Chapter 186: 148. New Practice, New Discoveries

“Soul Dispersion Essence…” Lei Jun mused to himself.

He had heard of this thing before.

Just like that other Lin Clan disciple had exclaimed on the scene back then.

This was a rather sinister treasure.

According to the records in the Celestial Master Mansion’s library, this item could scatter a person’s soul and spirit, and if someone unawares approached it out in the wild, it was easy for their soul to dissipate and die on the spot.

Therefore, for most ordinary people, this thing was extremely dangerous.

Even Lower Three Heavens cultivators, if they approached it unguarded, might get hit by it.

*But this evil object was relatively rare, hard to find in the first place, and a handful of cultivators viewed it as a prized collection.*

So while it hadn’t vanished entirely in recent years, it was indeed rarely seen and scarcely discussed.

*No matter what people might say about how those Jiangzhou Lin Clan folks conducted themselves,*

*the Taoist heritage they cultivated at home was a bona fide Confucian School Skill, as orthodox as it came.*

Confucian tradition cultivated Vast Integrity Qi, it also had skills for spiritual roaming outside the body. But few would ever pursue the separation of soul and spirit, or the departing of the Spiritual Soul from flesh.

*So for the Lin Clan, something like Soul Dispersion Essence, which could forcefully split soul and spirit, was only natural to be considered evil.*

Previously, that Lin Clan disciple had been left without options, which was why he had been forced to sacrifice the Soul Dispersion Essence, sheltering his Spiritual Soul and fleeing for his life.

*As for his flesh being destroyed, how to manage that in the future, he’d just have to figure it out once he’d survived the ordeal.*

He possessed Middle Three Heavens cultivation, and his Spiritual Soul in both strength and toughness far surpassed the Lower Three Heavens and common folk.

*So he could temporarily lodge his soul in this bizarre crystal stone.*

Soon after, there had been another Lin Clan cultivator with him.

But now, both had ended up prisoners beneath Lei Jun’s hand.

Lei Jun’s attitude remained calm, mercilessly using them to help himself get familiar with the Soul Dispersion Essence.

After some time working with it, Lei Jun had a rough grasp of this Spiritual Object in his mind.

Overall, given his current cultivation realm, handling this treasure posed no harm.

But in terms of the Taoist Talisman Sect lineage he practiced, the Soul Dispersion Essence had little use.

If it were the Taoist Dan Ding Sect or the Daoist Artifact Refining Sect, maybe there would be more applications.

The former relied not on external objects, seeking from within to refine a body and soul of tremendous tenacity.

But that did not mean keeping the soul restricted inside the body.

On the contrary, in the Pure Yang Palace—the Dan Ding Sect’s holy land—there existed the Yang God method, by which even with the soul having left the flesh, it remained exceptionally resilient, and once one’s cultivation reached a certain realm, one could travel the world by spiritual daylight, even withstand attacks without dispersing.

*In their cultivation practice, Lei Jun suspected the Soul Dispersion Essence could be put to good use.*

As for the Artifact Refining Sect, no need to explain much.

That school cultivated both Spiritual Soul and Lifebound Magical Artifacts, and the flesh was only the starting vessel to nurture the soul. The ultimate goal was to refine away the physical body entirely.

Now, though the Talisman Sect also dual cultivated essence and life, giving equal weight to body and soul, plus sensing the heavens and communicating with nature, and having its own school of imaginative transformation skills, most of the time, they walked the path of soul and spirit unified.

*Thus, the usefulness of Soul Dispersion Essence was relatively limited.*

After interrogating the Spiritual Souls of those two Lin Clan disciples, Lei Jun basically figured out this treasure wasn’t acquired during their ambush in the Cangling River canyon, nor during their encounter with the Bipolar Heavenly Eagle at the foot of Tiansong Mountain. It was a personal stroke of fortune that had happened even earlier.

*It was just a twist of fate that this Lin Clan disciple got ahold of an item he himself had little use for.*

But, with Soul Dispersion Essence being rare and precious, and maybe handy in the future or good for trading, that Lin Clan disciple kept it secret from his elders and stashed it away quietly.

Now, it had finally ended up in Lei Jun’s hands.

Lei Jun did not overthink it for now. He tidied things up and left it for later.

He was at Dragon Tiger Mountain, with no concern of backlash due to resonance of qi, so he casually erased the Spiritual Souls of those two Lin Clan disciples, then put away the Soul Dispersion Essence.

*”I wonder what those Fifth Grade and Seventh Grade lots of fortune, from Cangling River and Tiansong Mountain, really are?”* Lei Jun was a bit curious but did not dwell on it.

*For him, that moderately good lot was the best choice.*

*Let the rest go, let them go—the so-called opportunity was never something you could force.*

Besides, the Fifth Grade moderately good lot suited him perfectly.

Lei Jun took out the giant piece of Southern Extreme Cold Iron.

The reason the metal was so badly twisted was obvious—thanks to that Great Demon, the Bipolar Heavenly Eagle.

This item was not native to Great Tang, nor was it a product of the Southern Wildernes.

It must have originated from an even farther southern region.

If not for the Great Demon incidentally carrying this treasure north, who knew when Southern Extreme Cold Iron would have appeared in Great Tang’s territory?

Lei Jun sat cross-legged in his quiet chamber.

Above his head, the flow of light and shadow revealed the Central Three Pure Ones Palace he had established.

Within the Tao Palace, a black and a white stream of qi swirled forth, instantly wrapping around the massive icy metal and drawing it into the palace.

Inside the Central Three Pure Ones Palace, watched by the phantasms of all past patriarchs, Lei Jun linked his mana inch by inch, pulling out the Primordial Magnet Force from the Southern Extreme Cold Iron to blend it with his own mana.

He had already refined the Qingxiao Divine Thunder Evil and Azure Dragon Thunder Command Gang, so now, joining with the Primordial Magnet Force was twice as effective with half the effort.

After quietly cultivating for a time, many of Lei Jun’s conjectures and studies about the Primordial Magnet Force made progress.

Though, there remained a few regrets.

The dual poles were best for Primordial Magnet Force.

This Southern Extreme Cold Iron was wonderful, but a bit skewed to one side.

*”Or do I need to find another Spiritual Object, from the far north, equally rich in Primordial Magnet Force?”* Lei Jun frowned.

But his expression soon relaxed.

He waved to the Breathing Soil Banner.

The Breathing Soil Banner unfolded, sending forth a strand of Spirit Light.

The Spirit Light flashed and revealed a page of strange paper.

Words appeared on the paper, not matching any known script, but containing infinite Taoist mystery.

This was the very page of Celestial Book Lei Jun had previously obtained.

At the moment, Lei Jun quietly worked his Mysterious Skill.

His own Yin Yang Sacred Body harmonized the dual energies within him.

So, a black and white stream of qi spread outward, radiating from Lei Jun.

The shimmering page of the Celestial Book trembled lightly in the air, radiating Yin and Yang energy as well.

Now, it felt as if heaven and man had become one.

Lei Jun’s Yin Yang energies mingled with those from the Celestial Book, flowing in a loop, sharing and cycling, continuously revolving.

Thus, the huge piece of Southern Extreme Cold Iron flew out from the Tao Palace and fell between him and the Celestial Book.

Gradually, the Yin Yang energies from Lei Jun and the Celestial Book faded away their black and white colors.

In that moment, even the very principles of Yin and Yang seemed to blur.

*Lei Jun felt his mind clear, as if in an instant, he had ascended to some new height.*

*This was the primal idea of Liangyi.*

Black and white faded, leaving only two shifting streams of qi.

Encircled by the dual energies, the Southern Extreme Cold Iron vibrated gently without pause.

Lei Jun no longer sensed the chill inside.

*He only felt that at this moment, the very spiritual nature that had been missing from the cold iron—the thing he most needed—was somehow restored by an invisible force.*

Lei Jun smiled and nodded, then focused quietly on research.

After a long while, the qi flows around Lei Jun regained their black and white hues.

The flow around the Celestial Book likewise reverted to Yin and Yang energies.

The qi drew back into the Celestial Book, and the Southern Extreme Cold Iron dropped to the ground once more.

Lei Jun beckoned, and at a sweep of the Breathing Soil Banner, both Spiritual Objects were stowed away.

He didn’t pause, immediately forming different mudras with his hands and bringing them together before his chest.

The surging Primordial Magnet Force he had cultivated now burst forth from within Lei Jun.

He seemed to have replaced the Southern Extreme Cold Iron, drawing every metal object in the chamber.

Starting with Golden Barrier Thunder, it changed into Yin Metal Thunder, then continued transforming.

Lei Jun carefully pondered and improved, adjusting every little detail.

“It has started to take shape.”

In the end, Lei Jun finished his work, nodded in satisfaction, then gently shook his head, “Still, there are plenty of areas that need further refinement.”

*Perhaps I should give it a name?*

*This spell, already confirmed as my lifebound Second Law…*

*Should I give it a ridiculously long name…? Thinking of some of the novels I’d read before transmigrating back on Blue Star, Lei Jun couldn’t help but grumble inside.*

He shook his head, collecting and letting go of his wandering thoughts.

Inspired by Celestial Book · III, other matters suddenly came to Lei Jun’s mind.

He focused his spirit, sending his intent deep into his Spiritual Soul.

He touched the Celestial Master Seal and arrived at the True One Altar Cave Heaven.

Passing the Flying Bridge and Earthly Door, Lei Jun entered the first level of the True One Altar again.

He quietly observed the many Taoist Containment runes within the altar, his mind at peace.

*Aside from aiding his own practice, he began to consider whether this first layer of the True One Altar might have broader uses?*

Although the Celestial Master Seal was dormant now, and he couldn’t access the second or third tiers, Lei Jun felt a faint sense that there was more for him to gain here.

He meditated on the first tier in silence.

After an unknown length of time, suddenly, flames seemed to well up in his mind.

Azure Earthly Fire.

Lei Jun was immersed, feeling no pain, but instead, a sense of profound mystery.

Only it wasn’t about his own cultivation at present, but…

“Alchemy and Artifact Refining, then.” Lei Jun mused.

He withdrew his mind from the True One Altar Cave Heaven.

While he never placed as much value on artifact refining as the Refinement Sect did, the Taoist Talisman Sect still had its own unique methods for it.

For some Taoist cultivators, talismans, dan medicine, magical artifacts—anything forged externally—fell under the category of External Alchemy.

Besides talismans, the Talisman Sect also excelled at refining Spirit Pills and magical artifacts.

Lei Jun recalled some years ago when Master Yuan Mobai had opened the furnace for alchemy, and he had helped retrieve the Cauldron Furnace and tools from the Great Elixir Room.

At the moment, Lei Jun himself had no particular need for alchemy.

But when it came to artifact refining, he definitely had some ideas.

The Vermilion Peak Pen that had come to Lei Jun through Yuan Mobai’s hands was a magical artifact personally used by Yuan Mobai in the past.

Back when Lei Jun was at the Lower Three Heavens, it had been a huge help.

Even during his Fourfold Heaven Yuan Talisman Realm, it had remained useful.

*But now, with his own cultivation at Fifth Heaven Layer, the Vermilion Peak Pen’s assistance began dwindling.*

*That was only natural—it had been made when Yuan Mobai himself was at the Middle Three Heavens, so this result made sense.*

*Currently, Lei Jun was considering whether to rely on the first layer of the True One Altar to reforged this treasure.*

After pondering a while, he went off to meet with Yuan Mobai.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep