Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

"Wu Dynasty Weekly! Wu Dynasty Weekly! The fourth young lady of the Xu Family—Xu Xuenuo, entered the Cave Mansion Realm at the age of five! Unprecedented! Unprecedented!"

"Xu Xuenuo has forged her sword bones into her life-bound flying sword, naming it—Qingming!"

"In two years, during the Ten Thousand Swords Ceremony held by the Wan Jian Sect, Sect Master Jiang Luoyu has decreed that Xu Xuenuo will preside over the grand event!"

"The fourth young lady of the Xu Family has become renowned across the lands. The emperor, overjoyed, has declared that for the next year, taxes will be halved!"

The Wu Kingdom has a weekly record known as the Wu Weekly, which chronicles major events that occurred throughout the week, including worldly happenings.

However, after Xu Xuenuo's name appeared in the Tianji Book of Tianji City, the entire world came to know of the name Xu Xuenuo.

Especially in the capital of Wu Kingdom, the political center of one of the Ten Great Human Dynasties, the news caused a frenzy.

Everyone's mind echoed with the same words—Five years old, entering the Cave Mansion Realm.

There are thirteen realms in this world of cultivation. If you include the two mythical realms, there are a total of fifteen realms.

Lower Five Realms: Qi Entry, Mind Clarity, Furnace Ignition, Qi Refining, Furnace Foundation.

Middle Five Realms: Cave Mansion, Sea Observation, Dragon Gate, Golden Core, Nascent Soul.

Upper Five Realms: Jade Purity, Immortal, Ascension, and the two Lost Realms.

If you possess spiritual roots and cultivate diligently, reaching Furnace Foundation is feasible before the end of your natural lifespan.

However, entering the Middle Five Realms is akin to ascending the heavens.

The Cave Mansion Realm—the first of the Middle Five—is also the first great life-or-death threshold for cultivators. Only by reaching the Cave Mansion Realm can you stop eating grain (bigu), walk with the wind, and truly be referred to as a mountain-dweller.

Yet, among all cultivators, fewer than one in a hundred can achieve it.

Many cultivators perish without ever stepping into that realm.

But Xu Xuenuo—at the mere age of five—entered the Cave Mansion Realm. Whether or not she is the last, she is certainly the first.

Though Xu Xuenuo was born with innate sword bones, meaning she cannot be influenced by the kingdom's fortune, and was thus removed from the Xu family registry—preventing her from holding an official position or even acknowledging her family ties in the future—she is still, undeniably, a citizen of the Wu Kingdom!

In the years to come, the name Xu Xuenuo will always be associated with the Wu Kingdom. This is a source of immense pride.

"Brother Ming, did you see the writing in the sky yesterday? Sister Xuenuo is so incredible~~~"

On the way to school, Qin Qingwan clung to Xu Ming's arm, happily skipping as she spoke.

"She really is amazing," Xu Ming nodded, genuinely happy for Xu Xuenuo.

Yesterday, the entire Xu household was buzzing about this. Xu Ming had come to understand just how extraordinary the Cave Mansion Realm was.

In just a single year, Xu Xuenuo had skipped five realms and directly entered the Cave Mansion Realm. Not only that, but she was now ranked Top Ten on the Qingyun List!

From what Xu Ming overheard during conversations between his mother and Lady Qin, the Qingyun List records only one hundred prodigies under the age of thirty.

Besides Xu Xuenuo, the youngest cultivator on the list is the ninth-ranked Mo Wushuang, who is twenty-one years old.

This highlights the sheer weight of Xu Xuenuo's achievement at five years old and ranked tenth on the Qingyun List.

Xu Ming felt the need to work harder in his training. Otherwise, when he next met Xu Xueno, he might not even be able to raise his head, and she would have to "protect" him instead.

"Miss Xu is indeed formidable, but if Miss Qingwan were to embark on the path of cultivation, she wouldn't fall behind either," said Cai Die, who followed beside them.

"Sister Cai Die, can martial artists enter the Qingyun List?" Xu Ming asked.

"They can, but also cannot," Cai Die replied.

"???"

Xu Ming furrowed his brows, confused.

What kind of answer is that? Seeing Xu Ming's expression, Cai Die smiled gently and explained, "Yesterday, what you saw in the sky, Young Master, was the Tianji Book."

The Tianji Book is a treasured artifact passed down through generations in Tianji City.

The book is divided into three rankings:

1. Qingyun Ranking: Records the top 100 prodigies under the age of 30.

2. World Ranking: Records the top 100 most powerful individuals in the world.

3. Beauty Ranking: Records the top 100 most beautiful women in the world.

Take the Qingyun Ranking as an example.

Whenever someone breaks through to a higher realm, the Tianji Book senses it and updates the rankings accordingly. However, martial artists cannot trigger such reactions.

Indeed, a martial artist at the Mountain Summit Realm can rival cultivators in the Ascension Realm. Yet, the path of martial arts is ultimately a dead end. No matter how powerful a martial artist becomes, their lifespan is limited to a mere 300 years. Meanwhile, even a cultivator at the Cave Mansion Realm can live up to 500 years.

"Then why did Sister Cai Die say it's possible?" Xu Ming asked in confusion.

Cai Die smiled, her eyes curving. "While breaking through as a martial artist won't alert the Tianji Book, if you defeat someone already on the rankings so thoroughly they can't show their face anymore, how could the book keep their name in that spot? It would have no choice but to replace it with yours."

"..." Xu Ming thought Cai Die made a lot of sense.

"Sister Cai Die, what are the cultivation realms for cultivators, then?" Xu Ming was about to ask, but Qin Qingwan beat him to it.

"There are 15 realms in total for cultivators," Cai Die began.

The Lower Five Realms:

1. Qi Entry

2. Mind Clarity

3. Furnace Ignition

4. Qi Refining

5. Furnace Foundation

Cultivators in these realms are still considered mortal. They can use basic spells and magical tools, but not much. Their lifespans only extend about 40 to 50 years beyond that of ordinary people. Think of them as skilled wandering Taoists.

The Middle Five Realms:

1. Cave Mansion: Only upon reaching this realm can one be considered a true cultivator of the "mountain path," with a lifespan of up to 500 years.

2. Sea Observation: A significant enhancement of spiritual perception.

3. Dragon Gate: After witnessing the vastness of the sea, one can cross the Dragon Gate.

4. Golden Core: Forming a golden core marks a qualitative transformation.

5. Nascent Soul: Known as the Earth Immortal Realm, this is the limit for most cultivators. Those in the Nascent Soul Realm can establish sects and schools.

However, there is a saying among cultivators: "Only upon reaching the Nascent Soul Realm can one be considered truly initiated." For those with exceptional talent, the Nascent Soul Realm is merely the beginning.

The Upper Five Realms:

1. Jade Purity: There are no more than 300 known cultivators in this realm worldwide, all of whom are either sect leaders or elders of major sects.

2. Immortal Realm: Fewer than 50 known individuals. They are revered as ancient ancestors.

3. Ascension Realm: Only about ten known. The last update to the Ascension Realm rankings occurred 300 years ago when Jiang Luoyu, the sect master of the Wanjian Sect, cleaved the heavens with a single sword to enter this realm.

The Lost Two Realms:

These realms remain purely mythical. There has been no known appearance of such cultivators, and even their existence is uncertain.

As Cai Die explained, Xu Ming silently committed everything to memory. However, he also cast a deeper glance at Cai Die.

He wasn't sure if this was all common knowledge, but it seemed to him that Qin Qingwan's maidservant knew an awful lot.

Unknowingly, Xu Ming and Qin Qingwan had arrived at the gates of the academy.

Compared to the chaos of yesterday, where all the young masters and ladies had thrown tantrums to avoid attending, today they were noticeably better behaved. Part of it was getting used to the routine, but the main reason was that they realized crying would achieve nothing.

Entering the classroom, Xu Ming overheard many of the children discussing the name "Xu Xue Nuo," with no small amount of admiration in their eyes.

Before long, Mr. Xiao entered the class. Today, instead of teaching from the Analects, he switched to the Book of Rites. Of course, to the five, six, and seven-year-olds in the class, it made no difference—it was equally boring.

Xu Ming found himself getting drowsy but forced himself to stay awake for the sake of gaining attribute points.

Xu Ming glanced at Xu Pangda, seated by the aisle, and noticed him stubbornly fighting off his drowsiness during class. Every now and then, Xu Pangda would pinch himself to stay awake, forcing his spirits up.

Xu Ming couldn't help but feel puzzled.

You're a young master of the Xu family. Even though your family doesn't hold an inheritable noble title anymore, your life is guaranteed to be one of ease and comfort. Why go to such lengths?

Halfway through the class, a man dressed in a python-patterned robe entered the academy.

Mr. Xiao told the students to take a break, saying he had something to attend to. The students cheered and rushed out to the courtyard to play.

Xu Ming, however, flipped open a new book, The Wu Dynasty's Code of Law.

This book had been purchased for him by Sister Chunyan at his request.

To break the law, you must first know it.

Though Xu Ming didn't plan on breaking any laws, knowing the legal system of the Wu Dynasty would give him a clear understanding of what he should and shouldn't do.

[You have read 100 words of The Wu Dynasty's Code of Law. Spirit +1, Eloquence +1.]

Interestingly, The Wu Dynasty's Code of Law didn't increase his Hao Ran Qi or Literary Qi, but rather other attributes.

This piqued Xu Ming's curiosity.

"What if I read The Little Adventures of Liu Bei instead? What would it improve?"

Unlike the imperceptible effects of Hao Ran Qi, reading The Wu Dynasty's Code of Law made Xu Ming feel more awake, as if his tongue was becoming more nimble.

Could this be the result of improved Spirit and Eloquence attributes?

Just as Xu Ming was absorbed in accumulating attribute points, a little girl burst into the classroom shouting,

"A fight! There's a fight outside! Xiong Haizhi, Li San, and the others are fighting Xu Pangda!"

Xu Ming froze for a moment. Qin Qingwan gently tugged at his sleeve, her voice tinged with worry.

"Brother Ming, let's go take a look."

"Alright." Xu Ming nodded.

Walking into the courtyard, Xu Ming saw Xu Pangda locked in a three-versus-one battle.

The other three boys were about the same height as Xu Pangda, but Xu Pangda was, well, round.

With a loud yell, Xu Pangda charged into one boy, knocking him to the ground. Then, he turned and grabbed another in a bear hug, pummeling him relentlessly.

Meanwhile, the third boy was kicking and punching Xu Pangda from behind, both sides now fully enraged.

At that moment, the boy Xu Pangda had knocked down grabbed a rock and prepared to smash it against the back of Xu Pangda's head.

Just as the child was about to succeed, his hand was suddenly frozen mid-air—gripped tightly by Xu Ming.

"How dare you meddle in my business! Do you know who my father is?!" the boy, Xiong Haizhi, yelled.

"Who?" Xu Ming asked.

"My father is the Minister of War, Xiong Tian!"

"Oh, your father is the Minister of War?" Xu Ming confirmed.

"Exactly! Are you scared now?" Xiong Haizhi sneered.

"And the fathers of those two?" Xu Ming asked.

"They're my father's subordinates—the Vice Ministers of War!"

"Oh, all from the Ministry of War. That makes things simple."

Xu Ming smiled, visibly relieved, before kicking Xiong Haizhi squarely in the stomach.

---

In the Xu family estate, a eunuch with a shrill voice proclaimed:

"By imperial decree: Xu Xuenuo of the Wu Kingdom. Entered the Cave Mansion Realm at the age of five. Ranked tenth on the Qingyun Ranking. Her name is renowned across the land. Reward: Ten jars of Osmanthus Brew from the Wine Immortal Valley. End of decree."

In the Xu family hall, the Duke of Xu, Xu Shuiya, respectfully accepted the decree with utmost reverence.

"Your servant receives the decree with gratitude."

"The ten jars of Osmanthus Brew from the Wine Immortal Valley are treasures the Emperor cherishes deeply. He rarely allows himself even a sip, yet he has gifted over half to you, Duke Xu. This shows how pleased His Majesty is," said Eunuch Wei, gesturing delicately with his orchid fingers.

Xu Shuiya smiled and discreetly slipped a few silver notes into Eunuch Wei's sleeve.

"It's a pity that Xuenuo possesses an innate sword physique and cannot serve the nation."

"Indeed, it is regrettable. However, no matter where she goes, Miss Xu is a shining banner of our Wu Kingdom," Eunuch Wei chuckled. "Now that the decree has been delivered, I shall return to report."

"Safe travels, Eunuch Wei. Zheng'er, see Eunuch Wei out."

Xu Shuiya instructed his son to see Eunuch Wei off.

After Eunuch Wei departed and the crowd dispersed, Wang Feng approached Xu Shuiya, offering a respectful bow.

"Father, I will return to my courtyard for now."

"Alright, go ahead. Wait—I'll have someone send two jars of wine to you later. These ten jars are all thanks to your good fortune," Xu Shuiya said with a smile.

"Father flatters me. I'll take my leave now," Wang Feng replied politely. She didn't say much more, turning to leave.

As Xu Shuiya watched Wang Feng's retreating figure, he shook his head, feeling a twinge of pity for his daughter-in-law.

She had the fortune to give birth to such a gifted daughter, yet because of Xuenuo's innate sword physique, her name had to be removed from the family records. Even Wang Feng, her mother, could not openly acknowledge her. In the future, even if Xuenuo returned, she would merely be a guest in the Xu family.

As for Xu Pangda, hoping to inherit a hereditary title due to his sister's talents? That was simply impossible.

Hereditary titles were never decided by the head of the family—they required an imperial decree.

If the Emperor so much as entertained the thought of granting the title "because of Xuenuo," it would indirectly tie the Wu Kingdom's fate to her through the Xu family's title. If that happened, Xuenuo's master would likely come personally, sword in hand, to sever the karmic ties.

The only exception would be if Xuenuo reached the Immortal Realm, a stage where she would be entirely unaffected by the fortunes or misfortunes of any mortal dynasty. At that point, the Emperor might bestow the title upon Pangda to curry favor with Xuenuo.

But the problem was, even someone as gifted as Jiang Luoyu, the sect master of the Wanjian Sect, took 500 years to reach the Immortal Realm!

No matter how extraordinary Xuenuo's talent was, it would still take at least 300 years.

For cultivators, 300 years was a fleeting moment. For ordinary people, it was a lifetime long gone, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Xu Shuiya shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. With his hands clasped behind his back, he decided to take a stroll to Chunfeng Tower.

But just as he was about to leave, the Xu family steward rushed toward him in a panic.

"Master! Terrible news—the Minister of War's son, along with the two Vice Ministers' sons, had their teeth knocked out by the young master!"