Just as the two were facing off, a dragon-shaped object with bared fangs and claws appeared within the sphere's light.
The dragon roamed within the sphere, layer upon layer, as if the sphere contained another small world. And just as Jiang Liu's primordial spirit unleashed "Burning Heaven Flame Sun," suddenly, the dragon's eyes locked onto Jiang Liu, staring at him.
Dragon's Might!
The dragon's imposing aura emanated from its gaze, an overwhelming dragon's might filling the sky.
Instantly, his primordial spirit sank, as if it were about to explode with that one glance!
"So powerful! So powerful! Is this the legendary killing with a glance? Those with slightly weaker strength would be instantly killed by a single look, or rather, scared to death. But it's not enough to harm my primordial spirit. You have the might of the dragon, but I don't?"
In an instant, the flames on the primordial spirit twisted and transformed into five silver fire dragons, from which a hint of dragon might emanated, resisting the pressure emanating from the dragon vein.
"Who exactly are you?" Just then, the dragon-like creature spoke, transforming into a young man. He wore a garment that shimmered with earth-yellow scales, resembling fish-scale armor. His body was incredibly slender, radiating a vibrant and energetic aura. However, he seemed unable to leave the crystal ball, only half of his body protruding from it.
"The earth's vein dragon energy taking form?" Jiang Liu frowned, somewhat wary.
This transformed earth vein dragon soul stared intently at Jiang Liu, its gaze projecting an incomparably heavy, powerful, and majestic aura, pressing down fiercely on his primordial spirit.
"How can your pseudo-dragons withstand my attack?" In an instant, a pressure as heavy as a mountain and as powerful as a god suddenly descended.
Jiang Liu frowned, and a small cauldron appeared in front of him. It was the size of a palm, but it was like a reef in the sea. When the waves crashed in, it could only be divided into two torrents.
"What kind of treasure is this? It can actually... it can actually suppress the earth's veins! You... who exactly are you?"
Jiang Liu, dragging the "Nine Provinces Cauldron" in one hand, looked directly at the young man and said, "You are the dragon soul of the earth vein of this mountain! It's a pity that you can't escape the seal of this crystal ball. Today I will suppress you and make you my servant, so that you won't waste your time in this dark underground!"
The young man, formed from the earth vein dragon soul, sneered and gritted his teeth, saying, "With your meager strength, you think you can suppress me? What a joke!"
"Really? This cauldron of mine was forged to suppress the dragon energy of the earth's veins. I can freely use the dragon energy of an entire prefecture. Suppressing you... is nothing!" As he spoke, a glint flashed in his eyes, and with a tremor of his fist, an ancient map of Yangzhou materialized. He unleashed the "Power of an Entire Prefecture," punching through the air, causing the space to tremble—this was the "Shock Technique."
At this critical moment, the dark golden treasure suppressed by the crystal ball emitted a ray of light, actually blocking the punch that shattered the space-shattering ear.
Jiang Liu narrowed his eyes. He clearly saw that the earth vein dragon soul had activated the treasure beneath the crystal ball, which emitted a scripture that blocked the space-shattering power of the "Zhen" technique.
The treasure gave him a feeling of vastness, immensity, profundity, and boundlessness, seemingly endless, like the cosmos.
"Is that the Buddha's robe?" Jiang Liu said softly, "Unfortunately, if I had given you a few years to break free from the seal of this crystal ball and then refine the Buddha's robe, I would be no match for you... But now! You are imprisoned, what means do you have to fight back? If you surrender, I can spare your life and preserve your consciousness. If you are stubborn, I will refine you and turn you into something within my cauldron."
The earth vein dragon soul roared, "I'd rather die a glorious death than live a shameful life! If you have the guts, come at me and let's see who dies!"
"Haha..." Jiang Liu laughed loudly, carrying the cauldron and striding away. The flames on his body transformed into five fire dragons, roaring as they charged forward.
"Suppress them!"
"So cruel...so cruel...my thousands of Taoist arts and martial arts were sealed away, otherwise, you wouldn't have survived to leave..."
Jiang Liu roared and threw punch after punch, then raised the "Nine Provinces Cauldron" and hurled it down at the crystal ball.
With a "hum", the "Nine Provinces Cauldron" flashed a dazzling light and expanded instantly, replacing the crystal ball to suppress the "Buddha's Robe".
As the light on the "Nine Provinces Cauldron" gradually stabilized, Jiang Liu sensed that this immortal artifact had undergone a tremendous change.
Chapter 186 The Buddha's Robe
Just now, this treasure was suppressed by the crystal ball with the help of the earth vein dragon soul, and Jiang Liu was still unable to sense the wonder of the scriptures on the kasaya.
But now, looking at it up close, he vaguely sensed that the scriptures in the robe gave him an extremely dangerous feeling, as if touching them would threaten his life.
The primordial spirit tried to extend a finger and gently touch the "Buddha's robe".
"not good!"
He abruptly withdrew his hand, but the finger was severed inch by inch as if cut by a sword, and the wound continued to spread up his arm. Jiang Liu acted decisively, immediately removing his hand, and was surprised to find that the sharp cutting force had instantly shattered his primordial spirit hand into dust.
In an instant, the primordial spirit hand grew out again, but a solemn look appeared in Jiang Liu's eyes.
"The Vajra Prajnaparamita path of the Tathagata's robe at the Great Zen Temple?"
In Buddhism, Vajra represents "firmness and the ability to cut through all sharp edges," Prajna represents "wisdom," and Paramita means "reaching the other shore."
The meaning of "Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita" is "to reach the other shore with the sharpness and wisdom that can cut through everything".
Although it was only a brief contact, Jiang Liu had already obtained information about this treasure.
"That was the backlash! It wouldn't even let me touch it? I remember the protagonist gained the Buddha's approval as soon as he got his hands on it. So, I'm not the protagonist of this world! The Path to the Other Shore… the Path to the Other Shore… is it about comprehending the corresponding rules?" Jiang Liu pondered for a moment. Simply put, it's the transcendence of the Other Shore that a Yang God expert comprehends. While it's hard to say whether these comprehensions can actually lead to transcendence, they are unparalleled experiences gained by senior masters.
Jiang Liu stared at the acquired spiritual treasure before him, yet found it difficult to use. His heart pounded like a cat's claws, and he covered his face, sighing, "Could it be that my understanding of the Dao is so poor? Impossible! I've awakened my innate Dao body! I'm naturally close to the Dao, my body is one with the Dao, I can draw upon the power of heaven and earth—how could I be so incompetent? The Tathagata's kasaya at the Great Zen Temple records the combination of wisdom and power by a Yang God master, transcending the other shore. I refuse to believe I can't refine you!"
With this in mind, Jiang Liu sat cross-legged in front of the "Buddha's Robe" and chanted it over and over again. In Jiang Liu's heart, whether it was martial arts or Buddhism, as long as it could improve his strength, he could use it.
There's a saying that goes, "Buddha is the Tao!"
There are three thousand great paths, and Buddhism is one of them. All cultivation in this world is a path!
Jiang Liu didn't know how long he had been chanting Buddhist scriptures, but gradually, only twenty words remained in his heart: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should you contemplate them." This was the true meaning contained in the "Buddha's Robe"!
As Jiang Liu uttered these twenty words, they transformed into a stream of light and merged into his cassock. In an instant, something that resembled neither a scripture nor brocade slowly floated up.
The Buddha's robe suddenly burst forth with intense light...
Previously, the "Buddha's Robe" was fiercely resisting the river flow, and even upon contact, it would retaliate with immense supernatural power.
Now, however, there is a feeling of mutual attraction.
"It's done?" Both the primordial spirit in the underground world and Jiang Liu's physical body showed a hint of a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, the thin cassock fell into the primordial spirit's hands.
After retrieving the "Nine Provinces Cauldron," the primordial spirit returned to its original true form.
However, the "Buddha's Robe" was actually worn. Although this protective treasure was called "Buddha's Robe," it was not in the shape of a robe. Instead, it was an ancient garment with a classic and dignified feel. The long sleeves and belt were in a luxurious ancient color, which was neither gold nor gold, but slightly purplish-black. The warp and weft patterns on it became more and more mysterious the more you looked at them.
"Unfortunately, I can't fully comprehend the scripture that contains the path to the other shore; I can only scratch the surface! As for this acquired spiritual treasure, I can only use it superficially!" Jiang Liu knew that truly refining the acquired spiritual treasure and subduing this "Buddha's robe" would be a laborious and time-consuming task.
"But... I guess I'll have to do most of these mentally and physically exhausting things!"
With a thought, the celestial robe was hidden away, revealing only the simple and unadorned garment.
"Hehe, I just arrived and already got a post-natal spiritual treasure, and the Nine Provinces Cauldron has also upgraded a level. As expected, the strength increases faster after transmigrating! Upgrading from a slingshot to a cannon... Huh?! Someone's coming! Damn it, they actually ambushed me..."
In an instant, Jiang Liu moved swiftly, shooting forward. Looking behind him, he saw a sword pellet approaching within three zhang of him, and no matter how he dodged, he couldn't escape. Suddenly, three hundred and sixty sword energies exploded, like a beautiful chrysanthemum blooming, revealing an extremely sharp sword. The sword energy sliced through the air with unparalleled sharpness, creating cracks in the airflow around Jiang Liu's body. Simultaneously, the sword energy intertwined to form a large array, almost shattering the space itself.
"Ding ding ding ding..."
A series of slashing and stabbing sounds rang out. Jiang Liu's face turned pale. If he hadn't just obtained the "Buddha's Robe", he would have been killed by this sword pellet during this sneak attack.
The "Buddha's Robe" appeared, radiating golden light. No matter how much sword energy the sword produced, it was useless and could not break through the defense at all.
After a brief respite, Jiang Liu's face contorted with rage as he threw a punch at the golden sword. First came a surge of flames like ocean waves, followed by the "Shock" technique.
The space trembled, and the sword's attack faltered. In an instant, it tried to escape Jiang Liu's attack, but as soon as it retreated, the five silver-white fire dragons sealed off the sky, leaving it nowhere to go.
However, four more sword pellets shot from the clouds, combining with the metallic sword pellet in front of Jiang Liu to form the Five Elements Sword Light. The five fire dragons that had been sealing off the space instantly dispersed, destroyed by the sword energy, and the golden sword escaped, hovering in mid-air.
Five swords hung high above their heads, radiating a menacing aura, ready to strike at any moment!
"Hand over that treasure, and I'll spare your life!" A grand, majestic, and oppressive voice rolled in from the horizon. The sound waves seemed to be tangible, swirling together and subtly causing the entire world to tremble, giving people a sense of being compelled to submit.
The ruler of this voice is like the ruler of heaven and earth; no one under its influence can resist submitting to it.
Jiang Liu sneered, ignoring him completely. He glanced at the "Buddha's Robe" and coldly stared at the person who had launched the sneak attack.
Chapter 187 One Thought, Three Hundred Swords; One Punch, and It's Gone!
There were 360 sword energies attacking, whether slashing, thrusting, or chopping, but Jiang Liu's protective "Buddha's Robe" remained completely unharmed. Not only was it undamaged, but not even a trace of white mark was left.
"What a fine acquired spiritual treasure!"
Looking at the five flying swords hanging upside down in the sky, Jiang Liu's heart was completely at ease. Although he could sense a strong aura of danger from afar, he knew that the person who came was a person of the Earth Immortal level, or according to the strength classification of the "Yang God" world, this person was at least at the Thunder Tribulation Realm.
There are many methods of cultivation in the world, from the meager primordial energy cultivated by Uncle Nine and Master Four Eyes in the Dharma-ending Age, to the martial arts body refinement in the "Dragon and Snake" world, breaking through the void, achieving immortality, and controlling every acupoint and every inch of flesh and blood in one's body. From cultivating the primordial spirit in "Shushan" to the battle qi in "Battle Through the Heavens," the purpose is nothing more than to transcend life and death.
Transcending life and death is difficult! Even in a vast world like Journey to the West, which originated from the primordial era, the number of people who can truly possess both an immortal body and an indestructible soul can be counted on one hand.
Although it is difficult, cultivators flock to it one after another. Power comes from strength; even if one cannot live forever, one can still gain immense power.
Cultivation in the "Yang Shen" world can be broadly divided into two categories. The first focuses on refining the divine soul, similar to the primordial spirit, and is called Daoist arts. The second focuses on refining the physical body, surpassing the martial arts of "dragons and snakes," or rather, an advanced version of martial arts, and is called martial arts. The cultivation of Daoist arts is essentially cultivating one's own thoughts, or in other words, "divine consciousness." The methods are diverse, but they essentially fall into ten realms: Stabilizing the spirit, leaving the body, night travel, day travel, controlling objects, manifesting form, possession, seizing a body, tribulation by lightning, and Yang Shen. As for the realms of martial arts, they are: refining flesh, refining tendons, refining membranes, refining bones, refining organs, refining marrow, exchanging blood, refining acupoints, the peak of human immortality, and shattering the vacuum.
The person who wielded the Five Elements Sword Pill was a cultivator at the Thunder Tribulation Realm.
Tribulation of Lightning! Jiang Liu naturally also passed the tribulation of lightning, and clearly knew the difference between refining essence into qi and refining qi into spirit. One is mortal, the other is immortal, separated by countless mountains and rivers, a world apart.
Naturally, even among cultivators undergoing tribulation, there are varying degrees of strength. The one who launched the sneak attack was a master who had survived three tribulations.
Jiang Liu was unaware of these things, but he knew this man was not easy to deal with. Compared to his previous opponents, he was only slightly inferior to the River Dragon King. If it weren't for the protection of the "Buddha's Robe," Jiang Liu would have turned and fled immediately, without any intention of fighting. That sneak attack just now had sent chills down his spine, and he had only managed to block it thanks to the "Buddha's Robe."
The voice came from afar, followed by rolling sound waves that rippled in the air and coalesced into a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes, with five-colored silk threads tied around his waist, standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at the world with pride.
"I never expected that my whim to come to the Great Zen Temple would lead to such an opportunity. Hand over the treasure to me, and I might spare your life!"
Jiang Liu stared at the man, his eyes narrowing into slits. He stretched his limbs, his joints vibrating, and a thunderous roar erupted as he sneered, "You're just an avatar, yet you have such a big mouth!"
This person wasn't the real body, but an avatar, roughly equivalent to a second primordial spirit or similar supernatural power. Jiang Liu felt a mix of joy and sorrow. An avatar was naturally inferior to the real body, and some powerful treasures were naturally in the hands of the true body. In that case, a battle seemed possible. However, if an avatar possessed such strength, how powerful must the real body be?
When the time came, Jiang Liu was no pushover either. Naturally, he wanted to fight, and not only fight, but also completely kill this "second primordial spirit" clone and sever its arm!
"The treasures of the world belong to those with virtue!"
With a cold laugh, the middle-aged man spoke calmly. Then, his hand moved like a sword finger, and in an instant, five sword pellets burst forth simultaneously. The five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth surged forth, their power merging together to form three hundred and sixty sword energies. The sword energies instantly materialized, each sword several meters long, its blade, spine, hilt, and other features lifelike and vivid, far surpassing the metal-elemental sword energy he had used in the sneak attack earlier.
"What a magnificent Five Elements Sword Dao technique!" Jiang Liu, having cultivated Guang Chengzi's "Way of the Yi Sword," naturally possessed exceptional insight. This person's swordsmanship had far surpassed his own, and the combination with the power of the Five Elements was far more sophisticated than Jiang Liu's simple use of Five Elements techniques. Of course, this was also because Jiang Liu had not obtained a superior cultivation method and could only explore it on his own.
One thought can unleash three hundred swords; one thought can shake the universe.
This is a master of the Divine Soul Tribulation!
Swords flew through the sky, cold and gleaming, captivating and chilling. These enormous, sharp swords, all condensed from sword energy, seemed almost tangible. Jiang Liu could see them clearly: each sword had two sides, one depicting mountains and rivers, the other bird-shaped characters. The hilt was a beast's head, neither dragon nor qilin, and the concentrated intent within the sword reminded Jiang Liu of the sacred swords forged by ancient sages.
"The Five Elements Sword Qi is so powerful! The Yang God World is truly terrifying! Moreover, the sword intent is refined, condensed from the ancient sacred path! This person... is definitely not an ordinary nobody!"
Jiang Liu had seen many ancient sages' swords recorded in ancient books, and they all looked like this. These ancient sages, through thorns and brambles, forged their hearts with unwavering integrity, and honed their divine will with sharp swords, fighting against countless ferocious beasts and demons to carve out a space for humankind to survive. This will is the way of the sages.
The Way of the Sword, the Way of the Five Elements, the Way of the Sage!
Jiang Liu's heart sank, and he instantly became highly alert.
Three hundred and sixty sage swords formed a sword array that instantly enveloped the river and began to rotate rhythmically. It was like a giant millstone, crushing everything in its path into powder.
"What a fine swordsmanship... but I fear it!"