Chapter 9: Entering the Dao through Martial Arts

Although Golden Core and Core Formation meant the same thing, the process of a Cultivator cultivating a great pellet within their body, condensing Mana into True Essence, and then further condensing that True Essence into a Golden Core was known as Core Formation.

Just now, those Black-robed Cultivators had also used the term Core Formation, indicating it indeed shared the same meaning.

Just as the process of advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage was called Nascent Soul Formation, the logic was the same.

However, Mu Yanxin felt that there were some differences based on the other remarks made by those three Black-robed Cultivators.

At this moment, the Immortal Vessel had already slowly sailed between the high pavilions.

Quite a few Cultivators on the Light Path cupped their hands in salute toward the Immortal Vessel, and some even called out greetings: “Young Master Lin certainly has elegant tastes.”

That Young Master Lin did not behave arrogantly or treat the other Cultivators dismissively.

He stood up and bowed with cupped hands to the surrounding circle: “Apologies for disturbing everyone. Thank you for your forbearance.”

“Please look after the business of Yangxin Hall in the future. New Elixirs will be launched at the Pill Exhibition, and there will be many discounts and promotions available.”

Young Master Lin’s humble attitude was like a spring breeze to the crowd, and the slight dissatisfaction from having to give way just now dissipated. Many people returned the salute: “Of course, of course.”

As the Immortal Vessel sailed past, Mu Yanxin was able to resume his journey. He once again marveled at the importance of having a powerful background.

While personal strength was undoubtedly important, having the capital to parade through the streets on an Immortal Vessel like that required a sufficiently large power backing one up.

However, right now, forget having power, his own strength was not even guaranteed.

With this body’s Pseudo Spiritual Root aptitude, whether he could truly cultivate back to the Nascent Soul Stage was a question in itself, let alone finding a way back to the Original World. He currently had no clue.

Mu Yanxin calculated for a moment. He still needed to supplement his Spiritual Root. In his previous world, there were indeed Cultivators who entered the Dao through martial arts.

They lacked a Spiritual Root and relied on martial arts to transform True Qi into Mana, stepping into the ranks of Cultivators. They were known as Body Cultivators.

Mu Yanxin suspected that the Original Host had also taken this path, which was why his physical condition was so powerful and his instinctive reactions were so fast.

Although Body Cultivators had an extremely slow cultivation speed due to their lack of a Spiritual Root, there was a method to supplement it.

One had to kill Demonic Beasts and use a Monster Core to replace the Spiritual Root, after which they could cultivate normally.

Those who could enter the Dao through martial arts were people with determined temperaments and extremely high comprehension.

Once they supplemented their Spiritual Roots, they generally achieved great success.

Therefore, many cultivation Sects were not stingy about taking them as disciples or even helping them find an Inner Core to supplement their Spiritual Roots.

In this world where commerce was so developed and all kinds of goods were visible everywhere, there would surely be shops that sold Monster Cores, along with methods to supplement a Spiritual Root.

It was just likely that it would cost a lot of money.

At this thought, Mu Yanxin first confirmed his next plan: find a Monster Core to supplement his Spiritual Root, slowly cultivate back to his original Nascent Soul Stage realm, and then find a way to return to his Original World.

After making up his mind and confirming his next goals, Mu Yanxin’s fear of this alien world lessened significantly as he continued flying toward home.

At this time, he also noticed that the Gliding Board had been flying downward, gradually entering the underground area of the Great City.

The sky overhead was being completely covered by high pavilions and ancient palaces, while the underground felt like a bottomless abyss, impossible to see through at a glance.

The lights of the Lower City were also gradually dimming. Compared to the glitz and glamour of the colorful Upper City, the light in the Lower City leaned toward soft, warm colors, no longer possessing as much neon, and it was also much quieter.

The number of Cultivators traveling along the Light Path became fewer and fewer. After reaching their destinations, their light would fade as they flew into the pavilions where they resided.

Now, within his range of vision, only a few Cultivators were still coming and going.

This kind of environment was actually more familiar to Mu Yanxin.

Cultivation was originally a quiet and solitary affair; it was perfectly normal to go into seclusion for several months or even several years without seeing anyone.

The glitz and noise above had made him extremely uncomfortable.

Mu Yanxin was also very puzzled. Cultivators often went into seclusion for years or even decades.

How were there so many Cultivators eating, drinking, and playing in the city? Were they not afraid of delaying their cultivation?

Moreover, whether they were flying in the sky or walking on the streets, they were all Cultivators. He hadn’t seen a single Mortal. Could it be that Yuzhen City was entirely a city of Cultivators, without a single Mortal?

While lost in thought, Mu Yanxin had already flown down several more levels.

Strictly speaking, he couldn’t tell exactly how many levels he had descended because the internal structure of this Great City was extremely intricate.

From time to time, there were streets and plazas built between the pavilions, some appearing every ten meters, while others weren’t seen for hundreds of meters.

He could only tell from the map projection of the Terminal Ring that he was already over thirty levels underground.

The buildings here were clearly more dilapidated, and there were even fewer lights.

Compared to the warm, home-like lights of the middle-level residential areas, the scattered, dim glows here were mostly not lamps, but the spiritual light naturally emitted by the Forbidden Wards at the doorways, which couldn’t even illuminate the surrounding darkness.

On the streets he occasionally saw, there was various scattered trash, and even blade scars and scorch marks seemingly left behind from combat. It appeared no one had come to manage this place for a long time.

There were almost no Cultivators still flying around. Only occasionally could one be seen hurrying past.

Therefore, it was impossible to tell where the Light Path was anymore, and he could only let the Gliding Board automatically find its way.

At a street corner, Mu Yanxin saw several young people with tattoos and colorful dyed hair puffing on pipes, with several upright or overturned wine jars on the ground.

This group did not look reputable at all. Sensing them with his Spirit Sense, several were actually Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators.

Mu Yanxin instantly thought of the Robber Cultivators his father had mentioned. If they harbored ill intentions, it would really be hard to say how things would go.

Fortunately, when Mu Yanxin flew past, these people did not turn their attention toward him, continuing to drink and chat. Mu Yanxin only relaxed slightly once he had flown to a place where they were no longer visible.

Did the Original Host actually live in such a foul place? It was worlds apart from the surface part of the Great City.

Furthermore, people here who looked like they might be Robber Cultivators actually had Foundation Establishment cultivations. This was far too abnormal.

Finally, amid Mu Yanxin’s apprehension, the Gliding Board carried him into an old-looking pavilion and, after several turns in the internal corridor, stopped in front of a heavy steel door.

Mu Yanxin stepped off the Gliding Board and hesitated for a moment. Was this the Original Host’s home? The style was truly different from the Cave Dwelling he had lived in before.

In his world, most Cultivators lived in individual Cave Dwellings. Even the single-story houses for low-level disciples in the Magnificent Truth Sect were one to a person.

As the Long Elder’s Son, Mu Yanxin had an even more exquisite individual pavilion to live in.

Because Cultivators all had their own secrets more or less, they were very wary of being too close to others. Unless they were Dao Companions or other relatives, they rarely lived together.

But as Mu Yanxin looked at the other steel doors in the corridor, he felt that many Cultivators lived in this same building.

Of course, after seeing so many towering pavilions in the Great City, he had already had this premonition; the population of this Great City was very dense.