Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Breakthrough at the Spiritual Spring

In Nanya Prefecture, there lies Lushan Mountain in the Yu Kingdom.Lushan is a towering range cloaked in dense forests and swirling mist, where birds circle endlessly. It ranks among the most renowned immortal sacred lands in Taicheng County of the Yu Kingdom. Stretching over three thousand li, it is the largest spiritual mountain across the three southeastern counties of the Yu Kingdom.The mountain teems with rich spiritual energy and is dotted with rare, hard-to-find immortal herbs. Even celestial birds and mythical beasts—seldom seen in the mortal world—thrive here, adding a touch of vitality to this remote, otherworldly sanctuary.Among all peaks of Lushan, Tiantai Peak boasts the most abundant spiritual energy. Rising over three thousand zhang high, it is shielded by a Spiritual Guarding Array that locks in the spiritual essence, nurturing a Third-Rank Spiritual Vein. Its spiritual energy is far more concentrated than that outside the mountain.Residing on Tiantai Peak is a clan of cultivators—the Zhang Clan, the dominant power near Lushan Mountain.Zhang Zhixuan sat cross-legged beneath the Moon-Watching Pavilion. A Spiritual Spring gurgled at his side, billowing strands of white spiritual energy. Streams of cyan light gathered this energy, condensing it onto a stone platform three chi above the spring. An ancient futon rested on the platform, exuding a cool aura that calmed the mind and dispelled worldly desires.Seated on the futon, Zhang Zhixuan focused his mind and performed spiritual seals. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and he exhaled streams of icy qi three chi long. His face flickered between cyan and white, as the two qi currents swirled and gradually converged at three major acupoints on his forehead—the Shenting, Meichong, and Chengguang. There, they transformed into wisps of purple-green cloud qi, drifting up into the sea of clouds.A faint smile crossed Zhang Zhixuan's mind. Meditating by the Spiritual Spring today, he'd felt a stir in his soul and seized the opportunity to use the spring's abundant spiritual energy to break through his bottleneck. The cultivation session had gone smoothly; despite expending much effort, he'd successfully made the breakthrough without mishap.Yet even with this breakthrough, Zhang Zhixuan knew he needed to slowly nurture his true essence. A single misstep could undo all his progress, leaving him severely weakened and his meridians damaged. If the acupoints became blocked again, reopening them would be far more difficult next time."Purple qi surging through the acupoints—this is definitely a sign of solid foundations, Xuan'er," a voice echoed. It belonged to a middle-aged Daoist, clad in a cyan robe, exuding an air of immortal elegance as he walked toward the Moon-Watching Pavilion. "With such an omen, you will surely succeed in Foundation Establishment. In another ten years, our clan may well gain another Foundation Establishment Elder."Though his eyes remained closed, Zhang Zhixuan recognized the voice at once—it was his Seventeenth Uncle, Zhang Menglian.The Zhang Clan had settled in Lushan for over four hundred years. After three generations of cultivation, they had nurtured a Low-Grade Third-Rank Spiritual Vein on Tiantai Peak, sufficient for three Foundation Establishment cultivators to practice.Cultivation realms for immortals are divided into nine stages: Innate, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spiritual Soul, Void Returning, and Dao Integration—also known as the Nine Ranks of Dao-Seeking. In this immortal world, those who attain the Spiritual Soul Realm can ascend to the Upper Realm and become revered immortals.To cultivate, cultivators ideally need to practice near Spiritual Veins; without sufficient spiritual energy absorption, their mana will gradually fade, their physical bodies will decay, and they will eventually revert to mortal status. For example, Foundation Establishment cultivators must practice near a Rank 3 or higher Spiritual Vein to enhance their mana and progress. Practicing near low-rank veins would leave them short of spiritual energy, forcing them to refine Spirit Stones daily—a huge drain on cultivation resources.A Low-Grade Third-Rank Spiritual Vein typically supports three early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. The same rule applies to Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators; those at the Spiritual Soul Realm must practice in Blessed Lands. Since there are no Blessed Lands in the Lower Realm, Spiritual Soul cultivators cannot stay for long and must find a way to ascend as soon as possible.Currently, the Zhang Clan has only one Foundation Establishment cultivator—Clan Leader Zhang Leqian. He achieved Foundation Establishment over sixty years ago, but thirty years ago, he was severely injured in a battle. His cultivation plummeted, his dantian was damaged, and he can no longer easily fight others. Now, he spends his days meditating by the Spiritual Spring, barely clinging to life as he tries to recover his vitality.Since the Clan Leader's severe injury, the Zhang Clan's prestige has plummeted over the past thirty years, and their sphere of influence has shrunk drastically. Their shops in the market have dwindled from twenty-four to just eight. Even Jiuhua Mountain—their second Third-Rank Spiritual Vein, occupied two hundred years ago—was long ago surrendered to others. Most clansmen have retreated to their ancestral land of Lushan, clinging together with their critically injured Clan Leader to barely maintain the dignity of a Foundation Establishment clan.If no one in the clan achieves Foundation Establishment within the next sixty years, once the Clan Leader passes away, they may even lose their ancestral Spiritual Vein. The clan will face imminent disaster; even if some manage to survive, they will likely become the most helpless loose cultivators in the immortal world.On Tiantai Peak's Low-Grade Third-Rank Spiritual Vein, there are three Spiritual Springs for cultivation, and one happens to be beneath the Moon-Watching Pavilion. Though the springs gush with spiritual energy endlessly, no single spring can be used continuously. Overusing a spring would dry it up, and restoring it would require enormous manpower and resources—an obvious loss.Besides the spring occupied by Clan Leader Zhang Leqian, the remaining two must support over a hundred clan cultivators. Thus, each spring needs periodic rest: during these breaks, cultivators use formations to gather spiritual essence and nurture the Spiritual Vein.The spring beneath the Moon-Watching Pavilion is relatively abundant in spiritual essence, but it can only be used for six hours a day, and after six consecutive days of use, it requires four days of rest.The Zhang Clan currently has thirty-seven Qi Refining cultivators at the mid-to-late stages. Excluding five over eighty years old, thirty-two Qi Refining cultivators are eligible to use the Spiritual Springs. Even with the clan's preferential rules for minors, young cultivators like Zhang Zhixuan can only use the springs three times a month—totaling less than three full days.Seeing Zhang Zhixuan's breakthrough, the middle-aged Daoist Zhang Menglian wore a look of relief, feeling that the clan had a successor and might gradually return to its former prosperity.Zhang Zhixuan gradually dispelled the purple and cyan qi from his face. As he slowly concluded his cultivation, he said, "Seventeenth Uncle, you flatter me. Given the clan's current situation, it's already a struggle just to survive—we can't possibly provide Foundation Establishment Pills for clan cultivators. Even if I reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, without a Foundation Establishment Pill, my chance of succeeding in Foundation Establishment is one in ten thousand."Hearing this, Zhang Menglian sighed and forced a bitter smile. "What can we do then? To make progress on the Dao, you young ones will have to rely on yourselves even more."Zhang Zhixuan smiled bitterly. "Seventeenth Uncle, did you come here for something?"The middle-aged Daoist's expression remained calm. "By the clan's rules, you could still practice at home for another two years until you turn eighteen—when you'll be considered an adult and contribute to the clan. But we're short of hands now. I've come with your Nineteenth Uncle's order to discuss whether you can go down the mountain early to help the clan."According to the clan's rules, cultivators do not need to perform menial tasks before turning eighteen and can focus on cultivation in the mountains. Only after reaching adulthood and mastering their skills do they go down the mountain to serve the clan. This rule exists because under eighteen, cultivators have low cultivation, limited knowledge, immature personalities, and little experience. Even if forced to go down the mountain, they would be of little use—easily preyed upon by hostile cultivators and unable to face the dangers of the immortal world.The Zhang Clan has always enforced strict rules. Zhang Zhixuan was only sixteen, not yet an adult, so Zhang Menglian spoke in a gentle tone, not forcing him to leave the mountain.