Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 226 225 Future

Flying Tiger Escort Agency, Guest Room.

"After all this busywork, the final result is that our disciple has obtained the spiritual treasure and recognized it as his master."

"It's been three days, but when I think about it, it still feels like a dream."

Taiyi Zhenren toyed with the celadon teacup in his hand. The boiling tea rose and fell in it, but it seemed to be covered by a thin film, and not a single drop leaked out.

But he seemed distracted, and after a pause, he asked with some reluctance:
"Are you saying there's really no way to comprehend the Dongxuan Scripture?"

"Can't you have a little patience?"

Qi Ci picked up a piece of cake, which looked like an ordinary mung bean cake, but he ate it very carefully, not leaving a single crumb.

“Although Cunxiao can enter and exit the Dragon Boat Secret Realm, he has not yet fully mastered the spiritual treasure. No one else can enter except him, so how can you comprehend the ‘Dongxuan Scripture’?”

"If you ask me, that's normal. Although our disciple is exceptionally talented, his cultivation level is still not high enough. Even with a spiritual treasure, he can't use it freely."

"He is a man of great fortune. He survived a great calamity by encountering the Demon Lord Yang Ying, and even took the opportunity to comprehend the 'Dongxuan Scripture,' integrating Buddhist martial arts into his own."

As the monk spoke, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

Li Cunxiao revealed the entire "Nine-Headed Dragon King's Sutra for Subduing Demonic Obstacles" to his master without holding anything back.

His apprentice's gratitude made him very gratified, but what surprised him even more was the boundless potential of this skill, which was practically half a divine skill.

Once my good disciple has fully mastered the Lingbao Dragon Boat, he will naturally be able to comprehend the Dongxuan Scripture and perfect this technique.

"Created independently, or is it a divine skill?"

Taiyi snorted coldly when he saw the smug look on the monk's face.

"Don't just be happy."

“We’ll be going to Louguandao in a few days. Cunxiao’s practice of both Buddhism and Taoism is too conspicuous. Apart from Guanglei, it’s not good to let more people know about it for the time being.”

“His Taoist practice has only just begun; he needs to catch up quickly. Ideally, he should reach the Huangting Perfection level before returning to Louguan Taoist Temple.”

"Oh, what's so difficult about that? You've already had your bones examined with a bone-revealing mirror, haven't you?"

"Yang Ying's demonic energy has no effect on him whatsoever. With Cunxiao's willpower and experience, as long as he has enough resources, cultivating to the Yellow Court level will be a piece of cake for him."

"There are so many good things in the dragon boat, what do you have to worry about?"

It's precisely because he no longer needs me as his master that the old Taoist is uneasy!

Taiyi rolled his eyes at the other person, feeling that he couldn't sit still any longer. He got up and was about to push the door open when it opened by itself, and Li Cunxiao came in carrying a food box.

"Master, would you like to try my cooking?"

"As a master of the eighth realm, I have long since abstained from grains and have no need for meat."

The old Taoist priest raised his neck and turned his head to the side.

"It was made from the spirits in the dragon boat. I tried out the medicine preparation and the method of combining the principal, assistant, and adjuvant herbs that you taught me."

"Then I need to take the exam carefully."

Taiyi reached out and took the food box, revealing a barely perceptible smile, and glanced at the big monk beside him.

"Forget about the bald thief; he doesn't know anything about elixirs."

The senior monk raised an eyebrow and pulled out a pair of chopsticks from somewhere.

"I don't understand, but I have to taste my apprentice's feelings."

Li Cunxiao watched his two masters bickering, laughing as he took out the vegetarian dishes he had prepared and set out a few wine cups.

The condition for the dragon boat spirit to recognize its master is that he must eliminate all the humans and demons in the secret realm.

Currently, due to limited strength, among the four palaces, only the main hall of the core fourth palace, Qianyang Palace, can be entered. The third palace cannot be explored further due to the presence of Wen Zhongzi. However, the first and second outer palaces are not particularly difficult.

With the magical treasure on my person, there was no time limit, so my exploration was naturally more detailed than the previous times, and the gains were also very rich.

Although the dragon boat is called a boat, it is actually Emperor Yang's mobile palace, which has everything from clothing and food to housing and transportation.

Herb gardens, vegetable gardens, and animal gardens. Although most of them have been abandoned over time, a few have been well preserved.

"Roasted turnips, agar-agar, honey-glazed green sunflowers, tsk tsk, eating spiritual creatures as food, this is the first time this humble monk has ever done it."

The senior monk poked the turnip with his chopsticks, and the brownish-red outer shell cracked open, revealing the white flesh inside, much like water bamboo.

But once it enters your mouth, a unique sweet and fresh flavor seeps into your very bones, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.

At the same time, there is a gentle energy nourishing the body's meridians. The medicinal effect is mild yet long-lasting, and this one sip is almost equivalent to a Qi-building pill.

"Truly extravagant! The Great Zhou was like this, and the Great Qin was no different. Those who eat meat are despicable."

Like the senior monk, he took a few bites and then stopped eating, seemingly thinking of something, but not wanting to spoil his disciple's fun, he didn't say anything more.

The old Taoist priest remained completely unaffected, cheerfully extending his white jade chopsticks as he watched Li Cunxiao pour amethyst-like fruit wine from the glass wine pot.

"Hmm~ Hundreds of years old Dragon Pearl Wine, one cup and unless you have a severed hand or foot, any flesh wound can be healed without medicine. This stuff is not easy to find."

"Good lad, your master has not spoiled you for nothing."

Li Cunxiao first poured a cup for Taiyi, then poured a cup for Qici, and finally poured a cup for himself.

"My disciple survived this near-death experience and gained a great treasure, all thanks to the efforts of my masters."

When he confessed to the two of them three days ago, he was actually a little uneasy.

Grandmasters and experts, with their three elements unified, have observations of things that are no longer limited to the senses.

The so-called "selective truth-telling" can deceive others, but not oneself. In fact, even in front of the two masters, one might not be able to deceive "others".

However, the two men conveyed an attitude of trust throughout, and did not delve into the details of what Li Cunxiao said, but instead told him to prioritize safety.

Do not conceal matters of life and death.

As for the rest, they are turning a blind eye.

It would be a lie to say that Li Cunxiao was not moved by such an understanding master.

A cup of wine is nothing, just a small token of my appreciation.

"This humble monk may still have a cup of vegetarian wine."

The two exchanged a glance, both feeling gratified, and then raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

"How have your personal matters been going these past few days?"

"Songzhou City is not a place to stay for long. We must set off for Louguandao as soon as possible."

"Before that, you need to work harder on your Taoist skills, otherwise when you return to your sect and become a true disciple, there will be plenty of people gossiping about you."

After giving his instructions, Taiyi picked up the wine pot and poured himself another cup.

The value of spiritual treasures is even greater than that of divine weapons.

The latter can only last for a few hundred years, bringing prosperity to a family or a state.

The former, however, can be passed down for thousands of years, prosper a sacred place, or even control a region, thereby influencing the general trend of the world.

Although Yang Lingjun and Zheng Lang have already left, it's uncertain how long they can keep their previous explanations hidden, or whether they can be kept secret at all.

Lingbao is captivating, and its value is even greater now that heroes are about to vie for supremacy.

Even two grandmasters might not be able to protect the spiritual treasure.

The leaders of the holy lands are all grandmasters of the ninth realm, figures akin to immortals on land.

Only by returning to Louguan Dao and receiving the protection of Taiyi's senior brother, Daotong Zhenren, can we be truly safe.

Qici will naturally accompany them, but he and Taiyi will follow secretly, one openly and one covertly, and will not show themselves unless necessary.

"I have already mastered the three superior martial arts techniques: Horned Wood Dragon, Tail Fire Tiger, and Kang Golden Dragon."

As Li Cunxiao spoke, two dragons, one blue and one gold, rose from his body.

Two dragons intertwined, encircling a crimson tiger. The jade-like true energy gave a completely different feeling from the fiery and aggressive true energy of the Flame Demon True Energy, appearing gentle and full of vitality.

Among the four ultimate martial arts of Louguan Dao, the Azure Dragon True Scripture is composed of the seven superior martial arts of the seven constellations and seven gates of the Azure Dragon.

The five elements—Horned Wood Dragon, Neck Metal Dragon, Root Earth Badger, Tail Fire Tiger, and Winnowing Basket Water Leopard—correspond to the cultivation of the five internal organs.

The Sun Rabbit and the Moon Fox represent Yin and Yang, corresponding to the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, which is the realm of the Yellow Court.

After Yin and Yang and the Five Elements are complete, the Azure Dragon is condensed and enters its true form. Only then does the true essence of this unique skill begin.

Li Cunxiao was already at the peak of his True Form, and having specifically left behind a Horned Wood Flood Dragon demon at the Yellow Court realm, he was even more adept at it. With the aid of elixirs, he could complete the path he had previously traversed in less than half a year.

However, with the vajra in hand, the speed can be increased by dozens of times.

Not to mention that he had accumulated a lot of evil energy while fighting against the Ming Cult rebels, he had also gained a lot from exploring secret realms and killing demons recently, and he could basically fill the Vajra Pestle once a day.

Therefore, in just three days, Li Cunxiao had already mastered the two superior martial arts, Fire Tiger and Golden Dragon, from scratch, and even cultivated them to perfection, and had even developed true qi.

The Azure Dragon of the East is the essence of the Horned and Necked Dragons. The Horned Wood Dragon and the Necked Metal Dragon form the skeleton and core of the Azure Dragon's true form.

These two are the main components, with the other five serving as supplementary components, providing a concise overview.

The five elements are mutually generating: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Next, as long as the Di earth leopard and the Ji water leopard are cultivated, it will soon be possible to use this as a starting point to elevate the Daoist deity to the Yellow Court level before reaching the Louguan Dao.

"So fast?"

Taiyi put down the wine cup he had brought to his lips and carefully observed the three demons whose true energy had been condensed.

Li Cunxiao was already in perfect form, and his extraordinary and orthodox meridians were already fully connected. Now, it's just that the true skills of Buddhism have been moved out to make way for the true skills of Taoism. His existing abilities such as transforming true qi into form and projecting it outward will naturally not disappear.

But the old Taoist priest wasn't looking at the scales and claws, nor was he concerned with whether the manifestation of true energy was lifelike; rather, he was looking to see if it was a "human" or a "beast".

At first glance, the three figures—Jiaomu Jiao, Kang Jinlong, and Wei Huo Hu—appear as three lifelike divine beasts. However, upon closer inspection, one senses that their forms shrink and transform into human shapes.

Some were wearing helmets and armor, some were dressed in court robes, and some wore colorful robes with wide sleeves.
"Transforming demons into gods, excellent, this is the true essence of martial arts."

Taiyi Zhenren nodded in satisfaction, feeling both gratified and somewhat numb.

In terms of talent in cultivation alone, Li Cunxiao was simply the most gifted person he had ever seen, without exception.

Although the latter wasn't allowed to practice any true martial arts techniques or movement and killing techniques to advance his cultivation level, achieving mastery of two techniques in just three days was far too fast.

Even if it were a genuine disciple of the Louguan Sect, a high-grade martial art, three days would only be enough to get you to the basics, at best you could touch the threshold of minor mastery, and that would just be brushing against the threshold.

It will take at least six months to achieve a satisfactory result.

This is still a high-grade martial art. If one were to cultivate other skills simultaneously, the time would be spread out, and the speed would only be slower.

Is the enlightenment effect of the Dongxuan Scripture really that terrifying?

"It seems we don't need to worry about cultivation anymore," Qi Ci had long been used to his disciple's extraordinary talent.

"But you seem to be worrying about something else?"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao fell silent, retracting the dragon and tiger from his body. After a moment's hesitation, he said:

"It's a matter for the escort agency."

He was going to return to Louguan Dao with Taiyi and Qici, and Mucha would definitely be taking them along.

As for the large group of people in the escort agency, Zhang Lishi had previously said that he did not want to move again. Although he was worried that the Ming Cult would make a comeback after the war, he did not have any good solutions.

Everyone has their own ambitions, and we can't force them; it's just that we can't help but overthink things.

"There are also two young men in the escort agency, Ye Chengxiao and Wei He, who are both promising talents. I would like to take them to study under the Louguan Daoist sect. I wonder if it would be convenient for you, Master?"

It was rare for a disciple to have a request, so the old Taoist priest calmly replied:

"Then grant these two the status of outer disciples; it's a trivial matter."

"Ye Chengxiao originally practiced the Tiger Demon Fist of our sect, and had already mastered it twice. After entering the sect, he switched to the Tail Fire Tiger Technique."

"As for Wei He, the one who raises horses for you? His talent is even better than Ye Chengxiao's. His Qi and blood are perfected, and he only lacks a seduction spell. You can choose one to pass on to him when the time comes."

"Thank you Master!"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao felt relieved and a look of joy appeared on his face.

Now that his cultivation level is getting higher and higher, when he reaches Louguan Dao in the future, he will not be able to do everything himself. He will always need a few loyal and capable people to help him.

Wei He and Ye Chengxiao were both people he knew well, and training them would be useful in the future.

Unfortunately, most of the other members of the escort agency were of mediocre talent, and even the eldest brother, Shi Tie, wanted to stay in the agency to support Zhang Lishi in his old age.

His only worry now is the safety of the escort agency. Bai Xiangshan and Dezheng will surely take good care of them out of respect for the two grandmasters.

However, with war raging now, and who knows when another war might break out, absolute safety cannot be guaranteed.

'Ultimately, I lack the power. If I were a terrestrial deity, possessing the power to move mountains and fill seas, who would dare to offend me?'

While they were distracted, Taiyi and Qici suddenly twitched their brows in unison and got up to go outside.

Li Cunxiao was taken aback at first, but after taking a few steps outside, he also noticed something was wrong.

A faint tremor came from afar, and the sound of iron hooves gradually became clearer in the wind.

Soon, even Zhang Lishi and the others noticed and pushed open the door.

Upon seeing the two grandmasters, everyone treated them with utmost respect, but upon seeing Li Cunxiao standing to the side, the expressions of the veteran bodyguards became somewhat complicated.

Such a commotion naturally did not escape the notice of others. Soon, two figures flew out of the governor's mansion and landed on the city wall. They were Bai Xiangshan and Dezheng.

The two men looked solemn as they gazed at the distant dust and smoke, like giant waves crashing against the shore.

Banners obscured the sky, and the sharpness of armor and weapons eclipsed the sunlight, creating a chilling and menacing atmosphere.

Dezheng and Bai Xiangshan watched as the several thousand elite soldiers stopped ten miles outside the city, and only one general in silver armor rode forward.

The man had a square face, a long beard, and carried a silver spear. His words were like the clash of metal and stone:
"I am the military governor of Wuning Army under the command of the Prince of Liang. Where are the defenders of this city?"

Dezheng and Bai Xiangshan exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

"Yang Tieqiang, Yang Shihou?"

His expression didn't relax, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhu Quanzhong, the Prince of Liang, did not have a good reputation.

Violence and bloodlust were common flaws among military governors, but this one, in addition to being bloodlustful, was also extremely licentious.

It is said that when his sons were leading troops in the field, he would often summon his daughters-in-law to the palace to have affairs with them, and sometimes he would even have the wives and daughters of his subordinates offer themselves to him.

His sons and subordinates not only did not resent him, but some even shamelessly used their wives to compete for his favor in bed, trying every means to please the King of Liang and win his affection.

Among this pile of human-like objects, Yang Shihou was excessively normal.

Not only was he brave and skilled in battle, but what was also remarkable was that he governed the region without causing chaos, nor did he have the vices of killing or cannibalism, which earned him a good reputation.

That's why Bai Xiangshan breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the Eastern Capital had fallen, and almost all sixteen provinces of the country had their own warlords. Now, the only place that the imperial court could control was the capital region.

Songzhou was just a small place, but it was located at the crucial point of the Henan Circuit and the Grand Canal connecting the two capitals. As the de facto ruler of the Henan Circuit, Zhu Quanzhong could not allow it to be isolated.

"I am Bai Xiangshan, and I am honored to serve as the Prefect of Songzhou. I wonder what instructions you have for me, General?"

Bai Xiangshan noticed two streaks of light flying from the direction of the escort agency, which gave him confidence. He took the initiative to descend the city wall and stopped ten zhang away to talk to the silver-speared general.

"A forest of silver spears—are they the Silver Spear Soldiers under Zhu Quanzhong's command?"

Taiyi and Qici went up to the city wall, glanced at the armor and banners of the army outside the city, and immediately understood what was going on.

"Silver Spear Master, Yang Shihou?"

Looking at the several thousand elite soldiers, their disciplined ranks and imposing presence were even more chilling than Qin Fengquan's nearly ten thousand demonic troops, and Li Cunxiao felt a chill run down his spine.

Zhu Quanzhong had two elite troops under his command: one was his personal guard, "Luoyandu," and the other was Yang Shihou's "Yinqiang Xiaojiedu."

Similarly, the military governors in various regions also had their own personal troops. For example, Li Yisheng, the Prince of Jin, who had always been at odds with Zhu Quanzhong, had a "Hengchongdu" under his command, which was known as "roaming the world and charging into battle".

It was led by his adopted son, Li Siyuan, the Grand Protector among the Twelve Protectors, who was also known as "Li Hengchong" because of this.

"The city guards are already wounded and are not as elite as the troops outside the city. If a battle breaks out, they will likely suffer heavy losses."

"Master, how strong is this Yang Shihou?"

"He is also at the Grandmaster level."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao's heart sank, and his body tensed slightly, already prepared for battle at any moment.

However, it is unknown what Bai Xiangshan and that person talked about. A moment later, more than half of the thousands of troops suddenly turned their formation around and slowly retreated, leaving only a few hundred silver-spear soldiers who set up camp on the spot.

The famous Yang Tieqiang did not come up to the city. He simply bowed to the direction from afar and then rode away.

The soldiers guarding the city breathed a sigh of relief as they watched their governor return to the city wall with a complicated expression, holding a brand-new flag in his hand.

There is a large "beam" on top.

(End of this chapter)