What George Baker said had nothing to do with sword-riding flight or immortal magic. Instead, it opened up a whole new... way? Let's call it a "way"—a different way of living—in front of James Smith. To be an emperor is to have an empire, to be a wealthy man is to own estates, to be a brothel owner is to have a crowd of girls... but no matter what, it's all about living "for the world."

But the Third Stage and Twelve Realms—comprehending the heavens and earth, creating your own world, breaking free from the world... this too is living, but living for oneself. James Smith's heart was stirred; he truly yearned for it.

"Third Stage, Twelve Realms?" George Baker just smiled and changed the subject: "In my cultivation journey, I broke through nine levels and survived two tribulations, but in the end, I got stuck at the tenth level, 'Joyful Child.'"

James Smith was taken aback: "Didn't you just say that after breaking through the Boundless and surviving the Thunderfire Tribulation, you could forge an immortal body? How could..."

The Third Stage and Twelve Realms require first achieving the immortal body, then beginning to nurture the primordial spirit. George Baker had already cultivated the "Wish-Fulfilling Embryo" in the primordial spirit stage—how could he possibly die?

Chapter 9: There’s a Girl Over There

To this question, George Baker was not at all impatient; instead, his eyes showed approval. After all, he had just explained a series of realms that ordinary people had never even heard of. If one wasn't listening intently, it would be impossible to grasp the progression of these levels. The fact that James Smith could ask this showed he was listening carefully and remembering well.

"Breaking through the Boundless and surviving the Thunderfire Tribulation can indeed refine an immortal body, but that only means your body won't die on its own—it doesn't mean it can't be destroyed by external force... Cultivation is an act against the heavens; the Dao of Heaven won't give you endless time to slowly cultivate. From the moment you enter the 'Wish-Fulfilling Embryo' stage and begin nurturing your primordial spirit, no matter how long you could otherwise live, you have only three thousand years! When time is up, whether you're at the Wish-Fulfilling Embryo, Joyful Child, or any other stage, the heavenly tribulation will strike directly. If you survive, you move on; if not, your body and Dao perish, and you return to the cycle of reincarnation!"

"From the moment I crossed the eighth realm and began nurturing my primordial spirit until now, it's been exactly three thousand years, yet my primordial spirit is still immature. I haven't even formed the 'Wandering Child,' so how could I be qualified to comprehend the 'Great Freedom Inquiry'? But to survive the final heavenly tribulation, I must comprehend some earth-shattering technique from that 'Great Freedom Inquiry.' As I am now, I have not the slightest hope of surviving the tribulation."

His words were a bit rambling and awkward, but Jack Smith could still understand, and nodded immediately. Just then, a piercing, mournful howl suddenly came from afar, followed by a sudden gale! As soon as the wind touched his body, James Smith immediately felt unbearable pain. If George Baker hadn't instantly enveloped him in a watery light, James Smith had no doubt that the gale would have ripped the flesh from his bones.

The wild wind surged from all directions, rushing toward the source of the howl, and in an instant, it blew away the layers of gloomy mist that filled the world. As his vision cleared, James Smith suddenly saw that the distant mountain was actually a gigantic stone statue of a man:

James Smith had never seen such a "casual" giant stone carving.

Sword-like brows, starry eyes, a prominent nose, a tuft of short beard on his chin, faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and brows—he looked to be middle-aged, but it was easy to imagine he had been a strikingly handsome man in his youth.

He wore a long robe, the collar open to reveal his chest, facing the wind. It was a seated statue, but unlike the solemn, upright postures of Buddha, Laozi, or other deities, this middle-aged man simply sat on the ground, one leg stretched out, the other bent, gazing down at the world with a half-smile.

It was a statue, but lifelike—the figure was dashing, unrestrained, not exactly arrogant but by no means humble.

The mournful howling continued, coming from the direction of the giant stone statue.

"There's a girl over there, always carving that statue, and no one knows how long she's been at it. She and that old Daoist eating noodles both ignore outsiders, and they don't pay attention to each other either. As long as we don't provoke them, we'll be fine." George Baker had explored the Lantern Realm before and was familiar with the situation here.

"Is she pretty?" James Smith blurted out, and once the words were out, there was no taking them back.

"Very pretty, looks about your age." Grandmaster Baker wasn't always so serious, and actually answered James Smith, then added, "In this world, besides you, me, the old Daoist, and the girl, there’s no one else."

After a while, the piercing howls finally ceased, the terrifying gale stopped as well, and the mist rose again, once more obscuring the mountain-sized statue.

George Baker paid it no mind, withdrew the protective divine light from James Smith, and continued the previous topic:

"Fifteen years ago, a crack appeared in the mountain-guarding formation of the Sky-reaching Monastery. I figured my tribulation was approaching, so I went to try my luck, to see if I could find some extraordinary treasure to help me quickly advance my cultivation. My luck was pretty good—I found a saber, a whetstone, a scroll of demonic arts, a token, and a lamp. Since they were all together, I naturally took them all at once."

James Smith couldn't help but touch the ox-cleaving knife, the stone, and the token George Baker had just given him, all in his satchel.