Daily life of a cultivation judge-Chapter 1110 - Supreme paths

1110: Supreme paths

1110: Supreme paths

The backyard sank into a brief, somber silence before Ren Shu broke it, attempting to lighten the mood with a touch of positivity.

“But for as much as the world takes, it is fair,” he began, lifting the teapot with a graceful wave of his hand.

He poured tea into his and Shao An’s cups, then returned the teapot to its original position in one swift motion.

After taking a small sip, he continued.

“While the cultivating conditions of the Aurora Dark Winter Jade Spruce tribe are far from ideal—one could even say ruthless—the world has always been balanced.

Whatever it takes, it gives something in return.

It has always been fair and impartial.

“The Aurora Dark Winter Jade Spruce tribe might only be able to cultivate using nebulous yin qi, but they are also one of the few beings in the world capable of using it without fear or extensive training.

They require almost no effort to sense or absorb it, not to mention the astronomical benefits it holds.”

Yang Qing found himself nodding in agreement.

Nebulous yin qi was one of the most condensed and purest forms of yin energy on the continent.

As such, it was extremely potent and could not be carelessly handled, let alone absorbed, without risking severe damage to both body and soul.

The soul, in particular, was highly susceptible to its effects—even more so than the body.

Injuries to the soul were far thornier to treat than physical wounds, with some proving incurable in the end.

Therefore, few would risk interacting with it, and when they did, it was only through specialized means—spells, techniques, or rare materials.

Even then, strength was also an integral requirement.

As it stood, only gold-grade alchemists could safely extract and utilize nebulous yin qi without endangering themselves.

Yang Qing believed soul formation experts could likely handle it as well, even without alchemical expertise, given that their bodies could effortlessly survive in the void.

As for the rest, if their abilities or strength do not measure up, they could forget about nebulous yin qi.

However, there were certain exceptions—beings who could handle it despite lacking expertise or the strength of a soul formation expert.

Such exceptions included the aurora dark winter jade spruce treefolk—and beings like Yang Qing.

Those whose bodies were naturally attuned to it.

Yang Qing may have never interacted with nebulous yin qi before, but he instinctively knew his body could handle it, thanks to his Peerless Yin-Yang Jade Nature Physique.

There was no element he couldn’t absorb.

And it went without saying—he was especially sensitive to yin and yang energies.

He was fairly certain his body could absorb all forms and variations of them, regardless of purity or density.

Otherwise, the Peerless Jade Physique would be failing its name if it couldn’t at least do that much.

After all, his grandfather and the elders of the clan had once argued that possessing a Peerless Jade Physique was no different from having a mythological bloodline, given how rare and difficult it was to obtain.

Even now, despite the continuous advancements in cultivation, much about the physique remained a veiled mystery.

There was no clearly defined way to unlock it, and as Yang Qing had recently discovered, its influence extended far beyond the body refinement realm.

Back then, he had laughed it off as the ramblings of body refinement fanatics.

But after his physique had saved his life from being invaded by a saint-grade treasure—and with the discoveries he’d made since—he couldn’t help but agree with them.

Maybe there was more to the Peerless Jade Physique than even he understood.

That was why he strongly believed that Feng Xin—another holder of a Peerless Jade Physique, specifically the Ice Soul Jade Physique—could also handle nebulous yin qi without risk of injury or needing special means.

That being said, not just anyone with a yin-based physique could make use of nebulous yin qi safely.

Yang Qing’s confidence in himself and Feng Xin stemmed solely from the fact that they both possessed Peerless Jade Physiques.

Nebulous yin qi was highly potent—and as a result, highly dangerous to all who lacked a natural attunement to it.

That included even those with yin-based physiques or those who practiced yin-based cultivation arts.

They were all at risk of severe injury.

But for all the dangers it posed, nebulous yin qi remained a precious resource—one whose value could be placed on the same level as spiritual qi produced from an ancestral dragon vein.

Risk and reward went hand in hand, and the same held true for nebulous yin qi.

As perilous as it was, for those who could wield it, the benefits were immense.

A single drop could purify the soul to astronomical levels, granting all the advantages that came with a powerful soul—most notably, heightened sensitivity to the fundamental laws and truths within the countless Daos that shaped the world.

It was said that one interacted with the world through their soul, which was often cited as one of the reasons why soul formation experts were so formidable.

Their powerful souls granted them access to profound truths and laws beyond the comprehension of those beneath them, enabling them to wield terrifying abilities—capable of overturning oceans and mountains with a single flip of the hand.

Whether that claim was entirely true or not, one fact remained undisputed: a powerful soul made cultivation significantly easier.

It enhanced one’s comprehension, sharpened one’s senses—especially spiritual sense—and provided countless advantages, particularly to those in professions that demanded meticulous precision.

Alchemists, talisman makers, array experts, and even assassins all thrived on an acute awareness of detail—something a powerful soul offered in abundance.

Other than purifying, strengthening, and refining one’s soul, nebulous yin qi offered something else—something that made it immensely valuable.

It provided insights into countless laws, truths, and mysteries tied to the Supreme Path of Yin.

Just as no two rivers were the same, no two mountains identical, and even siblings born of the same parent differed, the same held true for Dao.

Not all Daos were equal—some stood above the rest, towering at the peak of existence.

These were known as the Supreme Daos or Supreme Paths.

Yin was one of them.

So were Yang, Space, and Time.

Fate and Karma stood among them as well, along with Life, Destiny, Destruction, and Elemental Origin, to name a few.

These Daos were called supreme because they were believed to be the oldest—formed at the very birth of the world itself.

Some even argued they predated the world entirely.

To master one to its final path…

was to master the world.

And if true immortality existed, it was said the key to attaining it lay within one of these paths.

Whether that claim held any truth was irrelevant—there had never been a single documented case proving immortality’s existence.

But what was undeniable was that any cultivator who so much as brushed against these Supreme Paths would gain power and abilities that set them leagues above the rest.

The Holy Lands had long stood dominant over the masses for this very reason.

Their core teachings were rooted in one of the Supreme Paths—backed by the resources and talent necessary to walk it.

One could easily see why nebulous yin qi was so highly sought after—it provided a glimpse into one of the Supreme Paths.

Despite its inherent risks, the benefits it could offer made it more than worth the gamble.

Yang Qing had once read about a family with a yin-related bloodline that chose its next patriarch through a harrowing trial—one that required them to survive exposure to nebulous yin qi.

Their bloodline wasn’t naturally attuned to it, meaning the test carried the risk of death or lifelong crippling.

Yet, those who endured it would receive immense benefits.

So long as one didn’t die from it—or worse, end up crippled—nebulous yin qi could bestow tremendous advantages upon those with yin-related physiques, bloodlines, or cultivation arts.

The greatest impact was seen in those with innate yin-based constitutions, where survival often led to an evolution of their bloodline or physique.

The odds, however, were abysmal.

At best, only two out of ten survived—and in some cases, none at all.

But for those who did emerge from the ordeal intact, their transformation was nothing short of legendary.

It was akin to a carp leaping over the dragon gate, shedding its old self to become a dragon.