Chapter Thirty-Three: This Is the First Step of the Immortal Path

Late at night, the croaking of frogs in Hidden Immortal Valley only served to accentuate the profound tranquility of the gorge. Perhaps it was because of the stirring events they had experienced earlier, or perhaps because of the good news received today, but the people in the valley slept with an unusual sense of peace. Of course, it was also possible that, beyond the reach of the naked eye, a fluctuation in spiritual energy was nourishing the valley’s inhabitants, calming their spirits and minds.

Yet, in the entire Hidden Immortal Valley, one person who had already fallen asleep suddenly woke up in a state of restlessness. This person was, naturally, Liu Hongyu.

Once awake, Liu Hongyu tossed and turned, unable to settle back into sleep. He felt that something was not quite right. By midnight, the frogs had long since ceased their chorus, and even the dogs, cats, ducks, and geese were asleep. Everything was deathly quiet. The wooden bed frame creaked incessantly as Liu shifted his weight. The more he lay there, the more awake he became. He rolled from his side to his stomach, and finally, he flipped over to lie on his back.

*No, no, no!*

*I must have forgotten something—something important!*

Because the history of this world differed significantly from his original one, there were folk myths derived from tales like *The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions*, and even a folk image of the Monkey King, but no book titled *Journey to the West* had ever been written. Had it existed, Liu Hongyu might have understood Zhuang Lin’s profound hint during the day.

Even so, Liu Hongyu possessed an instinctive intuition that something of great importance was meant to happen tonight. Tonight... tonight...

Suddenly, Liu Hongyu’s eyes snapped open.

During the day, Zhuang Lin had tapped him on the back of the head and pointed at the character for "night," saying, "It is acceptable, it is possible!"

Three taps on the back of the head—the third watch of the night!

Liu Hongyu sat up abruptly, kicked off his quilt, and jumped out of bed, frantically scrambling into his clothes. After a series of clattering noises in the room, he realized his excitement might wake Old Man Mu and little Wen. He slowed his movements, though he continued to dress with hurried efficiency. Once he had finished dressing in the dark, he quietly opened the door and crept out of the house. He glanced at the neighboring room; it remained silent. Relieved that he hadn't disturbed anyone, he jogged toward the medical hall at the front, unlocked the courtyard gate, and slipped out.

Normally, Old Man Mu should have woken up at the commotion, but he was sleeping particularly soundly tonight. Not only did the old man remain asleep, but Liu Hongyu’s departure also failed to rouse the neighbors, who were usually quite vigilant.

On the path through Hidden Immortal Valley, only Liu Hongyu, filled with a mix of excitement and trepidation, raced toward the valley’s schoolhouse, the Ningxin Study. He reached the school, but it was shrouded in darkness, devoid of any lamplight. Liu’s pace slowed, and the initial surge of adrenaline was replaced by a sense of calm.

He walked cautiously toward the rooms at the back, passing the archives and arriving at Zhuang Lin’s living quarters. It, too, was dark and silent. Liu paced before the door, frowning and sighing, torn between wondering if he had overthought things or if he had arrived too late. He looked up at the night sky; the bright moon hung high, surrounded by a sea of stars—beautiful and mysterious.

*Snap.*

A crisp, clear sound echoed through the quiet night, startling Liu Hongyu so much that he shivered from head to toe.

*That was... the sound of a teaching ruler!*

*The classroom!*

Liu Hongyu rushed to the front, doing his best to suppress his inner agitation. He stepped onto the wooden veranda and carefully pushed open the classroom door.

Inside, sitting behind the teacher’s desk, was Zhuang Lin, just as if he had never left after the day’s lessons had ended.

"Tea... Master! Have you been waiting for me?"

Zhuang Lin opened his eyes and looked toward the door. It was exactly the Hour of the Rat (midnight). Liu Hongyu’s face was clearly visible to him, and he could even sense the frantic, anxious heartbeat of the young man. Zhuang Lin did not play the role of the Bodhi Patriarch, asking questions he already knew the answers to; instead, he smiled and spoke.

"Come in. Bring a cushion and sit before me."

"Yes!"

Liu Hongyu replied, intending to enter immediately, but as was his habit, he used the brush on the side of the veranda to clean his shoes before stepping into the classroom with as much composure as he could muster.

Once he had taken his seat before Zhuang Lin, the heart he had just managed to calm began to beat uncontrollably again. Of course, how could he not be excited? After waiting so long, his dream was finally coming true. Yet, he suddenly recalled what his master had said outside Wuling City.

"But Master, didn't you say I should first learn to be a good mortal?"

The fact that he could remember these words at such a moment showed that the young master truly had taken the lesson to heart and had not been blinded by his excitement; his character was evident.

Zhuang Lin smiled. "Tell me, is an immortal not a human? Are being a good mortal and being a good immortal contradictory?"

Liu Hongyu was stunned, not knowing how to answer. Yet, in his heart, a vague realization began to take shape. Zhuang Lin, seeing Liu’s reaction, put away his playful demeanor. He stopped testing him, stopped playing games, and went straight to the point.

"Enough, you can think about that later. For now, close your eyes, listen to your breath, and clear your mind!"

Hearing this, Liu Hongyu stopped overthinking. He closed his eyes, striving to quiet himself, listening to the rhythm of his own breathing, and slowly relaxing his spirit.

Zhuang Lin felt the aura around Liu Hongyu gradually calm down, though it remained tinged with excitement, preventing it from becoming truly still. Without a word, Zhuang Lin picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and flicked it toward Liu.

A drop of ink flew through the air and landed on the center of Liu Hongyu’s forehead. He felt a faint coolness, which instinctively drew his focus to the sensation. As he concentrated on that single drop of ink, he seemed to forget everything else. The ink rested on his brow, but its coolness seeped into his body, and his consciousness followed that feeling until it reached his *Niwan* palace.

*Plip.*

The cool sensation, like a single, complete drop of ink, fell into a vast body of water. Though the drop was small, it sent ripples outward. Liu Hongyu felt his entire body swaying with those ripples.

*What is this? Where am I?*

Though Zhuang Lin could not hear the young man’s inner thoughts, he used that drop of ink to perceive the fluctuations in Liu Hongyu’s state of mind. Zhuang Lin’s voice, ethereal and distant, drifted toward him.

"This is the depth of your spirit, your sea of spiritual essence. You have felt spiritual energy before, but your spiritual perception has not yet formed. Today, I shall help you take this step. Remember: the lake exists because the mind exists; when the mind moves, the waves rise. You are not merely observing the lake; you are the lake. Let your thoughts slow, your spirit settle, and the ripples vanish. Let your intent follow the waves to behold heaven and earth..."

As Zhuang Lin’s words echoed in his mind, Liu Hongyu felt as if he had transformed into the entire lake. The ripples expanded, shattering the shackles of his perception, flooding the classroom for a fleeting moment before rushing out into the world.

Light—a faint glow appeared.

The light gradually shifted from a blurry halo to something distinct. The dim world seemed to brighten, revealing colors beyond the ordinary spectrum. At that moment, the world Liu Hongyu perceived changed; everything became vibrant and colorful, crystal clear, as heaven and earth presented themselves in an entirely new way.

Wisps of spiritual energy, dreamlike as mist and delicate as silk ribbons, drifted between heaven and earth. The brilliance of the stars and the radiance of the moon were unlike anything he had ever seen. Liu Hongyu forgot his excitement and his nervousness, consumed by an incomparable sense of awe at this vast, mysterious, and magnificent sight.

It was a brand-new world—a world invisible to the eyes of a mortal.

Zhuang Lin’s voice arrived at the perfect moment.

"The first step of the immortal path is called 'Awakening the Spirit.' It is divided into 'Clarifying Qi,' 'Opening the Apertures,' and 'Connecting the Meridians.' I used the ink as a guide to stimulate the perception of your spiritual sea. What you feel now is the sensation of Clarifying Qi."

Zhuang Lin paused, then continued.

"Now that you have clarified the Qi of heaven and earth, you may begin to absorb it to open your apertures. It does not matter if you do not understand the following words; you can study the Immortal Canon in detail later."

With a gentle wave of his hand, Zhuang Lin utilized a formation to stir the spiritual energy of the entire Hidden Immortal Valley, causing the energy to collide more intensely with Liu Hongyu’s consciousness as he continued to speak.

"Between heaven and earth, within the six directions, its energy flows through the nine regions, the nine apertures, the five viscera, and the twelve joints, all connected to the celestial atmosphere..."

That night, Zhuang Lin held nothing back, teaching his sole disciple with heart and soul. Guided by his master's words, Liu Hongyu, in a state of half-understanding, began to draw spiritual energy into his body. Gradually, Zhuang Lin fell silent, and the lake formed by Liu Hongyu’s consciousness became still, yet the cultivation continued unabated.

***

Before dawn the next day, Zhuang Lin tapped his knuckles lightly on the desk.

*Thud.*

The crisp sound, like a knock on a door, startled Liu Hongyu. He opened his eyes to see Zhuang Lin sitting across from him.

"Master... this wasn't a dream..."

"Dream or not, go clean yourself up now, then hurry back to the medical hall to sleep, lest they notice you are missing and cause a commotion!"

Liu Hongyu paused. As he stood up, he felt an itching sensation all over his body. He scratched his face and pulled off a piece of black, grimy substance that smelled foul. Suddenly, he realized his entire body was covered in this filth, and his nose was overwhelmed by the stench.

He immediately realized what this was: the "cleansing of the marrow and shedding of the skin" from wuxia novels!

"Ah... Master, I’ll go wash up right away..."

As he spoke, Liu Hongyu scurried out, terrified that the grime might fall onto the classroom floor.

Zhuang Lin called out with a smile, "You can use the bathtub in my room—"

"No need, I have a way!"

Liu Hongyu’s voice drifted back as he sprinted out of the schoolhouse, stripping off his clothes as he ran. By the time he reached the small river in the valley, he was completely naked. The young master took a leap, clutching his clothes, and dove into the water.

*Splash.*

Back in the classroom, Zhuang Lin knew exactly what had happened without needing to look, and he couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

*Bathing and washing your clothes in the river at the same time—you really are something!*

However, now that Liu Hongyu had taken his first step onto the immortal path, there was no need to worry about him catching a cold. Zhuang Lin only hoped his disciple wouldn't decide to run around naked and pass by the classroom again.

To avoid an eyesore, Zhuang Lin decided to leave the classroom and go get some sleep himself.