Yefutidaolu

Chapter 266 Six Realms
Gao Jian seemed tireless, constantly reading these books.

During the fifteen days of the Lunar New Year, many students at the Imperial Academy did not spend as much time there as usual. Only a few would occasionally come to study, since everyone was celebrating the New Year.

People will gradually return after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when the New Year celebrations are completely over.

After all, the students in the Imperial Academy were all young people. It was fine if they studied hard during the year, but during the year-end season, there were all sorts of new things to do, and no one would criticize them for having some fun.

Therefore, during this period, Gao Jian was not disturbed while he was immersed in the Imperial Academy.

He ate, drank, and relieved himself all within the Imperial Academy. Even while eating, his mind was filled with various thoughts, constantly studying the essence of different texts, reading books with an attitude of "not seeking thorough understanding, but only wanting to read them."

This state even frightened Dansha, because she saw that Gaojian's presence seemed to be getting weaker and weaker, to the point that he didn't care about anything happening around him at all.

When he felt hungry, he would eat anything edible that he came across. When he ate, he would replace the food in his hand with ink and paper, and he would eat the paper while dipping it in ink, completely unaware of what he was eating.

Even when the outside world was ablaze, he seemed oblivious.

He was immersed in his thoughts, undisturbed by anything, like a walking corpse. Many times, before he suffocated, he would stop breathing altogether because he had forgotten to inhale. Only when he felt unbearably suffocated would he suddenly realize that he had just forgotten to breathe.

Sometimes, when he accomplishes an amazing feat or finishes a difficult book, he trembles with excitement and his body convulses with joy, but he immediately turns to the next challenge.

All tension, doubt, and unease vanished, and his heart was at peace. Gao Jian's belly was now filled with all sorts of profound inspiration and knowledge, and his body was getting heavier and heavier. Many times, people couldn't help but wonder if his mind was becoming very confused and that he had lost consciousness. However, his revelry was not yet over.

He did lose a part of his consciousness, a part of the consciousness he used to perceive the outside world, because he was completely immersed in thinking. But in exchange, he gained a sharp, focused concentration that allowed him to immerse himself in thinking.

Several days later, Gao Jian sat there in a daze, his mind and soul in a daze. He knew he had seen too much. He found that he really couldn't see so much spirit. It was like a drunkard facing countless fine wines. Although he kept drinking and drinking, one day he suddenly found that he couldn't drink anymore. But he was almost drunk and unconscious, about to die.

However, he still finished the glass in his hand. He put the glass down and stared blankly for a few more minutes, because he was sentimental and had drunk too much, until the aftertaste disappeared from his tongue. He just stood there blankly.

Then he fell asleep.

After many days of sleeplessness, I finally got some.

However, in his sleep, Gao Jian regained his lost consciousness.

Only then did he realize with surprise that... he was surrounded by 'wine bottles', all of which were books he had read before, each one exuding fragrance, each one of which he had drunk whole.

"Am I asleep? Am I dreaming?" Takami looked at his own body in his dream.

He seemed to have entered a mysterious realm.

Is this... my own inner lake?

“A lucid dream, huh?” Gao Jian shook his head, somewhat amused.

That's quite normal; isn't sleep simply the process of gathering one's spirit and soul? The many illusions reflected in the lake of the heart are actually fragments of 'dreams'.

However, this is not yet a true 'entering dreamland'. It requires a deeper sleep, when the dream is completely integrated into the realm of desire. There, the illusion will be presented in an extremely realistic state. At that time, the 'dream' can often feel so real that it is difficult to distinguish.

The native beings of the Desire Realm, such as 'Nightmare', will quietly enter the dream at this time and affect the dream.

Since lucid dreaming exists, that's a relief. You can continue to sort things out in your dreams and relax your body.

As Gao Jian thought this, he looked at his own heart lake.

He was stunned after just one glance.

He never realized that his thoughts were so chaotic.

It seems... I don't need to study anymore.

Reading it again would be a waste of time and effort.

“No… I still haven’t finished reading one book.” Gao Jian looked up at the sky above his mind’s lake.

In the sky above his heart's lake, hangs the divine charm that once left Dansha speechless.

That is the essence of the Xuanhua Tongmen Daoda Song.

Its divine charm, like a galaxy, rests upon the lake of your mind.

"The sixth level of the Xuanhua Tongmen Daoda Song... plus everything before my eyes, in my dream... it really is quite a dreamlike thing." Gao Jian sighed.

He felt that in order to fully complete his sixth realm cultivation technique, he would need to add at least this.

He sensed that the rusty knife still had five inches of blade remaining, but... that was clearly not enough. The fifth level alone had used up about a foot of his blade, and five inches was definitely not enough for the sixth level.

However, it seems there's no need to use a rust knife anymore.

He can rely on himself; he feels that his own foundation is sufficient.

Thus, Gao Jian began to receive the sixth level of the Xuanhua Tongmen Daoda Song in his dream.

In an instant, Gao Jian felt intense pain.

This was torture. The information concentration of the Xuanhua Tongmen Daodao Song was so high that it far exceeded all the divine charms he had seen before. This feeling was like flames burning his skin.

No wonder the Xuanhua Tongmen Daoda Song is so difficult to learn. To grasp this level of essence without a rusty sword is truly... difficult.

He kept his mind still and slowly controlled his breathing.

My initially excited heartbeat began to calm down, and the pounding of the inner waves in my heart gradually subsided.

No rusty knife is needed to purify the lake of the heart.

Today, with that experience, I can rely on myself to make my mind clear. Although I can't reach the level of the rusty knife, I can still capture the essence of those things... which is not beyond my ability.

His heart gradually transformed into a multicolored mirror, and divine essence washed over him. He closed his eyes. The door to his heart had opened, and he stepped inside.

One minute, a quarter of an hour, an hour, a day... two days. When Gao Jian opened his eyes again, what was in front of him was... an unfamiliar ceiling, but one that seemed vaguely familiar.

Gao Jian immediately realized that this was not the Imperial Academy's library.

This is... the old house?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Gao Jian sat up slightly, leaned against the pillow, and asked his surroundings.

Suddenly, a mouse flew out of the window and landed on Gao Jian's bedside table. It looked left and right, then looked at Gao Jian with a puzzled expression: "Awake?"

"You're awake." Takami nodded. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Today is the sixteenth. You slept for a little over six days and stayed at the Imperial Academy for about ten days. How are you? Have you woken up?" Shu Jian moved his limbs and jumped onto Gao Jian's pillow, stretching out his paws to touch Gao Jian's forehead.

“It’s all done.” Gao Jian showed a relaxed expression: “My path to the sixth realm has been opened. As long as I have some rare and precious materials as a catalyst, and I can accumulate my reserves and open the gate of essence, it will be as easy as turning my hand.”

This time, Gao Jian didn't use the rusty knife, but he managed to devour the sixth level of the Xuanhua Tongmen Dao Dao Song during his six days of sleep!

His path to the sixth realm is completely smooth; he has already achieved the required realms, and all he lacks is a little more accumulation of cultivation.

This state is similar to when Shui Cangcang was in the third realm. In fact, he had already paved the way ahead, but he was just suppressing it and had not broken through. As long as he took two pills or some rare and precious materials to make up for his lack of cultivation, breaking through would be a natural thing.

"That's good. You shouldn't be short of money, go buy some. Don't always make her spend money on cinnabar. Even if the young lady has money, how can she withstand your spending like this?" After confirming that Gao Jian was alright, Shu Jian knelt down.

His tone remained calm; he truly was a reliable adult rat.

“Speaking of which, what about the Dansha people?” Gao Jian looked around.

Shu Jian lay on the pillow: "Oh, she's studying pharmacology. I told her that studying for days wouldn't help. The doctor said you're just exhausted and have fallen into a deep sleep. You'll probably wake up on your own in a few days. She said that if you don't wake up, there's a way to help you. It's in the side room. You can find it if you go there."

“It’s time to go. Elder Shu, you stay in bed, I’ll get up.” Gao Jianyu turned over and got out of bed.

"You two are really awkward. Never mind, I won't say anything more." Elder Shu was, after all, a reliable adult rat, and just said it casually before falling silent.

Gao Jian just smiled when he heard this, then straightened his clothes and found that there was no smell. He guessed that someone had helped him change his clothes and wipe his body. In that case, he would wash his face and go wash up.

After washing his face, Gao Jian walked out of the room. Before he even reached the side room, he saw Dan Sha run out of it and then jump to Gao Jian's side in a few steps: "Awake?"

"You're awake." Gao Jian reached out and helped Dan Sha put the slightly loose beaded pendant back in. "I didn't expect you to be wearing a full face of makeup at a time like this... Can't you relax for a couple of days?"

"This won't do, this is a big problem!" Dansha said, opening the hand mirror to check her makeup. Confirming she still looked youthful and radiant, she closed the mirror with relief and looked at Gao Jian: "What happened this time that caused you to faint?"

Neither of them made any pretentious gestures, nor did they ask any questions. They simply chatted casually as they walked into the courtyard.

Gao Jian didn't explain his situation, and Dan Sha didn't say what he was doing either. To be honest... the atmosphere was a bit strange.

As you can see, the courtyard is no longer as empty as it was a few days ago. It's clear that many of the things Dansha and Shujian ordered have already been delivered. The businessmen of the Divine Dynasty are indeed very efficient.

It is early spring now, the wind is slightly cool, blowing on the surface of the pond, the plum blossoms by the pond are scattered, the ice spots are scattered, the fragrance is faint, the smoke is faint, and there is a charming scene of sparse shadows.

"It looks pretty good. It's worth the money to have done all this in just a few days." Gao Jian found a rock to stand by and looked around. Although he didn't really feel it, this place had indeed been bought. This was where they settled down and lived, so it didn't seem wrong to consider it their 'home'.

"It is now the sixteenth day of the first month. The first month is the Yin day. Yin means 'river,' referring to the passageway for living things. On the first Yin day of the first month, take three measures of green grass powder, put it in a crimson pouch and hang it in the tent. It can ward off plague. Here you go." As he spoke, Gao Jian reached out and picked some sparrow pods from the grass and trees beside him. He crushed them with his hands, took his money bag, emptied the money, and put the pods in.

The green stalk, also called sparrow gourd, ground melon, or ground kudzu, carries the spring air. Using it as a green bag at this time is also a custom.

After Gao Jian sat down, he handed the item to Dan Sha.

Dansha took it and looked at it curiously for a moment.

It carries the essence of spring and can indeed ward off plagues for mortals, but for a sixth-realm true dragon, it's obviously just a lucky charm and doesn't have any real effect. However... this material is Gao Jian's wallet, which is quite novel.

"Are you about to reach the sixth realm?" Dansha asked suddenly, holding the green pouch.

"Yes, in the next few days, all that's missing is the foundation. Accumulate some cultivation, and you'll soon be able to break through the bottleneck and advance to the sixth realm," Gao Jian said.

"Only lacking foundational cultivation? You need a few more spiritual ingredients? I'll go buy them for you!" Dan Sha immediately patted his chest.

"No need to spend any more money, you've bought enough, take a break." Gao Jian smiled and said, "You don't need to buy so much stuff, you won't need it."

“Well, there’s nothing else I can do to help you,” Dansha said.

"Don't worry about these things, relax. It's not like we always have to help. Don't fret, don't overthink it, why make things so complicated?" Gao Jian gave a thumbs up and found a rock to sit on.

Dansha held the green pouch in her hand, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with the answer, but she didn't say anything, which was completely out of character for her usual lively and active self.

After a while, she said, "So are you planning to cultivate to that level on your own? If you reach the required level but your cultivation isn't high enough, it will take at least two or three years, even in a blessed land, without sufficient resources... Cultivation is very difficult."

“I have supplies, they were given to me by Lord Li Zoufang,” Gao Jian said, showing them off.

The thing was inside his body and couldn't be taken out, but it was more than enough to reveal a trace of its presence.

That's... the aura of a Golden Core cultivator. (See Chapter 193 for details)
In order to help Gao Jian break through to the fifth realm, Li Zoufang gave Gao Jian a golden pill from a Taoist master. One bite was equivalent to consuming a sixth-realm golden pill master.

Gao Jian only ate a small portion of it at the time.

The remaining portion is just enough to last until now.

Dansha sensed the aura and seemed to realize that she didn't need help, so she nodded and left somewhat dejectedly.

Gao Jian watched her leave, seemingly lost in thought, and simply closed his eyes.

An hour later, he opened his eyes.

Having broken through the six realms, it's as easy as drinking water.

(End of this chapter)