Chapter 267: Lingtai Yanxing Stone
Spirit Tablet Master said: “The path of Mind Power Cultivation is extremely talent-dependent and also relies on one’s family background.”
“Martial Cultivators’ talent and physique distribution decreases evenly from low to high. Young Son of Heaven is very rare in every generation, Successors are somewhat more common, Nine Springs Supreme Person even more so, followed by Eight Springs, Seven Springs…”
“Mind Power is different! At the Great Mind Master level, there are only top geniuses and mediocrities; people in between are very rare.”
“That’s exactly it; Mind Power Cultivators are far fewer than Martial Way Cultivators.”
“As Li Ling said, Spirit Mind Masters under sixty in the Jiu Li Clan can be counted on one’s fingers; in fact, they can only be considered mid-tier in talent. Neither up nor down, they have some hope of impacting Saint Spirit Mind Master in the second Jia Zi of life, but the hope is extremely slim. Out of ten, probably only one can succeed.”
“The top Mind Power Cultivators! For example, Li Ling’s father—I reckon he became a Saint Spirit Mind Master before sixty. Such people are once-in-a-century even in Ten-Million-Year Ancient Clans,”
Li Weiyi said: “Could it just be because of thick family background? Without the financial support of the entire Cang Li Tribe, Old Li probably couldn’t have cultivated to Saint Spirit Mind Master before sixty, living three hundred years.”
Mind Power Cultivation is different from the Martial Way; once becoming a Saint Spirit Mind Master, one instantly sheds the mortal shell trapped by a lifespan of two Jia Zi, able to live at least three hundred years.
Like immortals!
Martial Way Longevity Seekers, however, need to break free from one Longevity Lock after another.
Li Ling rolled her eyes at Li Weiyi.
Even though she only learned half a year ago that Li Songgu was actually a Saint Spirit Mind Master.
Spirit Tablet Master said: “Financial resources are also part of a cultivator’s talent! That’s why Martial Cultivators from higher family backgrounds automatically gain an extra layer of talent. You achieving today’s accomplishments in just over a year—isn’t that also thanks to financial resources?”
Li Weiyi had to agree, laughing: “In terms of finances, I relied on acquired effort.”
Spirit Tablet Master said: “Reaching Calamity Fire Realm before thirty as a Great Mind Master… You should have some understanding from the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival; gathering one or two hundred across the entire Twenty-Eight Prefectures of Lingxiao is still very easy.”
“These people already count as having decent talent! But even if they cultivate another ten years, the number who can become Spirit Mind Masters is still countable on one’s fingers.”
“Li Ling, you tell him why.”
The now seventeen-year-old Li Ling stood tall and graceful, over one point seven meters tall, with a fuller figure, still barefoot, revealing long, straight jade legs: “Because one must undergo Nine Calamity Fire Refinements to qualify for impacting Spirit Mind Master.”
“From breaking through to Great Mind Master, fully cultivating the Spiritual Light in the Spirit Realm—that counts as reaching Calamity Fire Realm. And Nine Calamity Fire Refinements amount to nine such processes.”
“Master Wu said my Mind Power and Rune Magic talent is already outstanding among my peers. But even spending over half a year, I’ve only completed the first refinement.”
“Before twenty-five, I have hope of completing Nine Calamity Fire Refinements. Before thirty, hope of becoming a Spirit Mind Master.”
Spirit Tablet Master said: “Becoming a Spirit Mind Master before thirty counts as genius on the Mind Power path; before sixty, there’s a chance to become a Saint Spirit Mind Master.”
Li Weiyi calculated: “Fully cultivating my Spirit Realm cost one hundred thousand Spring Coins and took nearly half a year. In other words, to impact Spirit Mind Master, I’d need at least three to five years, and spend a million Spring Coins?”
Li Ling knew how perverse Li Weiyi’s Mind Power Cultivation was; anyway, she felt inferior, with a sense of defeat no matter how hard she tried, as he’d catch up effortlessly.
She said: “This half year, you spent most of your time on Martial Way Cultivation, so of course Mind Power Cultivation costs a fortune.”
Li Weiyi thought of the spatial power in the Buddha’s Sarira: “If I use spatial power to assist cultivation, would it be faster?”
Spirit Tablet Master said: “I think it won’t be much faster than swallowing Radiant Flame Pills or meditating under the Fusang Divine Tree. Unless you take the Buddha’s Sarira directly to Tanggu Sea, but then you might not return to Lingxiao Life Realm! That sea area is legendarily millions of miles wide, the convergence of three realms, and extremely dangerous.”
“Before becoming Transcendent, I don’t recommend a one-way trip without leaving a way back.”
“The treasure I mentioned that can assist impacting Spirit Mind Master Realm is called Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone.”
“This item is a sacred object of the ancient great cult Pojia Luo Cult, long vanished in the river of history.”
“Over a thousand years ago, I obtained some Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragments in a secret realm. According to murals in the secret realm, a complete Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone is mountain-sized, the foundation allowing Pojia Luo Cult to dominate this land for ten thousand years.”
“At its peak, Pojia Luo Cult was several times vaster than Lingxiao Life Realm’s Three Hundred Prefectures a thousand years ago, its territory reaching many areas of the current Nether Realm of the Dead.”
“But as Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone was consumed and dwindled, the upper echelons of Pojia Luo Cult began controlling it, even banning mining. Soon after, due to unequal distribution and mutual suspicion, civil war erupted.”
“In that battle, the last remaining Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone was shattered!”
“Over the ensuing tens of thousands of years, even the fragments were nearly exhausted, becoming pure legend.”
Li Ling said: “No wonder I’ve never heard of it.”
Spirit Tablet Master said: “Back then, I brought dozens of Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragments to Zuo Qiu Gatehouse. Not sure if any remain there, though the possibility is slim. But you can ask Zuo Qiu Ling, or that old guy from the Confucian Dao line—one piece is enough!”
Li Weiyi said: “But don’t I still need Nine Calamity Fire Refinements first?”
“With your Mind Power talent, plus Fusang Divine Tree and finances, temporarily setting aside the Martial Way and going all out—two years, you should complete Nine Calamity Fire Refinements in two years.”
Spirit Tablet Master laughed: “Breaking through to Spirit Mind Master in two or three years—such Mind Power talent will surely shock Lingxiao Life Realm again. Martial Way wasted, but Mind Power rising—you’ll still be above others.”
“Then I’ll teach you Daoist Sect formations and Daoist Sect Mind Techniques, combined with Insect Taming—absolutely capable of being invincible among peers.”
Clearly, Spirit Tablet Master wanted Li Weiyi to focus mainly on Mind Power Cultivation, to inherit his mantle, so his tone was full of temptation.
Nine Calamity Fire Refinements take two years, and Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone is elusive.
This path is hard!
Zen Sea Observing Mist held a Xihe Flower and suddenly said: “I can refine high-grade Dharma Pills, Star Day Pills; swallowing one completes one Calamity Fire Refinement. Swallowing nine completes Nine Calamity Fire Refinements.”
Only at Spirit Mind Master level can one refine Dharma Pills and Magic Tools.
Thus, every Spirit Mind Master is extraordinarily precious to major powers, like a money tree.
Dharma Pill grades are: low-grade Dharma Pill, mid-grade Dharma Pill, high-grade Dharma Pill, top-grade Dharma Pill.
Radiant Flame Pill is low-grade Dharma Pill, worth around one thousand Spring Coins.
Five Seas Pill is mid-grade Dharma Pill, worth around ten thousand Spring Coins, and often in short supply. Its pill formulas and alchemy materials are monopolized by Ten Million Gateways-level major powers, controlling the path to Five Seas Realm.
The “Star Day Pill” Zen Sea Observing Mist just mentioned is high-grade Dharma Pill, naturally even more expensive, normally requiring Saint Spirit Mind Master to refine.
As for the “Longevity Pill” controlled by Du’e Temple, it is priceless, a Spirit Pill treasure beyond Dharma Pills.
Joy flooded Li Weiyi’s face.
“Xihe Flower and Extreme Day Light Dew as main ingredients, plus fourteen auxiliary medicines. Your Spring Coins here… barely enough!” Zen Sea Observing Mist said.
Li Weiyi’s smile vanished; the Spring Coins stored in Blood Mud Space still needed to purchase Dao Lotus and Dao Fruit for Martial Way Cultivation. And Spring Fluid might need buying too.
Spirit Tablet Master said: “Cultivating Calamity Fire with high-grade Dharma Pills is a severe waste, a bit too luxurious, isn’t it? Star Day Pill is fully sufficient for Spirit Mind Master cultivation.”
Zen Sea Observing Mist said: “Then forget it!”
Forget it?
Li Weiyi hurriedly said: “Give me a list, I’ll go buy them; anyway, Jiu Li Hidden Sect can subsidize half.”
“I’ll buy the fourteen auxiliary medicines, just right to get some fresh air.”
Zen Sea Observing Mist’s cultivation had grown tremendously, her confidence boosted, instructing Li Ling to pack Spring Coins in a Boundary Bag, and said: “Go to Jiu Li Hidden Sect, get some Extreme Day Light Dew. Not too much, eighteen drops for refining eighteen pills is enough!”
“Eighteen drops enough? Spirit Tablet Master said Star Day Pill is for Spirit Mind Masters—better refine more! If money’s short, sell Dragon Bones.”
Li Weiyi had four Dragon Bones, two from Hidden Lord, two from Zuo Qiu Hong Ting.
Dragon Bone is a body refining treasure; refining one into the body makes physical body combat power comparable to the weakest Dao Seed Realm First Heaven Martial Cultivator. It can also reshape bone structure.
Li Weiyi felt that breaking through to Dao Seed Realm as soon as possible in Martial Way was far more important than refining Dragon Bones to cultivate the physical body at this stage.
Other Martial Cultivators coveted Dragon Bones, but Li Weiyi was unimpressed, feeling they might not surpass his own bone structure.
…
…………
Yin Eleven, Yin Twenty-Four, and others had followed Hidden Lord back to Li Zhou half a year ago.
With Li Zhou’s war ended, young Hidden Persons naturally returned to Jiu Li Insect Valley for cultivation.
Qin Lao hadn’t appeared since escaping Qiu Zhou Prefecture City half a year ago, fearing his aura would be detected by Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s old guy, causing unnecessary trouble.
Zhuo Lao was still in Qiu Zhou Prefecture City, but appeared and vanished like a dragon. He only told Li Weiyi he’d show up when Li Weiyi needed him most.
Li Weiyi didn’t believe he’d provide constant close protection, feeling insecure.
No choice.
How could Li Weiyi control such ancient hidden persons of unknown age?
He could only trust there was such a lifesaver nearby.
The sun set, night just falling.
Li Weiyi ascended to Fourth Heaven of Taoli Mountain, heading to the council hall to seek Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s new Family Head, Zuo Qiu Cang Wu.
Since the Longevity Ban Martial Order was issued, Zuo Qiu Ling, having reached Longevity Realm, stepped down from Family Head.
Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivators can stabilize vitality, delay aging, consolidate foundation and nourish essence, but remain mortals, lifespan maxing at two Jia Zi, or one hundred twenty years.
This is the mortal lifespan limit!
In the first Jia Zi, the body is at absolute peak, frantically gathering resources, adventuring and striving.
In the second Jia Zi, all Dao Seed Realm experts at Seventh Heaven or above with hope of impacting Longevity Realm discard worldly affairs for full cultivation—either secluded cultivation or heading to Nether Realm of the Dead and various secret realms for opportunities.
Thus, the most renowned Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivators under heaven are figures on the《Jia Zi List》, aged under sixty, the powerholders in major powers’ mortal affairs.
Zuo Qiu Cang Wu was Zuo Qiu Gatehouse’s Number One Dao Seed Realm expert within the Jia Zi.
