Consuming to cultivate, using form to supplement form, seeking life through consumption, this is the essential technique for cultivating the Dao and achieving swift ascension!
It is said that the methods of cultivating the Dao and achieving immortality have existed since ancient times in the world of mountains and seas, where immortal beings were not uncommon in ancient times.
This was because in ancient times, the people were talented and the land was spiritual, with countless spiritual herbs and plants, rare and exotic beasts abound, even a stone by the roadside could be a treasure.
Countless Qi Refiners only needed to refine a breath of undying Qi in their chests to achieve immortality, travel through the three thousand realms; there were even those born with divine bodies, with eight thousand years as spring, eight thousand years as autumn, aging but not dying; even ordinary people lived to be a hundred years old, remaining vigorous.
The name "World of Mountains and Seas" has been passed down from that time.
However, as time passed and the world changed, in modern times, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was depleted, and ordinary people aged and weakened by the age of fifty, while the immortals' paths were cut off, some died, some fled.
Soon after, a great calamity occurred, causing the heavens and earth of the world of mountains and seas to collapse, with mountains, seas, and lands sinking, leaving ruins everywhere.
The pursuit of the Dao once reached a point where it relied on extracting the souls of ordinary people, squeezing out their spirits, in order to barely survive and continue the Dao tradition.
With the collapse of the methods and ways, people resorted to devouring each other for survival, a scene too tragic to behold.
After experiencing a period of dark turmoil, those seeking the Dao began to explore alternative methods, such as the esoteric and unorthodox practices of the past, such as replenishing Yin with Yang, burning thatch to make a cauldron, devouring ghosts, consuming blood, using gu worms, guarding the grain, and even employing curses to kill...
Step by step, innovating and reforming, overturning the old ways, driving away demons and monsters, finally saving the collapsing world of mountains and seas.
The method of consumption that I, Yu Lie, will use in this closed-door cultivation is the greatest innovation after overturning the old ways.
As an ordinary person, although weak in body, with the assistance of talismans, rituals, and elixirs, I can use specific methods to consume extraordinary substances, strengthening my body and transcending the ordinary.
This technique involves plundering the essence of others, absorbing the advantages of different beings, borrowing the false to cultivate the true, separating the essence from the dross, hence it is called "Consuming to Cultivate Life"!
Of course, the consumption method is just one of the cultivation paths used by Daoists today, compared to the Qi Refiners of ancient times who practiced Qi cultivation.
Its specific cultivation path is outlined in the "Forty-Nine Profound Transformations," which includes a total of "forty-nine thirty-six variations."
Variations change, transformations occur!
Nowadays, Daoists only need to follow the thirty-six transformations of ascension, step by step in their practice, to prevent dangers, reduce harm, undergo transformations repeatedly, and eventually become immortal.
Even reaching the final step - ascension through metamorphosis, surpassing the realm of celestial immortals. This has already been proven.
The "Forty-Nine Profound Transformations" were perfected by Daoists after the great calamity in ancient times, through painstaking efforts and ingenuity, step by step, to create the path to transcendence.
I, Yu Lie, am currently at the first transformation of the thirty-six transformations of ascension: "Understanding Characters and Discerning Words," and my next transformation will be "Fierce as a Wolf and Ferocious as a Tiger."
In addition to the practices of "Understanding Characters and Discerning Words" and "Fierce as a Wolf and Ferocious as a Tiger" for a ninth-grade Dao Novice, there are two other transformations, "Bronze Muscles and Iron Bones" and "Felling Trees and Washing Marrow."
After completing these four transformations, refining the body thoroughly, my mortal body will be able to cultivate true Qi, entering the realm of an eighth-grade Dao Disciple, starting to cultivate Qi and extend life.
After becoming an eighth-grade Dao Disciple, four new transformations must be undertaken to enter the realm of a seventh-grade Dao Officer, beginning to nurture the soul, capable of serving as an underworld officer.
These transformations progress step by step, with clear steps.
Not only do they build on the past and pave the way for future cultivation, but during the process of transformation, Daoists can also gain extraordinary powers, enough to protect the Dao and seek longevity.
In the quiet room, the candlelight dimmed.
Yu Lie looked at the wolf heart and wolf lungs in his hands, his eyes shining brighter.
The first transformation, "Understanding Characters and Discerning Words," does not involve spiritual and physical changes for those with spiritual perception.
Only the second step, "Fierce as a Wolf and Ferocious as a Tiger," involves the beginning of physical transformation. Once completed, Yu Lie will possess extraordinary powers, at least comparable to a tiger or wolf.
Moreover, the effects of the transformation "Fierce as a Wolf and Ferocious as a Tiger" will vary depending on the "medicinal substances" consumed.
Ordinary Dao Novices undergoing transformation often use only fierce beasts.
For a ninth-grade fierce beast, such as tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, and elephants, these creatures possess sharp claws or immense strength, far beyond what ordinary humans can compare to. After consuming the essence of such beasts, Dao Novices can gain strength surpassing that of ordinary mortal bodies, somewhat akin to "magical powers."
Yu Lie, as a point of departure Dao Novice, will use materials from eighth-grade ferocious beasts for this transformation.
This is because ferocious beasts are not only more powerful, possessing demonic energy, but also have various mysterious means of survival. Once a Dao Novice consumes the essence of such beasts, they will not only gain extraordinary powers but also acquire the peculiar abilities of ferocious beasts.
This marks a significant advantage at the beginning of their journey.
Furthermore, at the eighth and ninth grades, Dao Novices can rely on talismans, traps, or simply sheer numbers to hunt and kill ferocious beasts.
For example, the high-ranking Dao Novice Yu Lie encountered on the street relied on sheer numbers to hunt down a ferocious beast called the Split-Mouthed Giant Frog. After consuming it, not only did his physique become robust, but he also grew a long tongue, allowing him to stand out among his peers.
Unfortunately, ferocious beasts are formidable and difficult to capture, and the corresponding consumption process is challenging, demanding more. The high-ranking Dao Novice made a mistake during consumption, resulting in a transformation that left him neither human nor ghost.
However, this was just a matter of appearance, which is insignificant for cultivators, as there are opportunities for redemption in the future. Compared to receiving such significant help at the beginning of their Dao journey, the high-ranking Dao Novice can be considered fortunate and enviable.
Yu Lie looked at the transformed wolf heart and wolf lungs in his hands, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
He risked his life and descended the mountain to hunt down a ferocious beast, consume its power, and gain an advantage that would far surpass ordinary people upon entering the Dao, providing a significant advantage for future cultivation competition.
A towering building starts from the ground, the more solid the foundation, the greater the possibility of achieving the Dao in the future.
Once the transformation through consumption is completed, it cannot be changed, either deteriorating further or requiring a complete restart through reincarnation.
And now, the "medicinal ingredients" Yu Lie holds are likely to be extraordinary, surpassing both fierce beasts and ferocious beasts. Once he consumes them and completes the transformation, the benefits he will gain are beyond his imagination.
Yu Lie suddenly exhaled a breath and thought to himself:
"Moreover, at this point, I have no choice but to consume it."
This time in seclusion, he came prepared to burn his bridges, as not consuming the wolf heart and wolf lungs in his hands, not gaining magical powers, would make it almost impossible for him to undergo a second period of seclusion.
By then, the bronze wine cup in his hand would find a new owner.
Yu Lie would not allow such a thing to happen, and from his limited understanding, the bronze wine cup was a treasure that could bring greater possibilities for help.
With a smile, Yu Lie sat cross-legged on the stone altar, grabbed the wolf gall and wolf intestines, and immediately put them into his mouth.
Juices overflowed.
Yu Lie greedily devoured the "medicinal ingredients" in his hands, his eyes brightening, continuing to smile, feeling unrestrained and joyful.