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Chapter 257 Body Refinement is Irreversible

“The sacred land of the sages is rich in spiritual energy and the heavenly way is clear. Even if one’s aptitude is poor, one should be able to break through to a higher realm after entering. Who would have thought that he would actually come out the same way he went in?”

Tea pavilion in the inner courtyard of the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.

Shi Junhao, He Lingxiu, Yu Shiliu, Gu Zetao and others gathered here.

The Heavenly Academy was not empty; disciples often walked around the outer courtyard, so the news of Ji You's return quickly caught people's attention and spread like wildfire, eventually reaching the outer courtyard and into the ears of many.

The aftershocks of Ji You, a rural private cultivator, taking the top spot on the Heavenly Dao Association's list were still lingering, and now another wave of controversy has arisen.

He Lingxiu picked up her teacup: "Ji You's talent has always been excellent. There must be some limitations to him, otherwise he wouldn't be like this."

Xiao Hanyan couldn't help but raise her eyes after hearing this: "You mean body refinement?"

"Indeed, it has long been established in Qingyun that those who become immortals will separate their souls from their bodies and form immortal bodies. Their physical bodies cannot be too strong, otherwise their connection with the heavens and man will be restricted. He already spent a lot of effort to go from the middle stage of Tongxuan to the upper stage of Tongxuan. This time when he enters the holy land, his connection with the heavens and man will probably be gone."

"Does this... mean the path to immortality is severed?"

The path to immortality relies on the connection between heaven and man, thereby gaining insight into the myriad laws of nature and condensing them within oneself.

Once the connection between Heaven and Man is lost, it means that the path to immortality has come to an end.

The Heavenly Academy has many disciples who cultivate at a fast pace in the lower three realms, but due to their low aptitude for enlightenment and constant obstacles in their connection with the divine, they eventually become just ordinary people.

But what silenced everyone wasn't this obvious conclusion; in fact, Ji You clearly didn't fall into this category.

His talent was exceptional, but he locked himself in a state of physical cultivation.

Yu Shiliu couldn't help but turn her head and look at Gu Zetao and Wang Gaocen.

In the six months or so since the end of the Heavenly Dao Society, the images of being defeated kept replaying in their minds, causing them to talk less.

However, they often went to the library to browse through some books on body cultivation.

In fact, even if they didn't say it, they could understand each other. The shock of Ji You sweeping across the entire territory back then was too great, and it made them unconsciously have the same idea.

However, they are currently only at the level of understanding and have not actually started to try it.

Hearing the discussions among my senior classmates, I instantly gave up that idea.

"Is there a way to eliminate the physical body's limitation on divine thought?"

Several elders in the Elders' Pavilion had also heard the news of Ji You's return. They stood in the pavilion and discussed it amongst themselves.

Elder Fang smiled upon hearing this: "Body tempering is an irreversible process, so it cannot be eliminated. It's not like no one has walked this path a thousand years ago, otherwise so many body tempering manuals wouldn't have been left behind. The decline of this path is enough to explain the problem."

Elder Ge couldn't help but frown slightly: "What exactly is Ji You up to?"

"It's just a limitation imposed by one's background."

"?"

Elder Fang picked up the teacup on the table and gently skimmed the foam off the surface with the lid: "He relied on his talent to get to where he is today, but compared to the scions of aristocratic families, no one taught him what to do later on."

The elders in the Elders' Hall immediately understood his meaning upon hearing this.

With Ji You's talent, if he were placed in a prestigious family, he would definitely be nurtured as a promising talent.

The family elders will surely use their experience to create a detailed cultivation plan for him, specifying what to do at each stage and what elixirs to take, with absolute precision.

There is no way I would ever stray onto the wrong path of body tempering.

But Ji You came from the countryside and had no ancestors in his family. Perhaps he had picked up this bad habit of body training before he entered the academy.

This did indeed enhance his combat power, allowing him to win the championship in the Heavenly Dao Assembly, but the drawbacks have also become obvious.

Elder Fang fell silent at this point.

The fact that he was able to reach the upper realm of the Profound Realm despite the limitations of his physical body made him realize just how strong Ji You's original talent must have been.

If such a person hadn't never practiced body cultivation, they might not have been able to reach the top of the Heavenly Dao Assembly, but there was still a possibility of them entering the top ten. If they entered the Holy Land of the Sages and then came out, their potential might truly be limitless.

At this moment, the phrase "to weave one's own cocoon" came to mind.

Also experiencing mixed feelings were Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and the Lu sisters, who were sitting in the courtyard.

After returning from the Heavenly Dao Society, they enjoyed a period of great fame because of Ji You.

Cao Jingsong went from being an unknown instructor to a highly sought-after figure in the outer academy. The head of the academy even gave him Ding Ang's courtyard, allowing him to live in a larger one.

Actually, he didn't really want to move to a new yard; after all, there's no place like a doghouse.

However, as the top instructor of the Heavenly Dao Society, the head of the administration did not want him to live in a too shabby place.

As for the second young lady of the Lu family, after entering the inner courtyard, she chose the Zizai Hall, which is the same hall as He Lingxiu. Although she is not as well-versed as a direct disciple, she can still come into contact with some basic spells in the hall.

As for Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu, they spent their days cultivating Taoism in the courtyard and didn't have many worries.

The recent strange phenomena in the heavens and earth and the appearance of evil species had stirred their hearts, and they had even returned to Fengzhou with Kuang Cheng during that time.

But just as Mu Jing told Ji You, Fengzhou is now the garrison of the Zhenbei Army. Although there are evil species appearing, they have not caused any trouble.

It was clear that Ji You's return shattered this tranquility.

Rumors of Ji You's failure to break through the realm had been circulating for half a month, and Cao Jingsong had scoffed at them at the time, never expecting that it would actually be true.

In the vast courtyard, everyone stared at Ji You as she took her seat, their gazes gradually freezing.

Cao Jingsong was the first to speak.

"You wicked disciple, what exactly did you do in the sacred land of the sages?"

"Practice."

Cao Jingsong's lips twitched involuntarily: "After more than half a year, why are you still only at the Profound Realm?"

Ji You rolled up his sleeves at this moment: "It is true that I am cultivating, but I am refining my body."

"You went to the sacred site of the ancient sages to refine your body?"

"A good man should have a healthy body."

Cao Jingsong stared at him for a long time, then his eyes suddenly turned serious: "Don't try to be funny with me. Is your connection with the heavens being limited by your physical body? I told you before that body cultivation is not the right path."

Ji You had anticipated this questioning, and upon hearing it, she couldn't help but say, "I have never thought about becoming an immortal, so combat strength is the most important thing to me. Body tempering is the easiest path for me, and it is also the fastest way to improve combat strength."

Cao Jingsong frowned: "What kind of theory is this? Have you been fooled by someone?"

"This is a conclusion I came to myself. Do you know, instructor, that there are actually different levels of body refinement?"

"?"

"I started practicing body training out of necessity, but I later realized that this path might not be impossible."

As Ji You spoke, he clenched his fist slightly, and then a powerful aura began to emanate from his body.

The intense heat made everyone hold their breath, and they found that the hairs on their bodies stood on end, as if they were facing a huge beast.

boom!
With a muffled thud, all five people in the room reached out and placed their hands on the stone table, feeling the overwhelming pressure in front of them, a look of disbelief flashing in their eyes.

Ji You had already unleashed his aura on Cao Jingsong once when he was merging with Dao. Although the pressure on Instructor Cao was considerable, he was still able to remain calm and composed.

But this time, that aura made him feel powerless to resist.

After a long while, the intense atmosphere gradually subsided, and the five people on the other side instantly felt much more relaxed.

Cao Jingsong's eyes were filled with disbelief.

Compared to the last time, he could sense that his disciple's current aura had truly surpassed all his current realms.

When he first returned to the Heavenly Academy, he was arrogant and dared to point fingers at the elders of the Elders' Hall. Some elders were secretly angered, but none of them released such suffocating pressure.

Cao Jingsong calmed his mind and withdrew the spiritual energy he had used to resist: "Does body refinement really have different levels, and can one continuously break through them?"

"That's the case for now."

"What level are you at now?"

Ji You clenched his fist: "We'll know the answer in a few days if we find an elder to beat him up."

Ban Yangshu glanced at Ji You and asked, "Junior Brother, are you going to give up Daoist cultivation? And only take this path?"

"I have never given up, but I have made choices."

"It is no exaggeration to say that a powerful physical body can limit one's ability to perceive the heavens. Can you still sense the Dao of Heaven now?"

Upon hearing Ban Yangshu's words, a surging golden light gradually rose in Ji You's eyes. In no time, her eyes were as if cast in gold, and her divine thoughts flickered like leaping flames that never went out.

The connection between Heaven and Man requires comprehension, but it relies on divine will. Theoretically speaking, no matter how powerful the physical body is, as long as the divine will is always superior, the connection with the Heavenly Dao will not be completely blocked.

Besides physical training, Ji You had been using sword control techniques to cultivate his divine sense in the sacred land of the sages.

He did decide to continue on the path of body refinement, but he did not completely give up on enlightenment and cultivation.

Just then, Ji You noticed a slender, pale hand reach out and pinch his biceps.

Ji You turned her head and found that Senior Sister Wen's eyes were staring straight ahead, as if she was testing the hardness.

No wonder everyone says the young master of Lingjian Mountain is so powerful; he's so strong, yet he managed to withstand it...

Wen Zhengxin couldn't help but recall how his opportunistic parents had arranged marriages for him before the Heavenly Dao Society, and thought to himself, "If they had gotten together back then, wouldn't I have been killed?"

Ji You didn't know that Wen Zhengxin was a lecherous man, otherwise she would definitely have told her senior sister. The proud and arrogant girl hadn't dared to try it yet.

Lu Qingqiu's thoughts were similar to Wen Zhengxin's, so much so that on the way back, she bit her lip slightly and her eyes were watery.

He thought to himself that if he ever had the chance, he'd be smashed to pieces...

Lu Hanyan, the second young lady of the Lu family, was also a little worried.

She thought to herself that whether she got married or her sister got married, she would still be hit and thrown out...

Amidst the turmoil in their hearts, the two sisters' minds were filled with explicit images, and they didn't even know how they ended up back in the courtyard.

After a long while, Lu Qingqiu came to her senses, her cheeks flushed as she looked at her younger sister. She noticed that her sister also seemed hesitant to speak, and immediately realized that her sister had the same sordid thoughts as her.

Then, a letter placed on the table caught their attention.

The letter came from Yunzhou and was written by their father. It asked about their cultivation progress and the situation in the inner courtyard.

Besides these, the situation in Yunzhou was also briefly mentioned.

There are also evil creatures appearing in Yunzhou, but fortunately, the Spirit Stone Merchants Association is there, so they can deal with it quickly. They have sent people to surround and suppress them in the nearby spirit mines.

They are also investigating the origin of this batch of evil seeds, but there is still no news. They asked Lu Qingqiu to keep an eye out for any information at the Heavenly Academy.

However, what caught Lu Qingqiu's attention the most was the mention of several talented young men in her father's letter.

Some were from Qingzhou, others from Youzhou, all claiming to be from prominent families with considerable cultivation, and they even subtly mentioned that she was of marriageable age.

Seeing this, Lu Qingqiu frowned slightly.

When her younger sister Qiu Dou was alive, her father had secretly hinted to her, probably intending for her to find a way to marry Ji You.

But her father suddenly changed his mind and introduced her to other people, probably because it was already known that Ji You had come out of the sacred land of the sages but had not broken through to the next realm.

When the Elders' Council made concessions to Ji You, allowing Sister Xu to enter the Heavenly Academy, their consideration was that Ji You, who came from the sacred land of the sages, would be of immeasurable value. This was a view shared by almost everyone in the world.

At this point, almost everyone thought that Ji You, who had not yet broken through to the next level even in the sacred land of the ancients, must have reached the end of his cultivation path.

The world of Qingyun is inherently realistic and cruel, which is never surprising.

Meanwhile, in Chunhua Lane.

Ji You left Cao Jingsong's courtyard and went down the Nishan Sacred Way to Kuang Cheng's residence.

After not seeing each other for a long time, Kuang Cheng was overjoyed to see Ji You again: "Brother Ji is back?"

Ji You strode in, looking refreshed: "Where's my big, chubby nephew? Bring him out so your uncle can have a look."

"Brother Ji is truly reckless..."

"I've been gone for at least seven or eight months. Don't tell me you and Wei Rui haven't done anything worthwhile?"

Kuang Cheng turned around and went into his dormitory, where he took out two ledgers and placed them on the table.

"After the autumn harvest, I and several officials from Fengzhou discussed and established the Wulu Trading Company. We used the remaining grain to help many people from the other eight prefectures. We also recruited some people to go to Fengzhou. The ranch that Brother Ji mentioned earlier has been built. The large markets in several counties have also been merged into one and are now under the unified jurisdiction of the government."

Ji You took the ledger and flipped through it for a while.

Goodness, they're doing all the right things.

He knew that Kuang Cheng was always serious about these kinds of things, so entrusting it to him was the right thing to do.

The only regret is that he didn't have the courage to have a child with Wei Rui.

Unlike him, who had already consulted the high and mighty Junior Master of Lingjian Mountain about having a baby.

Kuang Cheng sat down at this moment: "There are rumors outside that Brother Ji, you haven't broken through to the next realm. What's going on?"

Ji You looked up upon hearing this and replied simply, "My path is somewhat different from theirs. My cultivation level hasn't improved, but my body is better."

Kuang Cheng was relieved after hearing this: "Then I'm relieved. As long as you're healthy, that's all that matters."

After spring, the barbarian army reappeared outside the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Kuang Cheng was worried about the war restarting, so he inquired and learned that the barbarian king also had a daughter, but she was older and more robust.

However, he trusted Ji You, and he always felt that his brother Ji's charm could appeal to both young and old.

We should endure hardship and bear burdens for the sake of the people; we have nothing to fear.

Ji You put down the account book in his hand: "I heard from your colleagues that after I entered the Holy Land of the Sages, a lot of things happened in Qingyun Tianxia."

He had always been concerned about the strange phenomena that appeared in the sky and the appearance of evil species, but the rumors were a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult for him to distinguish between them.

The reason I came to see Kuang Cheng this time was because, as an official of the Imperial Observatory, the information he knew should be the most reliable.

Kuang Cheng had actually been waiting for him because of this matter. After he mentioned it, he took out a map from the small brown cabinet and placed it in front of Ji You.

This is a map of Kyushu that can be bought in shops, but it marks many remote areas, all of which are places where evil creatures have been found to have appeared.

Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You and said, "I think this is very strange."

Ji You stared at the map for a long time before speaking: "You mean the evil seed suddenly appeared but its source cannot be found?"

"Brother Ji, you've noticed it too, haven't you? This matter is somewhat similar to the one in Qiling."

"It doesn't seem like a natural disaster, it seems like a man-made one."

Kuang Cheng nodded with a slightly solemn expression: "Everything in this world has a cause and effect. I think someone must have done something to cause so many evil species to appear in Qingyun Tianxia, ​​just like that evil person from the Zheng family back then. It's just a pity that Dou Yuankong is mentally unstable and can't speak, otherwise there might be clues to follow."

Ji You had also come into close contact with the evil creatures that had appeared this time, and knew that if they investigated along these ghostly things, they would definitely not find anything.

The only clue at present is actually Dou Yuankong, who was rescued.

On her way back, Ji You had considered visiting Dou Yuankong, but after thinking it over, she decided against it.

Dou Yuankong left the capital because of him. Although he had only himself to blame, he is now in such a terrible state that the Dou family would probably not want to see him.

Ji You raised her head: "Mental instability should mean there's a problem with the soul. Do you think the Pill Sect might have a cure?"

Kuang Cheng shook his head decisively after hearing this: "Actually, the Dan Sect once sent an alchemist over, but after a long time of treatment, he was still in the same terrible state."

"The Dou family actually managed to hire an alchemist?"

"It was the other six major immortal sects who joined forces to invite him. They probably knew that this matter was not simple and wanted to find out something from Dou Yuankong."

Kuang Cheng then pointed to the direction of Sanli County on the map: "However, there is something strange. Dou Yuankong is the son of an official, and he is not good at carrying heavy loads. There is no reason for him to go to such a remote place as Sanli County. I have always felt that he did not go there voluntarily."

Ji You raised his eyes after hearing this: "This is indeed a clue. Can the Imperial Observatory send someone to investigate?"

"Our Immortal Observatory's personnel have all been dispatched to eliminate evil seeds, leaving us no time to attend to this matter. However, the seven major immortal sects have sent people, and judging by the time, it should be time by now. I wonder if they will be able to find anything."

Two years passed peacefully after the Qiling incident, but Ji You always suspected that the failure of the Zheng family patriarch to ascend to immortality was not the end of the matter.

Because he and Yuan Chen had been to the central immortal mountain in the ruins, and the traces they found indicated that it was not just the Zheng family patriarch who was there.

There must be a reason why these people have been lying low for two years without making any moves.

There is an old saying in Qingyun Tianxia: "The flowers are similar year after year, and the people are the same year after year."

There isn't much difference between this year, last year, and the previous years. The only difference is that the Heavenly Way Society was held and the sacred sites of the ancient sages were opened.

Ji You couldn't help but recall the strange phenomena in the sacred site of the ancient sages, and her brow furrowed slightly.

The omen of chaos that circulated before Qingyun Tianxia might refer to this.

To be honest, many cultivators died in Qiling at that time, which led to a reduction in taxes the following year. If you really think about it that way, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

The problem is, when the nest is overturned, there are probably no eggs left intact.

(End of this chapter)