Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 270, 279 The Mysterious Scripture of the Cave, a Secret Technique of the Confucian School
The three caves refer to the caves that allow for communication and understanding.

It is profound and mysterious, and its system is divided into three parts, hence the name "Three Caverns".

The Three Caverns True Scripture is the supreme classic of Taoism.

According to Taiyi Zhenren, it is almost a manifestation of the laws of the Great Dao, a true heavenly book—cultivators can attain enlightenment through it, and researchers can return to their source.

The term "Dongxuan" refers to something that is born from heaven and earth, and whose function is unimpeded, hence the name "Xuan" (mysterious).

It is the essence of alchemy, the wondrous method of creating heaven and earth, the pivot of yin and yang, and the thing that alchemists in the world have been searching for.

Although Li Cunxiao had seen the core of the dragon boat before and knew that it contained this celestial book, he did not think he would have any chance of getting close to it in a short period of time.

But what was unexpected was that as his cultivation approached the threshold, the spirit seemed to grow closer to him, and the connection between the two gradually reached a critical point.

Does this mean we can try to acknowledge a Lord now?

Even though she was usually very calm and composed, her heart couldn't help but race at this moment.

Li Cunxiao held his breath and tried to communicate with the spirit of the artifact, even cutting open his palm and squeezing out his essence blood—but there was no response.

The Dongxuan Scripture, formed by the interweaving of countless lines, floats there quietly, unaffected by any external movements.

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but sigh.

Just as I was about to leave, I lifted my foot and then couldn't help but put it down again.

Within his eyes, countless mysterious lines intertwined, seemingly outlining various talismans and characters, concealing the most fundamental mysteries of heaven and earth.

Li Cunxiao cleared his mind, eliminated distracting thoughts, and tried to imprint all of this in his mind.

He stared intently for half an hour, feeling as if he had vaguely grasped something. But as soon as a sense of joy arose in his heart, this vague understanding vanished like sand blown away by the wind.

He could sense that there was still a barrier between him and Lingbao.

This barrier not only prevented him from controlling everything about the dragon boat, but also shrouded the core of the dragon boat in a fog.

He can see, but he can't see clearly, understand, or remember, let alone comprehend.

Li Cunxiao finally gave up.

"I'm afraid our strength is still insufficient. If we can break through the barrier and utilize the power of our primordial spirit, the situation should be different."

"Whether it's recognizing a master or comprehending the Dongxuan Scripture, the strength of the Heavenly Ladder Realm is somewhat insufficient."

"Once we defeat Wen Zhongzi's Heavenly Ladder Realm clone, we can immediately use the Vajra Pestle to break through the Xuan Barrier."

Numerous planning ideas flashed through his mind. After sitting cross-legged for a moment, the clone created by the artifact spirit appeared in the square outside Qianyang Palace.

Wen Zhongzi is like an unchanging mountain peak. Every time he enters, he stands silently in a corner of the square, gazing up at the void.

Hearing footsteps, a hint of emotion appeared on his face as he turned and said:

"Young friend, you've arrived again. This time... hmm? The Heavenly Ladder is complete?"

The old scholar's face showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly regained his composure.

The two had communicated more than once before, so they naturally knew that Li Cunxiao's sect was a holy land.

The Heavenly Ladder Realm might take an ordinary martial artist half a lifetime to achieve, but for the geniuses of holy lands who have spiritual treasures as their backing, it's not a big problem.

Moreover, the Louguan Dao had already gained momentum at the end of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Wen Zhongzi had also heard of its Lingbao Liangyi Banner.

"Now that you have reached the Heavenly Ladder Mastery, it seems the outcome of this battle will be different."

Before the words were finished, the embodiment of the flat-topped turban and black-edged robe had already materialized from Wen Zhongzi's shadow, its dark eyes filled with a mixture of savagery and deathly stillness.

However, when facing this embodiment of the unity of the three religions, Li Cunxiao still felt pressure, but compared to the feeling of being constantly threatened before, it had faded a lot.

They are still formidable rivals, but no longer life-or-death enemies.

"I can win now!"

Without uttering a single wasted word, a dragon and three phoenixes roared out from the torrent of true energy, transforming into armor, a flying wheel, and a rope.

Having fought so many times, Li Cunxiao had long since figured out that Wen Zhongzi's clone at the Heavenly Ladder Realm could only cover a field with a radius of ten meters centered on himself.

With his current control over the Dragon-Binding Rope, he can easily launch an attack from this distance and ensure that he is not allowed to get close.

"Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, descend!"

The thirty-foot-long crimson dragon's body was engulfed in pale golden flames, resembling a sky full of rosy clouds. Its enormous attack range completely enveloped Wen Zhongzi's clone.

Amidst the crimson clouds, the hundred-meter-long red dragon seemed to transform into hundreds of fire dragons, roaring in unison, or like hundreds of nets.

At the end of the net, an eight-spoked golden wheel turns, as if an infinite and vast chanting of Zen resounds throughout the void.

In an instant, a net descended from the sky, compressing and rippling the air, as if a raging dragon were stirring up the ocean and creating waves.

The clone of Wen Zhongzi is like a small boat in the waves, which may capsize at any moment.

"What a powerful magical artifact! Especially since it is perfectly suited to the martial arts techniques used, the power it unleashes is almost comparable to that of a divine weapon."

"It was custom-made by Li Cunxiao's master, or rather, it was made by him personally."

Wen Zhongzi, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and a touch of melancholy.

Since he created the method of unifying the three religions, he has boasted that he has no rivals among his peers, and that is indeed the case.

Unexpectedly, after being trapped on the dragon boat for hundreds of years, he encountered an even more brilliant and talented successor.

The two deities of Buddhism and Taoism alone were enough to suppress his incarnations.

It should be noted that although this avatar's realm is only at the Heavenly Ladder level, its combat experience and instincts are exactly the same as his.

Because of its deep-seated demonic nature, it is even more ruthless in some ways.

However, at this moment, facing Li Cunxiao's overwhelming offensive, the Three Religions Demon Body could only maintain its defense and temporarily avoid defeat.

Beneath that vast net of heaven and earth, the demon god seemed to be shackled all over, his expression becoming increasingly ferocious.

Even the heads of the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan and Emperor Garan grew out from the old scholar's shoulders.

His hands danced wildly as if he were insane, his sword energy and blade light merging into one, slashing out bursts of intense firelight on the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover.

This time, however, his attack couldn't even create a brief opening. The golden flames burning on the dragon scales surged and converged like living things, restoring them to their original state.

Under the confinement of the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, the semi-transparent cover that was originally invisible and suspended three feet above the head of Wen Zhongzi's clone was constantly being compressed.

The Daoist temple of a terrestrial immortal is the embodiment of their own martial arts and principles.

Grandmasters reside in their own Daoist temples, much like immortals dwelling in their caves, controlling everything. Only those who are also terrestrial immortals can break through this absolute domain. However, Wen Zhongzi, this avatar of the Heavenly Ladder realm, merely relies on the experience of the Grandmaster realm and his superb control over true essence to densely distribute true essence within this ten-meter radius space, creating a "pseudo-Daoist temple."

If the external attacks are fierce enough, the domain created by the demon god will be impacted.

When the Dragon-Binding Rope completely sealed off the entire battlefield, this "pseudo-dojo" could no longer interact with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, revealing a flaw.

Li Cunxiao keenly sensed the opportunity and spared no effort in outputting his true energy.

The Crimson Emperor's flowing mercury mixed with the Flaming Pearl resembled jade stained with blood.

The blazing dragon fire continued to stir up the last remaining pure land, and with the addition of the Vermilion Bird and the Wind God, which were transformed from the Wind Fire Wheel, the balance of the battlefield had become significantly tilted.

Wen Zhongzi's demonic body, with its three ferocious heads, was finally reduced to ashes by the fiery tornado amidst a roar.

The Wind God and the Vermilion Bird sang joyfully in the sky before finally landing on the Red Dragon's horns.

"After six months, we finally won once."

Li Cunxiao let out a long sigh of relief. Even though he was only using a clone created from the dragon boat in the fight, he still felt a strong sense of emptiness in his dantian.

He appeared to dominate the entire match and win decisively, but he knew in his heart that if he hadn't been able to suppress Wen Zhongzi's clone for even a moment, the clone might have escaped.

Within the opponent's "dojo" area, all one could do was cling tightly to the Azure Phoenix Armor and pray that they could hold out until a turning point appeared.

'Such rapid growth! Such a prodigy...it's unheard of!'

Taking advantage of the moment when Li Cunxiao's avatar dissipated and his true body had not yet left Qianyang Palace, Wen Zhongzi subtly raised his hand to observe.

On the back of his hand, a bright red bloodstain was clearly visible, and white bone could be vaguely seen among the flesh.

How old are you this year, young friend?

Li Cunxiao walked out of Qianyang Palace, and after hearing this, he thought for a moment:
"He just turned 18 this year."

"Only twenty years old?" Wen Zhongzi fell silent.

Previously, he had already placed great importance on Li Cunxiao's talent and predicted that the other party would become a grandmaster before the age of forty.

But now, he has to overturn his previous ideas.

He reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Ladder at the age of twenty, and did so in just over six months, even possessing skills in both weapon crafting and alchemy.
A master at thirty?

Wen Zhongzi was startled by his own assumption, but the reality forced him to believe that it was indeed possible.

Some of his original ideas had subtly changed. Li Cunxiao only saw the old scholar glance at him with a complicated expression, then at Qianyang Palace, before taking out a bamboo scroll.

"This is the 'Jade Light Sword Qi Collection' that we agreed on before."

"This martial art was originally a unique skill, but after I added to and improved it, I incorporated the general principles of the 'Middle Way,' so it can be said to be the introductory chapter of the secret method of the unity of the three religions."

"I will also give you these two martial arts techniques to study."

As Wen Zhongzi spoke, he handed over two more books, the covers of which read "Leiyin Garan" and "Qiyuan Liuji Feibu Tiangang".

"Senior, aren't these two your signature techniques?"

Li Cunxiao was startled when he recalled what Taiyi Zhenren had once said.

"Thunderous Sounds of the Blue Sky" is a secret martial art that develops the primordial spirit and utilizes spiritual power.

The "Seven Elements and Six Cycles Flying Steps to Heaven" is the ultimate technique of Taoist internal energy transformation.

Furthermore, given that the Jade Light Sword Qi Collection serves as the general outline of the "Middle Way," Li Cunxiao is 70% confident that he can figure out the opponent's "Taoist ritual" techniques on his own.

To put it bluntly, Wen Zhongzi's gift essentially involved giving away half of his most treasured possessions.

Why did he suddenly become so generous, or rather, so eager?

"Young friend, do you know why I, with the power of a Grandmaster, can master the techniques of a Daoist temple that only terrestrial immortals possess?"

Wen Zhongzi suddenly spoke up, and without waiting for Li Cunxiao's reply, he continued to talk to himself.

"It is the primordial spirit."

"The eighth realm, the Primordial Embryo, is a unity of essence, qi, and spirit, reversing the innate state. Martial artists transform from acquired beings into innate beings, and their close connection with heaven and earth is incomparable."

"At this point, it can be said that the martial artist is using 'essence' to control spiritual energy, or it can be said that he is using 'qi' to control spiritual energy, but the most important thing is still 'spirit'."

After a pause, Li Cunxiao immediately understood:
"Does Senior mean that your primordial spirit is far stronger than that of a Grandmaster of the same level?"

"And the source of this power is the fusion of the three religions?!"

Wen Zhongzi smiled knowingly and nodded in agreement:
"The ancients often said that there is no regret in the mysterious gate, which means that the cultivation of the main body has an impact on the Niwan Palace and the primordial spirit. There is only this one chance, and it is the most important one."

"The steps to break through the barrier are to start from the lower dantian, ascend the heavenly ladder to connect the middle dantian, and finally enter the upper dantian, Niwan."

"The Niwan Palace is the abode of gods and humans. When the original spirit and the primordial spirit unite, a spiritual form is formed."

“Ordinary grandmasters, of course, only have one true body and one spiritual form.”

"Therefore, ordinary people do not know that with each additional avatar, the opening of the Niwan Palace doubles the power, and the awakened primordial spirit power is also twice that of an ordinary martial artist."

Can you still play like this?
Li Cunxiao was startled at first, but then quickly realized what was happening.

The further one progresses in martial arts cultivation, the closer the connection with heaven and earth becomes, and the more it tests a martial artist's ability to control and utilize the power of heaven and earth.

The spiritual form and the Dharma form, as the essence of a martial artist's spirit, energy, and mind, are like an engine or a converter of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this process.

The Niwan Palace is both the switch for this machine and determines its power.

Once Li Cunxiao is able to break through the Xuan Guan with his Three Platforms True Body, his primordial spirit power will be three times that of an ordinary martial artist after advancing to the seventh realm.

And once they break through to the Grandmaster level, this gap will continue to widen on top of the existing one.

With three original bodies as "core processors," he will be far ahead in both cultivation and combat!
"So that's how it is. No wonder Senior Wenzhongzi brought out all his most treasured possessions. It turns out that his cultivation level had already reached this point, and any later would have meant missing the opportunity to expand his Niwan Palace. He needed to provide me with a reference for the unification of the three teachings as soon as possible."

'In that case, the original plan to urgently break through the Xuan Guan (mysterious barrier) for the Daoist master will have to be temporarily shelved.'

"To achieve the unity of the three religions without risk, it goes without saying that the Vajra is used to deduce the practice method, and the incarnation of the Seven-Jeweled Lotus is absolutely essential."

'But right now, the second incarnation is still far from ready.'

Li Cunxiao unconsciously frowned. The largest lotus root figure in the original form of the Dragon Flower Tree in his dantian had already taken shape, with limbs, but the details of the facial features and fingers were still very blurry.

Where can we find a large amount of spiritual essence to accelerate the maturation of this incarnation?

(End of this chapter)