Chapter Twenty-Nine: Encounter with Cultivation

Leng Bingyan was overjoyed upon hearing this. Although he didn’t know the true strength of the old man before him, the fact that he had been rescued from the hands of the Thirteen Guardians spoke volumes—surely, this man could not be weak. What’s more, with the effects of the Clear Spring of the Profound Pool, his meridians were no longer blocked; they were, in fact, even stronger than those of ordinary martial artists. A sense of heroic ambition surged within him—the dream of becoming a master of the martial world seemed within reach. Yet, when he remembered his current state as a woman, his heart dimmed considerably.

“Enough, don’t be discouraged. All beginnings are difficult, but so long as you persevere, your dreams will become reality in time.” The old man comforted him from the side. “By the way, after all this, you still don’t know who I am, do you? I am Mo Wuxie. If you don’t mind, you can call me Grandpa Mo.”

“My name is… Leng Bingyan. Can I really call you Grandpa Mo?” Leng Bingyan asked uncertainly.

“Bingyan, is it? Of course you can. As long as you don’t mind an old man like me.” Mo Wuxie laughed.

“Grandpa Mo!” Bingyan called out sweetly, setting aside her reservations.

“Ah—” Mo Wuxie nodded with satisfaction. How could he not be delighted to have such an adorable grandchild (or granddaughter)? A broad smile spread across his face, but then he grew serious. “There’s no time to waste. Let me teach you some basics right away.”

Leng Bingyan straightened up, her small ears pricking with attention.

Mo Wuxie began in a measured tone, “You should know that in the martial world, there are four great realms of martial cultivation, ranked from low to high: the Mortal Realm, the Earth Realm, the Heaven Realm, and the Innate Realm. Before the Mortal Realm are ordinary martial artists. The Mortal Realm itself is divided into three ranks: third-rate, second-rate, and first-rate experts, from lowest to highest. The Earth Realm goes from Earth One to Earth Three, the Heaven Realm from Heaven One to Heaven Three, and above that are the Innate Masters. In the martial world, those of the Earth Realm are already rare masters—currently, there are perhaps a few dozen. As for the Heaven Realm, only a handful exist, and no one has yet reached the Innate Realm. Of course, this excludes the few hidden clans.”

“The Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the Black Tortoise of the North, the Qilin of the Center, and the legendary Supreme Divine Dragon, accompanied by the Illusory Plume Spirit Phoenix—these are the Four Symbols and the Guardians, long vanished since ancient times. Yet, the Supreme Divine Dragon and Spirit Phoenix left some descendants: the Dragon Clan and the Spirit Phoenix Clan. Opposite them are the Flood Dragon Clan and the Vermilion Bird Clan. These four are the remaining mysterious tribes.”

“The Phoenix and the Vermilion Bird are rivals, competing for the favor of the Divine Dragon—one might say, romantic rivals. The crimson flames exhaled by the Phoenix are the unique primal fire of the Phoenix Clan—Spirit Fire, now known as the Heartfire of the Spirit Phoenix; the white-gold flames of the Vermilion Bird are its own primal fire—Heavenly Fire, also called Li Fire. But let’s set them aside. The Flood Dragon is the mortal enemy of the Divine Dragon; whenever they meet, it ends in a fight to the death.”

Listening to these unprecedented secrets, Leng Bingyan couldn’t help but widen his eyes in disbelief, his expression utterly endearing. Mo Wuxie, seeing this, smiled gently and added, “There’s yet another clan equal in name to these four mysterious tribes—your own Han family. Together, they are called the Five Divine Clans.”

Thinking of how Leng Bingyan had been hunted by the Han family’s Thirteen Guardians, Mo Wuxie surmised that something must have happened between her and her clan, but thought it best not to pry.

“These matters may be hidden, but they are not the most mysterious.”

“There’s something even more mysterious?” Bingyan asked in astonishment.

“Of course!” Mo Wuxie smiled. “The world only knows of the martial realm, but there exists a higher plane: the Realm of Cultivation.”

“The Realm of Cultivation? What is that?”

“The Realm of Cultivation is the world where cultivators live and practice. It’s a broad term encompassing innate abodes carved out of space, spiritual mountains, and blessed lands, some of which also exist in the mundane world. Cultivators are also known as seekers of immortality—those who strive to ascend and become immortals.” Mo Wuxie offered a vague explanation; it was indeed difficult to define cultivation succinctly.

“Seeking immortality…” Bingyan murmured.

Seeing Bingyan’s confusion, Mo Wuxie continued, “Cultivation broadly divides into five paths: the Path of Immortals, the Path of Demons, the Path of Beasts, the Path of Buddhas, and the Path of Spirits. The Path of Immortals cultivates the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth, seeking to transcend tribulations and ascend to the Immortal Realm. The Path of Demons is the opposite—cultivating dark, sinister energies with ruthless methods, embracing slaughter, ultimately ascending to the Demon Realm. The Path of Beasts concerns all non-human beings, though it excludes natural spirit beasts and exotic beasts; their goal is ascending to the Beast Realm. The Path of Buddhas and the Path of Spirits are similar: the former seeks virtue and release, ascending to the Buddha Realm; the latter is unique—it is the cultivation of spirits or ghosts. Those who succeed become ghost immortals and ascend to the Immortal Realm as well. Those who do not cultivate become mere souls, entering the Spirit-Ghost Realm and the cycle of reincarnation.”

Mo Wuxie paused, noticing Bingyan’s questioning gaze, and continued with satisfaction, “Though these paths differ in practice—Immortals, Demons, Buddhas, Beasts, and Spirits—the goal is the same: to transcend the mortal world and ascend to a higher plane.”

“As for the paths of Demons, Buddhas, Beasts, and Spirits, let’s set them aside. The Path of Immortals is divided into four major stages and eleven realms: the four stages are Essence Refinement into Qi, Qi Refinement into Spirit, Spirit Refinement into Void, and Void Merging with the Dao. The eleven realms are: Radiance, Awakening, Integration, Heart Stirring, Spirit Silence (Golden Core), Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Divided Spirit, Unity, Tribulation Crossing, and Great Ascension. Each realm is further divided into early, middle, and late phases.”

“Radiance, Awakening, and Integration belong to the first stage—Essence Refinement into Qi. Heart Stirring, Spirit Silence, and Nascent Soul form the second—Qi Refinement into Spirit. Out-of-Body, Divided Spirit, and Unity make up the third—Spirit Refinement into Void. Tribulation Crossing and Great Ascension are the fourth—Void Merging with the Dao.”

“Upon reaching the Golden Core realm, one can condense a Golden Core in the dantian. As strength grows, the core expands. Eventually, the core shatters to become a Violet Palace Nascent Soul, reaching the Nascent Soul realm. At this point, one is truly free of the mundane world and has entered the halls of cultivation—unless something extraordinary happens, one can share the lifespan of heaven and earth, transcending life and death.”

Bingyan listened, astonishment written across her face. To transcend life and death, to be one with heaven and earth—how unimaginable that was!

“When the Nascent Soul leaves the body, that is the Out-of-Body realm. Passing this stage, one’s mind can manifest myriad forms, surveying the world with countless strands of consciousness. When your spiritual sense fills a vast domain, you enter the Divided Spirit realm. Eventually, these countless strands return to the body, merging with the natural world—this is the Unity realm.”

“After Unity comes Tribulation Crossing, when the heavens send down a tribulation. Survive it, and you enter the Great Ascension realm, awaiting only to ascend to the Immortal Realm. Fail, and both body and soul are destroyed, returning to nothingness. However, many cultivators, when facing tribulation, dissolve their Nascent Soul and escape. Such become Loose Immortals.”

“Loose Immortals are powerful and seem blessed, but the suffering they endure is known only to themselves. Every thousand years, a Loose Immortal faces a catastrophe, each one harder than the last. Legend says that passing nine such tribulations allows one to ascend and become a Great Golden Immortal, but in truth, the most any Loose Immortal has managed is five. After that, almost all are destroyed by the tribulations.” Mo Wuxie sighed.

Indeed, a tribulation every thousand years, each doubling in difficulty—who in this world could truly endure such a fate?

“Grandpa, what about your own cultivation?” Bingyan asked eagerly. He must be supremely accomplished, she thought, recalling the terrifying power of the Thirteen Guardians. Yet Mo Wuxie seemed utterly unruffled by them.