Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 764: Void Wandering

High mountains, lakes, water patterns, tributaries... "Is this... a map?"

The drawing style of this map was very peculiar, both impressionistic and precise.

The lines flowed smoothly, the ink shades were just right, outlining the mountains, rivers, seas, islands, and continental plates.

Some areas were depicted in extreme detail, with mountain textures, river directions, and even tiny marks or annotations for certain important locations.

However, many more areas appeared blurry and simplified, with only rough outlines, as if covered by a light veil, making details indiscernible.

Furthermore, a significant portion of the map was shrouded in thick, swirling ink, pitch black, like an unresolvable mist, making even the outlines unclear.

Song Yan focused intently, and the more he looked, the more his heart trembled with shock.

This seemed to be a map of this Mortal World!

Although he had never seen the full picture, from the familiar Border Region outlines, the central position of the Middle Region like a colossal entity, and the few extremely vast islands scattered within, along with the four surrounding seas that embraced the continent, there was absolutely no mistake!

The vast and mysterious Southern and Northern Border Regions... the boundless four seas... In a very remote corner of the map, a white light spot continuously emitted a soft yet noticeable glow.

Song Yan looked closely, and the light spot was precisely where Chu Country was, a bit to the north.

Almost instantly, he realized something.

This light spot should be the Sword Sect’s ruins.

"So that’s how it is..."

Song Yan’s heart suddenly understood.

It seemed that, according to the normal process of this bead, it would only guide the Sword Cultivator who possessed it to the Sword Sect’s ruins once they reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.

He had only gone there early by chance.

This newly advanced Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Chu Country, with a touch of the pride and curiosity that comes with entering a new Realm, began to meticulously examine this enormous painting spread across the sky.

He tried to comprehend the vastness of this world, his gaze following the ink lines, from Chu Country in the Border Region, to the neighboring Qi Country and Ning Country, and then to other more distant small states.

Then came the suffocatingly vast entire continent.

Just one Middle Region, and its territory seemed boundless!

Rivers flowed, mountain ranges crisscrossed, marking countless prefectures and cities.

Most of the other names were unfamiliar; even if he had seen or heard them in some obscure corner before, the impression was very vague.

Only one name he had heard countless times.

Chang’an.

...

Chu Country was desolate, and the Border Region was far away.

Even if only once, perhaps all the Cultivators in the Border Region had once dreamed of reaching Great Tang one day, to see this city that was the heart of all under heaven.

At the edge of the sky map, the four vast seas occupied an enormous space, deep and dark.

However, as this magnificent painting gradually became clear in his mind, the surge of excitement in Song Yan’s heart, which had arisen from successfully reaching Foundation Establishment and seemingly glimpsing a corner of the Dao, slowly dissipated.

An indescribable sense of insignificance silently crept into his heart.

He subconsciously raised his hand and gestured vaguely with his finger.

"Chu Country... is it really that small?"

Chu Country, on this map, was like an accidental drop of ink.

The entire Border Region plate seemed insignificant in front of the colossal Middle Region.

Between the Border Region and the Middle Region, the vast blank area outlined in thick ink on the map did not represent an easy path, but rather the truly distant journey that needed to be traversed.

However, upon this thought, he suddenly froze.

At this moment, he did not fantasize about the grand ideal of traveling all over this Mortal World, but rather thought of a person, a Mortal.

This person’s name was Xie Tianji.

"That’s not right..."

Song Yan murmured.

His gaze repeatedly measured the distance of that gap.

"Among the Border Regions, except for Wei Country and Jiang Country, which barely border the Middle Region, those bordering areas are mostly perilous Jedi or boundless wilderness.

"For the other Border Region countries to reach the true Middle Region..."

He roughly estimated based on the proportion of Chu Country on the map: "...The journey is more than ten thousand li."

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator can fly with objects, without sleep or rest, without food or drink, traveling ten thousand li a day is not a problem.

"If this map is accurate, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator wanting to go to the core prosperous areas of the Middle Region, traveling at full speed, smoothly all the way, without considering restoring Spiritual Qi, without encountering dangers, and without stopping to rest... it would probably take several years."

And Xie Tianji, a Mortal... even if his sword art was godlike, he defeated all Mortal opponents and earned the reputation of being the best in the world.

But he was still a Mortal body.

How fast can a Mortal walk?

A hundred li a day is already the limit, and traveling through mountains and rivers would be hindered by snow, dangerous obstacles, and miasma-induced illnesses.

Horses and boats always have their limits.

Food and water were all problems.

Not to mention traversing those deathly Jedi and primeval marshes marked by huge blank spaces and dense ink mist on the map, which must exist in reality!

"How... how could he, with just a pair of feet, travel from Chu Country to the Middle Region, earn the title of the best in the world, then journey tens of thousands of li through mountains and rivers, and finally return to Chu Country?"

A Mortal, who only used a few decades to measure this world?

Song Yan gazed at the vast and despairing map in the sky, then recalled the heroic and desolate feelings flowing between the lines of the sword Post, and his heart was filled with both doubt and a sense of the inexplicable.

Who was helping him?

That Immortal... Song Yan did not know.

After much thought with no result, he simply gave up... In Immortal Cave Earth Two One, Xiao Ju had already completed her Cultivation for the day.

Having traveled with Song Yan for many days, she had also developed the habit of absorbing purple Qi at sunrise each morning. She had just returned to the Immortal Cave, preparing to continue studying the Dao of Formations.

Xiao He had also been diligently Cultivating recently, and her demonic power was steadily increasing.

Upon returning to the Immortal Cave, they both looked at the closed-door Cultivation room.

Xiao He asked, "How long has Yan Yan been in there?"

Monsters have a very vague concept of time. If Xiao He didn’t braid little grass ropes, she wouldn’t be able to count how much time had passed.

"About thirteen months," Xiao Ju replied, "Senior Song has been in closed-door Cultivation for three hundred ninety-seven days."

"That long."

Snake Babe mumbled.

Just then, the Restriction spiritual light of the closed-door Cultivation room rippled out like water waves.

Buzz... The heavy stone door of the closed-door Cultivation room was gently yet powerfully moved open from the inside.

Amidst the dust motes, a figure slowly stepped out.

He still appeared as a young man in a black Daoist robe, but his temperament was now distinctly different.

Thirteen months of closed-door Foundation Establishment Cultivation had washed away all impurities.

Spiritual Qi flowed smoothly throughout his body, without the slightest stagnation of a Qi Refining Cultivator. In its place was a profound sense of stability, like a towering mountain or a deep abyss.

The two looked up, and when they clearly saw the figure bathed in dust motes, they were first stunned, then a surge of pleasant surprise filled their hearts.

"Senior, you succeeded?"

After asking, she laughed at herself in her heart.

Of course, Senior Song was like an Immortal, how could he fail?

Thirteen months, the accumulated worry and anticipation from this long wait, now vanished into thin air.

She wanted to bow, but was at a loss, and ultimately just looked up, her gaze fixed on Song Yan, her eyes filled with reverence.

Xiao He was naturally also joyful and delighted.

Snake Babe’s perception of aura was very keen. It sensed the majestic power within Song Yan’s body, which was integrated with heaven and earth.

"Yan Yan!" A childish voice erupted in a huge scream of delight.

A green blur flashed, and the small snake skillfully coiled around Song Yan’s shoulder, its small head rubbing against his neck, its tail tip wagging excitedly.

"Woohoo! Yan Yan! You’ve become... uh, you’ve become so bright!"

Snake Babe suffered from a lack of vocabulary and couldn’t find the precise words to describe the Dao charm aura after Foundation Establishment.

Song Yan chuckled, reaching out to gently stroke Xiao He’s head, then looked at Xiao Ju and said softly, "Yes, I succeeded, everything went smoothly."

A simple sentence, but it made Xiao Ju’s heart leap.

Senior Song had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, did this mean she could now become his disciple?

Song Yan naturally still remembered the previous agreement.

But there was no rush.

Counting the days, there were still five months until the Dragon Pool Mountain Nine Pulses Grand Competition, so there was plenty of time.

This powerful feeling of newly entering a Realm and being one with the Dao made Song Yan eager to personally try out the privilege of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator immediately.

Flying in the air.

Now that he had established his Dao Foundation, he could not only fly with objects but also learn the sword Dao Escape Technique called "Void Wandering."

But Song Yan did not immediately begin Cultivating it. Instead, he wanted to first try flying in the air by directly activating Sword Qi, without the aid of any external objects.

He walked out of the Immortal Cave and came to the open space of the bamboo forest courtyard.

Holding his breath and concentrating, his mind stirred slightly.

Within the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion, the blooming lotus gently rotated, and the majestic Sword Qi slowly emanated from his body, but it was no longer for external attack, but rather permeated his entire being in a mysterious way.

The wide sleeves of his black Daoist robe fluttered, and the sensation of the solid ground beneath his feet slowly disappeared.

Song Yan’s figure slowly ascended into the air!

Xiao Ju and Xiao He in the courtyard looked up at Song Yan in the air, both astonished.

Snake Babe’s golden vertical pupils widened: "Woah..."

At first, his aerial movement was a bit stiff and unpracticed. The ascent speed was controlled rather slowly, and he was only about a zhang off the ground, slightly slower than the speed he achieved by leaping on the ground with the Lingyun Intent movement technique during Qi Refining.

This was normal. Cultivators new to Foundation Establishment, just trying out aerial movement, generally have a period of stumbling and adaptation.

But he quickly grasped the key, and flying in the air became natural.

Song Yan hovered in mid-air, feeling the breeze on his hair, looking down at the familiar Immortal Cave courtyard and bamboo forest valley, unable to hide the smile on his lips.

It would be too selfish to fly alone.

He could also try the usual method of flying with a sword.

Song Yan’s mind stirred again, and the Unmoored Boat appeared beneath his feet as a black and white stream of light.

"Come up." He extended his hand to the person and the snake below.

Xiao Ju did not hesitate, lightly tapping the ground and rising into the wind with a slightly unpracticed grace.

She was only in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, unable to fly independently, but with Song Yan’s Foundation Establishment Realm Qi pulling and protecting her, she easily landed on the Unmoored Boat, standing in front of Song Yan.

Xiao He, on the other hand, directly scurried into the Daoist robe, swimming around and poking her head out from the collar.

"Hold on tight?"

"Yee-ya-ha!"

The Flying Sword rode the wind, and Xiao He’s shriek was instantly swallowed by the wind.

Sword roar piercing the sky!

The black and white spiritual light of the Unmoored Boat flared, carrying the two people and one snake as a sword rainbow straight into the clouds!

Flying with a sword was completely different from previously using Spiritual Artifacts like the Red Dust Dipper for flight.

Those were ultimately external objects, and there was always a gap in the flow of intent.

Now, man and sword were one, their minds connected, and the flow of Sword Qi was the direction of their intent!

Soaring straight into the sea of clouds, swooping over treetops, darting through treacherous peaks, moving as they pleased, smoothly and freely!

The wind roared in their ears, and the clouds rolled past their bodies.

Xiao Ju initially closed her eyes tightly and gripped Song Yan’s Daoist robe nervously, feeling the speed and freedom. Slowly, she also opened her eyes wide, her face flushed, filled with pure shock and excitement.

Snake Babe was even more excited, shouting and yelling "Yiyi yaya" in the air, its golden vertical pupils wide as it watched the rapidly changing land and mountains below, never feeling the sky so close, the world so small!

The Sword Qi was abundant, and the consumption for supporting this kind of flight was minimal.

The two people and one snake circled, swooped, stopped abruptly, and flipped in the clear sky, having a blast. Their clear laughter and Snake Babe’s exclamations echoed between the blue sky and flowing clouds.

After a good half-day, they finally returned, landing back in front of the Immortal Cave.

Xiao Ju and Xiao He were still immersed in the excitement of their celestial journey, their faces flushed, clearly not having had enough.

They chattered away as they returned to the Immortal Cave.

Song Yan, however, remained in the bamboo forest courtyard.

After a brief period of adjustment, his state recovered, and he then recalled the sword Dao Escape Technique called Void Wandering from the Sword Planting Technique’s Sword-Riding Immortal Posture.

This method was completely different from ordinary object-riding flight techniques. It involved becoming one with the sword, transforming into a stream of light.

The Sword Planting Technique described it as, "Body like a stream of light, swifter than lightning, where the mind goes, the intent follows, a thousand li in an instant, this is Void Wandering."

Perhaps this sword Dao Escape Technique was the true means by which the Cultivators of the Sword Sect traversed heaven and earth, moving without hindrance.

Suddenly, the essentials of this Escape Technique flooded his mind like a tide.

This method required the Lifebound Flying Sword to merge with the body, and the Divine Sense to activate the Sword Qi to integrate into the Void, with the body following the sword, covering a hundred li in an instant.

Rather than saying it was "riding a sword," it was more like transforming oneself into a Escape Light, traveling between heaven and earth.

This method had many mysterious aspects.

One, of course, was its speed. By shedding the physical hindrance of Flying Swords and other objects, where the mind intended, where the Sword Qi pointed, the body would arrive.

Not only was the speed far beyond ordinary Escape Light, but it was also extremely flexible.

With a turn of thought, within a small space, one could move and dodge like lightning, a level of agility far beyond what ordinary object-riding flight could achieve.

If used in ever-changing life-and-death battles, this technique, once unleashed, would catch opponents off guard, making it extremely convenient whether for pursuing enemies to gain the upper hand or for escaping danger to save one’s life.

Another point was the Qi mechanism.

Transforming into sword light and merging with the Qi mechanism of heaven and earth, the flight trajectory would become erratic and unpredictable, making it difficult for Cultivators of the same Realm to completely lock on with their Divine Sense.

However, this method was not without its drawbacks; it also had problems that could not be ignored.

The most obvious was the enormous consumption of Sword Qi.

Compared to ordinary object-riding flight or direct aerial flight, the consumption was several times greater.