Chapter 588: Realms and Lifespan (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Votes)
Chapter 588: Realms and Lifespan (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Votes)
"Could it be a Nascent Soul Patriarch? ! "
The big man's face changed drastically, his legs went weak, and he almost fell to his knees to beg for mercy.
If not for a Nascent Soul old monster, how could they have detected absolutely no signs?
"Don't panic! If it were a Nascent Soul Patriarch, you and I would already be dead. Perhaps it's just a miraculous concealment technique or the aid of some treasure or secret talisman, playing tricks on us from nearby! "
Wei Qingfeng's eyes flashed repeatedly. He immediately cast several types of spirit-eye techniques, yet he couldn't detect the newcomer's trace. His expression turned ruthless, and he pounded his chest.
He opened his mouth and sprayed forth a green light. Within it, an ancient, green oil-paper umbrella unfurled. Streaks of green spiritual power transformed into pine needles, raining down like countless droplets.
Clearly, if the hidden person had used some marvelous evasion art or talisman, this indiscriminate, wide-ranging attack would expose them.
Alas, Wei Qingfeng was disappointed to find that within several miles covered by his 'Green Pine Umbrella', there was not the slightest abnormality.
Fang Xi's voice echoed, and then, a crystalline thread appeared in the void.
Pfft!
The thread appeared crystal clear, yet it was as if it were nothing. It directly pierced through the swirling green mist and landed on Wei Qingfeng's body.
Pfft!
Wei Qingfeng's face instantly paled. He spat out a mouthful of vital blood, feeling as though the Golden Core he had painstakingly cultivated for a hundred years had severed its connection to him. His spell power and Divine Consciousness, usually as responsive as an arm directing a finger, were now completely dead, and he toppled to the ground like a wooden puppet.
In his eyes, a trace of terror still lingered: 'Spiritual sense materialized. . . It's a Divine Transformation Venerable? ! '
Wei Qingfeng couldn't believe it. How could a mere Core Formation rogue cultivator like himself be worthy of a Divine Transformation Venerable condescending to act against him?
Bang!
Beside him, his accomplice also collapsed with a look of disbelief, unable to speak or move, only their eyes filled with panic.
A moment later, a gentle breeze swept through.
Fang Xi arrived, walking under the moonlight.
He had gone to bed in the camp, then cast an illusion to disguise himself, while his true body quietly slipped out.
With his Divine Transformation cultivation, a few martial artists equivalent to Core Formation or Foundation Establishment cultivators naturally couldn't detect the tricks he played.
Now, standing before these two Core Formation cultivators, with a thought, two black-red demonic hand seals appeared, lifting them before him.
When Wei Qingfeng saw Fang Xi's appearance, his eyes suddenly widened.
Although he had only glanced at him once, he immediately recognized Fang Xi as someone from that caravan!
Cultivators possess eidetic memory. At this moment, Wei Qingfeng's heart was filled with regret.
How utterly unlucky, how completely jinxed must he be, to encounter a legendary Divine Transformation Venerable traveling as a mortal?
Unfortunately, he couldn't speak to beg for mercy at all; he could only frantically motion with his eyes.
Fang Xi, however, couldn't be bothered with idle talk. He pressed a hand onto Wei Qingfeng's head.
Instantly, a flood of memories flashed by like fleeting images.
Wei Qingfeng underwent the Soul Scour technique, his eyes rolling back. When Fang Xi released him, he collapsed limply to the ground, as if his bones had been removed.
After scouring Wei Qingfeng's soul, Fang Xi grabbed the other Core Formation cultivator and repeated the process.
A moment later, both lay side-by-side, barely clinging to life.
Fang Xi, meanwhile, sat cross-legged, digesting and comparing the hundreds of years of memories from the two Core Formation cultivators.
'As expected of Core Formation cultivators, I suppose? They know much more than mortals. . . '
Fang Xi's eyes gleamed slightly.
According to their memories, this place was indeed the Earthly Immortal World, a rather remote part of it at that. As for more geographical details or matters concerning ascended cultivators?
The Core Formation cultivators' knowledge was limited, so they had little information.
"Still, they are cultivators, so their understanding of the realms beyond Return to Void is quite rich. . . "
He muttered to himself.
"Cultivators begin with Qi Refinement, followed by Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation. . . these are the limits of the lower realms. "
"In the Earthly Immortal World, after Divine Transformation, come the realms of Return to Void, Void Amalgamation, and Mahayana. . . Upon reaching the 'Mahayana' realm, cultivation is almost complete, awaiting only the tribulation to ascend to the True Immortal World. Thus, they are also called 'Loose Immortals' or 'Mahayana Loose Immortals'! "
Of course, these two had only heard descriptions; as for the true might of Great Divine Ability cultivators beyond Return to Void? That was mostly subjective conjecture.
After all, being able to interact with Nascent Soul cultivators in their daily lives was already considered good fortune for them.
"In the Earthly Immortal World, there are mortals, martial artists, and cultivators. . . Among cultivators, Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment still make up the majority. . . Divine Transformation cultivators can already establish sects and achieve fame in a region. . . As for the even higher Return to Void and Void Amalgamation cultivators, their prestige resounds throughout the entire human race; they are truly at the top. . . Finally, Mahayana Loose Immortals are leaders of the human race, renowned throughout the Earthly Immortal World, capable of influencing the balance between humans, demons, and fiends, existing as pillars of their race's destiny. . . "
"Even the myriad mortal kingdoms on the Setting Sun Plain are merely ruled by a group of Nascent Soul cultivators, with Divine Transformation sects residing high above them. . . "
"It seems my cultivation isn't too shabby? Still, I mustn't get carried away; I must remain low-key, low-key. . . "
Fang Xi recalled more details, a smile appearing on his face.
These two Core Formation cultivators had limited knowledge, and their understanding of realms beyond Return to Void was vague, but they did possess some basic common sense, which greatly compensated for Fang Xi's shortcomings.
"In the Earthly Immortal World, due to the abundant spiritual qi, even ordinary mortals can easily live to 120 years if they avoid war and disease. . . "
"For cultivators, lifespan is even longer. Especially for Divine Transformation cultivators, their lifespan almost doubles. . . In the lower realms, they live for about two thousand years, but in the Earthly Immortal World, they generally live for four to five thousand years! "
Four to five thousand years!
There was indeed a reason why those Divine Transformation cultivators in the lower realms were so desperate to come to the Earthly Immortal World!
And upon reaching the Return to Void realm, one could easily live for over ten thousand years!
"Return to Void grants ten thousand years of life. . . The Eternal Evergreen Body increases lifespan by ten thousand years. . . I wonder what connection lies between these two, but the 'Eternal Evergreen Body' should be beneficial for breaking through to Return to Void. . . "
"As for Void Amalgamation cultivators, they generally live for tens of thousands of years. . . "
"Looking at it this way, my 'Withered Glory Mystic Light' is still quite useful. Even if I can't obtain the Supreme Pole Star Life-Ending Divine Light, I'll still have a trump card when I advance to Return to Void? "
A hint of a smile appeared on Fang Xi's lips, then turned to solemnity.
The Earthly Immortal World had so many benefits, but naturally, it also had drawbacks!
"Before Return to Void, it's fine, but after breaking through to the Return to Void realm, every cultivation breakthrough requires undergoing a tribulation? "
"From early-stage Return to Void to mid-stage Return to Void, and then from mid-stage Return to Void to late-stage Return to Void. . . one must pass two heavenly tribulations, known as 'Minor Heavenly Tribulations'. . . Who knows how many Return to Void Grand Cultivators have perished because of them. "
"And breaking through from Return to Void to Void Amalgamation requires passing a 'Major Heavenly Tribulation'. . . Every time a cultivator breaks through, it inevitably triggers the power of heaven and earth; there's no way around it. "
"Calculating this, not counting the breakthrough from Divine Transformation to Return to Void, an early-stage Return to Void cultivator must pass four Minor Heavenly Tribulations and two Major Heavenly Tribulations to cultivate to the Mahayana realm? "
Fang Xi calculated that from his current cultivation to Mahayana, there were at least three Major Heavenly Tribulations and four Minor Heavenly Tribulations to overcome.
Minor Heavenly Tribulations already made those high-level cultivators as fearful as tigers, not to mention the terror of Major Heavenly Tribulations!
Generally, Return to Void cultivators would delay as long as possible, only reluctantly bracing themselves to face Minor Heavenly Tribulations when their lifespan was about to run out, as breaking through minor stages also granted some increase in lifespan.
If one broke through a major realm, doubling one's lifespan was commonplace!
This was also the motivation for countless cultivators to cultivate and undergo tribulations!
'In the Earthly Immortal World, calamities are actually so terrifying. . . Fortunately, I collected the 'Four Sacred Beast Armors' in the lower realms. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have many ways to deal with lightning tribulations. . . '
Fang Xi looked at the two Core Formation cultivators on the ground, about to send them off with a mouthful of demonic flame, when he suddenly changed his expression and pulled out a jade bottle.
As he chanted a spell, a trace of spell power and vital blood from the grim-faced Core Formation cultivator was drawn into the jade bottle.
"Wei Qingfeng has a soul lamp. . . it would be too troublesome to impersonate him. However, this 'Shi Dingfeng' is a rogue cultivator, with no sect. . . "
If Fang Xi used Wei Qingfeng's identity but imprisoned or killed him, his corresponding soul lamp would react, either dimming or extinguishing entirely.
It would be troublesome if the sect investigated.
In contrast, this 'Shi Dingfeng' was a lone wolf, with few problems.
...
The next day, the Feiri City caravan set off again.
"Instructor Fang, you seem in good spirits today. Has something joyful happened? "
Li Guangjin looked at Fang Xi and asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Not at all, I just thought of reaching the Organ City soon, and my heart is filled with anticipation. "
Fang Xi laughed heartily.
The people in the caravan didn't know that, thanks to a certain someone's actions, they had quietly avoided an unwarranted disaster.
Moreover, apart from Wei Qingfeng, they didn't encounter anything else along the way; it was very peaceful, or rather, uneventful!
This made Fang Xi inwardly grumble a bit. If it were according to the plots in opera scripts and novels, such a journey would at least involve a great escape, then by chance saving some divine physique or sacred physique, either a saintess from a major sect or a little princess from a noble family, and thus getting entangled in a huge conspiracy spanning the Earthly Immortal World. . .
Why was it so uneventful when it came to him?
Actually, the Earthly Immortal World was too vast. Even if there were robberies, they were only a very small number of unlucky caravans.
Encountering one even once in ten trips would be considered extremely bad luck.
If one encountered three or four in ten trips, no caravan would exist at all!
Fortunately, even the longest journey has an end.
After entering the heartland of the Ding Kingdom, the official road suddenly became flat, neat, and much wider, with inns visible everywhere.
And outside the capital of the Ding Kingdom, Fang Xi finally saw the legendary Ink Gate Organ City.
Outside the Ding Kingdom's capital, there was a lake spanning ten thousand miles.
The lake was vast and misty, supporting countless fishermen nearby, and the capital's water supply also largely depended on it.
But at this moment, above the lake, a city floated in mid-air, almost entirely obscuring the lake surface.
Hundreds of towering rock giants stood on the city wall's edge, almost integrated with the wall itself.
Every person who came to Lan City was shocked by this sight, left speechless for a long time.
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