Chapter 73: Thirty Golden Cores, a Century to Nascent Soul, a Millennium to Divine Transformation!

Upon hearing these words, Ancestor Qingmu hurriedly rose to his feet. "Thank you, Senior Qingxu!"

The Xuánhua Dao Sect stood as the foremost among the six great sanctuaries, sharing its name with the Xuánhua Continent—a testament to its might. It was rumored to possess means of connecting with the upper realms, and the depth of its heritage was beyond the imagination of ordinary sects.

It was now a settled matter that Xian Xiangqiu would depart for Xuánhua Dao Sect. This was the best outcome Qingmu could envision, and going to Xuánhua Dao Sect did not mean she would cease to be a member of Qingyun Sect.

To be precise, Xuánhua Dao Sect itself was formed of seventy percent disciples from the Dao Sect and thirty percent from subordinate sects. Only those who broke through to the level above the Integration Stage, becoming high-ranking elders or guardians of Xuánhua Dao Sect, would formally sever their ties with their original sects and become true members of Xuánhua Dao Sect. Even then, this was nominal; in reality, they remained closely linked to their original sects, forming even tighter bonds.

Ancestor Qingmu understood that when most talented disciples entered Xuánhua Dao Sect, it was for further cultivation; when they returned, they would strengthen Qingyun Sect. However, a peerless genius like Xian Xiangqiu was unlikely to return—she would not become the foundation of the sect, but would instead serve as a future bridge to Xuánhua Dao Sect.

It was much like the relationship between Qingyun Sect of Yun Prefecture and that of Central Prefecture. Because of Xian Xiangqiu, Qingyun Sect of Yun Prefecture had received considerable support from its counterpart in Central Prefecture. Yet such support could not, like a gifted disciple, fundamentally alter the sect’s circumstances. As it stood, Qingyun Sect of Yun Prefecture was even facing the embarrassment of lacking a single Golden Core Ancestor. If fortune turned against them—should Yu Qingsong pass away and Yu Wan fail to achieve the Golden Core—the sect might not only lose its position as the dominant force in Yun Prefecture, but could even face annihilation if luck ran particularly sour.

Of course, at most it would be a crisis; sects with upper-realm affiliations were rarely eradicated—typically, it was just a change in leadership. Sometimes, what suits best is truly the best. Had Xian Xiangqiu’s talents been slightly less, she might have succeeded Yu Qingsong. Instead, the sect now found itself in a precarious transition.

Now, this scene had shifted from Yun Prefecture to Central Prefecture, with Xian Xiangqiu still at its center. However, the heritage of Qingyun Sect in Central Prefecture was at least stronger; it would not perish because of Xian Xiangqiu’s departure. Yet, the chance to rise to a first-rate power might be lost.

But a single remark from Qingxuzi caused Ancestor Qingmu’s eyes to light up instantly. Qingyun Sect of Central Prefecture had stood tall for many years—naturally, Xian Xiangqiu was not their only hope. There were several disciples who could reach the peak of the Nascent Soul stage within a thousand years, but breaking through to the Spirit Severing stage would require fortunate encounters.

And if such opportunities were easy to come by, Qingmu himself would not have lingered at the peak of Nascent Soul for so long. Cao Xuan had reached the Foundation Establishment stage at nineteen, astonishing Master Yu, which demonstrated the benefits of early breakthroughs. This was a more practical way to raise one’s limits than the nebulous pursuit of higher spiritual roots.

Some Qingyun Sect disciples, though unlikely to become high-ranking members of Xuánhua Dao Sect, might yet attain the Nascent Soul stage early; upon their return, they could break through to the Spirit Severing stage in their later years, offering Qingyun Sect a real chance to become a first-rate power.

Ancestor Qingmu knew that Qingxuzi’s words were not intended to strip Qingyun Sect of more talented disciples; on the contrary, they were a kind of compensation. Thus, his gratitude was sincere.

“Haha, these youngsters are truly fortunate. If I had had the chance to enter Xuánhua Dao Sect in my youth, perhaps I too would have glimpsed the Spirit Severing realm!” Qingxuzi glanced at him coolly, offering no retort—for Qingmu was not wrong. Their aptitudes were similar, Qingxuzi’s perhaps even a shade inferior. Yet Qingxuzi had become, in the eyes of outsiders, a mighty Spirit Severing cultivator of the sacred Xuánhua, while Qingmu was merely the peak Nascent Soul Elder of a second-rate Qingyun Sect.

“That’s enough. This is not just my own intent, but also the will of the elders of the Dao Sect. But let me make this clear: if the minimum standards are not met…”

Ancestor Qingmu hastened to reply, “I understand—thirty Golden Core, a century for Nascent Soul, a millennium for Spirit Severing. I am well aware of these rules!”

Across Central Prefecture, whether among first- or second-rate powers, the standards were much the same as those of Qingyun Sect in Yun Prefecture: spiritual root aptitude was paramount. But the six great sanctuaries were different. Their requirements for official disciples were precisely those mentioned: thirty years to Golden Core, a hundred to Nascent Soul, a thousand to Spirit Severing.

Xian Xiangqiu was renowned across Xuánhua Continent not only for meeting these standards, but for vastly exceeding them—achieving Nascent Soul within a century, and perhaps even Spirit Severing within a hundred years.

The earlier requirements were already strict. Even if one entered the six great sanctuaries with a Golden Core at thirty, there was no guarantee of attaining Nascent Soul within a hundred years. Thus, the thirty-year, hundred-year, and thousand-year marks were the true distinctions between ordinary disciples, talented disciples, and prodigious geniuses.

Because Xian Xiangqiu was so extraordinary, the Xuánhua Dao Sect extended its greatest goodwill toward Qingyun Sect.

“Then, Senior Qingxu, please rest for now. I will spread this good news within the sect at once!” With a wave of Qingxuzi’s hand, Ancestor Qingmu’s figure blurred and vanished from the pavilion.

After bidding farewell to Qingxuzi, Ancestor Qingmu hurried to the great hall of Qingyun Sect in Central Prefecture, summoning the upper echelons and explaining the matter in full.

“Ancestor, this is wonderful news! From their words, as long as the requirements are met, there are effectively no limits on the number of candidates!”

“Indeed. In our Qingyun Sect, though Nascent Soul in a hundred years or Spirit Severing in a thousand are rare, we can still find some who reach Golden Core by thirty!”

To be Golden Core by thirty was to be a top genius even in Central Prefecture’s Qingyun Sect—likely to achieve Nascent Soul within two or three centuries, and possibly Spirit Severing before five thousand years. But if they entered Xuánhua Dao Sect, there might be a chance for a hundred-year Nascent Soul or a thousand-year Spirit Severing. Even failing that, breaking through to Spirit Severing a thousand years earlier would increase their odds of reaching the Spirit Severing stage in the future.

Upon reaching Golden Core, a cultivator’s lifespan became five hundred years; Nascent Soul brought a qualitative leap to five thousand years, hence the honorific “Ancestor.” While the leap from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was tenfold, achieving Spirit Severing did not so dramatically extend life, but still added five thousand years, reaching ten thousand in total. The increased lifespan also attested to the difficulty and time required to ascend each realm.

For cultivators, every step reached early meant more years to comprehend further breakthroughs, and a greater chance at the ultimate Dao.

In an ordinary sect, achieving Golden Core by thirty marked one as extremely gifted, but joining a sanctuary was no easy feat. After all, that was only the minimum threshold; as one of the six great sanctuaries, they would not go out of their way to poach “ordinary disciples” from other sects, even if those sects wished to send their disciples for advanced training. The sanctuaries had their own standards—they would not simply become talent nurseries for their subordinate sects.

Thus, such thirty-year Golden Core prodigies were typically cultivated in-house. Much like how Cao Xuan had become an official outer disciple upon reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement, only those who broke through to Golden Core before thirty could become true outer disciples of a sanctuary.

Ancestor Qingmu looked at the excited crowd below. “That’s enough—everyone understands. If you have juniors at the peak of Foundation Establishment, don’t be stingy with your resources this time. Help them breakthrough to Golden Core as soon as possible!”

At this moment, an elder asked, “What about the quotas for this year’s Qingyun Xia Cave?”

Ancestor Qingmu’s eyes grew sharp.