Chapter 58: The Sect of Impermanence

Inside the humble cottage, a single oil lamp drove away the darkness.

Sitting at his desk, his expression solemn, Jiang Chen withdrew the storage pouch hidden within his sleeve.

“The only inheritance my predecessor managed to obtain was the Qi-Attraction Technique. The true legacy for the Qi Refining stage should be within this pouch. I wonder what mysteries it holds.”

With this thought, and without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Chen infused a thread of true qi into the storage pouch.

In the next instant, the once-dull pouch shimmered with spiritual light, and its tightly sealed mouth quietly opened.

“The Minor Formless Sutra—so this is the legacy left behind by the Crane Taoist?”

Drawing out a strange book, Jiang Chen felt a subtle resonance from it, and his gaze flickered with curiosity.

This tome was not made of paper but of some kind of beast hide. Its cover was a pale violet, imbued with an inexplicable rhythm; to gaze upon it for long was to feel one’s heart settle into tranquility.

Yet, having only just entered the Qi Refining stage, Jiang Chen did not rush to explore the profundities of this cultivation art. Instead, he picked up another book. Compared to the Minor Formless Sutra, this volume seemed far more ordinary. It was written by the Crane Taoist himself and recorded his observations and cultivation insights.

With a touch of curiosity, Jiang Chen opened the book, eager to glimpse how the Crane Taoist viewed the path of cultivation. And it was at this moment that the fog surrounding the way of cultivation began to lift before his eyes, if only slightly.

“The human body is a microcosm, containing both yin and yang, the five elements complete. Though not perfectly balanced, most people are without strong elemental inclinations. For this reason, the attribute of a Qi Refiner’s true qi is generally determined by the cultivation method they practice.

“If a cultivator trains in a fire-based technique, their true qi transforms into fire qi, granting them an advantage in fire arts. Of course, there are always exceptions—prodigies born with spiritual constitutions, whose innate affinities are obvious. Once they find a corresponding technique, whether in magical combat or daily cultivation, they enjoy significant benefits.

“However, such individuals are exceedingly rare, and the methods available to them are few. Without a suitable art, their path to immortality is destined to be fraught with hardship.”

Turning the pages, Jiang Chen read with growing interest.

With the Crane Taoist’s records, he gained deeper insight into cultivation and the art of refining qi—the essence of which lay in nurturing a single breath of true qi, whose quality was of utmost importance.

“According to the Crane Taoist, true qi is divided into superior, middle, and inferior grades. The higher the grade, the smoother one’s future path becomes. After all, a major challenge of the Qi Refining stage is opening the acupuncture points, and superior true qi, sharp as a blade, provides a natural advantage.

“Of course, apart from these three grades, there is also miscellaneous qi, which is unfit for proper cultivation. Those with such qi have little future; reaching the Qi Refining stage is already their limit. The Wolf King of the Fierce Wolf Tribe is likely one such individual.

“As for myself, my qi flows unbroken, gentle yet enduring—undoubtedly of the superior grade.”

Now aware of the distinctions among true qi, Jiang Chen compared himself to others and gained a clearer understanding of his own starting point. Having grasped the harmony of stillness and motion and glimpsed the mysteries of the human body, a single night of Qi Refining had already placed him ahead of most cultivators at the same level.

“The first strand of true qi a cultivator produces is called primal qi. Next, I need only practice the Minor Formless Sutra to convert it into formless true qi and continue my cultivation.”

“Compared to other types, formless true qi bears no obvious attribute. Its true pursuit is transformation, and thus a series of related legacies has developed around it.”

After reading the Crane Taoist’s records, Jiang Chen had a general sense of how to proceed in the Qi Refining stage.

Moreover, he learned the origin of the Crane Taoist’s lineage. According to the records, several centuries ago, this region was swept by great chaos. Many sects were destroyed, and those that survived sealed their mountains for seclusion and recovery, including the progenitor of their own line—the Sect of Impermanence.

Centuries ago, the Sect of Impermanence secluded itself to recover. Not all disciples returned to the sect; some remained in the outside world, including the founder of their line.

To ensure the transmission did not die out, this ancestor accepted a disciple, continuing the legacy down to the Crane Taoist, who was the third generation.

“The Sect of Impermanence—a name unfamiliar to me. Yet, judging from the Qi-Attraction Technique, Bloodflame Art, and Skinning Art I encountered earlier, this sect’s inheritance is anything but ordinary. Its strength should not be underestimated.”

“The greatest wish of our founding ancestor was to return to the sect before his death. Alas, he remained stuck at the Qi Refining stage. With a lifespan of only three sixty-year cycles, his time was simply too short. Not only him—neither the Crane Taoist himself, who inherited his master’s wish, managed to witness the sect’s resurgence. All hopes were left to the fourth generation, to Jiang Wang—or rather, to me.”

Between the lines, Jiang Chen saw the Crane Taoist’s yearning for the Sect of Impermanence and the helplessness of unfulfilled longing. Time is merciless, and nothing wears down the heart like the passage of years.

He could well understand the Crane Taoist. The old man’s longing for the sect was not merely a matter of his master’s instructions but stemmed from his own aspirations.

His talent was decent, but only just so. Since the great upheaval, the world’s spiritual energy had grown thin, making cultivation ever more arduous. If he proceeded step by step, he would always remain at the Qi Refining stage, with no hope of progressing further.

And indeed, so it proved: at the end of his life, he had barely managed to open sixty acupuncture points, still distant from perfection in Qi Refining, much less true completion.

“Compared to the Crane Taoist’s time, the world’s spiritual energy, though still thin, has improved. Does this mean this land is recovering—or does it portend something greater?”

Jiang Chen’s thoughts drifted far. In that moment, countless possibilities and questions arose within him.

After a while, he shook his head and collected his wandering thoughts.

“No matter how powerful the Sect of Impermanence may have been, it is far distant from me now. The changes in this land, though they affect me, are beyond my control. I am but a drifting leaf, carried by the current. All I can do now is cultivate with diligence.”

Clearing his mind, Jiang Chen put aside the Crane Taoist’s cultivation notes and picked up the Minor Formless Sutra, beginning his earnest study of this Qi Refining art.

“All phenomena return to emptiness; formlessness is the foundation. To roam freely through heaven and earth, unbound and unfettered; to cast off the shackles of form and intent, to unite with the true constancy of nature, and thus attain the truth of endless transformation.

“Formless is thus unbound, thus impermanent...”

The scripture revealed its mysteries, sinking into his heart. Immersed in the text, Jiang Chen felt at a certain moment the strand of true qi within him begin to circulate of its own accord, resonating with some hidden rhythm of the universe. It seemed unchanged, and yet, something new was born within.