Today, we live in an era of struggle between humans and demons. But who can say for sure that the human race will endure forever? Heaven's will favors the human race, hence Laozi established the religion of humanity. But if one day the way of heaven changes, will the human race, without the protection of a sage, still exist?
This is why Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng depicted the changes in humanity over three thousand years.
The three Holy Emperors of Huoyun Palace, facing the Dragon Tooth Rice, knew that this substance would greatly benefit the prosperity of humanity, but dared not easily popularize it. For since ancient times, those who do not plan for the long term cannot plan for the short term; those who do not consider the overall situation cannot plan for a single region. The power struggle at the top was invisible to Jiang Liu, Yuan Tiangang, and Li Chunfeng.
Just as Tieguai Li arrived at Laozi's Eight Views Palace, a wisp of the Holy Emperor's primordial spirit also arrived at the same time.
At the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, Yuan Tiangang remained silent for a long time before saying, "I was too impatient."
"Senior brother, what exactly happened?" Li Chunfeng was still confused and clueless.
“We’ll discuss this in detail when we get back…” Yuan Tiangang looked at Jiang Liu, performed the disciple’s salute, and said, “Fellow Daoist, what should we do now? My junior brother Li Chunfeng and I will follow your lead and strive for the survival of the human race for generations to come.”
Jiang Liu now feels like he's paid protection money, paid homage to the big boss, and is now acting as the big boss's spokesperson.
"It's better to stay still than to act. The Three Sages have a plan, so let's wait and see. Besides, I've just had some insights and want to go into seclusion. I'd like to borrow your cave dwelling for a while."
"It's no trouble at all, please, sir!"
Jiang Liu didn't stand on ceremony and directly occupied the stone chamber where Yuan Tiangang was in seclusion. Two futons, an oil lamp—the stone chamber was extremely simple, as rudimentary as the Fire Cloud Cave in the Fire Cloud Palace.
After closing the stone gate, Jiang Liu couldn't wait to begin studying the merits.
Merit is only gained by playing a sufficiently positive and driving role in the evolution of the Heavenly Way. This is why sages who establish religions accumulate merit, because their teachings enlighten all beings, which is a beneficial and comprehensive impetus to the evolution of the world, thus accumulating immeasurable merit. Why then does the Asura religion established by Styx accumulate far less merit? Because the Asura religion is too narrow-minded, too limited to one place and one race, and does not play a driving role in the entire primordial world, thus accumulating far less merit and failing to achieve sainthood.
Since the beginning of time, the evolution of the Heavenly Dao has been basically perfected. The Heavenly Court is the final result of the evolution of the Heavenly Dao, acting on behalf of Heaven to implement the Heavenly Dao.
Therefore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to accumulate merit.
Merit represents great fortune; with merit protecting one, anyone who kills Jiang Liu will inevitably be tainted by karmic consequences. Given the constraints of avoiding conflict, as long as Jiang Liu doesn't court death, he can definitely survive well in this Journey to the West world.
How much merit did the Three Holy Emperors bestow upon Jiang Liu? Perhaps not much for the Holy Emperors, just a drop in the ocean, but for Jiang Liu, it was an immense amount.
With this merit protecting him, not only the Jinghe Dragon King's family, but even the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas would have to think twice before killing Jiang Liu.
This is a protective charm.
The merits that Jiang Liu received were not just a protective charm. Most importantly, at the moment of receiving the merits, "the one who had vanished" finally reacted.
Previously, this "disappeared one" only provided Jiang Liu with a portal to another world, allowing him to travel in and out without any information, relying entirely on luck.
Now that he has received the power of merit, it seems that he has gained several privileges and revealed some important information.
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is!" Jiang Liu carefully read through the explanation and couldn't help but feel hesitant to travel through time again.
"With my current strength, if I were to travel to another world, it would definitely be a world even stronger than the Yangshen World. The energy required to break through the spatial barrier in that kind of world is simply too great. Moreover, without great fortune, if I were to enter it, I would be rejected by the Heavenly Dao and crushed into dust in no time. There are just too many powerful beings there."
Thinking of this, Jiang Liu couldn't help but think of the two clones he had left in the "Yang Shen" world, who must still be hiding deep in the universe. He clenched his fist, his fingertips turning slightly white.
"I must go back, I definitely will... but not now."
Jiang Liu gritted his teeth and continued to sense the information conveyed by "the vanished one," thinking to himself, "Even collecting spirit stones and sufficient energy in that kind of vast world would require a lot of time. I don't have the possibility of traveling through it again in the short term. Does that mean that if I were to travel through it again, it couldn't be my true form?"
"To separate a wisp of one's primordial spirit?"
"That's a good idea, and I have the right to choose. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Wind and Cloud, even the Calabash Brothers! The magic of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and the martial arts of Wind and Cloud aren't very useful to me now. The Calabash Brothers? The Seven-Heart Pill? That's worth a try. There's even the Shu Mountain where I originally transmigrated... My second primordial spirit is still preserved in Shu Mountain, huh..."
"That's great, it saves me the energy I need for one time travel."
With a soft "Eh" from the river, in the world of "Shushan", on the cliff overlooking the river, a strange bird resembling a giant eagle suddenly opened its eyes, flapped its wings, and grew more than ten zhang in length as soon as it left the ground, surrounded by five-colored smoke and light.
In particular, besides the five-colored smoke and light, a faint halo of Buddha's light lingered from its back and abdomen to its mouth. It stared with a pair of strange eyes that shone with a strange light, like bright lamps, and was as big as a large bowl. It used its claws and beak at the same time, and its movements were as fast as lightning.
Below the cliff stood an ancient temple. An old nun stood in front of the temple, pointing at the strange bird and shouting, "Now that you've entered my Buddhist order, why don't you submit!"
"Screw you!!!"
Chapter 263 Return to Mount Shu
Beside the river, on a cliff overlooking the sky, sits an ancient temple, not large in scale, with green tiles and yellow walls, called Longxiang Temple.
This temple may not be well-known among ordinary people, but it is a household name among cultivators.
This is the place where the nun Fentuo cultivated herself.
As one of the strongest figures in the world of "Shushan", as the first divine nun and one of the leaders of the righteous path, the strength of the divine nun Fentuo is beyond doubt. In the entire Shushan, she should be ranked among the top.
At this moment, the old nun stood in front of the Longxiang Temple, pointing to the terrifying giant bird on Yitian Cliff, and said to the people behind her, "This ancient divine dove has been gradually tamed by my Buddhist Buddhist restrictions. The full moon of next month will be the day when Emei opens its gates. The opening of Emei is an unprecedented event for Taoism in the past three thousand years. Only those with accumulated cultivation in past lives and extremely deep immortal roots and blessings can participate. At that time, there will surely be evil masters who come to invade. I have important matters to attend to. Yang Jin, you will take this dove to Emei and block the evil forces."
Yang Jin, standing behind the old nun, was a Taoist girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old. She carried a sword box on her back, wore a leather pouch on her waist, and possessed a heroic and ethereal beauty, as beautiful as a celestial being.
She is a reincarnation. In her previous life, she was named Fairy Xuanshang Ling Xuehong, the younger sister of the strange beggar Ling Hun, and the wife of Bai Guyi, one of the Three Immortals of the East Sea. After her death and reincarnation, she was named Yang Jin.
Although he looks young, his abilities are quite remarkable.
She smiled and said, "Master, with the Nine Doubts Cauldron in hand, even if the Green-Robed Ancestor were alive, I could withstand him."
The nun shook her head, her expression strange, and sighed, "Although this cauldron is wondrous, its most essential core has been taken away by that mysterious person, leaving only an empty shell. This divine dove should also be closely related to that person, but even with the combined efforts of many of us from the righteous path, we cannot figure it out. This person appeared mysteriously and disappeared mysteriously, disrupting the secrets of heaven and seizing creation; he is the greatest demon in the world."
“Master, didn’t that demon flee in a sorry state in the capital? He must not have been very strong!” The speaker was also a young girl, Ling Yunfeng, the girl Jiang Liu had let go when he killed Cui Wugu.
"He managed to escape unscathed from being surrounded, and in a way that no one knew. There is no similar escape technique in the world. Perhaps he is not strong, but his means of survival are the best in the world."
After the nun finished speaking, she frowned and looked in the direction of Yitian Cliff. The more she looked, the more solemn her expression became.
"You beast, you really think I wouldn't dare kill you!"
Jiang Liu's true body is still in the Journey to the West world, cultivating in seclusion on Zhongnan Mountain, but a wisp of his divine consciousness has descended to "Shu Mountain" and grasped the second primordial spirit in the Mysterious Female Pearl, thus indirectly controlling the Divine Dove.
The transformation from human to bird requires the utmost care.
With a flap of its wings, it let out a clear cry. Then it realized that it was enveloped in a circle of Buddhist light. This Buddhist light was like a shackle, suppressing the divine dove. If it went any further, it would be converted by the Buddhist light, completely brainwashed, and become a Buddhist divine beast.
But now, Jiang Liu has taken control of his second primordial spirit, and the originally chaotic primordial spirit is rapidly operating. Two steel-like claws ripped towards the Buddha's light, and instantly, space trembled, tearing apart the restraints.
At the same time, the nun Fentuo in Longxiang Temple pointed forward with her left hand. Suddenly, a brilliant light appeared before their eyes, and countless rays of light descended from the sky, transforming into a wall of light that enveloped the divine dove controlled by the river. The light was dazzling, and the clouds were magnificent. Instantly, the earth and rivers turned golden, shining brightly, and the fragrance of sandalwood filled the sky.
Although Jiang Liu was only a wisp of divine consciousness descending, his knowledge was extraordinary. He immediately knew that the old nun was already a terrestrial immortal.
"Is the old nun going to refuse to ascend to the Immortal Realm and just stubbornly refuse to leave?"
Transforming into a divine dove, its methods of fighting were somewhat limited, but it still used its innate divine power immediately. With a screech, it opened its iron beak and spewed out a stream of purple flames that shot towards the approaching Buddhist light.
This is the divine dove's innate supernatural power, called the Dove Spirit Fire, which can remove impurities and retain the essence, seizing spiritual energy for its own use.
Whether it's rotting corpses, poisonous gas, filthy blood, malevolent spirits, flying swords, magical treasures, or elixirs, as long as it's burned by the purple flames, its spiritual energy can be seized, and then it can be sucked into the mouth like a whale sucking the sea.
"How can mere sorcery withstand the golden light of Buddhism!"
The god Nifenta clasped his hands together and swung them outwards. The golden light burst forth like a collapsing torrent, spreading outwards for hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye. Countless golden flames emanated from it, engulfing the purple flames spewed out by the god. The wondrous uses of the Buddha's light and sacred fire were truly boundless. Wherever the light and flames touched, all the purple flames vanished silently, like light snow falling into a furnace.
"Unfortunately, it wasn't the real body that came!" Jiang Liu looked at the golden light, a hint of solemnity appearing in his eyes. His magic power was gone, and he didn't have a single magic weapon.
However, the experience and supernatural skills gained in fighting enemies were etched into his soul.
Instantly, it shook its steel-like wings, spreading them horizontally like clouds hanging from the sky.
He stirred up the airflow, poured his vital energy into his entire body, and instantly created a vortex—the Transformation Technique, the Great Millstone of Heaven and Earth!
Using the force of the obstruction, Jiang Liu flapped his wings and broke through the constraints of the Buddha's light.
Upon seeing this, the god Nifenda was greatly surprised and hurriedly threw the "Lotus Sutra Vajra Wheel" upwards. This was the ultimate secret of Zen, infinitely wondrous. As soon as the precious wheel left his hand, it instantly transformed into ten thousand rays of silver light, spinning rapidly, trying to keep the god dove there.
At the same time, the two women behind the nun also moved. Ling Yunfeng gazed at the sky, eager to try. Seeing the divine dove pierce through the golden light, she quickly slapped the sword box, and the Xuandu Sword transformed into a cold light, chillingly sharp, piercing the sky. Yang Jin had already pointed his hand, and the sword light in the air suddenly unfolded like a celestial gentleman, a streak of light stretching across the sky, growing wildly.
Even the goddess Nifenda couldn't suppress the river's flow, and was also afraid of flying sword attacks. However, the "Lotus Sutra Vajra Wheel" activated by the goddess was extremely powerful. The "Lotus Sutra Vajra Wheel" spun with silver light, and was a treasure refined from gold essence, possessing immense destructive power.
Jiang Liu used a "Transformation Technique" to break free from the golden light of Buddhist magic. His vital energy was already depleted by 50-60%, so he dared not linger and fled.
The whirling silver light kept striking his body, but fortunately, Shenjiu's physical body was strong enough that he only suffered minor injuries.
With another flap of its wings, even the "Lotus Sutra Vajra Wheel" couldn't keep up. A sword thrust at its front, and the divine dove opened its beak and clamped it down. The flying sword struggled incessantly, but to no avail, like a fish out of water that lost its strength after struggling.
Jiang Liu controlled the divine dove, soaring into the sky without stopping. That old nun was still very powerful. Her speed was extreme; if Jiang Liu wanted to escape, even the divine nun Fentuo could not stop him. After chasing for a while, she could only watch helplessly as he disappeared into the horizon.
"He's back! How did he get back right under my nose?" The nun's expression was extremely solemn. Then she whispered, "With my strength, I couldn't even stop him. We should contact the Three Immortals and Two Elders, Blissful Paradise, and White Eyebrows to surround and kill this guy!"
Chapter 264 Demon Corpse Valley Chen
The divine dove flapped its wings and flew towards the southwest, towards the Great Snow Mountain.
As for the flying sword he mentioned, it was a mid-grade spiritual weapon. Jiang Liu naturally wouldn't be interested in a flying sword of this caliber, but since he didn't have any decent magic weapons right now, he could only accept it for the time being.
Although Jiang Liu is currently occupying the body of the Divine Dove, he has no intention of changing his physical form. This giant bird is very powerful; unless one possesses the body of someone like the Three Immortals and Two Elders, the Divine Dove is still stronger.
Moreover, demons are not incapable of taking human form; even the powerful Divine Dove has reached the stage of human transformation.
Having escaped the attack of the god Nifenta, Jiang Liu wanted to find a secluded place to heal his wounds and then find out about the current situation in the world.
When I left the world of "Shushan" last time, I offended all the righteous sects, including Emei.
While still pondering in the clouds, a sharp and piercing whistle suddenly came from the northwest, followed by a cluster of smoke and clouds that shot down from the ground like stars and lightning.
They're after me!
Jiang Liu knew from the look in their eyes that it was aimed at him.
Suddenly, a monster with fiery eyes, a dark green body, emaciated and bony, with long arms and claws, resembling a zombie, and surrounded by red, green flames and black mist, appeared in the smoke. It howled and flew closer.
"It's him, Demon Corpse Valley Chen... What a small world! But why does he look so murderous? It was my true body that took his ten-thousand-year-old warm jade, I have nothing to do with this Divine Dove!"
Just as Jiang Liu was wondering, another burst of emerald sparks flashed in the air, and yet another demonic figure appeared. This person was likely a member of the demonic path, eight feet tall, thin and long, dressed in Taoist robes, barefoot, and wielding a long sword. He had a narrow, elongated face, square eyes with emerald pupils, a pointed nose, and a pointed mouth. His face, hands, and feet were all thin and pale, devoid of any color. Nine long arrows were tucked into his back, three short forks were inserted into his waistband, a leather bag was tied to his left side, and he held a banner about ten feet long. His entire body was shrouded in smoke.
Upon first meeting, he let out a fierce roar, waved the long banner in his hand, and immediately emitted a dark green, malevolent light that turned the surrounding clouds blue.
The demon corpse Gu Chen and this person blocked Jiang Liu from the front and back.
The demonic corpse Gu Chen stared with his crimson eyes at the divine dove and burst into laughter: "I've searched high and low without finding it, but it's right here without any effort. You old dove, you're the one Qiongqi mentioned who's in cahoots with that mysterious person. You were captured by the old nun Fentuo, but you actually escaped. Confess obediently, where is that mysterious person who stole my ten-thousand-year-old warm jade?"
"Hmm, Qiongqi sold me out?" Jiang Liu thought to himself, then his eagle eyes scanned the corpse and the demon.
A black banner also appeared in the hand of the demon corpse Gu Chen. With a flick of his wrist, it released a cloud of black energy.
Jiang Liu had seen this black aura before; it was the "Black Omen Aura" of the Qiongqi. Since even this primordial aura had been taken away, there was no doubt that the Qiongqi demon corpse was completely dead.
Any flying sword or magical artifact that comes into contact with this "black aura" will lose all its spiritual energy, making it the most filthy thing in the world!
Others may fear this filthy thing, but the Divine Dove is not. His "Dove Spirit Fire" is the nemesis of this thing. Once the purple fire burns, it can devour any filthy thing.
As for the demonic cultivator, Jiang Liu had a general idea of who it was.