Cultivation was like climbing a mountain.0

At first, every climber ascended by their own skill and strength.0

When the Holy Xuan unified the Five Immortal Lineages, it was as though he had built a paved road up the mountain, complete with chains and railings, permitting only one prescribed path for future generations to climb. The benefit was that even those who once had no hope of ascending could now follow the path and slowly reach the summit by gripping the iron chains. The drawback was that those of exceptional agility and talent lost the freedom to take shortcuts or perilous roads. Thus, the chance to climb higher was forever closed to them.0

Those hidden, dangerous trails were preserved only within the ancient texts. They were not necessarily superior to the Holy Xuan’s prescribed path but were merely another choice,...0