"Old Zuo, you're actually all right! Thank goodness!"
A little under an hour later, Hundred-Household Officer Yuan and the others hurried back. Seeing Zuo Zhongliang and the other members of the Unusual Events Bureau gathered there, their faces lit up with wild, incredulous joy.
Zuo Zhongliang had no time for them. Clutching his shoulder, he addressed the old man crouched over the corpse, examining it. "Elder Gong, what do you think that man's origins were?"
Elder Gong stood up and sighed. "I don't know. But he was unfathomable-utterly unfathomable!"
Zuo Zhongliang asked, "How so?"
Elder Gong said, "Come look at this wound. This demonic cultivator was killed without putting up the slightest resistance. Whoever struck him must have been at least in late-stage Qi Refining."
"But according to your account, he suddenly appeared out of thin air. Whether he was some kind of Yin Spirit or used a concealment trick or invisibility technique capable of fooling a demonic cultivator, any of those would suggest Foundation Establishment or higher..."
At this point, he brought up another matter. "Have you heard about the assassination case the City Patrol Guards handled recently?"
Zuo Zhongliang's expression shifted slightly. "I've heard something about it."
Elder Gong said, "At first, the City Patrol Guards couldn't find the culprit and planned to ask us for help. Later, they said there was no need. I made some inquiries and learned that a mysterious figure had secretly helped them."
Zuo Zhongliang said, "Half a month ago, someone sent word to bureau headquarters about the Longhe Charity Cemetery. That was how we managed to wipe out the local hideout."
Hundred-Household Officer Yuan could not resist interjecting. "We were held up tonight, and it seems an unidentified person helped us in secret as well."
Elder Gong said, "These clues make it easy enough to confirm that a mysterious expert is watching us from the shadows. It may be the same person; otherwise, they couldn't have kept themselves so well hidden."
"For now, we can assume he leans toward a friendly stance. But with his identity and origins unknown, he remains a threat. We must never let our guard down."
Zuo Zhongliang, Hundred-Household Officer Yuan, and the others fell silent at his words. Only after a long while did they answer, "Yes!"
Elder Gong's expression turned stern as he addressed everyone. "Tonight, we wiped out the demonic cultivators here and brought the operation to a successful conclusion. It was a great victory, but our bureau also suffered heavy losses. Once we return, we must requisition experts and deploy more men. The slackness and sluggishness of every Branch Headquarters and hall must also be strictly rectified!"
Privately, however, he transmitted his voice to Zuo Zhongliang and Hundred-Household Officer Yuan. "Come with me. I have something to tell you."
The two followed Elder Gong to a secluded spot and asked, "What is it, Elder Gong?"
Elder Gong said, "Demonic cultivators have been increasingly active lately, and their hideouts are being exposed one after another. It looks as though they're preparing a major move."
"But we can deal with those matters through our usual procedures. The real threat is someone like this."
The two asked in confusion, "Didn't you already explain that?"
Elder Gong said, "I feared shaking the men's morale, so I didn't speak plainly. That person may actually be beyond Foundation Establishment!"
Both were astonished. "Beyond Foundation Establishment? Then doesn't that mean..."
Elder Gong sighed softly and said helplessly, "It seems we'll have to report this to the sect."
"But the senior experts are either wandering the world or in secluded cultivation. They won't pay much attention to matters here. You'll have to look out for yourselves."
"Great victory in Lianhe County! The Unusual Events Bureau has solved the Lianhe Zombie Case, killing a demonic missionary envoy and several of his henchmen. The county seat and surrounding villages have now been largely cleared, and their safety is assured."
Inside the Prince Consort's Residence, Li Ling reclined in a fragrant rosewood rocking chair, reading the official bulletin while eating honeydew melon fed to him by a maid.
Sure enough, an announcement about last night's events was already there.
What a picture of peace they paint! Anyone who didn't know better would truly think the seas were calm and the rivers clear.
A trace of mockery appeared on Li Ling's face.
Upon closer consideration, however, he realized that it did indeed summarize the local situation.
The demonic cultivators there had largely been eliminated.
But clearing out one place is easy. Who knows how many demonic cultivators are still hiding in other cities and counties?
With the flames of war rising between the two kingdoms and their internal defenses stretched thin, every demon and monster has come crawling out. They might even come to the Royal City to stir up trouble!
Li Ling recalled the map he had seen at Special Envoy Mu's place.
At first, he had not known what it meant. Now that he thought about it, it might have been connected to the demonic cultivators' hidden bases or the targets they intended to seize.
Although the Mystic Xin Kingdom was no great empire, it still had a population of tens of millions. Including the unregistered households concealed by local authorities and dependents like the many servants in the Prince Consort's Residence, the number would reach into the hundreds of millions.
Among those countless lives, far too many births, deaths, illnesses, and disasters-natural or man-made-went unnoticed.
Cultivators could not watch mortals at all times. If demonic cultivators secretly murdered people, refined monsters, or recruited disciples, their activities would have to accumulate to a certain extent before anyone discovered them.
As Li Ling sighed inwardly, he suddenly saw a colorful cloud drift in from beyond the courtyard, radiant as a rainbow.
Li Ling stared in surprise. "Isn't that the Mirage Cloud Qing Si refined? How did it become so flashy?"
"Husband, come look! This Mirage Cloud can actually change colors!"
The Ninth Princess came in from outside and happily showed Li Ling her latest discovery.
"I tried using a transformation technique on it, and this is what happened. Look, isn't it fun?"
She kneaded the great ball of cloud like cotton candy, changing its shape while making it shift through different colors like a chameleon.
Burning incense produces smoke that gathers without dispersing, its strands fine enough to be cut apart...
It seems this Mirage Cloud inherited that cohesive quality.
Li Ling could not help telling the Ninth Princess, "This isn't merely fun. If you put your mind to it, you could use it to create illusions and confuse enemies."
The Ninth Princess said, "As for illusions, the immortal sects have dedicated Divine Abilities and techniques for cultivating them. Most rely on changes in spiritual energy and magical power, so there's no need to depend on external objects."
Li Ling said, "That's true."
The Ninth Princess said enthusiastically, "This is the perfect time to reshape the Cloud Fiend while it's soft and pliable. Later, I can mix in Gang Condensation to set it. Oh, husband, what shape and color do you think I should make it?"
Li Ling said, "Whatever you like, as long as you're happy."
The Ninth Princess came to the rocking chair and shook Li Ling by the shoulders, refusing to accept his answer. "Husband, you're brushing me off! Help me think of something."
Li Ling did not know whether to laugh or cry. What did he know about such things?
After finally making up a few suggestions to placate her, Li Ling found himself inspired, and an unexpected train of thought arose.
The next step after the soul's Night Wandering was Day Wandering.
Both Night Wandering and Day Wandering were, in essence, abilities that allowed the soul to undergo Soul Departure.
By strengthening this ability steadily, step by step, success would come naturally, like water flowing into a channel. There was no need to worry too much.
As for cultivation resources, Spirit-Communing Incense itself could ensure a basic supply. For devil finger wood, he could make use of the sect and the Incense Affairs Bureau. That, too, required patiently waiting for an opportunity.
But there was another basic ability possessed at the Nascent Soul Realm that he would have to explore on his own.
That ability was precisely Dharma-Form Transformation!
Perhaps it was time to try it.
For cultivators in Qi Refining, the two essential elements are Divine Sense and Gang Baleful Energy.
After Foundation Establishment, they are the Dao body and magical power.
At the Core Formation Realm, they are the true core and the grotto-heaven.
And the Nascent Soul Realm likewise has its own key elements: Soul Departure and the dharma form!
Perhaps I was trapped by a fixed way of thinking before, assuming I needed magical power or Nascent Soul cultivation to perform Dharma-Form Transformation. But now, since I can undergo Soul Departure and wander at night while still a mortal, the essence of my soul cannot be inferior to a Nascent Soul. It might even be stronger.
There's no harm in trying.
That night, Li Ling performed Soul Projection as usual. Rather than hurrying to the Unusual Events Bureau, he conducted a new experiment on a riverbank in the Royal City's eastern outskirts.
He condensed Gang and Baleful Intent, wrapping a thick shell around his Spirit Body and molding himself a physical form as though sculpting a person.
This was visualization to sustain the spirit, the introductory method of Dharma-Form Transformation. It shared the same underlying ingenuity as shaping Gang Baleful Energy at the Qi Refining stage, and was also related to the Ninth Princess's method of refining the Cloud Fiend and controlling its changing colors.
The key to all of them was transformation!
All methods returned to one; their foundations were interconnected. The difference was that a Nascent Soul dharma form incorporated great magical power, allowing it to connect with the profundities of the Dao and command the laws!
Li Ling had no magical power at all. He could only pin his hopes on his soul's unusual gifts, which might let him accomplish this by instinct, as he had with Soul Projection.
It was like how people had to learn to swim, while fish were born knowing how.
After patiently experimenting for a while, Li Ling suddenly felt a current of lightning surge through his entire body.
Amid the faint tingling, his Spirit Body underwent a wondrous transformation unlike anything before.
Something seemed to pulse repeatedly in his shoulders. Suddenly, a pair of arms broke through the surface and extended from the body formed of Gang Baleful Energy.
"Hm?"
The swelling sensation returned-another pair of arms!
Immediately afterward, something seemed to press against his neck, making him tilt it involuntarily. A fleshy lump swelled on either side, and within a breath, he had grown two more necks and heads!
Three heads, six arms-a celestial dharma form!
Li Ling jolted. He tried observing himself by projecting his Spiritual Consciousness outward, only to discover that his Spirit Body was no longer an indistinct, hazy human silhouette.
In its place was a little boy as exquisitely sculpted as jade, his skin translucent and lustrous all over. He wore an intricate Flying Immortal Brocade Robe, his features handsome and refined, his bearing extraordinary.
Clouds and mist curled around him, materialized fragrance spreading like smoke. It was even more like a long ribbon of plain gauze, thin as a cicada's wing, draped over his body like an immortal's sash and fluttering in the wind.
So I'm a child Celestial Person? This face bears a faint resemblance to me as a little boy before I transmigrated. But as a mortal, flesh, bones, and blood all affected my appearance. It was never as perfect as this.
Li Ling was somewhat surprised, and at the same time felt an inexplicable delight and emotion.
I never imagined that I would still be me.
As the saying went, appearance arose from the heart. A cultivator's dharma form was usually related to their origins, temperament, and the source of their Dao Path. Thus, breaking the core to behold the self and forming a Nascent Soul was also called restoring one's true appearance.
This was the embryonic form of the Primordial Spirit's dharma body, as well as the image of an intelligent being's inner soul.
Generally speaking, dharma forms take gods, devils, dragons, humans, demons, beasts, ghosts, or monsters as their main forms-all beings that once lived between heaven and earth. They are accompanied by manifestations of magical treasures, objects, natural wonders, and so on. A few can even awaken corresponding Divine Abilities and powers.
The child Celestial Person I've manifested can be classified as one of the higher-ranking, greater-potential dharma forms among those of gods and devils.
There was a saying about judging people by their appearance. Just as Li Ling's innate gift distinguished good from evil and beauty from ugliness through fragrance and stench, a dharma form's appearance could also reveal many things.
At the very least, immortal sects and righteous cultivators throughout the world would regard him as an ally upon seeing this form, granting him a basic measure of goodwill and trust.
The apparent age was often connected to lifespan limits, temperament, and similar factors.
The child's form indicated that Li Ling was still young. In fact, measured against a cultivator's lifespan, he might still be only an infant, as suggested by his baby-soft, white-jade skin. His temperament, however, was already mature. The balance between the two produced his present appearance.
It would change along with his own condition. Perhaps after hundreds or thousands of years, he would take on the form of a youthful Celestial Person.
Ancient monsters who had lived for a very long time, or Nascent Soul Cultivators approaching the limits of their lifespan, might instead appear as white-haired old men, unless they had consumed miraculous elixirs that restored their youth.
The Flying Immortal Brocade Robe and Cicada-Wing Gauze Sash covering his body were manifestations of his spirit. He could not yet discern any special uses for them, but they seemed intimately connected to the incense essence manifested by his innate gift and possessed extraordinary potential for growth.
As for why he had three heads and six arms, Li Ling could not explain it immediately. But from the Jade Scroll the Old Ancestor had given him, he knew it reflected a deep inner yearning for vast Divine Abilities and boundless magical power—a trait usually possessed by the mighty and valiant.
This did not necessarily reflect a cultivator's personality as influenced by bodily instincts. Rather, it came from within the soul, so sometimes there could be an enormous contrast.
For example, some hulking, muscular man might actually be a gentle, adorable little girl inside...
In that case, am I actually a fierce, valiant general in my subconscious?
Come to think of it, you stop noticing a smell after long exposure. I've never smelled the scent I give off. Perhaps my subconscious automatically blocks it out.
Only now, after seeing my Nascent Soul dharma form clearly, have I truly beheld myself and recognized my genuine nature.
Just then, Li Ling suddenly remembered something.
The Jade Scroll said the three-headed, six-armed form... has special gifts!
And not just one, but two-the very things described as vast Divine Abilities and boundless magical power!
In practical terms, the six arms represented the ability to divide one's thoughts, control magical power with incomparable precision, and carry out multiple operations simultaneously;
And the three heads granted three times the magical power of an ordinary person-and of oneself in one's normal state!
No wonder it's called a high-ranking form. If the Jade Scroll is accurate, this is practically cheating!
Li Ling could not wait to test it. Yet nothing happened at all, and he shook his head with a rueful chuckle.
I got ahead of myself. These so-called gifts are actually manifestations of the laws, blessings bestowed by the great Dao of heaven and earth, not inherent qualities of my own.
I don't even have magical power yet, much less the Nascent Soul cultivation needed to connect with the laws. How could I possibly possess them?
The Jade Scroll should be accurate. After all, the senior experts have studied dharma forms quite deeply. Only a handful of rare things, such as my innate gift and the incense essence of the Incense Path, remain unknown.
So I'll gain these abilities at Foundation Establishment at the earliest, or the Nascent Soul Realm at the latest. For now, this is merely an intimidating-looking shell.
Whatever the case, at least it has potential.
Li Ling landed on the ground and tried crouching to pick up a stone.
The solidified Gang Baleful Energy became the body of this dharma form, filling it out like flesh and blood, while the strength of his Divine Sense became its physical strength. It resembled having a fleshly body, but was more flexible and agile.
With such a vessel to rely upon, he seemed more condensed and better suited to actual combat.
The book has made it into this week's category featured recommendations, so please keep supporting it. By the way, what do you think your dharma form would look like if you entered a xianxia world? I think I'd be a graceful, handsome young man, haha.