Travel through the heavens

After a moment, Yu Lingzi slowly spoke, his voice low: "This is a long story. About ten years ago, I was traveling in the vicinity of Mangshan in the north. Since ancient times, there have been many tombs there, and the yin energy is extremely heavy. There are rumors of ghosts causing trouble. I heard that there was an ancient tomb complex in the mountains that had been quite unsettled in recent years, and strong men from nearby villages were going missing. So I went to investigate."

He paused, squinting slightly as if recalling the scene: "That night, the moon was dim and the stars were few. I used my compass to guide me deep into the heart of Mangshan. When I came to a valley, I saw a chilling wind and a thick black fog. There was a ghostly army patrolling and wandering around, their ranks orderly, unlike ordinary wandering ghosts."

"I was filled with suspicion, so I concealed my aura and hid my form, and quietly followed them. I saw these ghost soldiers enter a cave entrance that was hidden very deep. Relying on my cultivation and the protection of my magic artifact, I could not suppress my desire to investigate, so I also found a gap and followed them in."

At this point, Yu Lingzi's expression became even more solemn: "Within that cave, there is another world, the vastness of which far exceeds my imagination. It is as if the entire belly of the mountain has been hollowed out, or it is connected to some underworld, forming another realm. The yin energy inside is eerie and the cold is bone-chilling. There are all kinds of ghosts coming and going in an orderly manner."

"I was secretly alarmed and wanted to explore a little deeper when I suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure surging from the depths of the cave, accompanied by a cold snort, like an ice spike piercing straight into my soul."

Yu Lingzi still looked shaken: "I knew I had been discovered, and that the other party's cultivation was unfathomable, far beyond my ability to defeat. I immediately tried to use my escape technique to flee. But then I saw a tall, dark figure dressed in a black robe rush out from the depths of the cave. His face was shrouded in black mist, and only his eyes, which were a cold, eerie green, like two will-o'-the-wisps, were visible. He stared at me coldly from a distance."

"He merely made a casual grab in the direction of where I am, and a ghostly claw several meters in size materialized out of thin air, its five fingers like hooks, descending upon me. The power of that claw was chilling and fierce, almost freezing the magical power around me."

Yu Lingzi took a deep breath, as if he could still feel the danger at that time: "I was terrified and knew that I was on the verge of death. I dared not hold back in the slightest. I immediately bit my tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the talisman in my palm. I then released three 'Golden Light Talismans for Breaking Evil', which were secrets of my sect. I also threw out my protective magic weapon, the 'Six Yang Evil-Repelling Mirror,' with all my might. Only then did I manage to disperse the ghost claws a little and slow it down."

"Taking advantage of the shock of the collision, I flew backward, rushed out of the cave, and fled for a hundred miles without looking back. Only then did I realize that the cold aura that had locked onto my soul was gradually fading away."

Yu Lingzi shook his head and smiled bitterly: "To be honest, at that time, my cultivation had already reached the Great Perfection of the Tongyou Realm. I consider myself to be no weakling among the cultivators of the world. I could fight against ordinary ghost generals and great demons. But in front of that dark figure, I was like an infant facing a strong man, utterly powerless. Later, after making many inquiries, I learned that the ghost in the cave called it the 'Dharma King,' and realized that the terrifying being I encountered that night was the 'Yin-Yang Dharma King' who resided at the boundary between Yin and Yang."

Upon hearing this thrilling account, Fang Muyi couldn't help but show surprise: "Even with your profound cultivation, Daoist Master, you were no match for him? Just what realm is this Yin-Yang Dharma King?"

Yu Lingzi's expression was extremely solemn as he slowly said, "Based on what I saw and felt at the time, its power was unfathomable. Its ghostly energy was so condensed that it was almost tangible, and it was able to control such a vast Yin domain. Its ghostly soldiers and generals were like an army. According to our Daoist sect's classification of ghostly realms, it was at least at the 'Ghost King' level, or even... possibly higher."

"Ghost King?"

Fang Muye repeated it thoughtfully, then asked, "Just now, I heard the Daoist mention that he had reached the Great Perfection of the Tongyou Realm, and that the Yin-Yang Dharma King was at least at the Ghost King Realm. To be honest, I am quite curious about the classification of the various cultivation paths, such as Daoism, Buddhism, martial arts, demons, and ghosts. How exactly are the levels of these realms distinguished? I wonder if the Daoist could be so kind as to enlighten me and clear up my doubts?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Lingzi was taken aback and showed a hint of surprise: "When I first met you, you frankly said that you had some extraordinary experiences and should be a person who has achieved some success in cultivation. How come you don't know how the realms are divided?"

Fang Muye smiled shyly, "Although I have cultivated some skills, I did so entirely on my own, without any guidance from my master. Therefore, I know very little about the classification of these realms."

Yu Lingzi couldn't help but take another curious look at Fang Muye. Seeing his frank and sincere expression and clear eyes, which didn't seem fake, she was greatly surprised. To be able to cultivate to a level that even she couldn't see through through self-exploration, this Ning Jushi's experiences and enlightenment were probably extraordinary.

He pondered for a moment, then stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "I see. Since you are unaware of this, I will explain it to you."

"The paths of cultivation may differ, but they all lead to the same goal. Although the methods of cultivation and the names of the realms may vary, the levels of power can generally be compared with each other."

"Let's start with the Taoist school I belong to."

Yu Lingzi picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, and then spoke slowly with a hint of solemnity.

"Taoist cultivation emphasizes understanding the universe and nature, and practices the way of harmony between man and nature."

"Beginners need to calm their minds and sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and slowly guide it into their own bodies to cleanse the impurities of the physical body, nourish the meridians and internal organs, and warm and nourish the soul and spirit. This is the first stage, called 'nourishing qi'."

"Once enough spiritual energy has been accumulated and circulated smoothly, a vortex of energy can be formed in the lower dantian. At this point, magical power begins to emerge and divine thoughts begin to take shape. This is considered to have laid the foundation for the Dao. Therefore, this state is called 'foundation building'."

"After the foundation is established, one must continuously circulate energy throughout the body to gradually increase one's magical power, strengthen one's spiritual soul, and enable one's divine thoughts to communicate with the netherworld, thus beginning to reveal profound mysteries. Therefore, this realm is called 'Communicating with the Netherworld'."

"After reaching the realm of the spirit, one must continuously refine one's magical power and spiritual soul until the magical power is inexhaustible and the spiritual soul can break free from the constraints of the physical body, travel hundreds of miles at night, and communicate with ghosts and spirits. This is the realm of the 'yin spirit'."

"When the Yin spirit is tempered to its extreme, Yin reaches its extreme and Yang is born. When Yin is exhausted and Yang is pure, the primordial spirit is not afraid of sunlight and fierce wind. It can observe the Yang world by day and judge the Yin court by night. It can also mobilize the power of heaven and earth, and summon wind and rain. This is the achievement of the 'Yang spirit'."

"As for the Yang Shen..."

Yu Lingzi paused slightly, his eyes revealing a complex expression of longing and awe: "It is by placing a bit of pure Yang spirit in the vast void, merging with heaven and earth. Once you reach that realm, you have reached the pinnacle of human Daoist arts. Every move you make can draw upon the power of heaven and earth, your words become law, and you can carry out punishments on behalf of heaven. You are comparable to celestial immortals and are therefore revered as 'Land Immortals'."

Upon hearing this, Fang Muye nodded to himself.

Although the specific details and entry methods of the path of cultivation in this world are different from those in the world he has experienced, the core Dao still does not deviate from "refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness".

For example, at the beginning of his cultivation, Fang Muye refined his own blood essence into internal energy to enter the path, while in this world, he directly sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and guided it into his body.

Though the beginnings are different, the destinations are the same.

With his current cultivation level of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness, if compared to this world, he truly deserves the title of "Land Immortal".

However, the worlds Fang Muye had experienced before were all focused on martial arts. Although he had also dabbled in Taoist arts, his knowledge was limited. Compared to the terrestrial immortals of this world, he was probably still lacking in the breadth and profundity of his methods.