"Lei, as a disciple who has awakened the Hidden Dragon Spirit Body and achieved Perfection in the Twelve Floors of Qi Refinement, you are indeed only a step away from Foundation Establishment," Wang Guiyuan's expression became solemn. "But you must not be impatient, especially not underestimate the difficulties of breaking through to a higher Great Realm."
Lei Jun nodded slightly.
In this world, the breakthrough from the First Heaven Layer to the Second Heaven Layer and other Great Realms was often more difficult than all previous cultivation combined. The same was true for the transition from the Second Heaven Layer to the Third Heaven Layer, and so forth.
Because the barriers between Great Realms were customarily referred to as a Heavenly Chasm, also known as cultivation tribulations.
To cross the Heavenly Chasm, one must endure tribulations.
If one failed, at best they would suffer Qi deviation, fall into a demonic state, and be seriously injured; at worst, they would die and their Dao would dissipate.
Of course, you could choose not to take the risk and stay in your current realm.
The Celestial Master Mansion is a sacred land of the Taoist Sect, with a profound heritage and many talented disciples, thus such situations were rare.
For small sects and families in the outside world, there were many Cultivators who remained stuck in the Qi Refinement stage for their entire lives.
But doing so would lead to facing the issue of aging and approaching the end of their lifespan.
The "True Formula of the Great Way Scripture" from the Celestial Master Mansion is remarkably exquisite. With Lei Jun possessing the Hidden Dragon Spirit Body, Wang Guiyuan generally didn't worry that his junior brother wouldn't be able to overcome the first Heavenly Chasm.
His primary concern was that Lei Jun would rush for success and disrupt his own state of mind, thereby affecting his Tribulation Crossing.
"Senior Brother, rest assured, I understand," Lei Jun smiled.
Wang Guiyuan nodded. "That's good."
After settling everything, he peacefully went back to his old job and acted as a Tao Boy for Elder Liu.
Lei Jun, in turn, continued to concentrate on his cultivation at his own pace.
Early in the morning, he would consume a cup of Pei Yuan Jiang to lay a good foundation for the day. During morning lessons and the forenoon, he listened to Master Yuan Mobai teach and transmit scriptures. After lunch, he would take a Spirit Qi Pill, light a stick of Calming Incense, and silently practice his Breathing Skills and Qi Refinement.
During cultivation, a pair of Nurturing Spirit Jade were separated and placed on the palms of his hands. Man nurtures jade, jade warms the spirit, spirit moisturizes Qi, Qi refines man, creating a cycle that multiplied his efforts.
By the evening lessons, he would summarize any doubts he had about what he learned that day and seek guidance from Yuan Mobai. After the evening lessons, he would return to his residence, take a scoop of Medicinal Bath Mother Liquor and several auxiliary herbs, and put them together in the courtyard's bath, blending them with mountain spring water to create a large pool of medicinal liquid. Lei Jun would then sit in it to wash and refine his body, continuing with Warming and Nurturing and Breathing Skills. Finally, he would end his day's cultivation, sleep in peace, and fortify his foundation.
During cultivation, time passed swiftly.
「One evening, a month later.」
Lei Jun, soaking in the bath, suddenly rose.
It wasn't that he actively jumped out of the water.
Instead, he was steadily suspended in the air just above the surface of the bathwater, as if sitting on solid ground.
Inside Lei Jun's body, the once surging True Qi condensed and seemed to turn from illusion into solidity, forming concentrated Mana.
It was as if a large volume of gas, through transformation and condensation, became a thread of liquid.
It seemed faint, yet it was far more concentrated and flexible than the expansive True Qi from before.
A mere thread of Mana was enough to crush the abundant True Qi of Qi Refinement Cultivators.
This was a shift from quantitative change to qualitative change.
Lei Jun smiled contentedly, stepping out of the bath.
To have cultivated Mana meant that he had successfully breached a Great Realm of cultivation.
From the First Heaven Layer of Qi Refinement to the Second Heaven Layer of Foundation Establishment!
I didn't feel any calamitous tribulation... Lei Jun was slightly surprised.
Just as the question arose in his mind, a flash of insight struck him:
Hidden Dragon Spirit Body...
The True Dragon, if it leaps from the abyss, will soar into the heavens.
Thus, this initial Heavenly Chasm, a life-and-death challenge for many, could not deter the emergence of the hidden dragon.
No wonder there are legends of top geniuses progressing at an astonishing pace.
Lei Jun introspected, and for a moment, he was quite moved.
What would the cultivation process look like for Tang Xiaotang with her Immortal Body?
He shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts, and returned to sit cross-legged, silently practicing his Breathing Skills.
Lei Jun could distinctly feel his own Vitality becoming extremely vigorous.
His lifespan had increased.
Once Foundation Establishment was achieved, one could enjoy a lifespan of two hundred years.
Lei Jun had started late, entering the path of cultivation at the age of eighteen when Xu Yuanzhen brought him back to Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Luckily, he seized every auspicious opportunity to cultivate earnestly and managed to achieve Foundation Establishment in less than two years, surpassing countless beings.
Now, nearing the age of twenty, and compared to the two-hundred-year lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he seemed to have plenty of time.
But...
The lifespan increase upon ascending realms for Cultivators in this world is still too small, Lei Jun lamented. Two hundred years isn't actually that much.
Because there was a very real problem before him.
From the First Heaven Layer's Qi Refinement to the Second Heaven Layer's Foundation Establishment, lifespan increases from one hundred to two hundred years.
But from the Second Heaven Layer's Foundation Establishment to the Third Heaven Layer's Altar Stage, there is no increase in the lifespan limit.
Only when breaking through to the Fourth Layer of Heaven's Original Talisman Stage will lifespan increase once again.
While Foundation Establishment Cultivators may live for two hundred years, a substantial increase from the lifespan of Qi Refinement Cultivators, they faced the same issue.
The Golden Opportunity Period for Qi Refinement Cultivators to advance in cultivation only lasts until around twenty-five years of age.
For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, this rapid growth period extends to around fifty years of age.
However, starting at fifty, Foundation Establishment Cultivators also enter their prime plateau period, maintaining peak strength, but their speed of progression slows down significantly.
From around one hundred years onward, Foundation Establishment Cultivators enter a period of decline, similar to Qi Refinement Cultivators after fifty.
Not only is it difficult to make further progress in their Cultivation Realm, but their Vitality and strength may even begin to wane.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators hoping to advance further after the age of one hundred have a slim chance; throughout history, there have only been a few special examples, with the probability being much lower than one in ten thousand.
But there still was a glimmer of hope.
After around one hundred fifty years of age, Foundation Establishment Cultivators enter their twilight years without any hope, with decline and degradation accelerating rapidly. They could even potentially lose small realms within their Great Realm until their lifespan comes to an end.
The most frustrating part is that Altar Stage Cultivators of the Third Heaven Layer face the same situation as Second Heaven Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Thus, if Cultivators wish to continue progressing on the path of the Tao, they must strive to reach the Fourth Layer of Heaven's Original Talisman Stage before the age of one hundred to gain another increase in lifespan.
Within the Celestial Master Mansion, the dividing line between Transmission Disciples and Talisman-Instructed Disciples typically lies between the Third and Fourth Heaven Layer's realm.
Considering the potential for further cultivation, it would be ideal to break through to the Fourth Layer of Heaven within the Golden Opportunity Period of fifty years.
Indeed, fitting the name 'Foundation Establishment', I've only just begun on the path... Lei Jun's joyful mood after his breakthrough subsided, and his mindset returned to stability.
「The next morning,」 like usual, Lei Jun went to see his Master, Yuan Mobai.
Yuan Mobai smiled at him. "More than rejoicing your successful Foundation Establishment, I am glad that your mindset has remained calm and stable."
Lei Jun said, "Disciple is young and inexperienced, merely emulating what I've learned from you."
Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded. "Since your mindset has returned to a natural state of equilibrium, we shall continue as usual."
The morning lessons and morning's cultivation session, as usual, involved the explanation of the Taoist Scriptures and Taoist Laws.
But in the afternoon and evening sessions, Yuan Mobai adjusted the teaching schedule.
"You have successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, so there's no need to hurry or be agitated. Continue with steady cultivation," he said.
He set up an Altar for Rituals in the courtyard, saying to Lei Jun, "Moreover, as a Disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion, you should now start researching Talisman Scripture and learning Talisman Crafting."