Chapter 39 – The First Lesson of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 39 – The First Lesson of Immortal Cultivation

Of the thirteen who entered the central formation array, all were teenagers—except for Li Fan.

Having received their instructions, they dared not speak carelessly, only surveying their surroundings with excited and curious gazes.

The moment they stepped into the formation array, their environment became completely different from Glazed Glass Island.

It was as if they had been transported from a bustling marketplace to the depths of a mountain range in an instant. Lush trees surrounded them on all sides, verdant and thriving, with the ceaseless sounds of birdsong and insect chirps.

In the distance, peaks wreathed in mist rose and fell in undulating waves.

A gentle breeze swept through, its rustling echoing like the sound of rolling waves.

Li Fan and the others were currently standing at the foot of a mountain.

Looking up, the summit was lost within thick clouds and fog, nowhere to be seen.

They climbed ancient stone steps upward, continuing without rest for a full four hours.

These youths all possessed remarkable constitutions—after climbing for so long, they were not even out of breath.

Li Fan, on the other hand, was getting on in years after all, and had not exercised for quite some time. He was already drenched in sweat, barely managing to keep up without falling behind.

After another two hours, they finally reached the summit.

The mountaintop was merely a small clearing. With everyone standing spread out, it already felt somewhat cramped.

This peak was the tallest among the surrounding mountains. Looking out in every direction, all one could see was an endless expanse of white cloud sea.

The wind howled in gusts as the cloud sea churned and rolled, occasionally revealing mountaintops that protruded like islands.

These youths had all been born and raised upon the open ocean. When had they ever witnessed such a magnificent sight?

Every single one of them stood transfixed, lost in awe.

For Li Fan, however, such scenery was nothing remarkable. Instead, he squinted and gazed up at the sun overhead.

They had been inside the formation array for the better part of a day, yet the sun’s position had never changed.

It seemed to be some kind of illusion.

“How do you find this scenery?” Suddenly, a voice sounded beside them.

The youths were startled, but they all reacted immediately.

“Greetings, Immortal Master!” They bowed in salutation.

Li Fan followed suit.

The newcomer was naturally Immortal Master He, the guardian of Glazed Glass Island.

He appeared to be only around thirty years old, dressed in a set of cyan-blue robes.

With kind brows and gentle eyes, a broad smile on his face, he looked exceedingly amiable—the very picture of a good-natured man.

Seeing that this Immortal Master was not as frightening as legend had it, one of the bolder youths mustered his courage and answered, “The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking—truly worthy of an immortal’s sacred ground.”

“I have never seen such a wondrous sight. It stirs the heart and sets the blood racing.”

…

Master He nodded with a genial smile, but the words that followed plunged the young people present into sudden silence: “When I first arrived at Glazed Glass Island, this mountain peak ranked among the lowest of all the surrounding mountains, far beneath the cloud sea.”

The youths were stunned into silence by Master He’s words. After a long pause, one finally spoke up in admiration: “The Immortal Master’s divine powers are truly inconceivable—to be able to raise an entire mountain taller.”

Master He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m merely a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could I possibly have such ability?”

The youth who had been flattering him instantly turned red in the face and lowered his head in shame.

The rest exchanged bewildered glances, unable to fathom the meaning behind Immortal Master He’s words.

Li Fan, however, gazed at the countless peaks amid the cloud sea, seemingly lost in thought.

“Did you know that the mountains and rivers of this world, much like people, gradually grow taller?” Immortal Master He stopped keeping them in suspense and spoke slowly.

Hearing this, the youths were utterly dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.

“That is truly incredible…”

“Is… is that really true? Could it be that these great mountains and rivers are living things?”

Although the notion of mountains growing taller was staggering, these words came from a lofty Immortal Master, so the youths naturally chose to believe them.

Yet their faces turned pale one by one, struggling to accept it.

Immortal Master He then continued, “Some peaks may appear towering, yet their fate is already spent—they can never advance another step in their entire existence. Others may be nothing more than a small hillock now, yet possess boundless potential. Who can say that in time, they won’t grow into pillars that prop up the heavens?”

“Just like Shaowei Mountain beneath our feet—unremarkable as it was back then, in merely a few decades, it has risen to look down upon all the other peaks.”

“Of course, far more are like the countless mountains below the cloud sea—from beginning to end, they can only serve as a backdrop, silently gazing up at the peaks above the clouds.”

“If even mountains are like this, how much more so for people?”

“Today, you are fortunate enough to enter the Spirit Pool and wash away the taint from your bodies. Whether you can set foot upon the path of immortality—or even aspire to the Great Dao of eternal life—and what achievements you will attain in the future, will depend entirely on your own fortune.”

Looking at the bewildered and confused faces of the youths, Immortal Master He let out a sigh.

“Regardless of what the future holds, you must give your all today. I have said all I have to say. Go now!”

“Immortal Master He, may I ask where the Body-Purifying Spirit Pool is?” One of the youths, though unable to fully grasp the meaning behind the Immortal Master’s words, had at least understood the final part about entering the Body-Purifying Spirit Pool.

Still a youth at heart, he asked eagerly, itching to try.

“Right there!” Immortal Master He said calmly.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed. The place Immortal Master He indicated was, shockingly, beyond the tiny clearing at the summit—over the edge of a cliff plunging ten thousand zhang (33.3 km)!

“Surely the Immortal Master must be joking?” One youth couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

Immortal Master He’s expression changed. He gave a cold snort, and without any visible movement, that youth’s head flew high into the air while his body crashed heavily to the ground.

Fresh blood sprayed outward, splattering across everyone nearby.

This sudden scene left all the youths stupefied.

Some wanted to scream in terror but clamped their hands tightly over their mouths, their entire bodies trembling, faces deathly pale.

Others were so frightened their legs gave way, and they collapsed to the ground.

Still others immediately dropped to their knees, kowtowing to Immortal Master He and begging for mercy.

“Let me teach you one more lesson. Should you one day set foot upon the path of cultivation, discernment will be of the utmost importance. Who can be provoked, who must never be offended, what can be said, and what must never be spoken—weigh it all carefully. Don’t wait until the day you perish, body and dao both extinguished, and then blame me for not warning you today.” Immortal Master He shed his previous good-natured facade entirely and regarded the youths with cold indifference.

Li Fan watched this spectacle unfold, observed the youths and their varied reactions, and knew that this lesson from Immortal Master He would leave an extraordinarily deep impression on them.

Never mind these youths—even Li Fan himself, having heard Immortal Master He’s words, felt he had gained something from them.

He bowed deeply to Immortal Master He and said with genuine sincerity, “I have learned well.”

Then he turned and walked to the mountain’s edge.

Before him stretched a cliff of ten thousand zhang (33.3 km). One misstep, and he would be dashed to pieces.

Yet Li Fan did not pause or hesitate for even an instant. Without a change in his expression, he stepped forward into the void.

He did not fall. The vast cloud sea before him seemed to possess a will of its own, churning and gathering, flowing beneath Li Fan’s feet to hold him steady.

His other foot stepped out as well. Once he found his footing, the rolling white clouds enveloped him and carried him deep into the heart of the cloud sea.

Immortal Master He watched Li Fan’s retreating figure and couldn’t help but mutter, “Exceptional temperament. What a pity—he’s too old!”

“What a pity!”