Chapter Thirty-Five: Harvest and Trial

This time, the experience of transmigration left Chen Jin with profound insights, and he also gained Xinyang’s cultivation memories. These experiences were immensely valuable to Chen Jin, and he had successfully broken through to the Realm of Settled Qi.

The Realm of Settled Qi was a transformation imprinted upon the soul itself, so when Chen Jin returned to reality, this breakthrough accompanied him back. However, Xinyang’s original cultivation and the primordial energy Chen Jin had refined did not return; instead, they were transmuted into data upon a page of the black leather book.

Ge Hong’s Demon Plague Extermination (Complete)

Task: Assist Ge Hong in alchemy and extermination of the plague demon (No penalty; rewards determined by circumstances)

Rewards obtained:
First, task rewards—three bottles of Spirit-Nourishing Elixir, an incomplete copy of “The Master Embracing Simplicity,” ten bottles of Disease-Dispelling Pills, three bottles of Essence-Preserving True Pills, a fragment of the “Three Corpse Method,” and five packets of Heart-Fortifying Powder.
Second, direct acquisition—sixteen low-grade Primordial Energy Orbs, three mid-grade Orbs, and a Tiger Fang Flying Sword.

Chen Jin quickly scanned through the items he had received, but did not immediately retrieve them all.

To be honest, he was somewhat surprised by the task rewards. He first took out “The Master Embracing Simplicity.” This ancient text resembled the inner chapters of its modern version, though it was missing many characters and entirely lacked punctuation, making it less useful than the modern edition. It could best be regarded as a relic to be preserved, for it appeared truly ancient. Chen Jin wondered if the black leather book had simply extracted the very manuscript Ge Hong was composing.

Next, Chen Jin turned to the “Three Corpse Method.” However, it did not manifest as a book, but as a stream of knowledge pouring directly into his mind. Chen Jin carefully committed this information to memory.

This “Three Corpse Method” was nothing like the legendary “Severing Three Corpses” in those primordial epics—there was no cutting down of the three corpses to achieve sainthood, nor such arcane profundity, nor was it a method to eliminate corpse worms. Instead, it was a technique to generate three avatars of the primordial spirit. To do so, one had to disperse their three souls, allowing the avatars to serve as vessels. But since dispersing the souls contravened cosmic law, the three avatars would dissipate within ten years unless supplemented by the essence of living beings, a technique appended at the end. Moreover, possessing three avatars would triple one’s lifespan, provided the essence was continually replenished.

Upon reviewing the method, Chen Jin instantly knew he would never use it. The technique seemed utterly foolish—why stray into such heterodox practices instead of following the orthodox path? Did people truly believe the heavens so easily deceived, or that shortcuts would lead to enlightenment? Chen Jin decided to continue cultivating the Gengxin Metal Qi Technique and to focus on completing the “White Emperor Profound Origin Scripture.”

Yet there remained a puzzle in Chen Jin’s mind about his gains this time.

Specifically, none of the techniques and spells from Xinyang’s memories had been listed among his rewards. Chen Jin recalled that previously, the “White Emperor Profound Origin Scripture” acquired from the Tiger Demon had been included in his gains—why not now?

“Could it be that these are now considered part of my own memory?” Chen Jin speculated.

Although many conjectures arose, his most urgent task was to stabilize his new realm, align it with his physical cultivation, and elevate his body’s constitution. Once he condensed his primordial energy, he would be able to wield those wondrous spells.

He then retrieved a low-grade Primordial Energy Orb from the black leather book.

The orb dissolved into a stream of energy that shot straight into his chest. Chen Jin set the Gengxin Metal Qi Technique in motion, beginning to convert the energy. The orb dispersed, spreading throughout his body and merging with his spiritual essence.

Gradually, Chen Jin felt his consciousness immersed in a chaotic world, where myriad stars blazed brilliantly. In this state, he no longer had a physical gaze or a focal point; he saw everything clearly and evenly, receiving information from all things equally.

“This feels different from before,” Chen Jin mused, recalling the moment he broke through to the Realm of Settled Qi in Xinyang’s body.

The difference between the two experiences was stark—like the contrast between living in a home you own, where you can remodel at will, and staying in a relative’s house, where you dare not make a sound, let alone change anything.

Now, Chen Jin felt as if he were in a room that belonged solely to him—a sensation he quite enjoyed.

The feeling of everything obeying his will was indeed marvelous. Everyone, after all, desires control—and Chen Jin was no different, especially over his own body.

“Dissipate!” Chen Jin commanded inwardly.

At once, the clouded world of energy unraveled, and his “gaze” extended farther still—from the reservoir of power at his core to his organs, limbs, bones, and finally, all six yang meridians. Everything lay revealed under his inner sight.

Truly wondrous.

This sensation lasted for about three minutes before he felt resistance, and aching spread throughout his body. He withdrew from the state, only for the pain to concentrate in his skull, leaving him dizzy and sore.

Hastily, Chen Jin retrieved a bottle of Spirit-Nourishing Elixir and let a drop fall onto his brow.

A cool sensation swept through his mind, easing the dizziness and pain. As the feeling spread, Chen Jin silently recited the Gengxin Metal Qi Technique.

Truthfully, the sensation he had just experienced was not something one should feel at the Realm of Settled Qi. According to Xinyang’s cultivation memories, such a state only arose upon reaching the Realm of Stabilized Spirit—when the mind was strong enough to detach from the brain and directly interact with one’s body and surroundings, in other words, when the spirit could extend outward.

Thus, Chen Jin had prematurely acquired some traits of the next realm, though he had not truly reached it. To attain the Realm of Stabilized Spirit, one must nurture the true essence of the five internal organs, while Chen Jin had only just condensed his primordial energy and barely crossed into the Realm of Settled Qi.

His path ahead remained arduous. Furthermore, in this era, crossing into the ancient methods’ Realm of Stabilized Spirit required enduring calamity—danger would accompany every step of his journey.

With the help of the Spirit-Nourishing Elixir, Chen Jin’s mind gradually recovered.

“Now, let me truly savor the mysteries of the Realm of Settled Qi,” he thought, eager to attempt a few minor spells.

First, the Water Control Incantation.

Chen Jin went to the bathroom, filled the washbasin, and began to recite the incantation, mobilizing the primordial energy in his core.

As he finished chanting, he sensed a surge of energy flowing from his core into the basin.

With a sudden sound, a large bubble formed in the water, swelling rapidly, and then burst—drenching the entire bathroom in an instant.

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