Chapter 356 - 207: Three Changes of the Spiritual
Translator: 549690339 I
Some cultivators experience a sudden surge of spiritual energy during a breakthrough, causing a violent influx of energy into their bodies, directly sweeping away the forming Spirit Sea and destroying the partially condensed Golden Core.
This seemingly unwarranted disaster is considered one type of Heavenly Tribulation.
The Human Tribulation can be understood as a continuation of the Karma Tribulation experienced during Foundation Establishment.
As long as one exists, karma exists.
The Human Tribulation is the most dangerous during the breakthrough to the Golden Core stage, including attacks from hostile cultivators, covetous sect disciples, or the obstruction of one’s Dao companion. All of these are considered part of the Human Tribulation.
Moreover.
The timing of the Human Tribulation, like the Heavenly Tribulation, is uncertain. It may occur before forming the Golden Core, during the process, or after the formation when one’s cultivation is not yet stable. Thus, to reduce the risk of Human Tribulation, most cultivators choose to undergo a long period of seclusion before and after the Golden Core breakthrough, emerging only after their cultivation has stabilized.
The Lifespan Tribulation is the catastrophe of one’s lifespan.
Foundation Establishment cultivators can easily live until 250 years old, while Golden Core cultivators have their lifespans increased by 1440 years. This sudden increase in lifespan breaks some higher-level rules, and they descend the Lifespan Tribulation as a result.
The Lifespan Tribulation does not occur during the Foundation Establishment stage, but it is the most dangerous during the Golden Core stage.
Among the Three Tribulations of the Golden Core, the first two are easy to understand – avoiding the disaster, resisting the disaster, or killing the enemy cultivator. But the third, the Lifespan Tribulation, has a very peculiar way of being overcome.
When a cultivator faces the Lifespan Tribulation, it may seem like a brief moment in the real world, but it feels as if they have been drawn into a different world, going through a special examination.
Moreover.
Once the cultivator has overcome the Lifespan Tribulation, they find that they have completely forgotten the examination, only vaguely remembering something about a test of their lifespan.
A cultivator who fails to overcome the Lifespan Tribulation can never regain consciousness, and their body rapidly decays. In an instant, they pass through their entire life.
Life and death, the Dao, all hang by a single thought.
This is the Three Tribulations of Golden Core.
The Three Changes of the Spirit Sea are the three changes that occur during the process of forming the Golden Core.
The first change is the formation of the Golden Core in the middle of the Spirit Sea. The spiritual power gradually semi-solidifies, then solidifies, finally detaching from the sea of spiritual power and floating above the Spirit Sea.
The second change is the expansion of the Spirit Sea, especially the upward expansion towards the Upper Dantian or the Sea of Consciousness space.
The third change is the gradual transformation of the sea of spiritual power from a purely liquid state to a semi-fluid state.
These three changes are actually a preparation for forming the Nascent Soul.
When a cultivator breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantian – the Spirit Sea and the Sea of Consciousness – are connected as one, and the Golden Core and Divine Soul merge. Of course, this is only briefly mentioned in the Jade Butterfly without going into detail.
This is the Three Changes of Spirit Sea.
Of course, the Three Changes of Spirit Sea and the Three Tribulations of Golden Core do not include the Heavenly Demon Calamity.
The Heavenly Demon Calamity runs through every realm’s breakthrough for a cultivator, needless to say.
Moreover, in the Jade Butterfly that Zhuge Wu You gave to Han Yi, apart from introducing the basic information about the Three Changes of Spirit Sea and the Three Tribulations of Golden Core, most of the content focused on the explanation of these changes and tribulations, including various cases, notes, illustrations, and records during the breakthrough.
Before this.
Han Yi only knew that the Golden Core would be condensed in the Spirit Sea. He had heard about bits and pieces of other changes and disasters, but he had never understood them systematically.
This Jade Butterfly would be worth more than its weight in gold for a loose cultivator.
This is the benefit of a large sect. If the Xuandan Sect had not survived the catastrophe, Han Yi, who would have become a loose cultivator, would have had to acquire this knowledge on his own.
Suddenly.
A thought flashed through Han Yi’s mind.
If the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages both have manifested tribulations, what about the Nascent Soul stage? Aside from the Thunder Tribulation, would there be other corresponding tribulations as well?
Raising the context.
Recalling the Xuandan Sect’s catastrophe, could it have been one of the tribulations Yuan Shun had to overcome when breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage?
Such a conjecture is not impossible.
However, the distance between him and the Nascent Soul still seemed very far away. Even if he could understand it in advance, there would be more harm than good, so naturally, he would not look for trouble.
With a new idea in mind on how to break through to the Golden Core, Han Yi gathered his belongings, left the quiet room, and walked through the Xuandan Sect. He visited the Azure Dragon Palace and Azure Dragon Cliff and then the other eight Inner Peaks, finally arriving at Combat Peak.
This Immortal Peak, located between the inner and outer peaks, had become the liveliest place in the entire Xuandan Sect.
He initially wanted to find He Fangwei, but he found that the sign for Jiulong Shop had been changed to another business. Upon inquiring with a Qi Refining shopkeeper who rented the shop, he learned that He Fangwei had officially closed Jiulong Shop.
Han Yi recalled that He Fangwei said he would consider closing the shop after his master, Tang Yiyuan, left seclusion. However, with Tang Yiyuan still in seclusion, the shop had closed ahead of schedule, indicating that something had happened.
But.
Han Yi’s karma with Jiulong Shop had already ended, so whatever happened, he wouldn’t be involved anymore.
A moment later, after checking the Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings, he took flight on his sword, released the Immortal Boat, and headed out of the sect.
Naturally, his destination was Lingchuan City located in Luofeng Country.
The immortal boat Han Yi rode was still the lower-level Artifact Level Earth Immortal Level Boat, while the Heavenly Immortal Level Boat he obtained from the Black Divine Tower assassin consumed too many Spirit Stones and placed too much burden on his Divine Soul, so it was unnecessary to use when not in battle.
That evening, Han Yi brushed past the Great Immortal City of Luofeng Country, Tong City, and then arrived at Lingchuan City.
As he passed Tong City, the images of two people suddenly flashed in Han Yi’s mind.
One was Luo Yunzhou, who had traveled with him by immortal boat to Tong City and then hurried to Daofu City for the dispute over the Luo family’s Spirit Field. Later, Luo Yunzhou was killed, and Han Yi obtained the mysterious Cave Mansion token which later indirectly saved his life in Shu Du’s Mirage Immortal Secret Realm.
The relationship between cause and effect in these events was too complex to understand.
And the other was Fu Canghai.
At that time, Han Yi was on a mission from the sect to visit the Gu family in Nanhuai City. He discovered that the Gu family was refining the Yin and Yang Evil Pills. After leaving, Gu Zhijing caught up with him, and that was the first time Han Yi confronted a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Although the opponent was an old early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, it made Han Yi realize their strength.
Fu Canghai later appeared, easily killing the Foundation Establishment cultivator, leaving Han Yi in awe. It was then that Fu Canghai gifted Han Yi a set of Tiandu daggers.
Both of these people could be considered good teachers and helpful friends on his path of cultivation, but the path of immortality was ruthless, and both had perished.
Han Yi let go of the complicated feelings in his heart.
One must look forward, especially cultivators striving for immortality against time and fate.
Before sunset, Han Yi arrived at Lingchuan City and went straight to the Xuanhuo Pill Shop in this Immortal City. In the information provided by Lu Li, there was information about the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper’s name was Zhang Kun, who appeared to be a middle-aged cultivator, but his eyes showed the vicissitudes of life, revealing he was much older. After Han Yi showed his emblem, Zhang Kun respectfully greeted him. Knowing that Han Yi came to inquire about Yan Ru, he took out the relevant information.
Shopkeeper Han, it’s quite a coincidence that the information about searching for Yan Ru sent by the sect previously was held by an assistant in the shop. We only found out about it a short while ago.”
I only remembered it then, that there really was such a matter.”
The sect offered a reward of a thousand Points. If I had known earlier, I would have already reported it.”
Han Yi nodded, “Tell me everything that happened at the time.”
Zhang Kun explained in detail what happened when he came across Yan Ru, her condition at the time, and what kind of pills she purchased.
For a cultivator in the middle-to-late stage of Qi Refining, it’s almost impossible to forget something that happened a year ago.
By the way, before leaving, Yan Ru left something, saying it would be stored in the shop temporarily for a period of three years. She said she would come back to get it in three years. Elder Han, what do you think?”
Generally, such storage should not be used privately, but Han Yi was a sect elder, and since he was looking for someone, the circumstances were different.
Han Yi didn’t refuse, “Take out the items and hand them over to me. I will be responsible for any issues that may arise.”
Zhang Kun took a box from a storage cabinet deep inside the pill shop and handed it to Han Yi.
Han Yi didn’t immediately open the box but instead placed it into his Qiankun Ring. He then asked Zhang Kun where Yan Ru had headed, but as expected, he got a reply saying he didn’t know.
Seeing that there was no further information, Han Yi left the pill shop, took to the air on his sword, released the immortal boat, and flew out of Lingchuan City. He randomly chose a direction, flew about ten kilometers out, and then suspended himself in mid-air.
Just at that moment, the sun was setting, and after the sunset, the night gradually darkened, but it didn’t block Han Yi’s line of sight at all.
He solemnly opened the box.
Inside the box was only a bloodstained cloth strip..