Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

"The realm is originally known as the Mystic Yellow Realm, ruled by God Xuanqiong as the principal lord among the Three Realms, and beneath the Heavenly Emperor, there are great deities such as the Mansion Lord of Mount Tai, the East Sea Dragon King, the Deity of the Sun, and various sacred beings…"

"After the Desire Realm invaded, Mara launched an attack and battled with the Heavenly Emperor for tens of thousands of years, until the Heavenly Emperor was finally defeated by Mara. One after another, the great gods withdrew, leaving this realm to fall into Demon Land."

"After the Desire Realm took control, a great slaughter ensued, annihilating the Immortal Gods of the Mystic Yellow Realm and transforming the beings here into Demon Spirits, providing the Desire Realm with fresh troops to invade other worlds."

"Because the laws of the Desire Realm are based on the desires of all beings across the three realms and six paths, the Desire Realm also practiced farming them, allowing them to grow unrestrained before harvesting them again and again, a cycle repeated for an unknown number of years."

"One day, for reasons unknown, the Sky-reaching Tower appeared out of nowhere, altering the laws of heaven and earth in the Mystic Yellow Realm and breaking the rule of the Desire Realm, creating a new pattern between the Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss."

"…"

Inside the Taiping Temple, Xu Yang sat opposite Ao Chi, listening to her recount some ancient secrets of the Sky-reaching Tower.

As a child of Qi Fortune in the final era of a great calamity, first a Ninth Order Immortal God and later a Mythical Hero, she also had considerable privileges within the Sky-reaching Tower and was privy to some of its secrets.

Moreover, she also completed Xu Yang's understanding of the 'worldview' of the former Black Water World!

The Black Water World, no, it should be said the Mystic Yellow Realm, had indeed fallen into Demon Land. Except for the Immortal Gods that had fled, all sparks of hope were extinguished, and the Heavenly Dao had been swallowed by the Desire Realm.

But for some reason, an anomaly like the Sky-reaching Tower had emerged, stirring ripples into what seemed like a settled dust.

The details and possible implications of this were complex and would be put aside for now.

Xu Yang looked at Ao Chi and asked directly, "Chi, by what Mana Point did you attain your Immortal God Fruit?"

Ao Chi did not conceal anything, "First, I obtained the legacy of the Dragon Clan, then inheritances from several Immortal Gods and guidance from a few seniors in the Mystic Yellow Palace. My primary focus was on the Dragon Clan's Body Refinement method, purifying my own Chi Dragon true blood, while supplementing it with the Immortal Path of the Primordial Spirit, solidifying the three souls and seven spirits, the True Spirit of the Primordial Spirit…"

"Hmm!?"

Xu Yang frowned upon hearing this, "What about the Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Technique?"

Ao Chi shook her head with a wry smile and said, "The Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Technique is the great Mystic Yellow Path, requiring the unison of heaven and earth in one's Cultivation. At that time, the Mystic Yellow Realm had fallen into Demon Land, making this Cultivation Method difficult to practice. Although I dabbled in it, I did not delve deeply into it."

"Is that so?"

Xu Yang muttered to himself and fell into deep thought.

The Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Skill is the full name of the Earth Deity Law and the mainstream Cultivation Method of the Mystic Yellow Realm, the Heavenly Path.

Although the world has changed now and such techniques are difficult to practice, this did not affect Xu Yang's desire for it.

In addition to this, the way lords combat in this world is probably also closely related to the Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Law.

Xu Yang had some experience with this; in the previous great battle, with the help of 15,000 Taiping Yellow Heaven Guards, he unleashed a vast Wind and Rain Summoning Technique, marking the beginning of a reversal in the battle.

The power-boosting Casting of the personal guard Taoist Soldiers was a novel experience, somewhat similar to Formation, yet above Formation, at least above the Formation that Xu Yang currently understood.

It was more like mobilizing a world, achieving an enhancement through the Unity of Heaven and Man, and significantly empowering the lord, or "Earth Deity."

To say that it was a Formation would not be incorrect because at its core, a Formation is a means of summoning power by uniting heaven and humanity. However, this type of Formation was something Xu Yang had not come into contact with, let alone mastered.

Hence, Xu Yang decided to deepen his understanding with Ao Chi and fill the gaps left from his past in the Black Water World.

Several days later...

"This Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Technique is indeed profoundly mystical!"

"It is like a Formation and yet not, not a Formation yet it is, aligning with heaven above and resonating with the hearts of men below, enabling control over a piece of heaven and earth, an entire world, and the power of all creatures and things."

"Even though this world has been altered by the mighty change of the Sky-reaching Tower, changing its principles and Laws, the essence of many things remains unchanged. The personal guard species of the lord heroes, and the effects of this Territory World and various buildings, are feared to all relate to the Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Technique."

"Now that Chi has helped me complete this technique, I and my other incarnations from different lifetimes can engage in its deeper Cultivation to enhance our strength. As for this body...I must still follow the rules of the Sky-reaching Tower."

"The Territory, buildings, heroes, troops, and the weapons and equipment—this alternative Heavenly Gods and Earthly Spirits Technique may be just as effective for a 'lord' as the Heavenly Mechanics Methods."

"With my potentiality, below the Sixth Rank, I should be capable of single-handedly overpowering these Earth Deity Lords with my exceptional Personal Strength. However, above the Sixth Rank, it seems I will need to rely on the support of the Territory and Taoist Soldiers."

"So overall, the strategic approach remains uninterrupted, still focusing on territory development as the main goal. There must be a strong territorial support to contend with those known as lords, but who are in fact Heavenly God and Earthly Spirits, at the higher tiers."

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and in an instant, he made his decision.

Xu Yang refocused his gaze and looked at Ao Chi again, a light smile on his lips as he spoke, "Chi, your Cultivation Method foundation appears to be somewhat unstable."

"This..."

Ao Chi blinked, her expression one of surprised uncertainty, "Master, are you referring to the Body Refinement practice or the cultivation of the spirit?"

"Both!"

Xu Yang shook his head and said in a grave tone, "Great calamities and great fortunes are indeed opportunities, but they also risk encouraging growth too swiftly. You've entered the Ninth Realm within a millennium and achieved the Immortal God Fruit; much of it was aided by Qi Fortune, with insufficient accumulation and a shallow foundation, naturally leading to an unstable base."

Hearing this, Ao Chi was even more astonished, "Master, the several elders at Mystic Yellow Palace once said similar things to me... Master, have you also achieved the Immortal God Fruit?!"

Xu Yang smiled, neither confirming nor denying, "In the current realm of heaven and earth, despite the transformations by the Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss, nothing in this world is permanent, and change is constant; therefore, such cultivation practices cannot be neglected."

"Yes, yes!"

Ao Chi nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with even greater awe and indescribable wonder.

She held a near-blind worship and confidence in Xu Yang, even believing he could unravel the truth behind the Sky-reaching Tower and the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss, without completely disregarding reality.

Her heart clearly understood that the Master she revered so much was once just a minor Black Water Dragon Monarch with a Cultivation around the Third Realm; otherwise, he wouldn't have been driven to mutually assured destruction by a mere Blood Sea Asura.

Therefore, Ao Chi felt conflicted. She worshipped Xu Yang and had immense expectations and confidence in him, but she was also clearly aware of the realities that her Master's abilities were limited.

On the one hand were her emotions, and on the other, reality, with both naturally in conflict.

But now, she felt even more conflicted because she realized she couldn't even grasp the reality clearly.

What was going on with her Master, the Black Water Dragon Monarch, whose Cultivation was only at the Third Realm? How was it that he could now guide her, a fully realized Immortal God, speaking so convincingly and striking the crux of the matter?

Ao Chi was somewhat confused by the situation, her little eyes filled with great doubt.

Xu Yang did not elaborate further but set an example through his actions, "Great buildings rise from the ground. Now that you have the opportunity to rebuild your foundations, as long as they are solid, you will truly reach the Heavenly Dao!"

As an exceptional Mythical Hero, Ao Chi had the potential to ascend as an "Immortal Spirit."

But potential, if not actualized, is nothing but a castle in the air.

Xu Yang was now helping her to turn that potential into reality, advancing step by step towards becoming an Immortal Spirit Hero.

Xu Yang was very confident in this because his own achievements were too substantial, accumulated over tens of thousands of years across several lifetimes. This was not something a youngster like Ao Chi, who ascended quickly with the help of Qi Fortune, could compare with.

Currently, even without relying on the Heavenly Craft Mech, merely with his Cultivation Base Foundation and Realm potentiality, he could look down upon the group of immortals. He may not boast of defeating an Earth Immortal from a lower realm, but among Human Immortals, he was certainly unmatched and invincible.

In comparison, Ao Chi was probably only at the level of Ren Baimei at the beginning, and perhaps even beneath him. After all, Ren, the Mystic Heaven Sword Master, had a natural talent and accumulated tens of thousands of years of experience. The True Immortal Meritorious Fruit he achieved was built brick by brick, unlike Ao Chi whose achievements were bloated with "Qi Fortune."

What Xu Yang intended to do now was to squeeze out all of Ao Chi's "Qi Fortune" and have her rebuild her foundation from scratch to construct her tower high once again, pursuing the genuine Heaven-reaching Pathway.

While Xu Yang and Ao Chi were discussing the rebuilding of her path...

In a certain Territory World, in front of a Spiritual Mountain Cave Mansion, a young man paced back and forth, a look of anxiety on his face.

Suddenly, the Cave Mansion opened, Spiritual Mechanisms dispersed, and a man in white emerged.

"Brother!"

Upon seeing him, the young man quickly stepped forward, "There's trouble!"

"How many times have I told you, a Cultivator's composure is essential. You should maintain calm even if Mount Tai crumbles before you, yet you remain so agitated," said the man in white, shaking his head with an air of serenity and composure, unruffled by change, "What's the matter?"

The young man swallowed hard, "You've been surpassed!"

"What?!"