Chapter 5: Choosing the Great Path

"Phew..."

Following Ji Rong's reminder, Song Junyu finally remembered the seven precious medicinal pills she still possessed. She carefully ingested them and sat cross-legged on the spot to absorb their essence.

Ji Rong did not rush her. Once she had recovered and stood up, he squinted his eyes and smiled. "With such perseverance and natural talent, could it be that Baoluo Peak truly failed to notice?"

At the mention of those three words, a flash of hatred crossed Song Junyu’s eyes, and she appeared somewhat uncomfortable.

"Perhaps it was the nourishment of the divine flower; I truly possessed no talent before."

"Hmph, I am well aware of the divine flower's efficacy. While it can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh and bone, it has never possessed the power to alter one's fundamental constitution."

"If you must attribute it to a stroke of fortune, I fear you stumbled into activating the Power of the Profound Gate, which reshaped your meridians."

"However, little girl, do not get too complacent. This power is not so easily wielded."

Ji Rong walked with his hands behind his back, muttering as he went. His figure was slightly rounded, giving him an air of simplicity, and he walked without the haughty posture of a master, looking more like an ordinary old man.

Song Junyu followed behind him, subconsciously clutching the hem of her sleeve to hide the stirrings in her heart. Although she harbored deep hatred, she could clearly distinguish between insincerity and genuine care. She had not felt such concern as that shown by the Progenitor in a very long time.

After a long while, Song Junyu composed herself, bit her lip, and tentatively asked, "Progenitor, I have a question."

"Does everyone possess this Power of the Profound Gate?"

Hearing this, Ji Rong turned his head to glance at her, his expression one of exasperation. "While this path of body refinement differs from the Great Dao of the Immortal Sects, it is something countless rogue cultivators dream of."

"If an ordinary disciple has decent meridians and bone structure, they are kept by the Immortal Sect to draw Qi into their body, thus forming the power of the Dantian."

"As they cultivate, upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, they gradually discover their own immortal path. Some excel with the blade, some with formations, and some with the power of heaven and earth."

"Among these, the power of heaven and earth is the most superior. The current young Sect Master of the Zhentian Sect attained his current cultivation level by mastering the Wood element of the Five Elements."

Song Junyu listened in silence. Seeing Ji Rong speaking with such zest, she suppressed the doubts in her heart. Although the Sect Master was young, he was already over five hundred years old. How long must the Progenitor have lived... to refer to him in such a way?

Ji Rong, unaware of the girl's thoughts, continued, "As for body refinement, it is the path chosen by those who lack the natural talent for meridians, yet it also requires conditions."

"Firstly, one must reshape their meridians; secondly, one must have the strength to continuously temper the body."

"Many body refiners take dangerous risks, seeking harsh environments to temper themselves, but most rely on medicinal pills and external forces."

"The Power of the Profound Gate is the unique technique of the Zhentian Sect’s founding patriarch. Though I am the Second Progenitor, even after three generations of transmission, I only know a few of its secrets."

"But one thing is certain: the Profound Gate power within you is extremely pure. It can refine the body from within, but precisely because of this, you must endure several times the agony."

Song Junyu licked her parched lips, took a deep breath, and asked, "But on that day, you did not allow me to continuously use the Power of the Profound Gate to temper my body. Is this power not entirely beneficial?"

Ji Rong’s expression grew solemn. He replied in a low voice, "Indeed. Legend has it that since the founding patriarch, every disciple who mastered the Power of the Profound Gate has fallen into the path of demons."

Song Junyu remained extremely calm upon hearing this. She steadied herself, slowly lifting her gaze, her eyes churning like a tempestuous sea. After a long moment, a soft voice drifted over: "Progenitor, I wish to seek revenge. I am not afraid..."

"That does not mean you should become a living dead person who only knows how to kill." Ji Rong flicked her forehead, interrupting her bluntly. "When Zhong Xi sent you here, he did not wish to see such an outcome."

"When the divine lightning descended that day, it must have entered your body. The power you are using now is related to it. There are very few records regarding divine lightning, but it is indisputably a power of heaven and earth."

"The immortal path Zhong Xi said you could choose is the technique of balance. If you can balance the two powers—the divine lightning and the Profound Gate—you can carve out a path of your own."

As he spoke, the two arrived at the edge of a cliff. Song Junyu looked down into the bottomless abyss and then at the narrow wooden bridge before her. A flash of inspiration struck her, and she turned to Ji Rong. "Are the three paths in the back mountain that you mentioned earlier all this difficult?"

"They are."

"Then this disciple understands. Thank you, Progenitor, for your painstaking guidance along the way."

The wind whistled past. The slender figure standing at the edge of the cliff looked on with burning eyes. Ji Rong had not encountered a child he liked so much in a long time, and he felt quite pleased. Suddenly, an important matter flashed through his mind, and he smiled with a hint of cunning.

"And as for those healing pills, feel free to use them. If you run out, I will get you more."

With that, he stepped lightly and vanished in an instant.

Song Junyu watched his retreating figure, momentarily lost in thought. She wondered when she would be able to tread upon the wind without a trace and cross water without leaving a ripple.

Song Junyu sighed, withdrew her envious gaze, and turned her focus to the path ahead. Old, rotting wood lay across the chasm, swaying precariously. One slip of the mind, and she would fall into the abyss.

Since the Progenitor said the mysteries of the Profound Gate were few, then this technique of balance must have no set method. Since the Progenitor chose these three difficult paths for her, he must intend for her to train her acute perception. Only by controlling her power to the extreme could she avoid backlash. To allow both forces to run their own course simultaneously—that was balance.

Although she had yet to practice it, this idea was worth a try!

Without further hesitation, she observed her surroundings, leaped onto the first plank, her eyes filled with resolve.

The moment she stepped onto it, the wind and clouds shifted. It felt as if the weather around her had changed instantly. A gale force wind rushed toward her. Song Junyu’s eyes widened, and she moved quickly, but her reaction was a fraction too slow, and she was violently knocked off the wooden bridge!

Just as she was about to plummet into the abyss, the world spun, and she found herself back at the starting point.

"Is this... the Three Seasons Bridge?"

Song Junyu, realizing the truth, felt even more grateful to Ji Rong. The Three Seasons Bridge was a marvelous place for cultivation within the Zhentian Sect, but every year, the only disciples permitted to enter were the elite. It was usually only opened in the winter, and by coming now, she avoided the crowds and enjoyed the peace.

Now that she was merely at the first level of Qi refining, if she failed to make any progress despite having the chance to cultivate here, she would truly be unworthy of the resources the Progenitor had provided!

Having grasped the key in an instant, she centered her mind and charged in once again.

Ten days later.

At the end of the first bridge, a slender figure shot out from the finish line like an arrow from a bowstring.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Golden lightning swirled around her, but Song Junyu’s eyes were bright as she looked at her hands with excitement.

Cultivating on the Three Seasons Bridge was indeed effective! In just a few days, she had broken through to the second level of Qi refining, and she even possessed the perception of a peak stage; she needed only one opportunity to step into a new realm!

Before she could fully process the changes in her body, a gentle laugh came from nearby.

"Oh? Crossing the Three Seasons Bridge without any cultivation base?"

"Little Junior Sister, you are quite impressive!"

A man in light cyan robes stood slowly playing with a spirit cat in his arms. He squinted his eyes with a kind smile, but his scrutinizing gaze carried a touch of aggression that made one feel uncomfortable.

The moment Song Junyu focused on his face, her blood ran cold.

She took a deep breath, steadying her scattered mind.

The third disciple under Fairy Baoluo.

Chen Xiangshui.