From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 353 Advancing the Path of Martial Arts

The mountain breeze blows away the clouds and mist, revealing a verdant mountain, like a painting from heaven.

Chen Xuan held the Creation Object in his hand and examined it continuously. One by one, ancient runes swirled and danced, like stars rising and falling, with a Daoist charm as rich as a vast ocean, but he could not understand its meaning at all.

Is this the cultivation result of the ancient sages of Doubu?
"Humans cannot walk the Doubu Road, but demons can." True Monarch Baicao gave her advice, and took out her immortal zither, playing it softly. She already understood the real reason why Chen Xuan was targeting her; he really wanted to tear off her fox skin to "protect the Dao."

Chen Xuan wanted to cultivate the Doubu True Scripture and practice his unattainable Shangyang Secret Technique, so he set his sights on her.

Bai Cao carefully examined the two sheets of Creation Jade Paper and realized that the precious thing was the paper itself; merely observing and studying the Dao it carried would bring her almost no benefit.
After all, she was not a True Lord of the Doubu, and perhaps only a True Lord of the Doubu could comprehend some of the secrets of this supreme treasure of the Doubu.

Therefore, she gained nothing from today's trip and instead lost herself.

"Huh?" Chen Xuan was taken aback. Was the old fox really that clever? He rolled his eyes and immediately switched to a respectful junior's posture, asking, "White Grass Goddess, is there any potential? I am now a legitimate Qi practitioner with impeccable lineage."

He obtained Ye Kui's Doubu Destiny "Ultimate Dao True Scripture," so there's no reason for him to leave it to gather dust.

The blessings bestowed by the sages of the Doubu are most fitting for use in the Doubu realm!
However, it is extremely difficult for humans to take the path of battle; they only have two options.

One option is to follow the example of Wei Zhenjun, hiding in a blessed land and avoiding the world until the day he feels he can challenge the Golden Elixir Immortal of the Dipper Department.

But Wei Zhenjun has been living in seclusion for thousands of years, and now that he is nearing death, he has probably given up and is cultivating the next generation, Ye Kui.

Secondly, it was Liushuang from Qilin Mountain who suggested that they take refuge in the demon race and become "orthodox" cultivators of the Doubu.

But perhaps someone like Wei Zhenjun still possesses the ambition to endure hardship and persevere, and his martial arts will never decline.

However, once a warrior kneels down to protect the demon race, he will likely find it difficult to stand up again and achieve almost nothing.

Chen Xuan neither wanted to escape the world nor wanted to kneel down, so he had to find another way out.

"Whether it's worth it or not, you've already started to force things." Bai Cao Zhenjun couldn't help but roll her eyes at Chen Xuan. The first thing he did after emerging from seclusion was to deliberately target her.

She wasn't afraid to risk her life; she simply chose the lesser of two evils.

Ultimately, she was a demon with the potential to become an immortal, possessing a body of immense value. How could she gamble her life with a minor cultivator like Chen Xuan? The value was simply too disproportionate.

Moreover, the slight humiliation she is experiencing now is nothing, just a temporary hardship on the path to immortality... She believes the other party is sensible and will not go too far!
"Since Lady White Grass has agreed, words alone are not enough. Please give this junior some tokens of proof," Chen Xuan requested.

"The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Qingqiu is temporarily under your control. Who wouldn't know that you are my person!" Bai Cao said angrily. "Don't worry at all. Qingqiu is going to take the Doubu Road. No Doubu demon in the world dares to interfere!"

There are too many factions among the Doubu demon race. Many demons have nowhere to turn, such as those from Qilin Mountain. In the end, they all switch to the Doubu or the Wenbu.

Furthermore, there are already little fox demons cultivating in Qingnang in Qingqiu, and Chen Xuan is now a pure and upright orthodox cultivator without the Heart Fasting. If he uses the name of Qingqiu to practice the Fighting Division, no one can find fault with it.

"Alright, I'll believe you for now." Chen Xuan nodded, and then continued to ask Bai Cao Zhenjun for his insights on creation.

"Therefore, it is likely that Yu Zhexian and the others, having obtained the Creation Material, will not amount to much. We should have robbed them back then."

Then he thought to himself, "But perhaps their jade paper contains other Dao fruits. The Supreme Creator personally selected them, so he shouldn't give them useless things."

Of course, this is just wishful thinking. If no one else attracts attention, even the greatest fortune cannot be preserved; the True Lords are too crazy.

As Chen Xuan was leaving, he suddenly turned back, looked the peerless Bai Cao Zhenjun up and down, and asked, "Bai Cao Niangniang, when you came, did you hear the sound of fire burning on my body?"

He subtly inquired, trying to see if the other party had discovered the missing stove.

"Fire?" Bai Cao Zhenjun scoffed upon hearing this, and sneered, "Little fellow, I think you're just burning with lust."

Qingqiu foxes are known for their many beauties. In recent millennia, when people in the Southern Region mention human fairies, they always think of Yun Jin Zhenjun of Qingnang, while among demons, it is Qingqiu Baicao Niangniang.

"You have no dignity whatsoever as a True Lord. Stay on Guyao Mountain and chant scriptures to cultivate your mind." Chen Xuan scratched his head, then turned and left.

Where did that strange furnace go?
As soon as Zhang Dongxuan left Guyao Mountain, he said with a resentful expression, "Little Chen, you can revive the Heart Fasting Technique? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

He was prepared to die this time, and followed Xiao Chen through fire and water, his mind constantly on edge.

After all, even if they could control True Monarch Baicao for a period of time, the hope of killing him was still too slim.

However, if Xiao Chen has achieved the state of "fasting of the mind," he is basically 99% certain of success in this matter. After all, with his level of "fasting of the mind," the chances of killing a True Lord in close proximity for a quarter of an hour are very high.

Chen Xuan glanced at him and said, "I was just trying to scare her, but who knew she was so easily frightened."

He hadn't expected that while Bai Cao Zhenjun didn't quite believe it, Zhang Dongxuan seemed to genuinely believe it.

“This…” Zhang Dongxuan was stunned upon hearing this, but he thought to himself that Xiao Chen never lied, otherwise, how could a cautious True Lord like Bai Cao have given in so easily.

If anyone else had done this, Lord Baicao would have just laughed it off.

"Little Chen, our own Xuan Nu is very good too." Before leaving, Zhang Dongxuan suddenly said cautiously, worried that Chen Xuan would be bewitched by the beauties outside.

Xiao Chen was under the spell of the White Grass Illusion, and something happened that was invisible to outsiders... Given Xiao Chen's personality, those things shouldn't have happened. He must have been young and impetuous, and was tempted to some extent.

"Mm," Chen Xuan replied.

After Zhang Dongxuan left, he held two pieces of Creation Jade Paper and kept rubbing them. The opportunity to break through the limits of the cauldron and furnace might lie in these pieces.

After all, the Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body is the foundation of Chen Xuan's Great Dao, so he felt that his Tao Red Dust Path was very likely related to it.

"I have already cultivated the Eight Qi. Next, I should cultivate the Dou Bu's 'Ultimate Dao True Scripture' and try to cultivate the Ninth Qi."

However, taking the next step, cultivating all nine energies simultaneously, is extremely difficult.

Ordinary cultivators in the world, even sect prodigies like Han Shuangjiang of the Five Elements Sect, can only cultivate the Five Elements.

Those at the Heavenly Fate Immortal Seed level can achieve even more, but they lack the [Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body - Shangyang Secret], and the higher they go, the more uncertain their path becomes, with the effort and reward being far disproportionate.

Sword Fairy Su Fuyao was shocked and amazed when Chen Xuan cultivated the Eight Qi, but at the same time, she also believed that if Chen Xuan had spent this energy on a stronger supreme inheritance, he would have gained even more.

"An immortal body with the circulation of eight Qi can rival the power of a supreme divine power, and nine is the ultimate number. If one more Qi is added, there will be a qualitative leap."

Chen Xuan felt a pang of emotion; the future looked bright, but the road ahead was far too difficult.

Although the supreme divine power is extremely high, there is a definite goal to pursue. With his comprehension, if he spends more time and accumulates over the years, he will eventually have the opportunity to master it.

However, the path to immortality is fraught with unknowns, and cultivation beyond the Seven Qi is almost a pipe dream for the Shangyang Immortal. In order to cultivate the Eighth Qi, Chen Xuan even created a fake Golden Elixir technique.

Now, if one tries to obtain the Ninth Qi, one is likely to expend a great deal of effort and resources, but ultimately receive no reward.

"It all depends on man!"

With this in mind, Chen Xuan began to study the "Ultimate Path Scripture".

……

The setting sun blazed like fire, and the waters of the Yunmeng Marsh were already stained crimson by the corpses of those who practiced Qi.

"Boom!"

A black iron rod, as tall as a pillar, swept across the sky. The six-eared ape roared and howled, fighting fiercely in all directions. With one blow, it smashed the enormous finger that had pierced out of the Great Ruins.

"Witch, hand over the treasures stolen from the [Taiyi Forbidden Land]!" Above the clouds, a divine being emerged from the Taixu, its body radiating mottled golden imperial light, driving away the omnipresent power of the Six Desires Heaven.

This is a celestial being who has been traveling for hundreds of years, with an extremely high realm and unfathomable strength.

Against the backdrop of the great battle for immortality, where the True Lords of various lineages dared not show themselves casually, these immortal beings who roamed the mortal world were the strongest beings in the mortal realm.

"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. If you want to refine pills, just say so!" The demoness spoke coldly from the shoulder of the ferocious, roaring giant ape.

She wore a black dress that flowed gracefully, highlighting her slender waist and perfect curves. Her dark hair swayed in the wind, but at this moment, her beautiful face was filled with anger.

"Ha, who in the world doesn't know that the Xinzhai you were forced to submit to Qingnang has long since become his Mingfei?" In the clouds, the immortal seed sneered, "You must have been the one who stole Xinzhai's remains!"

In the Southern Regions, the ancient lineage of the Water Virtue True Lord can be counted on one hand.

Now, the Six Desires Demoness of the Tongtian Dojo has reappeared in Yunmeng Prefecture. Therefore, the force that assassinated the Demon True Lord of the [Taiyi Forbidden Land] ten days ago must be related to the Tongtian Dojo.

"What a joke! I haven't set foot in Yunmeng Prefecture for a whole year, and you actually believed those rumors that were just hearsay." Yan Yushu sneered, "Xinzhai's remains have already disappeared, and no one has obtained them."

"Witch, you really dare to dream of saving that cripple!" Immortal Seed Divine Travel shouted sternly.

"It would be a laughing stock. The Chosen One hates Xinzhai the most. If I were to obtain Xinzhai's remains, I would only destroy them," Yan Yushu said coldly.

The existence of Xinzhai poses a huge threat to all the Heavenly Fate Immortals.

"Ha, sophistry. What is there to cherish about a cripple? In the Six Desires Heaven, you do not belong to any one person alone..." A burning gaze appeared in the eyes of the Immortal Seed: "The True Lord of the Tongtian Daochang can hardly protect himself, let alone you."

Yan Yushu was furious and shouted, "If Xinzhai were still here, would you incomplete immortal beings still dare to say such things? You wouldn't even dare to see his face!"

There was a bang.

Enraged, Yan Yushu unleashed his attack, and the Rain Master Dao talismans from his sleeves flew out like a vast ocean, instantly triggering a fierce battle that stained the sky and the marshland with blood.

But soon after, the Six Desires Heaven and the Six-Eared Ape were defeated and fled in great danger, eventually falling into an unknown land shrouded in mist.

"A life-saving talisman bestowed by the True Lord of the Tongtian Sect?" Immortal Seed's expression darkened as he withdrew his shattered hand, his injuries severe. A direct descendant of the ancient Daoist lineage, possessing numerous methods, he had actually managed to escape from the Six Desires Heaven.

In the past, when the cultivation world had a certain order, apart from True Monarchs and great figures, almost no one dared to make a move against young geniuses at the level of Holy Sons and Goddesses.

Because these chosen ones must have some kind of trump card that can save their lives.

These trump cards may not be very powerful, but they are enough to sustain us until the arrival of a True Lord to provide rescue... But now, the situation is different, because the True Lord of the Tongtian Daochang is also being watched by other True Lords of the same Qi.

After all, the Black and White True Lords of the Lesser Underworld had almost been refined, and the Tongtian Dojo, this unorthodox "faction of destiny," was in the same boat and would not escape the same fate.

Those who are different are always the first to be targeted.

"She has fallen into the place where a great treasure is born? The chosen one is indeed extraordinary, continue the pursuit!" In the Great Ruins, several more top-tier Divine Travelers soon emerged, and forbidden beings wandering in the Great Ruins appeared.

Legend has it that True Lords and Immortals who have attained immortality by consuming the Elixir of Destiny may not be subject to the control of the Immortal Palace regarding their positions.

For example, the Dao Lord of the Little Plague Palace is said to be a Plague Department True Lord outside the twenty-four True Lord positions.

"Capture her, keep her captive for hundreds of years, and after the Great War of the True Lords, refine her into an elixir. Perhaps we too can become an extraordinary immortal."

"Let alone becoming an immortal, even if one settles for second best and only becomes a 'True Lord of Destiny,' one can still extend one's life by several thousand years!"

"The True Lords don't even want the Divine Travel Elixir, which is perfect for us!"

"..."

On the other side, Hua Liuli and others, the two realm masters, cautiously explored the mysterious Great Swamp. The area was shrouded in mist, and the water virtue immortal qi was so rich that visibility was extremely low, and even perception was compressed to the extreme.

"The mist smells of sunshine." The black kitten poked its round head out, its wet nose sniffing the air intently.

"Hmm? What's in the mist? An ancient immortal abode?" Yao Chenzi's remnant soul flew out from Xiao Hou's Xuan Ring, his expression solemn. Gazing into the distance, he vaguely noticed something unusual and murmured, "But it's just a mirage, unattainable."

"Shh!"

At that moment, Hua Liuli suddenly stopped, her eyebrows furrowed, and the pulse of the mountains and earth told her that many enemies were approaching: "The Taixu God is catching up, prepare for a battle!"

"..."

After the chosen one ascends to godhood, the forces that covet his position emerge one after another, and many things become clear.

And since the Great War of the True Lords was taking place, the number of people who coveted them was countless, and the fighting and killing had reached an extremely dangerous point.

……

……

At the foot of Qingnang Mountain, in a secluded teahouse in the Liangjie Market.

"puff!"

The forcibly mobilized white immortal energy of the Doubu shattered once more, dissipating into the world and vanishing without a trace.

"This is a monster that wasn't built by a human!"

Chen Xuan was furious, his eyes turning red. He then emerged from the secret room and strolled around the teahouse to relax.

In just a few days, he tried dozens of methods, but he couldn't even get the hang of the breathing techniques in the "True Scripture of the Ultimate Way".

It was not difficult for him to forcibly draw upon the Qi of the Doubu in the air. Many spells would temporarily draw upon other immortal Qi to generate divine power when they were in operation. However, it was extremely difficult to integrate the drawn immortal Qi into one's own body.

Moreover, Doubu Qi was desperately resisting him.

"What was Shangyang Immortal thinking? Was he happy to leave behind such an uncultivable method to trouble future generations?" Chen Xuan couldn't help but sigh.

No wonder there is no ancient Taoist lineage in the world that was born from the inheritance of the Immortal Shangyang. His inheritance is too difficult and there is no possibility of practicing it.

"He died young. Could it be that he practiced this technique to an extremely high level and ended up killing himself?" he muttered to himself.

It is said that immortals live forever, although "never dying" is probably an exaggeration, but living for millions of years is certainly easy. At the very least, apart from the immortal Shangyang, there are really very few ancient immortals in the world who died of natural causes.

At least, since the rise of humanity and all living beings, two great eras have passed, and the immortal beings have not yet reached the limit of their lifespan.

"It's difficult!"

Chen Xuan sighed, and then, for some reason, he inexplicably turned into the land of Guyao.

"Goddess Grass, you certainly have the leisure to enjoy yourself. How about a gentler tune?" He strode into the pavilion in front of the Goddess Shrine and listened to the elegant music of True Lord White Grass several times.

"You..." Bai Cao Zhenjun felt that Chen Xuan's way of addressing her was very disrespectful, but she decided to accept her fate in a short time and had no choice but to go along with Chen Xuan's wishes.

She knelt in the pavilion, her white dress spread out on the ground, her upper body upright and dignified. With a slight movement of her fair hand, she changed to a gentle melody.

"Hey, Lady White Grass, actually I'm a bit confused. Listen to me, this Doubu..." Chen Xuan listened for a while, then raised his head and began to ask about the difficulties in cultivation.

"?" True Monarch Baicao was stunned. It had only been a few days? Was he really being too informal, treating her like a protector?

She paused for a moment before offering her opinion, but Chen Xuan had already tried most of her suggestions, and they were not very useful.

"Crack!" In the distance, the Divine Stone Embryo was busily building a house for True Monarch White Grass to rest in.

Bai Cao, as expected of a True Lord, despite having her strength restricted, still managed to trick the foolish divine stone fetus into running around for her and serving her tirelessly.

"Who is your master?!" Chen Xuan was a little annoyed when he saw this. He scolded the Divine Stone Embryo a few times, and the Divine Stone Embryo immediately stood still like a child who had made a mistake, as if it had turned back into a dead jade sculpture.

"Little fellow, you're really getting a bit too hot-tempered." True Monarch Baicao lowered his eyes, staring at the immortal zither in front of him, feeling that Chen Xuan was making veiled criticisms.

"Grass Goddess, I need to practice the Doubu Qi, and I'm running out of patience. You'd better give me some useful advice, or I'll offend you." Chen Xuan suddenly stood up, hands on his hips, in front of Bai Cao, and threatened, "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"??" Bai Cao Zhenjun was stunned. What kind of wicked people are these? Are the people chosen by the Mountain Spirit really this shameless?

No wonder he is Xinzhai, while the others are not!
"Bai Cao, you want to preserve your last shred of dignity, don't you?" Chen Xuan clenched his fists and glared at him threateningly.

“Uh…” Bai Cao Zhenjun took a deep breath and could only suggest, “There have been many Shangyang Immortals whose cave dwellings have been exposed in the world, and many relics have been scattered around. You might be able to start from this aspect.”

The Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body originated from the Immortal Shangyang, and his relics may play some role.

Chen Xuan pondered for a moment. He remembered the map given to him by the immortal Liu Jiao and knew the locations of many Shangyang Immortals' caves.

The closest cave dwelling to him was in a demon kingdom near the Chu Kingdom, but it had long been excavated. There is also a remnant of the Shangyang Cave Dwelling in Yunmeng Prefecture, deep within the Great Swamp, which has yet to be discovered.

"Should we try our luck in Yunmeng Marsh?" Chen Xuan thought to himself, that area has been very unstable lately.

He then inquired about the information about the Yunmeng Great Swamp that True Lord Baicao knew, and learned a lot of important information that outsiders did not know.

"After the Black and White True Monarch was injured and went into seclusion, someone immediately set their sights on Lu Zhuan's Tongtian Dojo. Before the Tongtian True Monarch was forced to flee with his entire sect, he suddenly tricked the Taiyi Forbidden Land True Monarch."

"Many Heavenly Immortal Seeds took the opportunity to destroy the remains of the Ancient Heart Studio, completely extinguishing all hope of the Heart Studio's revival, and thus they attacked the Taiyi Forbidden Land."

Chen Xuan pondered these messages and soon obtained some important information about himself from Bai Cao.

"You mean there are still some people who want to wipe me out?" he asked.

"Of course, you killed a lot of people at the Mountain and Sea Banquet and made a big splash, but now that True Monarch Black and White is in trouble, of course someone will seek revenge," Bai Cao said with a light laugh.

The Qingnang method wouldn't scare anyone. Compared to dealing with Xinzhai's remains, directly eliminating Chen Xuan and completely cutting off everyone's unrealistic fantasies would be more reassuring.

In fact, some dissenting voices have recently emerged within Qingqiu. Some Zhao family foxes have spoken out about breaking the agreement to coexist peacefully with Qingnang, but they have all been suppressed by True Lord Baicao with the saying "True Lord does not joking."

"A bunch of clowns jumping around like that," Chen Xuan cursed coldly, staring at Bai Cao.

These people believe that "it's better to suppress others than to rise up themselves."

"..." Bai Cao Zhenjun remained silent, because the other party had clearly insulted her as well.

Soon, Chen Xuan left Guyao Mountain satisfied. That same day, he packed his bags, bid farewell to Lao Zhang and Xiao Zhang, and headed to the Yunmeng Marshland to continue his martial arts journey.

"The Great Swamp True Lord has left. I only want my Shangyang Cave. I will not meddle in anything else."

Chen Xuan told himself that he must behave himself this time, avoid causing trouble when he goes out, and never compete for other opportunities such as the birth of great treasures, the remains of Xinzhai, or the treasure vault of Taiyi Forbidden Land.

Relying on the map in his memory, he carefully went out, not only choosing routes in sparsely populated areas, but also deliberately using Taiyin Qi to conceal his body and appearance.

He flew away like a dark cloud.

Qingnang Mountain is hundreds of thousands of miles away from the Yunmeng Marshland, but with his current speed, he easily arrived at the approximate area marked on the map the next day.

"So chaotic?" As soon as Chen Xuan arrived in the misty swamp, he noticed that something was very wrong with the surrounding area.

"A dark aura, demonic path?! It's obvious that evil cultivators have arrived!" In an instant, someone looked up, spotted Chen Xuan, and made a move.

(End of this chapter)