Yan Zaizen sat neatly in the lotus position atop a jade platform. The jade platform was quite useful for cultivation and meditation as it gave off wisps of essence that felt soothing to breathe and relaxed the mind. As for around this jade platform, ten bottles of Godly Unification Elixir was evenly and neatly placed in reach. With his current state of being regulated to a suitable state for cultivation and resources at hand, Yan Zaizen readied himself mentally.
"Qi Unification Realm." He started running through the various methods used to make a breakthrough into the realm as well as what it provides.
In qi-cultivation, one starts out at the Qi Foundation Realm by awakening their meridians, opening their pathways, and forging their dantian. After one does those three things, they could be considered at the late-stage. When each of these aspects was combined together, enabling one to produce qi from essence, they reach the peak-stage.
To breakthrough the Qi Foundation Realm into the Revolving Qi Realm, one must have a proper circulation of qi until it formulates a cyclone. As this cyclone expands, one's qi circulation speed and release speed enhances.
After the Revolving Qi Realm was the Essence Formation Realm. To breakthrough, a cultivator refines their qi into qi-essence. This typically requires a lot of essence, time, and patience to remain in isolation for an extended period of time. As one goes from possessing 1% of qi-essence to 100%, they progress in the realm. As the qi-essence fills the dantian, pathways, and meridians, it enhances the quality of one's qi, enabling their arts to be increasingly stronger, while also increasing the durability of those three aspects.
Qi Unification Realm was the demarcation line in cultivation, and the only one that requires more than just essence. It entails a full-blown evolutionary transformation of one's dantian, pathways, and meridians to the point where ordinary qi is no longer produced and these systems are naturally attuned to creating and maintaining qi-essence. In the cultivation world, a single Qi Unification expert could kill one hundred Essence Realm cultivators. Many attempts to break through this line, but a majority fail.
One could see the importance of Qi Unification Experts by looking at how forces are in the cultivation world. In the Fallen Stars Continent, third-tier powers have at least an initial-Qi Unification expert at the helm, second-tier powers have a late-Qi Unification expert, first-tier powers have an initial-Origin Core Realm, grand-tier powers have a peak-Origin Core expert, and imperial-tier powers have a mid-True Essence expert.
In the continent, there was no such thing as a fourth-tier power, as any power of that grade would be as worthless as a pile of mortals. While those at the imperial-tier powers could declare their own country just like that.
As for ascending to the Origin Core, one must develop their origin source and condense all their qi-essence to formulate an Origin Core. An origin source was essentially the deepest source of energy contained in every living thing's body, essentially relating to their ancestral origins. In this realm, bloodlines awaken and played a huge part in future cultivation as well as battle prowess. At this point, the difference in Origin Core cultivators can start to become as great as the sky and the earth.
To progress in the Origin Core, one must continue to tap into their origin source and continue feeding it to grow and develop, developing their bloodline or innate characteristics of their race to the highest.
True Essence Realm was essentially the peak of the Essence Path, they undergo the second evolutionary transformation similar to Qi Unification, but this time, their goal is to produce true-essence and not qi-essence. This transformation difference won't be as simple as the sky and earth, but the heaven and earth.
After organizing the information he possessed in regards to cultivation, he reaffirmed his belief on this path. Qi cultivation was essential to properly utilize laws, this was evident by his exhaustion using the Spatial Form of Infinite Stability against the Xiāo City Lord.
He needed to progress.
Picking up a bottle of Godly Unification Elixir, he downed it slowly. It tasted incredibly sweet and tart, like a chocolate covered green apple. Who would've thought that elixirs would taste so delicious? As it traversed downwards to the base of his stomach, it miraculously redirected towards his dantian, and filled his dantian. A sudden surging of energy and rumbling sounds echoed within his body, and he could feel his heart beat rapidly in response.
With the body of a herculean, his innate bodily talent was exceptionally higher than he could ever imagine. Typically, to consume and refine this grade of elixir, one would require about a week or so, but Yan Zaizen felt the medicinal efficacy surging to his meridians, pathways, and dantian at a remarkable speed. In a few minutes, all of it was gone, but his three qi aspects were radiating with a unique energy.
"This...The transformation...is ready?" He was shocked inwardly. As cultivators, they know their bodies as well as they know their own names, and he could feel his body being ready to steadily step into the Qi Unification Realm with a single thought.
What he didn't know was that the foundational realms - Dantian Refinement & Pathways Expansion - were key to the ease he felt. When one cultivated these both to the maximum, breaking through to the Qi Unification was as easy as putting on one's shoes, but how many could actually reach this level? What more, who would be willing to do so?
Yan Zaizen had an initial Herculean Physique when he cultivated for four months straight, not only that, he possessed an essence crystal worth 100,000,000 low-grade drops of liquid essence, and he used a little over half during his breakthroughs! He used 60,000,000 low-grade drops of liquid essence in four months! If anyone else was given the same, they would still take years or a decade to refine their pathways, meridians, and dantian.
Unless they were given specific pills or elixirs to expedite, but he used pure and unadulterated essence, refined it into his own, and even refined his qi aspects. In only four months!
At the time, it wasn't anything special, but now he could feel the difference was astronomical, especially with a true Herculean Physique!
"I see, my assumption was right. The Herculean Physique truly enhances one's innate endowments towards essence. To exceed the heavens, huh." He took a deep breath to calm himself down and even felt a little awkward. He anticipated to be in this room for over a month, but it seems it'll only take him a few days.
"Well, I guess I can see how far I can reach in the Qi Unification Realm." He decisively decided, not willing to forgo his cultivation session due to being too outstanding. Talent is nothing without hard work.
His qi aspects started to reverberate loudly, resonating with the surroundings, and emitting rays of light. The Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, Unyielding Flame of Life, and Siphoning Shadow of Death segregated from his soul form, floating silently above him, each releasing a different color of light indicating their respective true laws. Silver for space, bright white for life, and inky black for death.
Yan Zaizen didn't notice at the time due to the circumstance, and then his qi was suppressed soon thereafter in the Deep Mines making it nearly impossible to verify, but his Spatial Form of Infinite Stability at conception was already at the Perfect Nascent Stage. The concept couldn't be improved further and reached its zenith as is. When he utilized his qi infused with spatial conceptual law to interact with the Xiāo Mountain in mid-transit, it broke through that barrier of originating with its origin law, allowing it to ascend.
All three of his laws were within the force level, while his Siphoning Shadow of Death was stronger than the other two. They all brimmed with traces of the true laws under the heavens.
Yan Zaizen could feel them outside of his soul, but he wasn't quite sure as to what was happening. What he didn't know or Tao didn't tell him, was that the reason why cultivators with laws were overwhelmingly stronger than those without had to do with the baptism they receive during their evolutionary stages of Qi Unification & True Essence.
The three concepts emitted bright light as they drew from the surrounding heavenly essence, they sparkled with traces of dazzling gold that seemed to contain the myriad of stars under the heavens. They drew upon the heavenly power to initiate a baptism of not only themselves but their owner.
Yan Zaizen could feel his soul illuminate, and his connection to the heavens becoming clearer than ever before.
"This is…" He pondered slowly, and many things that he originally didn't understand about the heavens were slowly illuminated. He looked outwards and saw another silhouette amongst the three, it formulated slowly but surely as his clarity towards the heavens became greater.
"The conceptual law...Archery of Pure Destruction isn't a single law, but...two." His eyes felt like he could see mysteries he couldn't comprehend before. How could he have not known this? Pinaka had never once given him any advice on this, but he still comprehended the conceptual law. Never did he believe it was two laws merged into a single concept.
"Was this possible?!" Could two laws become one? In truth, three laws could become one! The law of life, death, and soul creates the Imperial Law of Samsara! If one could comprehend that, they could control the ability of reincarnation under the heavens, or even interfere with it. The Yin-Yang Imperial Law merges the concept of Yin and Yang. The Imperial Law of Spacetime uses both Space and Time, while Eternity mixes the Imperial Law of Samsara and Spacetime. If even Imperial Laws could be merged, it was obvious a world and mortal one could!
Yan Zaizen felt as if his entire world was expanded, and he knew of the path to follow. The law of life and death could become the Imperial Law of Rebirth! With this, one's physical existence would be limitless and everlasting!
"The Laws...they're so miraculous!" His voice was filled with reverence and admiration as he pondered the heavens in his state.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, his connection with the heavens was severed and his blood grew hot, his heart started to beat at rates that should've been impossible, and he breathed in a breath that sucked in all the essence energy within ten li!
A single sentence was uttered within his mind that caused him to feel overwhelmed.
"EXCEED THE HEAVENS!!!"
Immediately, he could feel a whole new world before him. However, this world only had two things he could see, a shadow of his physical body and a semi-transparent flame filled with white motes. This flame gave off incredibly powerful fluctuations that gave the sensation of tyrannical ferocity, unyielding confidence, decisiveness, and warmth.
MY DAO?!
He was shocked, but even more so by the outline of his physical body. Despite seeming so small, it seemed as if it could eclipse all of the heavens with a single palm.
"Wait...that's!!!" His eyes widened as he looked above the herculean form, a swirling black hole several million times larger than both were swirling about. Initially, he didn't recognize it, but he felt a profound emptiness and desire to consume all creation from it that drew his attention. If the Herculean form seemed like it could cover the heavens with a single palm, then this black hole could consume all the heavens with a single movement!
A single thought!!
His scalp tingled, and his mind reeled in utter shock.
Luckily, before he went absolutely mad from the sensation, he returned back to his room drenched in sweat. He could tell that despite it seeming like hours had passed, perhaps less than a second had truly passed in reality.
The three laws were no longer above him but within his soul form acting completely normal, however, now there was a bow and arrow filled to the brim with destructive intention. As for his physical body, he could feel traces of the law of life, death, space, archery, and destruction lingering in every aspect of his cells.
As for his cultivation, he had reached the peak of the initial-Qi Unification Realm, and his body had completed its evolutionary phase, but he felt that it truly was insignificant in comparison to his true gains, in comparison to that black hole.
"What the hell...was that?" The black hole filled his mind with confusion and questions, but he had the feeling that sooner or later, he'll learn the truth. He just had to search for it.