Li Xingkong was naturally somewhat skeptical. He stopped using Spiritual Qi Magic Power, and sure enough, he could feel that his Magic Power consumption had increased slightly.
"That's really true."
This verification confirmed that as his cultivation level increased, his Magic Power consumption also increased.
The method of quickly restoring Magic Power that he just described can only be achieved when he is meditating and cultivating. In daily life, he cannot always keep such a restorative array made of Spiritual Qi around him.
So, this isn't how I can cultivate myself?
Li Xingkong was somewhat frustrated. He had just been pleased with his rapid cultivation speed, but this sudden revelation had dampened his spirits.
"Everything requires a gradual approach, and your current situation is a case in point. Although you can progress at the same pace, the cost is a decrease in your self-protection capabilities during the cultivation process."
"To achieve a smooth cultivation journey, one must learn to control the pace of their cultivation."
"First, master the Qi Refining Method, then cultivate your Divine Sense to the point where it can leave your body, and finally, proceed with the practice of Hexagram."
Taking it one step at a time may be slower, but it will definitely not have any negative impact.
Well, relationship problems are waiting for him here.
With abundant Spiritual Qi, cultivation speed can be accelerated, even faster, but this also brings adverse consequences.
Li Xingkong didn't know if this counted as a test, and even after the system explained the normal cultivation process to him, he still found it difficult to make up his mind.
The speed of cultivation is determined by oneself. He can cultivate at full speed, enduring the debuff that the speed of Magic Power recovery cannot keep up with the consumption of his own mana, and stay in the seclusion room for ten or eight years until he has achieved great success in his cultivation, breaks out of the seclusion, and leaps to the Late Foundation Establishment.
Alternatively, one can follow the system's instructions step by step, controlling their cultivation speed and breaking down the process into smaller steps. Although the cultivation speed will not increase, one will always maintain their strongest combat power and will not be unable to attack due to cultivation.
To be honest, this was a very difficult choice for Li Xingkong.
Although Li Xingkong's current strength is unmatched on Earth Star, there are still things on Earth Star that he cannot withstand—nuclear bombs. Moreover, although Li Xingkong has become much stronger than Qi Refining Stage after Foundation Establishment, and even if missiles are attacked at him, he can detect their tracks and dodge them, at speeds of several tens of Mach, he can only dodge one, not dozens.
Under heavy fire, it would be quite difficult to protect oneself.
If he had chosen the first option, his combat power would have dropped to a level lower than that of the Qi Refining stage before he could complete the cultivation. His Magic Power would have been consumed too quickly, and he wouldn't have been able to maintain the normal operation of the several spells that he used for a long time.
But the temptation of rapid growth in cultivation was too great, and even Li Xingkong found it difficult to resist.
After all, it's not like other things like wealth and beautiful women. Li Xingkong could completely ignore the temptations of these things, but he really found it hard to resist the temptation of cultivation.
"You're right, we have to take it one step at a time."
After thinking for a while, Li Xingkong finally gave up the idea of keeping pace with him. After all, he couldn't just shut himself in seclusion for ten or twenty years. He still had family and friends. If he went into seclusion for so many years, everything would be completely different when he came out.
Although this situation will inevitably occur as cultivation levels increase, it is definitely not the case now.
He hadn't even released Spiritual Qi into Earth Star yet, and his parents hadn't even embarked on their cultivation journey. They just went into seclusion and ignored him. By the time he came out, it was too late.
Perhaps in the past, practitioners chose to solve this problem by going up the mountain and cutting themselves off from the world in a cruel way, but Li Xingkong would not choose that path.
As the world's first cultivator and a Divine Land People has lived here for so long, there is one phrase that has had a significant impact on Li Xingkong: "When one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
This is the normal way of thinking. After all, what is the purpose of cultivating immortality? Isn't it to achieve longevity and live as one pleases?
Since I've already done as I please, why should I worry about cutting ties with my ordinary family and friends? I've already done as I please, so naturally, it's more in line with my heart to take them on this spiritual journey.
Therefore, for various reasons, he still needs to move around frequently in the world, and to do so, his combat strength must be sufficient.
So be it if his cultivation speed slows down a bit. Anyway, he has now stepped into the Foundation Establishment, and his lifespan is far beyond that of ordinary people. As mentioned before, Li Xingkong's lifespan has now reached the Soul Tribulation. As for the longevity of his physical body, he has already achieved a certain level of cultivation.
He could easily live for several thousand years, and since he currently has no rivals of the same level, he could naturally choose a more stable path of cultivation.
"Speaking of which, didn't anyone in previous cultivation civilizations encounter this problem? It seems like this choice is quite difficult for everyone."
Having made his decision, Li Xingkong couldn't help but wonder how people in previous cultivation civilizations had chosen to handle similar situations.
"Of course it will happen; this kind of problem is very common."
The system then began to explain.
Do you remember which academic stage corresponds to Foundation Establishment?
"Middle school? What's wrong? Is there some kind of rule about this?"
Li Xingkong answered instinctively.
"Your current middle schools emphasize a 50/50 academic stream, and isn't the cultivation civilization doing the same thing?"
"Whether it's a divine dynasty or a family or sect with a deep foundation, they all begin to differentiate and select their new disciples during the Foundation Establishment stage."
Those with a certain talent for cultivation, or those who have made some achievements in the various arts of cultivation, will be designated as core disciples. They will be protected and given the option to cultivate in a stable but slow way, because they are the core of the sect. The Foundation Establishment Stage is just a foundation-building phase, and they don't need to fight or do anything dangerous. After all, both sects and families have their own specialized violent organizations.
"Sending a group of children whose cultivation is not yet fully developed will only make us a laughing stock."
"For ordinary people who lack cultivation talent and special skills, the first method is generally used during the Foundation Establishment stage to quickly achieve Foundation Establishment, allowing them to quickly enter various production positions within the sect, receive professional education in different professions, and become workers in the cultivation world."
After all, apart from cultivators, the society of the cultivation world still needs to function, and as long as society functions, various basic tasks are indispensable.
However, even basic tasks often require a certain level of cultivation, which is beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. Once these individuals are selected, their cultivation path is essentially limited to the Late Foundation Establishment. If they perform well, they may have a chance to advance to the Golden Core, but that's about it.
Upon hearing the system's words, Li Xingkong suddenly felt a strange sense of cruelty.
The same applies to the world of cultivation and love; even though everyone is a cultivator, it's ultimately no different from real society.