Spirit Pivot

The Yulin Manor instance isn't too difficult. This Jade Unicorn guy probably only recently set up the magic array and started mass-producing the Shatentacle. He doesn't seem to have much knowledge about the use of evil energy and Devil Embryo. He just randomly attacks with his tentacles, so it's easy to deal with.

However, the altar inside also reveals that Yulin Manor is colluding with the Divine Cult. The octopus eggs and the altar array were clearly taught to Yulin Manor by the Divine Cult, so that they could hide in this corner and develop secretly. It would be a hundred times more troublesome to deal with them once they have become a major threat.

Especially with creatures like the Shatentacle, unless one possesses Mo Shan's special Divine Sense Cultivation Method to identify them, they hide inside a person's skull, leaving no trace. As long as their tentacles and main body are not exposed, they exude no demonic aura, and even Xuanmen cultivators cannot discern the true nature of these Devil Embryo.

On the other hand, if they were to actually possess all the Spirit Race of the East Sea, and the Nine Truth Sect had spies planted throughout, and they were to cooperate with the Divine Cult in their conspiracies, there was a real possibility that Penglai would be thrown into turmoil.

This is another example of prevention being better than cure. What does it mean to say that a truly skilled warrior achieves little? Come to think of it, he's ruined so many important things for the Divine Cult; I wonder if the Ten Deadly Gods Master has assigned a strategist to figure out who he really is...

While checking the surrounding corpses to make sure no one had escaped, Li Fan caught all the Shatentacle, skewered them on his speargun, and made them into skewers. He wanted to sneak a few to satisfy his craving, but when he turned around, he found that Ling Liuying had just cried in his gentle and strong arms and had recovered her mood. However, she didn't go to plunder the property of the Yulin Manor and came over like a little shadow, so he had no choice but to give up.

"Oh, I've looked Fourth Department, the Devil Embryo are all here, and I've killed that sea monster nearby too. Mission accomplished. Let's see if there's anything valuable we can collect, then we'll head back to Penglai."

Indeed, Li Fan had already stolen the jade pendant the maid used to open the secret chamber inside the mural, but he did not intend to reveal the fact that there was a cult altar hidden in the Yulin Manor.

Firstly, with these two powerful backers by his side, he couldn't use his true abilities to deal with the troublesome creatures with horns, swords, and skeletons in the altar. In any case, the fish eggs needed to be eaten to become parasitic, and since they were sealed tightly, they wouldn't cause any problems for the time being.

Secondly, these two fools come from the Zhenzhen Palace and seem particularly loyal to Penglai. They will definitely report today's events to their superior, the Divine Lord. Xia Chengming of the Zhenzhen Palace is also very likely an insider of the Divine Cult. Even if he doesn't bring disaster upon himself, he will certainly attract attention, and Penglai might even question him about how he found such a hidden altar.

Thirdly, if there really are spies from the Divine Cult in Penglai, they should know about the arrangements here. Once they know that something happened at the Yulin Manor, how could they sit still? They would definitely come to investigate in person and seize the opportunity to retrieve the sealed magical Magic Treasure. Then Li Fan could find this inner room, and that would be the best opportunity to catch the traitors of the Divine Cult red-handed and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

"... Which side are you on?" Ling Liuying suddenly asked.

"Huh? You were talking to me just now? What do you mean, 'which side'?" Li Fan was startled, thinking he had given himself away and that Li Fan had figured out he was also a spy.

"Your parents," Ling Liuying asked as she approached Li Fan, "Which side are they on, the Spirit Race?"

Li Fan stared, his jaw agape, momentarily stunned. "... What did you say?"

Ling Liuying pouted and glared at him. "Fine, my mother is from the Spirit Race, and my father is a disciple of the Zhenzhen Palace. Is that fair? It's your turn. Which side are you on?"

Li Fan was stunned for a long time before he reacted, "What! You're a transvestite, a human-spirit hybrid!?"

No, is it really possible to get by? No, theoretically speaking, once Spirit Race cultivates to the 'True Person' level, they can indeed get by. Or perhaps some people have even stranger quirks, and we can't really comment further, but...

Seeing Li Fan frown and remain silent, Ling Liuying said with some dissatisfaction, "Hey Li Tang, we've been through thick and thin together, why bother hiding something so obvious?"

"Is it obvious that I'm also a half-human, half-woman?"

How come I didn't know that myself?

"Of course! What normal person has red hair, golden eyes, and superhuman strength? Aren't you a typical mixed-race person?"

Wow, now that you mention it, it actually makes a lot of sense...

Li Fan was taken aback by what she said, realizing that such an additional setting was possible. But seriously, there really isn't reproductive isolation? This world is truly amazing...

Li Fan was somewhat speechless, so he could only shrug and say, "I didn't expect you to find out how well I hid. But I don't know which side is the Spirit Race. I'm just a country bumpkin, a simple brute, born of nature."

Ling Liuying was quite satisfied. She came up and put her arm around Li Fan's shoulder, patting him on the shoulder and pinching his arm muscles to rub them. "Don't take it personally. Penglai treats the Spirit Race and the Human Race equally, and there aren't many taboos about mixed-race people."

Ling Bingyun arrived just in time, not wanting to be left behind. She came up and took Li Fan's other arm, groping around. "Yeah, to put it bluntly, only senior brothers with good exam results can get special treatment from the sect. Otherwise, no matter what your background or bloodline is, the elders won't bother with you."

This family has really gone to extremes. It's not that they're deliberately refusing to teach the true teachings to them; it's just that they can't pass the exams, so they won't teach anyone.

You guys are now comforting me... Well, that's true. The Xuanmen (mystical sects) are too complicated, the selection criteria are too strict. No matter how good your family background is, you'll never pass the exam if you don't work hard. And once you stand out, the resources that the top elites can obtain are simply too many, so many that even the most prestigious immortal Immortal Palace and families with generations of inheritance can't catch up. Actually, aren't those aristocratic families in Li Country the same? They're clamoring for true teachings, unique skills, and divine techniques.

After all, cultivation resources are becoming increasingly abundant these days, and families in these places must have accumulated quite a bit. However, they are suffering from the lack of orthodox cultivation methods, while the superior Cultivation Method and secret scrolls are firmly held by the Three Great Sects. The Xuanmen's True Cultivator level far surpasses that of others, the Divine Sect is far away in Kunlun, and the Immortal Palace continues to decline. It is only natural that everyone is now eyeing the orthodox methods of the Xuanmen.

As for the Yulin Manor, it's probably because they have a jade unicorn horn that the Divine Cult used them to choose as a breeding base for demon eggs. Other families might want to curry favor with the Divine Cult, but they can't even get close enough to be their inner circle.

"Judging from your behavior, Penglai seems quite open-minded. I seem to have heard that the Xuanmen sect forbids its disciples from marrying members of the Spirit Race?"

Thinking about it this way, these two fathers were disciples of the Zhenzhen Palace, probably grand-disciples of the Manifestation Dao Lord or the Sixin Godly Monarch. No wonder they refused to assist the Spirit Race and showed a higher degree of identification with Penglai. Could the Beichen Sword Sect be an exception?

Hearing his question, Ling Liuying shook her head somewhat forlornly, "It doesn't matter for the Outer Sect, in fact, it's more about not caring. But once you enter the Inner Sect, especially if you're a disciple that the sect is looking forward to, you're absolutely forbidden from marrying into the Spirit Race."

According to the Divine Lord, my father's Dharma name was Chengdao. He was originally the chief Daoist disciple of the Nine Sects of Penglai, with a bright future ahead of him. He was highly regarded by the Zhizhen lineage and was groomed to be their future leader. However, because he couldn't overcome his emotional tribulation, he neglected his studies and refused to divorce my mother, which angered the Daoist Lord. As a result, he and my mother were expelled from their sect.

Ling Bingyun wasn't so sad. "Actually, it's just being expelled from the Inner Sect. The Divine Lord told us that they are still working for Penglai in the Central Plains and have been writing back to let us know they are safe."

Because the Central Plains were dangerous, and we were both still young at the time, Sixin Godly Monarch the best relationship with my father, we stayed in Penglai and were looked after by him. Once our cultivation was sufficient, we could go to the Central Plains to find our parents.

"Hey Li Tang, you're from the Central Plains, right? Tell us, what's the Central Plains like?"

Li Fan was conflicted. Had their parents really gone to the Central Plains? Could it be that Sixin Godly Monarch was saying their parents had gone to a very far place and wouldn't be back for a while, and that they could go find them when they grew up...?

"Alas, Central Plains Central Plains is indeed very dangerous. There are many people more ruthless and powerful than these Devil Embryo. Even with my level of cultivation, I have a nine-out-of-ten chance of dying. Your level is even more insufficient. You should continue to cultivate."

Li Fan didn't even need to think about it; with their experiences, they would definitely be sold into slavery if they went to the Central Plains. However, judging from this, their father belonged to the "Cheng" generation and was of mixed race, so he shouldn't be very old. Perhaps he was just protected by that Sixin Godly Monarch for too long and had too little experience.

After this experience, Ling Liuying nodded and said, "Alright, you're right. It seems our cultivation is still too shallow; we need to train more. Hey Li Tang, I think you're a pretty good person. Want to cultivate with us?"

Li Fan was taken aback. "I prefer to be alone. I'd rather not join your 'Liu Ying Ice Jade' group."

Ling Bingyu chuckled, "Who's talking about that? We're asking if you want to do dual cultivation, no, triple cultivation together."

Oh, so you meant three... Holy crap!

Li Fan was shocked!

He had genuinely always treated these two like mentally challenged children and spirit beast pets, so when they kept snuggling up to him, he just assumed they were wild animals rescued from a trap trying to show affection. He hadn't really thought of anything more than that! But upon closer inspection, something was wrong—they were actually mixed-race!

"Ahem, isn't it a bit too fast to start cultivating three things at once?"

"What's so fast about it? Besides, we sisters do everything together!"

"You said it yourself, that we're too weak and need to train harder. We also want to go to the Central Plains as soon as possible and reunite with our parents!"

The Sixin Godly Monarch took special care of us, secretly passing on to us a copy of the Ling Shu, which he said was a method of cultivating both body and spirit specially compiled by our parents based on our circumstances. However, since we are both women, no matter how much we practice, it is like trying to cultivate yin alone, which leads to slow progress.

"You seem like a decent person. If it weren't for your rescue, we would probably be in grave danger as well. What's more, you're also of mixed blood. Why don't we cultivate together? My father was a highly skilled master in the Xuanmen sect back in the day. This is a rare and authentic secret technique that he personally compiled."

Li Fan, a very proper person, originally wanted to refuse, but when he heard them say that this method was called "Ling Shu", he couldn't help but be taken aback.

Because the Daoist technique that Yi Si Shenjun gave him before, also called <Ling Shu>, was said to be a secret dual cultivation method passed down in the Immortal Palace. He told him and Princess Xiao to study it, but not to take it too seriously, just to try it out casually.

"Could you lend me the Cultivation Method to take a look?"

Ling Liuying and Ling Bingyu were delighted that he had agreed, so they flanked him from both sides and found a clean bedroom in the Yulin Manor. They first gave Li Fan the Cultivation Method to study, and then the two of them went to wash up and prepare.

Li Fan also took out two copies of the Ling Shu and examined them. Upon flipping through them, he indeed discovered a significant problem. The Zhenzhen Palace and Shenzhen Palace copies, while seemingly two separate books, were actually one book, and vice versa.

Although both are titled "Ling Shu," it is clear from the text and the many overlapping quotations that they were derived from the same fragment and were supplemented by the two masters of the Zhi Zhen and Shen Zhen palaces, who respectively deduced and completed the two versions of "Zhenzhen Ling Shu" and "Shenzhen Ling Shu."

Based on Li Fan's knowledge and experience gained from cultivating many superior Daoist techniques over the years, as well as his own deductions and understanding.

The volume "Shenzhen Ling Shu" should be closer to the original version of the incomplete dual cultivation scroll from the Immortal Palace, focusing on deducing and restoring the cultivation method based on human physique, meridian circulation, and breathing techniques.

The book "The Zhenzhen Ling Shu" is probably, as the two Ling sisters said, modified by their father, Ling Chendao, based on the dual cultivation of Human Race and Spirit Race, to suit the situation of his two daughters and to better fit the cultivation path of mixed-race or Spirit Race.

However, neither of these two volumes should be correct. Li Fan had a photographic memory and clearly noticed that there were some discrepancies in the key parts of the excerpts from the original fragment in these two volumes. It was possible that the original <Ling Shu> that the cultivators of the two palaces saw was not the same volume, or that someone had made deletions or alterations in some key places.

What puzzled Li Fan the most was that, regardless of which palace's <Ling Shu> it didn't seem to be a particularly powerful cultivation method.

First of all, this is still based on the fundamental principle of 'absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for cultivation,' but it is done through dual cultivation, through the principle of the five elements mentioned by Old Man Huan, where yin and yang are exchanged, men and women are paired up, and they assist each other to refine the Dao Breath within their bodies.

Therefore, just looking at the efficiency of 'absorbing spiritual energy to cultivate Dao Breath ', the efficiency of the superior methods of the Xuanmen sect and the trashy Cultivation Method of rogue cultivators in refining Dao Breath can be easily demonstrated with a simple comparison.

To put it more clearly, the Tai Su Dao relies on Moon Worship for cultivation because the spiritual energy of other worlds is more abundant and absorbed faster. However, refining the essence into the spiritual energy one needs requires time and effort. Therefore, although disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain can also Moon Worship, their progress isn't particularly fast. On the other hand, while the Xuanmen's Daoist methods are difficult and dangerous, their efficiency in refining Dao Breath is exceptionally high. Li Fan, who combines the strengths of both schools, absorbs more, refines faster, and refines more thoroughly, is able to propel his cultivation level upwards like a rocket.

However, this <Ling Shu>, regardless of which volume, actually follows the path of the Ancient Immortal Palace. Not only is the absorption of spiritual energy slow, but it is also used in conjunction with body-refining Cultivation Method to temper muscles, bones, and skin. Therefore, even with the assistance of dual cultivation, the progress is still slow, and it cannot be compared with the Xuanmen. Even compared with the External Alchemy of the current Immortal Palace, it does not have a particularly obvious advantage.

But if it has no advantage, why are the esoteric masters of the Supreme Nine Truth Sect so fixated on this Cultivation Method and so obsessed with it?

There must be something wrong, right? Otherwise, why would they not only keep the Ling sisters alive, but also give Li Fan, a newly recruited Outer Sect elder, a cultivation manual to try? Could it be... because of the evil energy?

The more Li Fan thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Considering the Ling sisters' performance in battle just now, if there was anything outstanding about them, it was probably that their Dao bodies cultivated through the <Ling Shu> technique were not so easily affected by evil energy.

You must understand that the power of Xuanmen's Cultivation Method largely depends on the essence of spiritual energy. Everyone has true energy protecting them, and they all unleash their Daoist techniques indiscriminately. You can't break my protective lotus, but I can shatter yours with a single sword strike. Isn't that enough to determine the outcome of the battle?

Moreover, the most powerful magical treasures of the Xuanmen sect, especially those of high grade, would be contaminated if tainted by evil energy. Not only would their power be greatly reduced, but they would also be difficult to repair. Could it be that the Dao Lords of Penglai, sensing the changing seasons and the increasing intensity of evil energy under the False Moon, are therefore researching ancient methods to develop Daoist techniques that are unaffected by evil energy?

Moreover, when it comes to experts in the art of dual cultivation...

Li Fan thought for a moment, but couldn't resist his curiosity, so he took out the box containing the Huan family's inherited method, opened it, and took a look.

Sure enough, there are Huan family secret techniques here. Of course, they mainly focus on 'skills', 'driving', and 'magical methods' to improve the efficiency of dual cultivation, as well as many peculiar knowledge and prescriptions. Other aspects of proper cultivation are just average.

Could it be that Ah Xiba will appear in the Huan family, and the Huan family might even be hunted down and wiped out? This isn't just because of the Guiche Demon God; could it be that some people in Penglai have long been eyeing this combined dual cultivation method?

While Li Fan was still hesitating, the Ling sisters had already removed their armor, bathed, and changed into two sets of decisive battle outfits, one red and one white.

As they shyly entered the room, they saw Li Fan holding the Huan family's illustrated comic books, studying them intently with a serious expression, and couldn't help but giggle.

"You seem even more nervous than us, already preparing for this. Don't worry, we've practiced together many times. Just relax and let us do as we say."

"Oh, these poses are quite novel. Hmm, there's even a special explanation of the Three Cultivations here. That's interesting. Let's give it a try."

Well, alright then, let's give it a try. After all, they've already put on their battle suit, cough cough! Of course, this is just for training, purely for the sake of training.

So Li Fan discussed the Dao with the Ling sisters, deepening their mutual understanding and exploring the mysteries of the Ling Shu together.