Chapter 90: Ascension Three Stages

Chapter 90: Ascension Three Stages

Empress Consort Meng Yuan exited the Tranquil Garden.

On his way home, Tie Niu suddenly tugged at Meng Yuan’s sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Brother, are you thinking about Grandma again?"

By heaven and earth, Meng Yuan was thinking about the Empress Consort.

"No," Meng Yuan replied weakly.

"You were smiling strangely just now." Tie Niu was very cautious. He looked closely at Meng Yuan’s face and then asked, "Brother, did I say anything wrong just now?"

"No, you didn’t," Meng Yuan said.

"That’s good." Tie Niu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "My father said we should bow deeply when we see the Empress Consort, but I forgot! I didn’t even dare to raise my head. Do you think the Empress Consort will think I’m timid?"

"No, she won’t," Meng Yuan patted Tie Niu’s shoulder. "As long as you are loyal, that’s enough."

Tie Niu nodded vigorously.

The two of them chatted as they walked back home.

Nie Yanian and Jiang Laobu were drinking in the room, while Jiang Tang was busy in the kitchen.

Meng Yuan pushed Tie Niu into the room and then went to the small kitchen. He didn’t go in but leaned against the doorframe and looked inside.

The small kitchen was dimly lit by a yellow candle. Jiang Tang was wearing an apron and a headscarf, looking like a housewife. If she had a small bag, she could rival Xiang Ling in fashion.

She was fanning the fire with a fan and humming a shepherd’s tune. Even when working alone, her happiness and joy were evident.

"Brother!" Jiang Tang finally noticed Meng Yuan. She quickly dropped the fan and happily came forward.

Meng Yuan held her hands and gently stroked her cheeks with the back of his hand. "Is everything well at home recently?"

"Only Sister Nie from the Nie family visited me twice, bringing some food," Jiang Tang’s cheeks were flushed, making her look even more shy under the dim candlelight. She whispered, "And, Brother, Sister Qian’s mother said I can have children now."

She lowered her head, not daring to look at Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan took her hand, rolled up her sleeve, and put a jade bracelet on her wrist. "Bought it from outside."

"Beautiful!" Jiang Tang looked at it happily and then tilted her head slightly to look at Meng Yuan, blinking her eyes, clearly wanting Meng Yuan to continue the conversation.

This girl is growing more and more thoughtful. As the saying goes, those who stay close to vermilion turn red, but it seems she hasn’t learned the good qualities from Xun Mei, rather, she’s a bit like the Empress Consort.

"In the future, you will have your own," Meng Yuan smiled.

Jiang Tang beamed with joy. She quickly pushed Meng Yuan away. "Uncle Nie is here, go quickly. I’ll cook a couple more dishes!"

Meng Yuan tapped her forehead and went back inside.

Nie Yanian and Jiang Laobu were drinking together, and Tie Niu was eating silently.

"Come, come, come, Scholar Meng!" Nie Yanian waved his hand. After Meng Yuan sat down, Nie Yanian put his hand on Meng Yuan’s shoulder. "Tell me about what you saw outside."

Meng Yuan was well-prepared and started talking right away.

Nie Yanian didn’t ask about anything important, just chatted casually.

After the dishes were served, Nie Yanian got up to leave.

Meng Yuan and Tie Niu accompanied him, and Nie Yanian knew Meng Yuan had something to ask, so he took a turn to the training ground.

It was already dark, but the young students were still practicing hard.

Now that Meng Yuan didn’t often come to the training ground, Hu Qian had become the leader. When she saw Nie Yanian and the two others, she came forward to greet them.

"Alright, keep training the children! I’ll chat with Scholar Meng about poetry," Nie Yanian nodded slightly.

Hu Qian didn’t believe it but didn’t say much. She immediately returned to the group with Tie Niu.

"You’ve been given your freedom. What do you plan to do now?" Nie Yanian and Meng Yuan walked around the training ground, chatting casually.

"I am Third Miss’s person in life and her ghost in death," Meng Yuan said directly. "Whatever Third Miss asks me to do, I will do."

"Don’t say that in front of the Empress Consort. She’s very wise and doesn’t like to hear such things," Nie Yanian smiled.

Meng Yuan smiled and nodded.

Nie Yanian also smiled and pointed at the young students. "Four more children have achieved Status. How about you?"

"That’s what I wanted to discuss with Teacher Nie." Meng Yuan spoke with a humble tone. "I’ve now opened all the Central Thirty-Three Heavens, and I’m just waiting for the final imprinting. Does Teacher Nie have any advice?"

"..." Nie Yanian counted on his fingers. "You achieved Status in the middle of the first month, and now it’s the middle of the fourth month..."

He tapped Meng Yuan’s nose. "You’re really like a sow giving birth, one after another."

Meng Yuan smiled but didn’t say anything.

"Your progress is extremely fast. In my memory, it seems only one person fully opened the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens in two months." Nie Yanian stroked his chin, looking more serious. "But don’t be arrogant. Eighth and Ninth Stages are just the first steps on a long journey."

He pointed at the practicing students. "We martial artists have the concept of Ascension Three Stages. Do you know about it?"

"I was just about to ask Teacher Nie," Meng Yuan said.

"From Eighth to Seventh is one Heaven Stage, from Sixth to Fifth is another Heaven Stage, and from Fifth to Fourth is yet another Heaven Stage. These are the Ascension Three Stages," Nie Yanian smiled.

"What about the stages after that? Are the transitions from Fourth to Third, Third to Second, and Second to First even easier?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"Ascending the Heaven Stages is still possible, but beyond that, it depends on fate. The difficulty is beyond human effort!" Nie Yanian crossed his arms, looking profound.

"Please teach me, Teacher Nie," Meng Yuan quickly asked.

"We martial artists often talk about talent and potential, but it’s just to scare people! It’s not that we don’t value talent and potential, but most martial artists never reach the point where they need to rely on them!"

Nie Yanian laughed. "What talent do you need for Ninth and Eighth Stages? Just train hard, push yourself, don’t fear hardship or fatigue, and have perseverance. Even a dog could achieve it!"

He pointed at the young students. "I bet most of these children will be Eighth Stage for their entire lives. To advance further is difficult!"

"Teacher Nie means that advancing from Eighth to Seventh is the first major hurdle where talent and potential are required."

Meng Yuan nodded, feeling that this explanation made a lot of sense and was likely derived from the teachings of both Buddhism and Taoism.

"The more chains we open, the greater our abilities will become. Once we open the Upper Thirty-Three Heavens, we'll be able to glimpse the mysteries of heavenly insight!"

The more Nie Yanyan spoke, the more excited he became, his face turning red. "Once we open all the Upper, Middle, and Lower Thirty-Three Heavens, we'll establish the foundation of a warrior, and from then on, the sky will be the limit!"

Meng Yuan rubbed his hands together. "Teacher Nie, teach me!"

Nie Yanyan was in control.

"I brought a pendant for Qingqing." Meng Yuan took out a delicate small gift box from his sleeve. "Teacher, please help me present it."

"You two are young. Why don't you deliver it yourselves?" Nie Yanyan didn't take the gift, asking, "Where were we in our conversation?"

Meng Yuan put away the gift box and said, "We were talking about the perfection of the Eighth Stage and the opening of the Upper Thirty-Three Heavens."

"The perfection of the Eighth Stage actually requires the reflection and depiction within the Vital Energy Core."

Noticing that Meng Yuan hadn't forgotten about his daughter's gift, Nie Yanyan's tone softened. "The difference lies in the fact that the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens are on the outside, while the Middle Thirty-Three Heavens are on the inside, so the reflection and depiction will be more difficult and take longer. Some people achieve it in ten days or a month, while others may not succeed in a lifetime."

He tapped Meng Yuan's chest and continued, "Once the reflection and depiction are complete, and the Middle Thirty-Three Heavens are connected, followed by the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens, then it's considered perfect!"

"What about entering the Seventh Stage?" Meng Yuan asked, as he had previously heard Li Weizhen mention the Upper Thirty-Three Heavens being within the Vital Energy Core, but without much detail.

"The Upper Thirty-Three Heavens are located within the Vital Energy Core. You need to find the corresponding Energy Points of the Upper Thirty-Three Heavens through the reflection and depiction of the Middle and Lower Thirty-Three Heavens."

Nie Yanyan drew a square on the ground. "The Vital Energy Core is like a field. The vertical lines are the ridges, and the horizontal lines are the furrows. Where the vertical and horizontal lines intersect is where the Upper Thirty-Three Heavens are located. That's the general idea. The difference in talent and aptitude lies in the fact that some people have distinct ridges and furrows, clearly separated; while others have muddy fields, where the ridges and furrows are indistinguishable."

Meng Yuan understood. The Energy Points of the Middle and Lower Thirty-Three Heavens were already determined, and through the corresponding locations, the reflection and depiction in the Vital Energy Core would then determine the position of the Upper Thirty-Three Heavens.

"Will the True Energy transform into Jade Dew at this point?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Indeed. Upon entering the Seventh Stage, the True Energy will transform into Jade Dew." Nie Yanyan explained.

"Teacher Nie, what about the other two Heaven Stages?" Meng Yuan asked out of curiosity.

"You haven't finished what's in your bowl, and you're already thinking about the pot? In fact, the Eighth Stage to Seventh Stage and Sixth Stage to Fifth Stage are both preparations for the Fifth Stage to Fourth Stage. There are similar concepts in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The Confucians call it 'establishing the heart,' the Buddhists 'Nirvana,' and we warriors call it 'Transformation into Heaven and Man.'"

Nie Yanyan spread his hands. "If I knew exactly what it was, I wouldn't be sitting here with you!"

Meng Yuan smiled and said, "Then let me give it a try?"

"Go ahead, give it a shot!" Nie Yanyan encouraged.

With the bright moon hanging in the sky, Meng Yuan sat down and began to calm his mind and energy.

Then, as his mind directed, the vast True Energy within his Vital Energy Core quickly mobilized, flowing through the meridians and reaching the Middle Thirty-Three Heavens.

Just like before, the True Energy arrived at the already opened thirty-three Energy Points.

As the endless True Energy poured into the Energy Points and slowly impacted them, Meng Yuan felt a sense of swelling throughout his body, as if fierce beasts were hidden within each Energy Point, waiting for him to release them from their cages.

Meng Yuan, having undergone three tempering by the Essence Fire, had Energy Points that were broader than others of the same stage, and thus consumed a significant amount of True Energy.

But his Vital Energy Core had also been crushed and expanded during the third tempering, making the True Energy even more abundant, allowing him to afford the expenditure.

After an unknown amount of time, the True Energy gradually diminished, but there was still no reaction within the Vital Energy Core.

Meng Yuan didn't stop; he only continued to pressurize the True Energy in his Vital Energy Core.

In a daze, Meng Yuan felt as if he had fallen into a realm of nothingness.

Looking up, he felt as if the heavens were within his eyes, and even within his hands.

As he regained some awareness, Meng Yuan sensed a subtle connection between the Energy Point in his Niwan Palace and his own Vital Energy Core.

It was like a fine thread, invisible yet incredibly resilient, impossible to sever or break.

Meng Yuan opened his eyes, feeling slightly weak.

This time, the reflection and depiction of the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens were completed in one go, but it was much slower than before, and he had only depicted one Energy Point.

"The path of a warrior gets more difficult with each step. If it doesn't work this time, try again! Keep trying, and you'll succeed once you become skilled!"

Nie Yanyan's voice rang out, and he patted Meng Yuan's shoulder, smiling. "Young people these days, even if they search for half a day, they might not find the right place."

"I've already depicted one Energy Point." Meng Yuan asked curiously, "Teacher Nie, can I break through now?"

"You're quite a character..." Nie Yanyan started to praise, but his brows furrowed as he saw Meng Yuan's eagerness, looking as if he was about to rush to his daughter. He decided then and there to stop making lewd jokes in front of this person.

"What are you up to? You..." Nie Yanyan stopped praising and pointed at Meng Yuan, opening his mouth but unable to form a complete sentence for a long time.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow!" Nie Yanyan stood up and left with a slap on his buttocks.

"Then I'll go find Qingqing tomorrow!" Meng Yuan immediately called out.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end