Chapter 15: Martial and Dao Dual Cultivation

After the enrollment ceremony ended, everyone dispersed.

Some familiar students paired up, planning to first tour the White Jade Terrace, the Awakening Ground, and the Azure Water Lake, to become acquainted with their future home.

Ji You also left the White Jade Terrace and returned to a small courtyard beside the Azure Water Lake.

The courtyard was small, with white walls and black tiles, a short osmanthus tree in the center, a stone table and stone benches beneath it, and behind it, a row of black-brick dormitories, neat and square; inside, tables, chairs, and benches lined the walls, four-cornered stoves stood in the corners, and the inner room held only an empty bed frame and a long table.

This was a private courtyard specially prepared by the Heavenly Book Academy for those under twenty who had fully completed the Lower Three Realms, ensuring they did not have to crowd into dormitories with dozens of others.

Cao Jingsong had just returned to the Administrative Office to report, only to arrive at the White Jade Terrace and learn the ceremony was over; he hurried straight to Ji You’s courtyard.

“Did you receive the invitations? How many? Which one are you choosing? Show them to me—I’ll help you decide.”

Ji You, who was sweeping, spoke without expression: “Got nothing.”

Cao Jingsong froze, thinking: “Nothing? What noble family from the capital is named ‘Nothing’—and a double surname at that?”

But soon, his smile faded as he understood what “nothing” meant.

Are these capital families blind? They can’t see how extraordinary this boy is?

Yet, upon calm reflection, he could understand.

In past years, any student under twenty who reached full Lower Three Realms would be eagerly courted by imperial clans and high officials.

But Ji You, a self-taught cultivator from the countryside, was an exception—he had no family background.

To advance from the Lower Three Realms to the Upper Five Realms, unless one can sense the Heavenly Book, one must expend countless spirit elixirs, herbs, and spirit stones—truly a money pit.

These capital families always prefer to add flowers to brocade; who would risk giving charcoal in the snow?

If they spent all their wealth to support him, only for him to fail the breakthrough or stall afterward, it would be a catastrophic loss.

The Lower Three Realms cultivate the body; the Upper Five Realms cultivate magic power—they are entirely different realms.

If Cao Jingsong hadn’t seen Ji You break two realms in a single day in Yuyang County, he might not have had the nerve to gamble either.

Yet Ji You was not discouraged, for he never expected to be supported.

He had seen firsthand in Yuyang County how such patronage came stained with blood.

But how was he to live?

Ji You crossed his arms and thought: If I went up the mountain to become a bandit, at least I could rob the immortals to help the poor—now, who could I rob? Who even has anything worth robbing?

At that moment, Cao Jingsong suddenly stood: “Young man, don’t be discouraged—remember, when the boat reaches the bridge, the path will reveal itself. Come, I’ll first show you around the academy and explain the Heavenly Book Academy’s heritage.”

"And by the way, invite me to dinner and lend me two taels of silver to buy school supplies."

“?”

Ji You looked at him: “You know I come from poverty—if I starve to death, Master, you’ll look bad too.”

Cao Jingsong’s eyelid twitched, thinking: Though this boy is extraordinary, how did I end up adopting a living father?

Ji You gave him no chance to refuse, shoved him out the door, and the two followed the route to tour the Awakening Ground, White Jade Terrace, Azure Water Lake, and the Trial Sword Forest.

Ji You had already visited the White Jade Terrace—it was where disciples gathered and ceremonies were held.

The Awakening Ground was the largest building in the outer academy, paved with spirit stones, circular in shape, situated in the most open expanse of this land, used for contemplating the Dao.

The Azure Water Lake was a scenic pond, but it was said the Headmaster had left a divine power within it, capable of gathering spiritual energy from all directions to supply the disciples in the Awakening Ground.

As for the Trial Sword Forest, it was a dense, quiet bamboo grove filled with broken, ancient stone steles, weathered and solemn, used for martial cultivation.

Yet the Trial Sword Forest had long lain abandoned; usually Wurenwenjin , even the instructors assigned only one person to tend it, who spent his days idle.

Ji You followed Cao Jingsong to the entrance of the Trial Sword Forest, staring at the crooked plaque above the gate: “Why is martial cultivation unvalued?”

“Because martial cultivation offers no help in advancing realms, so it’s seen as a wasteful minor path.”

Cao Jingsong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the plaque: “Once you enter the Upper Five Realms, you’ll understand—a cultivator one realm above you can knock you down with a mere wave of the hand. How can martial arts compare?”

Hearing this, Ji You began to understand.

Within the same realm, a master of martial arts might be formidable, but no matter how skilled, he could never defeat an opponent of a higher realm.

Worse still, honing martial skills consumed vast amounts of time.

Thus, most cultivators neglected martial arts entirely, becoming pure Dao practitioners who relied on heavenly laws, compared spiritual energy reserves, and crushed opponents with realm superiority.

For example, even if your martial arts reached perfection, if your opponent was one realm higher, he could still knock you down with a single gesture.

After long thought, Ji You spoke: “Are there no exceptions?”

“Exceptions… do exist.”

Cao Jingsong stroked his beard: “Some military generals, hardened by countless battles and refined by the aura of slaughter, have entered the Dao through martial means—General Ye Sheng of the Great Xia Empire reached full Upper Five Realms this way.”

“Entering the Dao through martial means…”

Ji You murmured those four words, turning to gaze into the deep Trial Sword Forest.

Perhaps he should try.

His spiritual spring was abnormal—he didn’t know if he could break into the Upper Five Realms by conventional means; pure Dao cultivation carried risk.

Second, he advanced in Dao cultivation quickly—he had ample time to train martial arts.

On the way here, Pei Ruyi had inspired them with her own experience, saying that Heavenly Book Academy disciples typically trained six hours daily, while she trained nine, which is why she became the outer academy’s top student.

She had also told Fang Ruoyao that talent wasn’t everything—that human effort could sometimes overcome heaven—leaving Fang Ruoyao fired up.

At the time, Ji You had remained silent, never daring to say he had reached full Lower Three Realms by training only two hours a day.

Third, and most importantly:

If his spiritual spring burst and he truly failed to break through, and was expelled from the Heavenly Book Academy, Qiu Ru and the others would be in danger.

The Immortal Worship Villa had been capturing people to extract elixirs for years—if he lost his status as a Heavenly Book Academy disciple, he’d have no protection at all.

Then he’d become a bandit, entering the Dao through banditry, and would need martial skills to survive—every bit of strength mattered.

As Ji You thought, he led Master Cao to the Immortal Dining Hall for dinner, then extorted two taels of silver, wandered briefly through Shengjing, and bought some necessities.

Shengjing was immensely prosperous—not like Yuyang County, where a few streets could be walked end to end; every alley had more people than Ji Family’s signboard Street.

Passing the Chunhua Pavilion, he even saw women half-dressed, waving embroidered silk handkerchiefs downward.

Any passing man dressed in fine clothes entered, becoming playthings for the wealthy.

“?”

“What a corrupt world.”

Ji You watched for a long time, letting one girl toss her embroidered handkerchief into his face—its perfume filled the air, yet he remained unmoved.

Poverty makes me noble.

He returned to the Heavenly Book Academy with his purchases, and on the way saw the academy’s celebrated prodigies, Chu He and Lu Qingqiu.

They were heading to the Chong Prince’s banquet; seeing Ji You, a fellow under twenty who had reached full Lower Three Realms, they deliberately ignored him.

The academy said this year’s inner academy competition involved three, but to them, there were only two.

This self-taught country cultivator who couldn’t afford elixirs or spirit stones was merely a trivial distraction.

Soon after, they arrived at the Chong Prince’s mansion and found the main hall already filled with exquisite delicacies.

To entertain them, the Chong Prince even summoned two inner academy disciples.

As he claimed, these two disciples were his patrons, and would guide their cultivation—clearly acting like a scholarly clique.

“Will next year’s inner academy spot go to either Master Chu or Miss Lu?”

Chu He rose from his seat and bowed: “Your Highness, next year’s inner academy seat belongs to me alone.”

Lu Qingqiu snorted: “Master Chu, don’t let the wind twist your tongue.”

“I dare say this because I have confidence. Miss Lu, if you disagree, shall we test it at the Awakening Ground?”

Hearing their sharp exchange, the inner academy student Ban Yangshu blinked: “Your Highness, I heard this year’s outer academy admitted another under-twenty student who reached full Lower Three Realms—is that just rumor?”

The Chong Prince lifted his wine cup: “A country self-taught cultivator, no noble background, never met a cultivator—he probably doesn’t even know the Upper Five Realms require mountains of spirit herbs.”

“No wonder Your Highness didn’t choose him…”

“Come, come! I decree: tonight, all present must drink until drunk!”

(Full chapter rewritten, chapter commentary gone…)

(End of chapter)