In the ancient, primeval days, only in the Immortal-Spirit and True Immortal Realms could one practice immortal arts. Beings in the Mortal Realm lived but a few short decades before entering the endless cycle of reincarnation. Any hope for worldly prosperity was forever out of reach—and as for what form one might be reborn in, be it human or beast, that was left entirely to fate.
But regardless of which realm or race, since time immemorial the dream of immortality and power has been the longing of every living being. Even in the Mortal Realm, powerful individuals have arisen among humans, demon beasts, or other races. They naturally desired to achieve eternal life, so that they might enjoy all the pleasures of existence for as long as possible. Generation after generation, these mighty figures persistently searched and experimented, chasing that elusive hope on the path of immortality.
Through their relentless efforts, they slowly began to uncover some essence of the cosmic laws of nature. They started applying these heavenly laws to enhance and transform their own abilities.
At that time, the Immortal-Spirit Realm suffered from severe problems with reproduction—a number of ancient clans, sects, and races even declined into oblivion. Though their power was astounding, they were helpless to overcome the binding limits imposed by Heaven and Earth. In desperation, they began seeking a new path of inheritance. Unable to easily ascend into the True Immortal Realm, they turned their attention down to the Mortal Realm.
These cultivators from the Immortal-Spirit Realm used formidable divine techniques to break through the boundary between realms and ventured into the Mortal Realm. However, they soon discovered that the ambient qi here—and the strength of the spiritual energy—is far less abundant than in their own realm. What initially felt like a promising adventure quickly turned into disappointment. In the end, after a brief reconnaissance of the Mortal Realm's conditions, they reluctantly planned to shatter the void and return to the Immortal-Spirit Realm, seeking another solution to their inheritance problems.
To their astonishment, during their investigations they found that many powerful beings were also born in the Mortal Realm. Observations revealed that these mighty humans or demon beasts possessed the fundamental constitution for cultivating immortality—a gift often expressed as the Immortal-Spirit Root or the bloodline of demon beasts. Such individuals were naturally capable of attuning themselves to the heavenly laws, thereby developing abilities far beyond their ordinary peers. And not only humans or demon beasts—other races, too, boasted strong individuals with similar cultivable constitutions.
For example, in humans the key to immortal cultivation is the presence of the "spiritual root" (or immortal-root). Those with such a root are remarkably sensitive to the heartbeat of celestial laws and the subtle fluctuations of heavenly qi. With a spiritual root, one can embark on the path of immortality, pursuing the eternal way of Heaven and Earth and learning the secret of everlasting life.
Spiritual roots, much like cultivation realms, come in graded levels—from low to high they are classified as: the Mixed Spiritual Root, the Profound Spiritual Root, the Earth Spiritual Root, the Heaven Spiritual Root, and finally the Holy Spiritual Root. This ranking is based on how keenly one's body resonates with the qi of Heaven and Earth. The universal energy itself comprises the five basic elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—while the dynamic variations such as wind, mist, thunder, and lightning are born from these primary elements.
If a person is exceptionally sensitive to only one of these five elements, they are said to have a Holy Spiritual Root. Because their perception is focused on just one element, their internal constitution is pure, and their cultivation can progress at lightning speed. Such individuals often have a high chance of reaching the tribulation stage—and many can advance to the Mahayana stage as well. Whether they can truly ascend into the True Immortal Realm remains uncertain—even the most powerful cultivators in the Immortal-Spirit Realm cannot say for sure—but their prospects are certainly better than those with other types of roots. That said, such individuals are extremely rare, with only a handful emerging over a thousand years.
Similarly, if someone is sensitive to two of the five elements, they are said to have a Heaven Spiritual Root. Because they resonate with more than one element, the internal qi becomes more mixed, so their cultivation speed tends to be slower than that of the Holy Spiritual Root—but this type is still exceedingly rare and prized. A sect might consider having one or two such disciples a sign of great fortune, and these individuals generally have a strong likelihood of reaching the Integration stage; tribulation and even Mahayana may also be within reach.
The worst case is when a person is sensitive to all five elements—in the cultivation world this is known as a Mixed Spiritual Root. Such a body finds it extremely arduous to cultivate. The conflicting resonances tend to slow any progress, and barely ever do such cultivators break through even to the Foundation Establishment stage; most spend their entire lives languishing in the Qi Condensation stage, never even dreaming of immortality.
In fact, the most striking difference among these constitutions is the speed at which one can cultivate. Even though each successive realm increases a cultivator's lifespan, the final outcome varies dramatically by constitution. A person with a Holy Spiritual Root might progress from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment in as little as four or five years. By contrast, a cultivator with a Mixed Spiritual Root might take decades—sometimes outliving the window of opportunity before their lifespan can even extend—while those with a Holy Spiritual Root continue to soar ahead, making the chances of attaining true immortality significantly higher.
As for individuals with constitutions associated with wind, mist, thunder, or lightning, they do not neatly fall into the aforementioned categories. They are designated as having an Extraordinary Spiritual Root—a mutated form arising from the five elements. Those with this rare constitution generally cultivate as quickly as Holy Spiritual Root individuals. Yet they are often endowed with even more formidable spellcasting or divine powers.
For most other constellations, the influential factor is the mix of elements sensed by one's body. Typically, a cultivator will choose to cultivate using the element to which they are most sensitive. This choice not only speeds their progress dramatically, but also maximizes the potency of their spiritual techniques. Using an element in which one is not strongest will slow cultivation, and the resulting attacks will lack full force.
The world of immortal cultivation is brutal—a realm of bloodshed and endless strife, where the strong prey on the weak in ways that ordinary mortals cannot fathom. While immortal cultivators strive for eternal life, without powerful abilities to protect themselves the road to longevity is nothing more than a short, perilous journey. Therefore, cultivators devote themselves both to raising their cultivation levels and to acquiring potent divine spells.
In the Mortal Realm, those with spiritual roots are much rarer than in the Immortal-Spirit Realm. While perhaps one out of every ten beings in the Immortal-Spirit Realm may have a spiritual root, in the Mortal Realm one might need to sift through a hundred thousand people to find a single one. However, because the Mortal Realm is home to countless races and billions of beings spread across vast territories, the total number of beings with the potential for immortal cultivation far exceeds that of the Immortal-Spirit Realm.
Over time, these Immortal-Spirit cultivators discovered that although the inherent qi in the Mortal Realm is generally sparser, it is not entirely absent. In many regions there exist flourishing spiritual veins, where the ambient qi is relatively abundant—enough to support an entire sect or family's cultivation up to the Nascent Soul stage. If someone can reach that level, they might gain abilities like moving mountains, summoning rain, or even soaring and traversing the earth—in short, achieving a half-immortal form. Should one further advance to the latter part of the Nascent Soul stage, they could then harness interdimensional techniques to overcome the barrier between realms, eventually ascending into the Immortal-Spirit Realm to cultivate further with their own sect or family. In this way, the inheritance of those Immortal-Spirit traditions continued unabated for countless generations.
Thus, the inheritance problem of the Immortal-Spirit cultivators was solved. They began searching throughout the Mortal Realm for regions enriched with qi and gradually established their own sects. They then sought out those with spiritual roots as disciples to whom they imparted immortal arts. Later, by employing great divine power and auspicious techniques, they opened several interdimensional channels linking to the Immortal-Spirit Realm. When these Mortal Realm disciples reached the later Nascent Soul stage, they could use these channels to break open the void and ascend back into the Immortal-Spirit Realm.
In this way, from that time on the Mortal Realm gradually saw the emergence of many immortal cultivation families and sects. Even beings of other races from the Immortal-Spirit Realm began to come down to the Mortal Realm, using similar methods to establish their own legacies. Over billions of years of succession and growth, these families, sects, and groups now spread across every region of the Mortal Realm. However, they are not visible to ordinary mortals—they typically establish themselves in locations rich in spiritual veins, where qi abounds. Unfortunately, such regions are also the domains of rampant demon beasts and restless phantoms. Ordinary humans or other species have little chance of surviving there. If a common being happens to appear in these areas, they are usually immediately slaughtered by powerful demon beasts or spirits. Even if they survive by a hair's breadth, it is almost impossible for them to find a sect of immortal cultivation later. Outside of the established sects, powerful arrays of illusions are set up that ordinary mortals cannot decipher; if one gets lost within these, they may wander aimlessly all their life, eventually starving. Should fortuitous circumstances allow them to encounter righteous cultivators, they might be extricated. But if they fall into the hands of rogue, evil cultivators—the outcome is invariably a gruesome death, sometimes even a fate worse than death.
There is also the case where a human settlement happens to be located atop a spiritual vein. In such an area, the nature of the local cultivators determines the outcome. Some only cast spells to make the local inhabitants perceive an eerie, constant supernatural presence—instilling a deep-seated fear that drives them away. Others choose the more brutal approach by wiping out all life in the area and then taking it for themselves.
As the old gray-robed man spoke at length, his face grew increasingly pallid, and his body began to blur and fade strangely. Li Yan sensed that something about the old man was not right. Yet Li Yan, overwhelmed by the astonishing revelations, could only silently repeat to himself, "It's all unreal—it can't be true." These matters were so fantastical that, even if an experienced elder were to recount them, they would seem like a mere dream. Li Yan had only read vague, mysterious snippets about such things in odd unofficial histories, and only occasionally had he even dreamt of such matters—let alone heard terms like "realm boundary," "void," or "spiritual root." Today's events left him disoriented and mentally adrift—even though they seemed profoundly real and tangible.
Observing Li Yan's troubled look, the gray-robed old man smiled gently and said, "I know it is hard to believe, but these things are indeed true. Once you leave this place and begin to sense the condition of your own body, you will understand that these are not illusions. For now, I can only explain these matters briefly. With what I am about to say next, you should be able to comprehend it—if not, then there is no need for me to elaborate any further."
Hearing this, Li Yan's heart was filled with a mixture of doubt and a tentative belief. Yet he sensed that what the elder was about to reveal was the truly important matter, so he refrained from asking further questions. Suspended in mid-air, he silently fixed his gaze on the old man, ready to listen.
Seeing that Li Yan was beginning to entertain belief—and knowing his own time was short—the gray-robed elder nodded slightly and continued, "I come from an ancient sect of the Immortal-Spirit Realm, the Guishui Immortal Sect. But unlike ordinary sects, in the ancient halls of immortality there are five profoundly mysterious, esteemed sects: the Guishui Immortal Sect, the Yimu Immortal Sect, the Dinghuo Immortal Sect, the Jitu Immortal Sect, and the Xinjin Immortal Sect…"
He went on to explain that in the Immortal-Spirit Realm there have always been countless immortal sects established by powerful beings—humans, demons, beasts, ghosts, spiritual plants, and so on—all countless in number. Yet amid these, the five major immortal sects stand supreme in both power and mystery. Those who belong to these five sects rarely walk among mortals; a representative might appear only once every few hundred or even a thousand years. And whenever one does appear, their mere presence turns the world of immortal cultivation upside down. The mere thought of provoking them fills every sect with terror—if one were to cross them accidentally, they could, on their own, annihilate an entire sect. Even if that sect contained members capable of defying tribulation or those at the Mahayana stage, very few would escape unharmed. Fortunately, these champions rarely reveal themselves; as long as one does not purposely provoke them, they hold no grudge. But once an enmity is formed, their methods are ruthlessly severe.
It is precisely for this reason that many sects both revere and fear these ancient powers. Their immortal arts are extraordinarily formidable—so potent that even in the Immortal-Spirit Realm it is a wonder such techniques exist. It is said that a figure wielding such power may appear only once every ten thousand years in a vast territory, yet each appearance is accompanied by marvelously astonishing divine feats. Consequently, many have spent lifetimes desperately trying to seek admission into one of these five ancient and mysterious sects. Yet, not only are their locations shrouded in mystery, but gaining admission is virtually impossible. Despite the passage of time, many still continue to search, clinging to even the faintest hope of attaining power.
At this point, the gray-robed elder's face grew even more drawn and lifeless, as if his very form were beginning to fade. Li Yan could sense there was something deeply wrong with him—but Li Yan, reeling from the staggering revelations, could scarcely process the information. Deep inside he kept repeating, "It's all lies… it's all nonsense," as if these matters were nothing more than wild tales. He had only read scattered, fantastical anecdotes in obscure unofficial histories, and had only occasionally dreamed of such things—never imagining concepts like inter-realm boundaries, the void, or the intricate nuances of spiritual roots. Yet today, everything felt so unmistakably real.
The old man, noticing Li Yan's expression, spoke softly, "I know you find this hard to believe, but everything I've told you is true. Soon, as you sense the condition of your own body, you will understand that these words are not mere illusions. Enough of the preliminaries—I must now tell you what is truly important, and I trust you will understand."
Li Yan, though still partly skeptical, sensed that what was coming next was of utmost importance. And so he remained suspended in midair, fixated on the elder's every word.
The gray-robed old man saw that Li Yan was beginning to entertain the truth of these astonishing matters. With little time to spare, he nodded and continued, "I hail from an ancient sect of the Immortal-Spirit Realm—the Guishui Immortal Sect. Unlike other sects, within the oldest and most venerable immortal halls of the Immortal-Spirit Realm there stand five major, mysterious sects: Guishui, Yimu, Dinghuo, Jitu, and Xinjin Immortal Sects…"
And thus began his long tale of how, from time immemorial, countless immortal sects had been established by beings of all races—humans, demons, beasts, ghosts, and even spiritual plants. Among these, five sects were revered as the most powerful and mysterious. They rarely revealed themselves to the mortal world; when one did appear, it was an event that would alter the entire landscape of immortal cultivation. The mere possibility of incurring their wrath sent shivers through the hearts of cultivators. Even a single misstep could result in the destruction of an entire sect. And yet, since they so rarely made themselves known, only those who were careful not to stir up enmity would never attract their anger.
It is owing to these factors that many sects both respect and fear the power of these five ancient schools. Their immortal arts are immensely terrifying—the kind of power that seems almost beyond belief. While figures wielding such potent techniques might emerge only once in ten thousand years in a vast domain, each appearance was marked by unfathomable divine prowess. As a result, many have longed, throughout the ages, to join one of these five ancient and mysterious sects. Even so, locating them has proven impossible; the positions of these sects remain shrouded in secrecy. Yet even so, the desire to harness power remains uncontested.