Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams

Chapter 593 - 240: Fourth Realm of Body Cultivation, Life and Death Tribulation

"Relying on the ’Self-Examination Book’ to cultivate the ’Nine Fiends Gathering Body Technique’ has indeed sped up the progress quite a bit."

Shen Wenxing nodded.

The ’Nine Fiends Gathering Body Technique’ was originally Xu Zhan’s inheritance, and with Lu Zhiyuan’s creation, the ’Self-Examination Book,’ which addresses the side effects caused by evil qi, it is sure to elevate the Shen Family’s body cultivation prowess to a new level.

"Where’s your elder brother?"

"Any major events happening at home recently?"

Shen Wenxing looked at Shen You beside him and asked.

"Major events..."

"Quite a few, Ah Die just came out of seclusion, let’s discuss it in detail later."

Shen You said, pulling him towards the mountain path.

"I need to go see your grandfather first, you two head back home."

Shen Wenxing said with a light smile.

Just as he was about to break through, he unexpectedly saw a figure resembling his father, Shen Yuan, which left him perplexed.

Moreover, after years of closed-door cultivation, having come out now, it was appropriate to visit his father.

Shen You nodded and went back to the manor with Xu Zhan, ready to inform their mother and others of the event.

...

Black Water Pavilion.

When Shen Wenxing arrived on the second floor, Shen Yuan was leisurely sipping tea.

"Father."

After paying his respects, he sat down across from his father.

Seeing that his father wasn’t surprised about his return from seclusion, Shen Wenxing felt even more certain that it was his father who saved him from death’s door.

"How do you feel?"

Shen Yuan poured him a cup of tea and asked softly.

Accepting the tea, Shen Wenxing shook his head with a bitter smile: "Just a little more and I would have been separated from Ah Die by life and death."

Taking a sip and putting down the cup, he glanced at Shen Yuan in front of him and hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Father, just before my breakthrough, I seemed to see your figure..."

Shen Yuan nodded: "I did sense that your breakthrough this time would involve a life and death tribulation."

"We, father and son, are connected by bloodline power; I lent you a hand using this power."

Changing the topic, Shen Yuan continued: "You... you’ve been cultivating ’Azure Dragon Force’ for over a century, yet you still haven’t grasped the essence of this technique."

"Haven’t you realized the true intent of Blood Qi Cyan Dragon?"

Hearing this, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Shen Wenxing’s face.

Indeed, he had never thought there would be true intent in body cultivation techniques.

"Alas!"

Seeing this, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but sigh: "Though I’m not a body cultivator, over the years I’ve seen many records related to body cultivation in various ancient texts."

"Body cultivation supposedly focuses solely on one’s own self, cultivating qi and blood, and secret treasuries."

"But ultimately, cultivators still need to harmonize with heaven and earth."

"As they say, Daoist Natural Law, body cultivation is still cultivation; in the end, it’s about ’Dao’ and ’Law.’

This breakthrough to the fourth realm started as a lesson for you, do not always pursue the self and neglect external matters in the future."

After a slight pause, he continued: "The fourth realm of body cultivation is the Life and Death Realm, transforming through life and death."

"I know you don’t have the path to follow for body cultivation, so I prepared this for you in advance."

A flash of light in his hand, Shen Yuan produced a jade scroll.

"Qi blood and spiritual power, the physical body carrying divine power."

"I speculate that the next realm of body cultivation should be the Spirit Transformation Realm."

"And after Spirit Transformation, it should be the Divine Power Realm."

"The specific cultivation method among these will require you to explore on your own."

In terms of realm, Shen Yuan, though still in the Late Stage of Fetal Breathing, had read an abundance of ancient cultivation texts over the past century and absorbed insights from many Shen Family members’ breakthroughs.

With extensive knowledge far beyond ordinary cultivators, embracing the Path of Great Derivation, and aided by the White Jade Turtle Shell, he could repeatedly deduce and refine some paths of cultivation.

The contents of the jade scroll were insights he had gained by exhausting a great deal of spiritual charm to deduce the ’Azure Dragon Force’ when the White Jade Turtle Shell warned Shen Wenxing of this breakthrough’s life and death tribulation.

"Qi blood and spiritual power, the physical body carrying divine power."

Shen Wenxing repeated these words carefully, then bitterly smiled and shook his head.

"I always thought I had decent talent in body cultivation, but it seems I’m still not as good as you, father."

He suddenly realized that his father had become increasingly mysterious over the years.

Like a worldly sage who had lived countless years, knowing everything.

"Stop flattering your old man."

Shen Yuan chuckled, taking a sip of tea and said: "Now that you’ve broken through, help Chongming, so he can quickly go into seclusion and breakthrough to the Fetal Breathing Perfection Realm."

"Otherwise, during the next major harvest, you might not be able to withstand the cultivators from the Southern Border."

Shen Wenxing was slightly taken aback and then somewhat astonished: "Wen’an has... achieved Golden Core?"

Shen Yuan nodded: "So, it will rely on you two father and son moving forward."

Currently, the Shen Family is strong, but not strong enough to flip the table.

The previous agreements must be upheld, requiring a few more decades of stalemate with the six southern forces.

Taking advantage of this time, he also intended to deduce once more the machinations behind this game of heaven and earth, by those chess players.

Dao Source...

If possible, the Shen Family should start planning ahead.

The father and son chatted for a while more, Shen Wenxing was then ushered out of the Black Water Pavilion by his father, urged to go and see his wife and daughter.

After years of seclusion, having emerged now, he couldn’t spend all his time with his old father.

...

In the small courtyard, Huang Lingxiu and her daughter Shen You sat together, with Shen Chonghong and his wife, along with disciple Xu Zhan, across from them.

The family exchanged greetings for a while; meanwhile, Shen You kept signaling at Xu Zhan with her eyes.

Xu Zhan, however, was somewhat hesitant and reluctant to speak.

Seeing this, Shen You glared at him fiercely.

Only then did Xu Zhan muster the courage, stood up before Shen Wenxing, and saluted: "Master, disciple... disciple..."

Yet, despite uttering ’disciple’ repeatedly, he didn’t say anything else, leaving Shen You no choice but to interject.

"Dad, Mom, Xu Zhan wants to be your son-in-law."

"Hmm?" Shen Wenxing was a bit surprised upon hearing this.

Meanwhile, Huang Lingxiu simply smiled silently, her face showing no surprise at all.

Over the years, she had long noticed the affection between the two.

Shen Chonghong and Xiao Hongxiao, beside them, also laughed silently.

Being experienced, they too could see Xu Zhan liked his sister Shen You.

Xu Zhan kept his head down, looking nervous and uneasy, occasionally stealing glances at his master.

"What do you think, dear?"

Shen Wenxing, with a smile on his face, looked at Huang Lingxiu.

Huang Lingxiu passed the decision back to him.

"One is your disciple, the other is your daughter, why ask me?"

The couple exchanged looks, each seeing satisfaction in the other’s eyes.

"Thus..."

"I agree."

After Shen Wenxing voiced his agreement, he solemnly addressed Xu Zhan: "Xu Zhan, your senior sister has a peculiar temperament, if you’re ever wronged, talk to your master, do not..."

"Dad!"

"How can you say that?"

"You should tell him to take good care of me in the future!"

Shen You anxiously interrupted him.

Those present laughed heartily at this.

...

Seven Sages Mountain Secret Realm.

In the lush forests, Shen Xiuchan and Meng Yuntang led numerous Shen Family juniors in a desperate retreat!

From the void behind them, black thunderbolts occasionally struck down.

The black thunder was terrifying; any of the robust ancient trees caught in its path were instantly reduced to dust.

"Young master, there’s no road ahead!"

Amidst their frantic escape, Meng Yuntang beside Shen Xiuchan suddenly exclaimed.

Ahead lay an abyss, tens of feet wide, dark and bottomless!

"Jump down!"

Without hesitation, Shen Xiuchan decisively ordered!

Everyone was a cultivator, though jumping might carry risks, staying above certainly meant being struck to death by the black thunder!

Upon receiving his order, the Shen Family juniors didn’t hesitate and immediately activated their spiritual power, leaping into the abyss.

After their figures vanished, a strange creature with wings and body flickering with electric light slowly emerged from the void above the forest.

"Hehe... bearing that kid’s aura, this lord is in a good mood today, I shall grant you a stroke of good fortune."

"Whether you can obtain it or not, depends on your luck."

The Thunder Monster looked towards the abyss, tilted his head with a sly grin, then murmured softly: "That kid, I wonder what realm he’s in now."

"When will I finally be able to leave this damned place..."