Chapter 288
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The setting sun hung low in the west, casting a tinge of orange-red light across the desolate, uninhabited island. The shadows between the mountains had already grown dim. A gentle sea breeze blew, the sound of waves lapping against the shore echoing like a lullaby, lulling Zhang Xiaohua—hiding beneath a rocky outcrop—into a sleepy haze. He dozed off, unwilling to awaken. By the time he opened his eyes again, the sky was already drawing close to dusk.
Rising to his feet and stretching lazily, Zhang Xiaohua leapt up to a higher point. First, he gazed out over the vast sea, but saw no sign of any passing ship. Then, turning to look all around at the massive island, he let out a long, resounding howl. A surge of heroic spirit welled up from within his chest.
“Though this deserted island is vast, there’s not a trace of human presence—only me alone. I want to see just how long I can survive here!”
“The days ahead will be spent here, but I wonder whether Qin Shiyue will be able to find this place. Then again, if someone does find me, it would only mean being dragged back to the Heavenly Dragon Sect. If no one comes, so be it. It’d be better if the one to find me was from some other vessel altogether.”
“Sigh… Father and Mother must be beside themselves with worry. If only I had escaped earlier, back when I was in Jingyue City. Hm, no, that wouldn’t have worked either. If I’d run back then, the Heavenly Dragon Sect would surely have searched everywhere for me. And if they reached Guo Village, that would’ve spelled disaster. Now, after all this upheaval, if Qin Shiyue can’t find me, he’ll likely assume I’ve been swallowed by the sea. At least that won’t bring harm to my family. That’s not too bad… It’s just that I’ll have made my parents worry for nothing, for a long while.”
After that rush of heroism, Zhang Xiaohua’s thoughts turned soft and tangled, emotions welling up endlessly. Only when his belly rumbled from hunger did he begin digging up huangjing to sate himself. Looking at the vast patch of huangjing before him, it was likely that they had grown undisturbed for many years. If he were careful, and followed the planting methods he’d learned from books, surviving off them shouldn’t be a problem. As for water—there was no shortage at all. That small lake, though its origin was unknown, contained abundant fresh water. Coupled with the frequent rain at sea, even if Zhang Xiaohua drank until his belly burst, he might still not finish it all.
After drinking some water, with nothing else to do, Zhang Xiaohua began to practice the Big Dipper Divine Fist upon a flat slab of rock. Yet even as he struck out with his fists, his thoughts continued to wander.
“I feel like there’s something I’ve forgotten. Strange, why can’t I remember?”
After practicing for quite a while, completing nine cycles of circulation and tempering his bones, Zhang Xiaohua’s crystalline bones took on a few more streaks of jade-like luster. By then, night had fully descended. It was at that moment that Zhang Xiaohua slapped his forehead—he had remembered.
“That’s right, I nearly forgot—where am I supposed to sleep tonight? The night is long, and I don’t intend to stay awake the whole time. Without a proper place to rest, that’s no good. I can’t just spend the night under a rock, can I?”
But the darkness of night held no fear for Zhang Xiaohua. With his divine sense able to leave his body, he could walk even with his eyes closed. Still, it was his first day in this unfamiliar environment, and he harbored some lingering apprehension. After pondering for a while, he gave up on the idea of going out in search of a cave, and simply sat once more beneath the protruding rock. Taking out a yuan stone, he prepared to cultivate.
The immortal arts Zhang Xiaohua was currently cultivating included: the Carefree Heart Sutra, the Big Dipper Divine Fist, an unnamed sword technique, the Art of Floating, and the Earth Escape Technique.
The Carefree Heart Sutra required no further explanation—it was his foundational cultivation method, the technique by which he refined and circulated his internal breath. Whenever he had spare time, he would absorb the Yuan Qi within the yuan stone, increase the true qi flowing through his meridians, and temper and store it within his middle dantian.
The Big Dipper Divine Fist was likewise foundational to his cultivation—it was the method by which he tempered his muscles, bones, and skin externally. However, this external martial cultivation was no longer mere mundane martial arts. It was a refinement even more internal than inner training, having already reached into his very bones. Of course, ever since Zhang Xiaohua realized he was walking the path of Immortal Dao, he no longer found it strange. Martial arts were, after all, merely modified remnants of Daoist cultivation. If one could train the bones, it would certainly be superior to tempering only muscles and skin. Yet what benefits this bone cultivation might bring, Zhang Xiaohua truly did not know. Deep down, he only had a faint sense that this training of the bones was far from ordinary.
And indeed it was—Zhang Xiaohua’s current cultivation level was too shallow to perceive the changes in his own bones. If he knew that his bones had become crystalline and glimmering, he would surely be astonished and overjoyed, and would practice the Big Dipper Divine Fist several more times each day. Unfortunately, even though the fist technique had three layers, it could only be trained to a maximum of sixty-three repetitions—nine cycles to temper the bones. No matter how much more he trained, it would no longer further refine them.
As for the unnamed sword technique, it consisted of only a few incomplete moves, which he had long since practiced to the point of familiarity. There was no need to train it further—he simply waited for fate to one day bring him the complete sword art. Only then could he continue. But in this world, those who could recognize a sword technique of the Immortal Dao might only include Zhang Xiaohua himself. Once he returned to the mainland, it would not be too late to search further.
The Art of Floating—he had now completed the cultivation of it. That Piaomiao Step must be derived from the Art of Floating, though altered by seniors of the Piaomiao Sect to suit the evolution of martial practice. The floating technique recorded in the three layers of Piaomiao Step must only be the most basic form of the original art. The true floating and flight techniques likely remained hidden somewhere deep within the Piaomiao Sect.
Moreover, he’d once heard from Zhang Xiaohu that Great Sect Master Ou of the Piaomiao Sect had already cultivated the Piaomiao Step to the ninth layer, achieving Grand Perfection. Now, Zhang Xiaohua understood—this Piaomiao Step was definitely no longer the original Art of Floating. As for the six later layers of qinggong, they might not even be useful to him. So then, this technique…
“Could it be… it’s hidden within the restricted grounds of the Piaomiao Sect? If that’s the case, then it’ll be troublesome. I can’t very well throw my life away just to barge into someone else’s forbidden area, can I?”
“If I had the later layers of the Art of Floating, and managed to cultivate them to completion, I should be able to truly fly. Maybe then I could cross this vast sea on my own—why would I need to wait around for some rescue ship? But as it stands, my current floating technique only lets me hover slightly off the ground. Maybe on land I could rise a bit higher, but out here over the ocean, there’s nothing to push off of—it’s impossible. Sigh.”
“And then there’s Earth Escape—I’ve only just grasped the first incantation, and there are still eight more I haven’t fully comprehended. Perfect chance to use this time to push the Carefree Heart Sutra up another level, and finish mastering the Earth Escape while I’m at it. Once Qin Shiyue comes looking, I’ll just wait for the right moment to have him suffer some… unfortunate accident, then use Earth Escape to slip away. Wouldn’t that be splendid?”
“Oh, right! I still have a basic alchemy manual in my coin pouch. And didn’t I snatch a cauldron from Ying Fei’s hands? Not sure if it’s actually for alchemy, but it looks the part. Seems like I should take this chance to study alchemy too. That Poison-Dispelling Pill was incredible—worked like a charm. It might come in handy when I’m wandering the Jianghu in the future. Also, if there’s a pill to dispel poison, then there must be pills to boost one’s cultivation too, right? If I can learn to refine those, maybe I could make one for Second Brother. Heh heh… if I could help him suddenly become a top-tier expert, wouldn’t that be amazing? Ah—wait. I forgot. These immortal pills might not work for those who practice martial arts. Looks like Second Brother won’t be so lucky after all.”
Thinking of how he’d managed to take the cauldron from Qin Shiyue’s hands, he felt a rush of joy in his heart. Hahaha, that guy was really something—out on official duty, and he still went and found himself some pretty girl. Thought he could bring the cauldron home, too? No way. It’s far better in my hands.
Having sorted through the cultivation methods he currently possessed, Zhang Xiaohua now had a clear plan in mind. The Big Dipper Divine Fist definitely had to be practiced, though it didn’t take up too much time. The key was still the Carefree Heart Sutra. That technique had no limits—he could practice it every moment of the day and never exhaust its depth. Zhang Xiaohua now understood clearly: as long as he cultivated the Carefree Heart Sutra before falling asleep each night, he would surely make progress by the time he woke. Which meant—even while sleeping, he could continue cultivating. That was truly marvelous beyond compare.
“This bracelet, I still don’t know what it is. And those twinkling dreams at night—what are they all about? Still, since I’ve cultivated the Carefree Heart Sutra at night, I probably don’t need to keep practicing it during the day, right? That sutra has no end to it anyway—cultivating during the day would just be icing on the cake. Might as well focus on the Earth Escape Technique and alchemy instead.”
Since it was nighttime now, Zhang Xiaohua naturally focused on cultivating the Carefree Heart Sutra. He took two Yuan Stones in hand, sat cross-legged, and silently began to circulate his internal energy and cultivate.
The night passed uneventfully. At dawn the next day, Zhang Xiaohua first trained in the Big Dipper Divine Fist, then moved on to comprehend the Earth Escape Technique. Around noon, he ate some Huangjing and, taking advantage of the sun at its peak, began to explore the island thoroughly—partly to see what might be hidden on this deserted isle, and partly to find a place he could use as shelter.
With his current abilities, Zhang Xiaohua lightly hovered above the ground using the Art of Floating, occasionally tapping the earth with his toes to stay balanced, while his divine sense carefully scanned the mountain terrain. It didn’t take long before he discovered a modest cave on the island’s eastern side. It faced the rising sun and, curiously, was quite dry inside. That puzzled him slightly—on a sea island like this, with mist and moisture every day, the cave should be damp.
Still, since it wasn’t damp, Zhang Xiaohua had no need to go looking for dry grass or fallen leaves. That saved him some effort.
Having found himself a little den to sleep in, Zhang Xiaohua lost all desire to keep exploring. If Qin Shiyue and the others arrived tomorrow, he’d just go with them. No need to worry about this deserted island any further today. And if they didn’t come—well, he could always look around more tomorrow.
After all, there was no need to rush to investigate the whole island in a single day.
More importantly, it would be best if he could make the most of this time before Qin Shiyue arrived, to fully cultivate everything he could.
With that thought, Zhang Xiaohua took out a jade slip from the space in his coin pouch. He immersed his divine sense into it, and began memorizing and studying it with great focus.
In the past, when Zhang Xiaohua looked at these ancient texts, he found them obscure and difficult to understand. Much of it was beyond his comprehension, which caused a certain resistance in his heart. But now, knowing this was part of the Immortal Path and that the contents within were absolutely real, he felt a deep curiosity awaken within him. He was eager to dig into it. What’s more, the pill-refining knowledge recorded within the jade slip had countless subtle connections with the herbal books he’d studied before. Without even realizing it, he was completely drawn in.
Interest is always the driving force behind progress. Since he could find joy in it, Zhang Xiaohua naturally immersed himself without complaint. It wasn’t until the sky had darkened that he finally opened his eyes slowly.
“The Dao of alchemy truly is vast and profound. This jade slip only records the most basic techniques of pill refinement, yet just the opening section alone already made me feel like I was walking through mud. Compared to my previous knowledge of herbs, this is a world apart. I wonder what the immortal path’s alchemy techniques look like after being altered for martial cultivation. If I get the chance, I should go take a look at the Medicine Hall.”
“The Immortal Path’s alchemy uses the cauldron as a base, and true qi as flame—by channeling qi into the cauldron, it activates the formation inside, giving rise to true fire. That fire then extracts the essence of herbs. Once yin and yang are balanced, and the sovereign and minister ingredients support each other, the result is a finished pill. As for martial cultivation? Without true qi, they probably just use ordinary flame. That would surely introduce more impurities. Oh—right, Immortal Path’s pills benefit true qi and meridians. So martial alchemy must modify them to match internal energy instead. As long as the prescription is altered accordingly, that should work.”
“I’ve already got a cauldron here, but I wonder if my true qi at the third level of Qi Refining is enough to activate it?”
Zhang Xiaohua wanted to bring out the cauldron and give it a try, but one glance at the cramped cave, and another thought of how he’d only just begun understanding the basics of alchemy—while the later parts were still a muddle in his mind—left him feeling that it would be a pointless attempt. He gave up on the idea and stepped out of the cave.
Night had already fallen. The surface of the sea still rippled gently, without any strong winds or waves. The deep blue waters reflected the starlight above, casting a faint glow. But at the horizon, not a single speck of black could be seen—no sign of rescue. Zhang Xiaohua sighed, filled his stomach, and returned to cultivation.
On this lonely, desolate island, only cultivation could pass the time.
So it went—day after day, for more than ten days—and still there was no sign of Qin Shiyue. Zhang Xiaohua had begun to feel quite anxious.
“What’s going on with that Qin Shiyue? Isn’t he afraid of getting scolded by his sect leader? Why hasn’t he come to find me yet? If I were captured by the Heavenly Dragon Sect, as long as I can endure their torture, they might not be able to do anything to me. Oh wait—what if they just kill me? What then? No, once I’m back on shore, I should run as soon as I get the chance.”
“If Qin Shiyue doesn’t come, what am I supposed to do? Sure, I’ve got food and water and I can cultivate, but it’s just me here—long nights alone with no one to talk to…”
Every day he muttered about Qin Shiyue coming to find him, but not a shadow of a ship ever appeared. Gradually, Qin Shiyue turned into Old Man Qin, then Qin the Lecher, Qin the Scoundrel, Qin the Villain… and eventually, even calling him White-Headed Old Man didn’t summon so much as a flicker on the sea’s edge.
Although Zhang Xiaohua was anxious, his cultivation had made remarkable progress. He had already comprehended the second hand seal of the Earth Escape technique, and this comprehension laid a solid foundation for the subsequent seals. After all, everything he understood had been grasped little by little through his own efforts—it was deeply rooted and unshakable. Though he had only just started on the third seal, his progress was already rapid. As for alchemy, that went without saying—still in the theoretical stage, yet it was what interested him the most. He had already thoroughly grasped the initial concepts, and was now stepping into the proper fundamentals of pill refinement.
It had to be said—Zhang Xiaohua today was no longer the dim-witted boy from back in Guo Village, who would be gently admonished by the teacher after just a few days of schooling. The very arts that, in the golden age of the Immortal Path, required a master to teach them hand by hand—he had slowly but surely ground his way through, comprehending them on his own.
Of course, this also had a great deal to do with the fact that he was marooned on a deserted island, with nothing to distract his heart or mind.
On this particular day, there was still no sign of hope—but the sky had turned overcast. The weather over the sea was ever-changing; in fact, ten days of clear skies had been the anomaly. Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged inside his little cave, absorbed in the study of alchemy, when a sudden peal of thunder exploded from the heavens, startling him to his feet. He stepped outside to look around—storm clouds had already gathered densely overhead. It looked like a downpour was on the way.
His cave was situated on the mountainside, close to the summit, so he wasn’t too concerned about rainwater flowing in. He was just about to return to continue studying—when a bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky before his eyes, as though it had torn something open in his mind.
