Put Away Your Divine Techniques Now! Chapter 1139 - 340: [Those Who Should Not Exist]

The elderly woman remained unperturbed, offering a smile to Chen Yan before gesturing. "What do you perceive a Saint to be?"

"Huh?"

"Venerable, Saint—what sort of beings do you imagine us to be?"

Chen Yan contemplated this, then replied, "Uh... the mightiest existences, those who grasp the Heavenly Dao, comprehend its rules, like gods aloft in the clouds, spokespersons for the Heavenly Dao, immortal and unbreakable..."

The old lady waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, all that you've stated is accurate—it's how ants view us. What I'm inquiring about is the true crux: what precisely constitutes a Saint? How does one attain sainthood?"

"By what methods do we ascend to Sainthood, and how do we achieve comprehension of the Heavenly Dao?"

"It couldn't possibly be through some kind of test, could it?"

Chen Yan mused, "Transcending tribulations? Celestial Tribulations and such? Successfully passing the tribulation to embrace the Great Dao, and failing, crumbling to dust?"

The old lady gazed at Chen Yan, a cryptic smile slowly spreading across her face. Then, to Chen Yan's astonishment, she shook her head.

"Isn't that how it works?" Chen Yan questioned, a frown creasing his brow.

"Certainly not," the old lady replied, still shaking her head.

Chen Yan was taken aback.

·

Within the Domain Realm, a universally accepted framework governs the entire path of cultivation among all practitioners.

This shared understanding posits that the practice of cultivation is fundamentally a cycle of initiation—followed by strenuous training and meticulous accumulation—then a realm breakthrough accompanied by tribulation crossing—leading to continued arduous training and accumulation for the subsequent stage—and then, another tribulation crossing.

Commencing with the initial tier, the [Mortal Cultivator], the first hurdle is 'initiation,' acting as a selective filter that discards individuals of inferior talent, permitting only the exceptionally gifted to proceed into the First Realm, Second Realm, and Third Realm.

At this juncture, one gains the ability to draw Primordial Qi into their body, fortifying the physical form, thereby extending the cultivator's lifespan and physical resilience. Upon reaching the Third Realm, longevity easily extends to several centuries.

Should Heavenly and Earthly Treasures be employed, or any substance that bolsters the physical body during cultivation, the lifespan can be further prolonged.

When the cultivator reaches the zenith of the Third Realm, every facet of their progress culminates at a critical juncture, precipitating a Celestial Tribulation, paving the way towards the Celestial Human Realm.

The 'triggering' of a Celestial Tribulation occurs when a cultivator's amassed cultivation at the Third Realm's peak reaches a sufficient level, and their Divine Sense grows potent enough to faintly apprehend aspects of the Heavenly Dao.

This apprehension establishes a subtle [resonance] with the Heavenly Dao, and when this resonance intensifies to a certain degree, the Heavenly Dao unleashes a Celestial Tribulation to ascertain the cultivator's worthiness.

Upon successfully enduring this trial, one advances into the Celestial Human Realm (the Fourth Realm).

From this point forward, they tread the path of the 'Extraordinary'.

Subsequently, further cultivation and accumulation ensue. The Fifth Realm is reached, culminating in the Sixth Realm (Primordial Spirit Realm) at Great Perfection, where another 'Celestial Tribulation' is faced.

This again involves 'triggering' a Celestial Tribulation.

It is posited that this triggering follows the same pattern as when the Celestial Tribulation was initiated during the preceding Realm Breakthrough.

The cultivator apprehends the Heavenly Dao, gains insight into its rules, applies these principles, and upon completing the entirety of the 'Extraordinary' tier—encompassing the Celestial Human Realm, the Golden Body Realm, and the Primordial Spirit Realm—their comprehension and accumulation concerning the Heavenly Dao reach a new, complete stage. When this advanced state attains a specific critical point, it will once more provoke a [resonance] with the Heavenly Dao.

This resonance, in turn, will summon another Celestial Tribulation.

Success in passing this ordeal grants one the status of a Venerable Saint.

However, herein lies the predicament.

During the Celestial Tribulation experienced at Realm Breakthroughs, though 'triggering' the tribulation is indeed challenging, the Heavenly Dao ultimately extends 'resonance' to those who distinguish themselves.

Yet, upon reaching Primordial Spirit Realm Great Perfection, theoretically, one should again 'trigger' a resonance with the Heavenly Dao, thereby summoning a Celestial Tribulation.

But... at this stage, for countless millennia, the Heavenly Dao has remained as impassive as a distant woman, leaving innumerable generations of desperate aspirants to frantically seek comprehension and attempt to decipher its whims, attempting to divine its moods, whether through entreaties or patient waiting...

In essence, regardless of their level of comprehension or the depth of their devotion, the Heavenly Dao at this juncture remains utterly unresponsive!

For millennia upon millennia, countless cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Primordial Spirit Realm have found themselves trapped.

The barrier wasn't their inability to overcome the Celestial Tribulation, but rather that the Heavenly Dao itself simply refused to send one down!

For countless ages, innumerable cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Primordial Spirit Realm poured all their remaining lifespan into contemplation and meditation, only to wither away, their existence consumed by the endless, fruitless wait.

The reason? The number of Saint positions is strictly limited!

According to the decree of the Heavenly Dao, there are only forty-two positions for Saints acknowledged.

Unless a vacancy arises, there can be no resonance with the Heavenly Dao, and consequently, no Celestial Tribulation will descend.

However, a prevailing consensus exists within the Domain: Celestial Tribulations *do* happen!

The understanding is that the Heavenly Dao only dispatches a Celestial Tribulation when a Saint position becomes vacant.

·

"I don't quite grasp your meaning," Chen Yan stated, his brow furrowed. "Isn't it that the number of Saints recognized by the Heavenly Dao can't exceed..."

"No, that's not what I'm asking. I want to know if you understand how we, those who have already ascended to Sainthood, achieved it in the first place?"

Chen Yan inquired, "You all? So, venerable Madam, when you attained Sainthood, did you endure a great Celestial Tribulation? What was that Celestial Tribulation like?"

The old lady maintained her enigmatic smile, uttering a few words in a soft tone.

As these words registered in Chen Yan's ears, it was as if a celestial response was instantaneously ignited!

With a deafening roar, a streak of lightning split the sky!

This thunderous clap arrived without preamble, its sound echoing across the entire realm!

Even this secluded space, within the magical treasure that manipulated the 'time flow speed', could not entirely insulate against this sliver of celestial might!