What Kind of Immortality Can You Cultivate Without Abstraction?

A mortal monk knelt down at the gate of heaven and prayed to the immortal Jiang Yang: "Ask the Immortal Ancestor for advice. What is the most important thing in cultivating immortality and enlightenment?" Jiang Yang's eyes are as vicissitudes of life as everlasting night, and his voice is like a loud bell: "The most important thing in cultivating immortality and enlightenment is—abstraction!" … A few months later, the cultivator stood in an extremely cold place and whipped a giant ice abyss elephant with his whip. The elephant was covered in ice armor and felt no pain. It just thought the monks were scratching its itch. … "I have abstracted ninety thousand whips, why haven't I realized the truth yet?"