Chapter 16: Qi Refining Layer Three
Chapter 16: Qi Refining Layer Three
Mo Hua entered the Tongxian Sect, marking the beginning of a new year of sect life.
Tongxian Sect was a first-rate sect, the lowest tier within the cultivation world.
The sect hierarchy in the cultivation world was strict and well-defined.
When a sect was first established, it had to undergo a rating process, subject to the review and decision of the Dao Court.
The rating requirements were stringent, evaluating the sect's assets, the mountain ranges under its control, the depth of its heritage, whether the sect leader had any moral shortcomings, the cultivation levels and number of elders and instructors, and the number of disciples it could accommodate.
Upgrading a sect's rating was even more challenging, requiring several high-level cultivators to preside over teachings for a considerable number of years before applying for an upgrade at the Tianquan Pavilion of the Dao Court.
For any sect, an upgrade was a top priority, necessitating years of preparation and relationship-building with the Dao Court, as well as a substantial investment of resources and wealth.
In the Tongxian Sect, only the former sect leader had achieved the Foundation Establishment stage, falling far short of the requirements for a second-rate sect. Moreover, it was estimated that they wouldn't be eligible for an upgrade for at least a century.
Additionally, the sect's property consisted of only three peaks: Tongling Peak, Tongxuan Peak, and Tongming Peak.
Within the outer sect of Tongxian Sect, Qi Refining cultivators at the early stage, namely layers one to three, cultivated and studied on Tongling Peak. Those at the middle stage, layers four to six, resided on Tongxuan Peak, and the very few at the late stage of Qi Refining, layers seven to nine, also stayed on Tongxuan Peak due to their small number.
Meanwhile, the inner sect and personal disciples, including the sect leader, elders, and instructors, dwelled on Tongming Peak.
It was said that there used to be a Tongxian Peak exclusively for the sect leader and elders to reside and cultivate, but due to financial mismanagement, the peak had to be sold off to repay debts.
Without Tongxian Peak, the Tongxian Sect seemed to have lost a part of its identity.
Generation after generation, the sect leaders of Tongxian Sect vowed to buy back Tongxian Peak, but this grand aspiration had not yet been fulfilled.
The disciples on each peak were further divided into four classes: Class A, B, C, and D, with their talent and potential decreasing from Class A downwards. The sect's focus and level of cultivation resources followed this same hierarchy.
Class A primarily admitted those known as "heavenly pride," individuals with superior spiritual roots, high aptitude, and rapid cultivation progress.
Of course, if one had connections with the sect leader or elders, or was willing to make a substantial donation of spirit stones to the sect, they could also secure a place in Class A.
In essence, it came down to talent, connections, or spirit stones.
Class B was for disciples with average spiritual roots but decent aptitude and diligence, demonstrating satisfactory performance across the board.
Class C disciples had average spiritual roots, aptitude, and grades, while Class D disciples generally lagged in both spiritual roots and academic performance, mostly just getting by.
Mo Hua was assigned to Class B, known for his average spiritual roots but diligent nature and solid performance in various subjects.
Since Mo Hua was only at the second layer of Qi Refining, he resided, ate, and cultivated on Tongling Peak, the most populous peak in the Tongxian Sect.
After entering the sect and greeting his familiar sect mates, Mo Hua began a year of learning and cultivation.
Even the poorest of cultivators would scrape together spirit stones to send their children to a sect for cultivation, ensuring they laid a foundation for their path and gained some basic knowledge about the cultivation world. Thus, Qi Refining cultivators at the early stage were the most common in Tongxian Sect.
As for progressing to the middle stage of Qi Refining and beyond, it depended on the cultivator's innate talent and their family's wealth.
Some cultivator families simply couldn't afford the spirit stones, forcing their children to drop out, find work as assistants in artifact refinement, or venture into demon hunting to eke out a living. A year's tuition of one hundred spirit stones was no small sum. Otherwise, the family might starve to death before their child could become a talented cultivator.
The path of cultivation was vast and profound, and without guidance, one could easily stray off course. Dropping out at the early stages of Qi Refining meant that unless one encountered an extraordinary opportunity, it would be challenging to make significant progress in their cultivation.
Mo Hua sighed softly, feeling a sense of regret for his peers. However, his own situation wasn't much better, and he didn't have the luxury of dwelling on it.
Mo Hua juggled his time between attending classes, cultivating, and drawing formations in his spare time, leading a busy and fulfilling life.
Months passed, and before he knew it, Mo Hua had unknowingly reached the third layer of Qi Refining.
The path of Qi Refining relied more on perseverance and accumulation. Consistent daily cultivation, coupled with the proper use of spirit stones, would naturally lead to a breakthrough over time.
However, what solitary cultivators lacked the most were spirit stones.
While minor breakthroughs depended on accumulation, intermediate breakthroughs would present bottlenecks. These bottlenecks required corresponding heavenly treasures or elixirs to aid in breaking through.
As for major breakthroughs, such as advancing from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, it often depended on fate. For most low-level solitary cultivators, it was a gap they could never hope to cross in their lifetime.
Each time a cultivator advanced in their cultivation realm, they gained tremendous benefits.
At the third layer of Qi Refining, Mo Hua felt his spiritual power become more abundant, and his spiritual sense naturally grew stronger.
The Brightfire Formation, which had once exhausted him, was now easily within his grasp, and he no longer needed to rest for long after drawing it.
Although he had expected it, Mo Hua was still delighted.
No wonder so many cultivators endured the monotony of cultivation, yearning for realm advancements. The simple joy that came after enduring the tedium was the true happiness of cultivation.
Mo Hua, at the age of ten and having reached the third layer of Qi Refining, was considered upper-middle in terms of cultivation talent among his peers in Class B.
Upon reaching the third layer of Qi Refining, Mo Hua had to choose a cultivation technique.
One day after class, Instructor Yan asked several disciples who had reached the third layer of Qi Refining, including Mo Hua, to stay behind.
Instructor Yan got straight to the point after asking them to remain. He said, "This is originally something Elder Zhou should be doing, but he's feeling a little unwell, so I'll be filling in for him today to talk to you about cultivation techniques."
"The most important thing for cultivators is spiritual power. Whether you're a body cultivator or a spiritual cultivator, drawing formations, refining elixirs, crafting artifacts, or inscribing talismans, all require spiritual power. If your spiritual power is strong, you will stand above others; if it's weak, you will fall behind. The fundamental difference between cultivators lies in their spiritual power."
"A cultivator's spiritual power is determined by their cultivation technique, and the technique they choose is determined by their spiritual root. The type of spiritual root you have dictates the type of cultivation technique you should practice, and the technique you practice determines the amount of spiritual power you will have."
"Spiritual roots are innate; they are predetermined by heaven and cannot be altered by mortal means. You cannot choose your spiritual root, but you can choose your cultivation technique."
"Choosing a suitable technique will greatly benefit your future cultivation journey. If your spiritual root is lacking, selecting the right technique will still allow you a relatively long path of cultivation. However, if you have an excellent spiritual root but choose the wrong technique, it's akin to cutting off your path to longevity."
"Therefore, regardless of the quality of your spiritual root, you must be extremely cautious when choosing a cultivation technique..."
"Cultivation technique..." Mo Hua murmured to himself.
Mo Hua possessed a lower-middle-grade small five-elemental attributed spiritual root, which was considered middling to lower-end among his peers in Tongxian City.
He wondered what kind of cultivation technique he would be able to learn with his spiritual root.
(End of Chapter)
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