Lin Sheng remained seated for a while, his thoughts moving between the Organ Nourishing method he had just deduced and the growing instability of the Eastern Region. Although he had already identified the most practical direction for his next breakthrough, he knew that understanding a cultivation method and successfully putting it into practice were two entirely different matters. The human body was an extraordinarily complicated structure, and even with his current physique, attempting to refine the internal organs without adequate preparation could produce consequences that were difficult to reverse.
More importantly, there was a problem with the Qi-Blood Furnace that he had not initially considered.
If he intended to use the furnace to smelt the spiritual energy of the surrounding world into Five Elements Essence liquid, he would have to divert a substantial portion of its output towards nourishing and refining his organs. The furnace could continuously replenish his body's Essence, but that did not mean its resources were unlimited at any given moment, and if he wanted to maintain the delicate balance required by Organ Nourishing, he would need to ensure that the refined energy reached the correct organs in the correct proportions.
That meant temporarily suspending his internal cultivation.
Lin Sheng rubbed his forehead.
His internal martial cultivation had already stagnated considerably on the Immortal Continent, but he had never intended to abandon it entirely. Even if his current progress was slow, continuing to refine his internal foundation whenever an opportunity arose would eventually produce results, especially after he returned to the Martial Continent, where the conditions might be more suitable.
Unfortunately, he could not afford to divide his attention now.
The Five Elements Essence liquid produced by his Qi-Blood Furnace would need to be carefully controlled, with the majority of its output directed towards the organs undergoing transformation. If he continued circulating the same energy through his internal cultivation at the same time, the competing demands might interfere with the refinement process, making it difficult to determine whether the organs were responding correctly or whether the changes were being affected by his internal techniques.
For the initial stage, he needed a clean experiment.
He would suspend his internal cultivation and devote the furnace entirely to Organ Nourishing, allowing the refined Essence liquid to circulate through his body while his Qi-Blood gradually strengthened the organs from within.
After he had established a stable method, he could reconsider whether the two paths could be cultivated simultaneously without interfering with each other.
His gaze gradually became thoughtful as he examined the relationship between the Five Elements Essence liquid and his organs. During his earlier deductions, he had discovered that the organs responded particularly well to Five Elements energy, and the more he considered the matter, the less surprising it seemed. After all, the traditional correspondence between the Five Elements and the Zang organs was not merely a symbolic association, at least not from the perspective of cultivation. It reflected a deeper relationship between the principles governing the body's internal structure and the energies that could nourish and transform it.
The heart corresponded to Fire, the spleen to Earth, the lungs to Metal, the kidneys to Water, and the liver to Wood. If he could refine the Five Elements Essence liquid to a sufficiently pure state, then directing the appropriate energy towards each organ should produce a much more efficient transformation than relying on undifferentiated spiritual energy alone.
However, he would need to test this carefully.
The Five Elements were connected through both generation and restraint, and an imbalance in their circulation could affect the entire body. The heart might be his starting point, but he could not assume that strengthening it alone would immediately make the other organs easier to refine. He would need to understand how much Essence each organ could absorb, how its transformation influenced the others, and whether the generation cycle remained stable as his physical foundation advanced.
There was also another question.
The five Zang organs were only one half of the internal organ system.
What about the six Fu organs?
Lin Sheng's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as he considered the matter. The gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, urinary bladder, and Sanjiao all played important roles within the traditional Zang-Fu framework, and although their functions differed from those of the five Zang organs, they could hardly be considered irrelevant to the transformation of the body's Essence.
If he intended to establish a complete Organ Nourishing realm, he would eventually need to account for them as well.
Perhaps the six Fu organs should be refined after the five Zang organs had reached a sufficient level, using the completed Five Elements circulation as the foundation for a second stage of internal transformation. Alternatively, their refinement might need to proceed alongside that of the Zang organs, with the two groups forming a more complicated cycle that allowed the body's internal systems to develop together.
He could not determine the correct approach yet.
The five Zang organs had provided him with a relatively clear starting point because their connection to the Five Elements was well established, and the methods used by internal martial artists to reach the Five Qi Converges to Origin Grandmaster Realm had given him a considerable amount of information to work with. The six Fu organs, however, would require additional research, particularly if he wanted to prevent the refinement of one organ from interfering with the normal function of another.
He would need to compare the existing body-refining inheritances, examine the effects of different Five Elements energies, and use the chip to organise the information into a coherent method before attempting the next stage.
Lin Sheng let out a long sigh.
His mind was becoming increasingly crowded with plans.
He needed to investigate the hidden spatial region beneath the Lin family's mountain, learn more about the Patriarch's impending breakthrough, continue strengthening his Golden Body, advance his Shen towards the Divine Treasure Realm, and now establish a complete Organ Nourishing method that could potentially reshape the future of external martial arts.
He also needed to remain cautious about the growing war in the Eastern Region.
There was simply too much to do.
"One thing at a time," he muttered.
He rose from his chair, intending to visit the Grand Elder before returning to his secluded abode. The Organ Nourishing method could wait until he had returned to Changsheng Abode, where the surrounding formations would provide sufficient concealment for his experiments.
Attempting it here would be unwise.
Although his Qi-Blood Furnace could suppress most of the fluctuations produced by his cultivation, the transformation of his internal organs would inevitably release an unusual aura. The more profound the transformation became, the more difficult it would be to conceal the changes taking place within his body, and the Lin family's mountain was filled with cultivators whose perceptions varied considerably in strength.
The Grand Elder might not notice anything unusual, but the Patriarch was another matter.
If the Patriarch was truly approaching a Nascent Soul breakthrough, his divine sense would be far more formidable than that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. Even if Lin Sheng could conceal his current cultivation, he did not want to take unnecessary risks by exposing an unfamiliar transformation within the family territory.
His Changsheng Abode was much more suitable.
There, he could activate the formations protecting the mountain, isolate the cultivation chamber, and devote himself entirely to Organ Nourishing without worrying that the fluctuations would attract unwanted attention.
With that decision made, Lin Sheng put the matter aside and prepared to leave.
Yet while he was occupied with his own plans, far away on the Eastern Region battlefield, the consequences of the recent confrontation between two Nascent Soul True Monarchs were still visible.
The battlefield had become a wasteland.
Within a hundred miles, the terrain had been scorched and broken, entire stretches of earth had been torn apart, mountainsides had collapsed beneath the residual force of the clash, and the spiritual energy that once flowed naturally through the region had become a chaotic mixture of violent currents. Deep fissures crossed the ground, some extending so far into the distance that their ends could no longer be seen, while the remains of shattered formations lay scattered among the ruins of what had once been an important battlefield.
Even the clouds above the region had been dispersed.
The sky was unnaturally clear, yet faint ripples continued to spread through the void, remnants of the terrifying collision between two powers that ordinary cultivators could scarcely comprehend.
At the centre of this devastation stood the silver-white-haired Pavilion Mistress of the Myriad Dao Pavilion.
Her elegant figure hovered within the void, her robes moving gently as she gazed down at the ruined landscape. Her expression remained composed, but a faint trace of fatigue could be discerned in her eyes as she examined the lingering fluctuations left behind by the battle.
After a while, she released a quiet sigh.
"It seems the restrictions on our level are beginning to weaken."
The words were spoken softly, almost as though she were talking to herself.
For cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, the continent had never been entirely without limitations. Their cultivation allowed them to command immense quantities of spiritual energy and unleash divine abilities capable of devastating entire regions, but the world itself imposed certain restraints upon how freely such power could be exercised.
Those restrictions were not absolute.
Under particular circumstances, True Monarchs could still unleash their full strength, but doing so often produced consequences that extended far beyond the immediate battlefield. The greater the power released, the more violently the surrounding spiritual energy and spatial structure responded, and even the aftermath could place enormous pressure upon the land.
Over the years, the major powers had learned to avoid unnecessary confrontations between their strongest experts, partly because of the devastation such battles could cause and partly because the consequences were not always limited to the combatants themselves.
The recent clash had been different.
The power released by the two True Monarchs had exceeded what she would normally have expected from a confrontation of that duration, and the resulting disturbance had spread across an enormous region. More importantly, the fluctuations left behind suggested that the world's resistance to their power had weakened, allowing their divine abilities to unfold with fewer restrictions than before.
Under ordinary circumstances, this might have been welcome news.
If the continent's limitations were weakening, the major powers would have greater freedom to exercise their strength, and Nascent Soul True Monarchs might eventually be able to unleash abilities that had previously been too dangerous or difficult to use.
But the implications were far more complicated.
The same change that allowed them to exert greater power could also alter the balance among the major factions. A cultivator who had previously been constrained by the continent might suddenly discover that their strongest divine ability had become considerably more destructive, while another might find that techniques once thought impossible were now within reach.
The consequences would not necessarily favour the Orthodox Alliance.
Nor would they necessarily favour the Seven Star Palace.
Every major faction would be forced to reconsider its plans, and those that understood the change first might gain an enormous advantage over their rivals.
The Pavilion Mistress's gaze gradually deepened.
"If this continues, the Eastern Region will become considerably more troublesome."
Before she could consider the matter further, a strange fluctuation emerged from the void opposite her.
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
The surrounding space rippled like the surface of a lake disturbed by an invisible stone, and a figure gradually appeared within the distortion. He wore a dark robe that seemed to absorb the faint light around him, while his features were concealed beneath a calm expression that revealed little of his thoughts.
Yet the aura surrounding him could not be concealed so easily.
Nascent Soul!
Another True Monarch had arrived.
The Pavilion Mistress did not retreat, but the spiritual energy around her shifted almost imperceptibly, forming a subtle defensive layer that would allow her to respond immediately should the newcomer attempt anything unexpected.
The man noticed the change.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he stopped at a respectful distance.
"Fellow Daoist."
The Pavilion Mistress returned the greeting with a slight nod.
"Fellow Daoist."
Neither of them immediately revealed the full extent of their aura. They had reached a level where even a seemingly casual exchange could conceal countless calculations, and neither intended to expose their strength without a reason.
The newcomer glanced towards the ruined battlefield below, taking in the shattered earth and the lingering traces of the earlier clash before turning his attention back to her.
The Pavilion Mistress watched him for a moment, then raised an eyebrow.
"Why have you come here? Don't tell me you came to enjoy the scenery."
Her tone was calm, but there was a trace of mockery in her words.
The man scoffed.
"Enjoy the scenery? I have better things to do."
He looked at her more closely, and his expression gradually became serious.
"It seems your Myriad Dao Pavilion has already begun making plans for these changing times."
The words were quiet, almost whispered, but the meaning behind them was unmistakable.
The Pavilion Mistress understood immediately.
The Myriad Dao Pavilion had never been an ordinary commercial organisation. Its branches extended throughout the Eastern Region, and its influence came not only from the treasures it traded but also from the information it collected, the relationships it maintained, and the resources it could mobilise when circumstances demanded.
A change in the world's underlying restrictions would naturally attract its attention.
More importantly, the Pavilion had already begun adjusting its arrangements in response to the recent developments, though the precise extent of those preparations was not something she intended to discuss with an outsider.
She did not answer his accusation directly.
Instead, she smiled faintly.
"To each their own. Don't tell me your Dao Reaching Sect hasn't made preparations of its own."
The man's expression did not change.
For a moment, he simply looked at her, then shrugged as though the matter were too trivial to warrant further discussion.
"Every major faction has its own considerations. It would be foolish not to prepare when the world itself is changing."
The Pavilion Mistress neither agreed nor disagreed.
Her gaze shifted briefly towards the distant horizon, where the last traces of the earlier battle were gradually fading. The Dao Reaching Sect was one of the Orthodox Alliance's major forces, and its Nascent Soul True Monarchs possessed influence that extended across a considerable portion of the Eastern Region. If the sect had begun preparing for the weakening of the world's restrictions, it would undoubtedly have its own objectives in mind.
The Myriad Dao Pavilion had no intention of revealing its plans simply because another faction had noticed the signs.
After a brief silence, the Pavilion Mistress returned her attention to the man.
"Since you've come all this way, perhaps you can answer a question for me."
The newcomer gestured for her to continue.
She regarded him calmly.
"Has your sect made any progress in locating that Devil Head?"
For the first time since his arrival, the man's expression changed slightly.
The movement was subtle, little more than a brief tightening around his eyes, but the Pavilion Mistress noticed it immediately.
She continued in an unhurried tone.
"I heard that he killed the combined group of Golden Core cultivators your sect sent after him. Considering the strength of that group, I imagine the loss was rather unpleasant."
The man's lips curved into a faint grin.
"Unpleasant? That would be an understatement."
The Dao Reaching Sect had already suffered enough losses in the ongoing war, and the disappearance of several Golden Core cultivators had only made matters worse. Those cultivators had been selected precisely because they possessed the strength and experience necessary to investigate the mysterious Devil Head, and the sect had expected them to return with useful information.
Instead, every member of the group had disappeared.
The few traces left behind suggested that the confrontation had been far more one-sided than the sect had anticipated, and the surviving information had done little to clarify the identity of their opponent.
What troubled the Dao Reaching Sect most was not merely the loss of several Golden Core cultivators.
It was the nature of the techniques the Devil Head had displayed.
The man looked at the Pavilion Mistress, his smile becoming more pronounced.
"You and I both know that the methods he has demonstrated do not belong to this period. His techniques, the way he controls his power, and the treasures he has used all suggest that he possesses knowledge that should have disappeared long ago."
The Pavilion Mistress remained silent.
The man continued, his voice lowering slightly.
"That means this matter concerns more than my sect. If someone has emerged with an inheritance from a past period, the consequences could affect every major force in the Eastern Region. You should understand that better than most."
The Pavilion Mistress's expression remained unchanged, but her eyes became colder.
She had already considered the possibility.
The Devil Head's methods were unusual, and the power he had displayed against the Golden Core group could not be explained simply by claiming that he possessed an exceptional cultivation technique. There were too many peculiarities in the available information, and the circumstances surrounding his appearance suggested that he might possess knowledge of a cultivation system or inheritance that had long since vanished from the continent.
However, understanding that possibility did not mean she intended to involve herself in the matter.
The Dao Reaching Sect had its own reasons for pursuing the Devil Head, and the Pavilion Mistress had no desire to become entangled in another faction's investigation without a clear benefit.
The man seemed to understand her hesitation.
He spread his hands slightly.
"Since this affects our respective forces, why don't you lend us a little help? Your Pavilion has branches throughout the Eastern Region, and your information network is considerably more extensive than ours. Surely you can spare some assistance."
The request sounded reasonable.
That was precisely why the Pavilion Mistress found it irritating.
The Dao Reaching Sect wanted access to the Myriad Dao Pavilion's information network without revealing how much it already knew, and the man's casual tone did nothing to conceal the calculation behind his words. If the Pavilion agreed to assist, it might find itself drawn into a conflict whose true stakes remained unclear, while the Dao Reaching Sect retained the freedom to withhold whatever information it considered important.
The Pavilion Mistress looked at him for a moment.
Then she smiled.
"That is something your sect will have to consider for itself."
Before the man could respond, her figure began to blur.
There was no sudden burst of spiritual energy, nor did she perform any conspicuous hand seal. Her body simply dissolved into the surrounding void, her silver-white hair and flowing robes fading like a reflection disturbed by rippling water.
In the next instant, she had disappeared completely.
The man remained suspended above the ruined battlefield, watching the place where she had stood.
For several breaths, he said nothing.
Then a cold sneer appeared on his face.
"Cold as always."
His voice drifted through the empty sky, but there was no one left to hear it.
He turned his gaze towards the distant horizon, his expression gradually becoming more serious as he considered the changes sweeping across the Eastern Region.