Within a few short years, the number of skills encompassed within the Taoist Academy has nearly doubled. While most of these are lower-level skills, this still demonstrates the viability of this approach.
However, the contribution points held by ordinary martial artists are limited. The benefits they gain pale in comparison to those obtained by the powerful alliances from all sides.
The alliance forces were initially quite discontented about being forced out in the open by Pei Xuanjing to exchange skills. Unfortunately, they could not do anything about Pei Xuanjing's decision and could only choose to turn a blind eye.
But now, countless martial artists have been drawn into this. The vast array of skills offered for their learning means that martial artists from all over the world have been driven by Pei Xuanjing's plan, and they are now on the defensive.
If they continue to ignore this situation, it would not be an issue now. But as the martial artists continue to get more involved, and gain stronger abilities, their conservative approach will only put them at a disadvantage, something that they cannot tolerate.
Therefore, these powerful alliances made the decisive decision to bring out many skills in exchange for contribution points from the Taoist Academy, in return for more divine weapons, elixirs, and insights into cultivation.
It is necessary to understand that apart from Pei Xuanjing's support, the Taoist Academy also has the backing of the emperor. Many divine weapons and elixirs that cannot normally be traded could be exchanged here.
In these years, the strength of martial artists the world over has nearly doubled. The existence of the Taoist Academy has virtually revived a city that revolves around it. In this city, there are no ordinary civilians, the weakest here are some First-Class martial artists.
Of course, besides the tempting contribution points, the martial artists who gather here are attracted to the public sermons given every month by the Taoist Academy. Even if they don't have any contribution points, they can still gain insight from the public sermon, which can help clear up their doubts.
Regrettably, many people bewail the fact that the head of the Taoist Academy, Pei Xuanjing, who used to give sermons in the first year, has not given another since he began his retreat.
At that time, deep within the Taoist Academy, where the reclusive head of the academy, Pei Xuanjing, was located, countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi gathered. The yard where he was situated seemed like a bottomless black hole, frantically drawing in the dense Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. The qi was so concentrated it was nearly liquid.
The many dispersed instructors and students of the Taoist Academy were shocked by this scene. Especially those newly admitted to the Academy, their faces expressed unfading amazement.
"You all disperse, this is a vision caused by the Master's cultivation. There is no incident here. Watching here is meaningless. It's better to take advantage of this concentrated Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and take this time to cultivate!"
A Spirit Realm powerhouse stationed in the academy spoke out, dispersing the disciples and instructors who were observing.
Indeed, the original construction of the Tao Academy already had formations left behind that attracted countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. The level of concentration here is several times higher than in many other places, making it a rare place for cultivation.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing's cultivation caused celestial phenomena. His efforts seem to have gathered Heaven and Earth Essence Qi from hundreds of miles around, a terrifying sight. It made the Qi concentration within the Taoist Academy increase by several times, proving to be a great benefit for the cities rising around the Taoist Academy.
"Everyone, let's go into retreat as well. Maybe we can use this opportunity to advance further." The Spirit Realm powerhouse, who just dispersed the many instructors and students, spoke to his remaining companions.
They too were instructors of the Taoist Academy, but as Spirit Realm powerhouses their status was higher. After Pei Xuanjing went into retreat, these individuals ran the academy and kept it operational.
Although the person who spoke was not from the Shenxiao Sect, he was affiliated with the Taoist Alliance. His origins trace back to the insignificant beginnings shared with Pei Xuanjing. Due to their deep connection, he was practically the acting head of the Taoist Academy.
Yes, the person speaking was indeed Qingyang Zi. He was once the vice-dean of the Martial Academy of Tiandu when Pei Xuanjing first joined it. He was a disciple of the True Martial Sect and a junior to Qingxu Daoist, the Sect Leader.
Qingyang Zi was already a Second-Class martial artist at the time, which proved that his talent was not bad. With Sect Leader Qingxu as his senior brother, and being one of Pei Xuanjing's few old acquaintances, the resources he received were much greater than others'.
After the successful advancement of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, he broke through to the Spirit Realm. Because of his previous administration of the martial academy, Pei Xuanjing invited him to be the instructor of the Taoist Academy, even showing willingness to let him take the position of vice-dean of the academy.
Qingyang Zi accepted Pei Xuanjing's invitation without hesitation, without the slightest delay.
Every family faces its unique struggles. Now that Heaven and Earth have been revived, countless warriors who were stuck at First-Class have made breakthroughs, stepping into the Spirit Realm and obtaining greater power and longer lives. But with this, some inevitable problems have also emerged.
Take the current Qingyang Zi as an example, he was originally the junior brother of True Martial Sect's Sect Leader Qiingxu Daoist, and had experience teaching the then Emperor Wuzong in the Great Ming imperial court. After stepping into the First-Class realm, he naturally would return to the True Martial Sect and assume the position of elder, with power at his disposal as a matter of course.
If this was in the past, the elder generation of the True Martial Sect would gradually relinquish their power to their successors.
But now, with the changes that have occurred in Heaven and Earth, they see hope and have much longer lives, so naturally, they are unwilling to easily give up their power. If it were not for True Martial Sect's current Sect Leader Qingxu Daoist's extraordinary measure, he might have been made powerless by these people.
Currently, the beginnings of such conflicts have already appeared among various factions. The older generation of powerhouses, due to their extended lives, have blocked the opportunities for the newcomers to rise.
Qingyang Zi faced such situations, torn between two decisions. He was unwilling to provoke infighting, so he readily accepted Pei Xuanjing's invitation.
The others, upon hearing the words of Qingyang Zi, also dispersed.
By now, the Taoist Academy had quietened down. However, countless martial artists in the vicinity, and even all the powerful ones of Tiandu, were shocked by this rare celestial phenomenon.
Especially when they learned that this celestial event was triggered by Pei Xuanjing's retreat within the Taoist Academy, they were even more shaken. All the powerful ones knew in their hearts that the strength of this national teacher must have improved further.
Based on the strength he demonstrated during the sacrificial ceremony, he was already at the Sixth Level of the Spirit Realm. Now it seemed his strength was about to improve further; could it be that he was about to enter the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm?
"Could it be that he's about to step into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm? But is he truly prepared? After the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, there is no turning back on the path of Tao. It will be difficult to alter anything." Mr. Wu, in the Imperial Astronomical Observatory of the Imperial City, looked at the astronomical phenomenon in the distance with a complex expression.
Once the path of Tao is set, stepping into the Sixth Level from the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm allows one to ascend to heaven and seek the realm of True Immortal that promises eternal life.
Many formidable figures in history believed that before reaching the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, one could still revise and patch one's foundation. However, once one stepped into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and formed one's Taoist foundation, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven to rectify any errors.
Some even believed that it would be challenging to mend their foundation genuinely at this realm, even if they disbanded their cultivation and started anew.
"The Heaven and Earth have only just revived for a mere 20 years, and he has ascended from the Onefold of Spirit Realm all the way to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm. Such a cultivation speed is rare, whether in Sky Wasteland or even during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty," he sighed softly to himself.
The Ninth Realm of Spirit involves ascending heaven with each step, and each step of cultivation in the Spirit Realm is incredibly challenging. Even with exceptional talent, one needs sufficient time for transformation.
The Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm signifies standing at the pinnacle, belonging to the strong who can dominate a territory and establish a secondary power.
Even during prosperous times, when some rare talents arose, it took centuries to progress from Spirit Realm cultivation to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
In principle, Pei Xuanjing, who was Cultivating Three Ways Simultaneously, should have progressed much slower than his peers of the same realm, and it was expected to delay his advancement even several times.
However, Pei Xuanjing's cultivation speed was nearly despairingly fast, almost beyond imagination.
"Not just that, if you really consider it, it doesn't seem that long since Brother Pei went from an unknown foot solder and grew to his current status. It seems like he's only just reached the age of sixty," Bai Xiaosheng's gloomy voice chimed in.
He couldn't help but feel desolate as he said this. Although the rest of the world put them, the powerful figures, and Pei Xuanjing in the same generation, Bai Xiaosheng and his peers were well aware that if the ages were considered, Pei Xuanjing was actually younger by a generation, or even several generations.
The oldest among them, Elder Tian, was already over two hundred years old, and even the youngest ones like Zhao Baiyang were already centenarians.
"…" Mr. Wu's face assumed an even more complicated expression.
He had almost forgotten how short the time Pei Xuanjing took to rise to power was. Talking to him, Pei Xuanjing's maturity and confidence easily made him overlook Pei Xuanjing's age.
At this moment, he felt that his previous assessment was low. Pei Xuanjing, being less than sixty years old and having reached his current realm, was nearly comparable to the great joint rulers and sages of the ancient times.
…
"This seems to the sign of stepping into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and breaking through. It's unbelievable that Grandmaster Pei has accomplished this in such a short time." Mu Binghua's beautiful eyes were filled with shock that was hard to dispel.
She initially had a high opinion of Grandmaster Pei. According to the customs of Heart Moon Lake, they naturally wanted to form a good relationship with him and make some investments.
However, everything had not developed according to her predictions and thoughts and completely exceeded her expectations. From the first meeting, Pei Xuanjing was able to shock her simply by using a projection to kill the Howling Moon Gray Wolf, who was at the Spirit Realm Fifth Level.
Following that, before she could react, the Great Ming Divine Dynasty conducted a promotion ceremony where he showed off his Spirit Realm Sixth Level power and killed the powerful duke from Great River's ancient country who was at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level.
The Great River ancient country, with its long heritage, had many powerful figures and experts. The ones who could attain the title of duke were definitely not ordinary cultivators at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level.
However, they still fell under Pei Xuanjing's hand, which undoubtedly strengthened Mu Binghua's determination to befriend him. Unfortunately, she didn't find many opportunities to do so.
Sure enough, she couldn't get close to Pei Xuanjing, but it did not mean she didn't do anything these years. People from Heart Moon Lake might lack in some areas, but they were skilled at making friends, somewhat like the resourceful representatives from Pre-Qin period. However, they did not instigate, only befriended.
In these years, Mu Binghua, given her social status in the major forces of Sky Wasteland, easily won the welcome of many powers when she showed a friendly attitude.
After all, any faction would want to understand the situation in Sky Wasteland to prepare for any surprises in future. Everyone in Great Min Divine Dynasty was clear. Now that the dynasty has ascended, they will inevitably be on the front lines when those ancient powers of Sky Wasteland return.
Besides getting along with these factions, Mu Binghua also tried her best to befriend the Taoist Schools on their side, especially the people from Shenxiao Sect.
Since Pei Xuanjing was out of reach, nothing stopped her from getting along with the rest of Shenxiao Sect, especially many of its powerful figures. She even had frequent interactions with Pei Xuanjing's only disciple, Pang Hong. It's safe to say that at this point, Mu Binghua was a familiar presence within Shenxiao Sect.
"Mu Xianzi, is the National Teacher really about to ascend to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm?" Gu Ji asked incredulously.
The few people were discussing some matters in Elder Wang Qiong's residence. Seeing the phenomenon in the sky, their conversation was interrupted. Hearing Mu Binghua's words, Gu Ji asked in confusion.
Although he had refined his divine position and grasped significant power, Gu Ji did not have much talent or knowledge about cultivation. He concentrated more on matters of the Court.
With the promotion of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, the dynasty was prospering and flourishing. As a result of his divine position, Gu Ji's fate was now completely tied with the Great Ming Divine Dynasty; there was no way out. Therefore, he worked harder than ever in the hope that the Great Ming Divine Dynasty would last.
This time, inviting Mu Binghua to the Shangshu Mansion was indeed Gu Ji's idea. With the revival of Heaven and Earth and the Great Ming Divine Dynasty's promotion, the news of Sky Wasteland was no longer a secret; it was well known.
Nobody in the Great Ming Divine Dynasty doubted that they were bound to be on the frontlines when the ancient powers of Sky Wasteland returned since the Dynasty took up such a vast territory. The best defense against the coming events was understanding the enemy, for only then would they be invincible.
Those who went through the selection process to be promoted to their current positions, they may be good or bad, but none were fools.
Previously, some of them might have had other thoughts and had a backup plan. But now, with the promotion of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, many people realized their fate is inextricably intertwined with the dynasty and can't be separated. Naturally, they would desire to maintain the Dynasty's existence and make it more prosperous.
The biggest issue the Great Ming Divine Dynasty faces is preserving its interests and avoiding becoming everybody's target in the upcoming return from the innumerable miles of the Sky Wasteland.
Understanding the specific situation in the Sky Wasteland and planning ahead is their current priority.
The most suitable person to provide this understanding would be the mysterious Mr. Wu. However, he stays day and night at the Imperial Astronomical Observatory with Bai Xiaosheng, so he is naturally excluded.
The siblings Xue Hanyi, who have been at Shenxiao Mountain for several years, and their ambiguous relationship with the Shenxiao Sect, are not good choices either.
The most suitable person, on the other hand, would be Mu Binghua from Heart Moon Lake. Although she is close to the Shenxiao Sect, after understanding the style of the forces at Heart Moon Lake in the Sky Wasteland, Gu Ji decisively invited her to discuss matters about the Sky Wasteland.
Nobody expected that they would confront this issue today.
Whether Pei Xuanjing has truly made a breakthrough to the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm is a matter of great significance.
A cultivator at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm in the Sky Wasteland stands as a dominant force, let alone in the present Daming world. The original Pei Xuanjing was invincible, and now his strength has improved even more, causing countless people to harbor fear.
Wang Qiong inevitably set his gaze on Mu Binghua, waiting for her answer.
Mu Binghua slowly nodded: "Indeed, once I was fortunate to witness an elder from my sect make a breakthrough, and the phenomena were identical to this. However, the celestial phenomena of Grandmaster Pei's breakthrough now are indeed superior."
'Superior,' was a rather understated way for Mu Binghua to put it.
If you were to compare the breakthrough of her elder and Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough now side by side, the difference is as stark as mud and clouds.
Wang Qiong, being experienced, naturally noticed the unusual tone of Mu Binghua. But he did not expose it, he merely responded with a smile: "In that case, it is truly a blessing for all. With the Grandmaster's presence, there should be no worry about any future accidents."
Gu Ji also echoed with a smile.
Mu Binghua gave a faint smile, but in her heart, she sneered.
....
Pei Xuanjing was unaware that his breakthrough caused celestial phenomena and stirred the thoughts of countless people.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing had just broken through, and the intangible and immaterial Golden Core rotated inside him, emitting a trace of unending existence. But if observed carefully, you would find that this Golden Core still had many deficiencies and was not truly perfect.
The Golden Core Dao is a form of inner alchemy, which is nurtured through the fusion of essence, energy, and spirit. Only after continuous refinement and transformation, when it gains the immortal and indestructible nature of gold and withstands all hardship, it could be regarded as a Golden Core.
As Pei Xuanjing considered his understanding of the Golden Core Dao, he lamented: "Perhaps what I've now formed cannot be called a Golden Core, but we can temporarily call it inner alchemy."
The Golden Core is eternal, and it cannot be obliterated. He is certainly unable to achieve this at the moment and can only call it inner alchemy.
"Perhaps, only when I unravel the mystery of Becoming Immortal and my inner alchemy reaches the seventh turn, transforming into the eternal and immortal True Immortal will it be worthy of being called as Golden Core." thought Pei Xuanjing.
Feeling the terrifying power contained in this inner alchemy, a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of Pei Xuanjing's mouth. After all, no matter what happens in the future, he had already discovered his Great Tao and set foot on the path of the immortal True Immortal in search of eternal life.
What he needed next was to gather infinite resources, continue refining this inner alchemy until it is perfect, and transform it into a true Golden Core.
The Golden Core Sixth Turn, Spiritual Realm Sevenfold, stepping into the Sixth Level, Pei Xuanjing, who had spent sixty years in this world, had undergone countless life simulations, and had now truly risen to the top of this world.
Although he still lagged behind the powerful cultivators at the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm, with his current strength, Pei Xuanjing had enough to protect himself.
He clearly understood that even if it was a cultivator who cultivated the Golden Core Dao, those of the same realm might not necessarily be his enemies. After all, even within the same Golden Core Dao, different Golden Cores represented different realms of accumulation.
Pei Xuanjing's Golden Core, formed from his Five Directions and Five Elements cultivation foundation, incorporated the Four Seasons and Five Orders and the creation and destruction of thunder, was a supreme Golden Core. According to Pei Xuanjing's division, there should also be superior, mediocre, and inferior Golden Cores, and his Golden Core was at least of the superior quality, top-tier among the Golden Cores.
Moreover, according to the news he received from Mr. Wu and others about the Sky Wasteland, it is still unknown whether there are cultivators who are cultivating the Golden Core Dao in the Sky Wasteland right now.
Regardless, at his current Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm, Pei Xuanjing was almost invincible. Few could challenge him within the same realm.
In the Daming World, he held the Golden Book and Jade Scroll. With the force of Heaven and Earth, he could even contest with the powerhouses of the Spirit Realm Eightfold. The only thing he needed to worry about were the most powerful cultivators at the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm.
But the revival of Heaven and Earth had not yet reached its peak, and the powerful figures from the Sky Wasteland were still unable to return. Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to exert their full strength. In this environment, who would win and who would lose is still unknown.
Pei Xuanjing gave a faint smile. With a single thought, the Golden Core in his body vanished into thin air, the overwhelming pressure dissipated, and he again appeared ordinary.
He raised his hand and made a grasp in the void, a jade Ruyi appeared in his hand. This is the divine artifact he had refined in this lifetime's simulation: the Sanbao Jade Ruyi.
However, the Sanbao Jade Ruyi seemed to be repelled by this world. The moment it appeared, thunder roared continuously in the sky above, converging as if wanting to destroy this divine artifact.
As a divine artifact, the Sanbao Jade Ruyi naturally had its own spiritual nature. Feeling the repulsion from Heaven and Earth, it revived without needing Pei Xuanjing's activation, and a terrifying aura rose in the room, spreading out instantly. Nearly everyone within hundreds of miles of Tiandu felt this terrifying aura.
Despite being shocked, when they realized the aura originated from the Taoist Academy, nobody said much. However, many powerful individuals were curious about what Pei Xuanjing had done.
Just a short while ago his breakthrough had created such a momentum, now he had done something to release such a terrifying aura again, making people's hearts shudder with fear.
Only Mr. Wu of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory at the Imperial City furrowed his eyebrows. A flash of a brilliant idea crossed his eyes. He thought that Pei Xuanjing had perhaps truly refined the divine artifact he had mentioned earlier.