Chapter 20: Cultivation, at Any Cost
According to the asura scripture, the Spirit Palace Xiao Ning was about to construct was no ordinary foundation.
Unlike traditional palaces formed from spiritual energy and willpower, this one would be forged from resentment—the boundless hatred of the dead. Its pillars would be made from compressed souls he had collected, each one acting as both anchor and fuel. This palace was meant to serve as his spirit’s lair, amplifying his connection to asura qi and dramatically enhancing his cultivation.
Closing his eyes, Xiao Ning visualized it taking form within his mind.
Walls of pitch-black stone rose in the void, faintly etched with pulsing crimson runes. Four massive pillars anchored the corners, each one carved from the wailing souls of the dead.
But such a construct came at a steep price.
The Asura Scripture was clear: to stabilize the Spirit Palace, a sacrifice was required—either ten Foundation Establishment cultivators or ten Spirit Palace cultivators. The method was brutal, but unavoidable. Without it, the structure would collapse, possibly destroying his dantian along with it.
In this cultivation world, breaking through the Spirit Awakening Realm forced a choice between two divergent paths: Foundation Establishment or Spirit Palace.
Those who followed the Foundation Establishment path developed vast internal reserves of qi. Their bodies became deep wells capable of storing immense energy, making them formidable in direct combat. More qi meant more strength, endurance, and explosive power—an attractive option for most martial cultivators.
In contrast, those who pursued the Spirit Palace path focused on cultivating spiritual sense. They developed sharper senses and gained the ability to perceive hidden forces, detect danger, and subtly manipulate the world around them with more ease.
Though less potent in raw battle, this path offered advantages in formation control, spiritual combat, and long-term enlightenment—benefits that only truly revealed their worth in the higher realms.
At lower levels, the difference between the two was minimal. But once cultivators stepped into the Divine Transformation Realm, the gap became stark.