The cultivation realms are divided into tiers: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Tribulation Transcendence, and Great Ascension.
Seeing her beloved disciple listening with rapt attention, Bai Yiyi grew even more enthusiastic.
"As the saying goes, the Nascent Soul stage is easy to cultivate, but Heavenly Tribulation is hard to cross."
"My dear disciple, before you reach the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, you must do more good deeds. Only then will you be able to pass safely through the Lightning Tribulation when it comes."
"It's said that in ancient times, some cultivators could rely on the Merit Golden Lotus to force their way through the Lightning Tribulation. You must remember this well."
As she spoke, the topic gradually drifted toward things the System had never mentioned. Ye Ling finally snapped out of his wandering thoughts, though what caught his attention wasn't the Lightning Tribulation or the Merit Golden Lotus at all.
After all, even his Master, Bai Yiyi, was only at the Nascent Soul Stage. He himself hadn't cultivated at all yet. What right did he have to think about Earthly Immortals at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage?
According to the information provided by the System, anyone who reached the Nascent Soul Stage in this world was already considered a great expert. Those at the Soul Formation Stage were even rarer, like phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
The Tribulation Transcendence Stage almost only existed within top-tier sects and reclusive factions. As for the Great Ascension Stage, just one step short of becoming immortal, most of those people wandered freely through the world. A beggar by the roadside, or an old man you happened to meet deep in the mountains, might very well be a Half-Immortal who had stepped into the Great Ascension Stage.
But none of that was something Ye Ling needed to worry about right now. All he wanted was to start cultivating as soon as possible, then go into seclusion within the Heavenly Gate.
Once his cultivation was successful, it wouldn't be too late to think about descending the mountain. The Sword God of Ten-Li Slope making his debut—wouldn't that be perfect?
What he truly cared about, in the end, was Bai Yiyi's tone.
That casual "Nascent Soul is easy to cultivate" attitude of hers—if she said that out in the wider world, who knew how many people would want to punch her.
It was like some straight-A genius suddenly walking up to you and saying, "XXX? Isn't that something anyone with hands can do?"
That's just asking for a beating.
Even if you have a Master like the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden who's already ascended, aren't you yourself still only at the Nascent Soul Stage?
With that in mind, Ye Ling politely interrupted, "Master, I already did quite a bit of research on these matters during my quest for immortality."
Still, Bai Yiyi was an adorable girl, and Ye Ling didn't want to go too far. He just wanted her to get to the point.
"O-oh… is that so?"
Interrupted so suddenly, Bai Yiyi looked like a wronged little animal, and that expression instantly shattered Ye Ling's mental defenses.
He pressed his lips together and changed his tone. "That said, I probably missed some things. Please instruct me, Master."
There was nothing he could do. Faced with a girl this cute, he could only surrender.
"Eh!"
Bai Yiyi immediately brightened with delight and began speaking tirelessly again, at least as far as Ye Ling was concerned.
"My dear disciple, your master has dull aptitude. It took me more than ten years of cultivation just to reach the Nascent Soul Stage."
More than ten years to reach Nascent Soul?
Go on, keep bragging.
Who do you think you are, Feng Aotian?
And you call that dull aptitude?
If you're dull, then what about those cultivators who've trained for hundreds of years and still haven't reached the Golden Core stage? Should they just go find a block of tofu and smash their heads against it?
Ye Ling's expression didn't change, but inside he was ranting nonstop.
He, a purebred transmigrator, hadn't even started showing off yet, and his native Master was already putting on airs. Truly worthy of being the Master chosen for him by the System. It had just the right flavor.
"Don't be afraid, my dear disciple. From what I can see, your aptitude is outstanding. It won't be long before you catch up to your master's realm."
Afraid that Ye Ling might be intimidated by how long cultivation could take, Bai Yiyi hurriedly placed her tender, pale hand over his, gently coaxing him as she reassured, "Back then, it took me three months to complete the Qi Refining stage. You should be able to manage it in just one month."
She had worked far too hard to find such a well-behaved disciple. There was no way she was letting him slip away so easily.
"???"
But when those words reached Ye Ling's ears, they took on a completely different meaning.
Was she… setting a cultivation deadline for him?
Although the System had told him his aptitude was exceptional, in his memory, even protagonists in novels usually needed several months to get through Qi Refining. The most extreme one had even cultivated for three thousand years!
Still, Ye Ling wasn't flustered. After all, he had the System backing him. Judging from how his rewards already started him at the third level of Qi Refining, even if this were a novel, it was clearly a power fantasy. With a bit of effort, one month should be enough.
So he simply went along with it and asked, "Master, then how should I cultivate?"
Seeing Ye Ling actually take the initiative to ask, Bai Yiyi grew even happier. She tried her best to put on a calm, composed expression, but the excitement flickering in her wine-red eyes refused to be hidden.
"Qi Refining means refining the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and making it your own."
She moved her small hand to Ye Ling's chest as she spoke. "My good disciple, words alone aren't enough. Feel it yourself."
In the next instant, under Bai Yiyi's guidance, a vast amount of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flowed forth, extremely gentle as it slowly entered Ye Ling's chest.
But—
"???"
Ye Ling tilted his head, confusion written all over his face. "Master, is it just… this warm feeling?"
He didn't feel any spiritual qi circulating through his body at all. Aside from the warmth coming from Bai Yiyi's hand, there was nothing else.
"…"
On the other side, Bai Yiyi fell silent.
The excitement on her face gradually gave way to anxiety, and in the end, her expression darkened completely.
Hey, hey, hey!!!
Did I just get diagnosed with some terminal illness or something?
Seeing Bai Yiyi like this, Ye Ling was the one who panicked.
Although he had only known her for a short while, he had never seen her wear such a frightening expression.
"Master… what's wrong with me?"
He swallowed and asked quietly.
"My dear disciple…"
Bai Yiyi's voice turned strained. Looking at Ye Ling with eyes full of maternal affection, she said, "It's alright. There will always be a way. Your master will never abandon you."
"Master, what exactly is wrong with me?"
Ye Ling's expression became complicated. Just a moment ago, he had been the one thinking about abandoning Bai Yiyi. How had the situation reversed so quickly?
"Void Spirit Body—a heaven-bestowed physique ideally suited for spirit-body cultivation."
Seeing Ye Ling's confusion, Bai Yiyi continued explaining, "My dear disciple, your soul is extraordinarily powerful. It has completely filled your body. Because of this, no matter how great your talent is, you're unable to draw spiritual qi into your physical form."
"Qi Refining is about refining qi. If you can't even absorb qi, how can you cultivate?"
"However, once you die, your soul will be freed from the restraints of the flesh. At that point, you'll be able to cultivate spirit-body techniques, and your progress will be astonishing."
"So, the only solution right now is—"
"Wait!"
Before Bai Yiyi could finish speaking, Ye Ling hurriedly cut her off.