Chapter 4: Realm Division and the Scholar in Distress

“Hah… hah… Fairy Yun, stop for a moment, I can’t walk anymore…”

On the forest path, Xun Qiu looked at the dense green forest ahead and the cloud-shrouded mountains in the distance, feeling as if all the blood in his body was sinking, his head dizzy, and his limbs completely numb.

This was already six days later.

He and Yun Qingping had been traveling north all this way, covering nearly a hundred li a day, a number that completely exceeded his endurance.

If it weren’t for the medicinal baths every night to nourish his body, he would have long since tired to death on the road.

Of course, Yun Qingping was not intentionally torturing him or trying to temper some ethereal Dao heart, as Xun Qiu simply didn’t have such a thing.

The reason for doing this was purely because Xun Qiu’s root bone and meridians were too peculiar, like a tangled ball of thread.

The efficacy of the medicinal bath couldn’t penetrate his body at all.

Only by pushing his body’s potential to the extreme could it instinctively absorb the medicinal effects… but she was the only one who needed to know these things.

She was right beside Xun Qiu, her pace unhurried, always maintaining a position slightly ahead of him, making him feel that he could catch up to her with just one more step.

But when he really took that step, he could only find that the gap had narrowed, but he still needed to try harder.

This could also be considered a form of subtle motivation.

“You can’t even endure this little bit of hardship, and you still want to cultivate immortality?

Xun Qiu, among the juniors I’ve seen, you are among the worst in terms of willpower.”

Yun Qingping said faintly.

Of course, Xun Qiu had never heard this kind of classic motivational speech before, and for a moment, he also doubted himself.

“For real… we walk seven or eight hours every day.

I think I’ve tried hard enough.

The total distance I’ve walked in my entire life is not as long as these few days…”

Seeing that he had mustered up the motivation to refute her, and had absorbed a bit more of the medicinal power, even having the strength to speak, Yun Qingping secretly nodded.

‘As expected, this method is still effective.’

“Next, I will tell you about the division of cultivation realms.

Concentrate and listen carefully.

If you fall behind me, I won’t repeat it later.”

Xun Qiu muttered:

“Then can’t I just ask my new master…”

Thump—

Xun Qiu, with a bump on his head, wore a solemn expression.

“Fairy Yun, please speak.”

Yun Qingping paused for a moment, seemingly organizing her words.

It had been a long time since she had explained these common knowledge issues to anyone, so she needed a moment to recall where to begin.

“The path of cultivation is divided into the first five realms, the middle four realms, and the last three realms, for a total of twelve realms.

This is a division of realms summarized by our predecessors and sages, and it is universally applicable.

Among the great clans and sects, there is also the saying of ‘Five Steps of Foundation,’ ‘Four Levels of the Tower,’ and ‘Three Heavens.’

“As the name suggests, the first five realms are all for laying a good foundation, tempering the body, and increasing divine sense, just like building a house requires a foundation first.

The better the foundation, the higher the building can be built.

Only by completing the Five Steps of Foundation can one have a place in the cultivation world.

Specifically, they are the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation realms, but you don’t need to remember them so clearly.

Just calling them one, two, three, four, five is fine.”

Xun Qiu listened intently, and the pace of his steps unconsciously lightened a lot.

“The middle four realms are also known as the Four Realms of Ascension, or the Four Levels of the Tower.

Most cultivators in the world today are in this major realm.

Those lower than this are juniors who need protection, and those higher are senior experts who do not easily make a move, people on the Celestial Rankings, whose numbers can be counted on one hand across the Five Continents and Four Extremes.”

Yun Qingping looked up ahead, her brow suddenly furrowed, but then it relaxed again, not letting Xun Qiu notice anything was amiss.

“This is the stage where one cultivates Dao methods and senses divine charm.

It is the stage where we cultivators truly enter the hall and pull away from each other.

There are no specific names for these realms; when we meet, we just say the sixth realm, the seventh realm, or the first level of the tower, the second level, and so on.”

Xun Qiu asked with a hint of anticipation:

“Then, are you in the last three realms, Fairy?”

“No, I am in the middle four realms, the ninth realm, the fourth level of the tower.”

Yun Qingping said with a touch of emotion.

“To be precise, it is a special ninth realm, a step further than the ordinary ninth realm, like Bo Qiuyun’s, but not yet reaching the last three realms.

It’s stuck in the middle, incredibly awkward.

Some people believe that this realm is the true limit of a human, so they also call it the Perfected Person realm.”

“So, Fairy, you are a super expert at the Perfected Person realm.”

Xun Qiu nodded.

“The only ones stronger than you are the senior masters of the last three realms.

You are so young, Fairy; you will definitely be stronger than them in the future.”

Yun Qingping elbowed him in annoyance.

“I don’t need you to comfort me.”

Xun Qiu grimaced in pain.

“I’m speaking the truth…

So what about the last three realms?”

“The last three realms, the Three Heavens, I don’t know much about them either.”

Yun Qingping slowly shook her head.

“I only know that the first realm of the last three realms is called ‘Celestial Being.’

They sense the laws of heaven and earth, contain the creation of the universe, and their words can become the law of the world…

In words you can understand, a single sentence can make a waterfall fly backward, and mountains hang upside down…

The sect master of the Grand Profound Sect is at this realm.

If you want to know, you can ask her later.”

Just as Xun Qiu was about to speak, he suddenly heard a miserable cry from a distance, followed by a strange, sharp roar that shook the mountain forest, startling countless birds into flight.

He was suddenly a little scared and subconsciously looked at Yun Qingping.

“Should we go save them?”

She also turned her head to look.

“You decide.”

“This…”

Xun Qiu thought about it seriously.

If he were alone, he wouldn’t go meddling for anything in the world, but now with Fairy Yun by his side, maybe this was just a test of his character she wanted to conduct…

“Fairy, let’s go!”

Xun Qiu said with sincere emotion.

“If we delay any longer, that person might die.”

The corner of Yun Qingping’s mouth, hidden under the bamboo hat and veil, curled up.

She didn’t speak, but her pace quickened.

Xun Qiu rubbed his sore arms and legs, gritted his teeth, and followed.

…

In the woods, a young man dressed in a simple plain robe, with a net scarf on his head and straw sandals on his feet, dressed like a scholar, was running for his life.

Suddenly, his foot tripped.

A tree root hidden in the fallen leaves neatly sent him tumbling to the ground.

The wooden box on the scholar’s back slammed heavily into him, and the books inside scattered all over the ground with a clatter.

By the time the young man scrambled to his feet, the inhuman footsteps and heavy panting from behind were already closing in.

He staggered to dodge a claw attack from behind, the book box flew out, and he fell to the ground again.

He turned his head and saw the terrifying shadow chasing him—a strange beast with the body of a wolf, a red head, and the eyes of a rat.

It was huge, but its roar was very strange, like the squeal of a piglet.

Seeing the monster’s saliva dripping down and corroding small pits in the ground, the young man was so scared that he crawled back a few steps.

The monster slowly approached, and the pungent stench and its hot breath filled his nostrils, making him clearly realize that danger was imminent, and his mind went blank.

‘It’s over, it’s all over… my short and uneventful life…’

He closed his eyes, feeling the monster rush toward him, but it stopped at the last moment.

At the same time, a shouting and yelling voice came from the side.

“Wow!

Fairy, look, this thing is so ugly!”