Chapter Twenty-Five: First Glimpse of the World of Immortal Cultivation

Master Twilight Rain spoke with a hint of desolation to Lin Yanghao, “I have been fallen for more than two centuries now. Back then, it took me over five hundred years of arduous cultivation to reach the Nascent Soul stage. My speed of cultivation was not fast, but it was respectable. From then on, the limitations of my spiritual roots made further progress nearly impossible.

Everyone fears death; the longer one has lived, the greater the dread of mortality. Having spent centuries to reach my current realm, no one would willingly perish in vain, nor am I an exception. Naturally, I did not wish to die, so I traversed the continent in search of rare treasures that could elevate my cultivation and ways to break through the bottleneck. Fortune favors the determined; after countless hardships, I learned of a precious crystal—the very one I mentioned earlier. Alone, I challenged several Nascent Soul masters and, after much struggle, seized the crystal. Yet, a single person's strength cannot match the combined might of several. I suffered grave wounds and was forced to flee into this small world.

Most of my equipment was destroyed in that battle, leaving only a dagger made of Soul-Nourishing Wood—the very one you now carry in your bosom. I had no choice but to abandon my physical body and enter the dagger in the form of a Nascent Soul, waiting for an opportunity to seize another body. And then you appeared. Tragically, I never expected that I, your ancestor, would encounter a youngster like you. Alas~”

“What are the realms of cultivation in the world of immortals? Why is this place called a ‘small world’? And what exactly are spiritual roots?” Lin Yanghao hurriedly asked, his curiosity piqued. He was deeply fascinated by cultivators, and now that an opportunity had presented itself, how could he let it slip by? Perhaps he, too, could embark on the path of immortal cultivation.

Master Twilight Rain exhaled and replied, “The cultivation world is divided into nine major realms, from weakest to strongest: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Return, Unity, Tribulation Crossing, and Great Ascension. Each advancement multiplies your power several times over. At Core Formation, one can fly without magical artifacts; after Nascent Soul, one's abilities far surpass those of Core Formation, one can be said to be capable of anything, as if traversing heaven and earth.

Your continent, though called a continent, is merely a subsidiary small world attached to the Spirit Realm. The true Spirit Realm is vast, dozens of times larger than this small world. As for spiritual roots, they are essential for anyone wishing to cultivate immortality. Without spiritual roots, one cannot sense the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.”

Master Twilight Rain paused, then continued answering Lin Yanghao's questions, knowing that the initiative was now in Lin’s hands. He dared not gamble with his life and silently vowed that, once free, he would make Lin Yanghao suffer worse than death.

“Can you check if I have spiritual roots?” Lin Yanghao asked eagerly.

“Spiritual roots are not something I can simply determine. Testing requires a special Sensory Stone for spiritual roots, so I do not know. For example, you, currently at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, cannot advance to Foundation Establishment without spiritual roots,” replied the old monster, helplessly.

“Oh, is that so? Then, how am I at the ninth layer of Qi Refining?” Lin Yanghao said, somewhat disappointed, but surprised that the old monster had called him a Qi Refining cultivator.

“Qi Refining is merely a foundation for later cultivation, not the mark of a true cultivator. Only those who have reached Foundation Establishment are considered entry-level cultivators,” replied Master Twilight Rain.

“So I’m in the Qi Refining stage? Not a martial artist?” Lin Yanghao exclaimed.

“Of course. Who said you were a martial artist? The power of martial artists cannot compare to cultivators,” Master Twilight Rain scoffed.

Lin Yanghao was astonished. The old monster claimed he was not a martial artist, but a cultivator. Lin had always thought Qi Refining was simply another name for the ninth tier of martial artists. He never imagined he was actually at the ninth layer of Qi Refining. The realization filled him with wild joy; at last, he was what he had always aspired to be—a cultivator. Though not truly recognized as one yet, this insignificant status was enough to make him ecstatic.

“How do I break through to Foundation Establishment?” he asked.

“Do you think Foundation Establishment is easily achieved? Without spiritual roots, you could cultivate for a lifetime and never break through. Even with spiritual roots, it is not guaranteed. Spiritual roots vary in quality; those with superior roots still require Foundation Pill to succeed, and the pill is expensive. Some with good spiritual roots cannot afford the pill, let alone those with poor roots. Their chances to break through are slim. I myself possess above-average roots, which allowed me to reach the Nascent Soul stage, but going further proved extremely difficult.”

Hearing this, Lin Yanghao could only smile bitterly. He thought perhaps he would never reach Foundation Establishment in his lifetime; even if he had spiritual roots, without Foundation Pill, it was useless.

But upon further reflection, he thought, “What reason do I have to be dissatisfied? To embark on the path of immortality is already a blessing. One shouldn’t be too greedy; better to take it step by step. Perhaps, someday, things will turn around.”

He continued walking toward the treasure vault, following Master Twilight Rain’s directions. The old monster explained that, after being gravely injured and chased to the Dragon Martial continent—a small world—he was beset by several Nascent Soul masters and had to hide the precious crystal first. He thought, if he could not have it, neither should they. So, he buried it in a corner of a small sect's treasure vault in the Chaoyang Mountains. As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest, so he hid such a priceless item in a small sect, hoping that, if he managed to escape, he could return for it someday.

Standing outside a mountain gate, Lin Yanghao stared blankly at the three large characters inscribed above, thinking, “What are the odds! White Tiger Sect, White Tiger Sect—it’s actually the White Tiger Sect!”

Indeed, the place Master Twilight Rain brought him to was the very White Tiger Sect that Elder Lin had recommended to Lin Yanghao a few years ago. Lin Yanghao sighed inwardly, ‘Fate truly plays tricks on people!’

With this connection to Elder Lin, Lin Yanghao felt his chances of obtaining the precious crystal had greatly increased, and his mood soared.

Having stealthily entered the White Tiger Sect, Lin Yanghao wandered aimlessly within. He was frustrated to discover that Master Twilight Rain, after two centuries, had forgotten the location of the White Tiger Sect’s treasure vault. So Lin Yanghao could only roam about, unable to find it.

The White Tiger Sect was not simply a manor; it was composed of several peaks, which explained why Lin Yanghao found himself circling endlessly within its bounds.