How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Late autumn, moonlit night.

On Mount Huding, the enormous furnace that never goes out emits a faint red glow in the moonlight.

This furnace is the symbol of the Mohist school, one of the "Eighteen Schools of Literature and Taoism".

Beside the furnace, pavilions and towers stretch down the mountain. Even when the night is deep, the sounds of string and wind instruments can still be heard, fully demonstrating the refined and elegant character of this scholarly family.

A young man dressed as a disciple, led by a maid, walked through the winding corridor and headed toward one of the VIP pavilions with a suspicious look on his face.

The door to the VIP lounge opened, and the young man's eyes widened in surprise...

Inside the VIP room, many fellow disciples were gathered, and amidst the clinking of glasses, they surrounded a young man dressed in fine clothes.

The young man recognized him; he was the third son of the Prince of Rulan. Three days ago, when the prince entered Huding Mountain in a very ostentatious manner, the young man had mingled in the crowd and experienced the prince's charisma from a distance.

He wasn't surprised by the third prince, but by the beautiful woman beside him—none other than his fiancée, Lin Shuiyao.

Why is she here?

Why is she sitting next to the third prince in such a petite and dependent manner?

Why does she have such a shy expression on her face?

Why did all the disciples who were drinking with the Third Prince have a mocking expression when he entered?

A flurry of thoughts rushed through young Zhou Wenju's mind in an instant, carrying with them confusion and unease...

Seated at the head of the table, the third prince turned his gaze to him: "Zhou Wenju, is that right? I sent someone to summon you!"

Zhou Wenju composed himself: "What advice does the Third Prince have for me?"

The Third Prince chuckled softly: "You've traveled thousands of miles to bring Miss Shuiyao to my side, and you've taken good care of her along the way. Today, I intend to take her as my concubine, so I must express my gratitude to you!"

Taking a concubine?

To take his fiancée as a concubine?

Zhou Wenju was furious: "The Great Yu Dynasty is a land governed by law, and this place is the outer gate of the Literary and Daoist Sage School and the Mohist School. You...you dare to forcibly abduct a woman?"

"Junior Brother Zhou, you are mistaken!" The eldest disciple, sitting first to the left of the prince, said with a dark expression. "The prince has shown favor, and Junior Sister Lin is willing. How can this be called forcibly taking her?"

"Indeed!" His second senior brother spoke up, "The marriage between Huding Mountain and the Rulan Prince's Mansion is a match made in heaven. Junior Brother Zhou, please don't spoil the mood with your nonsense."

Zhou Wenju's face turned ashen: "Shuiyao, tell them yourself... Don't be afraid, just say the word, and I'll risk my life to protect you!"

Lin Shuiyao's gaze finally fell on Zhou Wenju's face, and she smiled gently: "Wenju, you want an answer from me, and I'll give you this clear answer!"

"You speak... I'm listening!" Zhou Wenju stopped breathing.

Lin Shuiyao said, "The Third Prince's favor towards me is the greatest blessing of my life. I am very willing and happy!"

In short, it was as light as the autumn night breeze, quietly brushing past my ear.

In a single sentence, heavier than the stone of Mount Huding, Zhou Wenju's last glimmer of hope was shattered.

His blood boiled, rushing to his head, to his eyes, and making his voice hoarse: "Shuiyao, for you, I abandoned my ailing mother; for you, I took off my winter coat in the snow, nearly losing my life; for you, I gave up five years' worth of points and my lifelong dream just to get you a ticket to Mount Huding. What did you say? Even if the whole world betrays me, you will never betray me!"

Lin Shuiyao sighed softly, "You told me you would dedicate your life to fulfilling my dream, but Wenju, you know yourself that you can't actually support it! Tonight is the closest I've ever been to my dream, so why won't you grant it to me?"

Zhou Wenju closed his eyes.

His hands were clenched tightly, as if he wanted to hold onto everything, but in his palms there was nothing but the autumn wind that he couldn't grasp...

The third prince smiled and gently opened his folding fan: "Zhou Wenju, you have one last thing to do! You have seven days to make a wedding dress for my beloved concubine."

The eldest disciple clapped his hands in praise: "The Third Prince's affection for Junior Sister Lin is truly touching!"

Everyone nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, Junior Brother Zhou is a good person who goes all the way. He made this wedding dress by hand, so it has a deep meaning."

"The Third Prince even thought of the wedding dress; he truly cares for his junior sister. We fellow disciples are very gratified..."

Immediately, everyone rushed to praise them.

The second senior brother waved his hand gently, silencing the chatter among his fellow disciples, and pointed at Zhou Wenju: "Junior Brother Zhou, the Third Prince's order has been approved by the Mountain Lord. Since it is the Mountain Lord's will, it is the sect's law! You must complete it within seven days, or you will be expelled from Mount Huding!"

Zhou Wenju slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: "You scoundrel, you've gone too far!"

tom!

A large foot landed on his chest, and Zhou Wenju was thrown off the courtyard wall and fell into the "Discarded Object Cliff" outside the wall.

Where he had just stood, a figure appeared as if floating in the air. This person lightly flicked his robes, raised his eyes, and his gaze was chilling: "How dare you disrespect the Third Prince! You're courting death!"

The eldest brother laughed: "This guard beside the Third Prince is quite skilled."

"That goes without saying. Those who can serve by the prince's side are at least at the Dao Mountain Realm..." The second senior brother stood up: "Fellow disciples, let us all raise a toast to the Third Prince, wishing that our Huding Mountain and the Ruyang Prince's Mansion may forge a bond of friendship, becoming as close as one family!"

More than ten fellow disciples stood up at the same time to offer toasts, creating a lively and extraordinary scene.

No one paid attention to what had just happened.

Perhaps only a few maids flitting about felt a hidden sorrow in their hearts.

Taking someone else's wife is insignificant to those in power, but to take someone else's wife and then expect them to do the work themselves is going too far; it's like killing someone and destroying their spirit!

……

Night deepened.

Inside the high pavilion, the banquet had already ended.

The ancient and enormous furnace glowed with a faint light, forming a furnace-shaped phantom in the night sky above Huding Mountain. The edges of the phantom could be faintly seen below the Abandoned Vessel Cliff.

What is the Discarding Cliff?

The dumping ground for the Mo family's discarded artifacts.

Perhaps the objects themselves possess a spirit, and being abandoned carries with them resentment, making this place gloomy and desolate.

Perhaps people are ultimately unwilling to face the misfortune of being "abandoned," so few people come to the foot of this cliff.

Tonight, the bright moon hangs in the sky, yet seems exceptionally distant.

The furnace was burning, but it could only reflect a faint light through the dark and cold solid stone.

At the bottom of the cliff, amidst countless discarded fragments, lay a man, none other than Zhou Wenju, who had just been knocked off the cliff.

His face was completely bloodless, and there was a pool of blood behind his head.

He remained completely still, his chest seemingly no longer rising or falling...

One hour, two hours...

Suddenly, his eyes opened!

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the towering Abandoned Weapon Cliff and the distant sky. He sat up abruptly, his right hand rising to grasp the wound on the back of his head, his eyes becoming dazed.

His heart was filled with excitement.

Where is this?

He only remembered that he had spent a full six months finally completing his doctoral dissertation, "The Humanistic Context in Classical Chinese Poetry," when he had just stood up from his computer when he bumped into something sharp and lost consciousness...

Why did I come to this godforsaken place?

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his brain, as if a floodgate had been opened.

A flood of information followed, leaving him completely stunned...

Zhou Wenju, Lin Shuiyao, the Third Prince of Rulan, the Eighteen Sages of Literature and Taoism, the Outer Sect of the Mohist School, Huding Mountain...

A cultivation world with saints, immortals, demons, and dynasties...

Demons cultivate through "blood cultivation," immortals cultivate through "pulse cultivation," and even scholars can cultivate, and the most mysterious and unpredictable "brain cultivation." They can cultivate literary roots, build literary altars, construct literary mountains, pluck literary hearts, bloom literary flowers, and bear literary fruits. When they reach a high level, they can fly and escape into the earth, and even a few words can be supernatural powers.

And then there's the mysterious Heavenly Dao Sea...

Zhou Wenju shuddered slightly...

This trembling may be a physiological reaction caused by excessive blood loss.

Perhaps it also stems from a deep-seated surprise.

Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Kid, you're not dead?"

There was a hint of surprise in his voice.

Zhou Wenju looked up and saw a person walking towards him under the dim light.

This man was dressed in a scholar's robe, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a refined appearance. At first glance, he looked like an elderly scholar who had achieved academic success. However, when his gaze swept downwards, he felt a sudden unease.

The old man's two feet each had five claws, cast in metal, and were different colors: the left foot was crimson, and the right foot was silver-white. His right hand, which was pinching the tip of his beard, was also cast in metal, but it was pitch black.

In his mind, a person emerged from the information system he had obtained from Zhou Wenju.

A taboo figure in Huding Mountain: Lao Can.