Chapter 18: Upholding the Righteous and Dispelling Evil, The Qi of Confucianism and Daoism
Returning to the side of the cold pool once again, Zhang Kai could clearly sense that the once frigid waters, which were devoid of any spiritual energy, now had a faint, albeit meager, presence of spiritual essence. Although it was limited in scope, it flowed endlessly. While it couldn't provide widespread blessings to all living beings, individual creatures that practiced here could still derive some nourishment and tremendous benefits.
This left Zhang Kai feeling somewhat nostalgic. After several days of hard work, he had coincidentally rekindled the presence of spiritual energy, yet it was only to this extent. The reversal of the laws of heaven and earth wasn't as straightforward as he had hoped.
The road to self-improvement was long and arduous. It was better to start by enhancing his own strength.
Sitting down in meditation, he focused his mind and breath, and his profound inner strength responded accordingly.
In the past, while cultivating, his inner strength had been vigorous but lacked agility.
Now, with the infusion of spiritual essence from the cold pool, his inner strength became more active. It was as though a rough gem had been polished, and it felt like some kind of catalyst had initiated a fundamental transformation.
This excited Zhang Kai, and he became even more dedicated to his cultivation.
As time passed, and with the absorption of more spiritual essence, Zhang Kai's inner strength finally began to change. Initially massive and dense, it became increasingly condensed and reduced in quantity.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Kai felt his stomach growling with hunger. He hadn't eaten for almost two days, and it was now late in the afternoon on the second day.
His inner strength had decreased by a tenth, but it had become much more powerful.
It seemed that his inner strength was transforming into true Qi. According to Wudang's Inner Elixir method and the practices of Bai Yunguan, there were five stages in cultivating immortality: Foundation Building, Qi Refining, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Earth Immortal. However, in the world of cultivation, there was no concept of "inner strength"; this was a unique power he had acquired from movies, one level below true Qi.
In genuine cultivation, one could sense the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, condense it directly into true Qi, which marked the Foundation Building stage. Subsequently, Qi Refining was a prolonged phase in which a cultivator accumulated spiritual essence, known as "cultivation experience" in the cultivation community. One year's worth of true Qi represented one year of cultivation experience. To advance to Core Formation, a minimum of several decades of cultivation experience was required; otherwise, it would be challenging to break through. After Core Formation, true Qi transformed into true yuan, and within the cultivation world, there was a common term for this stage: Immortal.
These stages appeared simple but were filled with hurdles. Each stage posed significant obstacles that could deter countless practitioners.
For example, in Foundation Building, one's innate talent and comprehension played a vital role. Without these, it was impossible to cultivate. In the past, even the most talented individuals were rare in this field.
Qi Refining focused on a cultivator's innate talent, temperament, opportunities, luck, and available resources. Since Qi Refining required an extensive accumulation of time and resources, good talent, coupled with adequate resources, could accumulate a decade's worth of cultivation experience in just ten years or even more. However, without talent, insufficient opportunities, or a lack of resources, one might toil in cultivation for a hundred years and still have no prospect of reaching Core Formation, as exemplified by the unfortunate skeleton on Wudang's back mountain.
This was why Qi Refining was often compared to climbing a mountain, and Core Formation to ascending to the heavens.
Zhang Kai had the resources from movies, starting with three decades of inner strength. If successfully converted, this could potentially yield several decades of cultivation experience, an incredible leap.
However, as he felt the transformation of his inner strength, Zhang Kai became somewhat frustrated. The supply of spiritual essence was still inadequate. Although the initial conversion of inner strength was swift, it gradually slowed down as it reached a certain point. The rate of transformation was slower than a snail's pace. To fully convert it into true Qi, he would need to endure strenuous daily cultivation for several years, perhaps resulting in several decades of cultivation experience. Alternatively, he could seek higher divine positions to awaken more spiritual essence, thereby accelerating the process.
In summary, searching for higher divine positions seemed like a more viable option. Spending several years on this process was too time-consuming and did not align with Zhang Kai's cultivation plans. Until he achieved immortality, every extra day of life brought an additional glimmer of hope. Wasting years to convert his inner strength into true Qi was inefficient.
However, the problem was, how could he find these divine positions?
Zhang Kai was feeling troubled.
Encountering the Mountain God of Niutou Mountain had been a matter of luck, but relying solely on luck to find others was not a practical approach.
As he pondered this, his stomach growled again, and his body began to protest. Despite reaching the Core Formation equivalent stage, he still couldn't do without food and drink; he was, after all, a mortal.
Leaving the cave, he soared to the top of a mountain, searching for a signal. Zhang Kai opened his phone and searched for a video of a famous food vlogger showcasing a whole roasted lamb. Once he had the video, he paused it and indulged in the sight, devouring a whole roasted lamb with gusto. After finishing, he tossed the bones aside and returned to the cave, resuming his cultivation with renewed satisfaction.
After several more days of cultivation, Zhang Kai had only managed to convert a fraction of his inner strength.
This was too slow; perhaps even his expectation of converting it in a few years was overly optimistic. It would be more prudent to strengthen the spiritual essence through the process of enshrining deities and expedite the conversion.
But he couldn't rush the search for divine positions; it required careful consideration.
However, now that his inner strength had partially transformed into true Qi, its power had increased several times over.
Zhang Kai couldn't resist testing it out in an open area.
He unleashed the "Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms," and an ethereal golden dragon, as thick as a water barrel and measuring over ten meters long, coiled around him, soaring through the air. Its lifelike form resonated with a dragon's roar, shaking the surrounding mountains and startling birds and beasts.
The "Seven Spiraling Slashes" extended to a range of thirty meters, and it could still cut through a tree with ease, displaying incredible power.
As for his lightness technique, Zhang Kai leaped into the air, ascended straight up like a soaring immortal, and then moved with almost supernatural agility, taking one step at a time in the void. He seemed like a celestial being, swaying gracefully.
Finally, Zhang Kai stood atop a tree, overlooking the forest below, exuding confidence and vitality.
This was just a partial manifestation of his true Qi. Once he fully cultivated it, perhaps with several decades of true Qi, he could consider nurturing an Immortal Sword and flying on it.
Another significant step forward on the path to immortality.
Feeling extremely pleased, Zhang Kai's previously troubled state of mind was swept away.
One hour later, Zhang Kai left Niutou Mountain and headed toward Dalius Village. After several days of silent cultivation, it was time to move on. Finding divine positions wasn't an easy task and couldn't afford to waste time.
When he found the village chief, several elders, and Confucius, they were deep in discussion. Upon seeing Zhang Kai, they hurriedly approached, showing utmost respect and courtesy.
Zhang Kai smiled and inquired about their progress. He learned that over these past few days, they had already formulated a plan to use five million in funds. Part of it would go towards improving the school's facilities and students' lives, while the other part would be invested in purchasing various seeds and machines. The goal was to help the entire village establish a business, specifically cultivating a unique herb native to Niutou Mountain. This herb was known to be the main ingredient in a highly effective medication for hypertension, and its price had been steadily rising in recent years, making it a worthy investment.
Zhang Kai was satisfied with this arrangement. It showed that these village leaders had a good sense of planning and that the village had long-term development potential. His investment of five million yuan had not been in vain, and if it bore fruit, he would undoubtedly receive a share of the benefits.
"Very well. Since you have a comprehensive plan in place, then proceed with it diligently. I hope that when I return in the future, our village's divine position will be complete," Zhang Kai said with a smile. His words filled the several elders with excitement, and they secretly resolved to work themselves to death in the service of the people.
"Esteemed Immortal, are you leaving?" Cheng Aimin, the Confucius deity, asked.
Zhang Kai nodded, "I've stayed for quite some time. I have other matters to attend to. Have you gained a clear understanding of the duties and authority of the Confucius deity now?"
Cheng Aimin respectfully replied, "More or less, it's not too complicated. My responsibilities are to oversee the school and take care of the students. Additionally, I possess a certain power, but I'm unsure of its use. I hope you can provide guidance on that, Immortal."
Zhang Kai smiled and said, "Please go on."
Cheng Aimin didn't speak but emitted a radiant white light. This light was vast, righteous, bright, unyielding, gentle, and possessed almost every positive attribute.
Zhang Kai was left in awe, and two phrases inexplicably popped into his mind: "Upholding the Righteous and Dispelling Evil" and "The Qi of Confucianism and Daoism."