Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 200, 199 Ice Demon, Asura, Human Demon, Lotus Root (I was delayed by cleaning the house; today's count is 6,000).

Li Cunxiao's breathing became rapid.

He had already experienced the wondrous uses of the Golden Lotus; it was both a treasure for protecting the mind and a great elixir for nourishing the body.

If a seventh-tier treasure is already this good, then what kind of supreme treasure must the Seven Treasures Lotus, which Taiyi Zhenren has pursued for decades without success, be?

"The flowers and leaves have withered, but the lotus seeds remain fresh and tender, like fruits at the end of summer."

"Blue light, yellow light, red light, white light, subtle and fragrant."

"The pool is covered with golden sand, and the steps are made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and glass."

The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. Both the lotus seeds themselves and the specifications of the pond water used to cultivate the lotus flowers were exactly the same as what Qici had said before.

Considering that this place is very likely the dragon boat of Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty, the "Huizhen Pavilion," which gathers the essence of the world, would not possibly contain any fakes. Otherwise, given Emperor Yang's cruelty, someone would probably have been executed along with their entire family.

So that means it's true?
The lotus seeds of the Seven Treasures Lotus, which can bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bones, contain boundless wonders.
His Adam's apple bobbed, his right hand almost instinctively reached forward, and his breathing became rapid.

Within his dantian, the golden lotus shimmered, igniting an even stronger desire within Li Cunxiao.

But at that moment, a powerful aura emanated from outside the cabin, indicating that a battle between some unknown entity had reached a fever pitch.

When he was interrupted by an external force, his attention was temporarily freed from his greed.

"The most important thing now is to leave this unknown place. Even if we get the treasure, the crisis is not over yet."

"If we can't escape, then we've won, right?"

Li Cunxiao suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He had just been chased by a group of demons and fled in haste, which almost made him lose his composure, but he did not give up observing his surroundings.

Now that I've calmed down and thought it through carefully, I quickly realized that the four-story pavilion on the dragon boat had fewer and stronger demons the higher you went.

As for his journey, neither this room nor the route he took was a choice he made willingly; rather, he was being chased by the demon and forced to come here.

The journey was fraught with danger but ultimately safe. The high-level demons did not pursue them for various reasons, and their route choices were all correct, without taking a single detour.

With almost no obstacles in sight, we arrived at the Huizhen Pavilion, which houses rare treasures from all over the world. Then, we went straight in and stood before the Seven Treasures Lotus Seed.
A chill suddenly ran down Li Cunxiao's spine. He was horrified to discover that ever since he arrived here, he seemed to have been led by the nose by an unseen hand.

In this unknown place, everything going smoothly is actually the biggest anomaly.

Upon realizing this, the hand reaching for the lotus seed immediately froze in mid-air.

On his way here, Li Cunxiao had not yet opened any of the cabinets in Huizhen Pavilion.

Generally speaking, the more important something is, the stronger the protection and security measures should be.

So, who knows what changes will occur after taking away the Seven Treasures Lotus Seed from the deepest part of Huizhen Pavilion?
Li Cunxiao hesitated for a moment, then decisively took a few steps back and withdrew his hand.

If Masters Taiyi and Qici could arrive in time, with their powerful backing, then this item would certainly not be missed.

However, I am only at the Yellow Court Realm. In an unfamiliar environment, I was completely driven here. Apart from the vague explanation of luck, the only explanation is that the person behind me has ulterior motives. Naturally, I cannot do as the other party wishes.

Perhaps the person behind the scenes will get impatient and jump out on their own.

"Ignorant youngster, with an opportunity before you, you cower in fear. Are all martial artists in the world so cowardly?"

The enormous shadow of a thousand eyes and a thousand hands clashed violently with the icy blue figure, and with each tremor, the small boat next to the dragon boat bobbed and swayed.

However, at this moment, he seemed to be provoked by something, and his attack became even more ferocious, as if he had fallen into a rage, causing the icy blue figure to be overwhelmed and fall into a disadvantageous position.

But at that moment, in the endless darkness of the void, a circle was suddenly outlined by light, like a doorway.

Outside the portal were two enormous Dharma images, one blue and one red. The Thousand-Eyed and Thousand-Handed Man and the Ice-Blue Figure simultaneously withdrew their hands. The next moment, a beam of light, like the sun, shone through the portal.

A massive beam of light pierced the darkness and quickly locked onto the third layer of the dragon boat, revealing the figure of Li Cunxiao turning around in surprise.

"Master?!?"

"found it!"

Qici and Taiyi looked at the young man deep inside the pavilion, and a great weight was finally lifted from their hearts.

At the same time, it also looked around the dark void with suspicion and vigilance, as well as at the two huge figures standing in a truce in the distance.

"A thousand eyes and a thousand arms, extreme cold and mysterious ice, could it be..."

Qi Ci's mind flashed with a certain guess, and his eyebrows twitched violently, while Taiyi quickly noticed the lotus pond next to Li Cunxiao, and the only lotus seeds left in the withered lotus pods.

Confusion, shock, ecstasy—the rapid shifts in expression were breathtaking.

Before he could even give the order, Li Cunxiao had already plucked the lotus seedpod into his hand. True energy surged from his feet, and the Wind and Fire Wheels burst into fan-shaped flames amidst the cries of the Vermilion Bird and the Wind God.

In the blink of an eye, he had already rushed out of the Huizhen Pavilion and headed straight for the huge beam of light projected by the Bone-Illuminating Mirror:

"Master, save me!!!"

"Good disciple!"

Taiyi laughed heartily, and the Dharma image of the Eastern King Duke raised the bronze mirror, which immediately emitted an even stronger light, guiding Li Cunxiao to quickly approach.

However, on the other side, the master of the Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes was furious upon seeing this:

"You took my things and think you can leave? Stay here!!!"

Having said that, the dense shadow instantly contracted and solidified inward, transforming in the blink of an eye into a gigantic Guanyin statue.

Wearing a jeweled crown and adorned with necklaces, his bare upper body was slender yet not frail. He sat cross-legged, his countenance dignified and solemn—this is how it should be.

However, on its neck, countless heads filled the void;

Nearly a thousand arms were crowded together on its shoulders, up, down, left, and right.

The dark, swirling fog made the scene even more eerie and surreal, like a nightmare experienced by someone being tortured in hell.

The enormous Dharma image completely enveloped the entire dragon boat. The moment it appeared, hundreds of arms slapped the ice-blue figure away, and hundreds more arms rushed towards Li Cunxiao, who was fleeing on his Wind and Fire Wheels.

This void was inherently dark, with only the Bone-Illuminating Mirror bringing a ray of light.

At this moment, Li Cunxiao felt as if he were completely enveloped by the writhing, screaming shadow, which seemed to conceal countless scarlet eyes that stared at him blankly, making his scalp tingle.

The Flame-Mo True Qi within his body surged into the Wind-Fire Wheels beneath his feet as if it were free, and his speeding figure left behind a fiery tornado.

However, even though Li Cunxiao tried his best, his speed inevitably slowed down the moment those hundreds of arms stretched out, even though the two sides seemed to be dozens of feet apart.

It was as if an invisible force was exerted on him, no, on the void around him!
Not only did it slow down, not only the Wind and Fire Wheels, but even the fragments floating in the void were also stuck in a stagnant, slow motion.

"The Thousand-Eyed, Thousand-Armed Guanyin? It really is you, Yang Ying, the last emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

A fleeting look of surprise and understanding crossed Taiyi's eyes, but the next moment, only a cold killing intent remained.

He stretched out his left hand, holding it horizontally forward, while his right hand followed slightly slower, with his thumb hooked back, moving towards his chest.

As he moved, the Dongwanggong Dharma Image, wearing a crown, also raised his arms, and a giant golden bow appeared in the Dharma Image's left hand, seemingly outlined with countless talismans.

As the right hand pulled back, an arc of golden light, like a bowstring being drawn, appeared in the palm of the hand, a golden object resembling a pill, emerging from the swirling vortex.

A sense of upside-down chaos and destruction permeated the air, which startled even the monk Qici.

"Hey, you old fox, be careful with your Qiankun Bow and Zhentian Arrow, don't accidentally hurt our apprentice."

"Accidental injury? Hmph, do you think that tyrant who's fallen to demonic possession would give in so easily without using some underhanded tactics?"

Before he finished speaking, he released his right thumb, and the huge image of the Eastern King also released his right hand, and the pill-like object instantly emitted a thunderous roar.

Flying at breakneck speed, so fast that its shadow is invisible, twisting and stretching, it resembles a divine arrow formed from the concentrated rays of the sun.

Li Cunxiao only saw a flash of bright light in the air, followed by a blood-curdling scream behind him.

However, at this moment, he had no time to care. He just clutched the lotus seedpod to his chest, ignoring the rapid depletion of his internal energy, and used all his strength to ride the Wind and Fire Wheels toward the circular portal.

If it weren't for the Golden Lotus continuously replenishing his true energy in his dantian, he would have been completely drained in just a dozen or so breaths.

"It's you, you traitorous minister from Louguandao! You've been disloyal to your sovereign and now you've ruined my grand plans!"

Hundreds of arms gripped the golden divine arrow tightly, as if they were grasping a ray of dawn on the horizon.

The morning light trembled incessantly, as if it were about to erupt with world-destroying heavenly fire, but in the end it was covered and devoured by more shadowy arms.

However, in that brief moment of space, Li Cunxiao was already not far from the portal opened up by Taiyi and Qici.

A palpable killing intent emanated from the enormous Thousand-Armed Guanyin statue, like a raging fire from hell, ready to devour anyone who dared to challenge it.

"Our Louguan Dao only supports true dragons. Yang Ying, you debauched ruler, you've been dead for so many years and still don't understand! It's precisely because you don't know how to reflect that you, this tyrant, have fallen into demonic possession!"

Taiyi Zhenren abandoned his usual aloofness, his words flowing like lotus blossoms, each one piercing to the heart.

Unlike the old Taoist priest, who was involved in any sectarian matters, Monk Qici remained silent today, constantly gazing at the black void.

For some reason, he had a bad feeling, but he didn't know where to begin.

"shut up!"

"You people from sects, outsiders, have no fathers, no rulers, no country, and no family!"

"The fate of the world rests on my shoulders alone. The victors are kings, the losers are villains, the virtuous are mediocre—it's not for you juniors to judge!"

The enormous image of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin shook the air and roared like a tsunami. The next moment, among its countless faces, the scarlet eyes suddenly opened.

Blood spurted into the sky, stirring up the void. Upon seeing this, Qici stomped his right foot, and one of the right hands of the image of Yamantaka immediately rose up.

The vajra rod, thick at the top and narrow at the bottom, expanded instantly, resembling a small mountain, with the Mani jewel at its very top radiating golden light like flames.

In an instant, it was as if Mount Sumeru and the great sun in the sky were tilted down together, and the air currents rubbed against each other, rushing and whistling in both directions.

However, faced with such a powerful attack, Emperor Yang of the Former Zhou Dynasty remained unmoved.

The black mist surrounding the image of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin grew thicker and thicker, even condensing into a vast, hellish scroll, within which countless evil spirits and yakshas roared, tearing apart severed limbs and flesh.

Strangely, the bigger the commotion Yang Ying made, the more her Thousand-Hand Guanyin technique seemed to trigger a rebound, constantly disintegrating and reorganizing in subtle ways, as if it were resisting or struggling against something.

Until a crimson dragon claw emerged from the darkness. Each scale was almost the size of an adult human; one can only imagine how astonishing the true form would be when the entire dragon claw tore through the darkness behind the Guanyin image.

In the distance, a glimpse of the ferocious dragon horns and its powerful body could be seen, and its overall size was probably no less than a hundred feet!

This terrifying behemoth, seemingly solid and lifelike, reveals a massive warship within its belly, radiating a crimson-gold glow.

The moment it appeared, the entire void trembled and fluctuated, causing the ring constructed by Qici and Taiyi to become unstable.

"Damn it!"

Li Cunxiao immediately recognized that the true form of the giant dragon was the very dragon boat he had just stepped onto.

Although it's unclear why this treasure is fighting the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, the aftershocks of their battle are clearly affecting my escape.

Moreover, along with the appearance of the red dragon, seemingly because the battle with the Thousand-Hand Guanyin had restrained its power, the human demons who were originally imprisoned in the dragon boat also appeared sporadically in the void.

Countless drooling demons leaped and soared in the scattered "small boats," rushing towards Li Cunxiao.

The fastest of them were not the demons that the civil and military officials had turned into after their deaths, but rather palace maids with their hair styled in flying buns and wearing colorful skirts.

These palace maids had bluish-purple faces, like drowned corpses, with blue ribbons wrapped around their shoulders and waists, the other end of which was tied to the bow of the boats.

As they struggled, many of them broke free of their restraints, and in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen came close to them.

"The woman who walks on the palace steps"

Li Cunxiao's face was gloomy. Behind him, the silver wheel spun, flying like a silver moon under the drive of the Flame Demon True Qi, before he hurled it away fiercely.

Bright as silver, blazing as fire, the silver wheel spun and easily tore those palace maids to shreds.

On the vajra, it was as if an hourglass was upside down, with flowing light and gold. In the blink of an eye, it went from empty to almost overflowing.

In an instant, all three pairs of Capricorn claws were lit up, and the entire vajra was enveloped in light, without a trace of shadow.

"What? So weak? Yet it possesses so much malevolent energy!"

Li Cunxiao was surprised, delighted, and suspicious, but his joy did not last long.

"Yuwen Jian and Sima Fufeng, haven't you always wanted to escape from here? I'm giving you that chance today!"

As the Thousand-Hand Guanyin and the Red Dragon battled, one after another, Dharma images revived and appeared in the surrounding "small boats".

One of them was none other than the icy blue figure from before, but now it appeared not in human form, but in a scene that resembled hell.

An extremely cold atmosphere spread out, as if even the air was frozen, and countless lonely ghosts with torn flesh howled and screamed in it.
The other one, however, bore a striking resemblance to the Great Vajrabhairava King of Qici. It too possessed multiple arms and legs, wielding various weapons and magical implements, but this giant's appearance was far more hideous.

His entire body emanated an endless aura of slaughter and bloodshed, and the flames of hatred seemed to ignite even the void itself.

Besides the two strongest figures, several other slightly weaker figures were also revealed. It seemed that Yang Ying had restrained the crimson dragon, which had relieved some of the restrictions on the rest.

"Ice Demon Yuwen Jian, Pozhi King Sima Fufeng, and other experts from the previous dynasty have all fallen to demonic possession?"

Qi Ci and Tai Yi's expressions instantly turned serious, and they exchanged a glance. At the same time that the giant Vajra Cudgel parted the void and exploded towards the Thousand-Hand Guanyin Dharma Image, four arrows simultaneously formed on the giant Qiankun Bow.

In the blink of an eye, the battle erupted without warning, and the entire void was covered by endless light, making it impossible to see anything for a moment.

A moment later, the light faded, and the dark void returned to silence.

A colossal red dragon stretched across the heavens and earth, and within its coils, everything from the Thousand-Armed Guanyin to the Asura King and even the Frozen Hell was bound.

Looking again now, the circular gate and the two statues behind it had vanished without a trace, and Li Cunxiao was nowhere to be seen either.

They have obviously escaped.

"Your Majesty would rather let outsiders take the Seven Treasures Lotus Seeds than give them to us. How callous!"

The extreme cold of hell dissipated, revealing a middle-aged figure dressed in a purple robe.

His pupils resembled ice reflecting the sky, displaying an extremely pale icy blue hue.

"Yuwen Jian, the longer you stay in this dragon boat cave, the worse your mind becomes."

"Have you forgotten who rebelled and caused chaos when I went to Jiangdu?"

The enormous Thousand-Hand Guanyin also dissipated, revealing a figure wearing a crown and a ceremonial robe.

The hanging tassels of his crown obscured his face, as if shrouded in shadow.

However, the domineering and tyrannical temperament of looking down on all living beings and controlling everything was even more prominent than before.

"His Majesty lost the empire due to his tyranny and was defeated by the Li family. We merely executed a tyrant; how can that be considered regicide?"

The hideous Asura King also transformed, becoming a man clad in armor.

His helmet was very distinctive, with an open beast's mouth prominently displayed on the eight-petaled herb-stitched helmet, looking ferocious and terrifying, as if it might come to life at any moment and devour its inhabitants.

"Sima Fufeng. Ha, no matter how much you say, I'm still standing here now."

"Who can kill me?"

A long silence fell over the dark void, with only the enormous crimson dragon swaying its body, binding and imprisoning all the wandering demons once more, before finally transforming into the shape of a giant warship.

Everything seemed as if nothing had happened, except for a deep voice that echoed once again through the fourth tier of the dragon boat:
"The lotus seeds have already been taken away; are they perhaps feeling smug now?"

"Hehe, they'll come back, they definitely will."

"They will definitely appear before me again on their own initiative. At that time, I will be able to see the light of day again and reclaim everything!"

"Grass!"

Li Cunxiao's figure shot out from the golden ring's portal. Because the Wind and Fire Wheels under his feet erupted too violently, he crashed directly into the stone wall, splashing up a pile of rubble and dirt.

However, Taiyi and Qici had no time to look after their precious disciple, and instead both restrained their Dharma forms.

The colossal Dongwanggong and Yamantaka shrunk to the size of ordinary people, each extending their hands to form mudras, and Buddhist Sanskrit and Taoist talismans emerged from their mouths like golden characters.

They circled around one after another, like chains, constantly squeezing the void rift.

"No, it's not enough."

The senior monk frowned, and without hesitation reached out. The Vajra staff in the Mingwang's hand immediately dropped, like a weight pressing down on a piece of paper, and the cracks and wrinkles in the void were instantly smoothed out.

The Sanskrit characters and talismans seemed to have found their center, rapidly swirling around the vajra staff, layer upon layer.

With a "thud," the head of the Vajra Cudgel sank a third into the soil and rocks, seemingly connected to the earth's veins, exuding an unshakeable aura.

"With my divine weapon suppressing them, and with the spiritual treasures restraining them, I won't be afraid of those few demons breaking through the blockade and entering the mortal world in a short time."

Taiyi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He had felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the demons reveal their true forms.

That former Emperor Yang Ying was a true grandmaster when he was alive, a first-rate figure among terrestrial immortals, comparable to the leader of a holy land like Louguan Dao.

Although he has now fallen into demonic possession and his condition is clearly off, he can still handle both him and the Great Monk at the same time, not to mention the "Ice Demon" Yuwen Jian and the "Po Zhi Wang" Sima Fufeng.

If we had been any slower, the demon in the void would probably have been released by now.

Thinking of this, Taiyi glanced at the Vajra Cudgel on the ground, which seemed to have taken root there, and asked in surprise:

"You bald thief, is this the only divine weapon you've made famous with?"

"Yes. It is because of my years of refining and polishing that this Vajra Cudgel can change at will and is connected to me. I can sense any unusual activity over there."

Qi Ci waved his hand dismissively. He was only afraid that demons like Yang Ying and Yuwen Jian would emerge and harm the people; he couldn't think of anything else.

"Master"

At this moment, Li Cunxiao, still shaken, came over, rubbing his chest and grimacing.

That thrust was too forceful; it really hurt.

But no matter how much pain one feels, it seems insignificant compared to the few moments of danger on the dragon boat.

"Sanlang, are you hurt anywhere?"

Taiyi then remembered that he had a disciple. He flashed to Li Cunxiao's side, looked him up and down with concern.

"Alright, can't you tell if something's wrong?"

Qi Ci was quite speechless. At their level, they could easily sense Li Cunxiao's physical condition with just a little perception.

In his view, not only was his disciple completely unharmed, but his true energy had even increased due to the replenishment from the golden lotus, so he was perfectly fine.

Cursing the obsequious Taoist priest inwardly, the head monk seemed to remember something:
"Disciple, what did you take with you before you left?"

Taiyi seemed to have been reminded, his eyes burning with eagerness, as if they were truly shining:
"Are those the seven-treasure lotus seeds inside the lotus pod?"

"I was just about to ask the two masters to take a look."

As Li Cunxiao spoke, he reached into his robes and took out a withered lotus seedpod.

But it's empty.

"Ok?"

The three of them were taken aback. Li Cunxiao then took off his robe and felt around the seam.

One by one, they removed their clothes until even their undershirts were taken off, and only then did the three of them see a gray lotus seed on Li Cunxiao's chest.

Taiyi, quick-witted and agile, pinched the lotus seed between two fingers and discovered that it had cracked open and was empty inside.

"Empty?! How can it be empty?!"

The old Taoist priest was lost in thought when Li Cunxiao suddenly knelt down on the ground, his face ashen.

“No, that’s not right,” Qi Ci’s eyes flickered.

Where the lotus seeds had originally stuck together, there was a small section of tender pink lotus sprout, which completely disappeared the moment the monk noticed it.

It merged into Li Cunxiao's body.

(End of this chapter)