I meet all the requirements for becoming a god in this world!

Chapter 258 Dharma? ?

When Gao Heyun came out of the south wing, she had a thin booklet in her hand.

The cover was made of dark brown cowhide, the edges of which were frayed. There were no words on the cover, only a shallow mark carved with the tip of a knife, like some kind of mark unique to the North.

She placed the booklet on the stone table and pushed it in front of Cheng Laiyun. Her tone was as indifferent as ever, but her words carried a solemnity that she only showed when discussing martial arts.

"These are the notes of generations of martial arts practitioners from the Gao family in the Northern Territory when they broke through to higher realms. They record the complete method for advancing from the fifth rank to the fourth rank and all the risks that need to be noted."

"Take this back and read it. Don't try it lightly before you've finished reading it. This level is called 'Ascending to Heaven.' Out of ten peak fifth-rank cultivators, no more than three can successfully break through it."

"You are not a pure martial arts cultivator. Your soul has the foundation of the Mo Sect, which is much stronger than that of ordinary martial arts cultivators. This is an advantage for you."

"But an advantage is not an insurance policy—the process of martial arts will nourishing the soul is like pressing a piece of red-hot iron directly into water; it will either be tempered into steel or shattered into dust. There is no third outcome."

Cheng Laiyun picked up the booklet. The leather cover was worn shiny, and the rough edges were traces of repeated reading.

He looked down at the shallow mark left by the knife tip, then looked up and nodded to Gao Heyun:

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't do anything reckless."

Gao Heyun glanced at him, said nothing more, picked up the long knife leaning against the stone table, and turned to walk towards the south wing.

Cheng Laiyun tucked the booklet into his pocket, stood up, and walked toward the main room.

The lights in the main room were still on. Xu Jiayin and Xu Miaozhen had already come out of the study and were sitting at the table waiting for him.

Xu Jiayin lay on the table, a discarded inscription drawing sheet spread out in front of her, and the inscription pen still in her hand, but her eyelids were already starting to droop.

Xu Miaozhen sat next to her, holding a teacup in her hand, still with that gentle and tender demeanor.

Seeing Cheng Laiyun enter, Xu Miaozhen looked up, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Heyun gave you the booklet?"

He was a third-rank Mo Xiu, and nothing that happened in the Cheng family could escape her perception.

Cheng Laiyun nodded and sat down opposite them.

Xu Jiayin forced herself to sit up, rubbed her eyes, and her voice still carried a hint of sleepiness:

"What booklet? What good stuff did Sister Gao give you?"

She's only at the peak of the seventh-grade Mo Cultivator level, so she knows nothing about this...

Cheng Laiyun took the leather-bound booklet out of his pocket and placed it on the table: "Here you are."

Xu Jiayin leaned closer to take a look, then glanced at the knife mark on the cover, and frowned.

"From fifth rank to fourth rank? You're about to break through to the fourth rank in martial arts? Weren't you just married a few days ago? Can't you just take it easy?"

She was worried that Cheng Laiyun's foundation was unstable and that forcing a breakthrough would damage his very essence.

Cheng Laiyun smiled, reached out and ruffled her hair, put the booklet back in his pocket, and stood up.

"You guys go to sleep first, I'm going to go to the yard to look at some books and think about them."

"Ah-Yun said this trial is very dangerous, I need to thoroughly understand the method first."

Xu Miaozhen put down her teacup, her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then she nodded and uttered only four words:

"Do what you can."

……

When Cheng Laiyun walked into the courtyard, moonlight was filtering through the branches and leaves of the old locust tree, spreading a layer of broken silver on the blue brick ground.

He sat down on the stone bench and opened the first page of the leather-bound booklet. The handwriting was neat and elegant, copied by Gao Heyun herself; each character looked as if it had been carved onto the paper with the tip of a knife, without the slightest hesitation or sloppiness.

"The advancement from the fifth rank to the fourth rank in martial arts is known in ancient times as 'ascending to heaven'."

"At the fifth rank, one condenses one's will; at the fourth rank, one transforms one's will into a domain—releasing one's martial will outward to form a domain that belongs only to oneself."

"Within the domain, one's own combat power is greatly enhanced, while the enemy's combat power is suppressed. The form of the domain varies from person to person and depends on the attributes of one's martial will."

"For those whose will leans towards slaughter, their domain is like a raging inferno; for those whose will leans towards protection, their domain is like a fortified barrier; for those whose will leans towards ice, their domain is like frost and snow."

"The purer the will, the stronger and larger the domain. But the domain does not arise from nothing."

"It requires the martial will to nourish the soul, using the will as a hammer and the soul as an anvil, to repeatedly forge until the soul is strong enough to bear the weight of the domain."

After reading these, Cheng Laiyun has gained a basic understanding of the concept of "domain".

"The breakthrough process is divided into three stages."

"First stage: Drawing the will into the soul. Extracting the martial will from the meridians and guiding it into the sea of ​​consciousness, using the power of will to impact the soul."

"This stage is the most dangerous. Those whose will is not strong enough may have their soul shattered during the impact; those whose soul is not strong enough may have their sea of ​​consciousness collapse during the impact."

"Second stage: Transforming intention into domain. After the divine soul withstands the impact of will, the will and the divine soul begin to merge, and the prototype of the domain appears in this stage."

"The attributes of the domain are determined at this stage, and once determined, they cannot be changed."

"Third Stage: Domain Formation and Ascension. The domain is fully formed and resonates with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the martial artist officially enters the fourth rank."

……

Cheng Laiyun turned to the second page, which was densely filled with various risk warnings. It was still Gao Heyun's handwriting, but the strokes were heavier than before, as if she was putting extra effort into writing these words.

"Risk 1: Those with weak willpower will have their spirit and soul shattered when they try to draw their will into their soul. At best, their cultivation will be completely destroyed, and at worst, they will die on the spot."

"The second risk: those whose spiritual power is not strong enough will have their consciousness collapse when their mind transforms into a domain, resulting in the destruction of both their body and soul."

"The third risk: If the will attribute is inconsistent with one's true nature, even if the domain is formed, it will backfire on its master. At best, the domain will go out of control and injure the master; at worst, the master will go into a state of demonic possession."

"The fourth risk: If the breakthrough is interrupted by external forces, the will will flow backward into the meridians, and the blood and qi will flow in reverse, resulting in either death or disability."

Gao Heyun traced the last line of text heavily with a vermilion pen, and drew a striking mark next to it:

"The difficulty of ascending to heaven lies not in the method or resources, but in self-awareness."

"Your domain is defined by your will. Understanding this is more important than any other preparation."

Cheng Laiyun closed the booklet, leaned back in his chair, and looked up at the old locust tree overhead.

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the knife mark on the booklet cover.

Gao Heyun's notes clearly outlined the methods and risks: "Guide the mind into the soul, transform the mind into a domain, and once the domain is established, ascend to heaven. Completing these three steps will lead to the fourth rank."

His Pure Heart Glaze is a universe-level divine power, specifically designed to counter all injuries caused by divine thoughts. The greatest risk during his breakthrough process actually does not exist for him.

But there was one thing in the booklet that bothered him: the attributes of a domain depended on the attributes of martial will.

Whatever your will leans towards, that's the domain you'll be in.

His martial arts foundation is the Heaven-Asking Technique of the Gao family in the Northern Territory, but the spirit in his bones is neither the pure killing spirit of the Northern Territory nor the gentle protection of the Mo Clan.

He chatted with people in the fields of Changle County who had been burdened by poll taxes for half their lives.

He rushed into the poisonous clouds outside Qingzhou City without thinking of anything.

When I pushed open that door on the Chengtianmen city tower and walked into the Weilin Army formation, I just felt that some things always had to be done by someone.

Do these count as martial arts will?

If we're talking about it, what is his will?

Forget it.

Thinking too much is not as good as taking action.

Anyway, with the Pure Heart Crystal in my possession, the danger isn't too great.

Thinking of this.

Cheng Laiyun closed the booklet, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, going over the three-step method described in Gao Heyun's notes in his mind again.

He drew the meaning into his soul, transformed the meaning into a domain, and ascended to heaven from that domain—he had mastered the risks and key points of every step.

His greatest reliance is the Pure Heart Glazed Glass, a universe-level divine power that protects his divine soul, enough to offset the most dangerous danger of his divine soul shattering during the breakthrough process.

Since the risks are manageable, there is no need to wait any longer.

He sat cross-legged under the old locust tree, his hands resting on his knees, his eyes closed and his mind focused. Following the method recorded in the booklet, he slowly drew out the martial will that he had cultivated for a long time from his meridians.

The moment his will left his body, all the meridians in his body suddenly tightened, as if countless red-hot iron wires were being pulled out from the depths of his bone marrow, causing him to clench his teeth in pain in the darkness.

But he didn't stop—this pain precisely indicated that his will had begun to detach from his meridians and was surging towards his sea of ​​consciousness.

It draws the mind into the soul.

He used his mind as a guide to channel that burning martial arts will into his sea of ​​consciousness.

The tiny divine being in the sea of ​​consciousness stood on the lake, looking up to meet the impact of that will.

The moment the two collided, his entire sea of ​​consciousness trembled violently—his martial will, like a red-hot iron hammer, slammed hard onto the crown of the Divine Soul Little Man's head.

The little divine soul trembled violently, and countless fine cracks exploded on its surface. However, the Pure Heart Glass deep between its brows lit up at the same time. The glass-like light enveloped the little divine soul, and the cracks healed rapidly under the light.

One shock, one repair; another shock, another repair.

After several repetitions, the little divine soul figure not only did not shatter, but became even more solid through repeated tempering.

So fast!

He was overjoyed, knowing that the first step had been accomplished.

Next is the transformation of intention into domain—the fusion of will and spirit, leading to the rudimentary form of the domain.

Cheng Laiyun steadied his mind and infused his martial arts will into the little divine soul body layer by layer.

This step went more smoothly than he had anticipated!

Perhaps because his divine soul was also trained in the Mo Sect, it was several times stronger than that of ordinary martial arts practitioners, and the speed at which the little man of his divine soul absorbed will far exceeded what was recorded in the booklet.

He could feel a new power being nurtured deep within his consciousness, slowly taking shape, rising slowly, and emerging from the depths of his consciousness toward his back.

He opened his eyes, stood up, and couldn't wait to see what kind of domain he had created.

What field will I be in?!

Is it wind? Is it fire? Or...?

Then he froze.

A phantom stood behind him. It was not flames, not a barrier, not frost or snow.

It was a human-shaped phantom.

Standing nearly ten zhang tall, it gleamed faintly with golden light under the moonlight. It had three heads and six arms, each holding a weapon—the Fire-Tipped Spear, the Universe Ring, the Hun Tian Ling, the Golden Brick, and the Yin-Yang Twin Swords.

The phantom's eyes burned with two golden-red flames, and the wind-fire wheels beneath its feet slowly rotated. With each rotation, a faint ring of firelight rippled out from under the wheels and disappeared into the night.

Cheng Laiyun tried to raise his hand, and the illusory figure also raised its hand, with all six arms rising at the same time, the movement perfectly synchronized with his.

He tried to take a step forward, and the phantom followed him, its fiery wheels silently grinding across the blue brick ground, leaving a shallow scorch mark.

He stared at the illusory figure for a long time, confirming the face—of the three heads, the one in the very center was none other than Nezha, the Third Prince!

The nonchalant expression in his eyes was exactly the same as the deity on the ancestral master's talisman in his mind.

"What is this?" Cheng Laiyun asked, looking completely bewildered.

The domain mentioned in the booklet should be an attribute domain like flames, barriers, or frost, but the phantom behind him is neither a domain nor any form he has read about in Gao Heyun's notes.

Could it be that he practiced it incorrectly?

Did something go wrong when drawing meaning into the soul? Or did we go astray when transforming meaning into a domain?

Or is it... because of my own supernatural powers?

He subconsciously looked up at his cheat code panel.

The Patriarch's Picture Record.

The Third Prince Nezha remained seated on the prayer mat, without making any movement.

Only the supernatural power of the Lotus Dharma Body was shining.

"Could it be that the existence of the Lotus Dharma Body has caused my domain to... mutate???"

Cheng Laiyun, still somewhat uneasy, took out the booklet again and checked it over.

After confirming that he hadn't missed any steps, he closed the booklet, took a deep breath, and strode towards the south wing.

The light in the south wing was still on.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door three times, neither too loud nor too soft.

A moment later, the back door was opened from the inside, and Gao Heyun stood in the doorway, dressed in a moon-white casual outfit, her long hair draped over her shoulders.

She looked at the expression on Cheng Laiyun's face—not excitement, not smugness, but a kind of almost guilty unease that she rarely saw on this person's face.

"What's wrong?" Gao Heyun asked hurriedly.

She had never seen such a nervous expression on Cheng Laiyun's face before.

"Ah-Yun, something seems to have happened. I think I practiced it wrong."

Gao Heyun frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

She stepped aside to let him into the house, her tone as calm as ever, but her pace slightly faster than usual:

"What do you mean you practiced it wrong? Did you practice according to the methods in the booklet?"

"Didn't I tell you not to rush your breakthrough? You've only had the booklet for less than an hour, how come you're already—"

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence because she noticed that Cheng Laiyun's aura had changed.

It was a change she was extremely familiar with—her qi and blood were condensed and not released outwards, and her breathing was long and deep like a dragon lying in wait; this was the kind of aura that only a fourth-grade martial artist could possess.

Her eyes widened, and she asked in an almost incredulous tone, "You broke through?"

Cheng Laiyun nodded, his expression becoming even more guilty:

"I've broken through. But what came out of that breakthrough seems a bit off."

Gao Heyun looked at the guilty expression on his face.

He then examined the aura emanating from him, which was unmistakably that of a fourth-rank martial artist. He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and doubt surging within him.

"Show it to me."

Cheng Laiyun took two steps back and stood in the moonlight at the entrance of the south wing.

With a thought, the illusory figure silently appeared behind him.

Under the moonlight, a phantom nearly ten feet tall stood majestically, with three heads and six arms, six weapons, and a wind-fire wheel slowly rotating. Its golden-red eyes burned like two raging flames in the night.

Cheng Laiyun stood there, the shadowy figure behind him enveloping him, casting a shadow that covered most of the courtyard wall of the south wing.

Gao Heyun stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded.

She stared at the phantom—six arms, three faces, a wind-fire wheel, a universe ring, and a celestial sash—she didn't recognize any of these things.

But she knew that the thing behind Cheng Laiyun... shouldn't be in the domain of a fourth-rank martial artist.

"Dharma... Dharma form?!" Her voice trembled.

This is not a domain. A domain is an intangible yet tangible aura, not a humanoid phantom with a nose, eyes, and six arms.

She is the granddaughter of the Prince of Zhenbei. She grew up in the northern border and has seen her grandfather, the Prince of Zhenbei's, hundred-foot-tall Buddha statue.

But that's the mark of a second-grade martial arts master!

It is the materialization of martial will that can only be formed after one's martial arts cultivation reaches the second rank!

The Cheng Laiyun before us is only a fourth-rank cultivator, and he only broke through to the fourth rank less than an hour ago. How could he possibly condense a Dharma Image?!