I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Looking at the patriarch's ambiguous smile, Ning Chen took a deep breath and no longer concealed his thoughts.

He frankly expressed his deepest desires.

"Grandmaster, what I seek is not power, nor empty fame, but true freedom and liberation! I do not wish to be a pawn on a chessboard, manipulated at will, nor do I wish to see my homeland reduced to ashes without my help. What I desire is the power to control my own destiny, a power that even the Heavenly Dao cannot easily bind, and that immortals and Buddhas dare not arbitrarily manipulate!"

His voice echoed in the empty lecture hall, carrying a youthful arrogance and determination.

Upon hearing this, Bodhi Patriarch did not rebuke him for his arrogance and ignorance of the immensity of heaven and earth. Instead, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He stroked his long, snow-white beard and burst into laughter. His clear, resonant laughter caused the many disciples below the mountain to look at each other in bewilderment.

What's wrong with the patriarch? I've never seen the patriarch laugh like this before.

"Hahaha! Excellent! What a carefree and unrestrained spirit! Wuchen, Wuchen, your ambition surpasses even that of your unruly senior brother! This ambition is great, difficult, yet wonderful!"

The patriarch's laughter gradually subsided, and his expression turned profound as he spoke slowly.

"Since you speak of carefree ease, do you know what price must be paid to attain it? What is the foundation and the key to the path of enlightenment?"

coming!

Ning Chen knew that his answer had been approved by the patriarch, and what followed should be valuable insights from the patriarch.

To be honest, the patriarch only transmitted the fundamental teachings to him, and had not yet told him the essentials of cultivation.

As the saying goes, "A thousand books may contain false teachings, but a single sentence can convey true wisdom."

When dealing with true disciples, a master can often resolve their doubts with just a few words.

"Please, Master, spare no instruction."

Ning Chen bowed his head respectfully.

"Those who cultivate the Tao refine essence into qi, refine qi into spirit, refine spirit to return to emptiness, and refine emptiness to unite with the Tao. This is the correct path of Taoist cultivation, and also the only way to hone one's foundation and understand one's true nature."

The patriarch's voice was like a morning bell and evening drum, each word striking Ning Chen's heart.

"Refining essence into qi is the beginning of consolidating the foundation and cultivating the origin, just like a newly grown tree that needs to take deep root in the soil. Your Zixiao Xuanzhen Wuyuan Gong is the supreme method for this stage. You have cultivated the pure and vast Zixiao righteous qi, and your foundation is already extremely solid."

"Refining Qi into Spirit is the state you are in now. When Qi is full, Spirit will naturally arise. This Spirit refers not only to the primordial spirit and soul, but also to divine will, divine wisdom, and divine transformation."

"One must nourish the spirit with qi and control the qi with the spirit. Only when the spirit and qi embrace each other can one open up the divine palace in the sea of ​​consciousness, nurture a bit of innate spiritual light, and allow the soul to be sublimated and transformed, thus gaining a preliminary understanding of the laws of heaven and earth."

"Your current cultivation level of sixty years is sufficient in terms of Qi, but your spiritual intent is insufficient and your divine palace has not yet manifested. Therefore, you are stuck outside the threshold of this realm. It is not that you lack strength, but that your understanding and transformation are not yet ready. You lack the necessary accumulation and refinement that comes naturally and naturally."

The patriarch paused, his gaze fixed intently on Ning Chen.

"Your talent is exceptional, and your comprehension is rare even in a million years. You have reached the peak of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation in less than two years, which is rare throughout history. However, the path of cultivation is not just about speed."

"The path to enlightenment is like wine, which needs the passage of time to mature and reveal its true flavor; the realm of understanding is like a building, which needs a solid foundation to reach great heights. Your journey has been courageous and diligent, which is certainly commendable, but it is also like a speeding carriage that misses many beautiful sights along the way."

"The ability to perceive subtle details, refine one's own character, and understand the natural way—these missed opportunities become obstacles to your breakthrough. A tall building starts from the ground up; the slightest crack in the foundation may be negligible at the lower levels, but at higher levels, it can lead to collapse."

"Look at all the senior brothers in the sect; those who have reached the Void Returning Realm within a hundred years are already rare geniuses!"

Ning Chen felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the patriarch was right.

He certainly took advantage of the divine realm and the cultivation techniques of other worlds to advance rapidly.

However, there is indeed no time to carefully ponder the subtle aspects of cultivation.

What? You're saying the monkey only took ten years to cultivate to become a celestial being?

Then let me ask you, before that person was born, on the ancestral land of the Ten Continents, at the top of Flower Fruit Mountain, they received the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for tens of millions of yuan. How come you didn't see that?

Seeing Ning Chen's expression, the patriarch knew that he already understood the crux of the matter, and he nodded.

"On the path of cultivation, one should not be impatient. I have heard that after the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, there was a young man named Tai Xuan who had extraordinary roots and unparalleled talent. He also cultivated in the mountains for forty-two years, experienced countless hardships and trials, understood the myriad aspects of human life, and subdued countless demons and monsters before he was able to achieve perfect enlightenment, ascend to heaven in broad daylight, and join the ranks of immortals."

Tai Xuan? And who is it that deserves to be singled out by Bodhi Patriarch?

Ning Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized that the person with this name throughout history was none other than the True Martial Emperor.

Zhenwu the Great, also known as the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable, is one of the supreme deities of Taoism.

The current Heavenly Court is led by the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, the Five Directions, and the Six Sovereigns. The Demon-Subduing Celestial Venerable is one of the Six Sovereigns.

Did this person actually cultivate for a full forty-two years before being able to ascend to heaven in broad daylight?

Ning Chen understood the principle that haste makes waste, but the impending doom of Blue Star was like a sword of Damocles hanging over his head, preventing him from patiently waiting for things to fall into place.

His chance to return to Fangcun Mountain was extremely precious. He could only return to Fangcun Mountain to cultivate for a year after passing through each level of the Journey to the West Divine Realm.

If he fails to overcome that hurdle, his path to cultivation will be severed, and in Blue Star, a place devoid of spiritual energy, cultivation will be virtually hopeless.

The third challenge involves 100,000 demon monkeys. He is the second king of Flower Fruit Mountain, so theoretically he could pass by using his face.

However, if Ning Chen remembers correctly, the fourth level of the Journey to the West Divine Realm requires subduing the little white dragon of Eagle Sorrow Gorge.

The White Dragon is a true dragon of the East Sea. He was born with the ability to ride the clouds and summon wind and rain. At that time, he would truly have to rely on his own strength.

Ning Chen raised his head, his eyes filled with urgency and pleading.

"I have kept the Master's teachings in mind. However, a great calamity is imminent in my homeland, and I have no time to calmly accumulate experience over the past forty-two years. May I ask the Master if there is a way to achieve this quickly? Or a way to make up for this lack of time? I will do my utmost and bear any cost!"

Bodhi Patriarch saw the resolute determination in Ning Chen's eyes, a determination to do anything.

He paused for a moment, then slowly extended three fingers.

"There are quick ways to achieve success, but they all come at a price, and ultimately they are not as perfect and stable as the natural process. Since you are attached to your homeland and have no other choice, I will point out three paths for you. You can choose one or try to do both at the same time, but remember, if the foundation is not solid, there will be endless troubles in the future."

"Firstly, it is said that one can nourish one's spirit in a secluded cave and let time slip by unnoticed."

"This method requires finding a treasure that can reverse the flow of time. You can enter this treasure and use the difference in the flow of time to carefully experience, refine your soul, and perceive the subtleties of heaven and earth. However, although this method has miraculous effects, it requires enduring the loneliness of time. Those with weak will are prone to developing inner demons. Moreover, it is ultimately stolen time, and the Daoist insights gained may be somewhat incomplete, not as thorough and complete as those gained through real years of experience."

A treasure that can reverse the flow of time? Where can I find such a divine treasure?

But Ning Chen immediately thought, "Hey, isn't this what the Divine Realm is like? A year in the Divine Realm of Journey to the West is only a month on Blue Star."

Do other divine realms have a greater difference in the flow of time?

We can go down and ask Luo Guangtou later...

Bodhi Patriarch gave Ning Chen a deep look and bent his second finger.

"Secondly, it is said that one experiences the trials of the mortal world and uses the false to cultivate the true."

"This method requires one to personally enter the mortal world, experience different lives, understand the myriad aspects of human nature, and comprehend the mysteries of life and death. One journey into the mortal world may yield insights equivalent to ten years of secluded cultivation. However, this method is extremely dangerous. The mortal world is not a mountain of tranquility. The myriad aspects of human nature will disturb your Daoist heart, and the seven emotions and six desires will confuse your mind. Once you enter the mortal world, it is as deep as the sea, and life and death are unpredictable. A slight mistake will result in the dissipation of your soul."

"Look at these fellow disciples in the mountains, which one dares to go down the mountain at will? And of those who do go down, how many can return safely?"

Does it involve worldly trials and tribulations?

Ning Chen had heard of this method before.

It seems that, apart from those innate great powers, many gods and Buddhas had to go through the mortal world before becoming immortals to understand their true nature.

Ning Chen still vividly remembers the story of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea.

The Bodhi Patriarch spoke to himself.

Thirdly, it is said that one's merits and virtues bring divine favor.

"This is the glorious and righteous path, and also the safest method. Performing great deeds, saving the people from suffering, and turning the world upside down will bring you great merit. Heaven will naturally favor you, enhancing your understanding and nourishing your soul. It can even draw upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth to help you break through obstacles."

"You have accumulated some merit by helping the monkeys escape from their predicament on Flower Fruit Mountain and slaying the Demon King. If you can turn the tide during the cataclysmic disaster and save billions of lives, this immeasurable merit will be enough to allow you to break through your bottleneck and reach a higher realm!"