Forget Oneself, Finding The Trueself

The two heaven chosen were seated as far as possible from each other and learning the Immortal-ranked sword art.

Ji Bolin stood on the other end of the stone platform and stared at the immortal-ranked sword art engraved on the stone wall. With just a glance, he instantly immersed himself into comprehending. This sword art was simply too profound and the might contained within was earth-shattering. Very swiftly, it seemed as though he himself had been transported into the pictures and was practising the sword together with the figure.

The figure's sword strikes were swifter even than wind, Ji Bolin couldn't even see the movement of the actual sword, and could only see the shadow. When the sword is slow, it contains even enough power to sever a wall of divine steel and at the very end, when the immortal might gushes out, a single sword was sufficient to break mountains and sever rivers.

This particular sword art shared similarities with several immortal-ranked sword arts that Ji Bolin had observed in the Heavenly Blossom Pagoda. They all use the concept of burning one's own energy and essence to power their strike. These techniques were extremely suitable to use when one needed to gamble their lives and this was a true combat technique. With the peak 5th ranked sword in his possession, he coincidentally needed a truly powerful sword art to accompany it.

Ji Bolin was soon in such a deep state of comprehension that he couldn't extricate himself from it. After a period of time, although he was just casually standing there, faint traces of terrifying sword qi could be felt radiating from him. When he intentionally magnified the sword qi, faint silhouettes of himself manifested, formed from the sword intent.

This cultivation period of his lasted an entire month. And during this time, there were other geniuses or prisoners who passed by this place and actually interrupted their comprehension process. The both of them sword comprehending ascendants would test their gain onto those foolish ones. Several diced bodies could be seen here and there on the massive stone platform as a warning sign.

Nevertheless, in the entire Darknorth Immortal Gorge Mountain Range, combat was now becoming more and more infrequent. These geniuses from the hundred prefectures all understood that this sacred ground of cultivation contained many powerful immortal-ranked techniques. If they didn't focus on cultivating those, it would truly be a waste of heavenly treasures.

The prisoners also had a taste of these elite geniuses strength and even the ninth level celestial phenomenon ascendants amongst them were no match against them. They then decided not to trouble them as much as possible.

Today, before the stone wall. Regardless if it was Ji Bolin or the other person, terrifying amounts of sword qi exuded from both their bodies, clashing against each other in the thin air.

Abruptly, that expert's eyes opened, flashing with a dazzling sword light. After which, her silhouette flickered, her entire body was akin to a sharp sword as she pierced right towards the direction Ji Bolin was in. This terrifying sword beam would only need an instant to sever the unfettered Bolin into two. It was extremely dangerous.

However at the very moment that expert moved, a torrential sword might gushed forth in waves from Ji Bolin. His movement seemed to be extremely slow as he slashed down with his sword but contained within it was an earth-shattering might that even sundered the sky. A stream of sword qi directly arced through the skies as a terrifying sword scar was left in its wake.

The bodies of the two of them were just inches apart from each other.

The expert's eyes were like swords of supreme sharpness, able to pierce through the hearts of people. Whistling sword qi tore through the air as at that instant, the entire space around here was filled with indomitable sword might and a total number of eighty-one sword silhouettes were born from their respective sword intents.

If the Ji Bolin now met the him who had just stepped into the Darknorth Immortal Gorge Mountain Range, he would effortlessly be able to defeat and slaughter that former version of himself. In this place, one had to constantly cultivate their hardest so as to raise their own strength. If not, no matter how strong your talent or bloodline power is, you would be ousted sooner or later.

With a few rounds of cultivating, the prisoners and demonic beasts for the most part were no longer a real threat to the many heaven chosen. This is tangible proof of their overwhelming talent and strength.

But back to the clash of "Swordsman".

In the blink of an eye, the two of them exchanged over nine hundred sword strikes before they pulled apart from each other. Only then did that expert glance at Ji Bolin seriously as she soared into the air.

"Coldmoon City, Pei Yun'er. Ranked #10" That expert stared at Ji Bolin as she spoke of her origin and name.

"Redcloud City, Ji Bolin. Ranked #13." Ji Bolin also glanced at his opponent and stated his origins. This fairy was a supreme genius and her comprehension of the sword art wasn't in any way inferior compared to Ji Bolin.

Yet before any more clash could happen between the two, the wall containing the immortal-ranked sword art shone with immeasurably bright immortal light. The entire valley was flooded with the celestial glow. The divine light washed the two supreme geniuses and forcefully sucked them in two distinct small pocket spatial caves.

They had been acknowledged by the Immortal-ranked treasure melded in the cliff wall — Immortal Slaying Sword Mirror. They were granted one of the most heaven-defying good fortune inside of the sacred cultivation ground.

Both of them had now joined a privy group of elites.

𝛀 𝛀 𝛀 𝛀 𝛀 𝛀

Inside the Spatial Cave.

Ji Bolin's perception was blocked by a formless energy when he attempted to pry the cave, only his eyes could be used. This was a cave for cultivation, the interior of it was bright, spacious and was actually about the size of three ordinary caves. He saw streams of golden lightning streaming about, resembling a golden luck force that constantly blasted the air, transforming into an extremely phantasmal light screen.

Several skeletons were seated throughout the cave, they seemingly all passed away during their cultivation. But Why?

Ji Bolin approached one of the largest skeletons, it was the remains of a giant. Giants were one of the myriad races that existed within the Azure Mystic immortal realm. They possessed enough strength to hold the heavens once they cultivated to the Immortal Emperor realm and were incredibly proficient in body cultivation attributes.

The skeletons were naked which was weird considering the fact that many of the ascendants brought in several treasures for protection or combat. 5th ranked treasures could last for millennials before being turned to dust. Something ominous was definitely going on here.

As Ji Bolin came closer and closer to his body, he saw something horrifying.

All over the bones of the Giant heaven chosen were small words carved. The words were so minute in size that they appeared as hair-thin lines tattooed on the bones. The words read the same.

"What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path? What is my path"

Just by reading these unstopping repetitive words, Ji Bolin similarly confused and just like that also silently lost himself.

This was when a golden lightning of luck hit him and forcefully manipulated his body to be seated cross-legged. Then some ancient voice sounded within his mind asking him a question. The voice was at first very thin, almost inaudible but as time passed by became more and more loud until Ji Bolin could make sense of what was being asked.

"Why Cultivate?"

This very basic question left Ji Bolin confused as he did not have an answer. Then he realised that it was not that he did not have an answer but the answer he had was very confusing and felt wrong. There were many reasons to cultivate, there were as many reasons as there were people within the 33 Immortal Realms.

Everyone had his own goal that meant they needed to cultivate. So what was his?

He didn't have any enemy on whom to take revenge. He didn't have any family to avenge, his family was very well off. He didn't have some grand dream of longevity, he was an otherworlder and as such the concept of living for millions of years was very abstract to him. He longed for immortality like every being subjected to death yet this was not his driving force. He wasn't fighting to reunite with any loved ones, he even realised that all of his relationships until now were very shallow. He who was born as a fully realised being even as a child couldn't truly enjoy others and build bonds.

So why and what was he cultivating for?

All of these thoughts took a moment to be expressed yet days and days had already gone by. As the mind of Ji Bolin madly pondered over these questions, his physical body was deteriorating at visible speed. The unfettered handsome young man he was had already been reduced to a century old regal grandpa. His short hair which had first turned white was starting to disintegrate into dust as his skin cracked more and more.

Ji Bolin was undoubtedly dying.

Then as more and more time passed, he still could not find an appropriate answer to the question asked. Every response he came up with felt wholeheartedly wrong to himself. They were absolutely not the right answer for him.

The cave, which was filled with mystical law energies, seemed to become impatient. What kind of genius doesn't know why they cultivate? If one doesn't move with purpose then how different one was from a mindless beast. Death would surely solace that poor fellow.

The law energies washed the cracking body of Ji Bolin as a divine hand seemed to scoop out his astral souls. The surreal lotus was the first to be brought out to the outside world and then viciously crushed under the assault of the ambient law energies.

Ji Bolin only had four astral souls left but they would not continue to exist for much more time.

They too were forcefully removed from his body and crushed. The astral souls one by one were destroyed without being able to muster a single ounce of resistance. Motes of astral lights, remains of the five astral souls, were used to carved the runic words "Why Cultivate" onto Ji Bolin's now naked skeletal structure.

The scene was really eerie and uncanny. Ji Bolin was still technically alive and within his eyes sockets were vibrant magenta coloured flames. As long as that soul-soothing fire continued to burn then he would still live. However, the flame was slowly but surely diminishing in intensity and strength.

Thirty-three days had gone by since he was sucked into this Good Fortune Cave. A third of his bones had been inscribed with the question he was asked. Ji Bolin was still crazilly trying to find an answer to the query.

Ji Bolin was currently in a mirage where he was shown bits of his previous life.

The first mirage involved him reading a light novel. He was visibly mad at the plot for some reason. He was mad because everybody only used swords, not in this work but in general. This was well over his hundred light novels read and more than ninety percent of those had sword wielding protagonists. The novel even baited him with the protagonist using a sabre at first then abruptly he changed to a swordsman. Ji Bolin in those times longed for Axe wielding immortals, spear wielding immortals or even the more peculiar scroll wielding one.

So Ji Bolin could not but consider why he chose a sword-type astral soul. He had no excitement wielding a sword either, the proof was he chose a technique that ditched the sword. This was not what he wished for.

The mirage abruptly changed as Ji Bolin asked himself the appropriate questions. Now in this mirage he was watching t.v instead of writing an important assignment for his university. He was thrilled with that side character special episode. The latter was using nine dragons of ice to fight against a huge colourful serpent conjured by his 'enemy' Queen Medusa. The side character walked nonchalantly towards his enemy with his hand clasped behind his back, he was accompanied by his huge flying dragons of ice. This was how he envisioned a successful cultivator. Seeking the dao whilst being driven and appearing heroic. Because of an interference the side character lost and his hair turned white yet he didn't look any less magnificent.

Ji Bolin too wanted to command dragons and walk menacingly with his hand clasped. He too wanted that with a single hand gesture, having tens of dragons lunging at his enemies to devour them. This was the thrill he seeked with cultivation.

A third mirage appeared before his eyes and this time it showed him numerous instances where he was left flabbergasted by a fictional character showcasing heaven destroying power. That one time Sun Wukong summoned his staff in combat and the staff appeared like a pillar falling down from the skies and heavens, dwarfing mountains. Or that one time Sinbad appeared to rescue the world but only after a gargantuan lightning bolt of his thoroughly trampled over his enemy.

Ji Bolin did not want to be able to devour the heavens so why had he chosen a devouring-type astral soul? He could not understand his own choice. What he truly desired was bombastic abilities that allowed him to thoroughly trample over his enemies just like any of these crazy characters.

Ji Bolin wanted to be able to say "I shall trample over the heavens" just like a certain someone could say "I shall seal the heavens".

This was when Ji Bolin realised that he had been too caught up in using his foresight about the original work that he had started to emulate certain things without much thought.

So why did he cultivate?

The answer was right at the tip of his tongue but he still could not properly express it. Ji Bolin's remains were nearly fourth-fifth covered with the runes asking him why cultivate. The soul-soothing flames in his eyes socket were nearly extinguished and death was more and more imminent. If he couldn't give an appropriate answer then he would be forever buried here just as the many previous heavens chosen before him.

Deep within his heart, Ji Bolin continued to ponder over the question again and again.

"Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate? Why Cultivate?" the same louder and louder voice as before reverberated within his empty skull as Ji Bolin pondered over an answer.

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?" an anguish scream echoed through the cave as the runes were inscribed faster and faster.

The terror did not came from knowing that death was at his door but the incapacity to answer properly. The irritation caused soul wrenching pain to the confused Ji Bolin. Cultivation was such a marvellous yet uncanny process such that at times what caused the most pain was not the harm caused to oneself but the incapability to move forward.

The despair that many felt when encountering a bottleneck was not something that a mortal could imagine. Some cultivators would sacrifice their humanity, their loved ones and everything to continue their cultivation. Ji Bolin was in such a predicament, he was ready to forfeit his life if it meant finding that answer.

In truth, Ji Bolin had no choice in the matter. If he did not answer properly then he would undoubtedly die. This was the glaring truth of this bout of good fortune, of this nirvana.

Tragic, at this moment Ji Bolin can be described as horrible, the cracked bones being marked with countless reiterations of the same words. His eyes were no longer soul-soothing looking but rather enraged and yet desperate. The eyes seemingly condemning his incompetence at finding a simple answer.

At last a desperate roar sounded as the last bit of his soul flame extinguished. In the moment of his death, the answer flashed before his eyes and everything was clear. The answer had always been beyond simple.

"I cultivate because I find it fun and thrilling!" the barely audible words echoed throughout the cave.

The cave's myriad golden lightings of good fortune cracked louder than ever as if acknowledging the truth behind his words. Ji Bolin's pursuit of immortality stemmed from a pure love of the dao. Even if this answer is lacklustre compared to the several other genius ascendants who went through that trial, the existence behind it found it acceptable.

A heaven blinding light shone and reduced to dust all the skeletons present within the cave. The light had seemingly absorbed anything present over than a piece of Ji Bolin's body.

Only the bland skull of Ji Bolin remained with a green mark on the forehead akin to a token tattoo on his very bones.