Xu Lian Blessed Land
Bao Zhi sat cross-legged atop a rock in the middle of a serene forest clearing as he meditated. He was contemplating his knowledge and gains of his newly acquired grandmaster attainment in human path. This achievement was the fruit of his hundreds of years he lived through.
Bao Zhi had already achieved grandmaster attainment in wood path, so this was not the first time that he had achieved such a high level of attainment.
But this time was different.
This was a qualitative change!
Grandmaster attainment was the realm of attainment that accomplished rank seven gu immortals had in their main paths.
Even though Bao Zhi's grandmaster attainment of human path was one realm lesser than his great grandmaster attainment in wood path, Bao Zhi could feel this was more meaningful.
He had gained understanding of the human nature and the human race. He felt no longer bound by the conventions of society, and he could see the world from a completely new perspective.
It was an enlightenment of sorts.
It was a realization of one's own true nature, a realization of the greater whole of humanity, and a realization of one's place in the world.
Human path was special!
"This fulfillment. Unknowingly, it lies within oneself and can be discovered through self-discovery!"
He closed his eyes and recalled the memories of the past hundreds of years while he was searching for enlightenment. He was just a seeker on the path of self-discovery. Looking back now, each day seemed like a step towards discovering his true nature.
Looking back now, he saw both his progress and mistakes, he noticed a pattern of seeking external events or objects to fill a void.
"If one's fulfillment is based solely on external events or objects, then all events and objects will feel the same and dull after acquiring them. The true nature of oneself will remain hidden and unnoticed, as one's sight are set on other objects." - He pondered.
"The true fulfillment of humans is not derived from external events or objects, but rather from the discovery of one's true nature. Humanity, as a whole, is akin to a vast entity of which one is merely a small part, and the achievements of humanity rest upon the cumulative efforts of many generations."
"Just as monotony and emptiness can cause a distortion in our sense of time, so too can a focus on external factors distract us from our true nature and purpose. Only by turning inward and discovering our authentic selves can we truly find fulfillment and understand the greater whole of humanity."
"Each generation builds upon the achievements and knowledge of those who came before, adding their own unique contributions to the ever-evolving entity of humanity. It is only by recognizing our interconnectedness and the collective nature of human progress that we can fully appreciate our place in the world and strive towards our highest potential."
"Even though this is the case, gu masters are incentivized to keep their own understanding to themselves. It is only logical, that they put their lives before the lives of others. If their methods were exposed, their lives could be in danger."
"But what they miss, by completely guarding themselves from others, is the opportunity to work together and share their understanding. How many times have gu masters pondered on the troubles of refining or feeding their gu? This is a problem every gu master faces, and the different answers are as many as there are stars in the sky. Answering the same questions over and over, beginning anew each time. What a wasted effort that is! If it was a single person, we would call that insane. Yet when everyone does it, it is just another day."
"Solving the same problems over and over stifles progress. If I am stuck on 'one' and you are also stuck on 'one', we can only move to 'two' after both solving our 'one'. But if 'one' is solved and shared, then 'two' can be worked on as soon as someone has the answer. But the people guard their insights dearly, taking them to the grave, only for a single, lucky person to inherit it one day."
"This is the way of humanity! The correct example is right before one's eyes. The most important inheritance known to mankind, The Legends Of Ren Zu, is circulated widely, every gu master know about it. Just how many experts have benefited from reading it?"
"Those who are truly fulfilled are not those who have accumulated the most wealth, fame, or material possessions. But rather those who have discovered their true nature and understood humanity, they are who have accumulated the most wealth, fame, or material possessions. It is through this process of understanding that we can truly leave our mark on the world."
"The true legacy of a person is the knowledge and understanding they impart upon the world. Those who share their knowledge and understanding, even if it is only a single drop, can still contribute to the grand ocean of humanity. The legacy of a single person can be carried on in the hearts and minds of many. And so, even though I may be an individual, my understanding is a collective effort. It is through understanding humanity that I can reach the pinnacle of the human path and make my mark on the world."
Bao Zhi's stream of thoughts were cut short as his solitude was interrupted by the arrival of Xu Lian's will.
But Bao Zhi didn't mind this, he was in a good mood.
The next moment, a figure appeared in the clearing. It was Xu Lian.
He had accomplished the mission Bao Zhi gave him and returned.
"Ancestor." - Xu Lian bowed before Bao Zhi.
Bao Zhi cleared his mind of his previous thoughts. His sharp green eyes met Xu Lian's gaze.
"Have you done what I've told you?"
"Yes, I planted the vegetation according to the new environments." - He paused before continuing.
"But I have ran out of materials, I've used all I had. I'm eager to hear Ancestor's wisdom. What should I do in this situation?"
Bao Zhi surveyed the surroundings briefly before replying.
"Good. If you need more materials, you will have to work for them. Go and ask Wen clan if they have any missions for you." - He said plainly.
Xu Lian's face drained of all color as he heard this.
"How did he know I'm in the Wen clan? Does he think I really betrayed the Bao clan?" - His thoughts ran wild in fright.
Bao Zhi sensed his aura fluctuating clearly.
"Don't be surprised, I know of your situation. Your father have betrayed you, and you sought refuge in Wen clan. Everyone has their own circumstances, I understand that." - Bao Zhi said in a comforting voice.
Xu Lian was dumbstruck. He never expected Bao Zhi to have such an open mind about Wen clan.
He bowed in respect before continuing.
"Ancestor, I am in your debt. I will go and do as you've said." - Xu Lian said solemnly.
Bao Zhi nodded in approval.
Xu Lian was about to leave when Bao Zhi spoke up again.
"Have you heard of Wen clan's immortal gu house, Wondrous Inspiration Pagoda?"
Xu Lian stopped for a moment to recall what he knew.
"It is Wen clan's information path gu house. At the time of the annual competition the best performers are granted the opportunity to enter and increase their knowledge. This is one of Wen clan's rewards." - Xu Lian explained.
This was public knowledge.
Bao Zhi smiled.
"It is one of the cornerstones of Wen clan's foundation. You have to know of Wen clan's background to understand its significance. This gu house was what lead their clan to glory before our two clan's misfortune." - He began to explain.
Xu Lian realized his knowledge of Wen clan was very superficial. He continued to listen.
"Before their downfall, Wen clan was the beacon of righteousness in Southern Border. It was they, who hunted down and captured demonic immortals. In this respect they were unmatched."
Xu Lian nodded, starting to see the connection.
"And the gu house was their key to success?" - He asked.
"Exactly." - Bao Zhi replied.
"They could track down the gu immortals and subdue them without killing. But with the attack of Ming You, this gu house was damaged, and it became a shadow of its former self. Wen clan couldn't repair it, so they repurposed it to its current state. Its name was also changed to fit that."
Xu Lian had a sudden realization.
"I see. So this gu house is the reason why Wen clan became so powerful. It should hold many secrets." - He said in admiration.
Bao Zhi nodded.
"Earn their trust and you might just gain the chance to enter. You know of the gains the mortal gu masters can acquire there. Now imagine what you could gain from this." - Bao Zhi said with a knowing smile.
Xu Lian was stunned. He could feel the power emanating from Bao Zhi's words.
"Yes, Ancestor!" - He said with determination. He bowed deeply before leaving, with newfound enthusiasm.
Bao Zhi looked at the leaving figure of Xu Lian's will.
"This will occupy him a bit longer." - He thought.
Bao Zhi was in a peculiar situation now. Among the batch of gu worms he got from Xu Lian, there were relic gu as well. But he did not use them for refinement like Yu Lian expected, he had used them on himself to raise his cultivation.
He already had the human path body of an immortal, but his aperture was at rank five peak stage only.
The ninety-five percent purple crystal primeval sea was gleaming with light, dying the rank five peak stage crystal walls with purple color.
He was a single step from advancing to rank six.
"Enticing. If I didn't take my time to raise my attainment and rashly advanced, I might have already broken my aperture." - Bao Zhi sighed.
Bao Zhi had a deep sense of danger about this.
"Good thing I didn't. This amount of human qi I have is absurd, it is not what any mortal could posses. To balance the three qi, similar amounts of heaven and earth qi are needed." - He muttered.
Too much of a good thing would also be a detriment.
"Just what kind of tribulation would my ascension conjure? It would be more powerful than Xu Lian's earthly calamity. At that time, my body would be thoroughly destroyed." - He shuddered.
Not to mention if he tried to advance in side Xu Lian Blessed Land, it could likely collapse if Bao Zhi absorbed this much heaven and earth qi.
But Bao Zhi was not willing to give up cultivating human path after experiencing his new body.
"The cause of the problem is the human qi. I'm lacking human path gu, so the basis I can work with is the body and the human qi." - He thought.
"The body is harder to work with, and it primarily has an effect on me. While the qi has an effect on both me and the surroundings."
"Qi can also be used in place of gu worms in killer moves. This is one of the principles of qi path." - He continued.
"It should be possible... Although, I lack the qi path attainment, I can understand it to an extent through other paths." - He thought.
Bao Zhi's qi path attainment was only ordinary. But qi path was one of the fundamental paths, ranked third after space and time path. In essence, it was less complex than the paths that emerged later.
He had confidence in himself!
Bao Zhi began to conceptualize a human path killer move that used his human qi. But his progress was slow.
Bao Zhi also had some remnant qi path gu recipes and partial inheritances in his mind. But they were of little help. He lacked the qi path attainment to restore them before he could use it as a template for his new killer move.
Bao Zhi sighed.
Human path in comparison to other cultivated paths were truly undeveloped. The knowledge of human path gu worms were lacking, not to mention human path killer moves.
Bao Zhi looked in the direction Xu Lian's will left with a faint smile on his face.
"Go and bring back some good qi path results as well."