Free Web NovelChapter 24: Chapter 24: Ancient Cultivation Realm
When the topic turned to her area of expertise, Shen Ji’s eyes lit up, and she immediately launched into a torrent of words.
"Of course, ancient and modern times are vastly different. It’s not something I can explain in just a few words! As for which ancient period you’re asking about... In Ancient Times, the distinction between mortals and Immortal Cultivators wasn’t as great as it is now. In fact, the two were one and the same!"
"One and the same... So you’re saying that in Ancient Times, Immortal Cultivators and mortals lived together?"
"That’s right. Legend has it that in Ancient Times, demons and monsters ran rampant, and dangerous lands were everywhere. Mortals couldn’t possibly survive on their own, so they had to rely on the protection of ancient Cultivators.
And since Cultivators are just mortals who have gone through Cultivation, they couldn’t just stand by and watch mortals get slaughtered. They naturally extended their protection, so you could say the two groups were actually integrated."
Jiang Xu grew thoughtful.
’Nowadays, the divide between immortals and mortals is stark. There are even explicit rules forbidding Cultivators from recklessly disrupting the order of the mortal world. Violators face severe punishment.’
’That’s why most mortals only know of vague, ethereal legends about Immortals, and go their entire lives without ever seeing a Cultivator in the flesh.’
’This was, in a way, also a form of protection for mortals.’
’After all, Cultivators are incredibly powerful. It would be all too easy to find countless examples of them using their might to break the rules.’
As for why the current era didn’t continue the model from Ancient Times, Jiang Xu didn’t quite understand. But he figured that since the historical contexts were different, it was only logical for the systems to be different too.
Seeing that Jiang Xu was interested in what she was saying, Shen Ji grew even more enthusiastic:
"Let me tell you, Ancient Times weren’t like the present, where Daoist Cultivators hold a dominant position.
In Ancient Times, a hundred flowers bloomed, and a hundred schools of thought contended. Buddhist Cultivators, Daoist Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, Confucian Cultivators, Witch Cultivators... all sorts of Cultivators divided the world among themselves. To be honest, a Cultivation Realm like that is what I call truly exciting!"
"Then why is the situation like this now? Why isn’t it like it was in Ancient Times?" Jiang Xu couldn’t help but ask.
"Uhm..."
The question stumped Shen Ji.
Her eyes darted about, but as she racked her brain, she realized nothing she had ever learned provided a clear answer.
Because there was simply no record of it in any of the Ancient Texts.
How was she supposed to answer that?
After thinking for a long while, Shen Ji offered a theory:
"Maybe it was because a great war broke out in Ancient Times or something.
The fiends, demons, ghosts, and monsters of that era were the enemies of Cultivators, and they were just too powerful. They invaded the Cultivation Realm, a massive war erupted, and in the end, both sides were wiped out.
But the Daoist Cultivators managed to preserve their heritage, which led to the current landscape of the Cultivation Realm. freewebnøvel.coɱ
I’ve seen this kind of plot in all the storybooks I’ve read. It’s probably something similar, right?"
Jiang Xu had been listening intently, so when Shen Ji revealed her source was just storybooks, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But when Shen Ji saw his expression, she suddenly grew serious:
"It may be a storybook plot, but I think it’s highly plausible. The only things that could have wiped out the Ancient Cultivation Realm are the fiends, demons, ghosts, and monsters I mentioned.
Fiends are the result of animals gaining sentience and then beginning Cultivation.
Demons are divided into two types: one is Demon Cultivators, and the other is a race known as ’Demons,’ which are exceptionally terrifying.
Ghosts are beings who have died but, for some reason, failed to enter the Underworld, eventually becoming a special kind of existence.
Monsters are lifeforms created from inanimate objects that gain life through some twist of fate, or they are just extremely bizarre creatures."
Even in Ancient Times, an era where it was said Golden Core experts were everywhere and Nascent Soul masters were as common as dogs, Cultivators would still turn pale at the mere mention of these beings."
Thanks to Shen Ji’s explanation, Jiang Xu now had a slightly better understanding of matters concerning Ancient Times.
Before Jiang Xu could ask another question, Shen Ji suddenly grew flustered.
"Ah! I’ve been so busy talking to you that I haven’t finished putting away all these Ancient Texts! I’ve been at it for several hours, and I’m still only a third of the way done! If I don’t hurry, I won’t have any time left for Cultivation!"
With that, Shen Ji promptly shooed Jiang Xu out of her room and, in a frantic hurry, went back to organizing her books.
Seeing that Shen Ji was no longer paying him any mind, Jiang Xu didn’t linger.
He had finished packing up anyway, so after leaving Shen Ji’s place, he headed straight for his new cave-dwelling.
...
Hidden within a dense, emerald-green bamboo forest lay a quiet, secluded cave-dwelling.
The forest was a lush, vibrant green, its dense stalks and leaves forming a natural screen that blocked out the clamor and disturbances of the outside world. Only when a gentle breeze rustled the leaves could one catch a glimpse of the dwelling hidden within.
A butterfly flitted through a patch of flowers, hovered over a clear stream, and danced through the air, its form gradually disappearing into the pristine bamboo forest.
Jiang Xu took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the beautiful scenery before him, his expression one of pure captivation.
"Now this is what it means to be a true Cultivator."
’The path of Cultivation is meant to be walked in a serene and elegant environment like this.’
’That little hut I stayed in before was right next to the Spirit Fields.’
’And while the view of the paddies was all right, it just didn’t fit the whole Immortal Cultivator aesthetic at all!’
After admiring the view for another moment, Jiang Xu walked into the bamboo forest and up to the front of his cave-dwelling.
It was called a cave-dwelling, but that was just the standard term.
In reality, it was just a large house enclosed by a stone wall, forming a courtyard.
"Ding-378. Yep, this is it."
Jiang Xu double-checked the address plaque, then opened the courtyard gate and stepped inside.
"COUGH, COUGH! Ptooey!"
The courtyard had clearly been uninhabited for a long time; there was no shortage of dust and cobwebs. Caught off guard, Jiang Xu got a lungful of dust and started coughing.
But instead of finding it a hassle, Jiang Xu actually broke into a smile.
With a slap of his Storage Bag, a Talisman appeared between his fingers.
"Hahaha, the Dust-removal Talisman I worked so hard to make can finally be put to use!"
He channeled a thread of Magical Power into the Dust-removal Talisman, and the Runes on it instantly activated. With a flick of his fingers, Jiang Xu sent the Talisman flying forward, where it promptly tore itself apart in mid-air.
A cleansing breeze surged from the point where the Talisman had ruptured. As it touched the dust, the breeze formed a whirlwind, sucking it all up. The whirlwind then leisurely circled the entire courtyard once before, under Jiang Xu’s control, flying outside to deposit all the dust on the floor of the bamboo forest.
"Not bad, not bad. Totally worth the seven or eight sheets of Talisman Paper I wasted getting it right!"
Jiang Xu was very pleased.
The fact that the Dust-removal Talisman worked properly meant he now had a basic grasp of the Talisman Dao. As long as he kept practicing, he would eventually become a true Talisman Maker.
Once he became a Talisman Maker, he could increase his own power, whether he used the Talismans himself or sold them to others.
’After entering the Outer Sect, I’ll spend the first month focusing my studies on the Talisman Dao within the Sect. At the same time, I’ll raise my Concealing Breath Spell to the Mastery level.
Then, for the next two months, I’ll find a Sect mission that allows me to leave the grounds. I’ll take a look around the outside world and scout out some escape routes. That way, if I run into danger and have to flee, I won’t have to explore first and needlessly increase the risk.’
