Skin Bag Flesh Body

"Sigh, it took so much effort to form a soul body, and now it's back to square one!"

Mo Chuan opened his eyes and looked at the familiar ceiling. He spoke dishearteningly, but a faint smile played on his lips.

He got up and went to the refrigerator, pulled out a can of Jolly Cola, and chugged down more than half of it in one go.

"Hoo—"

"Refreshing!"

Mo Chuan let out a long sigh!

He had been cooped up for days possessing Old Daoist Priest Yanzhen.

His mouth felt so bland it was like his tongue was about to fall out!

Yet, he hadn't dared to return.

He was afraid that the decaying body, deprived of his soul's nourishment, would immediately keel over.

"What hero, what hero, all dusty and with a cold back..."

Mo Chuan hummed a little tune, grabbed the Jolly Cola, and walked to the sofa. He glanced at his phone.

Well, after being gone for a few days, besides a pile of spam pop-ups, not a single person had contacted him.

"It's a good thing I transmigrated. Otherwise, if I died one day and started to rot, no one would even know."

Mo Chuan chuckled self-deprecatingly, raised his hand carelessly, and swept all the scattered items on the coffee table to the floor.

Amidst the clinking sounds, he waved his hand again, arranging a row of items on the coffee table.

"I gave up the spoils from seeking the Dao at Yunji Temple, so don't disappoint me."

Mo Chuan muttered to himself, took another swig of the fizzy drink, and let out a burp. As the bubbles tickled his nose, his gaze fell upon these items, and he began to examine them closely.

As expected, any item that could be carried in a soul body was naturally a spiritual item.

Upon closer inspection, there were several crimson bone fragments, several beads of various colors, a set of glowing Daoist robes, and a clay figurine.

Mo Chuan casually picked up a bead and, after a moment of contemplation, had to put it down.

His knowledge was limited, and he couldn't figure out what this thing was.

His gaze drifted downwards, and his eyes settled on the clay figurine.

At first glance, the figurine didn't seem extraordinary.

But upon closer inspection, it became increasingly bizarre, and a sense of indescribable feeling began to stir deep within him.

This feeling was very familiar.

Yet, because it was so familiar, it had been overlooked.

What was this?

Mo Chuan picked up the clay figurine and looked at it from all angles, his pupils suddenly dilating.

Possession!

It was the desire of his soul body to seek refuge in a physical body!

A flash of inspiration struck him. Looking at the clay figurine again, it no longer looked like a clay figurine.

It was clearly a living fetus.

Mo Chuan's heart trembled.

He followed the instincts of his Xian Body, attempting to dissipate into qi and possess it, but he couldn't do it at all.

Because there seemed to be an invisible pressure between heaven and earth, restraining his form.

"Perhaps this world is the Netherworld Underworld!"

Mo Chuan murmured, and casually swept the items on the coffee table into the Sacrificial Dao Furnace.

After a fierce battle, he was utterly exhausted.

Seeing that there was nothing more to ponder about his spoils, Mo Chuan decided to just sleep.

He woke up.

Good heavens, his scattered soul body had already recovered completely.

Using the incense offerings as a mirror to investigate, besides the incense offerings from Fu Luan Temple, he found a memorial tablet in a Buddhist hall.

Upon a closer look, it clearly read "Yunji Temple's True Person Yanzhen."

"This is interesting. I acted as Yanzhen, so even if this incense offering is dedicated to Yanzhen, it will ultimately be enjoyed by me?"

Mo Chuan smiled faintly, his figure moved, and he disappeared from the living room.

When he reappeared, he had already followed the incense offering channel and arrived at the main hall of Fu Luan Temple.

He dissipated into qi, avoided the sunlight, and slipped out along the shadows of the eaves. He casually found a shaded spot in the woods behind the mountain and stopped.

He took out the clay figurine, no longer hesitating, and burrowed into it.

Instantly, the clay figurine grew upon contact with the wind. Its rough facial features quickly became clear, and its bald head began to grow long hair.

In just two breaths, a slick young man, about twenty years old, leaped out.

Mo Chuan was stunned.

He looked down at himself, then at his hands, a wondrous, indescribable feeling blooming in his heart.

This clay statue, this puppet, was actually a Kunlun Fetus.

Also known as an Earth-born Fetus.

When the old Daoist priest Fu Luan was teaching Xuan Yun the Daoist Boy, he had systematically introduced the spirits and ghosts of the world.

Among them, he mentioned the Earth-born Fetus.

As the saying goes: All things can become spirits.

The Earth Vein is no exception.

An Earth-born Fetus is conceived by the Earth Vein and, after ten thousand years of evolution, can develop sentience and supernatural abilities. It is a naturally born mountain god or earth mother!

Generally speaking, Earth-born Fetuses are very rare.

In Feng Shui and geomancy, Earth Vein acupoints often give birth to Earth-born Fetuses.

If one digs up an Earth-born Fetus and buries a direct blood relative in its place, they can take its stead and receive the blessings of the Earth Vein's luck.

The common folk call this a Dragon Vein!

However, in most cases, even a Dragon Vein acupoint may not necessarily nurture an Earth-born Fetus.

Even if an Earth-born Fetus is nurtured, the Earth Vein may not necessarily remain unchanged for ten thousand years.

Therefore, truly sentient Earth-born Fetuses are extremely rare, with only scattered records found in myths and legends.

"The Earth-born Fetus is born of heaven and earth, embracing all things. Refining it into a skin bag is a stroke of genius. No wonder Lu Fengbei prepared a set of Daoist robes; he was ready for this."

"Wait!"

"An Earth-born Fetus requires ten thousand years of evolution. If its age is too low, it's merely a strange, cleverly formed object. How could Lu Fengbei be so lucky as to intercept it before it developed sentience?"

"Could it be..."

Mo Chuan lowered his head and sniffed his skin. The faint, sweet, fishy scent made his expression shift slightly.

"No wonder Lu Fengbei scoured the city for extremely yin and extremely yang men and women. If I'm not mistaken, this is likely using the fetal essence of humans to accelerate the growth of this Earth-born Fetus."

Having figured out the cause and effect, a complex expression flickered across Mo Chuan's face.

"Is everything predetermined, a cycle of cause and effect?"

With a sigh, he took out the Daoist robes and put them on.

He then walked slowly to the edge of the tree's shade, reaching out his hand into the sunlight. The warm sunlight spilled onto the back of his hand, passing through it, revealing the blood vessels within.

Mo Chuan's heart stirred. He withdrew his hand and counted the whorls on his fingertips.

Six loops, four whorls.

Not one more, not one less.

"It seems this body's appearance is likely my original look."

Even without a mirror, Mo Chuan had a vague idea.

He looked up at Fu Luan Temple. Seeing the endless stream of tourists on the mountain path and the continuous incense offerings, he simply sat cross-legged under the tree, attempting to leave this world.

He wanted to see if this time it would be his soul returning home or his body transmigrating.

As his vision shifted, a familiar living room came into view.

He quickly looked down. His vision fell upon the green Daoist robes.

He rushed into the bathroom and took a look. In the mirror, splattered with water stains, a young man with long, flowing hair appeared.

"What the hell!"

Mo Chuan was startled.

His face was still his usual grumpy face, but the acne scars and blemishes from his youth were gone.

It was just the flowing long hair that looked awkward from any angle, making him appear utterly effeminate.

Mo Chuan considered going out to cut it, but then he thought better of it. He pulled out his phone, started recording a video, and went to the incense offering world again.

After returning and confirming through the video that he had indeed transmigrated with his body, he finally relaxed.

However, in the process of this back-and-forth, the thought of getting a haircut had quietly faded.

This long hair could be tied up with a Daoist hairpin, which would help deflect some odd glances and make things easier.

"Now I'm really going to be a Daoist disciple!"

"I need to find an opportunity to join a Daoist temple and learn some real skills!"

Mo Chuan pondered this inwardly, a rough plan forming in his mind.

Little did he know, plans are no match for changes.

As he pondered the idea of becoming a disciple and learning the arts, a carriage sandwiched between the caravan, dust-covered, drove onto the official road leading to Xishan City.

"鏢頭 Luo, we're almost at Xishan City."

A guard rode up, his face respectful, holding his whip and cupping his fist as he reported.

"Cough cough... I know. Go on with your business. Just send two people with me to Yunji Temple,"

From the carriage, a black-faced man, whose cough wouldn't cease, said weakly.

—This person was none other than Huayin Flying Tiger, Luo Feibai.