Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 180 Breaking Through Three Realms in One Night
Chen Ye did not stop and continued to circulate his energy.

With the birth of the first wisp of true essence, he refined spiritual energy faster and with greater ease.

That wisp of starlight essence was like an experienced old general, patrolling his meridians, gathering and integrating the newly arrived, unruly spiritual energy, then refining and transforming it into the most elite force.

His dantian (energy center) began to fill and expand at a speed visible to the naked eye.

An hour later.

A muffled sound, like a surging river, came from Chen Ye's body.

The true essence within his dantian had gathered into a flowing stream.

The Qi Cultivation Realm is complete!
It was already dawn.

Chen Ye still showed no sign of stopping.

He could sense that his body was far from reaching its limit.

His innate physical gifts, like those of an ox or horse, came into play at this moment. His internal energy was as vigorous as a furnace, providing him with continuous support and making Chen Ye feel no fatigue whatsoever.

On the table, the spiritual food that Li Qingyan had sent was drawn by an invisible force, and the essence of the spiritual energy in the dishes turned into streams of light that flew into Chen Ye's mouth and nose, becoming fuel for his breakthrough.

His aura began to rise higher and higher!
Finally, at the moment when the first rays of morning sunlight shone through the cracks in the window.

Chen Ye's body jolted violently!
He felt all the meridians in his body being completely opened up by an overwhelming force in that instant!
From head to toe, from limbs to internal organs, there was no longer any obstruction.

The true essence circulated freely within his body, as easily as an arm or finger, forming a flawless cycle.

The state of unobstructed freedom has been achieved!

Starting from scratch, he broke through the three major realms of Foundation Building, Qi Cultivation, and Unimpeded Development overnight!
This progress in cultivation is beyond description; it's nothing short of a miracle!
Chen Ye slowly opened his eyes, and a dazzling starlight flashed across his eyes.

He looked down at his hands; a layer of greasy, black grime covered his skin and emitted an unpleasant odor.

He didn't pay attention, and just clenched his fist lightly.

An unprecedented feeling of power surged from every corner of my body.

He could clearly feel that his five senses had become incredibly sharp, and he could even hear the early morning clamor of the criminals on the distant docks through the walls.

My body felt lighter than ever before, as if I could rise with the wind with just a thought.

This is the state of unobstructedness.

When the meridians are unobstructed, true essence naturally arises!
Although he is still a long way from forming the Core Formation or Nascent Soul stage, it is enough for Chen Ye now.

At least at this Blackwater Lake dock, he now has the ability to protect himself.

Chen Ye got up and walked to the basin, where he quickly washed off the dirt on his body.

When he looked up again, a face with eyes as bright as stars and a completely different temperament appeared in the reflection of the basin.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and Li Qingyan walked in with her head down and small steps.

When she saw the completely transformed Chen Ye, she was immediately stunned.

Li Qingyan vaguely sensed an aura that only cultivators possess.

That's the unique aura that arises when true essence circulates within the body and interacts with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth!
Although the aura was very faint, almost imperceptible, Li Qingyan, as a cultivator, was extremely familiar with it and could still sense it.

He... he can actually cultivate?

How could a sinner, a mortal without even spiritual roots, possibly embark on the path of cultivation?

Could it be that he's been hiding his strength all along? Or is he not a criminal at all, but a spy sent by a rival sect? Or is he some kind of old monster reincarnated and cultivating again, which is why he was able to draw qi into his body in such a short time?
The thought of these possibilities sent a chill down Li Qingyan's spine; the fear of the unknown was far stronger than when he had been branded with the mark of enslavement.

Chen Ye ignored the turmoil in her heart and simply said, "Come here."

Li Qingyan's body trembled uncontrollably, and then she walked stiffly to Chen Ye with her head down, not daring to even breathe.

"Owner……"

"How are your cultivation realms divided?" Chen Ye asked directly.

This question surprised Li Qingyan again.

He can cultivate, but he doesn't know the division of cultivation realms?

This is so contradictory!
You should know that in any sect, even the lowest-ranking handyman disciple, the first lesson upon entering is to understand the cultivation realm. So what exactly is his background?
Li Qingyan's doubts deepened, but she dared not ask, nor did she dare to conceal anything. After organizing her thoughts, she respectfully replied, "Master, the path of cultivation in our world is divided into seven major realms, starting from the most basic."

"The first three stages are known as the foundation of cultivation: foundation building, energy cultivation, and unimpeded progress."

Li Qingyan carefully observed Chen Ye's reaction. Seeing that his expression was normal, he continued to explain: "The Foundation Cultivation Realm, as the name suggests, is to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, draw the energy into the body, and condense the first wisp of true essence in the dantian to lay the foundation for cultivation. This step seems simple, but it can eliminate 99% of ordinary people, because if you don't have spiritual roots, you can't sense the spiritual energy at all."

"After the Foundation Building stage comes the Qi Nourishing stage. Cultivators in this stage need to continuously absorb and refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to strengthen the true essence in their dantian. When the true essence gathers from a thin thread into a flowing stream, it is considered that the Qi Nourishing stage has been completed."

"When the dantian and dantian are full and the true essence is strong enough, one can try to break through to the next realm, the Unobstructed Realm."

"Unimpeded" means that the meridians of the whole body are unblocked, so that the true essence can circulate in the body without any hindrance, forming a complete cycle that is endless! Only when you reach this level can you be considered a true cultivator. Not only will your strength increase greatly, but your lifespan will also far exceed that of ordinary people.

Li Qingyan explained the mysteries of the first three stages of cultivation in one breath, describing every word in great detail, for fear of omitting even the slightest detail.

Chen Ye listened quietly, understanding dawning on him.

Sure enough, it was exactly the same as the cultivation system in my sword-wielding world.

Nourish the foundation, cultivate vital energy, and move freely.

He completed in one night the journey that would normally take a cultivator several years or even decades to complete.

While the Star River Qi Refining Technique certainly played a part, the most important factor was his tempered and refined spirit and will, as well as the valuable experience gained from his retraining in the world of swordsmanship.

He clearly understands where the bottlenecks are at each level, and knows how to break through them efficiently and steadily.

"And then what happens after the Unobstructed Realm?" Chen Ye continued to ask.

Li Qingyan took a deep breath, his voice tinged with awe: "After the Unobstructed Realm come the four major realms of Sea Condensation, Inner Realm, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul Transformation. The gap between these four realms is like an insurmountable chasm."

At this point, a hint of sadness flashed in Li Qingyan's eyes. She had once been a cultivator at the peak of the Sea Condensation Realm, and was considered quite good in the inner sect of the Blood Lotus Sect, but now...

"Tell me about it," Chen Ye said, his tone remaining calm.

Li Qingyan dared not think too much and quickly composed himself, continuing, "The true essence in the dantian of a cultivator in the Unobstructed Realm can circulate repeatedly, but it is ultimately like a rootless duckweed. The Qi Sea Condensation Realm, on the other hand, is about truly settling this flowing stream of true essence within the dantian, opening up a Qi Sea that belongs only to oneself!"

"Once the Qi Sea is formed, true essence will be generated continuously. Whether it is fighting or cultivating, the endurance will undergo a qualitative change. In our Blood Lotus Sect, only those who break through to the Qi Sea Realm are qualified to become inner disciples, and are considered the backbone of the sect."

"Above the Sea Condensation Realm lies the Inner Realm." Li Qingyan lowered his voice even further. "At this level, cultivators no longer simply cultivate true essence, but begin to cultivate their soul. They can construct an inner world within their dantian and sea of ​​qi. As the saying goes, with a single thought, mountains and rivers change color; with a single technique, even ghosts and gods are terrified. Most of the true core disciples of our Blood Lotus Sect are experts at the Inner Realm."

"What about Core Formation and Nascent Soul Transformation?"

Upon hearing those two words, Li Qingyan's body tensed up instinctively, his eyes revealing a mixture of longing and fear.

"A cultivator who has reached the Great Perfection of the Inner Realm needs to compress and refine all of his essence, energy, and spirit, along with that inner realm, and finally condense a flawless golden core in his dantian."

"Once the Golden Core is formed, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens! My lifespan can reach a thousand years, and I can unleash all sorts of incredible supernatural powers. The elders of our Blood Lotus Sect are such legendary figures. They are usually elusive, but a single word from them can decide the life and death of hundreds of thousands of people."

"As for Nascent Soul... Legend has it that when the Golden Core shatters and the Nascent Soul leaves the body, one can travel thousands of miles in spirit, seize another's body, and be reborn. Such beings are revered as Ancestors, the true pillars of our Blood Lotus Sect. Each one is an old monster who has lived for thousands of years and rarely appears in the world." She finished speaking in one breath, feeling her mouth dry, and her gaze towards Chen Ye became even more complicated.

She explained the cultivation system of this world so clearly because she wanted this mysterious man to understand just how difficult the path of cultivation was and how profound the Blood Lotus Sect's foundation was.

She hoped he would be more cautious and not do anything reckless that would implicate her.

However, after listening, Chen Ye's face remained calm and composed as he asked, "Is Nascent Soul the end?"

Li Qingyan trembled, but dared not hesitate and could only grit his teeth and tell everything he knew.

"Legend has it that above the Nascent Soul stage, there are even more unfathomable realms such as Void Refinement and Body Integration. It is said that the supreme beings who reach those realms can traverse the void with their physical bodies, pluck stars and seize the moon, and their lifespan is as long as heaven and earth, almost eternal."

"But..." Li Qingyan changed the subject, a bitter look on his face. "According to ancient records, since the ancient times when the connection between heaven and earth was severed, the spiritual energy of our world has become increasingly violent and chaotic, filled with all kinds of negative energy. Let alone breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, even those who can break through to the Nascent Soul stage are rare geniuses who are seen only once every few thousand years."

“In today’s cultivation world, Nascent Soul Ancestors are already at the pinnacle of combat power, and as for Void Refinement and other realms, they haven’t appeared for a long time.”

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Ye understood.

The upper limit of this world is indeed higher than the sword world he experienced before, but the reason why the inheritance was interrupted at the Nascent Soul level is still due to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this world.

He had personally experienced the terror of this spiritual energy when he broke through three realms in succession. It was not like energy used for cultivation, but more like a deadly poison.

For ordinary cultivators, absorbing and refining toxins is like committing slow suicide. The higher their cultivation level, the more toxins accumulate in their bodies, and the easier it is for their minds to be distorted, eventually leading to demonic possession.

In such an environment, let alone striving for higher levels, it would be difficult enough to simply keep one's life from turning into a madman.

"What level of strength do the mainstream experts in the Blood Lotus Sect currently possess?" Chen Ye suppressed his thoughts and continued to ask.

"Reporting to Master, the majority of the sect's members are still the inner disciples who are at the Sea Condensation Realm, just like I was before. They are responsible for handling the sect's industries and mundane affairs in various places."

"Above the Sea Condensation Realm are the core disciples of the Inner Realm. As for the elders of the Core Formation Realm and the ancestors of the Nascent Soul Realm, they are rarely seen. I only saw a few of them once during the initiation ceremony."

After listening, Chen Ye gained a clear understanding of the combat power system of this world.

It sounds only slightly stronger than the Sword Dao World, but Chen Ye still remembers the bloody hand that fell from the sky when the alien clam was born. He knows that although the realm division is the same, the combat power of this world is much stronger than that of the Sword Dao World.

This might be related to the violent spiritual energy, so it can be considered a trade-off.

"How much do you know about the various cultivation resources within the sect?" Chen Ye asked Li Qingyan.

The greatest value of this tool he enslaved was the information about the Blood Lotus Sect in her mind.

Li Qingyan was taken aback, not understanding why he suddenly asked this, but still answered honestly: "I spent decades in the inner sect and am quite familiar with the sect's resource exchange system. Whether it's pills, magic weapons, or rare and precious materials, they can all be exchanged for in the Merit Hall using sect contribution points. However, my contribution points have long been depleted, and I still owe the sect a large sum of money..."

Hearing Li Qingyan's last words, which were filled with resentment, Chen Ye's expression remained unchanged.

He had expected this to happen.

This woman lost in the internal strife of the Blood Lotus Sect and was banished to this godforsaken place, which was a punishment in itself. Naturally, the sect could no longer provide her with any generous resources, and it was probably the best she could do now that she could keep her life.

"Besides the sect's distribution, what other ways are there to obtain sect contribution points?" Chen Ye asked directly.

What he lacks most right now is cultivation resources, so making money, or rather, accumulating contribution points, is the most important thing right now.

Hearing Chen Ye's question, Li Qingyan perked up a little; this was one of the few times she could demonstrate her value.

"Reporting to Master, there are three main ways to obtain contribution points."

"The first type is to complete the daily chores assigned by the sect, such as guarding the mines, patrolling the territory, cultivating spiritual plants, etc. This method is the safest but also the lowest reward. It's just about getting by. Most of the outer disciples in the sect make a living this way."

After hearing this, Chen Ye automatically ruled out this option.

Wasting time? He doesn't have that kind of time.

"The second type is to rely on one's own skills, such as alchemy, weapon crafting, talisman making, and array formation. These are all things that the sect strongly supports. As long as you have real skills, you can earn a lot of contribution points and your status is much higher than that of ordinary disciples. Our Blood Lotus Sect's Alchemy Hall and Weapon Crafting Hall are the richest places in the sect."

At this point, Li Qingyan's tone was full of envy.

Chen Ye stroked his chin.

Alchemy and weapon crafting sound like a lucrative business, but unfortunately, he knows nothing about it right now.

"What about the third one?"

"The third way is to go to the Merit Hall to accept missions issued by the sect. These missions are of various kinds, such as hunting monsters, collecting rare and precious materials, chasing down traitors, or even causing damage to the territory of rival sects... This method is the fastest way to contribute points and the most rewarding, but it is also the most dangerous. Countless disciples die in missions every year."

“Gongdetang…” Chen Ye murmured the name, his eyes brightening slightly.

"Very good, now show me the task list for the Merit Hall."

Li Qingyan didn't know what Chen Ye was planning to do, but dared not disobey, so he took out a blood-red jade slip from his storage bag.

This jade slip is no bigger than the palm of your hand. It is engraved with intricate and strange patterns, and there is a small Blood Lotus Sect symbol in the center. It feels warm to the touch, and there is a faint light flowing inside.

This is the identity token of an inner disciple of the Blood Lotus Sect. It is also a multi-functional magic artifact that can be used for communication, storage, and accepting sect missions.

"Master, all the tasks for the Hall of Merit are contained here."

Chen Ye took it, and then carefully probed the jade slip with a wisp of his divine sense.

hum!
A soft chirping sound echoed in his mind.

The next second, an enormous interface, resembling a virtual light screen, unfolded in his mind.

At the very top of the light screen were three large, blood-red characters written in a flamboyant style: "Hall of Merit".

Below, the information is categorized and listed in dense detail, almost like an online task posting website from a bygone era.

[Mission Area]: Blood Lotus Sect Mountain Gate, Blackwater Lake, Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, Ten Thousand Poison Swamp...

[Mission Type]: Hunting, Gathering, Escorting, Exploring, Pursuit...

[Task Level]: Yellow, Dark, Earth, Heaven.

Each category contains hundreds or even thousands of tasks, which are constantly being updated.

Chen Ye watched in amazement.

Unexpectedly, the management system of this demonic sect is quite modern, and its efficiency is much higher than that of the sects he had seen in the world of swordsmanship.

His divine sense swept across the interface and quickly found the Blackwater Lake area category, then clicked on it.

With a whoosh, the light screen refreshed.

Hundreds of tasks related to Blackwater Lake have been listed.

"Yellow-level task: Collect 100 catties of 'Yinshui algae', reward: 5 contribution points."

"Yellow-level mission: Hunt down ten 'spiky back fish' and take their venomous spines. Reward: 8 contribution points."

"Yellow-level mission: Patrol Pier No. 3 and maintain order for one month. Reward: 10 contribution points."

(End of this chapter)