9 Chapter 9: The Classic of Changes' Marrow Cleansing, Body Tempering and Soul Refining_1

Chapter 9: The Classic of Changes' Marrow Cleansing, Body Tempering and Soul Refining

Gently closing the door, Xu Fan sat down slowly on his bed.

The Body-Forging Pill in his hand emitted a mysterious herbal fragrance.

It was the treasure at the bottom of his storage ring, having been there for at least a few thousand years. However, the storage ring used a formation based on the principle of "mustard seed into Mount Meru" to preserve items, ensuring they were never damaged. Even after thousands of years, the elixir remained exactly as it was when it had first been made—unchanged.

To think that I, the esteemed Five-Direction Heavenly Emperor, would one day have to resort to using the Body-Forging Pill needed only for a novice cultivator's initiation.

With a carefree smile, Xu Fan tossed the elixir into his mouth.

As soon as the elixir entered his mouth, it immediately transformed into a hot stream that rushed into his limbs and bones; the area around his Dantian felt as if it caught fire, burning more and more intensely, and gradually, all the heat converged at the location of his Dantian.

Xu Fan knew this was the Body-Forging Pill beginning to carve out the Qi Sea near his Dantian.

The entry-level realm for cultivators is the Qi Practicing Realm, where "Qi practicing" means absorbing the spiritual energy from the outside world into one's own Qi Sea and refining it into one's own mana.

Furthermore, the capacity of the Qi Sea directly determines the strength of the Golden Core formed after the condensing of Qi into pills.

Xu Fan was now enduring agonizing pain that felt like countless ants tearing at his body.

Around the Dantian area, it felt as if there was a furnace scorching him, the unbearable pain causing Xu Fan to become drenched in sweat in an instant.

Utilizing his inner strength, Xu Fan focused his will and with a "snap," all the clothes on his body were shattered into pieces by the force of his shaking.

Now, Xu Fan, completely naked, lay with his body facing upward to the sky, enveloped in a mist of spiritual energy, while his skin, baked by the heat from the Dantian, turned a deep red color.

Xu Fan knew that although the Marrow Cleansing was excruciatingly painful, enduring it for a longer period would lay a firmer foundation, making the path of cultivation ahead much smoother. So, despite his body reaching its limit of pain, Xu Fan continued to support himself with his formidable willpower.

As the Five-Direction Heavenly Emperor who had dominated countless realms in The Immortal Realm, Xu Fan's determination was diamond-like in its firmness.

Two quiet hours passed, and at this point, Xu Fan no longer felt the pain in his body. When the pain reached its extreme, even his senses vanished.

And Xu Fan's Qi Sea had also taken shape by now.

If the Qi Sea of the former Xu Fan, after completing Marrow Cleansing, was the size of Lake Dongting, Xu Fan's current Qi Sea was like the Pacific Ocean—unfathomably deep and vast.

After all, housed within this mortal body was an Immortal Emperor who had cultivated for thousands of years.

"Condensing Qi into the Sea!" Xu Fan, with his eyes tightly closed, no longer continued to expand his Dantian Qi Sea. This was already the pinnacle that a mortal could achieve.

The spiritual energy inside him began to gather from the Qi Sea into many small streams of spiritual energy, joyously flowing through Xu Fan's meridians towards every acupoint, every bone, and flesh in his body.

"Channel Opening and Marrow Cleansing!" Xu Fan murmured softly, directing the river of spiritual energy emerging from his Qi Sea with his mind, ceaselessly refining all the blood, flesh, and meridians throughout his body.

With the refinement of the spiritual energy, a large amount of impurities oozed out of Xu Fan's pores with the sweat. These were the contaminants within the body, and the most crucial effect of Marrow Cleansing was to remove all impurities adverse to cultivation.

Another hour passed and Xu Fan finished Marrow Cleansing all over his body; meanwhile, all his meridians had been expanded dozens of times by the surging spiritual energy during the process.

"Body Tempering and Soul Refining!" Xu Fan softly exclaimed. This was the final step of the Body-Forging Pill. If Xu Fan had consumed the Marrow Cleansing Pills that ordinary cultivators produced, he would have finished after Marrow Cleansing. However, Xu Fan had taken the 2.0 version of the Marrow Cleansing Pill that he had concocted himself—the Body-Forging Pill.

Aside from possessing the effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, "Condensing Qi into the Sea" and "Channel Opening and Marrow Cleansing," it also included the function of "Body Tempering and Soul Refining."

Body Tempering and Soul Refining could strengthen Xu Fan's body in the Qi Refinement Realm, forging it into a frame of iron and steel, whereas Soul Refining could enhance his spirit. Not only would it boost his mental capacity, but also it would allow Xu Fan to maintain a state of abundant vigor and alertness at all times.

An hour later, Xu Fan finally exhaled a gentle breath.

He had pushed the efficacy of the Body-Forging Pill to its limits, and now he had condensed his Qi Sea, expanded his meridians, undergone The Classic of Changes' Marrow Cleansing, and performed Body Tempering and Soul Refining. He had become a quasi-cultivator with the potential for pursuing immortality.

Xu Fan scanned his surroundings, covered in black mud that emitted a foul smell as it clung to his body.

He couldn't stand it any longer. With a flicker, Xu Fan stepped into the restroom, taking less than a second to do so.

After Marrow Cleansing and Body Tempering, Xu Fan's physique had already surpassed human limitations, and his speed, strength, and reflexes had increased tenfold from before.

Turning on the shower, a cascade of water splashed down, washing away the muck from Xu Fan's body.

As he washed, Xu Fan pondered his path of cultivation.

Now that the Marrow Cleansing was successful, he could directly start honing skills.

Er, that is, start cultivating techniques.

Ordinary people can only connect with the Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth after undergoing Marrow Cleansing. Each cultivation technique is a rule for communicating with the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth.

A good rule can help cultivators rapidly elevate their realm. A bad rule can turn a talented cultivator mediocre, leading their cultivation astray.

In his past life, Xu Fan cultivated the Five Spirits Sky Absorbing Technique, which allowed absorbing five kinds of Spirit Beasts as his Life-bound Divine Beasts, fighting on his behalf. He could also absorb energy from the Spirit Beasts to replenish his Mana.

Essentially, fighting Xu Fan was not a battle against just him, but against a man accompanied by five pets.

In his past life, Xu Fan's Five Spirits Sky Absorbing Technique captured five Spirit Beasts, which were the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and Kylin from Earth's primordial world.

After achieving mastery of his technique, Xu Fan had the five Spirit Beasts guard the five domains of the east, south, west, north, and center respectively, earning him the Immortal Realm's reverence as the Five-Direction Heavenly Emperor.

Now that Xu Fan's Qi Sea had just formed, he began to consider which cultivation technique to pursue. The first thing he did was to rule out the Five Spirits Sky Absorbing Technique from his options.

In his previous life, his over-reliance on his Life-bound Spirit Beasts led to his cultivation falling short, and he ultimately perished under the divine might of the Heavenly Tribulation Divine Thunder. This life, Xu Fan was determined to cultivate a technique that would not depend on external factors.

After much consideration, an idea gradually formed in Xu Fan's mind.

A technique from his previous life that he had obtained while battling formidable enemies began to resurface before his eyes.

The Chaos Genesis Technique, a peerless immortal cultivation technique that placed extreme emphasis on personal cultivation. When cultivated to the extreme, one could rely solely on their own power to create and shape new worlds.

With the thought in mind, Xu Fan gave his body a shake, scattering all the water droplets into the air, and then he flashed back onto his bed in an instant.

He began to cultivate.