Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 331, 340: A Heartfelt Gift, Half a Year
"Divine weapons possess spirits and choose their own masters."

"These dozens of divine weapons include those left behind by the patriarchs of my Yuhua Temple, and others that I acquired by chance."

"For an ordinary person to resonate with even one of these items is already a matter of fate."

"This is the first time I've ever seen such a scene, Junior Nephew Li."

"Since we are destined to meet, let's take one item so that it won't be left to gather dust."

Zhi Gang said this, but his face remained unchanged, and it was impossible to tell that he was surprised or astonished.

However, Li Cunxiao was now certain that the other party was indeed genuinely trying to befriend him.

After all, divine weapons are a scarce resource no matter where they are.

Each faction possesses a limited number of divine weapons, and each one has a provenance.

At the same time, I couldn't help but feel impressed by Yuhua Temple's vast and prosperous history.

He could tell that many of these dozens of divine weapons were incomplete and could only be called quasi-divine weapons.

Even so, there were still twenty-five or twenty-six intact items, more than Louguandao originally had.

However, Yuhua Temple chose a war god king who went on conquests everywhere, and how many famous masters fell to his horse? Most of the divine weapons they captured must be among them.

Zhi Gang seems to genuinely want to befriend him, but Li Cunxiao really doesn't need any more divine weapons right now.

The six divine weapons, including the Wind and Fire Wheels, basically cover all functions such as exploration, attack, protection, trapping enemies, and escape; any more would be unnecessary.

When fatty meat is offered to you, how can you not eat it?

"Uncle-Master Zhigang, I have a younger brother who has been intelligent since childhood."

"Whether I'm studying Buddhism or Taoism, he's always by my side, influencing me through everything I see and hear."

"If you don't mind, could you let my younger brother give it a try?"

"To be honest, I have some experience in weapon crafting. These damaged divine weapons might one day be able to be restored to their original state."

As Li Cunxiao spoke, he reached out and summoned the crimson Hun Tian Ling from his body, within which a golden dragon, as blazing as the sun, swam.

"The material of this divine weapon... was it the dragon molt that the Prince of Jin gifted to us?"

"That's right. I made this myself; I didn't ask anyone else to do it."

Upon hearing this, Zhi Gang's expression immediately became serious.

He had heard of the other party's reputation for being skilled in alchemy and weapon crafting. But no matter how much he had heard, it was not as impactful as witnessing it firsthand.

After all, Li Cunxiao was too young. Reaching the Xuan Guan realm at the age of twenty was already an achievement that many people could only look up to. As for skills such as alchemy, it would be good enough if he could reach the level of an average person.

Only now did he realize that the other party was truly a one-in-a-million genius, and no wonder the Prince of Jin entrusted this young man with such an important task.

Those Taibao members, whose minds were only focused on fighting, regarded military merit as the highest honor and thought that Li Cunxiao was being neglected because he was left to guard the rear.

They believed that by charging into battle and surviving near-death experiences, they would surely be granted the title of king and the land to rule, while Li Cunxiao would only be willing to play a supporting role and do odd jobs for them.

This idea is a common perception among martial artists today.

But Zhigang knew that once the world was at peace, the seemingly insignificant civil servants would become the cornerstone of the dynasty.

Li Cunxiao is proficient in both literature and martial arts, and once he becomes a grandmaster, his status will likely surpass that of Grand Protector Li Siyuan and Third Grand Protector Li Cunxu.
"Okay," Zhigang readily agreed.

It doesn't matter to him whether the gift is given to Li Cunxiao or his younger brother, as long as they can establish a good relationship.

"Thank you, uncle!"

Li Cunxiao was overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to summon Li Guangyi.

When the latter was led there by his personal guards, he was still holding a roll call roster in his hand.

Li Guangyi himself was quite talented and had no shortage of elixirs. In just a few months, he had already advanced to the Visceral Realm and become the eldest brother's personal guard captain.

In addition to arranging daily patrols, they are also responsible for transmitting confidential information, communicating with subordinates in various departments, and carrying out upward and downward communication; their positions are of utmost importance.

"Guangyi, Uncle Zhigang has a fortuitous opportunity here."

"Among these divine weapons, you can choose the one that best suits you."

"These were left by eminent monks of Yuhua Temple, so we must treat them with reverence."

Li Guangyi, understanding the implied meaning from the music, quickly bowed deeply:
"Thank you for the troops, Uncle-Master."

Zhi Gang thought that choosing a divine weapon depended on fate. Li Cunxiao was able to attract the favor of the patriarch, but his brother might not be.

However, considering that the other party is willing to repair the damaged divine weapon in return, it wouldn't be unreasonable to go easy on them a little.

Thinking this, he waved his hand, and the small mountain of grottoes in his hand flew up and enlarged.

The room could only hold a dozen or so people, but at this moment it felt like a mountain had been crammed in.

Being there feels like being in the mountains or in a house at the same time, and the grottoes with nearly a hundred Buddha statues seem to be right in front of you.

"If Lieutenant Li has difficulty making a decision, you can let Junior Nephew Li help you choose."

Li Cunxiao chuckled upon hearing this, thinking to himself that this great monk knew how to conduct himself.

The other party clearly meant that if Li Guangyi failed to be recognized as the master of the divine weapon, he, as the elder brother, could take it on his behalf.

With that dazzling display of light just now, wouldn't he be able to pick any of the divine weapons here?
"Guangyi, go."

Feeling his elder brother's encouraging gaze, Li Guangyi nodded and took a deep breath.

As their gaze shifts and their steps move, the positions of the Buddhas in the grotto also change, like a rotating table at a banquet, with the dishes on it turning one by one in front of you.

With Li Cunxiao absent, the Buddha statues returned to their original silence, and the divine weapons within them appeared or disappeared.

Banners, canopies, incense burners, vases, prayer beads, vajras, three-pronged swords, staffs, and monk's knives
One after another, these divine weapons came and went in a blur.

In the blink of an eye, only half of the divine weapons remain unexplored, and so far, none of them have released the radiance of resonance and choosing their master.

Li Cunxiao felt somewhat helpless. Although he had three heads and eight arms covered with divine weapons, this was an exception.

Ordinary martial artists at the Xuan Guan realm may not even possess divine weapons, let alone someone at the mere third realm; they wouldn't even be worthy of being noticed by a weapon spirit.

Forging divine weapons himself took a long time and was very costly.

Even if it were Master Taiyi, aside from the ancestral Qiankun Bow, he only managed to forge a Bone-Illuminating Mirror and half a replica of the Linglong Pagoda.
A grandmaster and a divine weapon are both treasured as if they were their destiny.

Li Cunxiao's success was purely due to the powerful skills of the Qinglong Peak lineage, coupled with the added advantage of the Vajra Pestle.

"If all else fails, I'll have to help Guangyi choose."

His eyes darted around, quietly locking onto two weapons that hadn't yet been served.

It was a piece that resembled a spear, but with two pairs of wing-like structures extending from both ends like a trident, faintly echoing the cry of a phoenix.
One item was a pair of short-handled melon hammers, whose aura vaguely felt somewhat familiar.

These two divine weapons are of no less quality than the Azure Phoenix Armor, and are the best among these divine weapons.

As for the spirit's temperament and whether it would obey—Li Cunxiao was no ordinary martial artist; he possessed both strength and skill.

At worst, we can erase the spirit of the artifact and forge a new one based on this prototype.
"Have it!"

Li Guangyi shouted excitedly, and Li Cunxiao and Zhigang looked closely, only to find that the source of the radiant light was a statue of a child. The child had a cute face, wore short clothes, had two tufts of hair on his head, and carried a black iron rod that was about two zhang long and as thick as a bowl on his shoulder.

The contrast between the large and small shapes creates a powerful visual impact.

The boy somersaulted and chopped the stick down. Li Guangyi reached out and grabbed it, and the boy transformed into a stream of light and merged into it, forming golden hoops at both ends of the stick.

The words "13,500 heartfelt wishes" appeared in the middle of the stick.

"It's a thoughtful gift?"

Zhi Gang's eyelids twitched.

"What's the origin of this stick?"

Li Cunxiao realized that this item was extraordinary. Although it was clearly a divine weapon, its aura weakened after Li Guangyi acquired it, completely losing its previous extraordinary performance, and it became just like an ordinary weapon.

"During the reign of Emperor Taizong, there was a monk named Sun Lüzhen who challenged the abbot of our temple despite being a master."

"At that time, the patriarch was already at the Grandmaster level, so naturally the opponent could not defeat him. However, out of pity for the opponent's rare cultivation, he did not kill him."

“This Sun Wukong was repeatedly defeated, yet he fought on despite his defeats, refusing to leave.”

"Later, the patriarch realized that this person had reached the end of his life and wanted to use him to break through in the face of battle and shatter the Earthly Fiends and Heavenly Gangs."

"In this way, until the final battle of his life, Sun Wukong exhausted all his life force, until he was completely drained. Only when he was about to pass away did he finally attain enlightenment."

He said, “The human heart is fickle, suffering is hidden within, and seeking supernatural powers externally is a heretical path, and one cannot see the Tathagata.”

"Subdue the restless mind, tame the wandering will, cultivate with the spirit of battle in mind, from birth to death, only then can you overcome me, only then can you become a Buddha."

He then poured all his knowledge into this divine weapon and passed away on the spot.

"Therefore, the power of this divine weapon depends entirely on its master and his will."

"It becomes stronger when facing a strong opponent and weaker when facing a weak opponent."

"Focus and determination lead to strength, while laxity and cowardice lead to weakness."

"It seems that Junior Nephew Li is a person who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, for he has gained the approval of Xinyibang."

After Zhigang's explanation, the Li brothers suddenly understood.

Simply put, the power of this divine weapon depends largely on its owner.

This is why, with Li Guangyi wielding the divine weapon at the third realm, the Heart Staff naturally appears inferior even to a magical treasure.

"That's not bad. Even if we get the other two divine weapons, Guangyi won't be able to use them for the time being."

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Leaving aside the divine skills passed down inside, even if you can't unleash the full power of the Mind Staff, it's still a divine weapon."

"If someone on the battlefield were to treat it as an ordinary iron rod, they would probably be kicking themselves."

Even after thinking about it this way, Li Cunxiao still felt he had made a huge profit.

Moreover, Li Guangyi clearly liked this divine weapon very much, shouting "big big big" and "small small small," and the Heart Staff kept changing in length and thickness in his hands.

Sometimes it acts like a beam or pillar, sometimes like an embroidery needle, manipulated at will, like a child who has received a new toy.

After calming down, Li Guangyi did not forget to bow and thank Zhigang, but he knew in his heart that if it were not for his elder brother, he would not have had the opportunity to obtain the divine weapon.

Seeing that the atmosphere was suitable, Li Cunxiao seized the opportunity to interject:

"Uncle Zhigang's gift is indeed generous, but I still feel indebted for helping you repair your divine weapon."

"If you don't mind, how about I preside over the Hell Transformation Diagram afterward to refine the Buddha's evil energy?"

"To be honest, I also want to take this opportunity to train my primordial spirit. This is a difficult task for others, but a wonderful one for a junior like me. Please do not refuse."

Upon hearing this, Zhigang's first reaction was that there was actually another person in the world who looked so much like Qici.

Be compassionate, help others and do good deeds without expecting anything in return.

To be honest, it's somewhat untrue for an official who is in charge of a region to say this.

Li Cunxiao was a powerful figure who held multiple positions. If he were truly a pure-hearted person, how could he suppress those cunning officials below him?

However, judging from his perception, the other party's previous statement was not a lie at all; they genuinely enjoyed the ritual.

This is puzzling.

Malevolent energy is the most filthy and vile thing in people's hearts. It is exhausting to scheme and fight with neighbors over trivial matters, let alone to face the malice of thousands or tens of thousands of people.

The Hell Transformation Picture truly lives up to its name, depicting the hellish vision in people's hearts.

In Yuhua Temple, it is only when martial monks encounter a bottleneck in their training that they actively participate in order to face the great terror of life and death and seek a breakthrough.

Others avoid it like the plague, but I enjoy it immensely.

Li Cunxiao's will was also so extraordinary.
If one truly maintains this mindset of self-discipline and hardship at all times, then it would be quite normal for the other person to break through the barrier at the age of twenty.

“Since you are so kind, nephew, I will grant your request.”

Zhigang didn't hesitate for long before agreeing.

Li Cunxiao thought to himself that this would provide him with a long-term meal ticket, and even if he was busy with government affairs, it wouldn't delay his cultivation progress.

The ripples caused by the arrival of the Grandmaster quickly subsided, and after Li Siben and Li Si'en led their troops to the front lines, the days that followed became utterly uneventful.
He handled government affairs, performed rituals to absorb evil spirits, guided Li Guangyi and his personal guards in martial arts, occasionally discussed Zen and Taoism with Zhigang, and strengthened his relationship with the monks of Yuhua Temple.

Besides, the fighting on the front lines did not reach the rear. While the outside world was in chaos, Huayin maintained a brief period of harmony.

In the southwest and northwest of the Qin Dynasty, there were no forces stronger than those in Hedong. Whether it was Li Zhengchen in Longyou or Wang Jian in Jiannan, they were mostly well-behaved, except for occasional minor skirmishes.

Day after day, life is peaceful and monotonous, and time slips away like flowing water.

In other words, the occasional reports of victory from the front lines, as well as documents requesting reinforcements of troops and supplies, could stir the emotions of the people.

May, June, July, August.
Six months have passed, and on the sand table in Li Cunxiao's study, the flags of the Jin and Liang sides have changed with each battle report.

Sometimes the flags of Hedong would advance rapidly, almost penetrating the heart of Henan Province;

Sometimes a counterattack would occur, and the battlefield would retreat back to the eastern capital.

However, thanks to the presence of two grandmasters, Qi Ci and Zhi Heng, they ultimately escaped unscathed.

By September, the border between the two sides had ceased to change significantly, resulting in a stalemate and deadlock.

During this period, Li Yisheng and Zhu Quanzhong fought countless battles, but the outcome remained unknown to outsiders.

Yelü Yi kept his promise and focused on expanding his territory and absorbing the population in the north.
Mingzun was trapped in Huainan by Maoshan Zhenren, and Yang Huayuan took this opportunity to gradually encroach on Shannan Road in the west.

Li Cunxiao had already absorbed all the evil energy from the Buddha statue at a steady pace, steadily advancing the construction of the Taoist inner landscape.

By October, wounded soldiers on the front lines began to return to the rear to recuperate, and news that the war was about to end began to circulate in the streets and alleys.

Half a month after the temporary government office returned to the capital with Zhi Gang, Li Cunxiao finally received the secret letter from Li Yisheng for the first time:
First, the army will return at the end of the month, and supplies will be prepared to reward the soldiers.

Second, prepare Li Min for the abdication.

Li Yisheng wanted to declare himself emperor.

(End of this chapter)