Having gone through such fierce competition, they had indeed vanquished numerous rivals and could be considered one-in-a-thousand or even one-in-ten-thousand talents, but that didn't guarantee them the opportunity to switch to the Golden Core Dao upon entering the Longevity World.
Pei Xuanjing warned, "All of you must understand that although you've entered the Longevity World, not everyone will have the chance to switch to the Golden Core Dao. So ultimately, it will depend on your own destiny and chance."
His words might have been plain, but the stern expressions and sinking hearts of the thousand-odd people upon hearing them served to immediately calm their excitement, and the atmosphere tensed up.
The praise that Pei Xuanjing had just offered did indeed please them, as they were accustomed to adulation as talents, but to receive praise from a Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest was a far greater joy.
To many of them, if they could switch to the Golden Core Dao and leave the Longevity World successfully this time, they could thereafter, while walking Between Heaven and Earth, rightly claim to be direct disciples of Shenxiao (Taoist Academy), effectively Pei Xuanjing's Registered Disciples.
However, Pei Xuanjing's warning had the effect of dousing them with cold water, bringing the realization that the cultivation in the Longevity World this time was not as simple as they had originally thought.
The battles they had won against countless rivals to secure a spot in the Longevity World was not indicative of success; it was merely the very beginning of everything.
But those who had the ability to defeat many opponents and reach this point were no ordinary people; realizing the reality of their situation, they immediately cast aside their previous joy and began to readjust their mental state, preparing for the upcoming challenges.
After all, having put in so much effort to get to this point, failure would mean all their hard work had been a waste, something no one was willing to accept.
"Indeed, I am comforted that you all have this attitude," Pei Xuanjing said approvingly, a look of praise flashing through his eyes.
"Next, adjust your state of mind, study these skills, and feel free to exchange insights with one another. If there's anything you don't understand, you may also come and ask me," Pei Xuanjing told them as several books flew out from the sleeve of his robe and landed in front of them.
The Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill was a skill created by Pei Xuanjing for the condensation of the Golden Core, the most orthodox and perfectly balanced Golden Core Dao skill, and also the most widely circulated skill in the world at present. All of them were currently studying the Golden Core Dao from this very skill, including these thousand-odd people.
However, after Pang Hong condensed a lightning-attributed Golden Core, Pei Xuanjing realized that perhaps his Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill was too mystical. Therefore, he had simplified some of the content, making the steps for condensing the Golden Core and its difficulties as minimal as possible, to develop these skills.
If these people could thoroughly assimilate these skills, then whether they later combine them with their own skills to open up their own methods or await the formation of the Golden Core before cultivating the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill again, there would be no problem.
At least for now, these skills are a much greater help for many among them to condense the Golden Core than the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill would be.
"Thank you, Sect Leader."
"Thank you, Academy Head."
While somewhat surprised, the people readily accepted these books.
As they perused the books and saw the skills written therein, finding the Cultivation less difficult than the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill, they immediately understood Pei Xuanjing's intentions.
Of course, that was the choice of the majority; among the thousand-odd people, there were some with exceptional insight and aptitude. They had already grasped the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill and entered the Longevity World simply to seek further stable condensation of the Golden Core under the guidance of Pei Xuanjing; naturally, they would not give up the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill to adopt this new method.
Every Cultivator knows that the more solid the foundation, the greater the potential in the future; to abandon the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill for a new method to condense the Golden Core, while reducing the difficulty, inherently results in an inferior Golden Core and foundation as a consequence of settling for less.
Even without Pei Xuanjing stating it outright, the thousand-odd people understood this very clearly.
For those with insufficient insight and aptitude, that's one thing, but for those who are confident enough in their aptitude and insight to Cultivate the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill, such individuals would definitely not choose the easier option.
Time passed…
Pei Xuanjing continued Refining the Taixu Venerable, drawing out the latter's Origin into the Longevity World, causing the World to ascend and transform.
He left that place, only leaving behind an Avatar that instinctively answered these peoples' questions. Besides that, he did not impose any other constraints, allowing them to Cultivate and comprehend on their own.
However, forming groups is a human instinct, especially for these Cultivators, who came from two places the Shenxiao Sect and the Taoist Academy.
Even though disciples from both the Taoist Academy and the Shenxiao Sect continued to argue fervently over who the true direct disciple of Pei Xuanjing was, due to his presence, these disputes were kept within certain limits, at most amounting to debates and contests in skill without escalating to life-and-death struggles.
In the beginning, both sides kept to themselves, with the Shenxiao Sect's people and the disciples of the Taoist Academy clearly separated in their own cultivation. Within their respective circles, they exchanged insights on the skills and gleaned experience.
Sometimes it really is a case of the disciple emulating the master — Pei Xuanjing himself was someone who harbored no sectarian biases and was unreserved with his knowledge. Thus, cultivators from both the Shenxiao Sect and the Taoist Academy were greatly influenced by him, often sharing insights. Moreover, fellow sect disciples were naturally close to each other.
Therefore, compared to other forces Between Heaven and Earth, the Shenxiao Sect and the Taoist Academy had distinct cultures. Although there was competition among them, they were also willing to share knowledge, with pioneers willing to mentor the newcomers.
This time, they started with internal exchanges, each delving into the content. But the skill manuals left by Pei Xuanjing, which even he considered exceedingly simple and had reduced in difficulty, still posed some challenges for these Cultivators to fully comprehend in a short period. Once they hit a bottleneck within their internal study groups, they naturally shifted their mindset, began exchanging ideas with the other group, and started studying together.
By pooling their collective wisdom, and with the help of those Cultivators gifted enough to directly practice the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill, their understanding of the skills gradually deepened.
Of course, even with the same materials presented before them, due to differences in each Cultivator's talent and insight, there was quite a disparity in Cultivation progress, leading to an informal three-tier hierarchy.
Although everyone was well aware of this categorization, no one complained, because that was simply the reality of the situation, something they could not change at the moment.
Sometimes, Pei Xuanjing had to admit something, even though he had done everything possible to implement these systems, to lower the threshold for cultivation, to allow more people the chance to cultivate, the results of cultivation among cultivators with the same resources were completely different.
Some cultivators, despite not cultivating with their full attention and wasting much time being distracted by other things, still advanced steadily in their cultivation realm.
Yet, others, for the sake of cultivation, cultivated diligently, working assiduously day and night, but could only struggle to break through, watching the backs of others, or even standing still.
This is the difference between talent and comprehension, things that are innate. If there isn't a great opportunity later on, they simply cannot be changed, even Pei Xuanjing, if not for the help of the Life Simulator, would not have all he has today and would have long since died and become a pile of bones.
Cultivation does not deceive people, if you can do it, you can, if you can't, you can't.
"Fairness, how difficult it is. Even after years of continuous effort, I've only been able to maintain relative fairness. But the gap in talent and comprehension cannot be bridged, at least not now by me," thought Pei Xuanjing.
Talent perhaps can be changed since Between Heaven and Earth there are no shortage of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that can enhance talent, and as a cultivator's power increases, the transformative process itself is an imperceptible improvement to one's innate talent.
Just like Pei Xuanjing and Pang Hong, their original talents were very poor, not just mediocre, they could even be considered obtuse. However, as their power increased, with the help of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, their talents gradually improved. Although not top-notch, they were still excellent.
But comprehension, that mysterious thing, even Pei Xuanjing temporarily could not think of a solution.
Although Pei Xuanjing's own talent was innately mediocre, perhaps because of his experiences and insights from two lifetimes, he displayed a comprehension, or ability, that was not weak.
If he lacked comprehension, even with the help of the Life Simulator, it would not have been so easy for Pei Xuanjing to achieve what he has today, or perhaps he would not have reached this point at his current age. He would likely have needed to spend more Taoyun points, simulating more lifetimes to accumulate experience.
The more than a thousand cultivators now able to come to the Longevity World all possess exceptional talent, having emerged from the intense selection of the Shenxiao Sect and the Taoist Academy to snatch their places; even considering the wider world, their talents are considered excellent.
However, even among these exceptional talents gathered together, it's inevitable that they would be ranked into different levels based on the disparity of their talents, an unavoidable scenario.
These individuals had some understanding of this while competing for their places initially, and had anticipated it in their hearts. However, when they truly witnessed it, they could not help but feel moved.
Sometimes, the gap between geniuses can be even greater than the gap between ordinary people and geniuses.
Time flew by, and once these people had mastered the skills, Pei Xuanjing reappeared before them.
With a gentle wave of his sleeve, over a thousand Avatars appeared before them. These were Avatars condensed by Pei Xuanjing using divine power, allowing these people to house their Yin Spirits within, to then familiarize themselves with the operation and power of the Golden Core.
Of course, the things produced in bulk were inferior compared to the meticulously crafted Avatar he had made for Pang Hong, but even so, it was more than sufficient for these people, though it cost Pei Xuanjing no small expense.
And although the quality of the Avatars might be somewhat lower, the difference could be compensated for with time. Pang Hong's time for comprehension was limited, but now Pei Xuanjing could afford these individuals much more time to become accustomed.
"You may each select an Avatar to enter, to familiarize and understand the process of Golden Core condensation and operational characteristics. When the time is right, I will come again to assist you in truly condensing the Golden Core," said Pei Xuanjing to the crowd.
"Yes!"
The cultivators nodded in agreement.
Most immediately sent forth their Yin Spirits to enter the Avatars, beginning to perceive the condensation process and characteristics of the Golden Core within the Avatars, to become familiar with it and master it as soon as possible.
However, Pei Xuanjing noticed that there were still some cultivators who stood there frozen in place, looking embarrassed and unsure of what to do.
The reason was simple; these cultivators were too weak, having just broken through to the Spirit Realm, and had not yet been able to condense their Yin Spirits. Now, with the Avatars before them, they were unable to use them.
Seeing this, Pei Xuanjing frowned for a moment, then came up with a solution, "Well then, let me take action to enhance your power and help you condense your Yin Spirits. Although this might cause some hasty increases in power and shaky foundations, but since you will need to Disperse Cultivation and restart when you consolidate your Golden Cores, you need not worry too much."
With that, he slapped his palm out, and Heaven and Earth Essence Qi surged, infusing into these cultivators' bodies, as Pei Xuanjing's words also sounded in their ears.
"Anchor your minds, do as I tell you, and don't be distracted."
"Yes!"
Following what Pei Xuanjing had said, they started to circulate the skill he taught, attempting to condense their Yin Spirits.
At a stage such as Pei Xuanjing's, helping some cultivators enhance their powers was a simple and easy task, all the more so within the Longevity World where he possessed the power to alter the very fabric of reality, making the condensation of their Yin Spirits effortless.
In no time, these cultivators successfully condensed their Yin Spirits, which were still a bit weak, so Pei Xuanjing protected them with his own power and sent them into the well-prepared Avatars.
After completing these actions, Pei Xuanjing left an Avatar to guard the place, and then his main focus returned to continuing the Refining and stripping of the Taixu Venerable's Origin.
Now that it had come to this point, he had already plundered much of the Taixu Venerable's Origin, and the resistance was getting weaker. Pei Xuanjing planned to press on victoriously and quickly plunder the Origin completely.
He anticipated that if he fully integrated the Taixu Venerable's Origin into the Longevity World, it would bring earth-shattering changes to it.
As time flowed, after several years had passed in the Longevity World, Pei Xuanjing appeared again, waiting for these cultivators' Yin Spirits to return to their bodies.
With a wave of his sleeve, the thousands followed him to a place that had already been prepared for the condensation of the Golden Core.
It was the same place where Pang Hong had closed off for cultivation to condense his Golden Core, but the area had been expanded countless times over, now capable of accommodating the cultivation of hundreds at once.
If it were before, without the knowledge of the existence of the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation, Pei Xuanjing might have boldly allowed these thousand and more people to begin cultivation together, then help them condense their Golden Cores.
However, after personally witnessing Pang Hong undergo the Lightning Tribulation, Pei Xuanjing understood the risks involved, and if a thousand people were to transcend the tribulation together, Pei Xuanjing might be confident, but he didn't dare to gamble.
Or rather, it wasn't that he didn't dare to gamble, but that he couldn't gamble.
If it were just him, he would dare to bet on whether he could withstand the Lightning Tribulation.
But these cultivators were Pei Xuanjing's junior disciples and followers, who placed such trust in him, held him in such high esteem, and placed their safety entirely upon Pei Xuanjing's heart, then how could he be so irresponsible?
Therefore, he switched to another method, creating a total of ten locations within this secluded cultivation area, and then let them practice in closed cultivation based on different levels of strength.
Moreover, within each cultivation area, he divided zones separated by formation techniques to prevent some from advancing in cultivation quickly while others slowly, triggering the Lightning Tribulation suddenly, and impacting others.
"You will each choose your own area for cultivation, then you may channel your Primordial Qi into…"
Pei Xuanjing waved his sleeves and distributed to each of them a Light Sphere that contained stored Primordial Qi, which Pang Hong had used before, then, repeating what he had told Pang Hong, he instructed them once more, reminding them of what they needed to pay attention to, then Pei Xuanjing let them cultivate on their own.
After each chose their respective areas and began to cultivate, they first dispersed their cultivation, storing Primordial Qi, preparing to condense a Golden Core.
"I wonder, of these thousand people, how many can condense a Golden Core on their own, and even more so, how many can naturally birth Undying Qi." Pei Xuanjing thought while watching the cultivating people.
At this moment, he didn't leave, but chose to stay here and quietly observe.
After all, unlike Pang Hong's last cultivation session, when it came to his disciple condensing the Golden Core, Pei Xuanjing didn't actually have many expectations or need to confirm anything; he was just letting things take their own course, only needing to ensure that nothing went wrong.
But this time, Pei Xuanjing had put so much effort, resources and time into bringing these people to this step. His purpose was to observe the process of these people condensing their Golden Cores, to investigate the differences, collect more samples for comparison and reference, so that he could find the patterns within them, to validate his hypothesis in his mind and perfect his Golden Core Dao.
"I've done what needed to be done, and now, as for the result, it's up to fate," Pei Xuanjing murmured to himself.
He had done everything that could be done, all preparations were made; now, how many of these people could reach the step of condensing the Golden Core relied on their accumulation and destiny.
Indeed, Pei Xuanjing had previously helped Pang Hong to catalyze the Undying Qi, securing the Golden Core, but the premise for such intervention was that they could reach the step of condensing the Golden Core; otherwise, Pei Xuanjing couldn't help them.
Even though Pei Xuanjing indeed had the ability to help an individual or a group of people to condense the Golden Core with powerful forces, doing so would be meaningless.
If they couldn't even reach the stage of condensing the initial form of the Golden Core, it would mean they were not suitable for the path of the Golden Core Dao. Even if they managed to condense a Golden Core forcefully, they wouldn't go far on that path and instead waste their years.
These people had good aptitude and comprehension; instead of reluctantly pursuing the Golden Core Dao and wasting their years fruitlessly, it would be better for them to continue on their original paths, which might offer brighter futures.
Therefore, just as Pei Xuanjing told them at the beginning, as for the outcome and what they gain in the end, it depends on their own destiny and karmic law.
"Everything depends on their karmic law and destiny," Pang Hong said to Yu Zhenzi with a wry smile.
At that time, the two of them were within the Shenxiao Sect, hearing Yu Zhenzi's inquiry about their own disciples who had entered the Longevity World for cultivation, attempting to specialize in the Golden Core Dao and how many could achieve success in their cultivation.
Pang Hong thought about his own experience with condensing the Golden Core and eventually gave such a helpless answer.
"Why do you say that?" Yu Zhenzi's brows were filled with puzzlement.
He had just sparred with Pang Hong, and despite being at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level and facing Pang Hong who was at the Spirit Realm Fifth Level, he could still feel the formidable strength of Pang Hong, which is why he thought of those disciples who entered the Longevity World and asked Pang Hong.
However, hearing Pang Hong's response left him somewhat helpless, truly unsure of what Pang Hong meant by that answer.
"Uncle-Master, do you know what I experienced when I was condensing my Golden Core…" With a look of fortune in his eyes, Pang Hong spoke to Yu Zhenzi about his own process of condensing the Golden Core.
Truth be told, even now that he had successfully switched to cultivating the Golden Core Dao, when he truly calmed down to contemplate his experience of condensing the Golden Core, Pang Hong felt somewhat emotional; indeed, he had been lucky.
Setting aside other matters, just the issue that after the embryonic form of his Golden Core had taken shape, and yet for a long time it couldn't birth the characteristic Undying Qi of the Golden Core, this barrier alone could stump many. If not for his master's assistance, he wouldn't have been able to succeed in condensing the Golden Core at all.
And that was a manageable issue, since these people had the assistance of their master; even if they couldn't birth Undying Qi, once the embryonic form of a Golden Core appeared, the master should still lend a helping hand.
But the most important hurdle was the final one, the trial of the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation, which would likely stop many in their tracks.
Pang Hong had personally experienced the power of the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation, and thanks to his profound foundation, along with his mastery of the Thunder Method, he managed to transcend the Lightning Tribulation, but only by sheer luck.
Without experiencing the Golden Core Lightning Tribulation, no one could understand how terrifying it is, and the key point is that their master couldn't interfere in this step, unable to aid them. They must rely on their own power to transcend.
Only by enduring would they be able to receive the final destiny from the tribulation, but if they couldn't endure, even if the Undying Qi stabilized the Golden Core's embryonic form, they would still be crushed by the relentless power of the thunderbolt.
Failing to transcend the tribulation could result in severe injuries and a damaged foundation at best, or death and the dissolution of one's path at worst, turning to ashes.
For those people, this is the most crucial hurdle.
And even within the Longevity World, with the master's protection, it's not guaranteed that every one of them will be able to comfortably transcend the Lightning Tribulation.
Thus, as to the final outcome, Pang Hong cannot assert it for certain.