“So, as long as a cultivator can possess their own small world, that is, a ‘realm,’ they can be considered to have crossed into the ‘Realm-Bearing’ stage?”

On the winding corridor that turned nine times and folded three ways, Zuoliu listened with half-understanding and asked this question.

Zheng Yao was walking a bit ahead of them.

Fudao Shanren had simply waved his hand and left, not caring about anything else, disappearing to who knows where, leaving only him behind after just finishing arranging some sect matters.

Mingri Xinghai didn’t provide lodging, but for Yashan, this truly wasn’t a problem at all.

After all, they had already sent cultivators here long ago and had several manor houses in this area.

At this moment, they were in a residence closest to where the other people from Shijiu Zhou were staying. He wanted to take Jian Chou, Fu Chaosheng, along with Zuoliu and Fang Xiaoxie, to their lodgings.

Along the way, Zuoliu was quite curious about the division of cultivation stages, so he had explained a few things. But now, hearing him understand “Realm-Bearing” this way, he couldn’t help but laugh: “Most of the time, what you’re saying isn’t wrong.”

“Most of the time?”

After entering Yashan, Zuoliu was like a wandering child who had found his home. The ten thousand “whys” in his heart finally found a dedicated answerer, and whenever he wasn’t in closed-door cultivation, he was basically asking others questions.

So, people like Shen Jiu and Chen Weishan now avoided Zuoliu from afar whenever they saw him coming.

Since Jian Chou returned from Chanzong, she had lived at Yashan for half a month, spending most of her time cultivating alone, rarely appearing outside. But whenever everyone gathered together and Zuoliu was present, her ears never had a moment of peace.

It could only be said that there was good reason for his current cultivation level.

First, he still retained the habits from when he fought alone in the early days – whenever he encountered a slightly more capable cultivator, he would approach them to chat, and his learning and imitation abilities were so strong that they made all the cultivators he imitated want to vomit blood.

Second, he was diligent in learning and asking questions. He would ask about whatever problems he encountered, and sometimes his strange and peculiar questions were ones that even Jian Chou had never thought of, much less knew how to answer.

Although in terms of cultivation time, he and Fang Xiaoxie had actually practiced for about the same duration, in reality, these two represented completely different cultivation paths.

Zuoliu was pure.

He possessed excellent observation and imitation abilities, always maintained curiosity about his surroundings, and enjoyed conducting various strange and peculiar research.

For instance, self-created Daoist techniques, self-forged magical artifacts, and he had even tinkered with something called a “Fire-Balancing Instrument,” claiming it could automatically refine pills.

Cough.

Of course, this Fire-Balancing Instrument unfortunately exploded in the end.

Not only did it waste an entire furnace of materials, but it nearly burned down the entire Pills Hall. Fortunately, the Pills Hall elder had witnessed countless furnace explosions over the years and was long accustomed to such incidents, controlling the situation in just a few moves and even giving Zuoliu some new suggestions.

As for Fang Xiaoxie, he was combat-oriented.

Though this kid was very young, his inherent pride couldn’t be worn away, and his intuition in battle was as sharp as a wild beast’s. Moreover, his mental fortitude was resilient, able to take hits and falls. He didn’t particularly like going to the Scripture Pavilion, preferring to hang around Yashan’s Beast Fighting Arena.

One fight, one reflection, one improvement per battle.

Twenty years ago when Jian Chou left, he had just recently formed his Golden Core. Now he was already at the late Golden Core stage, needing only a suitable opportunity to break through to Nascent Soul.

This trip to Xinghai was also something he had requested to come along for.

In one sentence, he wanted to see true experts, true great powers, to broaden his horizons and incidentally expand his ambitions.

Jian Chou thought both of them were quite good, so she glanced at the two of them, but her thoughts suddenly turned to Zheng Yao’s ambiguous answer just now, and she too became curious.

“Sect Master, do you mean there are exceptions to the division of the Realm-Bearing stage?”

“Realm refers to space.”

“What’s truly meant by Realm-Bearing isn’t actually possessing one’s own realm, but comprehending the rules of ‘realm.’ Any cultivator who can initially comprehend spatial rules has already stepped through the threshold of Realm-Bearing. It’s just that some cultivators are stronger and can open up larger spaces.”

“In fact, even if your realm can only hide a single hair, that’s still Realm-Bearing.”

Although Zheng Yao hadn’t yet reached this stage, being able to become Yashan’s sect master meant his talent was never low. Moreover, he was originally well-read and knowledgeable, with an extremely thorough understanding of cultivation stages.

With this explanation, Zuoliu immediately understood.

“Ah, so Realm-Bearing cultivators have simply comprehended the rules, while realms are things born from applying these rules. Even without a realm, comprehending the rules still counts. That’s why Sect Master said ‘most of the time it’s not wrong.'”

“Haha, no no, there’s more to it than that.” Zheng Yao laughed and shook his head. “Throughout the history of Shijiu Zhou, there have also appeared some cultivators with exceptional talent and particular circumstances. Due to certain fortuitous encounters, or perhaps because they reached the extreme in some particular Dao, they also touched upon the mysterious aspects of Realm-Bearing. Though their cultivation stage wasn’t Realm-Bearing, they could more or less invoke a portion of spatial power.”

“There’s such a thing?”

Zuoliu immediately widened his eyes in surprise.

Even Jian Chou was unexpected by this. She visualized it in her mind, then continued somewhat hesitantly: “This means that this type of person hasn’t truly comprehended spatial rules, but like how we learned teleportation and displacement, they know certain fixed applications. So they can’t create their own realms, but can invoke spatial power?”

“Exactly so.”

Worthy of being Senior Sister Jian Chou – she had immediately thought of teleportation and displacement. Zheng Yao couldn’t help but feel somewhat emotional.

“These two movement methods, strictly speaking, both utilize spatial rules. It’s just that before reaching Realm-Bearing, everyone knows how but not why. Some cultivators, encountering opportunities, can also discover some applications of the rules. Though they don’t understand them, when using them, they’re no different from Realm-Bearing cultivators.”

“Are there many such cultivators?”

The one asking questions had shifted from Zuoliu to Jian Chou in the blink of an eye. Her response speed was no slower than his, actually making Zuoliu feel somewhat choked up. Helplessly, he could only listen.

Anyway, what Senior Sister Jian Chou wanted to ask was exactly what he wanted to ask too.

Zheng Yao shook his head: “Such cultivators are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. It can be said that every one of them is a person of stunning talent and extraordinary beauty. Legend has it that in ancient times, the great power of Xinghai, Luye Laozu, accidentally comprehended the mysteries of teleportation when she entered the world. By the time she reached Return to Void, she had already created her own space, called the Killing Red Small Realm. When she reached Realm-Bearing, she forged a magical artifact containing spatial rules, called the ‘Qiankun One Pot.'”

“Qiankun One Pot?”

This time it was Fang Xiaoxie, his eyeballs completely round, clearly thinking this magical artifact’s name was too domineering.

“This pot can contain an entire world, yet it wasn’t made using the space silkworm silk or space silkworm sand we normally use to create Qiankun Bags and Sumeru Rings, but rather some other precious materials. Its pressure power was entirely due to Luye Laozu’s comprehension of space.”

As they spoke, they had already turned the corner of the corridor, and Zheng Yao’s voice was also full of admiration.

“As for the few others, most had reached ultimate comprehension of certain Daos, approaching some kind of limit, which is why they learned methods to invoke spatial power…”

Subsequently, Zheng Yao gave specific examples of people he knew about, such as those who invoked spatial power through extreme speed, or through gravity, and even more remarkably, through something seemingly completely unrelated – the sword. Legend told of someone who cultivated the sword to its ultimate extreme, needing no other comprehension. With a single sword, its edge could cut through space, and its intent could merge with heaven and earth…

These were all extremes of enlightenment.

Jian Chou and Zuoliu both listened carefully, while Fang Xiaoxie’s face showed longing.

But Fu Chaosheng, who was walking a bit further back, frowned slightly.

Cultivators’ Realm-Bearing…

This courtyard wasn’t small, more than enough to house these people from Yashan. But Zheng Yao always wanted everyone to live more comfortably, so he specifically picked out several decent courtyards that weren’t too close to each other for everyone to live in.

The place they were going to now was relatively remote.

They continued talking while walking, their steps never stopping, having already descended from the corridor and entered the garden ahead.

It was mid-spring, and the flowers and trees were at their peak.

The small path paved with stones was lined with several clusters of cyclamen and unopened marigolds. Since no one had been here for a long time, there were several peach tree branches with a few remaining flower petals hanging askew.

When Jian Chou passed by, she accidentally brushed against them, causing the entire branch to sway.

The flower petals, which had already passed their blooming period, fell from the branches and drifted through the air.

Fu Chaosheng’s gaze naturally moved over.

Almost instinctively, he reached out his hand and caught one of the petals. The pink-white petal, light as a snowflake, landed in his palm.

Jian Chou was walking ahead, listening to Zheng Yao speak.

But suddenly she realized something was wrong – she hadn’t heard Fu Chaosheng’s footsteps following. So she turned back to look, and in that instant, the scene before her eyes made her pupils contract violently!

She saw Fu Chaosheng standing in place, his five fingers slightly closing, and when he opened them again, the peach blossom petal in his palm had disappeared!

Her mind rang with what was almost a “boom.”

Having just heard Zheng Yao’s various analyses of the “Realm-Bearing” stage, how could Jian Chou not realize what this scene before her meant?

Even though she had long suspected something about Fu Chaosheng’s true power, she hadn’t really thought deeply about it…

“So the creations of heaven and earth are truly miraculous.”

“The silkworm silk and silkworm sand we use to make Qiankun Bags and Sumeru Rings both come from space silkworms. They have low intelligence, with extremely little possibility of even cultivating into spirit beasts, yet they’re born with the ability to use spatial power. So their silkworm silk and silkworm sand can both be used to create storage magical artifacts.”

“But we humans, who call ourselves the most intelligent of all creatures, are inferior to even a mindless space silkworm in this regard…”

Zheng Yao’s voice, carrying a strange kind of sigh, came from ahead and entered Jian Chou’s ears, but it couldn’t leave any trace in her mind.

She stared at Fu Chaosheng without speaking.

Fu Chaosheng turned his hand again, and that snowflake-like peach blossom petal reappeared in his palm.

“Is something wrong?”

Walking along, Zheng Yao had lost two people and also sensed something amiss. Turning back, he only saw that somewhat unfamiliar Fu-surnamed cultivator with his palm open, a peach blossom petal in his palm, while others were scattered at his feet.

So he smiled: “At this time, the peach blossoms are mostly finished blooming. It’s really not the season for flower viewing.”

He didn’t notice anything unusual at all.

Of course, Jian Chou wouldn’t say anything in front of Zheng Yao either. She simply composed her emotions inwardly and turned back to walk beside Zheng Yao.

“Indeed, the flowering season has passed.”

“If Fellow Daoist Fu wants to see them, if you go thirty li east from Yashan a few months earlier, you can see a peach blossom cliff with flowers blooming all over the sky like clouds – much more beautiful than this.”

Zheng Yao had no suspicions and even introduced the location to Fu Chaosheng.

But Fu Chaosheng already clearly understood cultivators’ distinctions between cultivation levels and abilities. He smiled slightly, tilted his palm, and let that peach blossom petal fall to the ground.

He didn’t respond to Zheng Yao’s words, maintaining that kind of detachment and isolation that formed its own world.

During his time living at Yashan, Zheng Yao had already understood something of his temperament. He didn’t consider him rude, knowing this was just how he was.

So he didn’t mind, turned around, and continued walking forward as before.

Jian Chou and the others quickly followed, no one noticing that the peach blossom petal that had fallen to the ground withered quickly and silently the moment they turned away.

A gust of wind swept it into the nearby flower and grass thicket, where it disappeared from sight.

Although interrupted for a while, Zuoliu was still thinking about what Zheng Yao had said earlier: “Sect Master, besides space silkworms, are there any other similar existences in the world? The kind that naturally understand heaven and earth rules?”

This question stumped Zheng Yao.

His brow immediately furrowed, his slightly plump fingers rising to press against his jawline. After pondering for a while, he said: “There should be none in Shijiu Zhou. But the universe is vast – there may not be none elsewhere. Ancient cultivators researched this. Space silkworms have extremely low intelligence, living from birth to death in complete ignorance. They’re very likely ancient primordial remnants, mostly born when the universe first came into being.”

“When the universe first came into being?”

Zuoliu was amazed, never having imagined that the Qiankun Bags he normally used were connected to something with such origins.

But Zheng Yao didn’t think it was anything special, explaining with a smile.

“Think about it – humans are born between heaven and earth as such intelligent beings, yet comprehending heaven and earth rules still requires such long and arduous effort. This is all because the universe has been in constant flux since ancient times, and humans can only pursue its changes with their own changes, completing its transformations.”

“But those with unopened intelligence who can still comprehend and use rules – tracing back their origins, they must have been born together with the universe.”

“When the universe was born, time and space came into being. These ancient primordial remnants were born alongside the universe, so they naturally know.”

Zuoliu understood only vaguely, feeling it was both mysterious and profound, and moreover, not in his area of expertise. Things like universe and ancient primordial times were quite unfamiliar to him.

But Jian Chou could understand.

Due to her experiences with the Extreme Domain and Sumeru Mustard Seed, plus the Eye of Comparison, she was even more sensitive to these things. But her thoughts suddenly scattered, and she didn’t ask further.

Fu Chaosheng walked behind them, gradually becoming thoughtful: Ancient primordial remnants, space silkworms?

The sound of footsteps was soft and scattered.

At this point, several people could already see several adjacent courtyards built at the end of the garden path, feeling they were both secluded and elegant.

Zheng Yao stopped here, smiling as he said: “This is what’s reserved for you. There’s a door in the back that connects to the street outside. Since we’re guests here, if you need to go out normally, just try to keep a low profile. Don’t go flying around all the time…”

This was about giving face to Mingri Xinghai.

After all, they were visiting cultivators. If they flew around in the sky all day, that would seem too arrogant, and the overall impact wouldn’t be very good.

Everyone could understand Zheng Yao’s reminder, so they nodded.

Having finished explaining these things, he was about to leave.

But Jian Chou hesitated for a moment, then still called out to him: “Sect Master, Master he—”

Without needing to finish the sentence, Zheng Yao already understood what she wanted to ask.

His expression suddenly became somewhat silent. He looked at Jian Chou, slowly smiled, with an indescribable steadiness and comfort: “Uncle-Master Fudao has always been an emotional person. He’s been holding it in for too long, and with this timing of impending battle, it’s natural for him to feel upset and remember past events. But Senior Sister needn’t worry. After all these years, he can distinguish clearly in his heart.”

Jian Chou opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but when the words reached her lips, she felt all language was pale and powerless. So she simply held back and just nodded.

“This disciple understands.”

Zheng Yao nodded and left along the way they had come, hands behind his back.

Jian Chou watched his retreating figure for a long time without speaking, until Fu Chaosheng also approached, when she suddenly asked out of nowhere: “Where can one find space silkworms?”

“Space silkworms?”

Jian Chou was startled, still not having fully returned to her senses.

But Zuoliu on the side immediately looked over, eagerly raising his hand like he was answering a question: “I know this one, I know! In the Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand Western Sea, Tongling Pavilion is famous for raising various spirit beasts, and space silkworms are one type. They’re also here in Xinghai. I heard that the Medicine King, Master Yiming, raises almost everything possible because he makes medicine and refines pills. You can go to— Eh?”

Halfway through his words, he suddenly stopped.

His gaze fell on Fu Chaosheng’s head, with a somewhat confused look in his eyes. Staring at that slate-colored fish-shaped jade hairpin, he asked with some amazement and hesitation: “Did it… did it just move? I remember, an hour ago, the fish tail seemed to be facing outward…”

“…”

“…”

Jian Chou and Fu Chaosheng both fell silent simultaneously, looking at Zuoliu with expressions – one was hard to describe, the other slightly surprised.

What was on his head wasn’t some “fish hairpin” but a genuine “Kun,” and generally no one would notice such minute changes.

This Zuoliu…

Fu Chaosheng’s gaze fell on Zuoliu, reaching up to touch the hairpin on his head, saying only lightly: “Is that so?”

“Yes, yes…”

For some reason, he suddenly felt a very strange sense of crisis.

Zuoliu had always been extremely confident in his observational abilities, almost never making mistakes, but responding to Fu Chaosheng’s two words now, he actually felt somewhat guilty and short of breath.

Fu Chaosheng didn’t do anything else, lowering his hand and slowly smiling: “Perhaps you saw wrong.”

“But…”

Zuoliu felt he hadn’t seen wrong – it really had moved! He still wanted to discuss this issue with Fu Chaosheng, stepping forward wanting to ask if he could borrow the hairpin for a look.

But unexpectedly, at this moment, a hand reached over and grabbed his collar, directly pulling him back.

“Senior, Senior Sister?”

Zuoliu thought it was someone else and got quite a fright. Only when he turned around did he see it was Jian Chou.

Jian Chou released him, giving him a pure and gentle smile, definitively concluding: “You saw wrong. Fellow Daoist Fu’s hairpin has always been like this.”

Then she looked toward Fu Chaosheng, and also toward that hairpin.

In her voice, there was a certain kind of gritted-teeth threat: “Right, Fellow Daoist Fu?”

In that instant, the fish hairpin couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Of course it could hear that this sentence was actually directed at it.

But…

I just had an itchy tail and turned over! Who could have thought this little Yashan cultivator would notice? Why does a normal person need such sharp eyes?

Wuu.

Aggrieved, so aggrieved!