Chapter 16
The Master’s Realm is Unfathomable
“Auto-Attack?”
Li Xinyi mumbled and could not make head or tail of the meaning.
Li Chu did not want to elaborate. Instead, he just looked at Li Xinyi and let out a meaningful smile.
He learned it from Yu Qi’an. As long as he smiled at the person asking, even if that person understood nothing, that person would still think he was good and gave up asking further.
Usually, when he asked his master questions, his master would smile like this.
The difference could be that the master was indeed superb, while he just did not bother to explain.
Sure enough, Li Xinyi was at a loss. Looking at Li Chu’s unexplained smile, she suddenly thought it might involve some unspeakable secret.
So she gave up asking.
Li Xinyi dusted herself off and breathed a sigh of relief. “The mission is accomplished. Let’s head back.”
“Okay.” Li Chu followed her.
After walking out of the gate, Li Xinyi stopped suddenly.
The evening summer breeze gradually rose as the air of grievance disappeared.
She looked at the empty courtyard, her long supple hair cascading down like a beautiful waterfall as she reached to take off the red silk from her hair and shook her head.
Li Chu looked back at her. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head.
Then she lifted the red silk in the air and let it drift away with the wind.
Li Chu looked on and did not make a sound.
After gazing in the direction where the red silk went for a while, she looked back with a smile and scampered to catch up with him.
She looked less heroic but more feminine and approachable with her long hair flowing over her shoulders.
She giggled as she walked side by side with Li Chu. “Do you like the way I tie my hair or the way I let my hair down, young Daoist?”
Guts feeling told him that this question was a trap, so he refused to answer.
“Why are you so badass, young Daoist?” She asked again.
“I am not that badass.” Li Chu sounded serious.
“You have performed a move with such powerful sword energy. Is it not badass?” Li Xinyi snorted. “Did you intentionally hide your inner strength?”
“I didn’t.”
“Theeeeeeen—” she said, “Do you like the way I tie my hair or the way I let my hair down?”
On the moonlit night, the noises of frogs, cicadas, birds, dogs, and Li Xinyi were making the atmosphere lively while expelling the negative feeling in the air.
Li Chu suddenly felt peace inside him.
‘There are just as many unfortunate people as bad things in this world. But in any case, as long as we are still lucky enough to live a peaceful life, we should cherish it.’
They soon arrived back in Yuhang Town. Li Xinyi headed straight to the prefecture magistrate office where someone would arrange a place for her to stay. Meanwhile, Li Chu had to walk back to Ten Li Slope.
Coming to the time of parting ways, Li Xinyi was reluctant to see him leave. She asked him to show her around Yuhang Town next time.
Li Chu promised her he would next time.
…
He reflected on what he saw and heard today on the way back.
It had taught him a vivid lesson, although dealing with the vengeful spirit was not a challenge.
‘You can’t be more careful in a world that is full of sinister people.’
Li Xinyi apparently could overpower that vengeful spirit, but her soft spot had almost got herself killed.
Had he not been at the scene, she would have died in vain.
But then, if Li Xinyi did not show up today, and he were to drive away the vengeful spirit alone, would he feel sorry for the little girl when she kneeled in front of him, begging for mercy?
The answer would probably be yes.
If there were no others around, could it be possible that he would die?
He couldn’t help but be horrified by the thought.
He had already summed up his experience today when he arrived back in front of the gate of Deyun Monastery.
There was a saying in the Dao scripture: ‘To stand firm, you need to be determined.’
…
Early the next morning.
The sage-like master sat under a tree in a back-to-nature posture without saying a word. The looks in his eyes, and from head to toe exuded an air of superior demeanor.
Li Chu went up to him with respect. “Master, there is something I need to consult you.”
“Oh?” Yu Qi’an let out a faint smile. “You may ask so.”
Li Chu sat down opposite him. “My question is, what are the Seven Realms of Celestial Beings?”
“The Seven Realms of Celestial Beings?” Yu Qi’an paused for a second. “Why did you suddenly ask this?”
“Someone asked yesterday which one of the Seven Realms of Celestial Beings I was in my cultivation. I was like, what is that? So I am curious, wanting to find an answer from you, Master,” said Li Chu.
Li Xinyi had told him it did not matter. But he was not dumb. She would not have asked if it was irrelevant.
So the question had been hanging over his head for this while.
“It is just common knowledge for some cultivators,” said Yu Qi’an slowly.
“The Seven Realms of Celestial Beings are the seven great realms that cultivators usually experience. The so-called Celestial Beings mean from human to heaven. These seven realms are the way to heaven, namely Duanti, Qihai, Shenhe, Hualong, Wanxiang, Zhancui, and Tongtian.
“Among them, Duanti realm is about forging the body, while Qihai realm is about transforming the energy center.
“Shenhe realm is about cultivating an immortal spiritual planetary body, and Hualong realm is about transforming the body into that of the dragon.
“Next, Wanxiang realm is about the harmony of nature and man, while Zhancui realm is about transcendence. And lastly, Tongtian realm is about becoming immortal.”
‘Interesting.’
Li Chu nodded. Was it the division of the cultivation realm of this world?
What should he do? It seemed to him that he had none of the characteristics of any realm.
But it was normal for him to have a different categorization, since his self-cultivation method differed from theirs.
Yu Qi’an saw him pondering something.
“Not all cultivators have to take this path. Just that today’s mainstream cultivators, also known as Qi cultivators in ancient times, will advance according to the Seven Realms of Celestial Beings.”
“The other lineages such as warriors, demonic poison practitioners, wizards, and all have their own divisions of realms. Demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters also have their own paths. So you don’t need to follow this strictly. Just treat it as a rough reference.”
Li Chu nodded. “I still have another question. Which realm should I reach before I can be counted as a master in the field?”
It was a question that he had always wanted to seek for an answer.
At the bottom of it, he just wanted to know how far he had to practice before he was no longer a novice and could venture out on his own.
Yu Qi’an stroked his beard and guffawed. “It depends on what you mean by ‘master’.
“One in a million—who is born with spiritual roots—can embark on the path of cultivation in this world. Of those who have spiritual roots, nine out of ten will remain in the Duanti realm for the rest of their life. Compared with ordinary people, they are absolute masters.
“Those who could enter the Qihai realm are outstanding. They could be grandmasters.
“Anyone who attains the Shenhe realm is considered to have received heavenly blessing. Therefore, these people can be the mainstay in any sect and take up an important position in the imperial court.
“Once you step into the Hualong realm, you are famous and can make a name for yourself everywhere you go.
“After the Hualong realm, it will be a different world. The first three realms before the Hualong realm are closer to humans, and the three realms after the Hualong realm are closer to heaven. Stepping into the Wanxiang realm, you can make things happen with a word, and you can trigger the celestial phenomena. You are good enough to set up your own school of cultivation, becoming its patriarch.
“Once you enter the Zhancui realm, you will wield the power of heaven and earth, which is the rarest of rare.”
“If you attain the highest point, which is the Tongtian realm, you will be an immortal, which is scarce. Therefore, this realm can be called the ultimacy of the human world, and there is no higher pursuit except the legendary ascension to heaven.
“Each of the Seven Realms of Celestial Beings is a great moat, and every realm has ended the progress of many talented cultivators. Just like climbing a mountain, one peak is higher than the other. Anyone who claims to be a master should know there are always people who are better than you.”
It blew Li Chu’s mind upon hearing all that.
He did not know that the world of the cultivators was so vast.
A sense of curiosity rose within him yet again.
“Master, allow me to ask another question.” He tried to sound his master out. “In what realm you are now, Master?”
“My realm?” Yu Qi’an let out a mysterious smile. “Take a wild guess.”
“Since Master has done so many terrific things in the past, you should be at least in the Hualong realm, I guess?”
Li Chu did not want to exalt his master too high to save his master’s face if he got it wrong. So he started with a lower realm he thought was relatively low for his master.
Yu Qi’an just smiled and shook his head.
“Could it be the Wanxiang realm?”
Yu Qi’an smiled and shook his head.
“Could it be that you have attained the Zhancui realm?” Li Chu’s eyes lit up.
Yu Qi’an smiled and shook his head again.
Li Chu became excited. “Is the master already in the Tongtian realm, an immortal?”
Yu Qi’an guffawed. Just when Li Chu thought he was right, Yu Qi’an shook his head again.
It puzzled Li Chu greatly. How did his master get such a bearing if he was in none of these upper realms?
Yu Qi’an stared at Li Chu with a noncommittal expression on his face, his smile familiar yet unfathomable.
It totally struck Li Chu dumb, and Li Chu dared not ask again.
After a moment of silence, Yu Qi’an continued. “My generation cultivates the mind, not the body. What is the point even if you can move the mountains and empty the seas if you are stuck with a cultivation base? My dear student, don’t get distracted.”
Li Chu quickly nodded. “I got it, Master.”
But he actually understood nothing of it.
All he knew was—his master’s realm was not something that he could fathom!