Breaching the Heavenly Gate

The primordial profound qi converted from two sixth-rank ghost soldiers was more than abundant for Zhou Wuji. He circulated the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture, using the divine acupoint between his eyebrows to drive the circulation through his seven apertures. The seven apertures corresponded to the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. Though he was still far from condensing and manifesting astral gods, relying on the Consummate realm of his art allowed his seven apertures and glabella divine acupoint to draw in and breathe out primordial profound qi together. Thanks to the wondrous state of resonance between heaven and earth, with the Northern Emperor's statue serving as a focal nexus, Zhou Wuji could relax his mind and forge an even deeper connection with the stars high above the Nine Heavens. With his own level of true qi alone, sustaining such a state would have been impossible. While the resonance with heaven and earth blessed him with spiritual essence, it was also rapidly draining his own true qi. At this critical juncture, the primordial profound qi converted by the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment played an indispensable role. Maintaining the resonance, Zhou Wuji converted four taels and seven qian of evil spirits into primordial profound qi, causing the spiritual essence within his body to surge fiercely. Through the divine acupoint between his eyebrows and his seven apertures, he efficiently channeled the skyrocketing essence while harmonizing his resonance with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Achieving this was also thanks to having elevated the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture to the Consummate realm, granting him complete mastery over its subtle, intricate transformations. On the other hand, his robust physique enabled him to circulate his true qi with composed ease, allowing him to endure the crushing pressure wrought by the resonance with heaven and earth's spiritual qi. In a daze, Zhou Wuji caught sight of Polaris—the brightest star resting above the Northern Dipper. This Sovereign Star, representing the Arctic Celestial Emperor, corresponded to the Heavenly Gate of man: the Baihui acupoint atop the crown of the head. Since antiquity, the most crucial step for any practitioner had always been breaching the Heavenly Gate. The so-called spirit roaming tens of thousands of li meant the primordial soul departing through the Heavenly Gate, where it could finally take form and ride the wind across the world. For modern cultivators, opening the Heavenly Gate allowed them to inhale and exhale spiritual qi directly through it, boosting their absorption efficiency a thousandfold. It was precisely because the Heavenly Gate was of such supreme importance that the Daoist sects designated it as the watershed of the sixth rank. Open the Heavenly Gate, and one was acknowledged as a sixth-rank cultivator. Fail to breach it, and no matter how pure one's true qi became, one remained merely in the seventh rank. The cultivation ranks of Daoists had been methodically categorized by generations of Daoist powerhouses who distilled their accumulated experiences into an orderly system. It was never an arbitrary hierarchy decided on a whim. Likewise, the cultivation ranks of the Buddhist sects, martial artists, and demonic sects were all tightly structured and self-contained. Zhou Wuji naturally understood the significance of the Heavenly Gate. He had originally planned to use this opportunity to breach it. Resonating with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth granted him an additional thirty percent assurance of success. With three successive streams of primordial profound qi flowing inward, Zhou Wuji seized the opportunity. The divine acupoint between his eyebrows led his seven apertures to circulate true qi in unison, surging straight toward the Baihui Heavenly Gate acupoint. Through spiritual communion, Zhou Wuji once again sensed Polaris high above the Nine Heavens. As all his true qi converged upon the Baihui of the Heavenly Gate, Zhou Wuji felt as though time itself had ground to a halt; only his true qi thundered and crashed. Yet the Baihui acupoint was like an unfathomable abyss. No matter how wildly his true qi surged and battered against it, it showed not the slightest reaction. The Baihui acupoint and Heavenly Gate were universally acknowledged as an arduous threshold. Practitioners throughout the generations endured bitter day-to-day cultivation, constantly purifying their foundations, relying on sheer talent and unyielding perseverance to open it. Zhou Wuji knew this step was difficult—exceedingly difficult. Though several streams of primordial profound qi were potent, they were external forces after all, and his own cultivation was still not pure enough. Had he possessed just one more stream of primordial profound qi weighing over four taels, he might have succeeded this time. Yet Zhou Wuji felt no disappointment. With the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment in hand, even if he failed now, slaying a few more sixth-rank ghost soldiers would inevitably see him through; it was merely a matter of sooner or later. This calm mindset allowed him to sustain his awareness of Polaris, maintaining that subtle yet wondrous connection with the star. Zhou Wuji knew this link would soon sever, but before it snapped, he had to give it his utmost effort. He initially considered condensing sword intent, but realized something was amiss. Although the Xiaoxiang Sword harmonized with the true qi of the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot, its sword intent was fundamentally rooted in the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang, distilled into an ethereal, exquisite intent. It had nothing to do with Polaris. Striking the Baihui acupoint directly with that sword intent was definitely an ill-advised notion. The most important factor was alignment with Polaris; only then could he guide the spiritual essence of Polaris to connect with his own, granting him a chance to breach the Baihui acupoint. Zhou Wuji immediately thought of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword. While the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword was a technique, it inherently embodied the diverse transformations of the Northern Dipper's seven stars. To the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword served as an applied art of cultivation. One was the foundation; the other was its expression. Zhou Wuji had pushed the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture to the Consummate realm, but the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword had not advanced alongside it. This was because although their relationship was intimate, what Zhou Wuji had comprehended was the fundamental cultivation method, which provided no substantial advancement to the technical forms of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword. Only at this moment did he suddenly realize its true importance. Only with the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword could he gather all the true qi of his seven apertures into a single blade to pierce straight into the Baihui acupoint. Moreover, only the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword corresponded to the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, ensuring that forcibly assailing the Heavenly Gate would not sever his resonance with Polaris. Having reached this conclusion, Zhou Wuji hesitated no longer. He converted Wu Di's three taels and two qian destiny pattern into primordial profound spirit and poured it into the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword. The primordial profound spirit unfurled into a realm of purple light, and Zhou Wuji plunged into it, cultivating the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword day and night. When the purple light dispersed, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword had advanced directly from Proficient to Accomplished. A destiny pattern of three taels and two qian was already substantial, equivalent to a lifetime of Wu Di's diligent practice. Furthermore, Wu Di's cultivation realm had been high, meaning this arduous training was amplified by his keen intellect. Twenty years of such bitter cultivation had only pushed the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword to the Accomplished realm, proving that the higher this art climbed, the more complex and abstruse it became. By this stage, Zhou Wuji had mastered the varied shifts of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword and deeply understood its link to the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture. Precisely because of this, he knew the Accomplished realm was still not enough. Steeling his resolve, he invested the Azure Dragon Emissary's three taels and five qian destiny pattern as well. Purple light expanded and receded. When Zhou Wuji checked the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment once more, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword had been propelled into the Consummate realm. The Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture was Consummate, and the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword was now Consummate as well. With both at an identical height, method and technique achieved extraordinary balance, merging almost seamlessly into a single entity. At this point, Zhou Wuji had completely integrated the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword and the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture, bringing his cultivation to the pinnacle of purity. Though Abbot Zhiyuan possessed immense cultivation, his attainments in the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture and Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword might not necessarily match Zhou Wuji's. Zhou Wuji stimulated the seven stars corresponding to his seven apertures, channeling the circulation of true qi to coalesce into an invisible Seven Stars Sword. Guided by his glabella divine acupoint, it struck directly at the Heavenly Gate. His divine sense resonated with the Northern Dipper in the heavens. As he wielded the invisible Seven Stars Sword, his seven apertures simultaneously drew down the spiritual qi of the celestial seven stars toward the Heavenly Gate. Viewed through Zhou Wuji's divine sense, starlight from the heavens converged with his own true qi at the Baihui acupoint. In a flash, Zhou Wuji saw the abyss-like Baihui acupoint burst wide open. Boundless starlight poured down from above, blending seamlessly with the true qi circulating within him. His divine sense shuddered violently and surged through the opened passage of the Baihui acupoint, ascending continuously until, in the blink of an eye, it soared high above the Nine Heavens. He saw countless stars, and he saw their drifting starlight cascading down upon the world. Endless starlight wove a great net, bound together with the vast earth into an order of supreme aesthetic grace. An epiphany struck Zhou Wuji: he was transforming into Polaris itself. Standing at this vantage, he felt as though he were the sovereign of ten thousand stars, presiding over the Nine Heavens, perceiving every secret between heaven and earth— This wondrous sensation of ruling the Nine Heavens lasted only an instant before his divine sense snapped back into his body. The Baihui acupoint of his Heavenly Gate had been completely cleared, establishing a firm, close link with the divine acupoint between his eyebrows. Opening the Heavenly Gate and condensing the Baihui acupoint multiplied his efficiency in absorbing spiritual qi through the gate tenfold, signifying his formal breakthrough to the sixth rank. Though the entire process seemed intricate, it had unfolded in mere moments. Through the divine acupoint between his eyebrows, he could now command the Baihui and the seven apertures. However, a true network had yet to form among these eight acupoints; they were not yet unified into a singular whole. Only when he fully integrated all nine acupoints and condensed a stable upper dantian would he attain the sixth-rank perfection. Breaching the Heavenly Gate and condensing the Baihui acupoint had exhausted all of his primordial profound qi. Attaining the sixth-rank perfection required meticulously refining the acupoints and constructing a stable architecture of true qi. This could not be rushed, nor was there any need to hurry. Having stepped into the sixth rank in a single stride, enjoying immense enhancements in every aspect, Zhou Wuji felt thoroughly satisfied. Awakening from the profound state, Zhou Wuji could sense the conditions and shifting auras of everyone around him through his divine sense. It was not that his divine sense had abruptly leapt in raw power; rather, opening the Heavenly Gate was like opening a hidden eye, allowing him to "see" spiritual qi and perceive the subtle shifts of every aura. Naturally, active perception consumed divine sense, but his sensory clarity had been heightened two- to threefold at the very least. Another crucial benefit was that through the Heavenly Gate, he could steadily perceive Polaris, which in turn allowed him to sense the Northern Dipper via his seven apertures. This stable, intimate, and concealed connection granted him precise awareness of his spatial orientation, allowing him to perceive the surrounding space with exactitude. Possessing such an ability meant that as long as his mind remained lucid, he would never lose his sense of direction or spatial perception—a tremendous advantage in combat. It also provided formidable resistance against various illusions, formations, sensory-clouding secret techniques, and mind-addling spells. For a cultivator, opening the Heavenly Gate was a monumental qualitative transformation. Zhou Wuji could not grasp all his changes in a short time, and with so many onlookers present, he had no leisure to sort through them. He did not know whether Zhiyuan or Yizhen had noticed anything amiss. Both had treated him well, but he did not particularly wish for them to know the exact details of his cultivation. Advancing straight from the seventh rank to the sixth rank during an ordination ceremony was far too shocking. Within the crowd, several individuals radiated clear hostility toward him. He had no idea why they felt that way, but in this heightened state, he could perceive their genuine emotions without error. As the starlight above the hall dissipated, the onlookers snapped back to their senses. Looking upon Zhou Wuji's back once more, their eyes filled with complex emotions. Sensing the dispersal of spiritual essence and the conclusion of Zhou Wuji's resonance with heaven and earth, Daoist Yizhen declared in a solemn voice, "Wuji has received the register and attained advancement; he shall now undergo the capping ceremony." Abbot Zhiyuan walked over at a measured pace to place the Seven Stars Crown—also known as the Star Crown—upon Zhou Wuji's head as he knelt on the prayer mat. Cast from bronze in the shape of an inverted dipper, the Star Crown was etched with the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. It was the formal ritual crown used by Daoists to bind their hair on ceremonial occasions; its material varied by individual and carried no strict restrictions. Daoists of the Arctic Sect were only qualified to wear the Seven Stars Crown upon reaching the seventh rank. Donning the ritual crown, Zhou Wuji took on an added air of dignified solemnity. Zhiyuan personally helped Zhou Wuji to his feet and addressed the assembly: "From this day forward, Wuji shall serve as a deacon of Feixuan Hall—" The Branch Abbey was organized by rank and authority: the Abbot held the highest position, followed by the Three Overseers and Five Directors, then the chiefs of each hall, and below them were the various deacons. Yiping served as the chief of Feixuan Hall. As Yiping's martial nephew, Zhou Wuji could hardly contend with his own martial uncle for that post. A deacon of Feixuan Hall was not particularly prestigious; it merely granted Zhou Wuji a formal post within the Branch Abbey. Aside from Li Ruyi and Yang Tieying, who knew nothing of abbey politics, everyone present understood that this position was insignificant, and most grasped the Abbot's reasoning behind the arrangement. Though Zhou Wuji was renowned, he had only just reached the seventh rank, lacked an official master, and was entirely new to the Branch Abbey. As a newcomer, the Abbot could hardly appoint him to a pivotal post. Zhou Wuji understood this clearly. He found the post of Feixuan Hall deacon quite agreeable: it was leisurely and unburdensome, allowing him to read more books, broaden his knowledge, and cultivate in peace. In truth, it was a gesture of consideration from Zhiyuan. Zhou Wuji bowed formally, making a deep Daoist salute to express his gratitude. Zhiyuan murmured softly, "With the transmission and ordination complete, your next step is to undergo the assessment designated by the Celestial Master Mansion to obtain your seventh-rank ordination certificate. This matter is of utmost importance to you. Devote this period to diligent cultivation and do not be distracted by outside matters—" Reaching the seventh rank unlocked access to vital spells, such as the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Yin Thunder Method, which was arguably the most essential technique of the Arctic Sect. With some time before the assessment, if Zhou Wuji focused on his training, he ought to grasp a good portion of it. After all, having resonated with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, he clearly possessed no small aptitude for the Dao. Furthermore, the trouble with the Five Dragons Gang remained unresolved, and stepping outside would easily invite peril. Before the gathered crowd, Zhiyuan could say no more. "This disciple understands. I will not fail the Abbot's high hopes," Zhou Wuji replied solemnly. After offering a few words of encouragement, Zhiyuan departed first, and Yizhen followed. Master of Stillness Daoist Yiding led his disciples away directly as well. Zhou Wuji did not know Daoist Yiding, but he had sensed the hostility radiating from him, and now saw the old Daoist departing with a stony expression, not even bothering to spare him a single word. He found it somewhat puzzling. They were complete strangers; where had this old fellow developed such intense hostility? Daoist Yiping hurried over. Following Zhou Wuji's gaze toward the departing Yiding, he whispered, "That is the Master of Stillness, Yiding, who oversees the Discipline Hall. If you encounter him in the future, be sure to show proper deference—" Daoist Yiping was familiar with the factional divides in the Branch Abbey, but the underlying entanglements were too complex to explain on short notice. Not wanting Zhou Wuji to butt heads with Daoist Yiding, he gave only that brief warning before pulling Zhou Wuji along to meet the others. Though Yiping had long stayed clear of the abbey's center of power, he had lived there for decades and was an ordained seventh-rank Daoist, commanding a degree of respect. He was familiar with everyone, down to the ordinary deacons. Believing Zhou Wuji had a bright future and seeing how highly the Abbot regarded him, the abbey members treated Zhou Wuji with warm familiarity. After an exchange of polite pleasantries, the crowd dispersed. Having waited off to the side, Wuming stepped forward only when everyone had left, offering soft congratulations: "Congratulations on advancing to the seventh rank, Senior Brother, and on receiving the Heavenly Emperor's blessing. You are bound to achieve the Great Dao in the days to come—" Wuming still appeared slightly bashful, but her bright eyes sparkled with undisguised delight, clearly overjoyed for him from the bottom of her heart. "Thank you for the kind words, Junior Sister, haha—" Zhou Wuji chuckled. "It's been a long time since we last met. Whenever you have free time, let's practice the flute together—" Wuming nodded repeatedly, yet harbored lingering reservations, unsure when she would dare visit him. Still, receiving an invitation from him and knowing he had kept her in mind filled her bright eyes with happiness, and the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily. Watching from the side, Li Ruyi could not help sighing inwardly. Senior Sister really was... innocent and adorable. Yang Tieying stood by, watching eagerly as his master conversed with Wuming. He longed to step forward and congratulate his master, but this female Daoist kept talking endlessly, pushing his patience to the limit. Seeing Yang Tieying fidgeting, Shangxing quickly grabbed him by the sleeve. As Yang Tieying shot him a baffled look, Shangxing whispered into his ear, "Are you stupid?" Yang Tieying's face flushed crimson. Had he not built a friendship with Shangxing over these past days, he would have slapped the kid across the face right then and there.