- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 240
**Emei Sect, Liuyun Peak, One Month Later**
“Finally, I’ve absorbed the full effects of all the body-strengthening and soul-enhancing pills!”
In a wooden crate modified with his Seamless Extension Charm, Leo, in his second form, made a hand seal.
“Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
In an instant, a thousand shadow clones appeared around him.
After consuming all of the pills that Lotus Fairy had prepared for tribulation crossing at Drunken Immortal Cliff, Leo spent a month fully absorbing their medicinal effects. His body had experienced tremendous improvement in every aspect.
Firstly, his physical strength had increased by around fifty percent. His body was already far stronger than the average cultivator in this world, so this exceeded his expectations. Now, even without using the Eight Gates or any enhancements, he should be able to rival a Nascent Soul-stage demonic beast in terms of pure strength.
Secondly, his chakra capacity had expanded dramatically. Before, he could produce 500 shadow clones at most; now, he could summon 1,000.
Lastly, his soul, or rather his mental and spiritual strength, had also been significantly enhanced. This made him feel like the very essence of his soul had been strengthened, with a noticeable increase in his mental power.
The result was a much smoother control of his spells, to the point where most of his magic could be cast wandlessly with ease.
Though a wizard’s magical bloodline is innate, if the spirit and soul are enhanced, their spellcasting abilities can also greatly improve.
In summary, if he were to face Blood Shenzi again, he might not need to rely on sneak attacks or chakra-boosting pills to fight evenly. He could now battle him head-on.
His cultivation had also improved thanks to Emei’s dense spiritual energy. With his unique body, which absorbed spiritual energy at the peak Foundation Establishment stage, he was already showing signs of advancing to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment after just one month.
Lotus Fairy had given him two bottles of *Zengyuan Pills*, each containing four pills, advising him to take one every six months over four years. She predicted that, after finishing the full course, he would likely break through to the Core Formation stage.
However, that timeline was based on an average cultivator’s absorption rate. Given Leo faster absorption speed, he could likely shorten the process significantly.
Moreover, in a place as rich in spiritual energy as Emei, combined with his already extraordinary absorption rate, it’s possible he might not even need to take all eight pills to reach the Core Formation stage.
“I’ll focus on forming my core first. Once that’s done, I can think about other things.”
After assessing his body, Leo sat cross-legged and began meditating, activating the *Shangqing Grand Unity Scripture*, before tossing one *Zengyuan Pill* into his mouth.
Foundation Establishment cultivators lived for 150 years, while Core Formation cultivators could live for 500 years. With that kind of lifespan, he wouldn’t have to worry about aging while traveling through various worlds.
Thus, his primary goal was now to focus entirely on breaking through to the Core Formation stage and extending his lifespan.
As for the invasion of the Youquan Blood Demon, he still had nearly three years left. There was no rush.
And so, time passed quickly—two years flew by.
For a cultivator in meditation, years pass in the blink of an eye. It’s easy to lose track of time, which is why many cultivators, despite being hundreds of years old, still feel youthful. The passage of time becomes irrelevant when one’s body doesn’t age, and the bulk of one’s life is spent in deep meditation with little to no worldly experience.
That’s also why some cultivators eventually descend from their mountains to experience the mortal world.
On one hand, it enriches their life experiences; on the other, they seek out disciples with strong cultivation potential to bring back to their sects.
As for why cultivators need life experience rather than just focusing on secluded cultivation, it relates to the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation that Nascent Soul cultivators face when trying to ascend to the Earth Immortal stage.
During these two years, Leo spent most of his time meditating and cultivating. But in between, he also made a point to befriend Emei disciples—everyone from First Senior Brother Danchenzi to the 300 Qingcheng disciples. Thanks to his past victory over Blood Shenzi and his saving of the Seven Sons of the Cloud, the entire Emei Sect treated him warmly.
The only person he hadn’t had the chance to meet was Master Baimei, who was focused on suppressing his cultivation to prevent an early ascension and only appeared for major events.
Through his interactions with the Emei disciples, Leo gained a deeper understanding of cultivation common sense and knowledge.
The gap between large sects and smaller ones wasn’t just about spiritual energy, techniques, and talent—it also lay in their access to vital cultivation information.
In major sects like Emei, Earth Immortals and Nascent Souls were constant presences, and even a Heavenly Immortal might emerge once every few thousand years. But smaller sects, with their peak at the Core Formation stage, could hardly possess detailed knowledge of Nascent Soul or Earth Immortal common sense.
It was similar to how, in the mortal world, children from impoverished backgrounds might think factory work was their only way to make money, while those born into privilege had a wider array of options due to their family’s resources and connections.
The records Leo inherited from Li Qingfeng regarding the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation were vague, stating only that one needed to be powerful, have strong artifacts, and possess vast true essence.
But in reality, beyond physical strength and abundant true essence, there were other factors. One’s mental resilience and life experience were critical, especially when facing the internal illusions brought on during the tribulation.
Without enough worldly experience to see through these illusions, many cultivators end up trapped, unable to break free, leading to their failure and eventual death. Not even their souls could reincarnate.
Only before the tribulation begins can a cultivator choose to dismantle their physical form and reincarnate if they anticipate failure.
But who, after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, would willingly give up their chance to ascend? Most cultivators go into the tribulation with the mindset of either succeeding or dying.
Thus, experiencing the mortal world becomes an essential process, and some cultivators go through it multiple times.
As for when to descend for worldly experience, some choose to do so early, at the Foundation Establishment stage, when they’re closer to mortal life. Others wait until the Core Formation stage, or even the Nascent Soul stage, when it’s safer.
However, such experiences often create karmic ties, which become a major hurdle when trying to ascend to the Heavenly Immortal stage.
Many Earth Immortals remain stuck at their level because they can’t sever the emotional attachments and memories formed during their worldly experiences. The bonds they’ve formed with people and events hold them back, preventing them from reaching the next level.
The key isn’t about cutting off those ties by eliminating people; in most cases, the mortals connected to them have long since died. It’s about freeing one’s mind and coming to terms with those emotional bonds.
Some cultivators can’t let go of the people and memories from their mortal experiences, and as long as they remain bound by those emotions, they will never ascend to the Heavenly Immortal stage.
…