Nine Realms of Cultivation

"Easy enough."

Li Yuan's expression did not change. With a touch of his fingertips, he knew the amount was substantial. He nodded slightly and did not refuse.

Back at Bamboo Listening Lodge, Shen Lian still did not speak to him. Li Yuan was happy for the peace and quiet. He fetched water, washed himself, and changed out of his sweat-soaked clothes.

Wu Yu came looking for him and invited Li Yuan to the dining hall for lunch. Along the way, he excitedly talked about the morning's match, while Li Yuan merely listened with a smile.

By the time they reached the dining hall, it was the peak of the meal rush, and the place buzzed with voices.

Li Yuan's appearance immediately drew countless gazes.

A level-nine talent had long since caused a sensation throughout the academy. Everyone wanted to see what this prodigy actually looked like.

"Look, that's Li Yuan."

"The one with level-nine talent!"

"I heard he took first place in the Pivot Star Class assessment the moment he arrived."

"Tut, tut, level nine... he'll probably be something incredible in the future..."

The discussions never ceased, most of them filled with envy and curiosity, though now and then someone spoke with veiled sarcasm.

Li Yuan acted as though he had heard nothing. Calmly taking his food, he and Wu Yu found a corner and sat down to eat in silence.

At that moment, several pairs of eyes from a screened private room on the second floor of the dining hall were also fixed on him.

Several people sat within the private room.

At the head sat Su Wenyuan, the headmaster of Divine Martial Academy. Beside him was a stern-faced elder, Yan Feng, the academy's vice headmaster in charge of discipline.

The others were all instructors.

By the window sat a middle-aged scholar in gray robes. He was, remarkably, the very man who had appeared on Li Yuan's rooftop that night.

He still held a wine gourd, his expression faintly dispirited, yet his gaze was clear and bright.

"Mr. Mo," Su Wenyuan said, looking toward the gray-robed scholar, "you have observed him in secret these past few days. What do you think of the boy?"

Mr. Mo slowly took a sip of wine. "Decisive in killing, meticulous in thought. The steadiness of his temperament far surpasses that of ordinary peers."

"A temperament far beyond his peers?" Vice Headmaster Yan Feng frowned slightly. "Are you not praising him too highly, Mr. Mo? Even if he is somewhat mature for his age, he is still only a child."

Mr. Mo swayed his wine gourd without answering.

Su Wenyuan stroked his beard in contemplation, while the other instructors also looked down in surprise at the lean youth below.

That afternoon, after parting ways with Wu Yu, Li Yuan went alone to the library.

The library of Divine Martial Academy held the academy's collections from more than four hundred years: cultivation manuals, historical records, demon and monster bestiaries, geographical gazetteers, and even notes on miscellaneous studies. It had everything one could want.

He presented his student badge. After examining it, the elderly gatekeeper pointed to a stone tablet at the entrance, upon which the library rules were carved.

Li Yuan read through them. The first floor was open free of charge, containing mostly basic knowledge, historical miscellanea, low-tier general cultivation methods, and the like. Borrowing did not deduct academic credits, but no books could be taken outside.

The second floor and above required the expenditure of credits in the corresponding subjects to enter and read. The higher the floor, the more credits it cost, and the more precious the texts became.

Li Yuan's goal was clear.

Since crossing into this world, he had spent most of his energy on revenge and knew very little about this world's cultivation methods.

Now that he had entered Divine Martial Academy, he had to make up for this most basic knowledge as quickly as possible.

The library was vast. Rows upon rows of rosewood bookshelves, several zhang tall, stretched all the way to the ceiling. Countless books filled the shelves, and the air carried a faint scent of ink.

Quite a few students were already reading quietly inside, and no one made a sound.

Li Yuan headed straight for the section marked General Principles of Cultivation. His gaze swept across the rows of spines before he finally pulled out a copy of A Brief Overview of Cultivation.

Holding the book, he walked to a long wooden table by the window, sat down, and began to read intently.

After reading for some time, he finally came to understand the complete cultivation system.

The path of cultivation went against Heaven, yet also followed Heaven. It was divided into nine realms in total, with every three realms forming a threshold: lower, middle, and upper.

The lower three realms were Body Tempering, Origin Drawing, and Subtlety.

These three realms were the foundation of cultivation. Their primary focus was tempering sinews and bones and refining one's blood and vitality, supplemented by drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to open the meridians and nurture a sense of qi.

In the Body Tempering Realm, one trained the sinews, bones, skin, and flesh externally. It was also the limit of mortal martial artists.

The Origin Drawing Realm, however, marked the beginning of sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, drawing qi into the body, and putting it to preliminary use. It nourished the flesh, cleansed the meridians, and made one's fists and kicks stir the wind.

In the Subtlety Realm, one's control over oneself became minute and precise. The spirit turned inward, allowing one to carefully manipulate internal qi and perceive every change within the body, laying a solid foundation for breaking into the middle three realms.

Cultivators of the lower three realms still relied mainly on physical combat. Their lifespan increased slightly, but did not exceed one hundred and twenty years.

Reading this, Li Yuan came to an understanding. His current state had likely only barely touched the threshold of the Origin Drawing Realm.

Yet strangely, the warm current within his body differed from the spiritual energy described in the book.

Chu Yunhe, Yu Ling'er, and the others had clearly stabilized their cultivation in the Origin Drawing Realm, while Shen Lian was perhaps at the peak of Body Tempering. Relying on his formidable physique and fighting will, his combat strength was no weaker than that of an ordinary Origin Drawing Realm cultivator.

The middle three realms were Heart Inquiry, Delusion Breaking, and Core Formation.

Only upon entering the middle three realms could one be said to have truly stepped through the gate of cultivation, shedding the mortal body and condensing magical power.

The Heart Inquiry Realm required one to understand one's heart and see one's true nature, question one's original heart, and firmly establish one's path. Only then could one use the heart to guide qi, transforming internal qi into purer true qi. The divine soul would first emerge, allowing one to look inward at one's own body and cast more powerful spells.

In the Delusion Breaking Realm, one could see through falsehood and illusion. The spirit became further condensed, and true qi liquefied, thick as mercury and slurry. One could briefly control objects from afar, perform divine abilities, and more.

The Core Formation Realm condensed and compressed one's liquefied true qi and the essence of the divine soul into a primordial core within the dantian. True qi transformed into higher-grade true essence, one's lifespan greatly increased to more than three hundred years, one could refine a life-bound magical artifact, and one could begin to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth.

Only then could one truly be called a True Person.

Cultivators of the middle three realms were already genuine experts and the backbone of Great Tang's Demon Suppression Bureau.

Finally came the upper three realms: Essence Condensation, Dao Entry, and Emotion Severance.

In the Essence Condensation Realm, the primordial core underwent nine transformations before shattering to condense essence. True qi transformed into magical power of a higher level. One could begin to wield the power of heaven and earth, possessing immense might in every gesture, and live to five hundred.

In the Dao Entry Realm, one comprehended and initially mastered a Great Dao of heaven and earth. Magical power merged with Dao laws, divine abilities became vast, and one gained the power to move mountains and fill seas. Such people could be called immortals walking the earth, with lifespans of more than eight hundred years.

As for the Emotion Severance Realm...

The book's description suddenly became sparse: severing worldly ties, transcending all things, becoming true in union with the Dao. It was said that all who reached this realm existed only in legend.

Essence Condensation, Dao Entry, Emotion Severance...

Li Yuan closed the book, his heart surging like storm-tossed waves. Captain Chen Shuo and Instructor Liu were both said to be Essence Condensation Realm experts.

As for Headmaster Su, the man at the helm of the nation's highest academy, he was likely already at the Dao Entry level—unfathomably deep.

He possessed level-nine talent, but how far he could ultimately go, he had no answer.

At the next morning's class, an elderly master surnamed Han explained the cultivation history of Great Tang to them.

"At the end of the Tianbao era, Xuanzong neglected state affairs while treacherous ministers seized power, and the An Lushan Rebellion erupted."

"Yet this rebellion was far from ordinary. It was not merely a calamity of war among men. The rebels colluded with demons from beyond the domain, using the flesh and blood of living beings as sacrifices to forcibly tear open the barrier of the Nine Provinces, throwing the workings of heaven and earth into chaos and disrupting yin and yang."

"For a time, great numbers of lurking demons, monsters, wicked spirits, and malevolent ghosts emerged into the world. Even celestial demons from beyond the domain watched hungrily, slipping in through the breach."

"The mortal world became a purgatory: white bones for a thousand li, wasteland for ten thousand. Great Tang's national fate hung by a thread."

With a voice heavy with grief, the white-haired Master Han recounted this passage of history.

"At such a perilous moment, loyal ministers, valiant generals, and eminent Daoist and Buddhist cultivators stepped forth."

"Generals such as Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi not only resisted the rebel armies, but also joined forces with cultivators to slay great demons and stabilize the situation."

"During Suzong's reign, the various forces were brought together, and the Demon Suppression Bureau was established. Its first Director-General was Li Bi, tasked specifically with slaying demons and exterminating evil, as well as repairing the barrier."