Compared to ordinary worlds, Huang Tian naturally preferred one where supernatural power existed. In such a world, the path ahead for cultivation would be much clearer.
Even if the system of that world did not follow the path of immortal cultivation, but rather magic, battle qi, the Gu Dao, or something similar, it could still serve as a reference and be of immense benefit in forging his own path.
*Still, even if this world has no path of cultivation, it is worth a visit. After all, a brand-new world means brand-new ways of thinking about technological development and novel cultural philosophies...*
Observing all things widely and drawing analogies across disciplines was forever the finest way to broaden one's cognition and strengthen oneself.
Moreover, he could clearly sense that the spacetime barrier connecting to the new world was not solid; he could easily breach it with his consciousness to enter the realm.
In that case, there was nothing to hesitate over.
He immediately attempted to divide his consciousness, yet...
*As expected, it won't work.*
Huang Tian frowned, realizing he could not divide out a second wisp of consciousness. If he wanted to cross over into that world, he had to recall the consciousness he had in the late Han world.
*No wonder I saw myself "overcoming the tribulations and ascending" in the river of time, rather than choosing to remain behind forever.*
Realization struck him instantly. Hesitating no further, his consciousness returned to the late Han world in a flash.
"Summon Zhang Jiao."
Outside the chamber, Huang Tian's voice carried clearly. The maid waiting outside acknowledged the command and immediately set off for Deyang Hall to summon Zhang Jiao.
At the time, Zhang Jiao was discussing state affairs with the officials in Deyang Hall. Upon hearing the summons, he immediately set aside all business and hurried over. The others raised no objections; instead, envy arose in their hearts—
The Holy Venerable had imparted Daoist methods to ten people, but the only one truly recognized as his personal disciple was Zhang Jiao; the other nine were at most registered as nominal disciples.
Faced with everyone's envy, Zhang Jiao felt not the slightest pride; rather, his heart was somewhat heavy.
He recalled the words his master had spoken when descending into the world: "When my cultivation is complete and the tribulations overcome, I shall ascend and depart."
Now the world was unified and free of war; every person had their own fields and homes; and the Court of Science was continuously refining technologies such as iron smelting, field fertilization, and textile weaving. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that the mortal realm was about to usher in an era of prosperity—an unprecedented golden age!
All of this had been brought about by Master!
And with this age of prosperity at hand, Master's merit and cultivation were naturally complete. In that case...
*Could it be that Master is about to ascend and leave?*
As he hurried along, the unease in Zhang Jiao's heart grew stronger and stronger.
At last, arriving before the palace chamber, he took a deep breath and spoke, "Master, Zhang Jiao requests an audience."
The doors swung open on their own without a breath of wind. Taking another deep breath, he gathered his courage and stepped inside, his feet feeling as heavy as lead.
"Master!"
He fell to his knees on the ground and kowtowed.
For a time, there was silence. After a long while, a faint, melancholic sigh sounded in the room.
Zhang Jiao's mind was instantly thrown into turmoil, knowing his premonition had been right. Pressing his forehead to the floor, his voice choked up slightly.
"The Daoist Court has only just been established, the realm has just been united, and the people are not yet prosperous. Can you not remain a while longer, and depart only after seeing the mortal world flourish?"
"The time has come."
Huang Tian did not say much; the more he spoke, the more sorrow it would cause.
"Come closer, and raise your head."
Zhang Jiao crawled forward on his knees until he was before Huang Tian. As he raised his head, his body stiffened abruptly—a slender finger had pressed against his glabella, and a surging torrent of knowledge poured into his mind.
"Before ascending, I impart to you nine Golden Core methods, three hundred Dao Foundation methods, thousands of Qi-Gathering techniques, along with elementary expositions on the four paths of Alchemy, Crafting, Talismans, and Formations. I hope you will cultivate diligently, so that in days to come, when you attain the immortal fruit, we may meet once again in Zhonghuang Yuanji Heaven..."
By the time Zhang Jiao woke from the daze, only an ethereal, drifting voice still echoed in his ears. He hurriedly looked up, only to see Huang Tian's figure dispersing as though scattered by the wind, transforming into a wisp of golden vapor that flew up into the mysterious void.
"Master!!"
Zhang Jiao's eyes reddened with tears as he prostrated himself. "Respectfully sending Master off to return to the Immortal Heavens!"
In the twelfth month of the second year of the Daoist Court, heavy snow filled the sky. Holy Venerable Huang Tian attained consummation in merit and cultivation, ascending as a rainbow, never to be heard from again for a thousand years...
...
...
When that wisp of consciousness he had divided crossed the endless void to return to his physical body, a sense of harmonious wholeness washed over him. Before Huang Tian could even steady his mind, the spiritual qi inside his body suddenly surged and boiled.
The next instant.
"Fourth layer of Qi Refinement!"
A look of mingled delight and surprise appeared in his eyes. The delight, naturally, came from making a breakthrough; though it was merely a breakthrough in a minor realm, it was still enough to bring great pleasure. His surprise, meanwhile, stemmed from the fact that this sudden breakthrough had occurred because that wisp of consciousness had actually brought back a trace of spiritual essence!
Blue Star and the late Han world were separated by countless universes and dimensions, so bringing back his physical cultivation was naturally impossible; however, the spiritual essence cultivated in the late Han world could indeed be brought back. Even though crossing between realms caused considerable dissipation, it was still more than enough.
*On Blue Star, it was essentially like recultivating for me anyway, so my progress was already extremely swift with virtually no bottlenecks. Now, with the spiritual essence carried back across realms, cultivating will be like riding a rocket!*
Calming the joy in his heart, Huang Tian turned his gaze back to the new world.
*Since just looking can't tell me whether supernatural power exists there, I'll just cross over directly...*
With a thought, a wisp of consciousness rose from his body, slipping into the unseen void and following the golden voice line toward the new world.
*Crack—*
With a crisp sound, the invisible spacetime barrier was broken open by his consciousness. The spacetime before him shifted and crossed at a speed surpassing thought, and a dizzying haze overcame him.
After a long time.
Huang Tian blinked. What met his eyes was the quaint canopy above the bed, and beside him knelt a young girl with twin hair buns, weeping softly.
*I've become that Fourth Young Master?* he understood immediately.
The next moment.
*Boom—*
A massive influx of information surged into Huang Tian's mind. For him, however, this posed no burden whatsoever. In merely a moment, he digested all the memories of the original host.
This world was known as the Five Directions Realm, boasting a history spanning over ten thousand years. Because its territory was exceptionally vast and its terrain complex, no unified dynasty had ever emerged throughout those ten millennia.
Five nations vied for supremacy across the realm. The place he was in belonged to Kunyun Commandery in Qin Province, one of the twenty-three provinces of Great Gan.
The current King of Gan was a man of great ambition and vision who had exerted himself tirelessly. Over the thirty years of his reign, he had ruled with vigor and wisdom, making the nation wealthy and its people strong, faintly propelling Great Gan to the preeminent position among the five nations and earning profound prestige.
Such was the grandeur of the imperial court.
As for the far reaches of the martial world, there were sects dominating various regions of Great Gan—such as the State Protection Temple, Cloudvault Abbey, Xuanji Sect, Wind-Cloud Dragon-Tiger Pavilion, and Heavenly Sword Villa—as well as the Five Branches of the Demonic Path, whose influence spanned all the nations and commanded dread from all.
As for finer details, the original host knew little, having stayed inside the manor year-round and rarely venturing out.
Aside from the broader state of the realm, what remained were the memories directly concerning the host himself.
Yet when Huang Tian finished reviewing these memories, even with his temperament, the corner of his mouth could not help twitching slightly.
Because... it was simply too melodramatic!
The host's mother had originally been a maid in the commandery city's Huang Manor. The master of Huang Manor, Huang Xunjiu, had taken a fancy to her while indisposed from drunkenness, and after a night of intimacy, she had unexpectedly conceived a child.
Huang Xunjiu believed that a maid becoming pregnant would ruin his reputation and demanded an abortion, but was stopped by the old matriarch, who was still alive at the time.
Ten months later, the maid gave birth to "Huang Tian"—the original host. She had thought she might gain honor through her son, but unfortunately, only a few days later, the old matriarch passed away from illness. Huang Xunjiu vented his resentment on mother and son. Without the old matriarch to restrain her, the mistress of the house, He Yunrou, gradually reduced their stipends and provisions. Several years later, the maid died in sorrow and depression.
"Huang Tian" was also moved to a secluded courtyard in the eastern wing. Over the years, under the tacit instructions of the mistress, He Yunrou, the monthly allowance, clothing, charcoal, and food rations dwindled more and more. She had even barred him from practicing martial arts under the pretext that his aptitude was hopelessly dull, forcing him to focus solely on scholarly pursuits.
If it had only been that, it might have been tolerable, but among He Yunrou's four sons, except for the youngest, who was only eight years old, every single one was an eccentric piece of work.
The eldest son, Huang Qian, was twenty-five years old and had already entered the seventh rank of the martial dao. Huang Xunjiu often praised him, saying, "My son has the makings of a grandmaster." Naturally conceited, his eyes were always set high above everyone else.
The second son, Huang Rui, and the third son, Huang Jian, were bullies who preyed on the weak while fearing the strong. Seeing the host yield at every turn, they frequently tormented him, regularly abusing him as a lowly bastard birthed by a maidservant. The host had actually swallowed his humiliation the whole time, letting them beat and scold him, to the point where pent-up grief and gloom had plagued him for years, leaving his body increasingly frail—a sight that made Huang Tian shake his head repeatedly.
All in all, this was a thoroughly dysfunctional, chaotic household.
The father, Huang Xunjiu—whose name meant "cherishing old ties"—had not an ounce of sentiment for the past.
The mistress, He Yunrou—whose name meant "gentle cloud"—possessed not a shred of gentleness.
The eldest brother, Huang Qian—named "modest"—was not modest in the slightest.
The second brother, Huang Rui—named "wise"—lacked even an inkling of wisdom.
The third brother, Huang Jian—named "vigorous"—was anything but upright or sturdy.
*What a nest of exceptional talents...*
Huang Tian felt an overwhelming urge to roast the whole lot of them stuck right in his throat, leaving him speechless for quite a while.
Chapter 46