Chapter Nine: This Is What Life Truly Is

He opened his eyes to find the room shrouded in darkness, save for a faint glow filtering through the window. Qin Ming—no, now he was Jiang Fan of the Jiang family in the Great Song Dynasty of this immortal world—sat up, considered for a moment, then lay back down. He had spent twenty days in the world of Swallowed Star. With the time ratio of one to one hundred, only a little over four hours had passed here in the Great Song Dynasty.

“It must be just after midnight now,” Jiang Fan mused, and soon fell into a deep sleep. The world is vast, and the essentials—eating, drinking, sleeping—remain unchanged.

At dawn, as the rooster crowed heralding a new day, Jiang Fan rose early, washed, and stepped into the courtyard. The eastern sky was already brightening, though the sun that warmed all things had yet to leap above the horizon.

“This body is certainly not as strong as the one I had in Swallowed Star,” Jiang Fan thought as he stretched his arms, feeling weak and powerless. After the assessment in that world, a few more days had seen him firmly among the ranks of advanced warriors. Here, he hadn’t even completed the equivalent of the Foundation Establishment phase.

He set his stance and began practicing the Diagram of the Profound Way. Starting from the first illustration, in no time he reached the fifth, yet did not stop. Upon reaching the sixth, Jiang Fan’s heart tightened. His predecessor had been stuck here, unable to complete the sixth illustration no matter how he tried. He wondered if he himself could succeed now.

He had long since grasped the essence of the sixth diagram. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his posture, paused briefly, and completed it. In that instant, a warm current surged from the depths of his blood, sweeping through his limbs and bones and merging into his very marrow and organs. Jiang Fan felt a marked improvement in his physique.

After nearly half an hour, he finally stood up. His whole body felt relaxed and invigorated, as if he’d been massaged all night.

“Foundation Establishment is complete. A bit more consolidation, and I’ll be ready for the next stage of cultivation!"

“To complete the sixth diagram so easily upon returning—was it my arrival that changed my constitution, or the influence of traveling between worlds?” Jiang Fan could not say. But whatever the cause, the result was excellent, and that was enough.

“Congratulations, young master, Foundation Establishment is complete!” came a clear, melodious voice like an oriole singing in a secluded valley. Xiao Qian, who had been waiting at his side, approached with a basin in her hands and a towel draped over her arm. “Young master, please wash up.”

“Very well,” Jiang Fan replied with a smile.

He washed his face and hands with practiced ease.

“Young master, have some tea to refresh your throat,” said Xiao Qing, offering a cup of warm tea.

Jiang Fan took it and drank in one gulp, sighing inwardly, “This is what life should be.”

Xiao Qian was pure and innocent, Xiao Qing graceful and lovely. These were his two young attendants, caring for his daily needs with meticulous attention.

“What’s for breakfast today?” Jiang Fan asked.

“What would young master like?” Xiao Qian blinked her large eyes.

“Your steamed buns!” Jiang Fan replied with a laugh. “Didn’t someone bring a wild rabbit yesterday? Xiao Qing, let’s have that rabbit for breakfast.”

“Of course!”

“Please wait a moment, young master!”

With that, Xiao Qing and Xiao Qian set about their preparations.

Jiang Fan stood beneath a tree, gazing eastward. There, half the red sun had already risen.

“I must remain here for fifty days,” he thought. “Fifty days, which in Swallowed Star time is but one night. When I return, it will be dawn there.”

“In these fifty days…” Jiang Fan’s mind was already formulating a plan. With a goal in sight, motivation follows naturally.

He resumed his stance and continued practicing the Diagram of the Profound Way. By the time breakfast was ready, he had repeated the sixth illustration several times, becoming exceedingly proficient. He judged that in two more days, his Foundation Establishment would be fully stabilized. The speed surprised even him.

In the main hall, Jiang Fan sat down to eat. The two young attendants refused to sit, preferring to stand nearby and serve.

“Xiao Qian, your steamed buns are as delicious as ever. I can never get enough!” Jiang Fan savored each bite.

“I’ll make them for you all my life, young master!” Xiao Qian’s eyes sparkled.

“Haha, I just worry you’ll tire of me and leave,” Jiang Fan teased.

“I would never do that!” Xiao Qian’s cheeks flushed.

“What about the dishes I made, young master?” Xiao Qing interjected.

“They’re delicious, truly!” Jiang Fan praised after a few bites. “Very well done! You two should have some too—don’t go hungry.”

Breakfast lasted half an hour. While Xiao Qing and Xiao Qian cleaned up, Jiang Fan went to the study, where shelves upon shelves of books awaited. Among them were cultivation manuals, notes, and commentaries. Jiang Fan studied them all.

He paid particular attention to the explanations of Arrow Steps and the Punching Fist. He also found a blade technique with a rather common name: the Mountain-Cleaving Saber Technique.

Master it, and one could split mountains with a single stroke.

After studying for a while, he resumed his training. Techniques were secondary; cultivation was the foundation.

By midday, Jiang Fan had specifically requested more meat for lunch. He ate heartily and, even as he dined, continued to ponder.

“Foundation Establishment is basically done. Should I continue with the Diagram of the Profound Way, or switch to the path of Qi Refining?”

He hesitated.

This world’s mainstream was cultivating immortality through Qi Refining. Though body refinement was a recognized path, it had long since fallen into decline; few pursued it to any great achievement, and almost none attained true immortality through it.

Moreover, the Diagram of the Profound Way contained only thirty-six illustrations. Even if he mastered them all, it equated to innate perfection—but the path ended there, despite the formidable combat strength it conferred.

“Should I cultivate Qi instead?”

Jiang Fan was undecided. Throughout the meal, he turned the matter over in his mind, then finally laughed away his worries; he had made up his mind.

“To walk an extraordinary path, one must live extraordinarily!”

“The Swallowed Star world focuses on evolving the body. Here, that’s akin to body refinement, isn’t it?”

“With a vast and formidable universe backing me, why should I fear a dead end on my path?”

“The Diagram of the Profound Way is the sole legacy passed down through the Jiang family for generations—could it truly be so simple?”

“If the Jiang family was indeed founded by the legendary Jiang Ziya, then…”

“There must be more to the Diagram than thirty-six illustrations!”

“If I reach the limit, I’ll simply seek out the next stage myself!”

“As for Qi Refining—if it becomes necessary, I’ll integrate it as well.”

“For now, I’ll take it one step at a time!”

While Jiang Fan’s wisdom might not surpass that of his forebears, his perspective had already transcended the confines of this world, granting him an extraordinary vision.

By evening, he began practicing the seventh illustration, but managed only half of it. He estimated that, if not today, he would certainly succeed tomorrow.

Just as Jiang Fan finished his cultivation and stood up, a delighted voice called out, “Xiao Fan, have you completed Foundation Establishment?”

“Mother, yes, I have!” That voice was more familiar to him than his own, etched into his very bones—it was his mother, Nangong Yue. Jiang Fan turned to see his parents and asked, “What brings you home today?”

“No matter how busy we are, we must see our precious son!” Nangong Yue said as she shook the food box in her hand. “Someone hunted a Red-Bearded Prawn beast today, and I bought a piece just for you. It took three hours to make this prawn porridge!”

“Mother, you always know how to spoil me!”

“And I don’t?” Jiang Zheng’an came over, squeezing Jiang Fan’s shoulders and arms, nodding approvingly. “Foundation Establishment is basically complete. Very good, very good!”

In the main hall, the family gathered around the table. As they ate dinner, they discussed recent events. The city had been mostly peaceful, except for some rumors of river demons stirring trouble, which, according to Jiang Zheng’an, might become a real issue.

After dinner, Jiang Fan retrieved a purple-gold nanmu box from his room and placed it on the table.