Chapter 292: The Twelve Realms
"Hmm, these two fish seem to contain something valuable."
By the stream.
After slicing open the fish, Xiao Tiance found nothing unusual; they looked like ordinary fish. But just as he began to wonder, he suddenly felt a faint current flowing through his hands and into his body.
"So that's it. I thought I sensed something calling to me turns out it was spirit energy."
Smiling, he quickly cleaned the fish, started a fire, and roasted them.
After finishing his meal, he prepared to continue exploring this mysterious land. However, before he could take a step, he looked up sharply toward the southeast.
Even though he didn't see anyone, his soul perception had picked up more than 50 people rapidly approaching his location.
At the Ashes of the Soul Eating Forest
Moments later, Elder Wuyun of Tianlan Sect arrived with 50 disciples, all at the Shenpo Realm, only to find the once vital Soul Eating Forest reduced to ashes.
Rage consumed him as he roared:
"Who dares burn down my Tianlan Sect's Soul Eating Forest? Do you have a death wish?!"
The elder's voice boomed across the land, and even Xiao Tiance, some distance away, heard it clearly.
"So, that grove of 'demonic trees' was called the Soul Eating Forest," Xiao Tiance murmured. "Fitting name. Those glowing spheres must have been spirit cores from captured beasts. So, the Tianlan Sect owns this place?"
Through his soul perception, Xiao Tiance identified Elder Wuyun as the only one with even a marginally respectable level of strength. As for the rest, they were laughably weak he could obliterate them all with a flick of his finger.
Deciding to meet these people head on, Xiao Tiance soared toward the Soul Eating Forest's ruins. Within mere breaths, he appeared before them.
The Confrontation
Seeing Xiao Tiance's sudden, silent arrival, Elder Wuyun narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Who are you? Why are you here? Was it you who destroyed our Tianlan Sect's Soul Eating Forest?"
Despite Xiao Tiance standing just 20 to 30 meters away, Wuyun couldn't sense even the faintest trace of spirit energy from him. Alarm bells rang in the elder's mind.
Wuyun's centuries of experience told him that this unassuming man was extremely dangerous.
Xiao Tiance's voice cut through the tension, calm and cold:
"I have no interest in answering your questions. Instead, I'll ask you: does anyone among you have answers to my questions? If not, you can all die here."
The Tianlan Sect disciples recoiled in fear. Even Elder Wuyun felt a chill run down his spine. Xiao Tiance's commanding aura, honed through centuries of leadership in the Dou Qi Continent, left no room for doubt this man was used to having his word treated as law.
In the Great Thousand World, everyone who could cultivate possessed spirit energy. Yet here stood a man with none, speaking with the arrogance of an overlord.
Wuyun's expression darkened as he growled:
**"You barge into our Tianlan Sect's Level 5 Array and destroy the Soul Eating Forest, yet you refuse to explain yourself? Do you take us for fools?
"Few in the Tian Cang Northern Boundary have the power to destroy the forest, and I know all of them. You clearly aren't from around here.
"Even though I cannot sense any spirit energy from you, your ability to bypass our array and incinerate the forest proves you're no ordinary figure.
"So, I'll give you a chance. State your purpose here. Are you a friend or foe?"**
Xiao Tiance smirked. At least now, he knew he was in the Tian Cang Northern Boundary, though the exact location still eluded him.
"My purpose? Simple. I wandered here by accident, and those ghostly creatures dared attack me first. So, I burned them. Does that satisfy you?"
Wuyun frowned deeply, scrutinizing Xiao Tiance again. The man's aura was impossible to decipher, and his self assured tone suggested unparalleled confidence.
Furthermore, Xiao Tiance referred to himself as "this seat" a title reserved for figures of supreme authority.
Most alarmingly, Wuyun, a mid Rongtian cultivator, couldn't see through this man's strength. The destruction of the forest in such a short time was beyond even the capabilities of Hua Tian or Tong Tian cultivators.
At a minimum, this man had to be in the Xiao San Nan Realm the Small Three Difficulties Realm.
The Twelve Realms of Cultivation
In the Great Thousand World, cultivation was divided into twelve realms:
Sensing Realm (Ganying Jing): The foundation stage where cultivators first attune to spirit energy.
Spiritual Movement Realm (Lingdong Jing): Absorbing and refining spirit energy into the body.
Spiritual Wheel Realm (Linglun Jing): Spirit energy condenses into a wheel, amplifying destructive power.
Spirit Core Realm (Shenpo Jing): A crucial turning point; allows refining spirit cores from beasts.
After this point, one is considered a true powerhouse:
5. Rongtian Realm (Fusion Heaven): Merging with the heavens to manipulate environmental spirit energy.
6. Huatian Realm (Transform Heaven): The soul transcends the body, blending into the world.
7. Tongtian Realm (Through Heaven): The soul roams freely, independent of the body, achieving near immortality.
The next three were collectively known as the Small Three Difficulties:
8. Earth Difficulty Realm (Xiaotiandi Jing): Overcoming mortal limitations.
9. Heaven Difficulty Realm (Tiandunan Jing): Shattering boundaries of heaven and earth.
10. Great Difficulty Realm (Datiandi Jing): Achieving unity with the cosmos.
Finally, the supreme realms:
11. Heavenly Sovereign Realm (Tianzun Jing): Near divine power.
12. Ancestral Sovereign Realm (Zuzun Jing): The pinnacle of cultivation, true immortality.
Wuyun's tone softened. "So, you have no enmity with Tianlan Sect?"
The anger had drained from his face, replaced by caution. If this man truly was a Xiao San Nan cultivator, conflict would spell disaster for Tianlan Sect.
Xiao Tiance didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze swept over the group, noting their fear and hesitation.
"No enmity," he finally replied. "But waste my time, and that might change."
Upon reaching this level of strength, one could navigate the continent freely. As long as one acted cautiously and avoided recklessness, the risk of grave danger was minimal.
However, to progress further and reach the Supreme Realm, one must overcome the Three Minor Difficulties of Supremacy:
The Body Challenge (First Difficulty): Reinforce the physical body to lay the foundation for becoming a Supreme.
The Spirit Energy Challenge (Second Difficulty): Strengthen spirit energy.
The Soul Challenge (Third Difficulty): Refine the soul through the Three Fires of Supreme Tempering.
Once these challenges were conquered, one could ascend to the Supreme Realm, the hallmark of a powerhouse in the Great Thousand World.
The Supreme Realm
The Supreme Realm is divided into nine ranks, with the First Rank being the lowest and the Ninth Rank the pinnacle. A cultivator's rank is marked by the size of their Supreme Sea and the quality of their Supreme Avatar.
Beyond the Supreme
Earth Supremes (Lower, Upper, and Perfection stages): Signified by mastery of Heaven and Earth Manifestations.
Heavenly Supremes (Spirit, Immortal, and Saint stages): Marked by the development of the Heavenly Sovereign Spirit Body.
At the pinnacle of all cultivation lies the Dominion Realm, the highest level in the Great Thousand World. Cultivators at this stage comprehend the Will of the World and can leave their mark on the Heavens' Roll of Honor.
However, since the dawn of the Great Thousand World, no one has ever reached the Dominion Realm.
Xiao Tiance understood these realms, but he was unsure of the exact levels of those in front of him. Without a reference point, he could not accurately assess their strength.
Cautious by nature, Xiao Tiance always acted after careful planning. Having just arrived in the Great Thousand World, his priority was to gather information.
Confrontation with Tianlan Sect
Xiao Tiance shook his head and said coldly:
**"I hold no grudge against your Tianlan Sect. As I mentioned, I arrived here by chance and was attacked by those cursed creatures. They angered me, so I burned them to ashes.
"Now tell me: does your Tianlan Sect intend to oppose me for this?"**
Though he remained calm, Xiao Tiance exuded a suffocating pressure. If these people could not provide him with the information he sought, he would not hesitate to eliminate them.
In the cultivation world, strength was the ultimate rule. One need not provoke another to justify a kill; the strong ruled, and the weak perished.
Elder Wuyun, sensing the sharp killing intent in Xiao Tiance's eyes, spoke nervously:
**"Sir, our sect master, Bai Lan, is a late stage Fusion Heaven cultivator. If you're not from the Tian Cang Northern Boundary, offending our Tianlan Sect might bring you unnecessary trouble.
"Our sect is backed by powerful superforces. Even if you've reached the Supreme Realm, crossing us may lead to your demise."**
These words were meant as both a warning and a veiled plea for peace.
Understanding Their Strength
Xiao Tiance smirked inwardly as Wuyun unknowingly revealed the information he sought.
Tianlan Sect's sect master was at the Fusion Heaven stage, the first level of the Three Heavens Realm.
As for Wuyun himself, his power seemed comparable to late Fusion Heaven at best.
The other 50 disciples were likely at the Spirit Core Realm.
With this knowledge, Xiao Tiance gained confidence in his ability to deal with the situation.
Xiao Tiance's Response
He chuckled darkly:
"It seems your Tianlan Sect believes I won't dare act against you."
As he spoke, his killing intent grew palpable. The oppressive air around him made it clear that if Wuyun's next words displeased him, a massacre would follow.
"Wait! Sir, we have no intention of being your enemy!" Wuyun hurriedly exclaimed, cold sweat dripping down his face.
Having lived for centuries, Wuyun had experienced many crises, but none like this. He felt as if death's scythe hovered just above him.
Though Tianlan Sect's reputation and the Soul Eating Forest were important, survival was paramount. If he died, nothing else would matter.
A Proposal for Peace
Wuyun bowed deeply and said respectfully:
**"My lord, I was blind to your power earlier. Please forgive my offense.
"If you are willing, why not accompany us to our Tianlan Sect? There, we can host you with the utmost respect and answer any questions you may have."**
Xiao Tiance considered the offer. Staying here any longer seemed unproductive. He needed to learn about his surroundings, locate Xiao Xuan and the others, and address the suppression of his Dou Qi by the Plane's Embryonic Will. Until his Dou Qi was replaced with spiritual energy, he would be at a significant disadvantage against truly powerful foes.
Agreement
With a nod, Xiao Tiance replied:
"Very well. Lead the way. But know this: if you try anything, you'll regret it."
As he spoke, he extinguished the golden flames of his Golden Emperor Heaven Burning Flame, eliciting visible relief among the Tianlan Sect members.
Wuyun, wiping his brow, quickly said:
"This way, my lord. Please follow us."
Xiao Tiance followed the group. After traveling some distance, they arrived at a formation. Xiao Tiance immediately recognized the telltale signs of a spirit array.
Although Xiao Tiance was skilled at creating spirit arrays, his lack of spiritual energy made it impossible to detect inactive ones. Only by touching the array's barrier could he sense its presence.
Wuyun gestured toward the formation and said respectfully:
"My lord, this teleportation array leads directly to our Tianlan Sect."
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