Immortal Mortal

Lightning Room 1 was located on the ninth floor of the Fringe City Immortal Training Tower, and it was the first training room that came into Mo Wuji’s field of vision when he arrived on the ninth floor. There was indeed a groove for the jade slip outside the tempering room, and Mo Wuji casually slid his jade slip into the groove, then the heavy stone door of the tempering room began to creak open.

After Mo Wuji entered the stone door, it automatically closed behind him. Upon preliminary inspection, the stone chamber he was in had at least 200 square meters in floor area, and around 10 meters in height. The chamber was completely empty, less three handles at the entrance. The first was labelled “Begin training”, the second labelled “Stop training”, and the last labelled “Open door”. Other than that, there was no dial or handle to adjust the strength of lightning in the chamber.

Even though he had not undergone training in a lightning tempering room before, it was not the first time that Mo Wuji tempered meridians with lightning. A bottle of channel opening solution disappeared in a gulp, and Mo Wuji pulled down the first handle to start his training.

Waves of rumbling rang out from all corners of the chamber, and around 10 breaths later, tiny lightning bolts came shooting out. Even though the lightning tempering room was rather large, but Mo Wuji noticed that the lightning bolts were only landing within a radius of a few metres in the centre of the room with loud crackling noises, while nothing happened elsewhere. Those lightning bolts were no weaker than those that he encountered for the first time in the lightning lake . Without a single shred of hesitation, Mo Wuji stepped into the area which bore the brunt of the lightning bolt strikes. Every minute that he hesitated was equivalent to wasting some spirit stones.

“Bang...crackle...” The lightning bolts struck Mo Wuji’s body, and the streams of hot energy that followed were guided by Mo Wuji into the various meridians in his body. It was only then that Mo Wuji felt the difference between the lightning bolts in the lightning tempering room, and those from the lightning lake and the Six-footed Lightning Crocodiles. The strength of every lightning bolt was consistent, which to him, was much better for tempering his meridians.

It was good to be rich. Even in the world of cultivators, this fact did not change.

A single major circulation with the later, Mo Wuji’s 28th meridian popped open.

Unfortunately, he had no spirit stones, otherwise, he would definitely take the chance to cultivate at the same time. Who knew what that would feel like?

The lightning bolts rained down endlessly, and Mo Wuji ceaselessly consumed bottle after bottle of channel opening solution. The only good point of tempering his meridians in the lightning tempering room was that he did not have to worry about his safety. Once he could not handle the intensity of lightning, he could just step out of the epicenter of the lightning bolts to take a short break.

This was a luxury that Mo Wuji did not have when facing the lightning crocodiles and in the lightning lake. When making use of lightning crocodiles, he would have to bring a guy along to help, so as to prevent him from being killed by the crocodile by accident.

On the other hand, the lightning lake was a much more dangerous place to train in. No one knew when a extremely strong lightning bolt would strike. For lightning that strong, perhaps only a single bolt would already easily wipe a weak newbie like Mo Wuji off the face of the planet.

In the lightning tempering room, nearly no single piece of Mo Wuji’s flesh was left in its original state. Luckily, he threw his clothes outside of the lightning radius at the start, otherwise he would have to leave naked. How could he anticipate this and bring an extra set of clothes with him?

The smell of charred flesh filled the lightning tempering room, and with every lightning strike, Mo Wuji would spasm uncontrollably, but even so, he did not choose to leave the lightning radius to rest. Not a single lightning bolt should have been wasted by taking a break, as every one was bought with spirit stones. More importantly, Mo Wuji was aware that while the lightning tempering room was safe and stable, but there was one factor lacking: the pressure from fighting for his life.

One thing that Yan Qianyin got right was that it would be difficult for someone that did not experience life and death situations to become an expert. Mo Wuji’s determination in the face of these lightning strikes, was also to push himself to his limits. As long as he did not reach the thin line between life and death, rest would not be an option.

Determination was sometimes more important than talent. For Mo Wuji to get to where he was, perhaps his talent had a part to play, but in his heart, grit and drive played the most crucial role.

33 meridians...34 meridians...

When Mo Wuji consumed the 30th bottle of channel opening solution, a continuous stream of four lightning bolts were guided into his 36th meridian. “Bang!” Once the four lightning bolts completely burst open his 36th meridian, a relaxed feeling spread throughout his whole body. Who cared if he was burnt black and was filled with cuts and wounds caused by the lightning strikes? Once the 36th meridian was opened, he had a sublime feeling all over.

This feeling of joy and comfort was similar to what he felt when progressing from Channel Opening Stage Level 3 to Level 4. No, it felt even better than that.

Mo Wuji, who had originally planned to take a short break after opening 36 meridians, changed his mind. He felt really good, possibly even stronger than before he entered the lightning tempering room, so he decided that he would finish all of the channel opening solution before stopping.

Down his throat the 14th bottle of channel opening solution went, but a sense of uneasiness appeared in Mo Wuji’s heart, because the burning line sensation was no longer present. Other than a light burn in his throat, there was no other reaction from his body. Without any reaction from his body, he would not be able to guide the lightning bolts to attack his meridians to open them.

Multiple lightning bolts continued to land on him, and Mo Wuji allowed them to freely strike his body, but other than the physical harm that they inflicted on him, there were no benefits that could be reaped any further

An uncomfortable feeling welled up within him. Desperate, Mo Wuji drank five bottles of channel opening solution, but to no avail. All he felt was some heat in his throat. His meridians no longer responded.

The lightning bolts kept raining down, and Mo Wuji forcibly started the circulation process to guide the lightning to break open one of the possible meridians. “Boom!” Mo Wuji spat out a mouthful of blood just as the lightning was guided into him, before falling to the ground, paralysed and spasming.

Lightning bolts threatened to strike again. Whatever was left of Mo Wuji struggled to crawl out of the area at the centre of the room where lightning struck. It was as though countless needles were pierced through his spine, as he spat out more blood with each wave of pain that hit him. Thankfully he had already got out of the epicenter of the lightning strikes, otherwise, he would not be able to crawl out ever in his life.

Forcefully guiding lightning through the body’s meridians had caused great pain and damage to Mo Wuji, making him unable to stand up. While he lay on the floor, he could not even move a muscle either. Even though the lightning bolts continued to fall, and his spirit stones were still being used up, but he did not have the strength to reach and pull the “Stop training” handle.

After a good one over hour of lying on the ground did Mo Wuji regain some strength. With this, he wriggled his way to the bag at one side to retrieve some recovery pills, instantly popping a few of them into his mouth.

The recovery pills coupled with half an hour of rest did the trick, and Mo Wuji could just barely stand up. He wobbled to the side of the door, and pulled the “Stop training” handle before collapsing to the ground once again.

The wastage of spirit stones were of secondary importance now. The main issue on his mind was why the channel opening solution lost its effectiveness. Could his natural limit be 36 opened meridians?

But based on his prior knowledge, he knew that the maximum number was 99 spirit channels, and even though Mo Wuji did not know the difference between meridians and spirit channels, from experience he also knew that there was negligible difference between opening 36 meridians and 36 spirit channels. In the world of cultivation, for those who could cultivate, opening 36 spirit channels was commonplace, and even those with the most average talent could achieve it. As long as you were a cultivator, you would be expected to at least open more than 36 spirit channels.

A strong sense of resentment burst forth from inside him. If he really only had the potential of 36 opened meridians, then he would likely be unable to cultivate even to the later levels of the Channel Opening Stage, much less higher stages or realms.

Time passed quickly while Mo Wuji just sat there, and at some point in time, an alarm went off in the lightning tempering room. This signified that Mo Wuji had not been training in the room for quite awhile, and would have to leave the room if he did not wish to continue cultivating. Only then, Mo Wuji woke up his idea, and a shiver went down him spine. Back when he could not cultivate, he was not sad or disappointed, but instead worked hard to find a path of cultivation for himself. However, now that he could already cultivate, and had become a Channel Opening Stage Level 4 cultivator, he was surprisingly defeated by his limit of opening 36 meridians.

This was out of character for him. Mo Wuji once told himself, so what if he had mortal roots? He would not give up, what more if he had mortal roots that allowed him to cultivate. No turning back, Mo Wuji had to find a new method to open meridians. If he couldn’t, then he would revert to his original plan, and pursue training in martial arts.

Thinking to this point, Mo Wuji instantly became mentally recharged, and his confidence was renewed. So what if I have mortal roots? So what if I only have 36 opened meridians? I can’t give up here. I must never give up! [1]

At most, he would just die as a ordinary mortal, which did not matter. He was already very lucky to have reached such a stage, so what was there to worry about? Mo Wuji soon regained his composure, put on his torn clothes, picked up his bag, and yanked open the door of the lightning tempering room.

Outside the lightning tempering room stood seven, eight people, out of which a guy and a girl were squashed in center. The guy, Mo Wuji could recognise. He was the one who gave three spirit stones to the young and handsome youth previously. The pretty girl had also been at his side.

Those outside were shocked by Mo Wuji’s appearance. Whole body burnt black, hair as though as it was lit on fire, body still releasing smoke, and the blood on the chest and the corner of the mouth mixed with black soot; Mo Wuji looked as though as he crawled out of a pile of dead people.

The only thing that looked out of place was his eyes. That pair of eyes reflected a profound sense of serenity, as though as the whole world had exploded, but yet he remained unaffected and calm.

[1] TL Note: Thoughts of people are now in italics