Chapter 39: The Wheel of Life
“All things have a place of origin and beginning, and within our human bodies, there is also such a place. It is the fundamental source of life’s vitality, storing the essence and energy of the entire body. It is called the Source Wheel of Life, or simply the Wheel of Life.” Elder Wu Qingfeng spoke calmly, explaining slowly.
“Where is this Wheel of Life?” Pang Bo asked.
“Below the navel,” Elder Wu Qingfeng said, pointing to the area below his own navel. “Its location is precisely the most perfect dividing point between the upper and lower body.”
Ye Fan was somewhat surprised. He immediately thought of the human body’s golden ratio, which coincided exactly with the location the elder mentioned. The dividing line from the sole of the foot to the top of the head, at a ratio of 0.618, is called the golden ratio of the human body. The area below the navel is exactly at that point. A body with such proportions is considered the most aesthetically pleasing.
In fact, there are many golden ratio points throughout the human body, and these local dividing points are all extremely important locations. Comparatively speaking, the largest golden ratio point of the human body—below the navel—seems, on the surface, less significant.
At that moment, hearing Elder Wu Qingfeng say that this was the Wheel of Life, the fundamental place where the body’s life essence and energy are stored, a flash of insight crossed Ye Fan’s mind. Perhaps the most important golden ratio point of the human body truly was the “place of origin and beginning for all things.”
The Wheel of Life was not a single point, but a region. According to Elder Wu Qingfeng, it was centered on the point below the navel, forming a circle as large as a palm. It was the repository of essence.
Elder Wu Qingfeng emphasized seriously and earnestly, “The Wheel of Life: for ordinary people, it is for bearing children; for Daoists, it is for giving birth to the true self. It is the very foundation of a cultivator.”
According to Elder Wu Qingfeng, the Wheel of Life was the source of divine power. For a cultivator wishing to step onto the path of immortality, everything must begin here.
“In the life of an ordinary person, the Wheel of Life is constantly drying up. Time leaves a mark upon it each year, like the rings of a tree. When a person reaches the end of their life, the Wheel of Life is already covered with the scars of time. At that moment, it is the time for the Wheel of Life to completely shatter.”
“Then how many marks are left on our Wheels of Life?”
Ye Fan and Pang Bo were originally young men in their twenties, but now they had both transformed into the appearance of eleven or twelve-year-olds. Their bodies had undergone the astonishing change of returning to youth.
“Your Wheel of Life has eleven marks.”
Hearing this result, Pang Bo immediately grinned widely. Compared to those classmates who had lost their youthful vitality, what had happened to him was truly defying the heavens. Then he pointed at Ye Fan and asked, “What about him? Should be the same as me, right?”
Elder Wu Qingfeng already knew about Ye Fan’s constitution, but he still carefully examined him. The conclusion he reached was similar to what others had said. Ye Fan’s Wheel of Life was utterly silent, and his Sea of Suffering was as hard as divine iron, as stable as a rock, unshakable, and impossible to open.
“His constitution is very special. I can’t see through it, and I can’t tell how many marks there are. I imagine it’s about the same as yours.” Saying this, Elder Wu Qingfeng showed a strange expression. “His blood and qi are so vigorous, it’s almost comparable to a flood dragon or an elephant. If he could cultivate… what a pity.”
Ye Fan and Pang Bo finally understood what the Wheel of Life was, but they still had many questions in their hearts.
“The Wheel of Life can be called the foundation of a cultivator. If one reaches the legendary realm, keeping the Wheel of Life crystalline, without scars, without imprints, always as if newborn, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for becoming an immortal.”
“Is becoming an immortal very difficult?”
“The immortals spoken of in the mortal world are merely cultivators who can fly through the sky and burrow into the earth. But as for the true immortals of legend, whether they exist or not is very difficult to determine. As far as I know, in the vast and boundless Eastern Wasteland, not a single person has become an immortal in several thousand years. Perhaps only those Holy Lands, the ancient aristocratic families passed down from the Primordial Era, or certain ancient demons know some of the truth.”
“Old sir, you’re crushing our beliefs. We just wanted to start cultivating, and you tell us that immortals might not exist. That’s really discouraging.”
“Spring flowers don’t last through autumn; the winter cicada doesn’t survive the winter. A mortal’s life is but a hundred years. If they could exist for several thousand years, that would already be breaking the laws of heaven. It could be considered a kind of immortal in a certain sense.”
Ye Fan and Pang Bo understood the meaning the elder wanted to convey. From the day a cultivator steps onto the path of immortality and begins their training, they have already surpassed ordinary people. The strong can even live for several thousand years, breaking the rules of heaven and earth. Even if they ultimately cannot become immortals, their struggle in this life is not in vain. After all, they have broken through the shackles of heavenly principles and changed their fate.
“In fact, I haven’t completely denied the existence of immortals. Perhaps it’s just that we cannot touch that world.”
Next, Ye Fan and Pang Bo kept asking questions, and the elder patiently explained for them.
“We always hear people talk about the Sea of Suffering. What exactly is that?”
“It is the endless sea of tribulation that obscures the Wheel of Life.”
“What does that mean?” Ye Fan and Pang Bo were both puzzled.
“When a cultivator reaches a certain realm, the Wheel of Life, which seems only as big as a palm, is actually like a true world inside. The Sea of Suffering is born naturally and coexists with it.”
“Please explain in detail. The Wheel of Life seems to be in the same place as the Sea of Suffering. What is their relationship?”
“The Sea of Suffering overlaps with the Wheel of Life, or to be precise, the Sea of Suffering has submerged the Wheel of Life. Not only does time wear away the Wheel of Life, but the Sea of Suffering also slowly devours it bit by bit.”
“So, that’s where the saying ‘crossing the Sea of Suffering’ comes from?”
Elder Wu Qingfeng nodded. “Correct. The entire foundation of a cultivator lies in the Wheel of Life. One of the purposes of cultivation is to exhaust the Sea of Suffering.”
Ye Fan and Pang Bo were very surprised. “According to what you say, the Sea of Suffering is boundless, submerging the Wheel of Life. How can it possibly be exhausted?”
“Yes, it cannot be exhausted. So even the most brilliant and talented powerful cultivators, after several thousand or even ten thousand years, can only turn into a handful of yellow earth.” Elder Wu Qingfeng showed a look of longing. “Legend has it that a true immortal must completely exhaust the Sea of Suffering, transforming it into the Sweet Dew of Life. A single drop would be enough to bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on white bones.”
“Alas, that’s just a legend. Whether immortals even exist is still a question.” Pang Bo sighed. “You’d better tell us about things that truly exist.”
“The Sea of Suffering cannot be exhausted, but if a cultivator wants to gain a long life, they absolutely must not be trapped within the Sea of Suffering.” Elder Wu Qingfeng’s eyes shone with divine light. “Create life within the Sea of Suffering, brew vigorous vitality amidst desolation. Cultivate a Divine Vein, forge a Heavenly Bridge, reach the Other Shore, and arrive at the end of the Sea of Suffering.”
Ye Fan thought for a moment and felt a bit confused. He asked, “The Sea of Suffering submerges the Wheel of Life. They can be said to overlap. If one cultivates a Divine Bridge, reaches the Other Shore, and escapes the Sea of Suffering, doesn’t that mean leaving the Wheel of Life? Isn’t that the cultivator’s foundation? Can it be left behind?”
After hearing this, Elder Wu Qingfeng nodded approvingly. “I said that the Wheel of Life is the cultivator’s foundation, the basis of everything. But I did not say that there is nothing else besides it.”
Pang Bo’s eyes widened. “What else is there?”
“To become an immortal, cultivating only the Wheel of Life is absolutely not enough. The Divine Bridge is the key to crossing the Sea of Suffering and connecting to other Secret Realms within the body…”
“Do you mean there isn’t just one Wheel of Life, but others… or rather, there are several existences similar to the Wheel of Life within the human body?” Ye Fan was very astonished.
“To become a peak-level expert in the world, it is enough to cultivate the Wheel of Life to its extreme. But to become an immortal, cultivating only the Wheel of Life is far from sufficient.” Saying this, Elder Wu Qingfeng shook his head, because even he didn’t know if immortals truly existed. He continued, “Even for an unparalleled genius, cultivating a single Wheel of Life in a lifetime is more than enough; it will bring endless benefits. To cultivate a Divine Vein, forge a Heavenly Bridge, reach the Other Shore, and gain a long life is not so easy. Don’t aim too high. Remember, only by laying a solid foundation is the most crucial thing!”
This is the second chapter. The third chapter will definitely be very, very late, brothers. Don’t wait for it. Read it tomorrow morning when you get up. I’ll continue to work hard.