Chapter 652: Yang Jian Becomes a Saint, Ying Zheng Joins the Group

Above the clouds.

Having left Lotus Cave, Guanyin paused beneath the firmament, her expression shocked and complex; it was difficult to describe her current state of mind in words.

Truly, one sees everything if one lives long enough; having lived for so many years, she had finally seen the Hongmeng Purple Qi for the first time.

And it was right within reach, hers for the taking!

As long as she left Lingshan and abandoned Buddhism, Xuanzang would give the Hongmeng Purple Qi to her—what a massive temptation that was.

For a fleeting moment, she even harbored the thought of leaving the Western Heaven.

Yet she quickly calmed down; even if she obtained the Hongmeng Purple Qi, she likely would not have the fortune to enjoy it, and it would probably only invite disaster and calamity to descend.

The Hongyun Laozu of the past was a prime example; having been in Buddhism for many years, Guanyin knew deep down what terrifying things those titans of Buddhism would do once they learned of the existence of the Hongmeng Purple Qi.

The essence of the Journey to the West was nothing more than utilizing Heavenly Dao Merit for the Buddhas of the Western Heaven to scheme for a chance at becoming a Saint.

If one possessed the Hongmeng Purple Qi, whether it were Randeng or Rulai, they could use it to become a Saint, with at least a sixty percent success rate.

"But rumor has it that the nine strands of Hongmeng Purple Qi were long since exhausted; why would Xuanzang have one?"

Guanyin could not fathom it; the Six Saints had each used one strand of Hongmeng Purple Qi, another one belonging to Hongyun Laozu had gone missing, and the remaining one had long ago fled into Chaos, untraceable by anyone.

"In the entire heaven and earth, the only one capable of possessing Hongmeng Purple Qi is the Dao Ancestor, the teacher of the Saints.

Xuanzang's cultivation breakthrough is incredibly rapid, the person teaching him behind the scenes cannot be traced, and his origins are mysterious.

Could it be that behind Xuanzang is the Dao Ancestor?"

Guanyin filled in the blanks herself, linking Xuanzang and the Dao Ancestor together; only this made sense.

Thinking of this, Guanyin's mind was unsettled; was Xuanzang truly not afraid of exposing the Hongmeng Purple Qi to her? What a massive amount of trust this was.

If the roles were reversed, to what extent could she have done the same?

"Forget it, I cannot persuade Xuanzang; let whoever wants to talk to him do it."

Thinking this, Guanyin vanished.

At the same time, Sun Wukong stepped on his Somersault Cloud and flew one hundred and eight thousand miles directly to Shituoling in Xiniu Hezhou.

He saw that eight-hundred-mile Shituoling, where dark red baleful aura and resentment soared to the heavens, covering the sky and blocking the sun; countless wronged souls wailed, making it even more terrifying than the Yincao Difu.

Especially the soil on the ground, which was mixed with the skin, flesh, bones, hair, and viscera of living beings, along with much unidentified slurry.

In the demon den, thousands of minor demons were roasting humans in a massive mine shaft.

Those dead people were hung in mid-air in rows by meat hooks, their skin and flesh torn open from the roasting, while many living people screamed in agony, incontinent and driven mad.

Seeing this scene with his Fiery Eyes, Sun Wukong felt his face turn pale and his rage boil over.

Although he was a demon monkey and had been wild and untamable before he was civilized, having injured and killed humans without a second thought,

compared to these three demons, he was truly a minor witch before a great one.

The sky was filled with a bloody stench; staying here for even one more second would drive anyone insane.

Standing in the dark clouds, Sun Wukong secretly sensed the Green-Haired Lion and the Yellow-Toothed Elephant; their strength was indeed at the level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, which was truly a top-tier powerhouse among demons.

One must know that even his sworn brother, the Bull Demon King, was likely only a Taiyi Golden Immortal at present.

However, apart from these two demons, he did not detect the aura of the Golden-Winged Peng; it seemed he was not at Shituoling.

"Master told me not to startle the snake, probably fearing I would suffer a loss.

Forget it, once my magic power advances further, I will come back to take your heads."

With these words, Sun Wukong left Shituoling; this place was even more terrifying than the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

…

Tushita Palace, outside the cowshed.

An old man in a dark robe and a middle-aged man in a dragon robe with heavy pressure were sitting at a stone table playing chess.

Looking closely, one would notice the young Daoist attendant beside the cowshed was sleeping, while the ox in the cowshed had long since vanished.

"I haven't played chess with the Jade Emperor for a hundred years; the Jade Emperor's chess skills have improved quite a bit, and this old Daoist feels a bit strained," the dark-robed old man said.

He was none other than the master of the Tushita Palace in the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Saint's Cloning of Taishang Laojun.

Taishang Laojun looked unremarkable, with white hair and beard, no different from an ordinary old man.

Although his name was renowned, he did not project much aura; he was like flowing water, encompassing all things.

The Jade Emperor smiled, pinched a black piece, placed it down, and said:

"Laojun, you are being modest. When it comes to scheming, who in the Three Realms can compare to you? It is like this game of black and white; although it hasn't been long since we started, the game actually began thousands upon thousands of years ago."

"Isn't the Jade Emperor the same?" Taishang Laojun said calmly.

"Haha, I know exactly how much my chess skills are worth. However, my sworn brother Xuanzang is now lingering in Lotus Cave and won't leave, putting the pressure on you, Laojun. It won't be long before the people of Buddhism can't sit still anymore, right?" the Jade Emperor said.

Laojun lightly took a white piece and placed it on the board; several of the Jade Emperor's black pieces instantly vanished.

"The rise of Buddhism is not the rise of my Taoism. The Three Realms know that I practice Nothingness and do not contend with the world. Whatever this calamity is meant to be, it will be; it has nothing to do with me," Taishang Laojun said.

"Hahaha, that makes sense. I will just wait to see the scene where Buddhism can do nothing to you, Laojun, and yet cannot defeat you," the Jade Emperor said.

"Jade Emperor, do not think you can stay out of this. You swore an oath of brotherhood with that Jinchanzi; do you think Buddhism doesn't know?" Taishang Laojun said.

The Jade Emperor was unconcerned and said: "I hit it off with Xuanzang at first sight. Besides, we have our own relationship; what does it have to do with Rulai? Why should Rulai have the right to manage me?"

"Hit it off at first sight, eh? Heh," Taishang Laojun smiled without another word.

"Fine salt and falling snow look the same, but their essence is different."

Taishang Laojun said faintly, his eyes flashing with a wise luster.

"Laojun, what riddles are you speaking? I hate riddle-makers the most."

"Is there anything you cannot say clearly?"

"Heh, some things cannot be put out in the open, Jade Emperor."

"As I said, with the Karma of three people, there is always one person who is redundant."

"??" Jade Emperor.

……

Kunlun, Golden Glow Cave.

Suddenly, a vision of heaven and earth appeared; ten thousand rays of rosy light surged, and a golden pillar shot straight into the sky, piercing through the clouds and sweeping across tens of thousands of miles without cease. After a long while, the vision slowly faded away.

This was the vision of advancing to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, though under the concealment of the Kunlun Mountain arrays, the power of the vision had been hidden significantly.

A disheveled-looking Taoist in green robes waved a fan, his expression anxious.

Following this, Yang Jian, with his tall, upright figure in white robes and a cold, handsome face, walked out from within.

Golden light overflowed from Yang Jian's body, making him appear flawless and pure, like a jade statue.

"Eight-Nine Profound Art, the Nine Turns are complete."

"The flesh becomes holy, one may enter the Great Luo."

The Taoist's eyes were dazed for a moment, and he sighed with melancholy.

He was none other than Yang Jian's master, Yuding Zhenren.

And Yang Jian had arrived at Kunlun Mountain at this time, and under the protection of the Kunlun arrays, he had finally succeeded in breaking through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

"Many thanks to Master for pointing out the way; otherwise, it would have likely taken me several thousand more years to step into the Great Luo," Yang Jian said, cupping his hands, his eyes full of respect.

Hearing this, Yuding Zhenren still revealed a proud expression on his face and said, "Although I am not very skilled at cultivation, I am quite capable of teaching disciples.

After all, the Eight-Nine Profound Art is the technique of our master, originating from the Great God Pangu; by Proving the Dao with Force, one can cultivate a supreme physical body with unparalleled combat power.

Yang Jian, you have entered the Great Luo with the Eight-Nine Profound Art; even though you have just entered, your physical body among the Great Luo is in no way inferior to those ancient divine beasts, and it possesses even greater potential.

Therefore, next, I will pass on to you the Nine-Turn Profound Art that surpasses the Eight-Nine Profound Art. As long as you cultivate the Nine-Turn Profound Art to perfection, your physical body will be sufficient to become holy, and in the days to come, you will surely become the only War God in heaven and on earth!"

"Many thanks, Master. But Master, why is it only the flesh becoming holy? Why not become a true Saint?" Yang Jian asked.

Yuding Zhenren glared at Yang Jian in annoyance and said, "Young man, do not be overly ambitious. Becoming a Saint is not that easy. The 'flesh becoming holy' that I speak of refers to a Quasi-Saint, not a true Saint.

How profound and unfathomable is a Saint? It is not something we can speculate upon, and there are no materials to study it, otherwise, there might be a chance.

Even so, after cultivating the Nine-Turn Profound Art to perfection, your physical body can reach a level close to a Saint, undying and indestructible, with combat power that is in no way inferior to those veteran Quasi-Saints."

Yang Jian was no longer a novice in cultivation, so he asked again, "Shouldn't cultivation involve the Primordial Spirit and the physical body advancing side by side? Why is it that after entering the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, one focuses more on the physical body? Master? Isn't this lopsided?"

Yuding Zhenren waved his fan and said, "Disciple, you are right, but this does not suit you.

The Great Luo Golden Immortal realm focuses on the perception of the Laws of heaven and earth, requiring one to settle their heart and be free from distractions.

Can you do that?

Furthermore, perception of Laws starts at several thousand years, and Great Dao Laws take even tens of thousands of years.

The Nine-Turn Profound Art itself is a method of Proving the Dao with Force. By cultivating it, you only need to fight and be reckless; one force breaks ten thousand Laws, and the speed is much faster than cultivating Laws.

Although it cannot make you a true Saint, it is more than enough to be in the top three below a Saint; perhaps being number one is not impossible."

Hearing these words, Yang Jian understood the painstaking efforts of his master, Yuding Zhenren.

How could he have the time to settle his heart to perceive heaven and earth? To comprehend Laws? His Dao was only constant fighting, fighting, until death.

"Disciple, if you are afraid that your Primordial Spirit will suffer, I will thicken my skin and go find my master to get you some top-tier magic treasures to protect your Primordial Spirit; wouldn't that solve it?

You just focus on cultivating your combat power to the highest level, preferably invincible in the world.

As for the Laws, it is not impossible for you to make up for them slowly later.

But to finally become a Saint, you still have to consider carefully which method you are prepared to use to Prove the Dao," Yuding Zhenren said.

"Master, which method do you think I am suited for to Prove the Dao?" Yang Jian asked.

"First, Merit Proving Dao is ruled out. Second is Beheading Three Corpses, but your Primordial Spirit cultivation is currently insufficient. As for Law Proving Dao, it means cultivating one or more Laws to the limit, transcending the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, and you will naturally become a Saint, but it is very difficult.

Finally, Proving the Dao with Force, although this is the method you are cultivating. But don't even think about it; even Pangu failed. Disciple, even I have no confidence in my heart," Yuding said helplessly.

"I understand." Yang Jian said nothing more.

The road to becoming a Saint was still too far; at the Great Luo realm, there was no easy step to take.

Yuding could not help but sigh and said:

"After so many years, our Chan Sect has finally produced another Great Luo Golden Immortal. Sigh, I am happy."

After the War of Investiture, the Chan Sect gradually withered, and Kunlun sealed its mountains, isolating itself from the world.

In that great war, although not many immortals of the Chan Sect perished, the losses were actually heavy.

The famous Twelve Golden Immortals all had their Three Flowers shaved off and their Five Qis in their chests dispersed by Yunxiao, falling into the mortal dust to cultivate again.

Although they had recovered some magic power over these years, it was extremely difficult to enter the Great Luo again.

Coupled with the environment of heaven and earth, it no longer allowed for the appearance of Great Luo Golden Immortals.

Those like Xuanzang, Yang Jian, and Sun Wukong, who were heaven-defying and bore Great Luck, were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

That was why Yuding was so filled with emotion!

"Master, your disciple is already a Great Luo Golden Immortal. If you remain at the Golden Immortal realm, isn't that a bit unreasonable?" Yang Jian teased.

As long as they didn't mention cultivation realms, they could be a good master and disciple, but at the mention of this, Yuding's hair stood on end, and he scolded:

"You rascal Yang Jian, how dare you mock your master. What is wrong with being a Golden Immortal? As for the Great Luo Golden Immortal, I don't even want to break through. Hmph! Sooner or later, I will create a new path of cultivation myself."

"Master, just a joke."

"However, Master. Do you think with my current strength, I can force the Jade Emperor to change the Heavenly Law?"

Yang Jian changed the subject, his expression cold and stern.

He had never let go of any opportunity to mess with the Jade Emperor.

Yuding glanced at him expressionlessly, looking at him with contempt, and said:

"Disciple, it is not that I look down on you, but if you want to screw the old Jade Emperor, go back and cultivate for another one hundred thousand years."

"Is the gap that big?" Yang Jian said.

"Please, the Jade Emperor is the Lord of the Heavenly Court, controlling the entire Qi Luck of the Heavenly Court and the Three Realms. He only needs to cultivate slightly, and it is worth ten thousand years of a normal cultivator. If I am not mistaken, the Jade Emperor's strength is likely already at the top level below a Saint. In a few years, he might be able to use the Heavenly Court's Qi Luck to become a Saint through the Imperial Dao and reach the realm of Primordial Wuji Great Luo Golden Immortal," Yuding explained.

"……" Yang Jian, who had just broken through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, suddenly didn't feel so happy anymore.

"But who can say for sure what will happen in the future? As your master, I observed the Celestial Phenomenon at night; there will be rain tomorrow, and heavy snow will seal the mountains the day after," Yuding Zhenren said, shaking his head.

"Master, what does this have to do with me?" Yang Jian asked with a face full of question marks.

"Of course it has nothing to do with you, but my disciple, I am trying to tell you something.

It is impossible for one person to defy the heavens, but you could find a few more people, find a few more like-minded fellow Taoists; perhaps your chances of winning would be greater," Yuding said.

Yang Jian shook his head and said, "Who would dare to get involved in such matters? Instead of that, Master, you might as well teach a few more disciples to fight side-by-side with me in the future."

"Get out!"

Yuding rolled his Byakugan and directly issued an order to leave.

"Master, take care."

Yang Jian smiled gently and left Kunlun, but he did not go to the Heavenly Court; instead, he went to Mount Hua.

Thinking about it carefully, it had already been several years since he last saw his third sister.

……

Chat Group.

"Detecting members who meet the criteria to join the Chat Group, currently inviting."

Yan Shuangying, all group members received the notification that a new member was about to arrive.

"Ding, Ying Zheng of Great Qin has joined the Chat Group."

"Ding, The Autistic Child of Tian Yong City has joined the Chat Group."

"Ding, The Tragic Little Demon King has joined the Chat Group."

"Ding, The Head Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps has joined the Chat Group!"

Chat Group.

Leader of the Exploding Heavens Faction: "Holy crap, who did I see? Has Brother Zheng arrived?"

Ye Fan Zhen Bu Hei: "The Emperor through the ages, welcome, welcome."

Playboy: "The First Emperor?"

Demon Queen: "Who is this newcomer? Sounds pretty badass."

Number One Golden Core of the Nine Provinces: "I don't know what's going on, but it sounds impressive; he must be a tough guy."

……