Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 518: Chapter 316: The Situation_2

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“It seems there was no trace of them, and the Saint Lord of the Five Elements was so furious that he nearly went to extremes, almost engaging in a life-and-death battle with the Beidou Holy Son.”

“The enmity between the Big Dipper Immortal Sect and the Five Elements Immortal Sect has a long history. The actions of the Big Dipper Immortal Sect this time were also aimed at suppressing the Five Elements Immortal Sect, no wonder the Five Elements Saint Lord was so infuriated.”

“In the past, the Void Spirit Monarch betrayed the Five Elements Immortal Sect for the Five Elements Immortal Root, not only deserting the sect but also damaging the origin of the Five Directions Merit Pool. If they can’t replenish it this time, the fortune of the Five Elements Immortal Sect will surely diminish.”

“On the other hand, the Big Dipper Immortal Sect seems to be faring well, I heard that the Beidou Holy Son made significant gains in the Ten Thousand Star Sea and has successfully advanced to the Integration Realm. It won’t be long before he can take over as the Saint Lord and allow True Monarch Yu Xiu to dedicate himself to comprehending the Mahayana teachings. At that time, the Big Dipper Immortal Sect will gain another Mahayana True Immortal, another Integration Saint Lord!”

“Among the ten great sacred places in the Northern Domain, six Sects are inherited from the Immortal Path Tao Veins, then divided into two factions: the Big Dipper Immortal Sect, Ninth Heaven Sword Pavilion, Haoyu Heavenly Sect as one, and the Great Sun Immortal Sect, Five Elements Immortal Sect, Taixuan Tao Mountain as another. Now it’s not just a battle between Big Dipper and Five Elements, but also a struggle between the two factions of the six Sects.”

“The two sects of the Brahma Sect and the two factions of the Confucian Gate also sent people to join in the commotion. Could it be that they plan to engage in a struggle for the fortune of the Central Plains here in the Western Barbarian Borderlands?”

“In such chaos, it’s uncertain if a Mahayana True Immortal will arrive…”

Gossip abounded, with people discussing fervently.

Meanwhile, in a private room…

“I am Lu Linglong, in charge of the Bright Moon Pavilion here in the Western Wastelands. I do not know what brings the esteemed guest here, but whatever it is, Bright Moon Pavilion will do its utmost to assist.”

A beautiful woman smiled with her eyes, watching the man in blue in front of her, while pondering secretly in her heart.

Xu Yang, however, disregarded all this and went straight to the point, “I am here this time to gather information and also to make another trade.”

“Oh?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Linglong raised an eyebrow and immediately asked, “May I know what news the esteemed guest wishes to inquire about?”

Xu Yang smiled, “Of course, it’s about the Void Spirit Cave Heaven.”

Lu Linglong feigned surprise, “The esteemed guest is interested in the Void Spirit Cave Heaven as well?”

“Just joining in the buzz.”

Xu Yang laughed, “Does Bright Moon Pavilion have any news?”

“There is some, it’s just…”

Lu Linglong said with a wry smile, “I cannot guarantee its authenticity.”

“No matter.”

Xu Yang said unconcernedly, “Regardless of whether it’s true or false, just tell me.”

“Well… Alright then.”

Lu Linglong nodded her head, “There are rumors about the Void Spirit Cave Heaven everywhere, Bright Moon Pavilion dares not to get involved too deeply, so we don’t know much. For now, all we can confirm is that the Void Spirit Cave Heaven has indeed opened, but the Five Elements Immortal Mansion has yet to emerge. The Five Elements Immortal Sect refuses to give up, the Big Dipper Immortal Sect also doesn’t want to leave, and the great sacred lands of the Central Plains are lingering around the area for a long time, alarming the several major demon sects in the Demon Realm Territory just beyond the borderlands…”

Lu Linglong roughly mentioned some news, all of which were trivial, important yet not crucial.

There was no helping it, even though Bright Moon Pavilion’s business spanned the world and had branches in the Western Barbarian Borderlands, that was the extent of it. They could at most probe into the affairs of the four sides of the Cultivation Realm and some insignificant matters. The secrets of the sacred Immortal Sects were absolutely untouchable and inaccessible to them.

Even so, Xu Yang still asked, “Do you know if any Mahayana has arrived?”

“This…”

Lu Linglong’s expression showed difficulty, and she said with a wry smile, “The whereabouts of the Mahayana from the holy lands of the Immortal Sects are not something we can know. But as of now, no Mahayana has appeared. Moreover, previously the great holy lands gathered at the Ten Thousand Star Sea to fiercely contend for the Ancient Secret Realm. During that time, several Mahayana made their move, and now they would likely need time to recuperate.”

“Is that so?”

Xu Yang nodded, pondering quietly.

There is a saying that circulates within the Cultivation Realm, “Mahayana do not act rashly; they only emerge for life-and-death Tribulation.”

What does it mean?

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Mahayana cultivators, also known as “True Immortals,” are so named because after entering the Mahayana Realm, they can transform mana into the higher level of immortal power.

This is also the main cultivation task of the Mahayana Realm, whether one is just glimpsing the path or has reached major accomplishment, the focus is on transforming immortal power. The more that is transformed, the higher one’s cultivation is, and the stronger one’s power.

However, before reaching perfection in Mahayana and facing the Tribulation, the transformed immortal power cannot be regenerated. Once used, it diminishes and must be transformed and accumulated again.

Therefore, Mahayana cultivators rarely act, because every action consumes a vast amount of immortal power, essentially fighting with their own cultivation. Not only does it waste a great deal of time, it can even affect the foundation of their immortal power, ultimately preventing them from crossing the tribulation.

This can be seen with the side branches of cultivation; even though they have reached Mahayana, to date, not one has been able to cross the tribulation and become an immortal.

Why is this?

It is because the cultivation methods of the side branches are mixed and impure, presenting a great disadvantage in the step of transforming mana into immortal power. Furthermore, with insufficient foundational strength and frequent conflicts, the ancestors of Mahayana in the side branches, unless they abandon worldly ties and diligently devote themselves to cultivation, simply do not have enough time to transform all of their mana into immortal power and construct the “Mahayana Immortal Foundation” necessary for crossing the tribulation before their lifespan runs out.

Therefore, to this day, not a single individual from the side branches has been able to cross the tribulation and become an immortal.

In comparison, the Righteous Way of Cultivation practiced by holy lands of Immortal Sects, although pure, has a significant advantage in transforming immortal power and constructing immortal foundations. They also try to avoid conflicts as much as possible to prevent impact on the foundations of their immortal power.

This is why “Mahayana cultivators do not act rashly!”

As for “emerging from tribulation as life or death,” that is even easier to understand.

After Mahayana cultivators construct their immortal foundation, they can advance to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, face the challenges of the Ninefold Celestial Tribulation, and ultimately become true immortals and ascend to the Upper Realm.

The Ninefold Celestial Tribulation is terrifying and is intricately linked to karma. The actions of those cultivators facing the tribulation influence it greatly, and the more karma that is involved, the more powerful the Ninefold Celestial Tribulation becomes.

Hence, those facing the tribulation usually seclude themselves for ascetic cultivation, avoiding the mortal world and karmic entanglements. Unless their sect is on the brink of life and death, they simply do not intervene.

After all, the Immortal Path values personal interest. For those facing tribulation, how can the legacy of the sect compare to their own cultivation achievements? It’s fortunate if they intervene even once at a critical moment.

Some cultivators who are particularly detached may even leave their sects as soon as they reach the Tribulation stage, focusing solely on cultivation to confront the Immortal Tribulations, entirely disregarding the life and death of the lineage they leave behind.

Therefore, in this world, although there are those who face tribulation and can be considered living immortals, they rarely take action.

Nonetheless, every major sacred place has an unspoken agreement: even if they compete and have entangled grievances, they keep the conflict within the Mahayana level, and even Mahayana cultivators do not easily take action. Instead, those at the Integration stage serve as the main fighting force, vying for Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to establish the fortune of their sects.

This is also why every major sacred place has a “Saint Lord” or “Saint Heir,” not only for the sake of succession but also for contention.

The Saint Lords of each major sacred place are at least at the major accomplishment level of Integration, possessing exceptional talents and formidable combat strength. They represent the face of their holy lands and are the main force in battles.

For the emergence of general secret realms and immortal mansions, it is the Saint Lords who lead the Integration Elders and the Endowed Deity Transformation forces to fight. Mahayana cultivators only act as the final insurance, the Sea-Calming Divine Needle to stabilize the situation at the crucial moment, ensuring not all is lost.

There’s also a tacit understanding among the major sacred places: unless it’s an Ancient Immortal Mansion of the scale of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, with opportunities related to the Immortal Path of facing tribulation, all treasures’ ownership will be determined by battles at the Integration level, with no intervention from Mahayana cultivators.

So, the question arises, what level of opportunity does Void Spirit Cave Heaven present, and will there be involvement from Mahayana cultivators?

Hard to say!

However, Bright Moon Pavilion has shared some good news: because of the significant importance of the previous Ten Thousand Star Sea conflict, many major sacred places utilized Mahayana-level forces, resulting in numerous Mahayana cultivators needing to return to their sects for seclusion and recuperation, to avoid damaging their Mahayana Immortal Foundations, affecting their future prospects of facing the Immortal Tribulations.

Therefore, this opening of Void Spirit Cave Heaven is unlikely to see another Mahayana confrontation.

But it’s still hard to say, considering the profound strength of all the major holy lands, with no telling how many Mahayana True Immortals they have hidden within. It’s possible that another group could be mobilized to come, especially the Five Elements Immortal Sect, which must give its all in matters concerning the very root of its legacy.

The situation remains unclear and still perilous.

Fortunately, Xu Yang does not plan to wade into these troubled waters.

He came here this time just to see the world, to watch the excitement, with no intention of truly joining the fray against the various holy lands for the Five Elements Immortal Mansion, whose existence is still uncertain.

Of course, having come all this way, doing nothing wouldn’t feel right.

So…

Xu Yang looked towards Lu Linglong and said with a light chuckle, as she returned his gaze with unease, “Does your honored pavilion have any plans to hold an auction event soon?”