Chapter 145: Chapter 34: Entering the Second Realm

「Five years later.」

On the tranquil peak of Qianmu Mountain, ripples shimmering with a green halo suddenly bloomed, spreading outwards for hundreds of miles, all the way to Wudao Prefecture and Sanhe Prefecture. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The common folk of the three prefectures were no longer surprised. They knew it was the immortal of Qianmu Mountain casting a spell. Some who saw it prayed right there in the streets, while those closer to home returned to burn incense for the deity enshrined in their household altars.

More people bathed in the Wood Spirit Qi that fell from the halo in the sky. Many with external injuries miraculously found their wounds had healed considerably; the less severe ones recovered completely.

And so, in some places, another deity was added to the altars to be worshiped during festivals and holidays.

Wang Ping, of course, couldn’t have known any of this. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have cared. What he cultivated was not the Divine Dao, and the anchor of his humanity was his own self.

At this moment, his ascension had reached its most critical point. The Spirit Veins within his body had already lifted and perfectly integrated with his internal organs. At the same time, they connected to his Qi Sea, communicating with the external Spiritual Qi while tirelessly nourishing the True Essence within the Qi Sea.

In this state, as long as his body wasn’t completely disintegrated, he could easily recover from any other injury. For example, even if someone were to cut off his head now, he could still counterattack as long as his Divine Soul remained. He could then reattach his head within Half an Hour, and his body would soon repair itself automatically.

Of course, all of this was predicated on suppressing the backlash from the Spirit Veins within his body; otherwise, he would be rapidly assimilated by them.

Wang Ping’s current sensation was wondrous. It was like soaking in a hot spring when exhausted, or like the intoxicating bliss of the first puff of a cigarette after a meal in his past life.

"I think you should wake up now. If you let the Spirit Veins continue to grow, you’ll be completely consumed," Yu Lian reminded Wang Ping from within his Spirit Sea.

"You’re right, it is time to wake up..."

After circulating the True Essence in his Qi Sea for one Grand Circulation, Wang Ping formed a hand seal for a magic formula to sever the flow of Wood Spirit Qi nourishing his Spirit Veins, then opened his eyes.

The familiar garden... Seeing the scene before him, Wang Ping felt an intense sense of intimacy. For nearly ten years, he had existed entirely within the world of his consciousness. The sudden sensation of the material world was intoxicating... The wind felt wonderful, and the unique chirping of summer insects and birds filled his ears.

But he quickly awoke from this state of enjoyment. He immediately recalled the Divine Soul that had been roaming above his head back into his body. Then, closing his eyes, he formed a hand seal for a spell, using the Wood Spirit Qi that had dispersed during his ascension to wash over his body.

In but an instant, the green streams of light that had been rippling across the Land of the Three Mansions, with Qianmu Mountain at their center, converged upon his Qi Sea. His Divine Soul and physical body were simultaneously struck by an invisible pressure. A sensation of pain, long unfelt, pushed his mind to the very precipice between clarity and madness.

This was the final trial, meant to ensure the complete fusion of the newborn Spirit Veins with his body.

The fusion process was agonizing. Furthermore, his new body had to adapt to his new Divine Soul. It was physical pain compounded by mental torment.

Yu Lian was beside herself with anxiety, but she didn’t dare to rashly intervene, nor did she try to communicate with Wang Ping in the Spirit Sea. At this moment, Wang Ping was using the Spirit Sea to digest the turbulent memories from the Locust Tree Divine Soul.

In the sky, Yu Cheng Taoist knew what was happening. With another tap of his finger into the void, he completely sealed off all disruptive sounds from the outside.

Everything Wang Ping had gained from his ascension would, in this instant, be converted into usable assets. The squirming under his skin, reminiscent of when he first entered this realm, reappeared, but even more violently this time, as if something terrifying were growing within.

Before long, green crystals began to seep from the corners of his eyes and mouth. Upon contact with the outside air, these crystals burst like bubbles. A trace of frenzied Wood Spirit Qi was released upon bursting, but it was immediately assimilated by the denser Wood Spirit Qi in the surrounding space.

These were the excess Spirit Veins from his body, overflowing through his pores, mouth, ears, nostrils, and other orifices.

One day later...

When Wang Ping felt his body and Divine Soul achieve perfect harmony, he forcibly dispersed the Wood Spirit Qi gathered around him. Then, he waited quietly for the True Essence to complete one Grand Circulation between his Qi Sea and Spirit Veins.

"Are you done?" Sensing Wang Ping’s relaxed and cheerful mood, Yu Lian finally let her own tension ease and asked impatiently.

"I am!"

Wang Ping exhaled, and a ball of Wood Spirit Qi shot out from his mouth, continuously bursting in front of him. This was a residual Spirit Vein that had been left in his mouth.

He then stood up and immediately felt his clothes, unable to withstand the ravages of time, begin to fall apart. He wasted no time returning to his small courtyard house and took a fresh set of clothes from his storage pouch to change into.

A quarter of an hour later, he walked out of the house, a completely revitalized man.

"So, what feels different?" Yu Lian asked curiously.

"My connection with the Wood Spirit Qi is closer, my body has changed, and... I’ll live a little longer."

"Is that it?"

"I’ve gained some new Talismans in my memory. For example..." Wang Ping pointed his finger and sketched out a Soldier Talisman. The Wood Spirit Qi in the surrounding space gathered and, following a set of predetermined rules, formed a Golden Armored Soldier.

"Anything else?" Yu Lian had seen a Soldier Talisman before, so she was completely uninterested.

"My Curse Talismans now naturally carry Heaven and Earth Fortune. Imbuing them with my intent will produce miraculous effects. For instance..."

He glanced at a patch of weeds next to the Spirit Wood, pointed his finger again, and infused his intent into a Curse Talisman. He then sent it into the weeds. The patch of weeds immediately withered and died at a visible rate, and soon after, all the other weeds in the garden suffered the same fate.

After watching, Yu Lian’s vertical pupils blinked. She said, "You could do that with just Wood Spirit Qi. Why did you use a Curse Talisman?"

"..."

Wang Ping explained, "I didn’t interfere with their withering and death just now. From the outside, it looked like they just wilted naturally. This method can also be used on people, and it’s miraculously effective against those of lower realms. Want to try it?"

"No!"

Yu Lian’s refusal was swift and firm.

Just then, Yu Cheng Taoist descended from the sky, and the restrictions on the Mountain Peak Dojo were lifted.

"Very good!" Yu Cheng Taoist praised, then said, "However, from this point forward, the rest of the path is one you must walk alone."

Wang Ping was about to reply when, being more sensitive to Wood Spirit, he immediately sensed that there seemed to be a problem with Yu Cheng Taoist’s Spirit Veins. He quickly said, "Master, you..."

Yu Cheng Taoist waved his hand. "It’s nothing. Back when I fought that great demon at Baisui Lake, I overused the Luck-Borrowing Talisman, which caused my Spirit Veins to wither. You don’t need to worry too much. As long as I continue my quiet cultivation, living for another hundred years won’t be a problem."

Withered Spirit Veins were equivalent to having one’s path to ascension severed. Of course, if one were ruthless enough, they could make one attempt at a breakthrough. Success would grant a new life, but Yu Cheng Taoist no longer cared whether he could advance.

Wang Ping wanted to say something, but any words he could think of felt hollow and sentimental, and Yu Cheng Taoist was not a sentimental man. So, he simply nodded, etching this matter into the depths of his heart.

"Congratulations, Master, on reaching the Second Realm! May your Dao fortune flourish from this day forward!" Hu Qianqian landed beside them and bowed respectfully.