【002】 God's favor
The seventeen-year-old boy lay on the grass, his body trembling constantly, his eyes tightly closed, the muscles on his face twisted from time to time, a trace of pain flashed across his face, sweat kept oozing out of his pores, sliding down continuously, soaking his clothes in just a few seconds; the temples on both sides bulged, as if in danger of exploding at any time.
Nearly an hour passed before the young man opened his eyes. He gazed at the blue sky above, breathing rapidly, his eyes red, a strange expression on his face, a mixture of laughter and tears. He had died before, but this had also been a blessing in disguise. It turned out that before his death in his previous life, a jade bead containing the universe had burst into his mouth—more precisely, an immortal abode. The jade bead had already merged into his body, and he had just been passively absorbing the jade bead's information and power. His rebirth was also due to this jade bead.
The immortal abode within the jade bead is called the "Dongting Immortal Mansion," crafted by an immortal named Tongde Immortal Emperor. Tongde Immortal Emperor was a prodigy, having begun his cultivation at the age of eight and displaying remarkable talent. Not only did his cultivation level rise rapidly, but he also excelled in alchemy, formations, and craftsmanship, making him both a genius and a versatile talent. When Tongde Immortal Emperor reached the Immortal Lord stage of the Immortal Realm, he met a highly qualified Celestial Immortal and took her in as his disciple. Unexpectedly, his disciple, intent on seizing the artifact, colluded with outsiders, colluding with them to murder him. Ultimately, Tongde Immortal Emperor escaped the disaster thanks to the artifact in his possession. His beloved disciple's betrayal disillusioned him with the idea of accepting disciples, but he refused to see his cultivation methods lost, nor the treasures he had collected since his time in the cultivation world lost to dust. Before ascending to the divine realm, he used his superior craftsmanship to refine the vast area surrounding his immortal abode into a single spatial artifact, placing all his resources within it. Finally, he broke through time and space and threw the bead into the turbulence of time and space, hoping that someone with a destiny would obtain it and continue to pass on his skills.
Gu Juan is this destined person.
Gu Juan had never imagined that cultivators existed, much less that he could become one. When he was eight, his beloved grandfather passed away from illness; when he was ten, his father died in a car accident; and when he was twelve, his mother passed away from illness. He had always believed that he was an unlucky person, and after losing his loved ones, he was like a helpless duckweed drifting in the world. Countless times, he despaired of life, relying on his mother's last words before her death, asking him to study hard, to find the courage to continue living. Today, knowing that he could actually become a cultivator, and even step into another completely new world in the future, he finally found his direction in life, rekindled his hope for the future, and for the first time believed that he could live a more wonderful life!
The heavens finally saw his despair and bestowed some favor upon him. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and Gu Juan raised his head, rubbing his eyes fiercely. He smiled, stood up, and, waving away his sorrow, surveyed this unfamiliar space.
The space was a world unto itself, crowned by a blue sky and a single "sun." Gu Juan was now standing at the entrance of an ancient-style house built entirely of wood. Pushing the door open, he entered a flower hall furnished with chairs, a coffee table, and a musical instrument stand. A side door into the flower hall led to the main hall. On the wall facing the main entrance hung a vivid portrait of a young man with an ethereal demeanor, clad in a flowing black robe. His gaze gazed straight ahead, revealing an air of timelessness and a sense of indifference that spoke of a world beyond.
This must be the Immortal Emperor Tongde. Gu Juan sincerely thanked the Immortal Emperor Tongde, knelt before the portrait, and kowtowed three times with sincerity. "Disciple Gu Juan greets Master."
The portrait moved slightly, as if blown by the wind, and a faint voice emanated from it, its tone filled with relief and sighing, "After over a thousand years, someone has finally arrived here. No matter who you are, from now on you will be my disciple. I hope you will inherit my imperial skills well. Although cultivation emphasizes following your heart, do not be a traitor! Take care, my disciple, and we will meet again."
Gu Juan felt the kindness of Immortal Emperor Tongde and felt a trace of nostalgia. He was about to say something, but found that the portrait had been stuck to the wall tightly and silently.
This is probably the so-called "immortal consciousness", not the Immortal Emperor Tongde himself.
Gu Juan felt lost and stood there for a while before looking for the secret book of cultivation "Slaughtering Moon Immortal Record" left by his master according to the information he had obtained before.
On either side of the main hall were two rooms: a training room, an alchemy room, a weapon refining room, and a treasure room. The "Record of the Slaughtering Moon Immortal" was kept in the treasure room. A thin, emerald-green piece of jade, seemingly made of jade, shimmered faintly. This was a jade slip used by cultivators to record information, its contents accessible through spiritual awareness. Gu Juan knew that the "Record of the Slaughtering Moon" lay within. He hadn't yet begun cultivation, and lacked spiritual awareness, so he could only open it by dripping blood. He bit his finger, and a drop of blood fell onto the jade slip, instantly seeping into it without leaving a trace. At the same time, the information in the "Record of the Slaughtering Moon Immortal" was clearly imprinted in his mind. Strangely enough, he could understand it even though it was written in the common language of the cultivation world. This must have been thanks to his master.
The "Record of the Slaughtering Moon Immortal" consists of two parts: cultivation and immortal cultivation. He had only seen the cultivation part so far. The immortal cultivation part was blurry, like a mosaic. There was no need for him to dwell on the immortal cultivation part right now.
Perhaps it was related to the bead he absorbed, but Gu Juan could easily comprehend the technique, pondering every word and vaguely grasping its profound meaning. "The Immortal Record of Slaughtering the Moon," as its name suggests, was a profoundly powerful technique, imbued with the aura of the Slaughter Moon. Every attack emphasized speed, precision, ferocity, and versatility: "fast as lightning, accurate as an arrow, ruthless as a beast, and swift as the wind." If two cultivators of equal skill battled, if one practiced the "Immortal Record of Slaughtering the Moon" and the other practiced a different technique, the one practicing the "Immortal Record of Slaughtering the Moon" would undoubtedly prevail.
Just from the text description, Gu Juan could imagine the power of using "The Immortal Record of Killing the Moon". His eyes lit up with excitement and he couldn't wait to start practicing. He first followed the instructions of the Immortal Mansion to find the medicine bottle marked "Foundation Building Pill" in the treasure room, poured out a Foundation Building Pill from it and threw it into his mouth.
The Foundation-Building Pill melted in his mouth. Before Gu Juan could savor its flavor, a stream of cool liquid slid down his esophagus. Then, a sharp pain erupted near his lower abdomen, causing his legs to give way and he fell to the ground. The Foundation-Building Pill's function was to remove impurities from the body and expand the meridians, making it more suitable for cultivation. This pain was expected, and Gu Juan had to endure it. Many in the world of cultivation have died because they couldn't endure this kind of pain. Soon, the pain, centered in his lower abdomen, gradually spread to his limbs. The exploding pain made Gu Juan curl up tightly, his hair instantly damp with sweat. It felt like a balloon within him had suddenly been inflated, expanding his meridians and flesh with brutal force. Gu Juan gritted his teeth, fighting the pain, unwilling to faint. The pain finally reached a fever pitch, leaving him numb and unable to move. Not only did he lack the strength to open his eyes, but even his five senses gradually faded. Only a stubborn consciousness confirmed that he was still unconscious. It felt like more than a day had passed before the pain finally stopped. Gu Juan's body and mind relaxed at the same time and he fell asleep.
When he woke up again, Gu Juan couldn't help but want to cheer. This was the power of the Foundation Establishment Pill. It made his body twice as light and full of strength, like a long-ill person suddenly recovered and full of energy. At this moment, his stomach also protested, growling. He suddenly remembered that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.
A foul odor pierced his nose, and he noticed that his body was covered in a layer of black stains, and his clothes were also black, as if he had just crawled out of an oil barrel. This was the excretion of impurities from the body. He jumped up, left the space, and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower. He casually glanced in the mirror and suddenly realized that his mild myopia was completely gone. He looked very different in the mirror. His hair was smooth and soft, and he looked very healthy. His eyes were dark and bright, and his skin was slightly whiter than before. His body muscles were tighter and stronger, and the burn marks on his chest were almost invisible. Even his height had changed. He remembered that he was only 1.76 meters at that time, but now he was at least 1.80 meters tall and more slender.
After taking a quick shower, Gu Juan went to the kitchen to cook three packets of instant noodles. After eating a big bowl of noodles, he still felt very hungry, so he cooked another big handful of noodles and added two eggs to feel full.
After carefully closing the curtains, he reentered the space and arrived at the training room, where he sat cross-legged. The Dongting Immortal Residence consisted of two floors: the lower level was filled with spiritual energy, while the upper level was filled with immortal energy. He currently lacked the strength to open the upper level, so he could only move within the lower one. The training room was adorned with a spiritual formation that allowed for overlapping spiritual energy, ensuring that cultivation would yield twice the result with half the effort.
Gu Juan closed his eyes, concentrating his mental energy. Following the instructions of the technique, he captured the spiritual energy and channeled it into his body, allowing it to flow along the meridians to his dantian, where he refined it into true energy. He quickly entered a state of concentration, immersed in it...
When he opened his eyes, a gleam of light flashed in them, and his entire aura completely changed. Cultivators' cultivation levels are divided into the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Consecration Stage, the Fusion Stage, the Bigu Stage, the Heart Beating Stage, the Spiritual Silence Stage, the Golden Core Stage, the Nascent Soul Stage, the Out-of-Body Stage, the Spirit Severing Stage, the Fusion Stage, and the Tribulation Stage, for a total of twelve levels, each of which is further divided into the beginning, middle, and end stages. The Immortal Mansion was indeed a treasure; a single retreat had allowed his cultivation to soar from the Foundation Establishment Stage directly to the early stages of the Consecration Stage.
Gu Juan swiftly escaped the courtyard, delighted by the surge of power within him. He casually raised his right hand, and a burst of energy shot out from his palm, striking the tree trunk, leaving a bowl-shaped dent. The force he applied was roughly equivalent to the force he'd use to lift a bowl of rice as an ordinary person.
This is the power of a cultivator!
Gu Juan couldn't help but burst into laughter, startling several flying birds in the space.
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