Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 698 A Grand Feast to Establish Authority (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Alright, alright, you're a good learner, but remember not to bite off more than you can chew."

Xuanzhenzi waved his hand, a hint of fatigue on his face: "These principles need to be carefully considered after you return; don't rush to achieve results."

Li Yunjing nodded respectfully: "Disciple will keep in mind the teachings of the Ancestor."

Just then, the entire secret realm suddenly trembled slightly, and ripples spread across the surrounding space, as if the surface of water was being ruffled by the wind.

Xuanzhenzi's expression hardened, and he said in a deep voice, "The secret realm is about to close. Remember, after you leave, you must not tell anyone about what happened here!"

"understand!"

Li Yunjing dared not delay and bowed again, saying, "This disciple takes his leave!"

"boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a suction force pull him away.

After a dizzying spin, he fell heavily onto a patch of grass, his whole body aching.

Looking up, I found myself back outside the gate of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

"I'm back?"

Li Yunjing struggled to his feet, looking around in surprise. "It's not the entrance to the forbidden area. This repulsive place, a random location?"

Before long, Li Yunjing was already standing in the sect square.

He sent messages to his friends one after another.

I've been back for half a month now, it's time to see my friends.

"Beep beep..."

Soon, Li Yunjing's "Ten Thousand Mile Communication Talisman" kept ringing, and messages kept coming back.

They were all his close friends and family.

"Tonight at 'Donghualou,' we won't leave until we're drunk!"

In the end, all the words were condensed into this one message, which was then sent out.

As night falls, the "Donghua Building" is brightly lit.

This restaurant, located on Chaoyang Peak of the Shenxiao Dao Sect, has always been a place for disciples and elders to gather and enjoy drinks.

Today, Li Yunjing booked the top floor palace and hosted a banquet for his close friends.

"Hahaha! Senior Brother Li, you're finally back!"

Before the people arrive, the sound comes first.

Fu Chao strode in; he was Li Yunjing's good friend.

"Old Fu, how have you been?"

Li Yunjing smiled and stood up to greet him.

This is his close comrade-in-arms. After not seeing him for many years, Li Yunjing looked at Fu Chao again and saw that the boy had matured a lot and his cultivation was also very strong, reaching the level of the first level of the Golden Core realm!
Clearly, Fu Chao has put in a lot of hard work in his cultivation over the years!

Of course, Fu Chao consumed far more resources, at least a thousand times more than an ordinary cultivator!
Otherwise, no matter how talented one is, it would be impossible to make such great progress.

"Are you alright? You've been gone for over thirty years! We brothers have been missing you terribly!"

Fu Chao patted his shoulder heavily, his eyes full of joy.

Then, several more figures arrived one after another...

Yang Wenyue, dressed in the "Great Sun Daoist Robe" of a true disciple, possessed a cool and aloof demeanor. A genius in alchemy, she once gifted Li Yunjing valuable elixirs, and they maintained a close and intimate relationship.

Yang Wenzheng, the most outstanding member of the "Tiangong Hall" lineage, holds a folding fan and has an elegant demeanor. He is now a master of weapon crafting and is considered an outstanding figure in the entire sect.

Then a fat man arrived.

Ma Xingyuan was just there to freeload; he was Li Yunjing's follower and also his first friend.

Yu Zongzhe, Xu Wuyi, Fang Long, and even Xu Xun, who hadn't shown up for a long time, all came.

Hundreds of people came from various mountain peaks, various halls, elders, deacons, true disciples, inner disciples...

As the hosts, Yu Yunyi, Lü Ruoxi, and Zhao Qi were also busy helping out, while Ling'er and Zhu Wanyun assisted from the side.

Suddenly, the entire top-floor palace of the "Donghua Building" was illuminated with countless lights.

Ninety-nine "glass star lamps" floated in mid-air, scattering dazzling starlight; on the eighteen coiled dragon jade pillars, runes flowed, and faint dragon roars echoed.

Li Yunjing stood at the head of the hall, his blue Taoist robe fluttering even without wind, smiling as he looked at the crowd that was arriving one after another.

The entire "Shenxiao Dao Sect" was shaken by this gathering.

True disciples from all peaks, inner sect prodigies, weapon masters, and alchemy masters—almost half of the outstanding young generation of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" have gathered here!

Many who aspired to the supreme throne of the sect were in despair!
The more than thirty years that Li Yunjing disappeared were their era, a time when they rallied cultivators from all sides to increase their faction's influence.

On ordinary days, once they start to stand out, they seem to have truly gained power.

But Li Yunjing came back, and everything changed.

He didn't need to do anything; just this one gathering was enough to show everyone his power!
And this is just a regular gathering. If Li Yunjing really wanted to throw a big banquet, the sect's supreme elders and powerful elders would probably all come!
This is the ability of the first deputy sect leader of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect"!

"Good guy!"

Ma Xingyuan's eyes widened, and he even forgot to eat the spirit fruit he was holding. "This spectacle is almost as grand as Young Master Li's wedding!"

Yu Yunyi chuckled softly and waved her delicate hand.

Immediately, a hundred maids gracefully entered, carrying jade platters filled with rare and exquisite delicacies:

The "Nine-Turn Dragon Liver" glows with golden light, and each piece contains the aura of a true dragon; the "Ice Soul Jade Marrow Soup" is surrounded by cold air, and eating it can cleanse the meridians.

There was also the "Millennial Drunken Immortal Wine" brought back from other continents. As soon as it was opened, its mellow aroma made the faces of several Golden Core cultivators turn red.

Li Yunjing provided many ingredients for today's banquet.

Otherwise, given the standards of "Donghua Tower", they simply wouldn't be able to produce so many third- and fourth-order demon king corpses as ingredients!
Not to mention those rare and precious natural treasures.

Such a scene left many elders and grand elders of the sect speechless with astonishment!
What does it mean to be rich and powerful?
That's what you call being rich and powerful!
A single banquet can cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan!

This is Li Yunjing.

No other deputy sect leader could have done it.

"Everyone."

Li Yunjing raised his glass and stood up, his voice clear and bright, "Thirty years have passed since we last met, let's drink three cups to our hearts' content today!"

"Let's drink together!"

Hundreds of people responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became more and more lively.

Yang Wenyue took a sip of her fine wine and suddenly smiled, "Senior Brother Li's return this time will probably shake the sect."

With a light tap of her fingertip, a wisp of elixir energy transformed into a blue phoenix and danced around the hall. "Judging from the Dao aura surrounding Senior Brother, I'm afraid he has already touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage, hasn't he?"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar.

Fu Chao suddenly stood up, slamming his wine cup on the table with a "bang": "What? Nascent Soul?!"

He stared at Li Yunjing in disbelief, "Thirty years ago, you had only recently entered the Golden Core stage!"

Li Yunjing smiled but did not answer, only lightly tracing the outline of his fingertips.

"laugh……"

A tiny spatial rift appeared out of nowhere and then healed in an instant.

But this brief fluctuation had already sent chills down the spines of all the Golden Core cultivators present!

"The laws of space!"

Yang Wenzheng of "Tiangong Hall" slammed his folding fan shut, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. "This is a realm that only Nascent Soul cultivators can reach!"

"I haven't reached the Nascent Soul realm yet, but I've already paved the way to it. As long as my magical power reaches that level, it's only a matter of time before I reach that realm!"

At this moment, Li Yunjing explained with a light laugh.

"hiss……"

Everyone present was taken aback and gasped.

Is that human being?
After cultivating for fifty or sixty years, are you about to break through to the Nascent Soul realm?

Looking across the entire cultivation world, who else is there?
Moreover, judging from Li Yunjing's methods, he clearly now possesses the strength to contend with a Nascent Soul Realm True Person!

This is especially commendable!

Within Li Yunjing's camp, there were some experts who had watched Li Yunjing rise step by step from weakness to surpass them.

These people had complicated expressions!
Xu Xun, Li Yunjing's rival in love, and Fang Long, the first expert to join Li Yunjing's camp, felt this most deeply.

From the time they needed help from Li Yunjing until now, Li Yunjing has grown into a towering tree, able to shelter everyone from the wind and rain.

These changes have occurred in just a few decades!
For an ordinary person, a few decades is almost a lifetime!
But for cultivators, it's nothing!
A cultivator at the Qi Refining stage can live for two hundred years, and many people die of old age without ever breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage!
The Foundation Establishment realm allows one to live for five hundred years!
The lifespan of someone at the Golden Core stage can reach a thousand years!

Everyone seems to have plenty of time, but for cultivators, there is never enough time. Each realm requires arduous cultivation to make even the slightest progress.

Li Yunjing, a freak like him, traversed a cultivation path that others took a thousand years to complete in just a few decades. His efficiency was astonishing.

"Hahaha!"

Fu Chao suddenly burst into laughter, grabbing Li Yunjing's shoulder and exclaiming, "I knew it! You're the kind of guy who's always been good at getting things done quietly!"

He raised the wine jar and took a big gulp, shouting, "If I don't get you drunk, I'll write the word 'pay' backwards!"

Everyone present looked at Fu Chao with envy.

Now that Li Yunjing has gained considerable power and influence, and holds a high position, everyone must be cautious in dealing with him. Only Fu Chao dares to joke with Li Yunjing so openly and without any restraint!
"Hahaha!"

Li Yunjing laughed heartily, showing no displeasure whatsoever. He pointed at Fu Chao and said, "Today, I'll get you drunk!"

No matter what, our friendship remains unchanged!
Having a friend like Fu Chao brought Li Yunjing great comfort! He was truly afraid that one day he would become all alone!
The heights are so cold!
Even the strongest warriors need a few friends!
Yang Wenzheng lightly waved his folding fan, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness: "Senior Brother Li, your spatial laws... could it be that you comprehended them in 'that place'?"

He deliberately spoke vaguely, but everyone present knew the truth.

Some people with connections knew that Li Yunjing had gone to the secret realm to cultivate; it wasn't a big secret.

As long as the secrets of the secret realm are not revealed, there will be no problem.

"hehe!"

Li Yunjing smiled without saying a word, but simply raised his wine glass and gently clinked it against his.

He tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass, a look of reminiscence in his eyes. "Speaking of which, so many years have passed, and we've all grown up!"

"Yes! It's really not easy!"

Ma Xingyuan patted his round belly, a nostalgic look on his oily face, "Back then, Senior Brother Li and I were still feeding horses at West Peak!"

"Hahaha!"

The crowd roared with laughter.

Yang Wenyue covered her mouth and chuckled: "Fatty, how could you bring up these things?"

"Cough cough!"

Ma Xingyuan was taken aback, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I was drunk, I misspoke."

"fine!"

Li Yunjing shook his head with a smile: "Back then, I did feed horses with Fatty, that's a fact!"

With a light tap of his fingertip, a ray of light conjured up the scene from years past in the air, vividly depicting it.

"Ugh……"

Xu Xun rarely spoke, "I never imagined that Brother Li had achieved such success. I am far inferior to you!"

Back when their small team was first formed, Xu Xun was the core and the leader, but not long after, he was taken over by Li Yunjing.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

"Why are you saying this?"

Li Yunjing waved his hand, and the wine pot on the table flew up automatically, filling everyone's cups. "Come on, let's toast to everyone!"

"cheers!"

Hundreds of glasses were raised in unison, the wine shimmering with an amber glow under the starlight.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually turned to the future.

"Senior Brother Li!"

Yang Wenzheng put away his folding fan and said seriously, "With your current cultivation level, you'll probably be able to contend with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator very soon, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of anticipation.

In the "Shenxiao Dao Sect", Nascent Soul cultivators have a high status. Li Yunjing's abilities have made people wonder if this prodigy has really reached that level.
"can!"

Li Yunjing pondered for a moment: "I have killed a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator single-handedly before. Those cultivators of average skill level are probably no match for me!"

"what……"

Everyone looked at each other.

They already knew from the preface that Li Yunjing was confident of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, and guessed that this deputy sect leader was able to contend with a Nascent Soul realm True Person!

But they never expected that this deputy sect leader had already killed a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator on his own!

Doesn't this mean that Li Yunjing's true combat strength is already at the level of a Supreme Elder?
The entire hall seemed to have been struck by an invisible thunderbolt, and everyone froze in place.

The wine glass hung in mid-air, the delicious food was at their lips, and even their breathing could be clearly heard.

"Killed...killed a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

The spirit fruit in Ma Xingyuan's hand fell to the ground with a "thud" and rolled far away.

"It's nothing."

Li Yunjing remained calm and chuckled lightly.

He spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something trivial: "In the past thirty years, I have traveled half of Tianlan Star and encountered many dangers. There are countless scenes of me fighting against Nascent Soul Realm cultivators."

"Gudong!"

Someone swallowed loudly in the silent hall.

It's important to understand that the gap between the Golden Core stage and the Nascent Soul stage is an insurmountable chasm!
It's a miracle if an ordinary Golden Core cultivator can withstand three moves from a Nascent Soul cultivator, let alone turn the tables and kill them!
"Old Li!"

Fu Chao suddenly grabbed Li Yunjing's shoulder, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism, "What level are you at now?"

Li Yunjing's cultivation level is too high, and he can hide his cultivation fluctuations very well. If he doesn't want to, not to mention these people, even a Nascent Soul Realm True Person cannot see through him!
Fu Chao was naturally very curious about Li Yunjing's cultivation level.

"Peak of the sixth level of the Golden Core Realm!"

Li Yunjing smiled slightly, and a hazy, clear light suddenly emanated from his body.

"A Golden Core Realm cultivator at the sixth level can kill a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator?"

Yang Wenyue gasped in shock.

All the Golden Core cultivators present gasped in astonishment.

The Golden Core realm has not been fully cultivated!

This means that Li Yunjing's Golden Core quality has reached its peak, and once he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, his strength will far surpass that of others of the same level!
"No wonder..."

Xu Xun shook his head with a wry smile, "No wonder he can kill enemies of higher ranks..."

He was truly convinced!

Xu Xun was only on par with Fu Chao, and his actual combat strength was probably a bit stronger than Fu Chao's. He would have to risk his life to deal with a cultivator at the third or fourth level of the Golden Core realm!

Not to mention Nascent Soul Realm True Persons!

Li Yunjing surveyed the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, gently put down his wine glass, and a deep light flashed in his eyes.

"My fellow disciples!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "The path of cultivation is never about judging someone's level of attainment."

"Do you know why I was able to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator while only at the Golden Core stage?"

The hall was completely silent; everyone held their breath.

"because……"

Li Yunjing said in a deep voice, "I walk the 'Path of Ultimate Realm,' cultivating each realm to perfection, with no further advancement in my magical power! I have thoroughly mastered every supernatural ability, leaving no room for doubt!"

"what……"

Everyone was shocked again!

Why are some cultivators of the same level powerful while others are weak?
Even if there were magic weapons of the same level, would it still be the same?

This relates to whether one's spiritual practice has reached a certain depth.

One level is 100 points, some people get full marks or even more, some get 90 points, some get 80 points, and some get even lower!

These people broke through their cultivation levels by means of elixirs, spiritual objects, or other fortuitous encounters.

However, the foundation for this breakthrough is not solid!

The power of magic cannot be reached to its limit!

When Li Yunjing made a move, every single one of his moves was at 100% power, while the others were in a state of dissatisfaction. How could they possibly be a match for Li Yunjing?

Add to that the astonishing level of supernatural powers they've comprehended, their physical strength, and the amount of mana they've stored up; all these factors combined make the difference seem like they're not even in the same league.

Everyone knows this principle!
But it's no use!

With high talent and abundant resources, one can aspire to even more!

Ordinary cultivators race against time every day, striving to break through their cultivation level and gain more life before their lifespan ends!

This implies that most people do not possess the extreme cultivation level of Li Yunjing!
In addition, Li Yunjing has learned many supernatural abilities, talismans, powerful formations, abundant elixirs, and powerful magic weapons. These external factors have made the gap even greater.

"Extreme Realm?"

After a long while, Yang Wenzheng suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, "Senior Brother Li, you have perfected every realm? Even your spells and supernatural abilities?"

"good."

Li Yunjing nodded with a smile: "I did not covet the speed of cultivation, otherwise I should have already formed my Nascent Soul."

"Forehead……"

These words were extremely nauseating to everyone!
What does it mean to not be greedy for cultivation speed?

Is your speed too slow?
Even if everyone cuts corners, they still can't match one-fifth of Li Yunjing's speed!
"Hahaha!"

Fu Chao suddenly slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter, making the cups and saucers clatter. "Old Li, Old Li, you still talk so infuriatingly!"

He ripped open his shirt, revealing a hideous scar on his chest: "I risked my life to reach the first level of the Golden Core stage, and you, kid, are just holding back your cultivation level?"

The tense atmosphere inside the hall immediately eased.

Everyone couldn't help but smile at Fu Chao's exaggerated appearance.

"You!"

Li Yunjing shook his head and chuckled, pointing to Fu Chao's injuries, and asked, "Who did this?"

"fine!"

Fu Chao sensed Li Yunjing's concern and grinned, "When I was at the front lines, I fought against the 'Netherworld Ghost Sect' and was no match for them. I was almost disemboweled!"

(End of this chapter)