Several months passed peacefully at Dragon Yuan Mountain.
During this period, Lin Sheng spent considerable time with Qian Feng, Lou Han, Lin Xiaolu, and Lin Shou, occasionally watching their cultivation and offering guidance whenever he noticed something that could help them improve. Their progress had been relatively steady, particularly now that they had a clearer understanding of the directions in which their Martial Intents needed to develop.
Lin Sheng had also taken the opportunity to reveal something he had deliberately kept to himself.
He had already fused his Astral Qi several years ago.
The revelation naturally surprised everyone, particularly Qian Feng and Lou Han, who had assumed that Lin Sheng was still searching for a suitable source of Astral Qi like the rest of them. However, after the initial surprise, their reactions quickly turned into happiness. They understood that Lin Sheng had always been considerably ahead of them in cultivation, and knowing that he had already crossed such an important threshold only reassured them that he had been making good progress during his long absences.
Lin Sheng hadn't revealed the exact level of his internal cultivation, but this information would at least make it less surprising when he eventually disclosed that he had reached the Astral Gang Realm.
He didn't want such a revelation to appear entirely out of nowhere.
"To think you've already fused Astral Qi," Lou Han sighed, shaking his head as he looked at Lin Sheng. "It's a pity that martial cultivation on the Immortal Continent becomes so troublesome once someone reaches the peak of Astral Gang."
Qian Feng nodded in agreement.
"That's true. We've all heard about the transformation beyond Astral Gang, but knowing that a path exists doesn't mean we can actually walk it."
Lin Xiaolu also looked thoughtful.
Although they had learned about the existence of the Golden Body Realm, advancing into it was far from straightforward. It wasn't simply a matter of accumulating sufficient Qi-Blood or strengthening one's physique until it reached a certain threshold. The practitioner needed an exceptionally compatible Rank 4 Body Refining cultivation method, suitable resources to support the transformation, and, most importantly, the ability to survive the tribulation associated with the breakthrough.
Even after satisfying those requirements, the transformation itself was an enormous undertaking.
The difference between peak Astral Gang and Golden Body was simply too great.
It was like someone who had spent their entire life travelling in a slow-moving carriage suddenly being offered the opportunity to board an enormous warship. The destination might be the same, but the speed, capacity, and possibilities of the two were worlds apart, and the transition required far more than merely deciding to change vehicles.
Lin Sheng listened to their complaints with a faint smile.
He understood their feelings, but he also knew that the situation wasn't entirely hopeless.
The Immortal Continent's attitude towards martial cultivation was actually more balanced than one might expect.
At first glance, the advantages of immortal cultivation seemed overwhelming. Immortal cultivators possessed longer lifespans, could use a wide variety of techniques, and had access to methods that allowed them to manipulate spiritual energy in ways that ordinary martial artists could scarcely imitate. Martial artists, on the other hand, generally had shorter lifespans, and their cultivation depended heavily on the refinement of their physical bodies and the accumulation of Qi-Blood.
Yet martial artists possessed an advantage that could not easily be ignored.
Their foundation was considerably stronger in direct combat.
An immortal cultivator at the same general level of cultivation might possess greater versatility, but a martial artist with a sufficiently powerful physique could close the distance in an instant and unleash terrifying physical strength. Their Qi Fields could resist many ordinary attacks, while their bodies were naturally suited to surviving the harsh conditions of battle.
This was particularly important in a world where dangerous demonic beasts, rogue cultivators, ancient ruins, and unpredictable cultivation environments were commonplace.
A person without spiritual roots wasn't necessarily destined to remain helpless.
Through martial cultivation, even someone who couldn't absorb spiritual energy in the conventional manner could gradually strengthen their body, develop internal energy and obtain the strength necessary to protect themselves.
That was one of the reasons martial arts had retained their position on the Immortal Continent.
It was difficult to imagine a world where every person without spiritual roots was forced into slavery or relegated to dangerous labour simply because they couldn't cultivate Immortal Dao. Martial cultivation provided another route to power, and even though its higher realms were difficult to reach, it gave ordinary people an opportunity they otherwise wouldn't have possessed.
Naturally, the way martial artists were treated depended on the background of the people they encountered.
Those from major factions and ancient cultivation families generally understood that the martial path didn't necessarily end at the transitioning to Golden Body Realm. They knew that certain extraordinary practitioners could continue advancing beyond it, eventually reaching heights that ordinary Golden Core cultivators would find difficult to comprehend.
Such people rarely looked down on martial artists.
On the other hand, cultivators from smaller factions or remote regions might have little knowledge of what lay beyond the Astral Gang Realm. To them, a martial artist who had reached that stage had already arrived at the end of their path, and although they might acknowledge the strength of such a practitioner, they would naturally consider Immortal Dao the superior cultivation system.
Their understanding was limited by their own circumstances.
Lin Sheng didn't consider that particularly strange.
After all, the further one was from the highest levels of cultivation, the more likely one was to judge an entire cultivation system based on the limits of the practitioners one had personally encountered.
He looked at the others.
"There's no need to think too much about what happens after the peak of Astral Gang. Concentrate on reaching that stage first. Once your foundation is ready, we can discuss the next step."
The others nodded.
Lin Sheng had already decided how he would spend the coming months. Apart from his own cultivation, he intended to help Qian Feng, Lou Han, and Lin Xiaolu locate suitable Astral Qi, preferably sources of sufficient quality that would allow them to establish a strong foundation for their future advancement.
As for Lin Shou, he wasn't particularly worried.
The Grand Elder had already been guiding him for years, and considering that Lin Shou had recently comprehended Martial Will, Lin Sheng was confident that the older man had his own arrangements for his next breakthrough.
There was no need for him to interfere unnecessarily.
---
After arranging his affairs with the others, Lin Sheng returned to his cultivation chamber.
The protective formations around his residence were already operating, isolating the interior from outside perception and preventing the fluctuations produced by his cultivation from spreading beyond the immediate area.
He sat cross-legged on the cultivation platform and slowly closed his eyes.
His current cultivation could be divided into several distinct aspects, each progressing along a different path.
The first was his Shen.
Over the past few years, he had continued refining his mental perception, pushing his Meditation Realm to the extreme of the Spiritual Platform stage. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the accumulated power of his spirit had gradually formed something resembling a nine-layer pavilion, each layer supporting the one above it, while the structure itself became increasingly solid as his mental strength continued to accumulate.
At first, it had merely been a vague manifestation of his concentrated spirit.
Now, however, the nine-layer pavilion was becoming increasingly realistic.
Its foundations had grown more stable, its outlines clearer, and the spiritual pressure emanating from it had become considerably more profound. Lin Sheng could feel that the structure was gradually approaching a qualitative transformation, although he had yet to determine precisely what form that transformation would take.
He didn't intend to force it.
His mental perception had already reached an astonishing level, and its range extended across hundreds of li. Continuing to accumulate and refine his Shen would eventually bring him closer to the next major realm, but he still needed to understand the nature of the breakthrough rather than simply attempting to force his way through it.
His internal cultivation, meanwhile, remained temporarily suspended.
That didn't mean he had stopped making preparations.
The acupoint-connected formations he had been perfecting were still undergoing continuous refinement. These formations were designed to improve the circulation and coordination between his opened acupoints, allowing them to function as a more integrated system rather than a collection of individually cultivated points.
Once he resumed his internal cultivation, the improved connections should significantly increase the efficiency of his circulation and accelerate his progress.
This was particularly important because he intended to return to the Martial Continent within the next few years.
The circumstances there were different, and he wanted to ensure that his internal cultivation could advance as quickly and steadily as possible once he returned.
However, his immediate attention was focused on his Golden Body.
The integration of his third divine ability seed, the Rainbow Illusion Butterfly, had already been completed, but the resulting changes within his Golden Body were still progressing.
Although the initial fusion had succeeded, the transformation of a Rank 4 Golden Body was not something that could be completed overnight. The three divine abilities had to gradually harmonise with one another, their respective characteristics becoming increasingly integrated into the physical foundation.
Lin Sheng could feel this process happening throughout his body.
The changes were subtle, yet they affected almost every aspect of his Golden Body, from the circulation of Qi-Blood to the structure of his muscles, bones, and internal organs. His body was slowly adapting to the additional divine ability, and until the process stabilised, he didn't intend to introduce another major change.
Once it was complete, he would begin cultivating the Crimson Blood Furnace Technique.
He had purchased the technique alongside the Five Elements Body Forging Art during his time in the Southern Archipelagos, and he had already studied its principles thoroughly.
The technique was particularly interesting because it revolved around the refinement and transformation of Qi-Blood through a special furnace-like structure, allowing the practitioner to condense increasingly potent blood essence and develop a powerful divine ability associated with the Crimson Blood Furnace.
Lin Sheng intended to investigate whether the divine ability formed through this technique could be fused with his existing Qi-Blood Furnace.
The two possessed remarkably similar characteristics, but they were not necessarily identical.
His Qi-Blood Furnace was an innate ability that had developed alongside his Golden Body, while the Crimson Blood Furnace was a divine ability cultivated through a specific body-refining method. One was rooted in his innate physical foundation, while the other would be developed through deliberate cultivation.
If he could successfully integrate the two, there might be an opportunity for another qualitative change.
However, there was a problem he couldn't ignore.
His Qi-Blood Furnace was approaching its limits.
Lin Sheng had noticed this gradually over the past few years, particularly because he had been relying on it continuously to refine spiritual energy, produce Five Elements Essence liquid, and support the advancement of his external cultivation.
There was no obvious sign of strain.
The furnace remained stable, its refining ability hadn't declined, and the quality of the Qi-Blood it produced was still excellent. Nevertheless, through his increasingly refined perception of his own body, Lin Sheng could sense that the furnace was approaching a threshold beyond which further use might become inefficient.
It wasn't that the furnace was about to collapse.
Rather, its current structure was nearing the limit of what it could accomplish without undergoing another transformation.
The problem was that strengthening the Qi-Blood Furnace required a qualitative improvement in his Qi-Blood, and such an improvement could only be achieved by advancing his external cultivation to the next stage.
Yet reaching that next stage required him to continue using the Qi-Blood Furnace to nourish and transform his organs.
In other words, he had encountered a closed loop.
He needed a stronger Qi-Blood Furnace to produce the quality of Qi-Blood required for further advancement, but he needed to advance his external cultivation to strengthen the furnace.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was precisely why he intended to cultivate the Crimson Blood Furnace Technique.
If he could form another divine ability that complemented his innate furnace, it might provide the additional foundation necessary to overcome the current limitation. Even if the fusion wasn't immediately successful, the new divine ability should still strengthen his overall Golden Body and provide another avenue for refining his Qi-Blood.
It would also help him steadily advance towards the late stage of the Golden Body Realm.
As for his fifth divine ability, he was still considering his options.
The problem wasn't simply finding a powerful divine ability.
A Rank 4 Golden Body could eventually contain five divine abilities, but the five couldn't be selected independently without considering their compatibility. Each ability had to possess sufficient harmony with the others, otherwise, attempting to fuse them into a Major Divine Ability would become extremely difficult.
This was one of the reasons many Golden Body cultivators preferred relatively common divine abilities.
Such abilities might not possess the greatest individual power, but their characteristics were usually well understood, and their compatibility with other established abilities was easier to determine. A cultivator who chose five abilities with similar characteristics could generally expect a smoother fusion process, even if the resulting Major Divine Ability wasn't particularly extraordinary.
Those who pursued rare or unusual divine abilities, however, often faced greater uncertainty.
An ability might be exceptionally powerful on its own yet possess characteristics that directly conflicted with the other four. By the time the cultivator reached the point of attempting the final fusion, they might discover that the five abilities couldn't properly harmonise, leaving them with an incomplete Major Divine Ability or forcing them to spend enormous amounts of time finding a solution.
Lin Sheng naturally understood the risk.
His first and second divine abilities already possessed excellent compatibility, both in their fundamental characteristics and their body-refining properties. Their relationship was relatively stable, and their integration had provided a strong foundation for the subsequent abilities.
The third ability, Rainbow Illusion Butterfly, was a different matter.
It was a spiritual-type divine ability.
Most body refiners would probably have avoided choosing something like it, particularly when their primary objective was to strengthen their physical bodies. However, Lin Sheng had deliberately selected it because he wanted his future Major Divine Ability to possess an ability that could directly affect an opponent's spirit and soul.
He had a particular reason for this choice.
Nascent Soul True Monarchs were notoriously difficult to kill.
Destroying their physical bodies did not necessarily mean killing them, because their Nascent Souls could survive the destruction of their original vessels and escape. As long as the Nascent Soul remained intact, the True Monarch still possessed the possibility of survival, whether through escaping, finding another body, or relying on other methods.
Their greatest strength was also one of their greatest vulnerabilities.
The Nascent Soul.
It was the foundation of their existence, the core of their power, and the most important thing they needed to protect. If an opponent could directly attack and destroy it, even a True Monarch would face genuine danger.
Lin Sheng wanted his future Major Divine Ability to possess the ability to threaten that foundation.
A physical attack might destroy a True Monarch's body, but a divine ability capable of penetrating their spiritual defences and damaging their Nascent Soul would be considerably more troublesome.
Of course, he still had to consider compatibility.
He couldn't simply choose a divine ability because it possessed a useful effect. The fifth ability would have to harmonise with the existing four, and the final Major Divine Ability would need to integrate all five without creating instability.
For now, he would leave that decision until later.
There was no reason to rush into choosing the final piece before the other parts of the foundation had fully stabilised.
---
Lin Sheng gradually shifted his attention towards his external cultivation.
The nourishment and refinement of his organs had been progressing for some time, with the heart being the first of the five Zang organs he had chosen to develop.
The heart corresponded to Fire within the Five Elements, and because Qi-Blood circulated through the heart continuously, it was relatively convenient for him to introduce Fire-attribute Spiritual Qi and refine it into the corresponding Essence liquid.
The results had been encouraging.
The Fire Essence liquid produced by his Qi-Blood Furnace had accelerated the nourishment of his heart, strengthening its internal structure and improving its ability to withstand the enormous pressure generated by his increasingly powerful Qi-Blood.
However, something unexpected had happened recently.
Lin Sheng slowly extended his perception into his body.
The moment the Fire Essence liquid circulated through his internal structures, a faint sensation of disharmony appeared.
It was extremely subtle.
If he hadn't been undergoing the ongoing sublimation of his Golden Body, he might not have noticed it at all.
His mental perception had become exceptionally refined over the years, and he could normally detect even the smallest fluctuations within his body. Yet this time, the warning had appeared before his mental perception could properly identify the problem.
It was his body itself that had alerted him.
Lin Sheng's expression became thoughtful.
The sensation wasn't exactly pain, nor was it the discomfort associated with an unstable circulation of Qi-Blood. It was more like an instinctive rejection, a faint warning that something within his internal structure had moved out of balance.
The Fire Essence liquid was nourishing his heart successfully, but the accelerated refinement had caused a slight imbalance in the relationship between his internal organs.
The change was so small that an ordinary cultivator would probably have ignored it.
Lin Sheng, however, couldn't afford to be careless.
His Golden Body was undergoing a gradual sublimation, and the integration of his divine abilities had made his perception of its internal structure considerably more sensitive. He could feel the subtle relationship between his organs, Qi-Blood, and the Five Elements energy circulating throughout his body.
The moment one part advanced too quickly, the harmony between the other parts could be disturbed.
That was what had happened.
He hadn't noticed the problem during his earlier experiments with Five Elements Gang Essence, because that method nourished his internal structures through a more balanced combination of the Five Elements.
The difference was now obvious.
When he used only Fire-attribute Essence liquid to nourish his heart, the heart's refinement accelerated, but the corresponding balance within his body was slightly disrupted. The process wasn't inherently wrong, yet continuing in that manner could eventually create an imbalance that would become increasingly difficult to correct.
Lin Sheng withdrew his perception and opened his eyes.
"Interesting..."
He had initially believed that the correspondence between the Five Zang organs and the Five Elements meant that each organ could be nourished primarily through its associated element.
The heart belonged to Fire, the spleen to Earth, the lungs to Metal, the kidneys to Water, and the liver to Wood.
That relationship was still correct.
However, it didn't necessarily mean that the other four elements could be neglected during the process.
The Five Elements were interconnected, and the condition of one element inevitably affected the others. Fire generated Earth, Earth generated Metal, Metal generated Water, Water generated Wood, and Wood generated Fire. Their relationship wasn't merely a sequence of independent attributes, but a continuous cycle in which each supported and influenced the others.
If he concentrated too heavily on strengthening one element, the overall balance could gradually be affected.
Lin Sheng considered his previous experiments again.
When he had used Five Elements Gang Essence to nourish his internal structures, the process had remained stable precisely because the energy contained all five elements. Even though the heart was the primary target of his current refinement, the other elemental attributes had continued supporting the overall structure of his body.
That had prevented the slight imbalance he had just detected.
His eyes gradually brightened.
He had found a solution.
Rather than nourishing each organ with only its corresponding elemental Essence liquid, he would use a balanced mixture of all five elements, adjusting their proportions so that the corresponding element remained dominant without completely excluding the other four.
For the heart, Fire would remain the primary attribute, but Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood would also be included in controlled quantities, maintaining the relationship between the Five Elements while allowing the heart to receive the nourishment it required.
The same principle could be applied to the remaining Zang organs.
The spleen would receive predominantly Earth Essence, the lungs Metal Essence, the kidneys Water Essence, and the liver Wood Essence, but none would be nourished through an isolated elemental energy.
Lin Sheng nodded to himself.
This would probably make the process more complicated, and it might even slow down the refinement of individual organs slightly, but stability was more important than speed.
After all, the purpose of Organ Nourishing was to establish a stronger foundation for the next stage of external cultivation, not to create an imbalance that might become a hidden weakness later.
He slowly circulated his Qi-Blood.
The furnace within his body began to move, drawing in the surrounding Spiritual Qi and refining it through its unique structure, while the five elemental characteristics gradually separated and were condensed into Essence liquid.
This time, Lin Sheng carefully adjusted their proportions before allowing the mixture to circulate towards his heart.
The faint sensation of disharmony gradually disappeared.
His internal structure returned to its previous balance, and the Fire Essence liquid continued nourishing his heart without producing the earlier warning.
Lin Sheng's expression relaxed.
It seemed that his deduction was correct.
He would need to continue experimenting before applying the method to the remaining organs, but at least he had discovered an important principle.
External cultivation wasn't simply a matter of making the body stronger.
At his current level, every part of his body had to develop in harmony, and the slightest imbalance could eventually affect the entire foundation.