Cultivation Online

Chapter 2558 Gaiaʼs Sanctum(2)

Hearing Yuanʼs question, Officer Mei explained, ”The nine standard ranks of Heavenly Refinement are arranged from lowest to highest: Heavenly Refinement, Tempered Heavenly Refinement, Superior Heavenly Refinement, Supreme Heavenly Refinement, Inexhaustible Heavenly Refinement, Imperious Heavenly Refinement, Indestructible Heavenly Refinement, Invincible Heavenly Refinement, and Perfected Heavenly Refinement.”

”So your mother disguised my physique as the third lowest rank, huh? I guess that makes sense, considering my low cultivation,” Yuan muttered with a thoughtful expression.

He then asked, ”What about you? What rank is your physique at?”

”Iʼm currently at Supreme Heavenly Refinement,” she revealed.

”Is that impressive? Whatʼs the average physique rank in this world?” Yuan then asked.

”The average person who doesnʼt really focus on their cultivation usually stops at Tempered Heavenly Refinement. Meanwhile, those who put in a little more effort will achieve Superior Heavenly Refinement, and those who are serious about their cultivation will reach Supreme Heavenly Refinement,” she replied.

”As for Inexhaustible Heavenly Refinement and the ranks above it, only those who join the military can attain them. The technique and resources required to reach those levels are heavily restricted.”

”Now that I think about it, what is the difference between the ranks of the physique?” Yuan continued to ask. ”Even though I possess Perfected Heavenly Refinement, it doesnʼt seem to affect my cultivation speed.”

”That… I am not too sure about. All I know is that itʼs better to have a higher-ranked physique. As for the details, you can ask my mother.”

”Alright.”

Some time later, they stepped on the teleportation platform, and Officer Mei teleported them directly to Gaiaʼs Sanctum.

”This is… Gaiaʼs Sanctum?” Yuan muttered in a daze as he examined his surroundings with wide eyes.

He found himself inside a vast indoor stadium so immense that its walls could not be seen with the naked eye.

The floor was covered in marble-like tiles, and tens of thousands of people filled the area, with most of them staring intently at the projections suspended above.

When Yuan looked at one of the many projections, he saw two individuals engaged in battle in an arena surrounded by water, as if they were in the middle of the sea.

”I can improve my cultivation here…?” Yuan asked aloud, wearing a dumbfounded expression. ”How does that even work? I was expecting trials, but this just looks like a series of sparring matches.”

”There are three types of trials you can participate in,” Officer Mei explained. ”The first is called One Above All, one-on-one matches where you fight someone of a similar ranking, climbing higher as you win. The second is Last Man Standing, where a hundred people fight until only one remains. The third is Endless Assault, where you must fight artificial beings created by the system until you are defeated.”

”If you perform well during a trial, the system will reward you. Most of the time, those rewards come in the form of a boost to your cultivation.”

”...”

Yuan was left speechless by these so-called trials.

ʼThis feels like something straight out of a video game…ʼ he thought to himself.

”So, which trial increases my cultivation the fastest?” Yuan asked a moment later.

”That depends on whichever one you think youʼll do the best at. After all, the higher rank you achieve, the more your cultivation increases.”

Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, ”What happens if I rank high in all three of them? Do I get three times the reward?”

Officer Mei raised an eyebrow and responded, ”I guess so.”

”Then Iʼll start with the one-on-one matches,” Yuan then said. ”Where do I go to get started?”

”Follow me.”

As Yuan followed Officer Mei, he thought to himself, ʼThe cultivation in this world is so exaggerated and inflated that it feels… somewhat pointless.ʼ

He couldnʼt fathom why the system was handing out cultivation levels like some sort of currency.

ʼEven if they have a high cultivation, itʼs not like they can do anything with it… Nor does it increase their longevity. So what is the point? Why is everyone cultivating?ʼ

Although Yuan was deeply puzzled by this world, he had a feeling that the military held the answers he sought.

Realizing there was no point in pondering over something with no clear answers, Yuan decided to just focus on improving his cultivation and increasing his Credential Rank.

Some time later, they arrived at the reception.

”My friend would like to sign up for the one-on-one matches,” Officer Mei said to one of the workers there while pointing at Yuan.

The worker looked at Yuan and asked him, ”Have you been here before?”

”No, this is my first time.”

”In that case, we will need to register you first.”

The worker gestured at the machine before her and said, ”Please.”

Already used to this routine, Yuan shoved his hand into the machine without a word.

[Name: Yuan]

[Cultivation: First Level Second Ascension]

[Physique: Superior Heavenly Refinement]

[Credential Rank: 3]

The worker raised an eyebrow after seeing Yuanʼs low cultivation.

”Are you sure you want to participate in One Above All? I suggest starting with Endless Assault to get a feel for it since this is your first time.”

Hearing this, Yuan asked, ”Does oneʼs cultivation matter in the one-on-one matches?”

”Of course it does. While you wonʼt need to worry too much in the beginning, since you will first be matched against those at the bottom of the rankings, there will still be a gap in cultivation, as most people do not participate in One Above All until they have reached at least the Third Ascension. If youʼre unlucky, you could even encounter someone at Fourth Ascension.”

”Meanwhile, Endless Assault is more beginner-friendly because your opponents are artificial and will be matched to your cultivation level.”

Yuan pondered for a moment before responding with an excited smile.

”Sign me up for One Above All.”

”…”

The worker stared at Yuan in stunned silence for a moment and shook his head inwardly.

ʼHeʼll learn the hard way.ʼ