Chapter 273: will you only accept one disciple
Even the initial mystery of why the military's photos only captured Serenity Peak as a single mountain, which later expanded into a vast continent, now had an explanation.
It was because the lowering of realms had just begun; the two worlds had only partially merged at that time.
Now, three months later, the integration had deepened, causing the landscape to change accordingly.
The elder continued, "I risked my injured body to gather the most concentrated part of the corpse toxin, but as for what had already spread, there was little I could do."
Hearing this, Elijah and Charlotte understood and expressed their gratitude, bowing respectfully.
Despite the elder being one of the "culprits" responsible for the devastation in their world, they couldn't bring themselves to resent him.
The fact that the mere aftermath of a single corpse core's self-destruction could decimate an entire world's life was unimaginable.
Yet, this elder not only survived the explosion but also managed to reduce its impact on their world. His power must be beyond comprehension.
In this world, strength was paramount. If one's strength was inferior, there was no one else to blame.
The elder then asked, "Have you decided what you would like me to do for you? If not, I have a suggestion."
Elijah and Charlotte exchanged glances. "Please, go ahead, elder."
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"I see that you possess some cultivation and have even developed minor divine abilities. However, your cultivation methods are incorrect, especially you four humans. Your bodies are filled with a large amount of corpse toxin.
If you don't undergo purification, it won't be life-threatening, but your path in cultivation will end here," the elder explained, giving Elijah a particularly stern look that sent a chill down his spine.
Elijah understood the elder's implication: the fourth tier was his current limit.
Without undergoing a purification process, while he might be able to make some minor improvements, reaching the fifth tier would be out of the question.
The elder continued, "Moreover, for those who cultivate, the pursuit is often for extended life. However, despite your partial cultivation, the corpse toxin in your bodies means that your lifespan might be even shorter than that of ordinary humans."
This revelation made the others take the situation more seriously.
While not being able to progress in strength might not seem like a significant issue—especially with Elijah as an example of someone who had room to grow—the thought of a shortened lifespan was alarming.
No one wanted to die prematurely; the possibility of extending their lives, even by a single day, was a precious opportunity.
"If you are willing, I can provide you with some pills to help you purify your bodies, cleanse the corpse toxin, and teach you some basic breathing and cultivation techniques to set you on the proper path," the elder offered.
After speaking, he fell silent, allowing Elijah and the others time to consider his proposal.
Charlotte's excitement was palpable. She had always yearned for a proper cultivation method, viewing the reliance on spirit plants to enhance one's strength as a shortcut.
She admired the traditional practices of ancient cultivators, who lived ascetic lives, seeking spiritual enlightenment.
The Hun Yuan Technique was the only method she had encountered that resembled true cultivation, but its effects were modest—after three months, it had only brought her to the third tier.
"Senior, we have learned a breathing technique from ancient texts left by our ancestors. Could you perhaps offer some guidance?" Charlotte asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.
The elder raised an eyebrow and glanced at Charlotte before extending his hand to gently tap her wrist, seemingly drawing out a soft, warm energy that spiraled around her wrist. "Run your breathing technique; let me observe."
Charlotte felt the gentle energy at her wrist, understanding it as the elder's method of sensing her technique.
Without hesitation, she began to circulate the Hun Yuan Technique.
Elijah and the others watched intently as Charlotte concentrated on her cultivation.
After about a quarter of an hour, Charlotte ceased her practice and looked expectantly at the elder.
The elder retracted his hand, nodding with a smile. "I underestimated your world. This cultivation method is indeed remarkable, surpassing what I intended to teach you. In fact, only a few techniques within my sect could surpass it. However, those techniques are restricted to sect members and cannot be shared."
Elijah and the others were overjoyed to hear this. It seemed the Hun Yuan Technique was a treasure after all.
As for the elder's sect techniques, they knew better than to aspire to those.
"Since I cannot impart my sect's techniques to you, merely giving you pills would indeed be stingy. Here's an alternative: anyone willing to follow me across worlds may become my disciple and officially embark on the path of cultivation. After all, your world has too little Chi. Once the descension ends and the worlds separate, the Chi here will eventually dissipate.
Without it, not only will further progress be impossible, but even maintaining your current level will become difficult."
"What? The Chi will dissipate?" Elijah and Charlotte were taken aback, even though they had somewhat expected it.
Hearing the elder confirm it made the reality more daunting.
"Indeed, your world lacks spiritual veins, and the spiritual Chi that came from another realm has lost its source. Naturally, it will dissipate one day. However, I am curious—since your world doesn't have spiritual Chi, how do you have a method for cultivation? Could it be that a predecessor once visited your world?" the elder inquired.
"Well, it's like this..." Elijah and Charlotte took turns briefly explaining the ancient myths and legends.
"So that's how it is. It seems that thousands of years ago, your world must have experienced a descent from another realm, and the duration must have been significant to leave behind so many myths and legends. Even after the descent ended, it took several hundred years for the spiritual Chi to completely dissipate!" The elder voiced a conjecture similar to that of Elijah and Charlotte.
"Unfortunately, from my observations during this period, the current descent won't last much longer. It might end in just another month, and the spiritual Chi left in this world will only sustain for a few decades before it completely dissipates!"
Upon hearing this, Elijah and the others were filled with disappointment.
If possible, everyone would prefer to stay in a familiar world.
How great would it be if they could cultivate without venturing into another realm?
But now, it seems that won't be possible!
"Senior, will you only accept one disciple?" Elijah asked.
"Indeed," the elder nodded. He had just observed Charlotte practicing the Hun Yuan Technique and had already grasped the unique traits of the people in this world.
They could cultivate even without spiritual roots, and it seemed they were born with minor divine abilities.
The people of this world, if provided with sufficient spiritual Chi and embarking on the path of cultivation, would be considerably stronger in the early stages than those of the same rank.
But as always, there are trade-offs!"