At this moment, within Great Yi, inside the royal palace.
Yi Tianxing was currently seated in quiet meditation within a secluded chamber.
As one Immortal City after another descended to suppress the surrounding lands, streams of fortune energy continuously surged toward Yi Tianxing. Simultaneously, within his body, the feedback from the Rivers and Mountains Sheji Map was constantly pouring into him, like roaring waves converging into a sea. His sea of divine energy visibly surged at a remarkable rate.
His Fate Diagram steadily grew stronger. Within it, the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body was continuously being refined, transforming from illusory to tangible, becoming increasingly solid. The divine essence it radiated became denser by the moment—its level reaching a point that was truly shocking. The sensation of an imminent breakthrough was intensifying by the second.
Because of this, Yi Tianxing had to put everything else aside and retreat into a secluded chamber.
"My cultivation realm has reached the point where it can no longer be suppressed. Within the Dharma Aspect Realm, there are three stages: Dharma Body, Soul Fusion, and Soul Condensation. The Dharma Body is now strong enough to bear the power of the soul. Though it can continue to evolve, a Dharma Body without soul integration is but an empty shell. Only by integrating the Three Souls and Seven Spirits can the Dharma Body become complete, transforming into a true Dharma Aspect, empowering my personal domain and making it even stronger and more perfect."
After forming the Dharma Body, there was no fixed order to whether one should condense the Three Souls first or the Seven Spirits. It was purely a matter of preference and foundation. Some preferred to integrate the Three Souls first, while others chose the Seven Spirits.
According to tradition, humans have:
Three Souls: Prenatal Radiance (Tai Guang), Spirited Clarity (Shuang Ling), and Dark Essence (You Jing).
Seven Spirits: Corpse Dog, Hidden Arrow, Yin Sparrow, Thieving Devourer, Toxic Eliminator, Filth Expeller, and Rotting Lung.
Some sects refer to the Three Souls as Heaven, Earth, and Man Souls, while the Seven Spirits are labeled differently, such as:
Tian Chong
Ling Hui
Qi
Strength
Core
Essence
Heroic Spirit.
These are essentially the same, only differing in nomenclature.
In Taoist belief, among the Three Souls, the Prenatal Radiance is the most important—the Main Soul. In traditional Chinese medicine, death is determined when this soul departs. Without it, life cannot be sustained.
Spirited Clarity governs communication with the world and mental acuity. It controls intelligence, reflexes, perception, decision-making, and logic. Disorders like intellectual disability or insensitivity to pain are believed to stem from this soul's imbalance.
Dark Essence determines sexual orientation and reproductive capabilities, including subconscious preferences in partners and libido.
"The Three Souls are the root of consciousness and spirit and should not be rashly tampered with. The Seven Spirits are connected to the body and life force. Since my physical body is exceptionally strong, my Seven Spirits should be equally powerful. Therefore, I shall first fuse the Seven Spirits, and only afterward condense the Three Souls. When the two are unified, I will birth the true Dharma Aspect."
Yi Tianxing made his decision: he would start with the Seven Spirits.
But this fusion was far from easy—it was dangerous. The only way to perfectly fuse the Seven Spirits with the Dharma Body was through Tribulation Lightning. Without this process, complete integration was impossible.
If the Dharma Body was weak, it couldn't endure the lightning. If the Spirit being fused was weak, it would be obliterated by the same lightning. But if both were strong, the lightning became a celestial hammer, forging them like divine weapons. It would either shatter or temper into greatness.
Fusion wasn't instantaneous either. Each of the Seven Spirits could be fused one at a time. With each fusion, the Dharma Body would grow more solid and lifelike. By the time all Seven Spirits were fused, the Dharma Body would be indistinguishable from a true physical body.
Most cultivators fused a spirit and then rested for a time before proceeding.
Having made up his mind, Yi Tianxing calmed his thoughts.
Knowledge of the Seven Spirits surfaced in his mind:
Thieving Devourer (Tun Zei) – Modern interpretation: immune system. Active at night, eliminating pathogens and toxins.
Corpse Dog (Shi Gou) – The "watchdog" of the body, alert even during sleep. Governs nocturnal awareness.
Filth Expeller (Chu Hui) – Governs waste removal. Handles metabolic waste, typically discharged in the morning.
Rotting Lung (Chou Fei) – Controls breathing during sleep. Better breath control signifies longer life.
Yin Sparrow (Que Yin) – Governs reproductive recovery during rest, including sexual arousal and emissions.
Toxic Eliminator (Fei Du) – Gathers energy to purge internal toxins, preventing diseases like cancer.
Hidden Arrow (Fu Shi) – The core Spirit. Oversees the Seven Spirits. Controls awareness and willpower.
Each of the Seven Spirits also corresponds to one of the seven emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire.
Thus, fusing the Seven Spirits was also merging with human emotional and physical desires. Once merged, emotional control would vastly improve.
"To draw out the Seven Spirits, the most direct method is to use the Seven Emotions to attract the Seven Spirits. As emotional fluctuations occur, the Spirits resonate. This is the foundation of the Secret Technique of Seven Emotional Induction."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing activated this method.
His mind sank into the Fate Diagram and merged with the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body.
Instantly, he felt a wondrous sensation of ruling the world. In his mind, images of Cai Yan, Yao Yue, and other beauties surfaced—fair skin, flawless forms—a surge of intense lust ignited from within, reflected in his Dharma Body.
Then—chirp! A crisp, high-pitched bird cry echoed within his blood and flesh.
Suddenly, a black Yin Sparrow emerged from nowhere, screeching sharply. Its eyes locked onto the Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Diagram, seemingly drawn to the immense attraction of the Dharma Body, as if it were irresistibly compelled.
With a flap of its wings, it turned into a stream of light, soaring into Yi Tianxing's Sea of Divine Power, and plunged into the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body.
There was no resistance—the Dharma Body accepted it like a vast ocean. But the Yin Sparrow soon sensed something wrong and tried to flee.
Too late.
The Dharma Body transformed into an inescapable prison, binding the Yin Sparrow completely. Escape was only possible by destroying the Dharma Body—something even the powerful Yin Sparrow Spirit couldn't do.
Boom!
At that exact moment, above the royal palace, dark clouds began to gather without warning. Layer upon layer of tribulation clouds formed, blotting out the sky. Arcs of lightning flashed within.
The entire Xuanhuang City was instantly alerted.
"Tribulation clouds? Who's attempting a breakthrough?"
"Such thick layers… this aura is terrifying!"
"It's over the palace! Is His Majesty advancing in cultivation?"
Many court officials and citizens speculated. Given the scale, most believed it had to be Yi Tianxing.
CRACK!
Without warning, a golden lightning bolt struck from the heavens. It pierced through the chamber without damaging it and slammed directly onto Yi Tianxing's body.
Yet it caused no harm to his physical body. Instead, the lightning entered his Sea of Divine Power, striking the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body directly.
A surge of destructive power spread, penetrating every inch of the Dharma Body and the Yin Sparrow Spirit.
The Sparrow screeched in agony as its form shattered, transforming into a strange force that merged into the Dharma Body. Facing annihilation, the spirit abandoned resistance and actively fused with the body.
The process was incredibly swift. Within seconds, the Dharma Body expanded, becoming more refined—a rebirth.
"A wondrous sensation indeed. After fusing the Yin Sparrow Spirit, I can now sense and control my own lust and vital essence far more precisely. I've inherited the full power of the Sparrow Spirit—and more."
Yi Tianxing felt a surge of insight.