Spiritual Realm and the Forbidden Magic

"The Twins of the Heaven Lonely Star... Forbidden... Can still cultivate?"

Ning Ming was shocked, his heart thumping rapidly, not daring to let anyone know this.

This was really too horrifying.

For other cultivators, regarding forbidden things in cultivation, they would all turn pale with fright and avoid it like the plague.

Was he really going to cultivate into a monster?

"Brother Ning?"

At this moment, seeing that something was off with Ning Ming, old man Li asked, "Still not recovered yet?"

Ning Ming hurriedly suppressed his distracting thoughts, temporarily not thinking about those bizarre matters.

"Wait until going back home at night to take another look."

Ning Ming thought to himself, his palms already sweating.

At the same time, old man Li asked, "The power of each star is different. Is the stellar power of Qiming Star gloomy and cold?"

Ning Ming nodded, "Mm."

The power within the black stone was like yellow spring water, ice-cold and bone-chilling. Long-term absorption would gradually cause one's vitality to wither.

Old man Li exhorted, "In the future, do not casually cultivate by yourself to prevent mishaps. Starting tomorrow, I will guide you in cultivation every day."

Additionally, Ning Ming also discovered some changes in himself.

His formerly frail youthful body presently had much more strength, his physique improving markedly, even his muscles seeming more tough and sturdy.

"Go, lift up that grinding disk over there."

Suddenly, Lin Zuodao glanced at a stone disk in the corner of the yard.

It was a large stone disk used to grind bean dregs, about the length of an adult's arm, weighing at least a hundred jin.

Ning Ming walked over, then grabbed the stone disk with both hands and forcibly exerted strength, actually managing to lift it half a meter off the ground.

His arms felt heavy. For a youth, a hundred jin stone disk still posed some difficulty.

Yet Ning Ming could sense snake-like streams of qi swirling within his body, rapidly gathering in his arms, invigorating his muscles and flesh.

Ning Ming was overjoyed.

He had only just started cultivating, yet his strength had increased this much. Previously this would have been unimaginable.

If he could continue cultivating, in the future he would definitely be able to kill tigers and leopards with one punch! Even when facing monsters in the dark of night, he would have some capacity for self-defense.

"Alright, put it down now."

Lin Zuodao said satisfiedly, "Believe that you can also sense the changes within your body. The absorbed stellar power, isn't it swirling like snakes?"

Bang!

Ning Ming put down the stone disk and excitedly nodded, "Mm."

"That is true qi." Lin Zuodao explained, "After finding one's life star and absorbing the stellar power within it, refining it into one's own true qi to temper the body and flesh. This is stepping into the first boundary of cultivation, the Ninth Rank Stellar Power Realm."

Ning Ming blinked his eyes, "Ninth Rank Stellar Power Realm?"

He vaguely recalled that Chen Changjia from last night and that man in green seemed to be Eighth Rank cultivators.

"Cultivation is divided into nine ranks in total." Lin Zuodao nodded, "The top three ranks, middle three ranks, and lower three ranks. The lower three ranks is where you currently are, the Ninth Rank Stellar Power. Even the highest cultivation of that traveler from last night was just an Eight Rank Star Phase Realm cultivator."

"Cultivation circles collectively term the lower three ranks the Martial Master Realm. This is the stage of consolidating one's foundation and tempering one's physique."

Hearing this, Ning Ming couldn't help asking curiously, "Then... Uncle Lin and the others..."

Lin Zuodao smiled and said, "I have cultivated for forty-seven years and am currently a Fourth Rank Realm cultivator, just one step away from the top three ranks. There are many taboos in the path of cultivation, each step as weighty as the heavens. Top three rank cultivators can be considered phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in all the world."

Ning Ming looked again at old man Li.

The latter took a puff of his dry tobacco pipe and lightly said, "I am a Third Rank Realm cultivator."

Almost instantly, Lin Zuodao's expression froze for a second.

Ning Ming also swallowed his saliva.

At the same time, he grew increasingly more curious. No matter if it was Grandpa Li or Uncle Lin, even outside they must be famed and distinguished figures.

Why would they be living in seclusion in this desolate village? Could it be they have enemies?

Looking at the time.

The sun had already sunk to the mountain ridge, nightfall nearing.

Old man Li said they would stop here for today and let Ning Ming return home to digest things, coming again tomorrow.

Ning Ming also had many thoughts that needed organizing.

Yet he suddenly recalled what the village chief had previously said regarding his origins, so he asked about it.

Old man Li fell silent for a moment, then deeply inhaled his tobacco pipe and finally said, "Wait a little longer."

Ning Ming inevitably felt somewhat disappointed, but he didn't inquire further either.

After he left.

Lin Zuodao looked towards old man Li, "Why didn't you say it?"

Old man Li shook his head. "When Ning the Cripple escaped from the Divine Capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty back then, he was a Fifth Rank Realm cultivator. One can well imagine, little brother Ning's background is extraordinary."

"The Great Zhou Dynasty?"

Lin Zuodao murmured as if filled with some nostalgia.

"Little brother Ning's life star is still...too awful..." Old man Li said. "I also don't know how his future cultivation path will turn out, his prospects are difficult to predict, ah."

...

...

On the way back.

Ning Ming wasn't pondering those matters too far beyond his reach.

To him, this village was home, warm enough.

Having finally embarked on the path of cultivation today gladdened Ning Ming. His steps were much lighter on the way back, his mood cheerful.

The desolate village wasn't big, nestled against a verdant mountain. A muddy road ran through the entire village with free-roaming chickens and ducks as well as playing children. Thatched cottages were scattered on both sides of the road, farther off were expansive fields growing all kinds of crops...

Bathed in the evening glow of sunset, those men working the fields revealed sturdy, sculpted muscles with pantslegs rolled up. It was hard to imagine they were cultivators.

"Brother Ning, you didn't piss your pants in fright last night right?"

Someone called out teasingly in greeting.

"Brother Ning, the village chief is teaching you how to cultivate?"

Middle-aged women pulled Ning Ming over, asking this and that.

Even little Ying and the other children flocked around him, surrounding him like chicks, chirping noisily.

Ning Ming answered them one by one.

Widow Liu in the village insisted that Ning Ming eat dinner at her place. Dinner was also very sumptuous, she had specially slaughtered a chicken.

Worth mentioning was that widow Liu's face was pitted with unsightly black marks. Yet her figure was graceful and alluring, glimpsed from afar like a narcissus flower, a back view killer.

She and the village chief were similar, with her husband dead and no descendants left behind, she regarded Ning Ming as her own child caring for him.

Especially because her ugly appearance frightened the other children in the village, only Ning Ming didn't care as much, occasionally chatting with widow Liu to alleviate her loneliness.

At dinner.

Widow Liu complained about the village chief's actions last night in various ways, and asked Ning Ming several times about his cultivation progress.

Although widow Liu had very unappealing markings on her face, Ning Ming's gaze towards her was very clear, answering every one of her questions.

"Aunt Liu, what exactly are the Twins of the Heaven Lonely Star?"

While eating, Ning Ming curiously asked.

"The Twins are the cultivator's mental projections manifested during the cultivation process of those with the Heaven Lonely Star as their life star," widow Liu said. "It's said that in ancient times, before the stars were defiled, it was an unparalleled divine ability to project an out-of-body avatar. Unfortunately now it has become a taboo that strikes terror instead, the avatar actually vanishes without a trace and even wants to kill the original body..."

"Oh." Ning Ming nodded while also vaguely curious in his heart.

Could that black stone have absorbed the taboo projection of the man in green?

After the meal, Ning Ming packed up some food to bring back for granny Ning.

"Now that Brother Ning will be cultivating... This is Soul Protecting Incense. When cultivating, lighting it can safeguard the heart and spirit."

Before Ning Ming left, widow Liu hurriedly took out an object that resembled sandalwood from her chest.

She repeatedly emphasized to be careful and cautious, by no means allowing cultivation mishaps.

Ning Ming was surprised that everyone in the village was extraordinary. He thanked her again.

"What's there to thank?" Widow Liu grabbed Ning Ming's hand and said distressfully, "Other children have parents doting on them since birth. They are treasures in their parents' eyes while you've had to fend for yourself since young. And now you even have to embark on the path of cultivation..."

Although she was talking about Ning Ming, widow Liu seemed to be describing her own lonely existence in the village. Her eyes were moist now.

By the time Ning Ming left widow Liu's home.

Outside, the setting sun gradually dimmed as nightfall approached once more.

"If I cultivate this black stone's Heaven Lonely Star Twins, would that be a taboo? Or a divine ability?"

With all kinds of feelings, Ning Ming returned to his own home, and became even more nervous.

All speculation needs to be evidenced through practice.

Tonight, he would secretly from the village chief and others, cultivate the forbidden supernatural powers!