Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 549: Chapter 332: Longevity (First Update)

Originally born from a corpse fetus, it was fated to encounter calamity.

Do not say that cultivators are heartless; it’s really a matter of karmic retribution being repaid.

Refined in the fire of the Five Elements, the life of the demon ends!

Three days later, at Mount Qilin, within the Xiezhi Cave.

The Demon King’s Cave Mansion had turned into a charred fire pit, filled with crimson crystals and molten iron lava.

Xu Yang sat above the clouds, holding a horsetail whisk in hand, his expression indifferent.

“Crack!”

Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed, and the cave mansion collapsed.

A streak of golden light burst forth, like a lightning bolt seeking to tear through the sky and escape.

Xu Yang swept his whisk, and instantly, the void was bound, capturing the object firmly in mid-air.

After the golden light dissipated, its true form was revealed. It was a corpse, resembling a malicious dog and looking like a kylin, covered in dazzling golden light, with lotuses under its four hooves. Although it no longer had the spark of life, a fierce and evil force remained.

It was the original form of this demon—the Golden-Furred Lion!

This beast, an anomaly amongst demons and born from a corpse fetus, required a thousand five hundred years to grow its golden fur after which, another thousand years and overcoming the tribulation of Return to Void, was necessary to transform into the true alien beast, the Golden-Furred Lion.

And this Golden-Furred Lion, in particular, was top-notch, possessing ten thousand years of Taoist cultivation and having advanced to the realm of Integration.

Return to Void Union, the juncture of heaven and earth; ordinary cultivators striving to enter this realm must delve into life’s mysteries and thoroughly understand the profound truths of heaven and earth, reversing the postnatal to revert to the innate. However, for the Golden-Furred Lion to enter this realm, it must penetrate the nature of life and death.

Therefore, a Golden-Furred Lion at the realm of Integration often possesses the ability of “neither living nor dying.” Even if Xu Yang used the Great Five Elements Thunder-Fire Divine Light to annihilate its Primordial Spirit, the Corpse Body still held a strange power, attempting to escape.

But this was merely a trifling skill; if Xu Yang could refine the lion in its prime, how could he allow a mere corpse to escape?

With a sweep of his horsetail whisk and the turning of the Tai Chi Diagram, he took the alien beast, which was neither rigid nor typically demonic, into his Qiankun Sleeve.

The battle had ended, and the dust had settled!

This Golden-Furred Lion, an aberrant demonic corpse and also a beast tamed by Buddhism, had extraordinary origins and formidable strength.

Not to mention fighting on its home turf, even if just facing it outside of its formation, ordinary Integration cultivators would have difficulty matching it.

Moreover, with the addition of the Purple-Gold Bell—a Medium-Grade Immortal Artifact—and the toxic miasma of demonic qi transforming into formations within the kylin’s mountain cave mansion, unless someone of the Mahayana stepped in, ordinary people would be incapable of posing a threat.

Unfortunately for the lion, Xu Yang was no ordinary person and did not conform to the norm.

In his ascension to the Upper Realm, although he went alone, he was far from empty-handed. On the contrary, he came well-prepared, bringing not only necessities but also the “White Jade Capital” with him.

This White Jade Capital was not that White Jade Capital. With seven thousand years of accumulation, he had already used the resources of the World of Dao and Law to refine a second Five Elements Orb, even incorporating some concepts from the “Void Stele.”

Thus, combining the Five Elements with the void, according to the principles of the world, the newly constructed White Jade Capital Model Two, although still falling short of breaking through to the Seventh Rank, reached the pinnacle of Mid-Grade Fairy Spirit Mech Armor.

Mid-Grade Fairy Spirit Mech Armor, along with Kong Xuan’s complete Integration cultivation, and equipped with divine powers such as the Five Colors Divine Light and more, could refine a Golden-Furred Lion with ease, an effortless task.

Now that the Slaughtering Demon task was accomplished, not only had he obtained the corpse of a powerful demonic Integration, but also a Medium-Grade Immortal Artifact, and…

Xu Yang sat upon the clouds, looking down below to see the colorful fumes of demonic qi, mixed with endless filth and an unbearable stench.

“Demonic fiend!”

He shook his head and sighed. Then, waving his whisk, fresh and cleansing rain fell upon Mount Qilin, dispersing the toxic miasma of demonic qi. Command flags descended, embedding themselves in various places across the mountain, forming the nodes of an array.

His purpose in coming here was twofold: to act on behalf of heaven in eliminating demons, and to seize a Spirit Land to establish his foundation.

Xu Yang’s actions were always purposeful, planned, and strategic.

This place was no exception!

Now, his primary task was to break through his current realm and ascend to Mahayana, thus strengthening his abilities.

After all, with greater strength, many things would become easier to accomplish.

But how to break through this realm?

If the mana points were there, and the accumulation adequate, could he naturally and smoothly make the leap?

In theory, this was the case; but in practice, even when conditions are ripe, it still requires time.

Maybe a hundred years, or perhaps a thousand?

Xu Yang could not be sure. But now he needed to break through quickly, to enhance his combat power, so he had to employ certain methods to hasten the process.

According to Xiao Qingyun’s memories, the most direct method to accelerate cultivation in this Earth Immortal Realm is to establish a sect and occupy a Spirit Land as a cultivation site.

Because the Earth Immortal Realm is abundant in spiritual mechanisms and even contains “Immortal Spirit Qi” extinct from the Lower Realm, just occupying a Spirit Land and absorbing the essence of the sun and moon can significantly accelerate cultivation. For instance, the Heavenly Court, situated above the Ninth Heaven, is rich in Immortal Spirit Qi, greatly benefiting the cultivation of Integration, Mahayana, and Immortals.

However, these Spirit Lands are not easily occupied. There’s no need to mention the East Victorious and West Bovine provinces, as they are essentially the territories of the Heavenly Court and Buddhism. Without their connection, one simply cannot establish themselves there. Even in South Observance Continent, famous mountains and great rivers already have their masters—either you forcefully seize them, or you are left to endure years of arduous cultivation in desolate lands.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Mount Qilin became Xu Yang’s target.

“`

The choice to select Mount Qilin was for two reasons, one was the abundance of Immortal Spirit Mechanism, perfectly sufficient for Mahayana cultivation, and the second was because this mountain was occupied by demons. The Golden-Furred Lion made it its territory, ruling over it and frequently committing evil acts, devouring the nearby living beings. Slaying it wouldn’t carry any burden, and in the future, it would even be seen as just and righteous, able to stand on the moral high ground.

Therefore, Xu Yang came, and the Golden-Furred Lion perished.

Although the Golden-Furred Lion was dealt with, there was still a huge mess to clean up on Mount Qilin, namely the pervasive demonic poisons and miasma.

There are three thousand great ways, though they ultimately converge, the journey is different for each, and so are the cultivation paths.

In this Earth Immortal Realm, there are mainly five main paths, namely Immortal, Buddhist, Saint, Demon, and Devil, corresponding to Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, as well as Demonic and Evil Ways.

The five paths each have unique ways of cultivation. The Immortal Path requires Immortal Spirit Mechanism, Buddhism requires Great Brahma Buddha Dharma, the Saintly Confucians need immense righteousness, and demons and devils need their respective Heavenly Demon Qi and Heavenly Demon Qi.

These are actually all forms of “Immortal Spirit Qi,” which can be transformed through the methods of Three Teaching Sect and Demonic and Evil Skills, harmonizing with oneself, resulting in more efficient cultivation. On the contrary, it can be greatly harmful as it is antithetical.

The Golden-Furred Lion, although originating from Buddhism and being the mount of that Great Mercy Bodhisattva from the West, cultivated using the Demon Race method, needing to transform “Immortal Spirit Qi” into “Heavenly Demon Qi” to effectively enhance itself.

This is the origin of the demonic poisons and miasma of Mount Qilin. Using the methods of demon cultivation, the Golden-Furred Lion transformed the mountain’s Immortal Spirit Qi into Heavenly Demon Qi, which was greatly beneficial for itself. However, for other living beings and cultivators outside of Demonic Ways, it was deadly poison. Inhaling too much could greatly reduce one’s cultivation, and even endanger life.

So now, Mount Qilin was a huge mess, necessitating the cleansing of the mountain’s demonic poisons and miasma and transforming it back into the Immortal Spirit Qi required by cultivators of the Immortal Path before using it as a cultivation ground.

However, there was no need to worry. As a Sixth-Rank Grandmaster of Formation Dao, and with experience in cultivating Earth Deity Law with three “incarnations,” managing Earth Aura like this was not a difficult task for Xu Yang, not even requiring much time. After all, he came prepared with all kinds of materials.

With that…

Three months later, in the wild mountains.

Two Escape Lights flew side by side, descending in front of the mountain.

As the Escape Lights dispersed, two figures were revealed.

One dressed as a woodcutter, with a full beard, robust and rugged. His clothes were plainly simple, and a wood-cutting axe hung at his waist. If he hadn’t arrived by flight, there would have been no difference between him and a common woodcutter.

The other appeared as a wealthy Officer, white-haired with a kind and benevolent face, clothed in fine silks that exuded an air of nobility. In his hand, he leaned on a staff, faintly exuding the demeanor of someone from the Immortal Clan.

Arriving together, they landed outside the mountain, not daring to enter recklessly, only able to take a look from afar.

As they looked, Mount Qilin no longer had the colorful fogs and demonic miasma of the past, only the clear and spirited glow of mist and rain wrapping around the mountain like dragons, inside and out, top to bottom, filled with the mystical charm of Taoist Rhyme.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Such a scene was far from the demon-infested, sinister territory of old. It was clearly the abode of the Immortal Clan, a Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

This was just the outer edge of the mountain. As they peered deeper, they saw cold pine slopes and peaceful bamboo paths. White Cranes delivered floating clouds, monkeys offered fruits, and the chirping of birds and singing of cicadas were unendingly crisp.

At the very summit, a cluster of pine and bamboo revealed several layers of pavilions and towers, resembling a palace or temple.

Seeing this, the two turned their gaze back to each other with surprise in their eyes.

“In just three months’ time, the demonic poisons and miasma have been transformed into Immortal Spirit Mechanism. The methods of this Daoist friend… are truly extraordinary!”

“The wails of the Golden-Furred Lion that day were like thunder, audible for thousands of miles, yet it was never seen escaping. It seems likely that its fate was ill-starred.”

“To have removed the Golden-Furred Lion and turned a mountain’s demon Qi into nothing in such a short time, could he be a Mahayana cultivator?”

“Turning the demon Qi into Immortal Spirit and clearly intending to use this place as a cultivation ground, being unafraid of Buddhist retaliation… without being a Mahayana, where would he get such confidence?”

“Shall we still…”

“Of course, we shall. This person executed justice on behalf of Heaven, eliminating the Golden-Furred Lion and turning this place into a cultivation ground. In the future, living as neighbors, it is only fitting that you and I pay a visit to show respect and to see for ourselves who this venerable being is.”

“Then let’s go!”

With a shared thought, they started walking, stepping into the mountain and heading straight for the temple buildings.

Entering the mountain, they saw a long stone stairway, next to which stood a stele with three powerful characters.

“Mount Longevity?”

“This…!”

After exchanging a look of surprise, they took to the stone stairs, preparing to pay respect by scaling the mountain.

Climbing the winding dragon-like stairs, they came upon a grand and intricate temple, its grandeur reaching high into the heavens, towers disappearing into the ethereal rosy clouds. It was a magnificent sight of boundless Daoist virtue and endless abodes of Divine Spirits, truly a benevolent place of the Immortal Clan.

Moving forward, they arrived in front of the temple and saw two inscribed couplets,

“In a dwelling where one lives as long as the gods, Immortals enjoy eternal youth!”

“A home where one stays eternal as Heaven, the abode of Taoist Men!”

“This…!?”

Staring at the couplets, both showed amazement on their faces. Although they did not speak, it was clear to them, “What grand aspirations!”

“Gah!”

As their thoughts had barely settled, the temple gate swung open, and a figure stepped forward, still in the same attire—a Supreme Purity Fish-Tail Crown representing Yin and Yang, a robe adorned with the Five Elements, a heavenly countenance framed by upright brows, and a proud stance like a pine tree. A belt of golden silk wrapped around a cloud dragon and the movements suggested ascending the Seven-Star Steps. Truly a portrait of the Immortal Clan demeanor.

“Noble guests have arrived, this poor Daoist greets you with respect!”

“`

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