Promise!

Chapter 261, Golden Body

Half a month later.

Cangzhou City, First Ring Road, Shangguan Family Residence.

Swish!
Zhuang Jin opened her eyes. In the bathtub, the medicinal soup made from various herbs had been completely absorbed and become clear. A faint golden light flashed across her body.

This is the effect of the body-refining secret technique, "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique".

"With my current level of cultivation and abundant resources, I've already cultivated this secret technique to the fifth level in a short time. My physical essence and blood have greatly increased. The sixth level will come soon, and it will probably slow down a bit when I reach the seventh level."

Breaking through to the Yin Spirit realm requires extremely high standards for the three treasures of the human body—essence, energy, and spirit.

Among the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit, "qi" can be understood as innate vital energy. Now, my innate vital energy is the ultimate attribute, the ultimate ice, which far surpasses others in the same realm. With this, I can almost fight beyond my level.
'God' can be understood as the spiritual power manifested by the soul, or more fundamentally, the innate strength of the soul. The two are just two sides of the same coin. In this respect, I am almost twice as strong as ordinary people and far surpass those in the same realm, so there is no need to say more.
The final "essence" can be understood as the physical body's vital essence and blood.

Zhuang Jin pondered to himself: 'When I transmigrated here, my body was severely depleted. Later, I cultivated the Black Fiend Technique, relying on rapid breakthroughs to accumulate potential and make up for it. Now I have long surpassed those of others in the same realm, but compared to 'Qi' and 'Spirit,' I am still far behind. The three are not balanced, making it a weakness that is not exactly a weakness.'

If he replenishes his 'essence', then essence, energy, and spirit will all be at the highest level, forming a tripod. Combined with his talent that has no bottlenecks, he will have a 98% or higher chance of breaking through to the Yin God realm.

This is unavoidable. The ancestor of a powerful family has the same talent as him, some advantages in his cultivation techniques, and the power of the Suspended Heaven Mirror, which enabled him to break through. Zhuang Jin does not have these conditions and is unwilling to use the Suspended Heaven Mirror as a shortcut, leaving any hidden dangers. Naturally, he has to focus on the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit to deepen his own foundation.

The Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique is designed to enhance the physical body, essence, and blood, thus strengthening the body's three treasures: essence, energy, and spirit.

As for its origin? It was obtained from Shangguan Jinfeng.

After the wedding that day, Zhuang Jin didn't have much to do. The dean of Bailu Martial Academy wouldn't be until the beginning of next year. The remaining month or so this year could be considered his wedding leave. After all, even cattle and horses need to be fed grass.

During this period, Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang enjoyed leisurely travels and carefree life in their spare time from cultivation. As newlyweds, they naturally indulged in such matters. However, Shangguan Yunchang was also quite competitive and unwilling to show weakness. Zhuang Jin could not tolerate this when it came to a man's dignity.

One day, Shangguan Jinfeng noticed Zhuang Jin's faint dark circles under his eyes and gave him the body-refining secret technique, "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique," with an "I know" look on her face. "You know nothing," Zhuang Jin thought to himself, but he honestly accepted the technique.

It must be said that Shangfeng Jinfeng, the head of the Shangguan family, is a figure like an ancestor. When it doesn't involve the family's interests, he is quite kind and always smiling. He is very down-to-earth and generous. He gives away top-notch body-refining secret techniques without hesitation.

Well, the bigger reason is that this body-refining secret technique is beneficial for offspring.

There's just one thing that's a bit awkward. This old ancestor clearly looks young and is about the same age as others, but he always looks at him with the kind of loving gaze one would give a grandson. Zhuang Jin always feels like he's being taken advantage of. He's confirmed that the other party definitely has a perverse sense of humor and is the kind of person who enjoys himself.

Although it was given away for free, Zhuang Jin didn't dare to take the top-level body-refining secret technique, "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique," for someone as shrewd and calculating as Shangguan Jinfeng. He had to reciprocate.

Back then, at the Tongfu Teahouse on the fifth floor of Zhenxiufang, when he dealt with Zhan Shengchu, he used the upgraded version of the Ice Soul Divine Sword, the One Sword Returning to Origin with its limit-breaking burst. Shangguan Jinfeng, who was secretly observing, was quite interested, but she didn't dare to ask him directly, lest Zhuang Jin overthink things. This time, however, Zhuang Jin took the initiative to suggest exchanging a few words.

To be honest, now that he has broken through to the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, this technique is somewhat useless to him.

If Zhuang Jin were to upgrade the Gang Qi Bomb from the Gang Qi Realm stage to the Gang Yuan Bomb, the materials would be hard to find and he wouldn't be able to gather them all. The same applies to the second upgrade of the Ice Soul Divine Sword, the version suitable for the Corpse Slaying Realm. The Xuanbing Stone Essence from the Ice Lake in the Earth Cave is no longer enough; it requires various other rare materials. Furthermore, after Shen Tu Biao left, there is a lack of reliable forging masters, and Zhuang Jin doesn't trust the others very much.

Therefore, the core energy storage technology based on chip design became something Zhuang Jin didn't need. He could take this opportunity to hand it over to the Shangguan family and exchange it for some benefits.

The core technology of energy storage is based on the idea of ​​building micro-circuits by drawing on chips, and connecting them in parallel and series. It is quite profound for people who have never been exposed to it. However, Shangguan Jinfeng, who is a bored and amusing person, is very interested in this new thing. As she is at the Yin God realm, she has already developed her divine soul and has an extremely strong learning ability. She quickly absorbed all the concepts and applied them to create finished products.

The jade tokens that Shangguan Yunchang used in the underground ice lake relied entirely on the advantage of materials, using powerful flying bricks to forcibly store energy. Now, with energy storage technology, the material requirements have been greatly reduced. Jade tokens that can enable ordinary Corpse Slayer Realm cultivators to slay a Corpse Realm cultivator can be produced in larger quantities. Previously, they could only be equipped with a few core seeds of the clan leader, but now they can be expanded to include Corpse Slayer Realm elders and important Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

Zhuang Jin's move greatly enhanced the Shangguan family's foundation, brought tangible benefits to the Shangguan family's higher-ups, made Shangguan Yun Chang quite proud, and also made these Shangguan family's higher-ups have a good impression of him as a semi-married-in son-in-law.

Well, Shangguan Jinfeng wasn't stingy either. In addition to giving a large sum of resources for cultivating the "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique" as a reward, she also gave her a specially made jade token. This specially made jade token was made with extremely rare materials and could unleash a strike that surpassed that of a martial artist at the Three Corpses Severing Realm, but its power was not quite at the Yin God Realm level. It could barely be considered a strike at the half-step Yin God Realm level!

"This deal is a win-win. Just the body-refining secret technique, the 'Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique,' is extremely valuable. It can increase my foundation, balance my essence, energy, and spirit, improve the probability of breaking through to the Yin Spirit realm, and also enhance certain abilities."

Zhuang Jin felt insulted at first, but now, she actually likes it!
Shangguan Yunchang was quite competitive and wanted to prove herself superior in everything. However, after he improved by cultivating the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique, she became more adept at it and never suffered a defeat.

That specially made jade token was made with extremely rare materials. Only two were made, one for Shangguan Yunchang and one for him. Although it required Shangguan Jinfeng to nurture it every month, it was a true life-saving trump card.

The other jade tokens bestowed upon the upper echelons of the Shangguan family can only unleash a single strike at the level of the One Corpse Severing Realm, and pose no threat to He Ru.

This is no big deal for Zhuang Jin. The real impact, or rather the ones who bear the consequences, are those rogue martial artists. With such a life-saving item, the upper echelons of the Shangguan family are even harder to kill. Sometimes, they can't even exchange their lives for it. But what does it have to do with him?

With the mindset of "I don't care what happens after I die," Zhuang Jin handed over this technology in exchange for benefits, increasing his chances of breaking through to the Yin God realm. As for the difficulties faced by those who came after, and the fact that the Cangzhou aristocratic families were even more unshakeable, that was beyond his control.

"The Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique, it is said that its creation concept was modeled after the Vajra Realm beasts. After nine revolutions, the physical body far surpasses that of martial artists of the same level. Presumably, by then my essence, qi, and spirit will be in balance. However, this body-refining secret method is quite difficult to cultivate to the ninth revolution."

'I don't have any bottlenecks, so I'm not afraid. However, this method has a drawback: it's extremely resource-intensive. The resources Shangguan Jinfeng rewarded me with are probably enough to complete the seventh, eighth, and ninth stages of cultivation. After that, I'll have to bear the costs myself.'

Zhuang Jin could use the energy stored in the Holy Spirit Pearl, but that would be too wasteful. It was reserved for those at the Yin Spirit realm and beyond. Normal beast meat and other resources could easily replace it: 'Next year I'll be the dean of the White Deer Martial Academy, with excellent benefits and numerous explicit and implicit incomes. Besides supplying my normal cultivation, I'll have plenty left over. I can use that to support my cultivation of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique—a win-win situation.'

He came out of the room, and at that moment a maid came to report: "Young master, the five Venerables with two-character titles, Li, Mai, Bian, Ge and Ao, have come to pay their respects together."

"Here we go again?"

Previously, Li Shizong, Mai Yinghuang, Bian Zhihao, Ge Zhaoqing, and Ao Zhiqi, these five people outside the three major families who had reached the Corpse Severing Realm, had already visited twice, but he declined to see them both times under the pretext of cultivation.

If Zhuang Jin were still a rogue cultivator at the Corpse Severing Realm, he would naturally gravitate towards the Suspended Heaven Division and oppose the Suspended Heaven Division and the aristocratic families when faced with their oppression, blockade, and targeting. But now that he has joined the Shangguan family, his allegiance is different, and his stance is naturally different.

"Alright, let's meet them then!" There's no third time's the charm; refusing again would be impolite. Besides, the gifts from these five people regarding the marriage to Shangguan Yunchang are quite substantial. Meeting them is fine as long as we act with propriety.

In fact, the Shangguan family didn't restrict him in any way. As long as he didn't go too deep and establish a deep emotional connection with the five people, or do anything stupid that betrayed his class, it was fine. He just hadn't been too lazy to do it before.

……

"I've kept you waiting for a long time."

When Zhuang Jin came out, he met with Li Shizong, Mai Yinghuang, Bian Zhihao, Ge Zhaoqing, and Ao Zhiqi. After some probing and exchanging ideas, he had a preliminary impression of each of them.

Li Shizong came from a prestigious family in Yong'an and was a true nobleman. After dismembering the two corpses, he possessed a calm and composed demeanor that made him unfazed even when the sky was falling.

This person has a powerful background, but will eventually leave. It's pointless for the Suspended Heaven Bureau and aristocratic families to target him; he is in the freest position.

Mai Yinghuang hails from Fengyeshuize in Zezhou. He has reached the Three Corpses Severing Realm and is currently facing a major bottleneck in the Yin God Realm. As Shangguan Yunchang described, he is a true genius.

Zhuang Jin secretly guessed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this person would be the first target of the Suspended Sky Division after Zhan Shengchu.

Bian Zhihao, from the eastern coastal island of Hanzhou, was of relatively mediocre talent and had already killed one corpse.

Zhuang Jin could sense that Ge Zhaoqing was half a member of the Ge family. Others were probably wary and distant of him because of his identity, just as they had been towards him.

Ao Zhiqi once encountered a Vajra Realm beast, which injured his soul. His only son also suffered congenital soul damage. Although he severed two corpses, his condition was far from his peak, and he had no hope of breaking through in the future.

This person's son needs high-quality soul-nourishing herbs for many years. During their conversations, he always asks if there are any secret methods or medicines to replenish the soul. This time was no exception, which shows how much he loves his son. Otherwise, he would not have been controlled by the Suspended Heaven Division for so many years.

'I possess the ultimate attribute; in a one-on-one confrontation, I fear no one except Mai Yinghuang.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, glancing at the man: 'If we take into account all sorts of methods, such as the Holy Spirit Pearl shield and the Jade Token, he might have a chance against Mai Yinghuang.'

Everyone present was intelligent, so the tea party didn't involve deep conversations between people who weren't close. They only touched on some basic cultivation experiences in the Corpse Slayer Realm, without going too far, such as discussing hidden high-level knowledge, which would have been too direct. They also talked about the customs and interesting stories from various states.

After this small gathering, Zhuang Jin's thoughts changed slightly. Contacting these five people and learning some information, as a normal channel, could be somewhat useful. If handled with care, it would be beneficial without any drawbacks.

Like a knife, it can be used to cut vegetables or to kill people, depending on how it is used. There is no need to completely resist it or throw the baby out with the bathwater, as long as you grasp the right balance.

Of course, given his cautious nature, he would rather go too far than fall short, maintaining a considerable distance.

……

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhuang Jin's marriage to Shangguan Yunchang eased the somber atmosphere of the round table meeting, smoothly ushering in the year-end surge of vitality, and the city once again became lively and bustling.

This year is a small-scale energy tide, and since he is newly married and not short of resources, he did not go hunting in the Funiu Mountains. He continued his Black Fiend Technique cultivation at a very fast pace. During this time, he also spent some time cultivating the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique, pushing it to the sixth revolution. In his spare time, he would stroll around with Shangguan Yunchang or have a brief chat with Li Shizong and others.

In this way, the time came to the second day of the first month of the sixty-fifth year of Qian Yuan, the day before the start of the new semester at Bailu Martial Academy.

Zhuang Jin changed into the dean's robes and stood tall. Shangguan Yunchang personally tidied him up. Perhaps it was true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in her eyes, Zhuang Jin looked even more handsome at this moment.

"Here is a list of the Shangguan family's people in the White Deer Martial Academy. I have already informed them, so you can use them as you see fit. If there are any who disobey, I will go to them myself."

As Shangguan Yunchang spoke, a dignified and imposing aura emanated from her.

Zhuang Jin's marriage to the Shangguan family was a semi-marriage-in arrangement. The Shangguan family members were disobedient, and it was difficult for them to take action against her. As the next head of the family, she was the rightful heir.

However, with prior communication and tapping, this should not happen.

—As the next head of the Shangguan family, Shangguan Yunchang has obtained three-tenths of the authority of the Suspended Sky Mirror, which is the time when she is cultivating the fastest. However, in the meantime, she has taken time to accompany Zhuang Jin in her spare time, and even did this. If she had not been truly in love, how could she have done this?

Zhuang Jin naturally understood, and took Shangguan Yunchang's hand: "We are husband and wife, so thanking you would be too formal. I see that you like my clothes, Yunchang, so how about I repay you?"

His sudden frivolity earned him a big eye roll from Shangguan Yunchang.

This was a joke. In fact, Zhuang Jin himself had made some preparations. With the title of Dean, he was confident that he could slowly train them properly. Now that he already had the title, and had people and a trusted team, he could take control of Bailu Martial Academy even faster.

'Once I take control of the White Deer Martial Academy and it's running smoothly, I can relax and earn a considerable profit to supply the Black Fiend Technique and the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique,' he thought to himself.

"Since you're so confident, I won't go tomorrow."

Shangguan Yunchang did want to go and see, and it wasn't that she was unwilling to make time for it; she simply made this decision for Zhuang Jin's sake.

If she went, she could certainly support Zhuang Jin, but because of her own status, she would inevitably steal Zhuang Jin's thunder and bring him some bad reputation. Shangguan Yunchang herself was not afraid, but for Zhuang Jin's sake, she was unwilling to do so.

……

(End of this chapter)