After consulting the records, Chen Lin had learned the precise divisions of cultivator realms.
The first few realms were just as he knew them: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation.
Above those came Void Refinement, Dao Integration, and Mahayana.
The final step was tribulation ascension.
Of these, the realms below Nascent Soul belonged to the "law cultivation" stage, while Void Refinement and above belonged to the "Dao cultivation" stage. The Spirit Transformation Stage was the transition from law to Dao.
Upon reaching the Void Refinement Realm, one transformed the substantial into the insubstantial, shifting from cultivating the "tangible" physical body to cultivating the "intangible" mind and consciousness. One could become formless and selfless, and shatter the void.
In theory, those at this realm could already enjoy everlasting life, enduring as long as heaven and earth.
In practice, however, they still could not escape the constraints of heaven and earth rules. They had to endure all manner of tribulations, and few lived beyond five thousand years.
The Dao Integration Realm was the most important and most difficult link among all the realms. It required merging the "true self" with the Great Dao, reaching a state where the Dao was oneself, and oneself was the Dao.
This realm was further divided into three stages.
They were Dao Inquiry, Dao Hearing, and Dao Attaining.
The gap between each stage was no smaller than that between major realms, and each stage brought a terrifying tribulation. As a result, the few Dao integration experts in the Northern Star Realm today were all at the first stage, the Dao Inquiry Stage.
As for the Great Vehicle Stage, that was an entirely different height.
Even when the Tianxuan Realm still existed, cultivators at this realm had been scarce, so no relevant records