I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

"The Mirage Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu first shook his head, and then nodded.

This was not the first time he had heard of this realm. Back in the 'Minor Spirit Realm', or rather, in the 'Black Mist Swamp' of the 'Primordial Demon Source Realm', he had seen records of the 'Illusory Mirage Realm' in some of the books left by ascended cultivators.

—They mistakenly took the 'Black Mist Swamp' as the Mirage Realm, and then gave it the name 'Little Spirit Realm'.

However, since there was no such thing as the 'Illusory Mirage Realm' near the Spirit Realm, and he had never heard of the existence of the 'Illusory Mirage Realm' in the Human Ancestor Hall, he subconsciously regarded the records about this realm as rumors spread by those ascended cultivators.

Unexpectedly, today I heard the words "Illusory Mirage Realm" from the mouth of the Fire-Haired Taoist.

However, the Fire-Haired Daoist is not one of those 'small spirit world' cultivators whose eyes and ears have been blinded and kept in captivity by the ancient demons.

Although she appeared quite humble in his presence, in reality, she was a peak Void Refinement expert with considerable prestige among the human race in the Spirit Realm! She was a top expert who could easily rank within the top thousand among billions of human cultivators!

Furthermore, the fact that this cultivator came from the 'Tianhai Sect' lends more credibility to his words.

"What secrets does this Mirage Realm hold? Why did the human race's higher-ups deliberately erase records of this realm?"

Wei Tu frowned slightly, sensing that this world was not simple. Besides the opportunity mentioned by the Fire-Haired Daoist, there was probably another great secret.

Otherwise, the news wouldn't have been concealed to such an extent that it was something he had never heard of in the spirit world.

As for the origin of humankind...

Like the 'Illusory Mirage Realm', he had heard some versions during his travels in the Spirit Realm, but he had never seen any detailed records about it in the Ancestor's Hall.

"It seems that Senior Wei's understanding of the Mirage Realm is not as great as I thought."

"But that's normal. Such secrets are not revealed to you ascended cultivators by the clan."

Although Wei Tu did not say it explicitly, judging from Wei Tu's expression after hearing those words, the shrewd and experienced Fire-haired Taoist had already guessed most of the matter.

"Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist Huofa."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu didn't hold back. He nodded and immediately asked for guidance without any shame.

"I dare not offer any explanations; I am merely recounting some texts passed down from my ancestors."

Seeing this, the Fire-Haired Taoist secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his gaze toward Wei Tu softened somewhat.

Then, without hesitation, Huofa Daoren carefully considered his words and began to tell Wei Tu about the records about the origin of the human race that he had seen in the Tianhai Sect.

"Humans are one of the ten spirit races in the spirit realm. But in fact, the term 'ten spirit races' only gradually emerged after the Feathered Dragon Clan, Ghost Phoenix Clan, and Divine Armor Clan became dominant... Long ago, before the three dominant clans existed, humans were already a powerful race in the spirit realm..."

"Moreover, the human race back then was not as weak as it is now. There was a Tribulation Transcending Realm expert in history. However... there were no terms like 'Tribulation Transcending Realm' or 'Tribulation Transcending Immortal' back then."

"At that time, there were only ancient cultivators who refined their bodies, but no spiritual cultivators who pursued immortality. Immortals at the Mahayana and Tribulation Transcending realms were called ancient saints or ancient immortals by the people of that time. The origin of our human race's ancient saint families is also related to this."

"Ancient sage? Ancient immortal?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

The path of body refinement is called "ancient cultivation" because it emerged in comparison with spiritual cultivation and immortality.

So, in the far more ancient times, before the emergence of spiritual cultivation and immortality, how could cultivators at the peak of body refinement, in the 'Great Ascension' and 'Tribulation Transcending' realms, still be called 'ancient cultivators'? And possess such incomprehensible titles as 'ancient saint' and 'ancient immortal'?

The Fire-Haired Taoist seemed to see the doubt in Wei Tu's heart. He smiled slightly, raised his hand and grabbed forward, and a ball of blue water instantly appeared in his palm.

Then, he opened his palm, and the fist-sized water ball shattered in his hand, flowing down the gaps between his fingers onto the ground.

"Mountains have no constant shape, and water has no constant form. The laws of heaven and earth are the same. And our ancestors, or rather, the ancestors of all races in the spirit world... in their 'ancestral homeland' before they migrated to the spirit world, there were already spiritual cultivation methods circulating within."

"The Spirit Realm was not born as the Spirit Realm. It is because this realm possesses the laws of spiritual cultivation that allow spiritual cultivators to practice, or rather, 'spirit,' 'supreme spiritual energy,' 'supreme spiritual laws'... that it was called the Spirit Realm by ancient cultivators. Later, they migrated here."

"Ancient sages and immortals are terms that our ancestors used long ago. However, in the 'Ancestral Land,' the 'Supreme Spirit Laws' had been completely lost, so they could only choose to follow the path of body refinement. It was only after they arrived in the Spirit Realm that the spiritual cultivation methods that had existed for so long were revived."

As soon as these words fell.

Wei Tu was suddenly jolted.

Hundreds of years ago, when he successfully comprehended the 'Dark Laws', he wondered why ancient demons possessed such exclusive laws that could enhance one's foundation and physical body, while spiritual cultivators seemed to lack an equivalent law comparable to the 'Dark Laws'...

But now, the Fire-Haired Daoist's meaning is very clear—within the Spirit Realm, there truly exists a spiritual cultivation law comparable to the ancient demon's 'Dark Law'—the Supreme Spirit Law!
But... why has he never seen this kind of law in the spirit world?

"Because the supreme spiritual energy... has been almost exhausted by the ancestors of this world, those ascended immortals."

"That's what the Fire-Haired Taoist Master explained."

"Used up?" Wei Tu was stunned. He had never imagined that laws could be used up.

He looked down at the palm of the Fire-Haired Taoist, which was clean and free of any trace of the water sphere from before.

Suddenly, he understood what the Fire-Haired Taoist meant.

For cultivators at the lower levels, even a lowly realm like the human world is infinitely vast. They could not possibly explore it all in a lifetime, let alone extract anything from it.

However, for Nascent Soul cultivators, although the human realm is still as vast as a lake or sea, they can already obtain a ladle of water from this lake or sea and then ascend to another realm.

When a deity ascends to immortality, they only take away spiritual energy.

However... when one transcends tribulation and ascends to immortality, what one takes away is not only spiritual energy, but also the 'Supreme Spirit Law' mentioned by Daoist Huofa.

In the eyes of those immortals who had transcended tribulation, the laws were no longer the infinite things that he, a 'lower-level cultivator,' had imagined.

More accurately, it is a resource!
"That's it, laws are also resources." Wei Tu suddenly realized.

The law is the existence of the concept of "nothingness".

In short, in some special environments, such as space tunnels, although there are many intertwined laws, there is no 'Five Elements Law' because there is no land, no ocean, etc.

With the concept of 'nothingness' in mind, it is not unimaginable that it could be exhausted like a resource.

"Could it be... that advancing to the Mahayana stage is also related to this so-called 'Supreme Spiritual Qi' and 'Supreme Spiritual Law'?" Wei Tu frowned, suddenly realizing something.

The most significant sign that a cultivator breaks through to the Mahayana stage is that the magical power within their body transforms into a higher level of immortal power!
But... how can magical power be transformed into immortal power?

Most cultivation methods, once they reach this stage, become extremely taboo and are not explicitly stated.

After all, very few people in the cultivation world can reach the Mahayana realm, including those who compile cultivation techniques. Therefore, cultivation techniques for breaking through to the Mahayana realm are mostly passed down orally from master to disciple, rather than recorded in written texts.

Including Wei Tu himself.

He also knew little about the matter of breaking through to Mahayana Buddhism.

All that he knew came from the legacy that Fairy Xuanling had given him when she was in the Venerable King's Palace.

On this point, Fairy Xuanling was well-versed in the art of subtle writing and did not elaborate further.

Of course, Wei Tu didn't think this was Xuanling Fairy's 'guards' against him, but rather something secretive that it wasn't a good thing for someone with a lower cultivation level to know.

"Of course—it's not quite right to say it's exhausted. If the 'Supreme Spirit Laws' of the Spirit Realm had been exhausted, it would be difficult for you and me to continue spiritual cultivation now. However, compared to ancient times... the 'Supreme Spirit Laws' of the Spirit Realm have become increasingly scarce."

"Moreover, as the tides of the world flow, the 'spirit' in the spirit world will gradually be replenished. Although it's better than nothing."

The Fire-Haired Taoist continued.

"World tides..."

Wei Tu Na Yan was another unfamiliar and unheard-of term to him.

But soon, with the explanation from the Fire-Haired Taoist, he finally understood what this so-called 'world tides' were all about.

It is still related to the "origin of humankind".

It turns out that whether it is the human realm, the spirit realm, or the 'Primordial Demon Source Realm', they all exist in a vast 'World Sea'.

This sea is known as the Seventh Sea.

In the context of this world sea, the Spirit Realm and the Primordial Demon Source Realm are merely a few islands that are relatively close by.

However, the world ocean is so vast that these few islands, from a macro perspective, are no less than an insurmountable chasm for cultivators.

The world tides are the 'tides' that rise from time to time in this world sea... The ancestors of all races in the spirit world used the power of the world tides to cross over from another island to the 'spirit world'.

Like the Spirit Realm, the vast World Sea also possesses abundant 'Supreme Spiritual Energy'. However, it is far less concentrated than in realms like the Spirit Realm. Therefore, each World Tide can only bring a meager amount of 'Supreme Spiritual Energy' to make up for the 'deficit' caused by the ascending cultivators.

"If the Spirit Realm and the Human Realm are located in the 'Seventh Sea,' then where is the Immortal Realm?"

Wei Tu frowned and raised a question.

"The Seventh Mountain," the Fire-Haired Daoist took a deep breath and replied, "Like the Human Realm and the Spirit Realm, it also exists within the World Sea. However, that mountain is a realm that only those who have transcended tribulation can reach..."

"For a Tribulation-Crossing Immortal to cross the World Sea, they must possess sufficient 'Supreme Spiritual Qi.' Supreme Spiritual Qi is the key to transforming the power of the world into spiritual energy... Without it, a Tribulation-Crossing Immortal will find it impossible to move an inch after exhausting their immortal power!"

"Of course, these are just some rumors that I saw in the classics left by my ancestors. They may not be true..." The Fire-Haired Daoist quickly added a veil to his words to prevent Wei Tu from believing them and then coming after him if things went wrong.

"Fellow Daoist, you can rest assured that no matter what, I, Wei, will not blame you for any mistakes or omissions in my words."

Wei Tu shook his head and smiled.

Seeing that Wei Tu's appearance did not seem to be faking it, the Fire-Haired Taoist was relieved. He returned to the old topic and talked about the 'Illusory Mirage Realm' that Wei Tu cared about more.

"The Illusionary Mirage Realm is not a realm. In fact, it is the internal space of an ancient saint-level true spirit that my human ancestors once controlled... This beast once played a great role when my human race crossed the Spirit Realm."

"But later, with the decline of my human race, control over this internal space was gradually taken over by other races..."

"To prevent the cultivators within the clan from holding a grudge, the ancestors of the human race deleted this part of the record. So today, apart from the high-ranking members of the human race and ancient sects like my Tianhai Sect, there are very few human cultivators who still know about this lower realm that the human race once controlled in history."

"The Fire-Haired Taoist said slowly."

"Deliberately deleted?" Upon hearing this, Wei Tu was also greatly surprised, after all, this was a rather shameful thing. But in an instant, he also understood the necessity of the human ancestors' actions.

Lacking the strength to hold a grudge against a powerful clan is tantamount to courting disaster.

Erasing history may seem shameful, but it is indeed a way to ensure the continuation of the human race.

"And the opportunity I mentioned is closely related to this Mirage Realm."

Fire-haired Daoist gritted his teeth and said again: "My ancestors of the Tianhai Sect once used a secret technique to infiltrate the Illusionary Mirage Realm 100,000 years ago... and then found the 'Land of Inheritance' left by my human ancestors in this Illusionary Mirage Realm."

"However... due to the fact that this Mirage Realm has been occupied by alien races, we were forced to leave and had no chance to explore it."

"This matter has become the most regrettable thing for all the ancestors of my Tianhai Sect."

"But unfortunately, as time goes by, our sect is becoming increasingly weak, and now it is even difficult to infiltrate this illusory realm using secret techniques."

At this point, a look of unspeakable emotion and sorrow appeared on the face of the Fire-Haired Taoist.

After all, this was a great secret that the ancestors of the Tianhai Sect had painstakingly guarded.

But now, in order to protect himself and to exchange some advanced resources for his junior sister, Madam Hai, he had no choice but to give them to Wei Tu.

If the ancestors of the Tianhai Sect could know this in the afterlife, they would probably not let this descendant off the hook.

"I wonder which alien race has invaded this world?"

Wei Tu frowned slightly and asked.

Even with the current strength of the human race, it would be difficult to reclaim the 'Illusory Mirage Realm' from this alien race. He didn't need to think to know that the alien race that invaded the Illusory Mirage Realm was either one of the three hegemonic races or one of the top races among the Ten Spirit Races.

"It is... the Four-Armed Ape Clan and the Howling Sky Clan of the Ten Spirits Clan."

Fire-haired Taoist replied.

"The Four-Armed Ape Clan and the Howling Sky Clan?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu felt relieved, because the Four-Armed Ape Clan was indeed much stronger than the Human Clan, possessing two Mahayana Immortals... In addition, the Howling Sky Clan was one of the Ten Spirit Clans, so the Human Clan could only endure this old grudge.

But soon, as if he had thought of something, a thought stirred within him, and he felt a surge of eagerness. (End of Chapter)