Haitin had no intention of diving too deeply into his own background.
His mention of his clan was casual, almost offhand. But he could sense Aksai’s curiosity.
“Brother Aksai, you’re probably wondering where these techniques come from, right?” Haitin asked, his gaze fixed on Aksai’s face.
Aksai simply nodded, opting to remain silent.
Haitin took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. “Frankly speaking, these techniques have otherworldly origins. They didn’t originate in Dadangar. That’s why they’re not really suited for the denizens of our world—like you and me.”
Inwardly, Aksai was shocked by the revelation. Not because the idea of other worlds was foreign to him; he had already explored two such worlds in secret, thanks to the Myriad Worlds Painting.
But what truly surprised him was the fact that the cultivators of this world had the means to explore other worlds, too. He had thought that his connection to the Myriad Worlds Painting was unique, giving him exclusive access.
‘No. It’s not that I can travel to other worlds that is surprising. It shouldn’t be. Rather, the fact that I can go to other worlds with my meager cultivation base is surprising.
No wonder the denizens of Acarnis treat the unknown Spirit cultivators as alien invaders. It seems the path of Spirit cultivation turns the cultivators more and more monstrous.
Also, the Spirit cultivators of Dadangar are even more powerful than I initially thought. Even though the Dadangar Subcontinent is lacking when it comes to higher-tier cultivation legacies, it is still good that I’m stuck here. Otherwise, there was a possibility of my Myriad Worlds Painting getting discovered by the real monsters.
I… I shouldn’t leave the Dadangar Subcontinent unless I have sufficient strength to protect myself and my secrets. Who knows when I might come under the radar of such monsters because of the Everwood Farm,’ Aksai thought to himself and clenched his fists in silence.
Haitin wasn’t fazed by Aksai’s lack of reaction. In fact, he seemed to be anticipating it. “You know what realm comes after the Nascent Soul Realm, right?” Haitin asked, as though reading Aksai’s thoughts.
Aksai nodded and replied simply, “It should be the Deity Transformation Realm.”
Haitin nodded approvingly before explaining further.
“Right. The Deity Transformation Realm is a special milestone because it allows Spirit cultivators to tear through the spatial fabric with their own power. However, under normal circumstances, they can’t actually traverse these spatial rifts to reach other worlds. Not unless they possess some rare space-type artifact to help them.
But the true game-changer is when a cultivator advances to the Spirit Manifestation Realm—the sixth Spirit cultivation realm.”
Aksai’s attention sharpened as Haitin continued. This was the first time he heard about the 6th Spirit cultivation realm. He hadn’t even met a Core Formation Lord yet. So thinking about breaking into such a realm wasn’t something he could do at this point.
However, it didn’t hurt to listen.
“At the Spirit Manifestation Realm,” Haitin continued.
“The cultivators can manifest their spirits outside their physical bodies, creating avatars. These avatars allow them to explore worlds beyond their own by splitting their souls.
While they can’t physically traverse these worlds under normal circumstances, their avatars can. And that’s how these techniques, with otherworldly origins, were obtained. They were plundered by Deity Transformation Gods and Spirit Manifestation Overgods.
Of course, not every God or Overgod could do this. Only those with sufficient background and mastery over their own powers can pull this off. However, these powerhouses are not as rare as you think.
There’s a bigger world out there in the lands beyond the Shinayin Empire. The Dadangar Subcontinent is like a backwater town when compared against the Shinayin Empire. But the Shinayin Empire itself is nothing more than a stepping stone for the true powerhouses of this world.
The Dadangar World is big beyond your wildest expectations. If it wasn’t for the opportunity that appeared in the Wild Devil Lands out of nowhere, I would have left the subcontinent a long time ago.
After all, it is my clan’s dream to return to our original land and reestablish our prestige there.”
Haitin’s words hung in the air, the gravity of the revelation palpable.
“Anyway! Where were we? Yes! The Spirit Manifestation Overgods!
These powerhouses didn’t just explore other worlds—they looted them. The techniques you see now, many of them came from these conquests.
But here’s the thing, brother Aksai. Most of those Deity Transformation Gods and Spirit Manifestation Overgods didn’t even value what they took. They saw these otherworldly techniques as beneath them.
Why? Because whatever gains can be made through these foreign techniques, we Spirit cultivators can achieve through Spirit essence alone.”
Aksai’s mind raced, piecing together the significance of what Haitin was saying.
“We Spirit cultivators don’t need to harness other forms of energy.”
Haitin went on.
“Because Spirit essence is incredibly versatile. As you progress in Spirit cultivation, your body and mind are naturally refined. There’s no need to walk multiple paths.
For instance, a body practitioner in the second realm of body cultivation would never be able to defeat a Spirit cultivator in the third realm, even if the latter didn’t use any Spirit spells.
This is because even the weakest of the Core Formation Lords would have a strong enough vessel to contend against a 2nd realm body practitioner. Spirit essence, by its very nature, strengthens the body and the mind.”
Haitin leaned back slightly, his tone more reflective now.
“What I’m trying to say is this: other paths of cultivation, based on different energies, offer no real advantages over Spirit cultivation. In many cases, Spirit cultivation surpasses them.
That’s why I’m urging you, Brother Aksai, to focus on your Spirit cultivation progress. Don’t let the gifts I’ve given you go to waste by chasing after something that could divert your attention and hinder your progress.”
Haitin sighed softly as if he had already said more than he intended to. He watched silently as Aksai stored the copies of the Heretic Dao inheritances and the body cultivation techniques. Haitin also kept a copy of Mao’s inheritance for himself before handing Aksai the original jade slip.
With this transaction, Haitin had fulfilled his promise of rewarding Aksai. It was now time for him to present Aksai with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—one related to Haan Di Lord’s severe injuries and the disappearance of the three Core Formation Lords from the demonic faction.
This opportunity was also why Sun Ocean Lord and Green Glory Lord were becoming restless and making strategic moves within the territories of the Wild Devil Lands.
Aksai was even more intrigued to learn about it.