Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

The candlelight in the main hall flickered.

The old lady sat in the armchair, and the black cat closed its eyes again, curling up in her arms.

Wang Shouren stood beside her, bowing slightly, and was speaking in a low voice.

"Spirits and monsters are born between heaven and earth, and are born with a wisp of spiritual energy. That is the life force born from grass, trees, mountains and rivers, which is much purer than the yang energy of living people."

"I invited them to my wedding banquet because of the spiritual energy they possess."

"When the evil energy of the god of joy surges forth, the spiritual essence naturally disperses. Then, when I gather it into the eye of the array, it is poured into my son's corpse, which may add a bit more ferocity."

The old lady was silent for a moment, then slowly stroked the cat's back with her withered fingers.

"Your method is clever, but the spiritual energy of mountain spirits is mixed and impure. It might work once or twice, but too much of it will damage the foundation of the corpse."

She paused for a few seconds, then continued, "Your son already possesses only a fraction of yin energy. Even with the spiritual energy from the courtyard, he can't become a true god of joy."

Wang Shouren's hands trembled slightly, but he still managed to keep his voice steady: "So, what does the old lady mean...?"

"What your son lacks now is not yin energy, but malevolent energy."

"A malevolent aura?"

"Yes, yin energy nourishes the skin and flesh, while evil energy nourishes the tendons and bones."

"Your son's body has already acquired a third of its spiritual essence. To achieve a complete burial, you must find a place with pure malevolent energy and bury him there."

Wang Shouren's eyes lit up: "Where? Tell me, old sister, no matter how hard it is to find, I will find it."

The old lady didn't answer directly, but instead lowered her head and looked at the black cat in her arms.

The cat opened its eyes at some point, its golden pupils reflecting the flickering candlelight.

"In this world, malevolent energy is divided into different grades. Ordinary mass graves and ancient battlefields all have malevolent energy, but it is too mixed and turbid, and the things it breeds are muddled and confused, no different from walking corpses."

"To cultivate a true auspicious spirit, one must find the true evil spirit formed by the creation of heaven and earth."

She raised her eyelids and looked into Wang Shouren's eyes: "Have you heard of the ranking of the True Fiends?"

Wang Shouren shook his head.

"The true evil spirits of heaven and earth are divided into nine ranks." The old lady's voice grew softer and softer. "The first one is called the Chaotic Profound Yellow Evil Spirit, which is the turbid energy left over from the creation of heaven and earth, but it is now impossible to find."

"The second one is called the Nine Netherworld Meteorite Fiend, which was created when stars fell from the sky. It is said to be located at the bottom of Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain."

She paused for a moment, and a slight smile curved her lips.

"The third one is called Black Dragon Xuanming Sha."

Wang Shouren's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Black Dragon Xuanming Sha?"

"That's right," the old lady said. "Where a true dragon falls, the dragon's energy lingers and merges with the yin energy underground. After thousands of years of brewing, it forms the Black Dragon Xuanming Sha."

"This malevolent aura carries the might of a dragon; ordinary ghosts cannot withstand it, but if one can resist it, then the creatures raised..."

She didn't continue speaking, but simply stretched out two fingers and slowly twirled them in the air.

An unnatural flush rose on Wang Shouren's pale face: "Old sister, where can we find this Black Dragon Xuanming Sha...?"

The old woman glanced at him, a hint of amusement flashing in her cloudy old eyes.

"You've hit the nail on the head," she said. "There just happens to be such a place within a thousand miles."

He leaned forward abruptly, his voice trembling: "Where?"

The old lady didn't answer; she just lowered her head and stroked the cat's fur back.

The air in the main hall suddenly became heavy.

"Older sister, if you know of any treasure trove of land, please name your price. I've saved up some money over the years..."

"It's not about the money," the old woman interrupted him. "I can't tell you about that place right now."

Why?

"Because your son's body hasn't been preserved to that extent yet."

"The Black Dragon Xuanming Sha is filled with the might of a dragon. Your son only has three-tenths of Yin energy, not even enough to be considered fierce. If you bury him in that kind of place, his body will be crushed into dust by the dragon's might within three days."

"You won't even be able to get the ashes back by then."

Wang Shouren's face turned pale.

"Then...when will that be?"

"Only when his yin energy reaches more than six-tenths, his ferocity transforms into malevolent energy, and his corpse develops its own aura, can he withstand the dragon's might."

The old lady tapped her fingers twice on the armrest of the armchair. "First, you should complete the third ghost marriage. Take all three of the woman's essence, energy, and spirit, and let the yin energy seep into her bones."

"Your son's ferocity will be even more intense then, and the coffin lid probably won't be able to hold him down. Come find me then."

"After all, that Black Dragon Xuanming Sha was the burial place of a real dragon."

Wang Shouren's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

"Underground?"

"Not here."

"Neither in the underworld nor in the world of the living."

"That place is a gash torn open when the dragon fell, the boundary between Yin and Yang."

"During the day, it appears as the world of the living, but at midnight, the gates to the underworld open."

"If your son could be buried in that place for forty-nine days, until the evil energy seeps into his bones and the dragon's might is bestowed upon him, then the power of the God of Joy will be..."

The sounds in the main hall grew fainter and fainter...

Even though the paper figure pasted under the windowsill had moved closer stealthily, the words and phrases that could be gleaned were becoming increasingly scarce.

Sitting outside, Chen Mo lowered his eyes, his heart beating faster.

"Black Dragon Xuanming Sha..."

"The boundary between Yin and Yang..."

The true evil spirit ranks third.

The place where a true dragon was buried is the boundary between Yin and Yang. During the day it is the Yang realm, and at midnight it opens the Yin gate.

If this place really exists, it's not just a place to raise the god of happiness.

This kind of true evil spirit of heaven and earth has an extremely powerful effect on tempering the physical body.

An ordinary person couldn't withstand it, but if it were him...

Chen Mo slowly circled his fingers along the rim of the teacup, his eyes flickering slightly.

That old woman's strength is unfathomable; I estimate I'm no match for her.

It's a pity we don't know the true location of the evil spirit.