Chapter 17: Universal Sanctification

Chapter 17: The Path to Universal Sainthood

After finishing the discussion on breakthroughs, Xiong Yan waved his hand. “Next, I will explain the key to achieving transcendence through the way of qi and blood. Listen carefully.”

“First is the physical limit of the human body. This limit isn’t about just one aspect, but a comprehensive, all-around limit.”

“An Olympic champion is already incredibly powerful; each champion signifies that they have reached the human limit in a certain field.”

“But that’s only a limit in one aspect, not a limit across all aspects.”

“The second key lies in tapping into the power of the five internal organs. This can be done through spirit preservation and visualization, gradually accumulating strength until one day, after a long build-up, a sudden breakthrough occurs naturally; it can also come from innate talent, where a single sleep leads to a breakthrough; or it can be aided by external forces.”

“However, at the current stage, the external forces we can rely on are limited. For example, music at the level of the legendary friendship between Boya and Ziqi can sometimes help people enter a deep meditative state, thereby unlocking the potential of the five organs; certain special medicines can directly affect the five organs—taking them sparingly minimizes long-term harm...”

Xiong Yan stayed where he was, explaining various precautions and key points of cultivation, while Chu Xuan, along with Peng Bing who had recently broken through, set off to explore the entire Virtual Realm.

...

At the Hearth

Chu Xuan picked up a flint and struck it hard. Sparks flew and landed on the dry grass he had prepared, igniting it with a sharp whoosh.

However, the combustion was clearly insufficient, instantly producing a large amount of gray and black smoke. Chu Xuan coughed as he added more dry grass into the hearth.

After several dozen seconds, Chu Xuan grasped the secret of burning firewood; the thick smoke began to vent steadily through the chimney.

Moments later, Xiong Yan arrived, observing Chu Xuan boiling water. He took a water ladle, drew a scoop from the water container, and drank directly.

“Talking all afternoon has really parched me.”

“This afternoon, I took a tour of the town. The entire town has about a hundred households, roughly a thousand people. Outside the town, there are four villages, and beyond them, a band of water bandits. The town has a blacksmith, two tailors, a butcher, and a scholarly gentleman...”

“The butcher’s surname is Hu, and the family has been butchers for generations. Every ten days, he travels fifty miles to the county seat to buy a young black pig.”

“Taking advantage of buying meat, I specifically asked him about the county. He said the county is prosperous, with a population of no less than ten thousand. They slaughter at least one black pig every day. The pork consumption there is more than ten times that of our town!”

Chu Xuan continued to relay his observations, while Xiong Yan frowned at the black pork Chu Xuan had brought. Just moments ago, he had detected a foul odor.

“This pig was probably not castrated while alive, or at least not thoroughly. And this piece looks to weigh only three to five pounds. There are twenty-seven of us in total, which means less than two ounces per person. We won’t even be full, let alone cultivate properly.”

Chu Xuan nodded in acknowledgment and added another handful of dry grass to the fire.

“This Virtual Realm is fine in many ways, but the material conditions are truly poor. Especially during the initial phase of development, it’s extremely harsh—practically nothing to rely on.”

“Even here, one must eat and drink enough to cultivate. If you lack sufficient nourishment, expect to consume five to six pounds of rice per person per day. Even with ample resources, at least two to three pounds of rice daily is necessary. That doesn’t even account for vitamins.”

“So, there is still much to be done if we want to transform this place into a talent cultivation base. It’s not just about conquering the realm; productivity must be improved.”

“Otherwise, when we fully occupy this realm and researchers from the real world enter en masse, if they can’t eat enough to cultivate and can only study theory, it would be absurd.”

At this, Chu Xuan relaxed his grip on the dry grass and asked directly, “So, when I become the ruler of this realm, can I summon others from the real world, and once they respond, they can descend here directly?”

“More or less. At that time, a mark will appear on their bodies—a seal connecting them to this realm,” Xiong Yan nodded.

“What exactly is our current state? Are we souls or something else?” Chu Xuan inquired further.

“Overthinking it. Souls, that lofty concept, don’t exist in the real world! We are purely material beings. Even with spiritual energy, we remain a material world, just somewhat special.”

“Only in a world with established reincarnation can every individual possess a soul. That’s not the result of ten or twenty years, nor a generation or two—it’s the accumulation of thousands, even countless great cycles!”

Mentioning reincarnation, Xiong Yan’s expression turned serious.

In mythology, reincarnation seems like a system designed solely to allow humans to live again after death.

But the truth is far more complex!

“In the real world, once we die, that’s it. Death is the end—nothing more. There is no heaven or hell, no reincarnation. No so-called ‘three souls and seven spirits.’ We have nothing. When we die, we simply cease.”

“Through arduous cultivation, we can elevate personal consciousness into spiritual energy. Only after extremely difficult training can spiritual energy be elevated into a soul.”

“In worlds with reincarnation, after death, the soul undergoes purification through the cycle and is reborn, generation after generation, accumulating power.”

“At first, they were likely similar to us—body dies and consciousness quickly dissipates.”

“But with reincarnation, consciousness that should vanish immediately enters the cycle, reincarnates repeatedly, and through generations, consciousness ascends into spiritual energy, then into a soul, and finally into the primordial spirit!”

“Theoretically, given enough time, all the people will one day spontaneously ascend their souls into primordial spirits!”

Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses with his left hand and picked up a piece of firewood with his right, poking at the partially burned dry grass in the hearth. A gust of wind fanned the flames, which suddenly roared to life.

“According to the classification of Heaven, Earth, Man, Gods, Ghosts, and the Five Immortals, the Yang Spirit is already a terrestrial immortal. The primordial spirit is a celestial immortal, and the celestial immortal is the pinnacle of immortality—calling it ‘saint’ would not be an exaggeration.”

“So, the true meaning of reincarnation is universal ascension to primordial spirit? Universal sainthood?”

Xiong Yan nodded, then shook his head. “It’s only a possibility. Before reincarnation appeared, the chances of ordinary people achieving primordial spirit were basically zero. With reincarnation, through generations of accumulation, the possibility arises.”

“But that’s merely a possibility. Moreover, not all reincarnations are equal. Most worlds lack reincarnation—death is final. And most reincarnation systems can only support soul cultivation.”

“It’s said that the primordial reincarnation personified by the Earth Mother is the only one capable of supporting cultivation to the primordial spirit stage.”

(End of Chapter)