On Spiritual Bodies

Ning Fa hurriedly took out a blank Jade Slip and used his divine sense to inscribe the contents of the ancient text into it.

He quickly finished recording it. Then, an emotionless voice entered his ears. "Any cultivation techniques stored in this pavilion that are spread outside will be severely punished upon discovery!"

Ning Fa knew this was a warning from the protective restriction. He was not surprised. After all, if the scriptures stored in the Scripture Pavilion could be freely circulated, the Contribution Points exchange system would be nothing more than window dressing.

Ning Fa impatiently began browsing the Fragment of the Heavenly Splendor Treasure Scripture.

A quarter of an hour later, Ning Fa removed the Jade Slip from his forehead, his expression having calmed considerably.

Although he had only given it a cursory look, there was no record of the Thunder Rune Pattern within.

Perhaps it was not contained in this fragment. Perhaps even the complete scripture had no mention of it.

Yet Ning Fa had not come away empty-handed. This fragment alone had benefited him immensely and greatly broadened his horizons.

For instance, the scripture gave a detailed classification of cultivators' Spiritual Root aptitudes, precise standards for judging spiritual energy affinity under different combinations of spirit roots, and even mentioned heaven-defying spiritual treasures that could cause mortals to grow Spiritual Roots out of thin air—or directly mutate a cultivator's multiple spirit roots into Exotic Spiritual Roots such as lightning, wind, or ice. These descriptions opened Ning Fa's eyes wide.

The end of the fragment also mentioned the concepts of cultivators' Dharma Bodies and Spirit Bodies.

According to it, Dharma Bodies and Spirit Bodies were exceptionally special cultivation aptitudes. They arose from Spiritual Roots, yet transcended them.

Spiritual Roots allowed cultivators to sense and absorb spiritual energy, while Spirit Bodies and Dharma Bodies could, on that foundation, transform a cultivator's body and grant them special abilities.

For example, there was a Spirit Body called the Three Yang Fire Body. Even if its bearer possessed Five Spirit Roots, they would still have an extremely high affinity for Fire Spiritual Power, nearly second only to someone with a Heavenly Spiritual Root of fire.

Not only that, cultivators with the Three Yang Fire Body received tremendous boosts in both cultivation speed and technique power when cultivating any fire-element cultivation art.

After Foundation Establishment, cultivators with the Three Yang Fire Body could even produce the formidable Three Yang Fire within their bodies. Its power was immense, and cultivators of the same rank would find it nearly impossible to withstand.

Then there was the Netherwood Spirit Body, likewise a wood-element Spirit Body. It greatly enhanced a cultivator's cultivation of wood-element techniques, and after Foundation Establishment, one could cultivate the eerie and powerful Netherwood Clone.

The higher one's realm, the more Netherwood Clones one could create. The stronger one became, the harder one was to kill.

Within dense forests, one could even possess an Immortal Body.

Cultivators who possessed Spirit Bodies or Dharma Bodies were basically heaven's favored children. In terms of rarity, they were no less scarce than those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots.

However, it could not be said that the aptitudes of Spirit Bodies and Dharma Bodies would necessarily surpass Heavenly Spiritual Roots, Exotic Spiritual Roots, or even High-grade Spiritual Roots.

For a cultivator's foundation was ultimately their cultivation realm.

Some Spirit Bodies offered no help in cultivation or breaking through realms, and could even have negative effects. In such circumstances, even if one were stronger than cultivators of the same rank, it still could not compare to raising one's realm.

The fragment merely used these two Spirit Bodies as examples to introduce the content below. Unfortunately, the fragment abruptly ended there, and Ning Fa could not see what came afterward.

Yet these introductions alone left Ning Fa deeply shaken and vastly broadened his horizons.

Thinking of the peculiarities on his own body, Ning Fa became even more certain that he, too, possessed some kind of Spirit Body—one related to the Lightning Attribute.

Just as Ning Fa regretted that this scripture was only a fragment and planned to search for similar ancient texts in other large marketplaces later, his right arm suddenly grew hot.

Ning Fa's heart jolted, but his expression remained unchanged. Through his mental connection, he suppressed the scroll's disturbance.

At the same time, his heart was wildly excited. Judging from the scroll's reaction, could it perhaps restore this fragment of the ancient text to completeness?

That was highly possible.

Ning Fa suppressed his excitement. Naturally, he did not dare activate the scroll here to trace its origin. He could only wait until he returned home.

He then looked through the other green jade stone shelves, but did not find any more useful ancient texts.

Before leaving, Ning Fa used his remaining twenty Contribution Points to exchange for the first-rank Complete Compendium of Five Elements Spells.

As for the Complete Compendium of Elementary Talisman Scriptures, he planned to stop by Jinchang Island on his return journey. The marketplace there should have similar elementary talisman scriptures, and he could also buy some Talisman Brushes, Talisman Paper, Spiritual Ink, and other Talisman Crafting Spiritual Materials.

Although he did not have any extra spirit stones, he carried quite a few Essence Replenishing Pills—more than enough to trade for a good number of spirit stones.

When Ning Fa went downstairs, he found Ning Yuwen with that spring palace illustration book covering his face. Soft snores drifted over; he had somehow already fallen asleep.

Ning Fa shook his head. Without waking him, he left the Scripture Pavilion directly.

Rather than heading straight for the Ningchang Island docks to leave, he rode a feathered crane to the foot of Changning Mountain. There was a valley here, where the Ning Clan's Cui Ning Courtyard was located.

Cui Ning Courtyard was where the Ning Clan gathered and instructed clan members who had just discovered their Spiritual Roots.

Every Ning Family Member, upon discovering they possessed Spiritual Roots, could be sent here to study for three years.

During those three years, they did not need to take on any clan duties. Not only could they enjoy a pure spirit vein and instruction from experienced teachers, the clan would also provide sufficient resources such as medicinal pills.

After three years, those with outstanding aptitude could remain on Ningchang Island for further cultivation. The other clan members would be assigned different duties according to their individual circumstances.

If they wished to obtain resources from the clan afterward, they would have to rely on their own efforts to complete clan missions.

Ning Fa had come here to see Xiao Yu.

After all, her grandfather had died saving him. Ning Fa had long decided to treat Xiao Yu as his own younger sister and protect her as she grew.

At the valley entrance stood a bamboo pavilion. Within it, a middle-aged cultivator in a black robe, his face the color of red dates, sat meditating with his eyes closed. The cultivation realm he emitted was astonishingly the Eighth Level of Qi Condensation.

Sensing Ning Fa's arrival, the man opened his eyes. A streak of Sharp Light flashed past as he looked at Ning Fa and said expressionlessly, "Cui Ning Courtyard is an important clan ground. Unrelated persons are not to approach."

Ning Fa cupped his hands and said brightly, "I am Ning Fa, an alchemist of the Alchemy Hall. I have come to visit Ning Yu'er of Pingchang Island. I ask this clan brother to grant me some leeway."

"Ning Fa?"

The middle-aged cultivator had clearly heard Ning Fa's name before. He could not help casting Ning Fa a strange look before saying, "An alchemist may indeed enter Cui Ning Courtyard. Hand over your identity token for inspection."

Without saying more, Ning Fa tossed his token to the middle-aged cultivator. The man merely swept it with his divine sense, nodded, and returned it to Ning Fa.

The man then formed a hand seal and sent out a streak of yellow spiritual light, which struck the seemingly empty entrance to the valley.

At once, ripples spread like water. A passage over three meters wide appeared at the entrance, revealing the valley's true scenery.

Dozens of pavilion-like buildings stood amid a stretch of verdant green land. The figures of young disciples could vaguely be seen moving among them. Not far away was an emerald lake dozens of meters across, its scenery breathtakingly beautiful.

Ning Fa had never studied at Cui Ning Courtyard. After his Lightning Spiritual Root had been confirmed, he had been sent directly to the core region atop Changning Mountain, where several clan elders had personally instructed him.

"You may remain inside for only half an hour. Mind the time."

The middle-aged cultivator spoke indifferently, then closed his eyes again and resumed cultivating.