strokinit Chapter 2 The Gate to Another World
Chapter 2 The Gate to Another World
Back at Chenming Mountain, Xiong Zhou looked at the Tai Li True Inheritance Token in his hand, his eyes still slightly dazed.
Suddenly, a tremor emanated from the Tai Li True Inheritance Token, and lines of text were projected out and displayed before Xiong Zhou's eyes, bringing him back to his senses.
[Xiong Yuanmo (Father):]
Son, you're surprised that you became Tai Li's true disciple so easily, aren't you?
Don't be surprised. Your mother and I used ten great merits to exchange for this identity of "True Disciple of Tai Li" for you from within the Tai Li Immortal Sect.
We've worked at the Tai Li Immortal Sect for so many years and made many contributions, so we deserve some sect benefits.
The Chenming Mountain Dojo, guidance from the Transmission Elder, and the allocation of basic cultivation resources at the True Disciple level... You have actually been enjoying these basic benefits of a True Disciple since birth.
However, your "Tai Li Refining Qi Method" has never been able to reach the "microscopic level," so your name cannot be officially recorded in the register of true disciples. Therefore, you are the "inner disciple."
All this is to make you understand just how much "water" (meaning superficial or inaccurate) your "true teachings" really contain.
One year later, when the normal true disciple assessment begins, it will also be the ranking competition for the Tai Li true disciples at the first level of Qi Refining.
If you want to obtain more cultivation resources within the Tai Li Immortal Sect, you must achieve a certain ranking in this ranking competition.
With only the most basic cultivation resources allocated to true disciples by the Tai Li Immortal Sect, your chances of attaining immortality are estimated to be no more than 50%.
By the way, your mom had a great time chatting with her best friend at the Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect, so we're planning to stay there for a while.
Son, don't worry about us, just focus on doing your best in the True Inheritance Competition!
After reading this long message, Xiong Zhou's mouth opened slightly and his eyes widened in shock.
Was it unexpected?
Of course, it was unexpected.
But upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense.
Whether in his previous life on Earth or in this life at the Tai Li Immortal Sect, his father and mother have the same personality, and their way of "taking care" of him has remained basically unchanged.
Xiong Zhou muttered to himself, "In a year, it will be the ranking competition for the true disciples of the first level of Qi Refining... I really need to work harder."
"I don't expect to achieve a high ranking in next year's ranking competition. At least I want to avoid being ranked last and becoming a laughing stock among my peers in the sect for the next ten years."
"Furthermore, we must also strive to secure the sect's cultivation resources."
Xiong Zhou used the True Disciple Token to connect to the Tai Li Heavenly Network and search for auxiliary cultivation immortal scriptures in the mortal realm.
The "Tai Li Qi Refining Method" is a basic Qi refining method created by the Tai Li Ancestor specifically for his own lineage of disciples. It has the compatibility and scalability valued by geniuses in the mortal realm and the safety and reliability valued by ordinary disciples, making it the first choice for beginners in Qi refining.
However, due to these special characteristics and its extreme focus on cultivating both body and mind, the "Tai Li Refining Qi Method" is inferior to other immortal scriptures in terms of combat, protection, and skill cultivation.
Therefore, most disciples of the Tai Li Immortal Sect who reach the second level of the mortal realm will choose to cultivate another technique as a supplementary skill.
The token of the true disciple trembled, projecting characters into the air:
Based on your current True Transmission Authority (Level 1 Qi Refining), you may choose one of the following four Immortal Scriptures.
1. *The Method of Water and Fire Elixir*: Cultivating the water and fire of heaven and earth, refining the Qi of all things to form the elixir.
2. *Innate Thunder Talisman*: Comprehend the essence of thunder in all things, and refine the Qi of heaven and earth to create the talisman.
3. *Lingbao Cantongqi*: Comprehend the profound principles of Lingbao's teachings to attain the Way of all methods within oneself.
4. The Lesser Heavenly Cycle Divination Method: Calculates the changes of heaven, earth, stars, and constellations, and elucidates the mechanisms of the universe.
Without any hesitation, Xiong Zhou reached out and pointed to the [Lingbao Cantongqi].
The reason is simple: both my parents have studied this immortal scripture.
Back then, my parents went from the first level of Qi Refining to the sixth level now. It was an extremely difficult journey, like crossing a river by feeling for stones.
So he decided to sit on his parents' shoulders and have them carry him across the river.
A stream of dark light flew out from the True Inheritance Token and entered Xiong Zhou's inner world, evolving into Dao characters that were arranged into chapters, edited into scrolls, and evolved into a complete immortal scripture.
Xiong Zhou took out a blue futon from his storage bag, sat down, and entered a meditative state to begin comprehending the corresponding cultivation methods.
Two hours later, Xiong Zhou had roughly read through it and had his own ideas about how to cultivate.
However, Xiong Zhou did not rush to cultivate. He pondered for a moment, then took out a jade slip that emitted wisps of immortal light from his storage bag, put it into his inner world, and combined it with the scripture compiled into a scroll of the Lingbao Cantongqi.
"Splash..."
In an instant, Daoist texts emerged from the jade slip, each expounding the cultivation method of the "Lingbao Cantongqi" from dozens or even hundreds of different angles and using nearly a thousand different types of Qi of heaven and earth. They marked the different scrolls of this divine skill, densely covering the entire pixelated grassland.
Clearly, these are all the cultivation experiences of the first level of Qi Refining in the Lingbao Cantongqi left by my parents.
Xiong Zhou swallowed hard. His consciousness, solidified on the grass, began to reach out and grab the Daoist texts floating in mid-air, and began to read them.
Three days and three nights later.
After reading through all the cultivation experiences described in Daoist texts, Xiong Zhou gained a relatively comprehensive understanding of the cultivation content of the first level of Qi Refining in the Lingbao Cantongqi, as well as the general cultivation situation of subsequent Qi Refining realms.
He withdrew from his meditation and entered into deep thought, muttering to himself, "The essence of the Lingbao Cantongqi is to 'communicate' with something that contains Dao essence, to obtain a part of its abilities, to comprehend its various inherent principles, and thus to assist one's own Qi cultivation."
"At the first level of Qi Refining, one can only 'coordinate' with one thing containing Dao essence at any given time to assist in one's cultivation. The 'coordinated' thing can be 'unbound' at any time, but if one has not fully comprehended the Dao essence within the 'coordinated' thing, one will lose the corresponding ability. After 'unbinding' from the 'coordinated' thing, one will also lose the extra assistance in Qi Refining cultivation."
"The closer the relationship between the things involved in 'mutual understanding' and oneself, the stronger the Dao essence they contain, and the better the auxiliary effects on cultivation."
Xiong Zhou's gaze shifted slightly downwards, landing on the blue futon beneath his buttocks.
This is a spiritual artifact at the fourth level of Qi Refining, which his parents bought specifically to assist him in his Qi Refining cultivation.
Since he began cultivating Qi, he has always sat on this blue futon to refine the Qi of heaven and earth, so its relationship with him should be quite close.
By "cooperating" with this blue futon, he might receive a spiritual boost, gaining greater affinity with the Qi of Wood and Earth, allowing him to walk more smoothly on the paths of Earth and Wood.
However, Xiong Zhou felt that there was something more suitable to serve as "Cantong".
His gaze fell upon his own inner world, looking at the tattered cloth spread out on the pixelated grass.
This thing has always existed within its own inner world. For the past fourteen years, it has been interacting with itself at every moment. Treating it as something to be "co-examined" should also satisfy the requirements of the Lingbao Cantongqi.
Most importantly, Xiong Zhou coveted the "indestructible" characteristic of this thing.
He had tested it before; even the one-time forbidden artifact at the sixth level of Qi Refining left by his mother couldn't budge this tattered cloth in the slightest.
Through the "Lingbao Cantongqi", one might be able to obtain defensive capabilities far exceeding those of the mortal realm from within this tattered piece of black and yellow cloth.
If not, it won't be too late to "untie" this tattered piece of cloth and then "join" the futon under your buttocks.
On the pixelated grass of the inner world, Xiong Zhou's consciousness picked up the Xuanhuang rag and, following the corresponding guidance of the Lingbao Cantongqi and the experience of his parents, began to circulate the pixelated Qi of heaven and earth in the inner world, resonating with it and infusing his own thoughts into it.
"Huff... huff..."
The grass blocks that make up the pixelated grassland gradually dimmed, and the inner world slowly turned gray and dark. The "Tai Li Refining Qi Method" started to operate automatically, drawing power from the dreamlike ocean and transforming it into pixelated Qi of heaven and earth, restoring the Qi of heaven and earth in the inner world.
At the same time, a peculiar stirring resonated deep within Xiong Zhou's heart, and a series of low, unintelligible chanting sounds lingered around him.
The process of "Cantongqi" was incredibly smooth, as if this piece of tattered yellow cloth had some kind of powerful and special connection with Xiongzhou. Now, the Lingbao Cantongqi has simply "translated" this connection in a "readable" way, presenting this "communication channel".
In just one hour, the results of "Cantong" could be displayed visually through the [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)], creating a corresponding information panel.
[Target for reference: Dark yellow tattered cloth]
Ability to Connect: Gate to Another World
The principles of the same law: Earth element, Wood element, cosmic light, and emptiness.
The instant the panel appeared, a dark yellow light instantly flowed from the tattered cloth into the entire body, enveloping the [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)], seemingly providing some kind of special enhancement to this Innate Divine Power.
The sudden turn of events left Xiong Zhou momentarily stunned.
A few breaths later, his eyes lit up, and he excitedly roared in his mind, "The cheat has been activated!"
【Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Block)】 began to operate, and the grass blocks scattered again into wisps of pixelated earth elemental energy. Various kinds of heaven and earth energy in the mountains also began to flow into the inner world and be pixelated by the innate divine power.
Guided by the [Cantong Ability: Gate to Another World], dozens of different elements of heaven and earth constructed a special, dark-colored, reflective cube, which was piled up on the pixelated grass and continued to build up.
Ultimately, this formed a portal resembling a "Nether portal," towering within the Inner Realm.
It emits wisps of silver starlight, which complements the dreamy ocean beyond the pixelated meadow, making this little world look like a fairy tale dream.
Xiong Zhou's consciousness gazed at the portal, murmuring within its inner world, "This is the portal to other worlds..."
He stepped forward and reached into the silvery starlight-shimmering screen.
Its texture, almost like flowing water, and its temperature like a cool spring, flowed slowly through my palm. Incredibly subtle and unfamiliar primordial energy emanated from it. All of this seemed to be telling Xiong Zhou just how alluring the world beyond the portal truly was.
Taking a deep breath, Xiong Zhou controlled his consciousness to step forward and cross the dreamlike portal.
"boom!"
The endless universe seemed to suddenly turn upside down at this moment, and in the haze, he seemed to vaguely see a corner of the current world.
The first thing that catches the eye is an incredibly special "sphere" that radiates an incomparably dazzling light. Countless "beads" revolve around it in perfect order, forming a boundless "vast ocean".
On this "vast ocean", wisps of special mist gently cover everything, filling all the "little beads", softly concealing their shapes, making them incredibly hazy and impossible to see in their entirety.
Xiong Zhou could clearly sense that the location of the Tai Li Immortal Sect was inside that "sphere" that emitted a dazzling light.
If a name had to be given to this "sphere," Xiong Zhou felt that "Qi Refining World" would be the most suitable.
Complete darkness descended before my eyes, with no light left. The concepts of time and space seemed to vanish, and my memories appeared to become blurred.
As the light returned to his eyes, a vibrant green appeared quietly before Xiong Zhou. The melodious sound of a flowing spring rippled in his ears, and the radiance of the morning sun sprinkled down on the sky, adding a touch of soft glow.
Xiong Zhou was now standing on the bank of a stream, where white and light blue lotuses were growing vigorously, emitting a subtle fragrance that immediately gave him an urge to sink into his inner world and comprehend the myriad principles of heaven and earth.
Looking at the tens of thousands of lotus flowers, a mix of blue and white, growing scattered along the stream, Xiong Zhou swallowed hard and muttered to himself, "This unique fragrance, this ability to immerse one in enlightenment, is comparable to that little bottle of enlightenment pills my parents gave me!"
"I don't know the names of these lotus-shaped medicinal herbs, and their medicinal properties are difficult to fully define, but these things are definitely resources for enlightenment at the fourth level of Qi Refining!"
Just then, a strange sense of "shattering" suddenly came from Xiong Zhou's body. One pixel block after another fell off him, merged into the earth, and dissipated into the air. A sense of rejection from the laws of heaven and earth, as well as the terror of being on the verge of death, arose spontaneously.
On a level that Xiong Zhou could not see, the principles of the "Qi Refining World" within him were colliding with the principles of this "unknown world".
Most of the principles of law have commonalities. The principles of the "Qi Refining World" are gradually adapting to the principles of the "Unknown World," gradually converging and merging.
However, a small portion of the laws of the "Qi Refining World" still cannot correspond to the laws of the "Unknown World," and under the powerful pressure from the outside world, it begins to disintegrate, collapse, and dissolve step by step.
[Name: Xiong Zhou (Consciousness Entity)]
[The Path to Extraordinary Power: Qi Refiner]
【Innate Supernatural Power: █ (Pixel Cube)】
[Spirit Origin: ? ?]
Rank: Celestial Spirit Foundation (--/--)
Status: Underlying constraints, on the verge of collapse.
[Practice realm:? ?
Status: Underlying constraints, on the verge of collapse.
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
Current progress: Lv.4 (??/100,000)
Status: Some legal basis is missing, and operation is slightly hindered.
[Technique: The Lingbao Cantong Qi]
Current progress: Lv.1 (--/--)
Status: Some legal basis is missing, and operation is severely hampered.
Xiong Zhou opened the information panel, and his whole body suddenly trembled, with even more pixel blocks falling from his body.
He ran quickly to the lotus flowers, which were a mix of green and white, reached into the lotus pods, dug out one crystal-clear lotus seed after another, and put them into his mouth.
The bitterness exploded in my mouth, followed by a refreshing sweetness that spread throughout my body, comparable to the enlightenment effect of swallowing a small bottle of enlightenment pills, instantly filling my mind and spirit.
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
Current progress: Lv.4 (??+/100,000)
Status: Some legal basis is missing, and operation is slightly hindered.
As Xiong Zhou was not disappointed, the plus sign appeared!
"Add some points to the lotus seeds produced by the Tai Li Patriarch and the nameless lotus!"
"Let me see your limits!"
Xiong Zhou's will to survive was unusually strong. He roared in his heart and slammed the "+" sign hard.