[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-498":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Path of Immortality",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2271648,4436,"Chapter 498: The Dao of Heaven and Earth, Vast and Immense","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-498",498,"\u003Cp>The setting sun melted gold, and the evening clouds were dyed entirely in brilliant hues, drifting lazily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, on the river’s surface, Chen Hang and He Chang jointly hauled up their cast net, sending up sprays of white foam and spreading concentric ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the net struck the small fishing boat, it trembled slightly, causing the rice cake He Chang had left beside the gunwale at noon to tilt askew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the boat offered little room to move, and He Chang’s quick hands snatched it up just before it could fall into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This cast wasn’t bad at all—too bad the guild doesn’t have a real large boat; otherwise, we could’ve caught even more!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang shoved the remaining rice cake whole into his mouth and chewed vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he kicked the few large blue-headed fish caught in the net with his foot, he turned to Chen Hang and grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang casually handed him the water flask nearby and nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fishing boats come in many sizes, and the methods of fishing naturally differ according to the vessel’s dimensions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand-hu fishing vessel, with six sails, appears distant like a floating gull, close up like a mountain surging, charging through wind and waves, appearing and disappearing in the deep swells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large fishing boats typically use drag nets, scoop nets, shrimp trays, back nets, rolling hooks, and other gear; a single haul often yields fish and shellfish so abundant they pile like mountains—far beyond what small boats can match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the manpower required to operate a large fishing boat is likewise several times greater than that of a small one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s the boat captain giving orders and steering, wind watchers, oar blockers, crewmen handling the poles in the lower cabins, and female cooks among others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But boats like the one Chen Hang now sails—the “family boat” or “brother boat”—require at most two or three hands, and fishing is mostly done with cast nets: cast, retrieve, then cast again, along with net-pole, net-bar, and net-scoop techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, every matter has its opposite: though small fishing boats yield far less than large ones, they excel in convenience and agility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when out for a leisurely swim, one can cast a few nets at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since joining the Bamboo Creek Guild, Chen Hang has now spent two years, and on regular outings, he almost always partners with He Chang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these years, he has become a seasoned fisherman, and because he can read and write, he has rendered considerable service to the guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after Old Captain He Hui began hinting at retirement and wanting to dote on his grandchildren, the guild members considered electing him as successor—but Chen Hang shook his head and refused, so they dropped the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Chen Hang bent down, cupped a handful of river water, and splashed it on his face, slightly dispelling the summer heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving a slight nod toward the distant riverbank where Xun Jian waited, he smiled at He Chang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough for today. Let’s retrieve those shrimp traps and head home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang naturally agreed; the two slowly rowed the small boat toward the lush patches of aquatic grass, chatting idly along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they talked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang noticed Chen Hang’s voice gradually fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back quickly and saw Chen Hang gazing at the river, as if lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang was long accustomed to this sight; he merely chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Flying Cloud River is a tributary of the Fu River and the livelihood of all the Bamboo Creek Guild’s fishermen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, following Chen Hang’s gaze, He Chang saw the broad river flowing ceaselessly beneath the slanting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After winding past the nearby Shoushou Mountain, the Flying Cloud River became a hazy white ribbon, meandering between endless green hills, finally seeming to merge into the Fu River—but He Chang could no longer see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw only the afterglow spread across the water, golden rays painting the surface, half the river desolate, half crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint wisps of cooking smoke rose along the banks, so pale they seemed like ink blurred by water, present yet elusive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing here, listening to the river’s rolling crash against the boat’s hull, the small vessel rocking gently beneath him, He Chang suddenly felt a vast, empty expanse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed as if the entire universe held only him; everything else was receding, sinking into the slowly westward-setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven is still and clear; earth is firm and tranquil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dao of Heaven and Earth is boundless and immense…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you aspired to cultivate and attain immortality, how would you act?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As He Chang drifted into a strange reverie, a voice beside him suddenly jolted him awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sound of Chen Hang’s voice, that peculiar feeling vanished instantly, like ice melting and snow dissolving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang patted his head in confusion, then stared at the river water beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen this scene hundreds, even thousands of times before—yet never had it felt so strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen, I know my own limits—I’m barely passable at martial training, always outshone by Huang Min, let alone chasing some vague dream of immortality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang shook his head, as if trying to dispel that odd sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Chen Hang’s words, he did not suspect ulterior motives; he thought seriously for a moment and replied sincerely:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To me, cultivation isn’t as glorious as people say—it’s far more stable to be a fisherman like me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to hear more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Chen Hang seemed interested in talking, He Chang—who was always talkative—stopped rowing altogether and shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen, you’ve probably heard of my elder brother He Yan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—he was a disciple of the Yuanshan Sect in Liang State, once a well-known figure in Xiaqiu City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When my brother joined Yuanshan Sect, I was still a child, clueless—I only vaguely felt our family suddenly grew wealthy: we no longer lived in a crumbling thatched hut, Father went from being a boathand to owning his own boat, and Mother acquired many beautiful ornaments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, as I grew older and began to understand things, I realized all this was thanks to my brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, I too wanted to cultivate. I pestered him endlessly to teach me how to achieve fetal breathing—but I had no talent for cultivation, and every attempt failed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then later, my brother died—killed during a training expedition…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang fell silent for a while, then spoke with complex emotion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cultivation isn’t as easy or glamorous as people imagine. Because of my brother, I’ve come to understand a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Talent, external elixirs, lineage, sect, spiritual energy…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lack any one of these, and even if you cultivate, you’ll struggle immensely—just like my brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen, I know you’re thinking about Dong Tie. But my brother once told me a line he read in a Daoist text—I’ve remembered it ever since.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said: ‘In the ninefold furnace, half the ash is corpse-liberating charcoal; beyond the Three Corpses’ gates, all sprouts are rotten roots!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many true cultivators ever attain the Great Dao described in the texts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest—even if I had the chance to cultivate like Dong Tie, I still wouldn’t risk it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, even if I truly had the chance to cultivate like Dong Tie, I still wouldn’t want to gamble on that sliver of possibility!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dong Tie He Chang mentioned was a peasant from Bamboo Creek Village, desperately poor—no roof over his head, no space to plant a needle, barely scraping by with odd jobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to his habitual deceit and recklessness, Dong Tie had a poor reputation in the village and could find no woman willing to marry him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this very man recently struck fortune: by chance, he picked up a half-ruined talisman jade, and the Liang State cultivation sect Fangyuan Sect came knocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Fangyuan Sect confiscated the talisman jade, they still gave Dong Tie some compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his advanced age and low innate potential, Fangyuan Sect made an exception and took him in, placing him under an Elder’s tutelage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When this news spread, the commotion surpassed even the excitement ten years ago when He Yan joined Yuanshan Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of Bamboo Creek Village treated it as a fascinating novelty, nearly everyone envious and covetous, wishing they’d been the ones to find the talisman jade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only He Chang reacted indifferently; though usually loquacious, he didn’t mention the incident even once or twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, He Chang’s attitude toward cultivation and immortality was far from enthusiastic…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Chen Hang suddenly speak this way, He Chang assumed he’d been stirred by Dong Tie’s story and hurriedly offered reassurance, voicing his true thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang paused briefly, then asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If all external conditions were perfect, with no unforeseen dangers—how then would you act?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang thought for a moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then still shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m already married. I have parents, a virtuous wife, and a bright, lovely son—I’d rather spend every day beside them than leave them for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang rested his hand on the boat’s canopy, pondered earnestly, then said with ease:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, I’ve grown up all my life in this watery land—flying through the sky, escaping the earth, immortality and freedom—they’re all too distant to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m already content with my life now; I feel blessed by Heaven, Earth, and the gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if I knew cultivation offered greater benefits, I still couldn’t bear to leave my family or my homeland…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, He Chang couldn’t help smiling inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly just idle chatter between friends, yet he’d grown increasingly animated, as if the matter were real before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But He Chang didn’t doubt Chen Hang’s sincerity; over the years, they’d had countless such aimless conversations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He assumed Chen Hang’s question had simply been prompted by Dong Tie’s story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen, I’m just this kind of uninspired fellow—don’t laugh at me.” He Chang scratched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen, I’m just this kind of worthless character—don’t laugh at me.” He Chang scratched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horizon now bore a thin veil of twilight, misty and hazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The river breeze blew gently, still carrying traces of summer heat, yet refreshing the spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In life, contentment is true satisfaction; the greatest joy is freedom from worry; the greatest wealth is knowing enough…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang paused, then smiled, saying no more:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go—we’ve lingered long enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang nodded. After a while, once they’d retrieved all the shrimp traps, they slowly rowed the small boat back to the riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, He Chang saw Xun Jian, who had been waiting a long while, approach—he wasn’t surprised, only nodded and smiled at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew this man was a wealthy merchant from Xiaqiu City, who admired Chen Hang’s handwriting and often visited; He Chang had met Xun Jian several times and was no stranger to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew this man was a wealthy merchant from outside Xiaqiu City, who often came to visit because he admired Chen Hang’s handwriting; He Chang and Xun Jian had met a few times and were not strangers to each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he did not know whether Xun Jian had come this time to request characters or to catch up on old times, He Chang did not detain him long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After tidying up and bidding Chen Hang farewell, he sang a fisherman’s chant, cheerfully dragging his net away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Xun, what brings you here today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xun Jian’s figure faded into the distance and vanished, Chen Hang turned his gaze back and smiled at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True Person, don’t joke—before you, this little dragon dares not bear the title ‘Lord’!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had grown familiar with Chen Hang over the past two years, Xun Jian still felt inexplicably constrained in his presence, unable to relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After killing Qian Lie, Chen Hang did not leave,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but instead moved boldly into Xiaqiu City, making no effort to conceal himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The response from Baiman Palace to this news was also peculiar: Liu the Elder, famed for his arrogance, did not immediately fly into a rage; instead, months later, he personally visited to apologize and presented a jade box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Jian had witnessed with his own eyes the box being opened by Chen Hang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside lay only a pair of jade eyeballs and a single Tianren Xubai Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyeballs were unmistakably Liu the Elder’s own, plucked out by his own hand as punishment for his failure to discern character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though great cultivators could regenerate flesh and blood, such minor injuries were trivial—but Liu the Elder had expended tremendous effort to refine his pupils into the Golden Light Divine Eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To do this was to deliberately sever his own divine ability; the loss was far from insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Tianren Xubai Pill, no further explanation was needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pill had originally been intended by Liu the Elder as a birthday gift for the Baiman Palace Daozi; he had not yet gathered all the rare medicinal ingredients, and it would still take decades before it could truly be completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu the Elder had recruited Qian Lie precisely because of his alchemical work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though no one knew how Liu the Elder obtained another Tianren Xubai Pill, Xun Jian had recently heard rumors that he had approached Zongyuan Mountain, spending a fortune just to barely acquire this treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two items in the box were each more extraordinary than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu the Elder’s sincerity moved even Xun Jian, an outsider!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Jian had already believed Chen Hang’s identity to be seven or eight tenths true; after the apology, he was utterly convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To associate himself with Chen Hang, this man had even rented a house in Xiaqiu City, living among mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earlier, the Daozi of Baiman Palace sent a spirit message, inviting the True Person to visit Baiman Palace for a discussion on the Dao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After chatting briefly with Chen Hang, Xun Jian dared not delay his main purpose and quickly pulled out a letter with careful hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang took it, glanced over it once, then casually tucked it into his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, as Xun Jian was about to take his leave, Chen Hang suddenly called him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though Long Yuan can enhance the cultivation of dragon-blooded beings, overuse is akin to a potent poison—it quietly corrodes one’s foundation, just like Shuigong Zhi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This substance came from my hand; if you suffer lasting harm because of it, I would find it unbearable. What has happened that you are so desperate to increase your magic power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Jian was startled, then after a long pause, smiled bitterly and shook his head helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True Person, permit me to explain—I, this old man…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him hesitate and stammer, Chen Hang guessed it was something too painful to speak of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not press further, only smiled and let it pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xun Jian took his leave, Chen Hang gazed again at the winding river before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood motionless for a long while, then suddenly shook his head and sang aloud:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All beings cling—like heaven’s qi descends, earth’s qi ascends, naturally so. Yet the principle of change enters the end of being and exits before nonbeing—who can discern its root?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having finished, he lifted several small shrimp baskets and cast not another glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping unevenly, his figure slowly vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summer passed, autumn came, and in the blink of an eye, fifteen years of cold and heat had worn away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this day, as Chen Hang walked toward his fishing boat at dawn, he received a spirit message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened it, and after a moment, smiled lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems the time has come.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2632,"2026-06-19T22:30:06.574Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3f5b9fcdc1ad34a6875cc6745edf4dc212841ac56812d69fff39cbe37a389912","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-499","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-497",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]