The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

From all perspectives, Ding Ning is a highly likely candidate to reach the Ninth Realm and even achieve a breakthrough.

This is undoubtedly a good thing, but it may not satisfy people in every aspect. Instead, it may bring many new troubles, the most important of which is the gap in lifespan and the separation between death and survival.

For ordinary practitioners, since their lifespan has not yet undergone a qualitative change, the years are indeed merciless, often accompanied by the pain of separation from loved ones through life and death.

But such experiences only occupy a small part of life, usually occurring in the final stage, when all the things one wanted to do have been done, leaving little regret in one's heart.

Simplicity is truth, and returning to simplicity is to find lasting beauty.

Even those who suffer misfortune in their early years, who are always unprepared and worry-free before the incident, can at least slowly heal themselves afterward and find new things to care about.

However, for high-level cultivators who are over a hundred years old, most of their lives are spent in arduous cultivation, making it difficult to regain normal social skills and a youthful and active mindset.

Only the limited days of youth and adolescence, the friends and enemies formed during those times, can stir up waves in one's heart.

The key moments of growth and memory are often irreplaceable by those who come after.

According to the known intelligence, although Ding Ning has the potential for longevity, it will be difficult for him to overcome the long accumulation period. Conservatively speaking, he will be stuck at least two or three hundred years before reaching the ninth realm.

It doesn't sound very long.

However, considering that many people in the eighth realm did not even live for two hundred years, and there were many seventh realm people who died of old age in a hundred years, it was clear that he would have to face the departure of the people around him sooner or later.

Changsun Qianxue is the most direct example.

In her youth, she disliked practicing swordsmanship and avoided her teachers, preferring to play instead. It wasn't until she met Wang Jingmeng that she became diligent and grew rapidly. However, the Gongsun family was destroyed in one day, and without the help of elixirs and spirit wines, and with no one to guide her, she had to hide her identity and cultivate alone. Yet, she still reached the peak of the seventh realm before the age of forty.

This talent is truly astonishing, unmatched by 99% of the world's young talents. It puts him at least on par with, or even slightly above, those of Yuanwu and Zhengxiu in the past.

“However, theoretically speaking,” Zhao Qing thought to himself, “the eighth realm should be her limit. More than a hundred years later, the peak of the eighth realm is already a high estimate.”

As for Lin Zhujiu, Zhang Shiwu, Ye Celing, and others, if they don't use precious spiritual herbs to increase their dosage, they will all stop at the lower level of the eighth realm.

Therefore, without external intervention, Ding Ning should have been at the half-step ninth realm at that time, or in a state of near "lying down" during the breakthrough, powerless to do anything about the passing of his friends. The deep affection and friendship ultimately became a mirage, leaving only a deep regret.

“To avoid such a situation,” Zhao Qing thought, “Ding Ning should accelerate his journey to the Ninth Realm so that he can break through to the Longevity Realm before Changsun Qianxue’s lifespan ends, thus protecting her ‘family’ and ensuring their safety.”

The Nine Realms of Longevity can transform a certain number of "followers," granting them a long lifespan linked to themselves, much like the effects of an "elixir of immortality." The cost is the assimilation and erosion of consciousness, but normally there must be ways to circumvent or avoid this.

If one cannot control the dissipated power, it must be because one's cultivation is still lacking and one has not truly comprehended the principle of "myriad transformations" in the nine realms, nor does one know the profound principle of "co-cooperation," and instead uses "devouring" as a substitute.

"Of course, its biggest drawback is that it blocks the path to the ninth realm for those who are protected, just as the Nether Emperor said before." She pondered, "There are gains and losses. Relying on external forces can never be perfect. We need to make choices."

In comparison, practicing certain techniques that can prolong life is a better choice, such as the Longevity and Immortality Technique, the Dao Heart Demon Seed, and the Longevity Technique.

The maximum lifespan of the Longevity and Youth Technique should be around 360 years old. This is the limit of one's lifespan. Beyond this age, rejuvenation cannot be completed within a whole year, and the true energy can no longer withstand the cost of aging, thus reaching its end.

However, according to Zhao Qing's long-term research, in the current situation where the worlds have switched, the rules of heaven and earth are very different. It can be considered that it has escaped the radiation zone of the "five hundred limit". This internal skill, which was no longer magical, has been transformed by the rotation of alien true essence under her deduction, and has once again burst forth with new brilliance.

Simply put, every type of True Essence Body with complete Zhou Tian Dao Rhyme can replace its physical form with Qi, adding 360 years to its lifespan. The theoretical upper limit is as high as one Yuan – 129,600 years. As long as one has the ability to continuously replace the True Essence Body, one can remain forever young and unaffected by the erosion of time.

It looks pretty good.

However, because it is completely different from the cultivation methods of this world, one must abandon the cultivation and start from scratch to cultivate the foundation of the transformation of form, spirit and qi in order to fully exert its effects, or like Zhao Qing, comprehend the method of the vast emptiness of all phenomena. Otherwise, it is only an auxiliary technique for prolonging life, and cannot even guarantee a lifespan of three hundred years.

Furthermore, each type of True Essence Body is unique and cannot be similar to another. Therefore, it requires a focused search, a significant amount of time, and is impossible to accumulate indefinitely. One will forever only have a cultivation level equivalent to 360 years, becoming a prime example of someone who is old but not strong enough.

As for the Dao Heart Demon Seed, it is actually a new version that Zhao Qing has transformed and sublimated by integrating the Heavenly Demon Strategy, the Compassionate Sword Manual, and the Yellow Heaven Great Law. It can almost cultivate a core of essence, energy, and spirit like a Nascent Soul. By setting up certain pre-conceptions, it can achieve a certain effect of having two lives.

If the physical body dies but the nascent soul does not, it can be reborn by seizing another body. If the nascent soul is destroyed but the physical body does not, it can cultivate the nascent soul again.

Switching to another mode, such as reincarnation within the body and awakening of memories, is not a major problem, allowing one to possess the lifespan and cultivation of multiple lifetimes.

However, the soul has its limits, basically living only a thousand or a few thousand years. Moreover, the difficulty of cultivation is extraordinary, requiring a mindset above that of a celestial being. Throughout the process, one's temperament changes, generally tending towards selflessness and ruthlessness.

Even now, the Longevity Technique's primordial spirit transformation is still at the peak of life extension that Zhao Qing has mastered. With her current cultivation progress, she is enough to live for hundreds of millions of years, which is no less than the ninth realm of longevity. She transforms into an eternal and indestructible light, transcending to the other shore.

However, this method also requires rebuilding one's foundation, and one's primordial spirit cultivation must at least reach the realm of the innate, boundless, and formless Dao, contemplating the most refined and subtle principles, and guarding the profound and mysterious rhythm. This is almost unimaginable for cultivators in this world who mainly cultivate their natal sword essence. It can be said that it is already a supreme divine skill of the time system.

Even with Ding Ning's talent and Zhao Qing's guidance, there might not be absolute certainty that he could master it.

The Starfire Sword Scripture of the past also touched upon the essence of the transformation of Qi, but Wang Jingmeng and he later did not comprehend it deeply and did not understand its wonders. They were even surpassed by Jing Liuli by a great deal. It can be seen that Ding Ning is not very good at this.

Objectively speaking, having people cultivate the bloodlines of Tai Sui, Youlong, Shen'ao, etc., to increase their lifespan by leaps and bounds, or to construct special planes similar to Nibelungen with adjustable time flow, or even to create a Netherworld related to reincarnation, would be closer to a feasible strategy.

"No matter which path you take, the only measure, the only thing you can control, and the only thing you can rely on is the speed at which you can increase your cultivation level."

Zhao Qing muttered to herself, then flicked her finger, and the illusory image of the Xuanhuang Star Core floating in her palm suddenly shrank, turning into a speck of dust that disappeared into her sleeve.

She looked up at the outside of the stone hall, her gaze seemingly piercing through the thousands of peaks and walls of the ancestral mountain, landing on the figure thousands of miles away who was stepping out of the secret chamber: "Since time is of the essence, let's give him a real shortcut, bypassing the slow accumulation of true essence and the barriers of the first few major realms, so that he can ascend to the eighth realm in one step."

The "orthodox" method of breaking through realms and attaining enlightenment involves finding one's deepest obsession, fusing sword intent, sword momentum, and essence into it, and then, when this obsession suddenly vanishes, in that moment of complete emptiness and relief, a new world is ushered in..."

"But the key to this is simply 'emptying'." "Forcibly emptying one's true essence and breaking one's cultivation is to dissipate one's power, but emptying one's spirit and will is tantamount to death. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce the tool of 'obsession'." Zhao Qing pondered and sighed, "But the rebirth process of the Nine Deaths Silkworm is completely equivalent to going through such a change, achieving a more perfect 'emptying'."

"From a theoretical perspective, it can absolutely be used as a fundamental means to break through to the eighth realm, ignoring any restrictions such as obsessions."

"Ding Ning, who was brought back to life, was completely unable to inherit Wang Jingmeng's true essence cultivation. At first, he was just a 'mortal' who had not yet reached the profound level. Why did he have to slowly cultivate back to the original level?"

"It's very simple. Wang Jingmeng only experimentally extracted a section of his life essence a long time ago and sealed it in the Nine Netherworld King Sword. Later, before the Battle of Changling, he casually repaired the Nine Deaths Silkworm and tried a 'treatment'. After that, he was surrounded and killed, but his will remained and he was trapped in the place where he died in battle."

"It wasn't until three years later, when Changsun Qianxue returned to Changling with her sword and offered a sacrifice at the place where she died, that the blood and qi sealed within the Nine Netherworld King Sword finally revived, merged with her consciousness, and her flesh and blood were reborn, quickly transforming into an infant, who became Ding Ning."

"Overall, the problem is that the intervals between pregnancies are long, the energy reserves are low, the Nine-Death Silkworm's power is insufficient, and there's no one specifically looking after the blood and energy to provide useful assistance during the early stages of embryonic development..."

Zhao Qing analyzed, "If this time, he treats the 'rebirth' of the Nine Deaths Silkworm as an active and complete cultivation, rather than a passive revival, then it will be completely different."

"Before death, one first forms a special cocoon, absorbing all the energy that can be absorbed from the outside world. Then, one disperses the true essence, sword intent, consciousness, and flesh and blood, returning to chaos. One then refines and reshapes within the cocoon—this is a complete 'destruction and reconstruction,' and one will never return to the mortal realm."

"Given the magical properties of silk, although it cannot directly absorb the vital energy of heaven and earth, it can probably devour and assimilate all kinds of rare and precious materials, elixirs, plundered life-bound items, and even high-level cultivators themselves, to nourish the embryo to take shape."

"With such a high absorption rate, the speed of cultivation recovery and growth is probably countless times faster than normal cultivation. It is even possible to complete the leap from the fourth realm to the eighth realm within the 'cocoon'."

"The exact time required depends on the availability of resources and the state of mind, but once I obtain the chapter on the Nine Deaths Silkworm, compressing it into ten months should not be a problem. At the fastest, it may only take a few days."

Emperor You must have undergone such rapid reconstruction, and the whole process was very quick. His cultivation level would not have fluctuated too much before or afterward, at least there was no obvious drop in level. Otherwise, given the strength of the enemy rebels facing You Dynasty, he would not have missed such an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and attempt to assassinate him.

"Of course, it's not easy to use a cocoon formed at the fourth realm to contain and bind the vast energy above the seventh realm. The conversion rate is a big problem."

Zhao Qing pondered, "The only difference between the Eighth Realm and the previous seven realms is that the power of true essence is no longer the key to battle. The most important criterion is the use, weaving, transformation, and coverage of the laws of primordial energy, which defines the strength and weakness of the three ranks of the Eighth Realm and is related to the operation of the Dao Pattern Domain."

"An eighth-realm cultivator with no true essence can easily suppress a peak seventh-realm cultivator simply by using his ability, which is like the Key to Heaven, to weave laws with his divine sense and stimulate external energy to fight against enemies."

"With the help of the Nine Deaths Silkworm's rebirth and transformation, Ding Ning's Eighth Realm of Awakening may be the worst and weakest in history in terms of 'stats,' but it is indeed the Eighth Realm. Its combat power is no less than Wang Jingmeng's peak moment—true essence can be replenished slowly, but the comprehension of laws has been achieved in one step."

"At that time, he could even directly challenge Yuan Wu and settle all grudges with a pure and exhilarating battle, rather than with long-term schemes, instigation, and division."

"However, whether or not he takes this step toward rebirth, whether or not he makes this risky choice, depends on his own willingness."

“Going to one’s death willingly and dying in battle are two completely different concepts. The former requires facing the deep-seated fear of annihilation, severing all current ties, and having the unwavering belief that the self rebuilt in the cocoon can return as scheduled. This kind of decision requires great courage and boldness.”

"In addition, this process depends on the chill of the Nine Netherworld King Sword, the protection of Changsun Qianxue and others, and automatically reveals that he is not just the successor of the Nine Deaths Silkworm, but the reincarnation of Wang Jingmeng. The attitude of those around him will also change drastically as a result, making it difficult for him to handle the complex relationships involved."

Zhao Qing knew in his heart that all he could do was tell Ding Ning about the existence of this "shortcut door," but he couldn't open it for him.

There is never absolute safety on the path of cultivation; the more extraordinary the opportunity, the more deadly the risk it often carries.

……

The night in the Qin Palace always carried a lingering melancholy.

Above the courtyard of the Empress's study, the starlight was sparse, as if shrouded in an invisible mist. Even the brightest star, Jupiter, appeared somewhat dim. Fine snow accumulated on the glazed tiles of the eaves, falling softly and silently bending the copper bells at the corners of the eaves, making their normally crisp sounds dull.

Zheng Xiu sat on a phoenix chair made of golden sandalwood, facing several lotus pods of the spiritual spring. Her expression was cold as she stared at a black-gold jade talisman in her hand. Wherever her gaze fell, lines that seemed to be randomly drawn suddenly leaped out and transformed into a wide river in her eyes.

Pure rays of light shot from her fingers, merging into the river of runes and creating countless variations.

This was originally a wonderful method for comprehending cultivation techniques and improving one's cultivation level, allowing one to fully understand the creator's true intentions. It was Wang Jingmeng who taught her this method. However, Zheng Xiu only maintained it for a few breaths before it seemed that a serious mistake had occurred—a ball of silver-gray sparks suddenly ignited and sped away along the talisman lines.

The jade talisman was undamaged, but the black jade box that had originally contained it, which was placed beside it, was quickly engulfed by the chilling flames. Its smooth, lustrous surface rapidly faded, melting and collapsing visibly as if ice had been exposed to a furnace! Smoke drifted away!

Immediately before the spark could touch the surface of the table, she forcefully extinguished it with a grip. The chilling stillness lingered like radiation from an explosion, freezing the surrounding spiritual spring water vapor into fine ice crystals.

"The Lonely Mountain Sword Treasury? What a fine Lonely Mountain Sword Treasury!"

Zheng Xiu let out a hurried, low growl that shattered her aloof image: "The highest inheritance of the Lonely Mountain Sword Sect is actually hidden in the Zhou King's Mausoleum? What's circulating outside is just an illusion? Even if it's true! Yuan Wu, you had Li Si bring it to me, were you trying to mock me for not being able to break through to the eighth realm?"

Within half a day, she had roughly browsed through all 360 newly unearthed volumes of ancient texts and 12 jade talismans, all in an effort to find the key information that had kept her stuck at the eighth realm, unable to break through, and completely unable to obtain this method. However, she made a discovery that almost made her despair and utterly hopeless.

Obsession.

Because of her ridiculous obsession, she has already come to the end.

Because Zheng Xiu immediately understood what her deepest obsession was and realized the immense difficulty of achieving it.

If she wanted to go further, she had to face an "enemy" she had to confront: her husband, the Emperor of Qin, Yuanwu.

Using the Seven Realms to plan for the Eight Realms.

Moreover, it is at the middle level of the eighth realm.

...(End of chapter)