This probably has to start from the ti when the Gate of Life opened automatically.
The Gate of Life, among The Eight Gates of Heaven, according to the recorded texts in mory, once reached the stage of Mahayana, could bring dead back to life and animate dry bones; it could also improve one’s physical body, enough to achieve eternal life.
Of course, that was absolutely impossible now; you could only slowly absorb the surrounding spiritual energy by opening the Gate of Life, and once it closed, you were isolated from this energy.
While absorbing spiritual energy, you found that although it entered your body like a stone sinking into the sea, hard to trace, it brought a wonderfully strange sensation to your body. This feeling was profoundly mysterious, impossible to describe in words; you just knew it was beneficial for your body and cultivation, so you persevered tirelessly.
Today, in this virtual world, you were not fighting alone; with your parents, brothers, and dear Little Yue’er around, and even Zi Yi, with whom you had an ambiguous relationship, you absolutely could not afford any laziness, instead, you needed to work twice as hard. You believed in only one sentence in this life, "Ti doesn’t wait, the Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent!"
And with the Gate of Life open, as if baring one’s chest to embrace, you embraced nature in all your nakedness, letting a cold breath penetrate your nostrils and enter your body, mingling with the unseen impurities that were constantly affecting your body. As the spiritual energy slowly entered, you felt as if your whole life was revitalized, an exhilarating sensation, truly indescribable.
When the rooster crowed at dawn and the golden sunrise spilled over the land, you slowly opened your eyes.
For so reason, you felt that the spiritual energy was especially dense at night, and during the day, much weaker, thus you wouldn’t waste ti absorbing spiritual energy in the dayti.
Among the Three Doors, opening the Gate of Life was the most laborious; without the supplent of spiritual power, you felt your vitality rapidly draining. Hence, during the day, you trained your body relentlessly, and cultivated both the Open Gate and the Resting Door, a frenzy of cultivation, like a perpetual motion machine, never knowing rest.
"Young Master, you haven’t rested at all during this past week; continuing like this, your body will surely give way."
Little Yue took advantage of alti to routinely try persuading you; although her advice didn’t have much effect, her consistently worried expression and caring tone ward your heart every ti.
Over the week, you hadn’t stepped out of the courtyard, nor had you visited Zi Yi to enquire after her, and Zi Yi hadn’t co either. After all, she was a girl, and this was a strange place, not convenient for her to wander about, so she had Cui’er bring so letters instead. You were well aware of how terrible your calligraphy was and didn’t dare to embarrass yourself, rely asking Cui’er to convey so caring words back and also to reassure Zi Yi to settle in comfortably.
Actually, it wasn’t that you didn’t want to go out, but rather, you discovered that with your relentless cultivation, your body was changing very slowly.
For instance, you noticed that your potbelly had slightly reduced, and even the freckles on your face seed to have diminished a little—these were all driving you to persist fanatically.
Only madness surpasses, only by surpassing, can you transform!
"No worries, I can hold on, and when I feel I can’t handle it anymore, I will naturally stop." You smiled, just as you were about to pick up the two-hundred-pound stone lock to continue being your perpetual motion machine, Luo Xin, whom you hadn’t seen for a week, appeared.
"It’s been a few days, little brother, you have made so progress."
"Really?"
"Of course, I can feel spiritual energy circulating inside you, although extrely weak, at least your body does not reject it."
"Elder brother, how do I control this spiritual energy?"
"If it were a common person, it’d be easy to teach, but almost all your ridians are destroyed; the spiritual energy can’t enter the ridians nor improve your physique and spirit, alas, it’s tough." Saying this, Luo Xin also seed sowhat disheartened.
"It’s fine, as long as there’s progress." You patted Luo Xin on the shoulder and asked, "By the way, elder brother, did you co to see for sothing?"
Luo Xin straightened his expression and said, "Hmm, mother ntioned you’ve been cultivating at ho non-stop, elder brother thinks it’d be best to choose a more secluded spot. Firstly, fewer people, ample surrounding spiritual energy; secondly, fewer distractions."
You found this reasonable and imdiately got ready, deciding to go out in search of such a place abundant in spiritual energy. As you left Luo Mansion, you chose not to ride a horse, and when you left the house, you also donned the weighted clothing specially ordered by Uncle Ding.
Although it looked like just a durable set of samurai clothes, inside it were pockets for cold iron bars. Each cold iron bar weighed about fifty pounds, and you had four strapped to your body, effectively doubling your weight.
Hearing that there were mountains and forests to the west of Chang’an, you decided to check it out first.
As you passed by the West Market, you saw that woman draped in a cloak selling trinkets once again, but her business didn’t seem too good, many items were the sa as you had seen last ti.
Since such trinkets lacked good packaging, aristocratic ladies naturally didn’t fancy them, and even though ordinary girls might like them, they wouldn’t spend frivolous money on them, resulting in a rather unloved situation. As you walked by, you casually picked a trinket, then tossed a silver bar over, leaving behind a word before you left: "Consider the extra as a tip."
The woman didn’t make any extra movents, just silently tucked the silver into her bosom.
Once you left Chang’an City, you stepped into a lush green field. Now, at the transition of spring and sumr, the millet in the fields was growing very luxuriantly, a vast expanse of vibrant green that made one sincerely happy at the sight. Standing on the ridge, you deeply inhaled, also opening the Gate of Life, yet quickly closed it because it was too strenuous. In just two minutes, your entire body was covered in cold sweat.
You hadn’t imagined the Original True Qi between the fields to be so shallow.
"Could it be that only the deep mountains and old forests would work?" At this mont, this thought inevitably arose in your mind.
You continued on your way, passed through the village, and climbed to the middle of the mountain. Though you had been in this different world for a little while now, this was the first ti you felt so at ease, having searched several places without finding one abundant in spiritual energy but feeling the trip was worthwhile just for a breather.
Wang Wei once said in his poem, "I sit and watch the cloud rising at the stream’s end," which truly reflected your mood at the mont.
Following the clear mountain stream slowly up the mountain, you arrived at a cliff overlooking a waterfall plumting straight down. Naturally, these lines of poetry ca to mind. However, with no one else around, you naturally didn’t need to concern yourself with worldly matters. Although the wind was still a bit cool, seeing the clear pond in front of you, you naturally slipped off your outer garnt and plunged in for a liberating swim!
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