Chapter 12: Which is More Beautiful, the Second Son of the Yang Family

"No matter what, I can no longer be considered a crocodile now."

Gradually transforming from the trace of dragon-alligator Bloodline in the original body, he has now completely broken free from the shackles of the dragon-alligator species.

Returning to the karst cave, Fang Longye gathered up all the scales and armor in the cave and placed them into his Storage Bag, intending to find time later to integrate them into the Dharma Artifact he was refining, the Golden Scale Armor.

He did not return to the Jinsha River, but instead cleaned the karst cave once more. At the cave entrance, he erected a stone tablet, carving the three characters "Qianlong Cave" with dragon-patterned and phoenix-script strokes, executed with bold, sweeping motions.

Following this, he devoted himself to cultivation, striving to condense his Yin Spirit and take human form as soon as possible.

Three months later.

This night, Fang Longye was still exhaling and inhaling his inner elixir, absorbing the moonlight.

Perhaps the timing was right, for the bright golden inner elixir suddenly ignited with silver cold flames.

Under the scorching of these cold flames, the inner elixir soon emitted several wisps of tiny black smoke, which quickly dissipated—the cold flames extinguished, and the inner elixir, which had already become exceptionally solid after the previous burning and refining by the essence blood flames, shrank by another circle. The human figure within it was now visible down to the finest detail, ten-tenths clear.

The Yin Spirit was finally forged.

Unlike the soul, the attributes of which are purely yin, the Yin Spirit has already reached the point where yang is born from the extreme of yin, giving rise to a trace of yang nature.

This trace of yang nature is the reliance that allows the Yin Spirit to leave the body and commune with heaven and earth after its completion.

The inner elixir, which had been hovering in mid-air, spun and returned into his body.

Smoke lingered in the moonlight, clouds rose above the frost-covered stones.

Fang Longye was neither surprised nor overjoyed, for there was one final step. Because the realm above the formed elixir is called the Primordial Spirit! Strictly speaking, the human figure within the inner elixir at this moment could not yet be considered a true Yin Spirit.

A true Yin Spirit is only achieved after leaving the body and communing with heaven and earth. Once that step is passed, the Yin Spirit can be called a Primordial Spirit, becoming a stage in the cultivation of the Primordial Spirit.

The so-called leaving of the body by the Yin Spirit is to open the Mysterious Aperture; it is not for the sake of some future wandering of the Primordial Spirit, as that is merely incidental.

The true purpose lies in being able to merge with heaven and earth from then on, allowing the Primordial Spirit to perceive the natural world, achieving a state where the internal and external resonate and heaven and man act in unison.

The Mysterious Aperture is extraordinarily miraculous.

This aperture is neither within the physical body nor outside of it; it is untouched by the six senses, unreachable by the Five Elements, vague and indistinct, deep and unfathomable.

When one's cultivation is insufficient, its location is hard to know, as if it were at the ends of the earth, untouchable; when the timing is right, it is bright and clear, as if it were right before one's eyes, clearly visible.

Once the Yin Spirit left the inner elixir and a single thought entered the aperture, the scene changed instantly. The whole person felt as if they were climbing a towering peak, with steep mountain paths and suspended stairs leading layer upon layer upward.

Every step was extremely difficult.

After a long time, light suddenly appeared before his eyes.

He had arrived!

Stepping into it, he immediately felt as if he had stepped into thin air in a dream and was falling off a cliff; for a moment, the world spun, and he was caught off guard.

When he regained his senses, his soul was already standing in mid-air, the wind brushing against his face, bringing a pain like frost blades pressing against his body, but fortunately, he could endure it.

Looking around, he saw through everything; the entire world had become vivid.

Every flower, every blade of grass, every stream, and every stone brought a feeling different from the usual under the perspective of the Yin Spirit.

An inexplicable emotion welled up in his heart.

Looking down further, on a small island in the Black Water Wild Marsh, a body near that of a flood dragon lay coiled quietly; between the brows of the flood dragon's head, a sharp horn shone silver, appearing particularly conspicuous under the moonlight.

The Yin Spirit drifted down onto his true body.

Fang Longye tilted his head slightly, realizing in the darkness that only after communing with heaven and earth and merging heaven and man would he receive the recognition of the Heavenly Dao, possess his own unique mark, and truly ascend to the Primordial Spirit.

The "heaven and earth" here does not refer to this Small World, but the entire great heaven and earth. As long as one has not departed from heaven and earth, a Small World is merely a special type of Grotto-Heaven, no different from the vast world outside.

Upon realizing this, Fang Longye began to Jieyin the will of heaven.

Immediately, a mysterious and vast power descended abruptly; the might of heaven pressed upon his body, elusive yet truly existent.

A sky-blue halo, visible only to himself, drifted down and enveloped him.

The Yin Spirit bathed in this sky-blue light, and inexplicable insights arose. This leaving of the body by the Yin Spirit to accept the trial of heaven and earth, with the resonance of internal and external, carried the danger of Dao-assimilation, but also the gift of opportunity and fortune.

First, one can perceive the mysteries of heaven and earth; second, one can borrow the great power of the Heavenly Dao to smelt one's own traits and obtain an exclusive divine ability.

He saw countless strange scenes flashing before his eyes as they expanded and contracted. The stars in the sky, the vast void, and realms so strange they could not be described; the universe of time and space extended infinitely in his eyes.

……

He did not know how much time had passed; Fang Longye only felt a lightness in his body, those bizarre scenes withdrew, and his consciousness returned to reality.

With a movement of his will, the Yin Spirit quickly returned to his physical body.

He began the next step of cultivation.

Transformation!

The Yin Spirit entered his body, sat cross-legged in the Purple Mansion of his sea of consciousness, and completely chose the Heavenly Immortal Path.

From this point on, it could also be called the Primordial Spirit.

Driven by the Primordial Spirit, the inner elixir began to wander throughout his physical body.

On the surface of the "flood dragon body," countless tendons arched and connected to one another, with dots of spiritual light appearing suddenly, resembling a celestial star map, forming a chart of acupoints and meridians containing divine charm.

"Boom!"

The inner elixir that had returned to his dantian began to pulse spontaneously, as if beating the thunder drums from myths and legends, resounding in all directions—

Thunder Sound Body Tempering!

There was no so-called transformation lightning Calamity, nor would there be any miraculous light bestowed by the Heavenly Dao to assist in the transformation.

Under the previous communion with heaven and earth, Fang Longye had inexplicably understood how to transform, as if it were an innate instinct.

The thunder sound rang out exactly forty-nine times. When the final thunder sound dissipated, Fang Longye finished tempering his body, feeling light and nimble all over, his entire being comfortable, with a sense of joy like "long trapped in a cage, returning to nature once again."

With a shake of his body, a tall and heroic young man stood in his place.

Since crossing over, after more than twenty years of cultivation, he had finally become human again! ……

Moonlight filled the sky, illuminating a pool on the small island with exceptional clarity.

Although he had already scanned his transformed appearance with his Primordial Spirit, Fang Longye still examined the figure reflected in the pool water.

His face was much the same as in his previous life, only strengthened by his cultivation; his features were more upright, his facial contours more defined, standing tall and straight like a jade tree.

Of course, there was still a slight change; by using the reflection on the water's surface, he could see a small horn emerging from his forehead.

Just like before, the single horn was shaped like a spring bamboo shoot, with the texture of cold steel and the color of mercury; it was not as long as it had been in his humanoid form, just a small thing, only an inch in length.

It was not that his transformation was incomplete, but rather a spontaneous manifestation of his Bloodline.

Compared to his past life, the changes in his appearance were secondary; the transformation in his temperament was a world of difference.

Perhaps due to the influence of his demon body's Bloodline in this life, he now possessed a natural air of nobility amidst a hint of ferocity, yet it was surprisingly harmonious.

One could see him with his hair bound by a jade crown, wearing a white robe of round dragon cloud brocade. His eyebrows slanted into his temples, the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward, and his entire person was magnificent and handsome, naturally exuding an aura of looking down upon the world.

Suddenly remembering something, a thought stirred in his mind, and he donned all his other Dharma Treasures, aside from the Clear Heart Crown and Dust-Avoiding Robe he was already using to bind his hair and cover his body.

He wore the Phoenix Wing Cloud-Rolling Crown on his head, the Tiger Lock Fish Scale Silver Cloud-Edged Armor on his body, a Red Brocade Cloak draped over him, a White Round Dragon Cloud Pattern Robe worn underneath, a Silver White Dragon Pattern Exquisite Belt tied at his waist with a Cold Star Precious Saber hanging from it, a pair of tiger-head gold-inlaid cloud-rolling battle boots on his feet, and held a Gilded Dragon Pattern Bright Silver Spear in his hand.

His bearing was like jade, handsome and extraordinary.

Fang Longye examined his current attire and appearance, unable to help but burst into hearty laughter.

"I have long heard that Yang Jian of Guanjiangkou is peerlessly handsome; today, I only wish to ask: between him and the Yang Family Second Young Master, who is more beautiful?"

The last chapter for today~

(End of this chapter)