Chapter 147: Divine Nether Body Refinement Scripture

Sleep was impossible this night.

After Fang Cun ventured deep into the Rear Mountain with Elder and stirred up such a commotion, the entire Shoushan Sect was abuzz.

Everyone knew a madman who always clutched a painting lived deep in the Rear Mountain, yet no one had dared trespass for years. Even those who did trespass ages ago never caused such chaos. And this Second Young Master Fang? His cultivation hardly seemed any higher than theirs. Yet he’d just strolled in casually, with just a Little Fox and a Lantern?

Some keen-eyed observers noted: despite the Rear Mountain being wrecked, Second Young Master Fang’s robes showed not a single crease. The only hint he’d even faced Elder Shenshan? A few bits of grass clinging to the hemline of his coat…

How did he manage that?

Everyone remembered how even the Sect Leader was carried out the last time he entered the Rear Mountain…

But what truly set the Shoushan Sect disciples endlessly speculating was: why had Second Young Master Fang gone deep into the Rear Mountain?

Even more crucially—what had he actually accomplished?

Whispers, wild as rolling thunder, instantly swept across the entire Shoushan Sect.

Countless souls instinctively grasped one astonishing possibility… yet shied away from believing it…

However, Second Young Master Fang offered no explanations. Emerging from the Rear Mountain, he simply smiled and declared the night late. He urged everyone to return home. Any questions? He’d answer them tomorrow. Then he left for Jade Mirror Peak with his Little Fox. Behind him, he left a Young Sect Master Xu and two Elders, their faces alight with frantic joy and anticipation… and a sea of disciples who dared glimpse the possible, yet struggled to fully trust…

…

While hidden currents surged through Shoushan Sect, filled with doubt and shock, Fang Cun returned to his grand hall and softly exhaled.

“It worked!”

Yu Qingli, who’d waited anxiously inside without resting, sprang to his feet. “You succeeded?!”

Since joining Shoushan Sect, Yu Qingli had stayed loyal to Fang Cun on Jade Mirror Peak, diligently running errands. He knew Fang Cun had discussed entering the Rear Mountain with Young Master Xu and the Elders. Worry gnawed at him. He couldn’t believe Fang Cun returned so quickly. Stunned, his gaze lingered on his master…

He’d even steeled himself to rush into the Rear Mountain for a rescue if things went wrong… and it was actually settled?

“Of course I did!” Fang Cun smiled. “I’ll give you a copy soon. Cultivate diligently, advance into the Divine Nether Body. With your talent, it shouldn’t be a barrier. For now? Go guard the hall entrance. If the Sect Leader and Elders arrive, have them wait outside!”

“Th-this… Yes!” Though waves of emotion crashed within him, Yu Qingli asked no further questions. He obeyed.

Stepping outside the hall, he saw them: Sect Master Xu, Elder Green Pine, and Elder Cold Stone… already standing there. And not just them. Some disciples, sensing a shiver of possibility, couldn’t contain their own excitement. They’d flocked towards Jade Mirror Peak. Crucially, only the Sect Leader and Elders dared approach the peak itself. The disciples knew Fang Cun’s command forbade trespassing. They could only gaze from afar.

“Elder Fang stated he is occupied. He requests the Sect Leader and Elders wait a moment.” Yu Qingli stood firm at the hall entrance, extending a polite but blocking hand.

“This…” Elder Cold Stone and the others hesitated to force their way in. Restlessness gripped them. They forced a smile. “Could we… just ask a quick question?”

“Hmm?” Yu Qingli’s expression darkened slightly.

Young Sect Master Xu and Elder Green Pine’s hearts skipped a beat. Hastily, they pulled Elder Cold Stone back.

Facing Yu Qingli’s shadowed features, they swiftly offered appeasing smiles. “No trouble! None at all! We’ll wait! Just a little wait…”

True, this was only a young, newly-recruited disciple. But he served Elder Fang personally. Offending him was unthinkable. Especially when this disciple’s scowling face screamed someone who held fierce grudges… and exploded effortlessly…

Don’t provoke… absolutely don’t…

“Oh?” Observing the Sect Leader and Elders’ sudden pliancy, Yu Qingli felt a flicker of surprise:

I simply paused to think… why have they suddenly become so… cooperative?

Shrugging it off—unexplainable moments just seemed to pepper his life—he returned to his duty…

…

When Yu Qingli took that sheaf of text and made his arrangements elsewhere, Fang Cun himself picked up another stack. He leafed through it slowly, softly reciting lyrics, famed throughout the cultivation world, known to every soul:

“First realm: Immortal-Sage body divine,

Second realm: Yin-Yang essence align,

Third realm: Golden-Jade forms refine,

Fourth realm: Lustrous Glass body shine,

Fifth Qi toward the Origin streams,

Rebuild the world in cosmic schemes,

Heaven-Earth overturned reveals,

The Way’s true substance it conceals…”

It was said this melody told of the ranks of Treasure Bodies attainable in this world… and their ultimate heights.

The Immortal-Sage body was the supreme peak.

Next came the most elusive—the Yin-Yang Dharmakāya. Called ‘Yin-Yang’ due to ancient taboos.

Yet, in truth, those terms ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang,’ could well be swapped for ‘Divine’ and ‘Demonic’!

Then followed third—the Buddhist Golden Body and the Daoist Jade Body.

Ranking fourth was the Lustrous Glass Treasure Body, the widespread method amongst major sects.

And fifth? The method of refining a Treasure Body via the Five Qi. Commonplace throughout the Great Xia Realm. Whether taught openly within Academies, or practised by wandering Rogue Cultivators—all used the Five Qi Treasure Body Refining. This method was universally recognized as the lowest grade. But it held one advantage: this Treasure Body was… malleable.

The five ranks had distinct traits.

But fundamentally: lower ranks could evolve into higher ones. Higher ranks, could similarly degrade into lower ones.

Within the same rank? Transformation was near impossible once solidified.

“All secret arts of this world hinge upon the Treasure Body!”

“Because of the Treasure Body’s nature, divergent powers and esoteric Mysteries unfold—countless techniques and supernatural abilities flow forth!”

“Myriad sects possess secret arts usable only with their specific Treasure Body!”

……

Fang Cun’s thoughts drifted. His eyes fell upon the Divine Nether Scriptures resting nearby.

These scriptures held the secret legacies of the Shoushan Sect. The “Divine Nether” within its name reflected the sect’s original title, before the Great Xia Immortal Court unified the land. They’d discarded the old “Divine Nether” name, adopting “Shoushan” (“Guardians of the Mountain”) bestowed honorably by the Turtle God King. Yet the foundational Treasure Body and its allied supernatural arts… remained unchanged.

The Divine Nether Scriptures chronicled techniques and supernatural powers spanning simple to profound.

The simplest arts, like Ghost Controlling or Body Doubling, required just some Magical Power expenditure. They could be practised and unleashed not just by cultivators of the Divine Nether Body—even those practising Five Qi Treasure Body Refining could wield them.

The mid-tier Divine Nether arts? Practically possible only for Five Qi cultivators… yet they’d never unleash their true, formidable potential.

As for the high-tier Divine Nether Mysteries? Achieving them was flatly impossible without the Divine Nether Body.

Flipping that logic: since only the Divine Nether Body could grasp these arts within the scriptures…

…Could one inversely deduce the training methodology for the Divine Nether Body… from these techniques and supernatural powers themselves?

The principle itself was starkly simple.

Naturally… a problem existed!

Without the Divine Nether Body’s training manual, obviously, one couldn’t master these secret arts. The arts’ cultivation instructions spoke only of channeling certain meridians… never directly revealing the Divine Nether Body’s core method. So the puzzle seemed unsolvable.

Unless… someone actually mastered these arts without the manual… then inferred the optimal Body form that allowed their manifestation!

But… could such a person even exist?

……

Fang Cun’s thoughts ended with a soft chuckle. He glanced at the Little Fox. “Organize the Divine Nether Body Tempering Essentials for me.”

Little Fox: “?”

“G-go… organize them where?”

Fang Cun’s gaze remained playful. “Didn’t we… visit the Rear Mountain?”

The Little Fox looked utterly blank. “But… we didn’t ask Mad Elder…”

Fang Cun grinned. “Just pretend we did!”

Little Fox: “……”

Sighing fondly at her bewildered stare, Fang Cun picked up the text the fox had meticulously transcribed daily. A brush flashed in his hand. He inscribed five characters atop it: . Tilting his head, he reconsidered. He crossed it out, then handed the scroll back. “Rewrite this name properly yourself. Then select all the essentials you copied daily. Bind them into three copies. Bring them to me. After that… invite everyone in.”

The Little Fox stared at the scripture. Her ears snapped rigidly upright with shock.

Just what have I been copying all this time?!

Observing her utterly flabbergasted look, Fang Cun couldn’t suppress a faintly smug smile.

People capable of deducing Body Tempering Arts backward from supernatural techniques? Truly, few existed in the entire world…

Yet he… was precisely one of them!

……

“My elder brother authored the Formless Treasure Body Scripture. Its very ‘Formlessness’ allows it to assume all forms!”

“Through refining one hundred and eight meridians… he gained the power to practice any secret art… and inversely deduce every Treasure Body method in existence…”

“Once such a path succeeds… truly, heaven and earth must tremble! No wonder those exalted personages, even while deeming this Treasure Body Scripture impossible to master, relentlessly poured heart and genius—and sacrificed countless talents—into its deduction…”

“But… did big brother write this scripture… just so I could steal other sects’ secret arts?”

Fang Cun chuckled softly, shaking his head. He let the thought go.

From the moment he mastered that Scripture, and discovered the method converting Merit into Innate Qi—allowing him to rapidly deploy every Shoushan Sect art and instantly grasp the sequence, priority, rhythm, and force required to cultivate each meridian—he understood the truth. Retrieving the Shoushan Sect’s Divine Nether Body Tempering Art was no challenge at all. The sole hurdle? How to explain this to others!

Suddenly, it was easy.

Wish to know? Simple. Just ask Elder Shenshan yourself…

Then brace yourself to see if he pummels you senseless!