Chapter 292: Meridian Opening Realm to the Soul Formation Realm
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Hearing Xu Zhiyuan's words, Chen Tian realized what he meant.
Cultivating the first seven levels is relatively simple for cultivators with sufficient talent, as they only require an adequate amount of spiritual Qi to progress.
Body Refinement involves using spiritual Qi to enhance physical strength and resilience.
The next level, Qi Refinement, involves refining one's spiritual Qi to enhance internal energy and power.
At this stage, cultivators can begin utilizing their Qi for practicing martial arts techniques and combat skills.
The Meridian Opening Realm is where things start to get more complex. Opening all ten meridian channels requires using refined Qi to unlock the full potential of one's internal energy flow.
Upon opening all Meridians, cultivators advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, focusing on building a strong foundation.
This involves further refining their spiritual Qi, strengthening their physical bodies, and integrating their martial arts skills to create a strong and resilient foundation.
Of course, because all meridians are opened, the spiritual Qi refined this time is more powerful and abundant, so it would transform into a liquid form, flowing smoothly and effortlessly throughout the body.
At that level, cultivators can harness their Qi outside their bodies, creating powerful energy shields and attacks that can be used in combat.
The next step was the Core Formation Realm, where cultivators would focus on condensing their spiritual Qi and dantian into a core.
The Core Formation Realm was the real test for a cultivator known as "Sancai" or "Tianlei Sancai Tribulation."
A name whispered by sages, etched in ancient scrolls, and feared by those who tread the path of cultivation.
May you emerge from this ordeal reborn, a beacon among stars!
It is also known as the three-realm tribulation.
Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. This trial brings mortal existence closer to the heavens, harmonizing the trinity of life and death.
Heaven: The ethereal realm, where the Soul Sea opens, and the Divine Soul merge with the spiritual Qi to form a powerful connection with the heavens and the laws.
Earth: The corporeal plane, where the Core condenses, stabilizing the cultivator's essence.
Humanity: The vessel itself, transformed by the final lightning, transcending mortality.
Only when the cultivator passes through each of these tests can they finally become a true Core Formation expert.
And it was because of this that the difference between the Foundation Establishment Realm and the Core Formation Realm was so vast and profound.
A Foundation Establishment could at most live for 500 years, while a Core Formation expert would reach a lifespan of 3,000 years.
The huge difference in lifespan was just one of the many benefits of reaching the Core Formation realm. The power and abilities gained were unmatched by anything in the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Even if Chen Tian reaches the Peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, it would be challenging for him to defeat a Core Formation expert.
There is a slight chance of success if he simultaneously activates the Fire and Lightning crystals, although it remains a risky move, and he didn't know if his body could handle both powers.
The next realm after Core Formation would be the Nascent Soul Realm, where cultivators would have to break their Core and let their Nascent Soul emerge so they could condense a Lotus seed.
Upon reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, they will need to continue feeding the Lotus seed with spiritual energy and the power of their laws in order to grow it into a Lotus flower.
This process usually takes time, since it would take a lot of spiritual energy and dedication to nourish the Lotus seed into full bloom.
That is why the life span of a normal Nascent Soul was about 12,000 years, as the constant cultivation and nourishment required to sustain the Lotus flower was incredibly taxing on the cultivator's body and spirit, especially the pocket.
After successfully feeding the lotus seed, it will bloom into a beautiful and powerful Lotus flower, radiating powerful laws and spiritual power.
It will also announce that the cultivator has stepped into the Soul Formation Realm.
The Lotus flower will also showcase the cultivator's talent and foundation.
Originally, a normal Soul Formation cultivator would bloom a Lotus flower with 10–15 petals; a talented cultivator might produce a Lotus with 20–30 petals; and a rare genius could even achieve a Lotus with 50–70 petals.
The number of petals on the Lotus flower would determine the cultivator's potential in the future.
After advancing to the realm of the Soul Formation Realm, it was simple to advance further as it would require more spiritual energy to keep feeding the Lotus flower, causing it to nourish the body and strengthen the cultivator's soul.
But this time it was different from normal nourishment, since the Lotus nourished the body with the power of laws, allowing the cultivator to not only strengthen their soul but also gain a deeper understanding of the laws.
That is why, in this realm, the cultivators only need to comprehend their laws to 100% and keep feeding the Lotus Flower.
If one doesn't have any treasures that can help them advance, just relying on themselves, it would take thousands of years, if not longer, to reach the peak.
A Soul Formation Realm cultivator has a limited life span of 30,000 years.
Comprehending a law was easy since the cultivator could rely on several techniques, such as meditation, visualization, and studying ancient texts, so there wasn't a problem with advancing quickly in their cultivation with good resources.
However, the real challenge came in the next realm, the Dao Fusion Realm.
It was something that even a mountain of treasures wouldn't help someone reach. At this level, the cultivator had to merge their own soul with the laws of heaven and start gasping the Dao.
Every cultivator's Dao understanding is unique and requires a deep understanding of oneself and the heavens.
Many cultivators struggled at this stage, unable to progress despite their efforts and resources. It was said that those who were stuck in the Soul Formation Realm often faced this daunting challenge in the Dao Fusion Realm.
But after grasping 1% of the Dao, a cultivator can start merging this trace of understanding with their own lotus flower.
Only when the Lotus Flower fully transforms into a Dao Lotus Flower does a cultivator truly break through to the next realm.
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As for the other realm, it's still too early for Chen Tian to even talk about them.
Progressing from the Meridian Opening Realm to the Soul Formation Realm within 5 years with resources is relatively straightforward, but further advancement depends on the cultivator.
Since reaching that level requires a significant financial investment, if the cultivator lacks talent, all the money and time invested would be wasted.