Chapter 7: The Three Major Realms of Cultivation

What exactly happened? Where did all that energy go? Li Muran was extremely anxious, carefully sensing the energy within his body

Li Muran murmured to himself that he had decided to try again tonight

My qualifications are indeed so poor!" Li Muran put away his cultivation method, feeling somewhat disappointed

After practicing meditation and breathing exercises for nine small circulations, Li Muran finally gathered a thread of vital energy as fine as a hair within his meridians, flowing through his arms. This delicate vital energy is the magical power that Li Muran has cultivated.

However, one thing is certain, "At this point, Qingfengzi's voice rose slightly: "The higher the level of cultivation, not only does one’s supernatural power become stronger, but one’s lifespan also increases. It is said that the founding ancestor of our sect, Master Fu Sheng, was a true body cultivator who lived for a thousand years!"

What is happening? Li Muran's face was pale; within him, there was only a faint trace of the natural energy of heaven and earth wandering restlessly. That should be the magical power cultivated during the day, while the dense energy cultivated last night had almost completely vanished

The first realm of cultivation, also known as the realm of truth, refers to the process of discarding the false to preserve the true and cultivating the true self. It involves eliminating the impurities of the mundane world and refining the true self through the essence, energy, and spirit, which merely lays the foundation for future cultivation.

In addition to these major divisions of realms, each realm can be further subdivided into three smaller stages: early, middle, and late. For example, the humble practitioner is a cultivator in the late stage of the Qi Meridian, while you all, upon beginning your cultivation, are cultivators in the early stage of the Qi Meridian.

Li Muran practiced for another hour, and the results were significantly better than several hours of practice during the day! However, as he had just begun his training, the eight extraordinary meridians were not yet fully open, and the amount of heavenly essence he could accommodate within his body was limited. Today, he had reached saturation in his practice and found it difficult to continue.

As Qingfengzi began to explain the specific steps and methods of cultivation, all the disciples listened attentively, refraining from unnecessary conversation, and only occasionally asked questions when they encountered obscure or difficult points.

Such great joy and sorrow, even though Li Muran's mind is extremely resilient, he cannot help but feel somewhat disheartened at this moment

His ancestral aura is dim and lacks luster during the day, yet shines brilliantly under the stars and moon at night; his cultivation speed progresses slowly in the daytime, but advances by leaps and bounds at night; all of this is certainly related to the mysterious runes in the mirror.

If it were other disciples encountering such a situation, they would undoubtedly be overjoyed, eager to share the news and spread it throughout the sect; however, Li Muran, despite his great joy, was able to calm his mind as much as possible and continue his cultivation

Li Muran fell into a deep sleep, and in a daze, he did not know how long he had been asleep until the sound of knocking on the door awakened him

Is it merely the first realm? Upon hearing this, the disciples could not help but gasp in astonishment. Their master was merely a practitioner at the Spirit Travel stage, and even if he were to elevate himself by two major realms, he would only have completed the first stage of cultivation. The path to immortality is long and endless; such a statement does not seem to be unfounded.

According to Senior Brother Qingfeng, after completing nine small circulations, disciples with slightly better aptitude can gather a trickle of vital energy within their bodies; those with even better aptitude can connect this vital energy between their arms and torso. However, Li Muran possesses only a faint trace of vital energy, which allows him to connect it solely between his arms. From this phenomenon, it can be concluded that he has poor aptitude. When Mo Yunzi initially remarked on his inadequate aptitude, it was indeed not without basis. Li Muran possesses only a faint trace of vital energy, which allows him to connect it solely between his arms. From this phenomenon, it can be concluded that he has poor aptitude. When Mo Yunzi initially remarked on his inadequate aptitude, it was indeed not without basis.

In theory, once the vital energy and spiritual essence are cultivated and integrated into the body, they should not easily dissipate. Even if one does not practice for an extended period, only a small portion would be lost. Therefore, how could a substantial amount of vital energy completely vanish overnight?

Closing his eyes, he felt the brilliant light of the stars and moon within his ancestral aperture, and Li Muran was instantly invigorated

Li Muran continued to meditate and practice breathing techniques. After two hours of cultivation, his entire body felt sore in the meridians, and he was extremely fatigued. At this moment, forcing further cultivation would be harmful rather than beneficial; he must rest and adjust.

Within his arms, there surged a rich vitality, flowing swiftly like a great river in full spate, and compared to his daytime cultivation, it was truly a magnificent display of power

Upon achieving mastery in the Qi Meridian stage and thoroughly unblocking the eight extraordinary meridians as well as the middle and lower orifices within the body, one will have the opportunity to further cultivate and become a practitioner in the Divine Travel stage

Moreover, as his thoughts stirred, this surge of vital energy effortlessly flowed into his chest and abdomen, nourishing his internal organs. In an instant, the entire upper body was suffused with vital energy flowing through it

Before introducing the mnemonic, Qingfengzi briefly summarized the various methods of cultivation. He stated: "Cultivation can generally be divided into three categories: static practice, dynamic practice, and external practice. Static practice includes methods such as sitting meditation, breath observation, light contemplation, and meditation; dynamic practice encompasses techniques like breath regulation, routines, mental focus, and combat; external practice involves means such as diet, elixirs, empowerment, and energy collection. I will elaborate on these methods later. Of course, the best approach is to combine static and dynamic practices while effectively utilizing external methods, as this will enhance the speed of cultivation..."

This is the seated meditation posture, which is one of the fundamental practices of静功 and also the most commonly used cultivation position. At the same time, he inhales through the nose and then slowly exhales through the mouth, with the breath being slow and prolonged, which is a method of吐纳, one of the dynamic practices.

The ability to circulate energy throughout the body is considered a hallmark of entering the initial stage of cultivation. Generally speaking, ordinary disciples require three to five days of practice to achieve this. In the case of someone like Li Muran, it is not to say that such talent is completely unique, but at the very least, it is exceptionally outstanding

After a small cycle of the universe, Li Muran opened his eyes and looked at his arms with overwhelming joy, almost unable to believe it.

The Divine Travel Stage is not the end of cultivation; beyond it, there are the Dharma Manifestation Stage and the True Body Stage. Those senior experts can condense their own magical power into a Dharma manifestation, possessing vast supernatural abilities that are beyond comprehension. As for the True Body Stage, it is primarily guided by one's own essence, energy, and spirit, cultivating a true body based on the Dharma manifestation, which can be referred to as a 'True Person'

He sits with his eyes slightly closed on a cushion about an inch thick, his legs crossed, spine straight, chest relaxed, shoulders relaxed, head centered, chin slightly tucked, and his palms facing upward, stacked one over the other about an inch below his navel, his body relaxed yet remarkably stable

After sending off Mu Li, Li Muran calmed his mind and once again sat in meditation to cultivate his practice

After returning from Kaiyuan Peak, Li Muran has remained shut in his room, not venturing out.

Li Muran studied the bronze mirror for a while longer, yet still could not grasp its essence Gradually, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep while holding the bronze mirror

Qingfengzi shook his head: "Otherwise! Enlightenment, Qi veins, spiritual wandering, Dharma forms, true body, these are merely the first level among the three major tiers of cultivating immortality!"

The words of Qingfengzi captivated all the disciples, as the mystery and power of the "Dharma Appearance" and "True Body" were truly alluring.

It is still the gradual inhalation and exhalation in accordance with the law, still the refinement of the world's vital energy through the meticulous study of books, but this time, the situation has undergone a tremendous transformation

By inhaling and exhaling ninety-nine times in accordance with the law, the breath flows throughout the entire body, allowing all the turbid energy within to be completely expelled at once; this constitutes a small circulation. After each small circulation, a trace of cool energy lingers in Li Muran's meridians, which is the primordial energy of heaven and earth that he has refined

Regardless, even if it means staying up all night tonight, I must investigate thoroughly how the vital energy that has been painstakingly refined could disappear for no reason

What are the second and third realms of the three major realms of cultivation? Li Muran was very interested in this

On the first day of cultivation, one can achieve a state of saturation of vital energy within the body; if this were to be spoken of, it is likely that no one would dare to believe it

... ...

On the morning of the second day, Li Muran woke up, stretched lazily, and began to practice his techniques to experience the results of his cultivation from the previous night—suddenly, his expression changed dramatically

As night fell, Li Muran had finished his meal and chatted with Mu Li for a while, exchanging insights on their cultivation experiences. Both of them had poor aptitude and achieved unsatisfactory results in their training, which made them feel a sense of shared plight.

Upon reaching the realm of spiritual wandering, one can already transcend the mundane, relying on the inhalation and exhalation of the world's vital energy for sustenance, achieving the level of fasting. Furthermore, the most notable characteristic of the spiritual wandering phase is the ability to project one's consciousness outside the body, manipulating objects from a distance and flying with a sword.

Li Muran let out a long breath, knowing that with this talent, staying in the sect would certainly not be a problem; as long as he showcased it a little, those Daoist priests would surely compete to take him as a disciple

However, Li Muran did not lose heart because of this. He muttered to himself, "If my aptitude is poor, I can only make up for it with hard work! While others practice for three hours a day, I will practice for six or even nine hours, putting in two to three times the effort, and I will surely catch up!"

I had long suspected that the talisman inscribed with runes in the mirror was certainly not a worthless charm Li Muran took out the bronze mirror, becoming increasingly enamored with it

Qingfengzi let out a bitter smile and said, "I too do not know. The higher levels of cultivating immortality are beyond the reach of us younger generations. As for the discussions regarding these three major realms, I have only seen them in some texts within the library."

This combination of movement and stillness is the most fundamental method of cultivation in the Daoist tradition. With each breath that Li Muran takes, a stream of energy enters the five internal organs through his nose, gradually circulating and transforming into turbid energy, which is then exhaled through his mouth

"Is reaching the True Body stage equivalent to becoming an immortal?" a young man asked.

Qingfengzi nodded and smiled, saying: "Alright, alright! I will now impart to you the basic breathing techniques and methods for cultivation. However, I must state in advance that although we all pursue the path of immortality, each person is different, and the methods must vary accordingly; everyone has their own most suitable practice. What I will teach is merely the fundamental techniques common to the Daoist school. Whether you will be able to find other practices that are best suited to you in the future will depend on each person's fortune and opportunities"

He originally thought that his cultivation was worry-free, but unexpectedly, with the arrival of day, everything turned to nothing. Everything that occurred at night seemed like a dream, filled with the mysterious and infinitely radiant ancestral light, along with an extraordinary talent for cultivation; however, once day broke, everything reverted to its original state

Brother Zhao, you have missed dinner time again!" — It turned out that Mu Li had come to bring him food again

"Senior Qingfeng, please impart to us the methods of cultivation!" Some of the youths have already begun to grow impatient