Chapter 372 263: The Distortion of All Qi, the Spiritual Aura of Heaven and Earth

'As I thought.'

Jiang Yi was not surprised at all. The martial arts of the Twelve Changes of the Mortal Realm focused only on tempering muscles, bones, and skin, and forging the physical body. This was very similar to the Yin Puppet Sect of Beimang Ridge's methods for cultivating "human talent" and "technique materials."

'According to the cultivation system of the Yanfu Vast Land, anyone who lacks a complete union of Life and Essence is considered inferior.'

The Qi Cultivation techniques, and even the Foundation Establishment techniques, passed down through the various Daoist Lineages all expounded upon a single principle.

Essence relies on Life to stand; Life depends on Essence to exist.

The physical body is Life. It is the Cultivation Furnace, the treasured raft to cross the sea. If it isn't solid and firm, one will sink into the sea of bitterness, no matter how heaven-defying one's abilities are.

If one only cultivates Essence and not Life, it's said that "a myriad-kalpa Yin spirit can never achieve sainthood."

At the end of that path, the best one could hope for is to become a corpse-haunting ghost, barely clinging to existence between heaven and earth.

The martial arts of the mortal realm of Juku Continent were a perfect example of cultivating only the body of Life, with a deficiency in spiritual essence.

'Lady Xuan'nv of Fengdu walks the Ghost Dao. Although she abandoned her physical body to temper her divine soul, upon reaching the Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer, she too must re-forge a Furnace Cauldron. The requirements are extremely strict; the birth date, eight characters, destiny, and qi-fate must all be a perfect match.

From this, it's clear that without a technique that completes both Life and Essence, it's difficult to form a coherent system of Cultivation, and even harder to attain the Great Dao.'

Jiang Yi formed a hand seal. Under the profound power of Illuminating the Dark and the Light, he could spy Si Jiancan's tracks even through the world's membrane.

That dharma master from the Great Snow Mountain had shattered the void and arrived in the Spirit Realm not long ago, only to be captured by an Ancient Demon Cultivator and thrown into a Myriad Soul Banner.

'The Spirit Realm of Juku Continent... truly worthy of being the place where Ancient Demon Cultivators proliferate. This Spiritual Aura...'

Jiang Yi's brows furrowed slightly. The most suitable Spiritual Aura for cultivation is valued for its equilibrium.

Whether in a place of Yin and Yang or a place of the Five Elements, only by harmonizing and stabilizing the chaotic Spiritual Energy can one avoid damaging their Dao Foundation and harming their Life Essence.

But a Cultivator's seclusion can last for decades, even centuries. To keep the ever-changing Spiritual Energy in a long-term state of balance is a great test of one's Dao attainment.

After all, when a Cultivator practices their Cultivation or Refining Technique, they must mobilize their Magical Power and sense the celestial timing.

This will inevitably affect their surroundings and have far-reaching implications. It's impossible for things to remain calm and tranquil.

'The denser the Spiritual Energy, the harder it is to maintain a state of equilibrium.

A supreme blessed land like the Everbright Celestial Pool, where the rise and fall of Spiritual Energy follows a set order and arrangement—not too strong, not too weak—could not have been created by anyone less than a Daoist Monarch.'

Standing in the Foundation Establishment Realm, Jiang Yi's mind was as clear as a bright mirror.

Many questions that were once difficult to understand were now perfectly clear.

'In the end, a Spiritual Aura is something created by a Great Divine Power User with profound Dao attainment, in imitation of the cosmic order.

Because only a perfect and complete world can generate the source of the Great Dao, provide Nourishment for all things, and coalesce Life Essence.

Great Divine Power Users use this to manifest a phenomenon, designated as a Spiritual Aura, to make cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.

But Spiritual Auras, like Spiritual Energy, are also divided into clear and turbid, each with their own attributes.'

Jiang Yi stared intently at the flicker of Ding Fire. A moment ago, through Si Jiancan, he had caught a glimpse of the Spirit Realm—a gloomy, desolate place with a blood-red sun hanging in the sky. It was a grim scene.

Si Jiancan was just a Lower Cultivator and didn't understand the reason, but Jiang Yi, as a Daoist of the Innate Sect, saw it clearly.

This world had been forcibly transformed, forming a "Misaligned Qi" Spiritual Aura.

'It seems the Ancient Demon Cultivators are nothing more than cattle and sheep being raised here, no different from the mortal beings they look down upon.

Why would the various Daoist Monarchs deliberately create such a world?'

Jiang Yi was well-versed in Daoist Scriptures and knew well that the "Misaligned Qi" Spiritual Aura was, among the thousands of Spiritual Auras, the one most conducive to the growth of Blood Qi and Yin Sha.

'It's turbid, chaotic, dark, and indistinct. The Tai Yang would not shine here, and the Thunder Core would fall into disarray. Could it be... that a Daoist Monarch from the Nanzhan Continent is trying to subdue the Tai Yang and suppress the Thunder Core?'

The more Jiang Yi thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. In the Yanfu Vast Land, the Tai Yang had manifested for five thousand years, dispelling Yin Sha, while the Thunder Core stood above, forbidding Blood Qi.

These two great Golden Positions appeared out of nowhere, elevating the Immortal Dao and suppressing the Demon Dao, creating the current situation where the Immortal path flourishes and the Demon path wanes.

'In these five thousand years, it's impossible that the Eight Sects of Nanzhan haven't thought of a way to break this stalemate.

It's just that Blood Qi and Yin Sha are inherently not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. They involve endless slaughter and cruelty to the common people, which not only affects one's Earth Virtue but can even shake the very foundation of a Daoist Lineage itself.'

Due to the attention of the Shao Yang and the Golden attribute entering his body, although Jiang Yi's Cultivation was that of a "Lower Cultivator," his thoughts could vaguely keep pace with those of an Upper Cultivator.

Cat Master had once told him the story of a Great Power of the Demon Dao who had successively attained the Dao Fruits of She and Ji.

Combined with his later contact with various Daoist Lineages sealing the Earth Virtue Golden Position and destroying Earth Element Cultivation Techniques...

Jiang Yi roughly deduced that among the Five Virtues, Earth Virtue was quite special. It had likely long been carved up and divided among the various Daoist Lineages to serve as a foundation for their Dao paths.

'No wonder the Eight Sects only treat Juku Continent as a secret realm for their Foundation Establishment True Inheritance disciples to temper their cultivation and seek Opportunities.

I used to think it was a great waste of talent; this is a great thousand world capable of holding a Daoist Monarch...'

Realization dawned on Jiang Yi. He secretly mused that this was perhaps a whim-driven creation by one of the Daoist Monarchs of the Eight Sects of Nanzhan.

'The plan is to use Blood Qi and Yin Sha to clash with the Tai Yang and the Thunder Core.

They don't necessarily have to overpower the latter. As long as the Dao concepts clash and the Golden Position Dao Fruits become unbalanced, there would be a chance to recreate the ancient era.'

Vaguely touching upon the secrets of Daoist Monarchs, Jiang Yi's heart tightened. He immediately reined in his thoughts, not daring to ponder it any further.

He looked at Si Jiancan again. Inside the Myriad Soul Banner, his consciousness was muddled, and he had long lost the bearing of a Grandmaster of Spirit Refinement.

'This pathfinding stone cannot be easily discarded. I could pass on the "Ding Fire Technique" to him, which uses the seven emotions and six desires as its cultivation foundation.'

The cluster of Ding Fire on Jiang Yi's fingertip suddenly flickered. Under the power of Illuminating the Dark and the Light, Si Jiancan's mind abruptly cleared for an instant.

Immediately after, an obscure scripture was directly imprinted upon his mind.

'High God... it must be the High God helping me! Yes, this place is overflowing with a demonic aura. The High God wants me to sweep away the demons and purify the world!'

As if he had received a divine revelation, Si Jiancan understood his true purpose and solidified his resolve.

Right then and there, inside the Myriad Soul Banner, he began to comprehend the Ding Fire Technique.

'I'll set this chess piece aside for now. Let's take a look at Yan Fei and Xu Zhu.'

Jiang Yi rested for a moment. If not for his vast and majestic One Element Magical Power and his incomparably profound "Myriad Vehicle Dao Foundation," how could he have continuously used such profound abilities?

The cluster of Ding Fire flickered, and the figures of Yan Fei and Xu Zhu appeared, faint and indistinct.

After shattering the void, these two had landed in the north and south, respectively.

One was refined into a Corpse Puppet by a Cultivator of a Heterodox Sect, forced to turn a millstone day in and day out;

The other was taken into a lamp-shaped Magical Artifact and used as a consumable, suffering endless burning.

'So-called ascension to the upper realm is nothing but falling into suffering. What a sin.'

Jiang Yi shook his head. He similarly passed the Ding Fire Technique to the two of them and then left them to fend for themselves.

Finally, he manipulated the flame, reflecting the image of Yao Yun.

This Empress of the Great Enterprise was different from the other Grandmasters. She had physically traversed the void to ascend to the Spirit Realm.

Her Cultivation Furnace was nourished by the Spiritual Energy Overflow, undergoing an on-the-spot transformation like a Jiao snake becoming a dragon.

'Her Life Essence is gradually reaching Perfection, Opening the Primordial Gate, nurturing Divine Thought, and then congealing True Qi... If Yao Yun is given a year or two, she might even be able to combine Gang Sha and step into the Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer.'

Witnessing Yao Yun's Qi Mechanism rising steadily, Jiang Yi couldn't help but have the idea of "cultivating" her.

Such talent, capable of supporting a Dao Foundation, is too much of a waste to be left in Juku Continent.

Besides, the Ancient Demon Cultivators see beings from the lower realms as nothing but weeds. If Yao Yun falls into their hands, her fate will surely be tragic.

'I'll grant her a bit of fate's fortune and see if I can catch a big fish.'

Jiang Yi gently exhaled a breath of Magical Power. The profundity of Illuminating the Dark and the Light instantly surged, its effect holding steady even across the world's membrane.

...

...

「Juku Continent, Spirit Realm.」

Soulshatter Mountain!

Like a meteor, she came crashing down to earth with a BOOM.

Yao Yun broke through the world's membrane and was drawn into this world, but she vaguely sensed a hint of crisis.

So she forcefully broke free and fled at top speed!

'The upper realm is this dangerous? Could shattering the void be nothing but a scam?'

Before Yao Yun could think it over, several streaks of Escape Light followed closely behind her.

"JIE JIE JIE! It's rare to find an ant from the lower realm who crossed the void with an intact physical body and passed through the membrane!

Senior Brother Li, could you let me have this woman as my Furnace Cauldron!"

The young Cultivator standing on a black rope had a vicious look in his eyes. The "Queyin Yang-Supplementing Yuan-Swallowing Art" he practiced required a top-quality Furnace Cauldron.

The ants from the lower realm weren't outstanding in any other way, but their physical bodies were exceptionally superb.

It was just a pity that those who could physically ascend had always been few and far between.

"Junior Brother Fang, you've got quite an appetite! This is a Yin-harvesting Furnace Cauldron that couldn't be better! If you want her, you'll have to trade some good things with me for her!"

The middle-aged man addressed as Senior Brother Li wore a green robe and had an ancient Copper Mirror above his head, which released a thousand rays of light that shrouded his body.

"Of course, of course."

The young man gave a strange laugh, his eyes darting around as he thought:

'I call you Senior Brother, and you really think you're somebody! Once I capture this woman, I'll take you out too and seize your resources!'

In this vast Spirit Realm, the law of survival for its countless Cultivators boiled down to one simple rule: the strong prey on the weak.

This was especially true for those who cultivated the Demon Dao. They had to revere themselves as supreme and value the path of the Dao above all else.

Never mind fellow sect brothers; even fathers and sons, blood relatives, could be killed without hesitation if it meant advancing on the path of Cultivation.

Otherwise, how could one harvest Blood Qi to nourish their Life Essence, or absorb Yin Sha to refine their Daoist Techniques!

'Heh heh! The Celestial Lord has been beaten to a pulp, so there are no more tribulations to trouble us! This means we can be lawless and live a life of absolute pleasure!'

The young Cultivator's thoughts raced. He then looked at the exquisitely beautiful and remarkably poised Yao Yun and spoke condescendingly:

"Little wench, surrender obediently and enter my tent as a concubine! There will be endless benefits for you, and you'll enjoy immortal blessings forever!"