Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

【merit +11】

【merit +23】

[Merit +19].
As soon as the floodwaters of this vast swamp, spanning a radius of one or two hundred miles, were drained, exposing the submerged fields and allowing the creatures inhabiting the area to survive, rewards of merit poured in.

The good deed was just finished when another surprise followed.

Liu Qing felt a mysterious power rising from within her body. It wasn't entirely the power of blood and qi; it seemed to be mixed with the blessing and prayer power of the ancient dragon race, and perhaps even the dragon race's fortune.

The sudden appearance of these forces is a reward for Liu Qing's progress in walking the dragon.

First, the azure dragon's body grew once again, from two thousand feet to three thousand feet.

Secondly, the dragon bones within his body, which had been subtly beginning to transform, suddenly shone with golden light. Within the golden light, the dragon bones were rapidly transforming. After the golden light disappeared, Liu Qing discovered that all the dragon bones in his body had evolved into true dragon bones.

The dragon evolved into a true dragon, with dragon blood and dragon bones emerging, and at this point, it had already completed more than half of its journey.

Liu Qing floated in the canal, his enormous blue dragon body meandering and swimming. If the Four Dragon Kings of the Seas were to see him, they would surely be utterly shocked.

Even before evolving into a true dragon, it already possesses a body length of three thousand feet, surpassing all the true dragons of the Four Seas Dragon Clan. Even the Four Seas Dragon Kings, who are at the early stage of the Great Luo Realm, only have a true dragon body length of over two thousand feet.

Liu Qing has not yet evolved into a true dragon, but its size already surpasses that of all the other dragons, including all the flood dragons and true dragons.

If Liu Qing were to eventually evolve into a true dragon, just how enormous would its physical form be?

As beings cultivate further, the more they progress on the path of cultivation, the more they adhere to the most basic truths of the universe: the greater the power, the stronger the combat strength; the larger the physical body, the greater the power.

This is the most basic and fundamental Dao that the Great Dao bestowed upon heaven and earth.

Therefore, for Liu Qing, the larger his physical body, the greater his power. In the end, perhaps the Heavenly Dao could no longer bear it, and he would directly point to the Great Dao.

Walking on a dragon is not something that can be done overnight.

After passing the Great Marsh, Liu Qing left Luoyang, crossed the Huai River, and arrived at the section of the Grand Canal between the Huai River and the Yangtze River.

Looking back at the canal, which I have already traversed more than halfway, I see that I have widened and deepened it several times over, making it comparable to the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, two major arteries of the land. While I feel proud, I am also deeply exhausted.

Liu Qing plans to take a break for a while.

With this thought, she felt dizzy and drowsy, and Liu Qing involuntarily closed her eyes and sank into the floodwaters of the canal.

The rain falling from the sky grew heavier, and floodwaters from both banks poured into the canal. However, the canal was not yet dredged and its carrying capacity was weak, causing the water level to rise rapidly. Instead of releasing the floodwaters, the floodwaters flowed back into both banks and surged towards the distant human city.

Countless lives struggled in the flood, crying out for help.

Liu Qing seemed to be in a deep sleep, completely unaware that the enormous dragon's body had sunk to the bottom of the canal and was slowly submerged by the silt carried by the flood.

"The Buddha said that it takes five hundred glances to meet once, five hundred meetings to form a bond, and five hundred bonds to become acquainted."

"Liu Qing, our meeting and acquaintance are bound by fate. Although I exist because of you, I regard you as my father and brother."

"I don't care if you use me, or if you devour me. I just want to know, what exactly is Liu Bai, your clone, to you?"

"Is it the sustenance for your enlightenment? Or a pawn you can discard at will?"

Liu Bai sat cross-legged in front of Liu Qing, his eyes filled with resentment, and questioned Liu Qing.

Liu Bai seemed incredibly tall, while Liu Qing, who was three thousand feet long, looked like a straw rope in front of him.

Liu Bai seemed incredibly sacred, with a Buddha-like aura emanating from the back of his head, his vows manifesting as wheels. Despite being questioned, he remained unmoved by greed, delusion, or anger, like a virtuous and great master.

The surrounding environment was no longer the murky waters of the Grand Canal, but a dark, cold, and eerie place.

Liu Qing frowned.

While he was walking the dragon in the Grand Canal, Liu Bai was taken away by Buddhism, seemingly waiting for the final, fatal blow. Moreover, Liu Qing vaguely guessed that Buddhism wanted to replace him with Liu Bai.

He himself wanted to devour Liu Bai to achieve an indestructible golden body, while Buddhism also wanted Liu Bai to refine him and replace him.

How could he fall into a deep sleep after only a short rest, and even have Liu Bai appear in his dream?

Liu Qing sensed something was wrong when he was overcome by drowsiness.

What we see now is just another calamity.

But while it may be a calamity, the Liu Bai before me is real.

Liu Qing scanned the area with his divine sense. Although Liu Bai did not have a physical body, what appeared in the dream was only his soul. But this soul was truly Liu Bai.

No one could discern Liu Bai's spiritual aura better than Liu Qing.

Even the most powerful supernatural abilities in the Three Realms could not prevent Liu Qing from sensing Liu Bai's soul. This was because Liu Bai's soul originated from a drop of Liu Qing's primordial blood essence.

Now that he knew it was a calamity, Liu Qing was not flustered. The only person who could bring Liu Bai's soul into his dream, and whose dream was filled with a sinister and ghostly aura, was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Knowing the opponent is the key to overcoming the calamity.

This calamity is a calamity for Liu Bai and a calamity for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Now that Liu Bai has appeared first, then we should break Liu Bai first.

Surrounded by Buddhist light, unmoving as a mountain, it was clear that he had been converted to Buddhism and that his cultivation and spiritual attainment were equal to mine, both being at the Divine Realm.

The Divine Realm is merely a realm, not combat power. The Liu Bai we see now possesses an immense divine soul, suggesting that all of his combat power resides within this divine soul.

Liu Qing was unaware that Liu Bai had been captured by a single obsession of the Sage Zhunti, and that obsession was ultimately devoured by the True Scripture of Talking Earth.

But just before being obliterated, the power of a lingering obsession was fully bestowed upon Liu Bai. Subsequently, the Buddha Tathagata used a Bodhi seed to forcibly enhance Liu Bai's cultivation, causing Liu Bai's cultivation to soar all the way to the perfection of the Divine Realm.

As his cultivation level improved, Liu Bai's soul was also strengthened. Combined with the power of the sage's obsession, the two factors combined to give Liu Bai his powerful soul today.

If Liu Bai had targeted Liu Qing with such a powerful divine soul from the very beginning, Liu Qing would probably have been suppressed, had his mind erased, and been devoured and fused.

This was a question in Liu Qing's heart, and also a puzzle for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Why didn't Liu Bai suppress Liu Qing with his divine soul power right away?

Instead, he imitated that Buddhist bald monk, trying to use words to disturb Liu Qing's mind and influence his soul.

A foolish act, like adding legs to a snake.

Having fought since he was a child, Liu Qing's willpower is so strong that it cannot be broken by a few words.
The ghostly energy surrounding Liu Bai instantly shifted from calm to violent, like a cold winter wind howling sharply. It seemed as if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who had carried Liu Bai's soul into Liu Qing's dream, was issuing an angry warning after being shocked by Liu Bai's foolish act.

Liu Bai was told to stop wasting words and directly use his divine soul power, which far surpassed Liu Qing's, to forcibly kill Liu Qing and take his place.

But Liu Bai ignored him and stubbornly stared at Liu Qing.

"I don't care if you use me, or if you devour me. I just want to know, as your clone, what am I to you?"

"Is it the sustenance for your enlightenment? Or a pawn you can discard at will?"

Liu Bai asked another question.

Liu Qing had already realized that Liu Bai had no intention of killing him or replacing him. He was only willing to cooperate with Buddhism to obstruct the path because he wanted to ask the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

Doubt is insufficient to express it, but obsession may be able to highlight it to some extent.

Since Liu Bai had no intention of replacing him and only wanted the truth, Liu Qing didn't bother to figure out how to escape and prepared to give him an explanation.

Liu Qing had intended to make up some excuse to fool Liu Bai, but faced with Liu Bai's clear eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say any more lies or deceptions.

With a sigh, Liu Qing nodded: "Indeed, I only regard you as the resources for achieving an indestructible golden body."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to lie to you."

"If you feel it's unfair, then attack with all your might. If you really kill me, this body will be yours, and Liu Qing will be yours too!"

"But I would like to add one more thing: although you are an avatar and my predetermined means to attain enlightenment, you are not a pawn that can be discarded at will."

"You are Liu Bai. Before I devoured and refined you, you were the one and only Liu Bai in the Three Realms!"

Having said that, Liu Qing's soul was on high alert, awaiting Liu Bai's possible sudden attack.

"Hehe, you're quite the bachelor. Although you're selfish towards me, it's for your own path to cultivation, so I can understand."

"Fortunately, you didn't lie to me."

“Since it’s for your path, then I’ll grant your wish. I’ve said it before, without you, Liu Qing, there would be no me, Liu Bai. You gave me this life, and now I’m returning it to you. From now on, I, Liu Bai, will owe you nothing.”

"Those bald monks in Buddhism are truly laughable. Do they really want me to replace you?"

"I am Liu Bai, the one and only Liu Bai in the Three Realms. If I replace you, I will become Liu Qing. Where will Liu Bai be then?"

"Since Liu Bai will no longer exist after you are replaced, how can Liu Bai agree to let those bald monks replace you?"

"You think you can control my soul with your mere conversion and conversion? It's laughable."

When Liu Bai was born, Liu Qing passed on to him many magical arts and supernatural powers, as well as the earth element insights of mountain gods, land gods, and other earth deities. Among them was the Lingbao Dushi Jing (Scripture of Salvation through Spiritual Treasures).

When the Buddha was converting Liu Bai to Buddhism, Liu Bai secretly used the Lingbao Dushi Jing (Scripture of Salvation of the World) to counteract the Buddhist conversion method.

Because Liu Bai possessed the Buddha's light emanating from the Bodhi seed and imitated the behavior of a high-ranking Buddhist monk, he even deceived the Buddha, who believed that Liu Bai had been converted to Buddhism. Only then did the Buddha feel at ease allowing Maitreya Buddha to bring Liu Bai out to replace Liu Qing.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bai did not convert.

The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who was supporting Liu Bai's soul and entering Liu Qing's dream, was utterly shocked upon hearing the truth.

He wanted to withdraw the lifting force and get out to avoid falling into it, but Liu Bai was prepared. The body that was sitting cross-legged suddenly stood up and reached into the darkness. With a muffled groan and unwillingness, the soul of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was forcibly pulled in from the outside by Liu Bai.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva ranks second in power among the eight great Bodhisattvas. His spiritual cultivation reached the mid-stage of the half-step Great Luo Realm. His divine soul power is strong, surpassing Liu Qing, but far inferior to Liu Bai, who has the obsession of a saint and the initiation of the Bodhi seed.

With a single move, Liu Bai used his pure spiritual power to forcibly pull the soul of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva into Liu Qing's dream.

If they were outside, with the spirit residing in the physical body, and a battle broke out, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva would be far beyond Liu Bai's ability to withstand.

But this was a dream. Liu Bai's divine soul power was incredibly strong, so that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, despite his formidable fighting strength, could only helplessly be controlled by Liu Bai.

"Haha, my lord, you made me who I am, I'll repay you with my life, and we'll be even!"

Liu Bai's soul trembled, blasting away the power within him that bore the Buddhist mark, leaving only his original soul, which then lunged at Liu Qing's soul.

Then he added, "But I gave you the soul of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. So, in that sense, you owe me!"

Having said that, Liu Bai extinguished his own consciousness, and poured all his immense spiritual power into Liu Qing's body.

Since Liu Bai had voluntarily suppressed his consciousness, his spiritual power was completely absorbed by Liu Qing without any resistance.

Thanks to Liu Bai's divine soul power, Liu Qing's divine soul rapidly increased, and the size of the manifested dragon also increased from three thousand feet to nine thousand nine hundred feet!
Liu Qing sighed and, after much effort, finally found the fragmented original mark of Liu Bai in Liu Bai's soul.

He carefully put away Liu Bai's original mark before looking at the terrified Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Now, the azure dragon body manifested by Liu Qing's divine soul is nearly ten thousand feet long. Even the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who is at the mid-stage of the half-step Great Luo Realm, has a divine soul that is only four or five thousand feet long. Compared to Liu Qing, it is almost half the size.

Liu Qing let out a dragon's roar and pounced towards Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

In just a few rounds, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was torn into several pieces by Liu Qing.

Liu Qing opened his eyes, waking up from the dream. He was carrying a fragment of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's soul. He then found the true form of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the canal ahead.

After thinking for a moment, he opened the portal to the Lesser Thousand Worlds and suppressed the fragments of Ksitigarbha's soul and his true form in the Underworld of the Lesser Thousand Worlds.

Previously, Gui Bo and the three Ghost Kings had only managed to create two layers of the Underworld. Now that we have Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who is at the mid-stage of the Great Luo Realm, perhaps they can create several more layers of the Underworld.

When the underworld evolves to the ninth level, it can become a middle-thousand world; when it evolves to the eighteenth level, it will satisfy one of the evolutionary conditions of a great-thousand world.

Once the fragments of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's soul and his true form were suppressed in the underworld by Liu Qing, the ghosts of the first level of the underworld and the three ghost kings of the second level followed Liu Qing's instructions and helped the underworld to accelerate the absorption of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's netherworld essence.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has long resided in the underworld of the main world, and all his magical power is the energy of the netherworld. Although he is a Buddhist bodhisattva, in essence, he has long become a ghost god or immortal.

Therefore, his soul and true body contained immeasurable Netherworld origin. As the Netherworld origin of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was gradually refined, the Netherworld of that small world began to slowly evolve from the third layer.

It is conceivable that, as the Netherworld Origin of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is refined and absorbed, the Netherworld of this minor world will inevitably evolve into new Netherworld Caves.

As for how much it can ultimately evolve, it depends on the depth and richness of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's netherworld origin.

Unfortunately, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva did not bring the Netherworld Sacred Beast Di Ting with him this time. Otherwise, with the addition of Di Ting's origin, Liu Qing estimated that the Netherworld of the Lesser Thousand Worlds could have evolved into about eighteen layers.

With the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva resolved, Liu Qing glanced at Liu Bai's physical body, which was not far from the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, his eyes gleaming. (End of Chapter)