Chapter 45: Humanity Has Lost Virtue, the Primordial Gate (Request Follow)

【Archival time: thirty years.】

Yu Ke directly chose to begin.

【This year, you are thirty, at the prime of life; in pursuit of the Dao of cultivation, you resolutely retreated into the Tomb of the Immortal within Mount Zhongnan, severing yourself from the turmoil of the mortal world.】

【On this very day, Lu Yu, weary from travel, found his secluded retreat.】

【He brought news, his expression mysterious, “Brother, a transformation unseen in a thousand years has come.”】

【A flicker of doubt passed through your eyes, then dissolved into a calm smile.】

【Seeing your demeanor unchanged, Lu Yu felt frustrated—you had rarely shown any emotional reaction over the years.】

【Lu Yu was deeply disappointed, and only then did he slowly speak.】

【The heavens have changed!】

【Spiritual energy has returned to the world.】

【Lu Yu pulled from his sleeve a yellowed ancient text, gently opened it, and pointed to the characters: “This is an ancient book I chanced upon in an old ruin.”】

【You stared at the text: “The cosmic order has collapsed, the threads snapped; men of other surnames rise together, heroes gather like crows. Mankind has lost virtue; the world jointly pursues it—thus the spiritual tide recedes, ushering in the End Dharma Age.”】

【Lu Yu added: “Yet now, it seems all this is quietly changing.”】

Yu Ke’s gaze sharpened at this point.

Spiritual energy has returned to the world.

The End Dharma Age—could all this be because of me?

He did not know, but this change might bring him something new.

Spiritual energy is reviving!

The world Yu Ke now inhabits also possesses spiritual energy—if they are the same.

Yu Ke’s heart suddenly warmed; he fixed his eyes on the screen.

【At first, you doubted this claim.】

【It sounded like ghost tales—spiritual energy was merely the ancients’ speculation about the unknown, or a trick used by predecessors to deceive the future.】

【“Mankind has lost virtue?” You sighed. Such a notion was absurd.】

【How many emperors, neglecting governance, turned to ghosts and gods—only to meet ruin?】

【Ignoring the people, seeking spirits—ridiculous!】

【Yet!】

【When Lu Yu opened his palm, his fist-energy swirling within, then slowly uncurled, a soft, bright light flickered forth like a candle flame.】

【The sight was strange, unbelievable.】

【Lu Yu smiled at you; the faint glow illuminated the tomb chamber—and seemed to stir something within you.】

【You murmured: “A transformation unseen in a thousand years…”】

【Lu Yu nodded: “This is spiritual energy.”】

【“It has no form, no substance, yet is everywhere—containing the essence of heaven and earth.”】

【Lu Yu channeled spiritual energy into his finger, and with a flick, the light struck a stubborn stone in the room.】

【The stone did not shatter—but left a deep, hollowed dent.】

【You were finally moved—this was no mortal ability.】

【You tried to sense spiritual energy—but felt only emptiness, nothing at all.】

【Seeing this, Lu Yu demonstrated again; you tried several times, yet still gained nothing.】

【You puzzledly asked Lu Yu: “You’an, how did you perceive this spiritual energy?”】

【Lu Yu, courtesy name You’an, was called by his courtesy name among outsiders; in the Daoist temple, he was simply “younger brother.”】

【Lu Yu rubbed his nose, thought a moment, then said: “I can’t explain it. Suddenly, the world felt different—in an instant, something inside me opened.”】

【Lu Yu demonstrated again several times—you still gained nothing.】

【You sighed faintly. Perhaps this was talent—you knew Lu Yu was a true cultivation prodigy.】

【You asked Lu Yu his current martial realm. He smiled: “Just above Grand Master.”】

【You were stunned—your younger brother’s martial talent was astonishing; the undisputed number one of Mount Zhongnan, even your master Liu Jinchan could not match him.】

【Liu Jinchan lost to him in combat, and remained melancholy for days.】

【Liu Jinchan was himself a Master.】

【One character separates Master from Grand Master—yet the difference is as vast as heaven and earth.】

【Grand Master is the pinnacle of the Daqing martial world—but Lu Yu dislikes fame, so few know of him.】

【As you know, Daqing’s martial world has always produced countless talents; countless have become famous—but officially, only four Grand Masters exist, each a legend of the Jianghu.】

【Jiang Xiaoyue, who built his hut atop Pingniu Hill, hailed as “The World’s First Palm,” whose palm art reigns supreme; all who study fist techniques cannot escape his influence. Born into a martial lineage, he was once reckless and provoked enemies, leading to his family’s annihilation. After enduring hardship, he trained under a master for forty years, perfected his palm art at fifty, and avenged his kin. Since then, he has dwelled in seclusion atop Pingniu Hill, cultivating without concern for the world.】

【Chen Sanzhong, the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old of Jingcheng, master of Ma Bao, a ninety-year-old eunuch serving as the Empress Dowager’s personal attendant. He defied convention, forging a path of ferocious strength despite his incomplete body, achieving Grand Master status at ninety.】

【The Foolish Monk of Lingxi Temple, once a brilliant third-place Metropolitan Graduate, but after his beloved married another, he fell into despair and became a monk at Lingxi Temple.】

【Few rumors circulate about him—until twenty-four years ago, when he journeyed north to rescue Emperor Hui of Daqing and failed. He fought the Northern Wind Grand Master and emerged unscathed, then defeated seven Masters without killing a single soul. Only then did his name spread through the Jianghu, and he was recognized as a Grand Master. Now over seventy, he has never taken a life—evidence of his boundless compassion.】

【Huang Dao, the Demon Master of Huajian Sect, an unparalleled genius of the Demon Path. He synthesized the supreme arts of Yin Kui Sect, Immortal Gate, and others, achieving Grand Master status by age thirty-five.】

【Later, he devoted himself to studying the Demon Path’s supreme scripture, The Celestial Demon Strategy, and vanished without a trace.】

【You asked: “What lies beyond Master?”】

【Lu Yu said: “The ancient text speaks of the Primordial Gate, the Primordial Realm.”】

【The Primordial Realm—unattainably high!】

【You are thirty, barely a second-rank martial artist; “Primordial Realm” remains for you as distant as the moon on the horizon.】

【Thus, you and Lu Yu spoke deeply of cultivation—he revealed everything, imparting all he knew.】

【Through his guidance, you finally understood:】

【If one lacks innate talent for the Dao, yet cultivates diligently and reaches Grand Master, one might still sense spiritual energy.】

【You knew well: diligence can compensate for lack of talent—even drops of water can gather into rivers and seas.】

【You restored your mind to stillness, cultivating daily without pause, never slackening, utterly focused.】

【On the fourth morning, your master Liu Jinchan arrived with Lu Yu, bringing news—the Eighth Prince of Daqing wished to meet you.】

【You only wished to cultivate, to sense the Primordial—you declined the meeting.】

【Liu Jinchan gently urged: “Shen Zhou, do you not know how powerful Prince Jing is now? The Crown Prince has fallen, the Eastern Palace abolished—he is among the few closest to the imperial throne. Countless heroes and warriors dream of serving him but have no path. Is it not merely a meeting?”】

【Yet Liu Jinchan harbored unspoken hopes—if you could form a bond with this prince, perhaps the Three True and One Teaching might rise further.】

【At that moment, Lu Yu stood aside and smiled: “Brother, you will meet him.”】

【Liu Jinchan paused, a flicker of curiosity rising within him.】

【Years ago, the Second Prince, whose power rivaled the Eighth, was also refused by Lu Chen.】

【Lu Yu said: “This visitor is not merely the Eighth Prince—he is accompanied by our uncle. Long ago, he escorted our mother southward, protecting her safety by joining the Eighth Prince’s faction. He now brings a letter written by our mother herself.”】

【When our mother’s family moved south, the Lu family was not yet prominent; they struggled upon arriving in the capital, and it was thanks to our uncle’s care.】

【But times have changed—the Lu family in the capital is now untouchable.】

【Father refused to leave the capital for your sake and the Lu Army’s—to preserve your freedom, free from suspicion.】

【Hearing this, you sighed inwardly. Your uncle’s deep affection for your family cannot be ignored.】

【Thus, meeting the Eighth Prince is unavoidable.】

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(End of Chapter)