With Jiang Liu's current strength, erasing the peach wood infant's consciousness, implanting his own thoughts and divine sense into it, and seizing its body would not be difficult. Thus, the peach wood infant would become his external avatar.
Jiang Liu laughed and took out a small jade bottle, which contained the "Heaven-Mending Pill" given to him by the Third Holy Mother.
Jiang Liu poured out one pill, the only one in the pill, and placed it in the baby's hand. The baby held the pill in both hands and slowly licked it like a lollipop.
Everyone kept watching Jiang Liu, wondering what his intentions were.
Su Mu had been frowning the whole time. When he saw him take out a pill, his brows furrowed even more. Then he mustered up his courage, leaned closer, and took a sniff of the pill's aroma.
He was immediately horrified and exclaimed, "The Heavenly Origin Divine Pill!!!"
It is said that in order to transcend, Meng Shenji searched thousands of mountains and rivers and collected spiritual herbs for sixty years. He even went to the Jingyuan Temple and forcibly seized three drops of the blood of the evil god to refine a "Tianyuan Divine Pill". It was with this "Tianyuan Divine Pill" that he was able to refine his second incarnation into a human immortal.
This shows just how valuable the "Heavenly Origin Divine Pill" is; it can break through many acupoints in the physical body, allowing one to become a human immortal!
"You actually let him eat this kind of pill? You...you..." Su Mu was speechless with astonishment. Although she had never actually seen the "Heavenly Origin Divine Pill," she had eaten the "Earthly Origin Spirit Pill," which was why she had raised her physical body to the Martial Saint realm. The aura emanating from this pill was several times stronger than that of the "Earthly Origin Spirit Pill." If it wasn't the "Heavenly Origin Divine Pill," it was at least a pill of the same level.
Jiang Liu looked intently at the peach wood baby, growing more and more delighted with each glance. His face beamed with joy, and his anticipation for the Champion Marquis's stone embryo grew ever stronger. After a long while, he smiled and said, "If I had known this pill was so precious, I would have exchanged this Heaven-Mending Pill for your Universe Two Scriptures."
Su Mu's eyes lit up, and he said, "It's not too late now. Give me this pill, and I'll give you the complete version immediately! I don't think the sect leader will object!"
"It's too late. Without this pill, how can my baby grow up? Don't you think so?" Jiang Liu said to the peach wood baby, as if speaking to him.
“The abbot is right! The two scriptures of the universe can be obtained in the future, but there is only one Heaven-Mending Pill.”
In an instant, the baby chewed up the "Heaven-Mending Pill" and swallowed it. Then, it grew at a speed visible to the naked eye until it was the size of a three-year-old child, at which point it stopped.
The little child, dressed in a bright green bib and with his hair tied in a topknot, was incredibly cute. He turned his head to look around, then pointed one finger to the sky and the other to the ground, saying in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Having shed my peachwood body, I now know who I am! From this day forward, I shall be called the Azure Emperor..."
Su Mu looked at the little baby speaking and exclaimed in surprise, "It's alive? You're going to refine it into an external avatar!"
No one answered her.
Jiang Liu extended his finger and touched the little boy's forehead, infusing it with his martial arts intent, and said, "Your body's eighty-one acupoints are now open; I will help you achieve the realm of a human immortal!"
Thunder roars during the Awakening of Insects, a magnificent display of heavenly might!
This was the fist intent that Jiang Liu had cultivated in the "Dragon and Snake" world. It surged into the Azure Emperor's sea of consciousness, and instantly, a vast aura spread out.
The Azure Emperor, resembling a three- or four-year-old child, began practicing his fist techniques repeatedly: Tai Chi, Bagua, Xingyi, Bajiquan… In the end, only a few moves remained: Cannon Fist, Crushing Fist, Drilling Fist, Horizontal Fist, and Chopping Fist—the five basic forms of all fist techniques in the world. Finally, with a tremor, he revealed the "Tremor" technique, the culmination of Jiang Liu's fist style!
"shock!"
The Azure Emperor let out a delicate shout, and her soft fist struck the void.
"Click-clack..."
The space was covered with countless cracks, which stretched for more than three zhang (approximately 10 meters).
"broken!"
This drink!
The space shattered like glass, and along with it, everything within a three-zhang radius in front of his fist also shattered.
Although the little baby is incredibly cute, it doesn't evoke a feeling of fragility that inspires tenderness and care. Instead, it conveys a sense of control over life and death, an almost divine, irresistible aura. This irresistible feeling doesn't just stem from power, but also from a deep-seated instinct, like the feeling that even the largest mouse trembles with fear at the sound of a cat's squeak.
Seeing a rockery and half a grand hall reduced to dust by a single punch, everyone gasped for breath, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
"A human immortal?" Su Mu's usually calm and composed face showed an expression of disbelief. In just one month, she had been surprised enough. She thought she had a pretty good understanding of Jiang Liu, but it turned out that she was still in the dark, unable to see through him or understand him.
Zhao Feier and Yan Zhenzong of the Da Luo Sect were so surprised that their jaws almost dislocated.
Human Immortal! Twenty years ago, the vast martial arts holy land of Dachan Temple only had one monk, Yinyue. Now, in the Great Gan Empire, there is only one Hong Xuanji! If we count more closely, Meng Shenji can also be counted, but his human immortal body was destroyed by the combined forces of Emperor Gan Yang Pan and Hong Xuanji. This third reincarnation has not reached the realm of human immortal.
This external avatar actually reached the realm of a human immortal.
"How is this possible? This God-Splitting Puppet has been in my hands for over a decade. It possesses the power and essence of a peak Martial Saint, and can even fly and transform. But it only has the power for a single strike, unlike the overwhelming blood energy of a Martial Saint, and it cannot last long. How... how could it have such power in his hands? Why? Why? This is a Human Immortal!"
Although the difference between a Human Immortal and a Martial Saint may seem like only a step, it is actually as vast as heaven and earth. Even Jiang Liu's current physical body is still far from being a Human Immortal. The Azure Emperor's physical body was formed from ten-thousand-year-old peach wood, a deity nurtured during a tribulation of lightning. He was born with the physical body of a peak Martial Saint. Now, after being fed the "Heaven-Mending Pill" by Jiang Liu, he broke through in one fell swoop and was infused with fist intent, which allowed him to directly reach the realm of a Human Immortal.
The purpose of this "Heaven-Mending Pill" is to make up for the impurity of the acquired Dao body and refine the innate Dharma body. Jiang Liu naturally has no need for it, so it is most suitable for the Azure Emperor to consume.
Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Jiang Liu raised a cauldron in his hand, from which seven halos rose like the sun ascending to the heavens. He said, "Azure Emperor! Residing in the East, you command the Azure Dragon, and are the God of Spring and the God of a Hundred Flowers, and also the God of the East. You should cultivate the path of incense offerings to attain godhood..."
“Excellent! I am the Azure Emperor, and having become a god, I shall reside in the East and govern the power of life of all things.”
The seven-layered halo, a condensation of the faith of the people, contained an unknown amount of incense and spiritual power, which was swallowed by the Azure Emperor in one gulp.
A moment later, a blue halo appeared behind his head, one circle overlapping the other, making a total of seven circles.
Then, a vibrant life force bursts forth: trees sprout new buds, old vines turn green, tender grass breaks through the soil, and the earthy scent reappears, mingled with the fragrance of flowers and grasses, as plants and trees welcome spring.
Even more remarkably, a green branch has sprouted from one of the thick pillars in the main hall, seemingly taking root and budding, and coming back to life.
The flowers and plants that were decorating the area were also blooming in profusion, including not only spring flowers, but also autumn chrysanthemums and winter plum blossoms.
A withered tree comes back to life, and a hundred flowers bloom. It's truly miraculous!
If I become the Green Emperor in the future, I will make the peach blossoms bloom together!
All things sprout and life never ceases.
...
"I heard that the Sword Saint Gongyang Yu was in the hands of Wei Taicang, the Governor of Nanzhou, back then, is that true?"
Jiang Liu asked Zhao Feier.
Seeing her nod, the Azure Emperor transformed into a streak of azure light and vanished.
A short while later, the Azure Emperor returned, holding a scroll of scriptures in his hand.
"It really is the Thunder Prison Blade Scripture! The genuine work of the great swordsman Gongyang Yu. This is a book made of snow silk, embroidered by his wife!" Su Mu could tell the authenticity of the scripture just by looking at its material.
Jiang Liu finished reading page by page, then shook his head and said, "This contains the sword techniques of a peak Martial Saint, but unfortunately not the insights of a Human Immortal. It's better than nothing, though!"
With that, he threw the scriptures into his storage space.
Chapter 199 Spreading the Word in Izumo Country
On the East China Sea, the river flows along the waves, the seawater only covering the toes, and the toes tremble slightly on the surface of the water, clearly indicating that the person is floating on the water by their body.
Su Mu hovered three feet above the water, looking meek and respectful, and said, "You have already obtained the Martial Arts Chapter, and are only one step away from reaching the Human Immortal Realm. I can give you the Two Scriptures of the Universe, I only hope that you will not become an enemy of my Supreme Dao."
Jiang Liu scooped up a handful of seawater, watched the water droplets fall between his fingers, and laughed, "You've finally given in! Hehe, are you afraid I'll imprison you for life? Or are you afraid I'll also go after Meng Shenji? His tribulation should be over soon! Perhaps he's already too weak from his tribulation!"
Su Mu helplessly shrugged, showing no anger whatsoever, and said with a wry smile, "Why would someone as powerful as you put a mere woman in a difficult position? Besides, my Supreme Dao Sect Master is incredibly powerful, the number one person in the world, who could possibly kill him!"
“If he were at his peak, naturally no one could kill him, but now… that’s not necessarily true! I was indeed tempted when I saw you display the two divine powers of the universe and the cosmos. Why don’t you betray the Supreme Dao and join my sect? I’ll make you the second Dream God, how about that?” Jiang Liu made a grand promise with a few words.
Su Mu remained unmoved, shook his head, tore through the void with his palm, reached into it, and then withdrew it. Two pieces of white paper appeared on his palm, with faint black ink marks visible.
"I don't have the original copies of the Two Scriptures of the Universe. These are the Tower of the Universe and the Bell of the Universe drawn by the Sect Master. In exchange, you will not be an enemy of my Supreme Dao for three months!"
"Is that the place where Meng Shenji underwent his tribulation?" Jiang Liu asked, seemingly unrelated to the question.
Su Mu's expression remained unchanged as he said, "The sect leader is incredibly powerful; I had no idea."
"Alright! I didn't come to the East Sea to hunt down Meng Shenji. In three months, Meng Shenji should have recovered to his peak strength! The cultivation of the eighth level of lightning tribulation... Heh, it seems I need to step up my efforts, otherwise I really will have to tuck my tail between my legs and run away."
Jiang Liu waved his hand, and the two sheets of white paper landed in his palm. Each sheet had a drawing on it; one was a square pagoda outlined in a few strokes, and the other was a large bell.
This square pagoda, outlined with just a few strokes, evokes a sense of encompassing the four directions of heaven and earth, and the vast universe.
The same applies to the Great Bell, but its artistic conception is timeless, fully embodying the mysteries of time.
After closing his eyes and meditating for a moment, Jiang Liu opened them and looked at the two paintings in his hands. He sighed and said, "Meng Shenji truly possesses extraordinary abilities! He has comprehended time and space, the most fundamental rules under the Great Dao, to such an extent. Amazing! I am not as good as him, but if I had the true texts of the Two Scriptures of the Universe, he would definitely surpass me in a year!"
Jiang Liu solemnly put away the two paintings and looked at Su Mu, saying, "You can leave now. If the Supreme Dao doesn't offend me within three months, I will never be your enemy. Oh! By the way, after you return to Yujing, please take care of my disciple Hong Yi. He is Hong Xuanji's illegitimate son. Please give him this painting, and also this Yin-Yang Peach God Sword!"
Watching Su Mu disappear into the distance beneath the sea, Jiang Liu turned to look at the seabed. A whirlpool formed beneath his feet, and a few breaths later, the little baby-like Azure Emperor swam up from the seabed.
He dragged a huge clam-like creature in one hand, wiped his mouth with the other, and said in a coquettish voice, "Master, the bottom of this ocean is indeed full of treasures! Look, this old clam has nurtured something wonderful..."
As he spoke, he tapped the clam shell and said, "Spit out the treasure yourself, or I'll smash you to pieces."
As soon as the immortal's aura was released, the old clam instantly opened its shell, revealing the golden flesh inside.
At the same time, the old clam let out a soft whistle, like a tiger's roar, but a tiger terrified. The little child reached into it, grabbed a fist-sized golden pearl, and held it in his hand.
Then he threw the old clam back into the sea, without harming it in the slightest.
Jiang Liu sniffed, as if he could smell a milky fragrance on Qingdi, mixed with the aroma of earth. It was like spring returning to the earth; grab a handful of soil, and every grain of earth felt alive and fragrant.
Seeing the little Azure Emperor smacking his lips repeatedly, he couldn't help but chuckle and said, "You ate all the good stuff from the seabed, didn't you? Was it the essence of earth milk?"
The Azure Emperor scratched his head sheepishly and laughed, "As expected, I couldn't hide it from the Abbot! My body is still too small, and I'm instinctively greedy. I accidentally ate it all. However, there wasn't much of this Earth Milk Essence, just a small sip. I originally intended to just have a taste, but I couldn't stop myself and swallowed it all."
Earth Milk Essence is the essence of the earth, extremely rare, and a peerless elixir. The "Primordial Heavenly Pearl" in Jiang Liu's hand was formed by a thousand-year-old tiger clam that accidentally absorbed a trace of Earth Milk Essence dissolved in seawater on the seabed.
As an external avatar, the Azure Emperor is closely connected to Jiang Liu, as if they were one person, but it is also another life, with the six desires and seven emotions. It is controlled by Jiang Liu's main body, yet it exists outside of his soul.
Jiang Liu showed no reaction to his consumption of the Earth Milk Essence, and said, "If you want to cultivate the path of becoming a god through incense offerings, you must spread your teachings and have all people worship you. How about you start with these island nations?"
A solemn expression appeared on the young Qingdi's face as he gazed at the sea and said, "Excellent! The book mentions Zen Silver Veil of Chuyun Kingdom! The Silver Shark King of the Eight Great Demon Immortals, I'll go and subdue her, then spread my teachings, and it will be twice as effective!"
"Very well! I'll go to the Wilderness to seize the Qiankun Bag, while you spread the teachings in the Kingdom of Chuyun and keep an eye on the Champion Marquis's whereabouts. Once I return from the Wilderness, we'll plot to take the Champion Marquis's treasures. With the Panhuang Life-Giving Sword protecting him, neither of us alone might be a match for him. That's one of the most powerful ancient artifacts in legend, so we must be careful! Then we'll borrow the Panhuang Sword to break the Qiankun Bag and obtain the general outline of the Tathagata Sutra..."
The Azure Emperor nodded and said, "My primary task now is to spread the word and cultivate the path of divinity through incense offerings. Without believers, I cannot unleash my full power, so I will not put the cart before the horse."
"That's excellent!"
After saying this, the two soared into the sky, each transforming into a beam of light and disappearing into the sea in the blink of an eye.
Izumo is an island nation in the ocean, far from the mainland. With a population of less than a million, its writing system, clothing, and customs are very similar to those of Daqian. This shows that Daqian's culture is widespread both domestically and internationally, and is the orthodox culture of the Yangshen world.
If the Azure Emperor wants to spread his teachings to the Kingdom of Chuyun, he will naturally not appear secretly. On the contrary, he will use great supernatural powers and magic to awe the world, so that people will believe in him and worship him from the bottom of their hearts.
Then, a combination of kindness and strictness is needed to attract believers. Strictness alone is not enough, nor is kindness alone; both must be combined and complement each other to gain faith in a short period of time.
From afar, the Azure Emperor displayed his immense divine power, his radiant light filling half the sky.
Izumo is a tropical island nation with no distinct seasons, only rainy and dry seasons. While food is plentiful, it suffers from tropical diseases and poisonous miasma.
With the arrival of the Azure Emperor, a ten-thousand-foot-tall Dao Venerable appeared in the sky, his appearance identical to that of Jiang Liu.
At the very moment the Azure Emperor appeared, on the large island where the capital of Izumo was located, hundreds of flowers bloomed, filling the air with a wonderful fragrance. Keep in mind that it was currently the dry season, and this unusual sight immediately alarmed everyone in Izumo, including the Silver Shark King Zen Yinsha, who had been reincarnated as the Izumo princess.
While practicing her cultivation, Zen Yinsha looked at the sea of flowers blooming around her, and with a thought, she flew into the sky.
Looking at the vibrant green light filling the sky, and at the unknown Daoist master, Chan Yinsha's soul flew towards the Daoist master's direction, and then he saw the little baby wearing a green bib.