Chapter 240: Three Hun and Seven Po

The suite was completely empty, yet the floor was spotless.

Shui Miao sat cross-legged in the center of the living room, while the entrances to the small living room and bedroom were filled with ghosts from the six great families. They stood silently watching Shui Miao, their faces expressionless.

It was extremely difficult to calm one’s mind under the gaze of so many ghosts.

Shui Miao couldn’t help but wonder if, once his soul left his body, all these ghosts would rush to possess him.

“Am I really that attractive?”

Frowning coldly, Shui Miao spoke out, glancing at the ghosts surrounding him. His eyes seemed to radiate a killing intent.

The ghosts reacted instantly, vanishing in a flash, leaving not a trace behind.

The ghosts hadn’t been intentionally staring at Shui Miao; they were simply waiting for him to ask for their birth dates and times so they could register at the City God Temple.

Shui Miao shook his head in frustration, thinking the ghosts were there to guard him. Within his spiritual realm were five stone tablets, exuding immense power that no one could use to forcibly extract his soul. Therefore, he needed no guardians. However, he only knew one method of soul projection—exiting through the Heaven’s Gate in his spiritual realm, first going to the Immortal Realm and then returning to the mortal world. Unfortunately, the middle-aged scholar had warned him not to return to the Immortal Realm for ten years, so he had to abandon that idea.

Besides that, he didn’t know any other method of soul projection.

Suddenly, Shui Miao thought of Bai Feng.

Bai Feng had been following him from afar. If his soul projection hadn’t been obstructed, he might have forgotten all about her.

Shui Miao used his mind to sense her presence and summoned Bai Feng.

Bai Feng was a female ghost with five hundred years of cultivation. As soon as she appeared, she intimidated the entire group of ghosts.

“Zhang Ling, you called for me?”

“Mm. Bai Jie, do you know how to project your soul? I tried several times just now, but maybe my method was wrong—I couldn’t succeed.”

“That’s easy. I know several techniques. Let me teach you one now.”

“Great! Thank you, Bai Jie.”

“Don’t be so polite with me.”

“Hehe…”

“Alright, now I’ll explain what the soul is and the principles of soul projection. First, the human spirit can be divided into two parts: hun and po. The ‘three hun’ refer to the heavenly hun, earthly hun (or shihun), and human hun, also known in ancient times as Taiguang, Shuangling, and Youjing, or Yuanshen, Yangshen, and Yinshen. The ‘seven po’ are Tianchong, Linghui, Qi, Li, Zhongshu, Jing, and Ying. Hun is yin, while po is yang.”

“Among the three hun and seven po, there is further division into yin and yang. Among the three hun, Tianhun is yang, Dihun is yin, and Minghun is yang again. Among the seven po, Tianchong and Linghui are yin, known as Tianpo; Qi, Li, and Zhongshu are yang, known as Renpo; and Jing and Ying are yang, known as Dipou.”

“Among the three hun, the heavenly and earthly hun are usually outside the body, while only the Minghun resides within the body. The three hun—Tian, Di, and Ming—are rarely together. Among the seven po, the two Tianpo, two Dipou, and three Renpo maintain yin-yang balance and never separate, always attaching themselves to the human body.”

“In fact, the seven po of humans correspond exactly to the seven chakras along the central channel from the crown of the head to the Huiyin acupoint between the legs, representing seven energy fields. Tianchong resides in the crown chakra, Linghui in the brow chakra, Qi in the throat chakra, Li in the heart chakra, also connected to the palms and soles. Zhongshu resides in the navel chakra, Jing in the reproductive chakra, and Ying in the root chakra. The seven po are all governed by the Minghun. Minghun is also called the human hun or the physical hun. Human life originates from the Minghun entering the fetus. After entering the fetus, the Minghun distributes energy throughout the seven chakras of the central channel, forming the seven po. The po are unique to the physical body and dissipate upon death, while the Minghun departs, marking the end of life. The Minghun governs thought and wisdom through the Tianchong and Linghui po, action through the Qi and Li po and Zhongshu, and physical strength and health through the Jing and Ying po. Among the seven po, Zhongshu is the most central. The Minghun resides within the seven chakras. The connection between the Minghun and Zhongshu po is the closest, so Zhongshu is also known as Mingpo. Within the body, the yin of the two Tianpo combines with the yang of the two Dipou to generate the tangible Qi and strength of the Renpo. The Minghun is the root of the seven po, while the seven po are like branches and leaves of the Minghun. Without the Minghun, the po cannot exist; without the po, the Minghun cannot thrive. The Minghun is the main soul of the body. The union of the Tian and Di hun gives rise to the Minghun, and when the Minghun ends, it separates into yin and yang, returning to heaven and earth. The Tianhun governs light, while the Dihun is the shadow of the Tianhun’s light on the Minghun. Therefore, the Dihun is also called the shadow soul. Without light, there is no shadow; without shadow, there is no form. If a cultivator can fuse the Minghun with fate, the light of the Tianhun and the form of the Dihun can merge with the physical hun. Only then can the Linghui po in the brow chakra display the images of the Tianhun and Dihun. Thus, everything seen by the Tianhun and Dihun, which usually exist outside the body, can be displayed in the brain and celestial eye. Since the Tianhun and Dihun can manifest all phenomena while attached to the physical body and also exist freely without it, they are also known as the external incarnations of the body.”

“Now, regarding soul projection, the soul usually exits through the crown of the head. In normal people, the crown is closed, locking the soul inside the body. To project the soul, one must use external force, such as talismans, incantations, or other methods, all of which aim to release the soul from the body. Given your level of cultivation, your crown should already be open, making soul projection very easy. I suggest you try the method of projecting through willpower—focus your mind on exiting the body, not on yourself leaving. Try this method.”

“Focus on exiting, not on leaving?”

Shui Miao blinked, pondered for a moment, then closed his eyes and prepared to project his soul.

Seeing this, Bai Feng quickly waved her hand. “Don’t close your eyes. At your level of cultivation, you don’t need to close your eyes. Closing them will make it easier for you to imagine rather than control. So keep your eyes open now, slowly find your soul, and then try to control it…”

“Find my soul?”

Shui Miao was puzzled, almost confused by her words.

Bai Feng smiled slightly. “I see now. Your problem lies here. You only know how to cultivate and feel your physical body, but you’ve never noticed the existence of your soul. It’s understandable, though. After all, you’re alive and haven’t died, so you’re not very familiar with the soul body. Well, your situation is a bit more difficult. Now you must train to find and control your soul. Stand up now, go to the corner, put your head down, and stand on your hands. Then focus all your attention on thinking about standing up, but don’t let your body react at all. Try to forget the existence of your body while thinking. Once you feel movement, stand up boldly.”

“…”

This method was indeed quite novel.

Shui Miao leaned against the wall and slowly turned upside down. His first sensation was a heavy feeling in his head, requiring effort to keep his body straight, or else it would tilt.

Seeing this, Bai Feng instructed, “Forget gravity, ignore your physical body, think about standing up, flying up…”

“…”

Shui Miao felt a bit speechless inside. This was too difficult. How could he possibly forget gravity while standing upside down?

At first, Shui Miao couldn’t accept this idea.

The suite was completely empty, but the floor was clean.

Shui Miao sat cross-legged in the middle of the living room, while the doorways to the small living area and the rooms were filled with the ghosts of the six major families. They watched Shui Miao silently, their faces expressionless.

Being stared at by this group of ghosts made it incredibly difficult to calm his mind.

Shui Miao couldn’t help but wonder: once his soul left his body, would these ghosts fight over the chance to possess him?

“Am I that good-looking?”

Frowning, Shui Miao spoke coldly, scanning the ghosts with a gaze that seemed to carry a hint of murderous intent.

The ghosts, snapping back to reality, vanished instantly, disappearing without a trace.

They hadn’t been intentionally staring at Shui Miao; rather, he had promised to help their families settle their residences, and they were waiting for him to ask for their birth dates so they could register at the City God’s Temple.

Shui Miao shook his head in frustration. He had thought the ghosts were there to protect him. In his mental realm, he had five stone tablets with immense power, making it impossible for anyone to forcibly take his soul, so he didn’t need any protection. However, he only knew one method of soul projection: exiting through the Heavenly Gate in his mental realm, first going to the immortal realm and then returning to the mortal world. But the middle-aged scholar had warned him not to return to the immortal realm for ten years, forcing him to abandon that idea.

Aside from that, he didn’t know any other methods of soul projection.

Suddenly, Shui Miao thought of Bai Feng.

Bai Feng had been following him from a distance all along. If it weren’t for his failed attempts at soul projection, Shui Miao would have almost forgotten about her.

Using his mental focus, Shui Miao summoned Bai Feng.

Bai Feng was a female ghost with five hundred years of cultivation. As soon as she appeared, her presence awed the other ghosts.

“Zhang Ling, you called for me?”

“Yes! Sister Bai, do you know how to project one’s soul? I tried a few times just now, but it didn’t work—probably because I used the wrong method.”

“That’s easy. I know several methods. Let me teach you one to try.”

“Great! Thank you, Sister Bai.”

“Why so polite with me?”

“Hehe…”

“Alright, now I’ll explain to you what the soul is and the principle behind soul projection. First, the soul: a person’s spirit can be divided into what we refer to as the soul and the pò. The three souls are the Heavenly Soul, the Earthly Soul (or Consciousness Soul), and the Human Soul. In ancient times, they were known as Tai Guang, Shuang Ling, and You Jing, or alternatively as the Primordial Spirit, Yang Spirit, and Yin Spirit. The seven pò are Tian Chong, Ling Hui, Qi, Li, Zhong Shu, Jing, and Ying. The soul is yin, and the pò is yang.”

“Within the three souls and seven spirits, each is further categorized into yin and yang. Among the three souls, the Heavenly Soul is yang, the Earthly Soul is yin, and the Life Soul is yang once more. Of the seven spirits, Tian Chong and Ling Hui are yin and are known as the Heavenly spirits. Qi, Li, and Zhong Shu are yang and represent the Human spirits. Jing and Ying are yang and are the Earthly spirits. Among the three souls, the Heavenly and Earthly Souls often remain outside the body, with only the Life Soul residing within. The three souls seldom gather together. The seven spirits consist of two Heavenly spirits, two Earthly spirits, and three Human spirits. They align with yin and yang and are inseparable, often attached to the human body.”

In reality, the seven “po” (soul aspects) of humans correspond to the seven chakras located along the central meridian from the crown of the head to the perineum, as described in Tibetan esoteric practices—seven energy fields. The Tian Chong “po” resides at the crown chakra, the Ling Hui “po” at the brow chakra, the Qi “po” at the throat chakra, the Li “po” at the heart chakra (connected to the palms and soles), the Zhong Shu “po” at the navel chakra, the Jing “po” at the sacral chakra, and the Ying “po” at the root chakra. The seven “po” are all governed by the Life Soul, also known as the Human Soul or the Physical Soul. Human life begins when the Life Soul enters the fetus. Upon entering, it distributes energy to the seven chakras along the central meridian, forming the seven “po.” The “po” are unique to the physical body. After death, the seven “po” dissipate, and the Life Soul departs, ending life. The Life Soul governs thought and wisdom through the Tian Chong and Ling Hui “po.” It governs action through the Qi and Li “po” and the Zhong Shu “po.” It governs physical health through the Jing and Ying “po.” The Zhong Shu “po” is the center of the seven “po.” The Life Soul attaches to the seven chakras. The connection between the Life Soul and the Zhong Shu “po” is the closest, so the Zhong Shu “po” is also called the Life “po.” Within the body, the yin of the two Heavenly “po” (Tian Chong and Ling Hui) interacts with the yang of the two Earthly “po” (Jing and Ying) to produce the tangible energy of the Human “po.” The Life Soul is the root of the seven “po,” and the seven “po” are its branches. Without the Life Soul, the “po” cannot exist; without the “po,” the Life Soul cannot flourish. The Life Soul is the master soul of the body. The convergence of the Heavenly and Earthly Souls gives rise to the Life Soul, creating a person. When the Life Soul ends, it divides into yin and yang and returns to heaven and earth. The Heavenly Soul governs light, while the Earthly Soul is the shadow cast by the Heavenly Soul’s light on the Life Soul. Thus, the Earthly Soul is also called the Shadow Soul. Without light, there is no shadow; without shadow, there is no form. If a cultivator can merge their destiny, the heavenly light and earthly form can unite with their Physical Soul. Only then can the Ling Hui “po” at the brow reveal the forms of the Heavenly and Earthly Souls. Thus, everything perceived by the Heavenly and Earthly Souls outside the body can be displayed in the brain and the third eye. Because the Heavenly and Earthly Souls can either attach to the physical body to manifest phenomena or exist freely apart from it, they are also called external incarnations.

“Now, about soul projection: the soul usually exits through the crown of the head. For ordinary people, the crown is sealed, locking the soul inside the body. To project the soul, external forces are needed, such as talismans, incantations, or other unconventional methods. Though the methods vary, the goal is the same: to extract the soul from the body. In theory, with your level of cultivation, your Heavenly Gate should already be open, making soul projection very easy. I suggest you try the method of using intention: focus your mind on controlling your soul to step out of your body, rather than merely wanting to come out. Give it a try.” Bai Feng had long realized that Shui Miao was a cultivator without a master. If he had been properly taught, with his current level of immortal power, he would already be capable of many mysterious spells.

“Control it out, not just want to come out?”

Shui Miao blinked, pondered for a moment, then closed his eyes, preparing to project his soul.

Seeing this, Bai Feng quickly waved her hand. “No need to close your eyes. At your level, closing your eyes easily turns your focus into ‘wanting’ rather than ‘controlling.’ So keep your eyes open, slowly locate your soul, and try to control it…”

“Locate my soul?”

Shui Miao was puzzled, feeling a bit confused by her words.

Bai Feng smiled slightly. “I see. This is your problem. You only know how to cultivate and sense your physical body but have never been aware of your soul’s existence. But that’s understandable—you’re alive and have never died, so you’re not familiar with the soul form. Well, this makes it more challenging for you. Now you must practice how to locate and control your soul. Stand up, walk to the corner, and do a headstand—head down, feet up. Then focus all your energy on thinking about standing up, but don’t let your body react. As you think, try to forget your body’s existence. Once you feel movement, boldly stand up.”

“…”

This method was quite novel.

Shui Miao leaned against the corner and slowly inverted into a headstand. His first sensation was heaviness, pressure on his head, and the need to push hard to keep his body from tilting.

Seeing this, Bai Feng instructed, “Forget gravity. Ignore your physical body. Think about standing up, about flying…”

“…”

Shui Miao felt speechless inwardly. Wasn’t this too difficult? How could he forget gravity while upside down?

At first, Shui Miao struggled to accept this approach.

However, after some time and several attempts to concentrate, he gradually felt his subconscious dilute the sense of gravity. As he further calmed his mind, his body came under subconscious control, and he slowly began to completely disregard gravity. Then, Shui Miao focused intently on the thought of ascending, rising higher and higher… After a few minutes, he started to sense a subtle swaying of his body, as if it were struggling to lift off, even though his physical form remained motionless. This sensation thrilled Shui Miao, and he eagerly tried again, continuously envisioning himself soaring upward!

With a soft thud, Shui Miao fell.

“Don’t move!”

Suddenly, Bai Feng shouted.

Startled, Shui Miao quickly looked at her.

Bai Feng beckoned to him and said slowly, “Come, crawl over here, crawl over…”

Without overthinking, Shui Miao knew Bai Feng was helping him. He did as she said and crawled toward her.

“Now slowly stand up, slowly turn your head, control your emotions. No matter what you see, keep your heart as calm as water…”

“…”

Shui Miao followed Bai Feng’s instructions. Turning his head, he saw his physical body still in a headstand against the corner!

“I succeeded!”

Shui Miao felt slightly excited. Looking at himself now, unlike when his soul had flown to the immortal realm, his soul appeared almost identical to his real self—with clothes, sensations, everything.

Bai Feng seemed to guess his thoughts. She nodded and said, “Among the three souls, when your soul flew to the immortal realm, it was your Heavenly Soul. Now, in the mortal world, it’s your Earthly Soul that has left your body. That’s why you look different—because the Heavenly Soul is light, and the Earthly Soul is turbid.”

“So that’s how it is!”

Shui Miao was enlightened; he had truly broadened his horizons today.

“Hehe!”

Bai Feng couldn’t help but chuckle at Shui Miao’s foolish expression. “There are other differences you might not be aware of. Whether it’s the Heavenly Soul or the Earthly Soul, they are particularly sensitive to sound and light, as well as to various spiritual energies. But there are advantages: the soul is very light, doesn’t need to breathe, and is basically unharmed by physical objects in reality. Only artifacts with special spiritual properties can harm you, but with your level of cultivation, you have nothing to fear unless it’s a powerful ghost or deity. Of course, you can also use your magical power. If you don’t harm others, they should consider themselves lucky, hehe…”

Upon hearing this, Shui Miao concentrated his focus slightly, and a stream of yin fire surged forth from his palm!

Seeing the yin fire, Bai Feng was stunned. She admitted that even she would have a hard time handling Shui Miao’s immortal-powered yin fire.

Fortunately, Shui Miao quickly withdrew the yin fire.

Bai Feng watched him. “By the way, Zhang Ling, you don’t seem very skilled at using spells. How about I teach you properly later?”

“Great! I’d be overjoyed!!” Shui Miao was both surprised and delighted—this was fantastic news. But after a pause, he scratched his head awkwardly. “But I can’t learn right now. I have something to do—I promised to help them settle their residences, but I’m not familiar with the path to the underworld. Sister Bai, could you help me again?”

“What’s so hard about that?”

Bai Feng cast him a reproachful glance. “I told you not to stand on ceremony with me. You call me ‘sister,’ so if my younger brother has something to attend to, how could I not lend a hand? Alright, no more formalities from now on. If you need something, just speak up directly. Now, let me explain this matter of settling residences. Actually, since you’re completely in the dark about it, I’d better go into detail…”

“Great!”

Shui Miao was indeed completely ignorant about the underworld. Aside from having met a few ghosts, a few underworld guards, and a City God, he knew nothing else.

Bai Feng nodded and began explaining unhurriedly…

With a soft “thud,” Shui Miao fell down.

“Don’t move!”

Suddenly, Bai Feng shouted loudly.

Startled, Shui Miao quickly looked at Bai Feng.

Bai Feng gestured to Shui Miao and slowly said, “Come on, crawl over here, crawl over here…”

Without thinking much, Shui Miao knew Bai Feng was helping him, so he followed her instructions and crawled toward her.

“Now slowly stand up, slowly turn your head, control your emotions, no matter what you see, you must remain calm…”

“…”

Following Bai Feng’s instructions, Shui Miao turned his head and saw his physical body still upside down in the corner!

“I did it!”

Shui Miao felt a little excited. Looking at himself now, unlike when his soul flew to the Immortal Realm, his soul now looked almost exactly like his real self, with clothes and sensations.

Bai Feng seemed to guess Shui Miao’s thoughts. She nodded and said, “Among the three hun, when your soul flew to the Immortal Realm, it was the Tianhun. Now in the mortal world, it’s the Dihun that has projected, so the way you see yourself is different because the Tianhun is light, while the Dihun is heavy.”

“I see!”

Shui Miao suddenly understood. Today had truly been an enlightening experience.

“Hehe!”

Seeing Shui Miao’s somewhat silly expression, Bai Feng couldn’t help but smile. “There are some other differences you might not know yet. Both the Tianhun and Dihun are especially sensitive to sound and light, as well as various spiritual energies. But there are also advantages. The soul is very light, doesn’t need to breathe, and is basically unharmed by real-world objects unless attacked by special spiritual artifacts. But with your level of cultivation, you don’t need to worry about that at all. Unless it’s a powerful ghost or deity, no one can harm you. Of course, you can also use your own spiritual power. As long as you don’t harm others, people will be thanking heaven and earth, hehe…”

Hearing this, Shui Miao’s mind stirred slightly, and a wisp of dark flame shot out from his palm!

Seeing the dark flame, Bai Feng was momentarily stunned. She knew that this kind of immortal energy flame from Shui Miao would be very difficult for her to handle.

Fortunately, Shui Miao quickly retracted the flame.

Bai Feng watched this unfold. “By the way, Zhang Ling, it seems you’re not very skilled in using techniques. How about I teach you properly later?”

“Great! I’d be delighted!!” Shui Miao was both surprised and pleased. This was truly great news. But after a pause, he awkwardly scratched his head and said, “Unfortunately, I can’t learn right now. I have something else to do. I promised to help them settle their homes, but I’m not familiar with the way to the underworld. Bai Jie, could you help me again?”

“What’s so difficult about that?”

Bai Feng gave him a disapproving look. “Didn’t I tell you not to be polite with me? You already call me sister. If my younger brother has something to do, how can I, as the older sister, not help? Alright, from now on, no more politeness. If you need help, just say it directly. Now, let me explain about settling the homes. Well, since you don’t understand anything, I’ll be detailed and specific…”

“Great!”

Indeed, Shui Miao knew next to nothing about the underworld, except for having seen a few ghosts, a few yin officials, and one City God. That was all he knew.

Bai Feng nodded and began explaining slowly…