The multiverse revolves around strength. No matter how developed a civilization ends up becoming, all it takes is a powerful celestial to destroy everything. The strong are respected and revered as gods and sages. Whereas, weakness becomes an attribute of disgust and cowardice. The cosmos reveres the strong and despises the weak. No matter how much technology advances, without a strong cultivator protecting a civilization, the entire civilization would get ruined.
A celestial is a person with the strength to persevere and endure the harsh trials and tribulations of cultivation. No matter how much the cosmos reveres the strong, every creature needs to pass the never-ending tribulations to gain strength. A cultivator needs to go through continuous effort and struggle to grow; the path of cultivation is unforgiving.
Rhys had a preliminary idea of cultivation, but his limited time at the academy did not help him gain a more profound understanding of cultivation. Hence, Rhys acknowledged the importance of this entire process.
'If I plan on working as a merchant for a long time, strength is paramount,' Rhys thought sternly.
He understood that without personal strength, everything else is useless.
As he entered the lobby, he noticed an endless stream of people from various ethnicities. Rhys felt an inherent feeling of respect and honor as he looked at the giant structure of the lobby.
Rhys did not know what to do or where to go, all he could do was look at everything blankly.
While he stood in the same spot, looking around blankly, an android maid made her way towards him.
"Merchant 7777, the Captain is waiting for you in the impartation hall,"
Rhys snapped out his fantasy and followed the maid.
Rhys did not stop looking around like a fool. He marveled at the diversity and looked around curiously at different creatures in the lobby. Occasionally, he would see an octopus-like creature with two heads, a mermaid with a fishtail and sometimes with a snake tail, a group of dwarfs reeking of alcohol, etc.
'Now I understand what exploration and discovery this job entails,'
Rhys felt like he started understanding his job more and more as time went by. As he looked at all the new things he met along the way and the various species he saw, Rhys started understanding the core of a merchant's job.
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After walking through enormous corridors filled with various statues, they finally reached their destination.
Rhys saw an enormous library with no visible end. He saw many kinds of books on the shelves: ancient, new, worn-out, etc. Rhys looked around in fascination at the amount of knowledge available.
"This place holds our branch's collection for the past 100 years," A cold voice echoed in the chamber.
Rhys looked beside him in shock, and he saw Renzi standing quietly beside him.
"It takes a celestial an entire lifetime to finish reading all the books here," Renzi said.
Even though Rhys looked calm on the surface, he could not help but be awed by the amount of knowledge this place possessed.
'Any book in this place would be invaluable on Zar'Goth,' Rhys sighed in his heart.
"Alright, what do you know about cultivation exactly?" Renzi asked.
"Hmmm, I didn't spend a long time in the academy. I know that there are 3 realms of cultivation: the body tempering realm, the foundation building realm, and the mortal shedding realm. However, I do not know what each realm represents except for the body tempering realm," Rhys said in an embarrassed tone.
Renzi looked at Rhys without saying anything and replied, "I still don't understand how you became a merchant."
Rhys turned red and did not know how to respond. He knew that he was the one to be blamed since he never paid any attention to cultivation.
"There is a reason why you and I speak the same language and follow the same cultivation system. The laws of the universe have a single unique language, and in the same way, the laws of the universe have a single unique cultivation system. The cosmos treats everyone the same, and the existence of a superior cultivation system will disturb the cosmic balance. No matter how much everyone laments about the ruthlessness of the cosmos, no one can deny that the cosmos has always been impartial and ruthless to everyone."
Renzi started whispering the last sentence. She knew that if no one can challenge the authority of the cosmos, the multiverse will never change.
"The body tempering realm includes three different stages of physical transformation. You have already finished the muscle training stage and the bone forging stage. The next stage serves as a fundamental transformation of your bloodline: the blood ascendance stage. Your blood absorbs the energy to change the fundamental constitution of your body," Renzi explained in detail.
For the first time, Rhys showed interest in cultivation, and he understood its importance in a merchant's line of work. Therefore, he listened to Renzi attentively.
"To break through to the foundation building realm, you need to go through a minor tribulation. This stage, the cosmos weed out the weakest and the unworthy. This tribulation tests your will and its resilience in the path of cultivation and allows you to open a sea of enlightenment. This sea represents your initial comprehension of spirit. Remember, the cosmos blessed us with the gift of cultivation, and you need to deserve it to have a chance of attaining it," Renzi repeated her last words gravely.
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She knew the harshness of the cosmos. The weak do not deserve pity, if one decides to pursue cultivation, you cannot escape from the trials and tribulations that come with it. Hence, without a strong will, you will not be able to stop your heart demons from devouring you.
"The importance of the foundation building realm can't be understated. To put it in simpler terms, it determines your future as a cultivator. You need to establish three pillars in your sea of enlightenment during this realm. The first pillar represents the complete perception of your body and spirit. You need to be able to perceive the entirety of your body and feel the entirety of your spirit to completely erect this pillar. The second pillar embodies the connection between your body and spirit. Therefore, you need to be able to build a bridge between your body and spirit. At last, the third pillar represents the oneness of body and spirit. Remember, the path to becoming a celestial depends on the sturdiness of your foundation. Any problem during this stage will do permanent damage to your potential."
The role cultivation plays in a civilization's survival cannot be underestimated. This importance increases as it continues expanding its horizons. Consequently, cultivators represent the only hope for many civilizations in the galaxy.
People with ambition find all kinds of treasures to ensure a perfect foundation. Generally, the treasures for building a solid foundation represent a significant portion of a merchant's revenue in smaller galaxies.
"After completely erecting these three pillars, you need to go through a major tribulation. In some ways, a major tribulation is easier than a minor tribulation. Nevertheless, death is the only option if you cannot pass this tribulation. The cosmos tests your foundation's tenacity, and you won't fail the test unless you damaged your foundation," Renzi continued solemnly.
Rhys felt like a whole new door opened itself for him. However, Renzi's explanation of the complexities and challenges of cultivation warned him about its potential dangers.
"After you finish building a solid foundation, you need to go through the mortal shedding realm. This realm divides a mortal and a superior being. You need to build three vaults representing a different stage of ascension or shedding of your mortal characteristics. The first vault represents the physical ascension of a mortal. The second vault represents spiritual ascension. After shedding the mortal characteristics of your body and spirit, the last vault serves as your first step into the realm of transcendence or pseudo-transcendence: an embryonic core of origin. An embryonic core of origin embodies your elementary comprehension of laws. For example, the sphere used to travel through wormholes embodies superior laws of space and time, the sphere's essentially a fully formed core of origin. Therefore, the success of this depends on your comprehension ability. This realm separates you from a transcendent: the first contact with the laws. The details on how to complete these realms will be explained clearly in the cultivation manual."
No matter who it might be, cultivation represents the harshest of trials and tribulations a person must go through in his life. Yet, the reward for these trials and tribulations is enough for people to persist through this crazy journey.
"Do you have any questions in that peanut brain of yours?" Renzi added.
Rhys looked deep in thought and grateful to Renzi. However, this one sentence eliminated any gratefulness towards her.
"Hmmm, Captain, what is the lifespan, or are there any physical limits for each realm?"
"It's useless to think about it. Every race has its unique characteristics. However, some races possess superior physical and spiritual qualities than others. Therefore, the cosmos made cultivation unique and fair. You will know when you are at the end of your life. Furthermore, if there is no hope of a breakthrough, all you can do is wait for death or search for treasures to breakthrough. It's utterly useless to know when you'll die in advance," Renzi replied.
A cultivator spends his entire life in the pursuit of higher strength. Towards the end of his life, he gets consumed by the instinct to live. Being self-aware of your death in advance turns a person neurotic and desperate. Hence, they would go to unimaginable lengths to breakthrough and prolong their lifespans. Nevertheless, there exist many cultivators who accept their mortality and accept their vulnerability like any mortal. So, the question surrounding the lifespan is insignificant because all that matters is the way a person carries himself towards the end of his life. A cultivator prides himself in exploration and going through numerous perils to achieve his goals. Therefore, if he knew his time of death in advance, it sucks the fun and struggles out of this journey as he can't stop his mind from assigning a time limit to his every adventure in addition to becoming neurotic and crazy.
Renzi's explanation helped Rhys a lot in terms of his basic understanding of cultivation. At least, he understood the importance of strength for a cultivator.
"Now I'll give you the first part of the Eternal scripture for cultivation. However, you need to abolish your cultivation before starting," Renzi added the last part casually.
Rhys stared blankly at her.
"What are you staring at? Your current scripture is inefficient, and the energy, prana, on your planet belongs to the lower levels of energy," Renzi continued impatiently.
'You should have started with that,' Rhys thought in his mind. However, he did not dare say it out loud.
Rhys crossed his legs and started dispersing all the accumulated prana in his body. The entire process lasted for about 15 mins.
Immediately afterward, Rhys felt unprecedented weakness and powerlessness that he felt when he was a mortal. The feeling irritated and disgusted him. He could not control this subconscious feeling of weakness.
"Are you feeling weak and useless? Haha, do not worry. The laws of the cosmos affect a cultivator's mind after he loses his cultivation. In simpler terms, he can feel the loathing the cosmos has for him," Renzi added in a cold tone.
Even though Rhys listened to every one of Renzi's explanations, the process of feeling it for yourself increases the fundamental understanding of the cosmos and its ruthlessness.
"Alright, I'll transfer the Eternal scripture directly to your mind. Take your time and do not force yourself. Here, take this talisman and wear it on you all the time. Every scripture needs its corresponding energy to work efficiently. Even though this energy conversion talisman cannot release the purest form of Eternal energy, it can convert prana or any energy into stable Eternal energy," Renzi explained patiently.
Rhys wore the talisman on his neck, and he looked at it with doubt in his eyes.
"Tch, a group of strong celestials craft these talismans for merchants working outside the eternal domain. Do you think a mortal like you can understand its complexities?" Renzi looked at Rhys in disdain.
Rhys turned red and did not know how to respond. He always had trouble expressing himself.
Renzi touched Rhys's forehead with her finger, and Rhys slowly accepted the entire scripture. Rhys sat cross-legged, and he did not move an inch. If you do not notice him breathing and the energy circling the talisman, you would think he lost his life.
Renzi looked at Rhys for some time and made her way back.
'I hope he understands what awaits him in this dangerous path of cultivation. How many has it been? Yes, 1250 of my friends and family have died during their pursuit. I hope you succeed! I hope you do!'
Renzi vanished from the hall, but you could feel the lingering sadness in the air.
The cosmos's existence is every creature's only solace. However, the cost of this solace is far from painless.