Chapter 9: Leaving the Mountain, Seeking the Worthy
With this thought, Zhang Kai suddenly felt enlightened.
That's right.
Gods and immortals, gods are sealed, and immortals cultivate.
To become an immortal, one needs inheritance, opportunities, effort, luck, and must also undergo various trials before achieving ascension.
While becoming a god might not be as difficult as becoming an immortal, gods require one crucial criterion above all else.
That criterion is merit.
Without merit, how can one become a god?
Having come to this realization, Zhang Kai sighed and abandoned this shortcut.
Becoming a god was not in his destiny; after all, performing good deeds could be an option. It was a person's duty to help those in need and be a foundation of goodness, demonstrating kindness. However, constantly doing good deeds might be too demanding for him. After all, Zhang Kai was an ordinary person, and he mostly just wanted to live a peaceful life.
But this was still a possible approach.
After all, if he wanted to use the God-Sealing List to activate the resurgence of spiritual energy, he needed to seal gods. If he couldn't do it himself, he could find someone who qualified.
In that case, he couldn't stay at Wudang Mountain.
People who qualified wouldn't come to him; he needed to go and find them.
With his thoughts aligning, Zhang Kai had many ideas in his mind.
Afterward, Zhang Kai didn't leave immediately.
After all, this world was not as simple as it seemed, and truly extraordinary beings did exist.
This journey wouldn't afford him the time to slowly explore, so Zhang Kai needed to be thoroughly prepared. Even if he couldn't cultivate, he had to compensate for his shortcomings in martial arts comprehensively. That way, even if he encountered extraordinary beings, he wouldn't be entirely powerless.
Time passed gradually, and in the blink of an eye, it had been five or six days.
During this time, Zhang Kai watched TV series during the day, searching for resources he could exploit, and practiced martial arts in the deep mountains at night. He didn't need to revisit the Seven-Spin Slash; he had already mastered it. He also learned the Fudo Palm, which was carved on eight large cauldrons in the TV series, and practiced it until he had grasped the fundamentals, storing them in an abandoned cave. He spent a night to complete the initial training.
In addition, he could now unleash the Dragon-Formed Dragon Subduing Palm, the rapid-firing Six-Meridian Divine Sword, the unpredictable Lingbo Micro Step, and transform into an invulnerable golden figure with the Indestructible Vajra Technique.
However, when it came to inner strength, he encountered a bottleneck. He wasn't sure if it was due to the rules of the real world, but his inner strength had been capped at a hundred and eighty years, and he couldn't advance any further.
This was three "jiazis" worth of inner strength. If he were to unleash it fully, even his physical body would be able to contend with a speeding truck.
However, as impressive as it looked, he was still just an ordinary mortal, not an immortal.
There were also a few other small items, like the antidote created by Ouyang Feng, known as the Venom-Resisting Divine Pill, and the Tong Xidi Pill.
These items were quite valuable. When worn, they provided immunity to all poisons, including venomous creatures and snakes. Even the slightest scent of poison would repel from the wearer.
Regarding weapons, Zhang Kai didn't make any immediate changes.
In modern society, carrying a knife out would lead to a police inquiry, and openly brandishing a sword would be suicidal.
However, Zhang Kai had locked onto several weapons and could obtain them whenever needed, such as the Dragon-Whispering Blade from The Return of the Condor Heroes, the Phoenix Blood Sword, and the extraordinary sword from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
Everything was prepared.
Zhang Kai communicated with the Wudang faction, informing them that he might need to leave for some time due to business. The Wudang faction was understanding and assured him that the villa would be kept for him, and he could return anytime to continue staying.
After all, ten million yuan in incense money wasn't something anyone could easily come up with. In today's world, generous benefactors were good friends.
Then, Zhang Kai left.
His first destination was to head into the mountains and visit the fox.
After spending some time together, their relationship had become quite amicable. The fox had always treated Zhang Kai as a disciple, showing great respect and even bringing him wild chickens and hares from time to time.
Seeing the fox, Zhang Kai smiled and said, "I'm planning to travel for a while, seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough. So, now it's just you in these mountains. Focus on your cultivation and help me look after the things I've left behind. Don't slack off, and when I return, there will be rewards."
The fox chirped a few times and looked at Zhang Kai expectantly.
Zhang Kai shook his head and said, "This time, I'm afraid I can't take you with me. After I make a breakthrough, I'll choose a spiritual place to establish a cave dwelling, and then you can join me in cultivation."
The fox was initially disappointed but nodded eagerly afterward.
Zhang Kai smiled and took out a Blood Bodhi bead. It was made from pouring Qilin blood and, although still a mortal object, contained a trace of Qilin aura. Zhang Kai believed it would have some nourishing effects on extraordinary beings like the fox.
As expected, upon smelling the Blood Bodhi, the fox's eyes lit up, and it excitedly lifted its body, expressing its desire to have it with a clear expression.
Zhang Kai gave it the Blood Bodhi, then said, "Alright, eat it and digest it properly. Don't expose yourself in front of people."
The fox took the Blood Bodhi and, once Zhang Kai turned to leave, lowered its front legs, lowering its head toward the ground, seemingly bidding farewell.
Heavenly actions invite heavenly retribution.
It was said that one could escape from monks but not from the temple. The Wudang faction was still there, and as long as he was accepted, he would become formidable sooner or later.
Zhang Kai didn't notice that after he flew over a hill, a dirty-looking person crawled out of the bushes, gazing intently at his departure.
"What incredible lightness skill, it's truly remarkable. With such skills, it's no wonder that the martial arts of Wudang Mountain are considered peerless, almost on par with immortals' cultivation. Even if it's not at the level of the innate, it's not far off," said the person, who was none other than Yun Chuan. Although he looked disheveled, his eyes were exceptionally bright.
The person who had flown past him moved too quickly, and Yun Chuan hadn't seen their face clearly. However, he could identify the clothes they were wearing.
Those were the Taoist robes of the Wudang faction.
Ha! They still tried to preach about self-cultivation and moral integrity. If I believed in them, I'd be the world's biggest fool.
Seeing the expert leave, Yun Chuan didn't pursue. There was no way he could catch up.
But a monk may run from the temple, yet the temple still remained.
The Wudang faction was here, and as long as he managed to join them, he'd become formidable sooner or later.
When the expert was out of sight, Yun Chuan crawled to his feet, his eyes filled with determination as he continued toward Wudang Mountain.
I won't accept rejection; it's impossible. Even if I die, I'll die on Wudang Mountain.
More than half an hour later, Zhang Kai veered toward the roads leading to the village. He got off the bus with his backpack.
After leaving Wudang Mountain, Zhang Kai had been searching for people who had done good deeds. This included heroic acts like saving someone from drowning, fighting off criminals, and rescuing people in life-threatening situations—actions that were considered highly meritorious.
Unfortunately, none of these people had garnered the attention of the God-Sealing List. Zhang Kai wasn't sure if their merits were insufficient or if there were other factors at play.
After several attempts, Zhang Kai's confidence began to waver, and he wondered if he had been overly optimistic.
Recently, he came across news about an elderly teacher who had been volunteering in a poverty-stricken area for over forty years. This teacher's selfless dedication had moved the entire nation. Despite having a good job and comfortable life, the teacher chose to teach in a remote and impoverished region, dedicating his entire life to education.
According to the reports, the teacher's father had also faced hardship and was sent to labor in this region, where he ultimately passed away. However, both father and son had received much help from the local villagers during their time there. After completing his education, the teacher returned to the same area to give back to the community, rejecting more prosperous opportunities.
Now, the teacher was critically ill, diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer, and there was no hope for recovery.
Combined with the fact that the teacher had never married or had children, his selfless dedication had garnered immense admiration, and many people praised him.
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Kai decided to give it one more try.
If even this act couldn't earn recognition from the God-Sealing List, then he might as well give up.