Chapter 19: Flawless Body

The Zhang family was attacked by bandits at night, and the news that the imperial-bestowed plaque had been destroyed spread quickly the next day.

The imperial-bestowed plaque being destroyed by bandits forced even Fengxi County Magistrate Yang Qing to personally enter the Zhang family to investigate.

But after leaving the Zhang family, Yang Qing's old face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

"Zhang Family Head, wait!"

"Brother Yang, your righteousness is great; the Zhang family will first thank you!"

Zhang Yi followed behind like a spring breeze brushing the face.

In the attic of Square Forest Residence, Zhang Jian could see Yang Qing flick his sleeves and leave, while Zhang Yi and Zhang Kui walked out from the main hall.

Capturing the five alive members of the Northern Lands Five Heroes was tantamount to seizing Yang Qing's lifeline.

Yang Zhonghuai's collusion with bandits is solid evidence; if exposed, not only would Yang Zhonghuai be stripped of his rank and imprisoned, but even Yang Qing's official hat would not be saved.

The Zhang family would certainly not let this opportunity pass.

Zhang Yi is extremely shrewd.

This time they were not preparing to take advantage and cause trouble to drive Yang Qing away.

Causing trouble is certain.

But it is not to drive Yang Qing away.

Driving Yang Qing away would surely prompt the court to send another official, and then there would be a new 'Yang Qing'; it is undoubtedly better to grasp this leverage to control 'Yang Qing', seize the opportunity, and further consolidate the Zhang family's situation.

Of course, one can imagine that Yang Qing's nature would certainly not submit to long-term control; he would surely find a way to retaliate, but after this period, the Zhang family's power would surely advance further, at which point a mere Yang Qing would be nothing.

……

"Then, how should the Gu family be dealt with?"

Zhang Jian's eyes flickered as he pondered; such prominent clans as the Gu family are adept at assessing the situation.

Zhang Jian guessed that the two who made a move last night were likely connected to the Gu family, or perhaps the Upper Yuan Sect.

Now that we know of their existence, only two choices remain: either continue to act, or seek negotiation.

Zhang Jian's eyes flickered; he had never contacted the Gu family head, so he could not make an accurate judgment, but for now this is something Zhang Yi needs to worry about.

He does not intend to intervene.

Rash intervention would likely affect the Zhang family's unity.

Since ancient times, heirs of such great families must know their place, and Zhang Yi is still in his prime.

……

Inside the ancestral hall.

Zhang Jian and Zhang Yi now stood before that stone mirror; previously the clan's precious treasure suddenly emitted golden light, suppressing those paper figures, yet it made the two covetous.

Naturally, they wanted to study it.

But no matter how they studied, even if they infused spiritual power into their bodies, they could not move the stone mirror in the ancestral hall.

"The treasure has a spirit; it seems we have no affinity with it for now!"

Zhang Yi's face showed some regret at this moment.

"Perhaps we must wait until we two cultivate magical power, then we might be able to take it for our own use."

Zhang Jian didn't mind; even if the treasure couldn't be used, it's fine—it belongs to the Zhang family, and when our spiritual power rises in the future, there will surely be an opportunity.

What he currently needs is to truly complete the entry into the Dao and condense his own magical power.

Forging magical power is the beginning of longevity.

Magical power is tied to life and lifespan; no matter how abundant spiritual power is, it cannot let a cultivator break through their own lifespan limit.

Yet magical power, by seizing the creation of heaven and earth, can increase one's lifespan, possessing many wonderful uses, equivalent to the foundation of cultivation.

Moreover, now that chaotic times are approaching, the Zhang family also needs a strong person who has truly cultivated magical power to sit in charge, so as to have the ability to gain a share.

According to the information summarized by the two from the Paulownia Mountain Pure and Tranquil Nine Chapters.

Under the orthodox Dao, cultivators also have stages: the first stage is Qi Refining, the second is Nurturing the Spirit, the third is Measuring Destiny.

Qi Refining mainly involves converting internal breath into spiritual power, thereby continually strengthening one's essence and energy to nourish oneself.

This actually directly corresponds to the cultivation of internal martial artists below the innate stage.

But the immortal family's method is first to bridge heaven and earth, drawing on heavenly and earthly power to nourish oneself, and possessing superior techniques to form various spells.

The second step is Nurturing the Spirit, converting spiritual power into essence that nourishes the soul, continually strengthening the soul, breaking through the barrier between spirit and reality, preparing for the third step.

The third step requires the Three Treasures to unite, finding one's destiny, merging destiny, fortune, and lifespan to condense into the Supreme Dao Foundation, forming magical power—this is the three-step foundation establishment at the beginning of longevity.

But not everyone can accomplish this smoothly.

On the contrary, cultivators who condense magical power are very rare.

Moreover, forging the Supreme Dao Foundation also involves concrete distinctions, with superiority and inferiority.

More specific information, the two did not know, because the Paulownia Mountain Pure and Tranquil Nine Chapters had no detailed explanation behind it, only mentioning that the more gathered qi fortune, the perhaps greater the help to foundation establishment.

The two encouraged each other, then turned their gaze to their current stage of cultivation.

Therefore, the plan for now is naturally to first increase spiritual power, then aid the growth of one's essence and energy, borrowing heavenly and earthly power to thoroughly cleanse the body's acquired impurities, ensuring no trace of contaminates the soul, only then can the Nurturing the Spirit stage of cultivation be guaranteed.

This actually corresponds to the internal martial artist's innate stage promotion to Master, having a wonderful similarity.

However, internal martial artists rely more on tempering their martial will; in extreme polishing, they complete internal and external tempering, rising to the Master realm.

But such promotion, some extreme, is more about achieving the leap of the 'God', rather than simultaneous transformation of essence, energy, and spirit.

Even if one later becomes a Master, to become a celestial being on par with Divine Destiny cultivators is even more difficult.

……

Inside the ancestral hall, after a period of cultivation, Zhang Yi turned his gaze toward Zhang Jian.

His body's ice-attribute spiritual power continuously circulated, drawing ceaselessly heavenly and earthly spiritual qi from the void via the Heaven-Earth Two Bridges, strengthening his internal spiritual power, but he felt that this drawing speed was not fast.

How much bitter effort is needed to completely replace the body's turbid qi remains unknown.

But in contrast, the Zhang Jian opposite him displays comparatively astonishing signs of cultivation.

In Zhang Yi's spiritual sense, Zhang Jian's entire body seemed to be enveloped in a layer of vague heavenly-earth power, and his breathing rate far exceeded his.

Zhang Yi felt a hint of envy.

This must be a matter of aptitude; Zhang Jian is an existence with extremely special traits, so his speed of refining spiritual power is much faster.

"Looks like, I may have to rely even more on this nephew in the future!"

Actually, Zhang Yi had guessed wrong; Zhang Jian's aptitude initially wasn't high. The reason his cultivation speed far surpasses that of ordinary people is that his body contains a Heavenly Treasury rare treasure. These two kinds of rare treasures have the effect of consolidating the foundation and nurturing the origin, and can transform the foundation.

At this point, the acquired turbid qi within his physique has already been largely forged by the two rare treasures; a slight guidance from the cultivation technique can expel it all, making cultivation naturally extremely fast.

At the same time, Zhang Jian discovered that he himself should possess a spiritual root.

Moreover, the purity of his spiritual root is not bad.