Entry: I Secretly Cultivate Immortality in the Martial Arts World

78: Chapter 78 Whether demonic or righteous, the world will decide for itself, and Feng Jiuge will prevail!In the courtyard, Zhou Aniu noticed the movement and hurriedly jumped down from the bluestone, bowing in greeting.

”Revered Master.”

Ghost nodded, his Divine Sense sweeping over him.

The Hunyuan One Qi Dao Scripture was running steadily, his aura was solid, and his Foundation was well-laid.

Two years, from a Mortal to the Qi Refining Sixth Level.

This speed would be considered a Genius in any Sect.

But this Cultivation Technique was a path that did not pick Spiritual Root Aptitude; as long as one had a heart for the Dao, one could make rapid progress.

Zhou Aniu had nothing else, but he was honest and simple-minded.

When told to Cultivate, he would honestly Cultivate, which unexpectedly fit the essence of this Cultivation Technique.

Ghost withdrew his Divine Sense and looked at him.

”Stray Bull.”

”Your Disciple is here.”

”I intend to change your name. What do you think?”

Zhou Aniu was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes lit up.

”Change my name? Really, Revered Master?”

He scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly:

”Actually, your Disciple has long felt that the name Stray Bull doesn’t sound very good... Back in the village, everyone called me that, so it was nothing.”

”But now that I’ve entered the Sect, hearing it always feels a bit... a bit...”

He struggled for a long time but couldn’t come up with a suitable word.

Ghost said it for him: ”Rustic?”

Zhou Aniu nodded vigorously: ”Yes, yes, yes, exactly, rustic!”

Ghost’s expression remained unchanged, but he thought to himself: This kid has some self-awareness.

”Then do you want to change it?”

”I do!” Zhou Aniu said without hesitation. ”If Revered Master could give me a nice-sounding name, that would be wonderful!”

Ghost stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the distant horizon, pondering for a moment.

”In that case, from now on, you shall be called—Feng Jiuge.”

Zhou Aniu murmured and repeated: ”Feng Jiuge... Feng Jiuge...”

His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and finally, he grinned and said, ”Revered Master, this name sounds great! Then I’ll be called Feng Jiuge from now on!”

Ghost looked at his foolishly happy expression and nodded slightly.

Zhou Aniu, now Feng Jiuge, after a while, he suddenly remembered something and asked:

”Revered Master, is there any special meaning to this name of mine?”

Hearing this, Ghost spoke slowly: ”The Phoenix is an ancient divine bird; it will not perch on anything but the Parasol Tree, eat anything but the Bamboo Fruit, or drink anything but the Sweet Spring.”

”What does that mean?” Feng Jiuge looked bewildered.

”It means you’re very picky,” Ghost said.

Feng Jiuge nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite.

Ghost continued: ”Nine Songs are ancient divine melodies; heaven, earth, people, and gods all have their songs. Nine is the ultimate number, and song is the voice of the heart.”

”Which means...”

”Which means, the name implies that you are very picky and can also sing.”

Feng Jiuge: ”...”

Was Revered Master praising him?

Why did it sound a bit strange?

Ghost ignored his confusion.

”Today, I will gift you a poem.”

Feng Jiuge quickly pricked up his ears.

Ghost slowly recited:

”Fate is determined by heaven, yet I insist on defying it.”

”Songs break through destiny, free and by one’s own will.”

”Heaven and earth are a cage, all are but Straw Dogs.”

”My heart is free, Eternal and Unique.”

He paused, his gaze falling on Feng Jiuge.

”Demonic or not, Righteous or not, the world has its own Feng Jiuge.”

Feng Jiuge stood frozen on the spot.

He didn’t understand most of these words.

What Straw Dogs, what eternity, what demonic or righteous.

But for some reason, hearing these words, a warm current suddenly surged in his chest.

It was as if something was churning inside.

He murmured and repeated: ”Demonic or not, Righteous or not, the world has its own Feng Jiuge...”

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

After chanting it an unknown number of times, he suddenly looked up.

At this moment, the mist of honesty and simplicity in his eyes seemed to thin a bit.

In its place was an indescribable something.

Ghost watched this scene, not surprised.

In the Mortal world, a name is just a title.

But on the path of cultivation, sometimes, a name is an imprint.

An imprint that makes a Cultivator constantly remember who they are and who they want to become.

In this world, many Cultivators forget who they are as they Cultivate.

They forget why they stepped onto this path and what kind of person they wanted to become.

A name that can serve as a constant reminder is sometimes more important than a Cultivation Technique.

Feng Jiuge came back to his senses and looked at Ghost, his gaze already somewhat different from before.

”Revered Master, I will remember.”

Ghost nodded.

”Whatever you want to become in the future, you only need to follow your own heart and do it.”

”The Righteous Path or the Demonic Path, those are other people’s definitions.”

”You only need to ask yourself if you want to walk this path.”

Feng Jiuge took a deep breath and bowed solemnly.

”Your Disciple will respectfully follow Revered Master’s teachings.”

Ghost waved his hand.

”Alright, continue to Cultivate.”

”Yes!”

...

Ten years passed in a flash.

For a Mortal, it is already a seventh of their life, enough for a small child to grow into a handsome young man.

For a Cultivator, it is merely the time it takes to enter seclusion a few times or comprehend the Dao a few times.

In these ten years, Ghost’s True Body Gu Yan’s cultivation had steadily improved, advancing one minor stage every three years, and he was now at the Body Integration Fifth Level.

And this Incarnation of his had also adjusted its surface cultivation to the Middle Golden Core Stage eight years ago, and to the Late Golden Core Stage five years ago.

Three years ago, he went out to travel and found a deserted place to pretend to make a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul.

Now, returning to the Sect, the timing was just right.

Azure Wave Sect, Sect Master’s Hall.

Su Wanyue looked at the small mountain of Jade Slips in front of her and rubbed her brow.

Sect trivialities, Disciple disputes, resource allocation, external relations...

Every single matter required her personal review.

She had not opened her furnace for Alchemy for a full three years.

For an Alchemy fanatic, this was practically more painful than killing her.

But there was no choice; with no Nascent Soul Stage expert guarding the Sect, she, the Sect Master at the Late Golden Core Stage, had to shoulder everything.

Only after the two Old Ancestors left did she realize how easy life was when there was someone above her.

Now.

”Reporting to the Sect Master, Elder Ghost requests an audience.”

Su Wanyue was startled.

Ghost?

Hadn’t that boy gone out to travel?

She hurriedly said, ”Please, bring him in.”

A moment later, Ghost stepped inside and bowed: ”Disciple Ghost pays respects to the Sect Master.”

Su Wanyue’s gaze fell on him, and as her Divine Sense swept over him, she was instantly stunned.

Nascent Soul!

That aura was solid and steady—it was clearly the Early Nascent Soul Stage!

She was stunned for a long while before coming back to her senses, a heartfelt smile appearing on her face.

”Good, good, good!”

Three ”good”s in a row expressed her current state of mind.

Su Wanyue stood up, walked to Ghost, and looked him up and down, her eyes full of gratification.

”When I took you as a Disciple, you were just a Mortal with some Aptitude. How many years has it been, and you’ve already stepped into the Nascent Soul.”

”It was just luck for your Disciple,” Ghost said.

Su Wanyue shook her head: ”On the path of cultivation, there is no such thing as luck. It is your own Opportunity and skill.”

Saying that, she let out a long sigh of relief, as if she had set down a heavy burden.

”Now that you’re back, I can finally relax a bit.”

These words were quite blunt.

But Su Wanyue didn’t care anymore.

Heaven knows how she had endured these years.

Busy from the moment she opened her eyes until she closed them, she couldn’t even squeeze out time for meditation and cultivation, let alone Alchemy.

”I will convene a Sect assembly immediately,” Su Wanyue said.

Ghost was slightly taken aback: ”What does the Sect Master mean?”

Su Wanyue looked at him, her gaze calm: ”I am passing the position to you.”

”...”

”Sect Master, please reconsider.”

Ghost still said the line according to protocol.

Su Wanyue waved her hand: ”No need to reconsider. Go prepare yourself; we’ll meet in the Council Hall tomorrow.”