Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 196-195 The Divine Palace of the True Self: One Cannot Have Both

A familiar, cool breeze swept over me, and the visualized image before me seemed to come alive for a moment.

In a daze, the black sword dragon meandered and swam, entering the spleen and then descending to the dantian.

The main figure of Nezha opens his eyes in a wrathful posture, stomps his feet, and a silver wheel turns behind him, scattering clear light and guiding the black dragon down.

In an instant, the three-headed dragons—wooden dragon, fire snake, and black dragon—began to fight, and the Flame Demon True Qi within his body instantly became unstable.

"break!"

Without hesitation, Li Cunxiao added the remaining barrier-breaking power to the Fiery Hellfire Spear.

Golden light emanated from it, like a layer of gold dust, which was blown around the fire serpent, as if it were gilding its crimson scales with gold.

The golden light was thick and heavy, like a shell or a cocoon, and the fire snake inside coiled its body. There were two bulges on the front and back of its abdomen, and the same on the left and right sides of its head.

My heart pounded like a drum, my blood surged through my body like a river, and in my dantian, it felt as if another heartbeat had appeared, trembling—a new life was born.

Moo!
The sound, like the bellowing of a cow, seemed to emanate from the depths of the body. The golden light shattered, and a crimson dragon burst forth from its shell.

Its body is robust, its four claws are outstretched, it has antlers on its head, and its whole body exudes a scorching aura.

With a swift extension of its claws, the dragon pinned the Horned Wood Dragon and the newly arrived Black Dragon beneath it, rendering them immobile.

At the same time, the fourth layer of hell slowly condensed within the body of the Crimson Dragon.

The Hell of Crying refers to the hell where, upon arriving at this hell, the jailers throw the suffering beings into a large cauldron, where they are boiled and cooked, enduring all kinds of torment while wailing and crying out. Hence, it is called the Hell of Crying.

Once this skill is mastered, the Flame Demon True Qi can be transformed into hellfire, powerful enough to melt metal and stone, and turn flesh and bone to ash.

Feeling the power of the demon within him, a surge of pleasure welled up inside him, as if an electric current was flowing through his skull, giving him a strange sense of euphoria.

But this wasn't Li Cunxiao's first time experiencing it, so he wasn't in the mood to indulge in it. Instead, he seized the opportunity to stuff two Qi-boosting pills into his mouth.

boom!
The perfected Fire Prison Unending Spear made the Flame Demon True Qi extremely active. Before it even reached the spleen and stomach, the boiling blood and qi tore the pill apart, and the powerful medicinal force poured into the dantian like a torrential downpour in an instant.

The original Nezha received a large amount of medicinal power. With each breath, the Flaming True Qi surged out like a river of agate, rushing towards the final Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.

The crimson line of fire originates below the little toe, runs diagonally along the sole of the foot, emerges below the Rangu point, follows behind the inner ankle, separates into the heel, and ascends into the lower leg.
Yongquan, Rangu, Taixi, Dazhong, Shuiquan, Zhaohai.
The secluded gate, the covered corridor, the divine seal, the spiritual ruins, the divine treasure, Yu Zhong, and Yu Mansion.
There are 27 acupoints on each foot, and 54 acupoints on both sides, like springs being filled one after another by surging water, which then flows from the overflowing springs to the next acupoint.

Two quarters of an hour later, a crimson line of fire extended from the Yongquan point on the soles of his feet and converged at the Yufu point on his chest, and Li Cunxiao suddenly shuddered.

The dense network of meridians and acupoints lit up one after another, covering his hands, feet, and torso, with hundreds of acupoints and twelve main meridians.

The three Yin and three Yang meridians of the hand and the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the foot all converge and connect, like a huge network of true Qi.

Taiyin Lung Meridian, Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, Shaoyin Heart Meridian, Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian;

Yangming Stomach Meridian, Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, Taiyang Bladder Meridian, Taiyin Spleen Meridian, Jueyin Liver Meridian, Shaoyin Kidney Meridian;
The internal organs shone brightly, encompassing all the meridians throughout the body.

The true energy that was originally flowing through the "pipeline" seemed to roar and rush into a large lake in an instant. Li Cunxiao could even hear the rushing sound of the water rising.

His total amount of true energy continued to rise due to the convergence of the twelve meridians. When it finally stopped fluctuating, it was almost half again as much as when he had opened up eleven meridians!
"Cool!"

The internal organs and limbs seemed to be soaked and nourished by the Flame-Mao True Qi, giving one the illusion of soaking in a hot spring.

Under such nourishment, the celestial body, which had remained unchanged for a long time, was slowly and noticeably strengthened.

At the same time, Li Cunxiao also clearly sensed that in addition to the twelve properly constructed True Qi Lakes, there were eight other blocked "rivers" yearning for the nourishment of water.

"The eight extraordinary meridians: the Governing Vessel, the Conception Vessel, the Penetrating Vessel, the Belt Vessel, the Yang Heel Vessel, the Yin Heel Vessel, the Yang Wei Vessel, and the Yin Wei Vessel."

"These eight are called the Extraordinary Classics because they combine the orthodox and the unorthodox, with the unorthodox being outside the orthodox."

"Ordinary martial artists who have reached the perfection of the twelve meridians should begin preparing to break through to the True Form stage."

“However, according to my master’s plan, I am qualified to pursue the Great Perfection of the Yellow Court, where all eight meridians are opened.”

"After all, the most difficult part of this challenge is that it requires rare and precious materials, and also a strong mind."

"The wonder of the extraordinary meridians lies in their risks. Opening the meridians brings great benefits, but the risk of falling into demonic possession is even greater. It's like walking a tightrope over a cliff. Taking even one more step than others requires a stronger will and greater self-control."

"Fortunately, I have the Vajra."

Li Cunxiao opened his eyes and got out of bed.

The Flame-like True Qi rose from behind him like flames, and the intense heat caused the wooden furniture in the room to smell burnt.

The flames twisted, vaguely forming the shape of a dragon, but it was very blurry.

Li Cunxiao tried for a while, but in the end he had no choice but to disperse it.

True Qi can take on various forms, such as dragons, tigers, snakes, cranes, swords, spears, and halberds. However, these are merely appearances. The core issue lies in the quantity and control of True Qi.

The energy expenditure of unleashing a dozen or so sword energies is self-evident, and the demands on a martial artist's mental fortitude are vastly different from unleashing a dozen or so controllable sword-shaped true energies.

After the eight extraordinary meridians are opened, the true qi in the body is transformed into a sea of ​​qi. On the other hand, it further allows the demonic essence and the martial artist to combine.

It's similar to reaching the state of true form, a state of oneness between self and demon, but less dangerous.

In other words, the Great Perfection of the Yellow Court is actually an incomplete true form, while the transformation of true qi into form is actually the ability of a fifth-realm martial artist.

Opening up the eight extraordinary meridians allows one to learn the true qi transformation in advance, and also makes the foundation more solid after successfully advancing to the true form.

Of course, if it fails, the consequences will be even more dire.

However, for Li Cunxiao, there was no need to consider how to choose.

He was confident that he could connect all eight meridians, provided that Qici provided sufficient resources.

Nevertheless, he still harbored a grudge about something.

"Master, have there ever been people who practiced both their own deity and their own practice?"

"Ok?"

In the abbot's meditation room, Dezheng was not present; only Master Qici and his disciple sat facing each other, drinking tea.

The abbot, still basking in the joy of his disciple Huang Ting's perfect enlightenment, shook his head and smiled upon hearing the question:

"Good lad, still eyeing the Daoist martial arts in Taiyi's hands?"

"This disciple had no such intention."

Li Cunxiao was being hypocritical. After all, for someone who possessed the Vajra Pestle, the more demons he controlled, the more blessings he received, the richer his power combinations would be, and the stronger he would become—this was the most suitable path for him.

"Alright, there's no need to beat around the bush in front of your master. The idea of ​​cultivating multiple skills is something that any martial artist with a bit of talent has thought about, let alone you."

"But you should also know that while it's possible to cultivate the Yellow Court before, it's the true form after the Yellow Court."

"The True Form Realm, with its two hearts clashing, is already extremely dangerous. Countless geniuses from holy lands have nearly fallen at this hurdle." "If one were to cultivate an Original Body Realm, with three hearts clashing, do you think it would create a balanced three-legged stand?"

"Wrong! The other two demons will only tear you to pieces first, and then fight over who is the primary and who is secondary!"

Li Cunxiao was still unwilling to give up after hearing this, after all, since the Vajra Pestle appeared, it had never been at a disadvantage when facing the demon.

If the goal is simply to fight the demon, then even if one forcibly suppresses it, it is not impossible to cultivate one's own true self simultaneously.

It's not a good time to go to Master Taiyi right now, but once you become stronger, you can still obtain the divine skills and secret techniques of other sects by defeating your opponents.

He was itching to use the advantage he had, but couldn't.

Qici had lived for over a hundred years and had seen countless people. Seeing his disciple's state, he was clearly still somewhat unwilling to give up.

"Fine, I didn't want to force things to grow too fast, but if I don't say some things, it will only make you aim too high."

The senior monk pointed a finger, and a stream of crimson true energy immediately flowed from his fingertip, transforming into a majestic Ming King in the blink of an eye, much like a clay sculpture.

Its entire body is bluish-black, in a wrathful form, with six faces, six arms, and six legs. It sits on a trembling seat, carrying flames on its back, and holding a halberd, bow, rope, sword, arrow, and club.

Its wrathful form was a hundred times more ferocious than Li Cunxiao's own avatar, Nezha.

Just looking at the form manifested by this true energy, one can sense an aura that can subdue everything.

"My main practice is one of the five schools of Esoteric Buddhism, the Western Amitabha Buddha's Mandala of Power and the Great Powerful King Sutra."

"Sever all demonic obstacles and subdue all poisonous dragons. Even Bodhisattvas of the Tenth Ground can be dissolved without following the teachings, let alone the obstacles of the other gods, dragons, and the eight classes of beings. They will be wiped out in an instant, with nothing left."

"When you reach the pinnacle of the Heavenly Ladder, you will then switch to cultivating this divine skill to break through the profound barrier."

Qi first mentioned something unrelated to the main topic, and only after Li Cunxiao's attention was completely drawn did he get to the point:
"You have now mastered four high-grade martial arts techniques. Of the five elements, you are only missing the water element, which is the Great Asura Weapon Technique that I mentioned before."

"So, how many martial arts techniques do you think your master has mastered?"

Ok?
Li Cunxiao was taken aback upon hearing this. Apart from the Burning Wood Blade, the other four high-grade martial arts techniques, including the Great Asura Weapon Technique which he was about to acquire, were all given to him by Qi Ci.

In other words, what you know, you should also know, and even more.

"Can't guess?"

Qi said this, but he didn't really mean to make the other party guess.

Before Li Cunxiao could speak, eight beams of fire suddenly flew out from the body of the Great Vajrabhairava King, which transformed into the Devas, Nagas, Yakshas, ​​Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, and Mahoragas respectively.

"Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils?"

Li Cunxiao looked at the eight miniature figures, and each of them seemed to contain a martial art.

He was most familiar with the Flaming Serpent, which resembled the Fiery Hellfire Spear. Based on this, he deduced that the other seven techniques should also be at least high-grade martial arts.

However, the changes were not yet over.

Flames continued to flash from the bodies of the Eight Legions, as if a string of firecrackers had been set off. Countless sparks exploded, and a demon representing martial arts emerged from them.

Starting from Yamantaka and moving downwards, the statues are densely packed, increasing in number as you go down, resembling a pyramid.

According to Li Cunxiao's rough estimate, there were nearly a hundred demons.

In other words, Qi Ci has mastered at least a hundred martial arts techniques!
"This is not the entirety of my cultivation. The Pure Land lineage can only be practiced when you reach the Mysterious Gate."

Qi Ci casually uttered a few words, and seeing his disciple's shocked expression, a long-lost sense of pleasure rose in his heart.

To perform a miracle in front of others, you need the right people.

"The Demonic Art is both a martial art and a blessing."

"Since there are many demons, there must be a central figure to rule over them all."

"As you can see, I use the Great Vajrabhairava to command the eight classes of gods and dragons. This is the most basic method of constructing the divine palace in my Tantric Buddhism. All other variations are based on this."

"The reason why one should not cultivate multiple deities is that even if the demons subdued by different deities are similar, the divine palaces they ultimately construct will be vastly different."

“Even the five divisions of Esoteric Buddhism are different, let alone the two schools of Buddhism and Taoism.”

"Take Taoism for example, the true form of that old Taoist Taiyi is Donghua Shaoyang Mugong, the God of Eastern Green Wood."

"But the Taoists of the Beidi School of Magu Mountain venerate the Ziwei Emperor and the Four Saints of the North Pole."

"Different gods and Buddhas will inevitably create different divine palaces."

"What do you think would happen if a person had two divine palaces inside their body?"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao suddenly understood completely:
"Then it would be like the world today, where military governors fight their own battles, war rages on, and there is never any peace."

"But Master, is it true that you, with your own body leading dozens or even hundreds of demons, combine all your blessings to build a Buddhist kingdom and a divine court within your body, is that a divine palace?"

Qici looked at his disciple in surprise upon hearing this, "That's roughly what you said."

"However, right now you can only be considered as building the prototype of the divine palace."

"If we're really going to get to that point, at least you'll have to break through the barrier first."

"I'm telling you this so you won't overthink things, not so you'll set your sights too high."

Sensing the severity in the other person's words, Li Cunxiao naturally had no objections.

Those words cleared up my doubts and eased my regrets.

There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers in a country. As Qi Ci said, if there are two original beings within a person, their struggle will inevitably trigger a series of demonic uprisings.

Moreover, Li Cunxiao is also blessed by the Vajra Pestle. If he were to build a divine palace in the future, there would probably be more than a hundred demons, perhaps even a thousand or ten thousand.

If the two original beings were to fight an army of demons inside his body, even with the Vajra Pestle in his body, Li Cunxiao would still be terrified.

Fortunately, although it cannot be enhanced horizontally, it can at least be enhanced vertically.

Having figured this out, Li Cunxiao stopped worrying and instead asked Qici for advice on the Great Asura Weapon Technique.

With a flick of his finger, the hundreds of demons, including the Ming King, were drawn back into his body. Only the three-headed, eight-armed Asura transformed into a stream of light and entered his forehead.

In an instant, countless profound meanings of Sanskrit flooded my mind, as clearly as if I had swallowed the book.

When all the words came together, a picture of Asuras breaking through the sea, crossing mountains and seas, and holding up the sun and clouds, appeared in my mind.

"Is this the secret technique of transforming true qi into form, three heads and eight arms, the Great Asura?"

(End of this chapter)