Who left their last words here?

Chapter 121 Promotion Completed! (Two Chapters Combined)

Body, mind, qi, essence, intention, spirit.

These correspond to the six fundamental principles of the first major stage of extraordinary individuals, which are also the long and insurmountable barriers that 99% of extraordinary individuals in the world cannot overcome in their entire lives.

The so-called "refinement" is the final threshold in the "self-cultivation" process of extraordinary individuals. The most basic requirement for the middle-level cadres of various extraordinary organizations, such as Van Gogh and Anguisola, is often this level.

If one progresses further and touches upon the meaning, one will be called an "Advanced Extraordinary Being".

"Buzz!"

Bai Zhou felt a tingling sensation all over his body. His flesh and blood became the soil, and the 108 spiritual entities distributed throughout his limbs and bones became seeds, about to sprout.

Life force was surging within Bai Zhou's body.

"Essence" governs life; it is both life itself and lifespan.

For many beginners in mysticism, the distinction between "essence" and "body" may seem confusing, but in fact they are completely different.

Even elementary school students know that semen is located in the kidneys...

Strengthening the body involves invigorating blood and qi, and solidifying muscles, while refining the essence involves directly sublimating the spirituality within the body, transforming acquired essence into innate essence.

This may sound like metaphysics, but it's actually quite easy to understand... The human body is full of mysteries, and only when the essence of the parents is combined can an embryonic life develop.

This matter is also recorded in the "Ling Shu·Jing Mai" chapter, which states that "when a person is first born, the essence is formed first."

This innate essence from parents is called "prenatal essence," which contains the infinite mysteries of the origin of life; while "postnatal essence" refers to the essence of water and grain generated after a person is born through digestion and metabolism.

The innate essence contained in the kidneys needs to be regulated by acquired essence. Reproduction, growth and development, nourishment of internal organs, and marrow and blood production all rely on the specific execution of acquired essence.
The acquired essence needs the innate essence to govern it. The two depend on and complement each other, so that the vitality of life is endless and together they govern the birth, growth, maturity, aging and death of the human body.

This is the principle behind the concept of "essence" governing life.

In the life of a normal human being, starting from the age of seven or eight, the essence stored in the kidneys gradually becomes more abundant, and thus teeth grow longer and hair grows longer; when one reaches the teenage years, the essence in the kidneys becomes even more abundant, and thus the concept of Tian Gui (a concept in traditional Chinese medicine) arises, men ejaculate, and women menstruate, thus initially possessing the ability to reproduce.

When people reach their fifties or sixties, the essence in their kidneys begins to decline, their bodies age, and eventually, when the essence in their kidneys is exhausted, their lifespan comes to an end.

in other words……

If one's vital energy is abundant, one will naturally be free from illness and disaster, and enjoy health and longevity.

Ancient books record that the Yellow Emperor asked the Celestial Master, "I have heard that people in ancient times all lived to be over a hundred years old, and their movements were not impaired." Qi Bo replied, "People in ancient times who knew the Dao followed the principles of Yin and Yang and harmonized with the arts of numerology... and lived out their natural lifespan, reaching a hundred years before passing away."

This is the reason why "essence" governs lifespan.

The phrase "following the principles of Yin and Yang, and harmonizing with numerology" encapsulates the secrets and methods for advancing to the fourth level of extraordinary beings, through the convergence and interconnection of innate and acquired essences.

A normal Level 4 extraordinary person can activate their innate essence through the kidneys and coordinate the five internal organs with the help of the kidneys. Normally, they can live to be 120 years old without illness or disaster!

As long as one's vital energy is not depleted and one's spirituality is not lost, normal colds and fevers will no longer be a concern for the extraordinary.

—Of course, this is the normal situation.

According to Raven, in the mysterious world, most extraordinary beings live far shorter lives than ordinary people; those in their fifties or sixties are already considered senior figures and long-lived masters.

In a technologically advanced and well-equipped federal country, the average life expectancy of a normal citizen is over ninety years old, and the retirement age is eighty-one.

While the federal government's Extraordinary Ones enjoy comprehensive welfare and retirement benefits, it seems that almost no one can actually benefit from them... This is quite considerate of the federal treasury.

"Bang... bang... bang..."

Bai Zhou seemed to see two pulsating organs and hear the echo of blood flowing within them.

It's not the heart, but the kidneys.

A translucent, hazy, warm current, like flowing starlight, overflows from the kidneys; this is "acquired essence."

Then, the spiritual energy from the two level 4 anomalies, after their sublimation, washed over Bai Zhou's entire body, carrying the vitality of innate essence, and gradually tinted the acquired essence flowing in Bai Zhou's body with a brilliant light.

One place, two places...

As if piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, as each muscle and vein in Bai Zhou's body was illuminated, the acquired essence flowing within was transformed into a vibrant and profound innate essence!

Then, this innate essence flows back to the kidneys and merges with the original innate essence that governs the origin of human life, just like a rushing river flowing into the sea.

"Buzz!"

At this moment, Bai Zhou's two kidneys were glowing, followed by his internal organs, then every corner of his body, and even every cell!
All the acquired essence was sublimated into innate essence. From then on, Bai Zhou's kidneys were able to produce innate essence on their own.

The acquired elements completely disappeared, and Bai Zhou's entire life form underwent a leap invisibly.

"boom!!!"

At this moment, something that could be called "life force" exploded within Bai Zhou's body!

If every bit of innate essence has the potential to give birth to a life, then what level of life essence would exist when countless innate essences are squeezed into the body of the same person?
—This is what makes Level 4 Extraordinary individuals special.

Only those extraordinary individuals who have completed this step, only those possessing this essential life force, are qualified for the next stage of advancement…

At that moment, Bai Zhou suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of 243 animated images of little figures wielding knives, which eventually merged into a single knife.

That is……

The Basic Nine Cuts, Fourth Form!
No one needs to teach you; the "Basic Nine Cuts" naturally contains a way to help Bai Zhou break through level 4!

"open!"

Bai Zhou gave a low shout in his heart, and countless innate essences condensed into a sword within his body. The sword moved at will and came to a door.

The gate to "essence," the gate to life, a door that countless extraordinary people dream of but cannot even imagine!
This door, while protecting lives, also restricts them.

He made life an independent entity under nature, but also completely isolated the human body from the universe and nature, thus blocking the path for the extraordinary to go further.

Body! Mind! Energy! Essence!
When the path of introspection comes to an end, the next step is naturally to seek answers from the universe!

"Rumble--"

The great river surged, and then the heavens descended. Bai Zhou gathered all the innate essence within his body to condense into a long sword, which then fell.

The door swung open with a bang!

"Boom!"

However, instead of the expected torrent of knowledge and the joy of spiritual elevation, there was only this... excruciating pain that eroded the skin, the brain, and the soul!
Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch—

Consciousness is boiling, every thought is screaming.

As if his muscles were being crushed and reshaped, Bai Zhou's body, which he had known for over a decade, was becoming unfamiliar at an alarming rate. He even felt that his brain was gradually becoming nothingness.

Blood began to flow backward, muscles atrophied, organs shrank... Bai Zhou vaguely felt as if he had turned back into a child, then into an embryo, and in the blink of an eye, he had completed a reverse growth of life!
And that's not all; the embryo is shrinking further, as if it's about to return to the world and become a tiny mayfly in the atmosphere.

—The moment the door opened, the world took him in!
"No, this won't do..."

Something was eroding Bai Zhou's sense of self, making him forget who he was. But Bai Zhou forcefully pushed his increasingly cold and numb consciousness to constantly remind himself:

"I am Bai Zhou, I am Bai Zhou... I am a human! I am f***ing Bai Zhou!"

"Buzz!"

At this moment, countless points of light appeared faintly within the blurry reality of the white boat. These points of light formed a river, enveloping the white boat and resisting some kind of erosion.

The forces of "human beings" and "heaven" are in conflict.

Before you can achieve the compromise of harmony between humanity and nature, you must first prove to the heavens that you are a person who stands tall and upright!
"These are...these are life, these are innate essence!"

Bai Zhou suddenly realized.

No wonder the first step to advancing to level 4 is to activate the innate essence within the body.

Because if this is not done, the human body, which has not completed the sublimation of the essence of life, will not be able to withstand the erosion of the world at the moment the door is opened, let alone receive the power from the world later.

Cold and heat intertwined and tugged at each other within Bai Zhou's body, consuming much of his newly formed innate essence.

Fortunately, the cold sensation vanished abruptly before it was completely worn away.

Bai Zhou felt a warm sensation, and his thoughts gradually returned to his brain.

The door to life that I saw before me slowly closed again, leaving only a crack.

Through the crack in the door, a seven-colored ribbon slowly drifted in from the outside and connected to Bai Zhou's body.

At this moment, Bai Zhou had a thought and incorporated the innate essence into his spirituality.

"Buzz!"

In the next instant, the spirituality infused with innate essence seemed to be given life, becoming active and lively.

In ancient times, legend has it that there were even extraordinary predecessors who specialized in this path and were able to enlighten flowers, plants and animals by infusing them with the spiritual essence of innate beings!
Only with such spirituality can one preserve one's independence amidst the "erosion" of heaven and earth, thereby completing the connection with the outside world!
Following the colorful ribbons, the white boat sent several spiritual objects outside the "door"—

"Wow!"

In an instant, wind and clouds surged around Bai Zhou, and a faint, translucent white light surrounded him.

An incredibly magical feeling welled up in Bai Zhou's heart.

Most of the spiritual energy within a half-meter radius can be controlled to a limited extent by the "sublimated spiritual energy" sent out by the white boat at this moment!
From then on, the inside and outside formed a self-sustaining cycle, and a world of its own was formed within a small space, as if controlled by a god!

This is called "unity of heaven and man" in ancient texts, and it can be combined with any of one's own secret techniques, becoming what Van Gogh and Anguisola once dominated—

"field"!
Although it's a long story, it all happens in the world of "thought," and from the outside, it's just a fleeting moment.

But in that instant, even the trio could see that something astonishing and earth-shattering had happened to this senior Zhou!

Bai Zhou focused his mind and looked back at himself, discovering that his spirituality had split into 216 pieces, filling every corner of his body.

Each spirit is completely different from the previous one, pulsating with spiritual energy, containing innate essence, like a tiny life, and constantly overflowing with abundant energy, transforming the flesh and bones around the spirit.

Every inch of Bai Zhou's body was quietly transforming and glowing. His bones seemed to become crystal clear, and a dense and crisp sound rang out, like jade being sculpted. Even his flowing blood subtly contained a certain rhythm. Each time he washed over his body, he was quietly removing impurities and waste from his flesh and blood, completing a kind of optimization on his own.

The world seemed less mysterious in front of Bai Zhou. He could "see" the various spirits hovering in the air, which constituted the dynamism of the world. He could also "see" the "King of Spirits" placed beside him dominating the other spirits.

However, because Bai Zhou hasn't sent out any new spiritual energy, those few "Kings of Spiritual Energy" are almost exhausted...

Fun!

Bai Zhou blinked, as if he had found a new toy that was worth studying.

"The taste... can be so wonderful?"

"This is... Level 4 Extraordinary?"

From this point on, Bai Zhou had completely completed his promotion.

He became a Level 4 Extraordinary being who possesses "body", "mind", "qi" and "essence"!
Moreover, he is a Level 4 Destiny [Adventurer] who has mastered the fourth move of the "Basic Nine Slashes"!
The road ahead is still long, but he has finally arrived at a new starting point.

"Major? Art Club?"

Bai Zhou looked at his palm, then slowly clenched it into a fist.

On the day the sky over Wancheng shattered, Bai Zhou witnessed countless black-robed figures being beheaded and displayed to the public. He personally shattered all his past beliefs and dreams and deeply understood a truth.

No amount of power can compare to the force of a punch falling from the sky!
If you want to kill me, I can kill you!
"...I look forward to seeing you all again."

Whispering to himself, amidst the swirling gray mist, the spirited Bai Zhou first turned to look at the trio trembling in the corner, then turned to look at the two junior students, Arrogance and Sloth, who were about to kneel before him.

Sensing the urge emanating from the school uniform to continue indulging, Bai Zhou's gaze towards his two junior classmates grew even brighter:
"clatter……"

The boy picked up the two student council badges that had fallen to the ground, put one on himself, and gave one to the bewildered number 9.

Then, he turned to his two junior classmates and showed them a very kind and friendly attitude:

"Dear junior students."

"W-what?"

The Black of Sloth and the Blue of Pride are no longer arrogant; they fall to the ground, revealing their fear.

The masked senior's sudden kindness and friendliness, in their eyes, was exactly the same as the lazy, burping look of a demon picking his teeth—

Look, there's still blood dripping from between his teeth, and bits of meat stuck in them!
Then they heard the demon ask:

"As student council members, you must know... where the teachers and the principal are, right?"

Two junior students: "...?"

What are you going to do?
Bai Zhou winked at them and smiled shyly:
"As a student who just returned, I felt it was necessary for me to report back to them..."

—By simply using the school uniform to "eat" two level 4 students, Bai Zhou was able to advance to this level.

What if he ate a "teacher" or a "principal"?

Thinking this, Bai Zhou looked into the surging fog deep within the school, his eyes growing brighter.

Tinghai Middle School, where is it still a dangerous place?
Clearly... it's a blessed place filled with sumptuous feasts!

Isn't it still the same old saying?
In Wancheng, eating fish eyes is good for eyesight, eating chicken combs will bring you future success, and you can replenish what you eat—

What if he wants to become someone superior to others?
These lifeless, cold, and bizarre creatures, which others see as troublesome and unprofitable specialties of the Void Realm, are a gift from heaven to Bai Zhou.

Thinking this, Bai Zhou looked down at the two trembling junior students with a bright smile, revealing his white teeth.

I want--

I'm indulging in a huge feast!
(End of this chapter)