Chapter 75 Blasphemy 24. A pale face, crimson lips.

Shen Mingxin had never known that the hands of a deity could be so hot.

In the early morning, He examined his stomach, gently touching and stirring the flesh that seemed to have already rotted away. Everything was cold and damp, like something cold and inhuman, which froze him to the point of collapse.

He remembered that touch clearly.

But right now, this hand is burning hot.

It was supporting him, holding his lower back through two layers of silk clothing, almost encircling him with the force of a single palm, radiating a temperature that seemed to melt a person, vivid and intense, like a branding yoke.

Shen Mingxin felt as if she had become a handful of snow, burning so intensely that she was about to melt.

How could this be?

This is neither an investigation into the divine fetus nor a life-or-death escape; how could He be so close to Him?

Has He forgotten how He tossed and turned over His idols, how He indulged in unrestrained revelry in past dreams?

Do you really not mind?

Or was she deliberately...seducing him?

Feeling the hand on his lower back, Shen Mingxin boldly indulged his momentary blasphemous desires, relying on this sudden intimacy, his waist softened and his eyes lowered.

His teeth parted slightly, drawing in the cool, quiet air.

It was like a long, gentle snowfall, drifting softly and landing on his forehead, the tip of his nose, and the corner of his lips, as light as a feather and as heavy as if it were suffocating him.

He clenched his fingers.

However, this indulgence lasted only a few breaths.

The voice rang out, like a heavy hammer, jolting him awake: "Does your stomach hurt?"

Shen Mingxin froze, his heart pounding like a drum.

"A little bit."

He attributed this momentary strangeness entirely to his swollen belly.

Upon hearing this, Chu Shenxiang frowned slightly, lowered her head and touched his abdomen, leaning closer as if sensing something.

The deity's face was cold and handsome, like clouds in the sky and snow among the clouds, seemingly within arm's reach.

Shen Mingxin seemed to have never seen this face so closely before while she was conscious.

That's too close.

So close that, in a daze, he had the illusion that even gods were affected by the mundane world.

“It hasn’t continued to swell,” Chu Shenxiang didn’t notice anything unusual, but seeing Shen Mingxin’s unbearable discomfort, she didn’t hesitate any longer and said directly, “This morning, after examining the divine fetus, I went through my memories and came up with two methods. I wanted to refine them further before trying them, but if I continue to delay, I’m afraid you’ll suffer.”

He looked into Shen Mingxin's eyes: "If you really can't bear it, you can try it now. With my protection, these two methods will at worst fail, but they will never hurt you. Don't worry, are you willing?"

“Of course I’m willing,” Shen Mingxin smiled and answered without hesitation, “I trust my brother.”

Although he longed for the mercy and gentleness of the gods, he now knew about Chu Shenxiang's conversation with the Great Goddess of Heaven and was aware of her predicament. How could he allow himself to cause her any more trouble?

If we can resolve this strange belly issue as soon as possible, then we should do so quickly.

"Then please sit down."

This answer was exactly what Chu Shenxiang expected. He didn't say much, but helped Shen Mingxin back to the bedside and gestured for him to sit cross-legged with his palms facing upwards.

“As I told you before, this swelling is the primordial yang embryo, which is naturally present in your body, and not an invasion by demonic energy such as incense seeds.” Chu Shenxiang sat opposite Shen Mingxin, her voice was calm, but her tone was unusually gentle and patient, truly like a teacher and elder.

"Then what exactly is the Primordial Yang Divine Embryo?" Chu Shenxiang continued, "The essence of the three souls and seven spirits, and the vital energy of the mortal body, when combined and condensed, are called the Primordial Yang Divine Embryo. All living beings in the world can condense the Primordial Yang Divine Embryo."

"But in this world, only gods, demons, and spirits can truly condense and transform this essence into their own. Mortals may possess essence and vital energy, but they cannot utilize it. Even martial arts masters who have cultivated their acquired skills to the extreme and achieved the innate level cannot break through this constraint."

“Occasionally, mortals may be tricked by demons or accidentally eat something strange, and thus unexpectedly develop a divine embryo, like you. But for them, this is a curse, not a blessing.”

"A mortal who carries a divine embryo that has already been formed is, to demons and evil gods, the most delicious piece of meat, which can be eaten without even cooking. Such a mortal, even a top martial artist, cannot live peacefully."

"A very small number of people briefly received divine protection, but gods are not guardians in one's home; how can they watch over and protect one at all times? In the end, they all lost their lives due to a single misstep..."

Chu Shenxiang slowly recounted her understanding of the Yuanyang Divine Embryo over the past two hundred years.

These words were not meant to intimidate Shen Mingxin, but rather to illustrate the nature of this world. It seemed to naturally favor gods and demons, while being cruel to ordinary people.

Shen Mingxin listened attentively, his expression gradually becoming serious: "Brother, do you mean that even if someone like me was blessed by the gods in the past, they couldn't dispel the divine embryo, but could only hide it?"

“Indeed,” Chu Shenxiang said with a steady gaze, “Therefore, the method we are going to use today has no precedent to follow. It is something I devised on my own and evolved from other methods. You are the first person to try it.”

He paused for a moment, then said, "There's no need to agree for me. If you have any concerns, you can wait a little longer..."

“No worries,” Shen Mingxin boldly interrupted Chu Shenxiang, laughing, “There’s always a first in everything. So many people have dared to be the first in the past, so why shouldn’t I?”

That's quite carefree.

Chu Shenxiang thought that in this way, it would seem that she was the one who was full of concerns.

"Alright," Chu Shenxiang said, seeing Shen Mingxin's determination, his doubts about his self-created method were greatly reduced. He cleared his mind of distractions and said, "You already know what the Yuan Yang Divine Embryo is. If you want to resolve this divine embryo harmlessly, there are only two paths you can take."

"First, it can be resolved."

"I will attempt to inject pure energy to guide the essence of the body and soul that has condensed the divine embryo back to its various parts, thereby dissolving the divine embryo. My pure energy is refined from divine power and incense, and it has the same origin as the innate primordial yang, both coming from heaven and earth, so there is a good chance that I can accomplish this."

"You need to relax and not resist..."

With fingers warmed, pinch and press on the abdomen and major acupoints throughout the body.

Shen Mingxin tried his best to relax, calm his mind, and a pure aura emanated from his body, swirling and rising.

Chu Shenxiang stared at Shen Mingxin, using her pure energy to open the places where essence was stored in his body, attempting to arouse the essence of his body and soul that had condensed into a divine embryo. However, this did not seem to work.

Those essences of the body and soul only moved faintly, but to say that they dispersed and returned to various parts of the body and soul was not the case at all.

After trying for nearly two hours, Chu Shenxiang finally confirmed that this method was ineffective.

"The second method is to learn from those gods, demons, and monsters to refine a divine embryo."

Chu Shenxiang said, "But as far as I know, the biggest difference between mortals and divine embryos, and the key to refining the divine embryo, is that they lack a trace of connection with heaven and earth."

"When I became a god, there was no warning. Suddenly, heaven and earth sensed that I was about to become a god, so I naturally condensed a divine embryo, then refined it, and achieved godhood. The demons and monsters I saw in the past were also like this."

"No mortal, not even a primordial martial artist or a ruler of a country, has ever obtained this trace of the connection between heaven and earth. Therefore, I have studied a method today to try to replenish this connection and see if it can help you refine your divine embryo."

Shen Mingxin's pupils trembled.

He had read so many legends of gods and ghosts, heard so many tales of gods and ghosts, but which one dared to claim could mend the connection between heaven and earth? Even if he was ignorant and clueless, he understood that it was extraordinary.

"Brother, this... could it incur the wrath of Heaven and Earth?" Shen Ming thought to himself. "Even the gods crave Heaven's and Earth's approval and bestowal. Could this action be detrimental to you..."

"It's alright."

Chu Shenxiang remained calm and composed.

If even a god who enjoys human sacrifices and oppresses the people can approve of this, what is there to yearn for in this imperial decree? It's nothing special.

Shen Mingxin frowned, about to speak, but Chu Shenxiang suddenly pointed a finger at his brow.

"Concentrate."

The deity's voice was deep and cold.

"You must not relax too much this time. The key to refining lies with you, not me. Calm your mind and focus your soul, sense that subtle difference, and then mobilize a bit of your true spirit to guide the divine embryo through the body's circulation. Once you condense a breath of innate essence, you will have completed a full cycle, which means this method is effective..."

The coolness of her fingertips cleared Shen Mingxin's mind, refreshed his spirit, and he calmed down involuntarily.

"Follow my incantation and circulate your energy; Heaven and Earth give birth to the Dao, covering all darkness and mystery..."

Chu Shenxiang activated her own Dharma form, connecting heaven and earth, extracting the essence of all living beings and the atmosphere of mountains and rivers. Based on her own memories, she simulated a trace of the connection between heaven and earth and poured it into her spiritual core.

Shen Mingxin's eyelashes trembled, as if she sensed something.

But it's only a vague possibility.

However, after a short while, Chu Shenxiang could tell that Shen Mingxin had not actually received this simulated sensation, nor had he begun to refine the divine embryo.

He closed his eyes and continued to channel his spiritual energy into the universe.

If it doesn't work the first time, try again; if it doesn't work the second time, try a third time...

Suddenly, for the eighteenth time, Shen Mingxin's body trembled.

Chu Shenxiang opened her eyes and observed the Qi of heaven and earth. She saw that the divine embryo in Shen Mingxin's abdomen was slowly wriggling. Strands of essence were being drawn, passing through acupoints like stars, moving with the mind, and slowly circulating through the body.

Chu Shenxiang's eyes flickered slightly, and she felt a sense of relief.

"Concentrate and stay calm."

He gently reassured them, "The refining process has just begun; we must not act rashly."

An invisible aura faintly appeared on Shen Mingxin's body. His back trembled slightly, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He seemed to have never experienced such complex sensations before. His belly also began to roll, as if something alive was violently writhing inside.

Shen Mingxin's brows furrowed slightly, her eyelashes trembling as she half-raised her head, her expression vaguely dazed.

Seeing this, Chu Shenxiang sent her pure energy to relieve his pain.

The flow of divine energy was slow yet firm, reaching its end in about half an hour, arriving at the Jade Hall in the mouth. The condensation of a breath of primordial essence here signifies the completion of this great cycle, and the true effectiveness of Chu Shenxiang's method.

However, another half hour passed, and the innate essence still failed to condense, as if it were blocked by something.

Shen Mingxin was drenched in sweat, and his face gradually turned pale. All the divine energy was stuck in his mouth, causing it to swell even more. If there was no way to clear it, it was very likely that the acupoints would burst.

Chu Shenxiang's expression turned slightly serious.

A moment later, the dark blue hand rose and touched the pale, sweaty face.

Two fingers parted the soft lips.

"...Ugh!"

Shen Mingxin was prepared when Chu Shenxiang raised her hand, but when she was actually forced to open her lips and have her tongue pulled and played with, she still couldn't help but let out a shameful sound from between her teeth.

“Feel it carefully,” Chu Shenxiang said, her fingertips slightly warm as she scraped across Shen Mingxin’s jade hall, causing his lips and tongue to instinctively tighten and twitch. “I will use the connection between heaven and earth to strike this place, and you will transform the energy of the divine embryo into a heavy hammer to smash it open…”

Shen Mingxin was speechless and could only try his best to concentrate and follow Chu Shenxiang's guidance to break through this final hurdle.

"Don't rush."

Chu Shenxiang said, "If it doesn't work the first time, we'll try again. It will surely succeed."

Shen Mingxin raised her half-closed eyes, her gaze brimming with tenderness, containing a mist more shimmering than the Xiang River.

A pale face, crimson lips, and an even more moist, soft tongue.

Chu Shenxiang almost thought that this person was about to melt into her arms.

Suddenly, my finger hurt.

Shen Mingxin bit his knuckle.

Almost simultaneously, a naturally sweet aroma spread, and in an instant, Shen Mingxin's mouth, tongue, and teeth were completely submerged in the water. The water flowed continuously, overflowing and dripping down, soaking her blue and red clothes in the blink of an eye.

Shen Mingxin loosened his grip, pressing his cheek against Chu Shenxiang's forearm. His red lips curled up, and his tongue drooped down, as if he couldn't close them, looking utterly disheveled.

"The innate essence has been obtained."

Chu Shenxiang's fingertips were surprisingly damp as she slowly and gently touched Shen Mingxin's swollen lips.

Once the innate essence is formed, the method of refining it is also considered complete.

Next, it was time for Shen Mingxin to focus his mind and continue refining. However, while Chu Shenxiang thought this way, Shen Mingxin seemed to have a different idea.

He bit his fingertip.

Chu Shenxiang intended to stop immediately, but paused when she saw Shen Mingxin's eyes.

The young man in red robes and with black hair couldn't see his own phoenix eyes, so he didn't know how much longing and affection, how much greed and delusion they revealed when they looked at him with moist eyes—something he couldn't hide even if he wanted to.

"Kiss her, hurry up and kiss her!"

Human nature, for some reason, suddenly came to the fore.

Chu Shenxiang stared at that beautiful, flushed face, her expression unchanging: "Can he distinguish between desire and love?"

"What if you can tell the difference, and what if you can't?" Humanity cried out, "I haven't seen you show him any mercy..."

Chu Shenxiang remained silent.

He stroked the back of Shen Mingxin's neck and withdrew his fingertips from Shen Mingxin's mouth.

"Concentrate and continue..."

Before Chu Shenxiang could finish speaking, his arms suddenly felt heavy as Shen Mingxin tugged at his clothes and climbed up to him.