PCJ – Chapter 736 A Huge Improvement

“Of course, Shushan cannot possibly move out with everyone. There are so many people without any talent for cultivation. Even if they went to the Immortal Realm, what could they do? What’s more, the Immortal Realm is not as we imagine—it is a place filled with danger at every turn. For those disciples without cultivation, entering would only mean a dead end. The path arranged for them by the sect is to enter the mortal world. Those with talent but low cultivation will remain in the Shushan Sacred Land. Our Shushan Sect has already sealed off the mountain. For these people, unless their cultivation reaches the stage of Refining Qi into Spirit, they will never be able to walk out of the Shushan secret realm.” Di Changsheng did not conceal anything and spoke it all out.

“Why don’t you consider returning to the Shushan secret realm?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

Di Changsheng smiled bitterly and said, “Those old fellows have long been on guard against us. In the current situation, would they still allow us to enter the Shushan secret realm? The Shushan secret realm was already a very hidden place. I’m sure those old fellows have completely sealed off the passage to it. With my cultivation, it’s impossible for me to reopen the passage, and even just finding the entrance again would likely be extremely difficult.”

“In that case, as long as you sincerely join our Meishan Sect, we will not treat you any differently because you were once part of Shushan. You can go and ask those cultivators who have already joined Meishan. See for yourself how they live here. At that time, you can decide whether or not to join. Of course, it’s not only you choosing Meishan Sect—Meishan Sect also chooses you. Cultivators of poor character, no matter how strong or talented, we firmly do not want.” Zhang Jiaohua said.

Because of the catastrophe caused by the three great sects, Meishan instead encountered a rare chance for rapid growth. A large number of rogue cultivators chose to join, and those abandoned by the three sects almost all flocked to Meishan. In one stroke, Meishan became the largest sect in the cultivation world.

The area near the Giant Sword Tower, Meishan’s headquarters, was already beginning to feel crowded. But the dense spiritual energy there left everyone very satisfied. Those cultivators who had been drained of their power by the schemes of the three sacred lands had now almost completely recovered, and even experienced some improvement. Had they not joined Meishan, they would never have imagined that in Bijiang City, the sect possessed such a spiritual abode.

The impact of the appearance of the Spiritual Mountain was slowly fading in the cultivation world, but in the mortal world the effects had yet to subside. Because vast regions had become undetectable, all satellites passing over them were affected, and some even disappeared. Western nations generally believed China was conducting some kind of experiment beyond current technology.

Several countries stepped forward, demanding that China explain this major incident. The authorities were in a bind—because they themselves had no idea what had happened in that region. At the time, the area was completely beyond detection, and the investigators sent in could not enter at all.

To dispel rumors, the authorities, in the name of the Academy of Sciences, invited scientists from around the world to jointly study the strange natural phenomena in that region—trying to frame it as a purely extraordinary natural event. Their main purpose was to show that the government had no involvement in it.

China’s move puzzled Western countries, who could not determine whether the official stance was true or not.

Top scientists from many countries came to Beijing to attend the symposium. But what could such a symposium achieve? At most, they could analyze some of the data collected during that time period.

As a world-renowned scientist, Zhang Jiaohua was naturally among the invited. But he had no interest in such conferences. Though he was the one who understood the event best, he had no desire to explain to the public the basic truths of the cultivation world. Zhang Jiaohua’s current focus was entirely on his own cultivation.

That hand reaching out of the Gate of Light had left a deep impression on him. For a cultivator, fame and fortune meant nothing—the only thing that mattered was being able to control one’s own destiny. Isn’t the pursuit of immortality by cultivators precisely the pursuit of mastering one’s own fate?

At the Bijiang City Party Committee, Zhang Jiaohua had not been seen for a long time. Nobody there knew where he had gone. The only message he left was that he needed to rest for a while. How long “a while” would be, he did not say, and no one knew. Provincial leaders Su Xinpeng and Wang Zongxian knew a little, but Su Xinpeng did not remove Zhang from his position. Instead, he had Wang Zongxian temporarily manage the city committee’s work, outwardly declaring that Zhang Jiaohua was on medical leave.

When the people of Bijiang heard Zhang was ill, anxiety spread both in the city and countryside. Over the years, Zhang Jiaohua had accomplished many things there, and every citizen had benefited from his projects. They feared that if he left his post due to illness, all his previous efforts might come to nothing.

But of course, Zhang Jiaohua was not actually ill. The Spiritual Mountain incident had sparked a sudden enlightenment in him. His realm was on the verge of advancing, so he secluded himself at the highest level of the Giant Sword Tower. There, he could feel the shifting energy of heaven and earth and gradually trace the path ahead.

After a year and a half of contemplation, he suddenly felt the moment of breakthrough had arrived.

His body slowly transformed into countless points of light, even his clothes dissolving into radiance. Even though Zhang Jiaohua was a Tsinghua graduate and a world-renowned scientist, he could not explain this phenomenon in scientific terms.

His body dissolved into light and vanished between heaven and earth. The next instant, he was inside the Cultivation Diagram. But this time, it was entirely different from before. In the past, only his consciousness had entered. Now, his very body had transformed into light and entered as well, recondensing within the diagram. Body and spirit fused completely, achieving true unity.

At this moment, Zhang Jiaohua advanced from the mid-stage of Refining Qi into Spirit directly to its peak. He skipped over the late stage entirely and reached the summit. Just half a step more, and he could progress to Returning Spirit to Void. At that stage, he might even be able to survive in the Immortal Realm. But Zhang Jiaohua did not necessarily intend to go. He did not believe that only by entering the Immortal Realm could a cultivator achieve true longevity.