Before Foundation Establishment, all are secular martial artists. After Foundation Establishment, one awakens divine consciousness and a spiritual body, enabling the use of heaven and earth's spiritual energy and gaining astonishing abilities. Before Foundation Establishment, there are two major stages, which also serve as the watershed for secular martial artists: first, Body Refining; second, Qi Refining.
Body Refining is the forging of the body's foundation. Through relentless physical tempering, one enhances one's strength and strengthens every part of the body, from the outside in, all the way to the internal organs and the brain, achieving comprehensive physical enhancement. This process can be accelerated with the aid of large amounts of medicinal herbs and external forces. Without the powerful physique developed through Body Refining, one would find it difficult to withstand the physical burden of Foundation Establishment.
Everyone possesses mental power. Among ordinary people, it is called "spiritual power" and is used passively, often without even being perceived. After Body Refining is perfected, a practitioner becomes consciously aware of mental power but still cannot use it actively. If, after that, one can not only perceive mental power but also control it, one reaches the first layer of Qi Refining: the Sharpening Senses stage.
Depending on the degree to which mental power is used, secular martial artists further divide the Qi Refining stage into four layers:
The first layer, Sharpening Senses—those at this level experience a qualitative improvement in vision, hearing, taste, and touch, and their reaction speed is several times faster than during Body Refining.
The second layer, Miniature Realm—those at this level can skillfully control mental power and apply it in combat. These are already strong figures among secular martial artists.
The third layer, Object Manipulation—experts at this stage are very rare in the secular world. Their mental power is extremely robust, allowing them to briefly manipulate objects with it, making them unpredictable in battle.
Because of their finer control over their bodies and their ability to use mental power, most secular martial techniques were also created by martial artists of this realm. Compared to Body Refining, their means of killing enemies are far more varied.
The fourth layer, Kaiyang Realm, is the boundary between mortal and immortal. If one reaches Kaiyang and then achieves Foundation Establishment, one can cultivate immortality. If not, one remains a mortal, slowly fading away with time. In the eyes of ordinary secular people, this fourth layer is utterly elusive and illusory.
As for Mu Yun, having broken through to Qi Refining by external force, it is uncertain whether this is a blessing or a curse. At the very least, he has skipped much of the physical tempering and is still some distance from the perfection of Body Refining.
Mu Yun shook his head and put the matter aside. He activated the Hongmeng Creative Neurological System to scan his entire body, obtaining more intuitive comparative data.
If his combat value before the breakthrough was 200, it had now reached 600—an overall increase of more than threefold.
Of course, this data excluded the Earth technology combat systems.
"Deactivate Hongmeng Creative Neurological System," Mu Yun commanded in his mind.
With a flicker of light and shadow before his eyes, Mu Yun shut down the various Earth combat systems one by one, deeply experiencing the changes brought about by his own breakthrough in strength.
Soon, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, clearly very satisfied with his improved abilities.
After all, this feeling was completely different from relying on the enhancements provided by Earth technology.
Suppressing his inner joy, Mu Yun turned his attention to the other artifact—the small gourd.
He pulled out the wooden stopper, and sure enough, the room was instantly filled with the aroma of wine.
Mu Yun smiled wryly. "The function of this gourd is still unknown. For now, I can only use it as a 'bottomless' wine vessel."
Having learned his lesson from rashly opening the storage pouch, he dared not casually use the gourd. He only bound it with a drop of blood, then tucked the storage pouch into his robes, tied the gourd to his waist, and pushed the door open to leave.
…
Qingchuan City was bustling with activity. Among the crowds were ordinary merchants and citizens, martial artists, and an unseen undercurrent. The last rays of the setting sun spilled onto the streets and also onto Mu Yun's unremarkable face as he moved through the crowd.
Walking through the streets, Mu Yun carefully observed the various sights of this cultivation world, slowly making his way toward the Jubao Pavilion.
"The items Grandfather asked for are already in hand—that's a great relief. According to Brother Yumo, this Jubao Pavilion is actually the legendary Suichong Pavilion, a spiritual artifact. Apart from a few cultivators who know this secret, the ordinary people of Qingchuan City must be unaware. I wonder what makes it so special…"
With the temperament of the Earth-origin Mu Yun, since a legendary spiritual artifact lay before him, he was determined to investigate.
His curiosity growing, Mu Yun quickened his pace. Just as he turned a corner, he bumped into a cloud of drifting gauze.
Before he could look closely, a sharp scolding exploded behind him: "Stop right there! You disheveled, short-legged tiger!"
Mu Yun halted.
"I'm talking to you! You bump into someone and don't apologize—trying to sneak off without a word?"
Mu Yun turned around and noticed that the people around him had parted like a tide. Only then did he realize that the "short-legged tiger" she was referring to was actually himself. He felt somewhat helpless.
"What are you staring at? Never seen a beauty before?" The girl with the angry glare furrowed her brows. From her voice, it was clear that the first two sentences had also come from her.
As if prompted by her words, Mu Yun snapped back to attention and focused his gaze on the two before him.
The speaker wore a red dress that seemed to lift from the ground, like a flickering tongue of flame. The corners of her eyes were tinged with red, and she stood with her hands on her hips, a silver bell at her waist trembling with each breath.
The white-clad girl beside her was like a cold pool reflecting the moon. Between the strands of her flowing black hair, a cinnabar mark was faintly visible on her forehead, and her calm eyes were like autumn water on the verge of winter.
Sensing Mu Yun's gaze, she turned her eyes slightly, and their gazes met. For a moment, Mu Yun was reminded of the ice crystals he had seen in the snowy mountains as a child.
"I wasn't looking at you, so why are you in such a hurry?" Mu Yun shifted his gaze to the red-clad girl and replied unhurriedly.
"Forget it, Fei'er. The bump was accidental. There's no need for such rudeness."
Mu Yun had indeed lived in the mountains and didn't pay much attention to his appearance. Hearing the white-clad girl speak, he no longer wished to engage in a war of words. "Young ladies, I didn't notice earlier. If I was rude, I apologize."
Mu Yun gave a polite fist-and-palm salute, then turned and walked away.
Seeing that Mu Yun had apologized, the red-clad girl did not press further. She stuck out her tongue, gave a "hmph," and took the white-clad girl's hand, turning to leave.
After only a few steps, they stopped again—this time because Mu Yun had called out to them.
He touched his nose, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Would you two young ladies happen to know the way to the Jubao Pavilion?" The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. The red-clad girl's face immediately lit up with a smile, as if she had completely forgotten their earlier exchange.
She laughed. "Haha… you big idiot!" She pointed into the distance. "The Jubao Pavilion is right ahead. Can't you see it?"
Mu Yun followed her finger but saw nothing. He thought to himself, If you won't tell me, fine, but why mock me? He felt somewhat helpless.
Just as he looked up again, he saw the white-clad girl's eyes fixed on him.
"My younger sister is used to being mischievous. Please don't take it to heart."
"Fei'er, go on ahead. I have something to discuss with this young gentleman."
The red-clad girl named Mu Fei's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Sis… you… you're going to be alone with a strange man? Oh no, oh no…" Her expression shifted from shock to dejection—truly a dramatic display.
"Fei'er, don't be foolish. I'll be right back. Otherwise…" The white-clad girl pretended to be stern, feigning a scolding.
After the red-clad girl named Fei'er left, she said softly, "This way, please."
Mu Yun followed the white-clad girl to a quiet, secluded spot.
"Miss, what is this about?" Unable to contain himself any longer, Mu Yun asked.
"Young master, you have already reached the Qi Refining stage, haven't you?" The white-clad girl got straight to the point.
Mu Yun's expression remained calm, but inwardly he was in turmoil. To have his cultivation level seen through at a glance when he had just broken through to Qi Refining—could this woman be a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Seeing Mu Yun silent, the white-clad girl smiled slightly and continued, "Young master, don't be nervous. Just now…"
"I see." After listening to her explanation, Mu Yun sighed. "Thank you, miss. Otherwise, I would have had quite a time finding the Jubao Pavilion."
The white-clad girl explained the situation to Mu Yun in full. According to her, before she had reached Qi Refining, the Jubao Pavilion had been clearly visible. But after she reached Qi Refining, the pavilion seemed to evaporate. Even standing right at its entrance, she could faintly sense its presence but still could not see it. Only by actually stepping inside could she see the interior with her own eyes.
She had asked other Qi Refining cultivators about this, and they all gave the same answer.
Those who reached Qi Refining were all exceptionally intelligent, top-tier martial artists in the secular world. Some had looked into the history of the Jubao Pavilion but found nothing. Of course, some associated it with cultivators, believing it to be a pavilion left behind by immortals.
In the eyes of secular people below Qi Refining, the Jubao Pavilion was simply a century-old, well-established shop, stocked with everything one might need, run year-round by a single shopkeeper. But in the eyes of those at Qi Refining and above, it presented a completely different scene.
Recalling Yumo's warnings, Mu Yun had a few guesses. "Since this Jubao Pavilion is a transformation of the legendary Suichong Pavilion, it's only natural that it has some peculiarities. Ordinary people with mortal eyes naturally cannot perceive its mysteries. Qi Refining cultivators have already developed mental power, so what they see naturally differs from ordinary sight."
Mu Yun did not use the Hongmeng Creative Neurological System to investigate. Currently, Qingchuan City was a mix of dragons and snakes, with many powerful cultivators mingling in the crowd. If he attracted the attention of someone like Yumo—whose combat power even the Hongmeng Creative Neurological System could not assess—trouble would follow.
For a moment, Mu Yun's thoughts wandered. When he came back to himself, the fair maiden had already left without his noticing. An inexplicable sense of loss arose in his heart.
"Like a shadow, like the wind," Mu Yun smiled. In his mind, her image overlapped with that of a blonde woman.
"Jane… I wonder how they are faring."
"Who would have thought I would end up in a world like this. Earth is on the verge of destruction. Is mastering this cultivation civilization the solution to Earth's crisis?"
Mu Yun thought to himself, a mixture of emotions swirling in his heart.
…
Soon, following the direction the white-clad girl had indicated, Mu Yun arrived before an unremarkable shop.
He stood there for a moment, then stepped inside.