Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 438 Dao Manifests the Dharma Body
North Sea.

On the frigid white glacier stretching for miles, the cold wind was like a knife, and the sky and earth were all white. On the ice platform, a man and a woman stood quietly, one dressed in fine clothes and the other in a plain dress, with not a speck of wind or snow around them.

Xu Xuan and Luo An both looked at the glacier ahead, where a dragon prince in white robes was dancing with his sword amidst the swirling snow. His swordplay swept across the landscape without touching a single snowflake.

After settling all matters with Bai Gao, the Dragon King needed to return to the Ice Cave to recuperate, so Xu Xuan left the Ice Palace and went with Luo An to see the swordsmanship of the Mirror Void Dragon Prince.

As the snowstorm subsided, Jingxu twisted the sword, sending streaks of frost-white light through the air, but ultimately no divine power emerged from its blade; it remained merely a common weapon for combat.

He felt a little annoyed. He had already used all the sword moves he had learned, but the man remained silent. In Mo Tong's eyes, there was a heavy pressure emanating from him.

Jingxu practiced the "Cold Snow Sword Technique," which, although a fourth-grade technique, was specially sought out for him by Luo An in Liaodi. It perfectly matched the "Cold Yin" lineage, using the sword's edge to increase coldness and control wind and snow.

The highest level he reached was the Sword Essence Realm, but he couldn't grasp it for a long time and only mastered a few moves that required sword intent.

In the past, Jingxu was somewhat smug, but now he felt ashamed, realizing he was showing off his limited skills before an expert.

Luo An's gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at Xu Xuan and said softly:
"Well, does Jingxu have the talent to cultivate the way of the sword?"

Xu Xuan pondered for a while, while Jing Xu looked on anxiously, like a prisoner awaiting trial.

"Sword Qi requires talent, but at the first level of Sword Essence, with enough hard work and the right path, there is still a chance to master it."

He didn't answer directly, but his meaning was quite clear: this dragon prince probably couldn't enter the realm of sword energy, and even cultivating sword essence would be quite difficult for him.

Jingxu's face paled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He bowed respectfully to the esteemed Mingze before him and said:
"I hope you can give me some guidance, sir."

"Since you cannot become a sword spirit in human form, why not reveal your demonic form to wield the sword?"

Xu Xuan immediately saw the crux of Jingxu's problem: originally a demon body, he transformed into a human, but his control over his physical body was still different from that of a human, so he could not master the art.

"A dragon's body wielding a sword? How can that be possible?"

Jingxu looked deeply puzzled. All the sword techniques he had practiced were based on the human body, revealing the dragon's body. How could he wield a sword?

Xu Xuan turned his gaze to a hundred-foot-tall ice cliff in the distance, pointed his fingers to form a sword, and activated his divine power. A purple light leaped up and transformed into a thunder dragon, its scales and claws gleaming, and a sword held in its mouth.

The dragon's body and the sword's edge were perfectly integrated, exuding a powerful killing intent. This gave Jingxu a sense of enlightenment. The lightning dragon holding the sword was slowly imprinted on the ice cliff, as if it had a spirit, constantly evolving sword moves.

“In the future, you can use this diagram to practice your cultivation.”

Xu Xuansheng spoke very calmly, as if he had done something trivial.

This Dao diagram is quite extraordinary; it contains his insights from years of practicing swordsmanship in the form of a dragon. Other dragons and serpents would find it much easier to imitate it and cultivate sword essence.

"Thank you, sir."

Jingxu bowed again, this time with genuine respect and gratitude in his voice.

Go see for yourself.

Xu Xuan waved his hand, and the Mirror Void Dragon Prince transformed into a cold dragon, holding a cold blade in its mouth. It soared into the air and began to practice according to the Dao diagram on the ice cliff.

“Brother Mingdu’s swordsmanship is superb. If he were to specialize in this path, he would surely achieve great things.”

Luo An's words came from the bottom of his heart. Demons do not have a sword lineage, but perhaps this Dragon King beside him could open his own in the future.

Xu Xuan didn't take it to heart, but instead turned his gaze to the further north. Beyond the Cold Dragon Palace's domain, the further north one went, the colder it became, to the point that even the sun didn't shine, like an ancient land of darkness.

"In the far south there is a sea eye that connects to the Ruins of Return; I wonder what lies in the far north?"

The North Sea is so vast that it far surpasses the South Sea and the West Sea, and is comparable to the East Sea. Even at their peak, the two princes of Kitagawa probably did not fully control it.

"The far north, known as the 'Humble Abode,' is a place where the sun and moon do not shine, and the seasons are indistinguishable. In the ancient times before the Dragon Palace was established, this place seems to be one of the sacred sites of the 'Ding Fire' element."

"Why is 'Ding Huo' here in this bitterly cold land?"

Xu Xuan was caught off guard by this, and a strange feeling arose in his heart. This path was now controlled by the Fuchen Sect. He asked the dragon girl beside him with great curiosity.

"When Ding Fire is strong, it burns wood; when it is weak, it goes into darkness. It does not like the light of the sun and moon. It is second only to Bing Fire. In the sky, it is a constellation of stars; on the ground, it is a lamp."

Luo An shifted his gaze to the far north and whispered:

“In ancient times, the manifestation of Ding Fire was called Zhuyin, which was located in the deep darkness of the far north, a place where the sun and moon did not shine. This deity regarded it as day, closed his eyes as night, blew as winter, and exhaled as summer.”

"Therefore, the Ding Fire has the properties of burning life and shortening lifespan, and its temperature changes are extremely insidious. If it falls into the hands of the Thunder Palace, it will be a Yin Tribulation Fire that cultivators cannot avoid."

"The Fu Chen Immortal Sect of the Great Li Dynasty possesses a secret divine power called 'Decoction of Human Life,' which is considered the pinnacle of this art. My palace..."

As she spoke, Luo An's expression became somewhat complicated. When she mentioned Fu Chen, her tone grew colder and more angry, but she abruptly stopped talking, which Xu Xuan noticed.

"Does your esteemed palace harbor any grudge against this faction?"

After pondering for a while, Xu Xuan asked directly, "If we can find out some of Fu Chen's movements now, it will be of great help in our future actions."

Now, on the other side, he has to deal with two things: first, the Qi State Preceptor, a descendant of the Great Zhao, and second, the Fuchen Sect in the south. Both of them harbor deep malice towards him, not to mention the enmity between them.

"To cut down mountains and destroy temples, to sever the lineage of Daoist priests, is to be punished by the local deities, if one day..."

These heavy emotions had been buried deep within him, never spoken to anyone, waiting to be poured out one day.

"When Lord Bai Gao was young, he traveled abroad and fell victim to this supernatural power of Master Fu Chen, which shortened his lifespan considerably and caused him to be afflicted with Yin Fire. That is why he needs to be kept in the Ice Cave."

After a short silence, Luo An revealed the hidden truth behind the words with a hint of resentment in his voice.

“This humble place, according to the law, still belongs to my Hanxu Palace. Although Fu Chen has schemes, he does not dare to kill you directly. He can only use underhanded means to shorten your lifespan.”

"And my palace bloodline is becoming increasingly weak. In a few hundred years, I'm afraid it will be difficult to even reach the Purple Mansion. At that time, Fu Chen will have other laws and regulations, and can rightfully go to the Humble Abode."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan frowned slightly and said:

"The great one in the Heavenly Thunder Swamp... is he not concerned with this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Luo An's expression turned somewhat panicked. Fortunately, seeing that there was no thunder in the sky, he whispered:

"The master doesn't care about these things. Whether Beichuan rises or falls will not affect him in the slightest. In the entire Beihai, I'm afraid only Senior Kuilong and my cousin are of some concern to him."

"It is Senior Kuilong who protects my palace, not the lord in Lei Ze. As long as Fu Chen follows the rules, lists the principles for entering the Hanmen, and pays respects to the lord, he will naturally not be hindered."

She made her words very clear at the time, and there was a bit of emotion in them. The dragon seed from Kitagawa and the dragon seed from Ruxuan had nothing to do with each other. That person just let the dragon seed in the sea do as it pleased.

Xu Xuan frowned slightly, lowered his voice, and asked:
"I heard that Senior Kuilong is preparing to seek gold. He is a celestial demon with extremely high cultivation. I wonder how it is going?"

"He is still waiting for the right opportunity. His pursuit of gold is also heavily constrained. Even if he has enough cultivation, he still has to consider the general trend of the world. I remember that Senior Kuilong once said something like this."

Luo An's gaze darkened, his tone grew colder, and he vanished into the wind and snow. "【Let's see what fate befalls the divine thunder】"

Xu Xuan was at a loss for words, and a sense of emotion rose in his heart. If we were to talk about who in the world was most qualified to prove the divine thunder, who else would it be besides the sword immortal [Tian Shu] who was currently wandering in Liaodong?

'Unfortunately, even the Heavenly Pivot Sword is not free.'

A sense of regret rose in his heart. Regardless of his stance, this Zhou Jianxian acted with great dignity and had the demeanor of an immortal.

After a moment of silence, he looked into the distance. The wind and snow gradually subsided, and Jingxu still revealed the form of the Cold Dragon, moving with a sword in its mouth, like a white ribbon fluttering in front of the ice cliff.

"There are many things that can cause thunder in the North Sea. Now that I am leaving, I am afraid that I will send people here again in the future, and then I will have to trouble your palace."

"It's alright. I do hope that Mingze will send more envoys. Donghan is powerful, but it looks down on my lineage. Only the Dragon Lord's lineage is somewhat close to us."

Luo Anlongnu responded softly, bid farewell to Mingdulongwang beside her, and then broke through the void, transforming into a streak of purple lightning and disappearing in an instant.

"What methods did Mingze use to send out a pure-blooded dragon with complete supernatural powers?"

Her tone was filled with deep doubt, but now that Bai Gao had fallen into a deep sleep again, no one could answer her questions.
-
Taixu.

Purple lightning swirled as Xu Xuan followed the shipping route, bypassing Liaodong and heading south. At this time, he had not yet left the North Sea, and everywhere was covered in ice and snow.

In fact, he could have entered Liaodong territory openly, then crossed the border directly, and then entered the South China Sea from above the ground; that would have been the shortest route.

As dragons, their status is transcendent and they are not involved in the conflict between the two nations. Moreover, this war only involves the two imperial families and their vassal and friendly forces.

The rest of the immortals, demons, and monsters could travel freely between Liaodong and Lijiang, as long as they avoided the borders where the two armies were facing off, and no one would interfere.

"If a war really breaks out, just move all your disciples to the Western Sea, leaving only an empty shell in Crimson Cloud."

He immediately made up his mind that Chiyun belonged to Tianzhou, which bordered Liao, and the north was a very crucial battlefront.

Tianshui, as the ancestral home of the Song family, would be of extraordinary significance if it fell into the hands of the Liao people.

'However, I cannot simply detach myself and remain completely uninvolved; the Great Li Immortal Path would likely not tolerate my cultivation of the Earthly Thunder.'

The sensitivity of this lineage is no less than that of cultivating the demonic path. Even if the cultivators do not speak of it, they all fear the emergence of another high-ranking cultivator of the She Lei lineage.

Only by taking advantage of the opportunity of the struggle against Liao, as the person who is the counterpart of Shen Lei, can one smoothly cultivate this lineage until the peak of Zifu, or even seek gold.

Xu Xuan's thoughts were quite clear. He felt that such actions in the midst of battle should be the work of a cultivator of the Gold Dui realm, who was concealing his true intentions and harboring rebellious intentions.

'If cultivators specializing in gold were to act in this way, they would likely reap enormous benefits, as for the Thunder God...'

However, his heart did not waver in the slightest. The thunder of the gods hangs in the sky. If one wants to seek it, one can only attain the fruition in one fell swoop, which is almost as difficult as ascending to heaven. It is not a matter of whether one's cultivation is sufficient, but how can a golden core body carry out punishment on behalf of heaven?

Is it possible to become an immortal in one step?
He shook his head, dismissing the unrealistic idea, and began to assess what he had gained from the trip.

First is the [Fenglong] drum, which has five drums in total. The drum body is deep purple, the skin is grayish-blue, and there are carvings of wind and thunder, as well as mysterious patterns of Kui beasts. There are three divine patterns in total.

The first is 【Gengshi】, which means to get rid of the old and establish the new, and to stimulate vitality.

When used on oneself, this sound can accelerate the circulation of blood and energy, increasing its effectiveness by nearly 20%. When used on an opponent, it can disrupt the circulation of blood and energy, and reduce its effectiveness by 20%.

Moreover, this sound of renewal can be applied to oneself and one's opponent simultaneously without conflict. With one adding and the other subtracting, the gap widens considerably.

The second is the [Zhen Zheng], which uses the sound of thunder to confront the enemy. It is as intense as fire and can borrow the sound of fire to make it scorching and violent, and can be unleashed in an instant.

This sound can encompass fire, and even [the wrath of water and fire].

The fire, enveloped in thunder, accelerates the burst of supernatural powers and spells at the cost of a slight impact on itself, reaching a speed second only to divine thunder.

'Among all fires, Bing (丙) obtains the [light of fire], Ding (丁) obtains the [substance of fire], Li (离) obtains the [rising of fire], truly obtains the [use of fire], and the [sound of fire] lies in the ultimate fire.'

He then recalled the record in the "Three Methods of Water and Fire Refining," which stated that the ultimate fire was an explosive fire that, once activated, roared like thunder and was very close to the sound of lightning.

'From this perspective, the ultimate fire should be connected to thunder, so why is it drawn to the silent spiritual thunder?'

There seemed to be some changes in the lineage, which made Xu Xuan wonder.

With this wondrous power, the [Shuttering of Angry Water and Fire] can not only be conceived by thought, but can also be uttered by words through the transformation of thunderous sound.

He calmed his mind. He knew too little about spiritual lightning and could not know the lineage of the [Heavenly Boat] Dragon Lord.

As for the third divine treasure, it is [Wood and Stone]. It is the essence of wood and stone, which is the Kui beast. Its body is strong and powerful. When it is blessed with thunderous sound, it can enhance the hardness of wood and stone, and can blunt the sharpness of Geng metal and dissolve the flow of Kan water.

Once he has mastered the [Zhentianqu] and [Ye Zhaoye] techniques, he will be able to manipulate spiritual objects and nurture them in Lieque and Fenglong using his supernatural powers.

In this way, the corresponding divine power can be generated, and the two ancient spiritual treasures will be born with even more wondrous power, making them extremely extraordinary.

'With these two spiritual treasures, I can truly compare my wealth with that of a direct descendant of a celestial sect.'

He no longer lacks spiritual weapons; he is only waiting to cultivate the next divine power. When he unleashes both sword and drum, and is not at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, few can subdue him.

[Cheng Wujiu] only needs a few more days of polishing to reach perfection. This time is perfect for gathering Qi. As for which supernatural power to cultivate next, he has already made up his mind.

【Zhentianqu】.

From the middle stage of the Purple Mansion realm onwards, the difficulty of cultivating supernatural powers has increased several times over, with some Purple Mansion realms even stuck at the fourth or fifth level of supernatural power for nearly a hundred years.

【Ye Zhaoye】Contains a dragon form, thus dragons have many advantages in cultivating this path, reducing the time they spend in arduous training.

He has now read through all the scriptures passed down in the Ye Guang Dragon Palace. Many of the spells recorded there are suitable for the dragon body to activate, but the most important one is a Dharma body.

[Lei Ze's Holy Body].

Compared to the scriptures obtained in Yongjie Heaven, the Dharma body recorded in Yeguang Dragon Palace is more ancient, powerful, and closer to the original meaning of Zhen Lei, reaching the sixth rank.

Once mastered, it becomes the head of the Crimson Gods, with the body of a thunder dragon, its belly throbbing with thunder, and it can unify the three supernatural powers of [Descending Thunder Marsh], [Shaking the Heavenly Pass], and [Shining Night] into one.

According to the scriptures, this Dharma body is called Daoxian, which emulates the first master of Zhenlei, Leize, and possesses many wondrous qualities rarely seen in the world.

Previously, Xu Xuan's Thunder Swamp Dharma Body was extremely complex, and after being modified by the Xuan Shu Immortal Path, it became even more incomplete.

He himself imitated the great wrathful form of the thunder god and cultivated it many times. In a short time, he gained power, but he lost the true meaning of thunder.

"Let's correct the current Dharma body little by little. Once all the supernatural powers of a single breath are perfected, the [Dao Manifestation] Dharma body will be complete, and its power... If Hua Gu were to be resurrected, and we were to compare Dharma bodies again, I could kill him swiftly."

Xu Xuan's heart sank slightly. Now he only needed to focus on his cultivation, and he believed he could reach the pinnacle of the Purple Mansion Realm. However, whether he could continue cultivating steadily was still unknown.

(End of this chapter)