Su Mu said in a deep voice, trying to break free, but found that the "Heavenly Dao Demon-Sealing Sword" was actually restrained by the endless white light. Just as Jiang Liu had just said, how could you possibly devour all this boundless light?
Jiang Liu's gaze was no longer on Su Mu; his pupils were filled with the two supernatural powers of "time" and "space." The large bell he had just seen not only possessed a heavy and vast aura, but also had numerous moving inscriptions on it, making it even more mysterious and unpredictable.
He stroked the bell, wanting to feel up close the mysteries of "time" throughout history. Although Jiang Liu didn't recognize the tadpole-like characters, he could intuitively sense that each character contained profound meaning.
Mysterious characters moved across the surface of the great bell, layer upon layer, as if traversing the past and present. In truth, the bell's power still affected him; after its appearance, he felt his spiritual energy slow down by three levels, and his thoughts seemed sluggish, as if bound and suppressed by time. However, his strength far surpassed Su Mu's; even with half his power, he was still beyond her capabilities.
However, one can imagine that if Meng Shenji himself were to use his "Yu" and "Zhou" supernatural powers, it wouldn't be so easy to deal with. He would most likely be frozen in place and turned into a clay Buddha statue in a temple.
Now, the same is true of this nine-story pagoda, where countless mysterious characters flow within, seemingly related to the rules of space.
This is the supreme Daoist art of the Supreme Dao, the true meaning of "Yu" and "Zhou". Compared to the three major scriptures of "Past", "Present", and "Future" of the Great Zen Temple, it seems to be faintly present above it!
Jiang Liu nodded in satisfaction. Although he had only seen the surface, he had gained some insight. As the ancients said, "One can see the whole leopard from a spot, and know the vast ocean from a drop of water." Jiang Liu watched Su Mu display his supernatural powers of the universe and glimpsed a bit of it, and immediately felt that his trip had been worthwhile.
Then, his primordial spirit stirred slightly, sensing several powerful figures rapidly approaching. In the Great Qian capital, Yujing City, Jiang Liu was most wary of Emperor Yang Pan and Hong Xuanji. Among these approaching figures, one possessed overwhelming blood energy, as blazing as the midday sun, comparable to the "Great Sun Tathagata" dharma form displayed by his primordial spirit.
Knowing that it was the immortal Hong Xuanji who had arrived, Jiang Liu smashed the "Taiyu Tower" into pieces with another punch.
With two thoughts shattered by Jiang Liu in a row, Su Mu was also overwhelmed. She was also restrained by the "Boundless Light" of her primordial spirit and could not move for a moment. Jiang Liu took a step behind her and brought his knife down with great force.
Instantly, Ruoruo's soft, delicate body collapsed limply into Jiang Liu's arms.
Then Jiang Liu, carrying Su Mu, immediately transformed into a rainbow and departed, leaving only his primordial spirit to cover their retreat.
The first to arrive was Hong Xuanji, who was at the Human Immortal realm. He sensed Jiang Liu's aura from afar. Last winter, he exchanged a punch with Jiang Liu, and the fight ended in a draw. Recently, his strength has greatly improved again, and he is confident that he can capture this mysterious person who suddenly appeared.
Twenty years ago, Hong Xuanji had already stepped into the realm of the Human Immortal. Due to the destruction of his Dao Heart, he wasted twenty years of his life and spent twenty years accumulating experience. Now, he has crossed the Human Immortal realm in one step. With his accumulated experience now ready to be unleashed, it is time for him to soar to the sky.
Before the second expert could get close, Jiang Liu's primordial spirit launched an attack, like a blazing summer sun hanging above the Jade Emperor, showering down endless light and heat. Even experts who cultivated their divine souls couldn't get close; before the scorching sun, their very souls and thoughts couldn't withstand the intense heat.
Inside the secret chamber of the Great Qian Imperial Palace, Emperor Qian Yang Pan, with a thought in mind, looked at the second sun in the sky, squinted and whispered, "What powerful fire magic! It's many times stronger than Meng Shenji's Nine Fire Dragons! If I hadn't... spared your life for now, you wouldn't be so lucky next time!"
Hong Xuanji broke through the void to arrive. He cultivated martial arts, and even though he had reached the Human Immortal realm, he could not fly. However, he could leap and run, covering a distance of a hundred feet in a single bound.
Sensing Hong Xuanji's arrival, Jiang Liu immediately frowned. This man's strength had improved significantly compared to a few months ago. His soul and blood were completely combined, creating a mysterious and indistinct aura that could distort an enemy's perception of the world!
If Jiang Liu hadn't cultivated the Path of the Primordial Spirit, this Dharma Aspect supernatural power would have been immediately broken by him. But now, he was fearless, sitting steadily in the void.
"Break!" Hong Xuanji unleashed his fist intent at Jiang Liu's primordial spirit, who sat upright in the void. The life and death of all beings were under his control.
"Such powerful fist intent!" Jiang Liu's primordial spirit felt a gust of wind blowing, threatening to knock him off the sky and onto the mortal realm. In an instant, Jiang Liu's hands formed a lotus flower, and he sat upright in the void like a Buddha. In his perception, a gigantic "Wheel of Life and Death" faintly rose from Hong Xuanji's hands, encompassing the entire world.
"The Wheel of Life and Death of All Heavens! Is this the advanced version of martial arts? It seems that even gods and Buddhas of all heavens can be killed by this fist. This fist intent is indeed powerful!"
Between heaven and earth, as the enormous "Wheel of Life and Death" rotated, the primordial spirit's ears rang with a buzzing sound, as if it were about to split into two with this rotation, then two into four, four into eight... and finally turn into particles, dissipating between heaven and earth.
"The Supreme Dao's two great supernatural powers, the Universe and the Cosmos, and the fist intent that governs life and death in all heavens. To see the whole leopard from a glimpse, to know the vast ocean from a drop of water. This journey has been worthwhile! How does the fist intent of this immortal compare to my shattering Zhen word technique?"
Chapter 194 Forging a Monkey's Physical Body
The power of a human immortal lies in its ability to break all Taoist techniques; divine sense cannot even reach its side before being destroyed by its overwhelming blood energy.
Although Jiang Liu's primordial spirit also belongs to the category of divine soul power, it is quite different. Moreover, he has cultivated the "Burning Heaven Flaming Sun" and the Dharma form of "Great Sun Tathagata," possessing the power of a human immortal, and is not afraid at all.
His primordial spirit was already of pure Yang nature, almost materialized. If we were to use the levels of Qi Refiners in Journey to the West, Jiang Liu had already reached the third level of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, and his comprehension of the rules of fire was approaching the peak of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation.
"What can the heavens and the earth do to me? Watch me burn the heavens..." A fierce, scorching yang energy filled and surged throughout the entire universe.
It was still early spring, and the weather was still chilly. But under the power of the river, it was hotter than the sweltering heat of summer.
White flames surged from the primordial spirit, rising higher and higher until they reached the heavens. Then, with a twist, they transformed into a colossal Buddha, seated amidst the clouds, hands forming a mudra, gazing down upon all living beings. The world was a vast expanse of light and brightness, so intense that it made everyone in Jade Capital City feel unwell!
Some people were already prostrating themselves on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to the Buddha.
The Dharma form of Vairocana Buddha has finally descended to the human world!
Hong Xuanji let out a loud shout, and the entire Jade Capital City fell silent, everyone's ears ringing! The enormous "Wheel of Life and Death" continued to strike towards the primordial spirit.
Jiang Liu's primordial spirit looked at the giant wheel of life and death before him, and the "Buddha's robe" appeared on his body, counteracting the power of the wheel's rotation.
“Hong Xuanji, if you continue to persist, I guarantee that half of Yujing City will be destroyed because of you and me.”
"How dare you!" Hong Xuanji roared in fury.
At this moment, a man rushed in from the direction of the palace, bowed to Hong Xuanji, and said, "His Majesty has ordered that Marquis Wu Wen be invited into the palace!"
Jiang Liu turned his head to look in the direction of the palace. He glanced at the person standing in the main hall and their eyes met. Jiang Liu's pupils immediately contracted.
"So you're Emperor Qian, Yang Pan? You're truly unfathomable... This pair of best buddies working together are no match for me. Let's go..."
Upon realizing this, his primordial spirit transformed into light and vanished. The manifested form of the Great Sun Tathagata gradually dissipated after a dozen or so breaths, revealing the bright and clear universe.
Emperor Qian, Yang Pan, did not pursue them, and Hong Xuanji, having received Yang Pan's decree, naturally did not pursue them either.
...
"Where are you taking me? And why have you captured me?" In the clouds, Su Mu, the Holy Maiden of the Supreme Dao, had already regained consciousness, but her soul was controlled by Jiang Liu and her Daoist arts were restricted. She was only slightly stronger than a weak woman and could only shout sharply.
"I need you honest ones to confess, and then I'll let you go!"
Looking down the river, Jiang Liu saw a large city and then descended from the clouds.
"Want my supreme treasure? Dream on! Capturing me won't help..." Su Mu gritted his teeth, looking at Jiang Liu with disdain.
"I knew you'd say that, but do you think I have no way to deal with it? I have the means to search souls and seize spirits, but it's a pity to waste your beautiful youth. If you don't talk, your soul will be destroyed!" Jiang Liu lifted her chin and sneered.
Su Mu slapped Jiang Liu's hand away, glared at him coldly, seemingly indifferent to life and death, and said, "Aren't you afraid of my ruthless revenge? Come on then!"
"Are you counting on Meng Shenji? Others may fear him, but I have none... Heh, the Supreme Dao speaks of transcending emotions and self, let's see how well you've cultivated yourself!"
As he spoke, he lifted her chin again, and then with a "rip" sound, the pure white strapless top with a faint scent of virginity was torn off, and two large breasts immediately popped out, bouncing slightly a few times.
“You…” Su Mu gritted her teeth, her face cold and ruthless.
Jiang Liu looked at the alluring body and smiled lightly, "How about I let you swim naked around the city?"
"The body is nothing but a stinking bag of skin, how can it disturb my Dao heart!" Su Mu said frankly, his eyes colder than the winter wind.
"You practice the Celestial Maiden Visualization of the Supreme Tao, right? I bet many people like it. You're the top courtesan at the Scattering Flowers Pavilion, but you've never had a client before. Why don't you give it a try? Starting with the lowest form of prostitution might help you grasp the true essence of the Supreme Tao..."
Su Mu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "I think you're tired of living!"
"Hahaha..." Jiang Liu laughed loudly, sensing Su Mu's rage. He took out a long robe from his storage space and threw it at her, saying, "How about we each take a step back? Give me the Martial Arts Manual, and I'll help you become a Martial Saint. If you feel it's good, we can exchange for even more profound Daoist scriptures."
Su Mu quickly put on the long robe to cover her body, showing that she had not yet achieved true ruthlessness.
"It is the foundation of my Supreme Dao, and I can personally pass it on..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Liu sneered, "Can't be taught personally? That Hong Xuanji has studied the most profound Two Scriptures of the Universe for twenty years, and combined them to create the supreme martial art, the Wheel of Life and Death of the Heavens, which has cultivation and measurement methods for 360 acupoints. If he hadn't wasted twenty years, he might not even have broken through the Void by now. I just exchanged a few blows with him, and he is indeed incomparably powerful!"
"The method of cultivating and measuring 360 acupoints? How is that possible? Back then, Monk Yinyue only cultivated 108 acupoints and yet achieved the title of Fighting Buddha. Hong Xuanji was even able to defeat Yinyue. The sect leader will naturally take back what he has!" Su Mu clearly did not believe it.
"You don't believe me?" Jiang Liu smiled and waved his hand. A water mirror condensed in the void, and then the illusion of the battle that had just taken place appeared in it. The huge "Wheel of Life and Death of All Heavens" seemed to be about to break through the illusion.
Looking at this illusion, Su Mu narrowed her eyes to slits, her thoughts unreadable. After a long while, she said, "I have already reached the Grandmaster level of bone marrow transformation. If you can help me reach the Martial Saint level, I will gladly give you the Martial Arts Manual. That giant Buddha just now, was it a supernatural power from the Past Amitabha Sutra of the Great Zen Temple? In exchange, let me see it..."
"Heh... You've got a good plan. You should know you're now a fish on my chopping block. If you want to see it, you'll have to trade the Universe and the Cosmos Scriptures for it!"
Su Mu shook his head, staring directly at Jiang Liu. He extended his slender fingers, pointing to the heavens and earth, and said, "The four directions of heaven and earth are called the universe, and the past and present are called time. This universe, past, present, and future are merely time. My Supreme Dao's techniques, the methods of time evolution, the Clock of Time's Extreme, suppress the thoughts and intentions of the past and present. How can the methods of a small monk like the Great Zen Temple compare! I will never exchange the Scriptures of the Universe and Time with you, no matter what. Killing me won't help. Even if you have the supernatural power of soul searching, you won't get them once you touch them. My soul will be directly annihilated, releasing a huge energy vortex to devour you!"
Jiang Liu's eyes flickered slightly, and he began to believe her words to some extent. If refining the divine soul could lead to the acquisition of the Universe and the Scriptures, then it would not be the Supreme Dao, the foremost Daoist sect in the world.
"Okay, you teach me the martial arts section first." Nothing is accomplished overnight. We'll start with one step, then move on to the next. There's plenty of time!
Su Mu tidied up the long robe Jiang Liu had given her, then tied her hair up. With her bare feet, even though she had become Jiang Liu's captive, she still looked somewhat like a goddess.
"You have already reached the realm of Martial Saint and achieved the Great Perfection of Blood Transformation. The next step is to cultivate your acupoints. What you need is the method of cultivating acupoints from the Supreme Elixir Scripture! I have the cultivation method of the Eight Gods of the Upper Realm, and I may tell you about it."
Jiang Liu nodded and said, "There are twenty-four qi in the heavens. The higher qi transforms into the True Man. The True Man also receives these qi, so his body has twenty-four spirits. Tell me about the eight spirits of the Upper Realm!"
The Eight Gods of the Upper Realm are also recorded in the Taoist scriptures of Journey to the West, but they have no method of cultivation and cannot cultivate. These Eight Gods of the Upper Realm are the God of the Brain, the God of the Hair, the God of the Skin, the God of the Eyes, the God of the Neck Marrow, the God of the Backbone, the God of the Nose, and the God of the Tongue.
“The Brain God’s name is Jue Yuanzi, courtesy name Daodu. It is one inch and one-tenth of an inch long and its color is pure white… The Hair God’s name is Xuan Wenhua, courtesy name Daoheng. It is also two inches and one-tenth of an inch long and its color is black…” Su Mu slowly recounted, and Jiang Liu listened quietly with his eyes closed, nodding from time to time.
The martial arts of the Human Immortals are the methods of cultivating acupoints. The human body is filled with acupoints, as numerous as the stars in the sky, impossible to fathom. Acupoints cannot be stimulated or cultivated haphazardly. However, with successful cultivation, one can glimpse the realm of the Human Immortals.
The "Eight Divine Spirits of the Upper Realm" that Su Mu mentioned is a method for cultivating the acupoints of the five senses, bones, flesh, and skin.
"The Great Dao is within reach!" Jiang Liu nodded to himself. His mastery of the physical body had reached the point of "breaking through the void and remaining indestructible even when facing a god," so he could naturally see the exquisite nature of this physical cultivation method. The Supreme Dao was a method for cultivating acupoints, researched and developed by countless generations of sages, wise men, and brilliant minds.
By doing so, Jiang Liu stands on the shoulders of countless others, glimpsing the true essence of martial arts.
In martial arts cultivation, after strengthening muscles, bones, skin, and flesh, comes the cultivation of acupoints. Each acupoint corresponds to a spirit, and by gathering all the spirits, one can shatter the void and achieve immortality through martial arts...
Why is Sun Wukong so strong? The main reason is that his true form is a stone monkey born from heaven, a being nurtured for millions of years in the Journey to the West world. From birth, his physical body was incredibly strong, with all his acupoints and meridians fully developed, possessing innate supernatural powers of transformation and flesh-and-blood evolution. Later, he stole the elixir of immortality and the peaches of immortality and imperial wine from Laozi, forging them into a single entity within his body using the Samadhi True Fire, thus achieving an indestructible body.
Jiang Liu, being a mortal, had all his acupoints blocked and his mind in a state of chaos. Naturally, he had to refine them one by one in order to achieve supernatural powers in his physical body. For example, the Eye God, once perfected, would grant him the supernatural power of seeing a thousand miles.
Cultivating acupoints is far more difficult than cultivating the primordial spirit. The saying "It's easier to overcome tribulations than to become a human immortal" is not without reason.
The tribulation of lightning is naturally difficult to overcome; if one is not careful, one's primordial spirit will be scattered and destroyed under the heavenly tribulation. However, cultivating the path of the human immortal is even more difficult. The path of the human immortal lies in opening the acupoints. The human body has countless acupoints, where all the gods are hidden. Every step of cultivation is like walking on thin ice, unlike the tribulation of lightning, which can be overcome and everything will be fine.
"I need to cultivate my physical body, specifically the body of a monkey, to achieve indestructibility. The Journey to the West world also has the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts and the Nine-Turn Arcane Arts, as well as the Buddhist Vajra Indestructible Method; I will learn from all of these in the future. However, the cultivation method for human immortals using the acupoints within the Yang Spirit is also profound; I can practice it! If I achieve great success, becoming a second monkey is also possible!"
Chapter 195 Incense Becomes a God
Jiang Liu obtained the cultivation method of the "Eight Gods of the Upper Realm" from the Supreme Dao, but it took him more than a month to make any progress. Compared with the speed at which he cultivated Daoist arts, it was as slow as a tortoise.
"As expected, my innate Dao body is only of great use for comprehending the Dao; my physical cultivation is still insufficient! Ye Hei's Ancient Sacred Body is the ultimate talent for cultivating the physical body. Compared to Ye Hei, my acquired Life Creation Cauldron Body is definitely a hundred thousand miles away!"
Jiang Liu stretched his muscles and bones, ending his seclusion.
Meanwhile, Su Mu, who had been kept under his control, was inwardly utterly shocked. He thought to himself, "In just one month, he has cultivated eight acupoints! What kind of talent is this? Inhuman... inhuman! Although my physical body has reached the level of a Martial Saint, it's only due to the effects of the Earth Origin Spirit Pill. My martial arts conviction is still far from sufficient. I cannot enter a state of no thought and no action, and my martial arts will be difficult to improve further..."
Jiang Liu looked at Su Mu, who had a solemn expression, and said with a smile, "Shouldn't you hand over the Eight Gods of the Middle Realm to me now?"
He then recounted the names of the "Eight Gods of the Middle Realm" and the "Eight Gods of the Lower Realm" one by one, and then said, "You're not going to stay here in seclusion and cultivate forever, are you?"
Jiang Liu looked up at the sky, recalled the plot of the novel, and said, "Simply sitting in meditation is not good either. The true path lies in the balance of stillness and movement, tension and relaxation. You said before that this is the lair of the Wusheng Dao. Have you ever seen the Wusheng Mother?"
Su Mu exhaled a heavy breath and said angrily, "You sealed my soul, do you think I dare to go out? If the Eternal Mother finds out about me, do you think she will let me go?"
She was used to a life of luxury, and now that she had been spending more than a month in the mountains with Jiang Liu, it really annoyed her.
Jiang Liu pointed a finger at her brow, and a wisp of pure energy emerged from her sea of consciousness. He withdrew his hand and said, "As you wish."
"Aren't you afraid I'll escape?" Su Mu sensed that her soul and thoughts were no longer suppressed, and looked at Jiang Liu with her beautiful eyes.
"You're welcome to try!" With that, Jiang Liu strode towards the city.