Soon, the red and blue light disappeared from Lei Jun’s palm with a flash of brilliance. Inside his meridians, he felt the flow of heat and cold converging yet distinctly separate.
The hot and cold streams merged onto Lei Jun's Dao Foundation.
Instead of the previous red and blue lights, a golden and silver glow reappeared, swirling together to form a Yin-Yang Taiji fish, continuing its rotation.
Aside from the familiar
Fire Marrow Yangfish
, Lei Jun could also feel an intense cold rush straight to his head. This chill made his mind instantly clear, and countless thoughts seemed to crystallize with clarity.
"This must be the
Water Marrow Yinfish
that complements the
Fire Marrow Yangfish
..."
Gazing at the seemingly unremarkable cold spring before him, Lei Jun took a deep breath: "Compared to our sect's
Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven
, this place really is unassuming. It's impressive that Senior Sister managed to find it."
Yuan Mobai nodded: "Indeed, the world is vast, and such places that nurture
spiritual treasures
are hard to come by. Encountering one is a fortunate opportunity."
After collecting the
Water Marrow Yinfish
, the cold aura of the spring gradually began to dissipate. Yuan Mobai led Lei Jun in lighting incense, honoring the mountains and rivers, and praying to the spirits of heaven and earth before they departed.
Upon returning to
Qingxiao Monastery
, Lei Jun immediately began preparations to refine the Yin-Yang Twin Fish.
Seated cross-legged in the meditation chamber, he placed the
Unaccomplished Cauldron
before him. Holding the
Jiji Stone
between his palms, a golden-silver Yin-Yang Taiji fish pattern appeared in his palms, glowing faintly.
Under the influence of the Yin-Yang Twin Fish, the
Jiji Stone
began to transform, gradually shedding its physical form and turning into a vaporous sphere. Within this sphere, flames and streams flowed in endless cycles, mirroring the
Jiji
trigram of water below and fire above.
Lei Jun slowly lowered his hands, allowing the vaporous sphere to fall into the
Unaccomplished Cauldron
. The cauldron trembled slightly as the vaporous sphere’s spiritual energy activated its essence.
The two seemingly opposing spiritual energies—fire and water—intertwined in an endless cycle.
With Lei Jun’s mystical arts controlling the process, the streams of red heat and blue cold flowed into the cauldron, containing both resistance and harmony. Under his careful control, they merged seamlessly.
Yuan Mobai watched silently with a smile.
Finally, the cauldron contained only a cloud-like vapor, half-black and half-white, suspended in the air. It resembled a Taiji Yin-Yang fish.
Lei Jun inhaled deeply, drawing the black-and-white vapor into his body.
In that moment, his entire being seemed to tremble. The black-and-white vapor split into two: one half ascended, while the other descended. His soul seemed to rise, leaving his physical body.
He remained calm, focusing on Daoist scriptures and techniques.
In
Tianshi Mansion
, cultivation emphasized the harmony of body and soul. While it wasn’t as focused on
Yang Spirit Projection
like the
Pure Yang Palace
of the
Daoist Alchemical Sect
, the
Talismanic Branch
had its own methods of spirit transformation.
As Lei Jun’s soul hovered above his physical body, he could still sense all its changes. The ascending black-and-white vapor lifted his soul, while the descending part settled on his Dao Foundation.
On his Dao Foundation Altar, a glow appeared, combining the aspects of water and fire, balanced in perfect harmony.
Above Lei Jun’s hovering soul, strands of light coalesced into a black-and-white Taiji diagram. As the Taiji Yin-Yang fish spun, his thoughts became clearer than ever before.
He began to chant in a resonant voice:
"True law is indivisible, the essence of unity."
As the Taiji Yin-Yang fish continued to spin, Lei Jun’s soul descended back into his body. His soul and flesh merged as one.
The moment they rejoined, a flash of inspiration illuminated his consciousness. His mind was clear, inside and out.
Without Yuan Mobai’s guidance, Lei Jun knew he had succeeded. His comprehension had advanced beyond
Superior
to
Exceptional
, and even further to the level of
Illumination
.
In that instant, every unclear aspect of his past cultivation became clear.
Moreover, the convergence of the four spiritual items not only elevated his mind and soul but also enhanced his physical body. On his Dao Foundation Altar, the illusory light solidified into reality, forming a second tier atop the square base.
In one breakthrough, Lei Jun’s comprehension rose, and his cultivation advanced to the
Second Layer of the Altar Stage
!
"Combining four elements is indeed far superior to just three. The wait was worth it."
Lei Jun exhaled deeply, withdrawing his mystical power.
If he had only obtained the
Fire Marrow Yangfish
, the
Unaccomplished Cauldron
, and the
Water Marrow Yinfish
, his comprehension might have reached
Exceptional
but not
Illumination
. Nor could he have advanced his cultivation to the
Second Layer of the Altar Stage
.
"Indeed, patience and effort pay off," Yuan Mobai said with a smile. "Gathering four mutually enhancing spiritual items is a rare stroke of fortune."
He stood beside Lei Jun. "With your previous
Superior Comprehension
and
Spirit Physique
, I estimated it would take you twenty years to complete the Altar Stage. Now, things have greatly accelerated."
Lei Jun nodded, "Thanks to you and Senior Sister."
Previously, without special assistance, reaching the
Second Layer of the Altar Stage
would have taken him seven years. Advancing to the
Third Layer
would have taken twelve more. Altogether, about twenty years.
Now, with his comprehension elevated to
Illumination
, his cultivation time had been significantly shortened.
Furthermore, the boost to his comprehension meant his future cultivation would benefit greatly. The path to the
Third Layer of the Altar Stage
would be much quicker.
"
Exceptional Comprehension
is described as grasping concepts instantly.
Illumination
allows one to infer countless truths from a single insight."
Yuan Mobai smiled, "Our branch’s advancements in Daoist arts and talisman scriptures often come from those with
Illumination
or higher comprehension. If you have any new ideas for spells, go ahead and try them."
Lei Jun smiled back, "I was just thinking the same thing."
After reaching the
Third Heaven of the Altar Stage
, Lei Jun didn’t rush to cultivate his third
Life-Bound Spell
. It wasn’t indecisiveness, but rather that he had some ideas he wanted to test.
For
Talismanic Branch
cultivators at the
Second and Third Heaven
, using talismans generally required focusing on one at a time. Attempting to use multiple talismans simultaneously was taxing on both mana and mind.
Talismans channel heaven and earth’s energy, and split focus was counterproductive.
Choosing the right talisman at the right moment and coordinating them was a core skill for combat.
While many predecessors had tried using multiple talismans at once, their methods were conventional.
Lei Jun wanted to try something different.