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

Chapter 354 Refining the True Scripture in the Furnace

Amidst the billowing mist, a massive, radiant, white divine hand, dragging a blazing flame, reached straight for the descending black clouds.

"Wow!"

The black cloud moved extremely fast, dodging in an instant and hovering hundreds of meters away.

Chen Xuan was somewhat dazed. He had been so careful, yet a Qi practitioner still attacked him. How could the Great Swamp be in such a chaotic state?
"It's only been a few days, and Bai Cao's information is already outdated?" He was stunned. Bai Cao Zhenjun was currently imprisoned in the Guyao Land, and his power was bound by Zhang Dongxuan's magic array, so he could not use the power of listening to the wind.

Moreover, Guyao Mountain is a secluded realm between mountains and seas, isolated from the outside world. Only because Bai Cao possessed the remnant of Qingqiu was she able to sense the momentous event of the Supreme Creation's emergence.

"Such a quick reaction, you are undoubtedly an evil cultivator. I will punish you on behalf of Heaven!" From the vast swamp, towering waves surged, and a turtle demon poked its head out, its eyes as small as green beans and a long mustache at the corner of its mouth.

This was a tortoise demon god. Seeing that its first attack had failed, it immediately launched another killing move. Two beams of divine soul light shot out from its beady eyes and shot towards Chen Xuan like sharp arrows.

"Knowing I am an evil cultivator, you still dare to offend me? You're courting death!" Chen Xuan sneered.

With a whoosh, a majestic figure clad in a black imperial robe flew out, wielding the weapon banner on his back and shattering the divine light beam. Like a plague demon god descending to earth, he charged straight at the turtle demon.

When the Heavenly Emperor A-Da set out, a plague swept through the land, locusts swarmed the sky, and plague demons followed him; the scene was truly terrifying and horrifying.

"A divine soul body? You are actually Tao Hongchen?" The turtle demon was shocked and immediately shouted, "Sir, you have misunderstood. I was greeting you. We will share the opportunities here!"

He was shocked. He thought he was just a minor cultivator who had wandered into this place by mistake, and that he could easily destroy his soul. But he never expected that he was such a big shot!

After all, normally, cultivators who travel in spirit can only travel the world with their souls. Only those who are at the Taixu God level, or those who are qualified to compete for the position of True Monarch, can carry the Ascendant Land with them and travel in their true form.

The former was already drifting in the Great Void, while the latter, with the permission of the True Lord, had already attained enlightenment and caused the annihilation of all spirits, and had refined the blessed land by imperial decree.

"boom!"

The Human Emperor Daozang exuded murderous intent, waved his banner, cleaved open a vast expanse of water, and swept away the wandering tortoise demon. The tortoise shell cracked, and a large amount of blood fell.

"Shangxiu, spare my life!" the turtle demon screamed pitifully, flying backward. But he touched his wound and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? You're not dead? You... you're not Shangxiu, you fraudster, you're courting death!"

The turtle demon felt a sense of relief at surviving the ordeal. It hadn't killed him with a single blow, only injured him. It wasn't a case of reaching the pinnacle of divine travel; the opponent was a reckless and weak Taixu God.

"Little demonic cultivator, I am about to become an unparalleled demon god of the [Heavenly Realm]. You have no eyes to recognize a great cultivator, yet you dare to resist and attack. You are already courting death!"

The turtle demon regained its superior posture and shouted sternly, "If you know what's good for you, retreat at once! If you anger me, I will descend upon the Great Swamp in my true form, and you will not even leave ashes!"

"boom!"

The sky suddenly turned pitch black. The turtle demon looked up and was horrified. He saw a giant divine hand descend from the sky, its two pillar-like fingers pinching him like a mosquito. With a snap, blood splattered everywhere.

"Ah!" The turtle demon's bones shattered, and its blood turned into a rain of divine souls, flowing down like a torrential downpour.

He was filled with endless fear. The other party was truly a great figure. This level of divine soul power was definitely not something an ordinary cultivator could possess!
"Please spare my life, Master! Forgive me for being blind and not recognizing your greatness!" The turtle demon begged for mercy again, his heart pounding with anxiety. The other party's divine soul power was far more vast than his own divine soul body. Even if he was not a Limitless Divine Traveler, he was still a true Taixu God who had reached the Heavenly Realm!

Wow!
A colossal divine hand, shrouded in Yin Qi, pulled the turtle demon close.

"Where is your true identity?" Chen Xuan asked.

He had experienced a great battle at the Mountain and Sea Banquet. The Human Emperor Banner had devoured the soul fragments of a dozen or so Divine Wandering Prodigies, including the Sparrow Emperor, Xiong Chumo, and Niu Ben. Now, the strength of his soul was terrifying.

The Heavenly Mandate Emperor Banner is extremely powerful; it can basically digest as much divine soul power as it consumes.

"This... can I not say? I'll atone with my death, isn't that enough?" the turtle demon said in a low voice, his face pale. Did the other party not want to give up and wanted to attack his sect?

It should be noted that in a typical battle for an opportunity, the spirits stop when they have made their point, and all grudges cease at the level of the spirit and body.

After all, if a divine soul perishes, the Divine Land has the opportunity to revive it. Only the extremely wicked Xinzhai of Qingnang would do something as heinous as exterminating them all!
Chen Xuan frowned, then asked, "What are you looking for here? Never mind... I'll just search your memories."

"Ah?" The turtle demon was shocked upon hearing this. In the next instant, his tattered body exploded. Chen Xuan glimpsed many chaotic scenes through the shattered fragments of divine light. By piecing them together, he obtained a lot of useful information.

“A few days ago, a great treasure appeared near this vast body of water, and the light soared into the sky, attracting many Qi cultivators who came to attack the Taiyi Forbidden Land.”

"The turtle demon is powerful and has temporarily occupied this area of ​​water."

Chen Xuan pondered for a while, then looked around at the scenery. The vast swamp was like a boundless ocean, occasionally churning up towering waves, and colorful lights occasionally flashed across the deep water.

The vastness of the swamp made him deeply aware of his own insignificance. The surging waves, like the wind, merged the sky and the swamp water into one.

Moreover, a thick mist rises from the surface of the great marsh, and under the sunlight, the brilliant divine glow stretches to the horizon, making one feel as if they are in a painting.

"Boom!"

The water element in this world is rich and rising, with many water whirlpools floating in the sky and countless huge waterfalls cascading down, constantly filling the vast waters.

Chen Xuan stirred the water element, causing waves to rise in the great marshland and converge, lifting him into the air. The black aura was eerie, like a celestial demon breaking free from its seal and being born.

He sensed his surroundings: "There are traces of many powerful cultivators passing by. Could it be that the so-called treasure has been discovered, and my Shangyang Immortal Abode has been found?"

He wanted to take out Bai Cao Zhenjun so she could hear the surrounding sounds, but he immediately gave up. Because once he actively broke Bai Cao Zhenjun's seal, the initiative would return to the other party, the roles of offense and defense would be reversed, and only a fool would continue to obey orders.

Gu Yao, who was constantly monitoring him, had secretly told him more than once in recent days that True Lord Bai Cao was not to be trusted and that he was secretly researching a way to instantly break the seal of the magic array.

"Hmm?" Chen Xuan suddenly became alert. The water virtue energy connected all directions, and the water of the Great Marsh rippled, carrying his perception to the distance.

There are many ghosts and monsters in the water, and among the water plants are graceful water fairies, appearing and disappearing, with long flowing hair and eyes like cold jade, spying in the dark.

In the moss-covered underwater ruins, a large black snake, hundreds of feet long, coils up. Its face resembles a human face, its eyes are eerie green, and it exudes a sinister aura.

In the white sand, a giant mirage, resembling a tower, opens and closes, radiating a pearly luster. Inside lies a mermaid girl, surrounded by auspicious clouds. Long black hair pours out from the mirage's mouth, with strands of hair curled with golden scissors.

There were also schools of large lanternfish, radiating a golden glow, swimming in the dark, murky depths of the swamp...

"This environment... is very similar to the Southern Wilderness," Chen Xuan muttered to himself. Apart from the Southern Wilderness, he had never seen so many ghosts and monsters anywhere else.

Moreover, this region is more unique because it is home not only to ghosts and monsters, but also to humanoid demons who live together in a relatively balanced state.

"Where is Shangyang Cave hidden?" Chen Xuan muttered to himself. The location of Shangyang Cave on the map was roughly within this area of ​​several thousand miles.

He immediately activated the Qingnang Technique, using the convergence of spiritual energy from water veins and earth veins to quickly search for possible locations.

"Wow!"

About an hour later, Chen Xuan returned to the place, chewing on a crystal-clear water grape. This was a precious herb from deep water, with the miraculous effect of nourishing the virtue of water.

Through the art of Qingnang, he found many precious medicinal herbs from deep waters. Some of these herbs were occupied by fierce and evil demons, which he casually snatched and ate as snacks.

"Shangyang Cave is not here?" Chen Xuan pondered. Was Shangyang Cave hidden too well? Or was it moved by the [Taiyi Forbidden Land] long ago, but the news did not spread to the outside world?

However, even the Qingnang technique cannot pinpoint the exact location, which is quite a headache.

But it could also be a place where immortals once cultivated in seclusion, their status so high that ordinary cultivators might not even be able to spot their true form, even if they stood at the entrance.
"What are you peeking at? Go help me find the ruins of the Immortal Abode!" Chen Xuan suddenly shouted fiercely.

He quickly connected with dozens of small ghosts underwater, skimmed through their memories, and found that they had no information about Shangyang Cave. So he ordered them to act as temporary subordinates to collect intelligence from various places.

The ghosts and demons underwater are not of high level, and most of them are born with spirituality due to the water virtue qi, so it is very easy for Chen Xuan to activate them.

"Wow!"

Chen Xuan, enveloped in black Yin Qi, moved like a dragon entering the water, directly to the giant mirage at the bottom of the sea, and pulled the mermaid girl inside out: "Do you understand lying down? Get up, I have requisitioned the Mirage!"

He decided to continue his cultivation in the mirage while sensing information about his surroundings through the little ghosts and demons.

"Shangxiu, do I need to serve you?" The mermaid girl trembled all over. She was very powerful, a peak-level cauldron cultivator, and a tyrant in the water. The turtle demon hadn't even noticed him hiding. If she were in the Southern Wilderness, she would be a mountain lord-level monster like a mountain lord or a three-tailed fox. But now, in front of the demon surrounded by black qi, she had no power to resist and was easily subdued.

"You're a hundred-year-old monster, your soul is rotten, what are you pretending to be young for? Wait a minute." Chen Xuan suddenly reached out and took the golden scissors from the other person's hair, examined them for a few moments, and then threw them back.

"A peerless treasure? Useless thing. You go and gather intelligence for me. If you find anything unusual, report back to me immediately." He pointed at the merman girl.

At the same time, Chen Xuan deployed his divine senses, covering an area of ​​a hundred miles in radius, to investigate hidden sources of danger.

"Yes, sir." The mermaid girl immediately swam away. Would she really come back to report the strange activity? She must be crazy to come back to find this great demon cultivator. Many ghosts and monsters had seen the scene of him casually crushing the turtle demon Shenyou, and they were already terrified out of their wits.

"Wow!"

The mermaid girl transformed into a streak of light and fled into the distance. She needed to escape to a place 100,000 miles away, go ashore, and find her distant relatives to make a living!

The Great Swamp's [Taiyi Forbidden Land] is now a secluded place for powerful figures. This once peaceful region is now overrun by demons and is no longer suitable for habitation.

Soon, Chen Xuan calmed his mind and sat cross-legged in the closing giant mirage to continue studying the "Ultimate Dao True Scripture". Gradually, the thin Doubu Qi in the water surged and gathered towards him.

"If I don't force the cauldron to break through its limits, I can probably try to escape the mortal world, and the probability of success is quite high," he thought to himself.

During his year of seclusion on Qingnang Mountain, he accomplished many things. He not only successfully advanced to the Ninth Heaven, but also cultivated this Heaven to its limit. In this state, he could probably break through all obstacles and attempt to ascend to godhood.

But now, he is facing a similar problem to those geniuses like Yu Zhe Xian.

Directly retreating from the mortal world will certainly result in a significant increase in strength in the short term, but in the long run, is it really worth it?
Leaving aside other aspects and focusing solely on the battle of wits, this kind of naiveté is something that can be countered by a "perfect" Qi cultivator.

Chen Xuan went to the Mountain and Sea Banquet and experienced a lot. Just as Old Zhang said, there are some extraordinary people in this life who are truly difficult to defeat.

These geniuses in the cultivation world not only surpass their predecessors, but they are also incredibly cunning.

Of course, there are also many geniuses who are not so rigid, such as the sword fairy Su Fuyao and Liu Shuang, who are more "natural" immortal talents.

"My darlings, my darlings, please show your power! You don't want me to really eat you up, do you?" Chen Xuan held a piece of Creation Jade Paper in each hand, and a strange Daoist aura rippled within the jade papers as he continued his arduous cultivation in the darkness.

Time passed quietly.

Chen Xuan entered a state of clarity and selflessness, where a golden core within his body evolved and ebbed. The words of the "Supreme Dao True Scripture" desperately tried to climb upwards, but ultimately, unwillingly, they turned to ashes and disappeared without a trace.

"Still not working?" He found that he couldn't master it even by forcing himself to practice. Could it be that the Nine Qi cannot coexist?

Chen Xuan had consulted various ancient books in the Two Realms Market, but he couldn't find a precedent for even the simultaneous cultivation of the Eight Qi, let alone the coexistence of the Nine Qi.

"Are we really going to go all out and use even more ruthless methods?" Chen Xuan thought to himself. True Lord Baicao once said that True Lord Doubu might have a chance to "eat" the Dao contained in the Jade Paper of Creation. Could it be that he, a mere cauldron, would also go and eat it?

In the blink of an eye, several more days have passed.

The waters became increasingly chaotic. Many Qi practitioners passed through the area and searched extensively, but found nothing special.

"There is a giant clam, which is very valuable and can be used as material to refine a mortal artifact," a cultivator from the Divine Realm whispered, having discovered Chen Xuan's secluded cultivation location.

"Such rich Yin Qi! Yin cultivators know a lot. Capture him and interrogate him!"

"Don't be impulsive. The immortal energy of the Doubu is also boiling. There must be more than one Qi cultivator inside. The Doubu demons are very fierce." His companion advised the man and kept a safe distance.

"How strange! The light that caused the treasure to be born clearly came from this great swamp region."

"..."

"When will things calm down? These Qi practitioners are still not giving up." Chen Xuan sighed as he bathed in the warm current inside the giant mirage. This giant mirage was a rare natural treasure, carrying a delicate fragrance. Cultivating inside it was warm and comforting, nourishing his essence, energy, and spirit, as if he were experiencing a primordial transformation in the womb.

During this trip, he didn't want to interact with outsiders; he just wanted to enjoy a peaceful life and quietly cultivate himself.

He used the eyes and ears of various little ghosts in the water to even discover traces that seemed to have been left behind by Hua Liuli and others in the distance, but he did not take the initiative to search for them.

The cultivators outside were like a swarm of sharks that had smelled blood, coming wave after wave. Even though they knew there were no "treasures" in the area he was in and that it had been explored by many people, they still came to take a look.

"These greedy people are like ghosts that won't leave you alone!"

Chen Xuan sighed, "But, never mind, I'll tolerate you a little longer and let you cause chaos first... Once you've all given up on showing your faces, then I'll take action."

Immediately, he picked up a piece of Creation Jade Paper, remained silent for a long while, then opened his mouth and swallowed it: "If True Lord Dou can eat and digest it, there's no reason why I can't. My immortal body is invincible!"

He was at his wit's end, racking his brains but still unable to come up with a way to succeed, so he had no choice but to risk starting with the incomprehensible Jade Paper of Creation.

"Gulp!" The Creation Jade Paper is made of a special material, and its toughness is no less than that of any treasure. Chen Xuan could not chew it and could only swallow it.

He forcibly used the power of his immortal body to refine it. At the same time, his mind was extremely tense. Whenever the Jade Paper of Creation showed the slightest fluctuation, he was able to comprehend many things with his comprehension.

He planned to use the teachings of the sages and saints of the Doubu tribe to attack this stubborn rock.

"boom!"

In an instant, lightning and thunder roared from Chen Xuan's abdomen, and various auspicious colors intertwined, piercing through flesh and blood, illuminating the interior of the giant mirage.

Before the Creation Jade Paper could be refined, the sealing array dissolved first. The jade paper seemed to come back to life, sensing the danger, and charged forward, trying to break through Chen Xuan's immortal body and escape.

"Cough!" Blood seeped from the corner of Chen Xuan's mouth, but he would not let it have its way. He did his best to revive his immortal body and kept suppressing the jade paper. The more active the other party was, the more excited he became.

"I will use the teachings of the sages of the Doubu to make up for my deficiencies in the Doubu!"

Chen Xuan gritted his teeth and persevered, but the Jade Paper of Creation was simply too powerful. It quickly shattered his immortal body, leaving it covered in cracks, as if it were about to break apart, yet it still didn't change much.

He didn't know how long he persisted. His vision was completely dark, and his consciousness was becoming blurred, but he still steadfastly observed the Jade Paper of Creation, as if he had entered a mysterious state.

"puff!"

Suddenly, a faint flame appeared in Chen Xuan's dim vision. Then, the flame became hot and surging, engulfing him.

Where did the firelight come from?

In a daze, he felt as if he were being refined into a celestial elixir, and a flickering fiery figure appeared before his eyes, its face blurred, but it gave him a ferocious and mocking smile.

“Another one has entered His furnace…” the swaying figure seemed to say.

stove?

Who is He? The fallen sage of Doubu?
Chen Xuan's consciousness was hazy, his attention was focused on the Jade Paper of Creation, and he could not be distracted by anything else, because he was surprised to find that the Jade Paper of Creation in his abdomen seemed to have softened, and the part of the Sage's Dao Fruit it contained was floating out along with ancient runes.

He seemed to be able to understand the meaning of those ancient runes.

"Um?!"

Suddenly, Chen Xuan sensed something, his hair stood on end, and his immortal body trembled incessantly, warning him that a great crisis was approaching and he needed to wake up immediately.

"Oh no, there's danger outside, something big is probably going to happen!" Chen Xuan's comprehension was running at lightning speed as he focused all his efforts on deciphering the meanings of the characters in the Doubu Dao Fruit. Once he had made sure there were no omissions, he decided to end this mysterious state ahead of schedule.

He realized that danger was approaching, and that some fearless powerhouse was probably watching him: "Why is it so difficult to cultivate in peace!"

But the next moment.

To Chen Xuan's horror, something happened. He couldn't break free from this state at all. Unexplained flames burned, as if they wanted to turn him into ashes!

(End of this chapter)