"When I first heard about all of this, I was even more shocked and excited than you are now. Also, I aspired to practice my cultivation until I attained the realm of Wusui Emptiness."

Of course, Dongfang Ting didn't know that Ling Yun was excited because he had heard about "the people on the same path". He had presumed that it was the first time Ling Yun was hearing about the cultivators. Hence, he shook his head and smiled, and with an expression that conveyed the despondence of an impossible endeavor, he continued, "Now that I think about it, it was really the childish thinking of a youth. Even I find it to be a joke. It can't even be considered an aspiration, it can only be an illusion at most…"

Ling Yun asked in surprise, "Why? Is it really that difficult to attain the realm of Wusui Emptiness through cultivation?"

Dongfang Ting smiled grimly. "It's not just difficult. We all know that the path of Wudao requires one to strengthen the physical body, and after that, to cultivate oneself starting from spiritual energy, cultivating Essence into Qi, cultivating Qi into Spirit, cultivating Spirit into Emptiness, and cultivating Emptiness into the Harmonic Way…"

This process of cultivation was the prevailing practice in any region. Ling Yun nodded his head seriously as a signal for Dongfang Ting to continue speaking.

"However, out of so many ancient martial arts families and secretive sects in Huaxia, how many people are truly able to break through Houtian Realm Level Seven? Even if they did break through after an arduous attempt, how many people can break through the Xiantian Realm?"

Ling Yun quickly halted Dongfang Ting in the middle of his speech with a wave of his hand. He interrupted, "Is it very difficult to break through into the Xiantian Realm?" Before continuing, he raised his finger to point at Dongfang Ting as well as Dugu Mo, who was immersed in cultivation. "Aren't the both of you on the verge of arriving at the Xiantian Realm?"

Ling Yun continued to point at the stone door entrance where the corpses of Ximen Gang, Shangguan Jue, and the rest lay, asking, "Haven't they all reached a realm that's above Houtian Realm Level Eight?"

Dongfang Ting smiled and nodded his head before commending Ling Yun, "Good question!" He said, "Let's not even mention those people who haven't arrived at Houtian Realm Level One and don't possess any spiritual energy."

"From Houtian Realm Level One to Houtian Realm Level Three, the pract.i.tioners would just have obtained spiritual energy. Even if these people know how to nurture their spiritual energy and activate it through constant practice, those who know how to cultivate their spiritual energy could easily attain Houtian Realm Level Three in a short amount of time.

"Houtian Realm Level Four is a crucial juncture. Once a person has broken through it, they would naturally know how to cultivate their spiritual energy to fortify their meridians and energy center. Houtian Realm Level Four is where every pract.i.tioner would start to branch out…

"Did you know that the uniqueness of everyone's energy center and meridians is due to their different body const.i.tutions?

"Despite cultivating the same kind of spiritual energy, the vast differences in expansion between each person's energy center and meridians is attributable to one's natural endowments.

"What's more, the process of cultivation involves a person's intellect, perceptivity, tenacity of character, and whatnot, and these all comprise a person's natural endowments."

After he had said this, Dongfang Ting didn't attempt to hide the admiring gaze he had towards Ling Yun before remarking excitedly, "For example, with your natural endowments, using the superlative form of powerful wouldn't be considered an over-exaggerated description of you…"

Ling Yun laughed aloud. "You're flattering me, Elder Brother Dongfang. Your younger brother here is unable to live up to it…"

Dongfang Ting smiled ambiguously before continuing, "In cultivation, one is cultivating his body. Whether the body is naturally endowed or not would determine, as well as limit, his potential to attain whichever realm."

"Although cultivation hinges on one's natural endowments, it isn't the sole determining factor as everyone has a different fortune when he practices cultivation. One's endowments can be supplemented by various types of spiritual herbs, medicines, and treasures in the world…"

At this juncture, Dongfang Ting pointed at the dragon's saliva in the rocky pool nearby and smiled. "For example, the dragon saliva here…"

"Moreover, one's natural endowments can be altered directly by getting a.s.sistance from other people to clear his meridians, or via the consumption of concocted medical pills to boost his spiritual energy, and through other means as well!

"After which, it is dependent on the person's cultivation techniques. Due to the diversity of cultivation techniques, the pract.i.tioners are divided into secretive sects and ancient martial arts families. Although it could be said that 'all roads lead to Rome', the process of cultivation is fraught with ups and downs, and the rate of progression in one's cultivated powers would naturally vary with the practice of different techniques…

"After reaching Houtian Realm Level Four, everyone would start to cultivate their energy center and meridians. At that time, the differences in their rate of progression due to variations in natural endowments, fortunes, and techniques would begin to surface…

"Perhaps some people would find it extremely difficult to attain Houtian Realm Level Seven even when they're forty or fifty years old, while others might not achieve it during their lifetime."

Ling Yun was nearly unable to contain his laughter as he recalled the a.s.sa.s.sin Deepa, Priest Compa.s.sionless, and others such as Liu Deming.

"And we…" Dongfang Ting glanced at Dugu Mo before pointing at himself, saying, "We're from the ancient martial arts families, so we're definitely more endowed than ordinary people. We have different living environments and a variety of spiritual medical pills found in each of our houses to a.s.sist cultivation, as well as clan elders who personally advise us on cultivation-related matters. Not to mention that we began practicing martial arts in our mothers' wombs and that the techniques that we practice are suitable for our lineages…"

"With the compounded effect of these factors, our cultivation would naturally progress faster than an ordinary person's. As for the other considerations, it's only a matter of comparing the extent of one's diligence against another's…

"Thus, as long as they aren't too poorly endowed, the direct male descendants of ancient martial arts families such as ours would usually be able to overcome the major obstacle of Houtian Realm Level Seven before the age of twenty!

"However, reaching the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine from Level Seven involves the final stages of cultivating Essence into Qi. At that juncture, a huge disparity will begin to surface, and one would be considered an outstanding genius if he's able to reach the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine before the age of twenty.

"At that time, one's natural endowments will be a crucial factor. The better endowed he is, the faster he would be able to reach the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine. The faster he achieves it, the greater an advantage he would have in terms of getting the attention and essential nurturing from his clan!

"Of course, people such as us, as long as we're able to break through Houtian Realm Level Seven, it's just a matter of taking a longer time, and we will eventually be able to reach the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine. The only difference lies in the strength of their powers versus ours…

"This brings us to the question that we had in the beginning, which is that it is difficult to break through to the Xiantian Realm from the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine. This is due to the enlightenment required to transit from the stages of cultivating Essence into Qi to cultivating Qi into Spirit!

"Though one's natural endowments and cultivation techniques can be altered, enlightenment comes from the person and cannot be a.s.sisted externally!

"We all know that cultivation runs contrary to heaven's will. Once a person has broken through into the Xiantian Realm, he can begin to execute internal respiration — similar to the resting state of a fetus — and possesses a certain amount of divine sense. After all, isn't the process of cultivating Qi into Spirit the preliminary stages of cultivating one's divine sense?

"Countless pract.i.tioners have toiled to reach the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine only to be blocked by an invisible door, and they wouldn't be able to break through Xiantian Realm during their lifetime. The chance of success is so pathetic. Out of every ten strong contenders from the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine, only two of them at most would be able to break through into the Xiantian Realm!

"Ancient martial arts families such as ours whose history dates back thousands of years — if we only count the direct descendants of every major clan, there would at least be thousands of them. Those who reach the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine are innumerable and of varying ages. However, there are only a pathetic number of Xiantian Realm experts, tens of them in total. Some families only have about ten to twenty of them…"

Dongfang Ting laughed bitterly. Thinking to himself, Ling Yun reckoned that an ancient martial arts family would have to be considered very powerful if they had achieved such a feat, given the thinness of spiritual energy on Earth and the disorganized environment for cultivation.

"Oh, I see…" Ling Yun understood his explanation. After reaching the Xiantian Realm, one would no longer be a.s.sisted by spiritual energy from the heavens and earth. From that point, the progress to each minor realm would prove arduous, not to mention a major realm.

"As for those who have reached the Xiantian Realm, how many of them would progress to the peak of Xiantian Realm Level Nine?"

Once again, Dongfang Ting laughed bitterly and shook his head. "The peak of Xiantian Realm Level Nine? If someone could break through Xiantian Realm Level Seven, he would already be considered the jewel of the clan. If there were two or more such people in a single clan, the clan would be able to dominate the scene!"

"I've never heard of someone at Xiantian Realm Level Nine, not to mention the peak of it…

"No one has ever reached the peak of Xiantian Realm Level Nine, so it's pointless to mention Wusui Emptiness since it's even more difficult than scaling the heavens. Hence, it's only a legend…"

After hearing these words, Ling Yun was greatly dismayed. He pondered whether the cultivators of True Qi only existed in legends and reviewed his a.s.sumption that he would be matchless after attaining Qi Cultivation Level Nine previously.

"Has there been anyone who managed to reach the realm of Cultivating Spirit into Emptiness and Wusui Emptiness previously?" Ling Yun was unresigned to the situation and continued his questioning.

"Yes! The Tai Chi Master, Zhang Sanfeng!"

As they were deeply engrossed in conversation, the duo didn't notice that Dugu Mo had already completed his cultivation. Without rising, he remained in a cross-legged pose at his original location to consolidate his cultivated realms. Suddenly, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Senior Zhang Sanfeng reached the realm of Wusui Emptiness and even higher than that…"

Dongfang Ting nodded along. "That's right, Zhang Sanfeng indeed reached the realm of Wusui Emptiness. This is a widely acknowledged fact amongst the ancient martial arts families and secretive sects."

Finally, at least someone managed to do so… Ling Yun bobbed his head as a self-comforting gesture. He then asked, "Is it true that the Cultivators of Truth were only a legend?"

Dugu Mo was more talkative than Dongfang Ting. He opened his mouth and gushed, "Hey, hey, strictly speaking, the Cultivators of Truth were only a legend! But some of the pract.i.tioners who reached the Xiantian Realm know some Daoist skills that appear to be magical. They claim to be Cultivators of Truth, so it's difficult to define the concept…"

It was indeed difficult to define that concept as there were different levels in the realm of Cultivators of Truth. For example, Ling Yun would only be considered a beginner due to being in Body Cultivation Level Three.

"Congratulations, Brother Dugu! I didn't expect that you'd be able to reach the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine after drinking a bottle of dragon's saliva. This really… really causes me to feel deeply embarra.s.sed!"

After scrutinizing Dugu Mo, Dongfang Ting realized that he had already reached the peak of Houtian Realm Level Nine and was greatly shocked.

Dugu Mo stood up, frowned, and touched the back of his head before replying in a perplexed tone, "Something feels strange… A few days ago, I felt confused out of the blue. After I came round, I realized that I was in a strange place. When I went to practice my techniques that very night, I realized that there was a strong Qi in my body. In just a short while, I managed to break through to Houtian Realm Level Nine from the peak of Houtian Realm Level Eight. At that time, I discovered that the speed of my cultivation had increased drastically. This time around, that same Qi had a greater effect on me than the dragon's saliva…"

"I clearly remembered that I was at the Tiger Cliff at the Dragon Mountain at that time. But why was I there? Oh, right! Ling Yun, I saw the beautiful girl whom you were dancing with that night…"