Body Cultivation Realms, Demonic Sect Treasure Tome

The wonders of the Polar Ice-Fire Body Forging Art were truly astonishing.

The art's uniqueness lay in its ability to comprehensively temper the entire body, encompassing blood, spiritual meridians, and sinews and bones alike.

Shen Fan immersed himself in this arduous cultivation. After a round of pounding, he felt a foul odor emanating from his body.

Looking down, he saw his entire body covered in black, muddy sludge, as if he had just crawled out of an unsanitary outhouse.

"Is this the accumulated impurities from years within my body? There's so much!"

Shen Fan was filled with shock. After a short rest, he took out a Qi Induction Pill and swallowed it.

Once his spiritual energy gradually recovered, and he could barely support himself to walk, he slowly got up and took a shower.

The hardships and difficulties of this cultivation were known only to Shen Fan himself.

Recalling the scene of his recent cultivation, he began to meticulously review the details.

Although the process was excruciating, the results were nothing short of miraculous.

"Where did that old geezer get this cultivation technique from?"

Shen Fan pondered inwardly. Now that he thought about it, it was probably just some random technique Old Man Duan had dug up from some forgotten corner and thrown at him.

After all, for anyone else, this technique would be utter trash.

What was the use of even the best results?

In this world, how many people possessed the talent for dual Ice and Fire Spirit Roots?

These dual Ice and Fire Spirit Roots were inherently conflicting elements. Without a targeted cultivation technique, one could only cultivate one attribute.

Otherwise, under the clash of elements, the least severe outcome would be chaotic Qi and going mad, while the worst would be instant self-destruction.

However, Shen Fan, with his trash-tier Five Elements Spirit Root, had miraculously managed to cultivate this art with the assistance of the Profound Water Freezing Art.

In Shen Fan's opinion, the Polar Ice-Fire Body Forging Art should not have been a low-grade Yellow-tier technique.

Setting aside the pain of cultivation, solely based on its body-forging effects, it should at least be considered Earth-tier.

Furthermore, Shen Fan also discovered that the ice spiritual energy produced each time he practiced the Profound Water Freezing Art seemed to be just enough for one session of the Polar Ice-Fire Body Forging Art.

"These are simply a match made in heaven!" Shen Fan couldn't help but think to himself.

According to the descriptions of body cultivation realms in the path of cultivation, Shen Fan felt that the strength of his physical body had likely reached the "Bone Tempering" realm.

The path of body cultivation had always been considered an inferior path in the cultivation world.

What was an inferior path?

To put it bluntly, it was a choice made out of desperation.

In the words of many spell cultivators: "Body cultivators? Even dogs wouldn't cultivate them!"

It was not something ordinary people could endure; it was like enduring the torments of the eighteen levels of hell.

In contrast, spell cultivators, in the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages, were elegant, handsome, and free-spirited.

You endured eighteen years of suffering and finally reached a profound realm of body cultivation, only for a spell cultivator to defeat you with a single sword strike.

The path of body cultivation began with Qi Refining, refining form with Qi, marking the first step of body cultivation—Copper Skin Iron Bones, also known as the Mortal Body realm.

After all, among those who could enter the immortal sect, apart from the "second-generation immortals," many were martial arts masters who dominated their regions in the secular world before gaining entry.

And now, after cultivating the Polar Ice-Fire Body Forging Art, Shen Fan was certain that he had reached the Body Tempering realm of physical refinement.

The path of physical refinement, corresponding to the realms of spell cultivators, was as follows:

Mortal Body (Copper Skin Iron Bones): Muscles as tough as old oxhide, capable of withstanding blunt weapon attacks, lifting five hundred jin, and accelerating wound healing.

At this realm, one could contend against early-stage Qi Refining spell cultivators (levels one to three) with pure physical strength alone.

Bone Tempering Realm: Bones gleamed with a metallic sheen, emitting a metallic sound when struck. A single punch could crack bluestone, and broken bones could heal within ten days.

At this realm, one could contend against mid-stage Qi Refining spell cultivators (levels four to six).

Tendon Transformation Stage: Tendons were like white jade ropes running through the limbs, flexible and supple like a giant python. Punches could break the air with a sound.

At this realm, one could contend against late-stage Qi Refining spell cultivators (levels seven to nine).

Blood Exchange Stage: Blood was thick like mercury, flowing with a faint thunderous sound. Blood essence surged, allowing one to abstain from food for a month.

At this realm, one could contend against peak Qi Refining spell cultivators (levels ten to twelve).

Golden Body Stage: The entire body was coated in a faint golden hue. Acupoints exuded metallic Qi, capable of withstanding the bombardment of magical treasures.

At this realm, one could contend against Foundation Establishment stage spell cultivators.

Jade Marrow Stage: Bones were translucent like white jade marrow. Internal organs glowed with ethereal light. A single drop of blood could crush an ordinary horse, and exhaled breath could form frost blades.

At this realm, one could contend against Golden Core stage spell cultivators.

Treasure Body Stage: Ten thousand pores locked in essence and Qi, without impurity or leakage. One could walk on rivers as if on level ground and swallow flying swords with an open mouth.

At this realm, one could contend against Nascent Soul stage spell cultivators.

Dharma Manifestation Stage: A blood essence Dharma manifestation appeared behind the cultivator. The manifestation could break rivers with a raised hand and crack cities with a stamped foot.

This realm can contend with Dharma cultivators in the Spirit Transformation Stage.

The Undying Stage allows for severed limbs to regenerate like a lizard's tail, and even a shattered heart can be restored. Flesh and blood are inscribed with Dao patterns.

This realm can contend with Dharma cultivators in the Void Refinement Stage.

The Nirvana Stage involves the self-destruction of the physical body to recast the Dao foundation. Blood merges with flesh, flesh merges with spirit, and the soul merges with the po soul, achieving the great Dao of Body Integration.

This realm can contend with Dharma cultivators in the Body Integration Stage.

The Grotto-Heaven Stage is where an inch of bloodline becomes a landscape, the five viscera and six bowels nurture heaven and earth, creating one's own world and comprehending Mahayana laws.

This realm can contend with Dharma cultivators in the Mahayana Stage.

The Return to Emptiness Stage involves the ninety-nine laws, ninety-nine returning to one. Each law is a tribulation, and enduring nine tribulations leads to ascension.

This realm corresponds to the Nine Heavens Tribulation Crossing.

However, the path of body refinement is more than a hundred times more difficult than that of Dharma cultivation.

Some Golden Core stage cultivators have bodies that are still at the Body Tempering Realm levels corresponding to Qi Refining Stage, such as Blood Exchange.

Therefore, Shen Fan's achievements are not only due to his own efforts but also to this miraculous body forging method.

Shen Fan had a fruitful night.

He looked out the window and saw the morning mist gradually breaking.

He excitedly took out the Treasure Gathering Universe Bowl and looked at the Nine Nether Corpse Refinement Art he had copied last night. With a nervous heart, he slowly opened it.

This was the cultivation technique he had copied last night. He wondered if the copied technique would automatically complete itself.

When Shen Fan turned to the third layer, he saw the additional content that appeared behind it and immediately laughed with excitement.

"It really works!"

Continuing to flip through, Shen Fan discovered that the subsequent content was the entirety of the Nine Nether Corpse Refinement Art from the fourth to the tenth layer.

"If that's the case, then when I go to the Outer Sect or Inner Sect in the future and see those profound cultivation techniques, I'll just need to remember the first layer, then come out, copy it, and put it into the Treasure Gathering Universe Bowl. It will automatically complete itself, right?"

Shen Fan tilted his head and thought excitedly.

Since copied cultivation techniques could also be completed, this method was viable.

Afterward, Shen Fan cleared his mind and began to read seriously.

The more he read this demonic sect cultivation technique, the more alarmed Shen Fan became.

No wonder this thing was universally condemned by righteous cultivators!

The first three layers of the Nine Nether Corpse Refinement Art teach you how to refine corpses and how to use Corpse Puppets for cultivation feedback.

Layers four, five, and six actually teach you how to refine living people into Corpse Puppets.

The effect of this method is heaven-defying. If those with astonishing talent are refined into Corpse Puppets, the feedback effect is equivalent to having a genius cultivating for you!

Even more horrifying, layers seven, eight, and nine actually teach you how to refine the person controlling the Corpse Puppet into a Corpse Puppet as well.

This way, you would obtain a Corpse Puppet leader, allowing this Corpse Puppet to control its own Corpse Puppets to fight and cultivate for you.

Upon seeing this, Shen Fan immediately began to suspect that perhaps the Nine Nether Corpse Puppet Sect only had their Sect Master, and everyone else was a Corpse Puppet controlled by him.

And the final layer teaches you how to refine yourself into a Corpse Puppet.

Corpse Puppets already seize the creation of heaven and earth, possess formidable physiques, and fear no death.

Shen Fan could hardly imagine what it would mean to refine himself into a Corpse Puppet.

However, the cultivation technique finally stated that if one refines themselves into a Corpse Puppet, they can not only maintain their rational thinking but also make their physical body indestructible, withstand lightning tribulations, be immune to pain, and start at the "Jade Marrow" Body Tempering realm corresponding to the Golden Core Stage.

Seeing this, Shen Fan couldn't help but lick his lips, his eyes revealing a greedy glint.

"This Corpse Puppet body refinement, a demonic sect treasure, an object scorned by immortal sects, should have long been mine to use!"