The two figures, one in a green robe carrying a rusty iron sword, exuded an extremely sharp sword intent that stung the eyes of anyone who looked at him.
The other person was burly, with long, flowing hair, exuding arrogance and unruliness. His rugged face also radiated a domineering aura, drawing attention. Behind him was a giant blade, its blade intent surging.
"Extraterrestrial demon, today is your death day!" the unruly man, exuding a sword aura, roared.
"Extraterrestrial demons?" This was the first time Jiang Liu had heard these four words. He checked again to make sure that it really was "extraterrestrial demons".
If it were "extraterrestrial demons," that would be easy to understand.
However, he is merely a super villain in the story. In the library of the Luo Shen Clan, Jiang Liu has already gained a thorough understanding of this history. In ancient times, the Great Thousand World was invaded by the Heavenly Evil God leading the evil races from outside the realm, who conquered more than half of the continents of the Great Thousand World. He is the nemesis of billions of living beings in the Great Thousand World, possesses the ability to corrupt spiritual power, and is known as the "Destroyer of Planes".
Jiang Liu once suspected that the extraterrestrial evil race was an invasion from some other plane, but since he had not encountered them, it was difficult to make a conclusion.
Although "extraterrestrial demons" and "extraterrestrial demons" differ by only one character, their meanings are completely different.
Outside the territory, outside the universe.
If we consider this vast world and the smaller worlds below as belonging to the same multiverse, then each smaller world can only be considered an independent territory within that multiverse.
"The Great Ruler" belongs to the main world, while "Battle Through the Heavens" and "Martial Universe" belong to smaller worlds. The world inhabited by the extraterrestrial demons is naturally also within this multiverse and belongs to the same world's will.
And beyond the universe, it goes without saying, are beings outside this universe, not belonging to the same Heavenly Dao.
Seeing Jiang Liu slightly stunned, the two powerful figures, one wielding a sword and the other a saber, were quite forthright, shouting, "Langya Sword Immortal Su Mu..."
"The Overlord Blade Chu Clan..."
"...Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and slay you, you extraterrestrial demon!"
"Are we really going to fight? We don't have any grudge against each other."
"Hmph, the will of the heavens has descended. Killing you will be a meritorious act for my brother. Extraterrestrial demons are to be killed by everyone!"
In fact, even they themselves did not understand the difference between "outside the realm" and "outside the universe," and thought that they were no different from the "extraterrestrial demons," the great enemy of the human race.
"With your strength as a lower-level Earthly Sovereign, it seems you cannot kill me!"
"Haha, the combat power passed down to us by the will of the heavens is enough to kill you..."
When the Langya Sword Immortal Su Mu grasped the rusty iron sword on his back, a terrifying sword aura erupted, raging across the heavens and earth. The space in that area was cut with visible marks by the astonishing sword aura.
His eyes flashed with a blinding light, pointing directly at the river. If they were sharp before, they were now like a sword piercing the sky.
"Can a lower-level Earthly Sovereign possess such strength?"
Jiang Liu frowned. This person's strength had instantly risen to the level of the Great Perfection of the Earthly Sovereign, like that of the Old Man of Winter.
The same was true for the Overlord Blade Chu Clan, whose blade energy swept across the heavens and earth.
"So this is the method of the will of the heavens? It's not unexpected. In the Journey to the West world, the Heavenly Court could be established and the operation of the Heavenly Dao could be controlled because Hongjun merged with the Dao. In this world of The Great Ruler, no one can merge with the Heavenly Dao. Only the Immortal Emperor, the first of the Nine Ancient Emperors and the strongest in ancient times, left his surname 'Ye' on the Heavenly Ranking, which can be considered as communicating with the Heavenly Dao... He can only resist my invasion in this way. But we should leave quickly! These small fry are obviously there to restrain me. The Western Heaven War Emperor must have arrived by now..."
Just as Jiang Liu was pondering, Langya Sword Immortal Su Mu no longer hesitated. He suddenly drew his rusty iron sword and then lightly slashed it down in front of him.
Buzz.
The moment the iron sword slashed down, ripples appeared in the sky ahead, as if the sword were gliding across a stream of water. In the next instant, the sword light suddenly burst forth, and a sword aura about a thousand feet long, with unparalleled sharpness, tore through the sky with a "whoosh" and slashed down directly at Jiang Liu.
The brilliance of that sword strike seemed capable of slicing through any obstacle in its path. Faced with such a fierce sword, even Jiang Liu could only temporarily evade its edge and dared not meet it head-on.
In the blink of an eye, another slash came down, the intent of the blade cleaving in two, even tearing the void in two.
A single knife and a single sword, utterly terrifying.
The river flowed treacherously, yet the sword and blade seemed to dodge with incredible ease, as if dancing on a blade.
In a flash, Jiang Liu summoned the portal, and a golden figure descended from the sky with his hands behind his back.
Jiang Liu glanced at the newcomer. He saw dazzling blond hair, a chiseled handsome face, and deep, captivating eyes that held a powerful charm that was unforgettable. However, it was the aura of supreme authority emanating from him that was truly captivating.
The Western Heaven War Emperor has arrived.
But it couldn't stop Jiang Liu's departure; even the terrifying will of the heavens was powerless to stop it.
Chapter 436 Wen Zhong
Back in the Journey to the West world, Jiang Liu pondered the will of the heavens. Clearly, the Heavenly Dao of this vast world was extremely perfect, making it difficult to find loopholes.
For example, in the world of "Yang Shen", the "Son of Dao" Immortal God King is the existence closest to the Great Dao. Even the one who escaped could not hide from him. In the end, he discovered his origin and brought out Xu Yi, the leader of the central world of the Outer Heaven, causing Jiang Liu to flee in panic.
The world of "Covering the Sky" was spared because he was not his true self, and because the Immortal Realm was damaged and the Great Dao was incomplete.
In the world of "The Great Ruler," the will of the heavens is a truly perfected Dao. Although there is no saint like Hongjun who has merged with the Dao, the Immortal Emperor, the first of the Nine Ancient Emperors, left his surname "Ye" on the Heavenly Ranking, which can be considered as half a step towards merging with the Dao. It is reasonable that he was discovered.
"Then, that Marvel visitor from last time must have been sensed by the Heavenly Dao. Hongjun has already merged with the Dao and no longer concerns himself with worldly affairs. The Heavenly Court is the true institution that operates the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, the Heavenly Court must have also received information about that Marvel visitor's invasion… an extraterrestrial demon! Then what am I? Did I transmigrate from a lower plane, or reverse time…? Never mind, since Hongjun has already seen me, why bother about my origins! Just as he said, the small world within my body will recreate the primordial chaos…"
As for evolving the small world within his body, Jiang Liu had already experimented with it in the Liaozhai world; plundering the Heavenly Dao was the shortcut. And to plunder the Heavenly Dao, the Great Thousand World was clearly not the way to go.
"Alas, how difficult it is to plunder the Heavenly Dao. The three paths of humans, demons, and ghosts in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio have not yet been fully digested. We can only wait until the one that has escaped completely devours it before we can choose a small world to conquer. Which world is better?"
Jiang Liu communicated with "The One Who Escaped" and figured out the difference between the outer universe and the outer realm, thus completely distinguishing the worlds that could be possessed.
The "Shushan", "Xianjian", "Zhuxian", etc., are all small worlds under the "Journey to the West" world. Before the primordial world was broken, they were originally one. However, after the Investiture of the Gods, the primordial world was broken by the sages. The Hongjun Ancestor condensed the four largest continents to form the Four Great Divine Continents. The remaining broken pieces flew into the endless void and became independent small worlds.
In Jiang Liu's view, the ascension in "Shushan" might be the ascension to the Journey to the West. However, the four great continents are too vast. Those who have ascended over the past thousands of years are only at the Earth Immortal realm. When they merge into this great world, they are just a drop of water falling into the ocean. They are insignificant and naturally cannot cause any ripples.
The world beyond the universe is the American comic book universe, including works like *Covering the Sky*, *Yang Shen*, *The Great Ruler*, *Star River*, and *Swallowing the Stars*...
Just as Jiang Liu was agonizing over his next time traveling through time, a deity arrived at Qianlong Temple in Zhongnan Mountain.
god!
Naturally, he was one of the gods listed on the Investiture of the Gods, and one of the gods of the Heavenly Court.
This deity was called Kaishanmen. Upon seeing him, Xie Chou immediately and respectfully led him into Qianlong Temple, and then returned to the back mountain to meet Jiang Liu.
In the cave behind the mountain, Jiang Liu, upon receiving Xie Chou's report, was slightly surprised and muttered, "Why is he here? Last time, when Taibai Jinxing invited me to the Heavenly Court, I refused outright. His arrival here now is definitely not at the Jade Emperor's behest. Although the gods of the Heavenly Court all maintain the operation of the Heavenly Dao, they are divided into several factions: the Jade Emperor's faction, the Chan Sect faction, and the strongest are still the disciples of the Jie Sect..."
The newcomer was Wen Zhong, a disciple of the Jie Sect, now a great god of the Thunder Department of the Heavenly Court, formerly the Grand Tutor of the Yin Shang Dynasty, and the chief disciple of the Golden Spirit Mother.
Jiang Liu calmly walked away and the first thing he saw was a black Qilin, lying prostrate outside the main hall of Qianlong Temple. This beast could travel a thousand miles in an instant and had a pair of whips, male and female, hanging on its back.
"Excellent thunder technique! You have already refined the spiritual essence of this Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Technique, seeing the whole leopard from a single spot. Abbot Jiang has already entered the Dao of thunder technique. Little boy, you have found a good master! Such strength at such a young age... I also have some attainments in thunder technique. You can try to comprehend this Upper Clarity Divine Thunder."
A majestic voice echoed from the main hall, like rolling thunder.
"Shangqing Divine Thunder?!" It was Luo Binwang who spoke, and then he asked impatiently, "Grandpa, when will the Heavenly Peach Banquet be held?"
"The Peach Banquet? That's still a few years away!"
"Shall we invite my master?"
"Master Jiang has attained the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit, so naturally he will be one of them..."
"Can I come along? Will I get to eat the peaches?"
Jiang Liu slowly walked in, and the tall figure turned around at the same time. The two looked at each other from a distance, each sizing the other up.
In Jiang Liu's eyes, Wen Zhong, like Yang Jian, had three eyes on his head. The middle eye contained supernatural powers. Looking directly at him, one felt that everything about him was seen through, and he could distinguish between wickedness and loyalty, and between the black and white of people's hearts.
Wen Zhong glanced at him, his thoughts unreadable.
As Jiang Liu approached Wen Zhong, he realized that Wen Zhong's purpose in coming here was anything but simple.
"We'll deal with whatever comes our way, one step at a time!" Jiang Liu thought to himself. That was all he could do. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Jie Sect may seem like just a handful of people now; their actual strength is not to be underestimated. Not to mention anything else, the gods in the Heavenly Court alone are enough to give anyone a headache. What's even more terrifying is that they are all famous figures on the Investiture of the Gods. Even if their strength hasn't improved in thousands of years, that's enough to give any force a headache.
"Grand Tutor Wen, this humble Taoist is Jiang Liu..."
Jiang Liu was a very proper Taoist, not particularly strong a Celestial Immortal, and an ordinary mortal... In Wen Zhong's eyes, Jiang Liu was simple, yet not simple at all.
The cultivation level of a Celestial Immortal is simply not enough in the Three Realms. Even a Profound Immortal who has passed the Void Reversal stage cannot be considered a peerless powerhouse.
Moreover, Jiang Liu was indeed an ordinary mortal, and was naturally weaker than those with extraordinary bloodlines left over from the primordial era.
How could a mortal with such a simple background and sect comprehend the Dao of Celestial Immortals in such a short time?
I've come to the right place this time... Is the one who vanished within you? Or within Tang Sanzang's body, within the thousand-year-long plan of Buddhism? Uncle Wudang is going on his journey to the West; let's see what he finds!
"I am Wen Zhong, and I have come to pay my respects to Abbot Jiang. I heard in the Heavenly Court that you possess the exquisite Heavenly Thunder Orthodox Technique, so I came here to exchange ideas... Moreover, I came here specifically to see the Nine Provinces Cauldrons. During the great war between Shang and Zhou, the Nine Provinces Cauldrons were damaged, and I feel ashamed. If you could gather the Nine Provinces Cauldrons and restore the Nine Provinces Barrier, it would settle my heart's knot that has been there for thousands of years."
Exchanging Thunder Techniques? Heh, at least you'd put some thought into your excuse! For anyone else, the Nine Provinces Cauldrons might be a plausible excuse, but you're really only doing this for the Nine Provinces Cauldrons… A Thunder God who manipulates the Heavenly Dao might descend to the mortal realm once for the Nine Provinces Cauldrons…
A thousand thoughts raced through Jiang Liu's mind, but he maintained his unchanging smile and said, "Grand Tutor, the Nine Provinces Cauldron has been reforged by me, possessing only a trace of the power of a merit treasure. It's nothing special, at most a post-natal spiritual treasure! Grand Tutor, please come inside, let's enjoy some tea and admire the cauldron..."
Chapter 437 Imagination
Zhongnan Mountain is known as the "Fairyland", the "Crown of Grotto Heavens" and the "Number One Blessed Land Under Heaven". In the eyes of mortals, it is a land of immortals.
This place, formerly known as Taiyi Mountain and now Qianlong Mountain, is the most scenic and spiritually rich spot in the Zhongnan Mountains. The peaks are beautiful and the spiritual energy is overwhelming. In the distance, a thousand-meter-long waterfall is cascading down from a high mountain, a white ribbon like an inverted Milky Way, with a thunderous roar like ten thousand horses galloping, magnificent and beautiful.
"Truly worthy of being called the number one blessed land in the Nine Provinces, with extraordinary scenery and abundant spiritual energy, it is like a pure land outside the world, not inferior to the Thirty-Three Heavens!"
Jiang Liu led Wen Zhong along the way, subtly revealing his back mountain base to Wen Zhong's eyes, without deliberately showing it off, letting him see it with his own eyes, ponder it, and fill in the blanks in his mind.
Jiang Liu began planning for this day the very day he moved into Zhongnan Mountain, devising a reasonable explanation for how he could reach the realm of celestial beings in such a short time.
Today, I finally got to use it. And it would be perfect if I could pass it on through Wen Zhong.
Throughout the journey, Wen Zhong had been observing Jiang Liu's every move, and nothing in Qianlong Temple had escaped his notice.
Ancient trees reach for the sky, their branches strong and gnarled like dragons. Many palaces can be seen nestled among the vegetation, creating a harmonious and natural scene.
Amidst these palaces and ancient trees, young cultivators can be seen everywhere, some meditating, some holding Taoist scriptures, some practicing martial arts, some strengthening their muscles and bones, and some refining flying swords.
These people were all talented citizens of the Tang Dynasty, including sons of nobles and commoners.
With the assistance of the Tang Dynasty, it would be incredibly easy for Qianlong Temple to recruit disciples. Moreover, with Dragon Tooth Rice for foundation building, cultivating a group of Earth Immortals would not be difficult.
As for teaching disciples, one can simply send a separate person to teach them.
Along the ancient road, there are man-made medicinal fields where ginseng is as thick as a child's arm, and lingzhi mushrooms hang with nine leaves. There are also many unknown medicinal herbs that shimmer and sparkle, exuding a fragrant aroma that is refreshing and invigorating.
"The cultivation of these medicines seems to be the work of Shennong! That grand formation is very similar to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, could it be Fuxi?"
Upon reaching the edge of a cliff, one finds thatched huts, two or three bamboo groves, a medicinal herb field beside the huts, and several old trees closely connected together.
From here, one can clearly see most of Qianlong Temple. Wen Zhong's heart was stirred, and he thought to himself, "This is the lineage of the Three Sovereigns! Could I have been wrong? With the emergence of 'The Vanished One,' divination and calculation are useless. We can only see with our own eyes and speculate with our hearts. Whether this Jiang Liu is 'The Vanished One' is still debatable... It's not difficult for the Three Sovereigns' inheritance to cultivate a Celestial Immortal in a short time!"
Two futons, two cups of tea, sitting opposite each other.
As soon as he sat down cross-legged, Wen Zhong was slightly startled. The futon beneath his buttocks was quite unusual. It was as if a sudden enlightenment had washed over him, and a cool sensation spread throughout his body.