The skylight on the thatched hut was propped open with a bamboo pole, and moonlight shone down from there.

“Today is the fifteenth. If the Great Immortal is free, it should be a day for teaching the Dao.”

“When I left the Immortal Palace back then, it was really just a moment of hot-blooded impulse. The mortal world is full of dust and mundane affairs; in terms of immortal cultivation and opportunities, it can never compare to the Immortal Palace…”

Brian Carter suddenly let out a sigh. “Originally, I should have stayed in the Immortal Palace for a few more years, listening to the Great Immortal’s teachings, reading the immortal texts, accumulating my foundation and deepening my background. That way, after laying a solid foundation, I would come down to the lower realm to seek opportunities.”

“Now, after several years in the lower realm, I still haven’t found any opportunities. I’ve accomplished nothing. Compared to the Immortal Palace above, I’ve missed many of the Great Immortal’s lectures and can no longer read the immortal texts. Truly lamentable.”

He had wandered the lower realm for years, tempered by worldly affairs. His temperament was much steadier than before, and his thinking was far more thorough.

After a moment of sighing, he looked up at the bright moon in the sky, then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes slightly, and began to cultivate with a calm mind.

He was born without an immortal root and was originally unable to cultivate.

However, the June Impure Contemplation was truly extraordinary, allowing him to visualize the Ninefold Jade Tower—equivalent to the first step of cultivation: visualization.

This step was still outside the gate, not yet stepping onto the true path of cultivation. He had neither true qi nor magical power and could not be considered a cultivator.

But for Brian Carter, being able to see the road ahead clearly, so he would not be lost or confused, was already a rare blessing.

Whenever he visualized the Ninefold Jade Tower, he could be certain that there really was a path of cultivation in this world, not just an illusion or wild guess.

“The Ninefold Jade Tower reveals the nine realms of cultivation, pointing out the path so there’s no need for confusion or blind searching, but…”

Brian Carter sighed with regret. “There truly is no shortcut on the path of cultivation.”

Chapter 8: The Mountain Demon

In heaven and earth, the various schools—Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and others—each have their own methods of cultivation, and thus their own divisions of realms.

Even among Daoist sects, because each has different cultivation methods, every realm is also distinguished differently.

Despite the differences, all forms of cultivation are generally divided into nine steps, and above these nine steps lies the Immortal Realm.

For the cultivation of these nine steps, each school has its own realms and names, but collectively, they are called the Ninefold Heavens.

The Ninefold Jade Tower corresponds to the nine realms of cultivation, pointing out the path. But even with the path pointed out, one must still proceed step by step, grounded and diligent.

With each level of the tower opened, one must still learn to nourish essence, refine qi, store spirit, harmonize dragon and tiger, capture Kan and fill Li; one must also move the furnace and change the cauldron, reverse the eight trigrams; and still must cultivate immortality and practice the Dao—it is by no means an easy task.

He looked up at the sky and sighed with regret.

“Others, when facing the path of cultivation, must grope forward step by step, clearing away the fog.”

“But I have no immortal root at all. The road ahead is clear, yet it’s as if I was born without legs and cannot walk this broad and open road.”

“There is no shortcut in cultivation, but for me, even if there were a shortcut, what good would it do?”

“Without an immortal root, it’s as if I have neither hands nor feet.”

“Let alone walking, even climbing on this immortal path is hopeless…”

Even so, he never slacked off, cultivating every day without pause.

He imagined the bright moon shining above his head, then splitting into six, illuminating all filth and making his thoughts clear.

Then, in his mind, there appeared a Ninefold Jade Tower.

The Ninefold Jade Tower stood in the moonlight, shrouded in mist, mysterious and distant.

Brian Carter switched to the energy circulation route recorded in the Yellow Court Immortal Scripture, his thoughts turning into illusory power, charging at the first level of the Jade Tower.

But the gate of the Jade Tower still could not be opened.

Simply because he lacked the immortal root and immortal bones.

……

In the state of June Impure Contemplation, his mind was clear and everything was lucid.

For some reason, Brian Carter’s perception was even sharper than usual.

At this moment, he suddenly felt a chill, a coldness arising.

A wave of cold air started from his spine and rose to the back of his head.

In an instant, his palms were covered in cold sweat.

Brian Carter suddenly looked up and saw that the moonlight above had disappeared, replaced by another beam of light shining down.

That was not light.

That was a gaze.

Above, there was an eye, its pupil tinged with green.

Although he could not see its full form, Brian Carter knew it was an eye—a tremendously huge eye.

Suddenly, the eye withdrew.

The moonlight was no longer blocked and shone down again, gentle as water, but now seeming somewhat cold.

Brian Carter felt an even deeper chill in his heart, down to his bones.

“Go!”

He did not hesitate for a moment, shouted loudly, and immediately leapt up, scooping up Little Grace.

At the same time, the mountain demon also sensed something was wrong when Brian Carter noticed it. Having grown up in the mountains, where the weak are prey to the strong and life is a constant struggle between hunting and being hunted, it was extremely alert.

As Brian Carter picked up Little Grace, the mountain demon arrived at the door, raising its hand and knocking the door down.

But it did not flee immediately. Turning around, it said in a hoarse voice, “Hurry…”

Brian Carter followed behind it and left the house.

Boom!

Just as they stepped out the door and had taken only a few steps, a loud crash sounded behind them.

Then a gust of wind, mixed with countless wood splinters, swept over from behind.