Volume 1, Chapter 11 – Realm Divisions

While Liu Ruyan was rushing about in search of “Yaochi Immortal Palace,” Gu Han had already returned to the outside of the valley hidden by natural poisonous miasma and formations.

Looking at the dense poisonous miasma before her, unchanged from when she had left, Gu Han nodded in satisfaction.

She took one step forward, and her figure seemed to merge into rippling water. Silently, she passed through the barrier and returned to Yaochi Immortal Palace.

The moment she entered, she sensed something different.

The spiritual power inside the palace seemed more active than before she left.

Especially in the direction of the main hall, where a faint spiritual power vortex was vaguely forming.

“That little one A-Yao is quite diligent in cultivation.”

The corners of Gu Han’s lips lifted slightly. In a flash, she appeared at the entrance of the main hall.

Inside the hall, little A-Yao was sitting cross-legged on the cloud bed, five points facing heaven, with spiritual power circling around her.

Her small brows were faintly furrowed, as if she was trying hard to think through something.

The aura on her body had clearly reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement!

In less than a single day, she had actually broken through another level!

Gu Han did not disturb her. She only watched quietly, a trace of amazement appearing in her eyes.

Aptitude beyond ten stars was indeed terrifying.

This cultivation speed was practically as simple as eating and drinking.

She waited for quite a while, until the spiritual power around A-Yao settled and the little girl slowly opened her eyes.

“Master Mommy!”

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The moment she saw Gu Han, A-Yao immediately jumped down from the cloud bed and threw herself into her arms like a cheerful little bird.

“You’re back! A-Yao missed you so much!”

Gu Han smiled as she caught her and rubbed her head.

“Mm, I’m back. Looks like A-Yao worked very hard. Your cultivation has improved again.”

“A-Yao was obedient and kept cultivating the whole time!”

The little one raised her face and said it as if asking for praise, her big eyes sparkling.

“Master Mommy, where’s the ‘fun thing’ you mentioned?”

Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Gu Han could not help laughing. She took the Flowing-Light Lotus Platform out of the system warehouse.

“Here. It’s for you.”

“Wow!”

A-Yao let out a delighted cheer and carefully took the lotus platform.

The pale purple radiance and exquisite shape instantly captured her little heart.

“It’s so pretty!”

Following the method Gu Han had described, she tried injecting a faint thread of spiritual power into it.

The lotus platform trembled lightly, floated up, gave off a soft halo, and began to rotate slowly.

“Hehe, this is so fun! Thank you, Master Mommy!”

A-Yao happily controlled the lotus platform as it flew back and forth through the air, having the time of her life.

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Looking at the little one’s innocent smile, Gu Han felt a trace of warmth rise in her heart as well.

This experience of being a teacher and a “mother” (?) was unfamiliar, but it seemed… not bad.

She took out the supplies she had purchased one by one, especially the jade slips that recorded geographical anomalies and spiritual herb illustrations.

“A-Yao, play by yourself for a while. Master needs to read these books.”

“Okay!”

With a toy in hand, A-Yao was very obedient. Holding the Flowing-Light Lotus Platform, she ran to a corner of the great hall to play by herself.

Gu Han picked up a jade slip introducing cultivation realms. Her divine sense sank into it, and she began absorbing the knowledge inside.

The soul strength of the Immortal Ascension realm gave her an almost photographic memory.

In just one breath, she finished browsing the jade slip.

She now had a relatively clear understanding of the cultivation realms of this continent called Canglan Continent.

Qi Refinement: drawing qi into the body, tempering the flesh, and opening the dantian. Lifespan: one hundred and fifty years.

Foundation Establishment: condensing the Dao foundation and turning true qi into liquid. Lifespan: up to three hundred years.

Golden Core: liquid condenses into a core; as long as the Golden Core remains, the cultivator endures. The soul begins to manifest. Lifespan: five hundred years.

Nascent Soul: the Golden Core breaks and gives birth to the Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul is the cultivator’s second life and can briefly leave the body. Lifespan: one thousand years.

Spirit Transformation: the soul grows powerful, allowing divine sense to extend outward and interfere with reality. The cultivator comprehends a personal intent. Lifespan: three thousand years.

Void Return: refining the spirit and returning to the void. The cultivator begins to touch rules and can create their own domain. Lifespan: six thousand years.

Body Integration: the Nascent Soul and physical body further merge, allowing preliminary use of spatial power. Lifespan: ten thousand years.

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Mahayana: magic power becomes profound and mysterious. The cultivator masters rules and can use Dharma Idol divine abilities. Lifespan: twenty thousand years.

Tribulation Transcendence: after undergoing the baptism of heavenly tribulation, the cultivator sheds the mortal body and absorbs innate qi. Lifespan: fifty thousand years.

Immortal Ascension: the boundary between immortal and mortal, ascending to the heavens in one step.

Both the physical body and soul undergo complete transformation. Lifespan: one hundred thousand years. The cultivator controls rules, and their words carry the force of law. This is the highest realm in this world.

“So this is how the cultivation realms in this world work…”

Gu Han understood.

She put down the jade slip on cultivation realms and picked up another book that recorded geography.

This continent was divided into five great regions: the Eastern Region, Western Region, Southern Region, Northern Region, and Central Region.

Between the five regions lay endless seas and natural chasms. Ordinary cultivators would find it difficult to cross them even if they spent their entire lives trying.

The “Great Yan Dynasty” where she was currently located lay on the frontier of the Southern Region.

Within the dynasty, the strongest cultivation forces were said to have only Spirit Transformation cultivators presiding over them.

As for the beings that had previously probed her with divine sense, they had clearly come from somewhere else.

“The scale of this world is rather large…”

Gu Han touched her chin.

“But for now, this frontier of the Southern Region is exactly suitable for me to develop slowly.”

“Still, if I want to develop the sect, relying only on me and A-Yao is far from enough.”

“I must recruit disciples widely, fill the Scripture Repository, Alchemy Pavilion, Artifact Refining Pavilion, and the other halls, and make the sect truly operate.”

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“But disciple recruitment is not something where just anyone can be accepted.”

She thought of the system’s evaluation of A-Yao as “beyond ten stars,” as well as that tempting “peerless immortal seedling” gift package.

Clearly, the higher a disciple’s aptitude, the richer the rewards granted by the system.

“It seems I need a standard. At the very least, they must be seedlings with excellent aptitude and acceptable character.”

“System, do you have any ideas?”

[The Host should take the creation of a supreme Dao lineage as the goal.]

[Five to six stars: cultivation prodigies. They may become outer disciples.]

[Seven to nine stars: top-tier heavenly geniuses. They may become inner disciples.]

[Ten stars and above: peerless immortal seedlings. They may become true disciples.]

[As disciples grow and achieve special accomplishments, they can provide the Host with Master Dao Points and special rewards.]

The system’s voice echoed in Gu Han’s mind, clearly laying out the future disciple recruitment standards of Yaochi Immortal Palace.

“Five to six stars for the outer sect, seven to nine stars for the inner sect, and ten stars for true disciples… That is reasonable enough.”

Gu Han nodded slightly. Her gaze could not help shifting toward A-Yao, who was playing with the lotus platform in the corner, smiling so widely that her eyes had nearly disappeared.

This little one was an “unpolished jade” who had surpassed ten stars.

“It seems disciple recruitment in the future cannot be too casual. Quality comes first.”

Gu Han gradually formed a plan in her heart.