Chapter 4097

Wang Changsheng was slightly taken aback, his face clouded with confusion. "Isn't it true that Immortal Physiques are innate?"

The young woman in the blue skirt explained, "Those are special spiritual physiques. Some people confuse spiritual physiques with Immortal Physiques. There's only a single character difference, so it's quite normal for those lacking discernment to make such a mistake. Even among Golden Immortals, probably very few Grand Unity Golden Immortals have ever witnessed an Immortal Physique. True Spirit and Immortal Physique represent two crucial milestones in cultivation. Most cultivators from the lower realms who achieve the True Spirit stage can typically overcome the Nine-Nine Thunder Tribulation. Immortals, however, must cultivate an Immortal Physique to even qualify for the Dao Ancestor realm. Any living being undergoes a qualitative transformation upon reaching a certain level of cultivation; it's a form of evolution."

Due to limitations in their cultivation and social circles, most cultivators possess only limited information. Much of what they know is incorrect, often perpetuated by rumors and misinformation. Information itself is a vital cultivation resource, and those in higher positions do not readily share it with those below.

Wang Changsheng had an epiphany. He recalled that in the Spirit Realm, the three major clans of the Xuanyang Realm had misrepresented the fragments of the Immortal Realm as the Daoist training ground of Heavenly Venerate Xuanling, thereby misleading other factions. This was a form of information monopoly, and he had not anticipated finding such monopolies even in the Immortal Realm. Clearly, the information recorded in ancient texts or widely accepted by the populace cannot be entirely trusted; it should only serve as a reference.

"Senior Xiao," Wang Ruyan politely inquired, "is it true that one can cultivate an Immortal Physique by refining certain immortal woods or consuming specific immortal elixirs?"

The young woman in the blue skirt replied, "In theory, yes. However, a cultivator who hasn't reached the peak True Spirit stage cannot cultivate an Immortal Physique. Even with immortal wood or elixirs, they would simply be overwhelmed and perish. Consider this: if you give an immortal elixir to a Mahayana cultivator, do you think they would survive it? One must take things one step at a time; rushing too quickly can lead to severe consequences."

The old man in green robes explained, "Though 'spiritual physique' and 'Immortal Physique' differ by just one character, they are not the same concept. A spiritual physique refers to a type of inherent aptitude, while an Immortal Physique signifies a fundamental transformation of one's life essence. Many mistakenly believe both are merely physical constitutions, often due to their limited understanding. It's also possible that this confusion is intentionally propagated to mislead you."

Indeed, if someone genuinely believed that refining certain immortal woods or consuming particular immortal elixirs could enable them to cultivate an Immortal Physique, any non-peak True Spirit attempting to directly refine such a heavenly material and earthly treasure would inevitably meet their demise. Information disparity is always present; cultivators at different cultivation levels inhabit different circles and thus encounter different information. Moreover, certain factions deliberately disseminate false information to mislead others, and when such misinformation spreads widely, it naturally gains some believers.

The young woman in the blue skirt elaborated, "Some of it is pure misinformation, while other instances stem from individuals who enjoy parading their supposed knowledge, particularly Golden Immortal cultivators who have given up hope of further breakthroughs. They compile their hearsay into personal chronicles, some of which contains truth, but much of which is utter nonsense. This blend of fact and fabrication makes it incredibly difficult to discern what's real, and once such content spreads, it invariably misleads others." She added, "When a rumor circulates widely enough, it can effectively become truth, at least in the minds of a significant number of cultivators."

"Senior Xiao," Ximen Zhi politely inquired, "what exactly makes Grandmist Spirit Treasures so precious? And what about Innate Immortal Artifacts?"

The young woman in the blue skirt clarified, "A Grandmist Spirit Treasure is a specific type of heavenly material and earthly treasure—more precisely, a raw material. The broader category of 'heavenly material and earthly treasure' encompasses a wide range of resources, including immortal water, wood, medicine, stones, and jade, among others. Essentially, any rare cultivation resource naturally formed by heaven and earth can be classified as such. What makes Grandmist Spirit Treasures unique is their ability to enhance artifacts. When one is incorporated into a mid-grade immortal artifact, the resulting item's power vastly surpasses that of other mid-grade immortal artifacts. Furthermore, these artifacts can automatically advance in rank by absorbing other rare materials, or their quality can be improved by manually refining rare materials into them. This inherent ability is what makes Grandmist Spirit Treasures so valuable. Moreover, under certain rare circumstances, a Grandmist Spirit Treasure can undergo a mutation. It might spontaneously absorb rare materials, transforming into an immortal artifact, and then continue to absorb materials and evolve, eventually becoming a Dao artifact. This is believed to be the origin of Innate Dao Artifacts, though I myself have never encountered one; I've only heard tell of them."

While most immortal artifacts require an artifact refiner to incorporate high-grade materials to improve their rank, those crafted with a Grandmist Spirit Treasure can autonomously absorb rare materials to advance in rank, thereby enhancing their quality.

"If it's a material," Ximen Zhi pressed, "can body cultivators refine Grandmist Spirit Treasures into their own bodies to enhance their power?"

The young woman in the blue skirt patiently clarified, "Theoretically, yes, but please refrain from using the term 'body cultivators.' That's a designation for cultivators from the lower realms. Once one advances to the True Immortal stage, the progression is solely toward True Spirit or Immortal Physique. Referring to them as 'body cultivators' diminishes their stature. While some specialized cultivation methods do allow Immortals to refine Grandmist Spirit Treasures or even immortal artifacts into their bodies, thereby gaining incredible divine abilities, this path is typically reserved for Immortals who are unable to cultivate into a True Spirit. As a True Spirit yourself, you have no need to pursue such methods; it would only compromise your foundation. Both True Spirit and Immortal Physique represent fundamental evolutions of life. While they can withstand immortal artifacts, this doesn't imply that immortal artifacts are incapable of inflicting lethal harm."

"Senior Xiao," Wang Changsheng asked with curiosity, "I've heard of a secret technique that allows one to engrave runes onto their body to gain incredible divine abilities. Is that a similar concept?"

"More or less," the young woman in the blue skirt affirmed. "Some Immortals, unable to cultivate into True Spirits, seek alternative methods to contend with them. These cultivators cannot ultimately achieve the Dao Ancestor realm. However, such secret techniques, when cultivated to their peak, are indeed formidable. As True Spirits, your correct path is to strive towards becoming peak True Spirits. There's no need to waste excessive time on these types of secret techniques. Cultivation remains the fundamental essence; don't focus on minor details while neglecting the crucial aspects by spending too much time on law-based secret arts or various skills."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Xiao," Wang Changsheng said sincerely, bowing deeply. The explanations from the two Grand Unity Golden Immortals had resolved many of his confusions, making his path forward significantly clearer.

"Alright, it's getting late, and we have other obligations," the old man in green robes said. "We won't linger. Please feel free to continue your discussions. We hope that Grand Unity Golden Immortals will emerge from among your ranks!" With that, he and Nangong Yunxin departed. The young woman in the blue skirt then said, "Yue'er, let's go. Take care of yourselves," before leaving with Xiao Yue.

Most of the Golden Immortal cultivators gradually took their leave, while Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, Ximen Zhi and his two brothers, and the old man in yellow robes remained.

"This old man is Yang Gan," the man in yellow robes introduced himself. "Daoist Wang and Madam Wang's recent sparring session with Daoist Nangong and Immortal Xiao truly opened my eyes."

"You're better suited to be called 'Runaway Yang'!" Ximen Yong quipped, "Yang Gan doesn't sound intimidating, and it doesn't fit your character."

Yang Gan offered an embarrassed smile. "Daoist Ximen can call me whatever he pleases, and the same goes for Daoist Wang; a name is merely a designation. By the way, I've heard that the Myriad Wood Market is hosting an auction featuring a Golden Lotus Immortal Fruit. I was just about to head there to participate. Would you care to join me?"

After the elucidations from the two Grand Unity Golden Immortals, the Golden Lotus Immortal Fruit now seemed even more invaluable.

Wang Changsheng looked at Ximen Zhi, who then stated, "I have no objections. We can teleport from Jiuyuan City, and it won't take long to reach the Myriad Wood Market."

"Since we've met, let's journey together," Wang Changsheng said with a smile.

"That's excellent!" Yang Gan exclaimed, beaming with delight. "There's no time to waste; let's depart for Jiuyuan City!"

The six individuals departed from the location and flew towards Jiuyuan City.