Luo Binwang blinked his big, dark eyes and said, "Master is a celestial being. I was short-sighted before and didn't know how high the sky was. Please forgive me, Master."
He thought to himself: Flying through the sky and escaping into the earth, ever-changing, this is so much fun, and I'm not stupid!
After leading Xue Rengui and Luo Binwang to pay homage to the Three Pure Ones and then to the Patriarch Xuanming Zhenren, they entered the Jiangliu Sect. Xue Rengui, being older, was the senior brother, while Luo Binwang, who was less than ten years old, was naturally the junior brother.
“Ren Gui, you have already laid a solid foundation in martial arts, reaching the peak of the Acquired Realm. The next step is the Innate Realm. I will teach you the method of sitting with your core intact, as a foundation, to enter the Dao through martial arts, supplemented by fist techniques and killing skills. After you refine your essence into qi, I will teach you the art of sword control! As for you…” Jiang Liu looked at the boy and said, “You should finish reading the Daoist Canon! Then meditate and calm your mind!”
The young boy lowered his brow and said dejectedly, "Yes, Master!"
With Xue Rengui and his family, along with Luo Binwang, Qianlong Temple gained some popularity. They cultivated Taoism and practiced martial arts, and before they knew it, autumn had arrived.
As the autumn rain pattered on the paulownia trees, Luo Binwang, who had just entered a meditative state, was suddenly awakened. A strong sense of oppression emanated from the autumn rain outside the palace, causing his heart to pound violently and even his breathing to catch in his throat.
Turning my head, I saw a middle-aged man in a black robe standing in the autumn rain, his whole body shimmering with a watery light, as if he were made of rainwater.
"Who are you?" Xie Chou and the others also sensed the oppressive force of the wind and rain, walked out of the training room, and asked the person in the rain.
The middle-aged man looked around with piercing eyes, as if he could see through every pore of a person's body.
"I am the Dragon King of the Huai River! Who among you is the master of this temple?"
The sound was like a thunderclap, which shocked everyone. Even Xie Chou, whose cultivation had greatly improved, felt immense pressure.
"Dragon King?"
Xie Chou bowed to the black-clad figure that had materialized and asked, "May I ask what business the Dragon King has with the Abbot?"
"Bull Demon, call him out here. I'll just take a look and leave!" the Dragon King said domineeringly.
At this moment, Bailu frowned. Although Jiang Liu had not told her about killing the dragon prince, she felt a strong sense of threat spreading. Thinking that it was better to avoid trouble, Bailu stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Dragon King, my abbot has gone on a journey. We do not know when he will return. It may take three to five years, or as short as seven or eight days!"
The Dragon King coldly looked at the crowd and said, "This place was originally the place where the Taoist Master Xuanming cultivated. I heard that he has died and been reincarnated. What is the relationship between this abbot and him?"
"Master Xuanming is none other than the abbot's revered teacher!"
"Disciple?" The Dragon King frowned, waved his hand, and rainwater quickly gathered in mid-air, then condensed into a water mirror, on which a blurry image appeared.
It was a figure whose features were indistinct, throwing a punch that seemed capable of shattering the heavens.
Although Xue Rengui and Luo Binwang recognized the figure somewhat, they hadn't yet connected it to their master, Jiang Liu. However, Xie Chou and Bai Lu had followed Jiang Liu for so long, and this punch was precisely the kind of powerful strike Jiang Liu often used!
Have you ever seen this person? Or someone who looks somewhat similar?
Suppressing his shock, Xie Chou respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Dragon King, this humble demon has never seen him."
The Dragon King looked around, and the others shook their heads in unison.
Just then, a torrential downpour began, and in an instant, a giant man three meters tall emerged from the rain. His face was as blue as indigo, his hair as red as cinnabar, and he had a huge mouth with fangs, wielding a large axe. It was none other than the Yaksha who patrolled the sea and rivers, whose true form was likely a demon transformed from some aquatic creature.
As soon as he appeared, he bowed to the Dragon King and said, "Dragon Lord, we have discovered traces of that person in the East Sea. A shark demon's underwater palace has been destroyed. We obtained a sliver of information from the escaped water demon!"
"If I remember correctly, this is the seventh demon to be killed!"
The burly man with a face as blue as indigo nodded and said, "Yes, Dragon Lord, the shark demon that was killed this time was at the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage!"
"Let's go..." Before the words were even finished, the man in black disappeared into the autumn rain, and in an instant, the Yaksha also vanished.
It wasn't until several breaths had passed that Xue Rengui and Luo Binwang finally began to breathe heavily.
"Uncle Ugly, is this the Dragon King? He's so powerful! Is Master even stronger than him?" Luo Binwang was covered in sweat, his legs were as weak as noodles, and he could only stand by holding onto the door frame.
Xue Rengui's back was also soaked with sweat, but fortunately, he had recently made progress in body tempering and had reached the Innate Realm, so he wouldn't embarrass himself. However, although he couldn't be sure about the blurry image just now, he could sense a resemblance to his master, Jiang Liu.
"Abbot!" Xie Chou gave a wry smile, then exchanged a glance with Bai Lu and said, "Perhaps it's quite right!"
Seven days passed in trepidation before Xie Chou finally saw Jiang Liu.
"You mean the Huai River Dragon King came here?" Jiang Liu frowned, his heart sinking even further. According to the former Yangtze River Dragon King, this Huai River Dragon King's strength was at the eighth level of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation.
Even with all his treasures, Jiang Liu couldn't defeat the eighth level!
Chapter 176 Zhang Guo is still young
"Master, you have offended the Dragon King!"
Jiang Liu rubbed his temples and paced back and forth a few more times. Seeing this, Xie Chou swallowed hard and didn't ask any more questions.
"Xie Hong will be taking the imperial examination next spring, right? You should all go together..."
"Everyone's going?"
Jiang Liu said in a deep voice, "Go!"
"How is your cultivation progressing, Dan Ding Liu?" Jiang Liu suddenly asked again.
Xie Chou said, "The body of the Burning Heaven Flame Sun Cauldron is already partially completed..."
As he spoke, a silver-white flame appeared in his palm, within which four silver fire dragons darted about. Within the flame, dragon might was concentrated, thus possessing a soul-shaking effect. The silver flame burned gently, with the four slender fire dragons weaving through it as if they possessed intelligence. Moreover, a faint dragon might emanated from them, causing one's soul power to feel somewhat suppressed.
It was none other than the "Nine Dragons Thunderfire" from the "Battle Through the Heavens" world. As for why there were only four fire dragons, there was a reason for that. On that day, Jiang Liu absorbed five of the thunderfires, leaving four silver fire dragons. After Jiang Liu found Yun Guang and Shi Liu, and Xie Chou and Bai Lu cultivated the ninth-grade "Yun Guang Shi Liu Flying Pill," Xie Chou devoured it.
Xie Chou activated the "Burning Heaven Flame Sun Cauldron" with four silver fire dragons, and his strength had reached the eighth level of Refining Essence into Qi.
"After you arrive in Chang'an, go find Li Jian."
"Does the abbot have any further instructions?" Xie Chou asked.
Jiang Liu then passed on some unused magical artifacts and other items to Xie Chou and Bai Lu, saying, "Act according to the situation!"
He then taught his two disciples some martial arts and supernatural abilities, encouraging them to cultivate diligently, and then sent them off to Jinling City.
Looking at the Taoist temple, which had become cold and indifferent again, Jiang Liu couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"Next time, I must refine a protective formation for the mountain. If I leave, the Taoist temple will be occupied again! Sigh..."
Jiang Liu looked at the dark clouds gathering in the western sky and sighed, "A storm is brewing! I've conquered the caves of seven demons, but I still haven't accumulated enough energy. With each crossing, the energy required increases exponentially... Even with a large spiritual vein, I can't withstand this kind of consumption!"
"Isn't this forcing me to rob people everywhere?"
Jiang Liu quietly eliminated seven monsters along the coast of the East China Sea. Although he was still some distance from the energy needed for his next journey, it was not far off. However, the appearance of the Huai River Dragon King made him wary, and he dared not kill monsters indiscriminately anymore, keeping his tail between his legs.
He dared not go to Chang'an now, because the Jinghe Dragon King was the father of the Jianghuai Dragon King. Going there would be suicide.
"In two years, once the Jinghe Dragon King falls from power, I'll see how arrogant you'll still be!"
After much deliberation, Jiang Liu decided not to travel by sword, but instead closed the mountain gate and headed towards Jinling with Xie Chou and his group.
Halfway there, Jiang Liu suddenly stopped, staring blankly at the man and donkey coming towards him.
This person was also dressed in a Taoist robe, holding a fish drum in his hand. He sat on a white donkey, playing the fish drum and singing Taoist songs, looking almost like a celestial being. However, Jiang Liu could sense that this person's strength was only around the fifth level of the Refining Essence to Transform Qi stage.
The fish drum is a musical instrument made of bamboo, about three or four feet long, with a leather head covered with the thinnest part of pig's bladder. It is struck with two fingers. There is also a bamboo clapper, about two feet long, four or five fen wide, and half a fen thick, with both ends slightly turned outwards. Two clappers are struck together to harmonize during singing. These are musical instruments used by Taoist priests when preaching or soliciting donations.
Jiang Liu stared blankly at the fish drum in the Taoist's hand!
Under his perception, the aura emanating from this fish drum was no less powerful than that of his "Haotian Mirror." What did this mean? It meant that this instrument was actually a celestial artifact!
Seeing this man riding a donkey backwards, Jiang Liu thought to himself: Could it be Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals? I've read the Daoist canon thoroughly. While I wouldn't say I know all the immortals in the upper realms, I've certainly never heard of the Eight Immortals. According to my memories from my previous life, the Eight Immortals all attained enlightenment during the Tang and Song dynasties. So, it's not impossible! I'll ask them first…
Upon thinking of this, Jiang Liu performed a Daoist salute and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Jiang Liu. Seeing you riding a donkey backwards and singing a Daoist song with a fisherman's drum, you possess a hundred kinds of immortal air and ten thousand kinds of Daoist bones!"
The sound of the fisherman's drum suddenly stopped. The Taoist priest riding the donkey backwards slowly turned his head, let out a soft "Ah!", immediately jumped off the donkey, bowed to Jiang Liu, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Immortal Master. My Taoist skills are profound, but I am unworthy of your praise!"
"Tongxuan?" Jiang Liu was somewhat disappointed. What a pity, it wasn't Zhang Guolao!
The man appeared to be in his early twenties, but had a long white beard. He looked at Jiang Liu, examined him carefully, and then smiled, "Immortal Master, are you the Abbot of Qianlong Mountain?"
"Oh! You recognize me?" Jiang Liu asked curiously.
"I just came from Jinling and had a very pleasant conversation with Li Jian, who quelled the invasion from the East Sea. He mentioned the Immortal Master to me! But how did the Immortal Master achieve the position of Earth Immortal in such a short time?"
Jiang Liu suddenly realized and laughed, "That's what it means to accumulate knowledge and experience before unleashing it! You don't need to call me 'Immortal Master,' just call me Jiang Liu!"
"Immortal, you are an enlightened being, Zhang Guo dares not offend you!"
Jiang Liu was startled, thinking he had misheard, and blurted out, "Zhang Guo?"
The man paused for a moment, then explained, "Master, this is my secular name; I can't change it right away..."
Zhang Guolao's original name was Zhang Guo. Because he was very old when he attained enlightenment, people added the character "Lao" (老, meaning old) to his name as a sign of respect.
Jiang Liu couldn't help but smile and said, "Where are you headed, friend?"
Zhang Guo pointed north and said, "I'm heading back to Zhongtiao Mountain. Are you going to Jinling, Immortal Master?"
"I'm also aimless, and it doesn't matter whether I go to Jinling or not. If you're going to Zhongtiao Mountain, I can give you a ride. At my speed, I can get there in two days."
"No, no!" Zhang Guo waved his hands repeatedly.
"Haha, I'd also like to see the scenery of Zhongtiao Mountain. Would you mind being my host?"
Upon hearing Jiang Liu's words, Zhang Guo bowed to Jiang Liu again and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Immortal Master."
As he spoke, he took down the wooden box hanging on the white donkey, then placed his palm on the donkey's body, folded it into a small ball, and carefully placed it inside the wooden box.
"I'm sorry for making a fool of myself, Immortal Master!"
Jiang Liu was extremely excited, never expecting to encounter Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals. He took off on his sword and sped towards Zhongtiao Mountain.
"Judging from your appearance, this shouldn't be your first time flying, right?" Jiang Liu asked.
The wind howled, and Zhang Guo's white beard fluttered in the wind as he said, "Two years ago in the Kingdom of Ba, I met a lame Taoist priest who took me on a tour of the Ba Mountains! Last year in Yangjiao Mountain in Jinzhou, I met Zhongli Quan, a general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who also led me through famous mountains and rivers. Both of these predecessors were earth immortals!"
Chapter 177 Is the Third Holy Mother a literary and artistic young woman...?
Jiang Liu stayed in Zhongtiao Mountain for several days and had a very pleasant conversation with Zhang Guo. Although Jiang Liu's cultivation level was a whole realm higher than Zhang Guo's, it was built up with rare and precious treasures, and his understanding of the Dao was far inferior.
What is the Tao?
No one can explain or articulate it clearly. As it is said, "The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of heaven and earth; named, it is the mother of all things. Therefore, one should always be without desire in order to observe its mystery, and always have desire in order to observe its manifestations."
The key to refining Qi into Spirit lies in this word "Spirit"! Spirit refers to consciousness, primordial spirit, the spirit of the five internal organs and hundreds of orifices, the spirit of the five elements of heaven and earth...
It is the understanding of the rules and principles of heaven and earth. Once you grasp it, you can comprehend the profound mysteries, and once you achieve great mastery, you can transcend the void.
At this level, refining the five internal organs and cultivating their spirits is what Buddhism calls the five supernatural powers: the divine eye, the divine ear, the ability to read minds, the ability to travel at will, and the ability to know past lives. Cultivating the muscles, bones, blood, and flesh is to emulate the heavens and the earth. Cultivating the divine consciousness allows one to communicate with the five elements of heaven and earth, to summon wind and rain, to control flames and thunder, and to overturn rivers and seas.
There is a law or principle in the universe; we can grasp it and embrace it.
There are rules governing the universe; we can understand and apply them.