Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 219, Chapter 218: The Supreme Lord Xuan Yuan, the Palace of Qianyang

Has he truly integrated the teachings of the three religions into one?

Hearing the other party admit it himself, Li Cunxiao's heart, which had just calmed down, began to churn again.

As a martial artist who gradually progressed from the Qi and Blood Realm to the True Form Realm, he fully understood the difficulties of cultivating the Demonic Martial Path.

Even just cultivating a single avatar is difficult enough to cause many to fail at the True Form Realm, let alone cultivating avatars from three different religions simultaneously—the difficulty is practically as high as ascending to heaven.

Even though he possessed the Vajra Pestle, he dared not try it lightly. It was only after obtaining the Seven Treasures Lotus that he was able to act without restraint and maximize his advantages.

However, this Wen Zhongzi was able to cultivate the three religions simultaneously on his own, and only when he reached the Grandmaster realm did he show signs of mental instability and near demonic possession, which was already astonishing.

Such perseverance and talent truly make one a man of exceptional talent.

If he had only focused on one skill, he would probably have become a grandmaster by now.

“My disciple, this Wen Zhongzi is no ordinary person.”

Qi remained calm and secretly transmitted his voice to his disciple.

"This man was famous at a young age, and was skilled in both literature and martial arts. When he came of age, he was recommended and passed the examination for filial piety, brotherly love and integrity, and was appointed as a corrector in the Secretariat."

"But because he disliked the turmoil in the court, he gave up his promising future in the capital and requested to be transferred to a post outside the capital, which is why he became the assistant magistrate of Liuhe County in Yangzhou."

"Later, when he was over forty and about to break through to the Grandmaster level, he resigned from his official post and went into seclusion."

"When this Wenzhongzi reappeared before the world, he was already a master who had integrated the three religions."

“I once read in an ancient book that this Master Wenzhong advocated Confucianism as the main body, while incorporating Buddhism and Taoism, and integrating the three teachings.”

"At that time, he had quite a few disciples who all followed him to learn."

"It is said that Wen Zhongzi's single work, 'The Middle Way,' is worth more than a scroll of divine skill. My disciple, with the Seven Treasures Lotus within you, your future path will surely be one of cultivating both Buddhism and Taoism."

"If you could receive guidance from Wen Zhongzi, you would benefit immensely."

Li Cunxiao naturally understood these things, and with his master's guidance and support, he spoke frankly:
"What you said is true, senior. The Seven Treasure Lotus is indeed on me."

"As for cultivating other religions, I do not concern myself with the three religions, but I do cultivate Buddhism and Taoism. If you could give me some guidance, I would be extremely grateful."

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhongzi glanced at Qi Ci subconsciously, then smiled faintly, knowing that it was probably the master giving advice to his disciple.

"Actually, this matter is not difficult to explain. It is simply a matter of dividing the main trunk into branches and sub-branches to control the demon and the main body."

"Among the three teachings, there must be a primary and a secondary one; and between the primary and the secondary, there must be a connection."

"For example, the Supreme Qi transforms into the Three Pure Ones; though the names of the Three Treasures—Tianbao, Lingbao, and Shenbao—are different, their essence is the same."

"For example, Taizong taught and established the Daoist school; he went west beyond the pass and converted the barbarians to Buddhism; Wenxuan inherited the Dao and transformed the Confucian community."

"The three thousand words of the sages have a source and branches, and all rivers flow into the sea. If you want to return to the origin and not lose your way, what you rely on is nothing more than the Doctrine of the Mean, which is the Middle Way."

"Before the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are aroused, it is called equilibrium; when they are aroused and all are in proper measure, it is called harmony. Equilibrium is the great foundation of the world, and harmony is the universal path of the world!"

The meaning of the text is not difficult to understand. The so-called simultaneous cultivation of the three religions does not mean that there are three main deities fighting each other. Rather, it means that, just as the main deity commands the demon, there should be a distinction between primary and secondary roles.

However, the three deities cannot simply be ranked in terms of primary and secondary status; they must also be interconnected and subtly linked to form a unified whole.

The Supreme One is the Supreme Mysterious Emperor, the progenitor passed down through generations of Taoists.

Emperor Taizong Wen conquered the country on horseback. After establishing his rule, he determined the hierarchy of the three religions, placing Taoism first, Confucianism second, and Buddhism third.

The most telling sign of the Taoist sect's status was that the imperial Li family regarded the Taoist ancestor Li Zu as their ancestor, bestowed upon him the title of Emperor, and honored him as the Supreme Mysterious Origin Emperor.

Legend has it that the Supreme Master transmitted the Dao to the ancient King Wenxuan, who founded the Confucian school.
Later, he went west out of the pass, transformed into the Buddha, and taught the Hu people, thus giving birth to Buddhism.

In this way, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin is not only the highest deity in Taoism, but also the source of Confucianism and Buddhism.

Using this as a framework, one can naturally connect the three teachings.

Once the underlying principles are established, the next step is the method of cultivating the mind, which is the Middle Way.

Before the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure arise, it is called the state of equilibrium. Without joy or sorrow, without worry or anxiety, it is just like the Buddhist saying, "Originally there is nothing, so where can dust settle?" This is the fundamental state.

But life is never without its ups and downs. When the seven emotions arise, they are all in moderation. Moderation means restraining and regulating them to bring them into harmony.

Wen Zhongzi's words can be said to have summarized all his life's learning, pointed out the direction, and enlightened Li Cunxiao.

However, direction is just direction; you also need a path to walk. To truly master the three teachings, detailed steps and experience are even more important, involving specific secrets and techniques.

This is not something you should say to a complete stranger you've just met.

"Brother Dao is just teasing us. If you have the means, you might as well just say so."

Qi Ci guessed that things wouldn't be that simple, and thought that the other party must have other conditions.

Did you want to help him out of his predicament yourself?
"I would like to ask you to kill me."

"What did you say?!"

Li Cunxiao and his disciples were greatly surprised, but Wen Zhongzi remained calm and casually tossed the small dragon, which was glowing white, into Qi Ci's hand.

"I would like to ask you to kill me and rid the world of a great scourge."

"Brother Dao, you just fought with me, so you should know what I mean."

Qi Ci fell silent for a moment, then bowed deeply and respectfully.

"Brother Dao, your righteousness is truly admirable."

"I just wanted to maintain some semblance of dignity."

The latter waved his hand and smiled at Li Cunxiao:
“Young friend, if you can get rid of that tyrant and gain the approval of the spirit treasure, then come to me again, and I will impart all my knowledge to you.”

"But if that tyrant wins, I would rather become a demon and fight him to the death, perishing together in this secret realm!"

The words were plain, but the unwavering determination they conveyed left no room for doubt.

Qi Ci said nothing more, and with his true essence, he activated the white dragon in his hand. With a low roar, the space in front of him rippled, as if a stone had rolled into water.

The senior monk grabbed Li Cunxiao's shoulder, gave the old scholar a deep look, turned around and bumped into him, disappearing into the ripples of space without a trace.

"On the verge of death, he was able to regain his senses and meet a talented man who possessed the Seven Treasures Lotus. Fate is truly cruel."

Wen Zhongzi watched the two leave, but his thoughts drifted back to hundreds of years ago.

At that time, the Great Zhou Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. Yang Ying, who was in power, was not a foolish ruler, but rather a man of great talent and ambition. Unfortunately, he was impulsive and stubborn.

Whether it was building dragon boats or opening canals, not only did they fail to save the dynasty from collapse, they actually hastened its demise.

Now, the Qin Dynasty, which replaced the Zhou Dynasty, is also at its end and about to be buried.
A long, drawn-out sigh echoed through the empty palace.

"Gazing westward towards the capital, I hesitate; countless palaces and towers have all turned to dust."

"When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer."

In a palace somewhere in the secret realm, the enormous image of the Eastern King slowly retracted into the old Taoist's body.

Taiyi held a black longbow in his left hand, his hair was disheveled, and his expression was not relaxed.

Ten feet in front of him was a figure in golden armor and red robes, kneeling on one knee, with three heads and eight arms, standing twelve feet tall.

However, five of its eight arms were broken, and two of its three heads were only half intact. Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly flooding the ground and threatening to engulf the area.

Even with such severe injuries, the head in the middle of the neck still had a glimmer of life in its eyes, though its clarity was no longer visible.

"What a formidable three-headed, eight-armed Asura King! He's truly difficult to kill."

Just as he was feeling sentimental, a strange fluctuation came from behind him. Taiyi immediately drew his bow, and a golden arrow instantly took shape.

Ripples spread out, and a large, fat monk led a young man out.

"Where have you come from this time? Is this the Qianyang Palace?"

"Bald thief? Saburo?"

"Master?"

The old Taoist priest recognized the newcomer, his hand trembled as he put away his bow and arrows, and in the blink of an eye, he darted in front of Li Cunxiao, looked him up and down, and only after a moment did he breathe a sigh of relief:

"Alright, alright, it's good that you're alright. How did you get here?"

"Depend on this."

Qi took out the White Dragon, which seemed both real and illusory, somewhere in between. With a gentle poke from the former, the White Dragon flew into the old Taoist's hand without any resistance.

"The key to the Qianyang Palace, the core of the secret realm?!"

Seeing the old Taoist's surprise, Li Cunxiao then recounted what had happened between the two.

Taiyi was deeply moved after hearing this.

"Wen Zhongzi, a once-powerful figure in the previous dynasty, a grandmaster who could hold his own against a great grandmaster."

"Such a talented person is wasting his life here, nearing his death, and even at risk of falling into demonic possession."

The old Taoist sighed deeply, but Li Cunxiao's attention was drawn to the three-meter-tall giant Asura not far away.

The scene of blood everywhere, three heads and eight arms, and a ferocious face was extremely impactful, and Li Cunxiao quickly found a matching object in his memory.

"Sima Fufeng, the former Grand General of the Valiant Guard of the Zhou Dynasty?"

"I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it."

Taiyi slapped his forehead, took out a gourd, and sucked in the gourd. The blood spring on the ground immediately gushed out like a waterfall.

Li Cunxiao roughly estimated that so much blood could probably fill a fishpond; the sheer terror of a Grandmaster's vitality was astonishing.

The thick, almost overflowing, malevolent aura in the blood was even more enticing.

Unfortunately, Taiyi wouldn't allow him to come into contact with this demonic blood without proper treatment.

With a sigh of regret, Li Cunxiao examined Sima Fufeng's corpse more closely. Seeing the golden armor on his body shining brightly and exuding the familiar aura of a divine weapon, he couldn't help but feel a little tempted.

"This is the Vajira Asura King Divine Armor, a top-grade divine weapon that made Sima Fufeng famous, with both offensive and defensive capabilities."

"Divine armor is already rare among divine weapons, and the value of this item far exceeds that of ordinary high-grade divine weapons."

As the old Taoist spoke, he reached out and his emerald green true energy captured the golden armor.

The moment they made contact, the latter suddenly turned from gold to deep red, emitting bursts of angry roars that made people restless and filled with rage.

"However, the downside is that this divine weapon is too bloodthirsty. After its master, Sima Fufeng, became possessed by a demon, it was also tainted by demonic nature, making it an absolute demonic weapon."

"It cannot be used before it is re-refined, otherwise it will easily be tainted by the residual demonic energy of the Grandmaster."

Master, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid at all!

Li Cunxiao wanted to say that, but Taiyi snorted and increased the force. The divine armor wailed and shrank before it could react and was put into the Linglong Pagoda.

"The physical body of a grandmaster also has endless uses."

"If Sima Fufeng hadn't been trapped for many years and hadn't been in contact with the heavens and earth for so long, losing half of his strength, I wouldn't have been able to defeat him so easily."

Taiyi explained, then lifted the Linglong Pagoda and took away the enormous Asura corpse.

Li Cunxiao keenly noticed that although Sima Fufeng was dead, his body was still "alive".

Not only did the muscles contract and undulate, but there also seemed to be airflow coming out of the mouth and nose, which was quite frightening.

'A grandmaster's vitality is terrifying; could he really survive being beheaded?'

Noticing the unusual expression on his disciple's face, Qi Ci couldn't help but explain:
"The realm of the Mysterious Pass opens the ancestral aperture between the eyebrows, cultivates the primordial spirit, and connects with heaven and earth;"

"In the realm of the primordial embryo, the three treasures unite as one, condense the Dharma form, return to the origin, and refine the embryonic form."

"Grandmasters are no longer ordinary people, but gods, Buddhas, or demons."

"For a martial artist of this level, simply destroying their physical body is not enough; you also need to destroy their primordial spirit to make them truly dead."

After imparting his experience in silencing witnesses, the head monk looked at Taiyi again:
"Aside from the tyrant who is the strongest, Yuwen Jian should have been dealt with by now."

"Now that we have the key, we should go into the Qianyang Palace first, make contact with the dragon boat spirit as soon as possible, and gain the upper hand."

"Exactly that."

The old Taoist priest nodded, grasped the white dragon in his hand, and unleashed his true energy.

The two men each reached out a hand to grab Li Cunxiao. In the next instant, ripples appeared in the space, light and shadow flickered all around, and the scenery changed rapidly.

Every scene in this vast heavenly palace flashed before the three of them: pavilions, terraces, waterside pavilions, singing stages, and grand palaces.
Li Cunxiao even seemed to see Du Guanglei and his group flash by.

'Is Yang Lingjun facing Yuwen Jian? This Taoist nun's thunder magic is quite fierce.'

The scene of Lei Gong confronting the Crimson Hell flashed by, and Qi Ci couldn't help but touch his stomach.

'Zheng Lang and Qin Fengquan teamed up against Yang Ying? No, they didn't team up. Neither Zheng Lang nor Yang Ying used their full strength; they're two old foxes.'

Taiyi also saw the fleeting scene, and vaguely felt Yang Ying's gaze fall upon him. He immediately felt a tightness in his heart and moved even more diligently.

Soon, the white dragon let out a low roar, and the three figures appeared in front of a grand hall.

This hall is unlike any I've seen before.

The foundation of the hall is nine feet high, and the height from the ground to the roof ridge is 270 feet, with thirteen bays and twenty-nine eaves;

Carved railings and latticework, hundreds of bracket sets, thousands of cloud-shaped lintels, rusted pillars and ornate railings, the magnificent roof and eaves are truly breathtaking;
Its pillars are twenty-four spans in circumference, leaning against the well with double lotus flowers. Looking up at them, one is dazzled by the southern pavilion. They are adorned with jade silk and colorful ribbons, and do not reach the ground for seven feet. The four sides are surrounded by a corridor, with stone statues of warriors guarding it.

There are two large wells on the left and right sides of the palace, each twenty feet wide; there are two towers on the southeast, southwest and southwest sides of the courtyard, with a bell hanging on one tower and a water clock hanging below the tower, which rings the bell and the drum according to the water clock.

The height of the main hall far exceeded that of the surrounding area. As the three of them climbed the steps, they could even see three layers of high walls nested in a "回" shape from near to far.

Without a doubt, this is the center of the Dragon Boat Secret Realm, the main hall of the Dragon Back Heavenly Palace.

The Qianyang Palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

As the three approached, the massive palace doors swung open.

The spacious main hall faces south, with a central axis extending from the entrance to the end of the hall. On a ten-foot-high Sumeru pedestal, a chair with double dragon armrests overlooks all living beings.

Above it, a red dragon coiled.

(End of this chapter)