"Truly amazing! This Gu formation is actually able to control the Reverse Flow River." Hong Ji Zi looked up at the pillar of light and offered his sincere praise.
But Xuan Ji Zi shook his head. "This isn't control. I simply set up the Mother-Child Reverse Fate Refining Grand Formation, which is equivalent to digging a channel and letting the Reverse Flow River surge through it. Since we dug the channel, we can influence the direction of the river's flow."
"Once we've taken this Reverse Flow River, the Longevity Heaven will have gained another heavenly secret realm." Hong Ji Zi looked to the future.
Xuan Ji Zi cautioned him again. "When we collect the river, the child formation will definitely break. You need to be careful, watch for the right moment and direction, and open your Immortal Orifice's portal early. Let the Reverse Flow River rush directly inside. As a Water Dao Gu Immortal, you have an advantage for this task."
Hong Ji Zi felt troubled. "What if the Reverse Flow River changes course? Is there really no Gu insect in this world that can manipulate the Reverse Flow River?"
Xuan Ji Zi's brow furrowed slightly. "Indeed, there isn't. However, it's not entirely absolute... Or perhaps there is another possibility."
"What do you mean?"
"You should know the story from the 'Records of the Human Ancestor'. It says: the Human Ancestor sighed that if he had that one Immortal Gu, he could conquer the Reverse Flow River."
"You mean the Immortal Gu of Persistence? That's impossible, isn't it? The Persistence Immortal Gu has never appeared. In my view, that story is just a warning to us that cultivation requires persistence and we cannot give up lightly."
Recorded in the fourth chapter, twenty-sixth section of the 'Records of the Human Ancestor':
The Human Ancestor's woman, Senhai Lunhui, was trapped within the Abyss of Ordinariness.
She made friends with a Small Man, and then the Small Man took Senhai Lunhui on a tour of his home, the market town.
After observing the market town, Senhai Lunhui suddenly looked up at the sky.
"I understand now," Senhai Lunhui said, looking above her own head.
She was trapped within the Abyss of Ordinariness, which was actually just like the Small Man living at the bottom of a well. When the Small Man looked up at the sky painted on the well's opening, it was no different from Senhai Lunhui looking up at the sky outlined by the Abyss of Ordinariness.
"I've decided. I will work hard and walk out of this abyss to rejoin my father!" Senhai Lunhui clenched her fists, her resolve firm.
The Small Man was delighted. "Good! I also want to leave the Abyss of Ordinariness and see the bigger, vaster world. I see many trees in the abyss. We can chop them all down to make ladders, then climb out step by step."
Senhai Lunhui gave a curious "eh" and looked at the Small Man strangely. "Small Man, Small Man, don't you have a pair of wings? Why can't you just fly away?"
The Small Man gave a bitter smile. "Human, don't let my wings fool you. They're actually thin and weak; they can only carry my body to fly slowly for a short distance. When I left the market town originally, I also climbed out using a ladder."
"So that's how it is," Senhai Lunhui said in sudden realization.
In the days that followed, she worked with the Small Man to chop down trees and build ladders.
As tree after tree fell, the Wisdom Gu flew out.
Senhai Lunhui was very surprised. "Wisdom Gu, why are you here?"
"Ordinariness hides wisdom, so of course I can be here," Wisdom Gu replied.
Then Wisdom Gu added, "You two are quite clever, knowing to use the achievements of your predecessors to help yourselves escape ordinariness. But for both of you to walk out of the Abyss of Ordinariness, each of you must build your own ladder, and the entire process must be completed alone. Otherwise, you won't be able to get out."
Senhai Lunhui nodded quickly. "Wisdom Gu, thank you for the reminder. We will be careful."
She and the Small Man each began building their own ladders.
The ladders grew taller and taller. Soon, Senhai Lunhui's ladder surpassed the Small Man's.
The Small Man's ladder was short and small, with the rungs spaced closely together.
Comparing them, Senhai Lunhui's ladder was both long and tall.
Senhai Lunhui began to tease the Small Man. "Small Man, Small Man, the ladder I spent half a day building is worth half a month of your work. If you keep going like this, what year or month will you finish building a ladder tall enough to step on and walk out of the Abyss of Ordinariness?"
The Small Man replied helplessly, "I can't help it. I've given it my all, but the wooden beams I spent half a day carrying over? You can grab a bundle of them with one hand. The small tree I toil for a long time to saw down? You can chop it down in just a few swings. I've already exhausted all my strength; this is the best I can achieve."
Senhai Lunhui nodded. "What a shame. We can only build our own ladders."
The Small Man said, "That's right. To escape the Abyss of Ordinariness, you can rely on the achievements of predecessors, but the one you truly must rely on is yourself. Let's keep working hard!"
Senhai Lunhui and the Small Man continued to fell trees and build ladders.
As tree after tree fell, the Strength Gu flew out from one of them.
Senhai Lunhui was very surprised. "Strength Gu, why are you here?"
"Strength lies hidden within ordinariness, so of course I can be here," Strength Gu replied.
Senhai Lunhui thought for a moment and asked, "Strength Gu, is there anything you can guide me with? Just like the Wisdom Gu did."
Strength Gu said, "I have nothing to guide you with. But I can grant you greater strength, if you offer up your youth."
Senhai Lunhui hesitated.
Strength Gu continued, "With your current strength, when will you be able to build a ladder high enough to walk out of the Abyss of Ordinariness?"
Senhai Lunhui thought. "A very long time. Twenty or thirty years, perhaps."
Strength Gu said, "Indeed. By then, you will no longer be young. Having lost your youth, you will be in middle age. Rather than that, you might as well give your youth to me. Although you will step directly into middle age, you will only need a few years to build the ladder."
After thinking it over, Senhai Lunhui nodded. "You're absolutely right, Strength Gu. I'll do as you say."
Thus, Senhai Lunhui obtained the Strength Gu. Her speed at building the ladder increased dramatically; she could now chop down many more trees at once. After a year, she had built her ladder to a very, very high place.
She walked to the very top of the ladder and looked down.
She saw that the trees had become tiny, and the grass had turned into a patch of green. She felt quite happy. "So when you stand at a great height, things that are usually very large become very small. Just like when I looked at the market town before."
She looked to the side again. The ladder built by the Small Man was very short, not even one percent the height of hers. She couldn't help but purse her lips.
Senhai Lunhui then descended her ladder and said to the Small Man, "How have you only built it to this height? Look, my ladder is already this tall!"
The Small Man looked up at her ladder with immense admiration and equal helplessness. "You really make me envious. Your own strength surpasses mine, and now you have the Strength Gu helping you. Unfortunately, I have no helpers at all, and can only rely on myself. I've done my best. Every day, besides resting and eating, I spend all my time building my own ladder, but I simply can't compare to you."
Senhai Lunhui nodded. "Of course."