Chapter 24: Re-Observing the Heavenly Book

The days grew colder, autumn deepening, the once-green trees stripped bare of yellow leaves.

Ji You began frequenting the Awakening Ground, sitting to observe the Dao of Heaven.

The crimson-robed immortal maiden occasionally appeared as well.

The two sat above and below, undisturbed by each other, only occasionally meeting eyes during breaks in cultivation.

This routine lasted about half a month; as both grew accustomed to each other’s presence, their glances grew more frequent.

The immortal maiden’s cultivation base was clearly far higher than his; each time she saw him clumsily observing Heaven’s Dao, she would intensify the Dao’s manifestation before her, as if mocking him.

Yet whenever she noticed Ji You lowering his head in quiet dejection, she would dissolve her Dao art.

Until one day…

That day, the immortal maiden accidentally realized he wasn’t lowering his eyes in humility—he was staring at her feet.

Before he could react, her spiritual sense swept him away once more.

Cao Jinsong had been urging him daily to cultivate; now, seeing his expression upon opening his eyes, he was taken aback.

“What were you doing?”

“I was cultivating.”

“Why does your cultivation look so… intoxicating?”

Ji You said nothing, turning to look—recently, fewer people had been coming to the Awakening Ground.

In particular, Chu He, after sensing the Heavenly Book, had vanished entirely; rumors said his Dao heart was shattered, and he wept daily in his room.

Yet with fewer cultivators around, scenes of men and women strolling together by the lake, crossing bridges, and admiring the fallen leaves across the mountains grew more common.

Of course, they weren’t merely wandering; along the way, they discussed Dao—but often, the discussants drifted deep into Lin Hai.

“Let’s stay overnight in Shengjing tonight—I’ve booked an inn. We can discuss Dao all night. I’d like to test whether your Dao heart is truly unobstructed.”

“?”

Ji You watched this scene and thought: Damn, so that’s what “physiological unobstructed” means.

Cao Jinsong, however, was long accustomed to it: “New students typically pass through these stages. First, everyone studies hard, cultivates diligently, and focuses entirely, because at first, all believe themselves to be children of Heaven, superior to others.”

“Then some break ahead, leaving the rest far behind. Most suffer Dao heart damage; the rest begin doubting whether effort even matters.”

“Then some develop distractions, while others still strive—but their Dao hearts are no longer what they were.”

Cao Jinsong looked at Ji You: “Right now, among the outer court, you are the one who has broken ahead. You’ll likely top the inner court selection—but don’t grow arrogant. Keep cultivating diligently.”

Ji You listened to Cao’s boastful words and said: “My spiritual sense is too weak—I can only observe Heaven’s Dao for three breaths. I need a Spirit-Replenishing Pill to improve. How much silver do you have on you?”

“It would bankrupt me.”

“How did I end up with such a useless teacher? Can’t you work harder? Look at Ma Jiaxi—every festival, families from the capital send him gifts!”

“?”

In the following days, Ji You stopped going to the Awakening Ground and ceased sensing the Heavenly Book.

With his current spiritual sense strength, his observation time was too short—he spent the rest of his time observing foot Dao.

If he kept this up, he’d be ruined.

Spiritual sense and the physical body are fundamentally different. If his frail spiritual sense were truly damaged by Heaven’s might, it could never be repaired.

So he decided to first strengthen his spiritual sense, extending the time he could perceive Heaven’s Dao.

Otherwise, if he couldn’t even see clearly, how could he ever comprehend?

At night, stars glittered brilliantly. In his dormitory, Ji You lit the incense burner, sent his spiritual sense soaring, probing the deeper, vaster darkness of the night sky.

This was the method to strengthen spiritual sense—gentler than directly observing Heaven’s Dao.

From half an hour on the first day to now exceeding an hour, it was clear this method worked.

“The limit of half an hour was three breaths of observation. Now I should reach six. Six is safe…”

“No, too short.”

“Try holding for an hour and a half—then my safe observation window will be nine breaths before I dare observe the Heavenly Book again.”

Ji You held his breath, focused his mind, and his golden spiritual sense flew endlessly through the glittering starry sky.

Half an hour wasn’t long—but the second half, beyond his limit, was excruciating. Each time he pushed past his limit, he felt utterly drained.

So every time Cao Jinsong came to check on him, he thought Ji You had been doing something exhausting at night.

Meanwhile, on a high, desolate mountain where darkness stretched in all directions, a barefoot, exquisitely beautiful girl sat upon a cliff, deeply absorbed in cultivation.

Her vivid crimson robe fluttered in the wind, like a streak of striking blood against the blackness.

Like Ji You, she could not endure Heaven’s might for long, so she cultivated intermittently, resting between sessions.

At this moment, she opened her eyes, gently wiped away sweat, and stepped barefoot onto the black rock, her fragrant, snow-white feet touching stone as she rose and looked around aimlessly.

As she gazed, her eyes settled on the stone below—empty for several days—and she frowned slightly.

Then, with a flicker, she vanished from the black mountain.

Her spiritual sense returned, and when she opened her eyes again, she stood atop a cloud-piercing palace above mountains and flowing water.

Barefoot, she stepped out of the hall, gripping the railing along the cliffside, gazing far ahead—at a lone peak shaped like a sword.

Cultivation was an exceedingly dull pursuit, but the girl hadn’t known that as a child.

She’d only thought her family’s mountain was breathtakingly beautiful, and she’d wanted to fly like those others did.

But Heaven’s Dao demanded she reach perfection at ten, making her a direct disciple, forcing her to cultivate here on this mountain every day.

So after staring too long, even the most beautiful mountain became tiresome.

“I’m about to break through…”

“After breaking through, I’ll descend the mountain for a while…”

The girl rested her chin in her hand, murmured softly to the lone peak, then returned to the palace and re-entered the void beneath the mountain.

But the moment she sat down, a faint, hazy howling echoed through the boundless darkness.

After confirming it wasn’t an illusion, the girl looked down at the black stone below.

Sure enough, a shadow slowly emerged upon it.

As she faintly made out his features, she froze, then sat up straight, pretending to be in meditation.

Ji You opened his eyes and found himself back beneath the Void Mountain, seeing the girl above.

Previously, his observation time had been too short—he could only glance around.

But now, no longer.

His spiritual sense was now strong enough to hold for nine breaths.

The more he saw, the more he could think.

Ji You took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began observing Heaven’s Dao.

Indeed, his tempered spiritual sense had grown far stronger—he now perceived finer details and had time to contemplate the “understanding” within the Dao of Comprehension.

Heaven’s Dao unfolded chaotically, like a tangled ball of yarn.

But in truth, it was the entanglement of laws—messy, yet each thread complete. Human capacity could never grasp it all at once; one could only unravel it, seeking a single main thread.

Previously, Ji You could only hold three breaths—unable to find even a clue. Now, nine breaths allowed him to sense the general direction.

Ji You gradually gained insight, slowly closed his eyes, entered meditation, and his Dao heart grew increasingly clear.

“Six observations, each nine breaths…”

“Reached the limit…”

After a long while, Ji You propped himself up on the massive stone, panting, then glanced upward—and suddenly froze.

Was it his imagination? He thought the girl’s delicate, snow-white foot had twitched slightly.

Watching a beautiful girl slows cultivation—but curiosity doesn’t. Curiosity is the most vital quality for a cultivator pursuing Heaven’s Dao.

Ji You rose slowly, approaching the girl as he had before.

She seemed in deep meditation, utterly still, showing no sign of deception. He leaned close, stared for a long while, and decided he must have imagined it—why would the immortal maiden pretend to meditate?

But just as he turned to leave, he noticed her frost-white, flawless face slowly flushing pink.

Her breath brushed against his face…

Before Ji You could react, a crimson sleeve suddenly whipped toward him…

Ji You’s spiritual sense returned, and he sighed.

Beautiful girls truly hinder cultivation…

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(End of Chapter)