Chapter Eleven: The Difficult Path of Seeking the Way

Shen Lian suddenly found himself understanding Senior Brother Chen Jianmei. With extraordinary cultivation speed, he had reached a realm that ordinary cultivators might never attain in their entire lives, only to linger there for forty years without advancing an inch.

This sense of stagnation brought immense psychological pressure—one that outsiders could scarcely imagine unless they experienced it themselves. Forty years is not a short span; it is enough for a person to be born, grow up, and witness the ways of the world. Sometimes, if a dynasty is short-lived, it doesn’t even last forty years. Nearly four decades spent without hope of progress, with no clue how to break through—cultivation becomes a long night, with no sign of dawn.

Just pondering it was terrifying, let alone actually struggling through it as Chen Jianmei had. Yet he still managed to restrain his temper, refrained from killing at the slightest disagreement, proving the strength of his path and character.

Shen Lian spoke, “Senior Brother, as you mentioned before, the stage of Returning the Elixir in cultivation—is it especially arduous to reach this step?”

Qi Sanwen sighed softly. Standing with his empty right sleeve, single-armed and solitary, he said, “From ‘Nurturing Qi’ to ‘Entering Transformation,’ as long as one possesses the talent and a measure of perseverance, one will eventually succeed.

But Returning the Elixir is different from all previous realms, also called ‘the Difficulty of Seeking the Way.’ The most formidable can achieve nine turns of the Elixir, and only those who reach six turns or more have hope of attaining immortality.

The path of Returning the Elixir, though varied, can be summarized in three ways.

The first path is to entrust one’s Yin Spirit to a fully formed ‘External Elixir,’ nurture it within, and thereby extend life by three centuries, much like a Returning Elixir cultivator. Yet, entrusting the Yin Spirit to the External Elixir can achieve at most three turns, with no hope of further progress. After three hundred years, one still returns to dust. Moreover, since the External Elixir and the Yin Spirit are not of the same origin, the spiritual brilliance gradually fades. If there is another life, it will be difficult to enter the Dao again.

The second path is to use a ‘Celestial Elixir’ as a spiritual guide. The number of turns depends on the quality of the Celestial Elixir. Yet, Celestial Elixirs capable of six turns or more are rarer than immortals themselves. As for nine turns, it is merely legend—no one has heard of such a thing.

The third path is to merge spirit and Qi, unite form and spirit, and forge the Golden Elixir. Once achieved, the earth grants seven turns or more, even nine turns, seizing the mysteries of creation and the secrets of sun and moon. Only cultivators who succeed on this path can truly claim to have formed the Golden Elixir.

The first two paths have traces to follow, but the third is elusive. Some spend thirty, fifty, even a hundred years reaching ‘Entering Transformation,’ only to achieve ‘Returning the Elixir’ overnight. Others reach ‘Entering Transformation’ in twenty or thirty years, but never attain ‘Returning the Elixir’ even when their lifespan ends. The ancients discussed it endlessly, but no one could summarize how to achieve it.”

Lu Sheng asked curiously, “With the mysterious means of the immortals, is there truly no immortal who can guide others on how to achieve Returning the Elixir?”

Qi Sanwen thought to himself: Even if there is, it could only be him.

Recalling that person, he did not know whether he felt reverence or fear—perhaps both.

“Even immortals cannot tell you how to achieve Returning the Elixir. With your aptitude, reaching ‘Entering Transformation’ will take thirty or fifty years. There’s no need to worry about this now,” Qi Sanwen replied calmly.

Then, his expression changed slightly. “Go now. The sect master wishes to see you.”

The three left the bamboo hut, where Jingqing—the serpent transformed into a boy—was already waiting outside.

After yesterday’s events, Lu Sheng felt even more at ease today.

But this time, Qi Sanwen accompanied them.

In the sea of clouds, Jingqing spoke lazily, “Little Third, this will probably be your last time riding on my back. I’ve carried your master and your grandmaster—they’re all dead now. You won’t be any different.”

Hearing Jingqing address Qi Sanwen this way, and recalling that Jingqing called them senior brothers, Lu Sheng nearly laughed aloud.

He did not know that among those of Qingxuan, seniority was not strictly observed. Jingqing was not counted among the disciples but as the mountain’s guardian beast. The Qingxuan founder had ordered that Jingqing call everyone ‘senior brother,’ lest he become arrogant with age, and obey only the sect master’s commands.

Serpents are inherently cold and indifferent, unconcerned with such matters. Yet having dwelled in the Qingxuan Immortal Sect for so long, Jingqing had developed some humanity. As Qi Sanwen neared the end of his days, Jingqing grew sentimental and spoke more than usual.

Calling others ‘senior brother’ for Jingqing was no different from calling anyone by any other name.

Calling Qi Sanwen ‘Little Third’ was, in fact, a mark of special regard.

Only Qi Sanwen understood the true meaning. He cherished every blade of grass and every tree on Qingxuan Mountain, reluctant to part from the human world. If even an emotionless creature like Jingqing felt something for him, it made Qi Sanwen all the more sorrowful.

The serpent sped through the clouds, then suddenly paused. Jingqing whispered, “Little Third, the Demoness has arrived. I must flee for my life—you take them to the sect master yourself.”

Lu Sheng and Shen Lian were startled, and as Jingqing shuddered, they tumbled from his back. Jingqing darted through the cloud sea like a rainbow and vanished in the blink of an eye.

High above, they would have been shattered from the fall were it not for Qi Sanwen’s empty right sleeve, which suddenly stretched out like a long ribbon, catching both of them.

They landed on a cloud barge.

From high above, a clear voice rang out, “Wretched little snake, I only wanted to borrow your inner elixir, why so stingy? Don’t let me catch you this time, or I’ll make you spit out every last Zhu fruit you stole from me!”

Shen Lian found the voice familiar, but the wind and clouds made it impossible to see the speaker.

As the voice faded into the distance, Shen Lian realized: it was the same woman he had encountered at that strange river.

With Qi Sanwen’s magic, carrying the three of them, the cloud barge was rather unsteady. Swaying and bobbing, they eventually reached the main peak, ‘Taiyi.’

Qi Sanwen, familiar with the way, led them to the grand hall.

This time, Jingqing did not open the door; Qi Sanwen pushed it himself.

Just as before, the sect master was seated cross-legged on the stone couch.

Yet this time, the sect master appeared much younger than when Shen Lian had seen him the previous day.

Qi Sanwen was startled. “Sect Master Uncle, what happened yesterday?” He had noticed that although the sect master looked younger, it was likely a sign the injury had worsened.

The reason was that, due to a serious injury a century ago, the sect master had cultivated a secret art to seal all vitality within, preventing any from leaking out. This led to his aged appearance, unlike the other elders in the sect.

Now, the youthful appearance was not because the injury had healed, but because the sealed vitality had begun to escape, leading to this change.

ps: Thanks to Futu Liangsheng for the reward of 588, Zheyiwen for 588, yangzhigang for 588, and Yiye Jiangshan for their generosity.