Chapter 53 Achieving Enlightenment Within the Mortal World

After all, if it were someone else, undergoing one round of cultivation and surpassing limits six times, then resting for three to five days to recover, it would be nearly impossible to maintain such a pace every day. Without cheats, pushing oneself so relentlessly day after day would inevitably lead to sudden death.

“At this rate, by tonight my swordsmanship will have leveled up to Rank Five.”

At the end, Li Qi glanced at his swordsmanship progress. Every time he saw his proficiency increase, a deep sense of satisfaction blossomed within him.

Eighteen Tiger Slashes, missing five slashes (White·Absolute·Way) LV4 (383/400) (Trait: Mountain Lord’s Great Refinement)

His grandfather had worried that his talent was insufficient, and that his swordsmanship would develop slowly, never imagining that someone would bypass the blood loss limit, using a dark technique of surpassing limits that reduces the blood bar maximum as a basic attack twice daily.

Then again, without locking his blood, he would only gain less than five points per round, requiring 4,500 points to reach the Divine Insight stage—meaning nine hundred days of cultivation.

Moreover, swordsmanship had bottlenecks: the Great Accomplishment stage had its limits, Perfection had its limits, and the Divine Insight stage demanded enlightenment. Sometimes, a bottleneck could stall progress for years, and the Divine Insight bottleneck could even take over a decade.

The poorer the talent, the greater the bottleneck.

According to his grandfather’s estimation, Li Qi, at sixteen, reaching Divine Insight by twenty-eight after twelve years would be quite commendable.

Breaking through the two major human limits afterward would also require time to accumulate strength; it wasn’t something achieved overnight. If one could break one limit in four years, that would be fast. But even then, Li Qi would already be thirty-six.

At thirty-six, becoming a True Immortal would be too late. Ideally, one should reach Divine Insight within six or seven years. His grandfather could not aid Li Qi in this, but a Heaven-born True Immortal could.

Yet, the old man was undoubtedly judging Li Qi’s extraordinary speed by his own conventional standards.

In just ten days, his cultivation speed had increased more than sevenfold. Even if this speed remained constant, it would take less than two hundred days.

Of course, this included the double buff from Li Qi’s insight into reality, doubling proficiency before level seven, and the proficiency decay caused by increased difficulty at higher swordsmanship levels. In truth, the growth might be somewhat slower.

But Li Qi himself was growing stronger. While cultivation speed slowed, it also increased in other ways. He could undoubtedly attain Divine Insight in swordsmanship within a year!

Achieving Divine Insight in one year was not genius-level, but certainly prodigious.

And this calculation did not even include the variables of the projection and the shop.

Since entering the new realm yesterday, by this morning, their progress had reached 81%. In nineteen days, they would be unlocked.

Li Qi only hoped these two things would justify their loading time.

After all, he intended to fully open the six great limits, developing his brain capacity to 100%. With his current cheating power, achieving this seemed far beyond reach, with little chance of success.

...

In the following days, Li Qi stayed home, sitting quietly to cultivate health and spirit, abstaining from all entertainment.

He had just completed the Mountain Lord’s Great Refinement that morning, undergoing a profound transformation that elevated his life to a new dimension. Though his metamorphosis was perfect and self-controlled, some subtle depths still required familiarization.

In the living room, as Li Qi sat in meditation, he resembled a great cat, his breath slow and deep. If one measured his heart rate then, it would show about fifty beats per minute—far lower than normal.

Though slow, each beat was powerful, pumping blood to every corner of his limbs and bones.

A low heart rate is usually a disease, but if it doesn’t affect nutrient absorption, it’s a sign of health preservation, enabling longer life.

By afternoon, Li Qi opened his eyes, feeling as if a thin layer of dust had been brushed away before him. A profound fullness radiated from within him.

After a while, Li Qi’s parents finally returned home.

When Li Qi had fallen into his strange state yesterday afternoon, they naturally followed him back but were stopped by the grandfather and couldn’t enter.

After consulting with the old man and confirming Li Qi was safe, they went to a friend’s house to hang out and stayed overnight, only returning at this hour.

At first glance, their parental love seemed present but sparse.

Yet Li Qi didn’t judge by appearances alone. Before leaving, his parents had checked with the grandfather and learned it was a good sign, then departed, clearly concerned. Sometimes, excessive love is harmful; a love that is caring yet not clingy can be a blessing. Outwardly, it manifests as clarity and even a carefree attitude.

Just now, upon their return, they circled Li Qi, marveling and muttering about how the demonic tribulation had brought unexpected benefits, having initially thought he wouldn’t grow taller, among other worries.

Then they took Li Qi to his grandfather’s house to attend the family’s celebration banquet for winning the clan’s martial trial.

In a sense, this was tradition.

Dominating all the younger generation in the clan was indeed worthy of celebration.

Of course, this was just a small family gathering, attended only by his grandparents and a few uncles and aunts—a family feast.

Li Qi naturally didn’t refuse. Showing his brilliance now made his parents proud. Though they were easygoing and not given to boasting, they were still happier.

Li Qi could spare a little time and energy.

Indeed, many cultivation manuals from past and present preach detachment from the mundane world, claiming only by attaining inner tranquility can one succeed.

But Li Qi now had his own insight: blindly trusting books is worse than having none. Tranquility is good, but it is another’s path, not his own.

No two people are identical, nor any two hearts the same.

He had never heard of anyone becoming a saint by relying on another’s Dao heart.

The mundane world, if viewed differently, is not a burden, cause, or constraint, but nourishment and provision. Forcibly severing ties and cutting off worldly connections is merely an escapist approach, a self-righteous kind of tranquility.

Li Qi now embodied a balance of hardness and softness. In seeking the Dao, he was fierce and relentless, advancing with courage and precision. Yet toward people and matters around him, he dissolved obstacles with gentleness instead of avoidance.

Avoiding tribulations cannot compare to crossing them!

The three of them walked together to his grandfather’s house, where the scene was completely different from that New Year’s day.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, a crowd gathered warmly around them.

Even his grandfather, usually taciturn and stern, greeted Li Qi with three consecutive praises.

Such treatment had never happened before.

Not that his grandfather was unfeeling, but as the number of sons and grandsons grew, only the most outstanding received the most attention—this was human nature.

To be showered with exclusive love, one must be an only son and only grandson; only then is it possible.