Chapter 5: A Reborn Form and a Shocking Encounter

“The art of immortals… how could mere physical restoration possibly showcase an immortal’s true capabilities? Alright, alright, you have no choice in the matter, so why agonize over it?”

A trace of guilt colored the Book Spirit’s tone, compelling it to hasten Ye Lan, leaving him no room for further deliberation.

Ye Lan let out a sigh, acknowledging the undeniable truth of its words; he truly had no other option.

“The Profound Yin Netherworld Art emphasizes the profound comprehension and mastery of the world’s Profound Yin energy, hidden deep within one’s heart.”

“Cultivators must approach this with a tranquil mind, sensing and integrating with this Profound Yin energy to elevate their cultivation and the art’s potency.”

“Concurrently, practitioners must consistently maintain mental and physical serenity to avoid being corrupted by the Profound Yin energy.”

“Currently, the Profound Nether Lake teems with a vast accumulation of Profound Yin energy gathered by the previous owner, making cultivation here twice as effective.”

“Moreover, possessing the Pure Yang essence means the Profound Cold energy will have limited impact on you, but never let down your guard.”

The Book Spirit’s words had shed their usual flippancy, becoming uncharacteristically grave.

“No cultivation art ever proceeds entirely smoothly, and the Profound Yin Netherworld Art, due to its ‘profound mysteries,’ proves even more challenging than others.”

“Prepare yourself.”

Ye Lan nodded, having accepted his current predicament and casting aside all distracting thoughts.

In this fantastical world, as long as one survived, anything was possible.

Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, he settled into a full lotus position, facing north with his back to the south.

His breathing became deep, long, even, slow, and gentle.

He clasped the four fingers of his right hand with the tiger’s mouth of his left, and the thumb of his left hand with the tiger’s mouth of his right, forming a ‘Tai Chi diagram’ with his thumbs at the tiger’s mouth.

As his spirit settled, the surrounding Profound Yin energy, guided by the cultivation art, began to converge upon his physical body and divine soul.

Had Ye Lan opened his eyes, he would have witnessed his flesh constantly disintegrating, transforming into Profound Yellow energy that gathered without dispersing.

Once his physical body had completely vanished, the Pure Yang essence coalesced into a fireball, tightly enveloped by the Profound Yellow energy.

It then intertwined with the Profound Yin energy, resembling the cyclical rotation of Yin and Yang, continuously stirring the surrounding Profound Yellow energy.

Witnessing this, the Book Spirit finally relaxed.

The most challenging and perilous aspect of cultivating the Profound Yin Netherworld Art lay in its very beginning.

Once the Profound Yin and Pure Yang energies achieved balance under the harmonization of the Profound Yellow energy, the remaining process would simply rely on the cultivation art’s automatic circulation.

As Ye Lan’s heart settled into his dantian, her consciousness entered a peculiar state.

Though her eyes remained closed, she could distinctly perceive the entire process of her physical body’s disintegration and subsequent reconstruction.

From Tai Chi came the Two Poles; from the Two Poles arose the Four Symbols.

The interplay of Yin and Yang allowed her physical form, once annihilated, to be reborn anew.

Even with her current low cultivation realm, preventing her from gaining deeper insights, this experience would undoubtedly prove greatly beneficial for future breakthroughs.

She wished this process could have lasted longer, allowing her a more meticulous observation.

Yet, quite clearly, such a wish was impossible.

Her consciousness no longer drifted aimlessly like a dandelion seed in the wind; instead, it settled, much like a stone cast into water reaching the lakebed, now imbued with sensation.

Slowly opening her eyes, what she beheld was no longer her own body, but the crystal-clear lake water and a bed of blue-green pebbles.

Her physical form had been entirely reforged, and naturally, all previous bodily scars had vanished without a trace.

Placing her hands before her, the flawless, delicate hands were so perfect that Ye Lan almost mistook them for a masterpiece painstakingly carved by a master artisan.

On the pristine, jade-like arms, small, distinct fingers moved nimbly at Ye Lan’s will, silently conveying to her that these were indeed her own arms.

Yet, a nagging sense of unease lingered.

Ye Lan’s pupils contracted.

She suddenly realized that the cultivation art recorded in this secret manual was likely far more complex than a mere self-castration.

Abruptly, she lowered her head to gaze at her own body, and what met her eyes was a sight that made her blood surge.

“Book Spirit, you… *gurgle, gurgle.*”

With her brain rapidly engorging with blood, Ye Lan dared to speak even at the bottom of the lake, despite it being filled with water.

Though her breathing remained entirely unaffected, the moment she spoke, lake water surged into her abdomen.

Fortunately, Ye Lan clamped her jaws shut just before her stomach distended like a pregnant belly, narrowly avoiding an update to the cultivation world’s list of most bizarre deaths.

The next instant, the Book Spirit’s voice echoed within Ye Lan’s mind: “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? What do you need me for?”

Watching the secret manual leisurely float before her, Ye Lan offered a terrifying smile.

“Mental communication? Never mind, that’s not important. Aren’t you going to explain what’s happened to me?”

The Book Spirit suddenly comprehended.

“Ohh, so that’s it. Well, things did happen quite suddenly. So, let’s celebrate your second wonderful life right now! The previous owner prepared some fine celebratory wine, and there are plenty of delicious things to roast in this space, so we’ll just… Whoa!”

Before the Book Spirit could finish its sentence, Ye Lan seized its main body, and a tremendous tearing force spread from the center of the manual outwards.

“Ow, ow, ow! Please, have mercy! I know this came as a shock to you, but there was nothing to be done, was there? Even if I had told you the outcome beforehand, given your state just now, wouldn’t you still have needed to cultivate it?”

“I deliberately withheld the information to reduce your psychological burden and increase your chances of successful cultivation.”

The Book Spirit attempted to seize the moral high ground, hoping to suppress Ye Lan, who had now fallen into a berserk state.

Unfortunately, this tactic proved effective only against individuals with higher moral standards.

Before merging with another world, Ye Lan’s moral compass had indeed met that standard.

After the merger, while it couldn’t be said her morality had plummeted to rock bottom, it was certainly now capable of appreciating the view from the depths.

Moreover, currently engulfed in a furious rage, her rationality had entirely ascended to immortality.

The Book Spirit’s words merely prompted Ye Lan to escalate her grip’s strength by another degree.

“Stop, stop, stop! Brute force won’t tear me apart; I’m protected by a spell.”

“How about we get out first? You’ve absorbed most of the Profound Nether Lake’s spiritual energy, and soon you won’t be able to breathe normally underwater.”

Despite her new appearance, Ye Lan had no desire to suffer the indignity of drowning here, so she released the Book Spirit.

It was then that she noticed something.

“By the way, you can communicate with me directly through our minds?”

“Indeed! Now that you’ve cultivated the art, you are my new master.”

“Rest assured, new master, with my devoted assistance, you will absolutely stride unchallenged across the Boundless Cosmos (TL Note: ‘Hengyu’ is the name of this world), reign supreme, and elevate the Profound Yin Netherworld Art, refining it into a supreme divine art that every cultivator in the Boundless Cosmos yearns for and must cultivate! Hahahahaha!”

The Book Spirit’s boundless ambition utterly astounded Ye Lan; this book was truly… terrifying!

She couldn’t even begin to imagine such a scenario.

Thus, Ye Lan stated gravely, “Cultivators of the Boundless Cosmos… they don’t deserve such a fate.”

Book Spirit: “?”

“Never mind, let’s just get out of here first.”

Ye Lan no longer wished to engage in further conversation with this clearly deranged Book Spirit.

Although, for a fleeting moment, its wicked proposition had made her consider wishing other Boundless Cosmos cultivators could experience her agony, she ultimately dismissed the thought, deeming the difficulty far beyond her capabilities.

Just as she was about to move, she suddenly noticed something: she was entirely unclothed.

Had it been her previous body, this would have been inconsequential.

Yet, her form was now utterly different, and her current feeling was akin to her divine soul having possessed someone else’s body, albeit with the most perfect fit imaginable.

Originally, her storage pouch contained spare clothes.

Alas, the storage pouch itself and its contents had evidently failed to withstand the cyclical rotation of Yin and Yang energies.

Everything, including the sword box that had brought her to this predicament, had ceased to exist.

It was only due to the awakening of her past life memories, coupled with the Profound Yin Netherworld Art’s seemingly calming effect on her soul, that Ye Lan hadn’t succumbed to inner demons.

“Hey, by the way, do you have any spare clothes?”

Hoping for a stroke of luck, Ye Lan ventured to ask the Book Spirit, and received an encouraging reply.

“Of course! The previous owner had already anticipated this. Just stay soaking in the lake; I’ll go get them for you.”

With that, the Book Spirit drifted away into the distance.

Ye Lan had originally intended to cultivate further at the lakebed, hoping to recapture the sensation of her previous enlightenment.

Regrettably, that Dao of Yin-Yang transformation seemed to manifest only during the body’s reshaping.

Moreover, she could feel that as time passed, breathing at the lakebed grew increasingly difficult, so she began swimming towards the surface.

The lightness of her body surpassed her wildest imagination; at this moment, she moved like a fish born in this very lake, everything so natural and effortless.

The white light from the surface grew ever brighter, the dim lakebed receding into the distance, seemingly silently celebrating her rebirth.

Though Ye Lan found nothing particularly celebratory about it, the moment she broke the surface and met a pair of brown eyes, she was plunged into a brief state of mental stupor.

****

…

At this moment, Quan Haoqing also found himself in a state of stupor.

Guided by his own Book Spirit, Quan Haoqing had successfully arrived at the cold lake where Ye Lan was located.

Although the grotto-heaven was currently bathed in bright sunshine and mild weather, the surroundings of the cold pool were shrouded in mist, akin to a celestial realm.

Before even drawing close, Quan Haoqing felt a bone-chilling coldness assailing him.

The cold permeated everywhere, like ten thousand needles piercing his body, even causing the spiritual energy circulating within his meridians to slow down, or even halt.

Quan Haoqing instantly lost his balance, collapsing to his knees on the ground.

However, just as the cold threatened his life, the spiritual power within him, activated by the Starfall Crimson Flame Art, circulated like molten lava through his meridians.

Wisps of heat emanated from his body, and only then did Quan Haoqing let out a massive sigh of relief.

The Book Spirit explained, “Cultivating the Profound Yin Netherworld Art, much like the Starfall Crimson Flame Art, requires a special environment to succeed.”

“If there truly is a cultivator here, they should be right here… Hmm? Are they about to emerge?”

The lake’s surface, previously as still as a mirror, rippled gently, as if a creature was about to swim out from its depths.

Quan Haoqing’s gaze instantly sharpened.

Drawing a long sword from his waist, and recalling the previously lost waist token, his conjecture about the cultivator’s identity solidified to seventy or eighty percent certainty.

Spiritual power continuously flowed from his wrist into the sword, making the blade glow fiery red, as if freshly drawn from a forge, containing a temperature capable of melting gold and refining iron.

He merely awaited the person in the lake to reveal themselves; if confirmed to be the one he suspected, he would strike them down with the force of a thunderbolt.

Time ticked by, second by agonizing second, Quan Haoqing’s nerves stretched taut.

A bead of cold sweat trickled from his forehead, down his cheek, to his chin, only to be entirely evaporated by the residual heat of his sword as it fell towards the ground.

Killing someone beyond one’s cultivation realm meant utter annihilation if even a slight misstep occurred.

He had only dared to take this risk because his Book Spirit had guaranteed their presence remained undetected.

*Splash.*

Accompanied by the sound of water breaking, Quan Haoqing’s gaze instantly locked onto the figure.

Then, then, then… he saw a lake fairy who had just finished bathing?

Her long, raven-black hair, like a waterfall, fanned out across the lake’s surface, spreading in ripples.

The maiden’s eyes were as crystalline as black jewels, as pure as spring water, brimming with innocence and guilelessness.

With brows like painted strokes, skin whiter than snow, pearly teeth, and crimson lips, she was exquisitely beautiful, akin to a celestial being radiating enchanting light, a figure seemingly not of this mortal realm.

This was, quite possibly, the most beautiful woman Quan Haoqing had ever seen in his life.

But, this wasn’t right, was it?!

Where was Ye Lan, the one he intended to eliminate?