New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 104: Biological Version of Martial Arts Cultivation

"Qi-refining technique?" After hearing Yuan Zhu's question, the little girl showed a puzzled expression as if to say, "You don't even understand this."

"Yes, how do you practice Qigong? Can everyone practice it, or is it only accessible to those who meet special conditions?"

As he asked the question, he sensed the two siblings and confirmed that they both had a small amount of unfamiliar contaminated energy in their bodies, but the repulsion and purifying impulse of the [Holy Light] was not strong. This was different from the contamination he had encountered in the tunnel before.

From the perspective of the Holy Light System, the polluted energy of the two tends to be neutral, not evil, and still within the tolerable range. Switching to the D&D system, Yuan Zhu, the Paladin Reserve, would like to call the two of them neutral.

My sister immediately replied, "Everyone can practice Qi refining, and it's essential to practice it, or you'll die. As for the method, simply breathe in and out according to a specific rhythm, refining the food in your stomach. This will allow you to extract a strand of source Qi from the Dao Seed in your Dantian. Different Dao Seeds combined with Qi refining techniques will yield different kinds of Qi."

Digesting food through breathing and extracting 'qi' perfectly aligned with his understanding of [Refining Essence into Qi]. This Cicada Clan's cultivation method sounded quite classical, a direct descendant of the [Kunlun Immortal Dao].

But why do they say that [Qi Refining Technique] comes half from surface pollution and half from Zerg Dao Seeds? It has nothing to do with Kunlun.

So he continued to question: "If I don't practice, I will die? Why is that?"

The girl didn't understand why Yuan Zhu was so lacking in common sense, but she answered honestly, "Because the food contains a lot of deadly poisons, and there are also [Immortal Zombie Wood Beard] left behind by the roots of the Reversed Life Tree and the Immortal Realm Tree. Only by practicing the art of refining Qi can one use 'Qi' to neutralize the deadly poisons and wood beard in the food. Otherwise, before the age of 20, one's body will be covered in parasitic wood beards, turning into a living dead immortal zombie. The strong ones are captured and trained as Taoist soldiers, while the weak ones are used to grow immortal herbs."

At the end of her speech, her expression was extremely gloomy, with a hint of fear and despair. It seemed that their parents and relatives might not have met a good end.

Although I don't fully understand the Immortal Zombie Mushu, I can at least guess a few things. Its toxicity suggests a form of contamination. This Mushu is another parasitic contamination originating from the Kunlun Immortal Root. Since the Spiritual Root can enter the Kunlun Immortal Path, then similar contamination can also parasitize all living things, transforming them into puppets of the living dead.

Wasn't the Experimental Group 3 he raised in the Haunted House just two shadow eggplant vines that could parasitize goblins? A professional plant specialist like Kunlun must have even more sophisticated methods.

Yuan Zhu: "Is the 'Immortal Zombie Woodbeard' hidden in all the food in your underground world? If you don't eliminate it, it will spread throughout your body and eventually control you."

"Yes. It's said that before the Immortal Realm Tree was destroyed, the immortals used this method to enslave everyone, selecting the strong ones to feed them elixirs to become stronger, and eventually to be refined into Taoist soldiers. As for the weaker ones, they would use their ever-growing bodies to feed insects, extract natural treasures from the earth to refine magical tools; or use their bodies to grow spiritual herbs and precious medicines to refine immortal elixirs."

"Now, we, the Zerg, have overthrown the rule of the Immortal Sect and gained our freedom, but 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers' still remain in our bodies, and they continue to accumulate through breathing and eating. Only by practicing the [Qi Refining Technique] can we suppress and eliminate these things, but some people will still die from the Immortal Zombie Whiskers. After death, they will still be recovered by the [Insect City] and used to cultivate precious medicine."

???

So what exactly did you locals overturn? From being taken away by the immortal sect to cultivate flowers and plants, to being recycled and used by you to cultivate flowers and plants?

Yuan Zhu: "Why does it sound like nothing has changed?"

The little girl shook her head repeatedly. "No, it's changed so much. According to the elders, before the destruction of the Immortal Realm Tree, ordinary people didn't live past 30. Back then, people would overdraw their lives through 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers', stimulating a large amount of spiritual energy and vitality within their bodies. They would then create insect nests within their bodies, consuming the spiritual energy in their flesh and blood to grow and produce materials. Their lives were extremely painful and miserable. Now that the Immortal Sect has retreated, we can practice [Qi Refining Technique] again, no longer having to become a human flesh insect nest and suffer the pain of being devoured. We can continue to practice and become stronger, controlling our own destiny! Even in death, our bodies are of great value. Handing them over to [Insect City] can be exchanged for a large amount of resources for our loved ones, allowing them to live a better life."

As she spoke, the little girl's eyes were filled with excitement and pride, as if she had entered a new era, a better and more promising life.

Yuan Zhu shook his head after hearing this. This was clearly a small evolution from slavery, stimulating the passion of the common people for self-exploitation. He also constantly brainwashed people by using horrific memories and comparing the past and present.

Compared to the capitalist pie-in-the-sky schemes of my own [Maomao Wang], it pales in comparison! I, Yuan Zhu, am a chosen worker who can easily strive to become a regional manager in another world!

"Tell me what the 'Zerg Dao Seed' is? How does the [Breathing Method] work? How do you use Qi to suppress the 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers' in your body and the poison in your food?"

He guessed that this [Insect Dao Seed] was the core and starting point of the insect pollution, and its nature was similar to [Holy Mark, Spiritual Root, Dao Bone, Buddha Head Cocoon], but he didn't know how it worked?

"[Dao Seeds] are [Spirit Insect Eggs]. The main vein of each insect city holds a unique set of 'Spirit Insect Eggs'. They will be implanted in the dantian below the navel when the baby is one month old. Implanting Dao Seeds in the body will give the baby the ability to resist and suppress the spread and growth of 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers'. Different 'Spirit Insect Dao Seeds' implanted will become different races. My brother and I chose 'Spirit Cicada Eggs', so we are the [Cicada Clan]."

???

Sounds like a vaccination! This is a pretty straightforward introduction.

The little girl continued, "As babies grow older, their intelligence gradually opens, and the 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers' in their bodies accumulate and increase. At this point, people will passively comprehend different breathing rhythms, like an instinct imprinted in their blood. But the old man said that the knowledge and information carried in the 'Tao Seed' at this time is the most primitive 'breathing method.'"

"With this breathing technique, you can stimulate the [Tao Seed] to feed on the immortal zombie whiskers within your body, refining the 'immortal zombie whiskers' and 'spiritual energy' within the roots of immortal trees, reverse-grown leaves, mushrooms, mosses, and insects. Through the [Tao Seed], you can transform it into 'Source Qi', which strengthens your body. When you have enough Source Qi, you can refine it into silk and release it from your body, or stimulate the [Tao Seed] internally to grow meridians that travel throughout your body, opening up the twelve main meridians!"

The more the little girl spoke, the more outrageous it became. The more he listened, the more it sounded like the Kunlun Immortal Technique: "Isn't this the Kunlun Immortal Dao's 'Spiritual Root Development Method'?!"

The basic entry level for Kunlun cultivators is to plant spiritual roots in the body, refine spiritual energy through breathing, stimulate the spiritual roots to divide and grow in the flesh and blood, and create a "meridian system" like plant veins.

This method is also recorded in the Dangerous Botanical School (Sanxian) of [Yuyuan].

When the first 'Seed of Essence' is nailed into the crown of the head, it will also spread downward from the [Du Meridian. Baihui Point] as the starting point, parasitizing the entire body and forming the first meridian system.

In addition, in the memory of my predecessor, the ancient medical (traditional Chinese medicine) system passed down by the Xi Kingdom also has a "meridian map" that is consistent with the Earth, including treatment methods such as acupuncture.

However, contemporary human anatomy confirms that the normal human body lacks observable, physical meridian structures. However, the concept of meridians in ancient medicine has also been demonstrated to exist. Acupuncture is effective, but it lacks the ability to channel Qi. Traditional martial arts techniques, such as Qi training and breathing techniques, cannot generate internal strength or true Qi. They merely regulate breathing rhythms, at best reaching the level of traditional Chinese martial arts, transporting Qi, blood, and heat.

The so-called [breathing method], true essence and true qi, must rely on polluted systems such as [Kunlun Immortal Method] or [Sanxian Method] to achieve.

As for the Daoists and immortals of the [Huangtian System], they disdain to breathe at all. Genku is pure bone porcelain, cultivating metaphysical "mana and divine power," and everyone can't piss in the same pot.

Therefore, the 'Zerg Qi Refining Technique' mentioned by the little girl was more like a biological parasitic version of the 'Kunlun Spiritual Root'. Furthermore, it could be reversed to kill the 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers' within the body, similarly achieving the effect of refining spiritual energy into [Qi].

The little girl retorted, "It's different. I heard from the elders that our insect race has been slaves to the immortals for generations, from ancient times to the present. Our bodies have been corroded and mutated by the 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers', leaving behind a meridian-like imprint that is transmitted through our blood. Therefore, when the 'Spirit Insect Dao Seed' is stimulated, it will grow a similar meridian structure."

Yuan Zhu heard what the other party wanted to express. On Duling Star, after a source of pollution (a supernatural person) gets married and has children, his offspring give up contact with pollution. After three consecutive generations of reproduction, the traces of pollution in their bloodline can be washed away, and after five generations, it will be completely purified.

But outside of the spirit world, the [bubble world] and even the [spiritual realm], if one generation is polluted, the descendants will inherit the polluted and distorted genes for generations to come. This is "bloodline"! The essence is genetic pollution.

The natives of this underground world looked like humans, but their cores were already tainted and distorted. Therefore, the Kunlun and Zerg contamination within the Zerg was incredibly high, a result of generations of optimization and inheritance.

Therefore, he was destined from birth to be a top-tier Daoist soldier (immortal zombie) seedling, a pot for top-grade spiritual herbs (meat), and a nest for high-end spiritual insects... It's only in the last hundred years that he's managed to defy fate, relying on [Qi Refining Techniques] to achieve a comeback, but that hasn't changed his core essence. Therefore, the potential of the Kunlun system's meridians, hidden within its bloodline, should naturally be reactivated through the Dao Seed.

Yuan Zhu concluded, "'Qi' is produced by stimulating the Dao Seed through breathing techniques. Conversely, Qi can stimulate the Dao Seed to grow meridians in the body. And the Dao Seed is actually an insect egg, parasitic within you, devouring the 'Immortal Zombie Whiskers' to delay your transformation into a spiritual herb flowerpot?"

So, the "insect cultivator" jumped from the immortal sect's flesh flowerpot to the side of the insect egg host? He still couldn't escape the fate of being a wedding dress for others.

The little girl frowned, feeling that the other party's words were strange and that he looked down on her.

Yuan Zhu asked curiously, "What about the flaws of the [Qi Refining Technique]? Or rather, the price. Wouldn't it be true that when you reach a certain level of cultivation, you'll die, your cauldron shattered, and a giant insect will crawl out of your body?"

"How do you know? When practicing Qi Refining, if one ingests too much polluted spiritual energy, or devours too many poisonous immortal zombie whiskers that cannot be refined in time, the cultivator may become unconscious, experience hallucinations and auditory hallucinations, or experience a drastic change in temperament. Only Heavenly Warriors with advanced cultivation and possessed by demons may experience the 'Tao Seed Transformed into a Demon', transforming into a human cocoon, where all nutrients are sucked away by the Tao Seed and a [Demonized Giant Insect] is bred from within. This is one of the most terrifying demonic disasters in the underworld."

Yuan Zhu sneered. It was indeed so. However, this 'Qi Refining Technique' was the closest he had come across to the contaminated power of the Celestial Empire's martial arts system. It was a little familiar, but he refused to harbor parasite eggs in his body.

"Heavenly Warrior? In your Zerg cultivation system, how many levels are there? What will happen if those weaklings absorb too much poisonous spiritual energy?"

"It's divided into three stages: [Heaven, Earth, and Human]. The [Human Level] requires refining 12 Qi threads from the Dao Seed. Each Qi thread stimulates and guides the Dao Seed, growing along the meridian pathways. These 12 Qi threads will eventually develop a complete [Twelve True Meridians] within the body. Even as a Human Level warrior, we're still at this stage. However, we also need to raise insects for the [Insect City], which also requires consuming Qi threads to cleanse their bodies of 'severe toxins and immortal zombie whiskers,' warm their shells to stimulate the production of spiritual materials, control them from wandering around, and ensure they feed precisely... Therefore, our cultivation speed is very slow."

"As for the [Earth Level], I'm not sure. It's said that one must differentiate 360 Qi threads, stimulate the Dao Seed within the meridians, and grow 360 insect nests before being considered a master. As for the [Heaven Level], it's said that one must condense the true meaning of martial arts, connect the Qi threads to the outer world, and refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for personal use. Most importantly, one must also undergo [Casting Armor] transformation and completely control the Dao Seed within to be considered a Heavenly Warrior. Those who fail in this will be devoured by the 'Dao Seed', their flesh and blood dissolving into a thick soup of life, transforming into a human cocoon, becoming only nutrients for the 'Dao Seed Demon Embryo' and transforming into a worm."

The sense of déjà vu of martial arts was growing stronger and stronger. Meridians, zhenqi, acupuncture points, zhenqi turning into silk and releasing it... and there were also innate warriors, but everything was achieved through the 'insect eggs'.

"Do you have any other strange martial arts secret manuals or techniques?"

The little girl nodded repeatedly: "Yes, different 'Insect-type Qi Refining Techniques' have their own unique skills."

"So besides the twelve main meridians, there are also eight extraordinary meridians?"

"I've never heard of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, but different insect eggs and different Qi refining techniques all contain unique hidden meridians. Every time one is opened, the strength will be far superior to that of the same level. But that is only accessible to the nobles, we are not qualified."

Yuan Zhu asked again, "As your cultivation reaches a higher level, will you develop various insect characteristics?"

The little girl shook her head in confusion. "No, Heavenly Warriors also look like humans. The characteristics of insects are all contained in the 'Qi Silk'. [Earth Level] Warriors can condense Qi and transform into form, displaying special effects. In addition, we use Qi Silk to feed insects to produce spiritual materials, which are then refined by the nine major technician families into 'pseudo-magic tools' and activated by the source Qi. But those are only available to the strong. We can only join the main city or the technician alliance after we have reached the human level."

"A fake magical weapon? Can you insects also refine the magical weapons of the immortal sect?"

"The Technician Alliance can, and some Insect Cities can also forge a small number of magical instruments. In the past, to resist the oppressive rule of the 'Nisheng Xianzong' and the 'Insect Cities,' a group of powerful individuals from the Technician Alliance stood up and fought for the legacy of the Immortal Realm Tree. They advocated for the sharing of technology, exchanged and spread martial arts, and deciphered the immortals' magical instruments, elixirs, and formations... Ultimately, they created a cultivation system unique to our Insect race, which they continue to refine. Today, the Technician Alliance has split into nine major families, and the 'Iron Warehouse' specializes in forging magical instruments. My brother most wants to join the 'Iron Warehouse' or the 'Armor Casting Division.'"

Yuan Zhu was a bit surprised. It seemed this 'insect cultivator' wasn't purely martial arts, but also had a lot of immortal cultivation elements mixed in. He could also refine weapons, make elixirs, and set up formations... a true biological insect cultivator! A pirated Kunlun immortal.

"What about you? What's your dream? Do you also want to join the Technician Alliance?"

The little girl nodded: "Yes! I want to go to the 'Changsheng Family' to learn alchemy."

At this time, the young man who was still squatting in the corner spoke up: "My sister is a genius. Her ability to control her true energy is the strongest, unmatched by anyone!"

When he said this, he looked at Yuan Zhu with anticipation. It was obvious that he regarded Yuan Zhu as some important person and hoped that he could help his sister.

(End of this chapter)