Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 217, Section 216: A Bountiful Harvest, Spatial Fluctuations

The spiritual creatures of the four seasons?

Li Cunxiao sensed the hidden joy in Du Guanglei's tone and couldn't help but feel a bit curious.

The other party is already at the sixth level of the Heavenly Ladder at such a young age, and comes from a major sect, so he must be very knowledgeable.

Something that can elicit such a reaction must be extraordinary.

He hurried forward, scanning the room closely. It looked like a medicine cabinet in a pharmacy, with drawers all open, one above the other, one to the left and one to the right.

The difference is that these drawers are almost as big as millstones, creating a spacious storage area.

In front of Du Guanglei was an open drawer containing a series of jade boxes arranged in a grid pattern, stored one next to the other without being stacked.

Inside the opened jade box, within the four sections shaped like the character "田" (field), there are magnolia petals resembling mutton fat and amber stamens, transparent cicada shells in black and gold, irregular copper blocks exuding a mellow fragrance, and pale yellow wintersweet blossoms radiating a slight chill.

"Spring magnolia, summer cicada, autumn wild goose, winter snow plum, the spiritual objects of the four seasons. Senior Brother Du, are these the raw materials for the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Pill?"

Li Cunxiao's pharmacology was taught by Taiyi. Although he didn't know much about the cultivation of the Heavenly Ladder Realm, he could still get a glimpse of it from some advanced pill formulas.

"That's right, these are exactly the ingredients for the Twenty-Four Qi Pill."

Du Guanglei happily closed the jade box, counting the items as he explained:

"Imagine, from the internal organs to the Yellow Court and then to the true form, cultivate the Five Elements, understand Yin and Yang, and control yourself to become the master of your own little world."

"The so-called Heavenly Ladder is the human spine, also known as the Twenty-Four Heavenly Bones."

"Internally cultivate the marrow and root, and externally connect with heaven and earth. The spine is the great dragon, the bridge between the human body and heaven and earth."

"The spine has twenty-four vertebrae, which correspond to the twenty-four solar terms. The solar terms are the operation of heaven and earth, and the waxing and waning of yin and yang."

"The changes of Yin and Yang, namely Lesser Yang, Greater Yang, Lesser Yin, and Greater Yin, correspond to the four seasons and the changes of the Five Elements."

"Through the spine, the five elements and yin and yang of the internal organs correspond to the waxing and waning of the four seasons of heaven and earth. The microcosm communicates with the macrocosm, which allows one to absorb spiritual energy into the body and synthesize more profound true essence. This is the key to cultivating the Heavenly Ladder Realm."

"Cultivating to the Heavenly Ladder Realm takes anywhere from a dozen to several decades. A single Twenty-Four Qi Pill is enough to compensate for four or five years of arduous work."

“Even though I am a true disciple of the sect, the annual quota for these Twenty-Four Qi Pills is very limited.”

When Du Guanglei got to this point, Li Cunxiao naturally understood why the other party was so delighted.

They also realized the immense value of the Twenty-Four Qi Pills promised by Taiyi Zhenren to the Louguan Sect.

"There are eighteen portions of ingredients here, just right, my junior brother and I will each take half."

"Unfortunately, after hundreds of years, these raw materials have remained unused and have retained their spiritual essence, while the medicinal properties of the pills have been lost, resulting in a complete waste."

"The royal family of the former Zhou dynasty treasured pills. If one could find a pill king of the Four Symbols and Four Gods level, that would be a true stroke of good fortune."

As Li Cunxiao thanked him, he put away the four seasonal spirit items. Then, hearing Du Guanglei utter unfamiliar words, he couldn't help but ask:
"The Great Elixir of the Four Symbols and Four Gods?"

Du Guanglei slapped his forehead, "I forgot that my junior brother hasn't returned to the sect yet."

“Junior brother, even Uncle Taiyi couldn’t cultivate the Pill King on his own; the sect leader had to assist him.”

"This elixir has countless uses. It is said that after nine cycles of cultivation, one can ascend to immortality with a single elixir. You will learn about these when you return to Louguan Dao."

One elixir ascended to immortality? That's an exaggeration!

These things had never been heard from Taiyi before, presumably due to the sect rules. After all, he hadn't entered the sect yet, so there were some things he couldn't say aloud.

For a moment, Li Cunxiao couldn't help but feel even more curious about Louguandao.

As they ventured deeper, the demons they encountered grew increasingly powerful, making their exploration more and more difficult.

The demons at the Heavenly Ladder Realm are alright; even if they can't defeat them, they can at least escape.

However, some palaces exuded a terrifying aura that could be felt even from a mile away, and the two dared not approach them at all.

During this time, Li Cunxiao also sought out high places to explore the terrain and discovered that the layout of the entire palace complex was actually similar to that of a dragon boat.

The dragon boat has four pavilions, and the palace complex is divided into four sections by three city walls, like four squares of decreasing size.

Their exploration stalled at the second level, as the entrances to the third level were guarded by the Xiaoguo Guard and the Left Martial Guard General, who appeared to be at the Xuan Guan realm.

With treasures ahead but lacking the strength, Li Cunxiao and Du Guanglei could only clear the second layer one by one to be on the safe side. They did obtain quite a few rare and precious materials, but none of them were as high-level as the seasonal spiritual items they had obtained before.

"The Drum Flower? There are many junior brothers and sisters in the sect who have broken through to the True Form stage, and the Tranquilizing Pill has always been in short supply. This item is not bad to take back."

Du Guanglei opened several large boxes, inside which were arranged on shelves made of a certain kind of fragrant wood, displaying white jade-like flowers.

"There are twenty-one boxes here in total. Junior Brother Li is still in the True Form Realm, so please take one more box."

"Junior Brother Li?"

Li Cunxiao gazed at the vajra, whose five claws had already been lit, and felt a sense of joy.

Despite his constant fighting and looting, he and Du Guanglei have probably only explored less than one-twentieth of the second level area so far.

This has already given him four opportunities to break through the barrier, and he's almost at five.

The efficiency is astonishing.

'Luckily, the Vajra has been upgraded, allowing it to hold more malevolent energy; otherwise, I would have had to use it to avoid taking up space.'

'Now, apart from the Dragon Flower Great Handprint of the Wood element, which is at a minor level of mastery, the other four martial arts have all been perfected, and the Supreme Secret Nana Heaven Scripture is also an incomplete, ultimate-level technique.'

"Once the Heavenly Ladder is perfected, we'll switch to cultivating new fundamental techniques, as well as martial arts like the Fiery Hellfire Spear. Master said the advanced stages all require consuming large amounts of malevolent energy."

Li Cunxiao, who was planning his cultivation, snapped out of his reverie upon hearing this and smiled:

"Senior brother, you're too kind. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gained so much along the way."

"Back then, I went to great lengths to obtain a single tree of Drum Flower, but now I can easily acquire enough raw materials to refine hundreds of Tranquilizing Pills. The twists and turns of life are truly indescribable."

"Besides, Senior Brother, have you forgotten that I have already achieved the Perfection of True Form? You should keep this box of Drum Flowers; your family and clansmen might find it useful."

"That's right."

Du Guanglei chuckled to himself, only then realizing that the person before him was a prodigy who defied conventional wisdom.

However, the Du family of Jingzhao, from which he himself came, has been declining in recent years.

If we had these Migu flowers, the elderly in the clan could at least live a few more years in peace.

After all, the physical body is the foundation of the primordial spirit, and as one ages and the body weakens, the risk of falling into demonic possession and corruption increases.

In youth, one may be able to overcome all obstacles, but in old age, one may not be able to maintain true sincerity. Such a thing is all too common in the vast capital region.

After the two of them had thoroughly searched the place, they estimated that it had been more than half an hour since they entered the secret realm.

This is a rare opportunity, and who knows what might happen to those grandmasters.

Just as they were leaving the room to continue their journey, they suddenly heard the sounds of fighting, which were getting closer and closer to them.

"Someone?"

Du Guanglei's expression tightened, and flames shot out from his wrist guards and leg braces. The Vermilion Bird True Essence transformed into a celestial horse, protecting the two of them.

After rounding a corner and seeing who it was, Li Cunxiao's expression immediately became quite interesting. A huge, chaotic group of people were rushing about like wolves and pigs, their various forms of true energy shimmering brightly.
Less than three zhang in front of the demon, Deng Xuanjing and Zheng Ya gritted their teeth and moved their legs as fast as wheels.

The former had a crooked hair bun and a tattered Taoist robe, revealing the inner armor underneath;

The latter's turban was cut in half, revealing a stiff cloth support, and the scabbard of the precious sword at his waist was nowhere to be seen.

His attire was utterly disheveled, lacking any of the composure expected of a high-ranking Taoist master or a young nobleman.

"Li Cunxiao? Brother Du?"

The two people opposite him did not conceal themselves, so Zheng Ya saw them at a glance. Especially after spotting the latter, a look of joy instantly spread across his face.

"Gentlemen, please lend a hand!"

Without Zheng Ya saying a word, Du Guanglei took action after recognizing the person who had arrived.

Putting aside the fact that the relationships between these groups aren't bad, the key issue is that the masters behind them are all in the secret realm. If they were to stand by and do nothing, it would be incredibly awkward when they got out.

The Vermilion Bird True Essence burned fiercely, like crimson gold flames, surging into the extremities. With a low shout from Du Guanglei, dozens of fiery steeds charged out, the high temperature distorting the light and leaving afterimages, making it seem as if hundreds or thousands of cavalry were charging.

Moreover, during the charge, they automatically avoided Zheng Ya and Deng Xuanjing, who were rushing towards them, and once they were inside the human-demon horde, they immediately burst into towering flames.

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd seen it, Li Cunxiao still couldn't help but admire the move "Heavenly Horse Soaring Through the Void".

Only a few dozen of the galloping horses were formed from condensed true essence; the rest were afterimages. However, true essence also existed within these afterimages, which could interfere with a martial artist's judgment.

Unless one is a martial artist with a profound understanding of the martial arts world and has opened the ancestral aperture between their eyebrows, any ordinary person with the naked eye would basically have no choice but to take the hit head-on.

Of course, Du Guanglei's move was not without flaws, but for someone of Li Cunxiao's skill level, it was almost irresistible.

Decades of practice, experience, and inspiration have combined to create this deadly move that rivals any martial arts technique.

It was only because he possessed the Wind and Fire Wheels that he had the confidence to maneuver around.

Fortunately, after the vajra was upgraded, it gained the ability to perform deductions.

'I don't need to accumulate it myself; with enough killing intent, inspiration will flow like a spring, enough to make up for any lack of experience.'

Zheng Ya and Deng Xuanjing were shocked by the terrifying power of the attack and slowed down. Before the two approached, they quickly straightened their clothes and went forward to express their gratitude.

"We fled in panic, making a fool of ourselves in front of you two."

"You flatter me. With your cultivation levels, it would be unwise to fight so many demons head-on."

"Besides, even without my help, you two must have protective treasures left by your elders. It was just a small favor, so don't worry about it."

Li Cunxiao wasn't surprised when Du Guanglei said that.

After all, he possessed divine weapons left behind by Taiyi—such an arrogant situation was an exception, and Zheng Lang and Yang Lingjun could not possibly fail to take some precautions for their disciple.

However, without their trump card, the two of them probably wouldn't dare to go any further. If they wanted to play it safe, they could only wait until the grandmasters had decided the winner before leaving the secret realm.

Hearing that Du Guanglei was giving them face, Zheng Ya and Deng Xuanjing's expressions softened.

Originally, the two explored separately, but they unexpectedly met in the first level and naturally became companions. At first, things went smoothly, and they obtained several useful rare and precious materials.

However, once they reached the second level, it wasn't that they were reckless; the demons at the Heavenly Ladder level were far more difficult to deal with, and their senses were also much sharper.

Relying on the treasure bestowed upon them by their elders, the two decided to take a risk. Their attempt, however, stirred up a hornet's nest; they evaded the demon captains of the Heavenly Ladder realm, but couldn't escape the densely packed fourth and fifth realm demons.

To put it bluntly, Deng Xuanjing only had six extraordinary meridians and the Yellow Court cultivation level, while Zheng Ya only had four extraordinary meridians.

He could still rampage and kill indiscriminately when facing the Yellow Court Demon, but he could only run away for his life when facing the True Form Demon.

Moreover, the second level of demons had a larger number of people, and they killed as they fled, causing their true energy to be consumed like a flood.

Fortunately, they encountered Du Guanglei; otherwise, the two, whose pills were almost exhausted, probably wouldn't have lasted much longer.

"Brother Li, have you been with Brother Du the whole time?"

Zheng Ya noticed Li Cunxiao's neat and tidy appearance and asked in confusion.

"Yes. Thanks to Senior Brother Du, we escaped danger several times."

Li Cunxiao smiled broadly, as if he were on a picnic, which made Zheng Ya feel inexplicably sad.

Having bodyguards at the Heavenly Ladder level is really great.

Is this the kind of treatment the disciples of the two great masters, Taiyi Zhenren and Budai Maitreya, receive?

"Junior Brother Li, your... your cultivation level..."

However, Deng Xuanjing's focus was not on this.

From the moment she saw the two of them, she felt a faint sense of threat, as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

Du Guanglei's cultivation level was two major realms higher than hers, and after concealing his aura, Deng Xuanjing could not detect him at all.

In that case, only Li Cunxiao would be left.

But how long has it been since we last met?

Could it be that the other party also has the six extraordinary meridians, or even the seven extraordinary meridians?
It couldn't possibly be the Great Perfection of the Yellow Court, could it?

"Slight improvement."

Li Cunxiao gave a brief reply, not wanting to say more, intending to make the most of the time and collect as many gold coins as possible in this secret realm.

Just as Du Guanglei was about to call Zheng Ya and Deng Xuanjing to follow, four powerful auras suddenly erupted from the depths of the palace.

In an instant, the wind and clouds changed color, and the palace trembled. If this place had not actually been transformed from the Spirit Treasure Dragon Boat, the roof tiles would probably have been shattered.

"It's the aura of grandmasters fighting. Is it Master and the others?"

Deng Xuanjing looked at the flashing lightning in the sky and muttered to himself.

Zheng Ya also found a touch of purple-gold, and at first he breathed a sigh of relief, but then he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Only a Grandmaster can fight against a Grandmaster. Is there such a master in this secret realm?
Just then, an invisible wave suddenly swept out from where the beams of light collided.

Along the way, the gold bricks and copper walls seemed to be distorted, either missing a piece or having an abrupt addition of parts that did not belong to them.

"Not good! It's a spatial fluctuation from the secret realm, junior brother, get out of the way!"

Du Guanglei's expression changed drastically when he saw an invisible ripple suddenly bloom from beside Li Cunxiao.

Things happened so fast that before the former could even react, the Bone-Illuminating Mirror suddenly emitted a radiant light like the sun from the latter's body.

With a flash of light, Li Cunxiao vanished from his spot in an instant.

When they reappeared, they were already deeper inside the palace complex.

Before Li Cunxiao could react, he was lifted up by a great force.

Looking back, the scenery changed at lightning speed, making one want to vomit.

Meanwhile, Monk Qici, wielding a thick, menacing spiked club in one hand, swept it out, creating sonic booms, while looking at his disciple with some confusion:
"Cunxiao, what are you doing here?"

(End of this chapter)