Martial Realms

High in the sky, a mighty wind blew as drifting clouds brushed against her face.

Ye Ling hovered in midair, quietly looking down at the earth below.

Endless mountains stretched out, and crisscrossing paths and forests retreated rapidly beneath her. The vastness of heaven and earth was fully within her view.

This feeling of soaring through the sky and riding the wind was completely different from her experience of riding an airplane in her past life.

It was free and light, making her love it from the bottom of her heart. Her cold, elegant brow relaxed slightly, and a relaxed expression spread across her face.

Beside her, Leng Zhiwei kept a close eye on Ye Ling's condition, fearing that she might not adapt to her first time flying.

Seeing her completely relaxed and thoroughly enjoying herself, a soft look flashed in Leng Zhiwei's eyes, and she spoke softly at the right moment.

“Ye Ling, since you come from an ordinary small city, you probably have never systematically learned about the complete division of martial realms, have you?”

Ye Ling snapped out of her thoughts, turned to look at the transcendent woman beside her, and nodded obediently.

“Yes, Sect Master. Our Ye family is just an ordinary small family. The ancestor with the highest cultivation in our clan is only at the early stage of the Xiantian Realm.”

“I only know of the Houtian and Xiantian Realms. I know nothing of the martial tiers beyond the Xiantian Realm.”

Leng Zhiwei was secretly delighted. When they first met at the trial square today, Ye Ling had been shrouded in a distant and cold aura, remaining taciturn.

Leng Zhiwei had initially assumed that this genius had a cold and aloof personality, making it difficult to grow close to her.

But traveling together and interacting for just a brief moment, she finally saw Ye Ling's true nature, which was actually quite endearing.

She was simply not one to take the initiative to strike up a conversation, remaining quiet and silent when unprompted. However, as long as she was asked a question, she would answer honestly.

What comforted Leng Zhiwei even more was that she had finally found a place where she could actually be of help.

She had originally worried that Ye Ling's talent was too high for her to qualify as her mentor, leaving her with no choice but to pour resources into nurturing her.

Now, she could systematically explain the martial realms to her, which could be considered fulfilling her duty as a guide.

Leng Zhiwei slowed down her flying speed and spoke slowly.

“I will first briefly explain the division of martial cultivation realms to you. Let's start with your current Houtian Realm.”

“The Houtian Realm relies on absorbing external spiritual energy to temper the physical body, storing this external energy within the meridians. Cultivators in this realm cannot use Divine Sense to probe external things, and their lifespan is almost the same as that of ordinary mortals.”

“Once you break through into the Xiantian Realm, you will undergo the cleansing of marrow and channels.”

“Spiritual energy will no longer rely solely on external absorption; it will be able to circulate on its own within the body, condensing a dantian to allow true qi to grow endlessly.”

“You will also be able to leap and glide through the air for short periods, completely breaking free from the shackles of the mortal body, and your lifespan can reach two hundred years.”

“When we women break through to the Xiantian Realm, we can sever the Red Dragon, compensating for our natural shortcomings in cultivation so that we no longer suffer from any gender disadvantages.”

“The Xiantian Realm is further divided into five minor tiers: early stage, mid stage, late stage, peak, and great perfection.”

“Above the Xiantian Realm is the Tongxuan Realm. Upon reaching this realm, the soul can merge with true qi, allowing true qi to be projected externally and materialized into solid objects. One can also transmit voice over thousands of miles, fly through the air for extended periods, and enjoy a lifespan of up to three hundred years.”

“I am currently at the Tongxuan Realm Great Perfection. In the Qingyun Kingdom, as long as no Ningfu Realm expert appears, I am already among the group standing at the very top.”

Hearing that the lifespan of the Tongxuan Realm could reach three hundred years and that Leng Zhiwei was already at the Tongxuan Realm Great Perfection, Ye Ling could not help but feel curious, secretly wondering about the Sect Master's true age.

The woman before her was graceful and beautiful, looking no older than her early twenties, with absolutely no trace of time on her face.

Her gaze unconsciously lingered on Leng Zhiwei's face, studying her for a moment.

Leng Zhiwei keenly noticed Ye Ling's gaze and instantly saw through her thoughts. However, she did not explain, quietly skipping the topic and continuing from where she had left off.

“The Qingyun Kingdom has a thin spiritual energy foundation and scarce resources. Once the vast majority of martial artists break through their shackles and step into the Ningfu Realm, they will head to the heart of the spiritually abundant Eastern Territory to seek higher opportunities.”

“Only those older generation experts whose lifespans are nearing their end and whose days are numbered will choose to return to their homeland, guarding their sects and protecting the younger generation.”

“I won't go into detail about the realms beyond that. As your cultivation steadily improves in the future, you will naturally come to know them.”

After saying this, Leng Zhiwei turned around to face Ye Ling.

“Just now, you were curious in your heart about why I still look like a young woman despite already being at the Tongxuan Realm Great Perfection, right?”

“This is entirely thanks to face-preserving pills. However, you are still young and have no need to rely on such external items. Concentrating on your cultivation with peace of mind is more than enough.”

Leng Zhiwei raised her hand and lightly tapped Ye Ling's forehead.

Having her thoughts seen through at a glance, Ye Ling could not help but feel a bit guilty, so she could only nod gently in agreement.

She was still only in the Houtian Realm and could not afford to aim too high.

Polishing her current cultivation step by step, steadily breaking through to the Xiantian Realm, and practicing the body-tempering cultivation method gifted by the senior item spirit was the right path.

In the next instant, a hint of curiosity arose in her heart. She looked up at Leng Zhiwei and asked.

“Sect Master, I wonder what cultivation level Senior Su Qingyue has reached by now?”

“Senior Su Qingyue?” Leng Zhiwei paused slightly, her expression dazed as she fell into memory.

“She has stayed in the Eastern Territory for many years and has not set foot in the Qingyun Kingdom for a long time. I still remember when I last heard news of her a hundred years ago, she had already entered the Wangzuo Realm.”

“That is the next realm after the Ningfu Realm. She is also the only expert in our Qingyun Kingdom who has cultivated to the Wangzuo Realm since the founding of our country.”

Ye Ling's heart trembled, and she felt a deep sense of admiration. She had not expected Senior Su Qingyue to have already reached such a profound realm.

When the Sect Master recruited her today, she had personally promised to take the initiative to contact Senior Su Qingyue and ask her to guide her cultivation.

The weight of this promise was truly immense, precious beyond imagination.

Seeing this, Leng Zhiwei comforted her, “You don't need to worry too much. Since I promised to personally contact Senior Su Qingyue, I will definitely fulfill my promise.”

“It's just that Senior Su Qingyue is currently inside a secret realm and cannot be contacted for the time being.”

“Once she leaves the secret realm, I will send her a message to recommend you as soon as possible, asking her to take some time to guide your cultivation.”

In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Leng Zhiwei arrived above the Ye family estate in Baiyun City with Ye Ling. Their figures slowly descended, landing in the Ye family courtyard.

With a sweep of her spiritual energy, Leng Zhiwei quietly hid her figure, leaving only a voice transmission in Ye Ling's ear.

“I won't show my face to disturb you. I'll leave the entire night for you to say a proper farewell to your family.”

Ye Ling nodded in response. “Thank you, Sect Master.”

With those words, she quickly walked into the front hall to find her parents, who happened to both be at home at this time.

Without hiding anything, she told her parents everything about her results in the three assessments of the final selection and how she was exceptionally recruited by the Qinglan Sword Sect.

After listening to the whole story, the couple was both shocked and delighted, their faces filled with unbelievable excitement.

Their own daughter was actually a peerless genius unseen in a thousand years, personally favored by the Sect Master of the Qinglan Sword Sect. Such an honor was unprecedented in the entire history of Baiyun City.

Amidst their joy, the two simply could not contain their happiness and pride, immediately turning around to share this monumental good news with the Fifth Elder of the Ye family and the current family head.

The news swept through the entire Ye family like a tornado, instantly causing a sensation.

Learning that such a heaven-defying genius had emerged in the clan, the Ye family's only Xiantian Realm early stage ancestor, who had been in seclusion for many years, personally emerged from seclusion and rushed to the front hall overnight.

Within a brief moment, the Ye family's front hall was gathered with the ancestor, the family head, the elders, and various core figures of the clan.

Everyone gathered around Ye Ling, their eyes filled with praise, shock, and expectation.

The small Ye family courtyard was brightly lit and bustling with noise, completely shattering the usual quiet of the night.

The entire estate was incredibly lively, filled with an exciting and festive atmosphere everywhere.