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Chapter 18: Cultivating the Second Heaven, Foundation Establishment!
Chapter 18: Cultivating the Second Heaven, Foundation Establishment!
"Lei Jun, now that you've awakened the Qiulong Spirit Body and cultivated the twelfth level of Qi Refinement to perfection, you are indeed just one step away from Foundation Establishment."
Wang Guiyuan's expression turned solemn. "But you must not be impatient, especially not underestimate the challenges of breaking through to a higher realm."
Lei Jun nodded slightly.
In this world, breaking through from the First Heaven to the Second Heaven, a major threshold, often presented more challenges than all the previous cultivation stages combined. The same would be true for future advancements from the Second Heaven to the Third Heaven and beyond.
These major realm barriers were often referred to as heavenly moats or cultivation tribulations.
Crossing the heavenly moat and weathering the tribulation.
Failure to overcome this hurdle could result in deviating from the path of cultivation, severe injuries, or even death.
Of course, one could choose not to attempt the crossing and remain content within their current realm.
Being a Taoist sacred site, the Tian Shi Manor boasted exceptional teachings and an abundance of talented disciples, hence why situations like this were rarely encountered.
In smaller sects and clans, it was commonplace for cultivators to remain stagnant at the Qi Refinement stage for their entire lives.
However, those who chose this path would eventually have to face the issues of aging and the approaching end of their lifespan.
The Zhengfa Zhenyi Dadao Jing of the Tian Shi Manor was an exquisite cultivation manual, and with Lei Jun's Qiulong Spirit Body, Wang Guiyuan was generally not worried about his junior disciple failing to cross the first heavenly moat.
His primary concern was that Lei Jun might rush things and disrupt his mental state, which could hinder his tribulation-passing.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother. I understand," Lei Jun smiled.
Wang Guiyuan nodded. "That's good."
With everything settled, he could rest easy and return to his previous duties, assisting Elder Liu as a Daoist acolyte.
Lei Jun, following his own rhythm, continued to focus on his cultivation.
He started his days early, drinking a cup of Pei Yuan Juice to lay the foundation for the day's cultivation.
In the morning, he attended lectures and listened to sermons from his master, Yuan Mobai.
After lunch, he consumed a Qi Spirit Pill, lit a Calm Spirit Incense stick, and quietly practiced breathing techniques to refine his qi.
During his cultivation, he would separate the pair of Warm Spirit Jade Disks and place them against the palms of his hands. The jade disks would absorb his spiritual energy, becoming more vibrant, which in turn would enhance his qi. This cyclical process doubled his cultivation efficiency.
By the time of the evening lecture, he would summarize the questions that arose during his day's practice and seek guidance from Yuan Mobai.
After the evening lecture, he would return to his residence, fetch a ladle of medicinal bath mother liquid and several auxiliary medicinal herbs, and add them to the manor's bathhouse, mixing them with spring water from the mountains. This created a large pool of medicinal liquid.
Lei Jun would then sit in the bath, soaking in the medicinal liquid while continuing to cultivate, warming and nourishing his body with breathing techniques.
Finally, he would end the day's cultivation and fall into a peaceful sleep, consolidating his foundation and nourishing his qi.
Time flew by as he immersed himself in cultivation, unaware of the passing months.
One evening, a month later.
Lei Jun, who was soaking in the bath, suddenly rose from the water.
It wasn't that he had jumped out of the water, but that he was steadily floating, sitting cross-legged above the surface of the bath as if he were sitting on solid ground.
Within Lei Jun's body, the surging true qi seemed to condense, transforming from something ethereal into something solid and refined—a manifestation of his cultivated fa li.
It was as if a large volume of gas had undergone a metamorphosis, condensing into a single strand of liquid.
Although it appeared weak, it was far more concentrated and agile than the abundant true qi he had before.
Even a single strand of fa li was enough to overwhelm the true qi of a Qi Refinement cultivator.
This was a qualitative change brought about by a quantitative accumulation.
Lei Jun smiled contentedly and stepped out of the bath.
The cultivation of fa li signified a major breakthrough to a new realm. He had successfully advanced from the First Heaven of Qi Refinement to the Second Heaven of Foundation Establishment!
"I didn't sense any tribulations or obstacles..." Lei Jun was slightly surprised.
As soon as this question arose in his mind, a flash of insight came to him:
Qiulong Spirit Body...
When a true dragon soars from the abyss, it flies straight to the heavens.
So, while the first heavenly moat posed a life-threatening challenge for many, it could not stop the emergence of a potential dragon.
"No wonder there are legends of top geniuses cultivating a thousand miles in a day."
Lei Jun introspected, feeling quite emotional:
"I wonder what Tang Xiaotang's fairy body looks like when she cultivates."
Lei Jun shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions and resuming his meditation. He could distinctly feel his life force thriving, vibrant and robust.
His longevity had increased. With the Foundation Establishment, he would enjoy a lifespan of two hundred years.
Lei Jun had started his cultivation journey late, only being introduced to the Taoist arts by Xu Yuanzhen at the age of eighteen, when he was brought to Longhu Mountain.
Fortunately, with his ability to predict and avoid dangers, he had gained various opportunities. Through diligent practice, he had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment in less than two years, surpassing countless others on the path.
Now, nearing the age of twenty, he had a more comfortable timeframe compared to the two-hundred-year lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
However...
"The cultivators in this world still have limited increases in their lifespan as they progress," Lei Jun mused. "Two hundred years isn't that much."
There was a very practical issue before him.
From the First Heaven of Qi Refinement to the Second Heaven of Foundation Establishment, one's lifespan increased from a hundred to two hundred years.
But from the Second Heaven to the Third Heaven, known as the Law Altar realm, there was no further increase in the limit of one's lifespan.
Only upon breaking through to the Fourth Heaven, the Yuanfu realm, would one's longevity increase once more.
Foundation Establishment cultivators, despite their extended lifespan of two hundred years, still faced similar issues as Qi Refinement cultivators.
For Qi Refinement cultivators, the golden window for rapid progress ended around the age of twenty-five.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, this period of rapid growth was extended to around fifty years of age.
However, starting at fifty, Foundation Establishment cultivators would also enter a plateau of maturity, where their strength remained at its peak but their rate of improvement slowed significantly.
From around a hundred years old onwards, Foundation Establishment cultivators would enter a period of decline, similar to Qi Refinement cultivators after fifty.
Not only would it become difficult to progress further in their cultivation realm, but their energy, strength, and even their abilities would begin to wane.
The chances of a Foundation Establishment cultivator over a hundred years old making any further progress were infinitesimally small, with only a handful of exceptions throughout history, a probability far lower than one in ten thousand.
There was still a slim glimmer of hope, though.
Around the age of a hundred and fifty, Foundation Establishment cultivators entered their twilight years, with all hope lost. Their decline accelerated rapidly, and their power might even drop by a minor realm within their major realm, until their lifespan came to an end.
The most challenging aspect was that cultivators of the Third Heaven, the Law Altar realm, faced the same circumstances as those in the Second Heaven of Foundation Establishment.
Therefore, to continue progressing on the path of cultivation, a cultivator must strive to break through to the Fourth Heaven, the Yuanfu realm, before the age of a hundred, in order to extend their lifespan once more.
Within the Tian Shi Manor, the demarcation between transmitted disciples and ordained disciples usually fell between the Third and Fourth Heavens.
Considering their future cultivation potential, it was best to break through to the Fourth Heaven within the golden window of rapid progress, ideally before the age of fifty.
Indeed, the word 'establishment' in Foundation Establishment was quite fitting... As Lei Jun's initial elation from his breakthrough faded, his mood stabilized once more.
The next morning, Lei Jun went to see his master, Yuan Mobai, as he usually did.
Yuan Mobai smiled at him and said, "I am happier to see that you have maintained a calm mindset after your successful Foundation Establishment."
"I am young and inexperienced, Master. I merely follow your example," Lei Jun replied.
Yuan Mobai nodded with a smile. "Since your mindset has returned to its natural calm, we can continue as we usually do."
The morning lesson and the morning cultivation session proceeded as usual, with Yuan Mobai lecturing on Taoist scriptures and techniques.
However, in the afternoon and evening lessons, Yuan Mobai made some adjustments to the curriculum.
"Now that you have successfully established your foundation, there is no need to rush. Just continue cultivating at a steady pace," he said.
He set up an offering table with incense in the courtyard and said to Lei Jun, "Additionally, as a disciple of the Tian Shi Manor, it's time for you to start studying the art of talismans and learn how to create them."
(End of Chapter)
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