Chapter 209

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Zhang Chengyue was quite puzzled and asked: “Master, what is ‘Xianyin’? It sounds rather difficult to pronounce.”

[TL_Note: Xianyin = Immortal’s Fall]

Ou Peng took a sip of tea, let out a long breath, and said: “‘Xianyin,’ as the name suggests, means the extinction of the Immortal Dao.”

“Extinction of the Immortal Dao?” Zhang Chengyue was shocked and nearly jumped up. He said: “Isn’t that the kind of thing described in those boring storybooks people read for entertainment? Aren’t immortals supposed to live as long as the heavens and possess great divine powers? How could they be extinguished?”

“And moreover,” Zhang Chengyue asked suspiciously, “do immortals even really exist? Why have I never seen one before?”

Ou Peng looked at Zhang Chengyue’s expression and wasn’t surprised. Back when he had heard his own master talk about the extinction of the Immortal Dao, his reaction had been far more intense. Zhang Chengyue’s composure showed that his mental fortitude was much stronger than his own had been back then. Smiling slightly, he explained: “When I talk about the Immortal Dao, I mean the path of cultivation, the road from being a mortal to becoming an immortal. Besides, where in this world are there actual immortals? Immortals are beings that exist only in the heavens.”

Zhang Chengyue laughed and said: “Master, you’re teasing me. When I was little, my grandmother used to tell me stories about immortals in the heavens, but how come no immortals have ever come down from the sky?”

Ou Peng replied: “The ‘heavens’ I speak of are not the sky above us but another world altogether.”

“Another world?” Zhang Chengyue was utterly confused.

Looking at the young man, who was now overwhelmed by this new knowledge, Ou Peng felt very satisfied. He said: “Although there are no true immortals in our world, long, long ago—perhaps tens of thousands of years ago—there existed a group of people who sought to cultivate and become immortals. They called themselves cultivators. Their powers were extraordinary; they could fly through the sky, traverse the earth, move mountains, and overturn seas. They lived for an incredibly long time. To ordinary people, they were no different from immortals.”

“Ah!?” Zhang Chengyue was dumbfounded. He said: “Doesn’t that make them immortals? By the way, Master, can you first tell me what this ‘other world’ is like?”

Ou Peng frowned and said: “Well, the sect’s manuals don’t contain any records about it. They only say that when cultivators in our world reach the peak of their cultivation, they ascend in a radiant cloud, becoming immortals and entering another world. Whether that place is truly above us or what it looks like, no one knows. No immortal has ever returned from there.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhang Chengyue said, starting to understand.

Then, unable to contain his curiosity, Zhang Chengyue asked again: “So what about now? Where have all the immortal cultivators gone? Could it be that they’ve all ascended and become immortals?”

Ou Peng gave a bitter smile and said: “According to the sect’s records, becoming an immortal is no easy feat. Out of a million people, not even one might succeed. It’s far from as simple as you imagine, where you can become an immortal if you want.”

Zhang Chengyue was puzzled and said: “If none of them became immortals, didn’t you also say earlier that their lifespans were incredibly long? Surely some of them must have lived until now. Why have I never seen them? I haven’t even heard of them!”

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he exclaimed: “Could this be related to the extinction of the Immortal Path?”

Ou Peng nodded and said: “Exactly. It’s because of the extinction of the Immortal Pth that they didn’t survive until now. Even their inheritances have changed!”

Ou Peng then organized his thoughts and began to explain slowly: “In fact, in the very beginning, there was no such thing as the Immortal Path in this world. There were only ordinary mortals, living mundane and aimless lives. Then, one day—no one knows when—four cultivators suddenly appeared in this world. They found the scenery here beautiful and the customs simple and pure, so they decided to stay. They established sects here and began teaching disciples.”

Hearing this, Zhang Chengyue opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but he didn’t dare interrupt Ou Peng.

Noticing this, Ou Peng said: “Chengyue, what do you want to ask?”

Zhang Chengyue asked curiously: “Master, I want to know, how did those four cultivators come to this world? Did they descend from the heavens?”

Ou Peng chuckled and said: “The manuals record that they used something called a ‘teleportation array’.”

Zhang Chengyue nodded, understanding that his master had not seen it firsthand either, so he didn’t press further.

After thinking for a moment, Ou Peng continued: “It’s similar to how we martial artists cultivate. We cultivate True Qi, and so do they. However, our True Qi is self-generated, tempered, and grown within our own bodies. In contrast, they draw upon an external energy called ‘Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth,’ bringing it into their bodies to form their own True Qi. Bah.” At this point, Ou Peng seemed a bit impatient and waved his hand dismissively, saying: “Let’s stop comparing martial arts with cultivation. Too many terms overlap, and it gets confusing. I’ll just focus on explaining immortal cultivation.”

“Immortal Cultivators draw the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth into their bodies, refining it internally, expanding their meridians, and accumulating True Qi. All their techniques, such as spells, escape arts, and swordsmanship, are based on this Yuan Qi. It’s said that the stages of cultivation include Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. Beyond that, I’m not sure; there seem to be even more legendary realms.”

At this moment, Zhang Chengyue interrupted and asked: “Master, can you explain these stages in more detail?”

After pondering for a moment, Ou Peng replied: “From what I’ve gleaned from the secret records, the Qi Refining stage is when one begins to draw the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth into their body, tempering their meridians and refining their physical body, laying the foundation. Once this reaches a certain level, one advances to the Foundation Establishment stage. After Foundation Establishment, further cultivation led to the formation of a small sphere in the dantian, called the Golden Core. Reaching this stage means entering the Golden Core realm. Then, with continued cultivation, the Golden Core eventually shatters, giving rise to a small infant-like figure identical to the cultivator. This is the Nascent Soul. It’s said that once someone reaches the Nascent Soul realm, they can fly using their Nascent Soul and go wherever they wish.”

Zhang Chengyue listened, his mouth agape in astonishment, and couldn’t help but ask: “Master, is all of this true? The more I hear, the more it sounds like the stories my grandmother used to tell.”

Ou Peng chuckled and scolded: “Chengyue, has Master ever deceived you in all the years I’ve been teaching you martial arts? These things are recorded in the secret books meant for the sect leader’s reference. Once you have the chance to read them yourself, you’ll understand.”

Zhang Chengyue rubbed his stomach and said: “Master, isn’t the dantian right here? I practice cultivating True Qi every day—why can’t I form a Golden Core and hatch a Nascent Soul?”

Without bothering to explain, Ou Peng continued: “Those four predecessors of cultivation founded sects and established four immortal cultivation schools in our world, spreading their legacy far and wide. However, despite years of rigorous cultivation, even those four seniors failed to truly ascend to immortality. In the end, they passed away, leaving behind only their teachings and paving the way for the path of immortality.”

Zhang Chengyue’s eyes widened as he exclaimed: “Even the founders of immortal cultivation couldn’t achieve immortality? Is this path to immortality even viable?”

Ou Peng replied awkwardly: “Well… the books don’t specify if anyone has actually succeeded in becoming an immortal. I’m not entirely sure.”

Then, with a knowing look, he added: “But even if one doesn’t achieve immortality, having the power to stir rivers and overturn seas, the ability to fly and vanish at will—how different is that from being an immortal? Naturally, many are drawn to the path of cultivation.”

Zhang Chengyue nodded thoughtfully. It was much like martial arts—not everyone could become a supreme master. But even an ordinary practitioner was far stronger than a common person. Naturally, many people wanted to learn martial arts—let alone pursue the path of cultivation.

Ou Peng continued: “During the flourishing era of the Immortal Dao, this world boasted four major cultivation sects. There were also numerous smaller sects that had splintered off from these four, and even many loose cultivators practicing on their own, relying on techniques that had leaked from the major sects. According to the records in the books, in those days, it was common for mortals to witness cultivators flying through the skies on rainbows, clouds, or swords. Cultivators, being human, had their tempers too, and when disputes arose, their clashes would unleash sword energy that could make mountains collapse and rivers flow backward. Truly, they were no different from the immortals in legends.

Moreover, the abilities of cultivators were extraordinary. They could refine pills to increase their strength, forge magical tools and weapons to aid them in battle, and even draw talismans to channel the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth into specific effects. Pills were particularly remarkable—not only beneficial to humans but also to certain spiritual beasts. Some fortunate animals, upon obtaining and consuming such pills, could even begin their own path of cultivation.”

“Animals can cultivate immortality too?” Zhang Chengyue found this idea utterly incredible.

“Yes, cultivators refer to them as ‘Demon Cultivators’. However, given that the cultivation path in this world was relatively short-lived, these demon cultivators did not achieve much. Many were simply spirit beasts raised by cultivators, serving as guardians of their caves or mere playthings. In fact, not only were there cultivators and demon cultivators, but also ‘Devil Cultivators.'”

“Devil Cultivators? Are they connected to the devil sects we know today?”

“They both have the word ‘devil’ in their names, so there must be some connection. However, the time is too far removed, and the records in the books are not very detailed, so I can’t say for sure.”

“By the way, Master, just now you mentioned the Four Great Immortal Sects. Which four sects are they?”

Ou Peng thought for a moment and said: “The Four Great Sects are: the Incense-Spreading Cult, the Dalin Temple, the Divine Blade Sect, and…”

At this point, Ou Peng’s face lit up with pride. “And, of course, our very own Piaomiao Sect!”

Zhang Chengyue was shocked. “Our Piaomiao Sect is one of the Four Great Immortal Sects? Such an impressive background! But Master, does that mean you also practice immortal cultivation?”

Ou Peng replied: “Of course not. If I were cultivating immortality, how could our Piaomiao Sect have ended up in its current state?”

Zhang Chengyue said: “That’s true. If immortal cultivators are so powerful, naturally everyone would want to practice immortal cultivation. So why would you choose martial arts? And why is it that now there are only martial artists, but no trace of immortal cultivation?”

Ou Peng laughed and said: “That is the key question. Immortal cultivation and martial arts are not the same. Do you know why?”

Zhang Chengyue thought for a moment and said: “Because of the difference in power!”

Ou Peng shook his head. “That’s because when immortal cultivators roamed this world, martial arts didn’t even exist yet!”

“Ah!” Zhang Chengyue exclaimed in astonishment.