“A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Crimson Heart Ascendant”

“A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Crimson Heart Ascendant” is a classical Xianxia novel by Qing He Yi Shen, serialized on Qidian Chinese Network. The story tells of Jiang Wang, framed by his close friend and forced to hide in a Taoist temple. He encounters Zuo Guanglie, a prodigy of the Chu Kingdom, ambushed and killed. Jiang Wang inherits a unique artifact and successfully avenges Zuo Guanglie, embarking on his path of cultivation.

About the Work

Jiang Wang is a straightforward and passionate young man. Betrayed by his best friend, Fang Pengju, he endures hardship. However, he does not give up on cultivation and is determined to become strong and protect those he loves.

On his cultivation journey, Jiang Wang meets many good teachers and helpful friends, experiencing difficult trials together. He gradually discovers the secrets of this world and explores the truth behind his friend’s betrayal.

Cultivation System

• Ninth Grade – Wandering Meridian Realm: Ninth-grade cultivators use Dao essence to arrange array nodes, establishing a Dao vortex to complete the activation of energy points. The Dao Meridian True Spirit leaps into the Dao vortex, marking the Wandering Meridian Realm.
• Eighth Grade – Celestial Circulation Realm: Eighth-grade cultivators establish three Dao vortexes and construct a minor Celestial Circulation within the Tongtian Palace, known as the Celestial Circulation Realm.
• Seventh Grade – Sky Passage Realm: Seventh-grade cultivators establish Heaven, Earth, and Human minor Celestial Circulations, completing the major Celestial Circulation. They then permeate the physical body, cleansing the Tongtian Palace, and the Dao Meridian Dragon awakens, allowing them to see the Gate of Heaven and Earth! This is the Sky Passage Realm.
• Sixth Grade – Ascending Dragon Realm: Sealing the Gate of Heaven and Earth in the Tongtian Palace, also known as the first major obstacle in cultivation. Only by opening the Gate of Heaven and Earth can one achieve clarity of mind and Dao Meridian Ascending Dragon.
• Fifth Grade – Inner Palace Realm: The human body has five palaces, each with hidden treasures. The greatest cultivation in the Five Palaces Realm is the development of these hidden treasures. Depending on the degree of exploration and individual talent, each cultivator’s experience is different, and the final gains vary. This often determines the difference between strength and weakness. Among all the hidden treasures, the rarest is the Seed of Divine Power.
• Fourth Grade – Outer Mansion Realm: Building lofty structures within the Four Divine Spirits. The Outer Mansion Realm guides spiritual power to establish the Mansions of the Four Saints. Receiving the great power of the stars and ascending to the outer domain is the Outer Mansion Realm. These four sacred mansions are also built upon the Four Spirits: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
• Third Grade – Divine Advent Realm: This realm’s name signifies immortality and imperishability, where “I am as a god descending.” In ancient times, it was directly referred to as the Immortal Realm. According to records, the maximum lifespan of Divine Advent Realm experts is 518 years.
• Second Grade – Grotto Heaven Realm: A current-era True Man has a lifespan of 1296 years.
• First Grade – Evolving Dao Realm: Standing at the peak of transcendence, one achieves the Evolving Dao Realm! Compared to the title of Evolving Dao Realm, people are more accustomed to calling them… True Monarchs! The extreme of man is the monarch. When the monarch wants a subject dead, the subject has no choice but to die. Evolving Dao to Grotto Heaven, True Monarch to True Man, is the power of life and death in hand, all under control!

Divine Powers (神通)

Depending on talent, cultivators in the Inner Palace Realm can obtain up to five abilities from the five palaces, known as Divine Powers. Divine Powers are abilities related to the cultivator’s methods of cultivation. When first awakened, they are Divine Power Seeds, incomplete versions of true Divine Powers. Only through constant refinement and development can Divine Powers be fully realized. The Inner Palace Realm, as a pivotal realm in cultivation, is a threshold for becoming a strong cultivator, and Divine Powers play an extremely important role. Divine Power abilities, once awakened, fundamentally guide the path to proving the Dao. The number of Divine Powers is an important indicator for assessing a cultivator’s physical talent.

Obtaining Divine Powers does not necessarily rely solely on oneself; external forces can also increase the probability. Legend has it that the Tianfu Old Man had mastered all five palaces and obtained Divine Powers from each! Therefore, his Inner Palace is called Tianfu, meaning the first palace of heaven and earth. He once created a record of killing three Outer Mansion Realm experts in the Inner Palace Realm, making him invincible in the Inner Palace Realm. He left the methods of obtaining Divine Powers in the Tianfu Secret Realm located in Tianfu City of the Qi Kingdom before mysteriously disappearing. The Tianfu Secret Realm has become a top-tier inheritance in the present world, and those who can pass the trials of the Secret Realm will obtain Divine Power Seeds, which can be used to tap into the Inner Palace and obtain Divine Powers.

Dao Techniques (道术)

Dao techniques are divided into four grades and twelve ranks, in the order of Jia (甲), Yi (乙), Bing (丙), and Ding (丁). Each grade is further divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks. Besides Dao techniques, the combat power system does not enter the four grades and twelve ranks system, for example, the Qi Kingdom royal family’s supreme Purple Micro Cosmic Scripture. There are also ultra-grade Dao techniques divided into the four grades of Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow.

Grand Illusionary Realm (太虚幻境)

Originated from the advocacy of the Tai Xu Sect, jointly created and supervised by multiple forces. There are two ways to enter: one is a false key, in the shape of a silver crescent moon, which uses the power of the Taiyin star to pull the host’s spiritual consciousness into the Grand Illusionary Realm. The second is the Tai Xu Observation Tower, of which the Qi Kingdom owns two, one in the hands of Jiang Wuxing (Tai Xu Five Elements cultivator Jiang Wang). All simulated sensations here, except for not causing damage to the host’s physical body in reality, are no different from the real situation. The Evolving Dao Platform is a place to deduce cultivation methods and Dao techniques. Different levels of Evolving Dao Platforms have great differences in deduction speed and effect. Deduction requires the consumption of “Merit.” The Sword Debate Platform is dedicated to traversing the Grand Illusionary Realm and competing with other cultivators’ forums. Merit is generated mostly from battle. In the same level of battle, victory adds Merit, and defeat deducts Merit. Challenges across levels will have corresponding increases. In addition, there are some other ways. For example, corresponding Blessed Lands of the Cave Heavens will periodically generate Merit. The lowest-ranked Donghai Mountain Blessed Land among the 72 Blessed Lands generates 100 Merit per month. Each level that the lower 36 Blessed Lands are upgraded, 10 Merit is added. Each level that the upper 36 Blessed Lands are upgraded, 100 Merit is added.

Characters

• Jiang Wang: The protagonist, somewhat naive, betrayed by Fang Pengju. Possesses a pure heart, passionate, and even after being hurt by betrayal, he can always regain the ability to love and trust others, never feeling ashamed in his heart. He inherited the Meridian Opening Pill that Zuo Guanglie prepared for his younger brother, perfectly opening his meridians. He also inherited Zuo Guanglie’s Grand Illusionary Realm. After the Windfall City incident, he traveled far to the Qi Kingdom and is a sworn brother with Chong Xuansheng. In the battle to destroy the Yang Kingdom, he captured the flag and was named the Southern Baron of Qingyang Town. He also defeated Wang Yi Wu, a disciple of the God of War, known as the number one in the Sky Passage Realm, in the Qi Kingdom capital of Linzi while in the Ascending Dragon Realm. He defeated him again after both advanced to the Inner Palace Realm. He killed Ji Shaoqing, a prodigy of the Fishing Sea Tower, in overseas life-and-death combat, also forcing the overseas Inner Palace Realm cultivators to not dare to challenge him. He is a Qi Kingdom prodigy, representing Qi Kingdom in the Yellow River Meeting and winning the top spot in the Inner Palace Realm, the number one Inner Palace in the world.
• Jiang An’an: Jiang Wang’s half-sister, with a Celestial Circulation Realm cultivation.
• Ye Qingyu: Daughter of Ye Lingxiao, the Pavilion Master of the Cloud Soaring Pavilion, has a good impression of the protagonist Jiang Wang.

World Structure

• The Six Great Powers: Qi Kingdom of the Eastern Region, Qin Kingdom of the Western Region, Chu Kingdom of the Southern Region, Jing Kingdom of the Far Northern Region, Mu Kingdom of the Northeastern Region, Jing Kingdom of the Central Region, former overlord of the Eastern Region, Yang Kingdom (split).
• Regional Powers: Xia Kingdom, Yong Kingdom, Zhuang Kingdom (quasi), Yun Kingdom (quasi), Sheng Kingdom.
• Independent Weak States: Qu Kingdom, Zheng Kingdom, Wan Kingdom, Mai Kingdom, You Kingdom, Luo Kingdom, Rong Kingdom, Cheng Kingdom, Xu Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom, Chang Kingdom, Xiang Kingdom, Gui Kingdom, Wu Kingdom, He Kingdom, Yue Kingdom, Shan Kingdom, Wei Kingdom.
• Dependent Small States: Yang Kingdom (destroyed).

Top Sects

• Three Holy Lands of Taoism: Jade Capital Mountain, Great Luo Mountain, Penglai Island.
• Two Holy Lands of Buddhism: Hanging Temple (East), Sumeru Mountain (West).
• Three Holy Lands of Legalism: Returning Heaven Palace, Bowing Earth Palace, Criminal Palace (mostly engaged in worldly affairs).
• Holy Lands of Confucianism: Green Cliff Academy, Dragon Gate Academy, Diligent and Hardworking Academy, Antiquity Loving Academy.
• Holy Land of Mohism: Huge City.
• First-Rate Sects: Tai Xu Sect, Fishing Sea Tower, Southern Dipper Palace, Eastern King Valley, Sky Stealing Mansion, Human Heart Temple, Three Points, Fragrant Qi Tower.
• Quasi First-Rate: Cloud Soaring Pavilion, Yang Valley, Withering Glory Monastery (destroyed).
• Second-Rate Sects: Unfamiliar City.
• Third-Rate Sects: Beam Top Building, Soaring Sky Palace, Furious Whale Gang, Nine Mysterious Sect, Golden Needle Gate, Four Seas Merchant Alliance, Hundred Treasure Pavilion, Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce (destroyed), Azure Cloud Pavilion (destroyed), Five Immortal Sect (destroyed).
• Promising New: Hell Has No Door, Eternal Life Sect, Equality Country.
• Extras Sects: Azure Wave Sect, Twin Flood Dragon Association, Jade Toad Sect, Brook Cloud Sword Sect, World Tower (destroyed).
• Foreign Races: Canghai Sea Race, Northern Border Sorcerer, Fussen Sea Holy Race, Floating Land Tribes, Extraterritorial Monster Race.

Famous Families of Various Nations

• Qi Kingdom: Chongxuan Clan, Stone Gate Li Clan Baojia, Lei Clan, Great Ze Tian Clan, Yan Family (wealthy), Jinghai Gao Xie Family, Nanyao Lian Clan (holy land of weapon forging masters), Fufeng Liu Clan (declining), Phoenix Immortal Zhang Clan (destroyed).
• Chu Kingdom: Zuo Clan, Dou Clan, Xiang Clan, Qu Clan.
• Qin Kingdom: Gongyang Family.
• Yang Kingdom: Tianxiong Ji Clan (destroyed).

Enjoy your listening!