Chapter Seven: The Stages of the Long Road
On a clear morning, the new disciples gathered in the spacious courtyard at the foot of the sect hall. They sat in close rows, each holding their booklet in front of them. The air was filled with a light spiritual energy, and a calmness pervaded the space.
Elder Zhang Yun stood before them, his hands behind his back, his eyes as if piercing their souls. His voice, as he spoke, sounded like the roar of an ancient mountain:
"Disciples, now that you have begun opening your meridians, it is time for you to know the path you have chosen. Cultivation is not merely breathing in energy or opening channels. It is a journey through seas of blood and bones, a long road that shows no mercy to the weak."
Raising his staff, he drew nine circles in the air. Each circle glowed a different color.
"The first stages of cultivation are known as the Spiritual Root Stage. In this stage, a cultivator seeks to open the nine meridians in their body. Each meridian opened increases their ability to absorb and store energy. Whoever opens all nine meridians is qualified to enter the next stage."
He pointed to the second, larger circle:
"Next comes the Basic Foundation stage. Here, the cultivator begins to form a small spiritual core in the dantian. This is the stage that separates those with a solid foundation from those whose cultivation collapses before it even begins."
He moved his staff to the higher circles:
"Then comes the Golden Core stage, where the Golden Core is formed within the body, the beginning of true strength. After that comes the Alternate Soul stage, where your spiritual consciousness grows outside your body, so you possess two bodies at once."
He paused for a moment, then continued in a grander tone:
"Above that, there is the Unification stage, when your soul merges with heaven and earth, then the False Immortality stage, where the cultivator tastes eternity. Beyond that… he enters the mythical, the ranks of the immortals that few can comprehend."
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A silence fell among the disciples. Some had their eyes filled with ambition, some with awe.
The elder raised his voice:
"But remember! Most of you will die before you even leave the Spiritual Root Stage. The path is filled with failure and death. The sect has no need for the weak."
His words fell like a hammer into the disciples' hearts. Some clenched their fists with determination, while others grew more fearful.
As for Ling Yu, he listened intently, his heart pounding.
"Root Stage… Foundation Stage… Golden Core…"
He raised his gaze to the sky, a fire within him that he had never felt before.
Even if he started as the weakest outer disciple… he wouldn't stop until he reached beyond the bounds of immortality.