Chapter 055: Choices in This Life

Within the cultivation world, the three tiers of transcending the mundane—Refining the Body, Refining Qi, and Refining Spirit—correspond to the Mortal Body Practitioner, the Immortal Qi Adept, and the Immortal Spirit Master. Among these, the “Body Refinement Stage” forms the foundation and origin of all cultivation paths. No matter the pursuit—whether immortal, demonic, sword, or martial cultivation—one must at least reach the seventh level of body refinement as a basis at the outset. Lacking a well-honed body and solid groundwork, if one rashly advances to the Qi Refinement stage, it will inevitably lead to an unstable foundation in the future.

Having now stepped into the seventh level of Body Refinement, Xu Xuan had truly opened the gates to cultivation. Whether he wished to pursue immortality or the way of the sword, this seventh level laid a firm foundation for him. Even for martial cultivators, who demand greater bodily strength, only the eighth level is required. And yet, at this moment, he hesitated.

On one hand, his heart yearned for the exalted Immortal Qi Adepts. Upon reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement, one could wield countless mystical arts and, with the aid of flying artifacts, traverse the skies and command the elements—what a dazzling, enviable sight that was! On the other hand, Xu Xuan’s curiosity about the final transformations of the “Nine Transformations of Dragon and Serpent,” and the legendary tenth level of Body Refinement, remained undiminished. He had once vowed to persist to the end.

“I will not give up on the tenth level of Body Refinement!”

The stubborn, resolute voice of his former self echoed in his mind, reverberating without end. Now, having mastered the seventh transformation, Xu Xuan could deliver a blow with a single hand exceeding a thousand pounds of force; the power of the “Firmness Technique” was simply astonishing. If he advanced to the eighth, ninth, or even tenth transformation, who knew what might occur, or what terrifying strength he could command?

“If the physical body is cultivated to its limit, is it possible to traverse the void, or even master supernatural abilities akin to the Immortal Adepts?”

Xu Xuan inexplicably recalled the two times he had taken the “Floating Technique” to its wondrous, unfathomable holy realm—without external aid, as if transformed into a bird, soaring freely in the skies. The sensation then had been indescribably exhilarating.

After much deliberation, while tending to his wounds and meditating, Xu Xuan made a faint decision: he would at least cultivate to the eighth level of Body Refinement before considering which path to pursue. Past experience told him that the firmer the foundation laid during the Body Refinement stage, the more advantageous future cultivation would be. The seventh level merely met the minimum requirement to enter the Qi Refinement stage; if he could reach the eighth, or even ninth, it would be all the better. Building a house, after all, the deeper and firmer the foundation, the more stable the structure above. Many prodigies only introduced Qi into their bodies after solidifying their foundation at the eighth level.

Late at night, Xu Xuan drifted off to sleep as fatigue overtook him. He wondered whether, after this breakthrough to the seventh level, the sea of memory within his mind would undergo any new changes.

Within his dreams, as before, he entered the Sea of Memories.

In the vast, dark starry sky, billions of stars shone dim and cold. Only the region around Xu Xuan radiated brilliant light—these were the memories awakened from his past life.

“Hmm?”

Xu Xuan noticed that the illuminated area had expanded to a radius of fifteen miles, now encompassing three stars and countless grains of star sand. As he drifted through, the additional grains of stardust poured memories and insights into his consciousness. Yet his gaze locked onto the third star.

Indeed, this was the new star that had appeared after advancing to the seventh level of Body Refinement. With a thought, he stepped into the star.

In an instant, his surroundings shifted—Xu Xuan once again merged with the body of his past self.

Still in that pitch-black, icy cave, its walls as hard as refined iron.

Alone, desolate, and dark.

But this time, the youth with whom Xu Xuan's spirit merged was ablaze with passion, his heart surging with pride—utterly different from his last visit. Before him lay two ancient tomes, the “Thirteen Explanations of Immortal Arts” and the “Origin Scripture of Martial Dao.”

“Master, if you think that by this means you can force me to choose between immortal cultivation or martial arts and make me abandon the tenth level of Body Refinement, then you are gravely mistaken...”

The youth’s face wore a cold sneer as he slowly spread his hands.

What happened next left Xu Xuan utterly shocked.

In a split second, the youth—his own incarnation—unleashed a terrifying aura. One hand was wreathed in azure radiance, while true energy surged in the other. The distinct powers of both immortal and martial cultivation appeared simultaneously within one person.

“Heavens… this is dual cultivation of Immortal and Martial paths!”

Xu Xuan was stunned beyond measure.

With a resounding crash, each hand struck out, sending earth-shattering power smashing into the cave’s iron-hard wall. With a crack, he burst through the forbidden barrier with overwhelming might.

“What! In just two months, you’ve simultaneously advanced to the third level of Qi Refinement in both Immortal and Martial paths?”

An aged voice called from afar, astonished and delighted.

“Master, I have not only met your requirements, but surpassed them!” The youth’s lips curled into a smile. “Next, I will challenge the tenth level of Body Refinement and fulfill my father’s lifelong wish—what reason will you find to stop me now?”

A flood of memories surged into Xu Xuan’s consciousness, their most vivid fragments making him feel as if he had lived them himself.

“My past self… was truly defying the heavens.”

Xu Xuan felt both shocked and inexplicably proud. He had never imagined that his former self would choose the path of dual cultivation. The thousand transformations and infinite grandeur of immortal arts, combined with the martial way’s powerful body and combat strength—this was a truly invincible combination.

Most people struggled to master even one path, yet in just two months, his former self had advanced to the third level of Qi Refinement in both, without the aid of any elixirs or external support.

At the same time, the memories and insights from both immortal and martial cultivation merged into Xu Xuan’s mind. With these insights, even with average talent, he could now cultivate at a pace akin to a prodigy in both disciplines.

He was nearly overwhelmed with excitement.

“Perhaps now, I could easily step onto the path of immortals or martial cultivation.”

Xu Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and impulsiveness. The cultivation path, once chosen, was hard to abandon—this concerned one’s very fate, and he could afford no carelessness.

“I must at least reach the eighth level of Body Refinement, strengthen my foundation further, and then consider my options. It would be best to seek my past life’s soul remnant’s advice.”

At last, Xu Xuan calmed himself.

He sat atop the third star, carefully absorbing and sifting through the memories of his previous life.

To this day, memories from age sixteen had not yet run their course. Besides cultivation insights, Xu Xuan gained a wealth of other knowledge: alchemy, array formation, even spirit beast husbandry, and more.

In his former life, he possessed a perfect memory and had dabbled in countless fields. These insights, and even certain skills, could now be made his own. As he absorbed them, his “comprehension” increased unseen.

In cultivation, aside from innate talent, comprehension was of utmost importance—sometimes, after breaking through certain thresholds, comprehension even surpassed talent in significance. Xu Xuan’s talent in this life was ordinary, but by absorbing his past life’s insights and memories, his comprehension now far exceeded the norm.

He had intended to find the soul remnant of his past self, to seek its counsel. Yet, since it had saved him from mortal peril the previous day, Xu Xuan could no longer sense its presence in the Sea of Memories. Through some faint, inexplicable intuition, he felt certain the remnant had not perished; it must have paid a price to wake Xu Xuan early, and was now in a deep slumber.

After a long while, having absorbed so much, Xu Xuan was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.

The new memories in the Sea of Memories would need to be sorted, sifted, and absorbed in the days ahead.

When Xu Xuan awoke the next day, his injuries had improved, though he still felt somewhat weak. The power he’d unleashed in the life-and-death struggle the day before had far exceeded his limits, leaving him utterly depleted. Now, he hardly seemed like a seventh-level Body Refiner, and looked rather feeble.

But soon, good news arrived.

“Junior Brother Xu, the sect master has summoned you to claim your reward.”

An outer sect disciple came to inform him, his eyes tinged with envy and awe.

“The sect master?”

Xu Xuan’s expression sharpened slightly. The sect master, naturally, was the supreme leader of the Windfeather Immortal Sect, the highest authority and power combined.

Before long, under the outer disciple’s guidance, Xu Xuan entered the inner sanctum.

All along the way, the palatial halls radiated spiritual energy and a majestic, awe-inspiring presence. Some of the key halls were even fortified with restrictions and formations—ordinary Immortal Qi Adepts would find them difficult to breach.

The disciple led him to a pavilion beside the “Heaven and Earth Hall.”

However, Xu Xuan did not see the sect master himself—standing in the pavilion with hands behind his back was a young man, his brows sharp as swords, his eyes bright as the stars, exuding an extraordinary aura.

“Senior Brother Yun?”

Xu Xuan was momentarily taken aback. Awaiting him was Senior Brother Yun Yuanhang, whom he’d met on his first day in the sect. Yun Yuanhang was the personal disciple of the sect master. As the eldest disciple, he naturally stood out among his peers as the foremost in cultivation.

Standing beside him were Le Feng and Wan Fushan, both wearing expressions of deep respect.

“Heh, Junior Brother Xu, we’ve been waiting for you for quite a while.”

Le Feng, lacking the aloofness of Senior Brother Yun, greeted him warmly.

Seeing that the sect master was absent, Xu Xuan felt relieved, mocking himself inwardly—what right did disciples of their standing have to be personally received by the sect master?

“Now that everyone is present, as the sect master promised, you three, having performed best in the campaign against the bandits, will receive your due rewards…”

Senior Brother Yun’s expression was cool as his gaze swept over the trio, speaking slowly.