Chapter 39: Life Wheel

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Wheel of Life

"Everything has a place where it originates, and within our human bodies, there is such a place as well. It is the fundamental source of vital energy, containing the essence of the entire body. It is called the Source Wheel of Life, or simply, the Wheel of Life," Elder Wu Qingfeng explained slowly and calmly.

"Where is this Wheel of Life?" Pang Bo asked.

"Below the navel," Elder Wu Qingfeng replied, pointing to the area below his own navel. "Its location is precisely the most perfect dividing point between the upper and lower halves of the body."

Ye Fan was slightly surprised, immediately thinking of the human body's golden ratio, which perfectly coincided with the location the elder described. The dividing line that represents 0.618 of the total height from foot to head is known as the human body's golden ratio, and the area below the navel happens to be at that exact spot, giving this body proportion the greatest aesthetic appeal.

In fact, there are many golden ratio points throughout the human body, and these localized points are all extremely vital areas. In comparison, the largest golden ratio point of the human body—below the navel—appears, on the surface, to be less significant.

Now, hearing Elder Wu Qingfeng say that this was the Wheel of Life, the fundamental source containing the human body's vital essence, a light suddenly dawned on Ye Fan. Perhaps the human body's most important golden ratio point truly is "the place where all things originate."

The Wheel of Life is not a single point but an entire region. According to Elder Wu Qingfeng, it forms a palm-sized circle centered at the point below the navel, serving as the repository of vital essence.

Elder Wu Qingfeng emphasized, with a serious and earnest tone, "For ordinary people, the Wheel of Life is used for procreation. For cultivators, it is for creating the self; it is the fundamental core of a cultivator."

According to Elder Wu Qingfeng, the Wheel of Life is the source of divine power. For cultivators who wish to embark on the path to immortality, everything must begin here.

"Throughout an ordinary person's life, the Wheel of Life continuously dries up. Each year, time leaves a mark upon it, much like the annual rings of a tree. When a human body reaches old age, the Wheel of Life is covered in the scars of time, and at that point, it is the moment the Wheel of Life completely shatters."

"Could you tell us how many marks are currently on our Wheels of Life?"

Ye Fan and Pang Bo, originally young men in their twenties, had now transformed into the appearance of eleven or twelve-year-olds, having undergone the astonishing change of rejuvenation.

"Your Wheel of Life bears eleven marks."

Upon hearing this, Pang Bo immediately grinned widely. Compared to his classmates who had lost their youthful vitality, what happened to him was truly extraordinary. He then pointed to Ye Fan and asked, "What about him? He should be similar to me, right?"

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 incredibly silent, his Sea of Suffering as hard as divine iron, as stable as a bedrock, and unshakable, making it impossible to open.

"His constitution is very special; I can't see through it. It's hard to say how many marks there are, but I expect it's similar to yours." At this point, Elder Wu Qingfeng revealed an unusual expression and said, "His vital energy is so vigorous it's comparable to a dragon-elephant. If only he could cultivate... what a pity."

Ye Fan and Pang Bo finally understood what the Wheel of Life was, but many questions still lingered in their minds.

"The Wheel of Life can be considered the foundation of a cultivator. If one reaches the legendary realm of keeping the Wheel of Life pristine, without scars or marks, always as if newly formed, there might be a slim hope of achieving immortality."

"Is achieving immortality very difficult?"

"The 'immortals' spoken of in the mortal world are merely cultivators capable of flying and escaping. Whether true immortals of legend exist is hard to determine. To my knowledge, no one in the vast Eastern Wasteland has achieved immortality for thousands of years. Perhaps only the Holy Lands, the ancient aristocratic families descended from primordial times, or certain ancient demons know some of the truth."

"Elder, you're crushing our beliefs! We just started thinking about cultivating, and you're telling us that immortals might not even exist. That's truly disheartening."

"Spring flowers do not last beyond autumn, and cicadas do not survive winter. Ordinary mortals do not live beyond a hundred years. If they were to exist for thousands of years, that would be considered defying the laws of nature, and in some sense, they could be seen as immortals."

Ye Fan and Pang Bo understood what the elder intended to convey. When cultivators embark on the path to immortality, from the day they begin cultivating, they have already surpassed ordinary mortals. Powerful individuals can even live for thousands of years, breaking the rules of heaven and earth. Even if they ultimately cannot become true immortals, their struggle in this life would not be in vain, as they would have broken through the shackles of natural law and changed their destiny.

"Actually, I haven't truly and completely denied the existence of immortals. Perhaps we simply cannot reach that world."

Following this, Ye Fan and Pang Bo continuously asked questions, and the elder patiently explained things to them.

"People always talk about the Sea of Suffering. What exactly is that?"

"It is the boundless sea of tribulations that obscures the Wheel of Life."

"What do you mean?" Ye Fan and Pang Bo both asked, puzzled.

"Once a cultivator reaches a certain realm, the seemingly palm-sized Wheel of Life actually contains a true world within. The Sea of Suffering is born naturally, coexisting with it."

"Could you 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, more precisely, the Sea of Suffering submerges the Wheel of Life. Not only do the years wear down the Wheel of Life, but the Sea of Suffering also erodes it little by little."

"So, that's where the saying 'crossing the Sea of Suffering' comes from?"

Elder Wu Qingfeng nodded. "Precisely. All of a cultivator's foundation lies in the Wheel of Life. One of the goals of cultivation is to completely overcome the Sea of Suffering."

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were astonished. "According to what you've said, the Sea of Suffering is boundless and submerges the Wheel of Life. How can one ever completely overcome it?"

"Indeed, it is endless. That's why even astonishingly talented and powerful cultivators can only turn into a handful of dust after thousands or tens of thousands of years," Elder Wu Qingfeng said with a bitter tone, then revealed a look of longing. "Legend has it that true immortals must completely overcome the Sea of Suffering, transforming it into a spring of vital essence, a single drop of which is enough to bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones."

"Alas, that's just a legend. Whether immortals truly exist is still a question," Pang Bo sighed. "Please tell us about things that genuinely exist instead."

"Although the Sea of Suffering is endless, cultivators must not be trapped within it if they wish to gain a long life," Elder Wu Qingfeng said, his eyes shining brightly. "One must create life within the Sea of Suffering, brewing vigorous vitality in desolation, cultivate divine meridians, forge a heavenly bridge, reach the other shore, and arrive at the end of the Sea of Suffering."

Ye Fan pondered for a moment, feeling somewhat confused, and asked, "The Sea of Suffering submerges the Wheel of Life, so they essentially overlap. Cultivating a divine bridge, reaching the other shore, and escaping the Sea of Suffering—doesn't this mean abandoning the Wheel of Life? Isn't that the very foundation of a cultivator? Can one truly move away from it?"

Elder Wu Qingfeng listened, then nodded approvingly. "I said the Wheel of Life is the fundamental core of a cultivator, the source of all foundations, but I did not say there is nothing else beyond it."

Pang Bo's eyes widened immediately. "What else is there?"

"To achieve immortality, merely cultivating the Wheel of Life is absolutely not enough. The divine bridge is the key to traversing the Sea of Suffering and connecting to other secret realms within the body..."

"Are you saying there isn't just one Wheel of Life, but others? Or rather, are there several existences similar to the Wheel of Life within the human body?" Ye Fan was greatly surprised.

"To become a peak expert in the world, cultivating the Wheel of Life to its extreme is sufficient. But if you wish to achieve immortality, merely cultivating the Wheel of Life is far from enough." At this point, Elder Wu Qingfeng shook his head, for even he didn't know if immortals truly existed. He continued, "Even an unparalleled genius would find it sufficient to cultivate only one Wheel of Life throughout their life, benefiting endlessly from it. However, cultivating divine meridians, forging a heavenly bridge, reaching the other shore, and obtaining a long life is not so easy. Remember, you must never be overly ambitious. Laying a solid foundation is the most crucial thing!"