Chapter 126 - 81: Heaven-Opening Mystic Realm, Nascent Soul Stage 3

Chapter 126: Chapter 81: Heaven-Opening Mystic Realm, Nascent Soul Stage 3

The fairness lay in the fact that everything had to make way for the sect’s most promising disciples. After a True Disciple successfully cultivated a Nascent Soul, they were guaranteed a spot to enter the True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm. Only if there were any spots left over would they be given to others in the sect.

The method for distributing the remaining spots was even simpler: it was all based on meritorious deeds. Those who performed sufficient service for the sect would naturally be able to secure a spot.

Within the Tai Su Sect stood twelve great families. Each family had many disciples who could accept sect missions, refine pills, and forge Magical Artifacts for their family... All these actions could accumulate merit.

The families at the height of their power controlled countless resources. Outside the Tai Su Sect, they even occupied Blessed Lands and Celestial Stars, nurturing Spirit Veins, mining precious ores, and cultivating Spirit Medicines... They provided Tai Su with innumerable cultivation resources in exchange for merit.

Therefore, unless an ordinary disciple performed some unparalleled service for the sect, how could they possibly compete for a spot against someone backed by a great family? This was why the rules for the spots were said to be both perfectly fair and perfectly unfair.

Xuzhuang pondered for a long time. Sun Suzhen wasn’t in a hurry and just sipped his tea quietly. Finally, Xuzhuang spoke, "Senior Brother, I’ve taken your words to heart. But since there’s still time, I’d like to consider it carefully."

Sun Suzhen smiled. "Of course. I’m just offering my suggestion. After all, we’ve only just reached the golden mercury phase. Even if we focus completely on our cultivation, it’s hard to say if we can form a Nascent Soul within thirty years."

"It’s true that if we miss this chance, we’re guaranteed a spot five hundred years from now. But who knows what the situation will be then... For cultivators like us, it’s never wrong to strive to get ahead at every step."

Xuzhuang nodded. "I understand." He raised his teacup in a small gesture, took a sip, and then added, "But Senior Brother, for obtaining the Supreme Method of Myriad Rivers Returning to the Source for the sect, shouldn’t your merit be more than enough to claim a spot?"

Sun Suzhen smiled. "The trip to the Dharma Origin Grotto Heaven was not my accomplishment alone. I requested that the merit be divided equally among the five of us martial brothers, and after that, it’s not quite enough."

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow but didn’t offer any polite platitudes. He simply asked, "So, Senior Brother, do you have a plan?"

Sun Suzhen said with a grin, "The Nangong Family wishes to send a group of their people to cultivate the Supreme Method of Myriad Rivers Returning to the Source. In the future, they may well become my disciples. I’ve already reached a small understanding with them."

"I see."

Sun Suzhen said, "With your current status, Junior Brother, all the great families will want to be on good terms with you. Options other than the Yun Family will come knocking sooner or later. There’s no need for you to rush."

Xuzhuang laughed. "I wonder which other families are looking to recruit a son-in-law?"

Sun Suzhen burst out laughing at his words.

The two drank tea for a while longer, chatting about some of the sect’s secrets and amusing stories. They also exchanged some insights on their cultivation, and several hours passed quickly before Xuzhuang finally took his leave from Sun Suzhen’s residence.

He flew up into the clouds and sped along. Before long, he could see the tip of Chongyun Peak poking through the sea of clouds.

Back in his residence, Xuzhuang sat down and began to ponder.

’Sun Suzhen was right. The path of cultivation is all about striving to get ahead at every step. Who knows what things will be like in five hundred years?’

’Forming a Nascent Soul is just a matter of course for me, but achieving the Primordial Spirit is a feat less than one in ten thousand accomplishes.’

’In the ten thousand years of the Tai Su Sect’s history, there has never been a generation without Top-grade Golden Core cultivators. That much is a given. Just looking at the True Disciples, between Daochen Zhenren from a thousand years ago and the seven True Disciples of today, how many other senior brothers with Top-grade Golden Cores have formed their Nascent Souls, only to still be struggling in their cultivation?’

’If the Primordial Spirit were so easy to achieve, why would the Tai Su Sect only have had twelve generations of them to this day?’

’The Primordial Spirit Dao is difficult, difficult, difficult! Its difficulty is beyond words. Perhaps falling behind by just a single step is enough to sever all possibility of future advancement. Such situations are not unheard of.’

’So this opening of the True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm is something I must indeed fight for.’

’But how to fight for it requires careful consideration. The path of a marriage alliance... is truly not what I want. Yet without it, on what grounds would a great family support a mere outsider like me?’

Even though Xuzhuang did have limitless potential, making him worthy of the great families’ favor, what is gained today must be repaid tomorrow. Casually getting entangled in such karmic debts could not be considered a superior method.

After a moment of thought, Xuzhuang concluded, ’This matter still requires careful consideration. Senior Brother was right; other options will present themselves in the future. For now, the best plan is to focus on my cultivation.’

Now that he had formed the golden mercury, the next step was to merge his spirit and qi to nurture a Primordial Spirit Infant. This step required patient, grinding effort. Quickly forming a Nascent Soul within thirty years wasn’t impossible, but there were pros and cons to consider.

The cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm is divided into three realms.

The First Realm is the formation of the Nascent Soul, and the Third Realm is its great completion. These are self-explanatory.

The Second Realm is the formation of the Gangyun. This Gangyun can be considered the fruition of a cultivator’s efforts, the embryonic form of the Auspicious Cloud that appears above the heads of Primordial Spirit cultivators.

When a cultivator reaches this realm, they can integrate their Taoist Techniques into the Gangyun. From then on, these techniques become like derivative Divine Techniques, such as the ’Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture’ or the ’Tai Su Formless and Corporeal Sword Qi’. Not only does their power grow infinitely with one’s cultivation, but they also become effortless to use, responding wonderfully to one’s will.

Moreover, when a cultivator first forms their Gangyun, they have a single opportunity to integrate all of their practiced Taoist Techniques into it at once. This is an incredibly rare opportunity. If missed, integrating techniques into the Gangyun later on will require a great deal of effort.

So why was Xuzhuang concerned about this now? Because for someone with a Top-grade Golden Core, forming a Nascent Soul was merely a matter of course. In fact, many Top-Grade Golden Core Cultivators with deep foundations form their Gangyun at the same time they nurture their Nascent Soul, stepping into the Second Realm of the Nascent Soul Realm in one fell swoop.

Such cases were not rare. This was why many Top-Grade Golden Core Cultivators made ample preparations before forming their Nascent Soul. It also explained why, even though forming a Nascent Soul was easily within their reach, Top-Grade Golden Core Cultivators would still remain in the Golden Core Realm for a long time.

With his foundation, Xuzhuang was confident he could form the Gangyun in one go. Therefore, before forming his Nascent Soul, he needed to cultivate all the Taoist Techniques he wished to integrate into his Gangyun.

Although many of his Taoist Techniques had already reached the basic fifth realm, the higher the level he could cultivate them to before integration, the greater the benefits would be. Clearly, the level of a Fifth-rank Taoist Technique was far from his limit.

Xuzhuang briefly took stock of the Taoist Techniques he needed to cultivate. First was the Five Elements Escape Technique. He had now cultivated it to a profound level, and besides Flying Escape, it had produced many other wondrous applications. The Five Elements Dao was truly worthy of being the material basis for all profound Daoist teachings. This was one Escape Technique he still needed to focus on.

Then there was the Nameless Eye Skill. Xuzhuang hadn’t paid it much mind until he used it to glimpse the phenomenal vision of Zhong Shenxiu’s sky-filling Purple Qi Xiangyun. Only then did he realize there was something special about it and persisted in its cultivation. Today, in the Cloud Palace, he had glimpsed Zhou Jun’s vibrant Five-Qi Auspicious Cloud, and he now had a theory about this skill.

Perhaps when this eye skill was cultivated to a high enough level, it had the profound ability to perceive others’ origins and destiny. If so, Xuzhuang could not afford to neglect it.

In addition to these, there were the Profound Fire True Thunder, the Thousand Jin Dharma Qi, the Art of False Forms, and even the Five-Clawed Flame Dragon Divine Technique that was still in its nascent stages...

Cultivating all of these one by one, whether he could achieve anything significant within thirty years was still unknown.

Therefore, quickly forming a Nascent Soul was not an ideal choice for Xuzhuang. Not unless he could find some method to guarantee his cultivation progress while also practicing his Taoist Techniques... He didn’t want to indulge in such fanciful thoughts. Otherwise, far from advancing on all fronts, he feared he would end up with nothing at all.

Besides, Xuzhuang hadn’t forgotten about the letter he sent. By now, it should have reached the Celestial Pillar.

Although Li Changfeng had not yet returned to report, Xuzhuang already had a feeling. ’Zhong Shenxiu, I trust you won’t fail to keep our appointment.’

The thought passed briefly through Xuzhuang’s mind, and he didn’t dwell on it further.

Xuzhuang suddenly rose, transforming into a wisp of smoky qi that drifted through halls and chambers until he reached his meditation room, where he settled onto the Profound Ice Couch.

In just a few breaths, he had severed all distracting thoughts and focused his spirit. The very instant he sat down, he entered a state of tranquil meditation, becoming perfectly still.