Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 234 233 The Azure Dragon God, Daoist Military Techniques (6,000 words)

Dragon Boat Secret Realm, Third Level.

"Divine Fire Shield, go!"

With a low shout, three winding fire dragons, carrying scorching flames, transformed into dark red ropes in mid-air, weaving into a net.

At the ends of the three long ropes, eight-spoked golden wheels spun rapidly, and the flames on the fire net became even more intense, even embedding themselves into the flesh, revealing the steel-like bones.

The Demon Captain cried out in pain, letting out a furious roar. His true energy surged and manifested, and the dark demon stretched out its claws and fangs, trying to break free.

Li Cunxiao remained calm and composed. Among his six arms, he pinched his thumb and middle finger together, while the other fingers were naturally relaxed.

The left palm faces upward and is placed below, while the right hand faces left and is placed above, forming the mudra of preaching.

"Duh!"

The syllables that were uttered sounded like thunderclaps, and the demon captain suddenly stiffened all over, and even the form formed by his true essence showed signs of disintegration in an instant.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Cunxiao raised his remaining two arms in front of his chest, his fingers naturally extended upwards, his palms facing outwards as if performing the Abhaya Mudra (gesture of fearlessness).

Azure and crimson true energy intertwined, and dozens of lions flew out from the palm print, taking advantage of the moment when the Human Demon Captain was stunned, and devoured all the scattered True Form Realm Human Demons around them.

Within the Flaming Jewel, a burst of burning wood-like energy, symbolizing death and stillness, exploded. In an instant, not even bones remained, leaving only a few broken pieces of armor and weapons, while the light on the Vajra instantly increased significantly.

"Roar!!!"

The Demon Captain roared, and his dark true energy suddenly pushed open the Divine Fire Cover. Upon seeing this, Li Cunxiao summoned the Wind and Fire Wheels without hesitation.

The zigzagging fire streaked across the sky, and in the blink of an eye, the armor and weapons on the ground were picked up and flew into the air, leaving only the Demon Captain jumping up and down on the ground.

"After the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover is mastered to a minor degree, it can trap a Heavenly Ladder martial artist for ten breaths, but the Dragon Flower Lion Fist Seal is not enough to secure victory."

"It's a pity I don't know what good things are inside the palace that the Human Demon Captain is guarding so fiercely. If only I could travel freely through space in the secret realm."

His gaze was lowered, like a straight line, passing over the crazed demon captain and landing on the tightly closed palace gate.

"The Pavilion of Beauties? Could this place be filled with Emperor Yang's concubines? Are demons also lustful?"

Shaking his head to banish distracting thoughts, he flew towards the Qianyang Palace with his Wind and Fire Wheels.

For the next two weeks after arriving at Louguandao, Li Cunxiao spent all his time in the secret realm, except for continuing to learn alchemy from the old Taoist.

Now, in the third level of the secret realm, apart from the human-demon captains like the one just now, he has dealt with all the remaining miscellaneous soldiers one by one.

In other words, if he cannot resolve the issue of these few Heavenly Ladder Realm Human Demon Captains advancing to the second level, then he will no longer be able to obtain any baleful energy in the secret realm.

"Fortunately, the Dragon Flower Lion Fist Seal and the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover have both been partially mastered, and the accumulated evil energy has broken through six barriers."

The realms of the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover are: one dragon for entry, three dragons for minor achievement, six dragons for major achievement, and nine dragons for perfection.

Before achieving minor mastery, Li Cunxiao could only use the Fire Dragon Rope for protection. After achieving minor mastery, he could form a net with three dragons, and even a human demon captain who was a whole realm higher could be bound for ten breaths. From then on, he could fight or leave as he pleased.

The Dragon Flower Lion Fist Seal consists of four seals. Each time a minor realm advances, a new fist seal can be learned.

The mudra he just used corresponds to the Lesser Completion stage, also known as the Wheel-Turning Mudra.

It is said that Shakyamuni used this hand gesture when he first turned the Wheel of Dharma in Sarnath, signifying that the Buddha preached the Dharma, liberated sentient beings, and used the Wheel of Dharma to destroy afflictions and purify body and mind.

The effect of this mudra, compared to the powerful and forceful Abhaya Mudra, is more profound in that it can awe and subdue the mind.

When combined with the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, it is enough to make the opponent's mind and body stiffen, leaving them at the mercy of others.

If it weren't for the vast difference between true qi and true essence, Li Cunxiao, with the support of his two original forms, could have easily fought for another dozen or so rounds and perhaps even broken into the palace to investigate.

Within the five-pronged vajra, the six makara claws shone with golden light. This was the culmination of a month's accumulation after upgrading two ultimate techniques, prepared for the "Nine Revolutions Divine Elixir Scripture".

Wen Zhongzi remained seated in the second palace, and Li Cunxiao merely glanced at him before entering the Qianyang Palace.

The crimson dragon coiled above the dragon throne, and within it, Emperor Yang's demonic fetus resembled a black egg, without the slightest fluctuation. But Li Cunxiao knew that the other party was only temporarily lying dormant.

“Red Dragon, if you are willing to release this demonic fetus, I can refine it in the blink of an eye.”

Incidentally, it can also be used to develop the "Nine Dragon King Subduing Poison Barrier Scripture" into a complete divine skill.

Unfortunately, the spirit did not react at all when he finished speaking. Li Cunxiao was not surprised, as the spirit's intelligence was only at this level.

They acted strictly according to established rules, without any room for flexibility.

"We can only eliminate this hidden danger, the Crimson Dragon, once the spirit treasure recognizes its master. Is the spirit liquid ready?"

The dragon head coiled on the dragon throne finally rose, and with a gentle touch, the dragon-patterned floor tiles in the center of Qianyang Hall flipped up layer by layer, like waves pushing aside, and in an instant, a spiritual pool about ten feet square rose from it.

The pure spiritual energy, like milky white flowing clouds, transformed into rare birds and beasts, and finally decomposed into seven-colored light, falling into the spiritual pool.

This was Li Cunxiao's accumulation over a month, which he did not feed to the clone of the Seven Treasures Lotus, but waited until today.

"I have thoroughly mastered the method of condensing the true form of the Azure Dragon. With the addition of these spiritual liquids, replicating the true form once again and directly achieving perfection should not be a problem."

Removing his Taoist robe, Li Cunxiao walked naked into the spiritual pool step by step. The spiritual liquid rose from his ankles to his knees, and as he sat cross-legged, it eventually submerged his entire lower body.

"Whoo~"

The pure, unadulterated elixir seeped into his body through his pores. This pristine environment, almost impossible to exist in the mortal world, made Li Cunxiao involuntarily let out a satisfied sigh.

He has now discovered that as his cultivation level increases, his physical body is becoming more and more transcendent of the mundane realm.

For him now, the mundane world, while not quite filthy, is like dust and sand, leaving him feeling dazed and unwell, both physically and mentally.

Lingbao is an innate object, connected to the Dao, and mysteriously in harmony with heaven and earth. The spiritual pool it constructs can be described as a paradise on earth for martial artists who seek to constantly eliminate evil and turbid energy from their bodies.

Besides the dragon boat, Louguandao's mountain gate clearly used some special methods. Not to mention the Four Symbols and Four Peaks, the closer Li Cunxiao got to the Two Elements Peak of the sect leader's lineage, the more familiar he felt.

"Is it because of the Lingbao Liangyi Banner? If what Guo Zhao and the others said is true, there is another world within Liangyi Peak."

"A secret realm that has been nurtured by the power of a sect for nearly a thousand years, how does it compare to the Dragon Boat Secret Realm?"

Thoughts flashed by in an instant. In reality, the Flaming True Qi within Li Cunxiao's body, like a string of beads, rolled back into Longhua's original body along his meridians.

The azure-green Azure Dragon True Qi, nourished by the spiritual liquid, began to expand and surge like the spores of some kind of plant, flowing and roaring through the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians.

The five demonic entities—Horned Wood Dragon, Neck Metal Dragon, Root Earth Badger, Tail Fire Tiger, and Winnowing Basket Water Leopard—leap out from the liver, lungs, spleen, heart, and kidneys, respectively.

The Sun Rabbit and the Moon Fox, one yang and one yin, moved through the limbs and bones as the Azure Dragon's true energy filled the body.

Under mental visualization, the seven demonic figures of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, representing yin and yang, are arranged in a constellation order, with the Horned Wood Dragon and the Neck Metal Dragon at their heads:
The horns of the dragon are represented by the Horned Wood Dragon, the head of the dragon is represented by the Neck Metal Dragon, the heart of the dragon is represented by the Root Earth Badger, the Rabbit of the Sun in the Room, and the Fox of the Moon in the Heart, and the tail of the Fire Tiger in the Tail and the Leopard of the Water in the Winnowing Basket.

The seven constellations stand side by side, their seven orifices radiating light, their dazzling brilliance transforming demons into gods.

They may ride dragons and soar, or spread their arms and rise up in a powerful struggle;

They might glare angrily, or remain calm and observe with composed expressions;

Some wore flowing sleeves and tall hats with colorful robes; others were naked but clad in armor, exuding a majestic aura.

Seven demons transformed into star lords, each displaying their forms to support a deity hovering in the starry sky.

A strong impulse was about to burst forth, but Li Cunxiao did the opposite. He suddenly contracted all the true energy in his body and gathered it into a round pill in his dantian, surrounded by the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon.

This round pill was initially about the size of a fist, with its inner azure-green true energy churning endlessly like an ocean.

The intense surge of life not only strengthened Li Cunxiao's physical body once again, but also aroused a strong desire for reproduction in his heart.

The term "Eastern Spring Tree" signifies budding and sprouting.

In just a few breaths, Li Cunxiao went through all the beauties he had seen in his twenty years of life. He wished he could leave the secret realm immediately and summon all the servants and disciples who had tried to get close to him over the past month to vent his frustrations.

But perhaps because he had experienced too many attacks from malevolent energy and backlashes from inner demons, this time, before the Vajra Pestle could even react, he had already awoke from the enchanting illusion.

With a solemn expression, his tongue thundered like spring thunder:

"The Azure Dragon of the East, the essence of the Horned Neck, exhales clouds and roars thunder."

"Soar to the eight extremes, roam the four netherworlds, come and stand to my left, swiftly!"

Words restrain the mind, and the mind stirs the essence and qi. In the elixir of true qi, surging currents swirl like whirlpools, constantly contracting inward.

The smaller the size and the darker the color, the more terrifying the aura emanating from it. When it condenses into a small, dark blue mercury bead the size of a little finger, the surging sensation becomes impossible to suppress—

boom!
A deep blue dragon roared as it leaped from the mercury pearl in its dantian into the sky.

The pool of spiritual liquid transformed into milky white mist, accompanying him and making his body increasingly solid and firm. Finally, it landed on Li Cunxiao's shoulder as if it were real.

The human and the dragon opened their eyes simultaneously, their golden pupils meeting, creating the sensation of looking in a mirror.

"Disperse!"

With a thought, the Azure Dragon burrowed into the dantian, instantly transforming into a shower of mercury that transformed the world, nourishing the parched body.

The six-foot-tall body did not grow or expand further, but the life essence contained within it was increasing at a visible rate.

Li Cunxiao's muscles, bones, and even his nails and hair were all radiating a lustrous glow. His tall body emerged from the pool like a jade mountain rising from the ground.

After he put his jade crown and Taoist robe back on, his entire demeanor changed again. He was like a lone pine tree on a precipice, solemn and dignified, cheerful and refined, exuding a clear and vigorous vitality.

Within the dantian, a deep, still flow of mercury-like blue mercury, upon closer inspection, reveals countless tiny mercury beads that rustle softly on the Bodhi leaf of the Longhua deity.

When the Flame-Piercing Pearl also surged forth from the Dragon Flower Tree, the blue and red true energy pearls struck each other like jade plates, and as they trembled, an invisible wave of energy spread out. "The Azure Dragon True Form is now complete."

"A month is about right."

Li Cunxiao felt the increased true energy within his body, several times greater than before. At this moment, he truly felt as if his body contained a long river.

Every moment, the two kinds of true energy seemed to be constantly merging and catalyzing each other, even giving the illusion of being excessively full and having nowhere to vent.

Hot Wheels

With a single thought, a massive amount of true energy surged into the Wind and Fire Wheels.

The two flying wheels, which were previously no bigger than a palm, instantly expanded to the size of a millstone. As they spun, flames and tornadoes intertwined and surged, creating an astonishing spectacle. The destructive power they contained was incomparable to what it had been before.

As for the energy expenditure, it has reached a level that Li Cunxiao can normally handle. At least after exerting all his strength, he will not be in a predicament where he has no energy left.

The boost from the two true forms was even more exaggerated than expected.

Just as Li Cunxiao was eager to go and avenge his humiliation by immediately seeking out the Demon Captain, the spirit of the dragon boat emitted a fluctuation, reminding him that someone was approaching from the outside.

Suddenly, the young man appeared on the futon in the room, and a faint scent of calming incense wafted to his nose.

In this secret room prepared specifically for Li Cunxiao, there was nothing else besides some secret manuals and test dummies made of special alloys; it was very simple.

The quiet space was filled with long, powerful breaths until Li Cunxiao pushed open the door to the secret chamber. The cautious voices of his attendants and disciples, along with Taiyi's casual response, entered the room along with the sound of the late winter wind.

"Like a lone pine tree standing tall and firm, or a jade mountain about to collapse."

The old Taoist priest couldn't help but exclaim in amazement the moment he saw his disciple.

Even if such a thing has already happened, witnessing it a second time still feels unbelievable.

If one's physical body is not strong enough or one's internal energy is insufficient, one can make up for it with secret manuals, rare and precious materials, and miraculous elixirs.

The disciples and descendants of prestigious sects, thanks to such abundant resources, ensure a large number of Huangting martial artists in each generation. From this large pool, one or two outstanding talents will naturally emerge, becoming the pillars of their power.

However, the Huangting realm is the limit of human intervention. The subtleties of the human heart can only be grasped by the individual themselves.

The demons created by desire can only be defeated by oneself.

External resources can only play a supporting role; true strength cannot be built up through family wealth and resources.

"In just one month, he has once again broken through the three stages of True Form and Three Barriers."

Taiyi dismissed the disciples who were serving him, called the disciples to sit beside him, and was filled with emotion.

"Do you know who among all the Louguan Taoists broke through to the true form the fastest?"

"Is that the headmaster?"

Li Cunxiao mentioned it casually, but Taiyi Zhenren nodded seriously.

"When he was at the muscle and internal organs level, his cultivation speed was not as fast as mine. At that time, I thought that my senior brother's talent was nothing special."

"But Master once said that Senior Brother is a late bloomer. As time went on, while his fellow disciples of the same age began to hit a bottleneck, he began to make rapid progress."

"Whether it's me or Changsun Chi and the others, at the True Form Realm, it's like walking on thin ice. It takes at least four or five years, and sometimes as long as seven or eight years, to hone our character and advance the Heavenly Ladder with an impeccable mind."

"But my senior brother, just like you, only took a year to achieve instant fame and rise to prominence."

Reach the sky in one step?
Li Cunxiao was filled with awe.

"Master Daotong truly deserves to be called a first-rate immortal on earth."

The old Taoist priest rolled his eyes upon hearing this, truly unsure whether this monstrous disciple was praising someone else or himself.

"You will soon meet this terrestrial immortal. At the latest, your senior brother will return to Louguan Dao by the time of the Awakening of Insects next month."

At that time, inner disciples will have one opportunity to enter the Two Elements Banner Secret Realm according to the rules. It is said that the undying primordial spirit of the patriarchs of all generations is hidden in the "Three Primal Ultimate True Cave Heaven".

Disciples with exceptional talent have the opportunity to gain the favor of the sect's founder and be granted the transmission of wondrous techniques and divine skills, thus transcending the sect's regulations.

It was through this that Taiyi Zhenren obtained the introductory chapter of the "Nine Revolutions Divine Elixir Scripture," which attracted the attention of the previous generation's Louguan Daoist leader.

'Cunxiao's current performance is better than mine was back then, and even better than my senior brother's. I wonder if it's possible for him to directly obtain the entire divine skill?'

Li Cunxiao was unaware of the old Taoist's scheme; he only knew that the sect was about to welcome back a terrestrial deity to oversee things, and he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

For a month, Qinglong Peak remained peaceful, but the world was not so:

Of the four towns in Hebei, Liu Yu, the military governor of Lulong, has pledged allegiance to Prince Li Yisheng of Jin. The latter has recently won a series of victories, and his influence has begun to spread from Hedong to Hebei and Liaodong. The name of the Twelve Protectors has resounded throughout the land.

Yang Huayuan of Huainan Circuit raised an army and marched south, intending to annex Jiangnan Circuit. The military governor Qian Jumei used some unknown method to persuade the patriarch of Maoshan Sect to come down the mountain to mediate. Magu Mountain also intervened. Faced with the two holy lands, a great battle could only end hastily.
In Henan, Liang King Zhu Quanzhong has been suppressing rebellious forces and has already controlled the seven major vassal states in the entire territory. All twenty prefectures in the Central Plains are under his command, and his power extends from the heart of the Qin Dynasty all the way to the coast of the East China Sea. On paper, he has become the strongest among all the warlords.

Between the two capitals, the imperial court and the puppet Qi army faced off for a month, engaging in no fewer than ten small-scale skirmishes. As more and more refugees and deserters began to spread, the number of soldiers defending Huayin County doubled.

At this critical juncture, with the court on the verge of collapse, not a single military governor issued a proclamation to lead troops to the emperor's aid. They all tacitly stood by, observing the struggle between the court and the puppet Qi regime.

Meanwhile, the imperial court remained silent, or rather, they were the ones least willing to allow the military governors to lead troops to defend the emperor.

Even though Li Cunxiao was in seclusion in the mountains, he could still hear these bits and pieces of news from time to time from his disciples.

Fortunately, Yan Daotong is finally coming back.

"Master, Abbot Zhenjing of Qinglong Temple is also a terrestrial immortal. How does he compare to Master Bo?"

"It's hard to say," Taiyi stroked his beard, seemingly reminiscing.

"Back when they hadn't yet become grandmasters, they often sparred, and the outcome was always about 50/50."

"Afterwards, they all became sect leaders, so it was not advisable to make a big fuss. I only occasionally heard my senior brother mention the Great Sun Tathagata Sword Seal of Zhenjing, which was extremely sharp."

"Where is that Fallen Eagle Attendant?"

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest noticed the disciple's nervousness and immediately understood.

"Are you afraid that the imperial court will fight us?"

Li Cunxiao, having his thoughts exposed, no longer concealed them:
"Huang Chao was originally a bandit, and Qin Zongquan was the only grandmaster under his command."

"Leaving aside the internal disputes, just considering strength, what merit or ability do they have to conquer the world and finally break through the Eastern Capital? In my humble opinion, it was only the regional military governors who fueled the flames and turned a blind eye."

"As for the imperial court, although it has declined to this day, in addition to the presence of Grandmasters, it also possesses spiritual treasures. Master, you know about the ones I possess."

“I didn’t know that you were in seclusion, but you were not isolated.”

Master Taiyi was somewhat surprised. While martial arts skills could be attributed to talent, insight into worldly affairs required the accumulation of experience.

There is nothing new under the sun; it's just that we've read a lot of history books and can draw inferences from one instance to another.

Li Cunxiao spoke vaguely. The current situation is so similar to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of the past; some things can be guessed pretty accurately as soon as there is a hint of them.

“An unclaimed spiritual treasure is certainly worth the court’s great efforts, but neither we nor Qinglong Temple will allow the court to act recklessly.”

"You just focus on your cultivation, and your headmaster and I will take care of the rest."

Taiyi switched to telepathy, and his words warmed people's hearts.

But Li Cunxiao also knew that if the owner of a spiritual treasure had not even broken through the barrier, then it wouldn't be an exaggeration for these terrestrial immortals to call it an unclaimed spiritual treasure.

"However, the imperial court has 10,000 soldiers of the Shence Army, while Qinglong Temple and my Louguan Dao have no private army due to Emperor Taizong's prohibition."

"If a major conflict were to break out, the outcome would be unpredictable."

"Daoist soldiers?"

Li Cunxiao had been busy breaking through his cultivation barriers for the past month and had not yet visited the Sutra Repository, so the name sounded somewhat unfamiliar to him.

"The key to the strength of the military forces of the regional warlords lies in the power of their formations. They can gather the blood and killing intent of hundreds or thousands of people and unite them into one, making them invincible. However, this can also easily make the soldiers irritable, bloodthirsty, and mentally unstable."

"The Daoist military method is superior to ordinary military formations. It uses Huangting warriors as soldiers. The presence of true qi not only greatly increases its power, but the special training method also makes it difficult for warriors to lose control."

"However, the highest level a martial artist trained using the Daoist military strategy can reach is the Yellow Court, and there is no possibility of advancing further."

"The Imperial Army's Shence Army, known as the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, was said to 'command ghosts and gods and unite with men,' and was once the strongest army in the land."

We were once the best in the world, but are we no longer?

Li Cunxiao thought of Yang Shihou's Silver Spear Loyal Army. At that time, he felt that their military formation was exceptionally well-organized. Now it seemed that they had obviously been trained using similar Taoist military methods.

Similarly, there are also the Hengchongdu under Li Yisheng's command, and Yang Huayuan, who recently suffered a defeat in Jiangnan, also has five thousand Black Cloud Longswords under his command.

Their soldiers were dressed in black silk armor and carried horse-slaying swords; they were unstoppable.

Nevertheless, Yang Huayuan dared not confront the two sacred sites, demonstrating the strength of Magu Mountain and Maoshan.

However, these sacred sites were all far from the capital, and even Tiangu Temple kept its own monk soldiers. Qinglong Temple and Louguan Temple, on the other hand, were located in the capital region and were closely monitored by the court. If they were to raise a private army, the emperor would not be able to sleep at night.

“You’ve been a disciple for a month now, and it’s inconvenient for that kid Mucha to still be without an identity.”

Taiyi opened the window, looked at the snow still piled up on the mountaintop for a while, pondered for a moment, and then called the waiting disciples outside:

"Go and call Li Siqi here, and tell him..."

(End of this chapter)