104. Exchange of Skills

“This hidden place is Dayan City.”

Ling Yu shuddered, deeply moved: “Dayan City—a gathering place for Transformation Spirit cultivators?”

“That’s right,” Qian Jiale said calmly. “Dayan originally meant ‘Heaven’s Number.’ Besides the masters, who else would be so bold as to name a city that?”

Ling Yu took a deep breath and after a long pause asked, “Then, what about those above the Transformation Spirit stage?”

Qian Jiale smiled faintly. “Sister, that question hits the key point. Those above Transformation Spirit—where are they? Do they even exist?”

His tone was so indifferent it sent chills down Ling Yu’s spine. “Could it be… there aren’t any?”

Qian Jiale sighed. “This isn’t a secret among the major sects. After the Cataclysm of Heaven’s Collapse, the Cangming Realm lost contact with the mortal realms. Some ancient texts mention that the Cangming Realm once had great cultivators reaching the Consolidation stage, just one step shy of True Lord. But after the Cataclysm, the realm underwent tremendous changes—landscapes altered, and most of the inheritances were lost. When I entered the sect, Master Xianhua emerged from seclusion and spoke about it—he said that during the Cataclysm, all cultivators above the Transformation Spirit stage perished in that disaster.”

“The Cataclysm of Heaven’s Collapse…” Qian Jiale mentioned it several times, prompting Ling Yu to recall that both *A Brief History of Cangming* and *One Hundred Thousand Years in the Cultivation World* vaguely referred to a great upheaval in the Cangming Realm millennia ago.

“Don’t ask me what exactly the Cataclysm was,” Qian Jiale interrupted before Ling Yu could speak. “I’m no scholar buried in ancient tomes. I only know the broad strokes.”

Ling Yu shifted her question: “So you mean that after the Cataclysm, all cultivators above Transformation Spirit died, and now no one in the Cangming Realm can break through that stage?”

“I don’t know about that,” Qian Jiale replied. “All I know is that cultivators above Transformation Spirit never appear in the mortal world.”

He seemed indifferent to the matter. Men were practical; he was more concerned with his own Foundation Establishment. A mere Qi Refining cultivator worrying about distant affairs—what use was that?

“Alright, let’s keep cultivating.” Qian Jiale withdrew the spirit talisman and resumed immersing himself in the flames of Mount Zhu Rong.

Ling Yu began cultivating as well, but Qian Jiale’s words were etched deeply in her mind.

The Cataclysm of Heaven’s Collapse, Dayan City, the mortal realms... Could it be that the entire Cangming Realm faced a situation like the Lower Realms? The Lower Realms and the Cangming Realm were disconnected, which trapped many cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, unable even to establish Foundations. Was it the same for the Cangming Realm—that isolation from the mortal realms prevented cultivators from surpassing the Transformation Spirit stage?

She had long doubted the existence of stages beyond Nascent Soul, since the highest cultivation in the sects rarely exceeded late Nascent Soul. What about Transformation Spirit, Void Refining, Consolidation, and True Lord—did they exist? Now Qian Jiale’s words cleared her doubts. Transformation Spirit cultivators did exist, but beyond that? Perhaps not. After the Cataclysm, there might have been none left.

Ling Yu sighed. No matter what, her current priority was Foundation Establishment. If she couldn’t pass that hurdle, worrying about anything else was pointless.

“Abi, what are you doing?” Xu Jibo called from the fissure spring.

After a while, Abi surfaced with a splash. “There are so many sparkling things down here! Look!” She held a handful of glowing crystal beads, mostly red with some mixed colors, glistening and translucent, quite charming.

“Oh, those are fire crystals,” Xu Jibo said casually.

“Fire crystals? What are those?”

“We’re at Mount Zhu Rong. Some materials, like certain beasts’ stones, get crystallized after years of burning by the eternal flames. Those crystals are called fire crystals,” Xu Jibo explained offhandedly. Then, his eyes flickered as he stared at the fire crystals in Abi’s hands. “Where did you get these?”

“Right below!” Abi answered happily, sifting through the shining crystals. “There are lots of glittering things down there.”

Xu Jibo looked down and smiled. “Abi, shall we dive down and gather some? Fire crystals are rare ores refined by special processes; they’re quite valuable!”

Value was never Abi’s concern—she just loved shiny things. She often borrowed pocket money from Ling Yu and skimped on a few spirit stones just to buy such trinkets. Ling Yu didn’t mind because Abi had no particular interest in spirit stones and knew how to restrain herself. Compared to other shape-shifting spiritual pets who ate well and wore fine clothes and had precious pills, Abi was rather pitiful. She helped with chores and only asked for a few stones—it was hardly excessive.

At Xu Jibo’s suggestion, Abi didn’t hesitate and plunged into the water.

After a day, the disciples of the Taibai Sect gathered on the shore from Mount Zhu Rong and the fissure spring to rest and exchange experiences. They had gained much that day; the pure celestial flames of Mount Zhu Rong were of the highest grade, and without the fissure spring, these Qi Refining disciples wouldn’t have had the chance to experience them.

Alongside the Taibai Sect disciples were many small groups. Ling Yu recognized the attire of Chixia Palace, Extreme Intent Sect, and Zixiao Sword Sect, as well as Qisha Valley, whose cultivation methods were eclectic and included demonic flames.

“Senior Brother Qian, which sects are those?” Ling Yu tugged Qian Jiale’s sleeve and gestured towards the distance.

“Oh, that’s Huayang Sect, and that one is Zhenhua Immortal Sect,” he replied. The Huayang Sect’s disciples wore robes mainly white and pale orange; Zhenhua Immortal Sect’s robes resembled Taibai Sect’s white, but with black borders and Taiji symbols on the collar and sleeves. Taibai Sect’s borders varied in shades of blue depending on rank.

“So that’s Zhenhua Immortal Sect.” Among the seven great Taoist sects, Langfeng Sect was far north at the frozen lake and rarely ventured into the world. Zhenhua Immortal Sect prided itself on being orthodox Taoism, acted arrogantly, and seldom mingled with outsiders. Ling Yu had never seen a Zhenhua disciple during her two years on guard duty.

As they spoke, a disciple from Chixia Palace approached them.

“Greetings, Taibai Sect brothers.”

Everyone stood and returned the salute.

“We are separated by thousands of miles but fate brings us together. At such a grand gathering, why not spar a little?” He pointed afar. “Zhenhua Immortal Sect and Zixiao Sword Sect disciples have agreed.”

Liu Sibo glanced at the crowd, mostly sword cultivators, and their faces lit with excitement.

“To refuse such an invitation would be ungrateful,” Liu Sibo cupped his hands. “However, we are here to establish Foundations, so injuries would be unfortunate. Let us keep it brief.”

“Of course,” the man smiled.

“Very well.” The man bowed. “I will ask the others.”

After polling around, the Chixia disciple gathered everyone together.

Besides sect disciples, some solo cultivators willing to join had come, making nearly a hundred participants.

“Friends,” a young man in Chixia robes stood at the center and bowed. “We have gathered at Mount Zhu Rong for a common goal. The path to Foundation Establishment is arduous, full of hardships, and success is not guaranteed. As the saying goes, ‘The stone from another mountain may polish jade.’ By sparring, we broaden our horizons and verify our cultivation methods. This is truly beneficial.”

Seeing some impatience, he quickly changed tone. “Today’s sparring is for exchange only, not for victory. I hope everyone will keep it brief. I am Guan Congfei, Chixia Palace disciple, and I seek your guidance.”

No sooner had he finished than a hoarse voice sounded: “I am Xing Zhongping, disciple of Qisha Valley, and I am willing to exchange techniques with Brother Guan.”

Ling Yu noticed among Qisha Valley’s group a short-statured cultivator of youthful appearance and somewhat grim demeanor. She looked familiar. After a moment, she recalled he was a teahouse assistant? No, it didn’t seem like he was here to interfere. She remembered the shopkeeper was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and could have stopped any trouble if he wished. This seemed to be a personal decision.

“Ah, Brother Xing,” Guan Congfei said, surprised for a moment, then smiled gracefully, “please, teach me.”

Before he finished, Xing Zhongping had already attacked. Ling Yu’s eyes blurred as a shadow darted toward Guan Congfei.

“A whip!” Ling Yu was surprised. Whips as magical weapons were rare.

Xu Jibo laughed beside her. “Although Qisha Valley is a demonic sect, their cultivation resembles martial arts. They use all eighteen traditional weapons. If any sect excels with whips, it’s either Xingtian Sect or Qisha Valley.”

“Oh?” Ling Yu watched the fight, nodding. “Indeed, somewhat like martial cultivation, but the aura is strange... Could it be that demonic cultivators, like us Taoists, also have various branches?”

“Sister Cheng is right,” Xu Jibo chatted. “Among the five great demonic sects of Ling Cang, Qisha Valley leans toward martial arts; Baigu Temple is a Buddhist branch; Guiku Ling is an anomaly with ties to ghost cultivators. The orthodox demonic cultivators are only Senluo Hall and Youming Sect.”

“Xu, you even know about Guiku Ling?” Qian Jiale asked curiously. “I thought no one knew of Guiku Ling!”

Xu Jibo hesitated briefly, then smiled again. “I just overheard it by chance. Brother Qian might not know—I have a part-time job at a shop, often helping out. The shop hears plenty of news, and I once caught wind of it.”

Ling Yu laughed. “So Sister Xu has a shop? Even I didn’t know that. You keep it well hidden.”

“It’s not mine,” Xu Jibo quickly denied. “I once helped a merchant who rewarded me with a small share—just a bit.”

“Even a small share makes you a boss,” Qian Jiale joked seriously. “Sister Xu, if I ever can’t make it, I might come work at your shop for a bowl of rice. How about that?”

P.S.: Xu Jibo’s story is a long-standing plotline, likely to be developed later. It’s not a simple reincarnation; she’s more like a chess piece. Whether she becomes a chess player depends on her performance.