Jiang Liu observed it carefully and found that without any mantra, it was simply an indestructible long rope.
"A priceless treasure! Ju Liusun, do you really think I cannot steal it?"
Jiang Liu held the Immortal Binding Rope in his hand, covered it with his divine sense, and wisps of chaotic energy invaded it. Instantly, the long rope-like Immortal Binding Rope came to life, struggled incessantly, and transformed into a five-clawed golden dragon that fled.
The golden dragon soaring through the sky naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the world.
The Azure Emperor immediately gathered his faith power and roared at the golden dragon formed by the Immortal Binding Rope: "Void without form! Seize!"
The various supernatural powers condensed by the power of faith generated a powerful suction force, attempting to capture the golden dragon. At the same time, believers, whether casting spells or practicing martial arts, chanted the name of the Azure Emperor.
Hiss, hiss...
Although it was briefly bound by the Immortal Binding Rope, it broke free after three seconds and wanted to continue piercing through this world.
But this world was born from the void, possessing the supreme Dao. After circling around, the golden dragon unleashed immense pressure, ultimately falling back into Jiang Liu's hands.
"The bronze cauldron only has twenty-four layers of restrictions. If it weren't for the fact that it's a treasure of merit, capable of gathering the dragon energy of the earth veins of the Nine Provinces and the will of the human race of the Nine Provinces, it would be impossible to suppress the Immortal Binding Rope with its thirty-six layers of restrictions..."
"Unfortunately, even with the help of the escaped one, I can only break twelve layers of restrictions. Oh well, it's better than nothing! I'll slowly grind you down, and eventually I'll refine you one by one..."
Chapter 369 Taking a Ghost as an Apprentice
“Master…” Luo Binwang stood awkwardly in front of Jiang Liu, hesitant to speak.
Jiang Liu glanced at him and frowned, because he saw a trace of ghostly energy in Luo Binwang.
This kind of aura could not possibly exist on him, because he cultivated the orthodox Taoist thunder technique—the Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method, which is the nemesis of ghost cultivators.
Unless, of course, he made the contact voluntarily.
Temptation by a female ghost?
Impossible. Luo Binwang was only ten years old. Although he was precocious, the temptation of women was still a few years away for him.
Could it be that some ghost cultivator is trying to seize my cauldron?
Jiang Liu had a different feeling; he was more worried that the naive Luo Binwang would be deceived.
"Tell me! What's with the ghostly aura emanating from you?"
Jiang Liu was immediately curious. That wisp of ghostly energy was very weak and could be dispelled in the blink of an eye, which showed that the ghost cultivator was not very strong.
Luo Binwang hesitated, but under Jiang Liu's reprimand, he still told the truth: "Master, a few days ago I met a great ghost outside the mountain gate. I saw that although he was a ghost, he was righteous, well-read, talented, and had a refined literary style. He was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and knew everything about the past and present... More importantly, I was no match for him, so I led him into the mountain gate!"
"A ghost cultivator well-versed in poetry and literature? Even you are no match for him!"
Jiang Liu looked at Luo Binwang and saw that he had already absorbed several thunder dragons, yet he was still no match for the ghost cultivator. This made him even more curious. You must know that Xuanmen thunder magic is the nemesis of ghosts, not to mention the Nine Heavens Thunder. Even the thunder dragons that were passed on to him had immense power. If there were any real danger, they could kill even a ghost cultivator at the Earth Immortal level.
"Bring him here, let me see who he is."
"Master, you won't kill him, will you?" Luo Binwang asked with some worry.
"Is Master that kind of person?"
Luo Binwang blinked his big eyes, then happily ran towards the mountain gate. Not long after, he returned with a ghost cultivator wearing a tattered hat.
"This little devil pays his respects to the True Man!" he said, then knelt down and kowtowed.
It should be noted that Jiang Liu is now a Qi cultivator at the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit level, while the ghost cultivator in front of him is only at the Refining Essence into Qi level. The difference in strength and status is enormous.
Jiang Liu was surprised to see the ghost cultivator in front of him who didn't even dare to raise his head. Although the ghost cultivator was of the Yin and evil nature, he had a pure Yang energy that was upright and righteous within him.
"It also seems to have the Confucian spirit of righteousness... Interesting, very interesting!"
Jiang Liu looked thoughtful. It was truly illogical that a little devil could cultivate the Confucian spirit of righteousness and transform into a body that was half yin and half yang.
Ghosts are Yin, and pure Yang arises from Yin. If one does not cultivate oneself to death, turning into ashes and scattering one's soul, one can achieve the Great Dao.
"Get up!"
Jiang Liu remained calm, and then he saw the man's face: a leopard's head with piercing eyes, an iron face, and a bushy beard—his appearance was strange.
The conclusion can be summed up in one word: "ugly"!
If I had to describe it, it would be extremely, extremely, extremely ugly!
Jiang Liu frowned. With such an appearance and such a pure Yang ghost body, it was definitely not an ordinary being. He asked, "What is your name?"
"In my previous life, I was named Zhong Kui, courtesy name Zhengnan, and a native of Zhongnan Mountain. During the reign of Emperor Wude of the previous dynasty, I was originally destined to be the top scholar in the imperial examination. However, the emperor disliked my ugly appearance and decided not to accept me. In a fit of anger, I killed myself by crashing my head against the steps of the palace. After that, I have been cultivating in a daze ever since. Recently, I saw this mountain emitting a strange light and unexpectedly entered the cave of a true immortal. Please forgive me, true immortal!"
"You are Zhong Kui!" Jiang Liu was somewhat surprised. In the first world he transmigrated to, the "Great General Talisman" he learned from Uncle Nine was drawn by Zhong Kui when he attained enlightenment. It could suppress demons and monsters. The decree to send the Great General here means that the Great General in charge of the underworld holds great power and can command all ghosts. Once the Great General arrives, all ghosts will submit. Moreover, it can also be used to suppress zombies that are born from the resentment and filth of heaven and earth.
"Have you heard of the little devil's name, sir?"
Despite his ugly appearance, Zhong Kui was indeed a disciple of Confucianism, and etiquette was integrated into his every word and deed.
“Master, please let Mr. Zhong stay in the mountains to cultivate! Although my cultivation is progressing daily, my knowledge is not. Senior Brother Xie Hong has already become the top scholar in the imperial examination. When I was young, I made a grand vow that even if I didn't become the top scholar, I would at least become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). Mr. Zhong is very knowledgeable, and I can learn from him every day…”
Luo Binwang gazed intently at Jiang Liu, his face full of hope. He was a child prodigy, able to compose a poem about geese at the age of seven, and his early education consisted entirely of poetry and classical texts. If Jiang Liu hadn't changed the course of his life, he would undoubtedly have become a great Confucian scholar.
Jiang Liu smiled and nodded, then looked at Zhong Kui, making him feel uncomfortable, before saying with a smile, "My name is Jiang Liu, the abbot of Qianlong Temple and the master of this mountain. I have just stepped into the Celestial Immortal realm. Would you be willing to cultivate with me?"
Zhong Kui was extremely surprised. He never expected that a celestial being would accept him as a disciple. Even being a nominal disciple was an immense blessing. He immediately bowed and said, "This disciple is willing!"
"Good! You have two senior brothers ahead of you. The eldest brother, Xue Rengui, has already gone to the northern frontier to defend the Tang Dynasty against the barbarians. The second is Luo Binwang, who is standing before you. Although you are older, you joined the sect later and can only be ranked third. Although you are a ghost, you have righteousness in your heart. With your Yin-Yang body, you will be able to enter the Great Dao in the future. After joining my sect, remember the following rules: First, you must not violate the principles of humanity; second, you must not betray your master and ancestors; third..."
After performing the traditional master-disciple greeting to Jiang Liu, Zhong Kui said, "Disciple Zhong Kui greets Master! I will remember Master's teachings!"
Jiang Liu was extremely satisfied. He never expected that Zhong Kui would also become his disciple. He said, "My Qianlong Temple has three major cultivation methods. The first is the physical martial arts. Your senior brother Xue Rengui has practiced this supernatural power. There are methods for refining the body through acupoints, techniques for killing and destruction, and the way of fist intent and sword intent."
Secondly, there is the divine thunder technique, the authentic Xuanmen thunder technique, which allows one to control the divine thunder of the Nine Heavens. It also involves the Five Elements techniques, allowing one to transform the divine thunder of the Five Elements. Luo Binwang cultivated the authentic Nine Heavens Thunder technique.
Thirdly, there is the Dao of Alchemy, which uses one's physical body as a cauldron, the spirit as water, primordial energy as fire, and the spiritual substances of heaven and earth as medicine. It employs the spirit, soul, blood, and qi to refine and transform, allowing essence, qi, and spirit to condense and intertwine, seizing the creation of the spiritual substances of heaven and earth to generate the true seed, breaking through the mysterious barrier, and seizing the secrets of heaven. When the elixir is completed, one's strength greatly increases. The so-called unification of the three elements is the sacred embryo; the merging of nature and life is the completion of the elixir; having a body outside the body is rebirth; breaking through the void is becoming one.
Jiang Liu paused for a moment, then said, "Zhong Kui, your body is in harmony with Yin and Yang, and you are naturally at the seventh level of the Nine Revolutions of Yin and Yang in the Dan Ding School. I will teach you the Nine Revolutions of Yin and Yang in the Dan Ding School, using your ghost body as the cauldron and fierce ghosts as the medicine, so that you can enter the realm of celestial immortals..."
"Eating ghosts?" Zhong Kui was somewhat surprised. He had indeed eaten ghosts before, and his abilities had greatly improved afterward.
"Yes, you've eaten ghosts before, but that was just instinctive absorption. Now I will teach you the true method of alchemy..."
Zhong Kui's talent was truly extraordinary, so extraordinary that he could grow to the level of a celestial being simply by devouring ghosts. Jiang Liu used the empowerment method to pass on to him the seventh-grade Yin-Yang Nine Revolutions cultivation method of the Dan Ding Flow. As for the ninth-grade Cloud Light Stone Flow Flying Pill, which transforms essence into qi and directly improves cultivation, and the eighth-grade Feather Cauldron Cloud Essence, which grants the cultivator innate talent, none of them require cultivation.
In addition to Uncle Nine's knowledge of talismans and Jiang Liu's own understanding of the divine patterns in the "Covering the Sky" world, all of this was stuffed into Zhong Kui's sea of consciousness.
Moreover, Jiang Liu was certain that even if Zhong Kui were given twice as much knowledge, he could withstand it.
Jiang Liu has decided to go to that world. Now that he has taken Zhong Kui as his apprentice, he has decided to take him with him. As for whether to reveal his ability to travel through time, Jiang Liu is confident that he can completely subdue Zhong Kui.
Chapter 370 Plotting Against Heaven's Will
White bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and for a thousand miles no rooster crows.
Jiang Liu stood on the clouds, the land was desolate. He flew over thousands of miles, and apart from a few scattered small towns with some human activity, there was not a single person in the hundreds or thousands of miles.
Fertile lands lie uncultivated, crops and mulberry trees are left unharvested, and even large cities have collapsed into ruins, becoming hiding places for demons and monsters.
Not to mention the Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries hidden deep in the mountains, which have become the lair of demons and monsters.
In this mortal realm, demons roam freely. Even in the larger cities with a semblance of human habitation, Jiang Liu could clearly sense the overwhelming demonic aura, which even human presence could not conceal. Clearly, a powerful demon lurks among the people, engaging in cannibalistic acts.
The gates of hell are wide open, allowing ghosts to move freely between the underworld and the mortal realm without any hindrance.
"Such a scene, with demons running rampant, humanity collapsing, and even reincarnation completely paralyzed, after all, not every world has a great being like Hongjun who has merged with the Dao and controlled the operation of the Heavenly Dao!" Jiang Liu stood on the cloud overlooking the earth, and in a brief contact, "the one who escaped" slightly explored the specific situation of this world.
The so-called Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Dao is forty-nine. In the vast world, even the most perfect primordial world only has fifty Great Daos. Since the primordial land was shattered, the Journey to the West world formed by Hongjun merging with the Dao is composed of forty-nine Heavenly Daos, protecting all races.
It maintains the balance of the three realms internally and protects against invasions from extraterrestrial races externally.
In the information conveyed by "The One Who Escaped", the Primordial World is naturally the most advanced world. Among the otherworldly realms that can rival the Primordial World, "The One Who Escaped" listed only a handful.
Firstly, the predecessor of the world of Shrouding the Heavens was a world called Perfect World.
Secondly, the vast universe outside Earth in the Dragon-Snake World is called the Milky Way.
Thirdly, the world of ascension in Battle Through the Heavens is named Ruler.
This is the vast world that Jiang Liu has already encountered. As for whether there are any worlds comparable to the primordial world that he has not yet encountered, "The Vanished One" did not provide specific information.
Jiang Liu believed there must be more.
There are many worlds that are slightly inferior to the prehistoric world and are in the same category as the Journey to the West world.
In an era when saints were not found in Journey to the West, the Great Emperor of Shrouding the Heavens was equivalent to the combat power of a Great Luo Golden Immortal. The Yang God and Shattering the Void also had similar combat power. As for transcending the other shore, "The One Who Escaped" gave him strength close to that of a saint.
In addition, there is the wizarding world where Jiang Liu's avatar has not yet returned; the Three-Body world of the vast universe; the endless abyss plane; the world of the Olympian gods; and the supreme god of infinite terror.
Further down are the Marvel visitors who have just arrived, though the Marvel universe is slightly less impressive than Journey to the West.
As for the even more vast Middle Thousand Worlds, they are countless.
A Middle Thousand World is not simply a planet suitable for life to live on. It must have a Heavenly Dao to be called a Middle Thousand World. If there is no Heavenly Dao, it is a barren planet.
In this world overrun by demons, three Heavenly Paths exist. According to the perception of "The Vanished One," these are the Human Path, the Demon Path, and the Ghost Path. All three Heavenly Paths are damaged, with the Human Path on the verge of destruction. If no miracle occurs, the will of this world will soon decline to a lower level.
Jiang Liu couldn't find a place similar to the Immortal Realm, nor could he find an institution like the Heavenly Court that maintained the operation of the Heavenly Dao.
Only when Hongjun merges with the Dao can the Heavenly Dao have a way to communicate with all living beings. If no one with great supernatural powers were to dedicate themselves to merging with the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao would not develop obvious wisdom, nor would it speak or know how to communicate with people; it would only have the ignorant instincts of an infant.
Just like the primordial world, although many talented people emerged and those with great supernatural powers appeared like dumplings being dropped into a pot, the killing never stopped. The great calamity of the demon gods, the struggle for supremacy among the three races of dragon, phoenix, and qilin, the war between the lich and demon, and the war of the gods, all resources were wasted on internal strife.
Mount Buzhou collapsed, the sky was shattered, and ultimately, in the Investiture of the Gods, the vast world created from the primordial chaos was destroyed, reducing the world to a lower level.
Only when Hongjun merges with the Dao, establishes the Heavenly Court, and builds the Underworld will the world be stable.
In this Middle Thousand World, there are naturally no beings with great supernatural powers who can merge with the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao can only instinctively operate the world, ensuring that the world it protects has rules, striving to maintain balance in the Three Realms, thereby making the world more prosperous and allowing the will of the Heavenly Dao to become more cohesive.
But now, the world is in chaos, filled with destruction, endless destruction.
Demons and monsters wreak havoc, and ghosts and monsters run rampant; this is destroying one's own foundation.
Just like the wrong path taken by the primordial world, this world has fallen into extreme chaos. Only when one of the three races—humans, demons, and ghosts—wins out and a peerless figure emerges, will this chaotic world be restored.
"To devour the Heavenly Dao of this world, one cannot act directly by force; one must nibble away at it bit by bit, subtly seizing the world's will and the origins of the human, demon, and ghost realms through gentle, nurturing actions..."
Jiang Liu surveyed the world like a god-king. Although the strongest demon was only at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm, he did not make a move and did not even attract anyone's attention.
Looking down at the earth, Jiang Liu constantly calculated in his mind, pondering how to plunder the primordial will of a world: "I can't be careless. If it senses the crisis of the world's primordial will being plundered, the will of Heaven will react instinctively, pushing the protagonist of the era to grow at an unimaginable speed. Although the Heavenly Dao of this world doesn't have a world representative with an independent personality like the will of Orochi, the will of AO, or Gaia, it shouldn't be underestimated, after all, it's a world overrun by demons."
I am at odds with the entire world...