Chapter 16: The Cultivation Realm (Part 2)

  However, the 49th minor heavenly tribulation and the 69th major heavenly tribulation are nothing compared to the final '99th heavy tribulation'. The horror of the 99th heavy tribulation is something that I, a small Golden Core cultivator, cannot even imagine. Every expert in the Tribulation period has the power to destroy heaven and earth, but under the 99th heavy tribulation, not even one out of ten can survive, their souls will be scattered and never reincarnated. Feng Yuzi's eyes were filled with shock and fear.

  In the portrayal of senior fellow practitioners, the 99th calamity is an absolute disaster.

  "Will nothing be left of the ten? Will the soul fly and the body scatter?"

  Qin Yu was completely shocked in his heart, and at this moment he fully understood what kind of existence a cultivator was. They were a group of people who went against the heavens, pursuing the limits of humanity, fighting against heaven and earth. They feared nothing.

  Heaven brought down heavenly calamity, the cultivators of truth had no choice but to fight for their lives in resistance. If they succeeded, they would continue to advance on the path of seeking the Great Way; if they failed, their souls would scatter and disappear.

  Qin Yu's heart was completely clear, and he couldn't help but sigh: "The Golden Elixir stage, the Nascent Soul stage, the Void Refining stage, the Empty Sky stage, the Tribulation Transcendence stage, and the Great Completion stage. Each realm seems to be difficult to break through. To enter the Golden Elixir stage, one must endure the Small Heavenly Tribulation; to enter the Void Refining stage, one must endure the Great Heavenly Tribulation. By the time one reaches the Tribulation Transcendence stage, they still have to endure the 99 Heavy Tribulations. The three great heavenly tribulations are stuck at three critical points. On the path of cultivating truth, those who can ultimately attain the Dao and become an immortal are probably very few indeed."

  Feng Yuzi listened to what Qin Yu said, and seemed to have stirred up anger in his heart. He coldly laughed: "It's not just that it's rare, but those who want to pass the nine-nine heavenly tribulations and become immortals are all extremely talented, and they also need to possess top-grade spiritual artifacts for protection, as well as spiritual elixirs and so on. But how can ordinary people possibly obtain top-grade spiritual artifacts and large quantities of spiritual elixirs? When I reached the Golden Elixir stage, my sect gave me a flying sword, but it was only an inferior spiritual artifact. If someone like me didn't have a high-grade spiritual artifact, wanting to pass the Great Heavenly Tribulation in the future would be nothing but a dream. But it's not that there's no background, I'm just an unimportant disciple in my sect, how could I possibly obtain a top-grade spiritual artifact?"

  Qin Yu suddenly understood and thought to himself: "It seems that Master Feng was also underestimated when he cultivated his true self on the Immortal Island."

  "Uncle Feng, what are these spiritual instruments and spiritual elixirs anyway?" Qin Yu asked.

  Feng Yuzi took a deep breath, calmed down and said: "Xiao Yu, the cultivation of a spiritual practitioner is just like the internal strength of a martial artist. As for the spiritual instrument, it's equivalent to a weapon. Having a good spiritual instrument will certainly increase one's power."

  This metaphor, Qin Yu completely understood.

  Just like when Qin Yu was thirteen years old, he fought against the bandit leader Wu Yun, his strength was clearly inferior to Wu Yun's, but in the end, relying on the Fish Intestine Sword, he pierced through Wu Yun's Protective True Energy and directly killed him, this is the advantage of a good weapon.

  "The spiritual tools of the Cultivators are numerous, mostly flying swords, but there are also those who use other extraordinary weapons. These are collectively referred to as spiritual tools. Spiritual tools are divided into four levels: lower grade, middle grade, upper grade and extreme grade. As for spiritual elixirs, they have various effects, during tribulation, the consumption of one's own true yuan is most severe, taking elixirs to supplement is best. Spiritual elixirs also divide into four grades: lower, middle, upper and extreme."

  Qin Yu absorbed all of this and continued to sort it out. The strength of a cultivator is divided into their own cultivation and the effects of their spiritual equipment and elixirs. The three great calamities, from the Golden Elixir stage to the Great Completion stage's six major realms, Qin Yu remembered clearly.

  "True Yuan Force? Is it just a name for the power of the Cultivators themselves?" Qin Yu asked.

  "Yes, when the Golden Elixir is formed, the energy in the body transforms from Innate True Qi to True Yuan Force." Feng Yuzi said with a smile. Then Feng Yuzi sighed and said, "Xiao Yu, the world of Cultivators isn't as beautiful as you think it is. In the Cultivation world, people may kill each other for treasures like the Stone of Extreme Heat Iron. Even a good mineral can cause a big war among Cultivators. When high-level Cultivators, especially those at the level of Dongxu or Kongming, fight, it's like turning over the seas and destroying the heavens. Treasures like Heavenly Spirit Treasures, Spirit Pills, Spirit Tools, Flying Swords... all these things can drive Cultivators crazy." Feng Yuzi said with a smile.

  Qin Yu's heart was churning like a stormy sea.

  He fully imagined the scene of that great war between cultivators, a Golden Core cultivator was already so formidable, and in the Profound Dragon Continent, they were absolutely invincible. What about those Nascent Soul, Void Refining, even Empty Sky or Tribulation Transcender cultivators? How terrifying would it be when they went to war?

  Once a cultivator's anger reaches the sky and they start killing, it will be like a mountain collapsing, the earth splitting, and the rivers reversing their flow. Many ordinary people will also die or get injured.

  If a cultivator can wield their sword and fly freely, they will soar through the nine heavens and leave no trace in the mortal world, and ordinary people will be unable to catch up.

  In short.

  Cultivators and ordinary people are fundamentally on two different levels. No matter what they want to do, ordinary people have no power to resist at all.

  "Perhaps, in the eyes of cultivators, they watch the entire continent as if watching ants, completely two different worlds. The world of cultivators pursues the endless Heavenly Way, pursuing transcendence and immortality. While ordinary people pursue power and slaughter each other." Qin Yu sighed inwardly.

  He fully understood what it meant to be a cultivator, and Qin Yu's vision became even broader.

  The Supreme Immortals of the Profound Dragon Continent? They are merely a few ordinary Golden Dan period cultivators from the overseas immortal islands, and in the world of cultivators, the Golden Dan period is only the lowest level. However, these few Golden Dan period cultivators on the Profound Dragon Continent are revered as Supreme Immortals, absolute highest existences.

  Qin Yu's heart suddenly stirred.

  "Feng Bo, in my opinion, cultivators seem to be pursuing the limits of humanity, fighting against heaven and earth. However, if one wants to pursue their limits, is it only by entering the Golden Dan period as you said, and then refining the Yuan Ying? Is there really no other path?" Qin Yu asked doubtfully.

  As Qin Yu thought, since it was about pursuing human limits, each had their own methods.

  "Little Yu, don't think too much about it," said Feng BoBo with a smile and a shake of his head. "I have no idea who the first cultivator was, or how many tens of millions or hundreds of millions of years ago they appeared. As for the different paths you mentioned, yes, there are people who cultivate immortality, or cultivate demonic powers. Most flying creatures and beasts cultivate as demons. Humans who cultivate demonic powers or immortality may have different paths, but they all aim to form the Golden Elixir and achieve the Primordial Infant. Flying creatures and beasts, on the other hand, form the Inner Elixir... As for cultivating as a demon, I'm not too clear about that myself."

  "Must you refine the Golden Elixir and cultivate the Primordial Infant?" Qin Yu muttered.

  Is this really the case of different paths leading to the same destination?

  "Ah, right." Feng Yuzi suddenly said, "Xiao Yu, a long, long time ago, of course, I hadn't been born yet. At that time, the Qianlong Continent had experienced a major event - the 'War of the Group of Immortals'. I reckon the mysterious person from the War of the Group of Immortals might not be Jie Jin Dan's Yuan Ying."