Chapter 153: 217. Playing by Unconventional Rules, Breaking Through to the True Spirit Realm (4.4K - Seeking Subscriptions)

After entering the room, Jing Shifei sat beneath the window, her black hair like ink, her robes like white snow, while at the collar of her robe, a torso with faintly visible black and white Qi could be seen.

Song Cheng could feel the vitality of this torso.

Every improvement in a cultivation realm extends one's lifespan and allows a body that has already grown frail and old to regain its youth, injecting it with renewed vitality; those who fail are buried in the yellow earth, becoming skeletons early on; only those who succeed can maintain their beauty during the process of constant climbing.

"Little Song, what is the urgent matter?"

Jing Shifei asked first.

Song Cheng tidied his thoughts slightly and recounted the suggestions he had received from "An Jie and Huazi" in detail.

He would not hide things or play coy with his allies.

It is not uncommon for people to hide a little secret for inexplicable reasons, thinking "it should be fine," only for it to lead to serious consequences.

Upon hearing this, Jing Shifei frowned directly and said: "The path of acknowledging Lost Spirits? Little Song, if it were anyone else, I would have already driven them out.

You climbed up from the bottom, so you should know the terror of the Ghost Tide.

If there are more Great Sang Spirits, the Ghost Tide will become more violent and more frequent.

And if the Ghost Tide were several times stronger, do you think an imperial dynasty would still have a chance to breathe? Would it still be possible for a genius like you to be born? I have seen it; you escaped from Tanghe Village, then went to Shanghe County, fought the Ghost Tide in a human county town, and later drifted to the Prefecture City.

But if the Ghost Tide you faced from the very beginning had been extremely terrifying and vast in number, you might have died right there in Shanghe County.

To mortals, we are gods.

However, we must also protect the human world.

Because if the human world is destroyed, we will ultimately be unable to protect ourselves either.

And any decision we make could bring unbearable disaster to the human world."

Song Cheng said: "Aunt, it is just an expedient measure to first lure the enemy out and break their plan. Then we can slowly explain 'what is meant by the path of acknowledging Lost Spirits'."

Jing Shifei said coldly: "Changing orders in the morning and evening?"

Song Cheng sighed and said: "Aunt, you have been a deity for too long."

Jing Shifei fell silent, her beautiful eyes slightly closed, pondering for a moment, and the various thoughts in her mind became clear. In fact, she had already sensed the "third-party plotting" mentioned by Song Cheng, as well as the use of the "dispute between True Spirits and Lost Spirits" to incite infighting among the seven major factions.

During this time, Xuanqing Palace indeed felt as if chaos was beginning to brew, and even Huang Taixuan, whom she had raised since childhood, had become somewhat restless in front of her.

She had originally thought it was just normal instinctive resistance, but now that she thought about it, those many details connected together, all of which indicated that "even if what Song Cheng said was not the truth, it was very likely close to it."

However, wanting to make her change her stance—Song Cheng seemed to have seen through Jing Shifei's misgivings, so he said: "Aunt, the point is not to acknowledge the path of Lost Spirits, but that we can search for and explore whether a Mountain and River Lord whose limit has been reached will become a rational Lost Spirit.

This gives those old people a chance, a glimmer of hope, instead of blindly forcing them into a dead end; as long as they can maintain their reason and become Lost Spirits, they can continue to cultivate.

But if they have no reason, then even if they are eradicated in time, no one can say anything."

Jing Shifei said: "Eradicating a Great Sang Spirit, you say it so easily, you—"

Suddenly, she paused, as the various "incredibly profound epiphanies" of the youth before her surfaced in her mind.

The air suddenly went quiet.

After a long while, Jing Shifei suddenly said: "Song Cheng, if I teach you the Water Spirit Illuminating Heaven Scripture, how long will it take you to master it?"

Song Cheng hesitated.

Jing Shifei said: "I know you can have epiphanies, but the cultivation techniques of the True Spirit Realm are not that easy."

Song Cheng said: "Do I need to start practicing from the beginning?"

Jing Shifei shook her head and said: "No, it's just that you won't be able to practice the spells corresponding to that realm."

Song Cheng said: "In that case, within a hundred years, I will certainly reach Completion."

He knew that the Mountain and River Seal of a Mountain and River Lord required thousands of years to master, and existences like Chen Lao could not glimpse the level of the True Spirit Realm even if they exhausted their entire lives.

A hundred years was already extremely, extremely fast.

He said this on the basis that Jing Shifei had already seen his secret.

And once a hundred years passed, he would also be able to accumulate new points, and by then he would be able to face various problems.

Even though he had become a Mountain and River Lord, Song Cheng had always been very clear about what he needed.

Techniques, time.

Not slaughter, not fighting.

Therefore, he would not carve a bloody path through this Xuanqing Palace, but would try his best to smooth things over to create a peaceful time that he could use for cultivation.

"A hundred years... Completion..."

Jing Shifei felt as if she had lost her voice, and internally she had an urge to roar "Arrogant," but the person before her was Song Cheng, so she held it back, and then asked nonchalantly: "If you cannot do it, what then?"

Song Cheng said decisively: "I will submit to any punishment."

Jing Shifei shook her head and said: "I don't need to punish you for anything, as long as you are on the side of me and Chanxi, that is enough.

Then... a hundred years it is. I will give you a hundred years. In these hundred years, I will suppress all conflicts as much as possible.

As for the dispute between 'True Spirits and Lost Spirits,' I will also do as you say."

Saying these words, she felt as if she had gone mad.

However, if anyone had seen Song Cheng's cultivation speed, they would feel that this "investment" was very appropriate.

Currently, there are actually only two people in the True Spirit Realm in Xuanqing Palace.

One is the Palace Master, and the other is Jing Shifei; the two live in the first courtyard to the left of the main hall and the one to the right, respectively.

The reason for the division into left and right is that the two had an agreement: if the Zhuan fusion was successful, they would go to the left; if the Zhen fusion was successful, they would go to the right.

Therefore, the left lineage is the Zhuan lineage, and the right lineage is the Zhen lineage.

And if a third True Spirit Realm cultivator appeared in Xuanqing Palace, the original delicate balance would be broken.

Since Song Cheng only needed a hundred years, Jing Shifei felt she could wait for him, even if she had to pay a price.

After a moment of thought, Jing Shifei actually reached into the void Yin She, grabbed a translucent pale golden jade slip, handed it to Song Cheng, and said: "This is something that requires a large amount of sect contribution to consult, and each time it is consulted, it is done in batches... however, in special times, for special people, there are naturally special methods."

She looked at the youth before her with her beautiful eyes full of expectation and said: "Song Cheng, do not let me down."

A touch of gratitude rose in Song Cheng's heart, and at the same time, he nodded deeply and raised his hand to grab the pale golden jade slip.

Boundless information flooded into his mind.

At this level, the content of cultivation techniques is vast and immense, because there are far too many points that require attention; a difference of a hair's breadth leads to a thousand-mile error, and the slightest carelessness results in failure, so attempting to comprehend a technique on one's own is completely impossible.

But the benefit is that this kind of technique can fully point out the path for the practitioner, without the need to comprehend it oneself.

He absorbed a great deal of information in an instant, subconsciously sat down opposite Jing Shifei, and closed his eyes to digest it.

Jing Shifei looked at his young face, lowered her eyes in thought, stood up, walked out, and closed the door behind her.

She had already made a decision in her heart.

Whether many things can be resolved never depends on the method, but on the person.

Getting rid of the person who raises the problem is one way.

There is another, which is to let someone capable of producing "enormous value" resolve it.

In this way, the problem ceases to exist due to the transaction.

Song Cheng is precisely this person who carries "enormous value."

Xuanqing Palace courtyard.

"Life and death are inherently a cycle; to be born toward death, what is wrong with that? Since a Ghost can transform into a Mountain and River Lord, why can a Mountain and River Lord not transform into a Lost Spirit?"

"The Great Sang Spirit can incite a Ghost Tide in the Taiyin Illusion Sea and destroy the human world. If the human world is destroyed, we are not far from death ourselves."

"The Ghost Tide is surging; when soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it. Who hasn't fought their way here? If there is a problem, solve the problem. Must we, who are old and frail, be sent into reincarnation?" "Well said. Today it is us, but in the future, how could you not reach this stage today?"

"There are already very few Mountain and River Lords now. Later... when you are old and there are no young people to urge you to reincarnate, what will you do?"

"End your own lives?"

"It cannot be, so it cannot be. It has always been this way."

"Is it right just because it has always been this way?"

"Young people? A difficult environment naturally brings about more excellent Mountain and River Lords. Isn't that Song Cheng, who is about to become our junior brother, a ready-made example?"

"Heh."

The Mountain and River Lords were arguing.

And the dispute between the "Lost Spirit" and "True Spirit" factions had been thoroughly brought into the open, with a strong tendency to escalate, and the thousands of years of friendship between fellow disciples were rapidly melting away amidst this disagreement and quarreling.

She Yitu, who had long since been captured and brought back, had still not been sent to reincarnation, but was instead imprisoned deep within Xuanqing Palace.

Whether "that deity of the Wanling Empire should go to reincarnation" was no longer up to him to decide.

And just at this moment, the sound of arguing on the main hall corridor quieted down significantly. Everyone turned their heads one by one and saw Jing Shifei pacing over from afar.

As the Vice Palace Master of Xuanqing Palace, Jing Shifei had experienced many storms.

And among the disciples present, many had received her guidance; at this moment, if it were not a matter "involving their own lives," no one would be willing to oppose this respected teacher.

The air gradually grew quiet.

The disciples of the "Lost Spirit Faction" were about to disperse.

Huang Taixuan had graying temples and his face was slightly lowered, as if hiding endless gloom. He followed the "Lost Spirit Faction" disciples and walked away silently. He had already made his decision, so even Jing Shifei, whom he regarded as a teacher and mother, was no longer acknowledged.

Originally, everything would have continued like this.

Everyone knew that Jing Shifei was a staunch executor of the "True Spirit Faction," and she had come here only to keep the disciples from arguing.

"Palace Master Jing, it was just a daily discussion, we shall take our leave." Chen Lao smiled and bowed, then also left. The disciples of the "True Spirit Faction" moved closer to Jing Shifei, simultaneously looking at the group of departing elders with a mix of anger and helplessness in their eyes. But just at this moment, Jing Shifei's voice rang out abruptly.

"Taixuan."

The departing elder paused slightly, his expression desolate, revealing a look of self-mockery. He turned back, intending to pay his respects, but Jing Shifei's voice continued.

"Perhaps the teacher is too stubborn. The teacher wants to understand your words, to listen to your voices. Can... can you tell me about it?"

In an instant, Huang Taixuan, Chen Lao, and the remaining "Lost Spirit Faction" disciples all revealed looks of astonishment, almost suspecting they had misheard.

Jing Shifei continued: "When the rules were set in the past, the world was not like this, and Mountain and River Lords were born frequently. But now the world is changing, and perhaps we should change too."

"We should not engage in infighting and arguing, but should face this problem squarely."

"What we fear is only becoming Lost Spirits that incite trouble in the Taiyin Illusion Sea after death, not Lost Spirits that can still retain their reason."

"How to become a Lost Spirit while still maintaining reason—this is where we should focus our attention."

Having said this, she smiled brightly and said: "Taixuan, Old Chen, have you made any progress on this?"

The abrupt words, the complete departure from common sense, and the distorted turn of events made everyone's brains buzz.

Huang Taixuan slowly raised his head, looked at his young teacher with his aged face, and said slowly: "We have, Teacher."

Several days later... in the darkness.

An unknown place. "The end of this winter is the time to act. The era is changing, and conflict between the new and the old is inevitable."

"True. But have you made your final decision? She... after all, once had a very deep relationship with you."

Without any silence, the other voice continued: "The Dao has always been cruel. Summer insects cannot speak of ice. I have already been estranged from her for over four thousand years; no matter how deep the relationship was, it has all vanished like smoke. Now, she is merely someone blocking my Dao."

"It is best that you are aware of this."

A brief conversation.

Two black and white human silhouettes, in a pitch-black forest made entirely of ink wash.

However, these two silhouettes were extremely special; within the black and white of both, there was actually a garish red mixed in—it was red like tadpoles, thread by thread, flowing rapidly along with the black and white colors.

The two finished their conversation and were about to leave, when suddenly, a red crow flew into the black ink forest. The crow landed on one person's shoulder, tilting its head as if whispering.

That person stopped abruptly.

"What is it?" the other asked.

That person said: "Jing Shifei is supporting the Lost Spirit Faction. She agrees to release She Yitu, and then says something about saving every disciple with all her might."

The other was completely stunned: "How is that possible?"

That person added: "Huang Taixuan has turned back to her..."

His voice was filled with a sense of disbelief and utter speechlessness. It was as if a villain who had been plotting for many years finally reached the time to execute the plan, only for the other party to suddenly stop playing by the rules.

At this moment, in the courtyard of Jing Shifei.

A short-haired, beautiful woman was sitting upright before a stone table.

An old man with graying hair was kneeling opposite her.

The old man had already confessed everything he needed to; at this moment, he closed his eyes and turned his head, seemingly feeling remorse for his past betrayal.

"Shi Feng is not dead, and he even sought you out. So, that is why you were willing to cooperate with him, at Song Cheng's initiation ceremony at the end of this year..." Jing Shifei found it hard to believe.

Previously, when she saw Shi Feng's Ink Plum Token and the Wood Spirit Evergreen Scripture, she had assumed Shi Feng had been killed by a Jianmu Palace disciple; after all, blood is thicker than water.

But looking at it now... perhaps the answer was the exact opposite.

It was the Jianmu Palace disciple who had discovered something unusual about Shi Feng and pursued him, only to be killed by Shi Feng, who then seized the opportunity to shed his skin like a cicada.

But who could have discerned such a thing immediately? If she were unable to discern it, and Shi Feng suddenly appeared at the end of this year, she would surely be caught off guard by a sneak attack, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

But now, Huang Taixuan had "turned back after turning against her once," and had confessed everything.

Jing Shifei's words came to an abrupt halt, and she said gently, "Forget it, I don't blame you, Taixuan; after all, he once mentored you too."

"I'm sorry, Master, I'm sorry."

The old man kowtowed and wept, "Actually, I knew long ago that Teacher Shi had problems; he was very wrong. But this disciple truly did not want to enter reincarnation, did not want to die and have my soul scattered, so I could only follow him..."

Jing Shifei said softly, "It is all in the past."

Having said that, she smiled and added, "You are already at such an age, why are you still acting like a child?"

The old man said, "In front of Master, Taixuan will always be a child."

After saying this, he raised his head again and glanced at the tightly locked door of the room.

He remembered... that day he saw Song Cheng enter Master's courtyard, and he had not come out since.

A trace of doubt arose in Huang Taixuan's heart, but he did not dwell on it, for the initiation ceremony was imminent, and his junior brother would surely come out that day.

Inside the room.

Song Cheng looked at the panel, feeling a bit of a headache... yes.

He was about to participate in the initiation ceremony.

But he had already broken through to the True Spirit Realm.

P. S.: I really cannot write any faster.

If you all aren't satisfied with what you've read, feel free to let the chapters accumulate.

Peach Blossom Su will not backstab the readers; the story will be complete.

(End of this chapter)