Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

The spirit returned to its rightful place, and the physical body returned. When He Damin's consciousness fully returned to his body, which was sitting cross-legged on the kang in the courtyard, an unprecedented sense of fullness and "completeness" from the depths of his soul overwhelmed him like a tide.

It wasn't just the immense magical power and vast divine sense brought by the perfect Nascent Soul realm. More importantly… when he "introspected" himself, the "Tai Chi Yin Yang Small World" space—which was faintly connected to his dantian and purple mansion yet existed independently—or rather, the "Tai Chi Yin Yang Jade Tablet" that accompanied him when he first transmigrated, underwent a revolutionary, almost fundamental, leap!

My mind sank into it.

"this……!"

Even with He Damin's current state of mind, he couldn't help but be momentarily shocked by what he saw.

The former vast, yet ultimately vaguely defined, gray space primarily used for storing supplies has completely vanished. In its place lies a true "little world"!

As far as the eye can see, the sky is high and the land is vast, with clouds rising and falling in a magnificent display. The spatial scope has expanded more than tenfold! The original boundaries and barriers seem to have melted away and expanded, transforming into a real sky and horizon. Beneath my feet lies solid and vibrant soil, while in the distance, the majestic outlines of green mountains rise and fall, with silvery waterfalls cascading down to join the winding, clear rivers. Closer by, the vast grasslands stretch into the distance, the wind rustling through the grass, one can almost feel the vibrant rhythm of life. There are also patches of "fertile fields" meticulously planned by an invisible force, the dark, oily soil exuding a rich aroma, as if ready to be planted with all things at any moment.

The sunlight (perhaps a simulation of some higher energy) was warm and gentle, and the air was filled with a faint, refreshing fragrance that was even more concentrated and pure than the thin spiritual energy of heaven and earth outside! This place was no longer just a super-large warehouse, but a world that had initially possessed a complete ecological cycle and could be called a "paradise on earth" in its infancy!

His nascent soul, that three-inch-tall, dignified, purple-gold figure, was not manifest here at the moment, but its presence was omnipresent. He Damin clearly sensed that the root of this spatial upheaval lay in his breakthrough to the perfected nascent soul realm! His nascent soul seemed to be more than just a crystallization of magic power and soul; it had also become the "core" and "expansion engine" of this accompanying space in the dark! The stronger the nascent soul, the more the space grew and evolved accordingly.

At the same time, his divine sense naturally turned to the "cathode" space, which corresponded to the "yang" (main space). There, the Soul Refining Banner resided, and it was also... the projection of the "Six Paths of Reincarnation".

The Yin-Yang Space has expanded nearly tenfold! The previously cramped and eerily gloomy environment has now become deep and vast, seemingly connected to the Netherworld. The Soul Refining Banner, which has undergone multiple upgrades and has become ancient and profound, with countless soul shadows flowing across its surface, is quietly suspended in the core of the Yin-Yang Space, absorbing and exhaling pure Yin energy and soul power. Its aura is several times stronger than before.

What stirred He Damin's emotions the most was the six light holes deep within the cathode space, each with a different color and aura—the Six Paths of Reincarnation Projection!

They also become clearer and more stable as space expands, and the aura of laws they exude becomes even stronger.

That gate to the heavens, shimmering with noble purple-gold light, exuding a peaceful yet lofty aura, and faintly accompanied by celestial music and chanting.

That gate, a gentle, milky white, imbued with the complex fluctuations of human life and the seven emotions and six desires;

That dark, scarlet gate of the Asura Path, churning with battle, slaughter, and resentful, violent will;

That murky, yellowish-brown gate, permeated with the stench of ignorance, savagery, and instinct;

That dark, eerie green gate to the realm of hungry ghosts, radiating greed, thirst, and endless resentment;

And finally, the gate to hell, pitch black as ink, filled with extreme cold, pain, and despair.

The six beams of light slowly rotated, forming a delicate and balanced cycle of reincarnation. Now, the scale was larger, and the power of reincarnation was more pronounced.

"When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang is born; the cycle of reincarnation is initially established; when the nascent soul is perfected, the inner landscape arises spontaneously..." He Damin had a sudden realization. His path of cultivation seemed to have formed a deeper connection with this symbiotic space and with this projection of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The nascent soul was the key, the driving force, while this space and reincarnation might be the foundation and direction of his future path.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, He Damin began to systematically organize the resources he had accumulated and developed in this space since his transmigration.

First, there are the skills and abilities one possesses:

Obtained from the cathode space (Newbie gift pack and follow-up):

Basic talismans, footwork, and hand seals: have long been mastered and become the foundation of spellcasting.

"The Use of the Three Pure Bells" and "Introduction to Peach Wood Sword Crafting": Master the knowledge of using and crafting magical artifacts for evil spirits and ghosts.

Core Reliance – Soul Refining Banner: This item has accompanied him for a long time, undergoing five major advancements, and has become the most powerful soul-type magic weapon in his possession, possessing immense power.

The essence of the banner: its capacity and efficiency in absorbing, refining, and storing souls have reached an astonishing level, resembling a sea of ​​soul power. The 【Soul Devouring Feedback】effect undergoes a qualitative change, as the fed-back soul power can directly nourish the Yang God.

Netherworld Chains - Yin-Yang Twin Chains: One yin and one yang, the twin chains work together to bind the soul and fix the spirit, destroy evil and slay demons. Their power is unparalleled and can temporarily freeze the target's form and spirit.

Soul Banner Domain - Netherworld Ghost Realm: Its range can reach 300 zhang (kilometers) in radius, forming its own world. It can adjust the environment and even cover reality with "ghost realm projection", making it impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion.

A Hundred Ghosts Parade at Night, Ten Thousand Ghosts Pay Homage: With a single thought, a thousand ghosts are summoned, guarded by ten late-stage Foundation Establishment ghost generals. Furthermore, a "Ghost King" comparable to the early-stage Golden Core cultivator can be invited to descend upon the world!

Soul Banner Projection - External Avatar: The projection can be entrusted with a divided soul, creating an "avatar" with 30% of the original body's strength, capable of acting independently, existing for twelve hours.

Blood Soul Dao Soldier - Dao Soldier Legion: Maximum of 100 soldiers, complete with all types of troops, capable of defeating a thousand troops when deployed.

Soul-Bound by a Single Thread, Tracing a Soul Across Thousands of Miles: Knowing a name and appearance is enough to track a target for hundreds of miles, and to vaguely sense the target's state.

Soul Banner Cave Heaven: A ten-mile-long cave heaven naturally forms within the banner, which can store souls and raise ghosts, imprison enemies and hide oneself, and can be entered by both consciousness and physical body.

Reincarnation Guidance: First glimpse into the power of reincarnation! Can guide new souls into the banner, and can also attempt to "cast" the souls within the banner into the six realms of reincarnation (currently relatively stable for the animal, hungry ghost, and hell realms).

Obtained from the anode space (work method selection):

Faced with six light caves, he chose four martial arts techniques to form a complete system:

Tai Chi Harmony Exercise: An internal martial arts method that harmonizes Yin and Yang, builds the foundation and cultivates vitality, serving as the root of everything. It has now been cultivated to an extremely high level, achieving perfect harmony with the Nascent Soul stage.

"National Martial Arts: Twelve Tan Legs": Fierce and powerful leg techniques, with wide and sweeping movements, and great power.

Bajiquan: close-quarters combat, emphasizing "sudden and explosive strikes", with terrifying instantaneous explosive power.

"Lightness Skill: Swallow Skimming Water": Agile and swift, its movements and turns are like a swallow skimming the water, making it an excellent movement technique for dodging and seizing the initiative.

With these four factors combined, along with his current unparalleled Nascent Soul cultivator physique (perfected in the National Martial Arts Dan Jin), his close combat ability is enough to crush the vast majority of cultivators of the same level.

Subsequent mastery or derived capabilities:

Soul Splitting Technique: Allows the user to create a separate Yang spirit clone, which can travel thousands of miles to investigate and perform tasks.

Memory reading: Can forcibly read the memories of others (such as those of Japanese officers or deaf old women), but it is harmful to the soul.

Soul Control: At a high level, one can directly manipulate weaker souls.

Spatial Transfer: A core survival and mobility skill. The soul splits into a fixed location, and the physical body enters the Yang-Yang space, allowing the soul to manifest at the location of the split. Weakness: Currently, the soul split seems to be subject to some limitation, only able to move or manifest at night over long distances (possibly related to the Yin-Yang cycle).

Secondly, there are the resource reserves within the small world (now called the Inner Realm):

He Damin's divine sense swept across this newly born land. Previously, to support the nation, he had cleared over 90% of the "idle" or "excess" supplies that had piled up in the warehouse area, including most of the grain, clothing, industrial equipment, fuel, metal materials, ordnance, vehicle parts, and medicine. Those supplies had now transformed into seven "mountains" on the outskirts of Shenyang.

However, "almost empty" does not mean "completely empty." He had initially collected an enormous amount of supplies, especially those accumulated over years of raiding the Japanese puppet regime—a truly massive quantity. Even after giving away the vast majority, a considerable reserve remained in the Inner Realm, all of which he had selected based on his own needs and those deemed most suitable for his own or his family's future.

The living supplies area, located on a plain, is neatly arranged. It contains enough high-quality grains (refined rice, wheat flour, and various grains) to comfortably sustain the He family of three for over ten years, as well as cooking oil, salt, sugar, honey, various canned goods (meat, fruit, fish), milk powder, chocolate, and other high-energy foods. There are also large quantities of fabrics (cotton, linen, silk), clothing, shoes, socks, bedding, and daily necessities (pots, pans, toiletries, lamps, fuel, etc.). There are even several complete sets of Ming and Qing style rosewood furniture, as well as some precious furs and silks.

The precious metals and jewelry section is stored separately in a carved-out, dry cave. It mainly contains nearly 3200 tons of gold bars, gold bricks, silver coins, and silver ingots seized from Japanese-occupied banks, businesses, and officials' private residences—enough to make someone incredibly wealthy. There is also a large quantity of jadeite, gemstones, pearls, antique pocket watches, and gold and silver jewelry in good condition; some are spoils of war, and some were collected by him in his early years.

Weapons and Special Items Section: Located in a valley. Although most standard-issue weaponry has been donated, some rare and special items remain here: several complete sets of general-grade officer woolen uniforms, sabers, binoculars, and compasses; dozens of excellent-condition sniper rifles with scopes (Type 97, Mosin-Nagant, etc.) and their dedicated ammunition; hundreds of various pistols (Mauser C96, Browning, Colt, etc.) and their matching ammunition; a small amount of specially made explosives, detonators, and Molotov cocktails; and even several intact military radios, generators, and a batch of batteries. These items might play an unexpected role at certain specific moments.

The Books and Documents Section: A two-story building constructed of bluestone houses a vast collection of books, meticulously categorized. These include rare ancient books, calligraphy and paintings, and rubbings of inscriptions collected from various locations; technical manuals (mechanical, chemical, medical, agricultural); maps (military and civilian, covering the entire country and even parts of East Asia); and numerous Japanese and English archives, diaries, and research reports (covering multiple fields such as military, economics, and culture). These are intangible treasures, containing knowledge, intelligence, and history.

His initial exploration of medicinal herbs and alchemy: A fenced-off herb garden where he transplanted some spiritually potent herbs he had discovered during his seclusion in the mountains. Though young, they were thriving. Next to it, a small hut contained many collected precious medicinal herbs (wild ginseng, lingzhi, musk, bezoar, etc.), as well as a simple set of medicine-making tools and several earthenware pots and bronze furnaces for alchemy. He wasn't a professional alchemist, but he had dabbled in the principles of herbs, metals, and minerals found in the *Taoist Primordial Alchemy* in his spare time.

The core secluded cultivation area is located at the end of a secluded valley, backed by a waterfall and facing a deep pool. He designated this place as a forbidden zone, equipped with simple concealment and protective formations (which, given his current cultivation level, are remarkably effective). Inside, there is only a simple stone platform, where he usually meditates, cultivates, and contemplates the universe. The spiritual energy here is relatively the most abundant and pure.

After finishing his work, He Damin slowly withdrew from his inner vision. His mind returned to reality, and he could still feel the vast and vibrant pulse of his inner world, echoing his own nascent soul as if they were two sides of the same coin.

Moonlight streamed through the window and fell onto the straw mat on the kang (a heated brick bed). The pillar and the rainwater slept peacefully in the next room.

The power, resources, and knowledge he possesses far exceed what ordinary people can imagine. People like Yi Zhonghai, the deaf old woman, and the white widow are nothing more than dust that can be crushed at will. Wang Hongxia's suspicions and hostility are even more insignificant, easily extinguished with a flick of the finger.

However, the greater the power, the more cautious one must be. The mysteries of the Inner Realm, the authority of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the malevolent energy of the Soul Refining Banner, and even his cultivation level far beyond his era, should not be easily revealed. Now that the nation is newly established and order is being formed, he needs to conceal himself carefully, act within the rules, and achieve his goals in a more subtle and "reasonable" way, protecting his family and settling his karmic debts.

Supporting the country is both a natural response and a way to put an end to a long-held concern. Now, it's time to focus on the present.

In Baoding, after this dramatic change, has He Daqing succumbed to despair or had a sudden awakening? How long can Zhu Zi stay at Hongbinlou after his return? Yu Shui needs proper care. Perhaps it's time to teach those shady characters in the courtyard, like Jia Zhangshi and Liu's sister-in-law, a lesson. And then there's Wang Hongxia, who's started to doubt me…

He Damin's eyes were as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well under the moonlight.