Aspiring to the Immortal Path
chapter-467

With an extra three hundred days, Tang Jie could finally cultivate in peace, nurturing his spiritual body.

Nourished by the concentrated spiritual energy of the Water Moon Paradise, the newborn spiritual body rapidly grew, experiencing something new almost every day.

Tang Jie could feel himself growing stronger, his lifespan lengthening.

It was a wondrous feeling beyond words. There was no principle or reasoning behind it. Tang Jie could just clearly feel its existence, could even point out when it changed.

After his 50th day of cultivation, Tang Jie finally got back his lost power. He was now back to as strong as he was before entering Cognitive Creation.

This strength naturally wasn't enough to keep advancing, so Tang Jie continued cultivating.

After one hundred days, Tang Jie had returned to greater attainment in Cognitive Creation, right before he had entered the Three Withering Tribulations.

Tang Jie knew that it was now time to resume climbing up the mountain.

300 days was not enough time to get his spiritual body to greater attainment purely through cultivation. Only by climbing higher and getting more spirit plants could he guarantee his passage through the Three Witherings.

With this in mind, Tang Jie would have gone up even without the advice from the monkey. The monkey had just demanded more of him, wanting him to reach the summit before the Three Withering Tribulations were over.

On this morning, Tang Jie once more began to climb Water Moon Peak.

As his strength recovered, climbing the mountain became less difficult.

After two days, Tang Jie successfully reached the 700-meter terrace.

The 750-meter terrace seemed close at hand, but also as far away as the horizon.

Tang Jie had already tried, and he sensed that the obstructive force on the steps to the 750-meter terrace was particularly strong. He didn't have the power to make it just yet.

But he wasn't worried.

Above 600 meters, one could get a spirit plant every 50 meters, so he currently had two.

After consuming the spirit plants and using one day to absorb their medicinal power, Tang Jie was able to rapidly boost the power of his spiritual body.

One day later, Tang Jie managed to loosen that seemingly unmovable wall that spanned his path.

Tang Jie began to make his way up the steps.

It was difficult and slow, but he was stubborn and determined!

After a day and a night, Tang Jie finally stood on the 750-meter terrace.

There was no wall with lively conversations like at the Terrace of Heroes, but on the slope next to the terrace, several steles had been set up. Even though the Basking Moon Sect had been established several thousand years ago, only a few had ever been able to reach this altitude.

Closest to the edge was a particularly large stele that blocked the steles behind it.

Tang Jie saw the words on the stele: "For my son Tang Jie: that you could get here means that you fulfilled my request and achieved a spiritual body, so it is not improper to call you my son. Your father is incompetent and is unable to leave you some peerless treasure, only these words. This 750-meter terrace is called the Cloud Ancestor Terrace, and it was left behind by my sect's Cloud Ancestor. Cultivating here will be of great benefit, as you can enjoy the protection of the ancestor. You must select the Empty Heart Grass and cultivate here for 81 days. Only then can you continue climbing the mountain. In this period, you must not look at the words on any of the other steles. Remember this! Do not look at any of the other steles! Luo Hanzhen!"

'Don't look at the words on the other steles'?

Tang Jie was startled.

He instinctively wanted to look behind the stele, but just when he was about to look, the stone stele suddenly exploded with light, blinding him.

The stone stele then crumbled and dissipated into spiritual light.

Luo Hanzhen had not come to climb the mountain, so he didn't have the right to leave behind words on this terrace. He had only been able to leave a stele here for a time because the monkey had made an exception for him. Now that its job was done, it naturally dissipated.

After the stele disappeared, the numerous steles behind it were revealed to Tang Jie.

Tang Jie knew that these steles contained the insights of the seniors who had been here before him, and they were far more valuable than the insights at the 500-meter Terrace of Heroes.

But Luo Hanzhen had told him not to read the steles, and Tang Jie trusted that Luo Hanzhen wouldn't try to deceive him. Thus, he didn't look at those steles, and he followed Luo Hanzhen's instructions and asked the Agriculture Hall disciples to get him a stalk of Empty Heart Grass. He consumed the grass and then sat down to cultivate.

The Empty Heart Grass was a spirit plant that calmed the mind, allowing one to enter a meditative state and not be influenced by the outer world. In truth, it was meant for resisting Heart Demons, so it had no effect on a Three Withering Tribulations cultivator like Tang Jie, and it did little to improve one's cultivation.

If not for Luo Hanzhen's advice, Tang Jie never would have chosen it.

Starting from this day, Tang Jie cultivated on the terrace to strengthen himself.

Even though he trusted that Luo Hanzhen wouldn't try to hurt him, Tang Jie couldn't help but feel antsy and want to see the words on the steles. He was like a small child, trying to take a look even though he knew that the adults were right. It was insufferable, like there was a cat clawing at his heart.

It was bearable at first, but as time dragged on, Tang Jie started to get restless, and his cultivation efficiency plunged.

At this time, the Empty Heart Grass went to work. With this plant to calm the mind, no matter how restless Tang Jie became, he was always able to restrain himself. But that itch in his heart went from one cat scratching to a hundred cats.

Privately, Tang Jie was also finding it strange how his focus had seemingly fallen.

There seemed to be some sort of power hidden in the terrace that could magnify a person's desires and make them difficult to control.

When he realized this and put up his guard, that irresistible itch gradually faded away.

This made Tang Jie realize that he had probably guessed right. This terrace truly did have some sort of mysterious power that released the desires and emotions in a person's heart. If not for Luo Hanzhen's warning, even with his powerful focus, he still might have been affected.

On the 12th day on the terrace, Tang Jie was still cultivating, and that itch in his heart was completely gone.

He suddenly heard a noise.

Thinking that the Agriculture Hall disciples were gathering, he opened his eyes. But he found that there was nothing around him, and that noise had also disappeared.

Taken aback, Tang Jie closed his eyes and continued cultivating. But a few moments later, the noise returned, yet when he opened eyes, he still saw nothing.

Starting from today, the noise lingered at Tang Jie's ear like a buzzing fly or like snatches of whispered conversation that were just barely audible. It was truly annoying.

Tang Jie inwardly sneered, The temptation of the stone steles didn't work, so you're trying something else? Interesting.

He knew that if he allowed himself to be vexed by this noise, he would essentially have lost.

Thus, he proceeded to ignore it, hardening his heart and continuing to cultivate, making it so that even a clap of thunder wouldn't affect him.

As he cultivated, the noise grew louder and louder, truly becoming as loud as thunder, constantly exploding in Tang Jie's ears.

But no matter how the thunder rumbled, Tang Jie was unmoved, silently cultivating.

The 21st day on the terrace.

The thunder stopped.

The world returned to silence.

But Tang Jie knew that this wasn't the end, only a new beginning.

Sure enough, as he completed a Circuit Heaven and then opened his eyes, he found that he was no longer on the terrace, but on a battlefield. War cries resounded, arrows whistled past, and flashing weapons occasionally took aim at his head.

Tang Jie sneered, utterly unmoved.

Now that he was psychologically prepared, as someone who had seen 3D movies, he would not be affected no matter how realistic this all was.

From this point of view, although this audiovisual illusion was of a higher level, its effects were actually worse than that unseen noise.

Tang Jie continued to diligently cultivate in the middle of the battlefield. When he was free, he would watch the blood fly and listen to the drums thunder, like he was watching a movie.

The slaughter illusion became the place that Tang Jie enjoyed the most.

On the 36th day, the illusion ended.

Tang Jie knew that the next phase would be coming.

Sure enough, this time, a dark cloud appeared, and countless demons made from black smoke descended.

This time, Tang Jie paled.

For he had heard of these demons before.

Heart Demon!

These demons of various shapes and sizes were none other than the infamous Heart Demons that made cultivators pale in fear.

They were the negative thoughts in the hearts of humans, slowly growing into Heart Demons that could devour one's soul.

Tang Jie hadn't expected to run into Heart Demons while cultivating here. A moment later, a Heart Demon lunged at Tang Jie.

Although he knew that this was an illusion, Tang Jie still felt a deep fear. That Heart Demon passed through him like an illusion, but Tang Jie felt a chill rising from the depths of his heart.

It was an indescribable chill that seemed to exist only in the mind, yet it also existed in reality.

Was this not an illusion?

Why could it physically affect him?

Yes, Heart Demons were existences that had gone from illusion to reality, so even if they were illusions, they could affect real people to a certain extent.

This influence was real. Even though it might have been only one-tenth or even one-hundredth as strong as the effect of a real Heart Demon, it was real!

Tang Jie felt an inexplicable fear.

Heart Demons came from all sides in seemingly endless streams.

In the middle of them all, Tang Jie could not evade them, only endure them.

Thus, anger, hatred, envy, cowardice, greed, and all other kinds of negative emotions emerged, making it difficult for Tang Jie to control himself. Even with the help of the Empty Heart Grass, Tang Jie almost lost it.

At the most critical moment, someone began to chant into his ear.

The voice was deep and powerful, and it chanted some ancient mantra imbued with a boundless and mighty power. This mighty power scattered the Heart Demons, and the negative emotions were greatly reduced.

Tang Jie was startled as those rampant emotions began to stabilize.

He sat down and began to recite that chant, word by word, again and again.

Even though he didn't know what mantra this was, Tang Jie felt like it contained a special power.

He chanted for 13 days.

On the 49th day, all of the Heart Demons disappeared.

Tang Jie was returned to reality, and he found that he was still sitting on the terrace, his surroundings quiet as if nothing had happened. The Agriculture Hall disciples were still working the fields, and from their attitude, it appeared that nothing had happened on the terrace.

Tang Jie smiled and then continued cultivating.

He knew that things were far from over.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Tang Jie found himself atop a mighty mountain.

He sat at the peak, at the top of the world.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

This time, he spent a long time alone.

Tang Jie didn't know how long he spent sitting on that snowy mountain, but it felt like one hundred years passed.

In these one hundred years, he said nothing to anybody, his mind wilting away, the heavy loneliness almost burying him.

The time was so long and the solitude so profound that Tang Jie gradually forgot where he was.

Finally, the hundred years passed.

Tang Jie saw the snowy mountain disappear.

He returned to the terrace. Only then did Tang Jie remember that he was in the Water Moon Paradise.

"Tang Jie, Tang Jie," someone called out to him.

Turning his head, he saw Zhao Hui standing nearby.

He smiled and said, "Congratulations! 81 days have passed, and you have completed the trial. I've come on orders to give this to you, and then you can continue your way up the mountain."

He presented a bottle of pills.

The Five Energies Sovereign Essence Pill!

It was a secret medicine used for making the charge at Celestial Heart. It was so valuable that the Basking Moon Sect had once offered it as the bounty for catching Gu Changqing.

Tang Jie was about to overcome the Three Withering Tribulations, so this spirit medicine truly was extremely important to him.

Tang Jie glanced at Zhao Hui and mumbled in confusion, "You are…"

Zhao Hui smiled. "After sitting there for one hundred years, it's no wonder that you forgot me. I'm Zhao Hui."

Tang Jie rapped his head and laughed. "My apologies. Right, I've been meditating for too long, and my legs are very stiff. Senior Brother, please bring the medicine to me."

"Alright." Zhao Hui walked over and offered the medicine to Tang Jie.

But Tang Jie didn't take the pills in front of him, saying, "As an Agriculture Hall disciple, isn't Senior Brother forbidden from walking onto the steps?"

"Hm?" Zhao Hui was startled.

"Also, Senior Brother Zhao, how did you know I was sitting for one hundred years? You said yourself that I was sitting here for only 81 days."

Zhao Hui paled, but just when he was about to move, Tang Jie thrust his hand into his belly.

That Zhao Hui looked down, and then he snarled, "Junior!"

He shrieked, and Tang Jie saw that twisted face dissolve into black smoke and then coalesce into the form of a savage demon.

Heart Demon!

Awooo! The Heart Demon howled, but all Tang Jie did was coldly stare at it.

Suddenly, the Heart Demon took the form of Xu Muyang, covered in blood and roaring, "Give me back my life!"

Tang Jie felt like he had gone back twenty-some years into the past, back to Little River Village.

He saw himself standing in front of Xu Muyang, that boy swindling Xu Muyang with his words.

Suddenly, Tang Jie felt a hint of disappointment and frustration.

Would Xu Muyang have died if he hadn't been around?

A moment later, the scene changed again. This time, a young man stood in front of him.

He recalled his name to be Lin Lang.

It was from when he was helping Wei Tianchong complete the first True Inheritor mission.

For this purpose, he had forced Wei Tianchong to kill Lin Lang.

Even though Lin Lang had been willing to die, in Tang Jie's mind, hadn't he still forced a good person to die?

He had deceived himself, but he had failed to deceive his heart.

The seed of unease had been planted in the depths of his heart.

The scene shifted again, and this time, he was at Old Crow Ridge.

The deceased Green Hill disciples appeared before him, and there was always that slight discomfort deep down in his heart.

And then there was the little tiger going missing and his directing his anger at the Wei Clan, the battle of Joymount Island, the battle of the Immortal Mountain… the blood of all those countless people he had stained his hands with in his bid to gather as many contribution points as he could. As the events of the past replayed themselves, Tang Jie discovered that he had far more regrets than he had expected.

Thus, he saw that Heart Demon getting stronger and stronger, crazily howling, dividing itself into countless more, all of them surrounding him and laughing as if they were ready to devour him.

"This is my Heart Demon," Tang Jie realized.

This time, this was no illusion, but a real Heart Demon. But for some reason, its attacks were still of the most shallow level.

This was perhaps because Tang Jie's strength had yet to reach the Heart Demon Period.

If that was the case…

Tang Jie had a thought.

He suddenly understood a little.

And then he stood up.

This was the first time since he began meditating on this terrace that he had truly gotten up on his own.

Looking at the Heart Demons around him, he began to chant that mantra that he had chanted for 13 days.

But this time, as he chanted, his entire body seemed to be bathed in holy light.

This light was real, and the Agriculture Hall disciples turned to look.

They saw Tang Jie appearing like a descended god, energy emerging from his fingers like a sword.

And then he swung it in front of him.

As he swung, everyone could hear a strange howl.

There was clearly nothing at all, but everyone still felt that something had been exterminated. Bizarrely, even though the sky was clear, they felt like some dark cloud had been dispersed.

Tang Jie continued to stand on the terrace.

He looked up at the sky and suddenly asked, "What day is it?"

The monkey laughed. "The 72nd day. Good job! You're truly something else, comprehending the Wisdom Sword and slaying the Heart Demon before the 81st day. Congratulations, congratulations!"

Tang Jie raised his head and looked at the distant steles.

Now, he could boldly take a look.

Four words had been carved onto the oldest stele.

Wisdom Sword Heart Sutra.

This was the mantra that he had chanted for 13 days.

"The Cloud Ancestor's handiwork was the Wisdom Sword Heart Sutra," Tang Jie muttered.

The monkey roared with laughter. "This sutra is the Cloud Ancestor's creation. It is not recorded in the Divine Firmament Classic and is only kept here. It is ideal for countering Heart Demons and slaying demonic thoughts. To learn the method recorded on this stele, one must first experience being a god. Arts can be passed down, but a god must comprehend things on their own."

"In other words, what I experienced first was what the Cloud Ancestor experienced? Indeed, it's the easiest to improve in the Heart Demon Period, so this is the perfect time to ascend Water Moon Peak. Presumably, the Cloud Ancestor broke through his Heart Demon here, ascended to Soul Transformation, and climbed the summit?"

The monkey laughed. "So long as you understand! All that you experienced was an illusion, not even one ten-thousandth of what the Cloud Ancestor experienced. But that you could experience the Heart Demon illusions so early and even force out your immature Heart Demon using this opportunity and slay it with one strike means that your Heart Demon Tribulation will be much easier."

"It is all thanks to the blessings from my seniors," Tang Jie sincerely said.

Without the help of Luo Hanzhen and the monkey, he never would have gotten this far.

The monkey laughed and said, "So then, what are you still waiting for? Get up to the peak and accept the sect's hidden legacy!"

Tang Jie was startled. "Right now? I still have time, so why not wait…"

"No time, no time at all! In the Water Moon Paradise, never say that you still have time! You are 138 meters from the peak, but who can say when you'll actually get there!?" the monkey said before erupting in laughter once more.