movement closely connected to the mantras explaining how energy should be circulated.

Tang Jie noticed that the first movement opened up all of the positions in the Lesser Yin Hand Heart Meridian, so that was the meridian it corresponded to.

Thus, the second movement naturally had to have a corresponding meridian as well.

The human body had twelve major meridians, and these corresponded to twelve major movements. Thus, Tang Jie was able to smoothly find the right order for the energy flow, linking together the snatches of mantra Xu Muyang had given him and successfully performing the art.

Tang Jie had been born in a family of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, and though he had never actually taken up that profession, this was a profession that valued knowledge even more than technique. After spending a long time immersed in this environment, Tang Jie had developed a rather deep understanding of the human body, which had allowed him to succeed.

Xu Muyang was flabbergasted at what he was hearing, never thinking that someone could cultivate using this method. He muttered, "Do you know how dangerous this was?"

Spiritual energy was not something that could be played around with, and cultivation was not something that could be casually imagined. Each art and each mantra was achieved through the tireless effort of one's predecessors.

Tang Jie was able to use his imagination to cultivate spiritual energy through the Visceral Manifestation Classic, but this owed more to luck than to genius. This was because sensing and absorbing spiritual energy was the fundamental function of the Visceral Manifestation Classic.

But doing something as complicated as getting the energy flowing through his meridians in the right order and increasing his spiritual energy was not something that could just be imagined. The various leaps of faith and deductions had ultimately caused energy corruption. If not for Xu Muyang, he would have died a violent death.

"Of course, I understand." Tang Jie squeezed out a pained smile. "But I didn't have a choice. Big Brother Xu, I want to cultivate!"

I want to cultivate!

These simple words that contained Tang Jie's aspirations left Xu Muyang's heart shaken.

It was such a familiar scene. His mind went back to that stubborn young boy facing his father and saying similar words… Tang Jie's words had inadvertently stirred up great waves in Xu Muyang's heart. After a long while, he let out a long sigh. "Forget it, forget it. Since you're so determined, then let's see how lucky you are. Right now, the spiritual energy in your body is running amok, and you're at the crucial stage of charging at the Jade Gate. If you succeed, you can set out on the Immortal path. I will now pass on the complete mantra of the Visceral Manifestation Classic to you. Circulate spiritual energy according to the mantra and break through the Jade Gate."

He pressed a finger on the Wind Palace Point located on the back of Tang Jie's neck.

The pacified spiritual energy in Tang Jie's body once more went berserk, causing Tang Jie to yell in pain. Xu Muyang harshly barked, "Don't shout! Focus your mind, breathe in, and guide the spiritual energy into the Wind Palace. With courage and vigor, charge at the Jade Gate and step onto the Spirit Platform…"

As Xu Muyang spoke, Tang Jie gritted his teeth and fell silent.

Charging at the gate used energy as its force, and crying and wailing would waste spiritual energy. Without sufficient force, the Jade Gate would be difficult to open, and fear and pain would shrink one's resolve, obstruct the meridians, and hinder the flow of energy. The reduction in efficiency was so bad that even if the Jade Gate were opened, one might only be able to perform one or two cycles.

Thus, charging at the gate required a fearless resolve that did not flinch in the face of pain, courage and spirit.

Of course, too much courage and spirit was no good. The human body had a limit, and when one broke through this limit, spiritual energy might rush at the Spirit Platform and damage it.

The minor consequence of this was damage dealt to the entire body and the wounding of one's vitality. A medium consequence was the destruction of the Spirit Platform and the end to any aspirations to the Immortal path. As for the serious consequence, that was the destruction of one's internal organs, death on the spot.

Thus, when the disciples of Immortals charged at the gate, they needed to take countermeasures, and they would have seniors overseeing them to react to any sudden developments.

Now, with Xu Muyang's guidance, Tang Jie felt a point of spiritual light entering the Wind Palace Point on the back of his neck, guiding him upward. He was already in a world beyond description. Tang Jie felt like he was in the clouds, and above the clouds were nine rings of Jade Gates, their centers spiraling, creating a bizarre black hole that drew Tang Jie's mind toward them…