Two days later, return to Qingcheng Mountain.
At Dàmiàofēng, in the temple, Chen Yun, Zhang Gān, and Lín Chén walked in line.
Chen Yun said, "I wasn't there yesterday. Have Niúdàwáng and Guān Xiǎojiāng made arrangements?"
Zhang Qian stroked his long beard and smiled, "Guān Xiǎo General is with the divine soldiers and divine generals. Niú Dàwáng, however, found the temple a bit crowded, so he found a cave on the mountain to rebuild and settle down."
Chen Yun nodded and said, "Alright."
Lín Chén asked, "Brother Chen, this time you are going to Penglai. Will Dongwanggong save the Three Lords of Huashan?"
Mentioning this, Chen Yun heaved a long sigh and said, "The elder said that he indeed has the ability to save Brother Sanlang, but as the heavenly arrangement stands, he cannot defy the heavens. Therefore, he will not intervene to save anyone."
He really felt a bit perplexed.
Does this mean that the Three Lords of Huashan bear some important "divine destiny," so this time he must fall, and thus go to fulfill the divine destiny?"
Chen Yun knows that he himself cannot temporarily ascertain these matters, and he will only understand what happened after the events unfold.
After chatting briefly about the Three Lords of Huashan, he looked around and said, "Master Zhang, Master Lin, you are both nearly eighty years old and have not yet attained Dao and become immortals. Shall I think of a way to help you?"
Zhang Qian chuckled and said, "Brother Chen, do you think everyone is as exceptionally talented as you?"
Lín Chén also couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Although we are nearly eighty years old, if we can cultivate to the early stage of high-level magic teacher, it is already an extremely rare thing."
Hearing this, Chen Yun laughed, "This is also true. The Battle of the Deities is extremely dangerous. This time we have not faced too many deities, so we are still able to cope. But next time may be different. Therefore, I hope you can make good use of this time to improve your cultivation level, so as not to suffer misfortune when faced with a powerful opponent in the future."
Zhang Qian sighed and said, "I and my junior brother Lin would like to cultivate to a higher level as soon as possible, but we are on the path of Yin Spirit. While progress is swift in the early stages, it gradually slows down. It's not like the orthodox path."
Chen Yun helplessly smiled.
He actually wanted the two of them to change their cultivation path to the Golden Dan Dao, but Zhang Qian and Lin Chen have practiced Yin Spirit for several decades. Changing their path may not be suitable and their progress may be extremely slow. It would be better to continue practicing Yin Spirit.
Lín Chén has a pretty good attitude and said naturally, "All paths lead to the same destination. We have taken advantage of the rapid progress in the early stages of practicing Yin Spirit, so we should endure this current loneliness. Once we reach the level of Ghost Immortal, we can then figure out how to cultivate Yuan Shen Dao, which may also give us hope of transcendence one day."
Chen Yun nodded and said, "This is true. After I come out of my closed-door cultivation this time, I will explain the Yuan Shen Dao to you in detail."
Zhang Qian blinked and said, "Brother Chen, earlier on the battlefield, I sensed that you were making some breakthroughs. This time preparing to close oneself in, is it that you're preparing to refine the Yang Shen and ascend into the realm of immortals?"
Lín Chén also looked curious, watching intently.
Chen Yun smiled and said, "I have had some insights recently. Maybe this time's closed-door cultivation will allow me to achieve the level of Yang Shen and become an immortal."
Zhang Qian and Lin Chén couldn't help but look at each other, both seeing surprise and a mix of emotions in their respective eyes.
Needless to say, it's a surprise that Chen Yun, at over seventy years old, has the potential to cultivate to the realm of immortals. Such astonishing talent would astound anyone.
As for the five flavors, Zhang Qian and Lin Chen were still among those who entered the Chongyang Cave of the Qingyuan Mountain before Chen Yun. Although they didn't successfully become disciples, they later obtained the secret method of practicing Yin Shen from Chen Yun, and it can be said that their true cultivation time is almost the same.
How could they not feel a mix of emotions when Chen Yun was on the verge of becoming an immortal, but they hadn't even reached the level of Ghost Immortal yet?
Zhang Qian and Lin Chén felt a sense of sighing in their hearts. The more they spent time with Chen Yun, the more they felt that the gap between people is even greater than the gap between humans and pigs.
As the three of them chatted, they arrived at the main hall.
Qīngfēng Míngyuè had just come out of the hall.
"Met the master."
"Master, have you returned to the temple?"
Chen Yun replied to Qīngfēng Míngyuè and then turned to Zhang Qian and Lin Chén, "They are born of the earth and sky. As their uncles, you two must teach them good manners well. Do not let them develop evil thoughts."
Zhang Qian said, "I know. The manners and etiquette of the temple's disciples and students are mostly taught by me and Lin Shidí, and they listen very well."
Chen Yun suddenly thought of his "son" Chen ZhiLi, "Oh, right. Chen ZhiLi is a Monkey of the earth and sky. You two must be extra cautious, don't let it cause trouble."
Lín Chén said, "Just now, I talked with my sister-in-law, and she said that Chen ZhiLi has no problems other than some disagreements with that armless white monkey. A monkey and an ape fight every day. Although Chen ZhiLi can't beat the white monkey, he never gives up. After being beaten, he still goes to challenge it."
Chen Yun knew from his tone that the white ape had been giving him a break.
Otherwise, relying on Chen ZhiLi's strength of only an early-stage magic teacher, he could not be a match for the early-stage high-level magic teacher white ape.
While he was thinking this, his "omniscient perspective" suddenly saw that Chen ZhiLi was fighting with the white monkey again at the foot of the mountain.
Chen Yun originally wanted to transmit a voice to stop them.
Suddenly, he saw Jiùshǒu Niúmó Luówáng was watching the fight between the monkey and ape with great interest, and he kept giving advice to Chen ZhiLi, the weaker party.
Chen Yun's heart moved slightly, and he thought to himself, "The nine-headed bull demon king has superhuman martial arts skills. With his guidance, Chen ZhiLi is bound to achieve great things in the future."
Thinking of this, he simply didn't care how Chen ZhiLi and the white ape were doing.
…
Return to the inner courtyard.
Chen Yun and Wang Siyan cuddled for a while, chatting about the war along the way.
Around three o'clock in the afternoon, after giving instructions to the disciples and students, he went to the secluded chamber to meditate.
This time, Chen Yun had a very clear goal: to first establish the palace of the Yang Shen, and then successfully refine the Yang Shen.
Simply put, he won't break through to the realm of immortals until he reaches that level.
In the secluded chamber.
Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Chen Yun pondered the war between the Khitans and Later Jin, "This failure was due to the obstruction of fate. The elder said very clearly that the Three Lords of Huashan bear divine destiny. He was seriously injured at a crucial moment and is very likely to perish, which must be related to the Battle of Deification."
He couldn't believe that such a coincidence would happen. He was about to join forces with Erlang Shengyou to crush the Later Jin together, but the Three Lords of Huashan was already half dead from being beaten by the Northern Sea God.
If he had died instantly, there would be no problem, as the two parties were not on good terms to begin with.
But strangely enough, the Northern Sea God did not kill the Three Lords of Huashan; instead, he made King Jin Tian and Erlang Shengyou think of ways to keep the Three Lords alive, causing them to be unable to continue fighting. Isn't this clearly deliberate?
At first, Chen Yun did not think about these things.
After chatting with Dong Wanggong, he had a better understanding of things.
"It's as if there's some unseen force pushing me to first cultivate to the realm of immortals."
Chen Yun had a strong feeling that this time he would be able to successfully refine the Yang Shen during his closed-door cultivation.
Therefore, he definitely cannot "go against heaven," and must take advantage of this idle time to successfully refine the Yang Shen.
To refine the Yang Shen, there is an important condition in the fifth turn of "Chen Master's Internal Alchemy Canon," which is to establish the palace of the Yang Shen.
Chen Yun originally should have started this step two days ago, but the sudden incident with the Three Lords of Huashan caused him to have to go to Penglai for a visit, which delayed today.
"Beginning to build the palace of the Yang Shen."
He swallowed a pill of Pure Yang Fire Dragon Dan, and according to the profound exercises taught by the Jade Emperor, combined with the fifth turn of "Master Chen's Internal Alchemy Canon," he began the final step before refining the Yang Shen.
Chen Yun waited for the Qi to settle down, closed his breath to stop the Qi from flowing in and out, filled it with inner energy, and used his will to make the true fire within and without communicate. His whole body turned red, and the room was filled with brightness.
After twenty to thirty minutes, he began to feel a cool air from the Dantian that rose up to his heart, like a crystal ball floating above his heart.
At this moment, Chen Yun activated the medicinal power of the Pure Yang Fire Dragon Dan, guiding its essence back to his heart, where it clashed with the true water.
Poof! Fire erupted.
Instantly, his entire body turned a bright red, as if on fire.
At first, it was difficult to see any obvious signs on Chen Yun's body.
As time went on, a thin stream of black qi gradually appeared from every pore in his body.
These black qis are known as the "Ghost Heights," which hinder a person's body from reaching true pure yang.
Chen Yun knew that only by expelling all the ghost heights, could his body become truly pure yang. Therefore, he dared not be negligent at all. On one hand, he examined every inch of his body through inner vision; on the other hand, he used the medicinal power of the Pure Yang Fire Dragon Dan and the methods recorded in the immortal arts passed down by Jade Emperor's profound exercises to continuously expel the ghost heights.
The true fire was like a bone-eating maggot, almost burning in every inch of his flesh.
Chen Yun faintly heard a series of ghostly cries that sounded like wolf howls.
This kind of ghostly cry and howl sounded as if it came from deep within the soul. If an ordinary person heard it, they would certainly feel extremely irritable.
Chen Yun has practiced for dozens of years, with a firm will as steadfast as a rock. How could such minor ghostly cries and howls affect him?
He remained unaffected and continued to intensify the true fire to burn the ghost heights.
The black qi became more and more dense, filling the room with a chilling aura that was terrifying.
This chilling aura condensed into a mass, slowly rotating above Chen Yun's body, forming a dark cloud the size of a palm.
At first, this dark cloud had no special characteristics except for its coldness.
However, as time went on, the black qi became more and more dense, and the dark cloud began to "grow" two "eyes," seemingly observing its surroundings.
Chen Yun naturally noticed that the ghost heights being expelled from his body were gradually coalescing into a form of life.
At his level of cultivation, his entire body was brimming with spiritual qi.
Even the expelled ghost heights held strong energy.
Once it touches the myriad things of heaven and earth, it naturally has a chance to coalesce into form.
In simpler terms, if he ignored this dark cloud, it would eventually be cultivated into a demon.
He definitely wouldn't let the dark cloud become a demon, otherwise, he would bear the consequences if something went wrong.
Chen Yun sneered coldly and instantly expelled a burst of intense firelight from his nose, shining directly at the dark cloud.
A piercing scream echoed, and the dark cloud melted away instantly.
Chen Yun retrieved his thoughts and continued to expel the ghost heights within his body.
……
Days passed one after another.
By the second day, Chen Yun had already driven out most of the easily accessible ghost heights.
On the third day, he delved deep into his own body and discovered some hidden ghost heights in obscure corners. He used the profound exercises to expel them again.
From the fourth to the twelfth day, he continued to repeat this process.
When the twelfth day arrived, Chen Yun was sure that he couldn't find any ghost heights within his body anymore, yet he had this feeling that he wasn't completely pure yang.
This realization immediately prompted him to acknowledge that there were still some ghost heights within his body that he had not found.
Therefore, Chen Yun became even more diligent, continually searching within his physical body.
The unfortunate thing was that on the thirteenth day, even after searching for an entire day, he still couldn't find any trace of the ghost heights.
At the time, he felt very confused and thought that not being completely pure yang was just an illusion.
It wasn't until later that he pondered carefully and realized that there might be some "yin qi" in the Dan Qi as well, which led him to search for it and finally found the hiding place of the last ghost height.
Common people accumulate yin qi below the Dantian, which is called the "Ghost Heights."
It often sneaks into every inch of the body and mixes with one's Dan Qi without any notice.
Chen Yun had always been paying attention to his physical body and hadn't noticed the condition of his Dan Qi at first. It was natural that he didn't notice it.
Now that he had discovered it, it was naturally much easier to expel the ghost height.
He continuously refined the "purity" of the Dan Qi, making it purer and hotter.
The fourteenth day passed quickly and it was the fifteenth day.
Chen Yun's process of expelling the ghost heights was also nearing its end.
……
On this day, the noon sunlight was particularly bright.
Chen Yun felt the vast pure yang qi permeating the air.
Unconsciously, he merged with the heavens and earth, his body seemingly transforming into the sun, illuminating the entire chamber.
If someone were to enter the room at this moment, they would certainly find Chen Yun's body seemingly on fire, with an extremely bright light, not unlike the sun outside. However, what would be even more surprising is that although this light was incredibly bright and intense, it wasn't as scorching as one might expect. In fact, it gave off a warm and comforting feeling instead.
It was as if this light was like the spring sun's radiant glow, bringing infinite vitality.
This state lasted for a long time, roughly the entire noon.
Finally, as the noon was almost over, the brightness began to fade away gradually.
It didn't disappear instantly but slowly weakened in intensity, taking about the time of a incense stick.
Finally, when the brightness had completely faded, Chen Yun slowly opened his eyes.
At this moment, he looked very different from before, where he was full of vitality, but instead, he looked "ordinary."
This was astonishing to someone who was on the verge of reaching the deity realm. How could he possibly appear so "ordinary"?
In fact, only Chen Yun knew that he had condensed all of his "qi" within his body, not a single bit had been leaked out, which is why he appeared so "ordinary."
The phrase "returning to simplicity" would probably describe this situation.
Chen Yun let out a long breath and spoke softly, "Finally, the palace of the Yang Shen has been established. It's time to refine the Yang Shen and strive for the realm of deities."
He couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy in his heart. At seventy-plus years old, having cultivated the Tao for fifty-six years, he had finally reached the stage of refining the Yang Shen.
If he could refine the Yang Shen, he would become a deity!
Chen Yun steadied his emotions, "Begin... the refinement of the Yang Shen!"
