The newcomer was tall and thin, with a wooden expression.
It was none other than Daoist Master Xie Liang, whom he had not seen for many days. It was unclear how long he had been there, as Yu Ci’s prior soul perception had not detected his presence at all.
Yu Ci also noticed that Xie Liang was holding the crow that had fallen down the mountain.
Yu Ci was greatly surprised. As Xie Liang flew over, he greeted him, “Daoist Master Xie, I trust you’ve been well. Have you returned from Sky Rift Valley?”
Xie Liang nodded, his gaze sweeping across Yu Ci’s face. The corner of his lips twitched slightly, which could barely be considered a smile. “I was in Sky Rift Valley, and Senior Brother couldn’t go a day without sending a message, urging me to return and instruct you. Is this how the sect’s message-transmitting flying swords are supposed to be used?”
Yu Ci lowered his head, unsure whether to find it amusing or touching.
A grand sect like the Rifting Earth Sect had two primary methods for long-distance communication. The first was through specially raised message-transmitting hawks, a species of ancient exotic beasts capable of long-distance flight at altitudes of ten thousand feet. Their speed rivaled that of a Core Refinement cultivator exerting full strength. Trained to recognize locations and deliver messages, these hawks were somewhat slow in the vast cultivation world but were relatively cost-effective. Li You had just mentioned them in this letter earlier.
The second method was through message-transmitting flying swords. Compared to the hawks, this method was much faster; in a flash of sword light, a hundred miles could pass in an instant. Traveling from one end of the cultivation world to the other took only a few days. However, this method was also more troublesome.
Unlike hawks, which could identify locations automatically, flying swords required preset formations at fixed points for transmission. They were used only for communication between specific locations. If one wanted to send a message to an individual, it required pre-binding the target’s aura and soul imprint, with strict distance limitations and considerable expense.
Yu Ci said nothing but kept this in his heart.
At the same time, he couldn’t quite figure out Xie Liang’s thoughts, so he changed the topic, pointing at the dead crow.
“This feathered beast… I don’t know what’s going on with it…”
Xie Liang lifted the crow, flipped its eyelids open, and revealed a dark purple hue inside. “It has been tainted by demonic Qi and has undergone physical mutation. Have there been demons appearing near Heart Prohibition Temple recently?”
“Uh… I haven’t seen any.”
Yu Ci was somewhat startled. “Could it be that demons from Sky Rift Valley have made their way here?”
Xie Liang nodded but did not elaborate further. Instead, he looked at the Pure Yang Talisman Sword in Yu Ci’s hand and gave a slight nod. “Your swordsmanship is quite impressive.”
Receiving praise from this cold-faced immortal brought Yu Ci a sense of pride. Just as he was about to respond with a smile, the space before him darkened—Xie Liang had suddenly flicked his sleeve, launching an attack directly at his face!
What was it like to face the attack of a Void Stepping cultivator?
Yu Ci didn’t know, because at that moment, his mind was nearly crushed under the sheer pressure. He didn’t even have time to process why this was happening. His instincts, honed through years of life-and-death battles, kicked in. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword forward, aiming at Xie Liang’s chest and abdomen. His move, ‘Half-Mountain Mirage', caused his sword Qi to dissolve into mist, erasing its physical form and even silencing the air as it cut through. He did not hold back in the slightest.
The next instant, the immense pressure in his mind vanished. As his thoughts began to flow again, Yu Ci realized something was wrong.
Before he could make sense of his confusion, Xie Liang had already countered. With a casual flick of his hand, he caught the tip of Yu Ci’s sword and then swept his fingers across it. The fierce mist-like sword Qi dispersed instantly.
Xie Liang had effortlessly neutralized the deadly counterattack. Of course, the sleeve that had appeared to strike Yu Ci’s face was merely a feint.
Xie Liang then released his grip, and Yu Ci quickly withdrew his sword and apologized, though it was merely a formality—he expected Xie Liang to give him an explanation.
“Never mind the mastery of your sword intent—what’s with this imitation ‘Innate True Qi’ you’re using?”
Yu Ci was completely baffled. Ever since using the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror to transform all his True Qi into Innate True Qi, he had faced many formidable opponents, including experts like Jin Huan, Tu Du, and Yu Zhou. Yet, none of them had ever concluded with such certainty, as Xie Liang just had, that his Innate True Qi was fake—an imitation.
Though Yu Ci himself wasn’t entirely sure whether his True Qi had truly and fully transformed into Innate True Qi through the power of the treasured mirror, Xie Liang’s assertion still left him uneasy.
“What’s the issue with it?”
There was no need to beat around the bush with Xie Liang. However, instead of answering immediately, Xie Liang simply glanced at him and said, “Come with me.”
With that, he turned and started walking, not using Qi to fly so that Yu Ci could keep up.
Yu Ci followed behind him toward Heart Prohibition Temple. After walking for about half a mile, Xie Liang finally spoke.
“The problem with your Qi… If you want me to explain it clearly, it’s difficult. However, one thing is certain: only a Core Refinement cultivator possesses Innate True Qi, the true essence of yang and yin. Without this prerequisite, no matter how similar everything else appears, it’s meaningless.”
Yu Ci was utterly confused.
Xie Liang was not someone skilled in eloquence. He needed some time to compose his thoughts. After a brief silence, he said, "The greatest difference between Core Refinement cultivators and those in the previous four realms—Qi Cultivation, Qi Breathing, Enlightened Spirit, and Divine Connectivity—is that Core Refinement cultivators always maintain a cohesive, seamless state. Their essence, Qi, and spirit are fused into one, harmonized and interwoven. Every part of their vitality is governed by the ‘Core Refinement’ without any leakage or dissipation.
"This is not just a realm but a continuous state. In this state, one does not need to exert effort deliberately—every movement naturally contains Divine power, and innate Qi flows throughout the entire body. Only then can it be called ‘Innate True Qi,’ and only then is it distinct from the previous realms.
"I don’t know what kind of opportunity you encountered that allowed your True Qi to advance beyond its natural quality before reaching Core Refinement, but you are essentially moving forward with only one leg. You’ve taken a step ahead here, but your other leg has yet to catch up—your Vital Qi quality is not yet fully harmonized with your form and spirit. Besides that mist-like sword Qi, do you have any other method to completely control the Vital Qi within your body?"
Yu Ci could only shake his head.
Xie Liang stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at him. "The method you use to maneuver your mist-like sword Qi is quite profound. It allows you to fully unleash the power of your imitation ‘Innate True Qi,’ making you far stronger than ordinary Divine Connectivity cultivators. However, the strain on your body is also considerable… Have you felt anything recently?"
Yu Ci initially wanted to shake his head again, but a thought suddenly struck him. Back in Sky Rift Valley, when he activated ‘Innate True Qi,’ his strength, speed, perception, explosive power, and recovery had all seen significant enhancements. However, in terms of endurance, he actually felt slightly weaker than before. It wasn’t noticeable when using Half-Mountain Mirage, but after running just ten miles, he already felt exhausted—something that made no sense.
He lowered his head in contemplation, but Xie Liang did not outright dismiss his condition. Instead, he continued, "Although there are some drawbacks, the imitation ‘Innate True Qi’ flows and circulates very naturally. Even though it reverses the cause-and-effect order, it can still grant you certain sensory capabilities that are unique to the Core Refinement realm.
"You grasped the Qi Infusion Method very quickly, showing excellent comprehension in the ‘Enlightened Spirit’ stage. As for ‘Qi Connectivity,’ aside from your own efforts, this imitation ‘Innate True Qi’ has likely helped you a great deal. Many people understand the principle that forming talismans requires knowledge of apertures, but once an ‘Aperture Eye’ is established, figuring out how to merge divine intent with Vital Qi inside it becomes a significant challenge. Yet, with your experience in harmonizing essence, Qi, and spirit through ‘Innate True Qi,’ this should not be difficult for you."
Seeing that Xie Liang could infer so much purely through deduction, as if he had witnessed it firsthand, Yu Ci could only be in awe.
"In addition, your divine soul perception just now was quite impressive—very impressive," Xie Liang added, his tone carrying an unusual weight. "I observed the fluctuations in your Qi. Though it took a long time to develop, at its peak, you were able to sense a crow flying past from five miles away and react accordingly. That is remarkable. In the same state, disciples below the Core Refinement level within the sect wouldn’t be able to do better than you. How did you feel at that moment?"
Hearing the usually cold-faced daoist use words like ‘impressive,’ ‘very impressive,’ and ‘remarkable’ in quick succession, Yu Ci was both surprised and flattered. He composed himself and, with a sincere desire to learn, described his perception in as much detail as possible.
Xie Liang listened in silence for a long moment before finally speaking. "Using divine soul perception as a foundation and expanding its range through the Five Directions Spiritual Talisman is a common method among cultivators proficient in talismans to train their divine souls. There is nothing unusual about it. What’s rare is that, when sensing the world and gathering external information, your cognition functioned in distinct layers, circulating in an orderly manner. Your primordial spirit radiance remained undimmed, your judgment was precise, and your imitation ‘Innate True Qi’ seamlessly linked your form and spirit, enabling instantaneous responses…"
At this point, he paused before asking,
"Do you know what kind of state that is?"
It was rare to see Xie Liang deliberately leave someone in suspense. Yu Ci found it both amusing and intriguing, so he cooperated by shaking his head.
"That is the state where a Core Refinement cultivator’s divine intent becomes flawless—when a golden core is suspended in the void, illuminating the vast heavens and reflecting all things!"
Xie Liang’s expression turned solemn as he spoke with great seriousness. "Ordinary people, upon first encountering this ‘panoramic’ perception, require a long adjustment period. But you, in just a few days, have already allowed your primordial spirit and cognition to perform their roles in a structured and seamless manner. You can perceive changes within a radius of several miles as if you were seeing them with your own eyes. Right now, it may still be in its infancy—you cannot yet maintain a constant awareness like a Core Refinement cultivator, leaving no blind spots. However, you are on the right path!"
A surge of warmth and exhilaration filled Yu Ci’s heart. Being recognized by others—especially by a rigorous and serious Void Stepping cultivator—was undoubtedly an accomplishment.
At the same time, he didn’t find the so-called difficulties of ‘panoramic’ perception to be that challenging.
After all, within the Divine Map, he had long since mastered the fifty-mile-radius ‘panoramic’ space.
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