A Thought Through Eternity (一念永恒) by Er Gen (耳根)

[xianxiaworld]

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Official Description:With one belief, vast seas converge.
With the next, boundless lands disperse.
With the third, a thousand demons are extinguished
And with the last, all immortals shall perish.
Only my belief...will last forever.



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[xianxiaworld]

Chapter 1 --- Bai Xiaochun.

Mt. Maor was located in the Donglin Mountain Range. At the foot of Mt. Maor, there was a small village, known for its simple and rustic country life. The people here mainly relied on agriculture, as they were completely isolated from the rest of the world.

It was early in the morning. At the entrance of the village, all the villagers had gathered. They seemed to be sending off a boy, who was maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. The boy looked rather frail, but this was masked by his gentle demeanor. He was dressed in common blue robes that had faded from overwashing, but these robes, when coupled with his well-kept appearance, made him look smart and spirited.

The boy’s name was Bai Xiaochun.

“Family and friends, I will soon leave on my journey to cultivate immortality, but I really can’t bear to part with all of you.” The boy’s face was filled with reluctance, as his polite speech left people with an even deeper impression of his innocence.

Around him, the villagers looked anxiously at each other. None of them wanted to let this young man leave either.

“Xiaochun, your parents passed away too early... You’re really such a good child! Don’t you want to live an immortal life anymore? If you become an immortal, you’ll live for a very, very long time. Go! Every chick must leave their nest and fly away someday.” A gray-haired old man said, as he walked out of the crowd. When he called Xiaochun a good child, he briefly paused.

“Once you’re on the outside, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, you must persevere! Move on and hold your head high! Once you walk out of this village, you should never turn back, because your future lies in front of you.” The old man kindly shared his wisdom, as he clapped the boy on his shoulder.

“Immortality…” Bai Xiaochun straightened his shoulders, as determination started to appear in his eyes. Under the encouraging gazes of the old man and the surrounding villagers, he nodded his head resolutely. He took a last good look at all of his friends and family who surrounded him, before he turned and then resolutely strode out of his village.

As the boy’s figure disappeared into the distance, one by one, the villagers became wrought by emotions. Their sad expresssions were replaced by happy and joyful ones. Even the kind-hearted and gracious old man was trembling all over, as even tears started rolling down his wrinkled face.

“Bless the heavens! That bastard has finally… Finally left our village! Whoever told him that an immortal has been seen in this area, you’ve helped our village take a giant leap forward!

“That bastard finally left! My poor chickens… What a pity! just because he hated the crowing, that bastard used some sneaky method to instigate a group of children to eat every last chicken in this village.”

“Today is the start of a new year!” From the small village, the sounds of loud cheering emanated. Someone had even brought out their drums and happily drummed away.

Outside of the village walls, Bai Xiaochun had not yet walked very far, before he heard the sound of drums and wild cheers coming from the direction of the village.

A weird look crossed Bai Xiaochun’s face, as he came to a standstill and coughed. Then, accompanied by the sound of the drums in the distance, he walked along the mountain trail and entered Mt. Maor.

Although Mt. Maor couldn’t be considered tall, it was covered in a dense foliage. Even in the early morning sunlight, his eyes could only make out a mass of dark shadows amidst the heavy silence.

“According to Er Gou, when he was being chased here by a wild boar a few days ago, he saw an immortal fly past...” As he followed the winding trail, Bai Xiaochun’s heart thumped wildly. Out of the blue, a rustling noise came from the bushes beside him, as if a wild boar was hiding there. The noise was too sudden and Bai Xiaochun, who was already tightly wound with paranoia, instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

“W-Who the hell is over there?” Reaching into his bag with his right hand, Bai Xiaochun rapidly retrieved four axes and six wooden knives. However, these weapons still didn’t give him a secure feeling, so he also took out a small black incense stick from within his robes and held it tightly in his fist.

“Don’t come out! Don’t even think about coming out! I’ve got axes and wooden knives! The incense stick in my hand can even produce thunderbolts and summon immortals to help me. If you dare to come out, you are doomed to die!” Bai Xiaochun shouted with a shaky voice. Stumbling over his own feet, he gathered his weapons in his arms and scurried away along the mountain road. His weapons jingled loudly as, one by one, they clattered on the ground behind him.

Perhaps scared away by his words, the rustling noises soon stopped. No wild beast emerged from the foliage. Bai Xiaochun’s face had turned deathly pale. He wiped the perspiration from his brows and thought about giving up on the rest of his climb. But as he looked at the incense stick that his parents had entrusted to him before they had died, he felt conflicted. It was rumoured, that once upon a time, his ancestors had rescued a fallen immortal by chance. Before departing, the immortal had left them this incense stick in return for their goodwill and promised them that he’d accept one of Bai’s descendants as his disciple. As long as the incense stick was lit, the immortal would arrive.

Up untill now, Bai Xiaochun had lit the incense stick over ten times, but the immortal had never shown up. He had begun to wonder whether the immortal would really come, or if he had long forgotten his promise. This time, the reason he had finally made his mind up to light the stick, even though there was not much incense left, was because he had been told that some villagers had witnessed an immortal flying through the sky several days ago.

That was the reason why he had come here. He believed, that if he was closer to the immortal, then perhaps the immortal would be able to sense him.

Bai Xiaochun hesitated briefly, before he grit his teeth. He was determined to keep climbing up the mountain. Fortunately, the mountain was not very high and it wasn’t long before he arrived at the top of Mt. Maor, panting heavily. Standing there, he emotionally gazed at the village beneath him, before looking back at the black fingernail-sized piece of incense stick in the center of his palm. The incense stick had been lit many times and only a small bit remained.

“It’s been three years. My parents, please endow me with your blessings! This time, it has to work!” Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath and carefully lit the last piece of the incense stick. Immediately, a violent gale rose around him. In the blink of an eye, black clouds gathered above his head and streaks of lightning flashed across the sky. The loud explosions of thunder even threatened to deafen him.

“What a noise! What power!” Bao Xiaochun’s entire body trembled, as he felt like he would be struck dead by the lightning at any moment. He couldn’t help but want to extinguish the incense with his saliva, but with difficulty, he managed to stifle his desire.

“In the past three years, I have lit this incense stick for a total of twelve times. This is the thirteenth time. This time, I must hold on. Xiaochun isn’t scared and won’t be killed by a thunderbolt… Probably... ” Bai Xiaochun recalled all that had happened in the past three years. With the exception of this time, he had lit the incense twelve times already. But even though each time had been accompanied by such frightening thunder and lightning, not once had the immortal appeared in front of him. He, who was terrified of death, had always put out the incense stick with his saliva right away. It was a little strange that, although the incense stick looked extraordinary, in reality, it was easily put out upon contact with water.

Waiting amidst the horrifying sounds of the thunder, Bai Xiaochun fearfully trembled. Suddenly, not far away from him, a rainbow streak rapidly shot in his direction.

Cloaked in the rainbow light was an elaborately dressed middle-aged man, whose appearance was reminiscent of a celestial being. Despite this, he looked thoroughly exhausted and if you looked close enough, you could even see the fatigue in his expression.

“I’m going to see exactly what kind of person this is. Just how can he keep lighting the incense stick non-stop for three years?!”

Whenever he thought about his experience over the past three years, the middle-aged man felt rather annoyed. Three years ago, he had sensed the smell of the incense which he had gifted to others back when he was still trapped in the spirit form. He remembered the kindness that he had been shown when he was in the mortal world.

So he had flown over immediately, looking for the person who lit the incense stick. According to his calculations, he would’ve reached his destination very quickly. But unexpectedly, the moment he began to follow the smell, it disappeared immediately without a trace. If it happened only once, he’d be fine with it. But over the past three years, this had happened a grand total of twelve times.

Every time, he was interrupted in the midst of his hopeful search and had to return empty-handed. This had troubled him for three years already…

So this time, when he finally saw Mt. Maor and Bai Xiaochun, who was standing on its peak, from a distance, he was extremely irritated. He quickly flew to the mountain top. With a wave of his hands, what was left of the stick of incense was snuffed out.

Instantly, the thunder stopped. Bai Xiaochun was briefly stunned, before he raised his head and noticed the middle-aged man standing beside him.

“...Immortal?” Bai Xiaochun opened his mouth cautiously. He was not quite certain of the man’s identity and he even secretly hid an axe behind his back.

“I am Li Qinghou. Are you a descendant of the Bai family?” The middle-aged immortal’s eyes flashed like lightning. Disregarding the axe behind Bai Xiaochun’s back, he looked the boy up and down with a measuring gaze. Li Qinghou’s anger abated when he saw the young man’s delicate features, which looked like his old friend’s. What was more, was that it seemed that he was also fairly intelligent.

“Yes, I’m the descendant of the Bai family, Bai Xiaochun.” Bai Xiaochun blinked, as he spoke softly. Although he was a little frightened, he still managed to straighten his back.

“So tell me, this stick of incense, why have you lit it non-stop for the past three years?” The middle-aged cultivator’s tone was bland, as he asked the one question that had kept him restless for the past three years.

When Bai Xiaochun heard this question, his mind raced furiously. He plastered on a mask of sadness as he gazed longingly at the remote village at the foot of the mountain.

“This humble descendant is a person who truly understands the value of relationships. I was unwilling to part with my dear villagers. Every time I lit the incense, they’d beg for me to stay. Just like today, you can even still hear that they’re devastated by my departure.”

The middle-aged immortal briefly stared at him. This reason, he had never considered it before. His temper calmed even further. Just from these words alone, it seemed that the character of this youth wasn’t all that bad.

But when his gaze fell on the village, he arbituarily used his senses to scan the small settlement. When he heard the sound of the villagers, who were beating their drums and cheering at the departure of ‘the bastard’, his expression turned ugly again, as he started to feel his head hurt. As he inspected the seemingly naive and obedient Bai Xiaochun, who looked like he couldn’t harm a fly, he instantly understood, that in reality, this youth was rotten from head to toe.

“Tell me the truth!” The middle-aged immortal glared at him and loudly roared.

These words made Bai Xiaochun almost faint from terror. “Don’t blame me! Blame your lousy incense stick! Every time I lit it, it would start thundering. I was almost killed by the lightning on multiple occasions. To have survived this for thirteen times, it’s already a small miracle!” Bai Xiaochun said pathetically.

The middle-aged immortal looked at Bai Xiaochun, not knowing what to say.

“...Since you’re afraid of some simple lightning, why did you still push yourself to light it so many times?” The middle-aged immortal slowly asked.

“I’m afraid of death! However, I heard you can become an immortal through training. I want to live forever!” Bai Xiaochun bitterly said.

The middle-aged immortal was at a loss for words yet again. But on second thought, perhaps this young man’s persistence was at least commendable. If he was trained harshly in a Sect, perhaps his attitude could be changed for the better.

After shortly deliberating, the middle-aged man spread his flowing sleeves out, which gathered around Bai Xiaochun. Soon after, they dissolved into a streak of rainbow light, that shot towards the horizon.

“Come with me.”

“To where? Oh god, it’s too high…” When Bai Xiaochun realised he was flying in the sky, his face instantly turned pale. When he looked down and saw the gaping abyss below, he was so frightened that he even threw his axe away and clung to the immortal’s thigh.

The middle-aged man looked down at his leg and impatiently spoke.

“To the Spirit River Sect!”

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[xianxiaworld]

Chapter 2: Burning Stoves Kitchen

The Spirit River Sect was located in the Eastern Forest continent, in an area surrounding one of the Tong Tian River’s lower branches. Sprawled across both the north and south river banks, with a history of over ten thousand years, it was feared but respected across the world.

Eight towering mountains swathed in swirling mist lay in a line beside the Tong Tian River. Four on the northern bank, three on the southern bank, and in the middle of the Tong Tian River protruded the most majestic mountain peak of them all.

Half of the mountain was covered entirely in dazzling white snow. The mountaintop could barely be seen because of its sheer height. What could be seen though, was that the bottom half of the mountain had been hollowed out, allowing the golden waters of the river to rush through this opening. The cliff-faces on both sides of the crevice towered over the violent current like a bridge.

At that moment, a streak of rainbow light soared rapidly over the southern side of the Spirit River Sect. Wrapped in the shifting rainbow were the middle-aged cultivator Li Qinghou and Bai Xiaochun. Even as the rainbow streak disappeared into the Handyman District located beneath the third mountain, Bai Xiaochun’s screams of terror could still be faintly heard.

Bai Xiaochun was scared to death as he flew with Li Qinghou, dangling above countless lofty mountains. His body overtaken by uncontrollable terror, he had almost released his grip on the cultivator’s thigh multiple times.

In his adrenaline, the scenery in front of him was but a blur. When his vision finally cleared, he had already arrived outside an ordinary-looking loft. As he touched the earth once more with trembling legs, he looked around him. Comparing this environment to his village was like comparing Heaven and Earth. It was as though he had entered a whole new world.

Beside the attic in front of him protruded a huge boulder. Three characters were masterfully written on its surface in lively and vigorous calligraphic strokes:

‘The Handyman Department’.

A woman whose face was thickly dotted with pock-marks, had been sitting beside the stone. She stood up instantly when she spotted Li Qinghou, then politely saluted to him.

“Send this kid to the Burning Stoves Kitchen,” said Li Qinghou, without even sparing a glance towards Bai Xiaochun. He turned around, once again transforming into a rainbow streak, and flew off into the distance.

Upon hearing the words ‘Burning Stoves Kitchen’, the pock-marked woman’s face momentarily blanked. Sweeping her measuring gaze across Bai Xiaochun, she wordlessly handed him one of the fabric bags that had been prepared for every sect worker before expressionlessly listing all the basic rules of the sect to Bai Xiaochun. As the pair ventured out of the attic, they passed by various intricately designed patios and countless other pavilions, constructed with simplistic elegance. The road was paved with azure quartz and the air was suffused with the gentle, refreshing aroma of flowers and fresh herbs. It was as though they had stepped into the realm of the gods. As Bai Xiaochun appreciated the exquisite environment, the anxiety that had filled his heart earlier dissipated.

“What a nice place... This is so much better than my village.” murmured Bai Xiaochun, the anticipation clear in his eyes. The further he walked, the more beautiful the surrounding environment became. When he even saw a few delicate beauties walk past, he instantly felt endeared to this wonderful place.

A short while later, Bai Xiaochun became even happier. Because at the end of the road in front of him was a seven-story crystal building shining with a radiant light. Overhead, a dozen cranes, the epitome of elegance, soared past.

“Sister, have we arrived?” asked Bai Xiaochun in excitement.

“Hmm, over there.” The pock-marked woman replied blandly, her expression remained emotionless even as she pointed a finger towards the end of a side path.

As Bai Xiaochun looked in that direction with a heart full of anticipation, his entire body turned as stiff as a block of ice. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and stared harder, but the scene that greeted him remained the same. That small side path was strewn with cracked earth and broken flagstones. The surrounding area lay in a state of disrepair, with straw houses scattered everywhere. From within a few of those straw huts emanated a strong stench …

Bai Xiaochun felt like crying, but was unable to shed a tear. Grasping desperately for his last strand of hope, he turned towards the pock-marked woman with an imploring face.

“Sister, you must have pointed in the wrong direction...”

“No.” The woman’s response was curt as she stepped onto the small trail. Hearing that, all of Bai Xiaochun’s fantasies instantly shattered. He could only follow after the pock-marked woman with a bitter face.

They had not walked long before he spotted the end of the the shoddily-constructed path, where there were a few huge black pots darting about. Upon closer inspection, he realised that underneath each of those pots was a huge obese man. All of them looked like irreparable gluttons; it seemed that the moment you poked one of them, nothing but oil would ooze out of the pores of his skin. They were incomparably, abnormally fat. Especially the one who had been standing beside a cottage -- he was a massive, bulging mountain of meat. Bai Xiaochun feared that at any moment, he would explode.

Surrounded by hundreds of huge pots filled with rice, these fat men had been pouring water into them to soften the grains.

Sensing that someone had arrived, the fattest man looked up. The moment he spotted the pock-marked lady, that mountain of meat’s expression instantly lit up, and an overjoyed grin appeared on his face. Carrying a large ladle, he ran straight towards the pair, causing the earth to shake under his mass as his rolls of fat trembled and rippled with the sudden movement. Bai Xiaochun stared at the scene in disbelief, subconsciously feeling the urge to look for an axe.

“This morning, when I heard the magpies sing, I wondered what good fortune would happen today. So it’s because you’ve come to visit! My dear Sister, could it be that you’ve had a change of heart and noticed my many talents? Let’s take advantage of this prosperous day. You and me, let’s get together.” The fat mountain’s eyes shone with perverted thoughts as he yelled emotionally while running.

“I’m just delivering this kid to your Burning Stoves Kitchen. And now that he’s here, goodbye!” After the pock-marked woman saw the mountain of fat, her expression instantly turned ugly. Her irritation was clear as she rapidly retreated.

Bai Xiaochun inhaled sharply. He had observed the pock-marked women during their short trip together, and he finally reached a conclusion: her appearance must have been painted by a ghost! Just what kind of taste did that fat man have? How could he be so horny when faced with such a woman?!

Even before Bai Xiaochun had completed this thought, the mountain of meat had already arrived before him, huffing and puffing. With his bulk, he blocked the sun entirely as his shadow covered Bai Xiaochun.

As he raised his head to stare at the mountain of meat whose rolls of fat were still quivering, Bai Xiaochun swallowed nervously. In his life, he had never seen such a fat man!

The enormous man pitifully tore his eyes away from the spot where the pock-marked woman had been standing and glanced at Bai Xiaochun.

“Whoo, so we have a new guy here. Kid, to take the place of Xu Baocai who was arranged to join our kitchen, you’ve got some background.” said the fat man.

“Brother, my...my humble name is Bai Xiaochun.” Under the pressure exerted by the sheer bulk of the other man, Bai Xiaochun subconsciously took a few steps back.

“Bai Xiaochun? Hm... your skin is white and your body is small and delicate… Good, good! Your name suits my tastes perfectly,” the fat man said as his eyes lit up. When he patted Bai Xiaochun’s bony shoulder, the boy nearly collapsed to the ground.

[TL: Bai Xiaochun’s name directly translates into ‘small, white, pure’.]

“Brother, may I ask for your name?” Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath as he rolled his eyes and shot a disdainful glare at the wall of wobbling fat before him. In his mind, he was already thinking of ways to mock the fat man using his name.

“My name is Zhang Fatso One, and that’s Yellow Fatso Two and Black Fatso Three…” the fat man chuckled.

As he heard these names, Bai Xiaochun instantly lost his desire to play with their names. He could not help but marvel in shock at just how appropriate those names were.

“As for you, we will call you Bai Nine from now on…Hmm, but little Brother, you’re way too skinny! At this rate, you’ll completely humiliate our Burning Stoves Kitchen! But don’t worry too much, in less a year, I promise that you will be just as plump as the rest of us. Then, we shall gift you the name of White Fatso Nine,” said Zhang Fatso One as he patted his chest, causing his gelatinous body to wobble madly.

When he heard the three words “White Fatso Nine”, Bai Xiaochun’s face looked like he had swallowed a bitter lemon.

“Since you are now our ninth Brother, we’ll treat you exactly like one of our own. Our Burning Stoves Kitchen has this pot carrying tradition. See this black pot behind my back? This, This is the king of all pots! Look at this beauty -- top-quality iron, engraved with the magical flames of the Earth...Compared to the rice cooked in an ordinary pot, the spirit rice boiled with this pot has a far, far superior taste. You must also choose a pot. Only when you carry it on your back will you truly look fierce and glorious!” Zhang Fatso One boasted as he smacked the pot on his back.

“Senior Brother, can I…not carry the pot…?” said Bai Xiaochun quickly after he pictured himself carrying a huge black pot on top of his head. He glanced furtively at the pot strapped to Zhang Fatso One’s back and it suddenly occurred to him that perhaps, everyone in the Burning Stoves Kitchen walked around with a pot day after day.

“Of course not! Pot-carrying has been a long-standing tradition of our Burning Stoves Kitchen! In the future, when you’ve entered the main sect, as long as other people see this pot behind your back, they’ll know that you’re from the Burning Stoves Kitchen! No one will dare to bully you, for our Burning Stoves Kitchen holds great power!” Zhang Fatso One winked at Bai Xiaochun. Before Bai Xiaochun could even get a word in, the fat man had already dragged him to the back of the straw hut. Behind the hut, thousands of huge pots were piled one on top of another. Most of them were covered by a thick layer of dust as it was immediately clear that no one had been here for a long time.

“Ninth Brother, choose a pot here and let’s go cook. If the rice is burnt, then the other Brothers will never stop complaining,” Zhang Fatso One gave a parting shout. He then turned around to join the other fat men in darting around the hundreds of pots again.

Bai Xiaochun sighed loudly as he stared forlornly at row after row of pots. As he contemplated over which one he should choose, he suddenly noticed that in a corner, there was a pot half-buried beneath a large pile.

This pot was somewhat special. Instead of being round, it was oval-shaped which made it looked less like a pot and more like a turtle shell. On the surface of this pot, upon closer inspection, a faintly visible carved pattern could be seen.

“Eh?” Bai Xiaochun’s eyes suddenly lit up. Hurrying over to the pot, he crouched down and inspected it carefully. Pulling the pot out from under the pile, he scrutinised it further, before a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Even when he was young, he had always adored turtles because the turtle was a symbol of longevity. And the reason he had come to seek immortality, was precisely because he thirsted for a long life. So today, the moment he laid his eyes upon this turtleshell-shaped pot, to him, it had already become a lucky omen that would grant him great fortune.

As he lifted the pot out of the storage hut, Zhang Fatso One spotted him from a distance. With his ladle still in hand, the fat man hurriedly wobbled over.

“Ninth Brother, out of all the pots, why did you choose this one? This pot had been left there for god knows how many years. Since it resembles a turtleshell, nobody has ever used it or chosen to carry it on his back, this…Are you sure you want this pot?” Zhang Fatso One absent-mindedly patted his stomach as he advised kindly.

“I’m sure, I’ll take this pot,” said Bai Xiaochun determinedly. The more he examined this pot, the more he liked it.

Zhang Fatso One urged him to rethink his decision once more but when he saw that Bai Xiaochun had already firmly made up his mind, he shot the youngster a weird look before giving up and falling silent. After arranging a straw hut for Bai Xiaochun to live in, Fatty One went back to cooking.

By now, the sky had already turned orange, the tell-tale sign of dusk. In his straw hut, Bai Xiaochun turned the turtleshell pot which he had been given over and over in his hands, carefully observing the shape of the pot. As the fading sunlight hit the steel, he traced the dozens of lines running along the back of the pot, forming a pattern. These lines had faded to the extent that there were invisible unless you were exceptionally observant.

With all his heart, he believed that this pot was special. Only after carefully placing the pot on the stove, did he begin examining the interior of the hut he had been assigned. The interior of the hut was simple -- a small bed, a set of table and chair, and an ordinary bronze mirror hanging on the wall. As Bai Xiaochun inspected his room, a beam of purple light flashed across the surface of the ordinary-looking pot behind him and immediately disappeared.

To Bai Xiaochun, too much had happened in a single day. Today, even though he had finally arrived at this world of the immortals that he had dreamed about for so long, his mind was still filled with confusion.

He took a deep breath and a look of anticipation appeared on his face.

“I want to be immortal!”

Bai Xiao Chun sat down and took out the fabric bag that the pock-marked woman had given him earlier.

Inside the bag was a single pill, a wooden sword, a piece of incense along with the uniform and badge of the Odd-jobs department. The last item within the bag was a bamboo scroll, with a few small letters written on the cover.

‘Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique, Qi Condensation Manual.’

[Editor’s Note: Qi is a branch of inner energy, directly translated as “flow of air” and commonly known as chakra.]

As dusk faded into twilight, the Burning Stoves Kitchen was suddenly filled a mad bustle of activity. Bai Xiaochun sat in his room, the bamboo scroll on his lap. His eyes were filled with desire. He had come in search of longevity and he was now holding the gates to immortality right in his palms! He took a few deep breaths and flipped the scroll open.

Immediately, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes shone brightly with excitement. There were three pictures printed in the bamboo scroll. According to the explanation written below, the foundation of this Cauldron Manipulation Technique was separated into two parts - Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment. And this Purple Cauldron method contained ten levels which corresponded to the ten degrees of Qi Condensation.

When a cultivator rises to the first level, they would be able to manipulate small external objects with their Qi as though manipulating their own arms and legs. When they reach the third level, they would be able to control objects less than half the weight of a cauldron, and when they reach the sixth level, the weight of the object which they could control would rise to more than half the weight of a cauldron. When they reached the ninth level of cultivation, they could control objects as heavy as an entire cauldron. Finally, when they came full circle and achieved the peak level of cultivation, they could easily manipulate objects that as heavy as two entire cauldrons.

But this bamboo scroll only displayed the way to achieve the first three levels, with no information touching on the subject of the higher levels. Furthermore, in order to train in this Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique, cultivators were required to use a special breathing method.

Bai Xiaochun focused his mind and adjusted his breathing. Closing his eyes, he positioned his body according to the first picture in the scroll. However, he lasted a mere three breaths before his entire body became sore, so sore that he couldn’t help but yelp in pain. Just how was he going to hold such a demented pose? While using a breathing method that deprived him of air, no less?

“Too damn hard! What the hell! It says that while holding this pose, I’m supposed to feel a stream of energy flowing through my body. Well, apart from pain, I feel nothing else! Absolutely nothing!” complained Bai Xiaochun. But still, his thirst for immortality was too strong. Gritting his teeth, he readied his body and tried again. Over and over again, he stumbled along, trying to practice the first pose. But even as night fell, he was still unable to sense even a single strand of energy in his body.

He was unaware that even the most talented cultivator would need at least a month to finally sense their energy while practicing this Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique without external help. So in just these few short hours, it would have been impossible for him to feel any form of energy.

At this point, his body felt like it had been fed through a grinder. Bai Xiaochun stretched widely. Just as he was about to stand up to wash his face, a sudden loud commotion burst from outside his door. Bai Xiaochun stuck his head out of the window and instantly saw a scrawny young man standing outside the front gate of the Burning Stoves Kitchen, with a ghastly expression on his ashen face.

“I am Xu Baocai! Which bastard took my place?! Get your *** out here!”

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[xianxiaworld]

Chapter 3 - The Six Lines of Wisdom

The moment Bai Xiaochun stuck his head out, he was instantly spotted by the scrawny teenager. When the teenager’s gaze landed on Bai Xiaochun’s face, his temper flared up. “The person who stole my place must have been you!”

“It wasn’t me!” It was already far too late for Bai Xiaochun to retract his head, so he hurriedly fixed his face into a mask of innocence.

“Bullshit! You’re so skinny and your head is tiny. You’re obviously new here!” Xu Baocai clenched his fist tightly as he glared at Bao Xiaochun.

“It really has nothing to do with me…” Bai Xiaochun muttered softly. When he saw that Xu Baocai was about to explode from his rage, he felt a little sorry for the guy.

“I don’t give a ****. Three days from now. The southern slope of the Main Sect. You and me, we’ll have a death match. If you win, I’ll tolerate this nonsense. If you lose, then you’ll hand your position over to me.” Xu Baocai spoke loudly. From within his robes, he retrieved a challenge letter written in blood and tossed it at the window in front of Bai Xiaochun. On the letter was a dense mess of countless crimson promises of blood-soaked death.

Bai Xiaochun stared blankly at the bloody letter, before reading the numerous blood-soaked characters. He could feel the killing intent rising from the letter and was actually quite frightened, especially after recollecting that the other party had talked about a death match.

Bai Xiaochun inhaled sharply. “Dear Brother, is this really so important that you would use your own blood to write so many characters…? It must’ve been so painful.”

“Important?! I was scrimping and saving day after day to gather seven years of spirit pebbles. Seven years! Seven whole ****ing years!! And only after honorably handing them over to the Deacon, did I manage to secure entrance to this Burning Stove Kitchen. Only to be blocked by you! We can’t both work here. Three days from now. Either you die or I live!” Xu Baocai was nearly hysterical, as he ground his teeth.

“Well, there’s no way I’m showing up.” Bai Xiaochun gingerly pinched the edge of the bloody letter between his fingers and tossed it out of the window.

“Youuu!” Xu Baocai was about to explode when he felt the ground shake and a mountain shift towards him. Without him realising, Zhang Fatso One had already appeared, glaring at Xu Baocai with a frosty gaze.

“Bai Nine, go and scrub the bowls with your Second Brother. As for you, don’t scream so loudly in this kind of place. Go and play somewhere else.” Zhang Fatso One flapped his hand dismissively, creating gusts of wind.

Xu Baocai’s expression changed as he retreated several steps. He seemed to want to say something, but restrained himself after seeing Zhang Fatso One. He could only shoot a final poisonous glare at Bai Xiaochun, before reluctantly leaving.

As Bai Xiaochun thought about his situation, he felt that Xu Baocai’s parting gaze was quite sinister. For the next few days at least, he should probably play it safe. He decided to avoid stepping out of the Burning Stove Kitchen, unless it was absolutely necessary. As long as he remained here, that guy wouldn’t dare to enter.
　　
As the days passed peacefully, Bai Xiaochun began to get used to the the working life at the Burning Stove Kitchen. During the night, he would train his Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique. However, it was a pity that his progress was so slow that even now, he was unable to practice this technique beyond four breaths at a time, causing Bai Xiaochun plenty of distress.

This night, as he trained, he suddenly heard sounds of loud excited cheering from the fat Brothers of the Burning Stove Kitchen coming from outside his window.

“Close the gates! Close the gates! Yellow Fatso Two, quickly shut the gates!”

“Black Fatso Three, hurry up and check if there’s anyone spying on us!”

Bai Xiaochun was slightly stunned. This time, he had learned his lesson -- he wouldn’t peek out from his window, but through a gap in the door. From his narrow vantage point, he could see that the fat men outside were incomparably lively, as they sprinted frantically around the yard, as though harbouring a huge secret.

Soon, the front gates of the Burning Stove Kitchen were tightly shut and someone had executed a technique that apparently filled the surroundings with a thin layer of fog, adding even more mystery to the shadowy figures of these few fatties.

Bai Xiaochun stared at them for quite a while, before noticing that the fat men were no longer darting about, but rather secretively huddling in front of a straw hut. Even through the fog, he was still easily able to identify Zhang Fatso One’s hulking figure, who seemed as though he was muttering something under his breath. Bai Xiaochun reasoned that the less he knew about this secretive event, the better it was for him. So he retreated a few steps and pretended that he had seen nothing.

But at this moment, he heard Zhang Fatso One’s call out to him.

“Fatso Nine, you’ve already seen everything. Why don’t you hurry up and come out?” His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a heavy pressure.

Bai Xiaochun blinked a few times before he put on a mask of obedience. Looking as though he couldn’t harm a hair on anyone’s head, he walked out of his hut.

The moment he neared the scene, Zhang Fatso One grabbed and swept Bai Xiaochun beside him. As Bai Xiaochun huddled together with a few other fat men, he instantly detected a unique smell. When it entered his nostrils, it dissolved into numerous currents of warmth that assimilated into his entire body.

Looking around, the people beside him all displayed expressions of comfortable bliss. Bai Xiaochun also felt refreshed. He saw that in Zhang Fatso One’s palm, there was a Lingzhi Mushroom the size of a baby’s head. As this mushroom glowed softly with a crystalline light, he could tell from a single glance that this was no ordinary item.

“Ninth Brother, come. Take a bite.” Zhang Fatso One grunted. He glanced at Bai Xiaochun as he tossed the mushroom over.
　　
“Ah?” Bai Xiaochun looked down at the Lingzhi Mushroom, then looked up at the fat Brothers around him. As he noticed Bai Xiaochun’s hesitation, Zhang Fatso One instantly became mad. The expression on his face implied “If you don’t eat it, then you’ll never hear the end of it from me.”

It was not just him. The others brothers around him, Yellow Fatso Two, Black Fatso Three and so on, had similar expressions on their faces as they glared at Bai Xiaochun.

Bai Xiaochun swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This kind of priceless, treasured Lingzhi Mushroom had been tossed to him like it was a chicken drumstick and now he was being forced to take a bite of it, if he didn’t want be scolded. This was something that he had only dreamed of. It was the first time such a fortunate event had happened to him.

Bai Xiaochun’s heart beat wildly. Gritting his teeth, he received the offered mushroom and violently took a huge bite. The flesh of the mushroom melted the moment it entered his mouth, assimilating into his body. The bliss that he felt was countless times stronger than before, to the extent that Bai Xiaochun’s face had flushed red with pleasure.

“Good, now that we’ve eaten the Hundred Year Old Lingzhi Mushroom that Elder Sun requested to be placed in his soup, we have truly become our own people.” Zhang Fatso One’s expression was filled with satisfaction, as he also bit off a small portion of the mushroom before passing it on to the next fatty. Very quickly, bite after bite, the outer rim of the Lingzhi Mushroom had been eaten. A furtive smile appeared on Bai Xiaochun’s face.

With a chuckle, he instantly understood that these men were all in cahoots with each other. Since the other Brothers had eaten until such obesity without any complications, this kind of wild gluttony must be safe. No wonder Xu Baocai had given him a challenge letter with so many characters written in blood… “Brother, this Lingzhi Mushroom is too delicious. My whole body feels warm.” Bai Xiaochun licked his lips, greedily looking at Zhang Fatso One.

Hearing this, Zhang Fatso One’s eyes lit up as he laughed heartily. From within his robes he retrieved a piece of Solomon’s Seal[1] and tossed it to Bai Xiao Chun.

“Little Brother, now you know how great this place is. Your senior has not lied to you. Eat up, there is still more to come!”

Bai Xiaochun’s eyes sparkled as he took another huge bite. Just as he finished swallowing, Zhang Fatso One retrieved a stalk of orchid. This orchid had a golden yellow colour and its fragrance spread in all directions.

This time, there was no longer any need for Zhang Fatso One to speak. Bai Xiaochun quickly bit into the orchid. Bursts of sweet and sour flavours filled his mouth and pleasure rushed throughout his body. Immediately after, Zhang Fatso One once again took out a red coloured spirit fruit. The fruit’s flesh was almost sickeningly sweet. Within the fruit, a strand of energy slowly revolved.

Thereafter, be it mushrooms, medicine, spirit fruits or orchids, Bai Xiaochun had taken a bite of everything, just like the other fatties. He had eaten till his head was spinning, as though he was drunk. His body was bloated with heat as wisps of smoke were even given off from the top of his head. He felt like his waist had expanded by at least a few centimeters.

As he continued to eat, Zhang Fatso One and the other fat men all softened their gazes. In the end, they were all patting their stomachs while chortling with a hint of conspiracy in their laughter.

In a drunken stupor, Bai Xiaochun spread out his arms and legs. His palm landed on the stomach of Zhang Fatso One, his leg hitting the ground next to him as he began to laugh loudly like the rest of the fatties.

“The other houses in this Handyman department have thought of all kinds of schemes to grasp the title of Outer Sect disciples. But we, in order to throw away the title of Outer Sect disciples have similarly come up with all kinds of ideas. Who’d want to be an Outer Sect disciple? This place is too amazing!” Zhang Fatso One crowed proudly. The more he looked at Bai Xiaochun, the better his mood became. He took out a piece of ginseng, its top bearing numerous rings. The countless whiskers of ginseng roots tangled together into a mess, a clear testament to its old age.

“Ninth brother, each of us have long since cultivated enough to become Outer Sect disciples. But we need to hide that fact. See this? This is a Hundred Year Old Ginseng. To fight for the opportunity to have even a nibble, the Outer Sect disciples would even break their skulls. Look at us though.” Zhang Fatso One plucked a strand of ginseng root and tossed it into his mouth, chewing noisily. After he had swallowed it, he tossed the rest of the ginseng to Bai Xiaochun.
　　
“Brother, I’m full...This time, I really can’t eat anymore…” Bai Xiaochun’s gaze was unfocused and distant. He had truly eaten too much. But even as he spoke, Zhang Fatso One stuffed a piece of ginseng root into his mouth.
　　
“Ninth Brother, you’re too skinny! If you go out like this, what kind of girl in the main sect would fancy you? The people here who are popular are all people who are round and glorious like your Brothers! Come, eat… We have a popular saying here in our Burning Stove Kitchen -- Better to die hungry on a stove, than to fight for glory in the Outer Sect.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll all be going to die hungry here. Yeah… All die hungry...” When he heard the popular saying, Bai Xiaochun patted his stomach and burped.

The other fatties had all started laughing, as they felt that this Bao Xiaochun was becoming more and more adorable.

“Today, we rejoice. Ninth Brother, let me impart to you an important piece of knowledge. When we, the Burning Stove Kitchen, eat, we eat with discretion. There’s a saying that I want you to remember:

Eat the corners of the Lingzhi
But do not touch the stem
Cut meat with a heavy hand
To remove bone leave three-tenths
For Lingzhi porridge add more water
And a small cup of wine to blend.

These six lines of wisdom are lessons that our ancestors, from many generations ago, have learned. As long as you eat accordingly, nothing bad will befall you. Alright, all of you can leave now. Today’s supper is over. Those Outer Sect disciples are still waiting for their soup.” Zhang Fatso One said as he began to pour rice soup into numerous bowls.

Bao Xiaochun was in a daze, as those six lines of wisdom filled his brain. As he looked at the fatties who were busy scooping rice soup and then looked at the rows of bowls, he burped and squatted down to pick up an empty bowl. After careful inspection, his lips cracked into a smile.

“Brother, this bowl isn’t that great.”

After Zhang Fatso One and the rest heard him, they looked towards Bai Xiaochun, their expressions full of curiosity.

“All of you, look at this bowl. It doesn’t seem to be big but actually can hold a lot of food. Why don’t we change it so that it looks big but in fact can only hold very little? For example, maybe we can make the bottom of the bowl...a little thicker?” Bai Xiaochun said with a smile, his face the very picture of angelic innocence.

Zhang Fatso One momentarily blanked. A feeling of immense epiphany struck him, as his rolls of fat slowly began to quiver and his eyes began to shine brightly. The other fatties had all sped up their breathing, the fat on their bodies wobbling.

- Pa! - Zhang Fatso One suddenly slapped his thigh, threw his head backwards and laughed towards the sky.

“Great, great, GREAT! This idea can be immortalized! It’ll bring huge prosperity to future generations of this Burning Stove Kitchen! Ninth Brother, from your innocent appearance, I didn’t think that you’ll be this full of rotten ideas! Haha! With your personality, you’ve been destined to work in our Burning Stove Kitchen!”

----

[1]: A Solomon Seal is a herb that’s used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve internal circulation.

TL: The eating scenes remind me of a certain ecchi cooking anime…

[xianxiaworld]

Chapter 4 Spirit Refinement

Everyone was delighted. When they looked at Bai Xiaochun, their adoration for him had peaked. Not only was he a cute kid, but his stomach was also full of rotten ideas. So Zhang Fatso One made the decision to reward Bai Xiaochun with a grain of rice that he stuffed into the boy’s hand.

With an overjoyed grin on his face, Bai Xiaochun dazedly stumbled back to his room. Before he had even climbed onto his bed, the spiritual energy in his body that had accumulated from consuming those countless treasures of heaven and earth, had already exploded. His mind blanked as he collapsed onto the floor and began snoring as he fell asleep straightaway.

Bai Xiaochun slept unusually well. The next dawn, when Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes feeling refreshed, he looked down to find that he had become one round fatter. His whole body was sticky, covered with a layer of black filth. He hurriedly went out to wash himself clean. When Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties who were busily preparing breakfast saw Bai Xiaochun’s appearance, they all began to chortle with laughter.

“Ninth brother, that filth is the dirt within your body. After it has been removed, your cultivation will become much smoother. These few days, we don’t need your help. Afterwards, you can start doing chores.”

“That grain of rice is a very useful. Remember to eat it quickly; it’ll degrade if you leave it for too long.”
　
Bai Xiaochun replied with a resolute nod and hurried back to his bedroom. He soon came out his room with a turtle-shaped pot on his back. After washing it carefully, he carried it back to the room and put it on the stove. The spirit rice he held in his palm was translucent and glowing softly, almost as small as the tip of a little finger. A tantalizing fragrance that emanated from the spirit rice filled the room.

“Ah, the food that immortals eat...Truly out of the ordinary.” Bai Xiaochu was thoroughly amazed by the rice as he quickly put several chunks of wood into the stove. As soon as the wood was lit, a blast of scorching heat forced Bai Xiaochun several steps back. He gazed at the flames, exclaiming in wonder.

“The fire is definitely special too. Not only is it abnormally fierce, the temperature is also much higher than those back in the village.” Bai Xiaochun glanced again at the wood inside the stove, concluding that the wood was also not ordinary.

At that moment, as the flames burned even higher, Bai Xiaochun was shocked to see that the first line on the surface of the turtle-shell pot started to light up, from bottom to top. Seconds later, the whole line was shining brightly.

Bai Xiaochun fixed his eyes on the bright lines, his mouth agape. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh.

“I knew it! This is a treasure; it’s definitely superior to those pots that my brothers have.” As Bai Xiaochun realized just how extraordinary his pot was, he swiftly threw the spirit rice inside.

As he sat beside the stove and waited, he picked up the bamboo scroll containing Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique and began to train according the movement and breathing method indicated by the first picture.

Even as he just began to cultivate, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes widened. He realised that the posture that had been so difficult for him last time, was now actually very natural, without even a trace of pain. Even the breathing method no longer suffocated him; On the contrary, it was in fact very comfortable now.

Especially with regards to the time he could hold the pose for -- he clearly remembered that previously, he could only sustain for a maximum of three to four breaths. But now, even after more than seven breaths, his body still did not feel sore.

Restraining his excitement, Bai Xiaochun calmed himself down in order to continue his cultivation. After his thirtieth breath, when he began to feel his body starting to ache slightly, a flow of Qi suddenly rose from inside his body. The Qi was ice cold as it rapidly swam within his inner body. Even though it didn’t complete its cycle before it vanished, Bai Xiaochun was still so excited that he bounced up and down in celebration.

“There’s Qi! Haha! There’s Qi now!” Bai Xiaochun was wild with glee as he paced within his room. He thought about all the treasures of heaven and earth that he had eaten last night and deeply regretted not eating more.

“No wonder Brother Zhang told me that he’d rather die hungry on a stove than to go out and fight. This kind of good fortune wouldn’t be available to Outer Sect disciples.” Bai Xiaochun hurriedly sat down as he began to cultivate again.

This time, as Bai Xiaochun cultivated following the breathing method and posture indicated by the first level of the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique, he got to the sixtieth breath. At this point, a flow of qi approximately two times stronger than the previous one, burst from inside him, trickling away within his inner body like rivulets of water.

Now, that he had experienced it, Bai Xiaochun hurriedly positioned his body according to the picture in the manual, silently thinking about the routes of Qi flow in his body.

Soon after, the Qi inside Bai Xiaochun began to flow according to the routes he had imagined. As he held the stance similar to the one shown in the first diagram, he felt numerous strands of cold Qi emitting from every part of his body, assimilating into the flow of Qi like droplets of water, causing the flow to become bigger and bigger.

Eventually, the flow of Qi accumulated into a stream as it completed a cycle within Bai Xiaochun. His entire body jerked and as though a storm cloud had gathered in his mind, a clap of thunder could be heard.

A light and nimble sensation that Bai Xiaochun had never experienced before instantly surfaced within his body as clumps of dirt oozed endlessly from every sweat pore.

Unlike his previous efforts where the stream of Qi would disappear, this time it stayed even after his cultivation as it flowed freely and gently throughout his body. Bai Xiaochun opened his eyes to find that his sight had become clearer and his brain could process things faster.

Even his body clearly felt more light and relaxed.
　　
“This lasting flow of Qi, it’s the indication that I’ve reached the first level of Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique, which also represents the first level of Qi Condensation.” Bai Xiaochun revelled in his ecstasy before he rushed out of the room to take another shower.

When the fat Brothers saw him, they smiled knowingly. Towards the fact that Bai Xiaochun had so quickly attained the first level of cultivation, they were startled, but they also understood the origins of that speed.

Returning to his room, Bai Xiaochun took a few deep breaths before he picked the bamboo scroll and inspected it closely.

“Once the first level of the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique has been mastered, I can begin to manipulate certain objects without touching them. This is truly a technique of the Immortals.” Bai Xiaochun’s sparkled as he mimicked the simple hand gesture depicted on the manual and pointed to the table beside him. Instantly, he felt the small stream in his body flow towards his index finger, like an unbridled horse, before leaving his fingertip.

It was as though an invisible line had formed between his fingertip and the table. Unfortunately, the moment the line connected the two, it became unstable and shattered with a crack.

It took quite a while for Bai Xiaochun to recover from the shock; he raised his slightly paled face and started pondering. After careful analysis, he figured out that maybe he should give up the desk and choose something smaller instead. He pulled out a wooden sword, though he didn’t know what kind of wood this was made of, when he weighed the sword in hand, he was sure it was heavy. Confidently, he raised one finger of his right hand.

With a slight vibration, the sword slowly floated in the air. Nevertheless, when it rose to as high as one cun [1], it suddenly dropped off to the ground.
　
Bai Xiaochun was not a quitter, so he tried numerous times passionately. Fortunately, progress was made step by step. The height rose from one cun to ten cun, twenty cun, thirty cun…He practiced relentlessly throughout the night until dawn. Providence never let down a man who had tried his best. Finally, he successfully maintained the sword at a certain height and was able to make it float horizontally. Although the sword moved rather slowly and couldn’t turn around, it was a great achievement given that Bai Xiaochun had just begun learning. At the very least, it would not fall again.

“From now on, I’m one of those immortals!” Bai Xiaochun stood there arrogantly. He put his left hand behind, and waved his raised right hand in the air, directing the movements of the close by wooden sword, which was flying back and forth staggeringly.

After playing with the wooden sword for a long time, Bai Xiaochun discovered that his flow of qi was not as stable as before, so he stopped. When he was about to go back to cultivation, he caught scent of the alluring aroma that continually wafted from the pot. He raised his head and realized that the spirit rice was still stewing in the pot. So he dashed in front of the pot and opened the lid.

Suddenly, a rich, delicious smell filled Bai Xiaochun’ nostrils. Strangely, there was a glaring silver line on the spirit rice!

Bai Xiaochun stared at that mesmerizing silver line, and after several minutes, he found the color had faded to dark silver. Out of curiosity, he took out the spirit rice from the pot and scrutinized in his hands.

“I bet I have seen this line somewhere else…” Bai Xiaochun pondered. Looking down at the stove, he found all the wood was burned out to ashes. The line on the surface of the pot darkened itself as well.

Instantly, Bai Xiaochun discovered that the line on the spirit rice and the pot was the same!

Putting aside all his suspicions, Bai Xiaochun hid the cooked spirit rice into a hip-pocket, in case he caught any unknown disease by eating this rice. After thinking deeply, he went out and joined his fatty brothers.

Time flowed as per usual, and in a blink, half a month at hassed, In this half a month, Bai Xiaochun’s cultivation had paused again as his spiritual energy increased very slowly. But even so, he had found out that when other people were cooking the Spirit rice, there wouldn’t be any traces of silver lines.

Gradually, Bai Xiaochun concluded that both his spirit rice and the pot were weird. Several days later, Black Fatso Three went out to purchase materials. Bai Xiaochun seized this opportunity and slipped into the Four Seas House, where handymen were allowed to learn some rudimentary knowledge about immortal cultivation.

Bai Xiaochun concealed his excitement on his way back to his room, and he took out the spirit rice as soon as he arrived. He observed the silver line in rapt attention, soon, an unconceivable expression emerged from his face.

“All immortal cultivators have to go through three refinements, namely: medicine refinement, weapon refinement, and spirit refinement!” Bai Xiaochun compared the silver line on the spirit rice with the illustrative pictures in the classic record books in the Four Seas House, and he found that they were incredibly similar…

“Spirit refinement!” After a while, Bai Xiaochun exclaimed.

Spirit refinement was unique way of cultivation that forcefully injected the energies of heaven and earth in objects. By replacing the divine order of things and strengthening the objects through stealing that energy, be it Dan medicine, herbal medicine or treasures, they could all be enhanced through Spirit Refinement. Since this method went against the laws of nature, there was only a certain probability of success. But if you succeeded, the object’s potential would be largely increased. But if you failed, under the pressure of the energies of heaven and earth, the object would be turned into trash.

The most incredible part in spirit refinement was that the object was allowed to indefinitely repeat the refinement process as long as it didn’t drop. If an objected, for instance, was cultivated for ten times, it would obtain earthshaking improvements.

The rarer the object, the more terrifying the repeated spirit refinements were.

Unfortunately, the more time you cultivated on the same objects, the more slim its chance to success would become. Even for those masters of spirit refinement, they would be extremely cautious in making their decision for a repeated cultivation. After all, once it failed, all the previous efforts would be in vain.

“According to the classic record book, the most valued treasure of the Spirit River Sect was the Heaven’s Edge Sword, which was cultivated for ten times in spirit refinement!” Bai Xiaochun swallowed. He turned around and stared at the pot and the silver line. He was so confused, yet at the same time excited, as if his heart would jump out of his chest.

At this moment, Bai Xiaochun confirmed that the pot was the answer to all his confusions, especially the silver line on the spirit rice.

After some pausing to ponder, Bai Xiaochun gnashed his teeth, determined to decipher the mystery otherwise he would not be able to fall asleep. Knowing the uniqueness of his pot, he decided to keep the secret to himself.

Afraid of being spotted, Bai Xiaochun waited until midnight to examine the pot. As he approached the pot, he took out the wooden sword and threw it into the pot, just as he did with the spirit rice.

...

[1] cun: a unit of length, about 1/3 decimeters.

[xianxiaworld]

Chapter 5 - If I lose my life, what am I going to do then?

The wooden sword landed in the pot, but there didn’t seem to be any special changes. Bai Xiaochun hummed softly under his breath as he expectantly opened his eyes wide, his watchful gaze fixed on the sword.

But even after waiting for a long time, in the end, there was still nothing strange that happened. Bai Xiaochun thought for a while, glancing at the patterns on the back of the turtle-shell pot before gazing at the wooden cinders in the stove. He seemed to suddenly have an epiphany, as he turned and left the room. Soon after, he returned with a few blocks of the wood that he had previously used, clasped in his hands.

In the Burning Stoves Kitchen, this wood could not be considered anything special, but he still went to find Zhang Fatso One to ask for some.

As he lit the wooden blocks, Bai Xiaochun instantly saw the first line of pattern on the turtleshell pot begin to glow brilliantly again.The hearthfire burned furiously before slowly starting to extinguish. Bai Xiaochun started to ponder other ideas when suddenly, the wooden sword inside the pot began to shine with a blinding silver light.

Bai Xiaochun retreated a few steps. Before long, the blinding light died down, and he could immediately feel a powerful energy wafting out from within the pot.

He took a deep breath, and cautiously crept closer. He saw that on the wooden sword, within the pot, streaks of blindingly bright silver lines had appeared, just like on the Spirit Rice. Those lines slowly darkened, before finally fading away into a dark silver colour.

The entire body of the sword felt slightly different from before. Although the material was still wood, it seemed to radiate with a sharpness characteristic of metallic gold. Bai Xiaochun’s eyes lit up as he bent forward and carefully picked up the wooden sword. It felt slightly heavier. When he brought it closer, he could even feel a sharp coldness emanating from the blade.

“Success! This wooden sword has successfully been refined once.” Bai Xiaochun was wildly gleeful, as he clasped the wooden sword tightly; so in love with it he couldn’t bear to let go. He looked at that pot again as he thought about how he could hide the item, before finally deciding that he should just leave it where it was. The more casually he treated it, the less people would be likely to notice.

For the spirit rice, that problem was easily solved by eating it. But since this wooden sword would be easily seen by other people, Bai Xiaochun contemplated about covering it up under some miscellaneous items, which would hopefully weaken the brilliant rays of the spirit lines.

After he made his decision, he got up and groomed himself before walking out of the straw hut, acting as though nothing had happened. Some days later, as night fell, he brushed the multicoloured secretions that he had collected from the Burning Stove Kitchen over the past few days onto the wooden sword, turning it into an ugly splatter of colour. As he messed around with the substances, he noticed that the glowing spirit lines had indeed largely been covered up and were no longer immediately obvious. Only then did he nod his head in satisfaction.

In the following days, Bai Xiaochun had adapted to the life in the Burning Stoves Kitchen like a fish to water. He had become very close with his senior Brothers, and was now completely familiar with the kitchen chores, especially with the different flames that were needed to cook different types of spirit food. He could even separate the flames by their colour so he now understood that previously, the wood beneath his turtleshell pot had been fire of Colour One.

In particular, because Zhang Fatso One liked Bai Xiaochun a lot, he took good care of the youngster. In a few months, just like Zhang Fatso One had promised before, Bai Xiaochun’s life in the kitchen had slowly fattened him up.

Currently, he was no longer the stick-like figure who had entered the Sect. His whole body had gained several layers of fat and his complexion had turned even more fair, giving him an even deeper impression of being harmless, as though he was inching closer towards the name “Bai Fatso Nine”.

With regards to the added supper, till today he had experienced it a few more times. But what troubled Bai Xiaochun was that although his weight had inflated rapidly, his cultivation had begun to slow down. In the end, he had decided to simply not think about it and spent day after day eating and drinking with his Brothers. It was a life of glorious freedom. From Zhang Fatso One he had heard plenty of stories of the incidents happening within the Sect over these few months, and had gained a certain degree of understanding towards the members of the Spirit River Sect.

He knew that the Sect was divided into disciples of the Inner Sect and disciples of the Outer Sect. Those in the Handyman Department that were able to train until the third level of Qi Condensation, were able to pass a mountain peak’s entrance cultivation test. If they were able to succeed further, then they could enter the realm of cultivation and become disciples of the Outer Sect. Only those who were successfully able to enter the Outer Sect could be considered to have stepped into the gates of the Spirit River Sect.

But this was equivalent to a mere fish trying to jump through a dragon’s gate. Because each peak’s entrance examination only admitted the top three scorers every month, the number of people who could successfully test into the Outer Sect were fixed.

This day, it had originally been Fatso Seven who was supposed to go down the mountain to search for materials, but he had been delayed due to various circumstances so with a wave of his hand, Zhang Fatso One ordered Bai Xiaochun to climb down in his stead. Bai Xiaochun hesitated briefly -- it had been several months since he had last seen Xu Baocai so it should probably be quite safe to go out now. But still, in a fit of nervousness, he retrieved six vegetable knives and put on five layers of leather coats. He looked entirely like a walking ball.

Still feeling unsafe, Bai Xiaochun found a sturdy pot and strapped it onto his back. Only now was he confident in his safety, as he swaggered out of the Burning Stoves Kitchen and waddled down the mountain.

As he wandered along the quartz-paved road of the Sect, Bai Xiaochun gazed at the beautiful and exquisite buildings surrounding him. A deep sense of superiority filled him as his spirits soared.

“The days fly by, my life is like a dream. I, Bai Xiaochun, from birth till now, have cultivated for numerous months. Reminiscing at the distant memories of my village back then, I am filled with rue...” he lamented to himself. His hands were clasped behind his back, seven to eight vegetable knives hung at his waist, a black pot carried on his back and his body swathed in several layers of leather. He looked like a ragged leather ball. As he walked, he passed by plenty of handymen who shot him questioning sidelong glances.

In particular, there were a few female disciples who after seeing Bai Xiaochun, were so tickled by his appearance they covered their mouths to giggle softly. Their laughter was like the sound of bells, clear and musical.

Bai Xiaochun’s round face turned slightly red, as he felt rather mighty. He coughed drily, puffed out his chest and continued onwards.

Not long after that, before he had even walked out of the Handyman District of the third peak, he suddenly saw quite a number of handymen in the distance with excited looks on their faces, quickly running in one direction. That was where the mountain trail of the third peak was located, usually a favourite spot of the Outer Sect disciples.

Slowly, more and more handymen started excitedly rushing in that direction. Bai Xiaochun stood there, momentarily shocked before he hurriedly grabbed a frail youngster from the crowd who was passing by.

“Fellow Disciple, what’s happening? Why’s everyone running over there?” Bai Xiaochun asked curiously.

An annoyed expression had appeared on the face of the youth whom he had grabbed. But when he saw the large black pot strapped on Bai Xiaochun’s back, admiration could be seen in his eyes as his expression softened.

“Oh, so it’s a Disciple of the Burning Stoves Kitchen. You should also go have a look. I’ve heard that the pride of the outer sect, Zhou Yu and Zhang Yide are battling each other at the training ground down the mountain. The two of them seem to have some personal vendetta against each other, and I’ve heard that both are already at the sixth level of Qi-condensation. This kind of event is something I have to see no matter what. Maybe I can learn something which will be to my advantage.” The youngster explained before he hurried off, afraid that he would miss the show if he were to be late.

Feeling very curious, Bai Xiaochun also ran in that direction with large steps, following the crowd. It wasn’t long before he exited the Handyman District, arriving at the foot of the third mountain peak. There, he saw an enormous towering stage.

This tall stage was about a thousand feet wide. Around the stage congregated numerous handymen. There were even a number of figures amidst the surrounding mountains, dressed in elaborate attire; these were the Outer Sect disciples who had also come to spectate.

On the stage, there stood two youths who wore equally intricately designed robes. One youth’s face was scarred while the other was as pale as jade. Their figures intersected each other multiple times, as loud rumbles like rolling thunder swept outwards.

These two people were both cloaked in a mystical flashing light. In front of the scarred youth was a small flag, which fluttered despite the lack of wind. As though it was being manipulated by an invisible hand, it formed a fog-tiger that roared loudly, the sheer volume shaking the ground.
The youth with the jade complexion, on the other hand, darted back and forth on the battleground. With an small azure dagger he slashed the air, leaving multiple spirit trails that nimbly shot outwards.

Bai Xiaochun watched with wide eyes as he took a deep breath. He was capable of manipulating his wooden sword but his measly skills were incomparable to that jade complexioned youth.

The two people were merciless in their attacks, their killing intent suffused the air to the extent that their lives had been in danger numerous times. Multiple wounds littered their bodies. Although there were no severe injuries, it still presented a chilling sight.

This was the first time that Bai Xiaochun witnessed a battle between cultivators. It was completely different from what he had envisioned; this kind of viciousness and hostility was enough to make his heart pound wildly in fear.

“To cultivate immortality...Isn’t it so that one can live forever? What’s with all this fighting and killing? If I lose my life, what I am I going to do then…” Bai Xiaochun swallowed nervously. When he saw the flag that belonged to the scarred youth transform into the fog-tiger and leap fiercely towards the other guy, as though it wanted to devour him in one bite, Bao Xiaochun mopped the perspiration on his brow. To him, the outside world was too dangerous! Returning to the Burning Stoves Kitchen was still the safest route.

Making his decision, he started to retreat rapidly, but just as he took his first steps back, a loud bellow came from not far away.

“Bai Xiaochun!!”

Bai Xiaochun turned around and instantly spotted the person who had initially written him a challenge letter in blood. With a demonic grin on his face, Xu Baocai rushed towards him, holding a wooden sword in front of him that glowed with an unusual light, obviously not something that a level one cultivator could beat. At that moment, he sliced an arc in the air, exerting a relatively strong spiritual pressure, as he sprinted straight towards Bai Xiaochun.

When Bai Xiaochun saw the wooden sword descend, his pupils contracted as he instantly felt that his life was in severe danger.

“He wants to kill me!” When his brain finally processed that though, he let out a sharp scream of terror, and ran away as fast as he could.

“Murder! Murder!” This loud scream could be heard by all the handymen around him. Surprised by the sudden commotion, one by one they turned to watch the scene unfold. Even Zhou Yu and Zhang Yide who had been crossing swords on the tall stage had momentarily paused their battle. This was testament to just how loud the sound waves were.

Even Xu Baocai himself was frightened by the scream. He had only yelled the other guy’s name and ran towards him. His sword hadn’t even touched the guy, but Bai Xiaochun’s agonised wail sounded like he had just been run through by the sword.

“Bai Xiaochun, if you’re so powerful then stop running!” Xu Baocai’s expression turned ghastly, his hatred so strong it made the roots of his teeth itch. He chased rapidly after Bai Xiaochun.

“If I had any sort of power, I’ll have killed you long ago! Do you think I’ll still be ****ing running away? Help! Murder! Murder! ” Bai Xiaochun wailed as he only increased his speed.　

As this scene unfolded, on the peak of this mountain, there was a hanging pavilion. In the pavilion, two cultivators sat opposite each other, one middle-aged and the other elderly, as they played a game of chess. The middle-aged man was Li Qinghou, The old man who sat opposite him had a head full of white hair, a rosy face, his eyes shining with brilliance. He was clearly not an ordinary person. As he scanned the foot of the mountain, he began to laugh.

“Qinghou, this doll that you’ve brought here, he is rather interesting.”

“For the Sect Leader to laugh upon seeing him, that boy’s character must be further strengthened through training.” Li Qinghou said as he shook his head. Placing down a chess piece, he felt pangs of a headache.

“Those children in the Burning Stoves Kitchen are all very prideful. For this boy to have become so close to them, it’s not easy.” The old man stroked his beard, his eyes shining with amusement.

...


TL: What if I lost my life? I’ve heard that people die when they are killed.


http://www.xianxiaworld.net/A-Thought-Through-Eternity/

[xianxiaworld]

Chapter 6 - His Spiritual Energy Has Affected his Brain

At the bottom of the third mountain peak, Bai Xiaochun’s terrified wails had an almost musical quality to them, as each consecutive cry echoed around the mountain range, attracting questioning looks from numerous other handymen. You could clearly see Bai Xiaochun’s plump round figure, with a big black pot strapped to his back and swathed under seven to eight layers of leather jackets, sprinting down the mountain with all his might.

In fact, if you looked from a distance, you probably couldn’t see Bai Xiaochun’s figure but you could definitely spot the large black pot scrambling across the ground like a beetle.

The seven or so knives that dangled from Bai Xiaochun’s waist knocked against each other as he ran, making noisy ding dang sounds.

“Murder, help! I don’t want to die…” Bai Xiaochun yelled loudly as he ran faster and faster. Behind him, Xu Baocai’s expression was livid. His eyes shone with a strong killing intent, his heart filled with anxiety and fury.

The entire way as he chased after Bai Xiaochun, the commotion attracted many surrounding handymen. Xu Baocai was worried that it would attract the attention of the Deacon. He started to get somewhat desperate.

“Stop screaming, damn you. Can’t you be less noisy? Why the hell are you screaming, shut up!” Xu Baocai roared angrily as he ground his teeth. With a sharp gesture, instantly the wooden sword by his side flared with light. His speed became fractionally faster as he flew forwards, straight towards Bai Xiaochun.

With a loud Peng! his wooden sword knocked against the black pot on Bai Xiaochun’s back. While an echoing Gongg resounded, Bai Xiaochun had suffered no harm as he continued to run for his life.

Xu Baocai grit his teeth violently. The black pot that was strapped onto Bai Xiaochun’s back blocked more than half of his body, leaving him with no place to strike. Unwilling to give up, he set off in hot pursuit once more.

The two people, one in front and one behind, scurried back and forth endlessly in the Handymen District.

“This guy’s carrying a pot but he still runs so fast!” Xu Baocai gasped for breath as he watched Bai Xiaochun’s shadow disappear in the distance, feeling more and more dissatisfied. He was a level two cultivator, but even though he had exhausted all his strength like a baby sucking milk, he still could not catch up with Bai Xiaochun who was sprinting away like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Xiaochun saw the side path leading to the Burning Stoves Kitchen. His eyes filled with emotion. He felt like he had seen his home, as he almost began to cry hot tears.

“Brother, help me! There’s a murderer!” Bai Xiaochun yelled loudly. He ran into the Burning Stove Kitchen, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. When Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties heard the wretched high-pitched cry, they were startled. Immediately, they walked outside.

“Brother, save me. Xu Baocai wants to kill me, I almost lost my life back there.” Bai Xiaochun hastily hid before Zhang Fatso One’s body.

“Xu Baocai?” When Zhang Fatso One heard him, his eyes flashed. He looked around but was unable to see even a shadow. Opening his mouth to speak, he finally noticed Xu Baocai’s figure in the far distance, huffing and puffing as he ran towards them.

Bai Xiaochun had also noticed Xu Baocai’s figure and felt somewhat suspicious.

“Eh, why is he running so slowly?”

Zhang Fatso One glanced down at Bai Xiaochun before he looked back up to see the heavily gasping Xu Baocai who had just arrived. The meat on his face trembled.

Xu Baocai had chased him here with much difficulty. The moment he neared the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he could hear Bai Xiaochun’s suspicious words. As those words entered his ear, he only felt a furious rage trapped in his chest. As though his whole person exploded, he roared loudly. Waving his right hand, the wooden sword beside him shot out with a Whooosh, embedding itself directly into a large tree.

Baaang! The tree shook, as a large hole where the sword had passed through, appeared.

“Bai Xiaochun, I will never forgive you!” Xu Baocai’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Bai Xiaochun with a death glare. He then glanced at Zhang Fatso One’s hulking figure before he turned around and hatefully stomped away.

Bai Xiaochun’s heart thumped wildly. He peeked at the hole in the tree and then at the hysterical Xu Baocai. He swallowed hard as a sense of unease rose in his heart.

As Zhang Fatso One gazed at Xu Baocai’s retreating figure, a fierce look flashed briefly across his face. He turned around and patted Bai Xiaochun’s shoulder.

“Ninth Brother, have no fear. This Xu Baocai might have a little bit of background but if he dares to show up again, we Brothers will beat him till his legs are broken!” At this point, Zhang Fatso One’s tone changed.

“Nonetheless, Ninth Brother, if you can avoid going out for these few days, then it’s best that you stay in your room. I can see that you’ve already lost weight. This Brother will fix that. It just so happens that in a few days’ time, Elder Zhou is celebrating another ten years of age!”
(TL: The word used here for ten years is 大寿. It’s a special birthday celebrated when one reaches 70, 80 etc. years of age)

Bai Xiaochun nodded absentmindedly, his gaze all the while fixed on the tree Xu Baocai had run through with his sword.

Even when he returned to the Burning Stoves Kitchen with his Brothers, Bai Xiaochun sat in his room deep in thought. The more he pondered, the less secure he felt. His opponent’s wooden sword had managed to pierce a hole in a tree. If it had been his body, he would have died a tortured death without leaving even an intact corpse.

“This won’t do, unless I plan to spend my whole life in this Burning Stoves Kitchen. Otherwise, once I step outside and he catches me, what am I going to do then…” The image of Xu Baocai’s scathing and poisonous parting glare just wouldn’t leave Bai Xioachun’s mind.

“I came here to seek immortality. I can’t die now…” The perturbation that came with a lack of safety had caused blood vessels to pop up in Bai Xiaochun’s eyes. A good long while later, he grit his teeth violently.

“****, I give up! No matter what, I’m still scared!” Bai Xiaochun saw red. His personality could be described as ‘scared of death’, but a better way to put it was ‘severe paranoia’. This experience he had suffered today had greatly motivated him. The stubbornness in his personality flared up.

“I want to cultivate! I want to become strong!!” Bai Xiaochun breathed heavily as he made his decision. Immediately, he took the bamboo scroll containing Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique. He inspected the second diagram and began to train with bloodshot eyes.

Although he was scared of death, he possessed a streak of viciousness. Or else he would not have persisted in lighting the incense stick so many times even though he had been terrified of being struck by lightning.

Now, he had brought out this vicious streak. He followed the posture on the second diagram and held on with all his might. Usually he could only hold the pose for around ten breaths, but today he had persisted to fifteen.

Although his body ached all over and perspiration continuously dripped from his brow, the determination in Bai Xiaochun’s eyes had still not faded. In fact he had even managed to persist till twenty breaths and then thirty breaths. The flow of Qi in his body had rapidly doubled in size. Black dots clouded his vision as he suddenly exhaled after holding his breath for a long while. But he only allowed himself to relax for a brief moment before he began to cultivate again.

He trained in silence throughout the night. Two days passed, then three days, four days… For five consecutive days, apart from attending to his bodily needs, Bai Xiaochun had not exited his room at all. This kind of dry training was difficult to endure for an amateur cultivator but the thought of giving up had not even crossed his mind.

Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties were shocked by Bai Xiaochun’s cultivation. It must be said that the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique was definitely not easy. In theory, learning it was simple but when the postures of each level were held for a prolonged period of time, it would result in indescribable pain. To persist in this technique required huge amounts of willpower. The ordinary handymen in the Sect had all only trained for a couple of days before giving up.

But they had watched Bai Xiaochun train for half a month. When the fatties came over to observe him, the Bai Xiaochun they saw was vastly different from the impression they had of him from several months ago.

His clothes were creased and his hair was messy. His eyes popped with blood vessels. His whole person looked extremely fatigued but he was still diligent in his training. No matter how much pain he suffered, he still refused to stop.

Even his body had clearly slimmed down several rounds. The spiritual authority that radiated from his inner body had greatly increased as it moved endlessly towards the completion of the first level of cultivation.

It was as though he had taken all the treasures of heaven and earth stored in his fat and through drastic measures, trained until their essence had assimilated and become part of his body. As a result, his body had become much sturdier than that of an ordinary person.

“Ninth Brother, take a break. Every day, every night, you’ve been training for more than a month now.” Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties hurriedly tried to persuade him. But when Bai Xiaochun lifted his head, they only saw the determination shining in his eyes. That kind of stubbornness caused their hearts to be greatly moved.

As time continued to pass, in the blink of an eye Bai Xiaochun had already cultivated for an entire month. During this month, his fervour had greatly shocked the other fatties. To put it in Zhang Fatso One’s words, Bai Xiaochun wasn’t so much cultivating as he was gambling with his life!

After this bout of intense training, the time that Bai Xiaochun could hold the second posture for, had also surpassed one hundred breaths and reached one hundred and fifty! The spiritual Qi that flowed within him was no longer a narrow stream. It had evidently become much wider.

As another month passed, Zhang Fatso One and the fatties were all greatly alarmed. They were terrified that one day, Bai Xiaochun would train himself to death. When they had finally made up their minds to destroy Xu Baocai, a loud rumble was heard from Bai Xiaochun’s room.

As the rumble echoed, a spiritual pressure, characteristic of the second level of Qi-condensation, had immediately erupted from Bai Xiaochun’s location. It spread outwards in a circle with a radius of thirty meters, instantly alerting the fatties. They lifted their heads to stare in that direction, as their expressions changed one by one.

“Little Brother has finally broken through!”

“The second level of Qi-condensation! Although our Burning Stoves Kitchen occasionally has added suppers, but to reach the second level of Qi condensation in less than half a year, that’s very seldom seen!”

“Back when I reached the second level of Qi condensation, I used an entire year’s worth of time…” Just as Zhang Fatso One and the other fatsos began to lament, the door to Bai Xiaochun’s room opened with a creak. His face full of exhaustion, his clothes in tatters but his eyes shining with vigour, Bai Xiaochun stepped out.

Just as the fatties wanted to greet him, they saw Bai Xiaochun’s body waver before he nimbly leapt onto the fence surrounding the kitchen yard. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stood there. His head was lifted high as he proudly surveyed his surroudings with a deep expression, looking like a expert seeking solitude.

“What is he doing standing there? He looks strange…”

“Little Brother, has he...entered the flames and become a demon?” Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties looked at each other.

[TL: 走火入魔, walking into flames and becoming a demon refers to a kind of insanity born from obsessive training. Also known as Kundalini psychosis.)

Just as they were beginning to become suspicious of Bai Xiaochun’s appearance, they heard Bai Xiaochun deliberately speak in an archaic fashion, as he stood on the fence.

“Xu Baocai, born in the Handymen District of the Spirit River sect. His peerless pride and illustrious glory, no one beneath this heaven shall deny. His cultivation has reached a shocking second level of Qi-condensation. But I am also of the second level! This battle between him and me is an even match. Our names may spread to all corners of the Earth and stir the Sects. But it is unavoidable that this battle be smeared with blood and scattered with broken bones...Nay! This battle is of utmost importance. I must continue my cultivation!”

When he finished speaking, Bai Xiaochun contemplatively gazed into the distance. With a swirl of his short sleeves, he once again returned into his room, closing the door with a Peng! One by one, the fatties swallowed their saliva. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do for a long while. Finally, Black Fatso Three ventured.

“Could it be that we have fed Little Brother something wrong?”

“It’s over! It’s over, Little Brother’s spiritual energy has affected his brain; he has cultivated to insanity...We must not provoke him!” Yellow Fatso Two’s entire body shuddered as he spoke with certainty.

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