Chapter 20: Fortunate and Pragmatic

Fortunate, yet pragmatic.

The iceberg, its hues leaning toward darkness, occasionally glimmered with white light, as if a thread of brilliance had managed to slip through the dense, oppressive clouds by sheer luck. When the light touched its surface, it seemed to awaken, a fleeting spark of vitality—though such liveliness vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Midway up the mountain, where the air currents once flowed simply with the wind or against it, Bai Qi sat cross-legged. Since the mysterious woman had stirred the spiritual energy stored within Bai Qi’s dantian, the true significance of this energy revealed itself. Its roots lay in the deadly confrontation at the docks with Soul Sparrow, when both sides unleashed their near-ultimate techniques. Bai Qi had grasped the killer move in the Guangling Zither—the “Break” technique. If Bai Qi had only understood the basic principle at the threshold, this “Break” could shatter myriad attacks. Yet now, when he deployed this move, the spiritual energy not only tore through enemy force but also absorbed a portion, transforming it into pure essence. And as his cultivation advanced, the absorption became ever more astonishing. Imagine battling an opponent of equal level—such an ability would be a tremendous advantage, draining the enemy dry. Of course, this peculiar technique came at great cost: each use drained his strength, a double-edged sword. For true masters, however, the drawback could be disregarded, for this technique alone allowed one to fight two as an equal.

Bai Qi’s heart was calm, like the surface of a vast lake, unruffled by the slightest ripple. Suddenly, from that tranquil expanse, a tornado three or four yards thick and a hundred yards high erupted, churning the lake as if tumultuous winds were rising anew. Its momentum threatened to overturn the entire domain, surging upward, as though it would break through the heavens. Yet, less than a hundred yards from the sky, an invisible barrier stopped its ascent, forbidding it from advancing further.

Bai Qi sensed the truth: this dantian’s momentum was the threshold he needed to cross to break through the Yellow Rank and reach the legendary “Celestial Gate.” The nature of this realm was still unknown to him, but he knew that now, above all, he must keep his mind steady and push through this arduous first step. He recalled how, at the peak of the Yellow Rank, had it not been for Kun revealing its secrets, he might have muddled his way to the Mystic Rank, progressing by rote. Now, he grasped the process and could feel the descent of power and the approach of heavenly laws. Do not underestimate those hundred steps—a distance most could never even approach, much less break.

With a focused mind, Bai Qi summoned ninety percent of his spiritual energy, charging toward the sky’s barrier. “Boom! Boom!” Thunder echoed from above, as if the heavens themselves roared in fury. How dare this insignificant cultivator defy the natural order, like an ant aspiring to soar above the clouds! Enraged, the heavens thundered: this tiny mortal, ignorant of their majesty, dared to step again and again across “my” boundaries, breaking “my” iron laws. Who? Who dares? Who dares indeed!

Bai Qi seemed to understand the will of Heaven, startled by his ability to reach this layer. Without hesitation, he gathered his power, launching himself at the barrier with all his might.

“Clang… clang… clang…” Each collision rang out with the sharp sound of metal striking metal, crisp yet jarring. Bai Qi ignored it, channeling every ounce of strength—if he faltered now, his energy would be wasted, and he knew the consequences: punishment from the heavens, the destruction of his cultivation, his very life forfeit. Though his heart rebelled, a thousand protests could not express his inner turmoil. Kun was captured, suffering unknown torments. Heizi, since Bai Qi’s arrival in this world, had vanished for years with no word. Though Bai Qi played at cheer and laughter, deep down he understood. Most crucially, he wondered how he might return home. Now, his situation was nothing but wishful thinking. If he did return, he would curse the principal—what nonsense, what charlatan, secretly conspiring with that strange “Sea Horse.” He had awakened to find himself here, surely implicated by them. Anger and resentment flared within him once again.

He calmed himself, treating the barrier with earnest resolve. All these changes were observed by the mysterious woman, her gaze shifting subtly, a hint of admiration in her eyes. For those who knew her, such approval would be astonishing—a person like her, capable of appreciating even a sliver of talent, was truly rare.

Ninety-nine steps, ninety-seven… ninety. Inch by inch, Bai Qi pressed forward as though bearing a crushing weight, gritting his teeth as veins bulged on his forehead, his expression contorted with effort. He shouted, “I refuse! This barrier is but a stone in my path; anyone who blocks my way home deserves to die!”

With a few deep breaths, Bai Qi charged once more, reaching the eightieth step. In those brief twenty steps, he had consumed nearly forty percent of his energy.

Sweat, once a fine mist upon his brow, now streamed down his cheeks like rivulets. Bai Qi’s spiritual energy surged, his dantian, limbs, and mind never relaxing for an instant. Maintaining his focus was vital. Inside his dantian, the spiritual energy churned—more lively than ever before. With each step, each surge, the transformation of energy increased in speed. If one looked closely, deep within his dantian, a golden lightning bolt—minute as a fingerprint—flashed in the depths, discernible only to the most careful eye.

He reached the sixty-sixth step. Each step now was a steep incline, nearly vertical, like a ladder to the heavens. Bai Qi’s energy had dwindled to barely twenty-nine percent. From eighty to sixty-six steps, another ten percent had vanished, and as the height increased, so did the consumption.

Bai Qi recalled the technique he had gleaned from the feather—the golden figure gazing at the sky, his aura threatening to crush the heavens, to look down upon all creation.

It was more than perspective—it was a state of being, a realm of power, a realm of intent. This realm of intent was also an obsession, a deep, unyielding obsession.

Bai Qi’s own obsessions burned: for family, for friends, and above all for Kun, who had accompanied him through this world. And stronger still—the obsession to return home.

In that moment, golden light blazed around Bai Qi, like a dragon breaking from the sea and soaring skyward. The steps seemed to yield, and Bai Qi shot forward like an arrow, breaking through the barrier’s obstruction!

In the blink of an eye, Bai Qi surged through fifty-six steps, leaving only ten between himself and his goal—a distance both infinitesimal and impossibly vast.

From afar, the mysterious woman now stood outside the temple hall, her body still cloaked in black fabric. She murmured, “That rascal—he’s managed to touch the realm of ancient obsession. Though barely, it’s still luck. He must have been through much, things related to it. Not bad—solid cultivation, paired with insight. Let’s hope he has a future.”