Chapter 327: The Way of Yin and Yang, Eight Layers of the Physical Body

Seeming to sense Rod’s crisis, that familiar aura appeared within him. The aura emitted by Xuanyuan immediately spread throughout Rod’s body, protecting his vital organs tightly. At the same time, something unexpected happened.
With the arrival of this aura, Rod felt a sudden sense of relief, but the danger still persisted. He quickly sat cross-legged and began to cultivate in the bitterly cold snowy weather, striving to protect his body. His combat energy surged, circulating repeatedly through every cell to provide protection.
An internal struggle ensued—inside and outside fighting against each other. Rod was like a piece of paper under the strain of these opposing forces, needing to maintain balance. The slightest imbalance could lead to collapse.
Behind him, Lucy watched as Rod took a few steps forward before suddenly stopping, his expression turning strange. He began to gasp for breath and then sat cross-legged, trembling violently, as if sensing something, his face filled with tension.
She wanted to go over and check on him, but after taking less than three steps, the Netherhell Fire surrounding her began to tremble wildly. The flames nearly went out, their color blurring as a wave of cold rushed into her body, turning her face pale instantly.
A mouthful of bright red blood sprayed out, along with a wisp of white mist, which immediately turned into a chunk of icy blood and fell to the ground. The temperature around her reached its extreme.
“Brother Rod…” Feeling extremely unwell, Lucy stepped back several times before stabilizing herself. She called out worriedly at Rod ahead.
She knew she couldn’t make it over. The distance before her had reached her limits. Though it seemed like just a few dozen steps away from Rod, it had become an insurmountable chasm.
Moreover, even if she risked crossing over, what could she do? She might not be able to help at all! With such cold, it was already difficult for her to protect herself—how could she help Rod? She might even become a burden.
“Brother, are you… are you okay?” Seeing that Rod didn’t respond, Lucy grew even more anxious. She clenched her hands tightly, asking worriedly, hoping to hear Rod’s voice. Just hearing it would calm her down a bit.

“No… it’s fine. You… don’t come over. You can’t withstand the temperature here. I’ll be okay!” Hearing Lucy’s worried voice behind him, Rod hurriedly replied, fearing that this little girl might act on impulse and cause irreversible consequences.

“Be… be careful. If things get too tough, just come back. Colorful Ice Spirits aren’t only found here. The world is vast—maybe they exist elsewhere too. Don’t force yourself. As long as the mountains remain, there will always be firewood. Remember, we’ve already found the King of Nether Flowers and completed our mission.” Hearing Rod’s words, Lucy felt a little relieved, though she still couldn’t help but worry, fearing he might stubbornly persist.

“I know. Wait for me behind. Be careful of your surroundings!” Exhaling, Rod turned his breath into a mass of ice vapor and spoke in a deep voice.

Here, there was no need to worry about attacks from magical beasts—such extreme temperatures were beyond their tolerance. The only concern was his own physical condition. He hoped Lucy could hold on a little longer behind.

Feeling the temperature here, Rod’s hopes grew even brighter. This place was undoubtedly the coldest—the coldest in the entire continent! It was highly likely he could find the Colorful Ice Spirits he needed. If not here, then finding them elsewhere was out of the question.

After giving those instructions, Rod devoted himself entirely to cultivation. His body endured constant strain, unknowingly undergoing further tempering. Already at the peak of the seventh level of physical cultivation, Rod faintly sensed that he was on the verge of reaching the eighth level!

His physical cultivation had nine levels in total. At its peak, one would be invulnerable, as strong as rock! Being at the seventh level already made him among the best in the world. If he reached the eighth level, he might even be able to endure such extreme cold.

Moreover, the higher the level, the more difficult it became to cultivate. Almost no one could reach the ninth level, and even the eighth was extremely rare—showing just how challenging it was.

Now, with a faint chance of reaching such a level, Rod was naturally delighted. He couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity. By controlling his breath, he engaged in a battle of expansion and contraction with the surrounding cold air.

With each contraction and expansion, his pores opened and closed, and every cell struggled and trained between extreme cold and warmth.

Gradually, Rod heard crackling sounds coming from his cells and bones. Once they reached their limit, these cells and bones began to reorganize.

Once the restructuring was complete, he would be able to reach the ninth level of the physical realm! At this thought, Rod was overjoyed. The method was correct, and he immediately forgot about the dangers and tasks ahead, devoting himself wholeheartedly to it. Outside, seeing Rod gradually calm down and his body stop trembling, Lucy’s worried expression deepened, fearing that something dangerous might have happened to him. She bit her lip tightly, frowned, and paced back and forth. Meanwhile, Rod was completely unaware of everything outside, fully immersed in his cultivation. Gradually, the cold seemed to disappear, replaced by a wonderful sensation—a state of extreme contrast between yin and yang. It was a mysterious feeling, and Rod seemed to grasp something faintly. Yin and yang of heaven and earth alternate back and forth; neither can be missing! Unbeknownst to Rod, in this state, he had inadvertently touched the edge of the Yang Xuan realm—the realm that countless people dreamed of but could never attain. Suddenly, his internal energy surged, his combat energy flared, and his mind became empty and free from distractions. He entered a mysterious world filled with black and white, yin and yang, like an eight-trigram pattern, constantly shifting! At this moment, his mental state improved greatly, and his soul seemed to be tempered by this pattern. By now, apart from his combat energy, every other aspect of him had entered the Yang Xuan realm. It was destined that his subsequent cultivation would be smooth sailing—so long as he met the requirements, he could reach the Yang Xuan level and ascend to the pinnacle of this martial arts realm. Yin and yang merge, giving birth to all things! Cold and heat alternate, creating all phenomena in heaven and earth! After an unknown amount of time, Rod, who was sitting in seiza practicing, suddenly understood these words. At the same time, his cells, bones, meridians, and blood vessels were all moving rapidly. Cold air rushed in, but he no longer felt any cold. The warm energy of his combat energy joined with it, creating a perfectly gentle blend. Ah… the comfortable sensation made Rod let out a long roar as he suddenly stood up from the ground. Floating mid-air, surrounded by a faint blue-black glow—the light of his combat energy— the cold wind no longer affected him at all. “Yin and yang of heaven and earth—so that’s how it is!” Exhaling, like a white arrow shot forth, Rod murmured to himself.

With a stretch, every inch of his skin, every cell, every bone, and every meridian seemed to awaken after millions of years of slumber, accompanied by a constant crackling sound.
“The eighth level of the physical body—so that’s how it is!” Rod muttered to himself as he looked at his body and returned to the ground.
Indeed, at the moment he understood yin and yang, Rod had reached the eighth level of his physical body. With the integration of yin and yang energies, his physique had reached an unprecedented level! Although its strength might not have increased much compared to before, the realm it was in was completely different—just as was its quality. If before his powerful killing aura or other auras could affect him, now such influences would no longer exist. With all things in the world governed by the principles of yin and yang, and his body having merged with these principles, what else could possibly affect him?
With his combat energy dissipated, the cold around him meant nothing to Rod—it was merely a slight chill, prompting him to tighten his clothes slightly.
“Rod… Brother Rod, are you… are you okay?” Not knowing what had just happened, Lucy asked anxiously, looking at Rod ahead.
“I’m fine. I’ve just realized something. Wait here for me; I’ll be back in a moment!” Taking a deep breath, feeling invigorated despite the chill, Rod turned to Lucy with a comforting smile.
“Brother, have you achieved a sudden breakthrough?” Hearing Rod’s words, Lucy’s gaze toward him became strange. Could it really be a breakthrough? Though she had guessed it before, she hadn’t been sure. Now that Brother Rod said so, there was no doubt—being able to understand such things under such circumstances… This was truly monstrous talent. No wonder he could reach this level at such a young age on his own.
I really am not as good as him! Thinking this, Lucy shook her head secretly, feeling more respect for Rod. To overcome oneself and achieve transformation in life and death—this isn’t something everyone can do. In fact, only a few can do it.
At the same time, she was happy for Rod. His advancement meant he was stronger, which meant they might be able to complete this mission again, and it meant he had reached a new height, standing on the brink of perfection. All of this made her happier than her own progress.

Rod did not respond to Lucy’s words. With a leap, he dashed more than ten meters forward, heading toward that strange river. After going another hundred meters, the temperature must have reached around 160 degrees. At this point, even Rod found it somewhat unbearable; he had to unleash his combat energy to its maximum just to keep moving forward.