Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 93 - 88: The Three Calamities Refine the Heart, Spirit Treasure True Cultivation

Cultivators entering the "Qi Refining Realm" typically first accumulate energy over the course of half a month, or even longer, before making a concerted effort to break through their gates and refine the True Spirit Qi of their Basic Method.

Just refining a single strand is considered a successful advancement, but this only designates one as a low-grade cultivator.

The higher the grade of the True Spirit Qi refined, and the quantity refined at the time of advancement, will to a certain extent determine one's Dao path, as well as their combat power amongst fellow cultivators of the same level.

Which of the true cultivation disciples from the great sects or major schools would be content with producing just a single strand of True Spirit Qi?

Tao Qian entered the realm of Qi Refinement in just three days, even when compared with those talented disciples, he was not to be outdone.

Therefore, at this time, he did not stop for a moment.

Boom!

Over and over, as the "Dao Seed" spun, more tremendous Source Qi was drawn forth, simultaneously aiding Tao Qian in its refinement.

Those sounds of a furnace exploding, like thunder, echoed continuously within this dark chamber.

Then, mouthful after mouthful of Spirit Treasure True Spirit Qi surged forth and, together with the first mouthful, began to weave through Tao Qian's body. They seemed to have their own consciousness, leading Qi with Qi, helping Tao Qian to refine even more.

Time began to swiftly lapse, it was unknown how much had passed.

When Tao Qian sensed a feeling of fatigue in his Divine Soul, without the slightest hesitation, he decisively halted his cultivation.

Lin Xiaohua once warned in her three lessons: One must not overdo the practice of cultivation, you must always be vigilant or risk mutation and losing control.

The moment Tao Qian interrupted his cultivation, he subconsciously practiced Inner Vision.

Almost instantly, his eyes revealed a look of surprise.

He saw within his slowly "Light Transforming" body, ninety-nine strands of True Spirit Qi spiraling and entwined, shuttling and wandering ceaselessly through his body.

Since they were already within his body, Tao Qian only needed a thought, a perception, and he immediately knew the function of these True Spirit Qi as well as the gains from his advancement to the Qi Refinement Realm.

"This is the Spirit Treasure Nine True Immortal Spirit Qi!"

"Born from the Spirit Treasure Source Qi, a mouthful of Immortal Spiritual True Qi is equivalent to all the Source Qi in the body of a Life Embryo Stage Spirit Treasure Cultivator."

"Does this mean that if I were to cast 'Selfless Sword' again, consuming a mouthful of Immortal Spirit Qi, I would be able to slay a cultivator in the early stages of the Qi Refinement Realm?"

"If I were to consecutively cast ninety-nine swords, could I not slaughter my way in and out of a large group of cultivators of the same level, leaving none in my wake?"

"Even, would it not be a trivial matter to fight with loose cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm?"

Upon realizing this, Tao Qian's face could not hide his astonishment.

In that moment, Tao Qian understood even more deeply why the disciples of the major sects had such an exaggerated difference in combat power compared to those rootless loose cultivators—it was as if it was predetermined from the very beginning.

Those loose cultivators, despite practicing myriad Basic Skills with their bizarre effects,

no matter what, could never obtain "Innate Dao Seeds," "Spirit Treasure Nine True Immortal Spirit Qi," and other such Innate Divine Abilities or high-level Source Qi.

What was more astonishing was that the utility of the Immortal Spirit Qi was not only as such.

"With Spirit Treasure Nine True Immortal Spirit Qi within me, I only need to move my thoughts to activate it, and with a little practice, I can ride clouds and mists. Although it's not as specialized as flying or escape skills, and cannot compare with some Exotic Beasts Demons that have related bloodlines, it has the advantage of the enduring power of Immortal Spirit, ceaseless and inexhaustible, allowing flight for thousands of miles without fatigue."

"Additionally, as long as I have one mouthful of Immortal Spirit Qi inside, I can resist all poisons, be unharmed by water and fire, and even increase my lifespan by eighty years."

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"And so many other benefits which inferior Source Qi cannot compare."

"But Lin Xiaohua also once said, even disciples of major schools upon advancing to the Qi Refinement Realm, cannot refine too much True Spirit Qi in one go. Ordinary disciples can typically refine about a dozen strands, those with decent talent can refine tens, as for more than that, they would directly be categorized as 'geniuses'."

"I could refine ninety-nine strands; perhaps it's largely because of that Innate Dao Seed."

Upon thinking of this, Tao Qian then remembered that the Dao Seed had yet to be retrieved, he silently operated the ninety-nine strands of Spirit Treasure Immortal Spirit Qi which naturally and sprightly sprang from the crown of his head, twining around the Innate Dao Seed, dragging it back into his body.

This was the moment, perhaps because it was his first time operating Immortal Spirit Qi.

Suddenly, inside Tao Qian's mind, there came a violent tremor.

Tao Qian once again saw that unfathomable Innate Divine Being within the Yellow Room of Yanxi Cloud Palace, behind the Seven Treasures Veil.

In that moment of eye contact, Tao Qian felt the world spin around him, his body and soul were extracted and thrown into an infinite vortex twisted from the heavenly constellations. Then, many scenes that seemed to only exist in myth and legend flashed by like fleeting lights and shadows, the cosmos of all heavens seemed to invert and overlap in Tao Qian's eyes.

When his Divine Soul returned to his body, a destination that he had not known before was added to his memory.

Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate!

Although he had long known that this would happen after advancing to the Qi Refinement Realm, now that it had finally come to pass, Tao Qian couldn't help but feel a thrill in his heart, and even in that instant, he had plotted out more than one route in his mind, deciding when to take transportation and when to use escape skills, all planned out.

But at this moment, the Innate Divine Being that had given Tao Qian the directive to the Mountain Gate was gradually blurring and fading away.

Before it completely dissipated, it suddenly uttered several majestic Dao sounds that suddenly resounded in Tao Qian's mind:

"On your way to Spirit Treasure, you must encounter calamities."

"Survive one calamity, and you may enter the Mountain Gate."

"Survive two calamities, and you shall obtain Sublime Dharma."

"If you survive all three calamities, you may become one of our true Spirit Treasure practitioners."

"Boom,"

As the information accompanying these Daoist tones emerged, Tao Qian truly felt as if he had been struck a heavy blow.

Before this, when Master Xiao gave Tao Qian the recommendation letter, she mentioned that she couldn't use magic to bring him to the Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate and said that once Tao Qian advanced to the Qi Refinement Realm, he would naturally understand the reason.

Now, Tao Qian indeed comprehended the cause.

It turned out that although the Spirit Treasure Sect had spread their Basic Method throughout the Cultivation World for anyone to acquire, practicing it to the Qi Refinement Realm would allow one to sense the location of the Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate.

However, this Major Sect wasn't truly accepting disciples unconditionally; to enter the Mountain Gate, one must first pass through the "Three Calamities Mind-Tempering" trial.

This seemed to be a form of rule-based, terrifying power, which meant:

No matter where you were, as soon as you entertained the thought of heading to the Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate and acted upon it, you would certainly encounter calamities.

If one couldn't survive, one would undoubtedly die a physical and spiritual death.

If one could endure one calamity and arrive, one would be able to join the Spirit Treasure Sect smoothly.

If one overcame two calamities and arrived, not only could they join the Spirit Treasure Sect, but they would also be directly taught Divine Powers and Sublime Dharma.

If one survived all three calamities, upon arrival, they would instantly leap from being a Loose Cultivator to a True Cultivation Disciple of the Spirit Treasure Sect, truly ascending to the heavens in a single step.

This power of rules was there to prevent cheating; anyone attempting to employ underhanded tactics would find the calamities escalating crazily, intensifying to a lethal degree.

For example, if someone asked a Great Cultivator to use a magic skill like instant shift over ten thousand miles to send them to the Spirit Treasure Sect, then it's very likely that right before reaching the Mountain Gate, they would encounter a fearsome Demon head-on and be killed on the spot.

"So this is why if I had asked Master Xiao to send me to the Spirit Treasure Sect back then, even if she agreed, the most likely outcome would've been that just as we left Seeking Immortal County, we would be directly confronted by the Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva."

"Master Xiao would have been in trouble, and I certainly would have been doomed. In that case, the Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva would have been accounted for as my First Calamity."

"No wonder, I thought, how could the disciple recruitment process of the Culivation World's top Sects be so simple? Turns out they were waiting right here."

"At first glance, it indeed seems that the Spirit Treasure Sect accepts all beings, with teachings for every class, but the truth is, they also have a threshold, just a more subtle one."

"A Loose Cultivator who obtains the Spirit Treasure Basic Technique, advances to Qi Refinement, and then braves mountains and rivers to reach the Mountain Gate, enduring calamities along the way… this way, it can be basically ensured that the new disciple, in terms of talent, aptitude, and blessings, will surpass most cultivators in the world."

As these thoughts settled, Tao Qian fully understood this disciple selection mechanism of the Spirit Treasure Sect.

Even Tao Qian himself was somewhat surprised that he felt no anger, nor did he feel deceived; perhaps it was the shock brought about by the Innate Dao Seed and the Spirit Treasure Nine True Immortal Spirit Qi that allowed him to calmly accept this twist of fate.

"I don't wish to cultivate those easy-to-obtain, easy-to-practice pamphlets or the Basic Method."

"The Ten Thousand Infant Sect is indeed large, but it is extremely incompatible with me; I also do not wish to pursue their path."

"Therefore, there's really no hesitation,"

"Only, I wonder how many calamities will I encounter on my way?"

Having posed these questions to himself, Tao Qian suddenly stood up.

Ending his three-day cultivation, he went outside the abode.

Having accepted the task from Lin Xiaohua, Tao Qian was also deeply concerned about those two little things.

While this Secret Realm was safe and secure, it was still better to check on them.

With a "creak," Tao Qian opened the wooden door and naturally looked towards the inner scene of Taoyuan.

Although the Infant Mother Fetus Stone possessed no powers of slaughter, it indeed was an Exotic Treasure, allowing the living beings residing within to imagine any scenery they desired.

Therefore, this was a great test of one's imagination as well as their own experiences.

After all, if you have never seen something, you can't imagine the details; and without details, isn't that sheer pretense?

Having been in seclusion for three days, Tao Qian was also very curious about what the two little things had turned this paradisiac land into.

With anticipation, he opened the door, and in that moment.

Tao Qian's expression completely froze.

He didn't know what he saw but blinked, as if he couldn't believe he wasn't dreaming.

Accompanied by a "bang," Tao Qian first shut the wooden door.

Then he opened it again, with the scene unchanged before him.

Still as shocking, as unbelievable.

His actions naturally drew the attention of the two little things, who, after playing madly for three days, ran to him, one from the left and the other from the right.

On the left, was Little Age, this chubby little thing giggling as it ran, and behind it revealed a world akin to a bizarre fairy tale, with terrain that should have been flat now riddled with caves and grottos, and a variety of extremely colorful mushroom-like, jelly-like objects all over the area, the flowing transparent mucus forming streams, and the bursting tiny spores in the air congealing into colorful clouds...

On the right, was Lian Jing'er, this creature made of bronze, cast iron, and bones that charged over, and behind it unfolded a towering miniature city, within it orderly ancient buildings abound, as well as a multitude of terracotta warrior-like beings, various bronze artifacts, and all over the city, one could see an array of colossal bone monsters...

The two little things ran up to Tao Qian, each craning their heads up, one pair of eyes like rubies, the other like green gemstones, sparkling as they looked at Tao Qian.

Clearly, they were waiting for Tao Qian's praise.

But Tao Qian, facing the full, bizarre, magnificent, and completely different styles that had nothing to do with "paradise," had a particularly complex feeling.