Chapter 0159

Chapter 159: Balance of Life and Death, Did Master Grow Again?

The Joyous Union Sect became a busy hive. Everyone took their posts and ran around nonstop.

Yet two people grew more idle.

In the Sect Master Hall, Zhou Tong lay with his head on Mu Rong Ya’s lap. He looked like he was resting, but he was actually practicing bedchamber arts. In this state, cultivation could do twice the work with half the effort. The Joyous Union Lock coiled around them both, binding them so closely they were like one.

Mu Rong Ya gazed at Zhou Tong with soft eyes as she grew used to the power of a Saint, while Zhou Tong used that power to seek insight into the realm of no-self.

To reach no-self, you have to meet a clear realm requirement. If you are not a Saint, you do not even know the self, so you cannot know no-self. He had to at least step into the Half Saint realm before he could enter no-self. The Life and Death Realm… he was still far away.

Luckily, he adjusted his mindset in time. The key now was to take it step by step: cross Life and Death, cross Samsara, then reach Half Saint.

For most cultivators, the Life and Death Realm is a huge watershed. After this, talent alone is not enough. To grow stronger you need deep understanding. You must grasp life and death and grasp samsara to become a Saint.

But these gates meant little to Zhou Tong. Before he became an Emperor, he would not meet any bottlenecks. As long as he had enough energy, he could raise his realm whenever he wished.

In the Life and Death Realm, leveling up needs more than heaven-and-earth spiritual energy. You also need to absorb life force and death qi. Life force is easy. There are all kinds of rare materials, and he is an alchemist, so it is easy for him. Besides that, there is an even simpler way: grab an enemy and refine them on the spot.

That was the truly satisfying method.

He had not known it before, but ever since he blood-sacrificed Xuan Yu and stepped into the Life and Death Realm, he finally tasted the thrill people call the wicked path.

[Bah. What wicked path.] He snorted in his heart. [This is the proper human way.]

[Use what is right in the right way, and use what is harsh in the harsh way. Why can’t I refine an enemy? Waste not, want not is a virtue.]

[Who decides what is righteous or evil? I do.]

All at once, he felt wide open inside, as if some blockage had been cleared.

Boom.

A vast sound rang in his heart and his whole body felt at ease. It was because he had found his true self and taken the first step toward no-self.

What is the true self? [I want to do it. I will do it. I will not regret it. That is my true self.]

He raised his head and said: “From today on, we will do it this way. Anyone who dares to be my enemy, I will refine their body and throw their spirit into the Nether furnace. Everything will be put to use, nothing wasted.”

As soon as he finished, good news came again. The spot between Zhou Tong’s brows lit up. His Insightless State started to run. Creation of a technique began… and ended.

Countless runes flew through his mind and formed a new supreme art.

“Balance of Life and Death.”

All living things hold both life force and death qi. With this art, he could freely redistribute the life and death within any area covered by his mental power.

The description was simple, but the effect was heaven-defying.

From now on, if he wanted to seize an enemy’s life force, he no longer needed a blood-sacrifice array. With one thought, he could gather another’s life force into himself. Or he could gather death qi and cause instant death for a target.

Even better, the effective range was the reach of his mind. Wasn’t this tailor-made for him? His mental power could easily cover a thousand miles. That meant with one thought, he could make someone a thousand miles away brim with life, or he could turn a healthy person into a pile of bones.

Of course, there were limits. The stronger the target, the harder it was to interfere with the life and death inside them. That was only right. Otherwise, with death qi stacked without end, even a Saint would be knocked flat.

“This is wonderful. So this is the gift of finding your true self. I cannot wait to test it. Jade Purity Sect, I choose you.”

Too excited, Zhou Tong rolled over and pressed his face right onto Mu Rong Ya’s lap.

“Ah!” Mu Rong Ya cried out, because his cheek was now buried against her thigh.

She scolded softly, her cheeks pink: “Little one, are you practicing or being a rogue?”

Zhou Tong grinned and said: “Master, let me show you my new art.”

He flipped up, formed a seal, and thrust his palm toward Mu Rong Ya: “Balance of Life and Death.”

In an instant, a vast tide of life force poured in and merged into Mu Rong Ya’s body.

“Mmm… this feels so good. I think I just got much younger, and some hidden injuries healed too.”

Her spirit shone. Her skin looked even smoother, white as jade. But then her face suddenly changed. She bent slightly and held her chest with both hands.

“What is it?” Zhou Tong’s heart jumped. He stopped at once.

She said with a small groan: “I do not know why, but I feel a little pain here… and a bit swollen.”

Zhou Tong’s body went rigid. He said carefully: “Is it possible… I mean maybe… you are developing again?”

“You little lecher!” Mu Rong Ya stamped her foot in anger: “I am over a hundred years old. How could I still…”

Snap.

Mu Rong Ya froze. Her white skin turned red in a flash. She looked like she might cry from embarrassment.

“What is it now?” Zhou Tong asked, testing the waters.

She whispered: “Little one… my close-fitting underclothes… I think they just snapped.”

“Hiss.” Zhou Tong clapped a hand over his nose to stop the nosebleed. With such a bewitching master at his side, this was too much to bear.

…

Primal Heaven Earth Mountain, Jade Purity Sect.

Unlike the lively scene elsewhere, this place was bleak. Fallen baleful qi covered the whole sect. It burned away cultivation and burned away life. Many had already dropped several minor realms and aged nearly ten years.

“Sect Master, save us! We cannot stand it. Please use great power to free the sect from danger,” Jiang Yu Yao and Ge Hong Qiu cried the loudest. It was not that the baleful qi hit them hardest, but that they were used to comfort and could not endure any hardship. If Zhou Tong were here, they would not need to be this miserable at all.

“Shut up,” Wu Zhan roared. “If I save you, who will save me?” He could not protect himself either.

Someone spoke up: “Sect Master, did you forget we still have a pseudo Saint Physique in our sect? If Zhou Tong is not here, we can make do with that person.”

Wu Zhan’s eyes lit up. That pseudo Saint Physique was Mo Liu Su’s third disciple, Xuan Shu Yu, granddaughter of Supreme Elder Xuan Yu.w

Among the five senior sisters in Zhou Tong’s past life, this one was the harshest to him. No matter how many disasters he blocked for her, she never felt thankful. Later, to become a true Saint Physique, she even took Zhou Tong’s heart-blood by force, making him almost die several times.

Now that Zhou Tong was gone, it was her turn to make a sacrifice for the group.