Chapter 531: Chang Geng Cultivates the Mysterious Body, Will Go to the Purple Cloud Palace

Several days later, in the western region of Niu He Zhou, in a corner of Ling Shan.

Wen Jing Dao Ren clutched her left shoulder, her delicate face pale and bloodless, her aura fluctuating wildly. The blood-red gauze skirt she wore seemed even more vivid in contrast.

Behind Wen Jing Dao Ren, the Hong Meng ferocious beasts that had transformed into a man and a woman knelt on one knee, both bearing injuries. The man, transformed from the beast, had a massive dent in his chest, with the surrounding bones completely shattered, sustained only by his magical power.

Upon closer inspection, the wound, about the size of a basin, perfectly matched the shape of a cow's hoof...

The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

In front of Wen Jing Dao Ren lay the mutilated corpse of a ferocious beast, its pressure still lingering. The body was over two zhang long, resembling a black-furred fierce bear, but it was horribly disfigured and incomplete, clearly having endured a storm of attacks before its fall.

On the other side of the corpse, several figures sat in the shadows, all elderly Taoists with patched robes.

One of the elderly Taoists had divine light flashing in his eyes as he stared at the shoulder Wen Jing Dao Ren was clutching. He said doubtfully:

"Qing Niu? Lao Jun's mount?Just one mount, and it reduced you all to this state?"

Wen Jing Dao Ren hurriedly replied: "Deputy Leader, that Qing Niu is extremely powerful, an ancient exotic species, quite difficult to handle!He wields a steel ring, a secret treasure refined by Lao Jun, which can capture all kinds of thrown treasures. And he has a fan— with just one swing, it sent us flying beyond the heavens..."

"Outrageous!"

From the side, a short and stout elderly Taoist shouted angrily: "The Yuan Tu Sword wasn't retrieved, and you lot were forced into such a sorry state by a mere mount. What's the point of keeping you at Ling Shan!"

"Deputy Leader, it was the Water God!"

The woman transformed from the ferocious beast behind Wen Jing immediately cried out: "It was the Heavenly Court Water God who intervened. He must have foreseen this and ambushed us around the traitor Tie Shan's vicinity!"

The five elderly Taoists exchanged glances, and the one in the center said gravely: "Is this true?"

Wen Jing Dao Ren frowned and pursed her lips, remaining silent.

The woman trembled as she shouted: "Please spare our lives, Deputy Leader! This is absolutely true!We could never mistake that aura of Dao rhythm. Such paper figures are unique to the Water God in the Three Realms!"

The elderly Taoists' gazes sharpened instantly.

The short and stout elderly Taoist, accustomed to playing the bad cop, immediately scolded: "Hmph! Wen Jing, why didn't you report this earlier?"

Wen Jing Dao Ren hesitated, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of uncertainty, as if weighing her options.

The man transformed from the ferocious beast glanced up at Wen Jing's back, a faint cold smile crossing his lips. Pretending to be troubled, he said softly: "Deputy Leader, please don't blame Wen Jing for this!When the Water God appeared, we were all in disarray. It was Wen Jing who took action and destroyed the Water God's incarnation, allowing us to escape and report back to you."

"What did you say?"

One of the elderly Taoists suddenly stood up, eyes wide, and demanded: "Wen Jing, did you really kill the Water God's incarnation?"

Wen Jing Dao Ren turned her head and glared at the man, who quickly lowered his head, appearing quite fearful.

A true contest of seasoned actors.

"Outrageous!"

The short and stout elderly Taoist bellowed: "Not long ago, the Teacher issued a strict order: for the next hundred years, we must not provoke the Water God Li Chang Geng. And you, Wen Jing, knew this, yet you still killed his incarnation!That Water God holds grudges and schemes deeply—he's sure to retaliate against us at Ling Shan!"

Another elderly Taoist from the side sighed: "Wen Jing, do you know that once, a senior brother of ours destroyed one of the Water God's incarnations and was targeted by Jie Jiao's Zhao Gong Ming? Back then, the Water God wasn't even at his peak.Now, with the Water God enfeoffed as Tai Bai Jin Xing and in charge of the great calamity... do you think he'll hold fewer grudges against us?"

Wen Jing Dao Ren slowly closed her narrow phoenix eyes, a mix of helplessness and sarcasm in her gaze.

She sighed lightly and said: "If I hadn't killed the Water God's incarnation, none of us might have made it back here.If the Deputy Leader thinks I was wrong, I'll accept the punishment.But deep down, I feel unjust.His incarnation was only at the Golden Immortal realm. If I didn't kill him, we couldn't survive—so why couldn't I?"

"Wen Jing, who are you showing that attitude to? You!"

The short and stout elderly Taoist was yelling furiously when a soft sigh interrupted his booming voice.

A figure in gray robes appeared strangely in front of Wen Jing Dao Ren.

The universe showed no ripples at all!

The several elderly Taoists quickly stood up and bowed to the gray-robed figure, saying in unison: "Teacher."

Wen Jing Dao Ren's body trembled, and she immediately lowered her head and knelt, not daring to look up at the gray-robed elderly Taoist.

This aura, this faint pressure...

The true pillar of the Western Teachings, the saint Jie Yin Dao Ren!

"Wen Jing pays respects to the Great Leader!"

"Hmm," Jie Yin responded, his hands hanging at his sides, his form slightly hunched. "Raise your head."

Sweat beads formed on Wen Jing Dao Ren's pale cheeks, her Dao heart turning ice-cold.

The saint's pressure, the secrets in her heart, and such close proximity nearly made her Dao heart collapse in an instant.

But she was ultimately the Hong Meng ferocious beast, the fierce character from the Primordial Chaos known as the Mosquito Daoist, who had survived from the Blood Sea. Her Dao heart was truly resilient. Slowly, she lifted her head, her narrow phoenix eyes trembling pupils.

Jie Yin's eyelids were half-lowered, his gaze seeming to pierce straight through Wen Jing's Dao heart!

At that moment, Wen Jing dared not utter a word, her Dao heart blank. She forced herself to repeatedly recall the events of the battle in that small world a few days ago...

The rampaging Qing Niu tearing ferocious beasts apart with his bare hands;She shredding the Water God's paper figure in a flash...

"Don't be afraid."

Jie Yin Dao Ren said this and stepped forward, circling around Wen Jing Dao Ren to stand before the man transformed from the ferocious beast.

"Raise your head."

The man, who had been bowing low, swallowed hard and quickly looked up, meeting the saint's gaze...

After a moment, Jie Yin Dao Ren's wide sleeves swayed gently, and the man's eyes instantly dimmed. His body suddenly collapsed, turning into a small pile of black fine sand.

No signs of life remained.

Jie Yin Dao Ren said calmly: "Promote Wen Jing to the top position of the Dark Guardians."

With that, Jie Yin Dao Ren's figure gradually faded, disappearing with the wind amid the elderly Taoists' acknowledgments.

Wen Jing Dao Ren's face was deathly pale, nearly collapsing to the ground.

But a faint smile appeared at the corners of her mouth as she bowed deeply toward the depths of Ling Shan.

"Wen Jing thanks the Great Lord!"

The several elderly Taoists wore slightly complex expressions. As they looked at Wen Jing Dao Ren's graceful figure, warm smiles emerged on their faces.

The short and stout elderly Taoist, who had scolded her the most harshly, flicked his sleeve and turned to walk away.

Half an hour later, in Wen Jing Dao Ren's cave dwelling.

A faint mosquito buzz passed by, and Wen Jing Dao Ren revealed her form, collapsing weakly onto the bed and letting out a long sigh.

That was close...

She felt as if she had survived a disaster, and her mind involuntarily recalled the voice transmission she had heard a few days ago from the Water God—now the Xing Jun.

Wen Jing, it's me.The ox spirit before you is Lao Jun's mount, stronger than you.Don't reveal your identity even in front of Lao Jun's ox.Take this opportunity to destroy one of my paper figures, then escape back to Ling Shan with one or two subordinates to claim credit and solidify your position.Adapt as needed; don't hesitate when you strike me later.

On the bed, Wen Jing Dao Ren gently furrowed her brows, feeling the impact of the saint's pressure from earlier. Her pale face quickly regained its color.

'How long does the lord want me to stay undercover in the Western Teachings?And exactly what does he want me to do here?'

As the top of the Dark Guardians—one of the three great guardians of the Western Teachings—her status was just below the deputy leaders and above ordinary saint disciples.

Wen Jing Dao Ren sighed softly...

This job was getting harder and harder.

'I hope Wen Jing is alright.'

In Xiao Qiong Peak, within the scroll of a mural in the underground chamber, Li Chang Geng's true body paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Having Wen Jing Dao Ren act so boldly this time—killing one of his paper figures to claim credit—felt a bit too reckless and lacked caution.

Although he believed he had executed it flawlessly, it was still a deliberate move and could easily reveal a flaw.

Oh well, overthinking won't help.

By now, Wen Jing should have returned to Ling Shan. She was a Hong Meng ferocious beast and a fierce character from the Primordial Chaos; if she encountered danger, she could handle it herself. He didn't need to worry too much about her exposure.

A Hong Meng veteran like Wen Jing, who valued her life so much, wouldn't risk her own neck.

Better to worry about something else—if the Western Teachings give Wen Jing too many benefits, she might hesitate when the time comes to make a move...

His immortal sense detected Ling E's graceful figure approaching on a cloud from the lake. Li Chang Geng's true body sat back in the bamboo chair, closed his eyes, and continued dealing with follow-up matters.

Qing Niu and Tie Shan had just survived a 'minor calamity.'

The sight of Qing Niu violently hammering the Hong Meng ferocious beasts that day had clearly stunned Tie Shan...

She knew Qing Niu was extraordinarily strong, but she hadn't expected him to be so domineering!

The Aunt Wen she had always feared and respected was severely injured by the man she had entrusted her life to, the one she was willing to sacrifice for...

The words Li Chang Geng's paper figure said to Tie Shan after the battle had shifted many of her preconceptions.

"Tie Shan, you should try to trust those around you, instead of shouldering everything alone.Many things that seem difficult to you might be trivial for Qing Niu."

This instantly elevated Qing Niu's status in the family by several levels!

What a bro move.

At the end of that valley battle, under Li Chang Geng's secret guidance, Qing Niu used the Banana Fan to unleash a blast of Xuan Yin gale, sending Wen Jing Dao Ren and the other two ferocious beasts flying tens of thousands of miles away.

Then, Qing Niu hurriedly left that small world with the still-dazed silver-haired girl and Li Chang Geng's paper figure, heading straight back to the Five Divisions Continent.

Since Tie Shan had been targeted by the Western Teachings, they couldn't continue their leisurely travels.

More importantly...

Qing Niu had been wandering outside for so long; it was time for him to return to his duties.

Under Li Chang Geng's arrangements, Tie Shan was sent to the Shang tribe in Nan Zhan Bu Zhou, where Kong Xuan would take care of her, allowing her to be companions with the Seven Emotions' reincarnation.

Qing Niu would visit Tie Shan periodically, like Ao Yi did, and if Lao Jun permitted, he could stay in the mortal world longer.

Half a day earlier, Li Chang Geng had entrusted the Huang Jin Rope to Qing Niu to take back to Dou Shuai Palace.

The search for the ox was now concluded.

Speaking of which, why were Qing Niu and Zhao Gong Ming both so quick to act?Did they have no concerns about the upcoming great calamity?

Li Chang Geng could only chuckle at this. With things stable for now and the Western Teachings not making trouble, he reviewed his arrangements for the Feng Shen great calamity once more.

Fighting against the heavens required utmost caution—being steady to the extreme was never excessive.

Thus, a rather serious issue presented itself to Li Chang Geng.

Should he allocate some effort to comprehending the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong, shifting from his previous casual practice to dedicated study, thereby advancing to the final two realms?

Li Chang Geng had already noticed that the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong was imperfect. For the human race, lacking the innate powerful physique of the Wu Clan, practicing this gong always left some deficiencies.

But the solution to this problem had been handed to him by Lady Hou Tu through Yan Jun.

It was the essence blood of the Ancestral Witches.

Nine is the ultimate of yang numbers, eight the ultimate of yin, as in the saying 'Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.' The Ba Jiu Xuan Gong carries many meanings.

Of course, it could also be understood as—the name itself signifies a missing 'point,' unable to achieve nine-nine unity.

This might be due to heavenly obstruction, or perhaps even Lady Hou Tu couldn't perfect this gong; it ultimately required the Ancestral Witch essence blood to fill the gap.

After trying to deduce it for a few days, Li Chang Geng discovered that the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong assisted by Ancestral Witch essence blood was vastly more powerful than without.

With the essence blood's help, cultivating this gong to its peak would grant an additional divine ability—

As long as the primordial spirit remains, the physical body can regenerate at any time!

Though there are countless body cultivation methods in the Primordial Chaos, only this one achieves that.

Aside from distracting his energy and diverting his insights into the Great Dao of Balance, what downsides could practicing this gong have?

Actually, none. Overall, it even provides more means of self-preservation.

Maybe I'll practice it for a few decades?

From now until the six saints head to Zi Xiao Palace to discuss the Feng Shen matter, these decades are a rare window of opportunity.

After hesitating for a few days, Li Chang Geng finally made up his mind. He adjusted the level of surveillance on the Heavenly Court, the Immortal Alliance, and Lin Tian Hall to the minimum he could tolerate, and began to fully focus on the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong.

Once he delved in, he became utterly absorbed and couldn't stop.

Li Chang Geng abandoned his previous casual insights and started over, carefully analyzing and deeply comprehending it, almost to the point of forgetting everything else.

As a result, he left his chamber far less frequently.

Each time Ling E saw her senior brother, he was either frowning in thought or sitting in meditation, rarely so dedicated to his own cultivation.

'Senior brother must have hit a bottleneck.'

Thinking this, Ling E could only burn a few more sticks of incense at their master's memorial tablet, praying for him to break through soon.

Incidentally, Ling E temporarily set aside her own cultivation and proactively handled Immortal Alliance matters for her senior brother, sharing some of the minor tasks.

To Ling E's shock, this state of his lasted for over a decade!

Was senior brother pondering how to become a saint?Or about to sever his three corpses?

What kind of profound barrier could stall him for over a decade?

Ling E grew increasingly worried.

Fortunately, Li Chang Geng didn't remain in seclusion for too long; every few months, he would go out, deal with various affairs, and guide Long Ji's practice.

Though worried, Ling E didn't dare ask, fearing it would add more pressure to him.

In the sixteenth year of his serious cultivation of the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong, Li Chang Geng began refining some spirit pills, taking medicinal baths, practicing basic sword, spear, and fist techniques, and setting up large arrays of thunder, fire, water, and wind for killing. Then, he casually walked into the arrays, enduring their assaults...

That day, Li Chang Geng emerged from the killing array around the pill room, feeling refreshed, his eyes clear, a faint smile on his lips as he pondered the wonders of the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong in his heart.

He had finally recaptured that exhilarating sense of epiphany from before immortality...

"Senior... senior brother?"

"Hmm?"

Li Chang Geng composed himself and looked at Ling E, who was dressed in training clothes nearby. He asked warmly, "What is it?"

"Senior brother," Ling E asked full of concern, "have you been stuck at a bottleneck for too long that your Dao heart is unstable?"

Then, Ling E approached and gently massaged his arm, saying softly: "You don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. Cultivation can't be rushed.Many immortals get stuck at cultivation bottlenecks for hundreds or thousands of years. You've only been at it for over a decade—it's quite common."

Li Chang Geng: ...

"I'm actually practicing a profound gong," Li Chang Geng said seriously. "In its later stages, it requires harnessing heavenly forces to temper the body and primordial spirit. I'm just using arrays as a shortcut."

Ling E blinked: "A profound gong?"

"Yes," Li Chang Geng handed her a jade talisman. "A gift from Lady Hou Tu. It contains some of my annotations. You don't need to cultivate it—just take a look."

Ling E asked quietly: "Senior brother, is it because my aptitude is too poor that I can't practice it?"

"No, this gong involves a lot of hardship, and it wouldn't benefit you much. Besides, if not controlled properly, it could... alter your figure."

Ling E's hand trembled, and she quickly shoved the jade talisman back into Li Chang Geng's hand, stepping back three paces and cupping her fists: "I'll take my leave. No need, thank you, senior brother!"

Li Chang Geng smiled without a word and put away the jade talisman he had prepared for Yang Jian. He said, "Go call Ling Li over."

With that, he turned and floated back to the pill room to refine more spirit pills for strengthening the body.

Soon after, Ling E brought Xiong Ling Li over in a hurry.

Li Chang Geng asked Xiong Ling Li a simple question:Do you want to become stronger?

Xiong Ling Li nodded firmly, her cute face showing a touch of anticipation, and said softly: "Cousin, I'm no good at cultivating the primordial spirit path. I can't grasp many principles, and after all these years, I still haven't become an immortal...Heh, I can't even truly abstain from food, which is pretty embarrassing."

Li Chang Geng paused his work and took a wine pot from his sleeve, smiling: "You have Wu Clan bloodline, and you've practiced Daoist methods for so long, but it's clear this path isn't for you."

Xiong Ling Li sighed a bit dejectedly.

Ling E quickly added: "Don't worry, Ling Li. Since senior brother said that, he must have a way to help you get stronger."

"That's right," Li Chang Geng pushed the wine pot toward her with immortal power. "Inside this, I've dissolved half a drop of Ancestral Witch essence blood power, the most stable and gentle from Hou Tu.I've calculated it; this is your limit.From now on, drink a sip every month and practice this set of gong methods."

As he spoke, Li Chang Geng took out two scrolls from his sleeve and spread them out in front of Xiong Ling Li.

"To help you understand, I've turned the circulation paths of internal energy and various cultivation tips into illustrations. Think you can make sense of them?"

Xiong Ling Li nodded vigorously, her eyes full of excitement.

And so, several more decades passed.

Only three years and four months remained until the day Dao Ancestor set for the six saints to go to Zi Xiao Palace and discuss the Feng Shen matter.

For the past few decades, Li Chang Geng had been steadily cultivating in the mountains, which brought joy to Ling E's heart...

That day, Li Chang Geng finished the intensive study phase of the Ba Jiu Xuan Gong and emerged from seclusion. He found Ling E, who had just finished her enlightenment session by the lake, and instructed her not to go out, as he had to leave for a while.

Ling E's mouth twitched slightly, and she muttered: "Senior brother, what you should worry about now isn't me going out, but someone coming to Xiao Qiong Peak."

"Ah, you're right about that."

Li Chang Geng sighed lightly and looked toward the lake, where a... mountain peak had appeared out of nowhere.

"Hmm?"

Sensing Li Chang Geng's gaze, the top of that several-hundred-zhang-high mountain peak slowly twisted, revealing an enormous 'cute face.'

It was Xiong Ling Li!

Squatting on the ground, she raised her massive, incredibly thick arms and waved them slightly at Li Chang Geng.

A thunderous "shushing shout" echoed by the lake, stirring up waves on the water.

"Cousin! You've—emerged—from—seclusion!"

Ling E couldn't help but cover her forehead with one hand, while Li Chang Geng felt various relief in his heart.

Thankfully, under the influence of the Ancestral Witch essence blood, she no longer needed to eat—or Xiao Qiong Peak would have gone bankrupt years ago!

Li Chang Geng called out: "How have you been feeling lately?"

"I've gotten stronger and bigger!"

Xiong Ling Li was full of joy and transmitted her voice in detail: "Weren't you the one who said I should go to the Heavenly Court as a gate-guarding Giant Strength God? When do we head over?"

"Just wait until you master the transformation technique," Li Chang Geng said, hands tucked in his sleeves, admiring Xiong Ling Li's majestic and imposing form with a sense of admiration.

Tsk, another formidable warrior.