Chapter 170: Secrets of the Spiritual Root, Opportunity of the Heavenly Spirit
“Incredible…”
Looking at the Daoist book in his hand, Lu Yang’s expression became increasingly amazed. It sounded as if this so-called Emerald Sun Cultivation World was vulnerable to a single blow before a Foundation Establishment Perfected One.
However, that was only the surface.
The simplest theory— how could a force unable to contend with Foundation Establishment occupy so many island territories in a lawless place like overseas?
So either the Emerald Sun Cultivation World had a true Foundation Establishment Perfected One as a backer behind the scenes, or the theoretically strongest person in the Emerald Sun Cultivation World, the Dao Integration Great Cultivator, had other means comparable to Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, such a fragrant bun with numerous “materials” would have long been eaten clean by others.
Even these were secondary.
Having the experience of the Refining Arts Secret Realm, Lu Yang constantly warned himself never to underestimate anyone, let alone underestimate a mature system.
Therefore, he soon noticed a more important thing:
“Patriarch Qing Ting… A Nascent Soul Condensation Realm cultivator. This ‘Nascent Soul’ he condensed, as True Qi, can actually be considered superior quality.”
Strictly speaking, it was even enough to rank as Rank 5.
Nascent Soul Condensation was already like this.
What if the realm was higher? There were still three realms above Nascent Soul Condensation!
“Constantly purifying True Qi. Nascent Soul Condensation is Rank 5. Could Spirit Refining reach Rank 4? Void Return Rank 3, could Dao Integration achieve Rank 2 True Qi?”
This was the key.
The rank of True Qi basically determined a cultivator’s future. Below Rank 7, no destiny with Foundation Establishment. Below Rank 3, no destiny with Golden Core. Without reaching Rank 1, hard to become Nascent Soul.
Rank 2 True Qi was barely acceptable.
But what if Dao Integration… was not the limit of the Emerald Sun Cultivation World? If there were realms above Dao Integration, could the True Qi also go up another level?
“Rank 1 True Qi!?”
For a time, Lu Yang was shocked by his own thought. Rank 1 True Qi! It concerned the Nascent Soul; could a tiny overseas place have such an opportunity?
One must know that even his Nine Transformations Dragon Art, created by a Golden Core Perfected Lord, a True Technique pointing directly to the Dao Fruit position, the True Qi condensed was only Rank 3. As for cultivation methods capable of condensing Rank 2 True Qi, Lu Yang lived for eight lives and hadn’t even seen a glance of one, as if they fundamentally didn’t exist.
Let alone Rank 1 True Qi!
However, in the next second, a look of doubt suddenly appeared on Lu Yang’s face: “Not right, isn’t the lifespan of Great Perfection of Qi Refining at most one hundred and fifty years?”
Qi Refining Realm, heavenly lifespan one hundred and fifty years!
This was only theoretical. In reality, the vast majority of Qi Refining cultivators simply couldn’t live up to one hundred and fifty years, often dying at just one hundred and twenty or thirty years.
But what about the Emerald Sun Cultivation World?
Logically speaking, these people, from Practice Qi at the bottom to Dao Integration at the top, were all within the scope of Great Perfection of Qi Refining. Where did their lifespan come from?
“Can purifying True Qi extend life? Impossible.”
“Not to mention that strictly speaking, this system of the Emerald Sun Cultivation World is only refining the Spiritual Root, not refining oneself. Theoretically, it shouldn’t extend life at all…”
But in reality, the lifespan of cultivators in the Emerald Sun Cultivation World was actually very long, even long enough to make Lu Yang, a Foundation Establishment Perfected One, envious.
However, the structure of its cultivators’ lifespan was very strange.
“Mortals’ lifespan is at most thirty or forty years, so they often have to start a family in their teens, become grandfathers at thirty, and forty is even considered an auspicious old age…”
“Practice Qi cultivators aren’t much better; lifespan is just forty or fifty years.”
“Foundation Casting is slightly better, living up to eighty years. Core Formation one hundred and twenty years, Nascent Soul Condensation two hundred years, Spirit Refining three hundred years, Void Return five hundred years, Dao Integration one thousand years…”
Incredible!
Seeing this, Lu Yang almost jumped up. A Qi Refining cultivator could actually compare lifespan with a Golden Core Perfected Lord, and didn’t even need to reincarnate!
But in the next second, Lu Yang reacted: “No, it’s not that they don’t need to reincarnate, but that they cannot reincarnate… Without true Foundation Establishment, the soul hasn’t undergone a qualitative change. Death means true death. As for why they can live so long, it should be because they don’t need to withstand the wear and tear of the [Bi Wind].”
However, it was still not quite right.
Not experiencing [Bi Wind] wear and tear only raised the upper limit of lifespan, but what about the lower limit? How did Qi Refining cultivators raise their lifespan to a full thousand years?
Also, the lifespans of mortals and low-realm cultivators were all too low.
The higher the realm, the more lifespan increased after breaking through. Between Void Return and Dao Integration, it even doubled directly, which could be called a world of difference.
“If considering with the Saint Sect’s thinking…”
Lu Yang’s brows gradually relaxed. He abruptly took out a root glowing with thunder light. This was Liu Chi’s Mutated Thunder Spiritual Root, and also the foundation of cultivation.
Immediately afterward, Lu Yang called Madam Xiao over to cooperate in the research.
Three days later.
“…Indeed so!”
“What a Spiritual Root! A genius concept!” Lu Yang pushed away Madam Xiao, who had fainted from exhaustion, while looking at the Spiritual Root in his hand with burning eyes.
The Spiritual Root was the key to the lifespan of cultivators in the Emerald Sun Cultivation World!
“Named Spiritual Root, but actually it is an absorption device. It can supplement one’s own damaged lifespan by squeezing the lifespan of mortals and even low-realm cultivators!”
That was why the lifespans of mortals and low-realm cultivators were so short.
As for the thousand-year lifespan of Dao Integration Great Cultivators, that was probably the upper limit of this world. Without reincarnation, living past a thousand years was the limit, no more possible.
“In other words, this entire Emerald Sun Cultivation World is a super pyramid. The largest number of mortals provide for cultivators with their own lifespans. Then low-realm cultivators provide for high-realm cultivators. Finally, everyone together provides for the Dao Integration Great Cultivators standing at the very top…”
Breaking bones and sucking marrow, its very Saint Sect style!
“However, looking at the characteristics of this cultivation system, this place should be related to Perfected One Primordial. Perfected One Primordial wasn’t a Saint Sect disciple…”
Lu Yang flipped through the ancient records, finally stopping on one of the pages.
“Battle of Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons?”
What was described in the records was impressively the history of the Immortal Alliance’s establishment. Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons appeared out of thin air; local cultivators united and finally repelled the Heavenly Demons…
Reading on, Lu Yang frowned.
“After the battle with Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, the remaining local cultivators established the current Immortal Alliance, and the style of action gradually changed to the current bone-breaking and marrow-sucking.”
“Not quite right.”
“Did the local cultivators really win?”
A group of Great Perfection of Qi Refining, as long as one Foundation Establishment Perfected One appeared, they could kill them all. What kind of Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons could be so weak as to be repelled by local cultivators?
“Established the Immortal Alliance after winning… Could it be that actually the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons won, just borrowing the shell and reputation of local cultivators to facilitate a comprehensive transformation of the Emerald Sun Cultivation World? And judging from the current Immortal Alliance system, this transformation has been very successful…”
Mortals like Chen Xinghai worked for the Immortal Alliance all their lives.
Cultivators like Madam Xiao and Patriarch Qing Ting, although having certain freedom, were ultimately just slightly higher-level workers for the Immortal Alliance.
Complete pyramid structure.
Under the rule of the Immortal Alliance, iron laws like mountains…
In an instant, Lu Yang had a flash of insight. The [Investigating Heaven Sphere] at the center of his brow operated rapidly, generating enlightenment— “Wu is Yang Earth, its Qi solid and heavy, occupying the center to obtain righteousness…”
“In Spring and Summer, Qi moves and opens; in Autumn and Winter, Qi is quiet and closes. It is the controller of fate of all things!”
“So that’s how it is!”
“This is my breakthrough opportunity… Controller of Fate of all things. The [Zhu Yong] I seek is hidden in this Immortal Alliance!”
Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch, originating from heaven and earth, sometimes were not physical objects, but some kind of metaphysical imagery.
Wu Earth is the Controller of Fate of all things, just like the Immortal Alliance to the Emerald Sun Cultivation World.
The Immortal Alliance was a big mountain pressing on the Emerald Sun Cultivation World.
And this big mountain was the Wu Earth he was looking for!
Therefore, to extract the imagery transformed from this Heavenly Spirit, either overthrow the Immortal Alliance or replace the Immortal Alliance!
“No wonder everyone says Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends are hard to find…”
If they were just simple treasures, how could so many people be stuck at a small realm of Foundation Establishment without making any progress? How could the Saint Sect not have stock?
“To find Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends, first one must have merit and qi destiny, so there is a chance to encounter them. Secondly, one must have Dao cultivation. If Dao cultivation is insufficient, even if the opportunity is placed in front of your eyes, you can’t discover it. Finally, one must have strength. Insufficient strength will only lead to turning into flying ash in the calamities sent down by the Foundation Establishment Realm…”
Just like himself this time.
If his Dao cultivation wasn’t enough to comprehend the principle that “Wu Earth is the Controller of Fate of all things,” he could only be like a headless fly seeking the Heavenly Spirit in vain.
“The path of cultivation… is truly difficult at every step!”
Just as Lu Yang was sighing with emotion, a voice suddenly came from outside the Divine Firmament Sect. At the same time, a divine thought descended from the sky, locking onto him directly:
“May I ask if it is a Saint Sect High Cultivator?”
“Immortal Alliance, Piao Miao seeks an audience.”
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