Flame, or rather light, light originates from flame, and flame bursts forth with light! The ultimate form of this kind of rule is "Yang"! The Yang of the Yang God!
Jiang Liu absorbed numerous strange flames in the "Battle Through the Heavens" world, including the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, the Sea Core Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame, and the Nine Dragons Thunderfire. When forging the cauldron body, it was the strongest, the "Burning Heaven Flame Sun Cauldron Body," which, after combining the five elements, formed the "Life-Creating Cauldron Body." He obtained the "Past Amitabha Sutra," visualized Amitabha Buddha, cultivated immeasurable light, and forged the Dharma form of the "Great Sun Tathagata."
He was able to fight against Hong Xuanji, who had achieved the status of a terrestrial immortal, so he was naturally extremely powerful.
Thunder and fire are in the first column.
The second column is the "Zhen" technique. When combined with the "power of one province" from the Nine Provinces Cauldron, it is even more powerful than the aforementioned flames and thunder. It is a rule that can shatter all things and destroy the void, which is also one of the rules of "space." However, it is not the sealing method of the "Tower of the Universe," but rather a domineering force of destruction. Judging from the strength of the "Yang God" world, even a legendary-level expert who has survived six tribulations would find it difficult to withstand.
The symbol of the sixth tribulation is the shattering of the void.
The third column is about martial arts, the power of the five elements, and the rules of time.
The rules of time are profound, and the fifth tribulation contains the rules of "time." The supernatural power gained by passing the tribulation is called "Intuition," which allows one to sense danger. Jiang Liu verified this with the "Bell of the Universe," and gained some insight into this ability to "sense danger and avoid it."
"As long as I don't encounter a Creator Realm expert with a seventh level of tribulation during this journey through the Wilderness, I will not be defeated! Even if Meng Shenji undergoes eight tribulations, he won't be able to recover in a short time. I will take advantage of his weakness, obtain the Tathagata Sutra, refine the fossilized embryo, and acquire an external avatar. Even if he recovers his full strength, I will not be afraid. If I also obtain the Champion Marquis's Panhuang Life Sword and that set of spear and armor, I can kill him!"
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Jiang Liu knew that the first thing he needed to find was the "Qiankun Bag," and to find the "Qiankun Bag" was to find the leader of the Witchcraft and Ghost Path and the monk Jingren of the Great Zen Temple.
Twenty years ago, the Great Zen Temple was destroyed by the combined forces of Emperor Yang Pan, Hong Xuanji, and the Supreme Daoist Meng Shenji. One of the 108 Bodhisattvas, the monk Jingren, was entrusted by the abbot with a great mission: to steal the "Universe Bag" and escape to the desolate continent, hoping to rebuild the Great Zen Temple someday. Within that Universe Bag lay the Great Zen Temple's supreme secret scriptures, millennia-old treasures of gold and silver, and countless divine weapons.
Jiang Liu, however, knew the true secret of the "Qiankun Bag," a secret that he was probably the only one in the world who knew it. If the "Qiankun Bag" was destroyed, its secret formula would fall out.
The three scriptures—Past, Present, and Future—possess supreme divine powers. The Past is unique; Jiang Liu understands this, and therefore hasn't revealed it. He doesn't cultivate his thoughts, but his primordial spirit is the same. Currently, his primordial spirit can be considered an immortal existence, only those with the ultimate divine power of refining the spirit and returning to the void can destroy it.
Refining the spirit and returning to emptiness is the realm of the Yang spirit.
Thoughts can number in the thousands, even reaching the number of a single primordial spirit. But the primordial spirit is unique. Even if a second or third primordial spirit can be generated through certain techniques or rare treasures, only one primordial spirit will always dominate the original body.
The primordial spirit is unique, and the past was also unique; the two are similar and identical in some mysterious way.
The river flowed for tens of thousands of miles across the sea, and just as dawn was breaking, in the light of day, the outline of an island finally appeared before them.
We've arrived at the Wilderness Continent!
Jiang Liu scanned the area with his divine sense and immediately knew that this was a deserted island. A glance revealed it to be a group of active volcanoes, belching thick black smoke and emitting a pungent smell of sulfur and lava. The island was covered with towering peaks and trees, indicating that while the volcanoes were active, there were no signs of a large-scale eruption.
There are many islands with this kind of environment; this is a volcanic archipelago.
"Even ghost immortals must tread carefully when crossing this island to avoid their souls being damaged by the volcano. There are such dangerous places even before we've gone deep enough, no wonder no one comes to this desolate land."
Jiang Liu traveled through the volcanic archipelago. When he arrived here, he was completely in the dark, so he naturally had to find someone from the Witchcraft and Ghost Path to inquire about information.
With his current supernatural powers, even if someone is hidden ten feet below the mountain, they cannot escape his senses if they are determined. Soon, he sensed a flying demonic corpse, which was not a normal living being, but rather something that had been refined by someone.
This demonic corpse, though capable of flight, was not particularly strong, far inferior to a flying zombie. However, it appeared exceptionally fierce, ferocious, and terrifying. It possessed two pairs of large, fleshy wings, and its entire body was covered in scales, a dark blue-black color tinged with shimmering ebony, making it appear impervious to blades and spears. However, its soul was not concentrated, suggesting it was at most at the acquired realm. Nevertheless, its ability to fly, with wings, was somewhat extraordinary.
Its appearance was terrifying, like an alien monster from a science fiction world. Its body was covered with scales, even its face was covered with them, two fangs were exposed, and its blood-red eyes, like rubies, emitted a faint glow. This appearance made it look fierce, ferocious, evil, and violent... as if all the terrifying words in the world were concentrated on its body.
Such a life form, with its twisted body and twisted soul, is vastly different from a zombie that exists outside the Five Elements and Three Realms.
Jiang Liu's divine sense stirred and invaded the brain of the demon corpse without it realizing it. The demon corpse looked around in a daze, then flew off in one direction like an eagle. With a sudden flap of its wings, it created swirling air currents, gliding sideways and manipulating the air currents to cover two or three miles, displaying superb flying skills.
"Even though they are all about refining corpses, it seems there are different levels. The path of zombies requires the right time, place, and people; it's not simply about using flesh and blood for sacrifice..." Jiang Liu followed, flying at least another hundred miles. In the distance, a small island appeared, like a green snail, floating between the blue sky and the sea.
With a thought, the twisted life form transformed into a fireball and burned to ashes.
"Who destroyed my Heavenly Corpse?"
A loud shout immediately rang out from the snail-shaped island, and the river flowed far away, landing in the middle of a cluster of wooden buildings. Around the wooden buildings, many natives with dark bodies, wearing only a layer of animal skin, were busy at work. On top of the wooden buildings sat a thin Taoist priest, wearing a cotton Taoist robe, holding a bone staff, and with an extremely long beard.
"You Taoist priest, if you can answer some of my questions, I might spare your life!"
The Taoist priest stared at Jiang Liu for a moment, then his skin trembled, his eyes widened in horror, and he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, trembling as he said, "My lord, please speak, I will tell you everything I know!"
"What is the name of your sect leader? Where is your headquarters? Do you know where the monks of the Great Zen Temple are? Tell me everything, so I don't have to search your soul and extract your memories."
The Taoist lowered his head even further and said cautiously, "My sect leader is named Yu Wutong, and our headquarters is located in Tianwu City, three thousand miles to the east. As for the monks of the Great Zen Temple? I heard twenty years ago that a group of monks crossed the sea to the east, but I do not know anything about them now."
Jiang Liu gazed into the distance, where the sea finally ended, and a vast continent was faintly visible in the east. He then said, "You do have some knowledge, so I'll spare your life. Do you know of any powerful beings with extraordinary abilities on this desolate continent?"
"My cultivation is meager; the furthest I've ever been is Tianwu City. I truly have no idea what great power resides there. However, in our private conversations, we've heard some rumors, though we don't know if they're true... We've heard that in the heart of this desolate continent, dragons, phoenixes, and qilin, among other strange beasts, lie dormant, waiting to be born upon encountering a sage. We've also heard of an island inhabited by divine apes..."
“Qilin, Mighty Vajra Divine Ape…that monkey called ‘Ba’…” Jiang Liu stopped abruptly as soon as he uttered the word “Ba,” then turned to look in the northeast direction with a slight frown.
After a long silence, he smiled bitterly and said, "During the fifth stage of the lightning tribulation, he sensed that I wanted to subdue him... Knowing his personality, he will definitely come searching for me. It seems that a battle is inevitable!"
Those who have undergone five tribulations of lightning all possess the ability to act on impulse, seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.
This ability is the essence of Tang Zichen's "seeing without seeing, hearing without hearing, sensing danger and avoiding it" principle in "Dragon and Snake." It means perceiving danger in the unseen realm and avoiding it. However, while some people avoid danger, others will confront it head-on, smashing and destroying it with a stick.
Chapter 202 The Terrifying Monkey
"Heavenly Demon Ape 'Ba,' if you dare to come, you will not escape my grasp! I will capture you, suppress you, subdue you... and make you the guardian demon god of my Hidden Dragon Temple!"
Jiang Liu looked up at the sky, and a sudden sense of crisis gripped his heart, making his entire being tremble. In an instant, every hair on Jiang Liu's body stood on end…
"This is truly terrifying! It hasn't even happened yet, and this sudden sense of crisis already makes me feel like disaster is about to strike. He truly lives up to his reputation as the king of monkeys..."
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of miles away, at the edge of the East Sea, on the other side of the desolate land, amidst a hazy sea of mist, a terrifying aura emanated. Crimson eyes pierced through the mist, fixed on the direction where Jiang Liu was.
In an instant, this little world fell silent. A huge ape slowly emerged from the cave on the main peak. This was a world bathed in sunshine, with rolling mountains, cascading waterfalls, and peach trees laden with longevity peaches the size of bowls.
This is a smaller world derived from the vast world of the East Sea, the Cloud Mist Mountain at the end of the East Sea, the Demon God Cave, and the home of the Vajra Mighty Ape clan.
Within a radius of thousands or tens of thousands of miles, almost all the mountains are covered with peach trees that gather the essence of heaven and earth and the essence of the East Sea! These peach trees are different from the jade peach trees of the Divine Wind Kingdom.
This is a spiritual root called "Seven-Aperture Peach," which, according to legend, can only be planted outside the palace of ancient emperors and empresses.
Each peach is as big as a large bowl, with seven holes on it, constantly releasing a fragrant aroma. These mighty apes eat these peaches to enhance their strength, nourish their bodies, strengthen their muscles and bones, and become incredibly powerful!
Ancient sages said, "One should not be too particular about the fineness of food or the delicacy of its preparation." This is a method of maintaining health and an important means of preserving one's physical strength for many years.
This peach grove was like a natural elixir storehouse, allowing these divine apes to absorb and cultivate, their progress no less than that of the disciples of the sacred land. One could see many powerful Vajra divine apes frolicking among the mountains; some slept under the peach trees, while others practiced fist techniques and martial arts. Still others had carved out numerous caves, where they meditated, focused their minds, and cultivated Taoist arts.
This place is clearly a kingdom of mighty Vajra apes, with over a hundred thousand apes breeding and cultivating among the continuous mountains, no less powerful than the six great holy lands of the human world.
At this moment, atop the highest peak of this mountain range, within the Heavenly Demon Cave, emerged a giant ape, its back shrouded in rolling black clouds. This giant ape was as tall as ten people, its hairs as thick as chopsticks, and its face was extremely ferocious.
"Ancestor, why have you suddenly emerged from seclusion? Just tell us what you need us to do!"
The speaker was a divine ape at the Martial Saint realm, with golden fur all over its body and blood energy soaring into the sky. He spoke in a pure Da Gan accent, in human language.
"I suddenly had a sudden urge and sensed that someone wanted to suppress and subdue me, and this crisis is getting stronger and stronger... I want to see how capable he is!" The giant ape let out a piercing sneer. In this sneer, sound waves emanated and trembled incessantly. The clouds and mist in the mountains were instantly shaken apart, revealing a huge hole, and the hard rocks around his body also shattered at the same time.
"Why should the ancestor take action? This disciple will bring three hundred monkeys and their offspring, and bring his head to see the ancestor!" At this moment, another divine ape with unusually long arms came down from the foot of the mountain. It was also at the peak of the Martial Saint realm. It knelt in front of the giant ape and said.
The giant ape exhaled, its eyes filled with ferocity, and shook its head, saying, "You're no match for me. I only sensed his malice on a whim, and I can't even pinpoint his location yet. Besides... his strength is not weak! In this world, even the number one expert in the world, Meng Shenji, I'm not afraid of. Since he's set his sights on me, I'll capture him and use him as a furnace for cultivating the Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Technique!"
After saying that, he conjured a gust of demonic wind and soared into the sky.
Jiang Liu was sitting cross-legged on the crater of a volcano, rubbing his temples. "The strength of the sixth level of lightning tribulation, although I'm not afraid, it won't be easy to win! It seems I'll have to put the Qiankun Bag aside for now, and deal with that monkey first. I can't eat or sleep until I've dealt with him!"
"Ba... suppress... subdue..." Jiang Liu sat cross-legged without moving, sending out waves of thoughts, waiting for him to arrive at this volcano.
After sitting in meditation for a day and a night, Jiang Liu suddenly opened his eyes, and then a dark cloud rapidly approached.
"They're here!"
In an instant, the ancient ape "Ba" launched an attack without uttering a single word. Jiang Liu had just glimpsed the ferocious smile on its face through the dark clouds when the terrifying giant ape waved its hand, and a huge black and white porcelain bottle flew out from between its eyebrows.
"This is his soul, where is his true form? Looks like he's planning a sneak attack... Hmph, does he think he can hold me back with just a broken bottle!"
Just as Jiang Liu was searching for the divine ape "Ba's" true form, hundreds of thoughts surged into the black and white porcelain bottle. Each of these thoughts of the celestial demon was over ten feet in diameter!
At the same time, an extremely violent voice rang out from within the dark clouds: "Dual Magnetic Force! Heavenly Demon God Slayer! Break!"
Bang bang bang, bang bang bang!
As Jiang Liu focused his mind, a total of 810 thoughts were thrown into the "black and white" bipolar magnetic bottle, which then exploded. After shaking it, a "splashing" sound of water could be heard, as if the thoughts inside the bottle were melted into water!
The eight hundred and one thoughts of a master who had undergone six tribulations of lightning exploded and melted into water inside the bottle!
"The aura of the Taiyin Divine Water! I possess the Blazing Sun and the Great Sun Tathagata; I can destroy you in a matter of milliseconds. Hmph, I will feign weakness to lure out your true form..." Jiang Liu stared at the rolling black clouds, making no move whatsoever.
Within the dark clouds, the phantom of the giant ape revealed a ferocious expression, then tilted the black and white bottle in its hand, making a series of gurgling sounds.
An extremely cold aura surged into the dark clouds, and in an instant, the dark clouds swelled up again, covering the entire sky and the volcano where Jiang Liu was located.
"Click-clack...click-clack..."
As can be seen, the volcanic lava in front of Jiang Liu was instantly frozen, and an active volcano instantly became a dormant volcano, which shows how heavy the cold and yin energy in the black clouds was.
This black aura enveloped the heavens and earth, and Jiang Liu immediately felt as if he were sinking into a swamp. The black aura was extremely dense and viscous, and its heavy aura was ten or even a hundred times heavier than mercury. At the same time, this black aura contained an extremely evil intention! It had absolutely no trace of human Taoist magic, nor did it contain any trace of humanity.
"This is a demonic path! This is a supernatural power of the demonic path!"
This black aura inherently contains naked tyranny, cruelty, and extreme evil. Upon seeing it, one is transported back to the primordial era, a time devoid of benevolence, morality, and propriety. For survival, fathers and sons ate each other, and even members of their own kind devoured one another.
This is the naked path of the demon, a path of the demon from ancient times.
Jiang Liu frowned, and a white flame overflowed from between his eyebrows, transforming into a mirror that hung above his head, resisting the invasion of the cold air.
Within the dark clouds, the illusory image of "Ba" grinned, emitting a cold laugh. Two fangs were deeply protruding, yet its tone became indifferent, clearly full of confidence: "My Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Technique shatters thoughts, activates Yuan Magnetic True Qi, transforming it into a grand array. In just one hour, I can refine you! Strike first, or suffer the consequences. You've fallen behind; if you try to turn the tables... eh!"
Before Jiang Liu lay a bronze mirror, its surface gleaming with a bluish-green light. In the mirror, a shower of flowers, patches of golden clouds, and ever-changing winds, clouds, water, and fire were reflected, their forms constantly shifting and changing.
"Behold my Haotian Mirror!"
Jiang Liu roared and chanted incantations. A powerful white light burst forth from the mirror's surface, shooting straight at the dark clouds like a searchlight. Since comprehending the Boundless Light, he had re-refined the Haotian Mirror, making it even more powerful.
"Light, the laws of space!" The Haotian Mirror has the power to immobilize, weaken, or even completely destroy an opponent! Immobilization is the application of the laws of space, while the latter is the power of light.
The Mighty Vajra Divine Ape Ancestor, the Heavenly Demon "Ba," revealed a hint of solemnity amidst his sinister grin. At the same time, a sudden urge stirred within his mind—a "whim." His true form, hidden in the void, gleamed with a sharp light in its blood-red eyes, thinking to himself, "It's actually a whim? This is extreme danger! This person is indeed not to be underestimated. Besides Meng Shenji, there are such figures in the world! Yang Pan of Da Gan? No. The Western Primordial Spirit in human form? No. Who exactly is this person? I cannot let him live. If I capture him and use him as the furnace for the Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Technique, I can rival Meng Shenji!"
Boom!
"The Great Sun Tathagata!"
In an instant, a colossal Buddha appeared within the dark clouds, radiating boundless light. The entire black mist instantly surged, seemingly about to pierce through the darkness and break free of the formation. At the same time, the Buddha extended its palm, forming a mudra, and directly struck the ten-zhang-tall true form of the Heavenly Demon "Ba," the Divine Ape of Thought.
The Dharma form of "Mahavairocana Buddha" descended to earth.
"Amitabha! You've cultivated at the Great Zen Temple, do you really think that a mere Buddha can subdue this ancestor?!"
The demonic ape "Ba" roared with rage, a whirlwind swept through, and the entire space above the Buddha's palm print completely collapsed, collapsed, and collapsed again...
This is the ability to shatter the void during a sixfold tribulation of lightning!
Amidst the rumbling collapse of space, a faint sound of a mirror shattering came from behind Jiang Liu's main body. Then, a ferocious giant ape, its entire body dark gold and as tall as six or seven people, tore through space and leaped out of the void.
This giant ape, with its dark golden color, was incredibly ferocious. Its eyes were blood red, its teeth were bared, and every pore on its body seemed to roar. It wielded a dark golden club, and every hair on its body bristled, just like the iron club in Sun Wukong's hand, which it brought down on its head.
"The God-Slaying Staff, the Eight Desolations Collapse!"