The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 374 Stupidity Beyond Horizons
Mo Lihai was pleased that Li Jingxiao had asked him for advice on music, and he also felt a little smug.

Although he couldn't beat Li Jingxiao, the fact that Li Jingxiao sought his advice showed that he was still capable.

Of course, this also shows that Li Jingxiao is not omnipotent.

Surprisingly, their fear of him lessened considerably.

When Li Jingxiao arrived at the Tushita Palace, Laozi summoned him and scolded him for the duration of an incense stick burning.

The implication was that Yang Jian was not someone to be trusted.

To put it bluntly, Yang Jian is too proud, which makes him seem unapproachable.

They looked down on the celestial beings in Heaven who, despite their lack of ability, held high positions.

As a result, the number of gods and immortals who hated him far exceeded the number who hated the monkey in the past.

But these were not problems for Li Jingxiao at all.

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person, even though he served as a duke for more than ten years in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber.

But what they think is very different from what those born into nobility think.

Therefore, he was drawn to the naturally born and raised Sun Wukong.

Furthermore, Yang Jian was born because his mother secretly descended to the mortal realm and made a lifelong vow with a mortal. There was no intention to look down on him.

He even felt that the monkey and Yang Jian were similar to his own birth, and that they were naturally inclined to be close to each other.

Of course, Li Jingxiao was no novice after all.

Ultimately, who you associate with is also about self-interest.

For Li Jingxiao, befriending Sun Wukong on the journey to the West was extremely beneficial.

Otherwise, upgrading so quickly wouldn't be so easy.

Yang Jian is skilled in the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, and his own strength is considerable.

She doesn't have many friends yet, which also subtly implies that she's not exactly a model student.

While obedient children are lovable, they also mean they are easily taken advantage of.

It even makes people feel that listening to him in everything is what's best for you.

This is not the life Li Jingxiao wants.

Therefore, a certain degree of rebellion is not necessarily a bad thing.

When Lao Jun saw that Li Jingxiao had been scolded by him for so long, he actually secretly pursed his lips.

I was furious.

But if we really think about it, a fight between Li Jingxiao and Yang Jian would be a good thing for the Taoist sect.

Not only was it not wrong, it was actually meritorious.

So, when Laozi wanted to punish him, he didn't know what excuse to use.

If Li Jingxiao is punished, the kid will be resentful.

That would ruin the relationship between master and disciple, and Laozi would not do such a foolish thing.

Besides, this disciple has only been cultivating for a little over ten years, yet his strength is already comparable to Yang Jian's.

Laozi thought long and hard about it and realized that he really shouldn't punish such a good disciple.

He could only sigh helplessly, and lost all desire to teach Li Jingxiao a lesson.

Instead, they began to think that Li Jingxiao's friendship with Yang Jian wasn't anything outrageous.

Why should he punish his own precious disciple just to save face for the Jade Emperor?
That's what happens when you like someone; whatever that person does is right.

Even if something is wrong, there's always your mentor there to check and fix it.

Even cleaning up Li Jingxiao's messes can actually deepen the bond between master and disciple.

With that thought in mind, Laozi not only lost interest in scolding Li Jingxiao, but instead began to praise him for his hard work with a smile.

If hard tactics don't work, then we'll try softer ones.

Using gratitude to restrain Li Jingxiao made him want to rebel, but he had no reason or confidence to do so.

And if you truly do someone a favor, you can't deny it even if you want to.

After all, Li Jingxiao isn't a real demon. As long as there are moral standards and the principle of repaying kindness, you have to accept it.

Otherwise, he would truly become a lawless, heartless, and immoral monster.

So Laozi and Li Jingxiao, master and disciple, each praised and then humbly expressed their opinions.

The relationship between master and apprentice quickly became harmonious again.

Li Jingxiao had roughly figured out the old man's bottom line.

As long as they don't go too far, even if they act recklessly, they'll only get a few scoldings.

Even if someone occasionally disobeys, the old man won't really take it to heart.

Lao Jun was using kindness and righteousness to restrain Li Jingxiao, while Li Jingxiao was using his performance and talent to make Lao Jun reluctant to punish him.

As long as the other party's bottom line is not crossed, the relationship between master and disciple can easily be maintained in a close state.

To put it simply, a good teacher and a good student are those who give each other what they need.

And the bond between master and disciple deepens little by little through these constant interactions.

After forty-nine days, this batch of Nine-Turn Golden Pills produced 17 pills.

Lao Jun was overjoyed, watching Li Jingxiao take a deep breath towards the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

He directly absorbed the Six Ding Divine Fire and the five-colored flames of the Five Fires and Seven Birds Fan from the alchemy furnace into his stomach.

He burped, and that extinguished both the civil and military flames.

He became increasingly satisfied with Li Jingxiao.

In the past, Li Jingxiao had to rely on the Banana Leaf Fan and the Five Fires and Seven Birds Fan to extinguish the two kinds of flames.

If he swallows it now, needless to say, this kid's cultivation in the art of fire will definitely improve again.

No wonder this time, the alchemy yielded one more Nine-Turn Golden Pill than the last time.

Laozi then casually bestowed upon Li Jingxiao a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

Now he has four unused golden pills in his hands.

So he used his magical gourd to store the 16 golden pills.

After resting for three days, refine one batch of five-turn and one batch of six-turn golden pills.

After completing the task.

So he went to the Dragon Palace of the West Sea.

After the last pill refining, I planned to give one to Ao Xin.

But while staying in Thorn Ridge, he was so captivated by the enchanting Princess Wansheng that he lingered there, reluctant to leave.

That's why I didn't go to the Dragon Palace of the West Sea.

However, after Li Jingxiao completed the alchemy task, he intended to leave.

Suddenly, Golden Horn and Silver Horn pulled him aside and said, "Young Master, we two brothers are thinking about trying to refine a Five-Rank Golden Pill. We would appreciate your guidance."

Laozi was not the only one refining elixirs in the Tushita Palace.

It's also impossible to only refine golden pills.

However, after the fifth stage of transformation, lifespan will not increase, which is a waste of time for Laozi.

Even in Laozi's eyes, apart from the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

The fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth stages of the Golden Core process are all a waste of his time.

So even though Golden Horn and Silver Horn could refine pills, they were no match for Laozi.

Or rather, in Laozi's eyes, nothing else but the Golden Elixir was worthy of his attention.

After all, the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir can grant immortality and make one an immortal on the spot.

It can heal injuries and even bring the dead back to life.

One pill can be used for multiple purposes, including other pills or formulas.

Increase cultivation level or increase lifespan separately.

Or any pills that can only bring the dead back to life are garbage.

Therefore, unless the Golden Horn and Silver Horn brothers can refine the lowest-level fifth-grade golden pill in Laozi's eyes, they will be eliminated.

Otherwise, asking Laozi for advice on refining other elixirs would be a waste of his time.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn understood this, which is why they never mentioned that they could refine pills.

Of course, these two brothers are indeed a bit lacking in talent.

Otherwise, even a pig could stay by Laozi's side and refine the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir countless times.

In any case, they should be able to refine a fifth-grade golden pill.

Unfortunately, talent is something you either have or you don't.

Without it, all hopes and desires are in vain. Li Jingxiao, however, was already adept at refining Eight-Turn Golden Elixir in the game's alchemy room.

Therefore, in his eyes, refining a fifth-stage golden pill was a waste of his time.

If Golden Horn and Silver Horn can complete this task for me, then teaching them wouldn't be a bad idea.

So after thinking about it, he took out 10 sets of materials needed for the Five-Rank Golden Elixir from the fifth-grade column.

He put it in a storage bag that Li Jingxiao had made himself and tossed it to Jinjiao and Yinjiao.

Then it opened its mouth towards the Bagua Furnace and spat out the Six Ding Divine Fire.

The Bagua Furnace, which had just been extinguished, suddenly burst into flames again.

Seeing that there was only the Six Ding Divine Fire in the furnace, Jinjiao and Yinjiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

We two are not like Li Jingxiao, who has an extraordinary talent for alchemy.

When refining the Five-Turn Golden Elixir, Li Jingxiao dared to use the Six Ding Divine Fire and Five-Colored Flames to calcine it.

If you're not careful, you'll definitely burn all the magical herbs and roots in the furnace.

Therefore, the Six Ding Divine Fire, which belongs to the category of gentle fire, is indeed the most suitable for the two brothers.

Li Jingxiao went straight to the Eight Views Platform and sat in the seat that Laozi used to sit in.

They simply pointed out the Golden Horn and Silver Horn with their mouths.

Seven days later, Li Jingxiao left the Tushita Palace cursing and swearing.

Those two bastards are incredibly stupid.

Within seven days, he ruined the materials for 10 Golden Elixir pills.

Moreover, each time, within three to five hours, the flames in the alchemy furnace would be under insufficient control.

The materials were burned.

Even if Li Jingxiao breaks down all the steps and explains them to the two of them,

Even with hands-on instruction, the two still make mistakes.

They even make the same mistakes over and over again.

Even if Lee Kyung-hyo has a good temper, he would be driven crazy by these two bastards.

He left the Tushita Palace, cursing and swearing.

The celestial children, divine generals, and spirit officials, all of high and low rank, looked at each other, wondering who had offended their young master.

Then they saw Jinjiao and Yinjiao, their faces bruised and swollen, covering their faces with their sleeves and leaving the alchemy room in embarrassment.

Now everyone knows that these two kids must have angered Li Jingxiao.

However, the thought processes of Golden Horn and Silver Horn are different from those of ordinary people.

Although Li Jingxiao used the Immortal Binding Rope to hang him up and beat him.

But whenever he thought of his two brothers, who, with the young master's guidance, had already begun refining the Fifth-Rank Golden Elixir, he was overwhelmed.

A feeling of pride welled up inside me.

Moreover, Silver Horn is even less intelligent than Golden Horn. This kid was initially embarrassed when he left the alchemy room.

But when I saw someone I knew.

They said that the two of them were already learning the method of refining the Five-Turn Golden Elixir.

They also said that it wouldn't be long before they, along with their brother, would be able to successfully refine a fifth-level golden pill.

As for the beating, Silver Horn said it was only because the young master had a bad temper.

They would curse and hit people for the slightest mistake.

Fortunately, Golden Horn was much smarter than Silver Horn. He was quite startled when he heard what his younger brother said.

He quickly added a sentence.

It's not true that everyone is a young master who can easily understand the alchemical methods of a high-ranking official just by listening to casual conversation.

It is easy to refine fifth- and sixth-level golden pills.

The fact that neither of them had the young master's talent was what angered Li Jingxiao.

This statement not only elevated Li Jingxiao's status, but also...

This did indeed elevate the status of Golden Horn and Silver Horn in the Tushita Palace considerably.

Only Laozi, upon learning of this, laughed rather gleefully.

Over the years, the old man had considered taking on apprentices.

He has also examined many immortals and gods, or Taoist practitioners in the human world.

Unfortunately, while they have great talent in alchemy, their actual skills are lacking.

They're decent in terms of skill, but their alchemy talent is at best average.

Moreover, his so-called "decent strength" is far inferior to that of Sun Wukong.

However, what Laozi considered ordinary was actually already considered exceptionally gifted.

Moreover, despite being a Dao Ancestor, this old man actually doesn't have access to many people.

Even if you use your divine sense to observe, it's impossible to see it every day.

When he thinks about taking on apprentices, he will investigate and observe them, but he will give up after three to five years at most.

More often than not, it's the candidates they're investigating who create the commotion themselves.

This is what caught Laozi's attention.

Therefore, the scope is actually quite small.

As soon as Li Jingxiao arrived in this world, he went to find Zhu Bajie.

They drove away Kui Mulang several times.

This not only caught the attention of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

They captured the Great Sage Yellow Wind alive on Yellow Wind Ridge.

Not to mention Laozi, the Jade Emperor had already taken notice of Li Jingxiao at that time.

After all, the Great Sage Yellow Wind used the Samadhi Divine Wind, which almost blinded the monkey.

He also used the Samadhi Divine Wind to easily break Sun Wukong's external avatar.

Hundreds of monkeys, under the influence of the Samadhi Divine Wind, quickly turned back into monkey hair.

Even Sun Wukong himself was blown around in circles in the air by this divine wind.

He was the first demon to truly suppress Sun Wukong.

Moreover, it is rumored that Zhenwu the Great is actually an incarnation of Laozi.

If that's the case, the old lord will take even longer to reach Li Jingxiao.

Perhaps this is why the True Martial Emperor never accepted Li Jingxiao as his disciple.

Back then, Li Jingxiao accompanied the Bodhisattva on her journey eastward.

The journey passed through Liusha River, Gaolaozhuang, and Yingchoujian of Shepanshan.

After recruiting Sha Wujing, Zhu Bajie, and the White Dragon Horse, Li Jingxiao parted ways with the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva went directly to the Heavenly Court to find the True Martial Emperor.

The two whispered for a while, and from then on, the Bodhisattva paid more and more attention to Li Jingxiao.

But he didn't say anything about taking Li Jingxiao as his apprentice.

There must be some hidden story behind this.

But for Li Jingxiao, the outcome was the most advantageous to him; everything else was secondary.

As Laozi watched Li Jingxiao leave the Tushita Palace cursing and swearing, he laughed heartily.

He thought to himself, if Golden Horn and Silver Horn really had that talent, they would have become his disciples long ago.

It's hardly Li Jingxiao's place to teach them.

However, if Li Jingxiao could really teach Jinjiao and Yinjiao, the old man would be happy to see it happen.

After all, they've been by each other's side for countless years; putting aside feelings, there's just trust.

The old man hoped that Golden Horn and Silver Horn would achieve more.

Laozi also understood that he would wait until Li Jingxiao was able to refine the seventh and eighth level golden pills.

They would definitely be like me, unwilling to waste time on fifth or sixth level Golden Core cultivation.

Therefore, having a substitute is naturally the best option.

But if not, then it will be tough on Li Jingxiao, the disciple.
-
After leaving the Tushita Palace, Li Jingxiao was so angry that he forgot to go find Mo Lihai.

With a swift movement, he passed through the familiar West Heavenly Gate and vanished instantly.

The guards at the Western Heavenly Gate, including Mo Lihai, dozens of marshals, and hundreds of divine generals, were all somewhat bewildered.

(End of this chapter)