A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Zhou Ping recalled what Wang Mian had said, which did mention some rare treasures of heaven and earth and their origins. He thought that those special places like blessed lands and grotto-heavens were the key to repairing the wounds of the Great Dao.

"Indeed, Junior Brother Zhou must have heard similar legends as well, right?"

A hint of approval flashed in Wang Mian's dim eyes, and he nodded.

Zhou Ping tilted his head, pondered for a moment, and then hesitated before speaking.

"Junior brother, I have indeed seen some similar legends in some handwritten books, but they are just fragments. I only know that such places are extremely rare, and they are usually hidden in other worlds. However, I have no idea how strange they are or where they are located."

Wang Mian glanced at him with slight surprise, and seeing that he didn't seem to be pretending to be stupid, he pondered for a moment and then asked in return,

"If I'm not mistaken, Junior Brother Zhou's so-called handwritten book must have been made by some reclusive, unaffiliated cultivators, right?"

"How did Senior Brother Wang find out?"

This time it was Zhou Ping's turn to be surprised. According to his estimation, the ancient handwritten books he had seen were probably written by the old Taoist Mingxin based on his own observations and experience. He probably did not have the original ancient books in his possession, otherwise he would not have been so ambiguous, only describing the form without knowing the content.

Seeing that he had guessed correctly, Wang Mian continued,

"That's easy to guess. You've only been a beginner for a short time, and you may not have had time to learn about some of the sect's hidden traditions. Moreover, the knowledge of independent cultivators is limited. I, Wang, experienced this firsthand before joining a sect. Independent cultivators in the cultivation world have neither a path nor a lineage. It's already extremely difficult for them to make a living and survive on their own. How can they compare to the true disciples of the major sects?"

"Mainstream sects like our Qinglian Xuanzong have a history of thousands or even tens of thousands of years. This includes not only cultivation techniques and secret arts, but also many things you can't even imagine."

"If there are any blessed lands or wondrous secret realms in the cultivation world of Liang Kingdom, Junior Brother Zhou, who do you think would control them?"

"Naturally, it's the Five Great Mystic Sects!"

Zhou Ping suddenly understood, and his mind immediately cleared up.

"Good! Now comes the important part that I, Wang, am about to say, so listen carefully."

Wang Mian straightened his posture, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

"To heal the damage to our Dao foundation, there is only one thing in this world that can have such a miraculous effect. That is a rare treasure of heaven and earth called the Fruit of Time. This fruit not only has the miraculous effect of prolonging life, but also contains a trace of the primordial energy left over from the birth of the blessed land. This primordial energy is the wisp of mother energy that nurtured the Dao. Although it does not have earth-shattering power, it does have the miraculous effect of cleansing the marrow and transforming the mortal, enlightening the mind and opening the mind for cultivators. It is also the only spiritual medicine to repair the damage to the Dao."

"Unfortunately, after hundreds of thousands of years, this kind of spiritual treasure has long since disappeared and been completely exhausted in the world we live in. The Primordial Qi has also long since dissipated in the long river of time, leaving no trace behind."

"Nowadays, only in those secluded paradises and blessed lands can such spiritual treasures still exist. And the Five Elements Realm Trial that our sect will be opening in four years will be in one such paradise."

After Wang Mian finished speaking, he quietly looked at the shocked Zhou Ping, temporarily pausing his intention to continue, giving the latter some time to digest and absorb the information.

After a while, when Zhou Ping looked up at Wang Mian again, his eyes had regained their clarity, and his expression had returned to normal.

"Senior Brother Wang, this is indeed the first time I've heard of the Five Elements Realm Trial. After thinking about it carefully, even within our Azure Lotus Profound Sect, such a strange place shouldn't be accessible to just anyone, right?"

"I didn't expect Junior Brother Zhou to ask the key question right away. You guessed right, this Five Elements Realm Trial is not just for my Qinglian family, but is jointly managed by the five major Xuan Sects. Each opening is held every twenty years. In order to obtain more rare resources inside, each of the major Xuan Sects has set minimum entry requirements for the disciples who participate. Only disciples who have reached the late stage of Qi Refining, that is, those who are at least at the seventh level of Qi Refining, are qualified to participate. Disciples whose cultivation is lower than this level are not allowed to enter."

Wang Mian rubbed his aching lower back and explained to Zhou Ping.

"Late stage of Qi Refining? Such a treasure land, why are none of the Foundation Establishment stage senior uncles or the Core Formation stage elders from the sect participating? Instead, they've allowed the lowest-ranking Qi Refining stage disciple to enter?"

Zhou Ping asked, frowning.

"It's not that we're unwilling, but that we can't. The Five Elements Realm, this kind of blessed land, is different from the vast world we live in. It's too small, and it can't be considered a complete and perfect world. The laws of heaven within it have absolute restrictions on cultivators who enter. If a cultivator who has exceeded the Qi Refining stage enters, it will attract the suppression of the entire realm and be directly wiped out by the thunderous heavenly tribulation that condenses within. Without exception, just like our world, where immortals cannot descend. It's not that immortals are unwilling, but that the heavenly way forbids it."

Wang Mian organized his thoughts and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"I see....."

Zhou Ping nodded thoughtfully, raised his hand to touch his chin, and his expression gradually turned somewhat unpleasant.

"Does that mean that if I want to participate, I must raise my cultivation to the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage within the next four years...?"

Seeing Zhou Ping's troubled expression, Wang Mian suddenly spoke to him seriously.

"Junior Brother Zhou, although I know you have no choice but to go, I hope you understand that even if you can break through to the General rank within four years and raise your cultivation to the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage, that is only the minimum standard to enter."

"You should know that among the disciples of the five great sects who actually enter, it is extremely rare to see someone of this level. The weakest among them are almost all cultivators at the eighth level, while most of the cultivators who enter are like me, at the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage or at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage with one foot in the ground. The dangers involved are self-evident."

Wang Mian looked at him with a serious expression. It was rare to find someone who shared his plight, and he didn't want the other to lose his life inside without knowing why, so he continued to remind him.

"The Five Elements Realm is different from the competitions and sparring within our sect. People from the five sects enter it to compete for resources. Once they start fighting, it's almost a life-or-death struggle. There's no such thing as holding back or admitting defeat. Therefore, every Five Elements Realm trial results in the deaths of countless elites from the Xuan Sect. Very few manage to escape unscathed."

"May I ask, senior brother, besides the Time Fruit, what other rare treasures exist in the Five Elements Realm? Why do the Five Great Mystic Sects value them so highly?"

Zhou Ping naturally sensed the danger involved. Putting aside whether he dared to participate, he was uncertain whether he could break through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage within four years.

Cultivation is different from eating and sleeping. It's not something that can be achieved by simply meditating and taking medicine. Once you encounter a bottleneck, it can easily cause a cultivator to stagnate in that realm for years or even decades. Moreover, Zhou Ping has to break through two realms in four years. The difficulty of this is unimaginable.