Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 192, 191 Divine Weapons, Spiritual Treasures, Grotto-heavens
The short, muscular golden dragon has a thick body, an upturned snout, and five sharp claws.

Strong and powerful, fierce and majestic.

Qi Ci's eyes flashed, surprised that his disciple was so frank, and his expression softened a bit.

"This item can be called a dragon-throwing object, which is used in sacrificial rites."

"However, among the major sects, this item is also considered to be the key to communicating with the secret realms of caves."

"A hidden realm?"

Li Cunxiao's heart stirred, and he took the initiative to recount the strange phenomena he had seen when he killed Yuanjue.

"Is there truly a hidden paradise and treasure trove at the bottom of that pool?"

Upon hearing this, Qi seemed to be deep in thought.

"There might really be a magical treasure buried in Pingdingshan."

"Master, what is a grotto-heaven or secret realm? What is a spiritual treasure?"

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but ask. The secrets at the bottom of the pool were unknown for the time being, but judging from the other party's words, the golden dragon was clearly just a catalyst, yet it instantly filled the vajra twice.

If we could find out more, we could probably easily accumulate enough malevolent energy to break through the Immovable Black Dragon Sword.
"The secret realms are the foundation of the holy lands of various sects. In other words, without secret realms, one cannot be called a holy land. You will understand once you see them with your own eyes."

Qi subtly changed the subject. Now that he was a free man, he was inevitably a little unsure of himself when asked about this.

“There are three grades of magical treasures in the world: low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade. Low-grade magical treasures are connected to true energy, medium-grade treasures recognize their masters and are spiritually connected, and high-grade treasures disintegrate and enter the body.”

Above the magical treasures are the spiritual artifacts, also known as divine weapons.

"This is because the demonic treasure is ferocious. Although it is powerful in killing, it also carries the risk of backlash. Furthermore, once it is taken away, if the other party is strong enough, it is easy for them to betray the original owner."

“Spiritual artifacts are crafted from rare and precious materials, connecting heaven and earth. Martial artists nurture them with their spirit, and they have many unspeakable benefits.”

"At the same time, the spiritual weapon itself also has a vague consciousness. It will choose its master, and those who are not destined to control it will find it difficult to control. It is as if it has a 'god', hence it is called a divine weapon."

"As for spiritual treasures, they are innate objects, which are given form after birth, and there are very few of them in the whole world."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao couldn't help but think of the Wind and Fire Wheels in his dantian. These two top-grade magic treasures were crafted by the former Taiyi Zhenren for his beloved son, and the materials and techniques used must have been of the highest quality.

I subdued it by force with the vajra, and at the time I only felt that it was unruly. Now I think that it may not have been without some spirituality, and it cared about its former master.

Could it be that the Wind and Fire Wheels are not far from becoming a divine weapon?
Considering Taiyi Zhenren's immense wealth and power, this is indeed a possibility.

"In short, there must be some mystery at the bottom of that pool, but now is not the time to explore it. Let's wait until you have perfected the Yellow Court."

Li Cunxiao understood Qi Ci's words perfectly.

Right now, Master Taiyi is probably in a bad mood, so it's certainly not a good time for him to speak.

"Master, what about Tiangu Temple from now on?"

"It's alright. You can stay at the Medicine King's Courtyard as usual when there's nothing to do. Having a skill will make your future much easier."

"Back then, all I knew was how to fight and kill, which made me a lot of enemies. You must take this as a warning."

"Disciple understands."

Li Cunxiao thought to himself that his master was really straightforward and didn't care at all about exposing his shortcomings.

Looking at his apprentice, Qici felt a sense of relief, as if all his hardships had finally paid off.

Who knows how many places he has traveled to and how many people he has met over the years in order to find a successor to his mantle?

He remained silent until he made a stunning remark. This unexpectedly encountered apprentice was almost flawless in every way.

He is particularly resilient, has outstanding talent in martial arts, and even has talent in alchemy.

Based on observations over this period of time, even De Cong would be ashamed of his own abilities.

Having such a good disciple means that after he grows up, he will have outstanding combat power to subdue demons and monsters, and he will also make friends after achieving success in alchemy.

With both ability and connections, his future prospects are bound to be much better than if he were all alone.

“Master, our lineage has finally found a successor capable of reviving our tradition. If you are watching from heaven, you can rest in peace.”

Qi Ci laughed and patted his belly, then left, saying that if he needed anything, he should come to Dezheng Zen Room to find him.

As Li Cunxiao watched the monk's retreating figure, his heart, which had been in turmoil all night, gradually calmed down.

"In any case, now that I've become your apprentice, there's no need to worry about anything else."

"Even without the support of his sect, Master himself is a master whom even Abbot Dezheng has to respect. He is just as powerful as others, only dressed in tattered clothes."

"Now that I have opened nine meridians and have the Qi-Boosting Pill in hand, even if I include the time to consolidate my foundation after taking the pill, I can reach the Yellow Court Perfection in about a month."

"At that time, you will be able to cultivate the Great Asura Weapon Technique."

"True Qi taking form... it's something to aspire to."

Even without a vajra, one can still practice.

With the apprenticeship settled, life returned to its usual routine of alchemy, martial arts practice, and refining internal energy.

In the past few days, Li Cunxiao also visited Dezheng to thank him for his previous advice.

After all, if the old monk hadn't revealed the deeper meaning behind all the trials, he might not have been able to gain Qici's approval so quickly.

Dezheng's attitude was naturally very friendly. According to him, he and Qici had a mentor-student relationship.

Strictly speaking, the two could address each other as fellow disciples. However, Li Cunxiao didn't want Yuanguang, who had taken good care of him, to be ranked a generation lower, so he addressed him as abbot.

Now that things were out in the open, Dezheng no longer concealed his goodwill. He first bestowed the Tiger-Taming Skill directly upon Zhang Yuelu and Ye Chengxiao, thus resolving their worries.

Then, they gave Li Cunxiao the green light, opening all the books in the library to him, and even allowing him to browse through several high-grade martial arts techniques.

This gift was undoubtedly substantial. After all, although Qici wasn't wealthy, he was still a highly skilled martial artist and could afford to support a disciple.

As for magical treasures, he has the Wind and Fire Wheels, the Purple Flame Serpent Spear, and the Dragon Sparrow Blade, so he doesn't lack anything.

In terms of knowledge, however, Qici clearly adopted a laissez-faire approach. While he was indeed free, he obviously wouldn't patiently fill in the gaps in his disciples' knowledge.

Dezheng's gift came at just the right time. Of course, there might have been a hint from Qici behind it.

In short, Li Cunxiao, who was already a master of the Yellow Court, did not need much sleep; all that remained was the need to protect his liver.

There are twelve two-hour periods in a day, and the time for sleeping and resting adds up to only two quarters of an hour.

The remaining eleven and a half hours were spent either refining elixirs, reading, or meditating and practicing qi cultivation. During the time between meals, he would also go to the temple to exchange ideas with the monks in charge of Huangting Yuanman. His days were so full that there was no room for even a pin drop.

During this time, Huishan Temple also sent over the complete copy of the Immovable Black Dragon Sword. However, due to insufficient evil energy, Li Cunxiao did not immediately begin practicing it, but instead devoted himself to refining his true energy.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.

"Master, I'll head back to the temple now."

At the entrance of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, Li Cunxiao led Chi Li, Zhang Lishi stood to the side, and the Cui brothers and others were not present.

These past few days, the Medicine King's Temple has had some free time, so he came back as usual to visit Mucha and his master's family.

"Sanlang, what does Senior Taiyi mean by that lion?"

Zhang Lishi sounded uneasy. He already knew from his apprentice that the plan to become Taiyi's disciple had fallen through.

However, the nine-headed green lion incarnate, the green horse, remained in the escort agency's stable.

You can't just kick him out; but keeping him around feels a bit strange, like having an ex-girlfriend still living with you after a breakup—it's just awkward. "I can't fathom Senior Taiyi's thoughts either, but I think at least he doesn't mean any harm."

Li Cunxiao's tone was somewhat uncertain. In fact, when he saw the green horse in the stable that day, the latter's attitude could be described as very affectionate, and it took the initiative to reveal its true form. Otherwise, he might not have been able to recognize it.

"However, the situation is tense right now, and with it around, the security company is safer."

Hearing his apprentice's words of comfort, Zhang Lishi could only nod.

After all, experts like Taiyi are beyond their comprehension; they can only look up to and obey them. If the other party is dissatisfied, they can only accept it.

But at least for now, the old Taoist priest seems to have mostly good intentions.

"drive!"

With a shout, Chi Li trotted away from the escort agency. Once outside the city gate, it accelerated, like a streak of crimson lightning.

It lands silently, galloping through clouds and mist, truly like a celestial horse, incredibly swift and magnificent.

Often, a shadow would dart past, and the people on the official road would have no idea what had happened.

"More and more people are coming to the city to seek refuge."

The roads were bustling with carriages and horses, but caravans only made up a small portion of the traffic; the majority of the passengers were families, carrying their belongings and including women, children, and the elderly.

Although these people looked tired, they did not appear pale, and most of them were dressed in clean clothes, with many wearing silk. Clearly, they had heard rumors and came to seek refuge in advance.

After all, compared to a small county town, the prefecture city not only has a city guard, but also a group of experts from Tiangu Temple.

Thanks to this, Flying Tiger Escort Agency's business has been surprisingly good recently.

After all, he has a disciple in the Medicine King Academy whose thighs are incredibly thick; anyone with a bit of inside information wouldn't dare to provoke him.

However, Li Cunxiao did not feel at ease looking at the bustling crowd.

The scene before him reminded him of his time as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in Chuqiu County.

Skeletons lie exposed in the wilderness, and for a thousand miles no rooster crows.

Everything now is merely a harbinger of the tragedy to come.

With the imperial court weakened and various warlords rising up, it was already inevitable.

With Qi here now in charge, if the Ming Cult were to attack, we might be able to remain safe.

However, there may not be a second Qi Cihe in this world, but there must be many people like Huang Chao and Zhu Quanzhong.

Of the sixteen prefectures in the empire, apart from the capital region, there were regional military governors and military commanders everywhere.

When that time comes, perhaps I can take the wooden fork and leave with Qici.

But for ordinary people like Zhang Lishi, or even those worse off than Zhang Lishi, they had to leave again soon after settling in a place. How turbulent and displaced they were!

"Ugh"

With a silent sigh, Li Cunxiao cleared his mind of his complicated thoughts and felt his red horse gradually slow down before dismounting in front of the Tiangu Temple.

Yuanhua's disciple, Mingzhu, was waiting there. Upon seeing this, he quickly stepped forward with a respectful expression.

"Brother Li, you should go to the abbot's meditation room first. Leave the feeding of the horses to me."

After becoming Li Cunxiao's disciple, Yuanhua, having somehow gotten wind of the situation, became even closer and more enthusiastic towards him.

Even Mingzhu had to change his address, his seniority changing from senior brother to junior brother.

Li Cunxiao tried several times, but seeing that it was completely useless, he had no choice but to give up.

“Master, Abbot Dezheng.”

Upon entering the meditation room, Li Cunxiao performed the proper rites.

The fat monk sat in the head seat, with Dezheng sitting beside him. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Qici was the abbot of Tiangu Temple.

"You've broken through to the eleventh serious level?"

The senior monk appeared to be asking a question, but he was actually speaking with certainty. Upon hearing this, Dezheng, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

"Yes, thanks to the Explosive Qi Pill that Master gave me."

It must be said that the efficiency of drug-based cultivation is incomparable to staying up all night for meditation.

The potency of the Explosive Qi Pill is several times greater than that of the Qi Accumulation Pill. For meridians with fewer acupoints, one pill can open up a main meridian.

Currently, among the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the foot, the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming, the Gallbladder Meridian of Foot Shaoyang, the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang, the Spleen Meridian of Foot Taiyin, and the Liver Meridian of Foot Jueyin have all been opened. Only the Kidney Meridian of Foot Shaoyin is missing before the Yellow Court can be fully completed.

However, the newly opened meridians have a much larger number of acupoints than the six meridians of the first hand (three yin and three yang).

Take the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming as an example. Even after removing the intersecting points, it still has more than forty acupoints. Therefore, the amount of Qi-Boosting Pills required is naturally not something that can be resolved with just one pill.

However, although the Power Pill is effective, it cannot be taken continuously in a short period of time, otherwise its efficacy will decrease.

Therefore, it took half a month, intermittently, to get the two main channels open.

The remaining points on the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian are Yongquan, Rangu, Taixi, Dazhong, Shuiquan, Zhaohai, Youmen, Bulang, Shenfeng, Lingxu, Shencang, Yuzhong, Yufu, etc., totaling 27 points, or 54 points on both sides.

Calculating the time, once the effects of the previous Qi-Boosting Pill are fully absorbed tomorrow, I can continue to target the acupoints.

This speed is unimaginable for ordinary Huangting martial artists.

Even disregarding the use of elixirs, such a frenzied attack on acupoints and meridians could easily cause mental instability and backlash from the demons, posing a significant risk.

For safety reasons, many martial artists at the Yellow Court level have to be patient and practice slowly at this stage, striving for a safer approach.

"This talent is truly extraordinary."

Dezheng was filled with emotion. Even he had wasted a lot of time at this juncture, and the monks in charge of the temple, like Yuanhua, often spent at least ten years on it.

"Good, guard against arrogance and impetuosity. I called you here today for another matter."

Qi Ci was also pleasantly surprised, but his face remained calm.

"Recently, many people have flocked to the city to seek refuge. Governor Bai loves his people like his own children and cannot bear to refuse them. However, with so many people, it is inevitable that some people with ulterior motives will sneak in."

"Is it the Ming Cult?"

Li Cunxiao knew what his master cared about, and upon hearing this, he answered without hesitation.

“That’s right. The demonic cultists are most skilled at bewitching people’s hearts and have many methods. We naturally don’t care about those low-level tricks, but for some people, those evil methods are a lifeline, and once they have them, they are unwilling to let go.”

"You should know that in the True Form Realm, the struggle between two minds is extremely dangerous. If you are not careful, you will fall into demonic possession, which often results in the extermination of your entire family."

"Therefore, generally speaking, all reputable sects have a rule: if a disciple falls into demonic possession, the sect has a responsibility to kill him to prevent him from causing harm to the common people."

"As for the territory of the prefecture city, it will naturally be the responsibility of my nephew, Dezheng."

Abbot Dezheng?

The old monk smiled calmly upon hearing this, his expression unchanged. Li Cunxiao found it hard to believe that the other party was also an executioner.

“Right now, there are people in the city who are already halfway to the grave, yet they still hope that the Ming Cult can help them turn their lives around.”

"Sanlang, why don't you send him off to the Western Paradise?"

(End of this chapter)