Promise!

Chapter 264, Three Trials

Mai Yinghuang didn't keep him in suspense and said directly, "Breaking through to the Innate Realm involves three stages: the Spiritual Stage, the Physical Stage, and the Divine Stage; breaking through to the Yin Spirit Realm also involves three stages: Sensing the Spirit, Merging with the Origin, and Calming the Mind."

"The first stage is sensing the spirit. In the innate corpse-slaying realm, one can obtain a flawless body by slaying the three corpse worms. At this stage, the refinement of essence into qi can no longer be advanced. If one goes further, one will come into contact with the refinement of qi into spirit, which involves the great secret of the human body - the soul."

The place where the spirit resides is called the 'Niwan Palace'. Some say the location of the Niwan Palace is between the eyebrows, at the Baihui point; some say it is the point where the center of the eyebrows meets the ears; others say it is the center of the top of the head, the Great Yellow Court of the human body... These are all correct, yet none of them are correct. The Niwan Palace is an open point that allows the spirit to enter.

The "Sensing the Spirit" stage, as the name suggests, is about perceiving the location of the spirit and soul, opening the Niwan Palace (the area around the temple), and unlocking the mystical secrets of the underworld.

This hurdle is related to the strength of one's soul. Only with a strong soul and powerful outward spiritual energy can one perceive the location of the Niwan Palace (the area around the temple), thus naturally breaking through this barrier. If one's soul strength is insufficient, one may never achieve this in a lifetime.

From this perspective, the first level, "Sensing the Spirit," is somewhat similar to the "Spiritual Gate" of the Three Innate Gates.

This stage is somewhat like giving birth.

Those whose spiritual strength is insufficient cannot perceive the Niwan Palace and cannot enter the process of breaking through to the Yin Spirit. It is like infertility; no matter how hard they try, it is all in vain.

If one's spiritual strength is slightly stronger, one can sense the Niwan Palace, but cannot break through the bottleneck and open the Yin-Yang Mystic Treasure. Or, one may sense the Niwan Palace and break through the gap, but before completing the task, one's strength declines. This is like those women who have difficult childbirth. They can get pregnant, but when it comes to actually giving birth, they suffer and die in bed, resulting in the death of both mother and child.
Only when one's spirit is stronger and reaches a certain baseline mentioned by the aristocratic families will there be a certain hope of success, just like for those women with weak constitutions, childbirth is also a perilous ordeal.

Only those whose spiritual strength far surpasses that of ordinary people can find this challenge easier, just like those physically strong farm women who, while working in the fields, can give birth in an instant.

Of course, this is just a metaphor. The hurdle of 'sensing the spirit' is much more difficult than giving birth. Among millions or tens of millions of people, it is extremely rare for a person's spiritual strength to reach the level of breaking through the Yin spirit. And among those with such a strong spiritual strength who are also able to cultivate and reach the point of severing the three corpses, there are even fewer.

"The second stage is the Fusion of Origin. After sensing the spirit, one must break through the Niwan Palace and open the Yin Mystic Treasure. At this time, one must further integrate the thoughts of the Yin spirit, or rather, the spiritual power, into the innate Gang Yuan, allowing the innate Gang Yuan to transform into divine essence."

This stage places extremely high demands on a person's vital energy and spirit.

'Jing' refers to the essence, or the strength of the physical body. The transformation of innate vital energy into spiritual energy places a great burden on the body's meridians.

If this is not achieved, the human body will be like a balloon blown to its limit, bursting with a bang.

'Qi' refers to the innate vital energy of the innate true qi realm. Only when the innate vital energy is pure enough can it merge with the thoughts of the yin spirit and transform into divine essence.

If the purity of one's innate vital energy is insufficient, it will be difficult to transform, and the body will be unable to undergo purification and sublimation to support the Yin spirit. Without the Yin spirit's thoughts to rely on, the person will be like a deflated balloon, and die from spiritual decline.

The term "god" refers to the strength of one's spirit. Only when the Yin spirit's thoughts are strong enough after the Yin spirit's secrets are opened can all the vital energy be completely transformed and metamorphosed. Otherwise, if the Yin spirit's thoughts become unsustainable halfway through, it will become a half-cooked meal.

In reality, half-cooked rice can be swallowed even if you have to break your teeth, but half-cooked rice in the dantian (lower abdomen) can be deadly.

"The third challenge is 'calming the mind'. The innate vital energy transforms into divine energy. Once the transformation of divine energy is complete, it is like a pot of boiling oil. At this time, it is necessary to intervene with the Yin spirit to calm it down."

The success or failure of this test depends on the strength of the physical body, the spirit, and the attributes of the true qi.

Needless to say, the physical body has undergone a complete transformation of the divine essence, and the body's load has reached its maximum. If things go wrong, it will explode.
As for the strength of the soul, the intervention of the Yin spirit's thoughts can quell the turmoil of the divine essence. If the strength of the soul is insufficient, it's like trying to stop boiling water by adding more water.
The final true energy attributes—metal, fire, wind, thunder, and yang—are like adding fuel to the fire, making it even more difficult to quell; wood and earth attributes are neither more nor less difficult; while water, ice, and yin attributes have an advantage in this stage.

For example, Zhuang Jin's Gang Yuan attribute, the ultimate attribute - ultimate ice, is extremely effective against this level.

—This is relatively balanced. The attributes of metal, fire, wind, and thunder have an advantage in the second stage of fusion. The attribute of qi is relatively active and easy to combine with spiritual power. In the second stage, the requirements for the strength of the soul and the total amount of spiritual power are relatively low.

Of course, the three barriers of the Yin God are not only one's own, but can also be overcome by external objects, such as the peaches of immortality of the Great Qian royal family, the ice berries of the thousand-year-old mother plants of the three great families of Cangzhou, or by obtaining the authority of the Suspended Heaven Mirror and intervening with the energy of the Suspended Heaven Mirror, etc.

"As the saying goes, 'Severing the three corpses brings freedom, washing away the lead and mortal essence allows the Yin spirit to emerge.' By breaking through these three barriers, one can transcend the Yin spirit realm and become a great Yin spirit master."

"When a Yin God warrior opens their Niwan Palace and unlocks their Yin Secret Treasure, their Gang Yuan transforms into Shen Yuan; their spiritual power leaps, and the 'momentum' of the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm advances to a Domain; it is said that there are even more mysteries, such as the activation of the Yin God, where the outside world seems to slow down, and the mind enters a state beyond the limit."

At this moment, both the narrator, Mai Yinghuang, and the listeners, including Zhuang Jin, showed expressions of longing upon hearing about that realm.

Zhuang Jin shared this hope, thinking to himself, 'The information this person provided is largely consistent with what I know. I have no bottlenecks, my soul is powerful, and once I reach the peak of the Corpse-Slaying Realm, I can easily pass the first stage, Sensing the Spirit. Once my essence, energy, and spirit reach their peak, the latter two stages, Fusion of the Origin and Calmness of the Mind, will also be no problem.'

This is also why he is confident that he can complete the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique and break through to the Yin God realm with a 98% certainty.

"Brother Mai's short words are profound yet simple, revealing the secrets of the Yin spirits."

Aside from Zhuang Jin, Li Shicong, who was from the capital, was the first to come to his senses. He stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and Zhuang Jin, Ge Zhaoqing, Ao Zhiqi, and Bian Zhihao followed suit.

"There's no need for that. Even if I don't say it, you all know a little about it. Now that I've talked about the secret of the Yin Spirit, I can discuss this secret technique. This technique is called the 'Burning Technique,' which can ignite the spiritual power of a Corpse Slayer like a spark, enhancing it in a short time in order to break through the Yin Spirit bottleneck and perceive and open the Niwan Palace... Please read the entire text of this technique together."

As Mai Yinghuang spoke, he took out an ancient book, raised his hand and tossed it into the air. Under the guidance of his spiritual power and the illumination of his inner energy, the entire book transformed into a series of light characters projected into the air.

Zhuang Jin, Li Shicong, Ge Zhaoqing, Ao Zhiqi, and Bian Zhihao were all shocked and moved by what they saw. It wasn't because of the move itself, though it was exquisite, that they were so shocked. It was the action itself that moved them.

Originally, they thought that this small gathering to discuss the secret method would be just like usual, with Mai Yinghuang only talking about the ideas and concepts of this secret method, or like selling a book, only showing the beginning. They never expected that the other party would openly and generously show the entire secret method that they had won at a high price.

However, Zhuang Jin and the other four quickly realized that displaying or sharing such secret techniques would not harm them. Furthermore, the auction house of Xuantian Division had authenticated it as an original and genuine copy, and the other party had confirmed it, but they were still wary and suspicious, wanting them to make their own judgment. At the same time, since the secret technique was incomplete, the five of them might be able to provide some insights after viewing it.

Even so, Mai Yinghuang's move can still be described as magnanimous.

"Thank you, Brother Mai."

After Zhuang Jin and the other four expressed their gratitude, they all looked at the secret technique and gradually became engrossed in it.

Zhuang Jin looked on, amazed yet vaguely familiar. Suddenly, something came to mind, and her heart was filled with turmoil.

After the incident at the underground ice lake, Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang occasionally practiced the "Yin Yang Union Technique". However, this secret technique requires two people to practice together. How can one train their spiritual power when alone?

Later, Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang developed a deep relationship, and Shangguan Yunchang taught him a secret forging technique.

It's not that the forging technique passed down by Shangguan Yunchang is the same as this incomplete "Burning Technique," but rather that some words and phrases are the same, and the ideas and concepts are exactly the same. If the "Burning Technique" is about igniting spiritual power like a spark to enhance it in a short time, then the forging technique passed down by Shangguan Yunchang is about keeping spiritual power in a state of simmering before it ignites, stimulating and tempering it.

'If I'm not mistaken, the Shangguan family's secret forging technique is derived from this incomplete "Burning Manual." Therefore, this is most likely a trap set by the Shangguan family for Mai Yinghuang?'

'I predicted from the start that after Zhan Shengchu, the next target of the Suspended Heaven Division would be the exceptionally talented and utterly ruthless Mai Yinghuang. Has it really come to pass?!'

This is only natural, as the three major families and the independent martial artists outside of them are naturally on opposite sides. Utilization, cooperation, and confrontation are the main contradictions in Cangzhou City.

—Zhuang Jin was half-married into the Shangguan family and won Shangguan Yun Chang's heart. He still had to work at the Bailu Martial Academy in order to be free from the Xuantian Division's targeting. If Mai Ying Huang, who was on the outside, had the same treatment, wouldn't Zhuang Jin have done all that for nothing?
'Since the Shangguan family has made their move, they must have acted with utmost care: the so-called original owner of this secret technique being auctioned is a descendant of someone who participated in the struggle for the immortal relics five hundred years ago, so it must be genuine; the original and true version of this secret technique should also be authentic; as for the excuse of ancestral inheritance and family decline, which they use for the auction, that is questionable.'

'This kind of thing is nine parts truth and one part falsehood, making it hard to tell the difference; it's a scam!'

Zhuang Jin was reminded of her own actions by this method.

His "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique" was practiced by many high-ranking members of the Shangguan family, including Shangguan Yunchang's father. Shangguan Yunchang had also checked and found no problems.

Furthermore, the Shangguan family didn't believe Zhuang Jin could break through the Black Fiend Technique he openly cultivated, and they even wanted to win him over. If they were to scheme like that, they would be foolish.

"Returning to this matter, Yun Chang should be unaware of Mai Yinghuang's scheming. After she became the designated head of the family, all affairs were delegated to her. To ensure she could seize this period of rapid improvement and focus on cultivation, this matter was likely orchestrated by Shangguan Jinfeng."

'That old lady is cunning and calculating. She's probably aware of my situation, so... was it a test, or perhaps a tacit understanding?'

Thinking this through, Zhuang Jin turned a blind eye to the matter and pretended not to know anything about it.

Now that his stance has changed and he has no relation to Mai Yinghuang, he will not risk damaging the mutual trust with the Shangguan family, paying a huge price, or meddling in other people's business.

……

A quarter of an hour later, Zhuang Jin and the other four withdrew their gazes, clearly having gained something.

Li Shizong spoke first, sharing his insights, and then said, "This secret technique is incomplete and has flaws. In my opinion, if it were complete, it could be controlled at will. The dragon that soars too high will regret it. Now it lacks the word 'regret'. It is too cruel and will eventually run out of steam if it does not burn itself out completely."

Next was Ao Zhiqi, who had encountered a Vajra Realm beast and suffered a soul injury. His only son also had a congenitally weak soul. After years of research, he had achieved considerable expertise in soul and mental strength. He even supplemented what Li Shizong had said and offered some ideas on how to counter it.

Then, Ge Zhaoqing shared some insights on nourishing the spirit, drawing on his own cultivation techniques.

Finally, only Zhuang Jin and Bian Zhihao remained. Bian Zhihao insisted on declining, so Zhuang Jin spoke first.

"I also have a couple of takeaways to share with you all."

Zhuang Jin wouldn't expose the trap set by the Suspended Heaven Division, but he wasn't one to take advantage either. Having witnessed the cause and effect of this secret technique, he also intended to give back a little, so he shared his insights.

His divine soul is powerful, and he also possesses the "Yin-Yang Union Divine Technique." The "Yin-Yang Union Divine Technique" combines Yin and Yang, causing his spiritual power to surge and increase. Combined with this incomplete "Burning Technique," he directly created the prototype of an auxiliary secret technique that stimulates spiritual power to burn faster. Its value is definitely worth the ticket price.

After Zhuang Jinyan spoke, Mai Yinghuang and the other four felt greatly inspired and began to pay close attention.

In the end, Bian Zhihao, limited by his talent, aptitude, and level of understanding, offered the most superficial insights. He added at the end, "Brother Mai, this secret method ultimately has too many drawbacks. You should be cautious. Just pretend this method doesn't exist. Remember: not gambling is winning!"

Like Mai Yinghuang, he came from another prefecture, but he was more special. He came from Hanzhou, which borders the sea to the east. He had seen many fishermen die in the wind and waves while taking dangerous risks. He was cautious and abhorred gambling.

Zhan Shengchu had given this advice before, and he did the same to Mai Yinghuang.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Bian, and for everyone's sharing. I have learned a lot today."

Mai Yinghuang nodded slightly and withdrew his secret technique: "However, my mind is made up. I have decided to attempt to break through to the Yin God realm in public on the second day of the second month, after the Dragon Boat Festival. You are all welcome to come and watch."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jin and the other four were shocked, but they quickly understood: this was a precaution against the Suspended Heaven Division, a breakthrough under the watchful eyes of everyone, a desperate gamble for survival, a bet on a sliver of hope.

Zhuang Jin, Li Shicong, Ge Zhaoqing, and Ao Zhiqi exchanged glances but remained silent. Only Bian Zhihao opened his mouth as if to offer some advice, but when he met Mai Yinghuang's firm gaze, he could only let out a helpless sigh.

Zhuang Jin, as an observer, shook his head slightly: 'This is an overt strategy. The Yin Shen realm, with its longer lifespan and higher status, is what many martial artists desire. As long as there's a glimmer of hope, they won't give up.'

The Xuantian Division has gone all out this time. If the secret technique of the "Burning Technique" were intact, it could be equivalent to the "Yin Yang Union Technique". Although it is incomplete now, it can at least help Mai Yinghuang enter the process of breaking through to the Yin God.

As for the outcome of the breakthrough, to be honest, he was not optimistic. Putting aside the incompleteness of this secret technique, just considering Mai Yinghuang's own foundation, saying that it was a matter of life and death was an exaggeration.

'However, since this person broke through in public on the second day of the second lunar month, it's worth observing. Even a failed breakthrough experience would be of considerable benefit to me, and the same goes for Yun Chang... Wait!'

Zhuang Jin suddenly realized something and gave Mai Yinghuang a deep look: 'A martial artist who has reached this level is no fool. It's impossible for them not to be wary of this coincidence. Even if they aren't as certain as I am, they must have many doubts, yet they still persist. Could it be that they have some tacit understanding with the Xuantian Division, or rather, the Shangguan family?'

The Shangguan family knew that this person's chances of breaking through were extremely slim. If the breakthrough failed, they could eliminate the hidden danger. Even if, by some miracle, the breakthrough was successful, this person was from another state, and they could plan to send him away.

Regardless of success or failure, it will all add to Shangguan Yunchang's experience.

For Mai Yinghuang, it was a gamble on that sliver of hope, a one in a million chance.

Upon realizing this, and recalling Mai Yinghuang's previous generosity, Zhuang Jin seemed to understand something.

……

After the meeting on the law concluded, Zhuang Jin, Li Shicong, Ge Zhaoqing, Ao Zhiqi, and Bian Zhihao bid farewell and dispersed. To Zhuang Jin's surprise, Ao Zhiqi followed him and invited him to meet.

……

(End of this chapter)