Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"Cultivators..."

After a long while, Chu Mu slowly retracted his gaze, murmuring with a sigh of wistful admiration.

This should be the third time he had witnessed a clash between Cultivators.

But the previous two times were clearly not as distinct and thorough as this one.

’But... such incredible power, if I’m not mistaken, should still be considered low-level among Cultivators.’

’After all, no matter how heaven-defying the knowledge and materials left behind by that old man from Qili Village were, it couldn’t change the reality that the youth was just a novice on the Path to Immortality.’

’To be able to fight that youth on even footing, his opponent’s Cultivation couldn’t possibly be that advanced in the Cultivation Immortal Realm.’

’If a low-level Cultivator possesses such incredible power, what about those at higher levels?’

’Immortality? Plucking stars from the sky and grasping the moon?’

The fantasies in the depths of his heart now surged forth, irrepressible.

"Hm?"

As his thoughts churned, Chu Mu’s expression faltered. An instant later, a look of even greater disbelief than before flashed across his face.

[Name: Chu Mu.]

[Skills: Basic Blade Technique (Entering the Hall and the Room) 1602/2000]

[Body Refining Technique (1000/1000)]

[Alchemy: Dragon and Snake Soup: Refined Skill (117/2000)]

[Spiritual Radiance Value: 381.1%]

’Body Refining Technique... In just those few short breaths, it unknowingly... reached Perfection?’

Elder Li had once said that even with Qi and Blood Perfection, the Divine Appearance might not manifest.

’But the logic of this Light Curtain Panel is clearly different.’

’Based on the progress bars for each Skill shown on the Light Curtain Panel, it obviously calculates based on the final endpoint.’

’The endpoint of the Body Refining Technique’s Qi and Blood Cultivation is to achieve Divine Appearance.’

’If the Divine Appearance doesn’t manifest, then according to the Light Curtain Panel’s logic, it should have been stuck at 999 forever, never reaching Perfection.’

’Reaching Perfection means that the Cultivation of the Body Refining Technique is truly complete.’

’In other words, the Divine... has appeared?’

Chu Mu’s heart pounded in his chest. He tried his best to calm himself and slowly closed his eyes to perceive.

In the past, his so-called perception was, in a sense, like the "internal vision" from the wuxia novels of his previous life.

It was limited to his own body, and was rather blurry.

But this time...

Chu Mu stared blankly at the organs inside his body, dumbfounded. He was truly and utterly dumbfounded!

Before, it was a blurry perception, a rough outline.

But now, Chu Mu was certain he was *looking*!

His heart, blood vessels, flesh, Qi Blood—he could even see the food being digested in his stomach with perfect clarity.

It was as if he had a pair of 360-degree, unobstructed X-ray eyes; he could clearly see everything inside his body, every function of his human machine.

Chu Mu snapped his eyes open, confirming once again that he was in reality, not experiencing a hallucination.

His dumbfounded gaze cleared with this confirmation, becoming... indescribably bright.

He closed his eyes again, and that 360-degree, unobstructed Divine Soul Perception reappeared in his mind.

This perception was wondrous, like having an extra, unobstructed eye.

Chu Mu tentatively tried to extend this Divine Soul Perception outside his body. Before it had even broken free of his physical confines...

...he keenly perceived a dense cluster of white light flickering within his robes.

The white light was concentrated, its edges flickering with countless tiny white dots. Some of these dots were overflowing and dissipating into the outside world beyond his Divine Soul Perception’s range, while another portion was clearly and slowly seeping into his body.

"Spiritual Qi!"

Chu Mu’s heart trembled. As his perception drew closer, one of the white dots of light seemed to be brought right before his eyes.

Cool, comfortable, and gentle.

Although his perspective was visual, the sensation from the white dot drawing near was mysteriously felt by his body.

With a single thought, Chu Mu gathered all the white dots of light that had seeped into his body, forming a minuscule white sphere in his abdominal cavity.

He tentatively guided the white sphere to merge with his Qi Blood.

This was a scene Chu Mu had perceived and studied countless times before, but this time, it was revealed with unprecedented clarity within his Divine Soul Perception.

In the past, he couldn’t perceive Spiritual Qi directly. His understanding of its effect on his Qi Blood and body came from inferring its existence and function based on his body’s reactions.

But now, he was personally witnessing the reaction of Spiritual Qi within his Qi Blood.

Every change was laid bare before him!

’Spiritual Qi truly is miraculous.’

Even though he had long since drawn his own conclusions about the effects of Spiritual Qi, witnessing it firsthand now still left him in awe.

To say it was the concentrated essence of heaven and earth was no exaggeration.

Calming his emotions, Chu Mu ignored the Spiritual Qi seeping into him this time and guided his Divine Soul Perception slowly outward from his body.

With no guidance and no experience, Chu Mu was extremely cautious.

The result, however, was beyond Chu Mu’s expectations. It passed through his body without any obstruction. This 360-degree, unobstructed eye had appeared in the real world.

Forward, backward, left, right, up, and down—there were absolutely no blind spots.

And in the center of this perception, the green-robed figure standing at the bow of the boat with eyes slightly closed was also perfectly clear.

Within his perception, his own slightly closed eyes slowly opened, and he seemed to glance around, as if searching for the gaze that was watching him.

At the same time, the ubiquitous white dots of light were clearly visible everywhere his perception reached.

’Spiritual Qi really is everywhere.’

’It’s just that you can’t detect it until the Divine Appearance manifests.’

Chu Mu tentatively prodded a dot of Spiritual Qi. The moment he touched it, an inexplicable feeling of irritability was transmitted from the white dot to his mind.

’Irritable?’

Chu Mu frowned, feeling a little uncertain.

He perceived other dots of Spiritual Qi, and without exception, every single dot within his range of perception carried that same inexplicable irritability.

Although he didn’t know the reason, Chu Mu had a sharp sense that absorbing such irritable Spiritual Qi into his body would definitely not be a good thing.

The quality and quantity of Spiritual Energy were simply too advanced.

If it were gentle, it could easily integrate with and nourish the human body, even if only subtly over time.

But if it was this irritable...

’Spiritual Energy running rampant inside the body?’

Chu Mu didn’t dare to imagine it, nor was it something his current self could afford to experiment with.

’Could it be that all the Spiritual Qi in the outside world is this irritable?’

’Is the Cultivation of Cultivators all about taming this irritable Spiritual Qi?’

Chu Mu withdrew his perception, unable to stop himself from pondering.

It seemed plausible, but looking at it objectively, it was clearly not normal.

After all, even though Spiritual Qi couldn’t be perceived by ordinary people, it was still supposed to nourish their bodies subtly over time.

If all Spiritual Qi was this irritable... then what the hell kind of nourishment was there to talk about?

If ordinary people lived here, given the quality of the Spiritual Energy and its irritable state, forget about being nourished and strengthened—they’d be lucky not to lose their lives.

If all the Spiritual Qi in the world were this irritable, then all ordinary people would die out.

’So, the irritable Spiritual Qi here is an isolated case?’

Chu Mu picked up the oar. No longer drifting with the current, he channeled his Power, and the small boat began to move quickly across the lake’s surface...

...