nyslfriends Chapter 451 The Drawbacks of Unorthodox Methods! Emperor Jianwen's Wish!
Chapter 451 The Drawbacks of Unorthodox Methods! Emperor Jianwen's Wish!
Chen Fan withdrew his gaze and looked back at the pool water, his voice calm:
"Cultivating immortality through incense offerings is ultimately a side path. Although it is fast, its foundation is weak, and it is completely different from the orthodox path of cultivating immortality."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "The Nascent Soul realm is the unity of essence, energy, and spirit, transforming the elixir into an infant, representing another metamorphosis in life form. Orthodox cultivators need to accumulate sufficient spiritual power, have a harmonious and unobstructed mind, comprehend the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and condense the Nascent Soul in their dantian. However, the path of incense offerings that you cultivate relies on the faith and wishes of all living beings. When you break through, you will likely need a massive amount of incense offerings to support you, and the mental tribulation will be even heavier—the thoughts of all people converge on one body, and the cause and effect of good and evil become entangled, making it extremely easy to shake one's original heart. If you are not careful, you will face the fate of annihilation and death."
Emperor Jianwen listened silently, showing no surprise on his face.
As a cultivator, he was naturally more aware of these drawbacks than others. The incense-burning secret technique allowed him to advance from the Qi Refining Realm to the Core Formation Realm in a short period of time, and even touch upon the Nascent Soul Realm, but the price was equally enormous.
He stroked the Imperial Seal of the State hanging at his waist, feeling the golden dragons containing the incense offerings and fortune of the states of Yan, Han, and Chu slowly moving within, and said in a deep voice:
"I still have some reserves of incense offerings. As for the tribulation of the heart... My path, from beginning to end, has always been the 'path of the emperor,' for the prosperity of the Great Abyss, for the people to live in peace and prosperity, for everyone to be equal, and for them not to be bullied by immortals. This will is as firm as a rock, and the will of the people is an extension of this will. I shall bear it myself."
Chen Fan glanced at him, his tone indifferent: "A strong will is a good thing. However, the power of incense is mixed; faith contains prayers, fears, and resentments, all of which weigh on you, like carrying a mountain on your back day and night. Your lifespan..."
He changed the subject slightly, his voice lowering a bit.
"While the secret techniques of incense burning can lead to quick success, they also deplete one's foundation. Observing your aura, I see that your hair is already graying, and although your essence, energy, and spirit are abundant, there are signs of internal deficiency. If you do not forcefully attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, but instead proceed slowly, you may be able to live for another hundred years."
May you live another hundred years.
These four characters stood out clearly in the twilight.
Emperor Jianwen's hand gripping the fishing rod tightened slightly, and his knuckles turned a little white.
How could he not know?
Since he rapidly improved by relying on the power of incense offerings, he could feel the essence of life flowing away at a slow but steady pace.
In the stillness of the night, only he knows the weariness and emptiness that comes from the depths of his soul.
For a cultivator aspiring to immortality, a lifespan of a hundred years is an incredibly precious temptation.
A gentle breeze stirred the surface of the pond, ruffling the spring water and ruffling a few strands of gray hair on Emperor Jianwen's forehead.
He remained silent for a long time, so long that the last rays of sunlight sank behind the palace walls, leaving only a hazy gray-blue.
"Master," he finally spoke, his voice low yet incredibly clear, each word seemingly squeezed out from his chest, "The Great Abyss... lacks Nascent Soul combat power."
Chen Fan frowned slightly.
Emperor Jianwen did not look at him, but stared into the depths of the pool, as if trying to see through the dark bottom:
"The Eight Sects are high and mighty, regarding mortals as mere ants and weeds. The Changchun Sect has enslaved Dayuan for a hundred years, the Qingyun Sect is domineering and arrogant, and the other sects are also eyeing us covetously. Although Dayuan has now destroyed three kingdoms and its national strength is growing day by day, with my master in charge, his prestige is awe-inspiring in all directions. But my master is still my master, a transcendent master who cannot and will not be the guardian of my Dayuan forever."
He paused, then continued, "The Great Abyss needs its own Nascent Soul cultivator, a true pillar of stability. Only in this way can it truly gain a foothold in this world of conflict between immortals and mortals, where the strong prey on the weak, and realize the lifelong wish of me and my Imperial Uncle: to ensure that all the people of the Great Abyss are equal, free from the oppression of the immortal sects, and share in a peaceful and prosperous era."
A long silence fell over the pond.
Chen Fan's hand holding the fishing rod remained motionless, with only the float gently swaying on the water's surface.
As dusk deepened, the surface of Tai'an Pond changed from gray-blue to deep indigo, reflecting the newly lit palace lanterns.
He understood Emperor Jianwen's words perfectly.
Everyone has their own path.
The path of emperors, where incense leads to immortality, is destined to be fraught with thorns from the very beginning.
Emperor Jianwen was not unaware of the risks; he simply weighed the options before making his choice.
Just like when I chose to enter the palace and become a eunuch.
Chen Fan slowly reeled in the fishing rod, winding the fishing line back onto it bit by bit.
"Since you've made up your mind," his voice was calm and unwavering, revealing neither joy nor anger, "we won't try to persuade you any further. Everyone has their own path to walk, and you can't force them."
Emperor Jianwen turned to his master and said:
"Thank you, Master, for your kindness."
Chen Fan waved his hand, leaned the fishing rod against the willow tree, and sat up straight on the stool again.
He looked up at the outline of the palace walls in the distance, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:
"Since you are about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, I will give you a few pointers. Although the path of incense offerings is different from orthodox cultivation, some principles are still the same."
Emperor Jianwen immediately sat up straight, his expression focused.
Chen Fan slowly said, "The Nascent Soul is formed by transforming the elixir into an infant, where essence, energy, and spirit are united. Orthodox cultivators must first form a Golden Core, and once the Golden Core is perfected, an infant embryo is nurtured within the dantian. When the infant embryo is first formed, it needs to be nurtured with spiritual energy until it is stable before it can break through the elixir and become a Nascent Soul."
"And the path of incense offerings you've taken, what has condensed in your dantian is not a golden elixir, but rather a divine seal of incense offerings." Chen Fan looked at Emperor Jianwen.
"Our guess is that your divine seal must already have cracks?"
Emperor Jianwen was startled and nodded, saying, "Master is wise. Several months ago, fine cracks appeared on the divine seal, and in recent days the cracks have increased, as if something wants to break out of the seal."
"That is the nascent soul," Chen Fan said calmly. "The path of incense is based on the faith and vows of all living beings, condensing a divine seal. Once enough incense has been accumulated, the divine seal will crack open on its own, giving birth to an incense nascent soul. This process is more dangerous than the orthodox cultivator's breakthrough from the core to the nascent soul."
"Why?" Emperor Jianwen asked.
"Because the nascent soul of a true cultivator originates from their own essence, energy, and spirit, and is pure and unified." Chen Fan stretched out his withered finger and drew a line in the air.
"The nascent soul formed by incense originates from the power of the thoughts of all people. Within this power of thoughts are prayers, reverence, gratitude, as well as resentment, fear, and jealousy. These mixed thoughts converge into a nascent soul, which is born bearing the imprint of the emotions of all living beings."
He paused, then looked at Emperor Jianwen: "When your nascent soul is first formed, these distracting thoughts will overwhelm your mind like a tidal wave. If your will is not firm, you will become lost in the emotions of the masses. At best, you will suffer a qi deviation; at worst, your mind will collapse, and you will turn into a monster that only knows how to devour incense offerings."
Emperor Jianwen's face paled slightly, but his eyes remained firm: "Your disciple understands."
"Knowing is one thing, actually facing it is another," Chen Fan shook his head.
"When we broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, although we had no worldly desires, we still experienced the tribulation of inner demons. That feeling... was like falling into an abyss, with utter despair, and we just wanted to sink into oblivion and never wake up again."
Emperor Jianwen pondered, "My master's obsession is..."
Chen Fan smiled, a smile that appeared somewhat desolate in the night.
"Our family's conviction is very simple," he said softly.
"It's about surviving, surviving well. In this world, eunuchs have lowly lives, and immortals see mortals as ants. We don't want to be ants, nor do we want to be slaughtered. So we must cultivate ourselves, become stronger, and take control of our own destiny."