"You all can slowly comprehend it in your own time. For now, let me explain what the Sea of Suffering is."
"Countless cultivation methods exist in the world, yet they all ultimately lead to the same path — the path to immortality." Elder Wu Qingfeng continued, explaining the beginning stages of cultivation.
All things in the world change with the passage of time. Some endure forever, existing eternally, while others live fleetingly like the chirping of cicadas in a single autumn. Life drifts and passes swiftly, as transient as a morning mist vanishing by dusk.
Everything has its origin and starting point. For the human body, this beginning lies just below the navel — the so-called Life Wheel — the fundamental source of the body's vital energy.
Ordinary people bring forth new life, Daoists give birth to their own bodies, and cultivators begin their path to immortality from the Life Wheel.
Throughout a mortal's lifetime, the Life Wheel slowly dries up. Time carves marks into it each year, like the rings inside a tree trunk. After a hundred years, the Life Wheel is etched deeply with the scars of time, at which point it shatters — marking the end of the mortal's life.
The Sea of Suffering engulfs the Life Wheel, gnawed away alongside the years, which is why cultivators speak of crossing the Sea of Suffering. The beginning of cultivation is born from the Sea of Suffering, forging the divine bridge that leads to the other shore — the end of suffering.
Time passed slowly as Elder Wu Qingfeng spoke at length, from the nature of cultivation to common knowledge of the cultivation world. The three absorbed every word like sponges.
Finally, Elder Wu took out a tome reputed to be the strongest foundational scripture in the world — the Dao Jing (Scripture of the Dao).
The Dao Jing is named after the Dao itself. To dare name it so boldly speaks volumes: it is the supreme scripture, the ultimate law.
Now, Jiang Xuan had obtained the opening chapters of the Dao Jing.
The elder then began explaining the scripture to the three.
The Dao Jing's chapter on the Wheel of the Sea was brief — only a few thousand words — but the wisdom contained within was profound. Without guidance, even the most outstanding prodigies would find little gain if they tried to understand it on their own.
As Jiang Xuan listened to Elder Wu's commentary, he realized many principles in the Dao Jing closely mirrored the true essence of certain martial arts manuals, and even echoed teachings found in classic texts from Earth.
Whenever the three had doubts, Elder Wu answered them patiently.
Yet as the discussion progressed, Jiang Xuan's questions grew deeper and more complex, some requiring the elder to pause and think before answering. Eventually, some questions even sparked new insights in Elder Wu himself.
Such comprehension was nothing short of terrifying.
This was a genius far surpassing Weiwei!
By evening, Elder Wu finished his explanation of the opening chapter of the Dao Jing, urging the three to study it carefully before departing on a rainbow light.
Jiang Xuan spent the next three days reviewing and contemplating Elder Wu's teachings, feeling ready to take his first step in cultivation — guiding his vital energy to strike at the Sea of Suffering.
He sat cross-legged and, following the Dao Jing's method of spiritual sensing, attempted to perceive the Life Wheel.
"The Life Wheel is located beneath the navel — the Dantian. Both the Zhetian Fa (Heaven-Shrouding Method) and the Beiming Divine Skill cultivate this area. The difference is that Zhetian Fa senses the Life Wheel to then guide vital energy to strike the Sea of Suffering, while Beiming Divine Skill focuses on absorbing the essence of heaven and earth through the body's meridians, storing it in the Dantian."
Using spiritual sensing and inward observation, Jiang Xuan quickly located the Life Wheel. At its core was a swirling mass of purple true energy — the refined Qi cultivated from the Beiming Divine Skill.
"Striking the Sea of Suffering isn't so difficult after all."
Once he sensed the Life Wheel, Jiang Xuan employed the method recorded in the Dao Jing to quickly open the Sea of Suffering. As he did so, the purple Beiming true Qi swirled, with a wisp merging into the Sea until it vanished.
"Compared to the Zhetian Fa, the Beiming Divine Skill is still somewhat primitive. Yet the Beiming true Qi transforming into fuel to expand the Sea of Suffering is a positive thing."
"There are countless cultivation methods across the myriad worlds and heavens. Surely some martial arts realms possess extremely high ceilings, but for now, without a doubt, practicing the Zhetian Fa is the best choice."
Thus, Jiang Xuan channeled the Beiming Divine Skill, flooding the Sea of Suffering with ever more powerful streams of true Qi, one after another.
As the Beiming true Qi fully dissipated, after another day of opening the Sea of Suffering, Jiang Xuan reached the pinnacle of the Sea of Suffering realm — just one step away from breaking through to the Life Spring realm.
As he cultivated the Dao Jing, a divine pattern rippled like water waves, bursting forth like iron chains from beneath his navel. It struck a two-meter-high giant stone, splitting it cleanly in half like soft tofu, the cut surface smooth and even.
Cultivating divine patterns within the Sea of Suffering was a sign of having advanced far in this realm.
Within the cave realm, there were many disciples who had remained stuck in the Sea of Suffering realm for years without ever forming a single divine pattern. For them, this realm was little more than a state where their vitality was somewhat stronger than that of ordinary mortals, lacking any real offensive techniques. Some with innate divine power could even easily defeat them.
But now, Jiang Xuan stood at the very peak of this realm.
Feeling the fullness of the Sea of Suffering inside his body, Jiang Xuan looked forward eagerly to the cultivation that awaited him.
Ye Fan and Pang Bo, hearing the noise outside the thatched hut, hurried out.
"Holy shit, Brother Jiang, you've opened the Sea of Suffering? Does this mean no one can survive anymore?" Pang Bo stared at the giant stone, its cut surface polished like a master's craftsmanship, smooth as a mirror. He was utterly shocked.
"Jiang Xuan, is this a divine pattern?" Ye Fan studied it closely. This was no technique that could be produced merely by entering the Sea of Suffering realm. It looked very much like the divine pattern attack method described in the Dao Jing.
Their old classmate had advanced to a profound level in the Sea of Suffering realm in just one day. The appearance of divine patterns made those who had not yet entered this realm completely unable to resist him, utterly distinguishing him from ordinary mortals.
Ye Fan wondered how he could possibly dodge if such an attack were aimed at him.
Close combat? Stay out of the divine pattern's attack range?
He shook his head, dismissing such ridiculous thoughts. At the Thunder Sound Temple, he had seen Jiang Xuan leap twenty meters onto a giant rock in just a few breaths, moving so fast he even left afterimages. When releasing divine patterns, Jiang Xuan definitely did not stand still.
There was only one way out: death.
In truth, when releasing divine patterns, Jiang Xuan could not only move quickly but also control the patterns after they were released, shaping them into various forms — condensing into a blade to perform sword techniques, or forming a bell-shaped shield mimicking the Golden Bell Cover for defense. Although the true energy dissipated into the Sea of Suffering, the offensive methods were adaptable and versatile.
Jiang Xuan did not limit himself to simple divine pattern attacks. He experimented with various ideas, and for a time, divine patterns filled the sky, making him appear as a god descending to the mortal world.
Pang Bo's shock deepened upon witnessing this.
"I have had certain fortunate opportunities, which have all now been converted into resources for the Sea of Suffering. Cultivating divine patterns was only natural. The next stages of cultivation might have to slow down," Jiang Xuan spoke honestly.
The Beiming Divine Qi at the master level was no less effective than dozens of bottles of herbal elixirs, all transformed into power to expand the Sea of Suffering. To maintain the same progress in future cultivation, naturally more resources would be required.
"Brother Jiang, if you prosper, don't forget us," Pang Bo said with deep affection in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Xuan.
Ye Fan:
Jiang Xuan: