Yang God

The world is a sea of bitterness.
The mortal swims in the sea.
The body is the vessel.
The soul is the mortal on the vessel.
The vessel carries the mortal as it sails endlessly towards the other side of the sea.
Does cultivating the body strengthen the vessel enough to reach the other side of this sea of misery?
Or does cultivating the soul give the mortal on the vessel the ability to master swimming?
Cultivating according to the martial path allows one to become an Earthly Immortal.
Cultivating according to the immortal path allows one to become a Divine Immortal.
Which path should be chosen?