Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 268-277 The Supreme Treasure Taiqing Palace, the Assassin Nie Yinniang

"What a vicious person!"

Although Li Cunxiao was startled, he remained calm, his inner energy surging like a tide.

As it surged forward, the Dragon-Binding Rope transformed into a crimson dragon, leaping out of the ravine and colliding with the countless spear beams.

boom!
The air surged, and both were pushed back several steps at the same time.

The bearded man's eyes remained empty, showing no surprise. His black unicorn suddenly flashed to within ten feet of him, unleashing another storm of attacks.

"His realm is similar to that of my Daoist master; he should have reached the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Ladder."

"Do the spirits in the secret realm also appear according to the strength of the martial artist?"

Li Cunxiao had time to think while fighting.

The Dragon-Binding Rope, a superior-grade magical artifact he crafted himself, was even easier for him to use than the Wind and Fire Wheels, because from beginning to end, this magical artifact was tailor-made for him.

Once the barrier is broken and the "Nine-Turn Flowing Pearl Nine Elixir Scripture" is completed, the nine-turn method will be used to refine away the turbid and evil energy, creating a pure divine weapon.

At that time, by combining the three treasures of spirit, energy, and power with the divine weapon, it will truly become as easy as using one's own arm, making the divine weapon an integral part of one's own life.

After sixty breaths of fighting, Li Cunxiao quickly mastered Qiu Ran Ke's moves, seized an opening, raised his red dragon head, and swallowed him whole, killing him.

The moment the elf was annihilated, a stream of pure spiritual energy entered the body through the Dragon-Binding Rope.

Now, his Taoist essence has reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Ladder, having broken through the second barrier, the Jiaji point. Next, he only needs to open the seven cervical vertebrae and pass the third barrier, the Yuzhen point, before he can begin to open the gate of life and death.

The Buddha himself is currently only at the stage of minor completion of the Heavenly Ladder, having broken through the first barrier of the coccyx, with a full nineteen vertebrae still to be opened.

Compared to the elixir of life, which was like a drop in the ocean, this rich spiritual energy was like a timely rain, rapidly converging towards his spine under his control.

It is gentle yet powerful, even surpassing the previous Four Symbols Great Elixir.

In just a quarter of an hour, the Taoist master refined another cervical vertebra.

However, if one were to cultivate using the Twenty-Four Qi Pills normally, it would take at least a month.

It's not just because the elixir contains insufficient spiritual energy, but also because the spine is the great dragon of the human body, with many tiny, seemingly insignificant parts that control the limbs and joints, and can easily be injured if one is not careful.

However, the spiritual energy gathered by the spirits of the secret realm seemed to be specially prepared for martial artists' cultivation, completely eliminating such troubles; it could almost be described as "melting in the mouth".

"Is this the foundation of this ancient holy land? Even spiritual treasures have been tamed into the shapes that people desire."

"Although the spirit pool in the dragon boat is effective, it is significantly inferior to the Yin-Yang Banner."

As he thought this, the crimson dragon mark between his brows flashed, as if the dragon boat sensed his thoughts and was somewhat displeased.

Li Cunxiao chuckled for a moment, then walked to the edge of the cloud platform and went upstream along the long white marble steps.

"Since spiritual treasures are innate, they are naturally formless and shapeless. Everything a martial artist needs must be cultivated through practice."

"It seems I'll have to repair the dragon boat myself in the future. I don't know how many years it will take or how many rare and precious materials it will take to turn it into something like the Two Elements Banner."

With light steps, she reached the end of the long staircase in the blink of an eye, and could vaguely see a beautiful woman in purple robes and a hat, holding a red whisk, on the platform.

"Let's see if we can elevate both of our main bodies to perfection today?"

"What a greedy young man! He's clearing the levels so fast. In just a quarter of an hour, he's already fought six battles."

Outside the Ancestral Hall, Yan Daotong held a Ruyi in one hand and manipulated the void with the other, creating a three-foot-sized patch of light and shadow.

Amidst the light and shadow, Li Cunxiao was clearly seen battling the spirits of the secret realm.

"Among the spirits in the Two Elements Banner Secret Realm are demons subdued by the ancestors of all generations, as well as defeated enemies fought by the ancestors, and former prodigies who were once trapped by the Two Elements Banner."

"Junior Brother Li's momentum is unstoppable, which shows his extraordinary abilities."

Xue Tianyun stood aside watching, admiring the view while also wondering:

"The Heavenly Ladder tempering has always been the most time-consuming, and only the spiritual energy of the essence of spiritual treasures is the best elixir."

"Junior Brother Li seems to want to make the most of the rest of the spine in one go, which is understandable."

"But after these six battles, he should have already reached the Jade Pillow Pass. Why doesn't he show any sign of slowing down?"

"Could it be that he intends to perfect his true form in the secret realm? Breaking through in the midst of battle is extremely risky."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Tianyun saw his master reveal a strange smile.

"Tianyun, you don't know this yet, do you? Li Cunxiao has more than one true form."

Upon hearing this, Xue Tianyun was deeply moved. "Junior Brother Li, you cultivate two paths simultaneously?"

A look of astonishment and surprise flashed across Xue Tianyun's eyes. Considering the other party's reputation for being unparalleled in both alchemy and weapon crafting, Xue Tianyun was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Such a genius exists in this world? Did Junior Brother Li start cultivating from the womb?"

"No, quite the opposite. Li Cunxiao started learning martial arts very late; it's only been two or three years now."

This time, both master and apprentice fell silent.

"I noticed that the Grand Secretary has been mentioning Junior Brother Li repeatedly today, as if he wants to arrange a marriage."

Xue Tianyun broke the silence.

"It's hard to say what Li Cunxiao is thinking, but if it's Ye Jingneng's daughter, it might work out."

“Your Uncle Taiyi basically treats Li Cunxiao like his own son; he’s practically on the verge of being included in the family genealogy.”

Yan Daotong joked, "He's very satisfied with Ye Shuyi, and he's mentioned her to me many times."

"If we were to form a marriage alliance with the Ye family, wouldn't we need to consider the reactions of other people?"

Xue Tianyun spoke in a joking tone, but there was some worry in his heart.

The Qin Dynasty's giant ship was already in ruins, and Lou Guandao wanted to disembark, but it was difficult to cut it off.

The key issue is that after the division, it's uncertain which of the many large ships on this vast ocean will accept them.

If Louguandao wants to take the helm, relying solely on Yan Daotong, a mere terrestrial immortal, is far from sufficient—which Buddhist or Taoist holy land, whether Maoshan or Magushan, doesn't have a grandmaster?

"Zhu Quanzhong has personally led his troops toward Luoyang, the eastern capital."

Yan Daotong sighed, and Xue Tianyun was even more surprised upon hearing this.

"How many troops did he bring? And under what pretext?"

"According to Gao Pian's intelligence, in addition to Yang Shihou's Silver Spear Loyal Army, his personal guards, the Wild Goose Army and the Red Crow Army, were also brought along, totaling 50,000 elite troops."

"The official reason is naturally to eliminate the traitors and protect the emperor."

"Protect the emperor and serve the king? I'm afraid that once Huang Chao dies, they'll start purging the court of corrupt officials."

Xue Tianyun's expression was grave. In all these years of regional rebellions, similar events had repeated themselves countless times.

Previously, several grandmasters such as Guo Huayin and Ye Daoyuan had turned the tide, but now the court only has Gao Pian struggling to hold on.

Once Zhu Quanzhong takes control of Luoyang, the regional military governors will be on the move. A change of dynasty is likely imminent, the only difference being whether it will be the Great Liang, the Great Jin, or something else entirely.

But the Qin Dynasty is doomed.

"Given the current situation, whether or not a marriage alliance is formed, some things will not change in the eyes of others. At this time, there is no use in thinking about it too much."

“As long as Li Cunxiao and Ye Shuyi have feelings for each other, why not help them make this happen? Life is unpredictable. At least before the world turns upside down, let your Uncle Taiyi fulfill a wish.”

Yan Daotong did not dwell on this matter and quickly changed the subject:
"The imperial court knows the situation is dire, and right now only Qinglong Temple and our Louguan Daoist sect can rely on them."

"Tonight I spent a lot of time and effort to finally persuade Gao Pian to give up a few spots in Taiqing Palace."

Xue Tianyun was also somewhat intrigued upon hearing this. "Are you saying that the imperial court is willing to open up the secret realm?"

Emperor Taizong, with his unparalleled martial arts skills and extraordinary fortune, naturally attracted spiritual treasures. After reaching the Grandmaster realm, he established the Taiqing Palace as the most powerful force in the world. Within this spiritual treasure lay a secret realm known as the "Great Crimson Heaven Taiqing Realm." For over six hundred years, the Great Qin Dynasty has essentially been supporting the Taiqing Palace with the entire world.

It contains countless treasures, and there are even rumors of opportunities to break through to the Grandmaster level.

"Even if there is a true opportunity to become a Grandmaster, the Grand Secretary would certainly not be willing to give it to an outsider. But if it's just a matter of letting a few junior brothers break through their barriers, there is still a chance."

“Master, our Louguan sect only has two spots, so I won’t participate this time.”

After Yan Daotong recounted the whole story, Xue Tianyun withdrew without hesitation.

The former showed a look of relief.

The reason for choosing him as the successor, besides his talent, was primarily because of his magnanimity.

“You’ve thought it through. The imperial court doesn’t even have enough opportunities to become a grandmaster, let alone give them to outsiders like us.”

"Moreover, after Emperor Taizong, the cultivation of the rulers of the Great Qin Kingdom has declined with each generation. It is only by relying on bloodline that they can exert influence over the Taiqing Palace."

"Even with the Emperor's trust and the appointment of Gao Pian as the head of the Taiqing Palace, he is ultimately not the true master of Lingbao, and the power he can exert is probably less than half of what it should be."

"I'm afraid even if he enters the Taiqing Palace himself, he might not be able to guarantee that he will seize those opportunities."

Xue Tianyun nodded in agreement.

Compared to the royal family whose lineage is inherited through blood, the sects and holy lands are ruled by the strong, and each generation of emerging immortals has an increasingly stronger control over spiritual treasures.

While the emperor may sound powerful, his successor is always chosen from among a dozen or twenty people, making him even less prestigious than the five noble families and seven prominent clans.

The idea that "like father, like son" is a beautiful fantasy. The truth is that after Emperor Taizong and his successors, there were no more emperors who achieved the status of a grandmaster.

Without sufficient strength, unable to control the magical treasures, and unable to intimidate the elites who have fought their way out from hundreds of thousands of people across the land, it's only a matter of time before power falls into the wrong hands.

"Li Cunxiao should be one of the two spots."

"You think so highly of him?"

"Master is joking. Who among Guo Zhao and his men can conquer the Heavenly Ladder and the Mysterious Pass?"

"Junior Brother Li wasn't even at the peak of the Heavenly Ladder back then, and now he's entered the secret realm, huh?"

Xue Tianyun paused, and Yan Daotong immediately noticed. He looked at the image to the side and also let out a sound of surprise.

"You've won over ten more matches. Are you really planning to push both of your main bodies to the Heavenly Ladder Perfection level in the secret realm?"

"Greedy brat, since you dare to ask, this old Taoist will grant your wish!"

After Yan Daotong finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and a shadow shot into the image of the cave.

The shadow, condensed by spiritual energy, took shape and transformed into a young boy and girl, each riding a black and a white donkey.

The boy rode a black donkey, holding a mirror in his hand, and headed straight for Li Cunxiao; while the girl was like a blob of ink, which spread out in an instant and disappeared.

Xue Tianyun's expression changed noticeably, as if he was recalling some unpleasant memories.

"Junior Brother Li is going to have a hard time now."

"The elves in this secret realm aren't very strong either."

A crimson dragon coiled around his body, lifting Li Cunxiao and sending him flying towards a higher cloud platform.

Within his dantian, pure spiritual energy surged into the Dragon Flower Bodhi Tree, causing the heart-shaped Bodhi leaves to grow even greener and more lush, like a canopy.

The nine-headed venomous dragon, however, drooped down, looking listless.

At the center of the Bodhi tree in Longhua, one can vaguely see the outline of a human figure, which appears and disappears under the illumination of Buddha's light.

Only a few hours have passed, and the Buddhist deity is now approaching the perfection of the Heavenly Ladder, just like the Taoist deity. He is only three cervical vertebrae away from touching the Jade Pillow Pass.

"The Seven Treasures Lotus is truly wondrous. Although it is clearly an incarnation of a lotus seed, its internal meridians and acupoints are exactly the same as my physical body. Otherwise, I would not have needed to climb the Heavenly Ladder repeatedly."

"With each additional lotus root body, I essentially gain one more body, double the amount of true essence, and a completely different martial arts system."

"I wonder if, after the three elements are united, the clones will be able to manifest externally, transforming into the Three Pure Ones from one breath?"

"With my master here, I have no worries about the divine skills and techniques that will follow."

"But the true Buddha here only has half of it. Once you reach the Xuan Guan perfection, there is no more path."

"Only with divine skills can one become a grandmaster. I need to find a way to deal with Yang Ying as soon as possible and complete the remaining half of my divine skills."

While pondering, Li Cunxiao had already stepped onto a higher cloud platform.

To his surprise, he could already see layers of celestial palaces on this cloud platform, as if this was the final hurdle before ascending to immortality.

Even more surprisingly, the guard at this crucial checkpoint was an ordinary-looking boy riding a black donkey.

He had seen most of the elves he had fought before in various notes in the library; they were famous martial artists from the current or previous dynasties, many of whom were grandmasters.

Perhaps the Two Elements Banner records the state of these masters before they became famous, or perhaps the founder of Louguan Dao suppressed the cultivation of these afterimages in order to train his disciples.

In short, although he ultimately won all of them, none of them were easy victories.

But the boy in front of me, dressed in hemp clothes and cloth shoes, looked just like any ordinary craftsman in the marketplace.

In his left hand he held a clapper made of several iron pieces, and in his right hand he held a bronze mirror. Sensing his aura, it wasn't even at the Yellow Court realm.

He even felt that he could turn it into mincemeat with just a flick of his wrist.

"Mirror Polisher? I've never heard of such a master."

Li Cunxiao was suspicious, but he did not let his guard down.

The Wind and Fire Wheels transformed into two phoenixes, driven by true energy, and pierced through the boy's body like a meteor in an instant, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.

"So easy?"

Li Cunxiao became even more vigilant, staring intently at the still corpse. After a moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The bronze mirror suddenly floated up, and Li Cunxiao, who was on high alert, was reflected in its surface.

The mirror polisher's left-hand clapper made a crisp "snap" sound.

Buzz! ! ! !

Like the low buzzing of bees flapping their wings, Li Cunxiao felt every hair on his body stand on end, and his vest felt icy cold.

At that moment, the sense of impending death overwhelmed his mind like a tidal wave, and the Dragon-Binding Rope expanded violently under the infusion of a large amount of true energy.

A colossal dragon, thirty feet long, coiled its body, tightly enveloping its master within it—

A tooth-grinding sound burst in my ears, sparks flew on the dark red dragon scales, and all I could see was a three-inch short sword flash by.

Fortunately, Li Cunxiao reacted in time, and the Dragon-Binding Rope was strong enough; if he had been even a fraction slower, he would have been torn apart from his body.

"Snapped"

The mirror polisher clapped his hands again, and before Li Cunxiao could even breathe a sigh of relief, that chilling sense of crisis returned.

Flames soared into the sky from the dark red dragon's body, and amidst the undulating flames, the dragon scales blocking Li Cunxiao's back emitted a piercing sound of weapons rubbing together once again.

This time, he finally saw his opponent clearly. She was a young girl with her hair styled in a single-knife bun. With the flick of her fingers, her three-inch short sword moved like a flash of light and shadow, instantly producing a sound like a chaotic clashing of a pipa.

Just before their eyes met, the latter vanished again, disappearing without a trace like smoke.

Li Cunxiao suddenly thought of something, and his face turned bitter.

"Emptiness and emptiness are indistinct and formless, and shadows vanish."

"A flying sword unseen, the assassin Nie Yinniang?"

(End of this chapter)