"This isn't exactly a secret. Anyone at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm knows it, so there's no harm in sharing. There's something wrong with this world, and I'm sure you're aware of it. You follow the path of Immortal Martial Cultivation, which emphasizes tempering the body, unlike the Immortal Dao. Before reaching a certain strength level, it's difficult to fully grasp the problems of this world. However, for us immortal cultivators, the effects are very obvious. They become especially noticeable after reaching the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm..." Lei Yunshu said slowly.

Initially, her understanding of the world's issues was superficial too. She had merely attributed it to the rise of demonic qi, which polluted the spiritual qi of the world. But if that were all, the once-glorious Immortal Dao civilization could never have declined to its current state. Dealing with demonic qi pollution was relatively straightforward. The real challenge was the erosion of the yaos' will.

"Oh? You mean that aside from demonic qi polluting the world's spiritual qi, there are even more serious issues?" Lin Zheyu asked, somewhat surprised.

"Exactly. Although the pollution of spiritual qi by demonic qi has serious consequences, resolving it is not very difficult. The true difficulty lies in expelling the yao's will that has invaded this world. The yao's emergence has weakened the Heavenly Dao's will, and the laws of the demonic realm have disturbed this world's Dao resonance. Consequently, both the Heavenly Dao's will and the Dao resonance of this world have been impaired," Lei Yunshu said gravely, revealing an answer that profoundly shocked Lin Zheyu.

To erode the will of the Heavenly Dao and affect the Dao resonance of the world. The yaos were actually this powerful, able to directly influence both the Heavenly Dao and the world's fundamental rules. It was simply unbelievable.

"The Heavenly Dao of this world is flawed. It's incomplete. The will of the Heavenly Dao has become entangled with the will of the yaos, and the Dao resonances of the two worlds are influencing each other. That is the greatest problem affecting the Immortal Dao." Lei Yunshu's expression was extremely serious. She did not keep Lin Zheyu in suspense and continued, "Once you reach the Golden Core realm, cultivation begins to involve comprehending rules and grasping destiny aura."

"Because of the erosion from the yao will and the Dao resonance of the demonic realm, it is nearly impossible for an immortal cultivator to break free from the influence of the yaos, grasp destiny aura, and comprehend Dao resonance without external assistance. That is where the concept of qualification comes from. When the Heavenly Dao is insufficient, it is supplemented by the Divine Dao. Through the Mortal Dao and the Divine Dao, the Heavenly Dao is restored, allowing the path of cultivation to continue. That is the current state of the Immortal Dao." Lei Yunshu let out a long breath, her expression somewhat complicated.

The so-called Divine Dao referred to the incense-based Divine Dao, a path that relied on the power of faith, which in turn came from the people and could also be considered part of the Mortal Dao. However, Great Wei did not follow the traditional Divine Dao. Instead, it treated it more like a tool, a means for the Immortal Dao to compensate for the deficiencies of the Heavenly Dao. Sects like the Nine Nether Sect and the Painful Holy Sect were the true practitioners of the traditional Divine Dao.

"I see... So this world has fallen into such a dangerous state..." Lin Zheyu frowned slightly, a strong sense of crisis rising within him.

Especially with everything that had been happening recently, he felt as if the yaos were drawing closer and would soon return to this world. He was still too weak. If the yaos descended now, with his current strength, he would only be slightly stronger cannon fodder. His fate would not be his own to control.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, there's no need to worry too much. Martial cultivation is different from the Immortal Dao. It focuses on refining the body, developing latent potential, and elevating the essence of life itself. The Immortal Martial Cultivation path that follows was created by great Immortal Dao experts of the past, combining their collective wisdom to address the deficiencies of the Heavenly Dao. Unfortunately, this path is extremely difficult.

"Every stage of martial cultivation blocks countless martial artists. Even the early foundational stages are several times harder than those of the Immortal Dao. After reaching the Martial Innate realm, the difficulty skyrockets far beyond that of the Immortal Dao. That's why most martial artists switch to the Immortal Dao after breaking through the Martial Innate realm. It's partly because opening the Bridge of Heaven and Earth allows them to connect with the world, and partly because, after reaching the Divine Repository realm, martial cultivation becomes increasingly difficult. Without a solid foundation and exceptional talent, further breakthroughs are nearly impossible.

"Very few can truly break past the Martial Innate realm and advance to the Divine Repository realm or even the Shackles realm. But you're exceptionally talented. Breaking into the Shackles realm will not be a problem for you." Lei Yunshu looked at Lin Zheyu, noticed his slight frown and serious expression, and smiled lightly.

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Yunshu. But if martial cultivation is so important, why isn't it widely promoted? And why does the Immortal Martial Cultivation path come to an abrupt halt at the Shackles realm, with no further stages beyond it?" Lin Zheyu asked in confusion.

From Bai Lin, he had learned that even within the Martial Alliance, the strongest were only at the Shackles realm. Beyond that, there were no mature cultivation paths or techniques. One could only explore on one's own.

"Because the path is too difficult, it was abandoned and is now left to fend for itself. Most Shackles realm experts, after hitting a wall in martial cultivation, eventually face reality and switch to the Immortal Dao. Even after switching, their achievements are extraordinary. Reaching the Nascent Soul realm is almost guaranteed, and even advancing to the Deity Transformation realm is quite possible. If Fellow Daoist Xiao ever considers this path in the future, you might give priority to our Lei Family." Lei Yunshu explained.

"Abandoned, huh... Compared to the Immortal Dao, martial cultivation is indeed far too difficult. It's only natural that it would be set aside." Lin Zheyu smiled helplessly and shook his head slightly.

This trip to Lei Family City gave him a much deeper understanding of the cultivation world. Although the Immortal Dao had declined, it was not as weak as he had previously imagined. It remained incredibly powerful. Moreover, cultivation for immortal cultivators was far easier than he had thought, at least before reaching the Foundation Establishment realm.

As long as spiritual qi was sufficiently abundant and one possessed at least average cultivation aptitude, reaching the third stage of the Qi Refining realm was extremely easy. Even Lei Yunshu's maid had reached that level. In martial cultivation terms, the third stage of the Qi Refining realm was equivalent to the Force Transformation realm. To reach that level in martial cultivation, one had to pass through three thresholds: the Blood Qi realm, the Marrow Refining realm, and comprehending true intent. Each stage filtered out a large number of practitioners.

Not to mention the later stages like Grandmaster realm, Martial Innate realm, and even Divine Repository realm. Although the number of martial practitioners was large, after successive rounds of elimination, the number who reached the Grandmaster realm was likely even smaller than those with average cultivation aptitude.

"By the way, not long ago, I saw cultivators entering ruins to search for the bodies of deceased Golden Core realm cultivators and take their Golden Cores. According to them, these Golden Cores can help bypass the qualification restrictions and allow one to achieve the Golden Core realm. I follow the Immortal Martial Cultivation path and don't know much about the Immortal Dao. Fellow Daoist Yunshu, is there such a saying in the Immortal Dao?" Lin Zheyu asked.

He had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but had been worried it would seem too abrupt and never found the right opportunity. Lin Zheyu had no money on him, but he had two Golden Cores. As long as he could confirm that selling them would not cause trouble, he planned to exchange them for spirit stones.

To him, the greatest use of a Golden Core was to study the sword intent aura contained within it. Using it to enhance Origin Force was secondary and not very efficient. Now that he had already comprehended the sword intent aura left behind by Mu Jianli and created the Seven Absolute Sabers, the sword intent within the Golden Cores held little value for him. Selling them for spirit stones was the most practical choice.

"Yes, there is such a saying. But it is not the orthodox path to achieving the Golden Core realm. It is considered a side path, and what is cultivated cannot truly be called a Golden Core; it is only a false core. Once you take the path of the false core, your future is cut off, and you will never have another chance to truly reach the Golden Core realm. Those who choose this path have accepted reality and know they lack the talent to advance properly. Perhaps... I may walk this path one day," Lei Yunshu said, her tone somewhat desolate.

With the strength of the Lei Family, as long as one reached the required level and had sufficient talent, obtaining the qualification to achieve the Golden Core realm was quite easy. It was simply that Lei Yunshu lacked confidence in herself and felt uncertain about the future.

"Fellow Daoist Yunshu, there's no need to belittle yourself. Turbulent times give rise to heroes. With chaos on the horizon, opportunities will emerge one after another. With your fortune, it's too early to say what the future holds," Lin Zheyu said softly.

He truly meant it. Great times shaped great people. In an era of upheaval, although chaos and danger were everywhere, it also gave birth to opportunities and hidden chances.

"I'll take your words to heart," Lei Yunshu said with a light smile.

"By the way, does Lei Family City have any place that buys back Golden Cores? I happened to obtain one by chance and have been looking for an opportunity to sell it," Lin Zheyu said, getting to the point.

After walking through the marketplace with Lei Yunshu, Lin Zheyu saw no one buying or selling Golden Cores. According to her, taking the false core path was not something universally condemned. Still, he only mentioned having one, not two. Golden Cores were extremely valuable. The mere fact that they could help someone form a false core made them extraordinary. Wealth stirred desire. Although he had some understanding of Lei Yunshu's character, caution was still necessary.

"A Golden Core!" Lei Yunshu exclaimed softly, her eyes filled with astonishment.