Chapter Fourteen: Suffering in Silence

The third thing Shen Lian did was to go to the Taiwei Pavilion, where he searched the first floor for common information about the cultivation world.

There were countless sects devoted to cultivation in the world, but the ones that had produced immortals who had achieved longevity were few and far between. Even rarer were the sects still guarded by such immortals—these were the most orthodox of the Daoist schools. Through the storms and upheavals of millennia, only four great Daoist sects remained unshaken, and Qingxuan was one of them.

Buddhist cultivation differed from that of Daoism. Monasteries and temples were scattered like stars across the land, and the boundaries between them were far less rigid than in Daoism. Yet there were distinctions, and in total, there were eight principal schools:

First, the Three Treatises School, also known as the School of Dharma Nature; second, the Yoga School, also called the School of Dharma Characteristics, the School of Cien, or the School of Consciousness-Only; third, the Tiantai School; fourth, the Xianshou School, also known as the Huayan School; fifth, the Chan School; sixth, the Pure Land School; seventh, the Vinaya School; eighth, the Esoteric School, also called the True Word School.

In summary, they are known as the “Eight Great Schools”: Nature, Characteristics, Tiantai, Huayan, Chan, Pure Land, Vinaya, and Esoteric.

Buddhism opens wide the gate of expedient means to realize the true path. Yet, because practitioners differ in wisdom and merit, in their innate roots, backgrounds, and environments, as well as in their understanding and emphasis on different aspects of Buddhist doctrine, these various schools have arisen. Many great masters have emerged from the Eight Schools. One eminent monk even composed a poem that revealed the essence of each:

Esoteric is rich, Chan is poor, expedient is Pure Land,
Consciousness-Only is patient, Jiaxiang is empty.
Traditional Huayan cultivates the body with Vinaya,
Doctrine and organization belong to Tiantai.

All Eight Schools ultimately seek to attain the state of Arhat, which is much the same as the Daoist immortal of longevity.

Longevity immortals themselves are divided into Earth Immortals, Human Immortals, Divine Immortals, and Ghost Immortals. In Qingxuan, all who break through delusion become Earth Immortals.

The Human, Divine, and Ghost Immortals are not part of the orthodox tradition, nor do they arise from the Nine Realms of cultivation. Shen Lian found no detailed information about them on the first floor of Taiwei Pavilion.

Since cultivation enhances memory, the materials on the first floor are never lent out. Even an ordinary disciple could, in a day or two, memorize most of the information on the cultivation world, or learn it through casual conversation with a master.

Beyond Buddhism and Daoism, there are also the Nine Paths of demons and spirits, the Five Heretical Sects, and extraordinary individuals who defy classification.

Of course, the first floor also held some Daoist arts and sword techniques, but Shen Lian did not study these in detail. Such things are easy to memorize, but true mastery and practical application require much effort. His foremost task was to collect Yin Jade from the Nether River.

Though the sect leader had not specified the punishment for failing to gather thirty pieces in a month, Shen Lian had no wish to find out.

The Nether River of Qingxuan lay behind Zifu Peak, adjacent to the main peak of Taiyi. Its source and destination were unknown. Shen Lian now understood that the white-robed figure he had seen that day was a Soul Summoner from the Ninefold Yellow Springs. As long as he left the vicinity of the Nether River before sunset, he would not encounter it.

The Ninefold Netherworld was an exceedingly mysterious realm. Even in the records Shen Lian found, there were only scattered references, and no clear mention of whether reincarnation truly existed.

The Nether River itself was composed entirely of the power of wandering souls. By some rare chance, pieces of Yin Jade would sporadically condense at its bottom.

Yin Jade could be used to craft jade talismans, which, when worn, helped calm and focus the mind. For those cultivating inner energy, possessing such a talisman could greatly reduce the risk of deviation or madness during practice.

However, the crafting of these talismans required at least the power of a return-to-elixir-level cultivator, making them rare and precious. After all, such cultivators were hardly laborers; few would waste their time and energy making talismans for the young.

Collecting Yin Jade from the Nether River was itself a grueling task, as Shen Lian now fully understood. The last time he had merely touched its water, the pain in his soul had been unbearable.

The Yin Jade rested on the riverbed, out of reach even for his sandalwood sword.

Of course, Shen Lian would not try such methods, nor rack his brains for other clever tricks, for he already understood the sect leader’s intent.

Shen Lian stripped off his clothes and plunged into the Nether River. Its water seeped into his flesh and blood, incessantly eroding the strength of his soul.

The pain in his flesh he could suppress with the power of his formidable will, but the agony inflicted on his soul was impossible to resist; he could only endure it.

Although the torment was severe as he dove into the water, Shen Lian mustered his will and activated the “True Interpretation of the Supreme Clarity Spiritual Treasure’s Natural Locking of the Heart and Soul.” The power of his soul, like inner energy, circulated through every meridian and orifice, devouring the essence and vitality of his body to replenish what the river’s water destroyed.

With each attempt, his soul grew weaker, but its connection to his body became ever tighter.

More difficult still, he had to split his focus, searching for Yin Jade on the riverbed.

The pain did not diminish as his soul and body grew closer. Moreover, if he did not allow his soul to consume his inner energy and vital essence, he risked damaging his very foundation and could not survive even a moment in the Nether River.

At last, clutching a piece of Yin Jade, Shen Lian reached his limit and struggled ashore.

The Yin Jade, heavy as a falling feather, would sink instantly, and so, once in the river, would not drift away with the current. This spared Shen Lian many troubles.

No creature of flesh and blood, of course, would willingly train their swimming skill in the Nether River.

Even with his body suffused with protective energy, the river’s water could not be kept at bay. Shen Lian suspected that even a cultivator at the return-to-elixir stage, with a powerful soul, would suffer intense pain upon entering the river.

Once ashore, his inner energy was almost depleted. Fortunately, even the thinnest spiritual energy in Qingxuan far surpassed that of the mundane world.

Shen Lian activated the Profound Polar Technique, and waves of spiritual energy poured into him.

His eight meridians already unblocked, the Profound Polar Technique awakened countless orifices in his body, connecting them in a network that enabled efficient refinement of spiritual energy.

After opening the meridians, what was called “orifice activation” did not refer to the usual orifices, but rather to the “Mysterious Pass,” also known as the “Life-and-Death Orifice.”

As the Daoist scriptures say: “When one orifice is opened, a thousand are connected; when the work is complete, one may become a Buddha or an Immortal.” This refers to the Mysterious Pass.

It is the greatest hurdle in the Nine Realms of cultivation, surpassed only by the “Return-to-Elixir” and “Breaking Delusion” stages. Its difficulty exceeds even the opening of the Ren and Du meridians by twice as much.

What makes the Life-and-Death Orifice so hard to open is that it lies between existence and nonexistence, with no fixed position.

Some may open it at the sole of the foot, others in the arm—there is no pattern.

Yet there is a sure way: keep opening as many orifices in the body as possible; the more are opened, the more likely the Life-and-Death Orifice will appear. This is the wisdom of those who came before.

The Profound Polar Technique encompasses hundreds of orifices, giving great advantage in opening the Life-and-Death Orifice.

Each time Shen Lian entered the Nether River, he needed three hours to recover, and had to return to the lower courtyard at Qingliang Peak before sunset.

Lu Shouyi, having just attained the true teaching, had no time to attend to Shen Lian, nor did he know what suffering Shen Lian endured each day.