“Bai Xiaochun has already wasted nineteen days and hasn’t reached deep enlightenment. Regardless of the level of his cultivation base, he can’t match up to Ghostfang in this situation.”
“The statue is completely enigmatic and unfathomable. Lots of people have tested it out, and if you don’t succeed the first time, it’s only harder after that. Tomorrow, he’ll pass out. After he wakes up and restores his vital energy, though, it will be too late.”
Beihan Lie and the other Chosen felt that way, and so did the four peak lords, all of whom were sighing regretfully.
Gradually, Bai Xiaochun’s nineteenth day observing the statue passed. The sun set, and then dawn broke upon the twentieth day. As sunlight filled the sky, virtually everyone assumed that Bai Xiaochun would lose consciousness. But then, looks of shock filled their eyes as the twentieth day ended and the twenty-first began.
Bai Xiaochun didn’t pass out. Although he was looking a bit gaunt, he still managed to hang on.
Twenty-one days. Twenty-two days. Twenty-three days…. As time passed, astonishment grew. By the time the thirtieth day passed, the peak lords were completely astonished.
“I can’t believe how much vital energy Bai Xiaochun has!”
“At the most, ordinary disciples would last for ten days. Body refinement disciples might last for fifteen. Chosen like Ghostfang could last for twenty days at the most. Without entering a state of deep enlightenment, one’s vital energy will waste away, and they will lapse into unconsciousness. But Bai Xiaochun… has lasted for so long!”
“But what’s the point? Even if he lasts longer, if he doesn’t reach deep enlightenment, it will all have been a waste.”
Beihan Lie and the others were completely shocked, and were finally starting to understand how powerful Bai Xiaochun’s fleshly body was. And yet, they all sighed; without achieving deep enlightenment, simply lasting for a long time would do no good.
Soon, another ten days had passed, and Bai Xiaochun was still completely immersed in his attempts to commit the scales to memory. It was impossible to say how many actual attempts he had made. Perhaps 50,000, perhaps 100,000. Every single time was a failure.
The fiftieth day passed, and then the sixtieth day. Countless disciples were profoundly shaken by what Bai Xiaochun was doing. They almost couldn’t believe the deep reserves of vital energy he possessed. Never could they have imagined that he would hang on for so long. Without incredible fleshly body power, it would have been impossible.
Eventually, the seventieth day arrived, and Bai Xiaochun trembled. He was clearly much thinner than before, and it appeared as if his vital energy and fleshly body were reaching their limits.
The audience which had gathered noticed him shaking, and immediately began to comment.
“He must be about to finish. Only a few more days now, and he’ll pass out.”
“He never reached deep enlightenment. What a waste.”
Although most people in the audience felt that way, by the time the amber light of evening began to spread out….
Bai Xiaochun’s eyes revealed… blankness.
And then, a moment later, his eyes slowly closed!
Upon closing his eyes, his mind was filled with the complete image of a scale… after countless failed attempts, he had finally succeeded!
In the instant the scale appeared, a rumbling like that of thunder filled his mind, and he gasped. His aura winked out, seemingly leaving behind nothing except his body. He had finally slipped into… the legendary state of deep enlightenment!
As of that moment, the eyes of the audience widened. This was such an unexpected development that most people almost couldn’t believe it.
Bai Xiaochun had entered deep enlightenment, not by a coincidence or destiny, but simply by hard work!
This chance regarding the life essence spirit of the Waterswamp Kingdom also came with a measure of enlightenment. Furthermore, his display of hard work vastly exceeded that of anyone else!
Although his powers of understanding might not be on part with Ghostfang’s, he had worked for five times as long to do what Ghostfang did, and that was because of his fleshly body and his vital energy. Because of his cultivation of the Undying Live Forever Technique, his strength gave him incredible reserves of energy!
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Translator: Deathblade. Chinese language consultant: ASI a.k.a. Beerblade. Editor: GNE. Memes: Logan. Meme archives: Tocsin
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Chapter
127: Soul Floating In the Void
Deep enlightenment was a state in which one’s soul essentially merged with heaven and earth, connecting with the world to understand and be enlightened regarding natural and magical laws.
Mortals could accidentally slip into deep enlightenment, although the likelihood was incredibly small to the point of almost being impossible. Even Qi Condensation cultivators would have a very difficult time entering such a state, and if they did, it would cause a huge stir among anyone who found out about it.
Almighty beings with incredible cultivation bases would occasionally enter that state to comprehend the profound transformations of the world, and the great Daos of heaven and earth.
For the last thousand years in the Spirit Stream Sect, only two people had ever slipped into deep enlightenment. One of them was Ghostfang, with his spectacular natural talent. Not even Shangguan Tianyou had been able to match up to him in this regard.
The other person to succeed was now sitting beneath the statute, having observed it for seventy days in a row. Bai Xiaochun!
The surrounding north bank disciples were left gasping at the astounding scene.
“Bai Xiaochun… he… is in deep enlightenment?!?! He’s the only person to have done it other than Eldest Brother Ghostfang!”
“Hmph. How could this deep enlightenment even compare to Eldest Brother Ghostfang’s? He did it in fifteen days, but Bai Xiaochun took seventy!”
“That’s not the way to look at it. It just means that if we could hang on for seventy days, then we could reach deep enlightenment too. Except we can’t! Look how hard Bai Xiaochun worked!”
In addition to the cries of shock, there were other mixed feelings among the crowd. Some people seemed indignant, others jealous, and some contemptuous. Regardless of the specifics, everyone could sense how hard Bai Xiaochun had worked, and how much he had struggled to endure. Furthermore, all of them were envious to some degree.
At the same time, six beams of light appeared up in the air. The fastest among them were not the four peak lords of the north bank, but rather… Li Qinghou from the south bank!
In almost the moment that Bai Xiaochun slipped into a trance, he appeared. Waving his finger in the direction of the trial platform, he caused a screen of light to descend, surrounding Bai Xiaochun so that no one could disturb him.
It was at around this time that the four peak lords as well as Sect Leader Zheng Yuandong arrived.
The old woman from Irispetal Peak peak looked over at Li Qinghou, and then the surrounding crowd. Suppressing her surprise at the fact that Bai Xiaochun had entered deep enlightenment, she barked, “Seal the entire area surrounding the trial platform. Don’t open it until Bai Xiaochun awakens.”
“If anyone disturbs Bai Xiaochun, it will be considered treason, and punished accordingly!” Zheng Yuandong added. “Get the Hall of Justice over here immediately to stand guard!” In response, the Outer Sect disciples bowed their heads and clasped hands respectfully.