Chapter 12.5
The two fog spiritual roots exercises they found were low-level exercises, and not perfect, the highest they can cultivate to is early stage Jindan, afterwards, a breakthrough was impossible. Zhou Yun Sheng examined them for a few days then threw them away.
Then there was the "Nine chaotic circles body refining technique”, this cultivation method could be described as extravagant. The first circle was a skin refining technique, it required ten thousand years" worth of spiritual essence, ten thousand years of Zhi flesh, an extract of each of the five elements, ten thousand years" worth of Bao spiritual fruit, and other priceless treasures blended into a liquid drug. After being immersed in it for 7 times 7 or 49 days, your skin would become invincible.
The second circle was a bone refining technique, it required a Devil Pill, Pone Purifying Pill, Condensed Jade Pill, a Gold Pill and more than a dozen more of the top level medicinal pills, then the bones would be refined into immortal bones. Don"t even mention how difficult this stage was, collecting the ingredients for just one of those medicinal pills was a very long process.
The third circle was for hardening the five viscera and six bowels, the fourth circle was to harden the eight arteries, the fifth circle to refine the spiritual openings, the sixth circle to refine the dantian, the seventh circle to refine the Zifu, the eighth circle to refine the Yin sprit, the ninth circle to refine the Yang spirit, each circle required extremely precious spiritual herbs or medicinal pills, otherwise it would result in last minute failure.
However, once you cultivated the ninth circle, you"d have immortal flesh, every part of your body would be indestructible, and you would be turned into a G.o.d-like weapon.
After reading the jade book, Zhou Yun Sheng had to sigh for the son of fate"s indulgence from heavenly law. With this cultivation method, forget about the ninth circle, even just practicing to the seventh circle would make you the most powerful person in Grand Heaven World. No matter if it was forty-nine tribulations, sixty-nine tribulations, or ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations, they could easily be defeated.
Fortunately, Zong Yi had taken away the cultivation method, basically taking away a big opportunity for Song Yufei. However, for the protagonist this was an opportunity, in the hands of a cannon fodder, it was a disaster. If you temporarily put away the fact that this cultivation method was against the natural order, even the names of these strange medicinal pills and spiritual herbs could not be found in Grand Heaven World.
Zhou Yun Sheng returned the jade book to Zong Yi and sighed, “This method is good, but I"m afraid the required spiritual herbs can"t be found here. It"s incomplete, no use taking it."
Zong Yi gave it a slight once over, then said in an unconcerned tone, "Master will refine the medicinal pills, master can also find the spiritual herbs. From the spirit world to the demon world, there"s no place master cannot go. Small disciple is thinking too much, practice the first circle first. Heavenly law doesn"t tolerate the two of us, before you even get to Jindan Qi, you will probably experience ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations, so this body refining technique is useful."
Zhou Yun Sheng nodded thoughtfully. He was all too clear on how determined heavenly law was to kill him, not only Jindan Qi, probably every breakthrough in the future would be punished by ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations. Heavenly law bullied the weak while cowering from the strong, it couldn"t do anything to his lover, so it picked on him to make up for it.
He would let it pick on him for now, but sooner or later, he would cut off its hands.
Seeing his small disciple"s suddenly ferocious, then suddenly contemptuous, then suddenly sneering, then suddenly richly adorable expressions, Zong Yi"s heart couldn"t help but tremble, wanting to pull the boy up onto his knee to hug and pinch him.
The medicines required for the first circle wasn"t precious to Zong Yi, he took them out from his ring, placing them one by one in the shattered jade spiritual pool. After waiting for 7 times 7 or 49 days, his small disciple"s skin really did become l.u.s.trous like jade, yet tough and matchless. Then he led them to Grand Heaven World’s Great Fog Border to cultivate.
They first went to the hallucinogenic fog border, most of the cultivators who entered this place were trapped by illusions, unable to break away, eventually dying from using up all their spiritual energy. The fog here not only reflected light to form a life-like mirage, it also reflected the hidden secrets in the cultivators" heart, leading them to produce internal demons.
They were not killed by external forces, they also tortured themselves to death.
Zhou Yun Sheng wandered in the fog for two years, appreciating the countless demons and monsters, he moved on after he fully absorbed the fog"s spiritual energy.
Then they visited the Devil Realm"s Poisonous Miasma Land. Here had perennial poisonous fog, its toxins not only corroded the cultivator"s body, it also damaged their dantian. Even worse, it attached itself to the cultivator"s Yuanshen, slowly draining away their life force over time.
“It sounds scary, but you only need to cover the surface of your body with a layer of spiritual energy to isolate yourself, then the poisonous fog becomes negligible. The fog"s damage to a cultivator is really limited." Zhou Yun Sheng came out from the poison fog after standing in it for 49 days and reported.
Zong Yi waved his hand, “You need to stand in it for another 49 days.”
Zhou Yun Sheng complied silently, he stood in the fog for another 49 days, but on the last day, his face suddenly paled and his lips turned purple. When he finally saw Zong Yi"s silhouette appear in the poison fog, he was weak and half kneeling on the ground.
Although he"d covered the surface of his body with a layer of spiritual energy, his skin and robe was still covered with the water droplets, making the poison fog somehow penetrate his defenses and invade his body. This process was so slow and noiseless, he actually hadn"t noticed until the last minute.
Zong Yi immediately embraced him, fed him a grain of Purge Pill, then gave him some of his own spiritual power to help him dissolve the toxins in his body.
“Feel better?” He tenderly touched his small disciple"s cheek.
“Much better.” Zhou Yun Sheng nodded and laughed softly, "This poisonous fog can unexpectedly attach itself to spiritual energy, as long as I absorb aura, I couldn"t avoid poison damage. But, is there a cultivator in this world who doesn"t need to absorb spiritual energy? No, so this is the most basic yet the most powerful way a fog spiritual roots cultivator can fight, by refining his own fog to attach to spiritual energy."
Who said fog spiritual roots was the most useless and weakest spiritual roots? When they really understood the horror of fog, they would never think so again.
Fog was liquefied gas, yet also vaporized liquid, it could be as tangible as intangible, or as intangible as tangible. It was born out of thin air, spreading everywhere in the blink of an eye. Its greatest characteristic was diffusion, invasion, and attachment, seemingly harmless, but it could mix the power of the five elements together to form a very destructive weapon.
It was actually a substance that could encompa.s.s everything, even without a physical form, it could cause devastating damage to the cultivation base.
Zhou Yun Sheng smiled, he took out a jade book and slowly engraved a few words: Fog Arts. One, convert fog; two, fog convert; three, convert fog.
These words were repeated. Combined together, there was no way to make heads or tails of it, but Zong Yi just glanced over it slightly with his spiritual awareness and suddenly nodded, “Well done."
“You can understand it?” Zhou Yun Sheng raised his eyebrows.
Zong Yi opened up his robe and wrapped his small disciple in his arms, then slowly said, "First convert fog, make mist, compress spiritual energy into a liquid fog form in your field, then confront your enemies in this field for half the work, twice the effect. Two fog convert, turn your body into fog, making your physical body incorporeal, you can hide, attack, escape; Three, convert fog… …"
Here Zong Yi"s eyes brightened and he sighed admiringly, "Make all living things into fog, if you cultivate to this point, as long as you raise your hand, anything can become intangible, provided that the cultivation base of the cultivator or device is lower than yours. You could dissipate them into fog instantly with a touch. It"s the most powerful technique master has ever seen in his life. So master said "Well done"."
Zhou Yun Sheng engraved the jade book while nodding, the contents he was recording and Zong Yi"s interpretation were basically the same. He was completely immersed in his own mind, constantly modifying the jade book pressed against his forehead with his soul until it was perfect.
Zong Yi took him away from Devil Realm Poisonous Miasma Land, found a spiritual energy rich Immortal Cave, wrapped him in his arms and settled down. The two sat like this for three years.
Three years later, Zhou Yun Sheng had fully engraved the jade book and handed it to Zong Yi, smiling, "Help me edit."
Zong Yi carefully read the fog conversion article and added in a time and s.p.a.ce law. Once the two laws were fused, those who cultivated this method could become fog spirits with a range of thousands of miles, the whole world was their field. When they concealed themselves, no one could find their trail, and they could even turn themselves into water vapor to attach themselves to any cultivator"s clothes or magic tools, to come and go as they pleased without boundaries.
Zhou Yun Sheng took the jade book and meditated on it for a long time, then asked, "Since it can attach to the bodily surface of cultivators, can it invade their dantian or Zifu through spiritual energy?” As for what he would do after the invasion, the answer was self-evident.
The more he perfected the method, the more treacherous and unpredictable it became, it seemed to become less like a righteous sect cultivation method, and more like a devil sect method.
Zong Yi was also aware of this, but he didn"t pay it any mind, he rubbed the back of his small disciple"s head and said, "You should be able to, but you also need to confuse the cultivator"s sanity to succeed. Know this, it’s dangerous behavior to enter someone"s internal organs, their Yuanshen can attack and kill you at any moment."
Zhou Yun Sheng nodded, but thought: I only need to draw poisonous fog into the Yuanshen to destroy it, then it"s no longer dangerous. The fog itself is unpredictable, because of its source, I can produce an unnatural and matchless cultivation method. Once I cultivate to its end, I could let out a fog that can instantly kill untold numbers of cultivators in a radius of thousands of miles.
Fog spiritual roots weren"t junk spiritual roots, this time, heavenly law would face severe despair.
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They traveled the Great Fog Border, perfecting the cultivation method little by little. In the final two years, Zong Yi brought his small disciple to Grand Heaven World"s most spiritual energy abundant and most dangerous immortal mountain for experience.
Because the spiritual energy was excessively rich and compressed, it became tiny droplets suspended in the air, it was also perennially shrouded in white fog in the center, where even objects five meters away were not visible. The areas where the spiritual energy was more agitated formed a strong spiritual whirlpool that could entangle a Dujie Qi master and twist them into pieces.
Therefore, even if the immortal mountain had rich spiritual energy, very few cultivators would dare visit it.
Zong Yi pointed to the thick fog in front of them and said, "Absorb that. Suck in as much as you can, master will stand here to guard you.”
Zhou Yun Sheng licked his lip and hoa.r.s.ely said, "Master, although this place is abundant in spiritual energy, enough for me to absorb, I have a faster cultivation exercise I wanted to try."
“What cultivation method?”
“Double exercise.” Zhou Yun Sheng stared at his lover with hot eyes. He had already endured for eight years, it really hadn"t been easy, and he"d never been the celibate type.
Zong Yi fixed his eyes on him, his eyes darkening.
Zhou Yun Sheng saw his solemn expression and stiff body, like he couldn"t accept turning his back on the ethics of mentor and student, and couldn"t help but sigh in his heart: This reincarnation of his lover not only has face paralysis, he doesn"t understand amorous feelings, too obsessed with cultivation. What an unlucky break ah! Guess he has to wait a while longer.
He waved his hand, about to say that he was joking, when he saw Zong Yi hand over a jade book, his voice hoa.r.s.e, "This is the double exercise method I selected, memorize all the positons for when we practice again.”
Zhou Yun Sheng took the jade book and pressed it against his forehead, then his mouth couldn"t help but twitch. This so-called method was actually a number of mating poses, they looked very wild, very p.o.r.nographic, the degree of shame was simply enough to break through the horizon.
If the man hadn"t prepared in advance, how could he take out a double exercise jade book the moment he said he wanted one? While he was recording the cultivation method, the man had watched him from the side, this idea clearly already well ripened in his mind. He couldn"t guess how many times the man had browsed through it! Zhou Yun Sheng ferociously glared at Zong Yi, sure enough, bad habits were hard to break, no matter who the man became, he would always be a big s.e.x fiend, just occasionally his openness changed to cold on the outside but pa.s.sionate on the inside.
Zong Yi"s heart grew hot at the look of his glaring, glittering peach eyes, but his expression was even more solemn, he asked, "You memorized it?"
Zhou Yun Sheng hesitatingly nodded, but he still got up.
"That"s good.” Zong Yi laid out an array, isolating them from all outside nuisances, then he stripped off his clothes and sat cross – legged on the ground, he straightforwardly beckoned to his small disciple, "Come into my arms."
Zhou Yun Sheng bit the bullet and walked over, he undid his sash, then sat between Zong Yi"s arms, face to face, his legs wrapped around his waist. The two drew in qi together and were soon immersed in cultivation, the surrounding spiritual energy formed a huge whirlpool, flowing into the two"s foreheads, thinning out the surrounding mist.
For two years, Zong Yi sent his own Yuanyang into his small disciple"s stomach for refining, he also sucked in his small disciple"s Yuanyang, for the first time, his cold face exposed a satisfied and well fed expression.
Zhou Yun Sheng woke up from two years of pleasure, his cheeks red, his eyes wet, his brow scrunched in pa.s.sion. He clung onto Zong Yi"s strong arms, panting, he heard a slight chuckle as Zong Yi withdrew from his body, and all the hair on his body, from top to bottom, stood erect.
Zong Yi draped his robe over his shoulder, then opened solemnly, "Small disciple needs to seize the time to cultivate. As soon as your Gold Core breaks into Yuanying, we can use the Yuanshen double exercise. The feeling will be very different, and your progress will shot forward rapidly."
Zhou Yun Sheng just glared at him silently. It"s only natural that he knew what it felt like to use the Yuanshen double exercise, similar to the last life when their souls and bodies were directly entangled, although the pleasure was now should be numerous times that.
Please don"t use such a serious expression and tone to say such a shameful thing, I"ve long seen through your perverted motives! He pinched Zong Yi"s pecks.
Zong Yi took his hand and held it up to his lips, printing a kiss, his tone full of indulgence, "Small disciple shouldn"t behave naughtily, if we do the double exercise again, we"ll miss the sect"s grand tournament.”
The sect tournament? Zhou Yun Sheng immediately put on his robe and checked his dantian. The miniature black hole was suspended in the middle of his dantian, with stars occasionally flashing, the outer transparent sh.e.l.l had turned into a pale golden color, giving people a very abstruse feeling.
“What rank am I now? Jindan?” He asked, puzzled.
Zong Yi looked into his body, saw the golden stone, and was also silent.
While they were pandering, dark clouds suddenly gathered above them, rumbling thunder rolling over from the horizon. Well then, he was undoubtedly at Jindan.
The dark clouds grew thicker, lightning shuttling like a purple dragon within the clouds, judging from its momentum, it should be ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations.
Zhou Yun Sheng sneered, “It seems that heavenly law really doesn"t tolerate us. Master, move back so you don"t get affected.” These past few years, he had continued perfecting his cultivation method while also refining his body. He"d restored half of his original soul force, and he"d cultivate the body refining technique to the sixth circle, he should have no problem bearing the lightning tribulations.
Zong Yi silently moved out of the scope of the tribulation clouds. If heavenly law became aware of his presence, there would certainly be another ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations to join with the first, which would be troublesome.
Zhou Yun Sheng had already experienced a cultivation world, he knew the feeling of bearing lighting tribulations, but this time was harder to bear than ever before. His body was scorched by one menacing layer after another, if he hadn"t cultivated the body refining technique, he would"ve long been dead and vaporized. The stone in his dantian kept shaking, the lightning tribulations being sucked into his internal organs, almost making his body explode.
The stone was usually easy to use, but he hadn"t expected to receive such an unfair challenge before Dujie. Zhou Yun Sheng couldn"t back out, he could only brave through it. When he was on his last breath, the ninety-nine lighting tribulations finally completely fell, and the influx of spiritual energy restored his near death body to top strength.
He looked at his dantian, the sh.e.l.l wrapped around the black vortex was even more golden, faint purple lightning coursing within. The black whirlpool could absorb spiritual energy and the force of the five elements, naturally, it could also absorb the power of lightning. If used with Fog Arts, the power would be greatly improved. This could be considered a blessing in disguise.
Zhou Yun Sheng gave a satisfied smile and stepped out of the charred land.
Zong Yi stretched out his arms to embrace him, then looked up at the sky, killing intent flicking across his gaze.
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Grand Elder had never taken a step out of Promise Immortal Sect for his 400 years of life. This time he traveled with his small disciple for ten years. In this decade, two Dasheng Qi elders were defeated by lightning tribulations and fell, resulting in unstable moral among Promise Immortal Sect followers.
Will Grand Elder come back? He cultivated the Shattered Heaven Sword Path, had he also faced difficulty and fell? The disciples gossiped amongst themselves, most hoping to see Grand Elder safe and sound again. If Grand Elder fell, Promise Immortal Sect would lose its status as first sect, even worse, it would also be suppressed by the other major sects.
However, Song Yufei and Mo Yu didn"t want Grand Elder to come back. During the past ten years, they felt more and more inferior. Mo Yu couldn"t get rid of the internal demons" control, so her cultivation base had not progressed an inch. Song Yufei was being complete ostracized within the sect, even his disciple brothers in First Thunder Peak also shunned him as if he was a viper.
Whenever he took on a group task, the other team members would always force him to withdraw for a variety of reasons. No one wanted to cooperate with a person who would harm his sect brother for self-interest, they were fearful of Fang Wen Guang"s shady death.
But Song Yufei couldn"t back out, so he could only work with his First Thunder Peak brothers on group tasks as much as possible. But even though they didn"t outright reject him, they gave him the silent treatment, excluding him. The same situation occurred several times before Song Yufei felt bored and he went out by himself to gain experience. Fortunately, he had the Mysterious Immortal in the jade pendant to protect him, safe and secure, and with her knowledge, experience, and extraordinary spiritual awareness, she helped him find a few secret Immortal Caves, a few priceless treasures, and an ancient cultivation method, making his strength increase by leaps and bounds.
When he came back for the sect tournament, he was already late stage Jindan, considered the top student among the disciples from his term.
Chi Xiao Zhenren stood on an elegant platform to look over and encourage the disciples, among the audience, Zou Yiming whispered a question, “Do you think Grand Elder and Fang Xinghai might not come back? Didn"t he sign a life and death contract with junior sister? He"d also said he"d get revenge on you and me."
“Perhaps they already died outside.” Mo Yu said with a cold and gloomy expression.
Song Yufei smiled and waved his hand, "Things of this world are unpredictable, maybe they will come back in the next moment.”
His words were really fulfilled, immediately, a black sword streaked through the sky, directly pa.s.sing through the Inner Sect"s large defense array. It stopped over the tournament field, and Grand Elder stepped off carrying his small disciple.
The two people were wearing exactly the same style of black patterned robe, the same white jade hairpin, only one was tall and big, and the other was small and thin. An extraordinarily handsome and cold face, a gentle yokai face, although their temperament was different, standing together, they were very harmonious.
Chi Xiao Zhenren immediately ended his lecture and led the crowd through the starting ceremony.
Zong Yi dully asked, "The grand tournament started already?"
“It"s been a few days. The Zhuji Qi disciples" tournament ended yesterday, today is the Jindan Qi disciples" tournament.” Chi Xiao Zhenren secretly checked Fang Xinghai"s cultivation base, but he couldn"t sense his strength.
“So it"s begun.” Zong Yi walked toward the elders" section, habitual stretching out his arms so his small disciple could seat on his knee.
Zhou Yun Sheng gave him a warning glance, then moved to stand behind his seat.
Mo Yu looked back and stared fixedly at Fang Xinghai, her heart full of killing intent. Zou Yiming let out an annoyed humph, looking at Fang Xinghai with extreme disdain.
Song Yufei un.o.btrusively scrutinized the two people and asked in his heart, "What is Fang Xinghai"s cultivation base now?"
The woman sent out her spiritual awareness to give him a once over, then slowly smiled, "He"s just early stage Jindan, not your opponent."
Zong Yi was aware of the woman’s spiritual awareness touching his small disciple, his expression chilled. He glanced at them, sending out a thread of black divine light along his line of sight to penetrate the jade pendant, hitting the woman in the chest, making her almost involuntarily cry out in pain. He projected into the woman’s mind in an ice cold voice, "Don"t spy on my small disciple, if there"s a next time, you will face terrifying consequences."
He was able to attack her with only his eyesight, this was the first time the women really understood the dreadful power of Ding Guang Zhenren. Cultivators of the Shattered Heaven Sword Path really were defying the natural order in order to exist, those Immortal Seniors in the Immortal World who only recognized strong powers, like that of the previous Emperor, should really come to Grand Heaven World to examine him.
The woman pulled her spiritual awareness back in, enduring the pain, and silently fled into her loft, putting down layers of defense arrays.
Song Yufei didn"t know that the woman was suffering, he got his answer and no longer inquired, turning his attention to the fights, relaxed.
Zong Yi summoned Chi Xiao Zhenren to his side, pointed to his small disciple and said, "Mo Yu, Zou Yiming, and Song Yufei are small Xing"s opponents. Ten years ago, they made a vow, do you remember?"
"I didn"t dare forget. Just one question for Grand Elder, if they accidentally injure your high disciple, how will they be handled?” Chi Xiao Zhenren probed.
"There"s nothing to handle, as the old saying goes, if I die, it"s because my skills are inferior, it has nothing to do with others, and of course, vice versa.” Zhou Yun Sheng raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Zong Yi gipped his wrist and harshly scolded, "I"ve told you many times, don"t carelessly mention your death!” Whenever he heard those words, his heart would always leap in alarm, his panic unbearable.
Zhou Yun Sheng"s cold expression immediately softened, he obediently promised, "I won"t say it anymore, this was the last time."
Zong Yi"s expression eased at this, he looked at Chi Xiao Zhenren, "You can arrange everything. If the sect tournament fights are fair, I won"t intervene."
Grand Elder had upright character, if he said he wouldn"t intervene, then he wouldn"t go back on his words. Chi Xiao Zhenren"s tensed heart loosened, he ordered the change to the compet.i.tion.
Mo Yu and Zou Yiming were eager, their killing intent surging. But Song Yufei was somewhat distress, he wanted to kill Fang Xinghai, but he feared offending the Grand Elder, whether to beat until half dead or beat until a third dead, this was the question.
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T/N:
Immortal Cave, Gold Core, Yuanying: See Glossary
Zhi -芝, Zoysia pungens – a purplish or brown mushroom thought to have miraculous powers.
Bao-爆, Explode or burst.
7 times 7 or 49 days- 七七四十九, I think this is the right translation.
Yuanyang- 元陽, idk, but I thinks is colloquialism for s.e.m.e.n. It"s only mentioned in this s.e.x scene.