The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 10: Mu Tian Discusses the Dao

Mu Tian’s use of the colloquial term “Daowen” was, in this era, undeniably a truly shocking event. It was as if everyone had been crawling on the ground, and then one day they suddenly saw someone who had not only learned to walk but was actually sprinting at full speed—the contrast was simply indescribable. Over the past three years, the Xuan Realm civilization had descended from the heavens. Earthlings had been approaching this mysterious and profound new civilization with great caution, exploring and accepting it at an extremely slow pace. Even now, for 99 percent of the world’s population, Daowen remain as incomprehensible as a foreign language; very few can decipher them, and even those who grasp a thing or two do so only superficially. When it comes to even slightly complex Daowen texts, even experts in Daowen script find themselves at a loss, not knowing where to begin. As for the pronunciation of Daowen—excuse me, but isn’t Daowen a silent script? Tell me, without anyone to teach it and without any pronunciation guides, how is anyone supposed to learn it? In an instant, the entire hall erupted in commotion. It went from initial bewilderment to shock after speculation, and after the shock came awe—but amidst that awe was deep skepticism regarding Mu Tian’s pronunciation of Daowen. “Teacher Mu, is what you just said Daowen?” A middle-aged teacher asked, his voice trembling with excitement, his speech slightly stuttering. Mu Tian smiled and nodded: “You’re correct, teacher—this is indeed Daowen.” He then repeated the Daowen passage in Huaxia. This is simply impossible! If Mu Tian had merely recognized certain Daowen characters, they would have found it incredible but still acceptable; but now that he could even pronounce them—it was nothing short of a fairy tale. In an instant, the entire hall erupted in a frenzy. “You’re all probably very surprised that I can speak Daowen. In fact, there’s a consensus among top Daowen researchers: Daowen is divine!!!” “Daowen are truly wondrous—they combine pictographic, ideographic, and phonetic elements, forming a writing system that integrates both meaning and form, as well as meaning and sound. Though they are profound and obscure, as long as you put in the hard work, the gates to the Xuan Realm’s civilization will open before you.” Once again, Mu Tian spoke slowly, alternating between Daowen and Huaxia. The students below were all deeply moved, gazing intently at Mu Tian with an unusual gleam in their eyes. “Teacher Mu, will we be able to master Daowen as well as you do?” a student asked, raising their hand. Mu Tian smiled and gave everyone an encouraging answer: “Of course.” “It’s just like learning a foreign language—it’s no big deal. The reason you all find Daowen difficult is simply because you lack opportunities to study and exchange ideas. I’m no genius myself; I spent many years studying at Tianhai Cultivator Academy, and my grades in other subjects were abysmal, but I’ve gained some insight specifically in Daowen. I’m willing to share and exchange ideas with you all to open the true gateway to cultivation for my fellow students.” The entire hall erupted in thunderous applause. Some students even shouted out loud, their excitement so intense they seemed as fervent and passionate as fanatics, the atmosphere boiling over. Lu Yue stared blankly at Mu Tian on stage as he spoke with great authority and vision. The awkwardness she’d felt moments earlier vanished in an instant; swept up in the atmosphere, even she—with her bold and spirited personality—couldn’t help but join her classmates in their screams. The university officials, government leaders, and representatives from top martial arts schools and prestigious sects seated in the front rows were all quick to read the situation—especially Mayor Li and Battalion Commander Wang. Earlier, the two had gone against the grain, even risking the interests of various factions to win Mu Tian over. Now it seemed their gamble had paid off. In fact, Mu Tian’s performance today had exceeded even their expectations. Mayor Li let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, “Thank goodness I listened to Old Wang’s advice. If the compensation had been too meager, it wouldn’t have been good if people from sister provinces and cities came to poach him later.” The class was still in session. Mu Tian hadn’t really prepared anything, but fortunately, there was a formal Q&A session. So a student asked, “Professor Mu, as a top student at Tianhai Academy, you must have a deep understanding of cultivation realms and the classification of the Xuan Realm. Could you share your insights on this topic with us? We’re all eager to broaden our horizons.” “That’s an excellent question. I’ll be happy to share my thoughts with you all. Actually, there’s no consensus on this within the cultivation community, so today I’ll take the liberty of exploring it a bit.” “First, I’m sure you’re all very familiar with the first realm of cultivation—the Meridian Condensation Realm. As the name suggests, ‘condensation’ refers to the spiritual meridians. But what exactly are these spiritual meridians?” “It’s not uncommon for cultivators to develop the ability to see within themselves once they reach a certain level—even in the Age of Decline, a few individuals have achieved this. However, if you try to look inside yourself, you’ll likely never find anything called a ‘spiritual vein.’ In fact, a spiritual vein isn’t a specific physical substance, nor is it something like meridians or the dantian. It is a kind of ‘spirit’—a medium through which an individual communicates with Heaven and Earth—a mysterious entity that is both ethereal and yet undeniably real.” ” “It’s very similar to the ‘spiritual roots’ in xianxia novels, but not exactly the same.” “The Condensation Vein Realm is divided into nine levels, ranging from Level One to the perfected Level Nine. Reaching Level Nine of the Condensation Vein Realm signifies that your harmony with Heaven and Earth has reached perfection, qualifying you to strive for even higher realms.” “So how does one cultivate in the Meridian Condensation Realm? Generally speaking, if you’re practicing an orthodox Xuan Realm cultivation technique, as long as you follow the method step by step and cultivate progressively, your cultivation level will gradually rise. Because Xuan Realm techniques are quite mature, as long as you practice diligently, your body will be transformed by the technique, bringing you into ever greater harmony with the heavens and earth, and your cultivation level will naturally rise.” “This is a process of gradual refinement. A prodigy, however, can grasp the essence of the cultivation method. The method involves ‘nurturing the Spirit’; the closer the ‘Spirit’ cultivated within your heart is to the Dao, the greater your harmony with Heaven and Earth will naturally become, and your cultivation will naturally follow suit, rising ever higher...” Mu Tian spoke in meticulous detail about the cultivation process from the Pulse-Condensing Realm onward, covering the various challenges one might encounter along the way. He even offered his insights on the ancient martial arts currently widespread on Earth, sharing his personal reflections and expressing his optimism regarding their bright future. All the students present listened spellbound; Mu Tian’s voice resonated like the deep tones of ancient bells, each word as graceful as a lotus blooming. Even those who had already formally become cultivators gained much from his words, nodding in agreement time and again. It was the first time they had ever seen anyone explain the path of cultivation in such meticulous detail; every word was a pearl of wisdom, striking a chord deep within their hearts. “What comes after the Meridian Condensation Realm?” Mu Tian paused for a moment, then said slowly, “After the Meridian Condensation Realm comes the Divine Perception Realm.” “According to the Red Queen Effect, no matter how hard a species tries, it must evolve frantically just to maintain its current position. Take wolves and deer, for example. Modern wolves and deer have both evolved at a breakneck pace compared to their ancestors—both run infinitely faster now—yet the relationship between them has never changed.” “It’s like rowing against the current—if you don’t move forward, you fall behind. If you want to break free from these shackles, you’ll need to evolve even faster. If doubling isn’t enough, then double it again; if doubling twice isn’t enough, then triple it, tenfold, a hundredfold...” “This is the Divine Perception Realm: the awakening of divine powers, breaking free from constraints, as both mind and body undergo frenzied evolution, shattering the shackles of life’s tiers...”