Stages of Cultivation

Chapter 27 Stages of Cultivation

16th March 11AE, Azure Building.

Since he came back after his small 'outing' Ceid had been cultivating in his room.

When it was time for breakfast, he joined Ayda and the rest of the construction crew for a meal before heading back. Before separating, he told them that he would be resting in his room for the rest of the day and that he had ordered the food for lunch, afternoon meal, and dinner.

He also told Ayda that she was free to take a walk if she wished. He also suggested that this might be a good opportunity for her to visit her family in the hospital.

As for her concerns about her pursuers, he assured her there was nothing to worry about for the time being. The city was expected to be placed under martial lockdown soon. With soldiers actively searching for suspicious individuals, security checks at the city entrances would be significantly strengthened.

Based on Wyd's latest report, the city's government had already determined that the final evacuee's group would reach the city walls by late afternoon tomorrow. Thus, they had given the order to lock down the city gates by then.

From then onwards, the city will implement a citywide movement control order. By dusk tomorrow, everyone's movement would be confined to their given region, with military checkpoints created throughout the city. 

Moreover, given the looming threat of a beast attack, it would be even more difficult for her pursuers to enter the city unnoticed. That is unless they risked their identities being discovered.

Despite that, he noticed how she reluctantly agreed with his suggestion.

It appears that she was still worried about her chasers. So he offered her a reassuring smile and reiterated, "Don't worry. If you ever felt unsafe or anxious, you could always return here whenever you like. Compared to anywhere else, at the very least, I can guarantee that you would be safe and protected here."

He added, "If you want, you can transfer your family here once they have awoken from their coma."

Upon hearing Ceid's offer, Ayda was surprised.

Yet, she found herself shaking her head. She realized that she couldn't impose on his hospitality too much. It was already a great relief that Ceid could give shelter and a job here.

With a soft sigh, she explained, "I appreciate your kindness, Ceid, but I must decline for now."

Hearing her words, Ceid merely smiled without forcing it. After all, his offer was born out of courtesy and concern, not insistence. He understood her hesitation and respected her decision.

After talking a bit more and telling her to look after the building, Ceid returned to his room. If any problems arise when he is away, Borris could discuss them with Ayda.

-

Cultivating is a very tedious and arduous process.

Cultivation demands unwavering determination and mental fortitude as one must meticulously control Aura Qi. It begins with drawing in external Aura Qi, guiding it through the body's meridians, and storing it in the dantian.

Inside the room, Ceid continued to cultivate.

His body absorbed a continuous flow of Aura Qi, depleting all the Aura Qi inside the energy crystals, turning them into dust one after another.

Fortunately, he had stockpiled a plentiful supply of these crystals. In anticipation of venturing into low-civilization worlds with limited Aura Qi, he had accumulated enough Energy Crystals to meet his Spirit Core Realm cultivation demand.

So, he had plenty of it stored in his storage space right now.

Encountering the scar-faced leader, while the man had modest strength, the incident was like a wake-up call for Ceid.

He knew that he needed to prioritize his recovery and strengthen his efforts in cultivation.

Why?

Because a disturbing realization struck him.

If such a low-ranking individual possessed significant strength, what about higher-ranking figures? The thought of facing formidable opponents like the elite of hidden families, military elites, or seasoned adventurers sent chills down his spine.

I have been too laid back!

...was what he thought before he resolved to redouble his cultivation efforts.

He should remember that he was no longer a Spirit Core Realm, a Venerable-level powerhouse. He was now just a small second-layer junior practitioner.

So, Ceid dedicated the remainder of the day to intensive cultivation, mindful of the challenges ahead.

-

Although Ceid still retained his physique strength, he was not considered a Shedding Mortality Realm from Body Cultivation Path.

Ceid's cultivation path majored in the Spiritual Cultivation Path. As a spiritual cultivator, his Origin Qi was stored in his Shen Dantian, not inside his body cells.

Although he had trained his body to become a G3 rank body, it did not contain Origin Qi.

He could only be considered a Pseudo G3 rank if you will.

His effort in rigorous physical training served a specific purpose: to prepare for his next realm of cultivation.

Previously, his cultivation was nearing the peak of the Spirit Core Realm. So, promotion to the Life Condensing Realm was around the corner.

Considering he had only been training for two years, this was an unprecedented achievement even among the genius in the higher civilization worlds.

A genius? Maybe. But he never considered himself one of them.

No one knew how much Ceid had put into achieving his remarkable progress. The tremendous effort and hellish training he put into improving his strength.

Why? It was because he had wanted to return to Earth.

Of course, if he were to compare to his contemporary peers, his level barely met professional employment requirements.

In those worlds, Junior and Senior practitioners are similar to students in primary and secondary school stages.

Though there were no age limits for employment, many demanding professional jobs required one to become a Venerable powerhouse before being hired. It's like graduating with a high school diploma.

For them, being promoted to Venerable meant the candidates were now suitable for interstellar occupations.

As for whether the candidate had the required knowledge or not, it was of little concern. With the mental strength of a Venerable level powerhouse, even those from another path besides the spiritual cultivation path could effortlessly learn by being imparted with the necessary knowledge.

Of course, learning a piece of knowledge and mastering a skill was an entirely different thing.

This requirement was especially true for those who want to work in professions related to interstellar travel.

Therefore, for Ceid to gain access to the interstellar transmission channel, he needed to become a Venerable powerhouse and secure a job with an interstellar organization.

Thankfully, his benefactor and elder who took him in was one of the Draconian Chamber of Commerce's shopkeepers.

So, the first thought in his mind was to become a member of the organization and request an assignment to Earth.

His benefactor, who knew his aspiration, supported his decision and took him in as one of his disciples.

That's where he met Amanda, a happy-go-lucky but resourceful senior sister, and Yan Lua, a technology geek and researcher in the Draconian Chamber of Commerce.

With their help and support, combined with his continuous efforts, Ceid made swift and considerable progress.

He expected to ascend and become Life Condensing Realm right after arriving at his new destination. For this purpose, he had diligently honed his body, ensuring it was primed for the transition whenever the opportunity arose.

But who knew he would be unfortunate enough to encounter such space turbulence?

And now that his core was damaged, he could no longer control and refine Origin Qi. That was why Wyd had recommended for Ceid to recultivate again.

-

In each realm, there are three stages of promotion.

Those in the first layer to the third layer are considered initial-stage practitioners. Next, the middle-stage practitioners were those in the fourth to sixth layer. Finally, those in the Seventh to Ninth layer were regarded as late-stage practitioners.

So, as you can see, there's a significant difference between each stage.

Incidentally, most awakeners on Blanc Planet were Initial Stage Junior Practitioners. Without proper guidance or systematic knowledge of cultivation, it would be hard for them to enter middle-stage and late-stage.

They would need a lot of resources to brute force their promotion by saturating the True Qi inside their body or dantian.

In cultivation, practitioners progress through distinct stages, each marked by the refinement and accumulation of True Qi within the dantian.

For Junior Practitioners, the journey begins with the accumulation of True Qi akin to how gases linger in the air. As their cultivation deepens, the True Qi condenses into streams, flowing like a small river, signaling the middle stage.

Ultimately, these streams merged into a mighty river in the late stage, symbolizing the practitioner's growing power.

When they advanced to Senior/Master Practitioners, they witnessed the transformation of their True Qi. In the beginning, the True Qi streams and rivers gather into a pond or small lake in the initial stage. Gradually, as the pond expands into a vast sea in the middle stage, until its power burgeons, the sea evolves into a True Qi ocean in the late stage. Its profound depths are reflected in its dark hue.

By the time one is ready to become a Venerable, all the True Qi in the air, the streams, rivers, and the ocean would be refined into Origin Qi and used to cast a core, floating above the original True Qi Ocean.

As all the True Qi in the ocean were refined into a core, they finally stabilized their realm in Venerable rank.

Now, with their cores fully formed, Venerable Practitioners can automatically refine any Aura Qi that enters their bodies, turning them into Origin Qi.

As practitioners ascend and become Venerables, the Aura Qi were continuously refined, culminating in the expansion of an Origin Qi core.

In the initial stage, the core refines every bit of Origin Qi they produced.

In the middle stage, as the core grew more powerful, they released more Origin Qi compared to before. The surplus Origin Qi drips downwards, forming an Origin Qi pond/spring, gradually forming a vast expanse of Origin Qi.

Finally, in the late stage, the dense Origin Qi not only formed an ocean but also began to fill the dantian with gasses of Origin Qi.

The higher concentration of this Origin Qi signifies the practitioner's mastery over their power.