Essence, Qi, and Spirit are the three treasures of the human body. All cultivators' cultivations are based on these three elements. Regardless of which aspect their cultivation focuses on, they will balance it by cultivating the other two as well. Generally speaking, except for those who genuinely struggle to cultivate all three due to certain reasons, most cultivators would choose to practice them simultaneously.
After explaining the way of Body Refining, Pei Xuanjing shared his understanding of Refining Qi and Refining Spirit.
However, these two aspects are currently the most common practices among the cultivators of Heaven and Earth. Whether it's the Xiantian Nature of the Xuantian Sect, the Talisman of Dragon Tiger Mountain, or the Sword Qi of the Sword Sect, they can all broadly fall under this category.
Therefore, when Pei Xuanjing discussed these two practices, his occasional insights and perspectives didn't provide much inspiration to many of the most powerful beings, as they already had a deep understanding of them.
However, Pei Xuanjing's explanation of the Incense Fire God Refining Path, the theories about Fairy Gods, and the concepts of Divine Kingdom, proved to be very beneficial to these powerful beings.
Any cultivator who has established their Taoist path and managed to gather a Taoist Foundation to reach the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm gains the ability and qualification to open a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land. However, the size and stability of the Forbidden Place created depend greatly on the cultivator's own strength.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing's understanding of the Divine Kingdom, closely resembles the Magical Domain that a cultivator forms when they reach the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm, yet it transcends it.
After all, the activation of a Magical Domain is not constant. Its existence requires cultivators to continuously maintain it with their own Primordial Qi. However, the Divine Kingdom is different. As long as there's enough Power of Incense Fire, it can sustain itself once it's successfully opened.
"The Divine Kingdom, in some ways, is similar to a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land. However, unlike the creation of a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land, the Divine Kingdom draws its power primarily from the Power of Incense Fire," a powerful being noted, realizing its essence.
Opening a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land may sound simple, but it's not.
It may seem like every cultivator who reaches the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm can open one, but among the cultivators of the Sky Wasteland, less than 30% or even fewer have managed to open a real Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land.
The main reason for this disproportionate outcome is resources.
Opening a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land doesn't solely depend on a cultivator's strength. After all, once it's opened, it's just a nebulous alternate space. To stabilize this space permanently, it needs to be maintained and allowed to grow.
Without sufficient resources to stabilize, evolve, and maintain it, an alternate space shrouded in grey can't be called a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land.
However, the resources required for the stabilization, evolution, and maintenance of a Forbidden Place in the Blessed Land are not insignificant. Even cultivators from top-tier forces struggle to accumulate the necessary resources to open a real Forbidden Place.
It can be said that the resource constraints deter many cultivators, regardless of their individual capabilities.
But now, Pei Xuanjing's explanation regarding the formation of the Divine Kingdom has provided these powerful beings with new insights. Compared to collecting rare Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, gathering Power of Incense Fire is undeniably easier, even if it's not a cakewalk, it has undoubtedly made the process several times simpler.
"If I can cultivate my own Divine Kingdom and hide my real body inside it, and then use my avatar to roam the world, it would undoubtedly reduce many risks," a cultivator shared, his eyes shining with inspiration.
If one were to ask who among all the cultivators leads the most untroubled life, the answer would undoubtedly be the No Phase True Monarch.
In addition to his formidable strength at the Eighth Level of the Spiritual Realm, his avatar technique is what makes him the most envied among all. After all, roaming the world with an avatar reduces many risks. Even if the avatar gets destroyed or injured, he can always create another one without endangering his true self.
Now, the concept of Divine Kingdom, when combined with Pei Xuanjing's ability to summon avatars at will, is giving many powerful beings the idea that they could do the same.
However, what these people don't know is that without the avatar techniques like Pei Xuanjing and the No Phase True Monarch, even if they can create avatars, the power their avatars can exert will be inferior.
Of course, even if these powerful beings knew this, they wouldn't give up solely because of it. After all, having a weaker avatar is nothing compared to the danger to their true self.
Next, Pei Xuanjing began to discuss his Sword Tao. With his current Sword Tao Realm, even in the entire Heaven and Earth, he is among the top. His understanding of the sword is unreservedly demonstrated.
Gently stretching out his palm, a six-color sword appeared in his hand. This sword, although only palm-sized making an impression of restrained power with great potential, still exhibited intimidation. Even though Pei Xuanjing purposely held it back, the overwhelming sword intent still made many feel uneasy. Many cultivators felt a stabbing pain in their eyes, almost shedding tears.
Even many cultivators intentionally avoid looking at the sword, with their Primordial Qi fluctuating around their bodies, they still feel the cutting edge of the sword, as if it intends to cut through their Primordial Qi.
"I have studied thousands of sword techniques to create this unique one. It starts with the Nine Luminaries, follows with the Eight Extremes, counteracts the Seven Stars and the Six Harmonies. It integrates the Five Elements and Four Images, and converges the Three Talents and Two Elements to seek One Yuan…"
As Pei Xuanjing spoke, an inch-tall figure holding a sword appeared in his palm. The figure was continually performing sword techniques in sync with Pei Xuanjing's words. Each move, each form, although it doesn't trigger the Essence Qi of Heaven and Earth or move the stars, carries a profound charm and perfection that inspires awe.
Especially the powerful swordsmen, their minds are entirely attracted by Pei Xuanjing's sword technique…
Pei Xuanjing showcased everything he learned without holding back. However, for these ordinary cultivators watching Pei Xuanjing's display, how much they will glean from it remains uncertain. After all, everyone has different talents and comprehension skills. Only they can comprehend the knowledge they've gained, much like only a person knows whether the water they drink is warm or cold.
It has to be said, Pei Xuanjing's performance was surprising to all, even to the most potent entities, despite the lengthy periods they spent studying various things. None of them are as well-rounded in their cultivation as Pei Xuanjing, who has profound achievements in various fields.
"He's not even a hundred years old, yet he has achieved such deep understandings in various fields. His mastery in each is on par with many of us, the most powerful entities. It's almost unbelievable. Perhaps there really is such a talented prodigy born with innate wisdom in this Heaven and Earth," a powerful entity wondered to himself.
The strength of humans will ultimately reach its limit.
Even for many cultivators, these strongest beings who stand at the peak of heaven and earth, though they claim to possess divine powers that shake the world, and skills that reach the heavens, they still have their specialties and weaknesses. They cannot excel in every aspect.
But right now, what Pei Xuanjing is demonstrating makes even these strongest beings doubt themselves. They should know that from the beginning of their cultivation, each one was a uniquely talented individual, excelling above the rest, which allowed them to achieve what they have today.
However, compared to Pei Xuanjing at this moment, their achievements and realm seem somewhat inferior.
If we replaced Pei Xuanjing with any other ancient creature that lived for thousands of years, they would understand if such a creature had this kind of erudition, as a long life provides ample time to study many things.
Alternatively, even if a pig lived for ten thousand years, the things it could display would frighten countless people.
But don't forget, Pei Xuanjing is less than a hundred years old. Yet he managed to defeat the strongest beings in the Spirit Realm Eightfold, which made these people consider him a prodigy, praising his talent as something rarely seen throughout history.
But within less than a hundred years, he simultaneously practiced multiple paths, each with such profound understanding. This is something that simply cannot be described as rare.
This inevitably reminded some strongest beings of the ancient Rulers and sages. They almost seemed to know everything at birth, achieving many things in a short amount of time that ordinary people could hardly accomplish in their entire lives.
But what shocked them the most was yet to come. When Pei Xuanjing demonstrated his Golden Core Dao, these strongest beings completely lost their composure. Many of them were speechless, especially those from the Taoist School, like Ancestor Celestial Master, who were at a loss for words.
"Golden Core Dao! As they say, consuming a single Golden Core allows one to seize control of their destiny. The Golden Core Dao is about refining an intangible inner alchemy from one's essence, qi, and spirit, and then meticulously polishing it to perfection. When the pill has undergone nine transformations, it becomes the Nine-Turn Golden Core, embodying all of one's Dao," Pei Xuanjing slowly shared his understanding of the Golden Core Dao.
With each word he spoke, the expressions of the Taoist powerhouses such as the Ancestor Celestial Master changed more drastically. Their astonishment was evident when they looked at Pei Xuanjing.
In the Tang Dynasty, the Golden Core Dao had never really gained popularity, or rather, it had just been born. It was only a small, insignificant branch within the Taoist School. Compared to the other Taoist cultivation methods, the Golden Core Dao was insignificant.
After all, at that time, the essence qi of heaven and earth was copious, and people practicing Dao through refining Qi was the most orthodox Taoist cultivation method. The so-called Golden Core Dao hardly drew any attention.
Beneath the complex gaze of people like Ancestor Celestial Master, Pei Xuanjing talked tirelessly. "Gold stands for endurance and permanence; dan (pill) stands for perfection and purity. Nine transformations do not literally mean nine times, but signify the ultimate stage. It means polishing and refining the inner elixir repeatedly, causing transformations in its nature multiple times until it achieves immortal nature, which can withstand all calamities."
"Did Dao friend actually condense a Golden Core?" A Taoist cultivator couldn't help but ask.
The Golden Core Dao was not paid attention to during the Tang Dynasty, and hasn't yet become the mainstream of Taoist cultivation. However, with the several thousand years of development in the Sky Wasteland, various cultivation methods have continuously emerged, and the Golden Core Dao has once again been mentioned. But up to now, no one has truly condensed a Golden Core."
Pei Xuanjing merely smiled and didn't comment, continuing: "Humans have three treasures: essence, qi, and spirit. The Taoist school says that the human body acts as a furnace, using the essence and qi inside it as invaluable medicine, with spirit as the burning flame. It forms the Holy Embryo, reshapes oneself, and reverses the innate. The big universe of Heaven and Earth, the small universe of the human body, the Heaven and Earth as kiln, Yin and Yang as charcoal, and Creation as the artisan. Thus, the human body as furnace, essence and qi as medicine, spirit as charcoal, are also the same."
While speaking, he flicked a finger and a thread of essence qi and spirit manifested, transforming in front of the various cultivators. The spirit acted as charcoal, burning the essence qi. The three began to merge, continuously merging, becoming harmonious, gathering together, giving birth to a trace of immortal aura.
…
From this Tao discussion, everyone gained immensely, and especially the host, Pei Xuanjing. Whether it was his demonstration of Shenxiao Tao, Talismanic skill, Sword skill, Body refining skill, divine power, Divine Domain Divine Kingdom's consolidation method, or ultimately the shocking Golden Core Dao, he caused upheavals among the group of cultivators.
When the Golden Core Dao appeared, those strongest beings had already lost interest in researching why Pei Xuanjing was so extraordinary, or how he could practice multiple paths at the same time in less than a hundred years, nor did they care whether he was innately divine.
At this moment, the words Golden Core Dao were deeply imprinted in the hearts of the many strong individuals present, impossible to erase.
Whether they had previously paid attention, or had never heard of the Golden Core Dao, they were now incredibly curious about it. Collectively, they quieted their minds to ponder and review the method of condensing a Golden Core as taught and demonstrated by Pei Xuanjing.
Even if the time and place were not suitable at this moment, the strongest beings wished they could leave immediately and contemplate the knowledge gained from this discussion.
Did Pei Xuanjing's Golden Core Dao truly reach a level of profundity that made these strongest beings yearn for it?
Yes and no.
For those standing at the peak of this world, their comprehension of Heaven and Earth has reached a limit. Many strongest beings believe that if not for the restrictions and constraints of Heaven and Earth, they could have transformed into true immortals, existing eternally between Heaven and Earth.
Because they have realized the fetters of Heaven and Earth, these strongest beings want to implement this plan. They believe that as long as they can initiate the merger of the Daming World and the Sky Wasteland, leading to evolution once again, the fetters of Heaven and Earth will disappear, and they will become the first cultivators to achieve immortality in countless ages. They will enter the sought-after Immortal Realm, becoming true immortals that live eternally.
But when Pei Xuanjing demonstrated the method of condensing essence qi, the essence qi at the moment of fusion emitted a hint of immortality, which made all the strongest beings go mad.
If the Golden Core Dao truly encapsulates what Pei Xuanjing says, this means that they will see a new path. Even if the merge of Heaven and Earth fails to ascend, they can still see a path to immortality. This is something almost unimaginable.
For these strongest beings who, at this moment, have reached the end of their cultivation, any hope of achieving immortality that appeared before their eyes would not be given up. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, they would absolutely not miss it and seize it firmly.
The Golden Core is eternally invincible, indestructible for all eternities.
Pei Xuanjing sat quietly on the cloud platform. The invisible and intangible Golden Core within his body—which could also be considered his Inner Alchemy—was currently being refined by his Essence, Qi, and Spirit. This Golden Core emanated an unceasing aura of immortality and indestructibility.
The Golden Core Dao essentially encapsulates the moment when one's Essence, Qi, and Spirit merge to form the Inner Alchemy, which then undergoes continuous refining and transformation. It is only when the Inner Alchemy attains a Golden Nature—that is, an unchanging and indestructible quality through countless calamities—can it be proclaimed as a Golden Core.
Therefore, even at this point, Pei Xuanjing didn't think he'd genuinely condensed a Golden Core. Although his current Inner Alchemy was immeasurably more potent and well-rounded than it was when he was at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm, Pei Xuanjing believed he was still far from his goal—to him, the discrepancy remained massive.
"According to the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill I deduced, I'm currently at the eighth level of the Spirit Realm, and my Inner Alchemy only corresponds to the sixth revolution. The sixth revolution is not yet complete. It is only when I step into the Ninth Realm of Spirit, and my Inner Alchemy reaches its most profound cycle, that I will peak in the Spirit Realm," Pei Xuanjing pondered, feeling the constant rotation of the Golden Core within him.
According to the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill he had deduced, it is only when his Inner Alchemy enters the seventh revolution that it could be referred to as a Golden Core. At that time, he would assuredly transcend the mundane, becoming a true Immortal—undying and invincible.
"However, becoming immortal is exceedingly difficult. Over the countless years, countless heroes have pursued the Immortal Path, yet all have died with regret. Even with the aid of the emulator, achieving immortality will not be easy," Pei Xuanjing lamented inwardly.
The Immortal Path is treacherous. If attaining immortality were easy, then countless heroes would have succeeded over the countless years. Yet, not one person managed to attain immortality.
Therefore, even if one has the aid of a life emulator that can increase their margin for error, allowing them endless attempts and accumulation of experiences, Pei Xuanjing did not take the task lightly. He considered this challenge to be the most daunting one.
...
Originally, before the contest of Dao understanding, Pei Xuanjing and the others had prepared to each elucidate their understanding of the Dao for a month. Then, all the cultivators would recuperate. After their recuperation, the competition for cultivators at the seventh and eighth levels of the Spirit Realm would commence.
However, Pei Xuanjing's Dao discourse contained such an extensive amount of content that the utmost experts needed an extended period to digest it all. After all, compared to the results of the competition, the most important thing is to digest the gains from this round of Dao discourse.
Consequently, the cultivators adjusted the planned time from one month to half a year. During this half-year period, as many cultivators and experts at the seventh and eighth levels of the Spirit Realm secluded themselves for short periods to digest their gains, Pei Xuanjing did not leave the remaining cultivators idle.
He simply exchanged the rewards from the previous competition in advance, granting another opportunity to enter the Longevity World. Then he allowed the many cultivators who had earned rewards from previous competitions to gain insight into the Dao of the Longevity World and hone themselves.
Although his approach seemed to aid figures like Zhao Baiyang by providing more time to amass their strength, the mighty experts agreed to this. After all, they considered this a small concession in exchange for Pei Xuanjing's generous sharing of his Dao understandings. Despite viewing this as helping Zhao Baiyang and the others gain time to consolidate power, none of the upper echelons raised any objections, choosing to regard it as repaying a fraction of Pei Xuanjing's kindness.
Moreover, these experts were confident. After all, the cultivators chosen for this round of the tournament were all top figures within their realms. Even within the Tianhuang, all were considered part of the elite. Offering Zhao Baiyang and the others some more time to increase their power did not matter to them because, ultimately, this would not alter the final outcome. Such extra time was meaningless.
Under such circumstances, figures like Zhao Baiyang and Taoist Qingxu gained more time to enhance their power, which could improve their chances of winning in the upcoming competition.
Time flew by, and a half-year passed in the blink of an eye.
Although the powerful figures couldn't fully absorb all the gains from this round of Dao discourse within this short half-year, they considered the differences between their progresses insignificant.
At the same time when they exited seclusion, the cultivators who entered the Longevity World for cultivation, including Zhao Baiyang, also returned.
Thus, attracting the attention of countless people, the competition that would determine the distribution of powers after the Tianhuang integrated into the Daming World, was about to commence.
Everyone was looking forward to these battles. After all, the powers of figures like Zhao Baiyang, which had been demonstrated not too long ago, were evident to all. Although they were only at the Sixth Level of the Spirit Realm, they were virtually unparalleled among their peers once they started. Even when formidable figures from top-tier forces made their moves, the duels always ended in a draw.
Of course, most cultivators understood that these draws were merely due to the current setting. Both sides maintained restraint and didn't reveal their ultimate tricks. If they were truly fighting for their lives, the outcome would remain uncertain until the very end.
As everyone expected, those scheduled for the competition at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm from the Daming World were Tie Qianshan, Zhao Baiyang, and Taoist Qingxu.
Originally, the one who should have competed was Xue Wuheng, the leader of the Demonic Cult, but his name was too provocative for many practitioners of the Demonic Way.
Therefore, during the last challenge in the seventh sector, not only did Xue Wuheng face the targeted attacks from the cultivators of the Hell Demon Sect, his enemies, but after defeating them consecutively, other Demonic Way cultivators took their turns. In the end, he clashed heavily with a cultivator from the Blood Fiend Sect. Their competition resulted in a stalemate, with both sides suffering. If it weren't for the rules of the platform that forbade mortal combat, one of them would have emerged as the undeniable winner.
Given such circumstances, even after spending a considerable amount of time understanding the principles in the Longevity World, Xue Wuheng's injuries had not fully healed. So, he was incapable of delivering his full strength. Left with no choice but to have Tie Qianshan take his place.
The person representing the Tianhuang was chosen arbitrarily since they had numerous cultivators at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm. Excluding those from top-tier forces, there were also many formidable cultivators from first-rate forces.
The first person to compete was Taoist Qingxu. Every spectator was well aware of his displayed strength previously. Now, seeing him compete once more, the delegation from the Tianhuang dispatched a prince from the Great Xue Ancient Kingdom.
The Great Xue Ancient Kingdom, with its long and storied history, rivals many top-tier forces. Even though they have not produced a supreme expert, their profound cultural heritage is beyond the comprehension of many.
Being a prince of the Great Xue Ancient Kingdom and chosen to compete in such a crucial battle, the competitor naturally boasted formidable power.