“ nà yòu rú hé ？”
“那又如何？”
"How about that?"
lín xuān lěng liè de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， rèn shuí zì yǐ wéi yǐn mì de dōng xī ， bèi bié rén dào pò ， zhè liǎn sè zì rán dōu bú huì hǎo de 。 cǐ shí cǐ kè ， lín xuān jiù shì zhè yàng de qíng kuàng le 。
林轩冷冽的声音传入耳朵，任谁自以为隐秘的东西，被别人道破，这脸sè自然都不会好的。此时此刻，林轩就是这样的情况了。
Lin Xuan's cold voice entered his ears. Any secret one thought was keeping hidden, once revealed by others, would naturally not sit well with them. At this moment, Lin Xuan was in such a situation.
tā de zuǐ jiǎo biān ， yǐ yǒu shā qì liú lù， rán ér nà lǒng zhào zài hēi qì zhōng de tiān mó ， yī jiù shì shì ruò wú dǔ 。
他的嘴角边，已有杀气流lù，然而那笼罩在黑气中的天魔，依旧是视若无睹。
A killing intent had already flowed from the corner of his mouth, but the Heavenly Demon encased in black energy still ignored him as if he didn't exist. His expression even carried a hint of excitement as he continued speaking to himself: "So what? This is what they call a mortal saint body—mortals without a spirit root who, according to reason, have a chance to walk the path of cultivation. However, because their感应 means 'sensation' or 'response', but in this context, it's more likely to be translated as 'perception' or 'sensitivity'to the primordial energy of heaven and earth is too weak, their cultivation speed is half the effort for twice the result... No, this explanation is still too shallow. The truth is that even if they put in ten times the effort, it would be hard for them to achieve one-tenth of what others can. Cultivation is simply not suitable for them."
tā de biǎo qíng ， shèn zhì lüè dài xīng fèn zhī sè， zì gù zì de wǎng xià shuō ：“ rú hé ， zhè jiù shì suǒ wèi de fán rén shèng tǐ le ， méi yǒu líng gēn de fán rén ， àn lǐ lái shuō ， yě yǒu jī huì zǒu shàng xiū xiān zhī lù ， rán ér yīn wèi tā men duì tiān dì yuán qì de gǎn yìng ， tài guò bó ruò ， xiū xíng sù dù ， shì shì bèi ér gōng bàn de …… bù ， zhè ge shuō fǎ hái tài qiǎn le ， zhèng què de shì ， tā men nǎ pà fù chū shí bèi de nǔ lì ， yě nán yǒu bié rén yì chéng de shōu huò ， xiū xiān zhī lù duì tā men ， gēn běn jiù bú shì hé 。”
他的表情，甚至略带兴奋之sè，自顾自的往下说：“如何，这就是所谓的凡人圣体了，没有灵根的凡人，按理来说，也有机会走上修仙之路，然而因为他们对天地元气的感应，太过薄弱，修行速度，是事倍而功半的……不，这个说法还太浅了，正确的是，他们哪怕付出十倍的努力，也难有别人一成的收获，修仙之路对他们，根本就不适合。”
"But there are always exceptions. Sometimes, two high-ranking cultivators combining their efforts have a certain chance of producing offspring without any spirit root. In such cases, they face two choices: let the child live as an ordinary mortal, of course, with the care of high-ranking cultivator parents, this life would be one of wealth and security. But for a mere hundred years—too short for a cultivator—how many parents are willing to see their children waste away in such a fleeting existence? After a century, they will turn into a handful of earth, enduring the pain of parting and death. Therefore, quite a few high-ranking cultivators, knowing that their offspring lack any spirit root, still can't resist guiding them onto the path of cultivation."
“ dàn fán shì zǒng huì yǒu lì wài ， yǒu shí hòu ， liǎng míng gāo jiē xiū shì de jié hé ， yě huì yǒu yí dìng de jī lǜ shēng xià quán wú líng gēn de hòu dài lái zhe ， zhè yàng ， tā men jiù miàn lín zhe liǎng gè xuǎn zé ， yī shì ràng qí xiàng fán rén yì bān de shēng huó ， dāng rán ， yǒu shēn wèi gāo jiē xiū shì de fù mǔ zhào fú ， zhè yī shēng kěn dìng shì fù guì wú yōu de ， rán ér qū qū bǎi nián de guāng yīn， duì yú xiū shì lái shuō ， shí zài tài duǎn ， yǒu jǐ gè dāng fù mǔ de yuàn yì ， zì jǐ de hái ér ， jiù zhè yàng yōng yōng lù lù de guò wán duǎn zàn de yī shēng ne ， bǎi nián zhī hòu ， jí huà wèi yī bēi huáng tǔ ， chéng shòu shēng lí sǐ bié de tòng kǔ ， suǒ yǐ ， yǒu xiāng dāng yī bù fèn de gāo jiē xiū xiān zhě ， míng zhī dào ér nǚ líng gēn jiē wú ， hái shì rěn bú zhù yǐn dǎo tā zǒu shàng xiū xiān zhī lù 。”
“但凡事总会有例外，有时候，两名高阶修士的结合，也会有一定的几率生下全无灵根的后代来着，这样，他们就面临着两个选择，一是让其像凡人一般的生活，当然，有身为高阶修士的父母照拂，这一生肯定是富贵无忧的，然而区区百年的光yīn，对于修士来说，实在太短，有几个当父母的愿意，自己的孩儿，就这样庸庸碌碌的过完短暂的一生呢，百年之后，即化为一杯黄土，承受生离死别的痛苦，所以，有相当一部分的高阶修仙者，明知道儿女灵根皆无，还是忍不住引导他走上修仙之路。”
"Innate defects can be compensated for with acquired resources. For instance, lacking a spirit root makes it hard to communicate with primordial energy. But if one sits in meditation at an upper-grade Spirit Pulse and even uses spiritual eye jade or spring, such extraordinary objects, even mortals can breathe in the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Of course, this alone is not enough; they still need aid from medicinal pills. Since their parents are high-ranking cultivators, spending on low-grade spirit pills is but a drop in the bucket for them. They can afford to supply these without restraint, as long as there are enough medicinal pills, it will naturally make up for the lack of a spirit root."
“ xiān tiān de quē xiàn ， kě yǐ yòng hòu tiān de zī yuán mí bǔ ， bǐ rú ， méi yǒu líng gēn huì ràng qí gōu tōng tiān dì líng qì bèi gǎn xīn kǔ ， nà jiù ràng qí zài jí pǐn líng mài dǎ zuò ， shèn zhì fǔ yǐ líng yǎn zhī yù ， líng yǎn zhī quán děng nì tiān zhī wù ， rú cǐ yī lái ， jí biàn shì fán rén ， yě jiù kě yǐ tǔ nà tiān dì líng qì le ， dāng rán ， jǐn jǐn zhè yàng shì bù gòu de ， hái xū yào dān yào fǔ zhù ， fǎn zhèng qí fù mǔ dōu shì gāo jiē xiū xiān zhě ， dī jiē líng dān de hào fèi duì qí ér yán bù guò shì jiǔ niú yì máo bà le ， wán quán kě yǐ bù jì chéng běn ， yǐ dān yào zuò wéi fǔ zhù ， chǎng kāi le gōng yìng ， zhǐ yào dān yào chōng zú ， zì rán yě kě yǐ bǔ chōng méi yǒu líng gēn de quē xiàn lái zhe 。”
“先天的缺陷，可以用后天的资源弥补，比如，没有灵根会让其沟通天地灵气倍感辛苦，那就让其在极品灵脉打坐，甚至辅以灵眼之玉，灵眼之泉等逆天之物，如此一来，即便是凡人，也就可以吐纳天地灵气了，当然，仅仅这样是不够的，还需要丹药辅助，反正其父母都是高阶修仙者，低阶灵丹的耗费对其而言不过是九牛一毛罢了，完全可以不计成本，以丹药作为辅助，敞开了供应，只要丹药充足，自然也可以补充没有灵根的缺陷来着。”
"Foundation Establishment isn't too difficult; even Condensation Core might have some chance if used properly."
“ zhù jī méi yǒu tài dà de nán dù ， jiù suàn shì níng dān ， zhǐ yào yùn yòng hǎo le ， yī jiù shì yǒu le nà me jǐ fēn kě néng de 。”
“筑基没有太大的难度，就算是凝丹，只要运用好了，依旧是有了那么几分可能的。”
"But this still falls far short. This is not what I call a mortal saint body. To become one, two conditions must be met: first, mortals without any spirit root but suitable for martial arts training, with the strength of a Heavenly Dao Martial Artist; second, stepping onto the path of cultivation and becoming at least an Advanced Profound Realm cultivator. Of course, higher realms would be even better, but alas, they only exist in legends. I never thought I'd see one today."
“ rán ér zhè yàng ， hái yuǎn yuǎn bù zú ， yǔ běn rén suǒ shuō de fán rén shèng tǐ ， chà le shí wàn bā qiān lǐ ， xiǎng yào chéng wéi fán rén shèng tǐ ， bì xū mǎn zú liǎng gè tiáo jiàn ， yī shì tiān shēng méi yǒu líng gēn de fán rén ， dàn què shì hé liàn wǔ ， shēn tǐ de qiáng dù ， dá dào tiān dào wǔ zhě de dì bù ， èr shì tà shàng xiū xiān zhī lù ， bìng qiě chéng wéi zhì shǎo dòng xuán hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， dāng rán ， ruò shì gèng gāo jìng jiè jiù gèng hǎo le ， kě xī ， nà jǐn jǐn cún zài yú chuán shuō ， méi xiǎng dào běn zūn jīn tiān què shì qīn yǎn jiàn dào le 。”
“然而这样，还远远不足，与本人所说的凡人圣体，差了十万八千里，想要成为凡人圣体，必须满足两个条件，一是天生没有灵根的凡人，但却适合练武，身体的强度，达到天道武者的地步，二是踏上修仙之路，并且成为至少洞玄后期的修仙者，当然，若是更高境界就更好了，可惜，那仅仅存在于传说，没想到本尊今天却是亲眼见到了。”
At this point, the demon's face revealed a hint of greed, its expression probably similar to that of a cultivator seeing aprimordial spirit treasure.
shuō dào zhè lǐ ， cǐ mó de liǎn shàng liú lù chū jǐ fēn tān lán zhī sè， nà biǎo qíng ， kǒng pà jiù yǔ xiū shì jiàn dào xiān tiān líng bǎo de fǎn yìng chà bu duō 。
说到这里，此魔的脸上流lù出几分贪婪之sè，那表情，恐怕就与修士见到先天灵宝的反应差不多。
Lin Xuan finally understood the whole situation, yet his doubts remained unresolved: "If the conditions for a mortal saint body are so strict, what benefits does it offer?"
lín xuān zǒng suàn shì míng bái liǎo shì qíng de shǐ mò ， rán ér xīn zhōng de yí wèn ， bìng méi yǒu wán quán jiě chú ：“ fán rén shèng tǐ tiáo jiàn rú cǐ kē kè ， nà yòu yǒu shén me hǎo chù ？”
林轩总算是明白了事情的始末，然而心中的疑问，并没有完全解除：“凡人圣体条件如此苛刻，那又有什么好处？”
"Benefits?"
“ hǎo chù ？”
“好处？”
Su Yunfeng laughed. His white teeth seemed to emit a cold glint: "For the cultivator with such a body, there are no additional benefits."
sū yún fēng xiào le ， jié bái de yá chǐ fǎng fú yǒu hán guāng shǎn shuò ：“ duì yú yōng yǒu shèng tǐ de xiū shì běn rén ， méi yǒu rèn hé hǎo chù 。”
苏云峰笑了，洁白的牙齿仿佛有寒光闪烁：“对于拥有圣体的修士本人，没有任何好处。”
"No additional benefits at all?"
“ méi yǒu rèn hé hǎo chù ？”
“没有任何好处？”
Lin Xuan was stunned; this outcome was far beyond his expectations.
lín xuān yī dāi ， zhè ge jié guǒ ， shí zài dà chū tā de yù liào zhī wài 。
林轩一呆，这个结果，实在大出他的预料之外。
"Correct."
“ bù cuò 。”
“不错。”
The expression on the demon's face became even more bizarre: "To you personally, having a mortal saint body won't bring any extra benefits. But for me, if I take over this body, I can evolve into something akin to an outsider Heavenly Demon. That said, will you be willing to abandon your physical form? Hisqualificationsaren't worth much anyway, and I can swear on my honor that as long as you hand over your body to me, I won't harm youryuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions) in any way. In this case, we wouldn't have to engage in a life-and-death struggle."
tiān wài mó tóu liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng yuè fā guǐ yì le ：“ duì gé xià běn rén lái shuō ， fán rén shèng tǐ bú huì zēng jiā rèn hé é wài de hǎo chù ， dàn duì wǒ ， ruò shì jiāng zhè ge qū tǐ zhàn jù ， běn mó jūn zé néng jìn huà chéng yù wài tiān mó yì bān de cún zài ， yán jǐn yú cǐ ， gé xià kě yuàn yì fàng qì ròu qū ， fǎn zhèng tā de zī zhì yě méi shén me hǎo liú niàn dì ， ér běn mó jūn kě yǐ fā xià dú shì ， zhǐ yào gé xià jiāng ròu shēn sòng yǔ wǒ ， běn mó jūn jué bú huì wéi nán nǐ yuán yīng de ， rú cǐ yī lái ， wǒ men jiù kě yǐ bù yòng zuò nǐ sǐ wǒ huó de zhēng dòu le 。”
天外魔头脸上的表情越发诡异了：“对阁下本人来说，凡人圣体不会增加任何额外的好处，但对我，若是将这个躯体占据，本魔君则能进化成域外天魔一般的存在，言尽于此，阁下可愿意放弃肉躯，反正他的资质也没什么好留念地，而本魔君可以发下毒誓，只要阁下将肉身送与我，本魔君绝不会为难你元婴的，如此一来，我们就可以不用做你死我活的争斗了。”
"Ah, so that's how it is!"
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ！”
“原来如此！”
Lin Xuan's expression was a mix of amusement and exasperation; he had thought that having a mortal saint body would bring him immense benefits, but now he realized that such a body offered no real help for cultivation. It merely served as a stepping stone for others.
lín xuān de biǎo qíng yǒu xiē kū xiào bù dé ， hái yǐ wéi yōng yǒu fán rén shèng tǐ ， zì jǐ yě néng huò dé tiān dà de hǎo chù ， méi xiǎng dào zhè suǒ wèi de shèng tǐ ， duì xiū xiān gēn běn méi yǒu fēn háo de zhù yì ， jǐn jǐn shì wèi bié rén zuò jià yī 。
林轩的表情有些哭笑不得，还以为拥有凡人圣体，自己也能获得天大的好处，没想到这所谓的圣体，对修仙根本没有分毫的助益，仅仅是为别人做嫁衣。
"How about it, friend? Have you made your decision—abandoning the body or fighting me? If you choose the latter, the result won't just be losing your physical form; it will mean your soul is destroyed, with no chance of reincarnation," Su Yunfeng's cold voice echoed in his ears. The threat was clear to anyone.
“ rú hé ， dào yǒu kě kǎo lǜ hǎo le ， shì fàng qì shēn tǐ ， hái shì yǔ běn mó jūn yī zhàn ， ruò shì xuǎn zé hòu zhě ， shī bài de jié guǒ kě jiù bù jǐn jǐn shì shī qù ròu shēn ， ér shì xíng hún jù miè ， lián zhòng rú lún huí de jī huì yě méi yǒu le 。” sū yún fēng lěng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lǐ miàn wēi xié de yì wèi ， shì gè rén ， dōu néng tǐ huì dé qīng qīng chǔ chǔ 。
“如何，道友可考虑好了，是放弃身体，还是与本魔君一战，若是选择后者，失败的结果可就不仅仅是失去肉身，而是形hún俱灭，连重如轮回的机会也没有了。”苏云峰冷冷的声音传入耳朵，里面威胁的意味，是个人，都能体会得清清楚楚。
"Ah..."
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
Lin Xuan frowned and seemed to be making a difficult decision. However, the outsider demon didn't rush him; instead, he emitted an increasingly thick aura of evil, applying pressure on Lin Xuan to make the most advantageous choice for himself.
lín xuān zhòu méi sī suǒ ， sì hū xiàn rù le fēi cháng jiān kǔ de jué zé ， nà tiān wài mó tóu dào yě bìng bù cuī cù ， zhǐ shì hún shēn suǒ sàn fà chū lái de mó qì yuè lái yuè nóng ， xiǎn rán ， tā shì tōng guò zhè zhǒng fāng shì ， gěi lín xuān shī jiā yā lì ， xī wàng tā néng zuò chū duì zì jǐ de yǒu lì de xuǎn zé 。
林轩皱眉思索，似乎陷入了非常艰苦的抉择，那天外魔头倒也并不催促，只是浑身所散发出来的魔气越来越浓，显然，他是通过这种方式，给林轩施加压力，希望他能做出对自己的有利的选择。
Time passed slowly. Soon, it had been about as long as a cup of tea.
shí jiān màn màn liú shì ， hěn kuài guò qù le yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu 。
时间慢慢流逝，很快过去了一盏茶的功夫。
Lin Xuan finally raised his head.
lín xuān zhōng yú tái qǐ le tóu lú 。
林轩终于抬起了头颅。
The outsider demon's face showed signs of tension, and Lin Xuan's voice slowly entered his ears: "Why should I trust you?"
tiān wài mó tóu de liǎn shàng yě liú lù chū jǐn zhāng zhī sè， ér lín xuān de shēng yīn ， huǎn huǎn de chuán rù le ěr duǒ ：“ wǒ píng shén me xiāng xìn nǐ ne ？”
天外魔头的脸上也流lù出紧张之sè，而林轩的声音，缓缓的传入了耳朵：“我凭什么相信你呢？”
"Hmm?"
“ ń ？”
“嗯？”
"Your are a demon from beyond the heavens; breaking your word is perfectly normal. If I hand over my body, what if you break your promise and leave me with no means to defend myself."
“ gé xià nǎi shì yù wài zhī mó ， chū ěr fǎn ěr zài zhèng cháng bù guò ， lín mǒu ruò shì jiāng ròu shén ràng chū ， dào shí hòu nǐ chū ěr fǎn ěr wǒ qǐ bù shì lián huán shǒu zhī lì yě wú 。”
“阁下乃是域外之魔，出尔反尔再正常不过，林某若是将肉神让出，到时候你出尔反尔我岂不是连还手之力也无。”
Su Yunfeng chuckled. "Friend, don't worry about it. Acquiring a mortal saint body might very well advance me into an outsider Heavenly Demon. I would be grateful for such an opportunity; how could I plot against youryuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions)?"
“ hē hē ， dào yǒu duō lǜ le ， dé dào fán rén shèng tǐ ， wǒ biàn shì jìn jiē chéng yù wài tiān mó yě shì dà yǒu kě néng ， duì dào yǒu gǎn jī shàng qiě bù jí ， yòu zěn me huì ēn jiāng chóu bào de tú móu nǐ de yuán yīng 。” jiàn lín xuān kǒu qì sōng dòng ， tiān wài mó tóu dà xǐ ， kǒu qì gèng shì xiǎn de chéng kěn yǐ jí 。
“呵呵，道友多虑了，得到凡人圣体，我便是进阶成域外天魔也是大有可能，对道友感jī尚且不及，又怎么会恩将仇报的图谋你的元婴。”见林轩口气松动，天外魔头大喜，口气更是显得诚恳以极。
"Hmph, you say that, but human nature is unpredictable, especially when dealing with a demon from beyond the heavens. How can I trust you?" Lin Xuan persisted.
“ hēng ， huà shì zhè me shuō ， kě rén xīn nán cè ， gèng hé kuàng gé xià hái shì tiān wài zhī mó ， nǐ píng shén me xiāng xìn nǐ ne ？” lín xuān yī jiù shì bù yī bù ráo de shuō 。
“哼，话是这么说，可人心难测，更何况阁下还是天外之魔，你凭什么相信你呢？”林轩依旧是不依不饶的说。
"Ah..."
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
Su Yunfeng's face showed a hint of embarrassment. Honestly, Lin Xuan's concerns were well-founded; if he were in his position, he would have similar worries.
sū yún fēng de liǎn shàng lù chū yī fēn gān gà zhī sè， píng xīn lái shuō ， lín xuān zhè fèn dān xīn shì hěn yǒu dào lǐ de ， tā ruò shì yǔ qí yì dì ér chǔ ， yě nán miǎn huì yǒu tóng yàng de dān xīn lái zhe 。
苏云峰的脸上lù出一分尴尬之sè，平心来说，林轩这份担心是很有道理的，他若是与其易地而处，也难免会有同样的担心来着。
As a cultivator pursuing immortality, the path was inherently against nature. Struggling with heaven, earth, and people—how many would willingly entrust their lives to someone else?
zuò wéi xiū xiān zhě ， zhuī qiú cháng shēng suǒ zǒu de běn jiù shì nì tiān zhī lù ， yǔ tiān zhēng ， yǔ dì zhēng ， yǔ rén zhēng ， ruò fēi wàn bù dé yǐ ， shuí yuàn yì jiāng zì jǐ de xiǎo mìng ， jiāo dào bié rén de shǒu xīn lǐ ne ？
作为修仙者，追求长生所走的本就是逆天之路，与天争，与地争，与人争，若非万不得已，谁愿意将自己的小命，交到别人的手心里呢？
But now, this situation was tricky.
kě xiàn zài ， zhè jú miàn jiù yǒu xiē nán bàn le 。
可现在，这局面就有些难办了。
To be honest, if Lin Xuan handed over his body, Su Yunfeng would genuinely be willing to spare hisyuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions). Compared to the benefits of a mortal saint body, a mereyuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions) was insignificant. If he could advance and become an outsider Heavenly Demon, swallowing others'yuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions) would be effortless.
shuō shí huà ， lín xuān ruò shì jiāng ròu shēn ràng chū ， tā shì zhēn xīn yuàn yì jiāng qí yuán yīng fàng guò ， bì jìng tóng fán rén shèng tǐ de hǎo chù xiāng bǐ ， qū qū yī yuán yīng gēn běn jiù bù zhí yī tí ， ruò shì zì jǐ dé yǐ jìn jí ， chéng wéi yù wài tiān mó yì bān de cún zài ， xiǎng yào tūn shì duō shǎo xiū shì de yuán yīng ， hái bù dōu shì shǒu dào qín lái 。
说实话，林轩若是将肉身让出，他是真心愿意将其元婴放过，毕竟同凡人圣体的好处相比，区区一元婴根本就不值一提，若是自己得以晋级，成为域外天魔一般的存在，想要吞噬多少修士的元婴，还不都是手到擒来。
But the key now was that Lin Xuan couldn't trust him.
yòu hé bì yīn xiǎo shī dà ， kě rú jīn de zhòng diǎn ， shì tā nán yǐ qǔ xìn yú lín xuān 。
又何必因小失大，可如今的重点，是他难以取信于林轩。
"Then how about I swear on something?"
“ yào bù ， wǒ fā xià yí gè dú shì rú hé ？”
“要不，我发下一个毒誓如何？”
Su Yunfeng suggested tentatively. It was best to avoid battle if possible; this kid's displayed strength was formidable, and he didn't want to fight Lin Xuan to the death unless absolutely necessary.
sū yún fēng shì tàn zhe shuō ， néng bù zhàn ér qū rén zhī bīng shì zuì hǎo de ， bì jìng zhè xiǎo zi zhǎn shì chū lái de shí lì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， tā yě bù yuàn yì yǔ lín xuān pīn gè nǐ sǐ wǒ huó 。
苏云峰试探着说，能不战而屈人之兵是最好的，毕竟这小子展示出来的实力非同小可，不到万不得已，他也不愿意与林轩拼个你死我活。
PS: This month, I'll try my best to post more chapters. Today is the first one, three in total. Please vote for monthly tickets, it means a lot at the beginning of the month! Thank you all!
"How about that?"
Lin Xuan's cold voice entered his ears. Any secret one thought was keeping hidden, once revealed by others, would naturally not sit well with them. At this moment, Lin Xuan was in such a situation.
A killing intent had already flowed from the corner of his mouth, but the Heavenly Demon encased in black energy still ignored him as if he didn't exist. His expression even carried a hint of excitement as he continued speaking to himself: "So what? This is what they call a mortal saint body—mortals without a spirit root who, according to reason, have a chance to walk the path of cultivation. However, because their感应 means 'sensation' or 'response', but in this context, it's more likely to be translated as 'perception' or 'sensitivity'to the primordial energy of heaven and earth is too weak, their cultivation speed is half the effort for twice the result... No, this explanation is still too shallow. The truth is that even if they put in ten times the effort, it would be hard for them to achieve one-tenth of what others can. Cultivation is simply not suitable for them."
"But there are always exceptions. Sometimes, two high-ranking cultivators combining their efforts have a certain chance of producing offspring without any spirit root. In such cases, they face two choices: let the child live as an ordinary mortal, of course, with the care of high-ranking cultivator parents, this life would be one of wealth and security. But for a mere hundred years—too short for a cultivator—how many parents are willing to see their children waste away in such a fleeting existence? After a century, they will turn into a handful of earth, enduring the pain of parting and death. Therefore, quite a few high-ranking cultivators, knowing that their offspring lack any spirit root, still can't resist guiding them onto the path of cultivation."
"Innate defects can be compensated for with acquired resources. For instance, lacking a spirit root makes it hard to communicate with primordial energy. But if one sits in meditation at an upper-grade Spirit Pulse and even uses spiritual eye jade or spring, such extraordinary objects, even mortals can breathe in the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Of course, this alone is not enough; they still need aid from medicinal pills. Since their parents are high-ranking cultivators, spending on low-grade spirit pills is but a drop in the bucket for them. They can afford to supply these without restraint, as long as there are enough medicinal pills, it will naturally make up for the lack of a spirit root."
"Foundation Establishment isn't too difficult; even Condensation Core might have some chance if used properly."
"But this still falls far short. This is not what I call a mortal saint body. To become one, two conditions must be met: first, mortals without any spirit root but suitable for martial arts training, with the strength of a Heavenly Dao Martial Artist; second, stepping onto the path of cultivation and becoming at least an Advanced Profound Realm cultivator. Of course, higher realms would be even better, but alas, they only exist in legends. I never thought I'd see one today."
At this point, the demon's face revealed a hint of greed, its expression probably similar to that of a cultivator seeing aprimordial spirit treasure.
Lin Xuan finally understood the whole situation, yet his doubts remained unresolved: "If the conditions for a mortal saint body are so strict, what benefits does it offer?"
"Benefits?"
Su Yunfeng laughed. His white teeth seemed to emit a cold glint: "For the cultivator with such a body, there are no additional benefits."
"No additional benefits at all?"
Lin Xuan was stunned; this outcome was far beyond his expectations.
"Correct."
The expression on the demon's face became even more bizarre: "To you personally, having a mortal saint body won't bring any extra benefits. But for me, if I take over this body, I can evolve into something akin to an outsider Heavenly Demon. That said, will you be willing to abandon your physical form? Hisqualificationsaren't worth much anyway, and I can swear on my honor that as long as you hand over your body to me, I won't harm youryuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions) in any way. In this case, we wouldn't have to engage in a life-and-death struggle."
"Ah, so that's how it is!"
Lin Xuan's expression was a mix of amusement and exasperation; he had thought that having a mortal saint body would bring him immense benefits, but now he realized that such a body offered no real help for cultivation. It merely served as a stepping stone for others.
"How about it, friend? Have you made your decision—abandoning the body or fighting me? If you choose the latter, the result won't just be losing your physical form; it will mean your soul is destroyed, with no chance of reincarnation," Su Yunfeng's cold voice echoed in his ears. The threat was clear to anyone.
"Ah..."
Lin Xuan frowned and seemed to be making a difficult decision. However, the outsider demon didn't rush him; instead, he emitted an increasingly thick aura of evil, applying pressure on Lin Xuan to make the most advantageous choice for himself.
Time passed slowly. Soon, it had been about as long as a cup of tea.
Lin Xuan finally raised his head.
The outsider demon's face showed signs of tension, and Lin Xuan's voice slowly entered his ears: "Why should I trust you?"
"Hmm?"
"Your are a demon from beyond the heavens; breaking your word is perfectly normal. If I hand over my body, what if you break your promise and leave me with no means to defend myself."
Su Yunfeng chuckled. "Friend, don't worry about it. Acquiring a mortal saint body might very well advance me into an outsider Heavenly Demon. I would be grateful for such an opportunity; how could I plot against youryuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions)?"
"Hmph, you say that, but human nature is unpredictable, especially when dealing with a demon from beyond the heavens. How can I trust you?" Lin Xuan persisted.
"Ah..."
Su Yunfeng's face showed a hint of embarrassment. Honestly, Lin Xuan's concerns were well-founded; if he were in his position, he would have similar worries.
As a cultivator pursuing immortality, the path was inherently against nature. Struggling with heaven, earth, and people—how many would willingly entrust their lives to someone else?
But now, this situation was tricky.
To be honest, if Lin Xuan handed over his body, Su Yunfeng would genuinely be willing to spare hisyuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions). Compared to the benefits of a mortal saint body, a mereyuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions) was insignificant. If he could advance and become an outsider Heavenly Demon, swallowing others'yuan yin (refers to a spiritual embryo in some Chinese esoteric traditions) would be effortless.
But the key now was that Lin Xuan couldn't trust him.
"Then how about I swear on something?"
Su Yunfeng suggested tentatively. It was best to avoid battle if possible; this kid's displayed strength was formidable, and he didn't want to fight Lin Xuan to the death unless absolutely necessary.
PS: This month, I'll try my best to post more chapters. Today is the first one, three in total. Please vote for monthly tickets, it means a lot at the beginning of the month! Thank you all!