NOVEL NEXT Ch. 60
Chapter 60: Cultivating the Heaven Book
Chen Beiwu halted in his steps, curiosity appearing on his face. “Suicide? Why?”
Although Zhang Yang came from a poor mortal family, he was a recognized prodigy within Fallen Dragon Manor.
That year, he completed Immortal Alliance Elementary School in just two and a half years, then finished Immortal Alliance Middle School and High School in another two years.
At the age of twelve, he had even reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refining and took the Immortal Alliance Entrance Exam early, successfully gaining admission to the Seven-Nine Upper Sects.
It was no exaggeration to say that when Zhang Yang was already famous across the entire prefecture, Chen Beiwu was still a weakling in second grade of elementary school.
The All Laws Converge, Heaven Book of the Divine Tree could wait a few more minutes to study. A prodigy's tragic fall like Zhang Yang's was a story Chen Beiwu didn’t want to miss.
After all, Sister Qin was related to Zhang Yang’s family. Being connected by blood, her information should be reliable.
“Because of the disparity,” Chen Qin pursed her lips. “Zhang Yang actually had three chances to change his fate and uplift his family.”
For some reason, just mentioning Zhang Yang made her think of her late mother.
Chen Beiwu said nothing, quietly listening to Chen Qin’s account.
“You know Zhang Yang was the smartest child in Pingchen Township. At twelve, he was already qualified to take the Immortal Alliance Entrance Exam, missing entry to the Thirteen Immortal Sects by just a step.”
At this point, Chen Qin paused slightly. “At the time, all the teachers at Shouhe No. 2 High School believed Zhang Yang was qualified to enter the Thirteen Immortal Sects, as long as he was willing to repeat a year.”
“I heard about that too,” Chen Beiwu nodded. “But Senior Zhang Yang chose not to repeat.”
“Exactly. Because Zhang Yang’s father thought entering the Thirteen Immortal Sects wasn’t important,” Chen Qin said with a helpless smile.
“Huh?” Chen Beiwu was baffled.
“Can’t figure it out?” Chen Qin glanced at him. “Don’t be surprised. People think differently. Zhang Yang’s father wanted his son to break records and become the youngest sect student in the Immortal Alliance.”
“Didn’t Senior Zhang Yang or the school teachers object?” Chen Beiwu didn’t understand.
“They did. So Zhang Yang’s father chose Mirror Lake Sword Sect, one of the Seven-Nine Upper Sects, on his behalf. Mirror Lake Sword Sect is a subordinate sect of the Sword-Abyss Immortal Sect, which is one of the Thirteen Immortal Sects. If Zhang Yang could one day achieve Foundation Establishment, he could still cultivate in the Sword-Abyss Immortal Sect.”
“This father really misled his son,” Chen Beiwu shook his head.
Ridiculous. He had never seen a father sabotage his son like this.
What was the use of getting into the Seven-Nine Upper Sects?
If Senior Zhang Yang had repeated a year and entered the Thirteen Immortal Sects, the Zhang family could have soared and become a dominant force in Yuan‑Kong County.
“After entering Mirror Lake Sword Sect, Senior Zhang Yang took only four years to reach the peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, qualifying to explore the limits of Qi Refining, even surpass them,” Chen Qin said with emotion.
“Then something else went wrong?” Chen Beiwu asked.
“Yes,” Chen Qin nodded. “That year, Zhang Yang’s father spent a large amount of money, even going into Immortal Loan debt, to buy the Five Foundation-Establishment Spirits, hoping Zhang Yang would break records and become the youngest Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator in Tianyan Commandery.”
“He succeeded,” Chen Beiwu sighed.
The year Zhang Yang broke through to Foundation Establishment, all of Pingchen Township was in an uproar.
To show importance, the county magistrate of Yuan‑Kong County, True Person Xu, even met Zhang Yang in person.
“But Zhang Yang’s future was also ruined,” Chen Qin said coldly. “To enter the Sword-Abyss Immortal Sect from Mirror Lake Sword Sect at Foundation Establishment, one must possess a Supreme-Grade Dao Foundation.”
“What about the third time?” Chen Beiwu asked proactively.
His intuition told him Sister Qin wasn’t recounting this for no reason.
“The third time was about the cultivation method,” Chen Qin said bluntly. “To improve his Dao Foundation, Zhang Yang spent a fortune to purchase a Legendary-Grade Cultivation Method that could enhance Foundation Establishment quality—the Ninefold Pure Yang Foundation Scripture.”
“A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Dao Foundation can be improved?” Chen Beiwu was surprised.
“Of course,” Chen Qin didn’t hide it. “The Dao Foundation is the core of a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s power. The better its quality, the higher the chance of advancing to Golden Core in the future. If you can get into one of the Seven-Nine Upper Sects or higher, you’ll learn this kind of cultivation knowledge.”
“Before that, I don’t suggest you learn it, and definitely not practice it.”
“Because cultivating something like the Ninefold Pure Yang Foundation Scripture, which enhances the Dao Foundation, consumes a massive amount of time, energy, and resources. The cost is far beyond what a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator can afford. Zhang Yang even went deep into Immortal Loan debt just to practice it.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu suddenly understood.
Immortal Loans compounded with interest—ordinary people could never repay them. Every year, many cultivators in the Immortal Alliance committed suicide because they couldn’t repay their Immortal Loans.
Thinking of this, he tentatively asked, “Did Senior Zhang Yang commit suicide because the Immortal Loan interest snowballed too much to repay?”
Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators had lifespans between three hundred and five hundred years.
If Senior Zhang Yang had cultivated step by step and avoided Immortal Loans, he could’ve eventually become a local overlord in Yuan‑Kong County. Unfortunately, his ambitions were too lofty—his goal was only Golden Core.
“Yes. Zhang Yang failed in cultivating the Ninefold Pure Yang Foundation Scripture, damaging his Dao Foundation, and lost all chance at Golden Core. Repaying the Immortal Loan was out of the question.”
Chen Qin sighed and looked at Chen Beiwu meaningfully. “Zhang Yang just held himself to too high a standard. Legendary-Grade Cultivation Methods are extremely difficult to cultivate. Those without excellent spiritual root aptitude suffer light damage to their foundation if they force it, or in the worst case, go mad and lose all their power.”
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu felt warmth in his heart. He understood now—Sister Qin had shared all these secrets just to guide him in a roundabout way.
Even a prodigy like Zhang Yang had fallen due to a Legendary-Grade Cultivation Method. As a cultivator with an Earth-Grade Root, practicing such a method would be suicidal.
“Indeed, one should not aim too high in cultivation,” Chen Beiwu nodded in agreement.
“As long as you understand,” Chen Qin glanced at the time and rushed off to work.
Do what one must, leave the rest to fate—she had said what needed to be said.
Whatever happened next, she could feel at peace.
Watching Sister Qin leave, Chen Beiwu took the jade slip and talisman pouch and returned to the second-floor cultivation room.
He visualized Tai Xuan Guarding the One, cleared his mind of distractions, and pressed the jade slip to his forehead, activating his divine sense.
“Boom!” The jade slip immediately transformed into a flowing stream of azure light and merged into his sea of consciousness, exploding within.
When Chen Beiwu’s vision refocused, he was no longer in the second-floor cultivation room, but suspended above a vast, boundless ocean.
In front of his gaze stood a divine tree, indescribable by words, stretching between heaven and earth like a gateway to the sky. With an unbending spine, it held up the heavens and radiated an eternal, undying aura.
Just one glance at the divine tree, and a sense of ageless eternity and everlasting vitality surfaced in Chen Beiwu’s heart. At this moment, it was as if he had become one with the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree, breathing the essence of heaven and earth in a mystical and profound rhythm.
One inhale—eight thousand years passed as spring.
One exhale—eight thousand years passed as autumn.
With each inhale and exhale, the everlasting Dao’s Rhythm condensed continuously, and within his dantian, a Green Wood Spirit Seed began to take shape.