Pathway To Eternity

The lower dantian levels started from the gathering of Chi, Lianchi level, to the golden core forming, Jindan level. All the Chi energy were stored in the lower dantian. And the lower dantian was located near the navel and it opened for true cultivators.

The middle dantian level began from the Nascent soul, Yuanying level to the Celestial soul, Tianshang level. The middle dantian was located near the heart and can be a.s.sessed by true immortals.

The upper dantian level initiated at the Shensheng level, the cosmic divinity level till infinity. It was located at the center of the head and could only be attuned to by the true cosmic divines.

Chi was the vital force, the vital energy necessary for immortality. Any mortal cultivator aiming to achieve eternal life must have Chi in his or her dantian by gathering, refining and condensing it. Afterwards, the Chi would be changed into an orb or a ball, from there to a golden core and from there to a nascent soul, all the way to a celestial soul.

Absolute immortality would be achieved when a cultivator reached the level of emptiness, one with the universe.

From creation, mortal soul was placed in permanent limbo. Blind to the light of enlightenment.

One of the laws of creation. A mortal soul lived, a mortal soul died to live again. Forever subjected to the wheel of reincarnation, the samsara circle.

It was Chi, the vital force, that could bring out the mortal soul from limbo, placing it around the navel area. After that it would transform the mortal soul into the orb of Chi essence energy or soul energy that would travel to the heart area, changing into a nascent soul. Then the nascent soul would leave for the upper dantian where it would transform into emptiness.

There were no level of measurements to the amount of Chi a cultivator could gather into the dantian. The amount of Chi was determined by the size of the dantian and the availability of the Chi energy.

For Haider, he had been fortunate from womb, his mother had used the rainbow womb spirit pill when he was a foetus, since he was a young child, he had been using the astral primal technique and he had blue crystalline to supply Chi energy available in numbers. And then recently, the heavenly root spirit pill.

Haider was very happy about everything and he had advanced to the late stage of Ningchi. What more could he ask for?

He gathered himself and walked towards the hall of the house of light. Arriving there, he quickly exchange greetings with other disciples before moving to his seat.

Shortly after, elder w.a.n.g Xiu entered the study hall holding a small box.

"Sorry everybody, i had to quickly tend to this." As she placed it on her table.

"Today-." She started to say when she broke off.

"Oh, i see. Interesting, very intrresting." She looked at Haider, smiled and nodded.

"Today, It"s all about sword intent. How it relates to a sword artist. Please follow me, all of you."

Elder w.a.n.g Xiu took them through the back of the study hall to the house of light training field. Stationing herself at the opposite front.

"Sword intent. What does it mean to a sword artist?" She asked, then continued.

"Everything is within your power and your power is within you. This is will. Every cultivator has it. The power to choose your own actions or a.s.sert your own volition. We know we have this power, but why do we have to use this power? You may ask. Because, there are things that propel it."

She raised one finger to indicate.

"The first is the desire. Desire is the strong wish for something to happen or to do. Will is easily a.s.sociated with desire, it is the fuel that propels will."

Elder w.a.n.g Xiu added another raised finger.

"The second is the ability. Ability is the power that enable you to do things yo do. With ability comes the will. They go hand in hand."

Then, she had three fingers raised up.

"The third is Perseverance. This means persistence or resolution to do something. The trait of not giving up, the will of forging ahead no matter what."

She looked from one face to another.

"But the question is, why? Why do we have all these?

Hitting her fist in the palm of her hand.

"All these things are compelled by the need to survive, the need to live. The innate driving force. This is the intent of a cultivator. And just like a cultivator, every weapon has an intent, the innate driving force imbued during its smithing. Since swords are extension of a sword artist, a swordmaster will give specific details of the needed sword to the swordsmith. And, a swordsmith will be in the specific frame of mind when making a sword to imbue the necessary intent into it."

Elder w.a.n.g Xiu paced up and down, then stopped at their front.

"You see, there are many intents that can be imbued into a sword. Evil intent, bad intent, specific intent, good intent and so on. Most swordmasters prefer the general intent with more of a specific. Pay attention to how you make your sword. The intent of your sword will reflect on you and your intent will reflect on your sword too. Because your sword is an extension of you, a part of you.

She materialised her sword and held it slightly to the front.

"This is my sword, lightflex, i can simply use it to heal the heart of my enemies if he or she has a tormented heart. Not all your enemies deserve death, as a matter of fact. And, i can easily draw healing energy from it in extremely critical times. The reason being that it was made based on the healing intent and coupled with the items used in making it. Nonetheless, it can easily kill if it is really needed."

She turned from them and with a step arrived near a giant dummy used for mystical training and cut it into two with a single stroke.

"We will continue next time. Study hard and practice harder."

After the lecture, the group of friends gathered together at the cafetaria again. They all talked about new things since they last met. They didn"t always had time to gather together unless after lectures. Only Haider was living in section two of the boys dormitory, Chenric and Horacio were staying in section three, while Da Xia was staying in the girls dormitory.

"The pill was AMAZING! My whole body was vibrating in colours, it was like i could see the foundation of Jadeite pillars in my dantian. Hehehe.... i even advanced to middle stage Ningchi. Amazing."

"It truly was incredible, Da Xia. Like i told you before, last-sword is the sect to be in."

"I advanced too. It was really was a wonderful feeling."

"Yes it was."

"I"ve made my decision regarding the compet.i.tion, i will be partic.i.p.ating." Da Xia resting her hands on the table, leaned closer.

"That"s good news Da xia, welcome on board."

"What about you, Horacio?

"Don"t know. Maybe."

"Well, there"s still plenty of time to decide, don"t worry, take your time."

"Yes, we still have time."

"By the way Haider, why did elder Wan Xiu said "interesting" when she looked at you this morning?."

"Wish i knew too." Haider shook his head.

He saw and heard her too, but what would he say? He didn"t know the reason himself and he couldn"t just go up to her and ask anyways.

"Horacio, something wrong? It seems something is not right or it might just be me." Said Chenric, with a concerned look on his facel

"You seemed worried, Horacio. Anything bothering you."

"Maybe another time."

They all agreed to another time. Horacio needed time to come to a decision wether to tell them or not. They continued talking in generality and after finishing with their lunch, they went their seperate ways.

Haider made his way to the library where he spent his time reading about the Dao of the universe. He realized that he knew simply nothing about the Dao and the universe. The more he read about it, the bigger it gets. It was a true profound mystery,

How could he truly understand something so grand?

He read for a bit more then left for the house of lightning"s study hall.

Elder Ju Long adjust the sleeves of his robes.

"Sword arts. Like every beautiful aspect of the universe, are beatiful arts. Through the arts of swords, many swordmasters have had glimpses of the universe giving them enlightenment and insight. They had become legendary swordmasters.

He clasped his arms behind his body and slowly paced up and down.

"Simple sword arts can contain profound mysteries. Sword arts can look simple but complex and they can look complex but simple. Like the beauty of sword arts, lightning displays are the true beauty of nature, mortal eyes are mesmerized by their dazzling beauty. And when you combined sword art with lightning display, you have sword lightning"

He suddenly stopped in front of them.

"Sword lightning is like a poetry, it lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the universe."

He continued teaching them for the next one hour before calling it a day.

After the lecture, Haider quickly caught up to the other two in the study hall.

"Callidora, Horacio, free moment?

"Not now." Replied Callidora. She always kept to herself in the study hall.

Maybe she didn"t like keeping many friends. Don"t blame her anyways.

"Horacio?"

"Have something right now, Haider."

"Tomorrow? We can meet at the training center. What say you?"

"Okay, tomorrow morning."

He departed from Horacio and headed towards his room. He entered and locked the door. Took out some meat to eat and started reading the Dao of the universe. He was oca.s.sionaly writing down on his parchment as he was reading. An hour later, he put down the book and put the parchment back into the spatial sac.

He removed his robe and started practicing the shifting heavens hand technique. He didn"t need to worry about disturbing or causing any damage to the room, he had not been practicing with Chi for a very long time. He only practiced with his body strength.

Putting one blue crystalline in his mouth, he sat down in a lotus position and started to cultivate.

It had only been one week and few days since he arrived at the Last-Sword sect, he could already see the benefits of the sect.

The next day, he would go to the training ground to train his body in the Spine Swift technique he found in the library. A speed and agility technique. It was a second grade technique but it would do just fine by him. No grade was a loss, any grade available must be cherished with a good heart.

He freed his mind and immersed himself in cultivation. He was soon completely lost in a trance. He had the true feeling that he could actually see himself sitting down cultivating, like he was sitting in front of himself.