Chapter 219

"Do you feel it?"

Fu Shouzhen transmitted his voice.

"Yes."

Dong Shouren responded, "There is a high-realm cultivator from the south spying on us."

"Nine times out of ten, it's that old mud loach, Green-Robed."

Fu Shouzhen said.

During the time Cheng Xinzhan was undergoing the first wave of lightning tribulation, the Innocent Tianzhen Tongzi had already finished telling the story of how Cheng Xinzhan had slain the demon in the Soul-Lost Stream, fought with Cao Jin, and then learned True Martial body techniques from him.

For cultivators at the Third Realm and above, if they were in a hurry and used their Primordial Spirit to move their thoughts, they could speak about things very quickly.

The Innocent Tianzhen Tongzi also shared his own guess: it must have been that Cao Jin had collected Cheng Xinzhan's skin and hair when they were in close-quarters combat, and upon returning, he had set up an altar and practiced the method, employing the secret techniques of the dragon race, which was why Cheng Xinzhan's lightning tribulation had arrived early.

The two of them listened to the Innocent Tianzhen Tongzi's explanation and felt it made sense, but they were still somewhat puzzled—this was, after all, a tribulation; how could it arrive so early?

Now, feeling the spying of a Fifth Realm cultivator from the south, their doubts were dispelled.

Taking skin and hair, spending two months setting up an altar, using dragon race secret techniques, and with the help of a Fifth Realm true dragon—it was truly not impossible to accomplish this.

"This debt must naturally be remembered."

Dong Shouren said.

"I hope this child can turn misfortune into a blessing."

Fu Shouzhen said, looking at Cheng Xinzhan.

————

Cheng Xinzhan gained a respite, and the second wave of lightning tribulation arrived as scheduled.

This time, he raised "Taodu."

The "Heaven One Generates Water" and "Gao Zhen" from just before were magic swords, sharing the burden for the Golden Core by swallowing and drinking the tribulation lightning; clearly, "Taodu" could not do this. What "Taodu" could do, and would do, was only to slash and extinguish the lightning with sword light.

Cheng Xinzhan formed a sword finger, and "Taodu" transformed into a beam of crimson gold sword light, rushing upward to meet the tribulation lightning head-on.

He wanted to see if, after all these years of nurturing "Taodu" in the Yang Palace and refining the flying sword from having form to being formless, this thunderous heavenly might of the tribulation lightning could force the flying sword to return from formless to having form.

"Taodu" had never known what fear was; even with tribulation lightning overhead, it still dared to test its edge.

"Boom!"

One was the Gui Water tribulation lightning descending into the world, the other was the Yang Fire sword light rushing upward. The two collided, exploding with spiritual light that filled the sky. A ripple of spiritual power was visible to the naked eye, spreading outward in the void and whipping up a hurricane out of thin air.

The sword light transformed from "Taodu" was suddenly struck down by several dozen zhang, and the sword light itself was almost scattered.

It seemed this second wave of lightning tribulation was significantly stronger than the first.

And the Golden Core, watching the lightning push the sword light downward and about to strike itself, was naturally startled. It immediately followed along, running downward, while at the same time shining brightly, preparing to resist the tribulation lightning head-on.

However, after running for a distance, the Golden Core discovered that the anticipated lightning and sword light had not fallen upon it, and only then did it stop its flight.

At this moment, less than three feet away from the Golden Core, the sword light forcibly stabilized its form.

The tribulation lightning was like a waterfall or a wave, and the flying sword was like a rock or a reef. The lightning struck the flying sword, sending sparks of thunder flying in all directions.

Most of the tribulation lightning was worn down and scattered by the flying sword. At the same time, the lightning acted like a grindstone, honing the flying sword; this was more effective than any sword-nurturing gourd or sword-sharpening stone.

Cheng Xinzhan was not idle either. Using the true intent of Pure Yang as ink and the void as paper, he drew one Dao-refining restriction after another in the air, striking them into that mass of sword light.

He could use the Yin and Yang dual palaces as a furnace and Gang Sha as fire to forge the flying sword; at this moment, he could naturally use the heavens and earth as a furnace and the tribulation lightning as fire to further refine "Taodu."

And the Golden Core, after watching from below for a good while and seeing the flying sword as steady as a mountain, tentatively approached slowly and hid beneath the flying sword.

With the flying sword facing the tribulation lightning directly, the Golden Core bathed in the splashing thunder light, appearing quite relaxed and at ease.

The first bolt of lightning tribulation passed just like that, followed immediately by the second. This time, the flying sword did not move in the slightest.

When the second bolt of lightning tribulation was halfway through, the flying sword moved—it actually rose instead of descending!

Being on the receiving end of a beating was not "Taodu's" personality.

It was like two flood dragons wrestling, going back and forth; at times the flying sword surged forward, at times the tribulation lightning pressed down, and the Golden Core followed the flying sword closely, also rising and falling.

By the time the second bolt of lightning tribulation ended, the flying sword had already risen by more than a zhang.

By the time the third bolt of tribulation lightning ended, joy gradually appeared in Cheng Xinzhan's eyes. Looking closely at that mass of scattered sword light, under the scouring of the tribulation lightning, a crimson gold sword tip had actually been revealed!

He could feel that this sword tip, forged alive by the tribulation lightning, was even sharper than "Taodu's" original tip!

"Taodu" had never disappointed Cheng Xinzhan. At this moment, he naturally wanted to use the divine might of the flying sword to refine his soul spirits into a Primordial Spirit!

What is a Primordial Spirit?

The Primordial Spirit is the pivot of creation; refining the three souls and seven spirits to achieve the Primordial True Nature is the beginning of opening the gap between the immortal and the mortal.

The Daoist Canon says that a person's life begins with the essence and blood of their parents, gestating in the mother's womb, after which a point of innate ancestral Qi sprouts in the life embryo; this is a person's nature.

After a person is born from the mother's womb, they come into contact with postnatal nutrients, and the life embryo grows into an adult, with all four limbs, bones, and five internal organs complete. The nature Qi then differentiates into the three souls and seven spirits, each performing its own duties, and thus a person can walk, jump, think, and discern.

However, life is real while nature is illusory; the soul and spirits are like a candle in the wind, and although they exist within the body, they are ultimately confined by the physical form.

Ordinary people can still strengthen their bodies to bolster their life, but the soul and spirits are ethereal and elusive.

When an ordinary person steps onto the path of cultivation, they call the cultivation of human life "nurturing life," and the cultivation of human nature "nurturing nature."

Both are indispensable, so it is also called "dual cultivation of nature and life."

However, in truth, what really determines the difference between the immortal and the mortal is the cultivation of nature.

Cultivating nature is cultivating the Primordial Spirit.

How to cultivate the soul and spirits into a Primordial Spirit varies from sect to sect, and from this, a tradition dedicated to cultivating the Primordial Spirit was born—the Primordial Spirit Dao.

They believe that life does not need to be cultivated at all, putting all their energy into cultivating nature, ascending through the Primordial Spirit.

This is the so-called: "The Primordial Spirit travels, driving nine dragons, ascending to the blue heavens and descending to the yellow springs."

The Primordial Spirit Dao proclaims: Those who have not shed their mortal bodies, even if they have the ability to move mountains and overturn seas, are merely corpse-guarding ghosts. But those who have attained the Primordial Spirit, even if they abandon their physical bodies, still retain their vast true spirits. After leaving the form, they use the Primordial Spirit to travel the eight extremities and control the six energies; this can be called great freedom.

The Primordial Spirit Dao has produced many immortals since ancient times, and its doctrines naturally have their merits. However, there are a hundred schools of thought and ten thousand methods regarding the interpretation and cultivation of the Primordial Spirit, and this Primordial Spirit Dao is merely one of them.

What is called a thing with form is Yin, and a thing without form is Yang; therefore, life is Yin and nature is Yang, so the Primordial Spirit is also called the Yang Spirit.

However, Yin and Yang can be divided infinitely. Within Yin life, blood has form and is Yin, while Qi has no form and is Yang; within Yin blood, heart blood is Yang and kidney blood is Yin. Similarly, Yang nature can also be divided, which is Yang Soul and Yin Spirit.

The differences in the cultivation of the Primordial Spirit among various sects lie in this choice between Yin and Yang.

The Primordial Spirit Dao wants to abandon the Yin body and keep only the Yang nature, merging the three souls and seven spirits into one to achieve the Primordial Spirit. Although the Pure Yang Dao does not abandon the physical body, its cultivation of Yang nature is more thorough, refining away the Yin spirits and keeping only the three souls merged into one to achieve the Primordial Spirit.

These two sects are the mainstream of Primordial Spirit cultivation. Many people are unwilling to abandon their physical bodies but still refer to the Primordial Spirit Dao to melt the three souls and seven spirits; many people do not have a complete Pure Yang method but still choose to refine away the seven spirits.

Because this is accumulating weakness to become strength.

Only by gathering the power of the soul and spirits together can the sublimation of Yang nature be triggered.

The first benefit this brings is that during combat, one can use the powerful Primordial Spirit energy to attack. At the same time, without the dispersed three souls and seven spirits, there are fewer weaknesses for enemies to attack.

There are too many spells and magic treasures in this world that can cause one to lose their soul and spirits. If the soul and spirits are merged and refined into a Primordial Spirit, spells that could originally work on a single soul or spirit now have to face a condensed Primordial Spirit.

This naturally has great benefits.

However, Cheng Xinzhan neither wants to cultivate the Primordial Spirit Dao nor the Pure Yang Dao; he is more inclined toward the doctrines of the Inner Alchemy Dao and the Spirit-Preserving Dao.

The human body is like a treasure, like the heavens and earth. All Qi, blood, bones, organs, apertures, souls, and spirits have innate divine nature, postnatal efficacy, correspond to the great natural heavens and earth, and have their own meaning for existence. Why must one discard one and keep the other, dividing Yin and Yang?

Therefore, his idea is: the seven spirits and all Inner Landscape deities are generals, governing the physical body, belonging to Yin; the three souls are commanders, governing nature and life, belonging to Yang. And the three souls each perform their own duties, which is the innate number, so Cheng Xinzhan does not choose, does not discard, and does not merge.

Therefore: retain the seven spirits, separately refine the three souls, and achieve three Primordial Spirits.

This is the path of nurturing nature that Cheng Xinzhan has chosen for himself.

Although in this way, the power of each Primordial Spirit is bound to be inferior to one that merges the soul and spirits into one, everything has its gains and losses, and all things in the world are inevitably difficult to be perfect; this is a price Cheng Xinzhan is willing to bear.

Moreover, with treasures for nurturing nature like the "Secret Decree of the Longevity Embryonic Origin Manifesting Spirit" and the "Taiyi Golden Flower Principle," and having almost attained full lifespan while breaking through realms all the way here, why would he not dare to walk such a path?

Refining soul spirits into a Primordial Spirit involves many orthodox and unorthodox methods, which will not be repeated here. What Cheng Xinzhan has chosen, just like opening the Purple Palace, is a Great Dao and a perilous path pointed out by his predecessors:

Bathe in tribulation lightning to become a Primordial Spirit.

At this moment, he is using one mind for two purposes: continuing to strike spiritual restrictions into the sword light to refine the flying sword, while simultaneously driving the soul spirits out of his body.

Of the three soul spirits, he chooses the Hidden Essence to undergo the tribulation first.

Because in the early stages of cultivation, the Embryonic Light cannot leave the body, Cheng Xinzhan has repeatedly used the Hidden Essence and the Refreshing Spirit to leave his body and control the bamboo body, so these two souls are more resilient. As for why the Hidden Essence, Cheng Xinzhan feels that if he must choose between wisdom and emotion as his dominant personality, he hopes it is reason.

Because he still has a great mission.

Therefore, the Hidden Essence must lead the charge.

Seeing Cheng Xinzhan's Hidden Essence soul fly out alone, Dong Shouren and Fu Shouzhen were somewhat surprised by this junior's choice, but they still chose to support and respect him, not saying much, but secretly strengthening their magic power to isolate the spying from the outside world.

Like the Golden Core, the Hidden Essence does not face the tribulation lightning directly, creeping under the flying sword and bathing in the splashing thunder light, using the power of the heavenly tribulation to be reborn.

Being struck by lightning while in the form of a soul spirit is a different kind of suffering compared to the Golden Core.

It is like charcoal fire entering the eyes, like long needles entering the ears, like coptis entering the mouth; it is as if a water-land Daoist ritual is being held in his brain, the clamorous noise is very loud, but he cannot hear clearly what is being said, and from time to time, fragments of childhood nightmares flash by.

All the pain gathers together, enough to make one retch.

Cheng Xinzhan burns with divine fire, guarding his intention, silently reciting the "Most High Lord Lao's Scripture of Constant Purity and Tranquility" in his heart.

The tribulation lightning rumbles, and Cheng Xinzhan recites the scripture in silence.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth bolts.

The tribulation lightning falls bolt by bolt, and some changes are quietly taking place.

The scorching white Golden Core is now even more brilliant and dazzling, with dragons and tigers circling and flying around it.

Sitting on the Golden Core is a small person; the illusory soul spirit has become condensed and real, and behind the small person's head hangs a golden mirror wheel. Now, one dare not call it the Hidden Essence soul spirit anymore, but should call it the Hidden Essence Primordial Spirit.

And the "Taodu" flying sword, which sheltered these two from the wind and rain, has also been completely forged from formless sword light back into a sword with form.

The shape of the sword is still the same, but the color of the blade has turned from crimson red to crimson gold. At this moment, it flashes with bright light under the reflection of the lightning, extremely dazzling.

In this way, the hidden danger left by "Taodu" previously breaking into three pieces has been completely eliminated!

Looking at the three things under the lightning at this moment, it can be said:

The sword is brilliant, the red electricity burns with light;

The spirit is clear, flawless and pure Yang;

The core is radiant, the midday light of the Li trigram.

Cheng Xinzhan is satisfied. Although "Taodu" does not speak, he knows that the flying sword has reached its limit after resisting six bolts of tribulation lightning.

The sixth bolt of lightning tribulation ends, and Cheng Xinzhan first withdraws the Hidden Essence Primordial Spirit, then withdraws the flying sword "Taodu."

Immediately after, he raises "Youdu" and drives the Refreshing Spirit out of his body to temper it.

"Youdu" is good at hiding in shadows, piercing bones, and burning blood. Now facing the lightning directly, its performance is a world of difference compared to "Taodu," barely managing to survive the seventh bolt of lightning tribulation.

However, although "Youdu" cannot compare to "Taodu" in terms of nurturing time and high origin, it is taken from Cheng Xinzhan himself and has been tempered by Gang Sha in the Yin Palace; it was only one step away from being refined from having form to being formless, and now, being hammered by this bolt of tribulation lightning, it successfully crosses that threshold.

After the seventh bolt of lightning tribulation ends, "Youdu" suddenly transforms into a purple-vermilion sword light, coming and going without a trace, changing without form.

"Youdu" has reached its limit, and he withdraws it.

When the eighth bolt of heavenly tribulation arrives, he raises "Fire-Refined Chixiao" and the other three magic swords of Earth, Wood, and Metal, using them all to resist the tribulation lightning.

Because of their elemental attributes, these four magic swords cannot swallow and absorb the tribulation lightning like the Water and Lightning swords, nor can they shatter the tribulation lightning like the Yin-Yang flying swords; they can only resist the tribulation lightning with the sword Qi stored over a long time.

When the ninth bolt of lightning tribulation ends, the sword Qi of these four magic swords is completely exhausted. But at the same time, after being tempered by the tribulation lightning, the texture and spirituality of the four magic swords have reached a higher level.

Additionally, the Refreshing Spirit, after the baptism of the last three bolts of lightning tribulation, has also successfully transformed into a Primordial Spirit.

Up to this point, two waves of tribulation lightning have passed; except for "Autumn Water," all of Cheng Xinzhan's sword instruments have been used, and two soul spirits have been refined into Primordial Spirits.

Only waiting to resist the last wave, and the merit will be complete.

But how should he resist it?

There is not much time left for Cheng Xinzhan to catch his breath and think, as the third wave of tribulation lightning arrives.

This time, Cheng Xinzhan summons his bamboo body.

The Embryonic Light soul spirit enters the brain of the bamboo body, and the Dragon-Tiger Golden Core enters the abdomen of the bamboo body.

The bamboo body acts as an umbrella, carrying the soul spirit and the Golden Core to face the tribulation lightning together.

After all, it is the treasure of the mountain passed down through generations in Mingzhi Mountain; bathing in the tribulation lightning, it remains unscathed, forcibly resisting the first four bolts of the third wave of lightning tribulation.

Finally, lightning light overflows from the seven orifices of the bamboo body, and Cheng Xinzhan knows the timing is right.

He cherishes the bamboo body and puts it away.

When the fifth bolt of lightning tribulation falls, Cheng Xinzhan changes the medicine but not the prescription. This time, he raises the treasure talisman of Juqu Mountain, the Supreme Purity Talisman, and it is the top-grade Supreme Heavenly Capital Talisman.

The Demon-Quelling Thunderclap Xu Zhenjun enters the magic talisman, manifesting a Dharma image, with the Primordial Spirit entering its brain and the Golden Core entering its abdomen, undergoing the tribulation together.

After another four bolts of lightning tribulation pass, Cheng Xinzhan looks at the true form of the talisman through the Dharma image; the magic talisman is already surrounded by electric light and has also reached its limit.

At this moment, the Embryonic Light Life Soul also transforms into a brilliant Primordial Spirit.

Of the three-nine lightning tribulation, only the last hurdle remains.

This time, Cheng Xinzhan raises nothing at all; unexpectedly, he even puts away the Golden Core.

The Golden Core, sword instruments, Primordial Spirit, bamboo body, and talisman body have all traveled through the tribulation lightning; how could his own physical body not join in the fun?

"Boom!"

The last bolt of tribulation lightning is more violent than any of the previous ones, striking Cheng Xinzhan's physical body directly without any obstruction.

After experiencing the suffering of the Golden Core and Primordial Spirit undergoing the tribulation, the physical body does not seem so difficult to endure. His consciousness is almost instantly withdrawn from the pain, and then he invests himself in the understanding of the tribulation lightning.

He practices the Five Lightning Method; how could he let go of this opportunity to comprehend the tribulation lightning?

As his thoughts move, the Demon-Quelling Thunderclap Xu Zhenjun, the Xia Official Water Lightning General, and the Qiu Official Divine Lightning General all take action together. Three lightning chariots, starting from the nose, gallbladder, and brow apertures, with the Heart Palace as the necessary path, race through Cheng Xinzhan's Inner Landscape world. Electric light and blood fire intertwine, surging endlessly.

The tribulation lightning pours into his body like a mountain flood. A portion of this is transformed by the three lightning chariots into lightning Qi and stored in the Lightning Residence, while another portion is sent into the Yellow Court to temper the Golden Core.

This process lasts for a full sixty breaths. Inside Cheng Xinzhan's body, it is as lively as the creation of the world, but in the eyes of Dong Shouren and Fu Shouzhen, this last bolt of lightning tribulation, which is also the one with the greatest momentum, causes the smallest reaction.

Their good child just stands suspended in the air, letting the tribulation lightning strike his body without even frowning, passing through it safely as if it were just a breeze brushing his face.

Subsequently, the rolling thunder that had raged over the land of Xiangxi for a long time finally gradually subsides, the electric light gradually converges, and the bright yellow tribulation clouds slowly dissipate into the void.

The array constructed by Dong Shouren and Fu Shouzhen obscures the view of the onlookers, but none of those who were watching the excitement have left.

Among them, some are silent, carefully observing the Fourth Realm Dharma image; some are whispering, guessing the identity of the person undergoing the tribulation; and others just want to stay and see the final outcome—having caused such a great commotion, can he really pass this lightning tribulation?

As the sound of thunder gradually fades, and looking at the two Dharma images sitting cross-legged in the void as steady as mountains, everyone present guesses that this person has successfully washed their core.

Washing the core in the dense forests of Xiangxi and having to trouble sect elders to come and protect him—this must have been a tribulation undergone in a temporary rush, yet he actually managed to pass it!

Expressions of admiration appear on everyone's faces, while in their hearts, they are thinking about how to go forward and offer congratulations, what words to use to congratulate the two Fourth Realm experts so as not to be cliché, and if they could take the opportunity to connect with the Three Purities Mountain, that would be even better.

Just as everyone's minds are wandering, Dong Shouren and Fu Shouzhen withdraw the obscuring array and their own Dharma images, revealing Cheng Xinzhan to everyone's view. Thus, everyone sees this young Daoist priest chanting with his hands behind his back,

"The thieves sent the tribulation, the tribulation is now gone,

The three-nine stacked thunder is but a tide.

The jade furnace is not stained by the dust of the mortal world,

Laughing, I watch the Primordial Spirit sit in the Purple Heavens!"

(End of Chapter)