Song Yin hadn't yet fully felt the changes in his body when he was frightened by this scene and leapt up to help Jin Guang, who had just fallen to the ground.
"Master! Master, what's wrong with you!"
Facing Song Yin's concerned inquiry, Jin Guang merely murmured, "My elixir, my treasured elixir..."
"Master..."
Song Yin was moved. To see such distress over the medicine, Master's precious drug was truly valuable.
"Master, the elixir is completed. Look at me, am I not the best treasure?" Song Yin consoled him.
It would have been better if he hadn't spoken, for as soon as he did, Jin Guang spat out another mouthful of blood.
He opened his eyes, full of ferocity, and then closed them rapidly again...
He couldn't keep them open; the fellow's eyes were like the sun, piercing so that he couldn't keep his eyes open.
He turned his head, tried to open his eyes in another direction, and at the same time, the veins on the back of his hand bulged, his fingers clenched with power, raising a ghostly light. Under the ghostly light, his hand appeared even more withered, his nails elongated, jutting out like the claws of a ghostly witch.
"Die!" The ferocity in Jin Guang's eyes matched his fierce expression as his claw struck directly towards Song Yin's Heavenly Spirit Cover.
Song Yin clearly couldn't react in time. The claw neared his forehead, but before it could even make contact, Jin Guang screamed in pain, his hand's claws emitting green smoke, blistering as though burned.
"Master?" Song Yin was stunned.
Jin Guang didn't respond; he leapt away and, before landing, clasped his hands into seals, his hair flying about without wind, muttering words. It was not until he landed heavily that three ghostly flames formed once again above his head and shoulders and attacked Song Yin.
Three Corpses Divine Fire!
Song Yin's brows furrowed slightly, but soon his eyes revealed a glint of realization. He stood still, allowing the flames to near him. Then his body emanated a white Qi, and the three balls of greenish flame melted away and evaporated like encountering water.
"Master, then please enlighten me further!"
Song Yin exhaled a breath of air as sharp as an arrow and stepped forward with a heavy thump.
Boom!
At this sound, Jin Guang trembled, his expression filled with horror. He flicked out two fingers toward Song Yin's position and shouted, "Freeze!"
Whoosh!
Song Yin almost seemed to teleport, trailing a white flame as he darted right up to Jin Guang. With a 'crack', he clenched his fist. The force as he lifted it churned up a violent wind that picked up the scattered shards of the Pill Furnace and the shattered medicine shelf, causing them to whirl chaotically within the Elixir Room.
In Jin Guang's eyes, Song Yin's fist was like the sun, and its rich white Qi was already scorching him all over, causing him to cry out strangely. A grey-green aura became visible around his body as his eyes turned blood-red, bulging out. The lower half of his face visibly extended forward, and two large, sharp fangs appeared on his lips, resembling a rat fleeing outward.
Song Yin moved swiftly, reaching out to grab.
Rip!
With a sound of tearing silk, the Taoist robe was ripped off like a piece of rag by Song Yin, while the grey-green figure had already dashed toward the doorway of the side hall.
"Master!!"
A sudden shout, resonant like the ringing of a great bell, halted the grey figure in its tracks. The layer of grey-green aura dispersed with the shout, and within the commanding voice, Jin Guang's bloodshot eyes suddenly cleared, reverting from a rat-like appearance back to his normal human form.
Song Yin gathered the white Qi around his body, bowed with his fist clasped, and lowered his head, "Thank you, Master. If there is any disrespect, please forgive me!"
The Jin Guang before him said nothing.
Song Yin, feeling curious, looked up only to see Jin Guang tucked into a corner with his back to him, his body clad only in a white garment that seemed to be... shaking?
Master is shaking? Scared?
That should be impossible, how could Master be scared.
So...
Song Yin looked at the torn Taoist robe on the floor, and among the pile of tattered clothes, a lone book caught his attention and brightened his eyes.
It was the "Great Golden Immortal Elixir Decree"!
This means...
"I see! Thank you, Master, for passing on the mantle and the true teachings!" Song Yin's voice was filled with fervor, "Disciple will certainly not disappoint you!!"
Only then did Jin Guang barely steady his mind. He forced himself not to tremble, turned his head without daring to meet Song Yin's gaze, and asked cautiously, "What, what do you mean?"
"Hehe, Master still wants to test this disciple, huh?"
Song Yin chuckled, "Master's sudden strike was to test the effects of the Flawless True Body. By letting me tear off your clothes in combat, and leaving behind the book, you believe I have the intention to inherit your mantle and you passed on the true teachings to me!"
"Ah?" Jin Guang was somewhat stunned.
"Hmm?" Song Yin raised an eyebrow, his voice becoming deeper, "Could it be that what your disciple has said is incorrect?"
Jin Guang shuddered with alarm and nodded hurriedly, "Ah... right, yes!"
He forced a slight smile, "Your disciple is indeed very observant, without you mentioning it, I could guess your purpose. Yes, I did want to test the efficacy and quality of the Flawless True Body!"
Song Yin's face showed pride.
How keen he, Song Yin, was!
From the master's reaction, it was clear that the Flawless True Body must belong to the realm of legends; otherwise, the master wouldn't have lost composure earlier.
The Innate True Realm and the Flawless True Body were both personally taught by the master, but from the master's reaction, it seemed as though he had never seen them, and his reactions to both were completely different.
With the Innate True Realm, the master was merely surprised, clearly something traceable.
But for the Flawless True Body, the master was almost frantic, clearly indicating it was the realm of legends.
Only a person with the talent of a Great Immortal like him could refine it!
Otherwise, why would the master pass on his mantle to me?
"Master, may your disciple leave now?" Jin Guang asked cautiously.
Song Yin furrowed his brows, "Master has just passed on his mantle to me, I haven't started cultivating the laws yet, and I have many questions. Why do you wish to leave so hastily?"
"I..."
Jin Guang gritted his teeth, staying still in the corner, not daring to move. He truly didn't dare to move; that punch just now, as blinding as the Sun, had almost scattered his soul.
He didn't want to delve into what that was. All he wanted was to get as far away from this place, as far away from this monster as possible!
Song Yin frowned, silent, but the suspicion in his eyes grew denser...
Jin Guang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly diverted the topic, "Disciple, I have torn your Taoist robe; I definitely need to change robes, right? But thinking that you still have many questions, I shall stay a while longer. And also... I am rather curious about this Flawless True Body of yours too, exactly how did you refine it?"
Song Yin revealed a dawning realization, pondered for a moment, then said, "Master, I refined it according to the verbal formula you gave me. The human body contains a great medicine that can form the Great Path, so I treated my body as the medicine to refine, correct? You provided me with so many herbs for absorption, and I figured that after absorbing them, if I treated myself as the elixir to refine, then it would be successful."
"Just like that?" Jin Guang was taken aback.
"Just like that."
Song Yin nodded, then after a moment's thought, added, "This Flawless True Body, I figured it must be utterly leak-proof. Master, in the cultivation of immortals and the refinement of Qi, Qi is essential, isn't it? Qi will dissipate, but the Flawless True Body wouldn't let Qi escape in the first place."
Wouldn't that mean bypassing the Qi Refinement's first stage 'Guarding Simplicity'?
There are nine major stages in the Qi Refining Realm: Guarding Simplicity, Solidifying Essence, Fighting Strength, Entering Skill, Using Wisdom, Communicating with Ghosts, Solidifying Form, Meditative Insight, and Entering Divinity, each stage manifesting differently. The first stage, Guarding Simplicity, is all about the initial Qi refinement, but with the fear of letting it escape, hence the need to hold it tightly, which is why it is called 'Guarding Simplicity'.
If there is no dissipation, then it is directly the second stage, Solid Foundation.
But now, Song Yin hasn't even started refining Qi yet; not to mention that there is no Qi for him to refine, even if he could refine Qi, it would only be at the second stage Solid Foundation. Coupling that with his strange 'Innate True Realm' should not make him his match.
Before entering the Pill Furnace, although Song Yin could easily defeat his Senior Disciple, the distinctions within the same stage of Qi refinement are bigger than the gap between a human and a dog, not to mention Jin Guang. Song Yin, no matter how formidable, Jin Guang was assured he could control him.
But the reality was different.
The reality was that he was even more disheveled than if chased by dogs!
"The Flawless True Body really just involves that?" This instead roused Jin Guang's desire to explore.
Song Yin shook his head and said, "Of course not, this is the Flawless True Body that you, Master, have longed to see but never encountered. Only a person with talent like a Great Immortal can cultivate it. I figure that after such a complex refinement process, it must be All Evils Repelled, All Laws Non-Invasive, Indestructible King Kong, Fiery Eyes and Golden Gaze; only that would live up to Master's precious herbs and high expectations!"
What in the world!
What are you talking about!
Jin Guang clenched his fists, seemingly understanding but feeling puzzled at the same time.
He swore to the four Heavenly Venerates, this Flawless True Body was just made up by him, even the method of refining was fabricated, and the entire world didn't have anything called a Flawless True Body.
Even if it was the Pure Treasure Heavenly Venerable himself descending to the Lower Realm, adept at change and divine skills, mastering endless paths of the Dao, he couldn't create one from his random fabrications, could he?
Plus, he didn't believe in Qing Bao; he believed in Hun Yuan!
And he hadn't said these words to Song Yin alone, nor was he the only one believing them; so why did things go wrong?
How did it...
Actually become real!