Ancient Gods - V1C12

 

Cultivation Dual Cultivation

Prologue: Farewell, Fourth Elder 1: A remaining mark 2: The Star Emperor Tower 3: Lingxu's Hostage 4: A Bunch of Hypocrites 5: Su Fei 6: The Duel 7: Dao of Divine Pills 8: Beauty Pill 9: Mastering Alchemy 10: Xu Xin and Su Fei Are Denied 11: No Meat, No Soup, No Cooking 12: The Extraordinary Tianxuan Realm 13: A Salted Fish Turns over 14: Those Elders Have No Shame 15: The Yangchun Pill

Content coming soon

Content coming soon

Edits in process

Chapter 12

The Extraordinary Tianxuan Realm

Mo Yang didn't want to continue entangling with these old fellows. He left his courtyard behind and walked away. At this time, dusk was falling, and the afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the sky with colorful clouds. Just looking up at the long sky, an indescribable sense of loneliness rose in Mo Yang's heart.

In the past, even if the other Elders and disciples of the Lingxu Sect didn't favor him, there was always the Fourth Elder who accompanied him, constantly encouraging him, and he never felt lonely.

But now, it seemed like he was the only person left in the world. He raised his head, closed his eyes, and exhaled deeply. The Xuan Tian Continent is vast and boundless. The Lingxu Sect is an ordinary sect located in the western part of the continent. There are countless sects in the western region alone, and it is said that this expansive continent is home to several ancient Holy Lands with extremely long legacies.

"Xiao Yang, your Master has never left the western part of the continent in his life. In the future, you must go out and see the world; that is where Geniuses compete."

The Fourth Elder's words seemed to still echo in his ears. Now that the Fourth Elder was gone, Mo Yang's heart was no longer here. He planned to leave when the time was right. Not only did he need to become stronger, but he also wanted to find some answers.

Because he carried too many secrets. It seemed some powerful individual had tampered with him. To this day, he had never even heard the name Star Emperor. He had once looked through ancient texts in the Hidden Library Pavilion but found no record of it.

It wasn't until nightfall that Mo Yang returned to Wood Peak, assuming the Elders had already departed. He entered the small courtyard, his hands clasped behind his back, and noticed the flickering candlelight in the room, suggesting someone was still there.

Mo Yang paused, momentarily amazed. Had those old fellows really waited for him? He pushed the door open, and the sight that greeted him left him utterly astounded. Candlelight danced in the room, and a steaming wooden tub stood before him. To his surprise, someone was occupying the tub. It was typically used by Mo Yang for baths, especially during this time, when he was taking Marrow Cleansing Pills that expelled impurities from his body.

The figure in the steaming tub was none other than Su Fei. Although he never had any romantic feelings for her, he found it difficult to suppress the instinctual reaction stirring within him. Despite his better judgment, his gaze involuntarily wandered to her chest. He was a young man, after all, and it was a natural response to be confronted with a beautiful naked girl.

After waking up and noticing an unpleasant odor, she dreaded the thought of running into anyone on her way back home. After talking with her father and grandfather, she convinced them to leave, then took a quick bath. Who could have predicted that Mo Yang would return so soon? She hadn’t intended for this to happen, and now she felt very embarrassed.

A few breaths later, a scream shattered the night, jolting Mo Yang and causing his expression to shift dramatically. He quickly turned, closed the door, and fled in a panic, not daring to look back.

That’s my place, dammit!

It wasn't until midnight that Mo Yang stealthily returned. After monitoring the area and confirming that Su Fei had left, he finally exhaled a sigh of relief. Back in his room, he locked the place carefully and ascended to the Star Emperor Tower. His True Qi was intensifying, becoming difficult to contain, signaling he was nearing a breakthrough.

The Heavenly Profound Realm[i] differed from the previous three realms, as it consisted of nine stages instead of three. This realm served as a crucial turning point for cultivators. Upon breaking through to the Heavenly Profound Realm, one needed to open the Profound Meridians within the body, akin to unlocking nine internal treasure troves that connected the entire system. At that point, the Spiritual Root would flow throughout the body, greatly enhancing combat abilities compared to previous realms.

Mo Yang sat quietly on the second floor of the Star Emperor Tower. After several hours of meditation, he ingested a Juyuan Pill he had set aside. With a single thought, the golden True Qi within his Dantian surged, rushing through his meridians as activated by the Star Emperor Sutra Mind-cultivation Technique. The True Qi wrapped around his skin, flowing like golden dragons.

The Qi Origin on the second floor of the Stone Pagoda fluctuated, and the Qi Essence[ii] in the space was continuously absorbed. Soon, a wave of Qi Origin radiated from Mo Yang's body, accompanied by a powerful cultivation fluctuation spreading outward.

Upon reaching the final step to reach the Heavenly Profound Realm, his body underwent a transformation into a Tianxuan body[iii], unlocking the nine realms as they began to shift, allowing him to break through the cultivation barrier.

His body convulsed intensely as his Dantian expanded to more than double its original size. The golden True Qi[iv] began to flow backward through the meridians, gathering and surging along a single path. The Tianxuan Realm[v] consisted of nine stages, and with each breakthrough, an Xuanmai must be unlocked within the body. Having reached the first level of the Tianxuan Realm, Mo Yang’s next goal was to activate the mysterious Xuanmai meridians[vi].

Fourth Elder had previously imparted a wealth of knowledge about martial arts related to this rare Realm. While it is typically the case that one Xuanmai is opened with each breakthrough, Cultivators may also choose otherwise. It is said that exceptional Prodigies can unlock two or even more Xuanmai at once, significantly increasing their combat prowess.

"The Dantian is essentially the largest Xuanmai. If I treat it as my first Xuanmai and open it again, will it yield different results?" Mo Yang contemplated. As he focused his thoughts, his True Qi flowed backward once more. Activating the Star Emperor Sutra Mind-cultivation Technique, the turbulent True Qi surged forcefully into his Dantian.

"Ah..."

Mo Yang let out a scream instantly; his Dantian was shattered by the shock, and he almost collapsed completely. A mouthful of fresh blood instantly surged into his throat, and a vivid red bloodstain immediately overflowed from the corner of his mouth.

Mo Yang had never experienced such pain; at this moment, it was like having his tendons pulled and bones flayed. It was like being cut into a thousand pieces; his consciousness blurred, and he almost fainted directly.

Mo Yang had not realized the seriousness of the consequences. No one had ever attempted this method, because according to the rules of opening Xuanmai in the Tianxuan Realm, no one would ever treat the Dantian as a Xuanmai to be opened.

However, at this moment, the Mind-cultivation Technique was still in effect, and the fractured Dantian, under the ravages of the violent True Qi, seemed on the verge of complete collapse.

The True Qi within his body was already in complete chaos, completely out of his control.

"Boom..."

Suddenly, Mo Yang felt the entire Stone Pagoda shake. He noticed patterns illuminating on the surrounding tower walls, radiating brilliant light, as beams of energy converged towards him from all directions.

In that moment, he sensed the echo of the Great Dao, with chants seeming to resonate all around him. His eyes were firmly shut, his face showing signs of distress, and his consciousness began to fade. He remained unaware of the changes on the nearby tower walls; divine light surged forth, and ancient symbols appeared, producing immense sound waves.

Meanwhile, the Star Emperor Sutra within him activated on its own, creating a resonance with the Stone Pagoda. Remarkably, his previously damaged Dantian stabilized and began to heal. He gritted his teeth and endured through the discomfort, but eventually couldn't hold on any longer. Drowsiness engulfed him, and he faded into a deep sleep.

After an indeterminate period, Mo Yang awakened, feeling excruciating pain throughout his body, as if every part of his skin had been sliced by a blade. Struggling to open his eyes, he found that the Stone Pagoda had returned to tranquility.

Quickly, he focused on his Dantian and was relieved to find it intact and seemingly even larger. However, due to prior mismanagement of his True Qi, his Meridians had suffered some damage. Yet, he was not overly concerned about the injuries to his Meridians; he remembered the Disconnecting Pill he had previously refined, intended for healing.

“That was close; I nearly made a grave mistake!” Mo Yang thought, recalling the chaotic events before he lost consciousness. He vaguely remembered a great disturbance in the Stone Pagoda, with the Thread Dao roaring, and a mystical bond had formed between him and the structure.

“It appears this Star Emperor Tower is even more enigmatic than I originally thought...” Without further delay, he settled into meditation to recover, as his internal injuries were significant, and he needed to heal rapidly.

He spent two days within the Stone Pagoda, consuming three Disconnecting Pills during that time. Mo Yang only ceased his cultivation once his Meridians had healed to about seventy or eighty percent.

With his Realm breakthrough, he felt an extraordinary power coursing through him. The Tianxuan Realm was undeniably different from the realms he had previously experienced. Channeling his True Qi, he raised his hand and pointed, sending a wisp of Sword Qi that instantly pierced through the stone stool in the small courtyard.

“Truly, life is full of unexpected turns. In just under two months, I have reached the Tianxuan Realm—a state I once dreamed of, now so within reach…” Mo Yang couldn't help but reflect on how just two months ago, this Realm seemed utterly out of his grasp.

  

---

[i] Heavenly Profound Realm is the 4^th Realm and has 9 levels. (Fiction)

[ii] The two exist in a constant state of transformation: Essence creates Qi, and Qi protects and renews Essence. A deficiency in one eventually leads to a deficiency in the other. For example, weak Yuan Qi can lead to poor development, while depleted Essence (often due to aging or overwork) results in a loss of the "motive force" required to sustain life. These explainers define Qi Essence as a stored, tangible substance and Qi Origin as the active, inherited energy that drives bodily functions.

[iii] In Chinese culture, Tianxuan (天璇, tiān xuán) primarily refers to a celestial body but also appears as a modern brand name and personal name. Here, Tianxuan is refereed as another realm.

[iv] In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), True Qi (known as Zhen Qi) is the final, most refined form of energy that circulates throughout the body's channels and nourishes the organs. It represents the culmination of all the body's internal transformation processes. 

Key Characteristics of True Qi

• Formation: It is formed in the Lungs. It results from the combination of Gathering Qi (derived from air and food) and Original Qi (the foundational energy inherited from parents).

• Subdivisions: Once formed, True Qi differentiates into two primary functional forces:

• Nutritive Qi (Ying Qi): Circulates within the blood vessels and meridians to nourish the internal organs.
• Defensive Qi (Wei Qi): Circulates on the surface of the body to protect against external pathogens and regulate body temperature.

• Function: It is the "usable" or "functional" Qi that maintains all physiological processes and life activities. 

• Significance: True Qi is considered the indicator of a person's overall physical and mental health. A deficiency in True Qi suggests an imbalance in either how the body processes food and air or a decline in inherited vitality.

[v] The Tianxuan Realm is a realm that very few cultivators reach. It is not considered a 5th realm but more like a side realm that allows the cultivator to attain supreme strength. This realm has 9 levels. (Fiction)

[vi] "Xuanmai" (also spelled Xuan Mai) in the context of cultivation generally refers to "Mysterious Meridians" (玄脉). It is a concept found in Chinese fantasy genres such as Xianxia and Xuanhuan, where it represents the internal energy pathways a cultivator uses to circulate Qi.

In modern web novels (e.g., Against the Gods), the "Xuanmai" or Profound Veins are the central organ system for cultivation. Key aspects include:

• The Power Source: It serves as the "engine" that converts environmental energy into internal power (Qi or Profound Energy).
• Opening the Gates: A common plot device involves the protagonist having damaged or "crippled" meridians that must be miraculously healed or upgraded to start their journey.
• Innate Talent: The quality, width, and number of "opened" Xuanmai often determine a character's Spiritual Root or innate talent for cultivation.

 

Editor’s note

Understanding the complex fantasy cultivation, realms, levels, and stages can be quite challenging, especially when terms like True Qi, Tianxuan, Xuanmai, Eight Meridians, and other terms are involved, compounded by poor English translations. Adding that each novel does not follow the same pattern, a profane can be lost. After reading this novel for a while, I gained a better grasp of its cultivation system and various transformations. Below is my interpretation, which may not be entirely accurate, but it has certainly aided my reading experience—perhaps it will help you too.

A Xuanmai can be compared to a 'Qi Essence Tank.' To progress to the next level, this Xuanmai needs to be filled. Mo Yang takes longer to make breakthroughs, but when he does, his power can increase significantly, potentially doubling or tripling, allowing him to match higher realms. Each breakthrough opens a new Xuanmai 'tank' that must also be filled. These "tanks" are linked by special pathways via his existing meridians, with a total of nine Xuanmai available. Each breakthrough to a new realm results in the emergence of one additional 'tank.'  While each 'tank' can be depleted during battles, they will refill with Qi Essence after cultivation. It is a vast reservoir that Mo Yang can utilize freely. 

 

The Tianxuan realm lies after the Heavenly Profound realm. While it remains unseen by outsiders, for Mo Yang, it amplifies his powers by 2 or 3 times, allowing him to use all the 'Qi essence tanks'. For outsiders, he is still at the Heavenly Profound realm. This hidden realm will provide a substantial boost and advantage.

 
Each realm has its own limits, and as Mo Yang unlocks more realms, he becomes more powerful. At this point in the series, he is undergoing significant physical changes. The ten years of accumulated Qi Origin and Qi Essence have drastically transformed him. However, these changes are not visible to others. It's akin to a warrior with an average build that's visible to all, yet he wields an invisible sword. Alternatively, think of a man of ordinary height who possesses the strength of a giant. This will become more apparent later in the novel.