Chapter 384: Taiyi Golden Immortal Just a Line Away, Qingli Achieves Innate Body

Fang Longye had no other thoughts this time; he was simply considering things for Sun Wukong.

In truth, he also knew that his words were likely futile regarding what the Monkey would encounter in the future.

They were of no help at all~

Not to mention whether Sun Wukong would take them to heart,

even if the Monkey did take them to heart after hearing his words, "the arm cannot twist the thigh," and "you can dodge the first day of the month, but you cannot dodge the fifteenth."

Having long since fallen into layers of schemes, even if the Monkey were on guard in this regard, what about elsewhere? Sooner or later, he would still be arranged clearly by others.

After a round of exchanging cups, the two were tipsy and drunk.

Fang Longye settled the heavily intoxicated Sun Wukong, instructed people to take good care of him, then bid farewell, boarded his carriage, and returned to his own mansion.

……

Beiju Luzhou, Cangmang Mountain.

Just as Fang Longye's Divine Dao avatar was active in the Heavenly Court, his true body was in seclusion in Wanling Palace, pushing toward a higher realm.

On this day, he was seen sitting upright on the Cloud Couch in the hall, eyes slightly closed, a canopy held high behind him, auspicious light hanging down like tassels, interweaving before him.

He was immersed in cultivation as always.

On the jade table to the side sat a sky-blue vase, with several new branches inserted diagonally, crowded with clusters of flower buds, the colors sparse, slanting into a rhythm.

In the corner, there was an incense burner of ancient design, with smoke curling in green, permeating the surroundings.

As he refined the portion of Merit and Luck he had intercepted earlier and used it for himself, his cultivation realm climbed bit by bit.

The "Yuanlong Dao" continued to grow, evolve, and perfect itself; the area it occupied in the Dao Source Sea also began to expand, permeate, and be branded with its mark.

For a time,

his entire crown was filled with purple-green mist, clouds and colors congealing, clearing his spiritual mansion, with a Profound Map hanging high.

All sorts of visions appeared: Phoenix chimes and whale bells played the grand music of the heavens; phoenix-shaped incense burners and dragon tripods conjured auspicious clouds over the earth.

There were also flowers scattering across the ground, blessing and clarifying the eight seas.

It is unknown how much time had passed,

when Fang Longye suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils brilliant, looking around, his eyes filled with indescribable joy.

"The Taiyi True Immortal stage has finally reached its end!"

Yet after the joy, a trace of imperceptible regret and frustration rose in his eyes.

"Pity, it is still just a little short; I failed to break through the barrier to ascend to Taiyi Golden Immortal."

It really was just that little bit short; perhaps it was the timing, perhaps the opportunity, perhaps something else—in any case, it was just that little bit short.

How could he not be frustrated! It was like a gate covered in ancient rust,

already pushed open more than halfway, with the scenery inside visible to the eye, yet because of the rust, it could not be pushed open for the time being.

He could only get half his body in, visible but unreachable, unable to truly enter and take in the full scenery within.

Naturally, it would be strange if he weren't frustrated~ In fact, Fang Longye had underestimated the barrier between the Taiyi True Immortal and Taiyi Golden Immortal realms; there really was a chasm between the two~ It could be said that in this seclusion, only a small portion of the Merit and Luck he had accumulated was used for the cultivation of the Taiyi True Immortal realm, while the remaining majority was used to break through the barrier of the Taiyi Golden Immortal.

Thinking back, this was no wonder~ As the final step of the entire Taiyi great realm, the Taiyi Golden Immortal was not that simple; the resources required were massive.

In the Taiyi Three Realms, Loose Immortals begin to comprehend the Dao, True Immortals manage to understand the Dao, and Golden Immortals have gained from the Dao, having evolved a Great Dao of their own, which is called attaining the Dao.

By the step of Taiyi Golden Immortal, the Great Dao one has comprehended has fully evolved, leaving only the constant polishing of oneself and the accumulation of foundations.

Awaiting the right time,

like a roc rising with the wind in a single day, one can then make a leap to strike at the gate of Daluo and accept the test of heaven and earth.

If successful, one naturally condenses the Daluo Dao Fruit, from then on overlooking the river of time and space, with time unable to be added to one's body, fate unable to shackle one—my fate is determined by me, not by heaven~

Even if one encounters a Tribulation, with body and spirit destroyed,

or even if one's True Spirit is ground into dust by others, as long as the Great Dao one is in harmony with is not destroyed, one can still return after a long time~ It can be said that once one reaches Daluo, it is not an exaggeration to say that "heaven cannot bury, earth cannot destroy"~

And as a realm below Daluo, the Taiyi Golden Immortal is naturally not easy to achieve.

If the difficulty of a Taiyi Loose Immortal ascending to Taiyi True Immortal is one, then the difficulty of a Taiyi True Immortal ascending to Taiyi Golden Immortal is one hundred, or even higher~ Precisely because of this, even though Fang Longye had estimated the resources needed to ascend to Taiyi Golden Immortal as high as possible, he was still just a little bit short~

Fortunately, it was only a little bit short; perhaps with an opportunity, a right time, or a sudden enlightenment, he could ascend to Taiyi Golden Immortal~ Fang Longye's gaze was like a torch, piercing through everything, casting into the Dao Source Sea where the mysterious resided~

There, in the area occupied by the "Yuanlong Dao," the Meta-Dragon Mark radiated an inexplicable aura, emitting high-spirited dragon roars, like peals of heavenly music.

Water ripples spread in circles.

All sorts of Great Dao laws in the Dao Source Sea were continuously drawn in.

Constantly entangling, assimilating...

If viewed from an overlooking perspective, the entire area in the Dao Source Sea was like an unfathomably deep Abyss Well, continuously emitting an aura completely different from the surroundings, incomparably profound~

Inside the "Abyss Well," it was deep and waveless, seemingly calm, yet there was a sense of suppressed tension, as if something was gestating within~ It only lacked an opportunity to erupt and stir up a great commotion all around...

"Truly, it is just a line away~"

Fang Longye withdrew his gaze and muttered to himself.

Re-examining his own condition, he had naturally made significant progress compared to before.

He then collected his thoughts, preparing to end his seclusion.

Just as he stood up, Fang Longye was stunned, turning his head to look into the void, his gaze falling on a spot in the dojo.

"Haha!" Fang Longye clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "Someone really sent a pillow just as I was getting sleepy; now the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm is secure~"

There, a palace stood, with an inexplicable aura misting above it; it was exactly where Qingli was in seclusion.

Needless to say, Fang Longye had the experience of Reverse Innate; with just a slight sensing, he knew that Qingli must have succeeded~

And after she had undergone the Reverse Innate, she would soon be able to achieve the Taiyi Loose Immortal realm.

If he then used the 'Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon' to engage in Dual Cultivation with her, the feedback obtained would be enough for him to ascend to Taiyi Golden Immortal.

……

Fang Longye moved his body immediately, left Wanling Palace, and arrived before the gate of Qingli's palace~ Immediately after,

Having successfully achieved Reverse Innate, Qingli trailed her skirt as she walked out, bowing gracefully upon seeing Fang Longye.

Seeing that she still wanted to say something, Fang Longye hurriedly waved his hand, pointing at the tribulation clouds beginning to brew in the sky above, and signaled: "Whatever it is, we can talk about it later; go undergo your tribulation first~"

Qingli nodded and gave a soft acknowledgment. With a movement of her body, she arrived outside Cangmang Mountain, her expression turning solemn as she looked up toward the highest heavens.

One could see that above the void, winds rose and clouds surged, with thunder gathering; pale lightning illuminated the surroundings, carrying a terrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate~ Qingli flipped her wrist, and a dark cyan divine sword appeared in her hand.

The blade was thin as a cicada's wing, with coiled patterns upon it; boundless ferocity and terror erupted from it, revealing a peerless sharpness that stirred the four directions.

Without a doubt, this was a good sword, a fierce sword, a sword that was powerful to an extreme degree.

Hum~ The moment this dark cyan fierce sword appeared, it began to tremble and hum; in the void, dark lotus flowers bloomed and fell, permeating the air with unimaginable baleful aura.

This fierce sword was none other than,

the very same fierce sword that Qingli had previously forged using the secret technique of the 'Heavenly Demon Slaughtering God Art'. Now, as Qingli achieved Reverse Innate, it had also been gestated and emerged along with her~ Such a relationship, for Qingli, was almost equivalent to the existence of a companion Spirit Treasure; the moment it appeared in the world, it was completely under her control.

Using it was as natural as moving one's own arm, exceptionally handy.

Of course,

this is not to say that Qingli did not possess treasures with greater power than this dark cyan fierce sword.

Being a confidante who had followed him since his humble beginnings, Fang Longye was very generous even toward Hu Qiuyue, so how could he possibly shortchange Qingli on good items? It was just that this Heavenly Tribulation was formed because Qingli achieved Reverse Innate, and it targeted her own self.

Other methods would not be effective.

Any arrays, Spirit Treasures,... and so on and so forth, all external objects were completely useless.

It was not like the Heavenly Tribulation Hu Qiuyue encountered during her bloodline transition, which could be dealt with using Spirit Treasures; she could only rely on her own true body, divine abilities, and Great Dao to cope.

At most, one could add the treasures of enlightenment or companion Spirit Treasures that were inextricably linked to oneself, as these were no longer considered external objects to a cultivator.

And this dark cyan fierce sword was created by Qingli practicing the 'Heavenly Demon Slaughtering God Art', receiving various baptisms together with her; it truly was equivalent to a companion Spirit Treasure.

Precisely because of this, the only treasure that could now face the Heavenly Tribulation with her and accept the test was this dark cyan fierce sword~ "Boom!"

The thunder filling the sky connected heaven and earth, vast and boundless, like the Jiutian Yinhuo pouring down, as if ten million great stars were crashing down.

"Halt!"

Amidst the delicate shout,

Qingli shook her body and revealed her true form and Dharma image that had now undergone transformation.

She had a human body with a snake tail, a single horn on her head, a vertical pupil between her brows, rugged scales, three pairs of layered feathers on her back, and eight arms growing from her sides; her whole body was covered in peculiar patterns, radiating an imposing aura.

She stood in opposition to the thunder tribulation that filled the sky.

"Whew~"

After experiencing a life-and-death ordeal, Qingli finally succeeded in passing the test Heaven and Earth had set for her, truly achieving Reverse Innate and becoming yet another Xiantian Shengsheng between heaven and earth.

Hum~ For a time, mysterious sounds arose, as if various musical instruments were resonating together; listening to them made one feel light, joyful, and clear, containing the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, indescribably wonderful.

Qingli shook her body and transformed back into human form.

In mid-air, she stretched her body; with high hairpins and pearls, red silk wrapping her form, and the jade pendants at her waist clashing, they emitted the sound of gold and jade, resounding all around.

"Now I am also a Xiantian Shengsheng!" Qingli's eyes were brimming with joy, almost to the point of weeping with happiness.

Once a Xiantian Shengsheng is formed, regardless of the past, Heavenly Luck will naturally descend, manifesting the deep favor of heaven and earth.

One could see treasure-light, invisible to the naked eye, rising and swirling, folding into ever-changing visions; six dragons spraying colors pulled the carriage out, and twin phoenixes brought auspiciousness as they drove the chariot~

As the heavenly light shone down, one could see golden fish and jade pendants, mandarin duck palm-fans, beautiful music of pipes and songs, and the harmonious sound of strings.

Ding-dong,

With the final light chime of the mysterious sound, Qingli slowly landed. She beckoned with her hand, and the visions filling the sky descended, transforming into a new skirt that she wore upon her body.

She had changed into a new spirit-snake hairstyle, with a hairpin inserted at an angle; her appearance was even more beautiful and refined than before, possessing a dignified and noble air—even a divine concubine or heavenly maiden could be no more than this.

As everything ended, a halo of treasure-light naturally rose behind her.

This treasure-light appeared as bright as the autumn moon, yet within it, fierce demonic Qi collided, while at the very outer edge, it was like a gentle breeze and fine rain, dotted with stars.

Compared to Fang Longye back then,

Qingli did not consider too much, or perhaps she could not suppress the urge to break through; after achieving Reverse Innate, relying on the opportunity of Heavenly Luck descending upon her, she directly ascended from the Golden Immortal Realm to the Taiyi Loose Immortal stage.

Of course, doing so naturally made her Taiyi Loose Immortal cultivation somewhat unstable.

But it was not a big problem;

she could just polish it well in the future~ "Many thanks to Master for the grace of cultivation and favor~"

Qingli could not even bother to regulate her breath; she walked gracefully to Fang Longye's side and bowed solemnly, her jade face like a flower.

A Xiantian Shengsheng, a Taiyi Loose Immortal—these were things she never dared to imagine in the past. To have such achievements now was all due to her Master's favor~ Relying on herself alone, how could she possibly have had such extraordinary achievements in such a short time?

Thinking of this,

she could not help but be grateful for the mysterious nature of fate, allowing her to get to know her Master when he was still in his humble beginnings, creating an extraordinary karmic connection.

She was even more grateful to herself; if she hadn't been bold and disregarded honor and disgrace, and had directly bowed to acknowledge him as master before that Hongyun Laozu back then, how could she have today's achievements? "Xiantian Shengsheng, Taiyi Loose Immortal—this is not the end, but a new starting point." Qingli secretly looked at Fang Longye, a sense of confidence inexplicably growing in her heart.

"With Master here, Xiantian Shengsheng and Daluo Golden Immortal are no longer out of reach for me." Qingli believed in her Master's ability~ "Alright, is there any need for you and me to talk about thanks or favors~" Fang Longye waved his hand, signaling for Qingli to rise, his brows and eyes full of smiles.

That Qingli could have such a transformation made him naturally very happy, and not just ordinarily happy~

To tell the truth, he had had many women along his path of cultivation so far, and had even married three official wives.

But if he had to choose the woman closest to him, it would definitely not be Yang Chan, with whom he was lovey-dovey, but Qingli, whom he had met in his humble beginnings right before him.

Only she was the confidante he trusted the most.

To put it even more bluntly,

if one day he faced a desperate situation where he had to abandon his wife and children to survive, then Qingli would absolutely be the last person he would choose to abandon.

There was no help for it; for someone as selfish and self-centered as him, this was already the limit of what he could pay for others.

"You have also suffered quite a few Dao Injuries during this tribulation; you should close your doors and recover as soon as possible!"

Fang Longye looked at Qingli carefully and discovered that, besides her cultivation realm being somewhat unstable due to the direct breakthrough, she also had quite a few Dao Injuries on her body.

He could not help but speak up to urge her.

Although he was thinking of engaging in Dual Cultivation with Qingli, who had transformed into an innate being, to benefit his own cultivation, he was not so heartless as to be unable to show consideration for her.

"Secluded meditation to recover?"

"With you here, Master, is there any need for secluded meditation?" Qingli covered her mouth and laughed upon hearing this.

"Does the Master not remember? You possess the true scriptures and wonderful Dharma passed down by His Majesty Xuanyuan, which contain methods for Dual Cultivation and healing; come to think of it—"

"Aren't you, Master, my medicine?"

She had already been in secluded meditation for several years, and before that, her Master had been forced to "keep himself chaste" for a period of time while preparing for the wedding.

And today, she had achieved the Reverse Innate, attaining the Taiyi realm.

With everything coming together, her heart was filled with joy and delight, and naturally, she was in the mood for some "fun"~

It must be said,

Qingli was, after all, someone who had been with Fang Longye for a long time; a single sentence was enough to make him feel restless in his heart.

He immediately said nothing more, pulled her into his embrace, and headed straight into a bedchamber.

Immediately following this,

The bedchamber began to glow with colors like rosy clouds, rising and swirling around the precious couch, as dragons and snakes began to stir~ Furthermore, the sounds of dragon roars and snake hisses continued incessantly, their voices and radiance intertwining at a single point, blending Yin and Yang, uniting man and woman, attaining great freedom, great joy, and great bliss.

(End of this chapter)