Chapter 42 – Heaven and Immortals Cannot Coexist

“I have no interest in cultivation.”

In his memory, the expression on Xiao Heng’s face when he said those words still seemed vivid, as if it were yesterday.

How long had it been since then? How had he already successfully purged the miasma from his body and broken through directly to the Qi Refining stage?

For a moment, Li Fan was filled with shock and bewilderment.

Li Fan read and reread the letter Xiao Heng had sent him several times over, then went out to ask around. Only then did he reluctantly accept this reality.

As it turned out, although Li Fan had confidently reassured him that day that the smuggling rumors on the island were targeted at the Heavenly Treasure House, Xiao Heng had still been restless and unable to sleep after returning home.

Every time he closed his eyes, he seemed to see the terrifying image of immortal masters descending from the sky, slaughtering every last person from the separated realm.

For several days in a row, Xiao Heng suffered like this.

After agonizing long and hard, Xiao Heng finally steeled his resolve.

In order to sleep peacefully at night, and even more so to become a cultivator so he would no longer live in constant fear, he began earnestly practicing the Mo《Xuanhuang Purification Mantra》.

To everyone’s surprise, once Xiao Heng truly settled his mind, his cultivation progress advanced at an astonishing pace.

With the aid of medicinal supplements, in less than a month he had completely purged all the miasma from his body on his own.

Afterward, he even felt the spiritual energy of heaven and earth behaving as if it were alive, intimately circling and drifting around him.

He was deeply captivated by this sight, his mind immersed within it.

He only felt as though he had enjoyed a wonderfully restful sleep, and when he awoke, he had successfully drawn qi into his body.

At first, he could hardly believe it—that he had truly become one of those legendary immortal masters.

But when he tried to be intimate with a maidservant in his household and suddenly felt a pang of heart-palpitating dread, instinctively striking her dead with a single palm—Xiao Heng finally confirmed it. He was now a cultivator.

Immortals and mortals must forever remain apart.

Although he was now a Qi Refining stage cultivator, Xiao Heng was completely clueless about what to do next.

So he wanted to see the guardian immortal master of Glazed Glass Island.

Unfortunately, at that time He Zhenghao was presiding over the Body-Purifying Spirit Pool formation array and could not step away.

Xiao Heng could only go home and wait patiently.

It was not until Li Fan had emerged from the spirit pool and He Zhenghao was finally free that Xiao Heng was able to see him at last.

After hearing about Xiao Heng’s experience and carefully examining him, He Zhenghao confirmed that Xiao Heng was not lying.

He was first overjoyed, then slapped his thigh hard, wearing an expression of deep regret.

After a while, he pulled himself together and couldn’t wait to bring Xiao Heng to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.

Xiao Heng asked to say farewell to his friends, and He Zhenghao naturally agreed.

After that, Xiao Heng bid farewell to everyone from the separated realm one by one, then departed into the distance.

As for Li Fan—Xiao Heng had originally wanted to come see him in person.

But he also knew that Li Fan aspired to cultivate, and it had taken him more than three years just to successfully purify his body.

And not long ago, Xiao Heng had personally told Li Fan to his face that he had no interest in cultivation. Yet now, in the blink of an eye, he had become a Qi Refining stage cultivator!

Xiao Heng truly did not know how to face Li Fan. Moreover, fearing it would be too much of a blow to him, he had simply left a letter and entrusted someone to deliver it.

Xiao Heng was deeply grateful for Li Fan’s repeated help, and so he said he would wait for him on Ten Thousand Immortals Island, where he would surely repay Li Fan.

“This younger brother’s achievements today are entirely thanks to elder brother’s protection.”

“Now hearing that elder brother has successfully purged the miasma, surely it will not be long before you break through to Qi Refining.”

“This younger brother goes ahead first, and shall respectfully await elder brother’s honored arrival on Ten Thousand Immortals Island.”

“On the day we meet again, should elder brother have any request, this younger brother would not refuse even at the cost of ten thousand deaths.”

“Heng bows his head twice in deepest respect.”

……

Li Fan set down Xiao Heng’s letter and slowly exhaled.

So this was what they called a person of extraordinary natural talent?

Without relying on any outside help, stumbling his way through by sheer luck and breaking through to the Qi Refining stage all on his own.

He could even feel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth being intimate with him…

Although Li Fan had long known that cultivators varied wildly in aptitude, and he knew his own talent was nothing special, the feeling of having such a genius right beside him…

It really didn’t feel good.

It seemed Xiao Heng’s concern was not without reason. If he had truly appeared suddenly before Li Fan, who had only just managed to purge the miasma, Li Fan might very well have lost his composure.

Li Fan smiled bitterly.

But it was only a brief loss of composure, nothing more.

Li Fan knew clearly that what he relied upon had never been his natural talent, but rather the countless chances to start over that 【Return to Truth】 had granted him.

With 【Return to Truth】 in hand, no matter what kind of genius stood before him, he had the confidence to crush them.

It was just that the process might be a bit long, requiring lifetime after lifetime of planning.

The mind-tempering mantra circulated, and Li Fan’s turbulent thoughts gradually calmed.

He opened the《Five Spirits Qi Sensing Method》that He Zhenghao had given him and began reading it slowly and carefully.

The book recorded that in ancient times, there existed the concept of spiritual roots.

Back then, only mortals who possessed spiritual roots could cultivate.

There were the ordinary Five Elements spiritual roots of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, as well as variant-attribute spiritual roots such as lightning, wind, and darkness.

Those with a single spiritual root cultivated very quickly in the early stages and could easily achieve mastery by specializing in the corresponding elemental technique.

Those with multiple spiritual roots cultivated more slowly, needing to balance various attributes, easily wasting effort with little to show for it. But should a supreme genius manage to attend to all their spiritual roots equally, their strength would typically far surpass that of single-root cultivators at the same level.

However, all of this was merely ancient history.

The cultivation world of antiquity had followed the principle of harmony between heaven and man.

Spiritual roots were a gift from the heavens, and only those fortunate enough to be favored by heaven could perceive the laws of heaven and earth and possess the qualifications to attain the Dao and ascend to immortality.

But among all the mortals under heaven, those who possessed spiritual roots were ultimately just a small minority.

For the vast majority, cultivation remained something they could only dream of but never attain.

How was this anything but unjust?

Fortunately, in those ancient times, there was an Immortal Venerable who taught the Dao!

The《Five Spirits Qi Sensing Method》recorded that at that time, the Immortal Venerable, standing with the majesty of heaven and earth, faced the countless mortals who had no hope of seeking immortality and imparted to them the way of eternal life.

The Immortal Venerable declared: If I wish to become immortal, why must I beg heaven? If heaven will not grant it, I shall take it myself!

To follow heaven is to remain mortal. To defy heaven is to become immortal!

A mere mortal, daring to aspire to eternal life, need not seek any harmony between heaven and man—one need only contend with heaven!

And so, the Immortal Venerable laid out his doctrine clearly, expounding his Dao to all.

This was also the path of cultivation that the present-day cultivation world followed.

The path of immortality is thus:

Absorb the spirit of heaven and earth, to command its qi;

Borrow the wonders of heaven and earth, to build one’s Dao Foundation;

Glimpse the laws of heaven and earth, to refine the Golden Core;

Seize the essence of heaven and earth, to form the Nascent Soul;

Drain the marrow of heaven and earth, to attain its spirit;

Sacrifice the soul of heaven and earth, to merge one’s body with the Dao;

Defy the principles of heaven and earth, to achieve eternal life!

……

With a soft thud, the《Five Spirits Qi Sensing Method》fell to the ground.

Li Fan’s hands trembled as he picked it up, unable to conceal the shock in his heart.

The method of cultivation in this world was completely different from what he had imagined.

One might even say…

It was somewhat terrifying.

No wonder—ever since coming into contact with the cultivators of this world, he had always had a strange feeling.

The Heavenly Dao of this world seemed to harbor immense malice toward cultivators.

Whether it was the law forbidding the simultaneous practice of multiple immortal arts, or the strange phenomenon where a cultivator’s death illuminated thousands of li of sky like a broadcast, or the bizarre Mortal Taint within mortals’ bodies that was extremely harmful to cultivators—all of it hinted at this truth.

Now, today, after Li Fan had gained access to the cultivation world’s knowledge, the answer was finally revealed.

“Defy the principles of heaven and earth, to achieve eternal life!” Li Fan murmured slowly, letting out a long breath.