Xuantian 1: Ancient Xuandongtian

Chapter 244 Night Tree Sky Road
Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, a year has passed.

The Huan Shui Manor is overgrown with weeds.

Mu Hanchan ultimately decided to dismiss everyone, because he needed to go into seclusion to break through to the Spirit Origin Realm and could not tolerate any disturbance or carelessness.

As for how Xiao Ren dealt with these workers...

Whether it's a vacation, a rental, or training.

That's the steward's job.

It wasn't the manor owner's problem, because he had already paid the ten years' wages in advance to the Ministry of Revenue of the Great Yan Empire.

First, the student surpasses the teacher.

In an inconspicuous corner of the manor, Xiao Ren was disciplining his son.

"Mou'er, do you know what a person needs most to succeed?"

"do not know."

"I'll tell you."

After organizing his thoughts, Xiao Ren said, "What's most needed for success is a top-tier and accurate understanding that surpasses that of ordinary people. That's the core."

Secondly, it is necessary to connect these insights into a logical framework.

Finally, there's execution.

"What does it mean, Dad? I don't understand." The child was only ten years old and couldn't comprehend it.

"For example, if you want to cultivate immortality, you need to understand what you need most. Some people have good spiritual roots, so what they need most is to be taught by a famous teacher. Some people have poor spiritual roots, so what they need most is spiritual stone resources. Some people have average spiritual roots and average resources, so what they need is to hone their skills and work hard."

In other words, you must ensure that what you believe and what you know is correct, beneficial to you, and consistent with the direction in your heart.

"I still don't understand." The child shook his head.

Xiao Ren continued, "For example, if you want to do business, you first need to know how to make money. For instance, you need to identify several ways to make money, then connect these ways to form a profit model, and then resolutely implement this model for the long term, modifying it as needed. This way, you can eventually become a wealthy businessman. Do you understand?"

"I understand a little, but not much."

"Alright, alright, remember what I said, and you can figure it out slowly later," Xiao Ren said.

"Cough cough!"

He then coughed twice, covering his mouth, and there was some blood on his hand.

"Father, how are you?"

Although the child didn't understand, he could still sense that his father's body was acting strangely, because at least when he coughed, he couldn't cough up any blood.

"Mou'er, your father doesn't have much time left. In these last few years, I will teach you as much as I can. From now on, you will have to walk your own path."

The child felt extremely sad and said, "Father, don't leave me."

II. Another Heart

In the second year of her seclusion, Mu Hanchan began the most crucial step of condensing her spiritual energy sea.

In the first year, the meridians were unblocked, and the spiritual energy needed for the breakthrough was continuously transported into the body through spirit stones, spirit gathering arrays, and pills.

This process also depends on the cultivator's foundation. If the foundation is good, the process will be much shorter, and vice versa.

The following year, he used the spiritual energy stored in his body to guide it to gather in his dantian, forming a small vortex that could operate automatically.

(Before reaching the Spirit Origin Realm, a cultivator's spiritual energy cannot circulate automatically. Therefore, they must cultivate frequently to manually regulate the circulation of spiritual energy through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, ensuring it does not conflict with the Twelve Regular Meridians.)
Once the spiritual energy vortex reaches a certain size, it will begin to rotate automatically due to the surging force within the meridians.

This turn can last a lifetime.

When life stops, that is the end.

You can think of it this way: the vortex of spiritual energy in the dantian (lower abdomen) is the heart of spiritual power.

The spirit emerges from the clockwise direction and enters from the counterclockwise direction.

Like the contraction and expansion of the heart.

However, the difference is that spiritual energy swirls in and out at a balanced and uniform speed under normal circumstances. When using spiritual techniques, the speed of swirl will increase. The fastest speed is usually when fighting with people, fighting with beasts, or escaping at high speed.

The increased rotation speed is to better supply the required spiritual energy.

Just like when a person exercises, their breathing speeds up in order to provide the body with more oxygen.

During cultivation, because spiritual energy is often absorbed into the body, the circulation speed of spiritual energy slows down in order to better absorb it.

During prolonged periods of seclusion, the speed becomes slower.

The slowest state is during coma and apparent death.

3. Mid-stage of the Spirit Realm.

Two years have passed quietly. The grass around the water manor has grown to over four feet tall, and some of the miscellaneous trees that have grown there have even grown to over ten feet tall. The eight waterways are covered with moss, and even the bridges on them are showing signs of decay due to long-term neglect.

On that very day, Xiao Ren was disciplining his son as usual.

"You need to have a firm determination, plenty of confidence, and enough patience."

Then, pointing to the waterfall on the mountain, he immediately pointed to an example and said, "Just like our master, who has been in seclusion for two years."

"Yes, Dad."

The child has grown up quite a bit and become much smarter, so it seems that Xiao Ren's training has been effective.

Because for boys, their father is extremely important.

Xiao Mou said, "Master is amazing! You usually make me meditate, and I can't even last for two incense sticks. How did he manage to last for ten thousand two incense sticks?"

"They're different; they're cultivators."

"Father, aren't you the same?"

"They're worlds apart. Although we're both cultivators, whether or not we have a future can divide people at the same cultivation level into two categories. Besides, by the time he comes out of seclusion this time, we'll no longer be in the same category in terms of cultivation level."

"Ok."

Xiao Mou looked at the waterfall cave on the mountain with a sense of disappointment but also longing.

Another four months passed.

As evening approached, the birds on the branches around the waterfall began to panic and fly around in all directions. As time went on, the birds in a wider area began to move.

Upon seeing this unusual phenomenon, Xiao Mou immediately called for his father, Xiao Ren.

"This is?"

Xiao Ren looked solemn.

Since the entire manor was sealed off by an array, the cause of the disturbance could not possibly have come from the outside.

He then observed the direction of the bird's unusual movements and determined that the initial source was coming from the waterfall.

"It seems he's finally about to break through."

However, he did not speak to his son.

Half an hour later, Xiao Mou suddenly said, "Father, I feel a little tightness in my chest."

Xiao Ren paused for a moment, then said with a hint of joy, "Come on, son, quickly take a Spirit-Stabilizing Pill."

Xiao Mou took the medicine as instructed and felt much better, but he still experienced chest tightness.

In fact, Xiao Ren also felt a spiritual pressure, but since he had already reached the thirteenth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, this level of spiritual pressure did not pose a significant challenge to him. However, it was a different story for those young beasts with spiritual power.

The fact that his son could sense it suggests that his son likely also has spiritual roots.

That's why he exuded a strange joy.

Three more days passed.

noon.

A powerful surge of spiritual energy emanated from the waterfall cave, causing the waterfall to stop flowing. Trees within a ten-zhang radius snapped, and within a forty-zhang radius, everything tilted to varying degrees. Fish in the river were blasted onto tree branches ten zhang away before falling to the ground into the deep weeds.

Xiao Ren also opened his eyes at the same time.
Just as he was about to set off, he hesitated for a moment, then took his son Xiao Mou and quickly headed to the waterfall to wait.

We waited at the waterfall for quite a while, about the time it takes for two or three incense sticks to burn.

Xiao Mou was getting impatient, but he held back. In the past two years, he had grown into a young boy, and his temperament was obviously much better than when he was a child.

at this time,

A young man dressed in a blue and white robe flew out of the waterfall cave.

After taking off, it did not land, but remained in the air, looking around at the desolate yet overgrown, unfamiliar yet familiar environment.

Looking down, he saw Xiao Ren and his son Xiao Mou waiting there.

This blue and white robe is naturally the usual attire of the Spirit Origin Realm cultivators of the Yunyang Sect, the Azure Feather Swallow Robe.

Because it had attracted attention at the previous mountain gate assembly, it was given to the person in advance.

To avoid being too high-profile and causing unnecessary trouble, Mu Hanchan did not often wear clothes that exceeded her social class.

And now, I can finally wear it openly and legitimately.

After Mu Hanchan flew out of the waterfall, she did not land, but remained suspended in the air.

Xiao Ren immediately knew that Mu Hanchan had successfully broken through and become a true Spirit Origin Realm cultivator.

"Congratulations, Master, on your successful breakthrough to the Spirit Origin realm."

Xiao Ren's change of address from "Manor Lord" to "Master" made Mu Hanchan slightly uncomfortable at first, but she quickly accepted it.

He inquired, "How has the manor been these past few days?"

Xiao Ren then explained to Mu Hanchan what she had asked.

Has there been any mail?

"Yes, there are dozens of letters, big and small. Some are from the sect of Yanmo Mountain, and some of them should be from your fellow disciples. (The Demon Life Sect has no mailing address.) There are also letters from the patrol officer of the Ministry of Revenue of the Great Yan, and some from Ganzhou and Jiaozhou."

"The one from Ganzhou should be Eighth Junior Brother Yao Fei, and the one from Jiaozhou should be Cave Master Qian," Mu Hanchan thought to herself.

He then asked, "Are there any letters from Fenghong Mountain of Yunxi Sect?"

Mu Hanchan asked this question with expectation.

However, he was soon disappointed.

Xiao Ren's answer was: "No."

Mu Hanchan then asked, "Were there any people brought in from Fenghong Mountain?"

"Master, are you referring to your childhood sweetheart?"

"It's not limited to her; fellow disciples or servants also count."

He considered that Lin Mengge might not be able to bring herself to reconcile, and he also took into account the possibility of someone else relaying the message.

But he was immediately disappointed.

Because Xiao Ren answered again, "No."

"Does she really not want to reconcile?"

Mu Hanchan's face instantly turned somewhat gloomy, and then she actually stared blankly in the air, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, Xiao Ren didn't say anything more. Instead, observing that he had been suspended in the air for a long time without any effort, he asked, "Master, what realm are you at now?"

Mu Hanchan then came to her senses and calmly said, "Mid-stage Spirit Realm."

"what?"

Before he could react and continue asking questions, Mu Hanchan said impatiently, "Take care of the manor, I need to go to Fenghong Mountain."

"What about the letter?"

"I'll check it when I get back."

"No, Master. I still suggest you watch it now."

For some unknown reason, Xiao Ren actually stopped Mu Hanchan for the first time, albeit only verbally.

He also sensed that this trip might change Mu Hanchan's life trajectory, so he asked him to finish reading the previous letters before he went.

Mu Hanchan thought for a moment, then fell from the sky.

So he opened the letters one by one and read them all, his expression changing several times, as if he had received a lot of information.

"Whoo~"

Mu Hanchan let out a long sigh, seemingly heavy-hearted.

Xiao Mou found it strange that his master, after breaking through to a higher realm, was not as spirited as rumored or imagined, but instead seemed heavy-hearted.

After reading the letter, Mu Hanchan left quickly, still processing the information from the past two years on the way.

Xiao Mou asked Xiao Ren, "Father, why doesn't Master show any joy after breaking through his cultivation level?"

"Because he has more important life matters to deal with than breaking through to a higher cultivation level, or rather, they weigh on his mind."

"Huh? Isn't the most important thing in a cultivator's life their cultivation level?"

"not necessarily."

Xiao Ren said, "For cultivators who have severed all emotions and desires, cultivation level and realm are the only important things in life. But for a person with feelings and righteousness, with flesh and blood, besides cultivation level and realm, equally important things might be family, friendship, and love."

"Won't these seven emotions and six desires affect one's cultivation?"

"It will have an impact before one is fully mature and has absolute control over it, but once one has overcome the emotional hurdle, it is difficult for them to be affected anymore."

If you don't understand now, just focus on learning and doing things.

"Yes, Father."

Xiao Mou is very obedient.

"Then why did Master suddenly reach the mid-stage of the Spirit Realm? I heard that other people can only reach the early stage when they break through, and even need two or three months to stabilize their realm after breaking through?"

Xiao Ren said, "No tree grows overnight, nor does a road lead to heaven in a single step. Master, this is the culmination of years of hard work and gradual accumulation."

"Can breaking through to the twelfth level be considered a result of years of accumulated experience?"

"Of course, he could reach the tenth floor if he wanted to."

He added, "He has honestly completed the path of a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator, which is something I greatly admire and respect—he was patient and unhurried, letting things unfold naturally."

"But this time, he seemed genuinely anxious. He didn't even put the letter away after reading it."

"Perhaps what he has to deal with is really important to him."

Volume 7: The Night Tree Sky Road (End)