The Seven Stages of Immortal Cultivation

“I do not know. Please instruct me, Father,” Ji Ning said respectfully.

In truth, having read a great many books, he already knew this long ago. But a four-year-old child had no need to be so monstrously talented.

“Let me speak, so you can understand,” Ji Yichuan said coldly. “First, let me tell you about the seven major stages on the path of cultivation.”

“The first layer: Houtian. Lifespan, a hundred years.”

“The second layer: Xiantian. Lifespan, two hundred years.”

“The third layer: the Zifu stage. Cultivators are known as ‘Zifu Disciples’. Lifespan, five hundred years.”

“The fourth layer: the Wanxiang stage. Cultivators can be called ‘Wanxiang Adepts’. Lifespan, eight hundred years.”

“The fifth layer: the Primal stage. The cultivator can be called a ‘Primal Daoist’.”

“The sixth layer: the Void stage. The cultivator can be called a ‘Land Immortal’, also known as an ‘Earth Immortal’. At the very end of the Void stage, one must undergo the test of the Heavenly Tribulation. If one fails and the body and soul are both destroyed, that is the end. If one manages to escape with one’s Primal as a Loose Immortal, that is still counted as surviving. Loose Immortals and Earth Immortals are generally equal in power.”

“The seventh layer: Celestial Immortal. Only then can one be said to have transcended the Three Realms and no longer be bound by the Five Elements.”

After speaking, Ji Yichuan looked at Ji Ning, expecting to see a shocked expression on his son’s face. But Ji Ning simply stood to one side, ears pricked up, listening seriously.

“You say you want to cultivate to immortality. I want you to understand the difficulty of cultivation,” Ji Yichuan said grimly. “The first barrier on the path of cultivation: from Houtian to Xiantian!”

“What is Xiantian? ‘Born from Heaven and Earth’—that is what is meant by Xiantian lifeforms. The primordial gods and Fiendgods of the distant Primordial Era were born from Heaven and Earth; from birth they possessed great divine abilities. There are also those who are reborn through the Six Paths of Reincarnation into the Heaven Realm as ‘Devas’ and ‘Asuras’. Devas and Asuras are likewise born from Heaven and Earth; they are Xiantian from birth, and their cultivation proceeds very quickly. Only Xiantian lifeforms can cultivate to immortality!”

“Mortals cannot cultivate to immortality. However, Heaven always leaves a thread of hope. Thus, ancient virtuous masters created cultivation techniques that enable mortals to make their bodies like those of Xiantian lifeforms. This is what made cultivation to immortality possible.”

“But for a mortal to become a Xiantian lifeform is already an act of defying Heaven. Among ten thousand, perhaps not even one succeeds! Tell me, is it hard or not?”

Ji Ning listened.

Xiantian lifeforms? If not for the great upheaval in the Netherworld Kingdom, he probably would have been reborn in the Heaven Realm as a Deva, which would have made him a Xiantian lifeform from birth. But now he was a mortal… Indeed, the path from mortal to Xiantian was extremely difficult.

“The second major barrier in cultivation: from Xiantian to Zifu!”

“One must open the Zifu to cultivate to immortality. Opening the Zifu is like laying a foundation when building a house, or opening up a field when planting grain. The Zifu is the field; it is the source of cultivation; it is the foundation of the Dao! Only when one truly opens a Zifu within one’s body can one step onto the path of cultivation and be worthy of the title ‘Zifu Disciple’! Among a thousand Xiantian experts, perhaps only one can open a Zifu. Tell me, is it hard or not?”

Ji Ning nodded.

Yes, it was indeed difficult.

As he listened carefully, he realized that the books in the Ji Clan Western Prefecture’s Scripture Library only contained descriptions of the first two barriers. There was nothing about what came after.

“Once you open a Zifu and become a cultivator, you will naturally possess astonishing power.”

“However, cultivating to immortality is an act that defies the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, from the very day you step onto the immortal path—that is, the moment you open your Zifu—you will face a disaster every three hundred years and a great calamity every nine hundred years. As the saying goes: ‘Every third year is a disaster, every ninth year a calamity; disasters can be dodged, but calamities are inescapable.’ Every three hundred years comes a test like this, every nine hundred years comes a great one. And as long as you walk the path of cultivation, it will continue forever… unless you become a Celestial Immortal. The ‘Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations’ are the eternal ordeal of every cultivator.”

Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations?

Every third year a disaster, every ninth year a calamity; disasters can be dodged, but calamities are inescapable?

Ji Ning was indeed shocked. Unless a cultivator became a Celestial Immortal, the calamities would come wave after wave every three hundred years.

…

The arm-thick candles crackled and popped, the sound echoing through the hall.

Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Snow both watched their son. At this moment, the shock on Ji Ning’s face was hard to conceal. Seeing this expression, Ji Yichuan nodded slightly. At least it had managed to shock the little fellow.

“The child is still so young. Why say so much?” Yuchi Snow said, dissatisfied.

“Mother,” Ji Ning said, lifting his head with a grin. “It’s nothing.”

Ji Yichuan looked at him in surprise.

“Father,” Ji Ning said with a smile, “From mortal to Xiantian, from Xiantian to Zifu, these two barriers alone… I have no idea how difficult they are. The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations are far too distant for me. I don’t need to think about them at all.”

“Mm.” Ji Yichuan nodded. “You have a good mindset. You’re right, you truly don’t need to think about becoming a Zifu Disciple right now—that’s far too distant. In this vast land of the Yan Mountains, including the Ji Clan and all the other major powers and countless tribes, the strongest are only Zifu Disciples. The difficulty of the immortal path… even in our boundless Grand Xia Dynasty, not a single Celestial Immortal has been born in a million years.”

Ji Ning nodded lightly.

When Lord Cui had spoken to him in the Netherworld, he had said that the Nuwa Diagram would only give him a slightly better chance. To become a Celestial Immortal, there would still be countless tribulations. And that was under the premise that he would be a Deva, a Heavenly Soldier or Heavenly General. One could imagine how difficult it was to become a Celestial Immortal. To transcend the Three Realms and no longer be bound by the Five Elements—not everyone could achieve that.

“Do you still want to cultivate to immortality now?” Ji Yichuan looked at Ji Ning.

“Yes,” Ji Ning nodded.

Ji Yichuan nodded slightly. If his son had been afraid at just hearing the danger, he would have been disappointed. But he didn’t know… Ji Ning wouldn’t be frightened by such things. What activity had no risks? Walking on the road, you might be crushed by a falling stone from the sky. Eating, you might choke to death. The path of cultivation was an inconceivably miraculous path—it would be strange if it weren’t dangerous.

“However…” Ji Yichuan frowned. “You are too young. Cultivation techniques are extremely complex. If I pass a profound immortal cultivation technique to you and you practice it incorrectly, it might harm your body. But ordinary immortal techniques aren’t worth teaching…”

“Father,” Ji Ning said. “I want a Fiendgod Body Refining technique!”

“Oh? You know about Body Refining?” Ji Yichuan was astonished. Beside him, Yuchi Snow also laughed: “It seems our son has read many books and knows that cultivation is divided into two paths.”

The path of cultivation was mainly divided into two types.

One was Ki Refining! Over ninety-nine percent of cultivators walked this path. They could use a multitude of wondrous magic treasures, refine complex puppets, control vast numbers of poisonous insects and demonic beasts, set up grand formations, and practice all manner of evil techniques… In short, it was an incomparably complex and profound path.

The other was Body Refining.

According to legend, when the Three Realms were first born, many Primordial Fiendgods were conceived by Heaven and Earth. These Fiendgods were born from Heaven and Earth, with supremely powerful bodies from birth. And Pangu, the one who split Heaven and Earth, was the most powerful Chaos Fiendgod, also possessing a supremely powerful body. Thus, ancient virtuous masters contemplated and pondered the bodies of Fiendgods, creating Body Refining techniques. Those who practiced them would obtain Fiendgod-like bodies: indestructible, with limitless strength, able to perform Heavenly Transformation, manifest Three Heads and Six Arms, achieve Blood-Drop Rebirth, and become immortal and undying… All of these were attributes of the Fiendgod Body Refining school.

The school of Body Refining was said to completely overwhelm Ki Refining at the same stage.

“Fiendgod Body Refining is a hundred times harder than Ki Refining,” Ji Yichuan said solemnly. “Fiendgod Body Refining techniques enable one to obtain Fiendgod-like power. How could that not be heaven-defying? It is extremely difficult…”

“Father, I will practice Body Refining first, and later practice Ki Refining,” Ji Ning said. “After all, these two types of cultivation can be carried out simultaneously. When the time comes, whichever path I show talent in, I will focus on that path… Besides, aren’t you worried that I’m too young and might hurt my meridians by practicing Ki Refining incorrectly? The Fiendgod Body Refining method carries no such danger.”

Ji Yichuan and Yuchi Snow exchanged a glance.

It seemed their son had thought this through very carefully. Indeed, Fiendgod Body Refining mainly tempered the muscles, bones, skin, flesh, and internal organs. As for the meridians? The Fiendgod Body Refining method had nothing to do with them. After all, the Primordial Fiendgods came in all shapes and forms, completely different from human meridians. The ancient virtuous masters who had contemplated Fiendgod bodies and created the Fiendgod Body Refining techniques naturally had no need to worry about meridians.

“Good!” Ji Yichuan nodded. “Fiendgod Body Refining techniques are extremely precious. Our Ji Clan’s five prefectures possess a total of nineteen Fiendgod Body Refining techniques. Which one you want to train in—I’ll let you choose!”

“Yes,” Ji Ning said, excited and surging with anticipation.

“Uncle Black,” Ji Yichuan called out.

Soon, a black-haired middle-aged man appeared outside the hall. His eyes faintly glowed red, with narrow corners at the ends, the form taken by that great black serpent.

“Uncle Black,” Ji Ning called out at once. After living in this world for two years, he knew that this black-haired middle-aged man was a great demon who had already reached the Xiantian level. An ordinary wild beast had to awaken its intelligence to be considered a demonic beast, then begin to absorb the world’s energy to cultivate. Without cultivation techniques, they had a harder time than humans. Breaking through to become a Xiantian lifeform was the only way they could gain the ability to transform.

The black-haired middle-aged man smiled and nodded: “Yichuan, you need something?”

“Trouble you to go to the Scripture Library,” Ji Yichuan said. “Bring all nineteen abridged manuals of the Fiendgod Body Refining techniques. Ji Ning wants them.”

“Ji Ning wants them?” The black-haired middle-aged man smiled as he glanced at Ji Ning. “Cultivating a Fiendgod Body Refining technique will make one Fiendgod-like in body. It seems Ji Ning has great ambitions.”

Whoosh!

The black-haired middle-aged man vanished from sight.

Ji Ning took a deep breath and waited. Uncle Black was right; he did have ambitions. First, he knew that because of his young age, his father probably wouldn’t readily teach him Ki Refining techniques. And as for self-study? Ji Ning wasn’t that confident. Also, he knew about some of the strengths of the Fiendgod Body Refining school. Killing a Fiendgod Body Refining expert was thousands of times harder than killing a Ki Refining expert! A Fiendgod Body Refining expert at the same stage completely crushed a Ki Refining expert!

Strong survival ability, strong combat power. Just these two points alone made Ji Ning prefer Fiendgod Body Refining.

“Whoosh.” A light breeze sprang up, and the black-haired middle-aged man appeared in the hall. He spoke with a smile: “The abridged manuals of the nineteen Fiendgod Body Refining techniques.”

“Ji Ning,” Ji Yichuan said, looking at his son. “The abridged manuals only contain the earliest part of the immortal technique and a description of it. Look them over carefully and decide which one to choose.”

The black-haired middle-aged man placed all nineteen abridged manuals before Ji Ning.

Each manual was very thin, containing only the earliest part of the content. Even if they were stolen, it wouldn’t hurt the Ji Clan. They would never place precious immortal techniques directly in a place like the Scripture Library. But even so, the abridged manuals of these Fiendgod Body Refining techniques were not something just anyone could retrieve. Only Ji Yichuan could send the black-haired middle-aged man to fetch them.

“Nineteen manuals.”

Ji Ning lowered his head and began to read carefully.