The disturbance caused by Ren Qing gradually returned to calm, but it also exposed his place of residence, resulting in people coming to visit from time to time.
He had no choice and could only return to staying at the inn.
However, what followed was mainly stabilizing his realm, while at the same time sorting out his own technique system, so it would not cause too much commotion.
Ren Qing discovered that the ability of Immortal Within the Bone was extremely subtle.
First, his bones became very difficult to destroy. Second, after Ren Qing's death, his soul would attach to the skeletal frame and transform into the aberrant object "White Bone Immortal."
It could barely be considered an extra life, but the White Bone Immortal should find it difficult to return to a human body.
Ren Qing also noticed that after the aberrant transformations of the Shadowless Yin Demon merged into one, it still did not affect the use of each ability, but instead became even more responsive, like moving an arm or finger.
Most importantly, there were signs of fusion among the various aberrant beings.
This indicated that the Yang Spirit Realm involved the fusion of aberrant beings, and upon reaching the Heaven Aberration Realm, one would need to completely turn aberrant beings into a part of the body.
As for the divine ability "Dragon's Roar Within the Casket."
Dragon's Roar Within the Casket originated from an ancient text: "Emperor Zhuanxu possessed the Sword of Trailing Shadows; when it soared into the air and stretched forth, if there were soldiers in the four directions, this sword would fly up, point to that direction, and subjugate and strike."
"When not in use, it was stored within the casket, sounding like the roar of dragons and tigers."
The divine ability was actually different. The function of Dragon's Roar Within the Casket was in fact to enlighten all things, transforming them into subordinate pseudo-dragons similar to the nine sons of the dragon.
Because it was only a prototype of a divine ability, it required time to perform enlightenment.
But once he reached the Yang Spirit Realm, it was very likely that with a single thought, the surrounding grass, trees, mountains, and rivers would transform into various dragon beasts, subject to his command.
It was not limited to inanimate objects; living beings were the same, and it could even act upon enemies, enlightening their limbs or internal organs into pseudo-dragons.
Ren Qing's consciousness looked toward the Eternal Interminable Prison, where the fungus tree emitting Nether Yuan came into view, and his face immediately revealed joy.
He suddenly realized something.
Pseudo-dragons would not only inherit some characteristics of the Shadowless Yin Demon, but were already considered living beings.
Previously, he had refined the Spiritual Response King into an artifact that could contain Nether Yuan, and allowed the fungus tree to grow attached to the body of the Spiritual Response King.
This caused every branch of the fungus tree to be like an artifact, capable of storing large amounts of Nether Yuan.
If Ren Qing enlightened the Nether Yuan fungus tree, it should be able to gain self-recovery ability.
After Daoist temple disciples left the city, they could rely on the branches of the Nether Yuan fungus tree to replenish their cultivation, so they would not need to carefully calculate and dare not stray far from Wuwei City.
When Ren Qing used Dragon's Roar Within the Casket, large amounts of black qi surged in from all directions.
The black qi crazily permeated the Nether Yuan fungus tree, simultaneously affecting the Spiritual Response King located underground, and the two gradually became a whole.
The Spiritual Response King was absorbed completely by the Nether Yuan fungus tree at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Immediately afterward, fine fish scales emerged from the trunk, all the roots transformed into blood-vessel-like forms, and a strange dragon face grew at the very center.
It inherited more of the abilities of the Nether Sea Breathing Art, and the Nether Yuan it emitted became increasingly dense.
If Dragon's Roar Within the Casket continued to be used, the dragon tree should display more characteristics of the ghost shadow, but its body might not necessarily be able to bear it.
Even so...
The dragon tree emitted Yin Constable Realm aura. Its body, already over eight meters tall, continued to grow, directly using its roots as legs to walk.
Ren Qing stared with his mouth wide open. This so-called pseudo-dragon felt rather bizarre.
Just at that moment, a hyena passed by the dragon tree from afar. The latter pierced it with a branch, placed it on the branches, and slowly absorbed its nutrients.
The dragon tree even actively maintained the hyena's life to ensure its own growth.
Ren Qing carefully examined the dragon tree, and only then confirmed that this thing had no intelligence at all, acting purely on instinct. If placed in the outside world, its danger was self-evident.
He thought of the spirit vein gifted by the Earth Immortal Heavenly Dao Insect. If it could also be pseudo-dragonized, its strength might very well reach the Yang Spirit Realm.
Of course, with Ren Qing's Dragon's Roar Within the Casket still only a prototype, thinking about a spirit vein was asking too much.
Ren Qing chose to use beasts as targets to perform Dragon's Roar Within the Casket.
As a result, the beasts underwent corresponding changes, such as human skin growing on their exterior, or flesh disappearing, with the spine turning into a long snake.
However, pseudo-dragons would be limited by their original bodies, and their strength varied greatly.
To transform rock into a Yin Constable Realm pseudo-dragon would require at least the amount of stone of an entire mountain peak.
He only hoped that after advancing to the Yang Spirit Realm, Dragon's Roar Within the Casket would be able to enlighten all things in a more refined way, allowing Ren Qing to freely remodel pseudo-dragons.
Whether it was instant casting to summon dozens or hundreds of pseudo-dragons against enemies, or using them as materials to refine ghost-fetus artifacts, it all seemed to have endless applications.
Ren Qing closed his eyes tightly, then began re-nurturing the divided soul.
He had already felt that the divided soul had undergone some inexplicable change, but only when actually nurturing it did he confirm that it was related to the Six Afflictions Method.
In the process of the divided soul forming from nothing into something, the Mud Pellet Palace actually grew a brand-new differentiation tree, clearly originating from the Six Afflictions Method.
Before his death, Ren Qing had indeed consumed lifespan to advance body martial arts to the Yin Constable Realm, but he had died before mastering it. Luck accounted for the greater part.
At the same time, he could vaguely sense the Longevity Forbidden Zone.
The populace rebuilt Weian Town centered on the towering giant tree formed from Ren Qing's divided soul, and all those with hysteria recovered their intelligence.
It was not because the Longevity Immortal statue had collapsed, but because they discovered that the towering giant tree could suppress the disease seeds within their bodies, and even alleviate hysteria.
If hysteria did not exist, body martial cultivators would absolutely have the strength to fight longevity species.
In this way, body martial arts could even be popularized among all civilians, and the sectarian distinctions between martial teaching halls would immediately disappear.
After discussion among the various master instructors, the martial teaching halls merged into a new force.
Because Xu Shiwang constantly muttered "taboo," someone proposed calling it Taboo Martial Teaching Hall, but it was considered inauspicious and was rejected.
It was ultimately named "Forbidden Martial."
Ren Qing used the ability of the Dream Butterfly Method, transforming into soul butterflies that flew above Weian Town, noticing many familiar figures busily at work.
Wang Qi had previously been spared disaster outside the town, and was setting up various traps and herbs to prevent disease-spreading animals from approaching.
Wang Ling cleaned the towering giant tree while searching for traces of Ren Qing.
The soul butterfly landed on her shoulder.
Although Wang Ling could not see the soul butterfly, she revealed a delighted expression as she stared at the towering giant tree and softly called out, "Little brother..."
Xu Sanliang led Xu Tu and several others in practicing body martial arts, continuously explaining the techniques involved.
Xu Tu listened attentively with his ears perked up. His left arm had already been smashed into pulp by falling rocks, leaving only his right arm to support his martial practice.
Compared to Xu Tu, many of the other companions had been sucked dry into human husks by the Longevity Immortal statue. Being alive already counted as extremely fortunate.
Xu Tu clenched his teeth, pushing his lungs to their limit as the air he breathed grew increasingly thin.
Xu Sanliang wanted to stop Xu Tu's self-abusive training, but the latter let out a hoarse roar, and then the aura of body martial arts spread outward.
"It worked..."
Xu Tu collapsed powerlessly onto the ground, his lungs swelling several times in succession.
He had originally only wanted to be a small constable, but now realized that he was born at the wrong time. If he did not fight desperately, he would inevitably become fodder for immortals.
Ren Qing opened his eyes, his expression also filled with both shock and joy.
When Xu Tu mastered body martial arts, he actually gained five years of lifespan, and it was not temporary lifespan, but could be permanently preserved.
"Could it be caused by the Six Afflictions Method?"
Ren Qing continued nurturing the divided soul. After more than ten days, it finally fully took shape.
However, the divided soul was not a blank slate. It actually appeared emaciated and on the verge of death, as if afflicted with several stubborn illnesses, seemingly about to die at any moment.
Ren Qing used the information flow to inspect the divided soul.
Secondary Soul
Composed of the Eyeless Method, attached to the main soul, currently corroded by the Six Afflictions Method.
The Six Afflictions Method was created by a Heterodox Dao Lord. Cultivation requires the body to suffer six afflictions, and to be infected in the order of eyes, mouth, tongue, nose, heart, lungs. If the symptoms erupt without dying, it can be cultivated. Consuming ten years of lifespan allows one to exempt the cost and master it.
Ren Qing consumed lifespan to master the Six Afflictions Method, and his body immediately shuddered with cold.
He felt the divided soul instantly afflicted with several diseases, then under the effect of the information flow, all were cured, and its appearance returned to normal.
But contrary to Ren Qing's expectations, the Six Afflictions Method differentiation tree was directly entwined by the Supreme Dark Nightmare Lord differentiation tree, and soon turned into a secondary technique.
He realized what was happening.
The Six Afflictions Method was mastered by the divided soul, and naturally merged into the system of the Supreme Dark Nightmare Lord. It was unknown what kinds of diseases would be derived.
The Half-Corpse Realm content of the Six Afflictions Method was revealed.
[Disease-Eater: born with disease without hindrance]
[Hundred Afflictions Bearer: body accommodates a hundred diseases]
[Medicine Person: using the body as medicine]
If it were Ren Qing himself mastering it, he would choose Disease-Eater without hesitation, using it to resist all kinds of external diseases.
But since it was the divided soul...
Whether to choose branch Hundred Afflictions Bearer, will consume lifespan one year and six months
The divided soul immediately twisted, like a Diseased Beast in the Longevity Forbidden Zone losing control of its disease seed, but in just a few breaths it returned to normal.
Ren Qing pondered inwardly.
The ability of Hundred Afflictions Bearer should be to collect diseases, using oneself as a culture medium.
But after becoming a secondary technique of the Supreme Dark Nightmare Lord, it greatly increased the nightmare demon's control over "nightmares," appearing extremely strange.
Nightmares were somewhat similar to hysteria.
After Ren Qing mastered Hundred Afflictions Bearer, if he caused others to contract a cold in a nightmare, over time their physical bodies would also display symptoms of a cold.
He continued to check the Ghost Envoy Realm of the Six Afflictions Method.
After Hundred Afflictions Bearer advanced, it was named "Scattering Afflictions Plague Lord," mainly manifesting in large-scale dissemination of disease, involving even more terrifying plagues.
The Supreme Dark Nightmare Lord primarily indiscriminately deployed plague nightmares...
[Whether to choose branch Scattering Afflictions Plague Lord, will consume lifespan fifteen years?]
The divided soul once again experienced the suffering of plague affliction, and then the Six Afflictions Method reached the Ghost Envoy Realm.
After completing the advancement, Ren Qing smiled bitterly and shook his head. The Supreme Dark Nightmare Lord could still choose one more secondary technique—should he continue strengthening nightmare diseases?
However, the two techniques Winter Insect and Summer Grass were hard to choose between, and it would depend on the detailed content.
[Eyeless Method (Dream Butterfly Method, Nightmare Art, Six Afflictions Method)
Supreme Dark Nightmare Lord (An Inch of Time, Nightmare Dream True Person, Scattering Afflictions Plague Lord)]
After hesitating for a moment, Ren Qing contacted Dream Great One.
He was not familiar with the Sending-Child Goddess Temple, so he could only have Dream Great One step in to see if it was possible to borrow the technique manuals of Winter Insect and Summer Grass.
The reply came quickly.
Dream Great One directly transmitted the two techniques to the Dream Butterfly projection in the Ghost Market, but also warned him not to spread them.
Ren Qing repeatedly agreed. Techniques related to disease were indeed far too dangerous.
Even the Sending-Child Goddess Temple cultivated the relatively harmless Summer Grass Art, mainly using techniques to assist pregnant women in childbirth.
At the same time, Dream Great One also brought news about Song Zongwu.
Dream Great One had once planted part of soul butterflies in Song Zongwu's dreams, intending to give him a hand at the critical moment of advancing to the Yang Spirit Realm.
As a result, Song Zongwu's recent situation seemed to be somewhat unfavorable.