Upon hearing these words, Yu Zhenzi's face turned slightly pale green, which wasn't unexpected given even he had predicted that forming the Golden Core wouldn't be easy; otherwise, his Sect Leader wouldn't have approached the task with such caution.
But upon actually hearing Pang Hong's description and his account of his experience in forming the Golden Core, Yu Zhenzi was somewhat alarmed.
"Uncle Master, why did you not participate this time?" Pang Hong looked at Yu Zhenzi with a hint of curiosity.
Frankly, given Yu Zhenzi's strength and status, in the eyes of the Shenxiao Sect and his own teacher, he was certainly qualified enough. If he were willing, there would simply be no need to take part in any selection to enter the Longevity World.
It was unclear why the Uncle Master had given up. Throughout, he had shown no inclination to participate and had even actively declined, deferring his spot to someone else.
With a smile upon hearing this, Yu Zhenzi responded, "I have some understanding of my own aptitude and comprehension—my current Cultivation Realm relies on the protection and grace of the Sect Leader. Although my talents have been significantly enhanced, I still fall short when compared to true geniuses. As the saying goes, 'to bite off more than one can chew,' I am already treading on thin ice in my cultivation, so why should I compete with the juniors for this opportunity?"
He had his own reasoning; his current Cultivation Realm was significantly attributed to his early allegiance to Pei Xuanjing, making him an old-timer in the Shenxiao Sect, and so he received much nurturing.
Nevertheless, Yu Zhenzi was well aware that even back then, his talent did not peak, but merely ranked as ordinary.
He was now at the Sixth Level of the Spirit Realm, attempting to consolidate his Taoist Foundation and break through the constraints of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm. At such a crucial time, he couldn't ensure he would achieve a better outcome if his attention was divided and he sought to cultivate the Golden Core instead.
Additionally, one must have sufficient self-awareness. Knowing that no one has succeeded in the practice of the Golden Core Dao and the Nine Revolutions Divine Sky Skill, passed down for so many years, indicates the difficulty of these teachings, which test one's aptitude and comprehension.
Although the Sect Leader has summoned many to enter the Longevity World, it hasn't been done openly, which suggests that even he might not be entirely confident. With this being the case, why should I involve myself unnecessarily?
On the contrary, should the Sect Leader truly lower the threshold of this skill so that everyone can practice it, then there's no need for me to hurry. I'll simply wait patiently.
Holding such thoughts, Yu Zhenzi remained unhurried and composed.
"Uncle Master, I admire you!" exclaimed Pang Hong, a complex expression on his face, and with a certain admiration he spoke.
Yu Zhenzi's answer had brought about an epiphany. There was not a single issue with what was said, and Pang Hong found nothing to refute.
At this moment, he realized that many in the sect with sufficient power had relinquished this opportunity, possibly all harboring the same mindset as Yu Zhenzi.
…
In the Longevity World, Pei Xuanjing was unaware of Yu Zhenzi's thoughts. However, even if he knew, he would probably just shake his head, acknowledging the latter's cleverness, yet understanding that everything has its gains and losses.
Indeed, their decision not to participate in this trial was wise, needing only to bide their time for the outcome.
What they didn't realize was that, during the Golden Core formation, even if no immortal essence came to be, Pei Xuanjing would intervene to guide them.
Once Pei Xuanjing completed the experiment and reorganized the Golden Core Dao, he would indeed lower the threshold of practice, but everything would then depend on their own efforts. Ultimately, even if they managed to form the nascent shapes of Golden Cores but failed to produce immortal essence, Pei Xuanjing would not intervene further.
The nature of gains and losses is complicated; whether the outcome is good or bad, no one can say for certain.
Pei Xuanjing's attention was wholly on these thousand-odd individuals. Roughly ten years had passed in the Longevity World, and the cultivation of these individuals had dissipated, commencing the steps to form their Golden Cores.
This step varied in pace, but ten years were sufficient for everyone to complete it. Now, the only obstacle confronting these people was how to form the nascent shapes of their Golden Cores.
The convergence of Essence, Qi, Spirit into unity, complementary and mutually enhancing, sounds simple. However, in practice, it was far from the ease of thought.
At least even after ten years had passed, only about half of them had managed this step, and more than half were still unable to completely balance their Essence, Qi, Spirit.
Although they had studied the methods and experienced the flow of Yin Spirit power within their avatars operating the Golden Cores, they felt they had mastered it all.
But when it came time to put it into practice, they suddenly realized that understanding the theory and being able to actually execute it were two entirely different concepts.
Pei Xuanjing remained hands-off throughout this, allowing them to explore freely. He observed the process of these people trying to form the nascent shapes of their Golden Cores, seeking to understand these processes and analyze them.
Pei Xuanjing's Primordial Spirit briefly fused with Heaven and Earth. Now, wielding the authority of the Longevity World, he could clearly control the cultivation area of this group. He was fully aware of the cultivation processes and progress of each one.
"The same skill, yet because of each person's different insights, habits of operating the skill, and differing constitutions, the effects produced may vary," Pei Xuanjing thoughtfully summarized and analyzed his gains.
At first, before he truly studied these matters, he believed that practicing the same skill would lead to similar results due to a common origin. Even if there were deviations, they wouldn't be significant, given the near similarity in effects showcased.
But when he really settled down to observe quietly, he found that these things were fundamentally different from what he had imagined.
"These people, even though they cultivate the same skill and absorb the same Primordial Qi, still end up with different nascent shapes of their Golden Cores due to their varying constitutions and understanding of the skill," Pei Xuanjing mused with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
He now understood why more than half of these thousand-odd people were temporarily unable to form the nascent shapes of Golden Cores, or why they couldn't truly balance their Essence, Qi, Spirit—it wasn't because these people lacked deep comprehension of the skill or hadn't fully grasped certain aspects, but because they had completely copied everything about the skill, neglecting their individual attributes.
For instance, some people were innately talented in Refining Qi, others were born with strong physiques, while some had inherently powerful Divine Souls. These subtle traits might not be glaring on the surface; however, when operating the method for Golden Core, they acted as amplifiers, exacerbating the imbalance of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
The balance of essence, qi, and spirit is the most fundamental foundation for condensing the embryonic form of the Golden Core, making them complement each other and merge into one. If one cannot achieve this, then even if they manage to momentarily consolidate the embryonic form of the Golden Core with immense power, it cannot remain stable. As the Golden Core becomes more refined, the likelihood of it exploding increases.
The practice skills these people switched to for Golden Core formation were modified by Pei Xuanjing; they were significantly simplified, with no other distinguishing features, used solely to harmonize the balance between essence, qi, and spirit, and fuse them into one.
But why, after practicing according to the description of the skill, do these people still find themselves unable to truly balance essence, qi, and spirit?
It is because they ignored their own characteristics, leading to this result.
It's like at the very beginning, the basic values of essence, qi, and spirit were 1, 1.1, and 0.9 respectively. Although there were discrepancies, the gap was actually not significant, and such imbalance was not particularly obvious.
However, when they switched to the Golden Core practice skill and began to enhance their essence, qi, and spirit, the growth of each led to a change in data, turning into 10, 11, and 9. The tenfold increase meant that the discrepancies also magnified tenfold compared to the original values, making the imbalance increasingly pronounced.
Therefore, even when they have mastered the Golden Core skill, during the process of cultivating and strengthening their essence, qi, and spirit, they need to place different emphases, adjust the discrepancies to achieve balance. This is the true purpose of practicing the skill.
Thus, Pei Xuanjing had also admonished them at the beginning, stressing that the core task of condensing the Golden Core was to balance essence, qi, and spirit; this is the most basic.
Now it seems that many among them have either not grasped this point or, even if some have, they are unable to achieve it.
"You must pay attention, what I, Wu Fa, have said—the primary goal of condensing the Golden Core is to balance essence, qi, spirit…" Pei Xuanjing's voice echoed in their ears.
A teacher transmits knowledge, imparts skills, and resolves doubts. Now that these people haven't truly understood the core of it, Pei Xuanjing did not hesitate to give them some guidance.
Even with such guidance, Pei Xuanjing dared not guarantee that all of them would indeed be able to achieve it.
After all, even if he pointed out the problems clearly, and they understood them, whether they can rectify these flaws still depends on their personal capabilities.
However, after they received guidance from Pei Xuanjing, no matter what, they could at least clearly see their goals, understand where their problems lie, and know how to correct them.
Time flows, and ten years in the Longevity World pass. During this time, finally, a cultivator stabilizes their Golden Core embryonic form, though not yet having birthed the immortal qi.
Pei Xuanjing, instead of being eager to intervene, chose to watch and see whether the other party could birth the immortal qi on their own strength.
It should be known that Pang Hong was also stuck at this stage initially, and it was Pei Xuanjing who then stepped in to infuse him with immortal qi, helping him complete the condensation of the Golden Core.
Were it not for the baptism of Thunder Tribulation followed by using the Energy of Creation after the tribulation to refine, even if Pang Hong had solidified the Golden Core, because of Pei Xuanjing's intervention, the Golden Core would not be perfect, leaving a flaw that could hinder his future cultivation path.
Even with such a precedent, Pei Xuanjing still didn't have full confidence, unable to be certain whether the Energy of Creation after the Thunder Tribulation could compensate for this defect.
In such a scenario, he could only allow these people to rely on their abilities to birth immortal qi, to possibly avoid unfavorable outcomes that could obstruct their cultivation paths in the future.
Finally, after several years in the Longevity World, the first cultivator births a wisp of immortal qi after condensing the Golden Core embryonic form. Although this wisp of immortal qi was so faint as to be almost untraceable, this leap from non-existence to existence was a qualitative leap, an extraordinary transformation.
And just as he birthed the immortal qi and began to refine his Golden Core embryonic form, thoroughly stabilizing it, a heavenly tribulation descended at that moment.
...
In the Imperial City of Tiandu in the Daming World,
Zhu Houji looked at Wu Shijiu before him, his expression no longer the placid, impassive one of old days. He said, "Teacher, what degree of certainty do you have?"
Zhu Houji, who was initially cultivating, had received news from Wu Shijiu that shocked him beyond measure, yet it seemed somehow expected.
Wu Shijiu was ready to break through. Having obtained the secret method of the Witch Deity Teaching and preparing for years, he was finally ready to attempt to break into the Nine Layers Realm of Spirit, to become a Supreme Strong, one of the most pinnacle existences between heaven and earth.
"A fifty percent chance!" A flash of divine light sparkled in Wu Shijiu's eyes as he spoke.
A fifty percent chance might not seem high, but if this statement were to be known by the many cultivators of the world, especially the powerhouses at the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm who hadn't made a breakthrough in countless years, they would likely be envious.
A fifty percent chance might sound modest, but in reality, the possibility for a monk of the Eightfold Spirit Realm to advance to the Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest is close to one in ten.
The heavenly gap between Eight-Layer Spirit Realm and the Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest has thwarted many powerhouses. Even today's elite from top-tier forces, if they lack other assistance, have less than a thirty percent chance of making the break.
Many do not even have a three percent chance, hence their continuous search for means to enhance their breakthrough chance.
Wu Shijiu was similar to them—without the aid of the Witch Deity Teaching and its secret methods, he wouldn't have been so confident.
"A fifty percent chance is indeed not low," Zhu Houji nodded.
Now, he was not as ignorant about the Cultivation World, clearly understanding that five out of ten chances are worth taking for most cultivators to break from the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm to the Nine Layers Realm of Spirit.
Fi he were in Wu Shijiu's shoes and had a fifty percent chance, he would absolutely make the same decision; after all, a monk of the Eightfold Spirit Realm and a Level Nine Strongest are entirely different concepts.
Still, he couldn't help but ask, "However, as the two worlds are about to merge, with countless fortunes raining down afterwards, wouldn't the chances of breaking through be greater? Why not wait until then to attempt the breakthrough?"
Nowadays, under the push of numerous supreme strong practitioners, the plan for the merging of the two worlds is proceeding steadily. Everyone is clear that, barring any accidents, once the two worlds are merged, the Great Ming World, having integrated the Sky Wasteland, will certainly be able to ascend again. At that time, when creation descends, it will be a blessing for all beings between Heaven and Earth.
Even for powerhouses like Zhu Houji, although they are aware that after the merging and ascension of the worlds, various forces will be unable to resist clashing to snatch this creation, they have Pei Xuanjing, a supreme strong practitioner, and the top-tier force of the Witch Deity Teaching as collaborators.
Others might need to worry, but Zhu Houji and Wu Shijiu had no need for such concerns; those forces would not seek to provoke them as initial targets.
As long as they have the time to assimilate what they've gained, that would be sufficient for them to amass enough power to protect their interests.
In Zhu Houji's opinion, Wu Shijiu actually does not need to rush things; since he has now reached this step, he can wait for the worlds to merge and ascend, potentially breaking through to become a supreme strong practitioner when creation graces him.
"It is precisely because creation will descend then that I cannot break through at that time," Wu Shijiu said in a deep voice.
Seeing Zhu Houji's confusion, Wu Shijiu explained, "Before making this decision, I personally visited the Taoist Academy and asked for the Master's avatar to descend for a consultation on a matter."
"Hmm?" Zhu Houji raised his brows and looked at Wu Shijiu, waiting for him to continue.
Initially, Zhu Houji thought that Wu Shijiu had made the decision on his own, but it now appeared that there were other reasons involved.
And concerning his Mentor Pei, Zhu Houji was even more curious about what had happened to make Wu Shijiu so resolute.
Wu Shijiu did not hold back from Zhu Houji, as after so many years of being together, they had become both mentors and friends.
"I asked the Master one question," he said, with a trace of reminiscence in his eyes, "I asked him, 'If after the merging of the two worlds and the ascension of Heaven and Earth, the creation descends and I break through then, how would it differ from breaking through the realm now?'"
Wu Shijiu was of course aware of Zhu Houji's meaning; the creation from the ascension of Heaven and Earth, not to mention he now had the support of a supreme strong practitioner, even as a lone Spirit Realm Eightfold powerhouse, he would be fully qualified to share in it when it descended.
He also understood the difference between breaking through now and waiting for the ascension of Heaven and Earth to continue his breakthrough; maybe at that time his chances would improve slightly.
However, when he was hesitant and sought advice from Pei Xuanjing, he quickly made a resolve, which was to break through as soon as possible.
"Is the gap that big?" Zhu Houji's expression changed slightly.
Even before Wu Shijiu had spoken Pei's answer, Zhu Houji's wisdom allowed him to guess; otherwise, why would Wu Shijiu make such a fuss?
"Indeed, it is not a small gap; it's like heaven and earth apart," Wu Shijiu replied.
He still remembered Pei Xuanjing's original answer: if one steps onto the realm of supreme strong practitioners before the ascension of Heaven and Earth, then Wu Shijiu still has a chance to climb to the peak ranks of this world. However, if one waits until after the ascension to break through, even with the increased chances due to the descending creation, success would still not grant access to the peak.
Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest represent cultivators who have undergone constant transformation to reach the zenith, the pinnacle existences between Heaven and Earth, and they are not far from the Immortal Path. According to Pei Xuanjing, at the level of Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest, their power has reached the world's limits.
If the deductions of those supreme strong practitioners were not mistaken back then, that is to say, the supreme strong practitioners seem to have reached their pinnacle, which is actually not their own limit, but rather due to the world's limit.
Equal with Heaven!
This was how Pei Xuanjing described the state of the supreme strong practitioners: as Heaven and Earth ascend, extending the limit of the world, the already world-limited supreme strong practitioners will naturally rise as well. Their power and realm will also be elevated accordingly.
Of course, Wu Shijiu still expressed a doubt: if all supreme strong practitioners are in a state of being equal with Heaven, at the world's limit, then why is there a difference in strength among them, with some overlords among the supreme strong practitioners able to suppress their peers in the same realm?
"Being equal with Heaven is a state that signifies the world's limit," Pei Xuanjing smiled as he explained at the time, "however, this is not the limit for all supreme strong practitioners. For most, indeed, it is not their only limit, but they can only exhibit so much power due to the World's restrictions. But for a subset of supreme strong practitioners, it is different; they elevate their own power and push the world to create a bulge, raising their power further— this is the true power of the overlords among the supreme strong practitioners."
Pei Xuanjing's understanding was straightforward: if the world's ceiling is B-grade, then these Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest's power is B-grade, and even if they have potential, they can only exert B-grade power due to the World's constraints. As the world grows, their power will also increase.
But the overlords among the supreme strong practitioners are different. Although the world's limit is indeed B-grade, these overlords enhance themselves and forcefully raise their power to B-plus or even B-double-plus level, whether in a sustained state or bursting the mode. This status demonstrates that their power can transcend the world's limit, enabling them to truly suppress peers of the same level.
The choice for Wu Shijiu now was between two states: if he breaks through before Heaven and Earth ascend, it means he'd reach a state equal with Heaven. As Heaven and Earth ascend, he would also ascend.
However, if Heaven and Earth were to ascend from B-grade to A-grade, admittedly the difficulty of breaking through to supreme strong practitioner would lessen, yet even if he broke through, he could not compare to those previous supreme strong practitioners.
Upon understanding this, Wu Shijiu naturally refused to waste time. He had spent many years and paid a great price to chase the chance to stand at the very peak, to no longer be threatened.
If he missed this opportunity, even after the ascension of Heaven and Earth, he would still not be able to stand at the very peak, remaining in the second tier—such vast expenditures of effort would have been meaningless.
"So, according to Mentor Pei's view, although after Heaven and Earth ascend, the prospects for future cultivation are more extensive, for most cultivators, even though their strength increases, their status does not but rather diminishes?" Zhu Houji voiced the conclusion he had arrived at in his heart.