Chapter 8: The Wine Name "Kutō"

  After listening to Mo Yunyi's legend about "Xuanyuan Bloodline", Ji Changkong did not feel passionate, he thought that the "Xuanyuan" legend was too far away from himself, and still felt that it would be better to try out the secrets of the Cangjing Tower one by one.

  For three consecutive months, Ji Changkong often sneaked out at midnight and quietly entered the Scripture Storage Building when it was late at night.

  For three months, Ji Changkong not only roughly familiarized himself with the various heavenly secrets and techniques on the first, second, and third floors of the Scripture Pavilion, but also became quite familiar with Old Lady Mo Yunyi.

  After visiting the second and third floors of the Scripture Pavilion, Ji Changkong finally realized that the cultivation secrets on top were just upgraded versions of those on the first floor.

  For example, the first layer's "Lingyun Yuangui Jue" only records the cultivation methods from Yiyuan Tian to Sancai Tian, while the second layer records the cultivation secrets from Sixiang Tian to Wuxing Tian. The third layer also has a "Lingyun Yuangui Jue", which only records the dual cultivation methods from Liuhe Tian to Qixing Tian.

  Other cultivation secrets are the same. The first layer is the foundation of secret cultivation, and the second and third layers are more advanced.

  In addition, the second and third levels have some new cultivation secrets, as well as some notes from predecessors' cultivation experiences. The notes indicate their difficulties at a certain level and insights when breaking through.

  It wasn't until Ji Changkong entered the second and third floors of the Scripture Pavilion that he learned that Ji Changxiao, Ji Changyue, and Ji Changsheng were desperate to get to those upper two floors for the handwritten notes left behind by their predecessors.

  At that time, Ji Changxiang was able to break through from the First Heaven of the Canon Building to the Second Heaven in one go. According to Mo Yunyi, it was because he saw a letter that was similar to his situation and suddenly understood the reason why he couldn't break through for so long, which allowed him to reach the realm of the Second Heaven in just three days.

  The most precious things in the second and third layers, apart from secret techniques, are the cultivation insights of our predecessors!

  However, those epiphanies are not many, and each person on the bumpy road of cultivation will encounter different difficulties. In normal circumstances, cultivators need to break through with their own understanding. Ji Changxiao's breakthrough back then was just a fluke, coincidentally letting him stumble upon a notebook that recorded experiences similar to his own cultivation predicament.

  This is a rare occurrence, which is also why Ji Changxiu stayed in the Zangjing Building for three days this year but gained nothing.

  However, whether it was the two or three-layered deeper heavenly master's cultivation secrets, or the gorgeous and powerful attacking secret techniques, or even the predecessors' cultivation epiphanies, they were all useless to Ji Changkong.

  He can't even gather yuanli, he hasn't even broken through the most basic level, let alone the second or third levels, which are no different from waste paper to him!

  The location of the Ji family is not in Qingyan City, but at the foot of Qingyan Mountain outside the city. Beyond Qingyan Mountain to the south lies the vast Cloud Dream Marsh, where miasma and toxic fogs prevail. After crossing Cloud Dream Marsh, one reaches the Nan Yi tribe, also known as the Nine Barbarians.

  At dawn, the sun rises slowly from the endless eastern sea, and the brilliant golden light gradually shrouds the sky, illuminating the earth.

  At the top of Qingyan Mountain, Ji Changkong sat on a boulder with a desolate expression, his eyes cast downward. Three months ago, during the family assessment, Ji Changkong had exhausted himself to reach this point, almost collapsing from exhaustion at dusk.

  From last night's dusk till now, Ji Changkong has been here for a whole night!

  His originally clear eyes were now filled with confusion, staring blankly at the not-too-distant Cloud Dream Marsh shrouded in mist. He gazed at the five-colored miasma floating gently above the marsh like clouds. Suddenly, Ji Changkong's two hands grasped a large wine jug beside him and he began to gulp it down again with loud "glug glug" sounds.

  "Cough...cough...cough..."

  The bitter wine went down his throat too quickly, and Ji Chang felt a surge of discomfort, with tears almost welling up in his eyes. A strong, bitter flavor also spread through his heart, filling it to the brim with sorrow that matched his current mood perfectly.

  The name "Kotou" was given to him by a strange old man from the poor district of Seigan Castle.

  The old man's name was Luo Tian, and the first time he met Ji Changkong, he threw him a jar of bitter wine called "Ku Du", letting him drink half a jar before starting to talk to him.

  At that time, Ji Changkong was just seven years old!

  "Little doll, your life before the age of 20 is like the name of this wine - 'Ku Du', whether your life after 20 is still called 'Ku Du' depends on yourself." Luo Tian said this with a serious face, without any joking intention, and didn't seem like a fool. Later in his interactions with Luo Tian, Ji Changkong also discovered that Luo Tian never joked around.

  Only a seven-year-old girl like Ji Changkong would naturally not take Luo Tian's nonsense to heart.

  However, a string of facts later proved what Luo Tian said - without exception!

  At least until today, Ji Changkong's life trajectory has been accurately predicted by Luo Tian...

  Since he was aware, Ji Changkong only knew his father, Ji Haotian. Seventeen years ago, when he was still an infant, he was sent back to the Ji family by Ji Haotian, who has never returned since and is now missing. As for his mother, even the entire Ji family doesn't know who she is, let alone Ji Changkong himself.

  When others have parental love, Ji Changkong can only endure loneliness alone.

  Grandfather Jī Yuèshèng was depressed and frustrated at home, unable to extricate himself from the past events of Jī Huáng's life and death. Jī Yuèshèng wasn't good at expressing his emotions; he could only watch Jī Chángkōng from afar and silently show concern.

  Until ten years ago, Ji Wanyun returned to the Ji family with four shocking scars on her face, and only then did Ji Changkong truly receive a carefree concern.

  However, at this time, the fact that Ji Changkong could not gather yuan power was ruthlessly exposed!

  At a young age, Ji Changkong began to suffer even more ostracism in the Ji family. In a family where strength was revered, a child who couldn't gather yuan energy was no different from a useless person! Just as Ji Changkong had come of age, he received nothing but ridicule, coldness, and mocking gazes from others...

  Another decade of bitterness and hardship, adding to the seven years before that when I didn't understand things without my parents' loving care, making a total of seventeen years. A full seventeen years! That's how Ji Changkong has been living!

  And now, Ji Changkong suffered another crushing blow!

  The first floor of the Scripture Pavilion has a total of fifteen kinds of Tian Shi's cultivation secrets. By last night, Ji Changkong had tried every single one of them. He had tried all sorts of methods, but except for repeatedly fainting halfway through, Ji Changkong still gained nothing.

  For three months, Ji Changkong's body had not changed, and her living environment was still the same as before: Grandfather Ji Yusheng still had that loving but disappointed gaze, Auntie Ji Yuanyun was still caring for her without any reservations, even treating her with extra caution, as if afraid she would think of something desperate due to repeated setbacks.

  As for other members of the Ji family...

  It's still the same as before, cold eyes, sarcasm, and ridicule, as if it will never stop! Or like Ji Chang Le, occasionally using his fists and feet to vent out the pent-up anger in his heart, making his mood a little better.

  Before entering the Tibetan Scripture Pavilion, Ji Changkong had placed all his hopes on the secret cultivation techniques inside. At that time, Ji Changkong's heart still held hope, so even if life was bitter and difficult, ...because of that unextinguished thread of hope in his heart, he could still endure it all.

  However, when all the secrets had been tried one by one, Ji Changkong's hope was extinguished bit by bit by himself, and he began to wander, feel lost, helpless... even desperate!

  Suddenly losing the goal he relied on, the process of all his persistence being destroyed by himself was really a bit too difficult for him...

  "Bitter crossing... bitter crossing... this boundless sea of bitterness... when can I truly cross over?"

  Sitting on the top of Qingyan Mountain, looking at the distant Yunmeng Daze where the five-colored mist is constantly changing, Ji Changkong's face is filled with a dense and unresolvable sorrow and bitterness, as well as an unbearable sadness!

  ……

  "A long time." A low call came, and Ji Wenyun's figure stood quietly beside him, saying softly: "Don't lose heart, there is still hope."

  Ji Changkong's face was pale and bewildered, staring blankly at Ji Yuanyun. After a long while, he shook his head and laughed miserably: "Hope? Hope has already been destroyed by my own hands!"

  "No!" Ji Wanyun's heart ached and she hastily exclaimed: "There is still really hope!"

  Don't think too much, Ji Wanyun hastily explained: "This time I came over, it's to take you to Wushan for a trip. It's said that the heavenly master's secret of Wushan Lao Mu is very special. Every disciple who comes to Wushan to pay homage, as long as she recognizes them, will grant the disciple a strand of yuan force, allowing the disciple to use that strand of yuan force as a guide to gather more yuan force for cultivation."

  Jianxiang's attention was drawn to her words, and Ji Wanyun took advantage of the situation: "It is said that even an ordinary person, as long as they are accepted as a disciple by the old mother of Wushan, can cultivate into a Tian Shi with the help of a strand of yuan force bestowed upon them!"

  "Aunt, don't worry, I won't do anything stupid like jumping off a cliff." Ji Changkong shook his head, his eyes clear but with a hint of sadness, and sighed softly: "If there really is a Wu Shan Old Mother, you should have taken me to see her long ago, why wait until now?"

  "You're too clever for your own good!" Seeing that Ji Changkong really didn't have any intention of taking his own life, Ji Yuanyun's heart, which had been suspended in mid-air, gradually calmed down. She first smiled and scolded Ji Changkong before daring to step forward and grab his arm, carefully pulling him back from the edge of the cliff.

  "That Wu Shan Old Mother was originally a heavenly immortal from the endless islands of the Eastern Sea, and only came to Central Plains two years ago. She has been hiding in Lingyun City's Wu Shan Mountain to cultivate, and very few people know her. It wasn't until half a year ago that she started formally accepting disciples. And I'm not omniscient, how would I know so many things?!"

  Ji Wanyun tapped Ji Changkong's head, smiling: "I think you've been acting strange for the past three months, and now you're desperately asking around for news. It was only through Rouran that I heard about the old mother of Wushan Mountain. I didn't expect you to suspect me, your aunt, of deceiving you!"

  "Aunt, you're not kidding me?" Ji Changkong's face was shocked, and he suddenly exclaimed. He was so excited that he lost his balance and kicked a boulder the size of a human head down to the foot of the mountain. Only after a while did the rumbling sound come from the foot of the mountain, and Ji Changkong himself was scared into a cold sweat.

  When he was about to give up himself, suddenly heard such a message, it is indeed difficult to control the excitement in his heart.

  Ji Wanyun was even more tense than Ji Changkong, her face had already turned pale as paper, she tightly grasped Ji Changkong's wrist and didn't say a word, hastily pulling him to a safe area. Only then did she scold in exasperation: "Changkong! How can you be so careless? Do you want to scare your aunt to death?"

  It was indeed perilous just now. If it weren't for Ji Wanyun holding onto him, Ji Changkong would have had a real chance of losing his footing and falling off the cliff.

  "Come on, I'll take you to Wushan now! Let's go!" Ji Yuanyun dragged him down the mountain, not wanting to stay in this dangerous place for another second.

  "Thank you, Auntie." Ji Changkong said softly, the fire of hope rekindled in his heart. Although he was dragged by Ji Yuanyun and stumbled along the way, his face was full of determination.

  Seventeen years have passed like this, as long as there is still a glimmer of hope, I will not give up! Ji Changkong gritted his teeth and made a promise to himself.

  ……