Chapter Fifty-Two: Is the Fifth Realm Truly So Difficult?

The ancient texts speak of the Fifth Realm Nascent Soul as the stroke that brings the dragon to life on the path of cultivation, marking one as having entered the true halls of wisdom. Once this realm is attained, one may draw upon the essence of sun and moon, dine on clouds and drink dew, needing no mortal sustenance, and longevity increases; one can walk upon air, lay the foundation for the Taoist cultivation of Yang Spirit, or for the Confucian nurturing of righteous energy—so forth and so on.

The Fifth Realm signifies, in every sense, the true separation from ordinary mortals; the path one walks becomes fully formed. The road to immortality is harsh, ten realms in all, and every boundary between realms is more than a fragile paper window waiting to be pierced. Especially between the Fourth and Fifth Realms, the chasm is perilous—if one cannot awaken to the true nature of their path, advancement is nearly impossible.

Yet Pei Xiunian, due to his unique status, skipped a step entirely; thus, from the moment he encountered cultivation, he was surrounded by towering figures of the age—the likes of the demon sect’s notorious mistress, the Grand Fatekeeper of the Celestial Observatory… Even the assassins targeting him hailed from famous sects and mighty clans. Among the younger generation, all were prodigies—either at the peak of the Fourth Realm or already in the Fifth, and some, like a certain young sword cultivator, managed to cross that treacherous threshold with ease after only a few days’ absence.

Such stark contrasts, subtly shaping his perceptions, led Pei Xiunian to subconsciously believe that the Fifth Realm was as common as cabbages strewn across the earth… In truth, countless cultivators spent their whole lives never reaching it, dying in obscurity.

Pei Xiunian stood on the open ground outside the Divine Mechanism Battalion. White-robed disciples were combing through the shattered fragments of puppets, demolished by Luo Xiaoning’s single strike, trying to deduce their batch of origin. Pei Xiunian gazed absently at Luo Xiaoning’s back as she sat cross-legged, spinning her long spear in her hands, pausing mid-spin to stretch lazily.

On the ground before her, five cracks were clearly visible, stretching several yards long, their damage being mended at a pace visible to the naked eye thanks to the capital’s protective formation. The destructive power of such a strike, if unleashed outside the capital, was beyond Pei Xiunian’s imagination.

So, in this world, some truly could cleave mountains and sever rivers with a single sword…

By her appearance, Luo Xiaoning was barely in her jade years—fifteen or sixteen at most—yet had already achieved Nascent Soul. Her future prospects were truly boundless.

Since returning to the capital, Pei Xiunian’s horizons had broadened. He’d heard of a ranking called the Xuan Tian List, said to be filled with renowned young prodigies. Jiang Yunhe, for instance, ranked near the top. Perhaps, then, all those heroes at Jiangdu City were there to chase after such stars…

If Luo Xiaoning ventured into the world, her name would surely appear on the Xuan Tian List as well.

He wondered whether she or Jiang Yunhe was stronger, but both were destined for greatness…

Jiang Yunhe’s path was clear to see, but Pei Xiunian couldn’t fathom what Luo Xiaoning’s Dao was.

Taking advantage of the lull while awaiting the Divine Mechanism Battalion’s verdict, Pei Xiunian sat cross-legged beside Luo Xiaoning.

Noticing him sit down, Luo Xiaoning turned her head, shook her casually tied ponytail, and grinned, “See? I didn’t lie, did I? Am I impressive or not?”

Pei Xiunian responded with a respectful gesture, “Senior Sister Luo is indeed extraordinarily gifted.”

Luo Xiaoning was delighted, holding up one finger, “Rounding up, you could say I saved you. Don’t you think it’s only fair, given your noble status, for you to take me to Suxiang Pavilion for a few baskets of soup dumplings?”

She wasn’t wrong. Without her, who knew what might have happened if those puppets breached the Divine Mechanism Battalion. He hadn’t been cautious enough, leaving no backup. The Empress Dowager’s heart-protecting mirror could have blocked the puppets, but revealing such a life-saving artifact too soon would have triggered a series of consequences.

The everyday puppets used by the Battalion lacked combat capability; those on the second floor were mostly dismantled…

Pei Xiunian glanced at the window frame where Luo Xiaoning had knocked out a head-shaped dent, then smiled, “Naturally, that’s no issue. Once these matters are resolved, I’ll certainly thank the Junior Fatekeeper for her aid.”

Luo Xiaoning followed his gaze, saw the dent she’d made, and scratched her head sheepishly.

The Battalion’s skills were surely enough to repair it—no need for her, a future half-patron, to pay for damages… assuming the Battalion wasn’t disbanded.

She pointed to the window frame and whispered, “This matter needs your discretion, Your Highness.”

As the Junior Fatekeeper of the Celestial Observatory, such antics were sure to be mocked. Not that she cared much about her reputation, but it would affect the Observatory’s standing…

Well, actually, she wasn’t bothered by the Observatory’s image; her teacher always said to follow her heart.

The real problem was if her Grand Fatekeeper teacher found out, she’d be punished with endless copying of “Think Twice Before Acting” and the like…

“No problem,” Pei Xiunian assured her, “But Senior Sister Luo must treat me to Suxiang Pavilion, and we’ll call it even…”

“That’s not how it works.”

Luo Xiaoning suddenly said, her gaze turning crystal clear.

“You’re treating me because you owe me a favor, so you pay. But if I treat you, it’s the Observatory that owes the favor, so they pay—I get two free meals out of it.”

Pei Xiunian was puzzled, “Why the Observatory?”

Luo Xiaoning explained, “My reputation affects the Observatory’s, but I don’t care about my own, so naturally the Observatory pays!”

She stood with her hands on her hips, eyes bright, her face practically declaring, “I’m not foolish.”

This Junior Fatekeeper was spirited in the oddest ways… Pei Xiunian gave up trying to talk her around, simply saying, “Alright, when time allows, certainly.”

His gaze lingered on the peculiar long spear resting on her legs, and he asked, “Senior Sister Luo, what weapon is this?”

Luo Xiaoning pondered a moment, then replied earnestly, “I don’t know.”

Such brazen ignorance was baffling…

Pei Xiunian mentally grumbled, then heard her continue, “I made it myself. There’s only one in the world. I heard that spears are weakest within seven steps.”

“So I tinkered around—these iron chains and joints can be used directly, and the final product is just this, wherever inspiration took me. Since it was made so casually, I named it ‘Casual.’”

A truly casual name… yet fitting the Observatory’s philosophy.

Pei Xiunian glanced at the swarm of Battalion disciples, still controlling puppets to extinguish flames and searching near the clan’s pill workshop for any survivors.

He continued questioning Luo Xiaoning, “Senior Sister Luo, when you broke through to the Fifth Realm, what was your Dao?”

Now it was Luo Xiaoning’s turn to look puzzled. She asked, surprised, “You need to ponder your Dao for the Fifth Realm? Is breaking through really that hard?”

She scratched her head, “I recall my Grand Fatekeeper teacher punished me with copying texts, and I secretly bribed… well, that’s not important. Anyway, I sneaked off to a waterside pavilion outside the Yangtze, fished and napped, and then just broke through…”

Such a carefree attitude left Pei Xiunian stunned. Even he, a transmigrator rather than a native, felt bewildered.

If someone who’d been stuck at the Fourth Realm for years heard this, they’d probably cough up blood on the spot and be carted away…

From her words, Pei Xiunian finally understood the Dao Luo Xiaoning pursued: “casualness.”

The Celestial Observatory’s teachings spoke of formlessness, acting as one pleases. Luo Xiaoning truly embodied this—doing whatever she wished. Though her mind rarely lingered on serious matters, he had to admit that few in the world possessed her state of heart.

No wonder she breezed through Nascent Soul—it must be Heaven’s own blessing…