Chapter 7

Li Ziyeh and Xiang Qi explained some basic concepts of the Immortal Path to Wang Qi on their way to Da Bai Village. Before long, they arrived at the village.

Then, Li Ziyeh used his true essence to broadcast a message throughout the entire Da Bai Village, stating that the Immortal Alliance was apprehending rebels, and the two of them were ordered to guard the village to prevent any evil people from counter-attacking. Although Wang Qi jokingly said that this sounded like boasting, it did make the villagers feel much more at ease.

To further reassure the villagers, the two of them took Wang Qi for a symbolic tour of Daoist Bu Jun's residence. Since Daoist Bu Jun had been wanted by the Immortal Alliance for a long time, he had long developed the habit of carrying everything with him. Apart from a stack of manuscripts that no one could understand, the search of his home yielded no results.

Under Li Ziyeh's guidance, Wang Qi began to practice the modern method.

The realm division of the modern method is very different from the ancient method. First, the modern method divides the realms into four major stages: Nourishing Life, Human World, Great Master, and Free Roaming.

The first major stage, Nourishing Life, does not involve cultivating supernatural abilities or practicing magical power, but only enhances one's lifespan, hence the name Nourishing Life.

Under the Nourishing Life stage, there are three sub-stages: Nourishing Heart, Learning, and Communicating with Heaven. The Nourishing Heart stage strengthens the soul and increases mental awareness, laying the foundation for sensing the breath of heaven and earth; the Learning stage involves extensive study of the summaries of the laws of heaven and earth by predecessors, preparing to integrate with the breath of heaven and earth; the Communicating with Heaven stage is the formal communication with the breath of heaven and earth.

Since the cultivation of these three stages can be carried out simultaneously, some people refer to them collectively as "Communicating with Heaven." The three stages of Nourishing Life correspond to the Enlightenment, Rotation, and Fasting stages of the ancient method.

The Human World stage is also divided into three sub-stages: Cultivating Qi, Foundation Building, and Forming the Inner Core. This stage has the least difference from the ancient method. The Cultivating Qi stage involves borrowing the breath of heaven and earth to cultivate magical power; the Foundation Building stage uses magical power to build a foundation; the Forming the Inner Core stage involves forming an inner core based on the foundation.

The Great Master stage is also divided into three sub-stages: Primordial Spirit, Refining the Void, and Nirvana. At this stage, the differences between the modern method and the ancient method become very significant.

In the ancient method, after forming the inner core, a new form of the body is conceived within the golden core, known as the Primordial Embryo. When the core shatters and the embryo forms, it is the Primordial Embryo stage. After the Primordial Embryo stage, the cultivator continuously merges the Primordial Spirit with the Primordial Embryo, allowing the spirit to leave the body, with infinite applications, which is the Separation of the Spirit stage. The Union stage involves merging the Primordial Embryo of the Great Vehicle with the physical body to form the supreme body.

In the modern method, after forming the inner core, the golden core is used as the center, and the soul is constructed into a "small heaven" that operates according to the laws of heaven and earth, known as the Primordial Spirit.

When the small heaven within the Primordial Spirit becomes similar enough to the great heaven, it can no longer rely on the breath of heaven and earth, but can directly refine magical power from the void, endlessly, known as Refining the Void.

Finally, the small heaven drives the physical body to continuously elevate, known as Nirvana.

Below the Free Roaming stage, there is only one sub-stage, the Free Roaming stage, corresponding to the Great Vehicle stage of the ancient method. As for what cultivation and benefits this stage entails, Li Ziyeh and Xiang Qi also do not know.

After Li Ziyeh finished speaking, he gave Wang Qi a small bookcase, which was not much larger than a handbag from Wang Qi's previous life. But Li Ziyeh said that it contained at least a hundred basic textbooks. These textbooks were not only related to the Learning stage but also included topics that would be tested in the unified entrance trial.

Wang Qi suddenly felt like he was receiving his textbooks for his first year of college.

After handing the bookcase to Wang Qi, Li Ziyeh pondered for a moment and added, "The cultivation of the Learning and Communicating with Heaven stages is the best way to test a person's talent. Those with average talent can achieve it in four years, and if one breaks through the Learning stage in a year, they can be considered a genius. Beyond four years, it is almost impossible to build a foundation—of course, there are exceptions. I've heard that in the Burning Heaven Temple, there is a Master Su who broke through the Communicating with Heaven stage in five years, a typical example of late blooming."

Wang Qi nodded and summarized, "This inspiring story tells us that we must never give up because of a little setback..."

Li Ziyeh smiled, "It's best if you understand. Because the cultivation of the ancient method's spirit body and the modern method's Communicating with Heaven stage are very contradictory, I don't know how deeply the ancient method has influenced you. First, familiarize yourself with these books, and I will teach you more in the afternoon. Especially the 'Breaking the Mystic' and 'The Calculus of the Great Dao.' The former is a required course for the modern method's Communicating with Heaven stage, and the latter, although more profound, contains many of the essential principles of the modern method."

Wang Qi nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Li Ziyeh called him back, "By the way, I will seal the magical power in your body. After the ancient method's Cultivating Qi stage, the flow of magical power within the body will disrupt the flow of external spiritual energy, making it difficult to sense the breath of heaven and earth. I think it is necessary to completely seal your magical power. This process is essential for transitioning from the ancient method to the modern method, so don't mind it."

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At noon, Li Ziyeh sat cross-legged on an old tree in the Wang family's courtyard, letting the slightly warm spring sunlight shine on his body.

Li Ziyeh loved basking in the sun. When he practiced at the Ten Thousand Methods Gate, if he couldn't solve a problem or was annoyed by repetitive calculations, he would come out to bask in the sun.

His fellow disciples would mock him, saying that he would surely choose a female disciple from the Hall of Light to create sunlight for him, even using it to enhance their intimate moments.

Li Ziyeh was a laid-back person and would just smile at such jokes.

At this moment, his mind was not on complex problems like the "Hsi's Twenty-Three Calculations," but on recalling how his teacher had taught him the basics when he first started.

He quite appreciated Wang Qi. This child did not have the extreme desire for power that ordinary people have, but rather treated cultivation itself as a fun activity. For the modern method, this was undoubtedly a good seed.

"Senior Brother Li!"

At this moment, Xiang Qi's call interrupted his thoughts.

Li Ziyeh looked down and saw Xiang Qi using her magical power to carry a large pile of food.

Li Ziyeh shook his head, "Senior Sister Xiang, how much money do you have on you?"

Xiang Qi was taken aback, "Ah?"

"You can't just take people's food and drinks by force, can you?"

Xiang Qi then realized, "These are all the villagers outside who forced them on me."

Li Ziyeh looked at the floating food around Xiang Qi with a puzzled expression. The potato threads in the stir-fried potatoes were finely cut, not as good as a restaurant chef but not at a home-cooking level. The green beans and eggplants were all fried, the stir-fried meat and steamed meat were selected from the best cuts, and not to mention the chicken and duck soups.

"Has the standard of living in the mortal world improved to this level?"

Li Ziyeh was a bit puzzled. The population, farmland, and surrounding vegetation of Da Bai Village flashed through his mind. According to the village's financial situation, this meal would be a level of luxury only seen during the New Year.

Xiang Qi smiled, "They say a immortal has appeared in the village, and they want to celebrate and absorb some immortal aura—Senior Brother Li, should we also absorb some of that 'immortal aura'?"

These villagers were quite adorable.

Li Ziyeh smiled and did not refuse. He jumped down from the tree and picked up a piece of fried meat from the pile of food in front of Xiang Qi, "It's quite crispy—haven't had this kind of home-cooked food for a long time."

"Right, right." Xiang Qi happily placed the food on a stone table in the courtyard. Li Ziyeh found a pair of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. The two of them sat opposite each other and enjoyed the dishes on the table.

"What is Wang Qi doing?"

Xiang Qi suddenly asked.

Li Ziyeh casually replied, "He's locked himself in his room to study. I thought you didn't like him much."

Xiang Qi huffed, "Who cares that he's an ancient method cultivator? Practicing the ancient method ultimately harms others and oneself. But he himself, although talkative, is quite interesting."

Li Ziyeh said, "Oh, I see. What are your plans next?"

"I have enough merit points to exchange for materials to refine the first few swords of the Fourth Week of the Heavenly Sequence Sword Disc. I want to try to refine the Fourth Week at the Foundation Building stage."

Li Ziyeh clapped in approval, "Great ambition! Ordinary Burning Heaven Valley cultivators refine the easiest few swords of the Heavenly Sequence Sword Disc first, but your approach can almost rival the great achievements of the Heavenly Sequence Sword Venerable Meng Jiefu!"

Xiang Qi shook her head, "How can I compare to Venerable Meng? The simultaneous refinement of 118 Heavenly Sequence Sword Discs is beyond my imagination. Moreover, it is said that the Burning Heaven Valley is spreading the news that the Sword Venerable has started refining the theoretically non-existent 'Eighth Week'!"

Li Ziyeh sighed, "The great powers of the elders are indeed far beyond our comprehension! But this also shows that Senior Sister Xiang has a limitless future."

After saying this, Li Ziyeh poured a cup of rice wine made by the villagers, "A cup of this simple wine to wish Senior Sister Xiang rapid progress in her cultivation."

"That's nothing compared to you, Senior Brother Li." Xiang Qi said seriously, "Senior Brother Li is a genius disciple of the Ten Thousand Methods Gate, proving one of the 'Hsi's Twenty-Three Calculations' before reaching the Golden Core stage, and after reaching the Golden Core stage..." Here, Xiang Qi paused, glanced at the sword case behind Li Ziyeh, and continued with a hint of admiration, "... after reaching the Golden Core stage, he passed the 'Heavenly Sword Heart Inquiry.' In the past, Senior Brother Li broke through the Communicating with Heaven stage in half a year, and who didn't say that Senior Brother Li had a limitless future?"

Suddenly, a complex magical power fluctuation appeared in the courtyard.

Li Ziyeh's face showed joy, "This is... breaking through the Communicating with Heaven stage..."

Xiang Qi was uncertain, "Communicating with Heaven?"

Li Ziyeh nodded, "Communicating..."

Suddenly, his smile froze.

There were only three cultivators in the village, and only one had not broken through the Communicating with Heaven stage.

Crack!

The stone bench under Xiang Qi's body cracked with a crisp sound.

Crack!

Li Ziyeh unconsciously broke the chopsticks in his hand.

Crack, crack, crack!

Cracks appeared continuously on the stones and floor around them.

This was the result of a cultivator's mind being severely shaken, losing control of their magical power, and causing it to leak out!

"Who in history... broke through the fastest..."

Xiang Qi suddenly felt she couldn't speak properly.

"Master Yuanli, half a month to break through the Communicating with Heaven stage." Li Ziyeh almost said it in a dreamy tone, "Great Venerable Taizhen, Daoist Bu Jun, also about the same... Fluctuating Celestial Lord..."

The names of the world's greatest geniuses who left their mark in the history of the modern method flashed through Li Ziyeh's mind, but none of them could compare to Wang Qi!

The difficulty of breaking through the Communicating with Heaven stage lies in integrating with the breath of heaven and earth. This requires a basic understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe, the Dao, and forming a basic concept of the Dao in one's mind.

This requires learning the "Dao" summarized by many wise people.

This is a long-term accumulation process. Breaking through the Communicating with Heaven stage in a year is already the standard for inner disciples of major sects. Among the great cultivators who have recently reached the Free Roaming stage, the most talented one needed more than a month!

Wang Qi first came into contact with the modern method this morning, and from receiving the books from Li Ziyeh to now, it was at most the time it took to eat a meal.

Breaking through the Communicating with Heaven stage after a meal?

This is no longer a legend.

This, this... This is just a joke!

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