Lying Low While Cultivating Immortality in Two Worlds

“On the summit of Heavenly Pillar Peak… someone is Seeking Golden?”

“And with such an imposing tone… why does it sound somewhat like San Ji?”

Fang Qing instinctively shrank his neck. Thinking of his true body still in the Minor Huan Sea, he immediately relaxed a little. His gaze shifted upward again as he noticed Fang Wuchen kneeling nearby, and a thought stirred in his mind.

‘I originally thought this great-grand-nephew of mine was doomed. Who would have expected, it seems he may have encountered a tremendous opportunity instead?’

He raised his eyes toward the Heavenly Pillar.

Wind surged and clouds churned, carrying an unfathomable and terrifying aura.

The entire Grotto Heaven trembled almost at the same moment.

“To instantly achieve the divine ability ‘Bearing All with Profound Virtue’? Impossible!”

Kaiyuanzi stared in disbelief, his face filled with shock. Purple Mansion divine abilities were notoriously difficult to cultivate, often requiring decades. Even refining divine nature could not produce such results in an instant.

The entire Central Yellow Palace trembled violently, then with a thunderous roar descended behind him, transforming into a radiant stream of divine ability light.

[Stomach Earth] Divine Ability, Central Yellow Palace!

Immediately afterward, throughout the Grotto Heaven, from the earth, from vegetation, from the depths of the void itself, strands of mysterious yellow earthen qi emerged, gathering like auspicious clouds around Spiritual Master San Ji. They evolved into countless phenomena, as if heaven and earth themselves were breathing.

Divine Ability: Yellow Court Breath!

At this moment, Spiritual Master San Ji had clearly reached the peak of Purple Mansion, his four divine abilities complete!

“It is the Blessed Land Seeking Golden Method.”

Si Chen Spiritual Master’s face filled with admiration as he suddenly dropped to his knees.

“The Spiritual Master uses his own divine abilities to form a blessed land. Once the blessed land reaches completion, he lifts it to seek golden. A blessed land is born from divine ability, while a Grotto Heaven is an even more profound manifestation of such power. This should be called the 'Grotto Heaven Seeking Golden Method!' From the very beginning, San Ji sacrificed his own fate not to connect with Taihuang Heaven, but to refine it… to refine this entire Grotto Heaven!”

Kaiyuanzi’s expression twisted grotesquely. Countless insect-like forms crawled across his face before dropping off and dying in writhing agony.

“A Blessed Land… if it is not one’s own creation, its qi will not align. How could one seek Golden from it?”

“Let alone, what level of cultivation does he possess to refine a True Lord’s Grotto Heaven?”

“Unless… he is not San Ji at all! Hahaha! San Ji, you truly have endured. The benefits of refining divinity are immense, enough to break your shackles and give you hope of reaching the peak of Purple Mansion. Five hundred years of lifespan, the prestige of divine abilities, you cast it all aside… all of it.”

As he laughed, Kaiyuanzi also dropped to his knees.

However, the phenomenon of Dao assimilation on his body grew increasingly severe. He could no longer suppress it. Before long, he would likely dissolve into the Dao and perish on the spot.

Nearby, the demon kings such as Yingzhu had already knelt across the ground.

Because the one now attaining the Golden was no longer San Ji Spiritual Master, but the True Lord of [Stomach Earth]!

A True Lord possessed immense power. Even after death, with body and spirit destroyed and true soul extinguished, there still remained a chance of revival.

The most common method was a strand of divine nature seizing a new body.

Of course, Purple Mansion cultivators were exalted and protected by divine abilities. If they discovered such danger in advance, they could avoid it entirely, or even refine that strand of divine nature for immense benefit.

But San Ji had long resolved to sacrifice himself. He willingly allowed the divine nature to seize his body, trading his own life to bring back a fallen True Lord!

“This Blessed Land Seeking Golden Method… no, the Grotto-Heaven Seeking Golden Method, uses the status of a Grotto Heaven to empower four divine abilities. Only a reincarnated True Lord could accomplish this.”

Si Chen Spiritual Master stared without blinking, though bitterness filled his heart. He knew this path was forever beyond him.

Yingzhu, the demon king, widened his eyes. “Four divine abilities perfected, yet all are ancient divine abilities. The nature of divine abilities has changed over time. How will the True Lord succeed?”

Si Chen Spiritual Master’s heart stirred. ‘Indeed… divine abilities have evolved through the ages. How will he overcome this?’

A sigh echoed.

“Stomach Earth!”

The figure of “San Ji” called out.

Outside the Grotto Heaven, night had already fallen.

The sun had set, the moon had risen, and countless stars filled the sky.

Yet at this moment, the moon had vanished without a trace. The clouds parted, revealing enormous stars.

Their light flickered dimly, like countless eyes staring directly at Taihuang Heaven.

At the same time, in the western sky, a massive earthen-yellow star suddenly shone with brilliant radiance!

At that instant, no matter where they were, any cultivator practicing earth-aligned techniques felt their cultivation flow with unprecedented smoothness. Refining earth-based pills and artifacts became effortless, as if aided by divine will.

Within Taihuang Heaven—Si Chen Spiritual Master felt the aura of Bearing All with Profound Virtue, as though witnessing the incense of countless households and the mortal world’s bustling vitality.

“It is [Stomach Earth]! The Golden position has turned its gaze.”

Tears streamed down his face.

“The True Lord has reclaimed his position. Why would he need compatibility with divine abilities? With a single call, the Golden position responds. This was always his to begin with!”

At the same level of Purple Mansion peak, something that the Demon King Suwu had sought desperately without success was accomplished by another with a mere call.

Behind San Ji, four divine ability lights fused together, merging into a single Golden rainbow that united with his body as he ascended to the position of [Stomach Earth].

The heavens and earth trembled violently.

Countless streams of radiance descended from above.

The light of innumerable stars blazed brilliantly. Some seemed to celebrate, some regarded him with hostility, while others merely cast a passing glance.

Yet even these subtle shifts were enough to bring profound change to the entire world.

In the western sky, a yellow earthen star suddenly flared with overwhelming brilliance, instantly eclipsing the glow of all other stars.

As that star shone, a voice, empowered by the might of the heavens, resounded across the entire world:

“I, Sanji, have today attained the guest position of [Stomach Earth] and advanced to the rank of True Lord. The authority of [Stomach Earth] governs consumption. From this day forth, the consumption of human pills and blood qi is forbidden. All cultivators of earth virtue shall cultivate with righteousness, protect the people, and only then ascend to immortality. Taihuang Heaven shall be sealed for one hundred years. After a century, the mountain gates will open wide to welcome all guests.”

At that moment, whether lofty Purple Mansion cultivators, lowly minor cultivators, or even ordinary mortals, all heard this voice filled with the warmth of mortal life.

It seemed as though the world had undergone a great transformation, yet also as though nothing had changed.

...

Year 8594 of the Near Ancient Era.

[Stomach Earth] attains Golden, greatly benefiting all cultivators of earth virtue.

...

In Xituo Commandery.

Within Wusheng Temple.

“Master…”

Deep within the underground palace, Miaoshan knelt alone, weeping before the wall.

In recent days, Sangji’s aura had grown increasingly weak. Yet for some reason, he had continued to endure.

Suddenly.

A voice echoed in her ears:

“I, Sanji, have today attained [Stomach Earth]…”

In an instant, the spiritual atmosphere shifted, greatly strengthening earth virtue.

Miaoshan immediately felt the deep afflictions within her body vanish. Shock filled her face.

“A great power of earth virtue has attained Golden? With [Stomach Earth] assuming the rightful position, even I, as [Nu Earth], benefit greatly… Master?!”

Rumble!

The temple roofs burst forth with dazzling radiance. Heavenly flowers scattered from above, while golden lotuses surged from the ground.

Outside the temple, earthen mountains rose abruptly, growing higher and higher.

A strange fragrance filled the air, as though blended from hundreds of types of sandalwood. A pure land seemed to manifest, filled with countless treasures, golden sand paving the ground, and jade forming the soil.

The Tiger Demon King roared as the underground mandala opened.

From within, a young monk, gaunt and transformed beyond recognition, stepped out.

“Disciple Miaoshan… greets the Dharma King! Congratulations, Master, on attaining the Dharma King realm!”

Miaoshan prostrated fully, tears streaming down her face.

“Eight thousand years…”

...

In the Minor Huan Sea.

On Taibai Island.

Inside a cave abode, Fang Qing extinguished the lives of Fachuan and Fajian, reclaiming their positions as two marked Bright Sons. He let out a quiet sigh.

“At last, someone has successfully attained Golden. The great era of contention has truly begun.”

Fang Wuchen had obtained a great opportunity and entered the lineage of the Kitchen God, cultivating within a Grotto Heaven. Though it would remain sealed for a hundred years, it was undoubtedly a joyous matter.

However, Fang Wuchen’s background was clean, and he carried fate upon him. The two esoteric cultivators, on the other hand, were steeped in darkness.

And they were supposed to cultivate under the watchful eye of a True Lord?

Thus, Fang Qing had simply allowed them to “retire with honor” by ending their lives.

After all, what kind of good person would join Wusheng Temple?

“However, this [Stomach Earth] configuration yielded a Purple Mansion cultivation method, half a volume of the Taisu Golden Scripture, and even allowed me to observe a True Lord attaining their Position up close. The gains are immense.”

Fang Qing sat cross-legged, silently sorting through the harvest from this experience.

There was no need to mention the Precious Earth Returning to Origin Scripture. The half volume of the Taisu Golden Scripture he obtained afterward was what truly broadened his horizons.

“‘Taisu shines in vast clarity, and this is named the Dao.’”

“This book does not record cultivation techniques or divine abilities. Instead, it explains the secret of attaining the Golden Position from a lofty perspective. It must have been written by a True Lord of extremely high attainment. It is a pity that only half remains.”

Recalling the contents of the Golden Scripture and comparing them to this recent attainment of Golden, Fang Qing gained many insights.

“More importantly, I now know how to proceed from here!”

“Qi Ingestion cultivators enter the Dao by ingesting true qi. They then forge a Dao Foundation, and when that Dao Foundation transforms into divine abilities, that becomes the Purple Mansion realm!”

“When all four divine abilities of the Purple Mansion are perfected, one can then seek to attain the Golden position. This also requires specific methods of seeking Golden, such as the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill Method, the Blessed Land Seeking Golden Method, and many others.”

“Upon attaining Golden through ingesting and ascending to the position, one’s lifespan exceeds ten thousand years and one gains the power to reshape heaven and earth. Thus, in ancient times, True Lords were also called ‘Immortals’!”

“The Taisu Golden Scripture states that immortals are divided into five ranks: Heaven, Earth, Human, Divine, and Ghost. Accordingly, the Golden Attainment Position they achieve also falls into five types… namely: Primary, Secondary, Sequential, Guest, and Deficient!”

“The first rank is the Heavenly Immortal, who attains the Primary Position. This is also called the True Position or Fruition. A Heavenly Immortal possesses both perfected body and spirit, free and unbound. It is the most profound and complete attainment.”

“The second rank is the Earthly Immortal, who attains the Secondary Position. They enjoy longevity and remain in the world. This is still considered quite good.”

“The third rank is the Human Immortal, who attains the Sequential Position.”

“The fourth rank is the Divine Immortal. Divine Immortals rely heavily on external forces to attain the Golden Position, often being supported or elevated by others. They attain the Guest Position.”

“The fifth rank is the Ghost Immortal, the lowest grade. They attain the Deficient Position, known as ‘a lacking and inferior seat.’ In the Taiyin tradition this is called ‘corpse liberation,’ while in the Taiyang tradition it is called ‘mysterious subtlety.’”

“A single Golden Position can actually be attained in five different ways. I wonder how many True Lords it can accommodate?”

“The waters of the Ancient Shu world run far deeper than I imagined. There are likely far more than just twenty-eight great powers.”

“And yet, I did not expect that Spiritual Master San Ji attained the guest position, relying on external forces to achieve Golden? A Divine Immortal? A Divine Lord… divinity?”

“If he had attained the primary position of [Stomach Earth], that would have been truly extraordinary. As the lord of the True Position, he could practically be considered the venerable of all Earth virtue. Even now, his authority is already immense.”

Fang Qing continued to reflect.

“Five ranks of Immortals. The ancient methods involved cultivating step by step, naturally giving rise to divine abilities through resonance, making it easier to attain Golden. The new methods are easier to begin but overly eager for quick success. Combined with the shifting of Golden positions, this makes attaining Golden far more difficult.”

“This so-called ‘Attaining Golden’ is basically like filling out college applications.”

“What is tested is the compatibility and resonance of one’s divine abilities. To become a Heavenly Immortal, you need a perfect score. Earthly Immortal requires eighty, Human Immortal sixty, Divine Immortal thirty, and Ghost Immortal ten. The exact numbers may vary, but that is roughly the idea.”

“Unfortunately, many cultivators who have perfected the Purple Mansion might not even score ten.”

“As for that great demon Suwu of the Azure Bird Tribe, it is rather unfortunate. It seems it studied from the wrong material. The exam did not match what it learned?”

“Or perhaps it aimed too high? If it had settled for becoming a Ghost Immortal, it might have succeeded?”

A strange smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

“More likely… Suwu did not even know these distinctions existed. Due to the limitations of its Golden-seeking method, it could only aim for the primary or secondary positions. It simply did not possess the method for attaining the Ghost Immortal position.”

Studying the wrong material while being locked into elite university choices was essentially forcing oneself toward death. Yet dying in the process of attaining Golden was itself a form of probing.

Perhaps in the eyes of great powers, this could reveal whether a Golden position was occupied, and what its state might be.

“The Azure Bird Tribe is backed by Descending Phoenix Mountain, that would be the lord of [Yi Fire]. So, the phoenix does not want anyone attaining the [Bi Moon] position?”

“Why is that? Are they not all of the demon race? Or is this internal power struggle?”

Fang Qing pondered for a moment, then shook his head. He knew that blind speculation like this would likely be laughable in the eyes of a True Lord.

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