The realms of spiritual cultivators followed a well-established hierarchy that had remained unchanged for millennia: Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Core Formation Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, Soul Formation Realm, Void Amalgamation Realm, Body Integration Realm, Tribulation Transcendence Realm, and finally the legendary Mahayana Realm.\
Each step forward represented not just a massive leap in power, but also a dramatic extension of one’s lifespan and a fundamental transformation of one’s entire existence.
The progression wasn’t merely about accumulating energy—it was about evolving beyond mortal limitations.
A Qi Refining cultivator might live for 120 years, while someone who achieved Foundation Establishment could expect several centuries of life. Those who reached Core Formation were considered to have truly transcended mortality, with lifespans measured in thousands rather than mere centuries.
Of course, the effort, talent, and time required to reach such heights increased exponentially with each realm.
From Foundation Establishment onward, it could take months or even years just to advance a single minor realm within the same major stage. The higher one climbed, the more treacherous and time-consuming the journey became.
This was why cultivators at higher realms spent most of their time in seclusion, sometimes emerging from meditation chambers only after decades of continuous cultivation.
For them, time moved differently—what seemed like an eternity to mortals was merely a brief moment in their pursuit of immortality. The dedication required was absolute, demanding the sacrifice of almost everything else in pursuit of power and longevity.
In the outer sect of the Azure Origin Dao Sect, with Ethan’s current combat power equivalent to the peak of Qi Refining Realm, he could theoretically compete with the top disciples.
Only a handful of the most talented outer sect members would be able to match him in direct combat, and fewer still could actually defeat him.
But compared to the disciples of the inner sect and core sect, there was still a yawning chasm of difference that seemed almost impossible to bridge. The disparity wasn’t just about individual talent—it was systematic and institutional.
The inner sect disciples received guidance from dedicated elders who had achieved at least Core Formation realm, while the core sect disciples were personally taught by the peak masters themselves—legendary figures whose cultivation levels were the stuff of myth and legend.
The resources supplied to these privileged few were beyond anything an outer sect disciple could even imagine: rare pills that could accelerate cultivation by decades, precious materials for forging spiritual weapons, access to ancient techniques that were closely guarded secrets of the sect.
Under normal circumstances, Ethan would have had no chance... zero possibility... of ever competing with such advantages.
The gap between outer sect and inner sect was already enormous, and the difference between inner sect and core sect was like comparing a candle to the sun.
But now everything was different. Now he had the system.
All Ethan had to do was complete the system’s tasks and grow stronger through the rewards he would receive.
The traditional limitations that had bound him... lack of spiritual roots, insufficient resources, limited access to high-level techniques... were suddenly irrelevant. He had been given a path that bypassed all the conventional restrictions and opened up possibilities he had never dared to dream of.
His eyes fell on the body cultivation technique he had received in the starter gift package.
"Celestial Jade Physique Scripture"... even just reading those words filled him with curiosity and anticipation.
The terminology alone suggested something far beyond ordinary cultivation methods. "Celestial" implied divine origins, while "Jade" suggested both beauty and indestructible strength.
When Ethan mentally clicked on the technique’s name, a small, warm scroll materialized in his hands as if conjured from thin air.
The parchment felt ancient yet perfectly preserved, radiating a subtle energy that made his fingers tingle with power. The material was unlike anything he had ever touched—smoother than silk yet more durable than steel, with faint patterns that seemed to shift and flow like liquid light beneath the surface.
Ethan slowly unfolded the scroll with reverent care, and immediately the parchment began floating in front of him, suspended in mid-air by some invisible force.
Before he could react, the entire scroll dissolved into pure light and flowed directly into his brain, the knowledge becoming part of his consciousness as if he had studied it for years.
The sensation was indescribable—not painful, but overwhelmingly intense as vast amounts of information integrated seamlessly with his existing memories.
Suddenly he understood not just the words and concepts, but the deeper meaning and practical application of every aspect of the technique.
The Celestial Jade Physique Scripture was revealed to be a sacred body refinement method once practiced by celestial beings in the upper realms—literally divine entities whose power transcended mortal comprehension.
Unlike the brutal, agonizing body-forging techniques that most physical cultivators endured, this method used harmonious divine energy, purified Qi, and radiant spiritual light to nurture and elevate the user’s physical body to an immortal level.
The process was described in terms that made Ethan’s heart race with excitement: it was like nurturing a jade sculpture from raw stone to divine treasure, gradually transforming mortal flesh into something approaching godhood.
The cultivation technique involved four distinct stages, each more incredible than the last:
Meridian Purification: This initial stage used essence light to cleanse all impurities from the body’s meridian system, allowing for dramatically smoother Qi flow and exponentially faster healing. Injuries that would normally take weeks to recover from could be healed in days or even hours.
Flesh Refinement: The second stage converted mortal flesh into divine muscle fibers, increasing strength, speed, and endurance in ways that seemed almost magical. Most remarkably, this transformation occurred gracefully—without the unsightly bulking or physical distortion that plagued other body cultivation methods.
Jade Bone Formation: In the third stage, the cultivator’s bones would gradually crystallize into divine jade, making them literally unbreakable while also becoming highly conductive to spiritual energy. The skeleton would become a framework of living crystal that could channel and amplify power beyond normal limits.
Immortal Body Embryo: The final stage transformed the cultivator’s body into a vessel of eternal vitality—completely resistant to aging, disease, poisons, and even Qi deviation. True immortality of the flesh, independent of spiritual cultivation achievements.
Ethan felt genuine shock as the full implications of what he had received sank in. This was genuinely a Saint-tier technique... possibly one of the most powerful body cultivation methods that had ever existed in this world.
Even if he eventually became a spiritual cultivator as well, he would absolutely continue developing this technique alongside his other abilities.
His mind immediately conjured vivid images of the future: himself standing unmoved as dozens of enemy cultivators unleashed their most powerful attacks against him, their techniques shattering harmlessly against his jade-like skin.
His clothes might be destroyed in such battles, revealing perfectly sculpted muscles that bore not even the slightest scratch despite withstanding apocalyptic levels of destruction.
Which man hasn’t fantasized about having muscles like that? Ethan thought with growing excitement.
Not just powerful muscles, but the kind of perfect, divine physique that would make even the most arrogant young masters weep with envy.
The technique promised not just strength, but the kind of flawless physical perfection that would make him legendary.
Combined with the spiritual root and cultivation technique he had also received, he was looking at the possibility of becoming something unprecedented—a cultivator who had achieved perfection in both spiritual and physical development.