Promise!

Chapter 280, Counterfeit Goods

"Once the Yin Spirit is formed, one's lifespan can reach the limit of the physical body, one hundred and fifty years!"

Zhuang Jin sighed, then frowned slightly, recalling his previous breakthrough: "Because of the external environment, my physical body underwent further transformation and got stuck. According to Yun Chang, the martial arts system at this point lacks free spiritual energy... Wait, something seems wrong. If that's the case, why aren't the strange beasts restricted?"

"Oh, the alien beasts are fundamentally different systems. Martial arts begin with the cultivation of internal energy, with internal energy as the core. The alien beast system, on the other hand, is based on alien power, which involves refining skin and flesh, strengthening tendons and bones, and transforming internal organs and blood. You can tell from the names that they are completely different."

If martial artists cultivate 'qi' with internal energy as its core, then strange beasts are more like 'body' with strange power as its core.

"But didn't the powerful families of the Great Qian Dynasty ever consider imitating the cultivation of exotic beasts to try and break through the lifespan limit of the martial arts system? Was it because that immortal had already thought of it and blocked the path in advance, or was there some other reason?"

"Alright, we'll have time to study these things later. Let's get back to the Yin Spirit Realm. The biggest change after breaking through to the Yin Spirit Realm is unlocking the secrets of the divine soul and revealing the Sea of ​​Soul."

Zhuang Jin closed his eyes and focused his mind. As a bright, glassy vertical line appeared between his brows, his consciousness perceived a sea that was neither real nor illusory.

Because he was born with a powerful soul, almost twice that of an ordinary person, and the area of ​​his soul sea was far greater than that of a Yin God of the same realm. As the name suggests, the Yin God realm involves a 'god' in its essence and methods, which means greater potential, higher power, and longer endurance.

"The Yin Spirit has three realms. The first realm is called Tranquil Contemplation."

Even if an ordinary person empties their mind and has no thoughts, there will still be many miscellaneous thoughts in their subconscious. In the unmanifested sea of ​​the spirit, this manifests as the surface of the sea of ​​the soul rippling endlessly like the surface of a lake in a torrential downpour, without ever ceasing.

If the sea of ​​a normal person's soul is truly calm, there is only one possibility—the extinction of consciousness, specifically death, or being half-dead, similar to a vegetative state.

Reaching the first stage of the Yin Spirit realm—Quiet Contemplation—is different. Under the power of the divine soul, the sea of ​​the soul can truly achieve: without waves or ripples, clear and bright like a mirror.

In this state of thoughtlessness and tranquility, one enters a state of 'supersensory perception,' where one can perceive even the slightest details of the surroundings. The outside world seems to slow down... no, more accurately, it's not that the outside world slows down, but rather that the mind is overclocked, and one's own thinking speeds up.

"If enough is accumulated, and further development and exploration are undertaken, the consciousness will descend into the Sea of ​​Spirit. After descending to a certain depth, one can reach the second level of Yin Spirit Realm - Tai Ding."

"According to the description in the Black Fiend Technique, this state is achieved when the mind is focused, the spirit is clear, and one enters the world of clarity."

Whether it's the 'supersensory' of the first realm of Yin Shen meditation or the 'transparent world' of the second realm of meditation, these are advanced techniques used by Yin Shen warriors in combat. They are mainly used between warriors of the same realm. When facing opponents below the Yin Shen realm, there is no need to use such a powerful technique; a domain is sufficient.

"In the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, spiritual power merges with heaven and earth, forming a 'momentum'; in the Yin Spirit Realm, the power of the soul merges with heaven and earth, achieving unity of heaven and man, thus forming a domain."

Zhuang Jin sensed that his own domain could cover a radius of two or three miles, with himself as the center. Wherever the domain covered, the environment would change in an instant, turning into a world of ice and snow. The ruler was almost like a god. Powers of different levels could freeze people with a single thought, just like insects in amber, at their mercy. The same was true for those at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm.

—From the fact that the half-step Yin God realm jade token easily killed Li Shicong, it can be seen that beings at the Yin God realm and those below the Yin God realm are simply on different levels.

"The coverage and strength of the Yin Spirit Domain are directly determined by the Divine Soul."

Zhuang Jin had a sudden realization: 'The Innate Realm is about refining essence into qi, focusing on the element of 'qi.' My Innate罡气 (Gāngqì, a type of internal energy) and罡元 (Gāngyuán, a type of internal energy) ultimate attributes allow me to fight beyond my current level.'

"The Yin Spirit realm is about refining Qi into Spirit, emphasizing the 'spirit' aspect. My spiritual strength is nearly twice that of an ordinary person, directly affecting my divine essence. I also have a physique capable of withstanding explosive power. I'll most likely become a top performer within my realm upon breakthrough, perhaps even surpassing a minor realm. I might even be able to hold my own against the Tai Ding of the second Yin Spirit realm."

Of course, this was merely an estimate by Zhuang Jin based on information from the immortal ruins and other things he had seen and heard. There was no specific reference, nor was it something he really wanted to do to die.

"Oh, I forgot a crucial point. I just broke through, and I haven't mastered any Yin God level martial arts techniques yet. Right now, I'm just a complete blank slate."

Zhuang Jin possesses martial arts techniques at the Yin God level. The immortal ruins in the underground cave and frozen lake are complete with cultivation methods and martial arts techniques. He has already selected the configuration: "For the control method, I have chosen 'Thousand Miles of Ice Seal.' This method is suitable for my attributes and can be used in combination with domains. It can even freeze some unconventional methods; the attack martial arts technique is 'Eight Gates Sword Formation'; and the movement technique is 'Ice Spirit Flash'."

These martial arts techniques are profound and involve the use of the soul. They cannot be easily mastered in a short time; we will have to wait until later.

Zhuang Jin put that aside for the time being and continued to study the changes after the breakthrough. In his dantian, the innate Gang Yuan transformed into Shen Yuan, returned to oneness, and condensed into the Martial Dao Glazed Golden Core.

—The word 'gold' in Martial Arts Golden Elixir means indestructible and indestructible, not that the Martial Arts Golden Elixir must be golden in color.

Swish!
With a flick of his finger, a foot-long divine essence left his body, radiating a crystal-clear light. It moved with perfect ease, as if controlled by his own arm. After spiraling around several times, it traversed the ice cave, leaving a string of faintly glowing characters on the ice wall: "Zhuang Jin broke through the Yin Spirit here."

"Indeed! From the innate to the Yin spirit, the improvement in the 'supersensory' of the sea of ​​soul, the Yin spirit domain, and the divine essence is indeed enormous, and it has completely entered another level."

This is similar to the transformation from the innate to the primordial, and from the primordial to the yin spirit, which is also a subversive change.

"It is precisely because of such earth-shattering changes that Yin God Warriors have such a revered status."

A martial artist in this realm can serve as the governor of a state for public purposes, or as the pillar of a powerful family for private purposes. Even a rogue cultivator can have an equal dialogue with a powerful family.

"In Cangzhou, which covers seven million square kilometers and has 110 million people, there were only four martial artists at this level before: the heads of the three major families: Shangguan Jinfeng, Cen Chongxuan, Ge Daoqian, and the governor Xuanyuan Zhengji."

"Now, I have also achieved this, and I did not do so by taking shortcuts, but by relying on my profound knowledge and experience to truly break through on my own."

"After my Unblemished Golden Body was promoted, it took another step forward, enabling it to support an unleashed burst beyond its limits; the powerful divine soul, far surpassing others in the same realm, and the ultimate attributes of the innate罡元 (罡元 is a type of elemental energy), made the divine essence even purer; after opening the Yin Mystic Treasure, the soul sea, with its doubled area, made my domain far surpass others in the same realm."

"With all these factors combined, even without Yin God martial arts, I feel that I can put these four to a fight. If they had learned Yin God martial arts, they would have an even higher chance of winning in a one-on-one fight."

Even though the opponent had the ability to separate the two worlds using the Suspended Sky Mirror, Zhuang Jin was not afraid, even though it was within the third ring of Cangzhou City.

"Oh, as Yun Chang said, the three great families' cultivation techniques are respectively wind, thunder, and ice. Combined with the Suspended Sky Mirror, they have an extremely terrifying method that is enough to make the powerful families wary."

However, this comes at a huge cost and is not something that can be used lightly. If used even once, Ge Daoqian, the patriarch of the Ge family who is nearing the end of his life, would most likely be killed. Therefore, it will not be used unless it shakes the foundation of the three great families or forces them to a dead end.

"There's no need to fear conventional methods. For me now, the internal concerns and potential targeting from the three major families are nothing. As for killing Li Shizong, the hidden dangers from Xuanyuan Zhengji are like a gentle breeze."

Zhuang Jin relaxed, feeling much at ease: "Now, as the fifth Yin God Realm martial artist in Cangzhou, I can be considered to have stepped out of the chessboard and become the true player." "Furthermore, unlike those four, who may have reached the end of their road, I still have a path ahead."

Zhuang Jin cherished the energy in the Holy Spirit Pearl. In his previous daily cultivation, he only used it to refine other resources as a substitute, and at most used it when breaking through.

It is estimated that the remaining energy stored there is probably enough to support him to enter the third level of Yin God Realm - Void Extreme.

"To sum it up: all troubles are gone, everything is worry-free, the future is bright, and the prospects are promising... Hmm?!"

As Zhuang Jin relaxed and sighed, he suddenly sensed something and vanished from the ice cave in a flash.

……

The timing was slightly earlier this year. During the public memorial ceremony in Cangzhou, after completing the necessary procedures, Xuanyuan Zhengji declined all the remaining trivial matters, citing physical discomfort, and quietly left, heading straight for the Funiu Mountains.

After entering the Funiu Mountains, he took out an item that Zhuang Jin had used and that still retained some of his aura. Using Yin spirit techniques, he cast the 'Thousand Mile Soul Lock' spell, but to his surprise, he could not sense it.

"They are indeed cautious, with their own protective measures and concealed by powerful treasures. But if they think they can escape like this, they are overthinking it."

Xuanyuan Zhengji's technique is of the wood element. In his 'super-sensory' state, flowers, plants, and trees can all serve as his eyes and ears, allowing him to perceive and communicate with them, which naturally caused him to waste some time.

At this time, Zhuang Jin, due to his profound foundation, had already completed his breakthrough due to various accelerations during the breakthrough process. He even examined and tested the changes in himself after the breakthrough.

Funiu Mountains, Erchong Pass, Yunchi Mountain.

On the mountainside, Zhuang Jin stood atop a jagged iceberg, his robes fluttering without wind. Having emerged from the ice cave into the outside world, his spiritual power merged with heaven and earth, a feeling he had never experienced before so clearly. The sensation of 'heaven and earth being born together with me, and all things being one with me' was intoxicating.

"Gotcha!"

Xuan Yuan Zhengji, having been playing cat and mouse with the enemy for so long, had long lost his patience. A sinister voice, as if searching through mountains and seas, came through: "Zhuang Jin, hand over the 'Yin Yang Soul Cleansing Jade,' and I'll give you a good death today!"

A few breaths after the voice appeared, his figure flashed into existence. Upon seeing Zhuang Jin, he realized something was wrong: "You, you?!"

His first thought was: 'Oh no, that old scoundrel Cen Chongxuan tricked me!'

"I have just broken through and still need to consult Governor Xuanyuan to verify my methods."

Zhuang Jin said something, then asked, "But before that, could Governor Xuanyuan tell me from where he learned that I possess the 'Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade'?"

Upon hearing that Zhuang Jin had just broken through, Xuan Yuan Zhengji was filled with doubt and apprehension.

Breaking through to the Yin Spirit level requires adjusting one's personal essence, energy, and spirit to their peak, utilizing an external environment with extremely rich spiritual energy, and serendipitous inspiration. How can one break through so easily? And why in such a short time?

However, Zhuang Jin had no reason to lie to himself. If Zhuang Jin had truly just broken through...

He figured that Zhuang Jin must not have any Yin God martial arts skills, so perhaps he could use that to bully him a bit. He also had some thoughts about the 'Yin Yang Cleansing Jade'. He knew that even if he could take the item today, he couldn't keep Zhuang Jin. So he didn't hide anything and tried to sow discord among certain people. He said in a hurtful way, "This is Cen Chongxuan's news. You can guess the Shangguan family's attitude that I was able to come here smoothly."

"Thank you for informing me, Governor Xuanyuan. Please." Zhuang Jin seemed to have expected this, and simply nodded slightly to confirm, gesturing for him to proceed.

Before he could finish speaking, Xuanyuan Zhengji made his move first, unleashing his domain.

"go with!"

With the idea of ​​'learning in battle' in mind, Zhuang Jin followed suit and also deployed her domain.

In an instant, a bluish-green light enveloped them from the opposite side, with endless bluish-green particles rising within it. Plants and trees grew rapidly, breaking through the ice layer and instantly bursting into life, transforming the world.

On this side, the azure light surged like ocean waves, instantly transforming into a world of ice and snow, a silver-clad landscape filled with an aura of extreme cold, before colliding and hurtling away.

However, what happened next was astonishing.

hum!
Zhuang Jin's Yin Spirit Domain had a radius of more than two miles, while Xuan Yuan Zhengji's Yin Spirit Domain had a radius of just over one mile. Zhuang Jin's Yin Spirit Domain directly encircled the opponent's Yin Spirit Domain, like a large circle surrounding a small circle.

Moreover, Xuanyuan Zhengji's Yin God Domain was much weaker and could not withstand the pressure. Under the compression of Zhuang Jin's Yin God Domain, it was almost instantly compressed to a radius of only a dozen feet.

Zhuang Jin: ? ? ?
Xuanyuan Zhengji: ? ? ?
"How can this be?!"

Xuan Yuan Zhengji's mind was in turmoil. Looking at Zhuang Jin now was like seeing a towering, burly strongman claiming to be only six years old: 'Is this some kind of newly-broken Yin God martial artist?!'

'No, even if this person didn't use any tricks and broke through on their own, it shouldn't be this bad! So, is they a freak with an innate soul strength far exceeding that of ordinary people?'

His heart skipped a beat. The size and strength of the Yin God Domain, and the result of the clash, meant how much control one had over the power of heaven and earth. At this moment, he was at a complete disadvantage. If he hadn't been thinking of taking advantage of Zhuang Jin's lack of Yin God martial arts skills and trying again, he probably would have run away by now.

Zhuang Jin looked at Xuan Yuan Zhengji, her gaze also shifting, filled with suspicion: 'No way, someone this weak can be called a Yin God? Is this some kind of cheap, cheap imitation? Are the heads of the three great families all this incompetent?'

He knew that people like Xuanyuan Zhengji might have taken shortcuts during their breakthroughs, but since these people had been breaking through for many years, he was quite cautious and wary. But now, seeing this, he was speechless. It turned out that they were all just big idiots.
"go with!"

With utterly speechless feelings, Zhuang Jin made a thought, and within a radius of several miles, the surging天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) condensed into thousands upon thousands of ice swords amidst crackling sounds. The ten thousand swords surged forth like thunder, sweeping away in a mighty torrent.

……

(End of this chapter)