https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-18-Celestial-Martial-Arts-Diagram/13686407/
Chapter 19: Terror and the Dao Heart
"645... 644... 639..."
One by one, the faces of his classmates appeared before Qian Shen—ghostly silhouettes he couldn't quite see, yet their scores hovered above their heads like blazing stars.
"680, 690, 660..."
Each number burned with impossible brilliance, towering above him. To Qian Shen, they were insurmountable, radiant achievements that made him feel small, insignificant—nothing more than a worthless speck in the shadow of giants.
"I stand among them like a bag of wet garbage," he thought bitterly.
"Just a meager 600-something... I don't even belong here. I'm not worthy to speak to them, let alone stand near them."
In his eyes, each classmate grew taller and taller, their forms stretching upward like colossal pillars piercing the sky. Soon, he could only see their legs, their faces swallowed by the haze of overwhelming superiority.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the exhibition hall, a drone from Mangshan High School, piloted by Li Xingyu, sliced through the air with a smooth arc—then, with a sharp crack, it sputtered and plummeted to the ground, smoking.
"Let the soul cultivators from Mangshan High School keep their contracts," Li Xuelian murmured, her gaze drifting away from the wreckage. She turned her attention to the other students.
"Too bad—most of the applicants here are first-years. To master the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram, second- and third-years have a much better chance."
"But no surprise, really. The top students in those grades are either too old for the program or already bound by contracts. They wouldn’t come back for a new master."
At that moment, the golden aura of Xianyun Group’s Songyang City Director flared as he stepped beside her, smiling.
"This Celestial Martial Arts Diagram truly lives up to being painted by the Xinghuo Immortal. So divine. But tell me—what exactly is the trial testing?"
Li Xuelian didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she said calmly:
"The first trial tests the Dao Heart."
"Those who can’t endure it are forcibly expelled—some even suffer lasting cracks in their inner spirit."
...
Zhao Tianxing, trembling under the weight of countless sneers and mocking stares, stumbled backward, fleeing the influence of the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram.
When he finally regained his senses, he realized the entire scene—every glare, every laugh—had been an illusion created by the diagram’s power.
Understanding dawned too late. He hadn’t passed. His face flushed crimson. He turned and bolted, desperate to vanish before anyone noticed the security guard who’d dared to stand too close.
...
Back at the exhibition, Li Xuelian continued:
"Those who pass the first trial will find their Dao Heart refined and tempered."
"Most cultivators improve their Dao Heart through cultivation methods—each method requiring a specific mindset."
"Take the ancient Worship God Cultivation Method. Its practitioners must be utterly devout, filled with absolute faith in the divine. The deeper the faith, the stronger the method’s effect."
"Then there’s Heavenly Diligence Cultivation Method from Ziyun High School—requiring practitioners to push themselves to the brink of exhaustion, so that hardship becomes second nature."
"And for beginners, the Basic Mind-Cultivation Method emphasizes stillness, focus, and quiet endurance—like water wearing down stone."
"Thousands of methods exist, each with its own requirements. The key is whether the cultivator’s mindset aligns with the method."
"But thoughts are elusive. Even the person themselves may not know if their heart truly matches the path they walk."
"Fortunately, a stronger Dao Heart means stronger willpower. And thus, measuring willpower becomes the simplest way to gauge Dao Heart level—and the effectiveness of one’s cultivation."
"Yet the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram is not so simple. It doesn’t test mere willpower. It targets the deepest fears within the soul—striking directly at one’s inner weaknesses, leaving no room to hide behind a method."
"It forces the most authentic, unfiltered reaction. Only by adjusting one’s mindset in real time can one close the gap in their spirit and pass."
The Xianyun Group’s Songyang City Director blinked. Then, slowly, understanding lit his eyes.
"I see. So the Xinghuo Immortal seeks a disciple with a flexible mind—a student who could switch between worship and devotion, who could both grind endlessly and rest with ease, adapting to any method."
Li Xuelian nodded.
"Indeed. While alignment with a method is good, true genius lies in the ability to adapt. To reshape one’s thoughts to fit the path, to evolve with changing circumstances."
"Especially now, in an era of rapid change. The Top Ten Sects shape every aspect of Kunxu society. The world is transforming at lightning speed."
"Consider this: to enter the cultivation path today, exams and scores are unavoidable. They’ve become part of every cultivator’s daily life."
"So naturally, modern cultivators carry a deep obsession with grades. High scores, relentless ambition—these strengthen the Dao Heart."
"But that very obsession is a weakness. There’s always someone better. One day’s lead doesn’t guarantee eternal supremacy. The higher the peak, the deeper the fall."
"Many top students, once confident, crumble when they fall. Overcoming this fear requires mental flexibility—the ability to shift one’s mindset, to adapt. That’s the true key to passing."
"Take a student who faced repeated failure in the diagram’s test—constantly failing exams, falling short. Eventually, he conquered his fear of low scores, forging a Delusional Thought Pattern."
...
Lian Tianji, listening to the scores being announced, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Since I’m now the last-place underachiever, then let’s start from the bottom!"
"From this day forward, I am the worst. The most useless. The lowest of the low."
"But even the lowest can rise. And I will surpass you all. I will claim the throne at the top!"
"I will be the class valedictorian!"
As he conquered his inner terror, a strange clarity washed over him. The world shimmered, and once again, he stood before the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram—its image now sharp, vivid, undeniable.
...
Li Xuelian added:
"Kunxu has 36 layers above ground, 18 below—each layer a realm, each a tier of existence. Whether mortal or immortal, all are ranked, sorted, divided. This hierarchy is etched into the bones of every cultivator, shaping their deepest thoughts."
One student, overwhelmed by endless pressure, eventually evolved a "lie-flat" mindset after enduring endless social dominance within the diagram.
...
Qian Shen watched as the towering figures of his peers rose higher and higher, their scores glowing ever brighter. Their faces faded into obscurity, but their numbers burned on—impossibly distant, unattainable.
He tried to keep up, but it was useless.
As the giants grew absurdly tall, their scores soaring beyond reason, his emotions shifted—first tension, then fear, then despair, and finally, a numb resignation.
He collapsed onto the ground, eyes closed, no longer looking.
"Fine," he whispered. "I’ll stop chasing."
"I just want to be able to cultivate. Even if I never surpass anyone… as long as I can walk the path, that’s enough."
Then, like waking from a dream, Qian Shen opened his eyes.
The exhibition hall, the martial arts diagram—everything was real. And for the first time, a flicker of understanding sparked in his gaze.
...
At the exhibition, the Xianyun Group’s Songyang City Director nodded thoughtfully.
"Thoughts evolve with the times," he mused. "In today’s world, everyone relies on loans. I wonder—will that show up in the trial?"
"Exactly," Li Xuelian agreed. "One student once faced the Fear of Immortal Path Debt in the diagram—and emerged with a Deadbeat Thought Pattern."
...
Above, the sky churned with storm clouds. The thunder of Debt Collection Heavenly Thunder crackled, gathering power.
Bai Zhenzhen crouched on the ground, eyes wide with terror.
"Wait! I’ll pay! I’ll pay, okay?!"
"Please don’t strike me!"
She fumbled for her phone, frantically checking her accounts.
"800,000?!" Her stomach dropped at the first loan platform.
Then came 1.2 million on the second—cold sweat broke across her back.
200… 500… 800…
As the total debt climbed, her fingers went slack, the phone slipping from her grasp.
Eight hundred thousand in debt. For a high school student, that was either total collapse… or something worse.
Bai Zhenzhen fell to her knees, staring up at the storm.
"Go ahead—kill me if you want.
Eight hundred thousand gone in a flash!"
But the thunder didn’t fall.
She looked up, breathless.
"Either you strike me dead—eight hundred thousand wiped out."
"Or you help me find work. I’ll earn money, pay you back."
As the storm faded, the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram reappeared before her.
And as she watched the form in the diagram perform its movements, a quiet realization dawned.
...
Li Xuelian sighed.
"Whether it’s delusions,躺平, or being a deadbeat—these are just temporary responses to pressure. They may toughen the spirit, refine the Dao Heart, but in the end, the real test lies in how they live their lives."
"After all, this was only the first gate. A threshold."
She thought back to her own high school days—her father once tested her Dao Heart. The one fear she’d faced? Him.
Under his crushing pressure, she had snapped. Forged the Explosive Filial Piety Thought Pattern. And after waking, she’d stormed her father’s room, demanding every coin he’d ever hidden. Her cultivation skyrocketed overnight.
But soon, reality returned—the pressures of the world, her father’s every move—and she found herself revering him again.
The Xianyun Group’s Songyang City Director nodded in silent agreement.
"The effects of such trials are fleeting. Thoughts shift every moment. Can a single test withstand the relentless weight of real life?"
Li Xuelian continued:
"Passing the first gate—overcoming fear—is only the beginning. True insight comes next."
"And even after understanding, whether one can master the art? That’s another question entirely."
The director nodded. He understood now: overcoming terror, grasping the diagram’s meaning, and finally mastering the martial art—these were the three trials of the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram.
"And among all these students… how many do you think will truly succeed?"
Li Xuelian scanned the crowd, then shook her head.
"Perhaps one in a thousand."
...
When Zhang Yu saw the figure in the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram grow clearer, and watched it begin to perform a set of fist forms, a chill shot through his spine.
"Obey the ritual agreement. Fulfill your wish. Do not slack or delay. 10."
Zhang Yu blinked.
"What…? I am trying. I’m studying hard, aiming for a top university. Isn’t that the same as fulfilling my wish?"
But the chill offered no reply—only the countdown continued.
"Obey the ritual agreement. Fulfill your wish. Do not slack or delay. 9."
"Obey the ritual agreement. Fulfill your wish. Do not slack or delay. 8."
Helpless, Zhang Yu sat down and began cultivating, hoping to still the countdown with inner energy.
As he breathed, the chill faded. The timer stopped.
"Idiot…," he muttered under his breath.
But then—another surge of cold pierced his body.
"Obey the ritual agreement. Fulfill your wish. Do not slack or delay. 10."
Zhang Yu froze.
"What?! I am trying!"
"Why the countdown again?!"
"What’s wrong with this stupid ritual?!"
He stopped cultivating.
The cold didn’t fade.
Instead, a new wave of chill surged through him—accompanied by a second countdown.
Two timers.
One in his mind.
One in his soul.
And both counting down…
(End of Chapter)
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