After hearing Yi Qincang's introduction, Xie Fengchao fell silent for a moment, then remarked:
"Even among the Fang family's direct heirs, Zheng Zhuxi would stand head and shoulders above the rest."
"Zheng Zhuxi opening nine unusual apertures in less than nine months exceeded my expectations, but it wasn't entirely surprising. She has long been known as 'Candleheart,' which suits the Xiaoming Sect's Illuminating the Long Night Scripture. She can 'understand herself and find her path' without Wandering the Jianghu, and needn't worry that opening orifices too frequently or advancing too quickly will lead to cultivation deviation." Yi Qincang sounded equally impressed. "Her swordsmanship, however, truly amazed me. Compared with three months ago, it has undergone a transformation down to the bones. Its grandeur is beginning to take shape, and it is a magnificent sight. No wonder she could accomplish all those things."
Xie Fengchao considered this, then said:
"Does the Xiaoming Sect intend to wait until Zheng Zhuxi perfects the Dayan Realm before letting her Wandering the Jianghu in pursuit of 'Unwavering'?"
In the martial world of their time, the mental cultivation required for the different realms was broadly divided into "Holding to the One," "Illuminating the Mind," "Unwavering," "Mysterious Unity," and "Free and Unfettered."
In the Initial Realm and Mortal Realm—the stages of body tempering, qi training, and aperture refinement—one only needed to steady the mind, embrace one's core, and practice Holding to the One to progress without trouble. With the appropriate exercises, the vast majority of people could meet that requirement;
Starting from the Dayan Realm, one had to implant nonhuman organs, open unusual apertures, and condense illusory qi channels. Without sufficient mental and spiritual cultivation to control the body, problems arose all too easily. Some suffered cultivation deviation, some transformed into ferocious beasts, and others became deranged