ICTEUWMN Chapter 154.1

As for why the new book describes things in such detail, it was because when Yu Mian first prepared “The Vast Immortal Path”, he had deliberately consulted a large number of ancient Blue Star texts and unearthed a lot of useful material from them.

At the time, while Professor Simon and the others helped gather and organize the information, they also secretly worried that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ new book might flop.

After all, these obscure and convoluted sentences were already difficult for people to understand in textbooks. If they were written into a novel, would there really be readers who liked them?

A long time ago, the members of the Writing Club had even self-funded the publication of a collection of ancient Blue Star texts, but to this day, its sales remained at zero and were completely unsold.

No one expected that after the new book was officially published, none of their worries materialized.

In fact, it was only after reading it in one go that they realized those seemingly profound and impressive sentences were precisely the ones they had helped translate and organize.

“But why do these sentences feel… uh, so cool when written into the plot?”

“Could it be that we simply didn’t grasp the key to understanding them before?”

A student looked at the “Dao De Jing” he had just retrieved from the warehouse, his eyes shining as if he had found a treasure. “So, is this real or not? If we study this mysterious ancient Blue Star scripture thoroughly, can we really condense the so-called qi?”

The heated discussion left Professor Simon and the other professors glancing at each other in bewilderment.

Everyone knew that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles had deeply studied Blue Star’s Huaxia literature; this was a well-established fact.

Anyone who finished reading this meticulously detailed book would likely develop a strong interest in the so-called path of cultivation, which had now been unveiled just a little.

Could it be that they had never truly comprehended the magic hidden within these words?

“Let’s keep reading. Maybe there will be an even more detailed explanation?”

After all, wasn’t the protagonist just about to begin their Qi Refining stage?

—

At the mountaintop, a group of white-clad cultivators frowned as they looked toward the foot of the mountain.

“Shuyi, the weather is so cold. Why don’t you head back first?”

A friend glanced at Lin Shuyi, puzzled as to why the young sect master was so eager to change the selection process this year and was even personally waiting here.

Although the Ascending Cloud Stairway selection method was indeed innovative and appropriate.

Even if some children failed the selection in the end, they would still benefit from being nourished by spiritual energy, making it a meritorious deed for Miao Xuan Sect.

So after a brief moment of contemplation, the sect master ultimately nodded in agreement.

“It’s fine. I just feel that the mountain has been too quiet for too long, and I’m a little curious about what newcomers will join this year.”

Lin Shuyi responded to his friend, but his gaze remained subtly fixed on a few figures halfway up the mountain, as if searching for something.

If there was anything he found most novel after transmigrating into this book, it was the keen senses unique to cultivators. Despite the Ascending Cloud Stairway having nearly ten thousand steps, he could still clearly make out the faces of the children participating in the examination.

“Shuyi, could it be that you’re looking for a playmate? If you ask me, that boy in blue has excellent aptitude. I heard he’s from the Fu family.”

Another senior brother chuckled as he spoke, his sharp eyes instantly recognizing Fu Yuan’s potential.

“Not quite. Though this child has good aptitude, his temperament is too arrogant. After entering the Dao, his heart demon will likely be a major tribulation.”

An elder stroked his beard, sighing slightly after a moment.

The cultivation world was never short of astonishing geniuses, but only a handful could make it to the end. This had much to do with the countless trials and hardships along the path of cultivation.

Among them, the heart demon was undoubtedly one of the greatest obstacles and was feared by all cultivators.

Hearing this, the group fell into silence.

“But what about the one in gray?”

After searching for a long time, Lin Shuyi finally became impatient. He frowned and leaned over to look more closely, and it was only then that he finally spotted a figure in gray clothes at the very back of the group.

“The one in gray shows no signs of stepping into the path of immortality at all…” His movements were even somewhat sluggish and clumsy.

A senior brother merely took one glance and shook his head.

But just as he finished speaking, he noticed that the elders around him had inexplicably furrowed their brows while looking at the child the young sect master had pointed out.

“Is there something special about this child?” Senior Brother Qin Yan asked again.

“Although he shows no signs of cultivation, if I’m not mistaken, this child is actually trying to draw qi into his body on the spot?”

As soon as the elder spoke, all the sect elders and cultivators present for the new disciple selection looked in at the gray-clad boy at the very back with astonishment.

Ordinary people might not notice it, but in the eyes of cultivators, faint golden streams of qi were subtly swirling around the boy.

However, he clearly lacked the proper method, as the qi lingered around him without entering his body. Even so, it was already an astonishing sight.

“This one was sent by the Shanyu Hall for the selection. His name is… Qi Hanzhou.”

As soon as the senior sister finished reading from the roster, Lin Shuyi was so shocked that he didn’t even notice his fur-lined robe slipping from his shoulders.

‘He has finally appeared! It is him!’

Elder Gu, who had been standing aside without saying a word, suddenly opened his clouded eyes, looking at the boy in gray clothes with a hint of disbelief.

“I want him.”

“I…”

Before Elder Gu could speak, Lin Shuyi made his intentions clear for the first time, drawing astonished gazes from everyone present.

“Young sect master, you’ve only just established your foundation. It’s too early for you to take in a disciple.”

The elder chuckled kindly, thinking this was merely youthful impulsiveness over something new and intriguing.

“Besides, that young cultivator is not some plaything for amusement. If you simply wish to have fun with him, even if…”

“No, it’s not for amusement. I want him to be my study companion. Is that not allowed?”

Noticing the look in Elder Gu’s eyes, Lin Shuyi couldn’t be bothered with anything else and immediately made his request.

After all, this concerned the survival of Miao Xuan Sect and the entire book’s plot.

If Qi Hanzhou fell into Elder Gu’s hands and was pushed into darkness, the plot would truly spiral into disaster.

“This…”

Everyone looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Shuyi, even if this guy managed to figure out how to guide qi into his body on his own, it just means he has a bit more luck than an ordinary person. His spiritual root aptitude is still unknown.”

Jiang Ting looked at his close friend, noticing the rare emotional fluctuation in his expression, and his tone unconsciously carried a subtle, unspoken implication.

“Besides, even if you, the Young Sect Master, want to bring him into the sect, he still has to make it to the final step. Not to mention, it looks like this little guy is being targeted.”

As soon as the elder spoke, Lin Shuyi frowned slightly and looked toward the mountainside.

Qi Hanzhou was unaware that a single remark from Lin Shuyi had drawn countless eyes from the top of the mountain onto him, and was fully focused on his own struggle.

Having just begun to grasp the key to guiding qi, he was suddenly slammed into by a tall, burly boy nearby. The hit seemed intentional, causing him to stagger backward and let out a muffled grunt.

Interrupted mid-process, sweat beaded on Qi Hanzhou’s forehead as the qi within his body turned chaotic. Even his breathing became difficult.

The boy, who was originally positioned among the middle ranks of the candidates, turned pale and was pushed back to the rear of the group. His body wavered unsteadily.

“Look, isn’t that Qi Hanzhou? He’s fallen behind again!”

The orphans lagging at the back caught up and noticed his predicament. Their faces showed barely restrained surprise and gloating.

Not only did no one extend a helping hand, but they even covertly shoved and trampled upon him.

On this Ascending Cloud Stairway, the fewer competitors there were, the better the odds for the rest.

If Qi Hanzhou died here, it would be all the more convenient.

“That guy actually has some good comprehension. With just a few hints, he managed to touch the threshold.”

Among the candidates at the front, gifted youths from good backgrounds also took note of the commotion behind them.

On seeing Qi Hanzhou’s state, different expressions appeared in their eyes, some were sarcastic, some were regretful, but no one slowed down.

The hidden evaluators all looked at the orphan from Shanyu Hall with complicated expressions.]]

[Ah!? What’s going on? Does breaking one’s cultivation rhythm cause something this serious? QAQ]

[This looks pretty dangerous… Why is Xiao Qi so miserable, isn’t there anyone to help him?!]

[No way, right? Our Shuyi is definitely going to save him, right?!]

Interstellar readers found their emotions fluctuating like a roller coaster. They had been filled with eager anticipation, convinced that Qi Hanzhou would definitely reach the top and meet Lin Shuyi this time.

They never expected such an unexpected twist.

So, this is how brutal the cultivation world is?

—–

“That person clearly did it on purpose.”

On top of Yunfeng Mountain, Lin Shuyi’s expression grew anxious and he immediately stood up, only to be stopped by an elder.

“Young Sect Master, this is karma. You must not act rashly. Besides, from the looks of it, he may be on the verge of qi deviation. If you interfere and become entangled in this karma, your next heavenly tribulation during advancement will be even more perilous.”

Everything depended on whether the child could endure on his own.

The elder let out a long sigh, drawing even more attention to the boy in gray who should have been the most inconspicuous.

He has good comprehension, but in the grand scheme of the cultivation world, was still unremarkable.

‘Qi deviation?’

‘Heavenly Tribulation?’

Merely repeating those two terms in his mind made Lin Shuyi feel an inexplicable, profound sense of pressure.

“At the very least, we can recite the full Qi Refining mantra again so he has one last chance to try?”

His gaze was filled with silent pleading, and after a moment of hesitation, the elder finally nodded.

“Very well.”

Moments later, all the candidates climbing the stairway, including Qi Hanzhou, suddenly heard an ethereal recitation in their ears.

“Maintain balance and stability, sink qi to the dantian, rootless yet boundless, let all laws flow naturally…”

Even the children of noble families who were at the front felt invigorated, and their gazes toward the top of the mountain became even more fervent.

Meanwhile, amid his labored breathing, Qi Hanzhou mentally repeated the words. The profound qi that had begun to scatter gathered once more and was rapidly surging through his meridians.

With a loud bang, countless shimmering fragments appeared before his eyes. The vast world around him suddenly seemed… different!

“Boom!”

But at the same moment, the sky darkened, and flashes of lightning began to gather ominously overhead.

“This child has triggered the thunder tribulation of advancement!”

Everyone on top of the mountain was stunned.]]

[Fuxk, is he about to break through? The legendary tribulation of lightning and thunder! QAQ]

[Oh my god, why do I feel like my mental power is stirring just from reading this? Where’s my enlightenment?!]

[I’ve already assumed a cross-legged meditative posture while reading on my light brain, but why does it feel so uncomfortable? My legs aren’t cooperating…]

Just as the excited readers were bracing themselves to witness what would happen next, they were shocked to find that this was the end of the chapter!

Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ latest update for “The Vast Immortal Path”, a full ten-thousand-word chapter, had abruptly ended here!

Why did it feel like they had only read a few hundred words and it was gone in just a few seconds?

Some even began suspecting that the Huanyu Potato App had messed up its word count and had swallowed part of the update.

Of course, for this kind of accusation, Huanyu, which is often blamed, felt very wronged. You read it too quickly. What does it have to do with our APP?

The frustrated readers who were in a state of anxious anticipation and had not seen enough were unwilling to give up and kept flipping through the pages, actually stumbled upon something new at the bottom.

For the first time, Fish Soup Noodles had listed an extensive bibliography.

And the very first entry was “Dao De Jing”, the book that had been repeatedly referenced in the novel.

[Fuck, I just checked, this book is actually available for sale on the star network! Its sales have always been at zero, but I’ve already placed an order for one. Just wait, I’ll test it out for everyone!]