Mortal: Fifteenth Realm Sword Cultivator

The sound startled Han Li so much that he jumped back in his tracks, and his newly stabilized Core Formation stage aura almost dissipated.

He slowly turned his head and saw Lu Jianghe sitting there calmly, holding a teacup in one hand and a book in the other.

"You're just trying to scare me like that. I just broke through to the Core Formation stage, and my cultivation level hasn't even warmed up yet. I almost had a reversal of spiritual energy, and my cultivation level is unstable. What if I fall back to the Foundation Establishment stage... then I'll really blame you, Brother Lu!"

Lu Jianghe smiled and put down his teacup, slowly saying, "Tsk, if being startled really makes you fall back to the Foundation Establishment stage, then you'd truly be the first and only 'paper-thin' Core Formation cultivator in the history of cultivation. The title of 'the first in all time' sounds quite impressive, doesn't it?"

Han Li walked over irritably, plopped down opposite Lu Jianghe, and without any ceremony, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, gulped down a big mouthful, and looked resentful.

Lu Jianghe smiled and then asked, "How does it feel to reach the Core Formation stage?"

Han Li felt the surging spiritual power flowing within his body, far exceeding his previous strength by dozens of times, and the rapid expansion of his divine sense's perception range due to cultivating the Great Evolution Technique.

The clearer sense of control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth made him take a deep breath, and a genuine smile of joy appeared on his face: "I feel refreshed, as if I have taken off a heavy shackle, and the world has become much more open."

Lu Jianghe chuckled lightly, "Creating the Core is merely the starting point on the path of cultivation."

Han Li remained noncommittal. As a pseudo-spiritual root cultivator, what more could he ask for than successfully forming his core?

Lu Jianghe said, "Next, I need to borrow your cave for a while. First, take back the wisp of soul that was attached to Zhang Tie. I want to see if I can try to awaken his soul again with my current abilities."

Upon hearing this, Han Li's chuckle vanished, and his expression returned to seriousness.

He did as instructed, raising his hand and pointing to his brow, while chanting a spell in a low voice.

A pale blue, almost transparent strand of soul energy, as if drawn by a force, swayed out from between Zhang Tie's eyebrows and swiftly disappeared into Han Litai's body.

As the wisp of his soul was completely extracted, Zhang Tie, who still carried a trace of life, lost all trace of his last remaining vitality. His eyes became completely empty, and he truly became a flesh puppet with only warm blood but no soul.

Han Li asked from the side, "Approximately how long will it take?"

Lu Jianghe pondered for a moment before slowly speaking: "Whether we can awaken Zhang Tie's sealed main soul intact is another matter. Judging from the current state of this body, although it has undergone special refinement and its realm has reached the Core Formation stage, the origin of its soul is still just a mortal soul. It has neither the nourishment of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth over the years nor the enlightenment of the Great Dao."

This body was like a "small horse pulling a big cart" to his weak mortal soul; it was like asking a Core Formation cultivator to forcibly drag a mountain—it was simply impossible for him to bear the weight.

"Now there are only two paths to choose from. First, try to safely extract Zhang Tie's soul and temporarily seal it in a 'vessel.' Afterward, you can still control this Core Formation puppet as usual. Once you find an ordinary Qi Refining puppet body, you can transfer his primordial spirit into it, giving him a new life. Second, try to strengthen the essence of this existing body with rare materials, making it slightly able to accommodate and nurture the soul. After a few decades, with the body continuously nourishing him, perhaps he can leap to the heavens and become a Core Formation cultivator."

As Lu Jianghe recounted the story, Han Li's expression gradually shifted from the high spirits of someone newly forming their Golden Core to a solemn one.

He hadn't expected that reviving Zhang Tie would be so complicated.

He had previously believed that as long as Brother Lu made a move, he could release Zhang Tie's sealed soul as if breaking a seal.

Then, Zhang Tie will be able to "come back to life".

How did my buddy become a cultivator?

He's a Core Formation cultivator!

Just thinking about it made Han Li want to laugh.

I didn't expect there to be so many restrictions.

Han Li frowned slightly; he didn't lack puppets himself.

He cultivates the Great Evolution Technique, and has a considerable reserve of puppets, not to mention those in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages.

"Brother Lu, I have a puppet that can be used at the Qi Refining stage. What level of cultivation is required?"

Lu Jianghe pondered for a moment: "It shouldn't be too high; around the third level of Qi Refining is most suitable."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming cautious, "Of course, all this is on the premise that I can successfully unseal his sealed main soul. If I can't even do this one step, everything else is just empty talk."

Han Li nodded solemnly: "I understand. Shall I keep watch outside for you?"

Lu Jianghe casually placed the book on the table, his tone slightly teasing: "Protect me? You just formed your core, people who don't know better would think you're a Nascent Soul cultivator."

He waved his hand, "You go do what you're supposed to do, don't get in the way. This whole process will probably take several days."

Hearing Lu Jianghe say this, Han Li no longer insisted.

Alchemy room.

Lu Jianghe stood still, his fingertips forming a hand seal, choosing a certain method of alchemy to reunite Zhang Tie's soul.

The Taoists say that "the human body is a furnace," through which one removes the dross and retains the essence, refining oneself to create the elixir.

In Buddhism, there is also the practice of "lighting snow in a red furnace," where the true fire is used to cleanse the mind of impurities and reveal one's true nature.

Both paths lead to the same goal, and both are profound and subtle principles.

Lu Jianghe formed a hand seal, his body free of any trace of smoke or turbidity, yet he stirred up a surge of wandering spiritual energy in the world, which, guided by the hand seal, flowed continuously toward Zhang Tie's body, firmly enveloping him.

Immediately, a wisp of pure white true fire, refined to its extreme, slowly flowed from Lu Jianghe's fingertips.

The true fire, neither raging nor fierce, moved like a living creature, probing towards Zhang Tie's Niwan Palace.

The moment the flames made contact, they instantly enveloped the entire body.

They actually used Zhang Tie's body as a complete alchemical furnace, with his skin, flesh, and bones forming the furnace walls, and subjected him to the "tempering" of true fire little by little.

Under Lu Jianghe's control, in no time at all, Zhang Tie's seven orifices opened up, and wisps of almost transparent divine soul mist slowly drifted out from the orifices, just like the wisps of smoke rising from burning incense, continuously rising and gathering above his head.

The mist was not an illusion, but a manifestation of Zhang Tie's original three souls and seven spirits. Each wisp of mist carried his original divine soul, which was now being drawn out by the true fire, waiting to be condensed and reorganized.

However, before the soul could be fully formed, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, dense, fine lines, like cracks in porcelain glaze, appeared on Zhang Tie's body, spreading out in a spiderweb pattern. Beads of blood were faintly seeping out from the cracks, a sign of impending collapse.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the fact that this body is merely a demonic core, with an incomplete foundation. Forcibly enduring the method of condensing the divine soul is ultimately beyond its capabilities, and it may completely collapse at any moment.

Lu Jianghe's true form stood firmly in place, his body suddenly radiating spiritual light. His Yin spirit instantly left his body, moving so fast that it was just a streak of light before entering his physical form.

The moment the penetration occurred, Zhang Tie's previously empty and lifeless eyes suddenly opened, and there was no longer any trace of dullness in them.

Instead, Lu Jianghe's cold gaze replaced the body, which was now completely dominated and controlled by his Yin spirit.

Zhang Tie's hands moved rapidly through the air, his fingertips outlining complex and mysterious runes. Each rune landed on the ground, transforming into a life-giving spiritual technique.

A massive amount of primordial energy from heaven and earth, drawn by the incantation, surged wildly into this body, permeating every crack.

The main body, on the other hand, did not stop, and continued to refine itself by enveloping its body in innate true fire.

As the true fire continued to purify, the smoke above Zhang Tie's head grew thicker and thicker, gradually condensing into a millstone-sized area that churned and flickered above his head.

The clouds were clear at first, but soon became mixed with fine, dark "threads" that rolled and tangled, unable to condense into a pure form for a long time.

Lu Jianghe stared at the surging, pitch-black mist of divine souls, and he already understood.

This mixed black aura is the hidden danger left behind by Mo Juren's evil magic.

Having been possessed for so long, it had long since become entangled with Zhang Tie's mortal soul, making them inseparable.

In addition, mortal souls are inherently weak. If ordinary methods are used to exorcise evil, not only will they fail to eradicate it, but they will also likely perish, leaving Zhang Tie with no chance of reincarnation.

But if nothing is done, the mist cannot condense, and being in the mortal realm will slowly erode one's essence.

Lu Jianghe calmed down, his fingertips pausing slightly as he made a hand seal, deep in thought.

This decision allows no room for error; the slightest misstep could lead to total defeat and the loss of all previous efforts.

"I feel like I'm being torn apart every breath right now, so you'd better hurry up and make the effort."

"Zhang Tie" suddenly spoke.

Because the Yin spirit possessed Zhang Tie's body, it refined the body shell and healed the pain of its disintegration, just like a carbuncle that clung to the bone and penetrated straight to the soul.

The pain and trauma are so intense and agonizing that they are no less severe than the mundane punishment of slow slicing, and second only to the agony of being burned by karmic fire; they are truly torturous.

Even with Lu Jianghe's resilient spirit, he had no choice but to remind the main body at this moment.

"We are one, so if I don't care, why should you?"

"..."

Lu Jianghe, unusually, made a joke of himself.

Then, he calmed down and pondered how to break the deadlock.

Should we forcibly imprison Zhang Tie's soul first?

When the spiritual mist stopped escaping from Zhang Tie's seven orifices and the surging soul light completely condensed, Lu Jianghe knew that the moment of final decision had arrived.

Without the slightest hesitation, he abruptly raised his hand, his five fingers outstretched, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to stir the suspended cloud of mist like a vortex. Then, he swiftly seized it with one hand!

The compressed and condensed divine soul was instantly forcibly shaped into a soul bead the size of a chess piece.

The Soul Pearl has a strange color, with a gray and white surface, interspersed with a trace of black.

This is Zhang Tie's natal spirit and soul.

At the same time, Lu Jianghe's Yin spirit, which occupied Zhang Tie's body, stabilized the body that was on the verge of collapse. The spiderweb-like cracks instantly healed and disappeared under the nourishment of the abundant spiritual energy.

With a thought, Lu Jianghe withdrew the true fire that had been continuously refining the flame.

Immediately, a Yin spirit with the same appearance as Lu Jianghe's true form emerged from Zhang Tietian's crown chakra and then floated down to stand beside the true form.

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