Chapter 338: Ascending to Immortality

On the border of Ming Province, an army of over ten thousand people lined up on the plain.

This army had about three thousand cavalry and over seven thousand infantry.

Everyone wore silver armor, reflecting dazzling light under the sun, like stars twinkling.

The cavalry held long spears, had battle blades at their waists, and over a dozen short spears hung on their horses' backs.

The infantry each held a heavy Mo blade that was taller than a person!

Even the most ordinary infantryman had a scorching aura and was full of a sense of power.

These ten thousand-plus warriors were all martial artists; this was an army composed entirely of martial artists!

Under heaven, only the Imperial Camp Army of the Great Lan Dynasty could be composed entirely of martial artists.

A prefecture city had at most two hundred Imperial Camp soldiers, and a provincial capital had over five hundred.

So a province couldn't even scrape together two thousand Imperial Camp soldiers even if they tried.

And here there were over ten thousand!

The Imperial Camp soldiers stationed in various prefecture cities and provincial capitals were called Imperial Camp soldiers and had no separate flag.

But this army had one; the flag they raised had a "White" character written on it, with flames embroidered around the character.

This was one of the four most powerful armies of the Great Lan Dynasty, the Bai Yan Army!

The Bai Yan Army was stationed on the grassland to the east and was regarded by the Grassland Royal Court as the "White Devil," and all grassland people spoke of it with fear.

Such an army had not left its station for many years, yet it appeared in Ming Province at this time.

Three days after True Person Qingxu died, the Bai Yan Army set out from the grassland and had already arrived at the border of Ming Province for some time.

One hundred Imperial Camp soldiers could rival a martial arts grandmaster, and one thousand Imperial Camp soldiers could surround and kill a grandmaster.

Ten thousand Imperial Camp soldiers, even a Martial Saint could not rival them head-on!

A Martial Saint might be able to maneuver and retreat, but if they were to engage in a head-on slaughter with ten thousand Imperial Camp soldiers, fighting to the death without retreating.

Then the one who would die in the end would be the Martial Saint.

This was a battle example that had actually occurred in history!

So when the Bai Yan Army was dispatched, it meant that even a top sect with a Martial Saint sitting in it could not stop the slaughter of this army!

And Ming Province only had one force worth the Bai Yan Army taking action.

On the Sea of Clouds Terrace, incense smoke curled, and all around was the surging sea of clouds.

Daoist priests with long robes were arranged on the square like statues, standing at specific points, everyone's expression solemn, chanting in their mouths, their voices like echoes in a deep valley, melodious and profound.

The air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, intertwined with the smell of burning pine branches.

In the very center of the square, and also the very center of the entire formation, a massive altar had been built.

Tai Yu and Yunshu stood side by side, standing under this altar.

The Wen Dao Bell rang nine times, representing the official start of the grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven.

All the disciples of the Great Daluo Sect were concentrated on the Sea of Clouds Terrace, each with their own standing position, and regardless of whether they cultivated techniques, they were all chanting the incantation at this time.

This incantation was the Daoist scripture for sacrificing to heaven—"The Supreme Response Chapter".

This was a mandatory lesson for Daoist disciples entering the door, so even disciples cultivating martial arts could chant it smoothly.

As over a thousand people chanted the same scripture in unison, the virtual thoughts of the mages and the mental power of the martial artists, two completely different types of spiritual power, were mobilized, then gradually tended toward the same frequency, and ultimately fused together!

A solemn and grand, dignified and sacred power spontaneously arose!

Li Fei and the others stood at the edge of the Sea of Clouds Terrace, as guests observing the ceremony.

Standing in the same row with them were people from the Shangqing Sect and the Yuhua Gate.

Carefully perceiving the aura born in the square, Li Fei was thoughtful.

Over the past month, he had been studying Lin Tianyi's notebook, had many new cognitions about the unity of technique and martial arts, and had mastered several new techniques.

At this moment, watching over a thousand Great Daluo Sect disciples chanting the same scripture through the pre-arranged ritual tracks, and actually being able to achieve the "unity of technique and martial arts," Li Fei couldn't help but feel as if he had seen a new world.

"The military formation and baleful aura of the Imperial Camp Army are the power of the unity of technique and martial arts, and the baleful weapons used by the Imperial Camp Army originated from Daoism from the beginning. So, in fact, Daoism was the force in this world that first began to study the unity of technique and martial arts and achieved results?"

Li Fei thought secretly.

It was just that Daoism ultimately failed to carry this path through to the end, and it wasn't until several hundred years later that a person named Lin Tianyi reached the summit through this path.

Li Fei suddenly felt something, closed his eyes, and his mind moved with the scripture of "The Supreme Response Chapter".

The accumulation regarding "dual cultivation of technique and martial arts" over the past month was suddenly detonated at this moment, entering a state of sudden enlightenment!

Gradually, Li Fei had the illusion of his soul leaving his body, as if he were roaming between the seas of clouds.

Now on the left, now on the right, continuously upward, passing through layers of clouds, straight to the nine heavens!

In a trance, Li Fei seemed to see palaces of immortals, like a gorgeous painting, slowly unfolding in the clouds:

The immortal Qi swirled, with jade trees and precious flowers, shimmering glaze, and flying cranes.

There were immortal maidens playing the zither and flute, chanting poems and painting.

There were also immortals sparring in the clouds, sword Qi surging, techniques brilliant.

Li Fei seemed to see the thirty-three layers of immortal realms in Daoist legends, layered and overlapping, scattered and orderly, like a ladder of heaven, leading to the endless sky.

This was the ultimate pursuit of every Dao cultivator: ascending to heaven to become an immortal, living long and staying forever!

Under the massive altar, Tai Yu felt something, turned his head, and glanced at Li Fei at the edge of the square.

"Unexpectedly, the 'Thirty-Three Heavens' of my Daoism has been seen by an outsider."

Tai Yu laughed at himself and said.

His voice could only be heard by Yunshu.

When Li Fei entered the state of sudden enlightenment, Yunshu was the first to notice.

He specifically asked Lu Wenxing to notify Li Fei to arrive on time today to participate in this grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven, just to give Li Fei an opportunity.

Now Li Fei had not only seized this opportunity but had even performed better than he had expected!

Every year before the grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven, the Wen Dao Bell would be rung first.

As a True One magic treasure left behind by the True Monarch, it possessed the magical effect of helping people attain Dao and break through realms!

The Wen Dao Bell rang nine times, and the Dao rhyme would be left behind by the formation of the grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven, so the Great Daluo Sect disciples participating in this ceremony had the opportunity to have insights in the process of chanting "The Supreme Response Chapter".

If their aptitude was sufficient and they happened to be at a bottleneck, they could even break through the realm on the spot!

In the past, at every grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven, there would be several outstanding Great Daluo Sect disciples who attained Dao and broke through.

This was the foundation that only top sects possessed!

This year, the Great Daluo Sect took out one-third of its inventory and laid out this unprecedented massive formation, which could not only keep the Dao rhyme brought by the Wen Dao Bell for a longer time but also allow this Dao rhyme to bring people deeper insights.

Although this was not the true purpose of the grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven, this kind of incidental benefit was also extremely rare, and it might not be possible to have it again in the future.

So Tai Yu hoped that his own disciples could obtain as many benefits as possible.

As a result, the Great Daluo Sect disciples hadn't even started breaking through, but Li Fei had first attained insights, and had directly picked the best fruit!

Yunshu smiled slightly and looked at Li Fei with satisfaction.

As an outsider, Li Fei originally couldn't enjoy the benefits brought by this grand ceremony of sacrificing to heaven; it was Yunshu who spoke personally and took action personally to guide a strand of Dao rhyme toward Li Fei, allowing him to have insights.

The core description of "The Supreme Response Chapter" was the "Thirty-Three Heavens"; if one could see the true thirty-three immortal realms through the scripture, one could be considered to have understood the essence of this Dao scripture.

It was just that being able to have insights already required very high talent; wanting to climb high all the way and see all thirty-three immortal realms was something only a peerless genius could do!

The Great Daluo Sect also hadn't had anyone see the complete thirty-three immortal realms for many years.

Today the opportunity was rare, and Tai Yu felt that the Great Daluo Sect should have someone who could ascend to the thirty-three heavens!

Unexpectedly, Li Fei had completed it first...

The last person in the Great Daluo Sect to ascend to the thirty-three heavens was Qingxu, and above him was Tai Yu.

One became a True Monarch, and one became a Martial Saint.

Although "The Supreme Response Chapter" could not fully measure a person's cultivation upper limit, it was at least an important reference.

Li Fei had once again proven the gold content of his "First in History"!

Under the witness of Tai Yu and Yunshu, Li Fei's mental power continuously rose, and then began to change.

It was as if a mortal had ascended to become an immortal, shedding his mortal body, growing immortal skin and jade bones, and undergoing a complete qualitative change.

Li Fei's mental power also continuously washed away impurities in this process of "rising," becoming increasingly refined and increasingly pure, ultimately becoming like a piece of glazed glass!

"Washing intent to communicate with the divine!"

Tai Yu's expression was complex as he slowly spat out these four words.

Seeing the "Thirty-Three Heavens" was a process of helping people attain Dao and break through realms; as for what Dao was attained and what realm was broken, it varied from person to person.

Li Fei's mental power had long reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and later, after driving the Emperor's Dragon Qi, it had undergone another baptism, becoming even more solid.

This had almost reached the limit of a Foundation Establishment martial artist.

So in the process of ascending to the thirty-three heavens, Li Fei's mental power had made a breakthrough, beginning to take that step of breaking through the realm!

After successfully constructing the Martial Dao Foundation, a martial artist's body would receive a "baptism," becoming even more powerful, and their lifespan would also increase by sixty years.

At the same time, the martial artist's mind would also receive a "baptism," a process known as "washing intent to communicate with the divine."

After completion, the martial artist's mental power would reach the "realm of communicating with the divine," thereby being able to drive the supernatural powers generated by the Dao Foundation!

And precisely because the mental power reached the "realm of communicating with the divine," martial arts grandmasters could drive Dao force with every gesture, using Dao force as an ordinary move.

This "realm of communicating with the divine" was a mental realm that only martial arts grandmasters possessed, but now Li Fei seemed to be taking the breakthrough step first!

If he could succeed, it meant that Li Fei's path to the Grandmaster realm was basically unobstructed!

As long as he incorporated five types of implants and polished for a period of time, he could complete the breakthrough without any obstacles.

"Truly a later generation..."

Yunshu praised with a smile, but his words stopped halfway.

Because Li Fei's mental power, which was currently being "refined," suddenly stopped changing, and that piece of "glazed glass" that was about to take shape also had some impurities added to it.

"Virtual thought? Dual cultivation of technique and martial arts?"

Tai Yu also sensed this change and saw Li Fei's situation.

He shook his head:

"What a pity."

There is another chapter around 12 o'clock.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 339 =====