C318 The Foundation of the Upper Sect
Bai Shang's gaze was hollow, his demeanor numb as he delivered his words with a dispassionate tone.
Aside from him, no one could discern Yu Yuan's current condition.
Even Qin Yun, formerly the head of the Seven Divine Sect, attempted to probe with the soul of the Yin God, only to experience such intense pain it was as if he were being stabbed with needles, forcing him to abandon the effort.
Unable to gauge Bai Shang's level of cultivation or the depth of his vital energy, the onlookers were taken aback when he suddenly spoke up.
"And who might this be?"
Adorned in a green gown, her features as delicate as a painting, Su Yan's bright eyes shimmered with inquisitive light as she gazed at the stranger. "You're saying Yu broke through his cultivation level in the blink of an eye? Is that truly the case?"
Wai Feng, Zhan Tianxiang, and Zhao Yafu were skeptical as well.
Even for them, known for their remarkable talents, advancing to the Yellow Court Stage wasn't something that happened in an instant.
Zhao Yafu, the quickest among them to break through, had also built up considerable reserves.
Yuan Lianyao and Qin Yun had previously sensed that Yu Yuan's Yellow Court Little World was still a long way from being saturated with spiritual energy.
Could such progress really happen so quickly?
"In just a few words, inside..."
Bai Shang cast a glance at Yu Yuan, enshrouded in a haze of white mist, and explained, "More than ten days have passed inside. The reason you can't see clearly and can't measure his soul is that the space he occupies is not before us."
His explanation was enigmatic, yet those of a certain cultivation level had their moment of sudden comprehension.
Lee Yuchan, one of the select few privy to his identity, trusted his assessment implicitly and, with a nod, acknowledged, "I see."
Her nod of agreement prompted the others to reflect, and their faces soon mirrored her astonishment.
"The Ancient Desolate Sect's Void True Spell is incredibly potent. It's no wonder they were once said to be the foremost among the seven lesser sects," Su Yan remarked, taken aback.
"At its zenith, the Ancient Desolate Sect far surpassed the second-ranked Spirit Void Sect."
Then, a stranger quietly drew near, his face solemn as he observed Yu Yuan at this pivotal moment.
Su Yan hurried over and offered a respectful bow.
The newcomer was Yang Yinquan from the Taiyuan Sect, accompanied by Su Xiangtian. The rest of the Taiyuan Sect's cultivators remained where they were, not joining him in seeking out Su Yan and the others.
"The Ancient Desolate Sect could have been one of the three great upper sects," Yang Yinquan said with a solemn respect. "At its zenith, it was home to a Primordial Spirit!"
"Primordial Spirit!"
"There was a Primordial Spirit in the Ancient Desolate Sect?"
"Really? Aren't the Primordial Spirits exclusive to the peak practitioners of the three upper sects?"
"The Primordial Spirit represents the pinnacle of our human cultivation. Isn't it supposed to be immortal?"
"Good heavens! The Ancient Desolate Sect actually had a Primordial Spirit!"
Yang Yinquan's revelation set off a wave of excited chatter among the younger members gathered around Yu Yuan.
Currently, even the Spirit Void Sect, the foremost among the seven lower sects, has not seen the emergence of a Primordial Spirit.
The three upper sects are so named and revered precisely because they boast the ultimate cultivators at the Primordial Spirit Stage, possibly more than one in each sect.
The Soul Wandering Stage, Yang God Stage, and Unrestrained Stage are all still bound by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, with lifespans that eventually come to an end.
The Primordial Spirit, however, is legendary for its eternal life.
On the Heavenly Source Continent, the hierarchy of sect powers is not set in stone.
When the Profound Sky Sect, Sword Sect, and Primordial Yang Sect were first founded, they weren't even considered lower sects. It took them countless years of refinement and millennia of growth to achieve their current esteemed status as upper sects.
Before their rise, the Heavenly Source Continent had witnessed the rise and fall of other upper sects. Some were supplanted by new factions, while others vanished for various reasons, never to reclaim their former splendor.
The simplest and most direct way to gauge the standing of upper and lower sects is to see whether they have cultivators at the Primordial Spirit Stage. Possessing a Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator doesn't guarantee recognition from the other upper sects or command respect from the lower ones, but it's a significant step toward ascending to the ranks of the upper sects.
However, without a Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator at the helm, it's impossible for a sect to ascend to the ranks of an upper sect.
The Primordial Spirit Stage is an essential requirement for reaching that level!
At the height of its glory, the Ancient Desolate Sect had a Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator in residence, which truly gave it the potential to join the ranks of upper sects like the Sword Sect, the Primordial Yang Sect, and the Profound Sky Sect.
"Regrettably, that Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator was confirmed to have perished in the Outland," Yang Yinquan lamented, his tone tinged with sorrow. "The so-called immortality of a Primordial Spirit Stage cultivator means they have no natural end to their lifespan. Yet, if they're besieged by a being of equal might, or attacked by the combined forces of a formidable Outland Devaputra and the chieftains of the Outland Star River, they can still meet their demise."
He left his statement hanging, but the implication was clear to all.
The Ancient Desolate Sect had once harbored a Primordial Spirit Stage powerhouse, capable of elevating the sect to upper status, who met an unnatural end deep within the Outland Star River.
"That Spiritual Spell he practiced?" Lee Yuchan inquired with curiosity.
Yang Yinquan gave a slight nod, confirming, "Indeed, it's the Void True Spell of the Ancient Desolate Realm!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze instinctively shifted to the diminutive commander locked in combat with Jiaang Moyan and Zou Jin under the starry sky.
Who could have imagined that the now-forbidden Void True Spell was once the driving force behind the Ancient Desolate Sect's near rise to upper sect prominence?
Why has the Ancient Desolate Sect forbidden the cultivation of such a potent Spiritual Spell?
What has kept Shen Feiqing's master from returning from the Outland? And why did Shen Feiqing, once hailed as a prodigious talent of the Ancient Desolate Sect, become an outcast, expelled by her own sect?
A multitude of unanswered questions haunted the minds of those present.
As Yang Yinquan recounted the bygone splendor of the Ancient Desolate Sect, Bai Shang, who had spoken before, once again faded into silence, standing motionless in a corner.
Yet Yang Yinquan's gaze remained fixed on him.
Bai Shang's face was impassive.
"The Ancient Desolate Sect and our Taiyuan Sect have always been allies, deeply connected," Yang Yinquan mused aloud, his voice tinged with relief. "I'm thankful that those deadly spatial rifts spared our sect."
His gaze drifted skyward.
He was certain that Shen Feiqing, who was now wreaking havoc, was privy to the inner workings of both the Ancient Desolate Sect and the Taiyuan Sect. It was no coincidence that despite the Taiyuan Sect being one of the seven, not a single member had fallen victim to the slaughter.
In that very moment, Jiaang Moyan of the Thunder Sect, his figure enshrouded in lightning like a deity, was mercilessly torn apart by the spatial rifts.
Jiaang Moyan's anguished howls filled the air as the silver orbs dangling from his jade belt burst one by one. Each explosion resembled a lightning-forged star, erupting and vanishing in the heavens.
As Jiaang Moyan's Yin God attempted to flee, the void around him solidified.
A figure, striking with his black and white visage, emerged from nowhere.
His hands wove through the air, casting a sequence of spell seals that blossomed into a dazzling orb of light, anchoring Jiaang Moyan in place and freezing the surrounding space.
The relentless spatial rifts continued their dance, carving Jiaang Moyan's Yin God into fragments.
In an instant, Jiaang Moyan's Yin God was cleaved and scattered into various rifts.
"It's him!"
"The Monochrome Boy who accompanied Yu Yuan in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area!"
"What's he doing here?"
Zhan Tianxiang, Su Yan, and Zhao Yafu, all veterans of the Forbidden Area Trial, exclaimed in astonishment.
Lee Yuchan, Lee Yu, Yuan Lianyao, and others aboard the Cloud Sail who had witnessed Yan Qiling before were equally stunned.
They were astounded by Yan Qiling's dramatic increase in power after just a year and by his sudden intervention alongside Shen Feiqing to corner Jiaang Moyan, sealing his fate.
The connection between Yan Qiling and Yu Yuan was no secret to them, and Yan Qiling's appearance solidified many of their suspicions.
—Yu Yuan and Shen Feiqing had been in cahoots all along!
Observing Yu Yuan, shrouded in a mist of spiritual energy and greedily absorbing an unknown source of pure power, they all came to a realization. He was using this energy to rapidly refine the Yellow Court Little World, and everything suddenly made sense.
"He must be channeling a continuous flow of spiritual energy to expand and transform his lower dantian," Zhao Yafu mused, her eyes narrowing into a sweet, adorable smile. "At the middle period of the Yellow Court Stage, each additional round of refinement signifies a talent surpassing that of the average person. Three rounds of refinement allow ordinary cultivators to progress to the late Yellow Court Stage. With five, one is deemed a prodigy on the path of cultivation."
Her words resonated with those familiar with the intricacies of this stage, stirring a sense of recognition.
The process of refinement and reconstruction at the Yellow Court Stage is critical, a sentiment echoed across both the Heavenly Source Continent and the Quietus Continent. Often, the number of refinements at this stage can determine a cultivator's future standing within their sect.
Yu Yuan, hailing from Darkmoon City, had not yet demonstrated his exceptional talent for cultivation to the world. Advancing to the late Yellow Court Stage after several rounds of refinement and reconstruction is the clearest indicator of one's innate gift.
