Volume 1 Chapter 6

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Volume 1 Chapter 6: Withering and Flourishing

After leaving the hall of Changchun Residence, Yue Qingru took Xu Qingfan to arrange their accommodations. Once Xu Qingfan changed into the uniform robe of Jiuhua Gate, Yue Qingru took him to become familiar with the surroundings of Changchun Residence.

Yue Qingru, who had a scholarly demeanor, was very friendly towards Xu Qingfan, the new junior. He seemed very happy to have a junior brother. Throughout their conversation, he learned about Xu Qingfan’s past experiences and finally understood why Lu Huayan took Xu Qingfan as his disciple. He admired Xu Qingfan’s courage to seek revenge for his family without fear. However, he did not question Lu Huayan’s actions, showing that he valued his teacher and tradition.

According to Yue Qingru, Lu Huayan had a reclusive personality, and although he was powerful, he seldom accepted disciples. He took Yue Qingru as a disciple seventy-five years ago only because Yue Qingru’s ancestors had helped Lu Huayan. So, even though Changchun Residence was quite large, there had only been Changchun Zi and Yue Qingru living there before, making it very lonely. This was why Yue Qingru was so happy to have a junior brother.

As the two brothers walked and talked, Xu Qingfan learned about the basic situation of Jiuhua Gate from Yue Qingru.

It turned out that Jiuhua Gate was founded by the great master Jiuhua seven thousand years ago. After years of development, its strength grew stronger, and for three thousand years it had been known as one of the six great Holy Lands of cultivation, along with Qingxu Gate, Penance Valley, Zen Cloud Temple, Five Elements Sect, and White Lady Palace.

Unfortunately, this glorious experience did not last long.

Eight hundred years ago, a top expert from Jiuhua Gate named Zhang Xusheng turned to the dark path, calling himself "Heavenly Serpent Star Lord," and killed many experts from Jiuhua Gate. Since then, Jiuhua Gate’s strength declined, and with the passing of Lu Huayan’s martial uncle Li Xuhan, Jiuhua Gate faced the embarrassing situation of being one of the six great Holy Lands of cultivation without a single peerless expert who had reached the Mahayana Stage or above.

But in the world of cultivators, strength is what matters. As the power of Jiuhua Gate weakens, many sects desire the abundant Spirit Qi of Jiuhua Mountain, Jiuhua Gate’s unique cultivation methods, and the resources and magical tools accumulated by Jiuhua Gate over thousands of years. This includes other five great cultivation Holy Lands, so Jiuhua Gate is now in great danger. Only with the wise methods of Sect Leader Zhang Hualing and the powerful protective array has it not faced any major disasters until now.

As the two walked and talked, Xu Qingfan got to know his senior brother better. Yue Qingru actually had only average talent and had only reached the Inedia Stage in his cultivation. However, because his ancestors had helped Lu Huayan, he was accepted as a disciple as an exception. Yue Qingru was born into a scholarly family. He knew that with his talent, living for a long time was a distant dream. Living for a hundred years was already a luxury, so he spent his days doing what he enjoyed—reading extensively. Over the years, his knowledge became quite rich. If he were placed in the common world, he would surely be a celebrated scholar.

Although Lu Huayan was always annoyed by Yue Qingru’s lack of ambition, Xu Qingfan felt a deeper understanding of his senior brother. He saw in this brother the same qualities of the Second Elder who had taught him to read and write—similar knowledge, similar elder demeanor. His love for reading also suited Xu Qingfan’s temperament.

Because of their shared interests, the two brothers became even closer as they walked along.

After following Yue Qingru around Changchun Residence, Xu Qingfan remembered that Master Lu Huayan was still waiting for him, so he said goodbye to Martial Brother Yue Qingru and hurried toward Lu Huayan’s room.

When Xu Qingfan arrived at Master Lu Huayan’s room, he found Lu Huayan sitting cross-legged on the bed, resting with his eyes closed.

"Master, your disciple has arrived."

"From today on, I will begin teaching you the cultivation method of ‘The Formula of Wither and Flourish.’ I hope you will work hard and study diligently, so that I can soon understand the secrets of this cultivation method and survive a bit longer. You can also make some progress in your power and avenge your people." After hearing Xu Qingfan’s voice, Lu Huayan was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Yes, I will study diligently to help Master advance even further," Xu Qingfan replied respectfully.

Xu Qingfan felt very complicated about Lu Huayan’s incomplete cultivation method throughout that day. Without Lu Huayan, he would have long lost his mind under the pressure of the Mountain Spirit Wood Monster, living a confusing and miserable life. At the same time, Lu Huayan gave him hope for revenge and personally brought him into the world he had longed for. Along the way, Lu Huayan taught him seriously, and Xu Qingfan felt he should be grateful to him.

However, even though Xu Qingfan spoke sincerely when he became Lu Huayan’s disciple, he couldn’t help but think that his master had risked his well-being by pushing him to practice incomplete techniques for his own longevity. Although it was his choice, and Lu Huayan’s actions were fair, it made it impossible for him to feel the proper bond between master and disciple.

Xu Qingfan always respected his teacher, so when he heard Lu Huayan say this, he nodded in agreement.

Lu Huayan looked at Xu Qingfan with deep meaning, as if he could see into Xu Qingfan’s thoughts, but he did not explain anything. He simply said to himself, "Before I teach you ‘The Formula of Wither and Flourish,’ let me tell you about the basics of cultivation."

"Master, please go ahead," Xu Qingfan quickly replied.

"All things in heaven and earth can be divided into yin and yang and the five elements. We practitioners absorb the qi of yin, yang, and the five elements to strengthen ourselves. Yin and yang represent good and evil; those who cultivate yang qi are righteous, while those who cultivate yin qi are cruel and cunning. The five elements are a classification for our cultivation methods. Many gifted individuals naturally resonate with a particular element’s spirit qi, making their cultivation much easier. I specialize in wood-type techniques, and both my ‘Changchun Grand Method’ and the ‘Formula of Wither and Flourish’ you will learn are wood-type cultivation methods, allowing one to absorb all the wood-type qi in the world."

Xu Qingfan understood that he was likely one of those individuals who had no natural resonance with the five elements’ spirit qi.

"In our cultivation, there are naturally different levels, so the predecessors divided the various cultivation methods into different realms based on their strength. From lowest to highest, they are: Qi Refining, Fasting, Lingji, Fake Golden Core, Solid Pill, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, and Spirit Separation in nine levels. The Qi Refining, Fasting, and Lingji are collectively called the Foundation Establishment Stage, while the Fake Golden Core, Solid Pill, and Golden Core are called the Condensed Core Stage. The Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, and Spirit Separation are referred to as the Mahayana Stage. As your power and realm increase, your lifespan will also extend."

"With your talent, even if you worked hard your whole life, reaching the late stage of the Qi Refining Stage would have been your limit. However, when the Mountain Spirit Wood Monster took your body, it left you with a thousand years of wood-type true qi, and it also consumed the inner pill of the Green Snake Dragon. So if you can refine all the wood-type qi within you, you could barely reach the late stage of the Lingji Stage. But after that, it would be very difficult to progress further."

"I have roughly explained the basic knowledge to you. Now, if you have any questions, feel free to ask," Lu Huayan said to Xu Qingfan after his explanation.

"Excuse me, Master, what level of strength does the Blue-eyed Cloud-hoofed Beast, which destroyed my home, possess?" Xu Qingfan asked without hesitation, realizing this question had been on his mind for a long time.

"The Blue-eyed Cloud-hoofed Beast is an advanced demon beast of human level, and its strength is roughly equivalent to the late stage of the Lingji Stage."

"Master, since you mentioned that there is Wood-type Spirit Qi from Mountain Spirit Wood Monster accumulated in my body for a thousand years, and that I have swallowed the inner core of the Green Snake Dragon, why can I only reach the late stage of the Lingji Stage after refining it all?"

"Do not compare the cultivation of those magical creatures to that of humans. Humans have developed intelligence early on, making them innately more suited for cultivation than magical creatures. For thousands of years, the experienced predecessors have summarized cultivation methods for learning and reference, and the efficiency of absorbing Spirit Qi from nature cannot be compared to those magical creatures. Take the Mountain Spirit Wood Monster that occupies your body; it originally attained enlightenment as a tree. Although it has cultivated for over a thousand years, it can only instinctively absorb Wood-type Qi from the earth. Until now, it has only begun to develop intelligence. Any young cultivator with a decent magic tool can defeat it. This is why there are often tales of a young cultivator who has practiced for less than a hundred years chasing after a great demon that has cultivated for thousands of years," Lu Huayan explained patiently.

"I hope it’s not too forward, but may I ask what level of strength you have achieved, Master?" Xu Qingfan hesitated before asking.

"I have poor talent and have only reached the early stage of the Golden Core. I can live seven hundred and fifty years longer than the average person. If you reach the Lingji stage, you can also live more than two hundred years longer than the average person."

"I have learned a lot," Xu Qingfan said. Thinking that he would never be able to advance further, he felt a bit disheartened.

Seeing that Xu Qingfan was clearly unhappy after hearing his words, Lu Huayan said, "Cultivating immortality is a difficult path against the natural order. The journey is very tough, and those with talent are truly rare among cultivators. Our Jiuhua Gate has been established for over seven thousand years and is known as one of the Five Holy Lands of cultivation. Despite such a long history, we only have about two thousand disciples, most of whom will only remain at the Foundation Establishment Stage for their entire lives. Only fewer than a hundred have reached the Condensed Core Stage, and none have reached the Mahayana Stage. So, considering your talent, having the opportunity to reach the late stage of the Lingji Stage is a great fortune. Do not lose confidence because of this; otherwise, it would be a great loss."

"The student carefully follows the Master’s teachings." Xu Qingfan felt Lu Huayan’s encouraging words, but he also felt a sense of gratitude towards him.

"Yes, as long as you understand." Lu Huayan nodded and said, "Is there anything else you do not understand?"

"I understand everything," Xu Qingfan replied.

"Then I will begin to teach you ‘The Formula of Wither and Flourish’ now." Saying this, Lu Huayan pulled out an old, yellowed book from his sleeve. It looked as if it had experienced many years; the paper was yellowing and darkening, and part of the right side had been burned away, leaving only blackened marks. The three ancient characters on the cover, which Xu Qingfan recognized from studying poetry with the Second Elder since childhood, read ‘The Formula of Wither and Flourish.’

"All things in heaven and earth have their rise and fall. Flowers bloom and wither; trees grow and decay. There is the constant and the changeable, twin trees withered and thriving, north, south, east, and west, neither false nor empty! The wilting tree reveals the world’s nature, neither dead nor alive, neither false nor empty…" Lu Huayan began to read the contents of ‘The Formula of Wither and Flourish’ to Xu Qingfan, explaining each word and sentence until Xu Qingfan understood, so that he could practice on his own under Lu Huayan’s guidance.

Xu Qingfan, who accidentally stumbled into the Cultivation World, began his journey of cultivation.