Mortal Shedding

Biodata

Power Progression

Chen Mochuan’s advancements document the distinction between Mental Mortal Shedding and the physical Mortal Shedding realm.

Cultivation

Physical breakthrough and blood replacement

• Entry requires five foundational acupoints—Gushing Spring, Life Gate, Kidney Shu, Spirit Palace, and Origin Pass—to be condensed and filled with essence qi. Spirit Power then guides that essence qi into the blood to refine the first strand of Essence Blood, breaking the body's Essence Gate limit 161 174.
• The realm’s principal cultivation process, blood replacement or Blood Changing, gradually converts ordinary blood into Essence Blood. It strengthens the body and constitutes an initial transformation in life level 128 174.
• After the breakthrough, the body can draw in Spirit Power from its surroundings without relying on stance training to initiate absorption 149 174.
• Mortal Shedding cultivation also includes additional acupoints. The Spirit Pivot Primordial Stance describes thirty for this stage: earlier ones aid blood replacement, while later ones prepare for subsequent cultivation 177.

Spirit Veins

• Spirit Veins are channels formed after physical Mortal Shedding. Unlike ordinary meridians or blood vessels, they store, transform, and circulate Spirit Power 174.
• More numerous, broader, and sturdier veins increase Spirit Power capacity and cultivation potential. Condensing them is especially efficient during the initial breakthrough 174.
• A practitioner can use Spirit Power held in these veins to empower martial techniques on a scale unavailable to ordinary martial artists 176.
• Hong Yucheng describes one Spirit Vein at breakthrough as a decent foundation, two as genius-level, and three as exceptionally rare. Chen Mochuan initially formed four stable veins and the outline of a fifth 174.

Mental Mortal Shedding

• Mental Mortal Shedding occurs when Mental Power breaks through the Mental Barrier. It is distinct from physical advancement: Chen Mochuan achieved it while still at the ordinary martial artist stage 137 138.
• The breakthrough grants Internal Vision, revealing internal structures and energy flow. Chen also experienced finer bodily control, quicker thought, sharper senses, and faster Mental Power recovery 137 138.
• Attempting mental cultivation before physical Mortal Shedding is considered dangerous. A practitioner whose body has already advanced can rely on it to nourish the mind after a failed attempt; Chen’s earlier success was unusual 59 138.
• Blue Star’s general classification places Mortal Shedding mental strength between 15 and 50 points 138.

Combat Significance

• A Mortal Shedding practitioner generally holds a substantial advantage over an ordinary martial artist, including one at the peak of Tenth Rank 167.
• The difference extends beyond Blood-Qi and Mental Power: Spirit Veins let Mortal Shedding practitioners wield much greater quantities of Spirit Power in combat 176.