DiploNovel #573 - Under the Immortal Path
#573 - Under the Immortal Path
Chapter 570: Beneath the Immortal Path
Once one's cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul realm, the next step is to cultivate the physical body, refining it into jade bones, an immortal body, and a dharma body, to withstand the Three Calamities.
Reaching Zhang Chen's level is essentially the pinnacle of the mortal realm. To continue cultivating, one must comprehend the laws of heaven and earth and attain a heavenly position.
However, this is only a manifestation of realm. In terms of actual strength, according to the current division of cultivation realms in the world, Zhang Chen still has a long way to go.
For example, if a Nascent Soul wants to attain a position, it must comprehend the laws, right?
And to comprehend the laws, one must temper the Nascent Soul and constantly make it stronger, right?
To temper the Nascent Soul, the most primitive method is to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth, but this process is extremely long. I fear that before you attain a position, the Three Calamities will already be upon you, turning you to ashes.
To more quickly strengthen their Nascent Souls, predecessors created countless secret methods. These are shortcuts that Zhang Chen needs to acquire.
Since predecessors have already created secret methods, why should Zhang Chen painstakingly comprehend and cultivate on his own? Expecting him to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth, understand divine abilities, attain a position, and survive the Three Calamities on his own would take countless years. By then, he would have long since died under the Three Calamities and the Five Signs of Decay of Heaven and Man.
This includes forging a dharma body, refining jade bones, and so on. The refined jade bones are naturally divided into different grades. The methods and key points for refining a dharma body that people have researched for tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of years, through several generations, are incomparable to you closing yourself off and using the most primitive methods to refine a dharma body. The difference between the two cannot be measured by reason.
It's like the difference between using a drill to make fire in primitive society and using a lighter directly in the 21st century. The gap between the two is like the difference between clouds and mud.
Can the old iron-smelting method of primitive society compare to the alloys forged with modern high technology?
"Therefore, I must find the next step in cultivation techniques to forge the strongest dharma body. The best body refining technique for me is the Nine Revolutions Mystical Art. I have already refined the Mountain Moving Technique and have a foundation for cultivating the Nine Revolutions Mystical Art. If I can find the Nine Revolutions Mystical Art, I will definitely enter the gate extremely quickly," Zhang Chen pondered to himself.
"The Nine Revolutions Mystical Art has three prerequisite techniques: the first is the 'Hercules Mountain Moving Technique.' I have already cultivated this technique to the limit beneath the immortal path. Unless I attain a position, I will not be able to break through further. The second is 'Mystical Transformation.' The third is 'Giant Heaven Opening.' I just don't know where these two techniques are located. To find these two techniques, I still need to rely on opportunity and luck, or form a large force and mobilize it to search."
Zhang Chen's eyes were very bright in the darkness: "Since this world has the Hercules Mountain Moving Technique, then the Mystical Transformation and Giant Heaven Opening techniques must also exist. Perhaps they are in the higher heavens of the spiritual world, or perhaps I can find that big black dog. Since it has the Hercules Mountain Moving Technique, it might know the other two cultivation techniques."
Zhang Chen thought of that damned big black dog, and a glint of light appeared in his eyes. He probably had an idea.
Rather than searching aimlessly for the techniques, Zhang Chen would be like a headless fly, searching like finding a needle in a haystack. But the big black dog is a clue, the big black dog must know.
"Say, do you know where that big black dog went?" Zhang Chen asked.
When the first heaven of the spiritual world collapsed, I don't know if that big black dog survived. If I had known this would happen, I should have protected the big black dog first.
"When the first heaven of the spiritual world collapsed, that big black dog must have fallen into the material world. It is in this world," said the Great自在Heavenly Devil.
"Is it alive or dead?" Zhang Chen quickly asked.
"With its cultivation, the spatial turbulence couldn't kill it. But the changes in the laws of heaven and earth in this world are extremely unfriendly to creatures like it. Even if it hasn't died, it should be living a life worse than death now," said the Great自在Heavenly Devil.
Zhang Chen thought of the Imperial Daughter. The Imperial Daughter directly ascended and entered the Thirty-Three Heavens. Now the entire era has changed, becoming unsuitable for those old fellows to survive.
Zhang Chen closed his eyes upon hearing this: "I hope that big black dog is still alive and well. Before I find it, don't let anyone eat its meat."
The tent gradually returned to silence. Zhang Chen gradually fell into a drowsy sleep. Accompanied by the sound of birds chirping in the morning, Zhang Chen slowly opened his eyes and saw that Zhang Shi was already preparing breakfast, while the two little ones were practicing martial arts to temper their muscles and bones, and Cheng Yu was sitting cross-legged on the ground practicing visualization.
Having experienced this, everyone knew the importance of strength, and everyone began to work hard and diligently in their cultivation.
Zhang Chen sat up in the tent, looked at the people who were working hard in their cultivation, and a look of relief appeared on his face. Then he stood up and walked out of the tent to help Zhang Shi prepare breakfast. But looking at the corn porridge for breakfast, Zhang Chen couldn't help but frown: "Why are we eating this?"
Zhang Shi smiled bitterly: "We don't have much money left, so we have to save it."
"We're out of money?" Zhang Chen was stunned. He never thought that one day he would be troubled by money. After all, money was just something he could easily obtain. Since his cultivation had improved, he had never lacked money.
"If I had known, I should have searched those robbers yesterday to see if they had any money on them," Zhang Chen said, and then used earth escape magic and disappeared on the spot.
As for stealing money from wealthy families?
Stealing money is impossible. Zhang Chen has now clarified his mind and is about to subdue the six senses. How could he do such a thieving act?
Zhang Chen came to the battlefield and checked the bodies on the ground, and couldn't help but frown: "Only twenty taels of silver? They're all paupers!"
"I can buy some herb seeds and then use time acceleration to cultivate some old herbs to exchange for money."
He had a way to make money.
Returning to his own camp, Zhang Chen's family finished breakfast and continued on their way. But as Zhang Chen gradually passed through towns and villages, Zhang Chen had already noticed the changes south of the Qinling Mountains.
In the towns and villages, there were streams of divine light circulating, obviously gods were being born, and people were gathering incense to embark on the path of the gods.
Looking at the soaring divine light from afar, Zhang Chen was silent and did not speak, just pulling the reins of the carriage and walking unhurriedly.
"What are you looking at?" Cheng Yu sat on the edge of the carriage, leisurely swinging his legs.
"Look at that town in the distance. Dozens of divine lights soar into the sky. There are gods entrenched in that town," Zhang Chen pointed to the unknown town in the distance.
"As the events in the north ferment, the old master bestows titles on natural gods, and Prince Ping gathers incense to bestow titles on gods. Now the path of incense gods has completely spread throughout the world," Cheng Yu took a breath.
"Looking at that city, the strongest aura already has the aura of the ninth rank, at least the peak of the eighth rank. Even if it is not yet at the ninth rank, it is not far off," Zhang Chen carefully observed for a while before sighing quietly: "We have painstakingly cultivated for years, decades, hundreds of years, thousands of years, but we are not as good as others who achieve it in a day. It really makes people's hearts sour."
Seeing the envy on Zhang Chen's face, Cheng Yu quickly advised: "The path of incense gods obtains divine positions so easily, there must be drawbacks that we don't know about. Right now, the drawbacks have not yet been exposed. You must not be blinded by the path of incense gods. The power of incense gods comes too easily, it will distort people's minds and have all kinds of side effects. You and I have outstanding talents, and it is a natural thing for us to attain the Yang God in the future. We must not take shortcuts, lest we ruin our cultivation."
"Of course I know the key points, and I will never take the path of incense gods," Zhang Chen touched Cheng Yu's head: "I'm just sighing! Now that those nobles have obtained the method of bestowing gods, the lives of ordinary people will be even harder in the future."
What he was thinking in his heart was when to take action to steal the power of incense. Now that he has clarified his original intention, he will naturally not act recklessly. Zhang Chen will not offend those gods who have contributed to the people and protect one side. Those gods who act tyrannically are Zhang Chen's target. Even if he steals the other party's incense, Zhang Chen's heart will not be disturbed by demons.
He has the method of observing qi. At a glance, he saw that the gods in the city had pure qi and no karma surrounding them. It seemed that they had just been bestowed as gods and had not yet had time to do evil.
"I'll wait a little longer! Those gods are achieved by nobles. I don't believe they won't do evil," Zhang Chen thought to himself.
The carriage wheels rolled, but not far away, they saw roadblocks appearing on the road in the distance, with dozens of officials at the intersection, checking the passing pedestrians and merchants.
"Strange! Why would the officials run out to inspect the passing merchants in this wilderness?" Zhang Chen was surprised.
The so-called imperial power does not extend to the countryside, not only does the imperial power not extend to the countryside, but even the constables in the city would not leave the city unless necessary. Now these constables have actually appeared in the countryside, setting up checkpoints on the official road. It doesn't look normal no matter how you look at it.
"What should we do? We don't have a road pass?" Zhang Shi said worriedly.
Zhang Chen quickly pondered and deduced. If he turned around and ran away at this time, it would seem guilty and would definitely be targeted by those officials, causing trouble at that time.
"Our family left the northern lands in the chaos without anyone knowing. These officials should not be coming for us," Zhang Chen first determined that the purpose of these officials was not himself, and then began to quickly diverge his thinking:
"But our road pass and accent don't match. A little carelessness will cause trouble, so how should we avoid this group of officials?"
Countless thoughts flashed in Zhang Chen's mind. It was too late to turn around and run now. Those officials had already noticed Zhang Chen's family, and even waved to Zhang Chen's family from afar, signaling Zhang Chen's family to come over.
"We can't run away. Let's go up and see if we can bribe them. If we can't bribe them, we can only start a big fight," Zhang Chen thought fiercely in his heart, looking at the officials waving to him from afar, and walked over, pulling the carriage with a normal expression.