AI Cultivation: Reborn as a Sword
Chapter 76: Immortality (2)

Lady Yue regards Lan Xiaohui from the corner of her eye, while resting her cheek on my owner’s shoulder. There is a dark light in her eyes and a faint trace of a smile gracing her lips. She is like a predator that knows her prey is cornered.

The intense woman taps Lan Xiaohui’s knuckles before intertwining her fingers with Lan Xiaohui’s.

“The lily wants to become immortal?” Lady Yue asks with a hum in her tone. “It is too bad you were born on this continent, and in this small kingdom.”

Lan Xiaohui is stiff but she doesn’t resist Lady Yue’s gesture of friendliness — if it could be called that. In fact, she even goes as far as to open her hand for the older woman’s fingers to find a receptive welcome.

“Is it not possible to become immortal here?” Lan Xiaohui asks.

Lady Yue’s faint smile remains, but her gaze turns towards the words she slashed into the dirt. “It is if you join the Galaxy Sword Sect.”

Lady Yue glances once more at Lan Xiaohui, her expression thoughtful. But, perhaps seeing that Lan Xiaohui has no reply to her words, she unlinks her fingers from Lan Xiaohui’s and takes a step away.

She turns towards the words and flicks her finger again, crossing out the words Qi Condensation and Qi Refining. “Fill the Dantian with the Qi of Heaven and Earth and form the Foundation,” she speaks with an intense tone that is bespoke of her profound understanding of the Dao.

This time, Lan Xiaohui reacts to her words and I can tell that she immediately begins paying very close attention to Lady Yue.

“Use the Foundation to form the Golden Core and merge it with the Dantian.” Lady Yue crosses out the words Foundation and Core Formation.

Lady Yue pauses briefly to glance at Lan Xiaohui. “Do you know of body cultivators?” she asks.

Lan Xiaohui nods. “I do, Lady Yue.”

Lady Yue also nods. “They follow a different path, though I am not very familiar with their cultivation. It is generally regarded to be a bad idea to cultivate both paths, especially because body cultivation does not increase the lifespan until the first boundary is crossed. In Qi cultivation,” Lady Yue says, pointing towards the words Nascent Soul, “Nascent Soul Ascension is considered to be the first boundary. Once you step into this realm, your lifespan will greatly increase and your Dantian will expand considerably. With one breath, you can drain the Qi of an entire area.”

I don’t think it is physically possible to drain the Qi of an entire area with just one breath, but then again, considering I possess the [World Eater] talent, when it comes to cultivators I know that I must adjust my understanding of what is and is not possible. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NøvᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Meanwhile, Lan Xiaohui nods to Lady Yue’s words.

“The Nascent Soul refers to your Immortal soul — it is necessary for becoming immortal. For some other things as well,” Lady Yue explains, crossing out the words Nascent Soul with a slash of her finger.

“What other things, Lady Yue?” Lan Xiaohui asks.

Lady Yue chuckles. “Other things you will find out if you ever reach this realm. Ask me in fifty years or when you reach the Peak of Core Formation — whichever comes first.”

Fifty years! And the way Lady Yue says it, it truly does sound like it normally takes that long to cross into Nascent Soul Ascension. This boundary may truly be a difficult barrier to cross.

“If you can even survive forming your Gold Core,” Lady Yue adds. “Considering how heavily you were punished for forming your Foundation, I imagine you have formed a perfect or transcendent Foundation.”

Lan Xiaohui tries her best not to react to Lady Yue’s words. I am pleased with how careful my owner is to not give up too much information. Perhaps she understands that if she admits that she has an unusual foundation, she would also have to explain how she obtained one.

Lady Yue may not hold me in great value to her as I am now, but if she knew of all the functions I am capable of that could quickly change.

“Once you cultivate to the Peak of Nascent Soul you can then cross into the next realm after performing the Severing,” Lady Yue explains.

“The Severing is not a cultivation realm, Lady Yue?” Lan Xiaohui asks, repeating the statement Lady Yue made earlier.

Lady Yue smiles. “It is not, though many cultivators consider it to be one. It is a half step towards immortality. An in-between realm, so to speak,” Lady Yue explains. “At the Peak of Nascent Soul, you gather the True Essence of Heaven and sever yourself from the mortal realm, annihilating your own body.”

Lan Xiaohui’s eyebrows shoot up at Lady Yue’s words. “You destroy your own body?”

Lady Yue nods. “Not just your body; you sever yourself completely — but in the process, you recreate your Gold Core and your spiritual body to replace the one you severed.”

Lan Xiaohui stares at Lady Yue, the concept seems so alien to the girl. Why cultivate for dozens, if not hundreds, of years only to destroy it all later?

For me, the concept is not alien at all. During my genesis, in my previous life, the crucible and evolution program that manufactured me tested me in ways that the Heaven of this world could only dream of and only admire from a good safe distance. Destroying everything only to reshape myself into a better form than I was is natural for me.

“How you do this depends on how and what you cultivate. For body cultivators or those who have a profound physique, it is much easier — their bodies are already significantly spiritual. The name for this half step is also different depending on the sect or continent you are a part of. You might hear someone call it Mortal Liberation, Origin Soul Severing, Body Destruction, and so on.”

Lan Xiaohui nods at Lady Yue’s words and after a moment of silence, she asks: “Why is it called the Great Divide?”

Lady Yue smiles at Lan Xiaohui’s words. “Good question!” she exclaims, crossing out the final word: Immortality. “Once you perform the final Severing, you will be unable to breathe the Qi of Heaven and Earth. If you cannot cross into the next realm, or if you do it incorrectly, you step into a realm called Duality. It is a state where you are both dead and alive at the same time. You burn your lifespan to maintain your spiritual body until you disappear.”

Lan Xiaohui’s eyes widen. “Like those Ancestors I heard of?”

Lady Yue shrugs. “Possibly. There are many reasons to go into Death Seclusion. But yes, if you enter the Duality realm, that will be your fate as well. Only to be called upon when the sect faces great danger.”

“I see,” Lan Xiaohui says. “And if you do it correctly?”

“Then you enter Nihility,” Lady Yue says without explaining further.

Lan Xiaohui's eyes gleam. I can feel the desire in her heart rise to a new level of obsession.

“For a sect, martial association, or ancient clan to exist, it must possess a way to help someone cross into Nihility — that is the absolute minimum. These cultivation manuals, medicinal pills, or techniques are kept as ultimate sect secrets, only bestowed to those who are Legacy Disciples, and in some cases Elders,” Lady Yue says, finally turning towards Lan Xiaohui. “And in this Sky Continent, I’ve never heard of anyone crossing the Great Divide!”

Her tone is both imperious and triumphant — the implication she makes is clear as day. The sects, martial associations, and ancient clans on this continent likely do not possess a reliable method to cross the Great Divide.

“What about the Galaxy Sword Sect?” Lan Xiaohui asks.

Lady Yue nods. “They do possess a method, but everyone who attempted to cultivate it died.”

Lan Xiaohui swallows nervously. “Then what about me?”

Lady Yue’s smile turns into a grin. “I told you. My Yue clan can help you cross it. If you prove yourself, you will be allowed to become a member of my Yue family, and then the world is yours.”

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