Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Division of Ancient Races

“Junior does not understand and humbly asks Senior Nangong to enlighten me and guide me through this confusion!”

“It’s not surprising you don’t know. Even in the age of antiquity, there were few who grasped such secrets. Qiuhan, let me ask you—why did you embark on the path of cultivation? Can you tell me, what is true cultivation?”

Nangong Li’s tone gradually settled, and he spoke slowly.

“Ever since I was accepted into my sect, I have followed the path of cultivation in pursuit, naturally, of the highest realm of immortality. Though I know this road is fraught with danger and hardship, I have never regretted my choice. As for what cultivation truly is, my master once said: a cultivator cultivates truth and the Dao. What we cultivate should be the self, the pursuit of the true self.”

Qiuhan’s eyes flickered with thought as he recalled the words his master, Gu Sui Feng, once shared with him during his training. He answered calmly.

“Good. Qiuhan, let me tell you: in the distant past, cultivators called their practice the pursuit of immortality. In those days, a hundred races vied for supremacy. There was no such thing as cultivation or cultivators as we know them. Immortals then were truly that—immortals. At that time, there existed a mighty race known as the Immortal Clan, the Ancient Immortals. What they cultivated was not spiritual power, but true immortal force and immortal essence. Their arts were true immortal arts, every one of which required immortal essence to perform.”

“But after the ancient war, the Ancient Immortal Clan was destroyed, and the legacy of the immortals was severed. Mortals could no longer become immortals. Thus came the concepts of cultivation and the pursuit of the Dao. Cultivation of truth is the pursuit of all truths; the Dao is the new path found by cultivators after the extinction of the Immortal Clan—it is the cultivation of one’s own path!”

“Though in the ancient era, in other realms, some legacies of the Ancient Immortals survived, inherited by later generations, who then called themselves immortals, in truth, they were no longer true practitioners of the Immortal Clan. Without true immortal essence, how could they be called immortals?”

As Qiuhan listened to Nangong Li, his eyes filled with contemplation. After a while, he spoke slowly: “According to what you say, Senior, this mysterious little bottle is truly an artifact left by the Ancient Immortal Clan. If one wishes to use it or retrieve what is stored within, one must use the ancient immortal arts. It seems, then, that uncovering its secrets will not be so easy.”

A trace of disappointment colored Qiuhan’s expression, his words tinged with regret. After a pause, as if recalling something, he continued, “Senior Nangong, I wonder about the demon cultivators—those who can take human form at the Nascent Soul stage. Do you know anything about this?”

“Ah, the transformation of demon beasts? That is a deep subject. In the ancient era, countless races flourished. Aside from the Ancient Immortal Clan and the Ancient God Clan created by one of the Five Supreme Beings, there was also the Divine Immortal Clan, resembling the Ancient Immortals but not of the same lineage. Strictly speaking, we are also descendants of the Ancient Immortal Clan. The Divine Immortal Clan had its own system of cultivation.”

“The Five Supreme Beings of the primordial age each had their own inheritors, and their cultivation paths were entirely different. If we break down our own cultivation into major stages, from Qi Refinement to the Summit, that is the first stage—Summit is the peak of the first stage. In my day, I reached the Void-Breaking Fifth Nirvana Realm, the pinnacle of the second stage. As for the third stage, I know little. The Divine Immortal Clan’s first stage is generally divided into Fetal Breath, Spirit Opening, Fasting, Fusion, Heart Movement, Soul Division, Out-of-Body, Tribulation Crossing, and Great Perfection.”

“After Tribulation and Great Perfection, they ascend to the Divine Immortal Realm, where they begin the second stage of cultivation, and are henceforth called True Immortals. As for the realms of True Immortals, I do not know much. The demon race you speak of belongs to the Divine Immortal Clan. Their cultivation is mostly of the body, of the flesh. After overcoming the first heavenly tribulation, they awaken intelligence and can assume human form, with strength comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator. Surviving a second tribulation, they may ascend in a blaze of glory to become demon immortals.”

“Our Ancient Immortal Clan’s demon beasts are different from those of the Divine Immortal Clan. They do not change form, no matter how high their cultivation; they always remain in their original shape. In ancient times, the realms of our demon beasts were roughly divided into fierce beasts, spirit beasts, wild beasts, immortal beasts, and divine beasts. The highest level is the divine beast, who, upon awakening the bloodline of the divine beast within, commands such awe that all ordinary demon beasts are compelled to worship them!”

“When I helped you subdue that one-horned spirit beast, I am nearly certain it is a descendant of some ancient divine beast. Should it one day awaken its divine beast bloodline, its power will reach terrifying heights and become a great asset to you. After the ancient war, many races faced extinction, and some survivors fled to other realms, where, through the ages, their descendants gradually became natives of those lands.”

“So, the demon beasts that can assume human form are, in truth, descended from foreign races—part of the Divine Immortal Clan’s demon race. After the great war, some came to our realm and settled, passing on their legacy. Over generations, they came to reside in the lands of the Ancient Immortal Clan, and by the ancient era, high-level demon cultivators considered themselves natives here, so there was no great conflict due to differing origins.”

Nangong Li spoke calmly, taking nearly the time of a whole incense stick to recount what he knew of the ancient ages. When he finished, he let out a long sigh, as if recalling his own past.

Qiuhan waited quietly for him to finish, then lowered his head in thought for a long time. At last, his gaze grew resolute and he asked slowly, “If what you say is true, Senior, then this little bottle is most likely a treasure left behind by the Ancient Immortals, its value beyond estimation. Is there any way to open it?”

“I just examined the bottle and found that it is inscribed with an array pattern. While I have not studied the arrays of the immortals, all formations have their origins. If one does not know how to break the array, it depends on the cultivator’s strength—if one’s power far exceeds that of the array’s creator, it can be broken through force. However, this formation requires immortal force to maintain. I suspect this bottle has been here for countless ages; even if there is still some immortal energy within, it must be nearly depleted. If a Nascent Soul cultivator were to attack it with all their might, using their abilities or a treasure, it is not impossible to break it open. But as for now…”

Nangong Li did not continue, for there was no need—Qiuhan was not foolish and readily grasped his meaning.

Qiuhan looked at the small jade-green bottle in his hand, shook his head helplessly, and sighed softly, a bitter smile playing at his lips as he placed the bottle back into his storage pouch. He silently reviewed Nangong Li’s words in his mind, committing them to memory, but then a puzzled look crossed his face and he asked, “Senior, you just mentioned that the summit of the first stage for a cultivator is the Summit Realm. What, then, are the realms after the Nascent Soul stage?”