At Tianquan Mountain, an ordinary person can reach the summit in about three hours, and some agile mountain dwellers can even make it in an hour and a half.
Compared to other peaks, it is not considered a particularly majestic mountain.
However, whenever the Sword Pool opens, a small path of blue stone stretches all the way to the summit, requiring only ten thousand steps, which is also known as the Wanjian Path.
But now...
Gu Wen gazed at the nearly endless Tianquan Mountain, estimating that it might take hundreds of thousands of steps to reach the top.
Perhaps only the ancestor of Shejian Mountain could make it to the summit.
“How many zhang is that?”
The scene in Yu Hua's eyes seemed different from that of an ordinary person.
She replied, “Thirty thousand zhang. If you go up another ten thousand zhang, you can reach the peak of the Immortal Realm, which is the place I took you to last time.”
One zhang is approximately 3.3 meters, so thirty thousand zhang is about ninety thousand meters, nearly the height of ten Mount Everest peaks.
Yet, it seems that only at such heights can one truly obscure the sky and block the sun, making a city appear dim even in the morning.
It would be a lie to say Gu Wen was not shocked; the grandeur that could only be seen by lifting his neck halfway up the mountain felt like an ant gazing at Mount Tai.
Is this what cultivating immortality is?
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to flatten this Tianquan Mountain,” Yu Hua frowned and said, “Even a True Monarch from the four realms of cultivation might not be able to move this mountain. Only someone of the Heavenly Sovereign level, like Master Yunmiao, could do it.”
“A True Monarch can still move something like this?”
Gu Wen found it hard to imagine someone could move a mountain the size of ten Mount Everest peaks.
In his mind, moving mountains and filling seas involved shifting mountain peaks, while Yu Hua was thinking of moving mountains comparable to the Taihang Mountain Range.
If that were the case, it could indeed fill the sea.
He found it hard to imagine that a True Monarch, someone he could kill, could move a mountain.
Yu Hua asked, “The four realms of cultivation and the title of True Monarch are quite broad concepts. The four realms have twelve layers of heaven; how many layers do you think there are in one realm?”
Such a ‘teacher-like’ question made Gu Wen’s average answer freeze on his lips.
Dividing the four realms into twelve layers naturally suggests three layers per realm, but since there was a question, he had to consider that cultivation is not merely arithmetic.
“Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist.”
“Most ordinary people see it as three layers in one realm because their peak cultivation only seeks to break through to refine the spirit and return to emptiness.”
Seeing Gu Wen still somewhat confused, Yu Hua continued, “Cultivation is like building a barrel. The most suitable way is to use two wooden planks for one realm, firmly joined together. But some people create wooden planks that are not large enough, so they use what should be the next layer's planks to fill in, and so on.”
Gu Wen suddenly understood; it was a case of cutting corners.
Just like in his previous life when building houses, many houses did not meet construction standards, yet they could still rise from the ground.
“We think of it as two layers in one realm, with only refining emptiness and merging with the Dao as one layer each, hence the title of True Monarch.”
As usual, Yu Hua patiently explained to Gu Wen, speaking freely about anything related to cultivation.
“From the Returning to Emptiness stage, one can take on the title of True Monarch, but many can only remain at the Returning to Emptiness stage. Only one in ten can reach the Merging Stage, and those in the Great Ascension Stage are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. To move this mountain, one must be above the Great Ascension Stage, which is the Enlightenment Stage.”
“What realm is Senior Ao in?”
“Great Ascension Stage.”
Gu Wen silently noted this down, as some of his previous doubts were answered.
Why is there such a vast difference in strength among True Monarchs? He could kill some, while Ao Tang could easily crush others, and even a more casual approach could lead to a group of young people being beaten to death.
But if one does not consider the Dao foundation and only looks at the four realms, the answer becomes clear: it is normal for someone in the Great Ascension Stage to crush someone in the Returning to Emptiness Stage.
He suddenly realized that there were two layers missing; from Qi Refinement to Great Ascension, there are a total of nine realms, plus one Dao realm, making ten.
He asked, “What about the other two layers?”
Yu Hua replied, “Those are not two layers, but two different paths: the Path of Enlightenment and the Path of Merging. You don’t need to understand too much right now; only when you reach the nine layers of Dao foundation will you be qualified to consider it, and the nine layers must be fulfilled to become an immortal.”
“If I achieve the nine layers of perfection and walk out of the Immortal Realm, will I still need to cultivate step by step?”
Gu Wen’s expression was quite serious.
If it were someone else asking or inquiring from others, it would be laughable, but Yu Hua would not laugh at Gu Wen; instead, she answered earnestly:
“The eight and nine layers of Dao foundation require step-by-step cultivation, while the nine layers of perfection require no further cultivation. At that time, what you will lack will only be magical power.”
“How long will this take?”
“Not exceeding a hundred years. If you think that’s too slow, I can bury you in the Three Pure Spirit Veins, and in a few years, you will be able to match your master.”
Gu Wen nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining as if he had found a path to the heavens.
He could first condense the nine layers of Dao foundation; even if the final nine layers of perfection might take thousands of days of Tian Sui, it would be like giving himself a second layer of insurance.
If his fate did not align with Tian Sui and the Imperial Nectar, the nine layers of Dao foundation should not be too far off.
If the nine layers of Dao foundation achieved immortality, would it be stronger with the addition of fate?
Returning to the initial question, Gu Wen looked at the green mountain and said, “So what should we do next?”
“Everything remains the same.”
“What if I can’t climb Tianquan Mountain?”
Hearing some of Gu Wen's thoughts, Yu Hua sensed his worries and comforted him, “I will take you up. You have only been cultivating for half a year; it’s normal not to compare with Xiao Yunyi. Focus on your cultivation; what you should strive for is the Dao, not the present.”
“Now we wait for the protector to return, and then we will make a decision.”
——
An hour later, the commotion among the ordinary citizens of Luoshui gradually subsided.
Many idlers began to rush towards Tianquan Mountain, eager to seek their immortal fate, while most ordinary citizens continued with their daily lives.
At the same time, more and more cultivators appeared in Luoshui.
When they first entered the city, there were only a few dozen, but now Gu Wen could occasionally see one on the streets.
Moreover, the number of people staying at the inns was increasing, with seven or eight talented disciples from various sects present nearby.
Everyone kept to themselves, with little interaction.
Gu Wen did not wait for Ao Tang but instead encountered He Huan and an extremely beautiful nun.
He Huan's expression was somewhat stiff, revealing tension in his brows.
He showed no signs of relaxation upon seeing Gu Wen, instead worrying that the other might act recklessly.
He didn’t need to remind Gu Wen; he already knew that the other party was not simple, which made He Huan so cautious.
It was like when he was in Bianjing, where merchants accompanying officials of the third rank or above trembled in their throats.
He Huan introduced, “Brother Hongchen, this is the heir of the Buddhist Sect, Jade Sword Buddha.”
The nun wore a white-gold robe, her eyes like water apricots, her face like a silver plate, surpassing snow in beauty, and her vermilion lips seemed to smile with joy.
One could only sigh that a beautiful person remained in the ancient temple, too pure for the world and envied by others.
The heir of the Buddhist Sect is actually a nun?
Gu Wen was not particularly interested in women, but he couldn’t help but glance a few more times.
He then clasped his hands and said, “I am Daoist Hongchen; may I ask what brings you here, Master?”
The nun merely smiled and nodded at him, as if she were a superior, then her gaze passed over Gu Wen and slightly looked towards the second floor of the inn.
“Amitabha, this monk, Jade Sword Buddha, seeks an audience with the Heavenly Maiden.”
A fierce-looking Vajra holding a sword flashed by, its aura clearly at the sixth layer of Dao foundation, fully perfected!
The expressions of all the cultivators inside and outside the inn changed dramatically.
Gu Wen's gaze slightly condensed, and his body instinctively tensed.
Just from the aura, he could sense the other’s Dao foundation, various methods, and Dharma forms, all seemingly harmonious as a whole, while Gu Wen saw her as a flawless gem.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came, soothing everything like a spring breeze.
“Come up.”
Jade Sword Buddha retracted her aura and then brushed past Gu Wen, her gaze never once landing on him again.
With a Dao foundation of the fourth layer, fully perfected, he was still not enough to catch her attention.
A nod of acknowledgment was already a sign that she had heard about Gu Wen’s feat of killing a True Monarch.
Without this incident, he would not have entered Jade Sword Buddha’s sight at all.
This was not arrogance; it was just that there were too many sycophants and mediocre talents; she could not determine whether Gu Wen would be one of them.
If not, then they would discuss it again when he reached the sixth layer of Dao foundation.
——
Jade Sword Buddha ascended to the second floor, while Gu Wen and He Huan found a place to sit on the first floor and ordered a few pots of good wine.
The scattered talented disciples of various sects on the first floor continued to eat and drink, their conversations conducted in whispers, each circle never crossing into another.
They too could not integrate into the circle of Gu Wen and He Huan, nor could they catch the attention of the two.
He Huan patted his chest and said, “As expected of the heir of one of the three teachings, just standing beside her is a tremendous pressure.”
“Very strong; if we were to fight, I’m afraid I wouldn’t last three moves.”
Gu Wen made such a judgment, assuming both sides would hold nothing back and strike with full force, not limited to a single technique.
Because when one truly becomes an enemy, no one will hold back; the standard for prediction should be based on a life-and-death struggle.
Gu Wen’s sincerity surprised He Huan; after all, his previous arrogance was evident, and he should be a very competitive person, yet he so easily admitted defeat?
Then He Huan noticed the other’s eager expression and couldn’t help but twitch his lips.
Even more reckless, the target was no longer limited to True Monarchs and the like, but the heir of the Buddhist Sect, one of the three teachings.
The heir of the Buddhist Sect is worlds apart from the heir of a certain temple; Jade Sword Buddha represents the entire Buddhist Sect.
Before the elixir of immortality was exposed, the Daoist Heavenly Maiden could also represent the entire Daoist sect.
Among the mixed races of humans, Buddhas, and demons, the three teachings are undoubtedly the leaders, and the heirs of the three teachings are naturally unparalleled prodigies.
However, Gu Wen was very honest; rather than being a madman, he seemed more like someone with audacity.
He Huan took out a bag of pills from his sleeve and handed it to Gu Wen, saying, “This is the first batch of pills. According to your request, they are not top-grade, just mid to low-grade, so in terms of quantity, you get ninety percent.”
“Thank you.”
Gu Wen took the bag, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and found a total of one hundred and one pills.
He picked one up and swallowed it, gaining half a year’s worth of Tian Sui.
This bag still had one hundred pills left, which equated to fifty years of Tian Sui.
“How many furnaces are left?”
“Three furnaces. The Fox Immortal’s alchemy skills are extremely high, with little waste, so the quantity should be similar to this batch.”
That’s about two hundred years of Tian Sui, while the Sword Dao Dharma form requires two hundred and eighty years of Tian Sui, so at least another eighty years of Tian Sui is needed.
After a rough estimate, Gu Wen found that he still lacked Tian Sui, and with the ‘friend fee’ for the divine tree next month, it would not be enough, but Luoshui had basically been drained by him.
He took a headache-inducing sip of wine, which was rich and sweet, and the Tian Sui stirred slightly.
“This inn also sells spiritual wine?”
“Of course, this is an inn run by a tavern.”
(End of Chapter)