Chapter 89: Contemplation

“Only by fully comprehending the mysteries of the physical body can one hope to take that crucial step.” It was precisely because Yi An understood this truth that he had to proceed with caution, seeking victory through steadiness rather than impatience.

The nine apertures of the human body, like the myriad stars in the heavens, were profoundly mysterious. The method he intended to use to send his spirit out of his body was to let it break through seven orifices, ascending one by one from bottom to top, until the final barrier was overcome and he could leap forth—successfully leaving his body.

Yi An calmed his mind and stilled his breath. Though he could not quite attain the state of tranquil waters, untouched by joy or sorrow, he managed to achieve a sense of peace. Once his heart was steady, he gently closed his eyes and slowly guided his spirit into the first orifice. With a determined leap, and after a brief moment of disorientation, his spirit entered the second orifice.

“The second one…”

He steadied himself again, preparing to attack the third orifice. This time, he clearly felt a resistance that had not been present before. Each level he ascended was a new trial.

Yet, without mishap, Yi An soon reached the third orifice. Repeating this cycle, he pressed on with all his strength until he arrived at the sixth orifice.

Now, only the final, critical step separated him from success.

At this moment, Yi An was overcome by a wave of dizziness. His spirit felt faint, as if it might disperse at any moment. Forced to halt, he realized that any further recklessness might lead to disastrous and unpredictable consequences.

“With each leap, the pain of my soul being torn is enough to drive one mad,” Yi An thought, feeling the stabbing agony shuddering through his spirit. His face twisted in distress. If he delayed any longer, he might miss the best opportunity to leave his body; when that time passed, all his efforts would be in vain.

“I have it… perhaps it’s worth a try!”

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and a bold idea began to form in his mind.

He exhaled a heavy breath, summoned his true essence, and began to slowly channel it into the orifices, guiding it toward the sixth orifice.

Indeed, his plan was to use his true essence to shield his spirit as it broke through the orifices. If true essence could protect the spirit as it left the body, why not as it passed through the orifices?

With this thought, Yi An immediately set his plan into motion.

Wrapped in true essence, he found the state of his spirit to be better than ever before. However, he had taken things too much for granted. In this world, there was never a shortage of extraordinary talents.

His idea, it turned out, had already been tried by more than one predecessor. True essence could indeed shield the spirit from harm, but it also interfered with the breakthrough. Previously, his spirit had been weightless, but when mixed with true essence, it gained weight, making it much harder to leap through the orifices.

Thus, while the spirit was protected, the method was ultimately self-defeating.

“No—others might fail, but my spirit is far stronger than theirs. Perhaps I can succeed,” Yi An thought resolutely, his heart stirring with anticipation. Though reason told him he should stop now, withdraw his spirit, and reconsider, giving up so easily was not in his nature. Unconsciously, his body made one final attempt. This time, he summoned every ounce of his will, bracing himself and exerting all his strength for a desperate leap. In that instant, his spirit seemed to transcend itself, entering a wondrous and mysterious state.

A long while later, when Yi An opened his eyes again, he saw his own body sitting serenely below. He felt as if his entire being were light as a feather, utterly powerless, so insubstantial that a mere breeze could scatter him.

Yet, far from feeling defeated, his eyes shone with a brilliant light. “I’ve succeeded!”

For this first out-of-body experience, he could not remain separated from his flesh for long. His spirit was still weak; next, he needed to use visualization techniques to steadily strengthen it. When his spirit grew robust enough, he could roam freely at night, covering a thousand miles in a single day.

Moreover, with his spirit, he would be able to do many things impossible for the physical body.

At this stage, however, he was still but a formless wisp. Even when he reached the level of roaming by day, this would not change. Only upon attaining the realm where the spirit could manipulate objects would a fundamental transformation occur.

Very soon, Yi An felt a distinct sense of discomfort—his spirit was weak, its strength rapidly fading. Though his spirit was extraordinary, the toll taken during the breakthrough of the seventh orifice was considerable. It would take at least ten days to half a month before he could recover.

Only when his spirit had returned to his body did Yi An finally allow himself to relax. The warmth of his flesh was an unprecedented comfort.

He had indeed taken a risk with this breakthrough, but the results spoke for themselves. Had he given up at the critical moment, who could say when the next opportunity would have come?

With his eyes half-closed, Yi An focused his mind and chose a direction for his visualization. This technique was meant to sharpen one’s perception, and the spirit was a vital part of that.

Gradually, he perceived a ball of green light wandering before him. The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, vast and boundless like a bitter sea, with the green light floating like a lonely boat, drifting helplessly, on the verge of capsizing at any moment. A single great wave could scatter it entirely. He struggled to nurture this little vessel, striving to make it grow stronger and evolve to a higher level.

The night passed in a flash. When Yi An opened his eyes again, he found his body in better condition than ever before—the visualization method was truly marvelous.

“Before I possess the absolute power to protect myself, it’s best to use spirit separation as little as possible,” Yi An sighed. No matter how powerful a person became, the spirit was always the most vulnerable part. Even at the level where the spirit could appear in physical form, many weaknesses remained.

A brief reflection allowed Yi An to understand the difference between divinity attained through the flesh and that attained through the true spirit. The power of flesh-born divinity derived from oneself, while that of the true spirit relied on external things. Only when the Dao was realized through the existence of the body could true security be found.

Otherwise, even ancient deities like Xi Bojun could be defeated by exploiting the weakness of the spirit.

This experience also served as a timely warning: never again could he allow his vulnerabilities to be exposed under the eyes of others.