Starting with Kengan beating up the Pirate King

Chapter 195 On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, I comprehended a miraculous skill!

"The Taoist Ascension Day? What's that?"

Even after hearing the answer, Duanmu Ying, who had little exposure to Taoist culture, was still completely baffled.

"This has to do with the origin of the Double Ninth Festival."

Zhou Sheng explained, "The Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes says: 'Nine in the fifth place: The flying dragon is in the sky; it is advantageous to see a great man.'"

The Qian hexagram represents extreme Yang and is the hexagram of emperors. The number 'nine' is the extreme Yang number in numbers. Therefore, combining two extreme Yang numbers 'nine' together symbolizes the return to oneness and the renewal of all things.

Therefore, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month has been given special significance by us; it is the Double Ninth Festival.

“The interplay of Yin and Yang is called the Dao.” Zhang Huaiyi continued, “All things in the world are divided into Yin and Yang, and the same is true for the three realms of the universe: Heaven, Earth, and Man. In the Daoist concept, the immortals in the heavens and the human world belong to Yang, while the underworld in the earth belongs to Yin. Daytime is Yang, and nighttime is Yin.”

Therefore, according to the legends we've heard, immortals all chose to ascend to heaven in broad daylight, and the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, considered the day of extreme yang, was the best day for ascension!

Gu Qiting nodded: "This is recorded in some Taoist classics I've read, and even exaggerated to some extent. For example, the *Taiqing Zhucaomu Fang* says: 'On the ninth day of the ninth month, pick chrysanthemums and take them with pine resin pills; this will make one immortal.'"

"So... the opportunity to become an immortal will have to wait until the Double Ninth Festival?" Ma Ben asked.

"What is that? An ascension passage?" Ruan Feng's expression remained languid. "We can all ascend?"

"That's probably impossible." Zheng Zibu shook his head and said, "You should all have heard of the most famous poem about the Double Ninth Festival—'Alone in a foreign land, I am a stranger; on every festive occasion, I miss my family all the more. I know my brothers are climbing the heights, wearing dogwood, but one is missing.'"

From ancient times to the present, climbing to high places and gazing into the distance on the Double Ninth Festival has been a traditional custom, as this day is believed to bring a special sense of refreshment.

"It is pure energy. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, pure energy rises and turbid energy sinks. The higher the altitude, the more pure energy gathers. High-level cultivators who have attained enlightenment can ride the pure energy to ascend to heaven."

Zhou Sheng continued, "We are still far from attaining enlightenment, but cultivating in a place where pure energy gathers can still bring great benefits. And this mountain is a high place, and not just any ordinary high place."

Gu Qiting's eyes flashed: "Don't forget what I mentioned before about the 'qi formation'. If this place was left behind by the Ziyang Mountain Man, then it's not surprising that the qi formation was set up and refined by him. The qi formation has the ability to mobilize airflow, which means that on the Double Ninth Festival, this place will gather a massive amount of pure qi that no other place can compare to!"

"On that day, we will be incredibly close to the enlightened beings who have ascended to immortality, and we may even see the so-called 'ascension' passage. Cultivating in such an environment, one day might be equivalent to several years of practice!"

"A destiny with immortals, indeed a destiny with immortals!"

The group became excited, but Wei Shufen frowned and said, "It's only May now, and the ascension day is on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Doesn't that mean we have to stay here for another four months?"

"For such an opportunity, let alone four months, what does four years matter?" Gu Qiting shook his head: "It's not just that, this year is the Jia-Shen year! The Heavenly Stem Jia belongs to Yang Wood, and the Earthly Branch Shen belongs to Yang Metal. Yang Metal overcomes Yang Wood, nourishing all things to grow. How many times in our lives can we wait for such a day?!"

"The year of ultimate Yang, the day of ultimate Yang..."

Seeing the excitement in everyone's eyes, Guan Yi smiled slightly and said, "The mystery has been solved. The next four months are for preparation. Everyone, cultivate diligently, summarize the system you have learned, mark the difficulties you have encountered, and imagine the spells you desire. By the ninth day of the ninth month, you will have gained something!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Clan Chief Zhuge." Gu Jiting said solemnly, and Zhang Huaiyi and the others quickly followed.

Guan Yi shook his head: "Thank Wugensheng. He found this place and brought you here. However, he talks about 'fate,' but I don't. If I weren't worried about chaos in the world, I would have publicly selected extraordinary people to come here to comprehend the Dao, instead of just the 36 of you."

Moreover, the techniques you comprehend will also become my comprehend, so there's no need to be polite.

……

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Guan Yi's fifth phase of infrastructure construction expired in early August. Guan Yi then activated the first 'Special Skills Discussion' after the plan was changed, and continued to stay in the world of Under One Person.

By September, out of the 36 people, only eight more had successfully solved the riddles of 'what is a person' and 'sincerity', in addition to the ten who had initially cracked them. With the addition of Wu Gensheng and Guan Yi himself, the total number of people reached twenty.

It's not that Guan Yi necessarily wants these people to solve a mystery, but rather that unless they comprehend the secrets of humanity and sincerity on their own, without passing the 'selection' left behind by the hermit of Ziyang Mountain, the chances of them gaining enlightenment on the day of ascension are extremely slim.

So it wasn't until the seventh day of the ninth lunar month that Guan Yi finally revealed the answer to the remaining 17 people who couldn't solve the riddle.

Whether there are any opportunities or not, it's all worthwhile. Even if just one of these 17 people discovers a unique skill, it would be good. If not, there will still be some improvement, making their four-plus months of being "confined" in the mountains worthwhile. By this time, everyone could clearly feel that the mountain air was becoming fresher.

The pure air rises, while the turbid air sinks.

When the ninth day of the ninth lunar month arrives, everyone loses their will to sleep and sits cross-legged in the valley with their five centers facing the sky, closing their eyes and circulating their qi.

In the early morning, before the first light of dawn, the entire mountain range was already permeated with an indescribable clarity.

It wasn't just ordinary fresh air; it was a kind of almost tangible, faintly glowing Qi that silently filled every inch of space.

Every year on the Double Ninth Festival, Taoist disciples would climb to high places to look into the distance and sense the pure energy. However, none of the Taoist disciples present had ever sensed such a rich and substantial pure energy!
The scene that Guan Yi could see was even more exaggerated.

Countless milky-white, pale golden streams of energy converged from all directions, like rivers flowing into the sea. With the blessing of the energy of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, they poured into the mountaintop platform and cave, eventually forming a huge and slowly rotating vortex of Qi. At the center was the area where they were located, which is called the Human Cave!

"coming."

At one point, he spoke.

The next instant, the sun 'leaped' from the horizon!
The sunlight wasn't glaring, yet no one opened their eyes.

Those sitting cross-legged practicing their exercises felt their pores open up, their meridians circulating on their own. The Qi, which normally required focused concentration to capture and guide, now flowed freely and energetically, resonating wonderfully with the surrounding 'pure Qi'. Each breath felt like drinking nectar, leaving them completely refreshed and their minds clearer than ever before!
Immersed in this feeling, I waited until the gathered pure air suddenly boiled under the sunlight.

The sky remained unchanged, but in everyone's perception, a 'door' seemed to have opened above them at the highest point. A vast, boundless, and indescribable aura faintly descended, though only a wisp, it was as heavy as a mountain yet as light as a feather, containing endless mysteries and possibilities.

"This is... the Ascension Passage?"

Zhang Huaiyi murmured, his Golden Light Mantra uncontrollably emanating from his body, but it was not the golden light he usually cultivated, but a hazy and soft golden glow that blended with the surrounding pure energy.

Wei Shufen's Gu worms crawled out of the bamboo basket, but remained unusually quiet, lying on the ground. Their carapaces or skin even emitted a faint glow, as if they were absorbing something. Ma Ben's mechanical parts, which he carried with him, moved automatically without wind, emitting a soft hum.

Zhou Sheng's expression became unusually fanatical, his hands unconsciously tracing patterns in the air. The mental image encompassing the entire valley's terrain and the movement of stars was evolving and deducing wildly, perfectly mirroring the actual flow of energy in the outside world!

Zheng Zibu unconsciously began reciting ancient Taoist proverbs. Gu Qiting's perspective was the most peculiar; his method of "observation" seemed to have broken through previous limits, no longer confined to movement and spying in three-dimensional space, but leaping into a higher realm!
"No, it feels more like..."

Even with the substantial infusion of pure energy, such a rapid pace of comprehension shouldn't be possible. It felt more like some kind of heavenly law or rule was imparting knowledge he had never encountered before!
At one moment, he seemed to sense something, his eyes trembling with shock. But then, a massive restriction, along with that pure energy, surged into his body, stirring his emotions. He forced himself to suppress them, unable to speak.

Zhang Huaiyi, Zhou Sheng, and others are among them.

Guan Yi, however, fixed the central palace at the heart, manipulated the four plates, and leaped outside of time, preventing the restriction from selecting its target.

'Just as I thought,' he murmured to himself.

Guan Yi has learned the secrets of the world and the secrets that the major esoteric sects keep to themselves.

It's actually quite simple; it can be summarized in one sentence: Ascension is a scam.

There is no celestial realm or immortals in this world. So-called ascension is simply the process by which predecessors, having reached a certain level of cultivation, merge with the rules of the world in a way that is close to the Dao, and their techniques and will become a part of this world.

The extraordinary skills that can be learned here are those mastered by these 'ascended' predecessors.

Immortals are neither real nor sentient; they are merely a part of the cold, unchanging Dao. This restriction was established by some predecessors who were close to enlightenment and understood the truth, to inspire future generations. After all, if this matter were to be leaked, many extraordinary individuals seeking immortality would likely suffer a complete collapse of their Daoist resolve.

Guan Yi wasn't bothered by this, since ascension meant the end of the plan, and he didn't need to care what form the ascension took.

He simply took out his Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Qimen Compass, ignited his Samadhi True Fire, and began to circulate his body-tempering method.

Anything is fine, venerable elders.

Give me some special skills.

(End of this chapter)