With a slow tremor, Gongyang Yu's head exploded like a watermelon. Jiang Liu closed his eyes and stood with his hand still open. After a long while, he finally withdrew his palm.
His hand was like a knife, with a cold light appearing on it, its sharpness fully revealed, as if it were about to burst out of his body. Then he swung a hand-blade at the sea not far away.
With a swift chop, a beam of light slashed towards the sea.
In an instant, a chasm appeared on the sea, stretching for tens of miles, as if the seawater had been cleaved open by a hand, revealing the rocks on the seabed.
A single stroke that can cleave the sea—how powerful!
This strike was remarkably similar to the sword light that Gongyang Yu had unleashed earlier; it was almost as if it had been delivered by the same person.
The intent behind this strike is to "cut in two with one stroke"!
After absorbing Gongyang Yu's memories, Jiang Liu's Six-Character True Technique of Destruction finally broke through again, with the "Severing" technique reaching a level no less powerful than the "Thunder" technique! 4646
Chapter 224 The Chosen One
Severing everything in two with a single stroke—the "Severance" technique! Severing the sea with a single stroke is merely a minor skill; if unleashed at full power, it can tear apart the void.
"Congratulations, Abbot! Your strength has increased again!" The demon ape "Ba" was startled and said respectfully.
"It's just another method, nothing special!" Jiang Liu said indifferently.
"Nothing much?" The demonic ape rolled its eyes, then looked at Gongyang Yu, whose head had been smashed open with a single palm strike, and suddenly felt a chill run down its spine. It secretly felt fortunate; back then, Jiang Liu had placed his hand on the back of Gongyang Yu's head, and if he hadn't submitted, perhaps things would have turned out the same way.
If I had hesitated even slightly back then, the grass on my grave would be a meter high by now! The demon ape "Ba" thought to himself.
On the sea, it took about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the sword intent that had cleaved the sea surface dissipated, and the seawater closed up, returning to its original state.
Jiang Liu sensed his own strength. He had entered the world of "Yang God," and his strength seemed to expand and grow.
Next, Jiang Liu planned to go into seclusion for a period of time, striving to refine all the acupoints in his body in the shortest possible time and reach the realm of a human immortal.
The Human Immortal, also known as the Unrevealed True Immortal, will gradually reveal the mysteries of their body. From "the substance of fist intent" to "the derivation of flesh and blood," culminating in the ultimate realm of "a thousand transformations," it's akin to cultivating Sun Wukong's seventy-two transformations. The physical body undergoes countless transformations, no longer confined to a human form.
"Perhaps only by achieving the physical body of a Human Immortal can I reach the realm of the Creator. The power required to transform the properties of matter is simply too great. Without a strong physical body to support it, even if I can unleash the power of the Creator, my body will suffer injuries. Just like when I used the 'Power of One Province' before, it was powerful, but it only had the power for one strike. After that one strike, I was seriously injured!"
In this dangerous world, serious injury means death! Even though Meng Shenji was incredibly powerful, he was still hunted down when he was weakened after his tribulation.
The Azure Emperor possessed acupoints that were fully open, and the Stone Buddha had 360 naturally open acupoints. Jiang Liu, in refining them, naturally explored them carefully and gained some understanding of the mysteries of these acupoints. Reaching the level of a Human Immortal was not difficult; it only required time for refinement.
After three months of seclusion, spring has arrived again.
Within the secret chamber of Qianlong Temple, a violent surge of blood energy shot into the sky, only to vanish without a trace in an instant. With a single burst and a swift withdrawal, Jiang Liu had already attained the physical body of a Human Immortal.
It was completely contained, with not a trace of essence or blood leaking out.
Upon breaking through the barrier, they saw the Azure Emperor already standing outside.
"Congratulations, Abbot, on achieving the status of a Human Immortal!"
Jiang Liu looked around but didn't see the monkey. He then looked at Qingdi closely and noticed that he had grown taller, now appearing to be about seven years old. He said, "You have already condensed seven halos of faith. It seems that after that battle, Qianlong Temple has developed very well overseas! However, why are you injured? Has the Stone Buddha not returned yet?"
"No, not a single piece of news." The Azure Emperor shook his head, then solemnly said, "There are some things I need to report to the Abbot during these three months!"
"Okay, go ahead!"
"First, and most importantly, the location of the seal of the terrifying God King has been found, in the Divine Wind Kingdom!" The Azure Emperor stretched out his finger, and a phantom appeared in the air.
The phantom gradually became clearer, revealing an ocean. The thin mist dissipated, revealing a long strait in the depths of the sea, stretching as far as the eye could see. On the land, mountains rose and fell in layers, shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see their depths.
This is a memory of the Azure Emperor. In the illusion, he flew straight from the sky into the thick fog of the strait.
“I’ve been inside this place myself. This dense fog possesses a mysterious spatial and temporal power that can bewitch the mind. Without sufficient strength, it’s impossible to enter. Look…”
In the illusion, as the Azure Emperor ventured deeper, a small island appeared in the thick fog, shrouded in darkness, with many auras soaring into the sky.
"Is that the power emitted by the God of Terror?" Jiang Liu asked.
"There should be a part of it, and there's also the aura of the Immortal Monument from the Longevity Emperor's suppression of the Terrifying God King! Abbot, to retrieve that monument, unless the monkey returns and brings the 'Death Star' deep inside, or the Abbot truly completes the refinement of the 'Death Star' to the point where it can protect your true body... otherwise, it will be very difficult, extremely difficult! With my strength, even a sixth-level lightning tribulation couldn't get close!"
The Azure Emperor pointed his finger, and as they approached the island shrouded in black mist, it was as if they were falling into an abyss. Then they saw that the demonic black mist suddenly transformed into a person, whose upper body was that of a handsome man and whose lower body was that of a scorpion.
In the scene, the Azure Emperor appears to be fighting with the demon that has materialized.
"If I hadn't absorbed the dark power of the 'Dark Mysterious Realm' of the Xuan Tian Pavilion and condensed the 'Mysterious' divine power, I would have really suffered a loss when fighting that monster." As he spoke, the Azure Emperor unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a blurry black mark on his chest, somewhat resembling a scorpion, which was almost fading away.
"Is this the terrifying power that the terrifying god-king used to injure you? It's truly bizarre; even the physical body of a human immortal couldn't withstand it!"
The Azure Emperor gave a wry smile and said, "This is after I spent a month healing and cleansing myself with the power of faith. It still took me forty-nine days to recover. That's why I said that place is dangerous. Anyone below the level of a human immortal will surely die if they go there."
“In that case, let’s put that aside for now. We still have the Ancient Dragon’s Tomb and the Nine Abyss Divine Realm to take first. We can seize the Immortal Monument later,” Jiang Liu said.
The Azure Emperor flicked his finger to dispel the illusion, and then said, "This is what I wanted to say: Hong Yi may have entered the Nine Abyss Divine Realm! From the information I have received, he has already passed the tribulation of lightning, and his thoughts have reached the One Yuan number. He has an extremely beautiful woman by his side named Fairy, and the magic artifact he uses is nine large round coins with square holes..."
The two looked at each other in bewilderment, and then Jiang Liu said, "So, he obtained the opportunity that Tang Hailong had in the original story! He truly is a chosen one! Even if I had it, he would have grown up very quickly. Where is he now?"
"It's the time of the Great Qian Dynasty's imperial examination. He's in Yujing City, and if possible, he should have already grasped the principles of the I Ching. However, I'm very curious why there's no reaction when we write down the I Ching. 'Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen, Tian Xing Jian, Jun Zi Yi Zi Qiang Bu Xi; Di Shi Kun, Jun Zi Yi Hou De Zai Wu!'"
Jiang Liu was silent for a moment, then said, "The important thing is not these few words, but the principles and rules behind them. If you don't understand these rules, how can you grasp the mysteries within? It's also possible that the Heavenly Dao of this world, as described in the I Ching, does not approve of us, and only a chosen one of this plane, Hong Yi, who is born with great fortune and opportunity, can open it!"
The Azure Emperor nodded, his face showing a constipated expression; the treasure was right before his eyes, yet he couldn't obtain it—it was truly frustrating. Then, he chuckled and said, "The last one is good news, Abbot. Look!"
As he spoke, a ring appeared in his palm. The ring was white, very simple, and had an ancient style. It was set with a gemstone that looked like a tooth.
That is indeed a tooth, the tooth of the ancient Holy Emperor "Ji". This ring is the magic weapon of the ancient Holy Emperor "Ji", containing a small world with countless treasures.
Jiang Liu's eyes lit up upon seeing it, and he exclaimed with delight, "The Boundless Dragon Ring?! You captured that eight-year-old Ghost Immortal Fang Yuan... Good, good, good! Now we can find the Sacred Beast Qilin in the Desolate Continent!"
The Azure Emperor nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Why don't we split up? The Abbot will go to the far north to find the Dragon's Graveyard, while Ba and I will go to the Wilderness Continent to find the Qilin!"
"Alright! However, Yang Pan's Creation Ship is elusive, so I'll go to Jade Capital City again. It's only fair to return the favor! I'll give him a headache too!"
Jiang Liu revealed a cold smile. Just then, the demonic ape "Ba" and Chan Yinsha arrived upon hearing the news. Seeing Jiang Liu's smile, they felt a chill run down their spines. From that smile, they knew which unlucky fellow was about to suffer.
“In that case, I will go ahead!” With that, Jiang Liu rode the wind towards the Great Qian Jade Capital.
In the capital city of the Great Qian Dynasty, spring is in full bloom. The imperial examinations are over, and scholars throughout the land eagerly await the results, wondering who will be the top scholar this year. And today is the day the results will be announced!
"They're out! They're out!"
"The top scholar, Hong Yi, is the son of Grand Tutor Hong!"
"Wait a moment, the scholar will be wearing flowers and riding a horse through the streets. We'll all be eager to catch a glimpse of the top scholar's demeanor!"
Jiang Liu sat in a restaurant facing the street, drinking alone.
After waiting for almost an hour, a group of scholars finally emerged, all adorned with large embroidered flowers, mounted on fine horses, and rode along Yujing Street. The street was packed with people; who wouldn't want to catch a glimpse of the top scholar's brilliance?
Hong Yi led the way, riding a magnificent Akhal-Teke horse, chatting and laughing with the group. Just then, he suddenly seemed to sense something, looking up towards the direction of a restaurant. His eyesight was excellent, and his gaze fell on the window facing the street.
"Master!!!"
Jiang Liu smiled slightly and raised his wine glass towards him.
"Scholar Xie, what's wrong? Why are you staring blankly at the restaurant? The banquet at Qionglin just now wasn't enough. Let's enjoy ourselves tonight!" The speaker was an old man, Xie Wenyuan, the second-place scholar in this imperial examination.
Hong Yi came to his senses and looked towards the restaurant again, but there was no one there.
Chapter 225 Dragon Girl Ao Luan
Entering the Great Qian Imperial Palace at night, Jiang Liu sat on the dragon throne in the main hall. In front of him was empty space, with dozens of dragon-carved pillars reaching to the sky and the ground, as if dozens of dragons were actually climbing on them.
"How is your seat on the dragon throne?" A dignified and composed voice echoed from the void, neither pleased nor angry.
Jiang Liu stroked the dragon-shaped armrests of the dragon throne and said, "Power is a good thing. Countless people have lost their heads and shed their blood for it. To control the world means to have the world under one's control. A single word can decide the life and death of millions... Unfortunately, sitting in this position makes me feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles! We cultivators seek freedom. Sitting in this position, my heart and my body are imprisoned in the small city of Beijing. It's better not to sit here!"
As he spoke, Jiang Liu stood up, patted his bottom as if the dragon throne had dirtied it, and then looked at the figure that appeared.
Jiang Liu had met Yang Pan once before, a year ago, from a distance of dozens of miles in Yujing City. Three months ago, although they had fought once and engaged in a great battle, this was their first real meeting, face to face.
Now, the big boss of this "Yang Shen" world has finally stood in front of him.
Jiang Liu was sizing up Emperor Qian, Yang Pan, while Yang Pan was also looking at Jiang Liu.
This was a man with graying temples, wearing a dragon robe and a nine-dragon crown. His demeanor not only possessed the majesty of an emperor, but also a sense of the eternal and unchanging Dao of Heaven.
"Legend has it that in ancient times, when the Holy Emperor 'Pan' was preparing to abdicate the throne to the Supreme Daoist Venerable 'Tai,' 'Tai' was cultivating by the Tongtian River. Upon hearing that 'Pan' intended to pass the throne to him, he immediately ran to the river to wash his ears, saying that 'Pan' had defiled his ears. Today you sit on the dragon throne, yet you simply pat your butt and get up. It seems that the way of the emperor is not your way!"
“Perhaps one day I’ll change my mind and want to take the throne, who knows!” Jiang Liu said with a smile.
"If that day truly comes, I will follow the way of the ancient sage emperors and abdicate in your favor, what do you say?"
Jiang Liu laughed and said, "You compare yourself to an ancient holy emperor? I'm afraid you can't do that!"
"Whether it succeeds or not is not up to you!" Just then, a scholar-like man wearing a purple-gold crown, dressed in brocade robes, with a white face and no beard walked in from outside the main hall.
"Hong Xuanji! You've arrived quickly. The saying goes, 'To manage one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.' You can't even manage your own family, so how can you talk about governing the state and bringing peace to the world!"
Faced with Jiang Liu's sarcasm, Hong Xuanji's expression did not change at all. His demeanor was like a vast ocean, and he had an aura of "control" about him. Even in front of Emperor Yang Pan of the Great Qian Dynasty, he could not hide his domineering attitude that he believed he had control over all the gods of heaven and earth.
"You are guilty of treason and deserve to be executed!" The word "execute" had barely left his lips when he swung his fist to strike.
"Heh heh, Gongyang Yu's knife isn't fast enough, not sharp enough, and your broken wheel isn't strong enough either; it can't cut me down!"
...
That night, three main halls of the Imperial Palace of the Great Qian Dynasty collapsed.
The next day, Grand Tutor Hong Xuanji pleaded illness.
Jiang Liu did not push the emperor and his minister too far, nor did he use any magical treasures. After a brief exchange to demonstrate his strength, he left Yujing City and headed to the Yunmeng Empire.
The Yunmeng Empire is a grassland empire, and the largest sect in the country is naturally the Xuantian Pavilion, one of the six holy lands.
Jiang Liu had been to the Xuan Tian Pavilion once before, where he killed the Dark Emperor Daoist, stole the "Dark Star," and refined it into the "Death Star." Returning to the Xuan Tian Pavilion, he gleaned some secrets from the Pavilion Master, Nalan Dark Emperor, and the Heavenly Serpent King Xingmou. Armed with a map, he flew directly towards the far northeast.
Jiang Liu was looking for the second largest sect in the Yunmeng Empire, the enigmatic Tianlong Sect. This sect was extremely mysterious, located deep within the Yunmeng Grasslands, in a place devoid of human habitation. Its members had no contact with or conflict with the outside world; they were known by name but never seen in person.
This is incredibly mysterious to ordinary people, but for Jiang Liu, it's not difficult to find, and he also has information about the Xuan Tian Pavilion.
He made no attempt to conceal his aura, unleashing a powerful surge of immortal blood energy. To cultivators, the direction from which the river flowed resembled fiery clouds. Such a conspicuous presence could be sensed from hundreds or even thousands of miles away on this boundless grassland.
Just as Jiang Liu was rapidly approaching the direction shown on the map, someone else was also approaching him from the northeastern sky. Jiang Liu stopped, and then saw a band of light stretching across half the sky drifting lightly towards him.
This scene seemed to depict a path of light laid out in the sky.
"This kind of escape technique! It looks good, but it's too flashy!" For Jiang Liu, an escape technique not only needs to be easy to use, but also needs to be concealed.
Looking up at the band of light, Jiang Liu was somewhat surprised. Within the band of light, a small figure the size of a fist appeared. As it stepped out of the light, it grew at a speed visible to the naked eye. By the time it landed in front of Jiang Liu, it had grown into a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, dressed in a red silk gauze dress.