Chapter Six: Awakening (Part Two)

The violent tremor forced Xu Cheng to his knees, but now was not the time to lose consciousness. If he did, all his efforts would be wasted.

“Hold on, just hold on!” Xu Cheng muttered to himself. The shaking continued for a long while, until it seemed as though endless rays of multicolored light descended upon the world, and he himself shone with a brilliant radiance.

The divine aperture has opened; boundless light appears.

He could now perceive past lives, the workings of heaven and earth, and the truths of all things.

Fragments of memory flickered through Xu Cheng’s mind—memories from his previous existence.

In his past life, he too had been named Xu Cheng, born in a place called Earth.

On Earth, people traveled across the world using iron boxes, communicated with others via a vast net, played games, and used devices called cell phones and computers.

“I am Xu Cheng…”

As his eyes regained their luster, Xu Cheng realized that the world had become more vivid, and even at a distance, he could hear footsteps and breathing.

“Excellent, you have comprehended; your divine aperture is open! Tomorrow you will be entrusted with the Myriad Arts Scroll, passed down from the Spirit Jade!” The Immortal Lingxu spoke calmly.

“Hehe, junior brother, I didn’t expect you to open your divine aperture so soon!” Liezhen teased with a laugh.

“Thank you, Senior Sister and Master, for your guidance!” Xu Cheng said sincerely, all the while absorbing the wealth of memories from his past life.

“Oh, it’s nothing! But I am really curious about who you were in your past life!” Liezhen chuckled slyly.

“Just an ordinary person, though life there seemed happier than the mundane existence here.” Remembering the comfort of his previous life, and comparing it to his current one—drifting and homeless from a young age, forced to steal to survive—Xu Cheng couldn’t help but sigh.

“Well, I won’t disturb you as you assimilate your past memories!” With that, Liezhen vanished, likely returning to her own quarters.

Influenced by the novels he’d read in his previous life, Xu Cheng had always been fascinated by tales of transmigration and immortal cultivation, though the cultivation systems described were of no practical use to him. However, the “pineal gland” studied by Earth’s scientists had proven more valuable.

Focusing his mind, he sensed that his divine aperture was indeed the pineal gland spoken of in his past life, located in the center of the skull.

After he had digested most of his previous life’s knowledge, Xu Cheng began to assess his own strength anew.

With the divine aperture open, a number of supernatural abilities were now his—such as the power to read minds, or to stand effortlessly between heaven and earth. Experimenting with his newfound powers, Xu Cheng felt exhilarated; he could even understand the bellowing exchanges between animals.

Throughout the whole night, Xu Cheng did not feel the slightest fatigue.

At dawn, Immortal Lingxu arrived riding on a cloud. Upon seeing Xu Cheng, he announced, “Liewu, from today you are a true disciple! But you must also descend the mountain—you are destined for a new opportunity!”

“An opportunity? Master, what kind of opportunity is it?” Xu Cheng asked, puzzled.

Lingxu remained silent, opening Xu Cheng’s palm as if to indicate that this opportunity was related to lifting the black lotus demon mark etched there.

He patted Xu Cheng’s shoulder. “Come! Prepare for the disciple’s advancement ceremony!”

Last time it was Lieyi; this time it was Xu Cheng. Overjoyed, he immediately spotted that carefree figure in white in the crowd.

That fellow was as nonchalant and casual as ever.

“This time, the one promoted to true disciple is Liewu. The rest of you must cultivate diligently, open your divine apertures as we have, and attain longevity!” Spirit Jade seemed to be praising Xu Cheng as she lit incense for the celebration. The hall filled with mist, an otherworldly scene.

Dressed in a fresh white Daoist robe, Xu Cheng officially became a true disciple.

“True disciple Xu Cheng, three foundational arts are available to you: the Myriad Arts Scroll, the Xuantian Sword Manual, and the Taiyue Martial Arts. Which would you like to learn?” Spirit Jade produced three bamboo slips.

Xu Cheng hesitated. Last time Spirit Jade had only given Lieyi a single bamboo slip—the Myriad Arts Scroll. Why now three slips for him? Following his instinct to ask when uncertain, Xu Cheng inquired, “Master Spirit Jade, which of these three arts is best?”

“It seems my careless junior Lingxu didn’t explain. Simply put, the Myriad Arts Scroll teaches countless magical sigils—mastery brings limitless transformations. The Xuantian Sword Manual teaches you to condense myriad sword lights—at mastery, you can take an enemy’s head from ten thousand miles away, with devastating power. The Taiyue Martial Arts imparts techniques as heavy as mountains—at mastery, every move carries the weight of a peak. Liewu, which do you choose?”

Spirit Jade smiled as she finished, watching Xu Cheng.

After a moment’s thought, influenced by the novels of his past life, Xu Cheng replied, “To soar on a sword across the skies is elegant, and martial arts as weighty as mountains are formidable—but I choose the Myriad Arts Scroll!”

Spirit Jade was momentarily surprised, but quickly realized Xu Cheng had made his choice.

“Since Liewu has decided, this bamboo slip is yours! You must never let others view it or practice its contents, or you know the consequences!” With that, Spirit Jade tossed the slip, which landed in Xu Cheng’s hand of its own accord. Then, with a flick of her finger, a mist-formed dragon circled Xu Cheng before dissipating.

Xu Cheng’s seat was moved forward, placing him at the front.

“Junior brother Liewu, you’re really keeping up! I haven’t even enjoyed a few months’ respite before it’s time to intensify cultivation again!” Lieyi’s voice sounded directly in Xu Cheng’s ear, though his lips did not move. Clearly, this was a magical art he had mastered.

Inwardly, Xu Cheng became even more eager to study the Myriad Arts Scroll.

As morning lessons began, Xu Cheng—who once could not recognize a single character on the desk—now found every word as familiar as if he’d studied them for years, comprehending their meanings fully. At the amusing parts, he nearly laughed aloud.

The morning passed quickly. As Lieyi prepared to leave, Xu Cheng caught up to him.

“Senior brother, is the Myriad Arts Scroll difficult to master? And why did Master Spirit Jade give you only the Myriad Arts Scroll, but offered me three choices?” Xu Cheng couldn’t help but ask.

“So curious, are you? Master Spirit Jade is my master—I just told her what I wanted to learn the night before! Also, the Myriad Arts Scroll is extremely obscure and difficult to learn!” Lieyi’s eyes darted as he answered.

“Is that so? I don’t quite believe it,” Xu Cheng replied. Having opened his divine aperture, he could see the subtle changes in Lieyi’s expression and guessed he was lying.

“You little rascal, you’re annoying! I’m off to cultivate! See you tomorrow!” Lieyi flicked his sleeve and made his way back to his own quarters.

“Senior brother, we won’t see each other tomorrow—I have to descend the mountain, and who knows when I’ll return!” Xu Cheng recalled Immortal Lingxu’s words about an opportunity awaiting him below and felt a surge of anticipation.

“You’re going down the mountain? No way, you have to take me with you! I’ll go find my master right now!” Lieyi suddenly dashed off in excitement.

“Senior brother…!” Xu Cheng called out after him, but could do nothing else. He resolved to consult Immortal Lingxu about the proper way to begin the Myriad Arts Scroll.

Back at Sky Peak Cliff, clad in white robes, Xu Cheng was in high spirits. He shouted a few times toward the foot of the mountain.

“Junior brother, why are you making such a racket?” Liezhen yawned, looking as if she hadn’t slept well.

“I just received the Myriad Arts Scroll—I’m in a great mood!” Xu Cheng replied offhandedly.

“Too bad you chose the Myriad Arts Scroll; I picked the Xuantian Sword Manual, so I can’t help you! If it weren’t for our lazy master, I would’ve picked the sword manual myself!” Liezhen pouted, her cheeks puffing up in frustration.

“Who’s lazy?” Speak of the devil—Immortal Lingxu ignored the good and heard only the bad.

“I… I meant myself!” Liezhen stuck out her tongue and ran off. Not far away, she began stabbing at a purple-crested rooster with her sword aura, sending feathers flying everywhere.

Immortal Lingxu frowned, then broke into a smile. “That little imp! Never mind. Let me explain the Myriad Arts Scroll to you. Once your divine aperture is open, your thoughts can merge with the world, so all you have to do is focus your mind into the bamboo slip to learn how to practice. The Myriad Arts Scroll contains tens of thousands of magical sigils, each of which may hide several spells, or sometimes only one. Some special arts require several sigils combined. Just concentrate and sense it—the scroll will reveal the spells you’re able to learn. Once you’ve condensed a sigil within, you can use it to channel the world’s energy and unleash various spells! That’s the basics. We’ll discuss the advanced methods when you return from your journey down the mountain.”

“Understood!” Xu Cheng bowed slightly in acknowledgment. Immortal Lingxu then vanished like a gust of wind, true to Liezhen’s description of him.

“The lazy master!”