Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

"You're still strong... It's all thanks to your risky actions back then that you reminded me, and thankfully I stopped my relentless pursuit of cultivation, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

He seemed slightly frightened after the incident.

In the 1970s, Jiang Mo, who had reached the fourth level of the Profound Fate Realm, discovered his own abnormality. Beneath his powerful physique, a new soul was faintly being nurtured, indicating that his physical body was on the verge of losing control and his current soul was difficult to manage.

In a moment of impulse, Jiang Mo extinguished the new soul and once again visited the old site of the Teng Snake to observe the ruins and search for evidence to confirm his conjecture.

He was certain that every step he had taken along the way had laid an incredibly solid foundation.

With both life and death intact, and the strength of their bodies and souls nearly equal, no accident should have occurred. Yet, when they touched a certain limit of themselves, a strange change took place.

After that, Jiang Mo specifically instructed Si Chong, Cheng Zhen and others to be careful, to slow down appropriately, and that even stagnating at a certain stage for a long time was not necessarily a bad thing, as he was not the only one with this symptom.

Afterwards, he spent several years consulting ancient books from various places and found many similar cases in the history of extraordinary people. Without exception, the extraordinary people recorded in unofficial histories were all people who left their mark on history, enjoying the incense offerings of ordinary people and becoming mythical figures.

In other words, this is an inevitable stage that will occur before different individuals reach a point of qualitative change in each other.

The body gives birth to the soul, and consciousness depends on matter for its existence. The two are inseparable and are the very essence of humanity. Without either one, a person is no longer a person, nor is he/she anything else.

This is a more deadly calamity than the five signs of decay in the heavens, but it is almost completely lost in the lineages of various schools, and very few people know about it.

If not detected in time, the new soul, protected by the body, will grow stronger in a short period of time and replace the old soul. Destroying it is as difficult as climbing the Shu Road to heaven. In the end, one can only watch helplessly as the newborn 'self' carries all the memories of the past and devours the 'old self'. The soul is thus transformed, and life is given a new continuation.

According to historical records known to Jiang Mo, there are two versions of the story. One version is that the physical body is testing the soul. If one can overcome this challenge, the two will become one, returning to the form of the ancient ancestors, thus breaking the shackles of life and enjoying a lifespan of two hundred years.

Secondly, there is the aging of lifespan. In terms of both the soul and the body, if one of them ages, it will inevitably affect the whole body.

When the physical body is depleted of blood and energy, the soul needs to transform and be reborn to nourish the body's origin; when the soul is like a lamp about to go out, the body needs to undergo a qualitative change to nurture and protect the soul.

The two methods of achieving immortality are similar yet dissimilar, but they share the same ultimate goal: transcendence, prolonging life, and roaming freely in the world.

Chapter 319 A Long-Awaited Reunion, A Deadly Move to Meet the Enemy

Regardless of the type, the calamity that causes a qualitative change in the soul through the physical body still needs to be overcome by oneself. Jiang Mo could not interfere with his senior brother's cultivation; all he could do was remind the old man to be vigilant at all times.

Chengzhen encountered the same predicament. Several years after reaching the second level of Xuanming, he realized the birth of a new soul and spent a lot of effort and seclusion for several months to try his best to eliminate it.

The other disciples, due to their different cultivation levels and physical constitutions, approached the qualitative change stage at different times.

Based on the current examples, Jiang Mo is more inclined to believe the first explanation, that is, the physical body is testing the soul, and that the improvement in cultivation after he and Chengzhen overcame this hurdle was just a bonus that came with the breakthrough.

More importantly, they all felt a sense of unfettered soul and perfect union with body;

In layman's terms, it means being more free and unrestrained than ever before, with a body as clear as crystal, a mind free of dust, and inner and outer clarity, pure and without blemish, able to fully unleash the body's dormant potential and exert power at its limit.

Within the sect, reaching the third level of reverse rebirth is undoubtedly a landmark achievement, a pinnacle of accomplishment. Compared to overcoming the physical and spiritual tribulations, there is an insurmountable barrier between the two, as different as heaven and earth.

Seventy years have passed, and through several generations of disciples, the number of disciples has grown to less than a hundred. Only Jiang Mo and Cheng Zhen have achieved this.

Even Si Chong has only vaguely touched the threshold of transformation, while other disciples such as Lu Jin, Zhuge Yu, Shui Yun, and Chang Qing are still far from achieving it.

Regarding this phenomenon, for the sake of the sect's inheritance, Jiang Mo had long ago discussed with Chengzhen and Sichong that they would each write down their insights and various details during their breakthroughs, to leave for future generations, and hoped that the sect leaders they would establish in the future would also try their best to reach this level.

The heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, and the extraordinary people and supernatural beings overseas are even more numerous.

While the Triple Rebirth technique is indeed amazing, it is quite difficult to suppress the entire martial arts world and sweep away all the masters in the four seas and eight wastelands. Only those disciples of the Triple Rebirth technique who have survived a physical and spiritual tribulation can have a chance to challenge it.

On the lawn of the wooden cabin, Jiang Mo gazed at the distant night view. The hazy mountains rose and fell, dotted with stars. He seemed lost in thought, and the doubt in his heart slipped out.

"Senior brother, can you be honest with me? How confident are you of getting through this?"

"I wouldn't dare to say too high, maybe 60%, junior brother."

As if giving an answer that fits his actual situation, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Having lived for so long, and with two generations of leaders of the lineage who possessed both exceptional talent and diligence, such as Jiang Mo and Cheng Zhen, since the rise of the sect, he was extremely gratified.

For a considerable period of time, they had no worries about the future.

At least it seems clear... he will not live as long as his junior brother. As long as Jiang Mo is still alive, the sect will not decline before he leaves this world.

All he could do was, while he still had the energy and his lifespan was not yet over, take a few more steps forward and leave something useful for the younger generation of the sect.

The old man is very proud of his two disciples, Yu Huai and Xian Shu, who have dedicated themselves to the country and made great contributions over the decades.

He has no regrets in his life.

"Sixty percent?"

"Slow and steady wins the race. Take your time, I'll wait for your good news."

Jiang Mo smiled gently, a hint of anticipation appearing in his deep eyes.

The two sat down for a long talk, discussing various past events and the current situation without any reservations.

As dawn broke and the sun rose from the pale horizon, the old man yawned and drifted off to sleep. Only then did Jiang Mo help his still-unsatisfied senior brother back to the wooden house, bid him farewell, and leave to return to the sect.

.........

The news that the Dongyang Bihe Ren and Mixiu families collaborated with a high-ranking official in the Northeast region to abduct Gao Erzhuang has been circulating widely in the industry in recent days. Most sects are keeping a wait-and-see approach and are not making any public comments.

The company was responsible for interrogating Lao Zhang, using various methods. Without needing to pry open his mouth, a special expert was responsible for extracting his memories, uncovering a lot of useful information. They were quite shocked to learn that the underground tunnel leading overseas was actually a gift from the Quanxing Sect to them as a token of their cooperation.

Subsequently, several remaining spies within the company were also identified and executed immediately. Due to their low rank and lack of access to core secrets, the harm they caused was not significant.

On February 26, the company's current chairman, Huang Boren, and two vice chairmen attended an online performance review meeting. The nine participants present were all the highest-ranking officials of departments at the same level as the company.

As the company's representative, Fatty Zhao was under immense pressure and gave a detailed report on the circumstances surrounding the capture of temporary worker Gao Yushan due to the involvement of Lao Zhang, a high-ranking mole within the company.

Dissatisfied gazes were cast from the nine-square grid on the screen. The heads of those departments were undoubtedly extremely disappointed with the three directors, Zhao Fangxu, Huang Boren, and Bi Youlong.

The company's main job is to manage the supernatural beings in the country. Compared to their work, it is much easier. Even so, the efficiency is still extremely low, and it has even been infiltrated by the Japanese supernatural beings.

Upon learning of what had happened, the nine responsible persons reacted in various ways: some laughed coldly, some turned ashen-faced, and some closed their eyes and remained silent.

Including the company, there are a total of ten departments. They are responsible for all special events in the country that are unknown to ordinary people. They check and balance each other. The head of each department not only needs to be recommended by all the people in the department, but also needs to get the approval vote of at least five other heads in order to be qualified to take office.

Liao Zhong's death, Chen Duo's disappearance, Feng Baobao's secret being exposed and her being kidnapped, and the previous chain of events, Zhao Fangxu's suspension decision was discussed and approved by seven responsible persons at the time. Afterwards, Huang Boren took over as the company's chairman as a substitute, and people from other departments were sent to the company to help and supervise the work.

In just six months, the company made another mess of things. Due to the special period when Behemoth was about to promote the G1 reagent, all the company's personnel in various places were sent out, and each department had its own urgent tasks to deal with, so it was impossible to spare the manpower and time to take over the company.

The nine responsible persons temporarily suspended the accountability of the company's original six directors. In the past, they would have all been suspended. However, because they were responsible for assisting customs in preventing the entry of G1 reagents, they were allowed to continue to appoint, deploy plans, and dispatch company employees in various locations.

The final outcome was that once the dust settled on the G1 controversy, the six directors and Gao Lianjin were suspended from their duties, while the heads of the remaining districts, including other middle and senior managers, were required to undergo a review and reassessment of their qualifications.

The meeting lasted less than 30 minutes before it abruptly ended.

In response to the reports from the company's directors, the nine responsible persons only responded with indifferent words, and made general arrangements for the subsequent work, strictly ordering that there should be no mistakes.

.........

night.

In the Tang Dynasty caves and tombs of Sichuan, lights embedded in the rock walls cast faint glows, illuminating the vast cavern.

A filthy, disheveled figure was curled up in a corner, fast asleep. The old man with messy white hair and a haggard face was none other than Xu Xin, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves of the Jia Shen Year.

For seventy years he was imprisoned in the dark and desolate Tang Tomb, wasting his days in utter despair.

"clatter....."

"clatter....."

A sudden, light footstep sounded, and a thin, tall figure walked in from the cave entrance. Unlike his usual self, the sect leader, Tang Miaoxing, dressed in a gray robe, exuded an indescribable eeriness.

This uninvited guest, witnessing his sworn brother sleeping on the ground like a cripple, was filled with mixed emotions.

The betrayal of Zhang Huaiyi and Feng Tianyang back then resulted in heavy casualties among the thirty-six people, plunging the martial arts world into chaos. Now, the remaining survivors are probably fewer than a hand's breadth away.

Just as Zhou Sheng, disguised as Tang Miaoxing, attempted to take another step forward, the half-asleep, half-awake old man, as if muttering in his sleep, made a blatant threat:

"You are not a member of my Tang Clan. What is your purpose in entering here?"

"........"

A hint of shock flashed across Zhou Sheng's eyes. The two hadn't even had formal contact, yet the other party had already seen through his disguise. The Tang Clan's counter-surveillance capabilities were truly remarkable.

He quickly regained his composure and, without further ado, introduced himself:

"Thirty-third brother, I am fifteenth."

After a brief silence, just as Zhou Sheng was about to probe further, before he could even ask a question, he was met with a cold, mocking voice.

"You barking dog mouth, do you think you're worthy to try and get close to me?"

“I’m not thirty-three… I’m Xu Xin.”

In an instant, a terrifying killing intent filled the entire Tang Tomb, causing Zhou Sheng's mind to tremble violently. His skin ached faintly, as if he were being slowly tortured by a blade.

Xu Xin, that old bastard, is completely different from what he expected. According to his inquiries back then, he was clearly crippled by the Tang Clan leader, so why is he so terrifying now? What exactly happened...?

"It was Zhang Huaiyi a few years ago, and it's you again this year."

"Zhou Sheng, do you want me to kill you?"

Xu Xin slowly got up from the corner. He swayed and his body, which was exhausted of blood and energy, seemed like it would collapse at any moment. He was obviously ridiculously weak and far from the cultivation level of a supreme master, but he brought Zhou Sheng a sense of threat of death.

"Buzz!"

Almost instantly, driven by instinctive palpitations, in the few seconds before hearing the words, Zhou Sheng decisively activated Feng Hou to set up control.

In an instant, a series of invisible, eerie substances were detected. They were as dense as grains of sand, numbering over a hundred, and were only half an inch away from his brow, throat, and other parts of his body.

"Dan Shi?!"

Zhou Sheng was initially delighted, as he had come here specifically to obtain this item. However, he was immediately filled with shock and anger, never expecting that Xu Xin would try to kill him after so many years. He had almost fallen victim to the trap.

"No...that's not right..."

With a loud "boom," the invisible particles that should have been controlled and solidified in the void began to boil violently.

The moment it was obstructed, whether it collapsed on its own or was deliberately manipulated by Xu Xin, it suddenly exploded, turning into a spreading toxic aura, like a vengeful ghost with its gaping maw, pouncing towards its target.

"You old beast, are you really going to kill me?"

Zhou Sheng's eyes were sinister, and he roared angrily. Suddenly, he shifted his position to avoid the fatal blow.

In a single exchange, this supreme master of magic was no match for a crippled old ghost.

Most importantly, the transparent particles he sees now are similar to the information he recently gathered about Dan Shi, but they are completely different, even more powerful, strange, and impossible to defend against, and are completely like living things.

Chapter 320 Extortionate Demands: Who's Blackmailing Whom?

"Isn't killing you the only right thing to do?"

Xu Xin spoke in a hoarse voice, devoid of any emotion, his turbid pupils revealing a chilling glint.

"..."

Zhou Sheng's face was frosty as he demanded again, "How did you discover me?"

Unlike the disguise techniques of the martial arts world, the seventy-two changes of Feng Hou are infinitely close to all things in the game, and even the Qi can be copied and imitated. There is no reason why it should be so easy to be seen through.

"You're too clean."

Xu Xin glanced at this man sideways, his face revealing undisguised contempt:

"Disciples of the Tang Clan spend all their time refining poisons, so they all have a bit of a medicinal smell on them. And because they take the pill-eating method as their cultivation goal, everyone's medicinal smell is different. You can imitate the skin and flesh, but you can't paint the deeper layers."

"Is that so?"

Zhou Sheng chuckled to himself, "Looks like I'm really getting old and careless..."

"call out!--"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp hissing sound rang out, and the scattered poisonous energy regrouped. Dense particles, following Xu Xin's thoughts, shot towards Zhou Sheng, determined to take his life.

Whether it was the agreement made seventy years ago or the unauthorized trespassing on the Tang tomb, Xu Xin had no intention of letting this remnant of the Jia Shen era leave alive.

However, Zhou Sheng immediately cast a spell, waving his hand, and the spot beneath his feet instantly transformed into an auspicious location. Vast flames poured out from behind him, scorching the air and making the ground as hot as lava.

"Sizzle..."

Hundreds of transparent particles were burned and disintegrated, and the threat that had enveloped the body and mind vanished in an instant like a receding tide.

Zhou Sheng stood firmly in place, emboldened. If he wanted to leave, not only Xu Xin, but even the other experts from the Tang Clan couldn't stop him.

"It seems you've been confined for too long; it's really messed up your brain."

Zhou Sheng smiled sinisterly, repeatedly provoking Xu Xin with his words:

"Try again? If you make another move, I'll wipe out every last one of your Tang Clan members."

"......"