Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 346 356 The Birth of the Primordial Embryo, the Celestial Venerable's Dharma Form

The Dragon Palace Secret Realm, Qianyang Hall.

Layer upon layer of palaces and pavilions, with clouds and mist swirling within, resemble a celestial palace, the abode of immortals.

However, unlike in the past, the layout of the various buildings today has been carefully arranged, staggered and subtly different from the past, but they subtly protect the central palace.

The changes to Qianyang Hall were even more dramatic. The top of the entire building seemed to have been flipped up, and the retractable caisson ceiling, which should have been hidden inside, now arched towards the sky.

Even the red dragon in the caisson ceiling doesn't peek downwards, but raises its head upwards, holding a "dragon pearl" that looks like the sun in its mouth.

Li Cunxiao sat cross-legged on the dragon pearl, the pure spiritual energy cleansing and washing over him. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the clouds and mist in the palace were actually the result of spiritual energy overflowing and having nowhere to go.

"When the three treasures come together, they condense into the primordial embryo; when heaven and earth interact, they give birth to the divine body."

"Breaking through to the Grandmaster level will inevitably trigger extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and earth. It would be more discreet to break through in a secret realm."

"Fortunately, I had made a lot of money while in the capital, so the dragon boat's small cycle is already very complete, and it can easily absorb and release the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"The next time we leave the pass, it might be the second year of the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns."

Li Cunxiao was slightly moved. In his previous life, when he read fantasy stories, he didn't have a real understanding of the separation between immortals and mortals or the fate of the chess game. He only felt that it was mysterious and mysterious.

Now that I'm approaching that point, I truly feel a sense of helplessness.

"Enough of this, there's no point in thinking about it. Breaking through to the Grandmaster level is the most important thing right now. Whether Master Taiyi can be brought back to life depends entirely on this."

With his mind free from distractions and focused on his inner dantian, the old Taoist's primordial spirit remained as peacefully asleep beneath the vajra pestle as before.

The five pairs of Capricorns on the vajra were shining brightly with golden light, all the result of the past month.

To be honest, the mountains of Jiannan are full of deep valleys, ravines, caves and secluded forests, and there are countless demons, giving people the illusion that they respawn at regular intervals.

However, Li Cunxiao himself knew that the mountains and forests within a hundred miles of Wenzhou and Fuzhou had been completely emptied by him, leaving only some ordinary wild animals.

However, compared to the vast mountains, this is nothing. The Dali Kingdom in the southwest of Jiannan Road and the Qianzhong Road in the southeast are also mountainous with little land.

Even if a terrestrial deity came, it would probably take at least a year or two to wipe them all out.

“Since I started learning martial arts, the vajra has changed twice.”

"The first stage is the muscular realm, drawing demonic energy into the body, splitting the single stream into three, storing more malevolent energy, and simultaneously breaking through barriers to replace the demon-attracting elixir."

"The second time is the True Form Realm, where the demon is transformed into myself, the three strands become five strands, the number of times I can break through barriers increases again, and my ability to deduce also increases."

"Both of these passes are important nodes in the cultivation of demonic martial arts."

"Now that we've reached the Nascent Soul stage, transforming from demon to god, it can be said that we've taken a step towards transcendence. Will the Vajra Pestle undergo further changes?"

Li Cunxiao has been practicing martial arts for a long time, and his skill level has been steadily improving. He has also not neglected his study of Taoist and Buddhist scriptures.

The shape of the vajra (a type of dagger-axe) has its own meaning.

The single-pronged vajra represents the true Dharma realm. One means without duality; true means without falsehood. Interpenetrating and encompassing all, it is called the Dharma realm.

It is neither born nor dies, neither empty nor existent, beyond name and form, without inside or outside, the only true reality, inconceivable. Thus, it corresponds to the function of the single-pronged vajra in breaking through all obstacles.

The three-pronged vajra represents the three secrets of body, speech, and mind. By merging the three secrets of human beings with the three secrets of the Buddha, one can attain Buddhahood in this very life.

It is itself the path to Buddhahood, itself a convenient method, corresponding to the function of external things like the elixir of seduction.

The five-pronged vajra represents the five wisdoms and five Buddhas. The central patriarch of Esoteric Buddhism, Vairocana Buddha, manifests as four Buddhas in the east, south, west, and north, corresponding to the four wisdom bodies.

The central Vairocana Buddha symbolizes the wisdom of the Dharmadhatu; Akshobhya Buddha in the east corresponds to the Great Mirror Wisdom; Ratnasambhava Buddha in the south represents the wisdom of equality; Amitabha Buddha in the west embodies the wisdom of discerning perception; and Amoghasiddhi Buddha in the north corresponds to the wisdom of accomplishment.

The Five Wisdoms are the fundamental enlightenment of the Tathagata, the first and most profound meaning of Bodhi, which naturally gives rise to all dharmas and can deduce supernatural powers and transformations.

The nine-pronged vajra is the ultimate form of this ritual implement, representing all sentient beings in the three realms and nine vehicles.

The implications of this are so profound that they are beyond words, which is why Li Cunxiao could hardly guess its possible function.

"You'll know once you try."

A thousand and one things can happen in the blink of an eye.

With that resolute decision, all the malevolent energy within the vajra transformed into an invisible coolness, flowing like a mighty river straight towards the Niwan Palace (the area around the crown of the head).

From the entrance to the primordial embryo, the most crucial step is the inner landscape interacting with heaven and earth. By using the pressure of the power of heaven and earth to wash over the body, the essence, energy, and spirit of the body are completely integrated and become one.

This is equivalent to reshaping the innate human body, and the newly conceived divine body is completely free from the realm of flesh and blood.

But the dangers of rebuilding after destruction are self-evident.

To increase the chances of success, the most important thing is to have a powerful primordial spirit.

Only with a strong primordial spirit can one maintain their true self during the struggle against heaven and earth, and avoid being swallowed up by the vast world in an instant.
Only with a powerful primordial spirit can one accurately filter the spiritual and demonic energy in the world and shape a corresponding divine body according to the cultivation method.

Otherwise, if the five elements, yin and yang, miasma and poisonous gas all flood into the primordial embryo, it's hard to say what will ultimately be born.

It was for this reason that Li Cunxiao had given it much thought before making his breakthrough today.

Since one relies on a powerful primordial spirit to control the power of heaven and earth, why should one waste the hard-earned evil energy just to break through?

If we're talking about the unity of heaven and humanity, what could be better than the Dharma Image of the Vast Heaven?

In the blink of an eye, the pure energy surged forth and entered the double-layered altar in the center of the three divine palaces of Niwan.

The ancient altar, depicting the stars of the heavens, trembled violently the instant the pure energy surged in.

boom!
Li Cunxiao felt as if his mind had exploded. His perception spread from his own inner world to the entire secret realm in an instant, as if he had become the fool that Feng Juan had made.

The space originally had no shape, but Li Cunxiao's primordial spirit had "filled" the entire secret realm.

Therefore, he not only sensed the "shape" of the Dragon Palace Secret Realm, but also "saw" the outside world through that invisible barrier.

His perspective seemed to transform into that of a bird, overlooking the mountains and valleys, rising higher and higher until the continuous camps bearing the "Li" military flag came into view.

At this moment, Qici, who was sitting in the central army and meditating on a couch, suddenly twitched his brow.

The feeling of being spied on welled up inside me, but after looking down and sensing around, I found nothing.

Just as he reached for his spiked club, a familiar yet ethereal voice rang in his ears, its distance unknown:

"Master."

The monk was taken aback, then slowly withdrew his spiked club, feeling both surprised and delighted.

Li Cunxiao was clearly cultivating in seclusion in the mountains, and there was no trace of him outside, so he must be in a secluded cave.

However, the strength of its primordial spirit is so great that it can even transcend the boundary between the real and the illusory.
Becoming a Grandmaster is practically a certainty!

As for Li Cunxiao in the secret realm, although this experience was novel, he still had important matters to attend to at the moment.

He briefly sensed the limits and discovered that the spread of his primordial spirit was centered on the location where he left the mortal world, covering an area of ​​about a hundred miles in radius, roughly the size of the secret realm.

More importantly, within the area covered by the primordial spirit, countless spiritual and demonic energies of different attributes are like a vast ocean, endless and boundless.

However, he can easily select the drop of seawater he needs and combine and control it at will.

Within the divine palace, the Haotian Altar has expanded from two to three levels, and the secret technique of the "Haotian Shangdi Ancient Scripture" has progressed from the initial stage of "unity of heaven and man" to the advanced stage of "acting on behalf of heaven to punish."

On the ancient stone platform, the thrones of the five Heavenly Emperors—yellow, blue, red, white, and black—are carved, echoing the celestial constellations on the two levels below.

The three concentric circles nested one inside the other. At the very center, there was no longer a gap. On the fourth layer, which had not yet been formed, one could vaguely see the phantom of a divine throne. The four cloud-shaped characters on it made one's breath come lighter—the Jade Emperor!

"Boom!"

Thunder rumbled and silver snakes danced wildly as Li Cunxiao's eyes simultaneously "watched" the secret realm and the surrounding mountains.

These thunderclaps did not originate from reality, but from the void between the secret realm and reality.

The collision of Yin and Yang produces thunder, and now, extremely dense spiritual and demonic energy converges and collides, condensing into dark clouds that fill the void.

Because of this extraordinary phenomenon, breaking through to the Grandmaster level has always been said to involve undergoing a tribulation of lightning.

But the most dangerous thing in the whole process is not these tangible lightning bolts, but the intangible and all-encompassing heaven and earth!

"Since we can punish on behalf of Heaven, why not use this supreme and powerful force to return to our original state and undergo a transformation?"

With a wave of his hand, the secret realm opened up, drawing in the vast ocean of lightning and the Yin-Yang spiritual energy from the void, confining it all above the red dragon's head.

Li Cunxiao laughed heartily, his entire being brimming with energy and spirit like a celestial river bursting forth from his crown chasm, enveloping him in a boundless power of heaven and earth.
half year later.

In the third month of the second year of the Tongguang reign, the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects) arrived.

Hmm~ Uh~
The deep roar of the lion had a very long trailing tone, but it didn't show any anger; instead, it exuded a lazy feeling.

The nine heads of the blue lion opened, and the Tibetan soldiers waiting nearby immediately stepped forward and nimbly picked up a large vat that was as tall as a person and as wide as three people.

Nine large vats, each containing meat and vegetable dishes, as well as pastries and fruits, some hot, some cold, some sweet, some salty, and some spicy, were all poured into the big mouth at once.

Nine large mouths chewed and swallowed, all showing expressions of enjoyment, and let out a low growl.

"Homage to the Venerable One."

The barbarian soldiers, with devout expressions, retreated to the side, speaking in broken Mandarin.

The red horse snorted and growled, and Li Guangyi couldn't help but pull the reins a little harder, smiling helplessly:

"Everyone in the world wants to be powerful and wealthy, but I am in a high position, and all I see is the eating, drinking and relieving of the people of the two states and the ten thousand soldiers."

"Among us, only this fat lion lives the most carefree life."

“Who says otherwise?” Ye Shuyi, dressed in a flowing, wide-sleeved gown, looked like a celestial maiden descended to earth. The people of both states knew that this celestial maiden was their lord’s wife.

"To be honest, after Sanlang went into seclusion, apart from Uncle Qici, Qing Shi ranked second in terms of combat strength."

"It's a seventh-tier exotic beast after all, so it's quite suitable for guarding that barbarian general here."

By this time, some people had already noticed the uncle and sister-in-law and greeted them warmly.

"Sister-in-law, you've already reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Ladder, are you ready to break through the barrier?"

The red horse began to move under the reins, while Ye Shuyi, aided by the flowing skirt, swayed gently.

"Thanks to the precious pills your elder brother prepared, I never imagined that what people say is as difficult as climbing to heaven could be so simple."

"However, half a year has passed, and I wonder how Sanlang is doing in his seclusion."

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

With this agreement in place, neither Tibet, the Shu Kingdom, nor Qingcheng Mountain dared to act rashly.

The only time things were somewhat peaceful was when the Dragon Armor Army would enter the mountains each month to suppress bandits and demons. Even though there was life and death fighting outside, there was a sense of tranquility here.

However, looking at a broader perspective, the area outside Jiannan Road is in turmoil and unrest.

Before the end of January of the second year of the Tongguang era, Li Yisheng took advantage of the still-unmelted snow and ice to launch a surprise attack.

Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu, one from the north and one from the south, the former advanced eastward from Hedong and invaded the four towns of Hebei;
The latter launched an attack from Luoyang, heading straight for the heart of the enemy's territory from Caizhou.

Li Yisheng himself was hiding in one of the troops, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Zhu Quanzhong was naturally furious and sent his generals Ge Congzhou and Yang Shihou to lead troops to meet him.

The conflict has only been going on for two months, but the number of dead and injured on both sides has already reached tens of thousands, making it extremely tragic.

If the Venerable One had been by their side, the Great Liang would not have been in such a predicament.

Unfortunately, the Ming Cult had previously carried out a large-scale extermination of Taoism, exclusively honoring the Ming King and Ming Venerable, and enslaving Taoist priests and high-ranking officials, causing widespread resentment among the people.

Maoshan, which prides itself on being a sacred place of Taoism, deeply resented this. Yuanfu Zhenren fought against Mingzun several times, and several Dharma Kings below him were also dragged into Haozhou by Yang Huayuan and could not escape.

As a result, only the Liao Kingdom in the north remained on the fringes of the battlefield, turning a blind eye to the disputes in the south and focusing all its efforts on attacking Bohai.

If the prediction is correct, the northern tribes will all fall to Qida before the Ghost Festival. At that time, Yelü Yi, this terrestrial deity, will join in, and the situation will inevitably change again.

"The capital has sent another letter urging for the elixir, and also demanding that the King of Shu increase the summer tax. It seems the war is extremely stalemate."

"Fortunately, my elder brother had anticipated this, otherwise it would have been difficult to explain."

From afar, the military camp could be seen; the original temporary tents had all been replaced by rows of houses.

Li Guangyi and Ye Shuyi entered the room and headed directly towards Qici's quiet room.

The two were stationed in Wenzhou and Fuzhou respectively. They met at the beginning of the month to summarize the situation so that the senior monk could oversee it and take action if necessary.

When we arrived at the destination, the door opened automatically before we even knocked.

The two were already used to it, and Qici, who was on the couch, just opened his eyes.

"You've arrived, please have a seat."

The two bowed to each other and sat down, recounting their recent affairs one by one.

Most of the time, Qici remained silent, only nodding.

Towards the end, it was something Li Guangyi mentioned that finally elicited a reaction from the head monk:

"A letter came from Tibet again, hoping to release Gyaltsen and proposing to buy grain with gold and silver."

"My elder brother said that people cannot be released. As for buying grain, the other party gritted their teeth and took a batch of rare and precious materials before, and it seems that they are unwilling to be ripped off this time."

"But what I mean is, in times of war and chaos, gold and silver are no match for food. Besides, the Sichuan region has always kept our trade with us very tight, so we have money but nowhere to use it."

"I also thought it would be better not to change it."

Qi nodded in approval, but also gave a cold snort.

"If we weren't stretched thin, we should have wiped out the Snow Mountain heretics long ago."

The words that were about to be spoken suddenly caught in his throat. Li Guangyi and Ye Shuyi looked at each other, wondering what had happened, while Qi Ci just stared intently at what was in front of him.

A faint flash of lightning suddenly appeared in the void.

The next moment, the world spun around, and the quiet room transformed into a sea of ​​clouds and a clear blue sky.

The three looked up and saw a blue sun formed from lightning in the center of the sky, radiating boundless pressure, within which a Dharma image slowly appeared.

Qici excitedly grabbed the rosary beads and burst into laughter:

"Returning to the origin, attaining enlightenment, our disciples have achieved the Dao today!"

(End of this chapter)