Beyond Vast Ocean Peak.
Chu Xiaolian had been following Ye Chengying for about a hundred miles.
If one were to say that the Unyielding Sword Celestial Sect was the focal point for Spiritual Energy over the span of thousands of miles and was like a fairyland in the mortal realm, then at this moment, Chu Xiaolian had arrived at the mortal realm.
Or maybe even worse than that.
Chu Xiaolian could feel that the Spiritual Energy surrounding him was extremely thin.
In fact, this was rather normal.
The Unyielding Sword Celestial Sect had a bunch of Spiritual Energy Amassment Arrays.
These Spiritual Energy Amassment Arrays could gather Spiritual Energy from over a thousand miles and greatly enhance the cultivation speed of the sect's disciples.
But the amount of Spiritual Energy available was constant.
With the massive concentration of Spiritual Energy at the Unyielding Sword Celestial Sect, naturally, it meant the thinning of Spiritual Energy in other locations.
This had little effect on mortals, but cultivators would feel very uncomfortable.
It's just like getting used to living in a garden villa and then told to go to an awful-smelling slaughterhouse or septic tank.
Any normal person would have felt awful!
...
Chu Xiaolian knitted his eyebrows together. "Senior Sister, where are you taking me?"
"To meet Senior Brother Li."
Ye Chengying was still as indifferent as she had been before. She did not alter her attitude just because of Chu Xiaolian's massive surge in cultivation.
Chu Xiaolian was confused. "Does Senior Brother want me to meet him out here?"
Ye Chengying said calmly, "You should feel honored. There are only a handful of people who are qualified to meet Senior Brother Li out here."
Chu Xiaolian was full of doubts. "Is there anything special out here?"
"You'll know later."
Ye Chengying did not say anything else. She also accelerated her pace all of a sudden.
Chu Xiaolian released all of his power to barely keep up with Ye Chengying's speed so that he would not be left behind.
The two figures flew across the mountains and fields at speeds faster than a cheetah.
Every now and then, mortal farmers would catch a glimpse of them, but they treated them as birds swooping by and did not make a fuss over it.
They crossed path after path full of twists and turns.
Swiftly, the two came to a rice field.
There was nothing special about it. It was the most common of crop fields.
If one were to insist on finding something special about it, it would be that in the field at this moment, the person waving a sickle to harvest the paddies was not a farmer living in the hilly wilds.
It was Li Hanguang.
At this time, Li Hanguang had already taken off his spotless white robe and had put on a grey linen garment.
There was black mud all over his trousers.
His fair fingers were also smeared with mud and sewage.
However, he did not seem miserable looking.
It was exactly the other way around. Li Hanguang was methodically harvesting the paddies.
The way he waved his sickle was neat and clean. Quietly imbuing the sickle with the true intent of swordsmanship, it felt as if he was performing a superior sword technique.
Exquisite, refined. It even felt graceful and elegant.
...
Ye Chengying stood in the field, staring at Li Hanguang intently.
She could only see this figure in her field of vision.
As expected of Senior Brother, he looked so charming even when he's harvesting rice! He's a great pleasure to look at at all times~
"Senior Brother Li is harvesting the rice field by himself?"
Unlike Ye Chengying who was composed in demeanor, Chu Xiaolian had his eyes wide open.
He could not understand. Someone like Li Hanguang should be high above the nine heavens like the sun.
His appearance, his temperament, his demeanor!
Even Chu Xiaolian, who was a dude, could not help being impressed by him.
Why would such a person step into the mud of the paddy fields? Why would he lower himself like this?
Even if he really wanted to harvest the rice in the paddy field, couldn't he just casually use his divine consciousness to control the sickle to make a swoosh around the field and solve everything?
That was not difficult to do either.
As long as one's cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment stage, one could use their divine consciousness to drive a Flying Sword.
Why would he go down to the field and lower himself into a crap ton of filth?
Senior Brother Li's hobby was too darn unique!
At this moment, sounds of amazement rang out in Chu Xiaolian's mind. "He's even more extraordinary than I thought!"
The corner of Chu Xiaolian's mouth twitched as he said to himself, "Elder Yan, what else did you discover?"
Elder Yan exclaimed with emotion, "Regression to the Mortal State, this child is regressing to the Mortal State!"
"Regression to the Mortal State? What does that mean?"
Elder Yan explained, "This state of the mind is only attained after one breaks their Core to produce a Nascent Soul."
"Break the Core to produce a Nascent Soul?"
Chu Xianlian's eyes opened even wider!
Everyone at the Taicang Residence knew that the Unyielding Sword Celestial Sect's eldest disciple was sixteen this year.
He started cultivating at the age of three, arrived at the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of five, and reached the Core Formation stage at the age of twelve.
Li Hanguang expended a total of seven years to get from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Core Formation stage.
It had only been four years since then, and he had already advanced to the Nascent Soul stage?
A 16-year-old Revered Nascent Soul Cultivator?
You had to be kidding!
Elder Yan seemed to have guessed Chu Xiaolian's doubts. "Don't just believe the rumors out there. He's more talented than you think.
"Started cultivating at the age of three, arrived at the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of five, and reached at the Core Formation stage at the age of twelve—this is merely what he told others."
"Perhaps he had already reached Core Formation before the age of ten."
Elder Yan's comfort made Chu Xiaolian feel even worse.
Originally, having gained four levels at once, he wanted to brag about it in front of his Senior Brother and startle him.
Now, it might seem that he was the joke!
Chu Xiaolian said helplessly, "Elder Yan, can you explain to me in detail what Regression to the Mortal State is?"
Elder Yan remained silent for a moment before he said, "You should know that those at the Spiritual Qi Refinement stage are still mortal.
"The real cultivators are those in the five major stages of Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Overcoming Tribulation.
"Every major stage is further divided into nine minor stages, which is collectively referred to as the five nines."
"Among them, the two major stages of the Foundation Establishment and Golden core focus on what can be seen.
"After one breaks their Core to produce a Nascent Soul, they will tap into the mysterious 'state of mind' and begin to pay attention to sentiments.
"After the Nascent Soul stage, closed-door training is of little use.
"Only by changing the mind can a cultivator improve more quickly, and the changing of one's mind is divided into many paths.
"Some Revered Nascent Soul Cultivators will choose the 'Path of Killing'. The more powerful the ones they kill are, the faster their strength will grow.
"Some Revered Nascent Soul Cultivators will choose the 'Path of Virtue'. The more virtue they amass, the faster their strength will grow."
"Some Revered Nascent Soul Cultivators will choose the 'Path of Vice'. They will set their seven emotions and six desires free and sharpen their minds via frequenting brothels, gambling, and drinking."
Chu Xiaolian was absorbed in thought. "Is the Path of Mortal Regression similar to cultivating your state of mind?"
...
"Yes, but not really."
Elder Yan sighed with emotion. "The Path of Killing, Virtue, and Vice are cultivation methods with extremely low requirements."
"But Mortal Regression is different.
"This so-called 'Path of Mortal Regression' is about bringing oneself back to the basics and realizing the most ordinary and natural aspects of life.
"For I am abstracted from the world, the world from nature, nature from the way, and the way from what is beneath abstraction!
"Mortal Regressors do nothing. Comprehending the Great Path of the world is the supreme way to tempering the mind.
"Since ancient times, those who have succeeded in Mortal Regression are all peerlessly supreme!
"This path is for certain a difficult one to follow.
"Of those who have set foot into the Nascent Soul stage, who hasn't cultivated for decades or even centuries?
"The means of a cultivator would have long fused together with their very soul.
"For instance, a Spiritual Master at the Golden Core stage will instinctively fly with a sword when going out instead of walking by foot."
"To regress to the Mortal State, one must let go of themselves and forget their own prowess.
"This step alone has shut out countless prodigies from following this path. After all, the most difficult person to deceive is oneself."
Chu Xiaolian said solemnly, "Has Senior Brother Li taken that step?"
...
Elder Yan was silent for a long time.
At last, he nodded and said, "Not only has he taken that step, but he also did it quite perfectly.
"If it weren't for his appearance and temperament resembling that of a Fallen Celestial, I would have taken him as a mortal!"