Now that things have reached this stage, there’s nothing the Inspection and Supervision Department can hide. The Northern Land is about to fall, and Xie Xuan can’t worry about so much? Since Zhang Chen wants to see it, let him see it.
After all, under Heaven, Zhang Chen is the only one capable of Qi Cultivation and Immortal Cultivation. Who can know that Zhang Chen has practiced the Secret Technique of the Inspection and Supervision Department?
"Years ago, I led the experts from the Inspection and Supervision Department to secretly excavate three ancient tombs. The books unearthed from them are all here." Xie Xuan pointed to a package of books.
Though called books, when Zhang Chen unwrapped the package, inside were silk volumes made of silver, also known as the Celestial Book.
Zhang Chen casually picked up a book. It was thumb-thick, with Mysterious Power reflecting within. After glancing at the book cover, he couldn’t help but pause: "Energy-Introducing Technique!"
"This is the Secret Technique of the Five Villages Temple, describing how to guide the Earth Vein Qi, used to replace Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism in Qi Cultivation formula! I had seen this book inside the Five Villages Temple before." When Zhang Chen opened the book, indeed its contents were no different from what he knew.
"Could it be Xie Xuan unearthed a tomb of a Five Villages Temple disciple? It seems likely. That Five Villages Temple was buried within the Dragon Palace at Chunting Lake, not far from Goulan County. The creation of a tomb by a disciple who perished would be normal to appear nearby." Zhang Chen placed the book down, showing a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
"Is this book not useful?" Noticing Zhang Chen’s change in mood, Xie Xuan asked.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen shook his head: "This is indeed a proper formula, suitable for ordinary cultivators to practice. However, its drawbacks are too significant."
Zhang Chen did not hold back, explaining the cultivation essentials of the Five Villages Temple to Xie Xuan, who was shocked upon hearing: "Absorbing Earth Qi to replace Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism, though confined to a local area, it’s Supreme Creation, far superior to those Divine Spirits mastering Authority of Heaven and Earth."
Xie Xuan looked at Zhang Chen intensely: "May I request you to translate this formula, sir? With such merit, I can assure you that your criminal record will be reduced, allowing you to regain freedom. If the Great Victory Dynasty were to possess such a Cultivation Technique, why would it fear the Yellow Heaven Dao and the White Lotus Sect anymore?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen glanced at the Energy-Introducing Technique in his hand, a formula from Xie Xuan. Since Xie Xuan asked, he couldn’t refuse.
Moreover, Zhang Chen wasn’t worried about anyone cultivating the Five Villages Temple’s formula in this world. After all, he even killed the Ancestral Master of the Five Villages Temple; would he fear anyone practicing this formula against him?
Furthermore, he now holds Authority of Earth. If he were to elevate it, it seems to naturally counter such cultivators.
"Bring me pen and paper." Zhang Chen said.
Hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Xie Xuan happily reached for the desk, grabbing pen and paper, allowing Zhang Chen to begin translating the formula.
Having practiced handwriting for some time, combined with Blood Control Technique’s mastery of the body, Zhang Chen’s writing was now vigorous and attractive, not difficult to read. Instead, his written characters were quite pleasing.
After Zhang Chen finished translating and handed the book to Xie Xuan, he said: "Though this formula is profound, Leader Xie, who has now proven the Yang God and embarked on a new path, should not cultivate it. The path you are on now, speaking of prospects, is beyond this formula."
This Energy-Introducing Technique merely allows cultivation up to the Yang God realm.
Xie Xuan nodded, holding the book in his palm, watching it like a treasure.
Zhang Chen ignored Xie Xuan and picked up another book to read. It was a book on elixirs, containing pill formulas for alchemy. Zhang Chen casually glanced, and it was full of ordinary elixirs like hemostasis and muscle enhancement, with not a single formula for enhancing cultivation.
But now, Zhang Chen owns an Alchemy Furnace. Attempting these pill formulas in the future would be no harm.
Zhang Chen continued to read, finding most books belonged to the Five Villages Temple cultivators, with not one on Qi Refining Technique. Surprisingly, Zhang Chen spotted that familiar Upper Pure Talisman, the talisman book used to cultivate the Nine Bends Yellow River Array.
Zhang Chen felt disappointed but understood. Even in the Five Villages Temple’s era, he hadn’t discovered the orthodox cultivation method for Qi Refining techniques, let alone from disciple tombs.
It’s normal not to gain anything.
"The Ancestral Master of Longevity obtained the cultivation formula from the Immortal... Immortal True Spirit..." Zhang Chen’s mind flickered with thought. He marked and suppressed that Immortal True Spirit within the Ba Snake Space, pondering if he could awaken the Immortal’s True Spirit, to obtain a Qi Refining formula from it.
Contemplating carefully, Zhang Chen recognized two methods to acquire a Qi Refining formula: "First, through the Yellow Heaven Dao, which has Qi Refining formulas, marking the beginning of my Qi Cultivation path. Second, through the Immortal True Spirit."
While Zhang Chen mused, the aroma of simmering meat wafted through the hall, tantalizingly entering his nostrils, stirring an inexplicable yearning in his stomach.
Such longing is not hunger, but a very strange desire, seemingly driven by the instinct of life itself.
Fortunately, Xie Xuan had sealed the aura within the hall in advance, otherwise, if this aura were to spread, it would have caused tremendous trouble.
The three little ones salivated around the iron pot, and Xie Lingyun, with a surprised expression, said, "This dragon flesh is a great creation; it can sway my desires. Eating it must be very nourishing."
Beside him, Mrs. Zhang’s stomach also rumbled like thunder: "I’ve never smelled such a unique fragrance, as if my every organ hasn’t tasted water in days."
"It’s time to eat."
Xie Lingyun called out, withdrew the flame, and began to distribute the dragon meat after lifting the lid of the pot.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen put down the book in his hands and looked over, only to see vibrant colors flashing within the large pot, as if a mysterious world inhabited the pot itself.
Inside the large pot, there were unknown fluctuations flowing, accompanied by Xie Lingyun using a ladle to serve, revealing a pot full of milky-white ’dragon remains’ that was then devoured ravenously by the three little ones.
Walking forward, Zhang Chen and Xie Xuan each held a bowl, slowly savoring the taste as they sat at the table.
With the dragon soup entering his stomach, Zhang Chen felt his whole body including muscles, bones, and skin stretching out, a warm current flowing inside him, making his own muscles and bones inexplicably stronger.
His body’s magical power was boiling, yet the growth of his magical power had already reached its limit and could not increase even slightly. As for the physical changes, although his strength increased and the washing marrow and cutting hair enhanced his physique, due to having the Blood Control Technique, its benefits to him were limited.
Just then, Xie Lingyun sat cross-legged, a thread of scorching aura flowing around him, and as the dragon meat was being used as fuel, a strand of Pure Yang Qi was born within his soul.
The moment this thread of Pure Yang Qi was born, it began to nourish Xie Lingyun’s Yin Spirit, causing it to undergo unknown changes.
Zhang Chen watched Xie Lingyun’s transformation closely; Xie Lingyun had great creation indeed. For cultivators, the most difficult barrier from Yin Spirit to Yang God is the birth of Pure Yang Qi. Once born, the Yin Spirit can naturally transform into Yang God under its nourishment. At present, although Xie Lingyun is not a Yang God cultivator, he is definitely not a mere Yin Spirit cultivator. With this strand of Pure Yang Qi, he can compensate for many shortcomings of Yin Spirit cultivators and can be called a Half-Step Yang God True Man.
"Within a year, Xie Lingyun will definitely be able to step into the Yang God realm," Zhang Chen thought to himself.
As for Xie Xuan, colorful light swirled within his body, with the True Dragon Flesh constantly refining his internal organs, mysterious power fluctuating all around him, evidently obtaining great benefits as well.
Regarding Mrs. Zhang, black greasy substance kept seeping through the pores of her skin, a stench spread within the cabin, forcing Mrs. Zhang to hurriedly leave.
As for the three little ones, they were now fainted, with Zhang Tuowei’s muscles and bones crackling, and mysterious power flowing within his body, indicating signs of bloodline awakening. Zhang Fei also experienced internal disturbances at a faster rate than Zhang Tuowei, with visible speed seeing his excess fat consumed by the power of the dragon soup.
As for Chengyu, the girl sat there flushed with True Dragon Power transforming into vast Essence Qi, nurturing her soul, causing her cultivation to rise from the realm of exorcism to the fifth tier of possession.
Chengyu was now a fourth-tier cultivator, which is the realm of exorcism. Upon reaching the fifth tier of possession, she will have the ability to possess living beings, diversifying her techniques.
"My foundation is too deep; the internal organs of this Eleventh Tier True Dragon are useless to me, at most just nourishing my organs slightly," Zhang Chen thought to himself.
It was mainly because Zhang Chen’s bloodline power was too strong! The Blood Control Technique was a force in itself, how could mere Eleventh Tier True Dragon internal organs have a significant effect on him?
Over there, Xie Xuan opened his eyes and saw Zhang Chen leisurely sipping dragon soup, showing no abnormality, causing his pupils to shrink and revealing a trace of caution in his eyes: ’Just how strong is this lad’s cultivation? Even I benefitted greatly from drinking this dragon soup, yet he ate the True Dragon Liver without any reaction at all; he’s truly enigmatic! I have underestimated him in the past!’
"This bowl of True Dragon organ soup has at least spared me fifty years of painstaking practice," Xie Xuan said with a voice full of emotion.
"How to cultivate beyond the Yang God realm?" Zhang Chen asked curiously.
Xie Xuan said, "When cultivators reach the Yang God realm, they should cultivate their physique, temper their flesh into Immortal Jade Bone, refine their organs into a steel furnace, thus achieving a Vajra Unbreakable body, able to evade the impending calamities. Once cultivators break through the Yang God realm, three calamities will descend; only with a strong body can the Yang God hide within and use its powerful shell to withstand the onslaught of the calamities."
Upon hearing Xie Xuan’s words, a term sprang into Zhang Chen’s mind: ’Three calamities?’
How does this description resemble the three calamities in Journey to the West?