Chapter 20: Omniscient Transformation

  "We are the descendants of the ancient gods, inheriting their Taoist lineage, but we don't talk about these things." Xuan Kong said with a smile: "To comprehend the mysteries of the sun and moon, to seize the creation of heaven and earth, this is the cultivation method of the ancient great gods."

  He asked: "Have you ever heard of my Taoist Sanqing being a Yuan Ying becoming a god?"

  Xiang Yu shook her head and said with reverence, "The Three Pure Ones are the Heavenly Master of the Supreme Clarity, the Venerable Lord Laozi of the Great Clarity, and the Heavenly Master Yuan Shi of the Jade Clarity. They have all attained the great power of the Golden Immortal of the Primordial Chaos through their cultivation of the Tao. How could they possibly be the Spirit of the Original Infant?"

  Xuan Kong asked again: "Among Xi Wangmu, Donghuadijun, and the Four Great Heavenly Masters, who is a Yuan Ying who became a god?"

  Hongxue and Xiangyu shook their heads again.

  Xuan Kong clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "That's why I said that the cultivators in the mortal world only need to guard against the Four Nine Heavenly Calamity. But our Lao Shan Sect upholds the Supreme Clarity School, yet you must know about the 'Three Disasters'!" This "Three Disasters" was also mentioned by Xuan Kong in the conscious space to Xiang Yu Jie Xue before.

  That is a calamity that even the Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong would have to evade, let alone these two small flower spirits.

  Xiang Yu bit her finger, looking embarrassed: "What can be done about it?"

  After cultivating for so long, if I let the twins Xue'er and Hong'er switch to cultivating the Yuanying Dao again, how can I bear it? But if I don't respond to the heavenly tribulation, then there's no way to shed my true form and become human, will I be forever a withered tree, drifting aimlessly in the wind and rain?

  Xuan Kong thought to himself, he would leave the mountain and travel around, at most just running a trip to Beijing. If he could see Ci Hang Pu Du Zhen Ren that would be best, even if he couldn't see Ci Hang Pu Du Zhen Ren, at least he had to ask about Lan Ruo Temple's location, this back-and-forth journey would take almost a year.

  He had a plan in mind, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he said: "Why don't we do it this way? The two sisters will suppress their cultivation and wait for me for a year. A year from now, I'll come back to Lao Mountain again, and everyone can think of a solution together!" Although these two immortal flowers were transplanted by Xuan Kong, they had been on Kunlun Mountain for who knows how many years before that.

  After all, it's much longer than the 40 or 50 years of this life, so calling him "sister" isn't wrong either.

  Xiang Yu's heart felt sweet when she heard Xuan Kong put himself and his sister in his heart, but her mouth murmured: "The heavenly tribulation is terrible, even if there is one more person, what help can it be?"

  Xuán Kōng smiled and said, "I've heard that in ancient times, the demon clan controlled the sky and the witch clan controlled the earth. At that time, countless monsters were able to become immortals after experiencing tribulations. I don't believe we can't avoid it now." That's right, the key is still on the word "avoid".

  Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreat is the best plan.

  I'm not worthy of provoking heavenly wrath, yet I can still evade it, can't I?

  In ancient times, who wouldn't have a few magical transformations up their sleeve? Just roll on the ground and transform into another shape. After a day and night, the heavenly tribulation would lose its target and naturally disperse. By then, they could change back to their original form, still considered safe from the tribulation.

  Xuan Kong has been pondering the side door techniques for years, and it's just that he feels helpless against the magical transformation technique.

  So he wanted to drag it out for a year, to see if there was any chance of learning some new techniques and bringing them back to Xiang Yu Jiaxue, also to avoid the heavenly calamity and achieve the right result. This conversation could not be said for the time being, as Xuan Kong did not have a grasp on it in his heart.

  "Just say that: 'One person's plan is short, three people's plan is long. If it really doesn't work out, I can also carry the two sisters' bodies to Maoshan. That place is one of the top blessed lands in the world, even heavenly tribulations won't be able to find us.'"

  In the three realms, there are still some special places.

  For example, the thirty-six Dongtian and seventy-two Fudi are like this. Unless the master of the Dongtian Fudi is willing, outsiders will not be able to find a way in even after a hundred years. And in these places, it's basically impossible to enter even if one has escaped the three realms and five elements, or even if heavenly tribulations can't find an entrance.

  Hong Xue also secretly thought in her heart, it can only be like this.

  Fortunately, having interacted with Xuankong for over a decade, they had established mutual trust. Although they didn't express gratitude verbally, they were delighted in their hearts. With Xuankong's help, the two flower fairies' chances of avoiding the heavenly calamity increased significantly, and they calmed down, slowly fading away from Xuankong's conscious space.

  They are going back to cultivate, although Xuan Kong's heart is reluctant, but he won't take it to heart.

  Moreover, he had some things to do himself, continuing to close his eyes and meditate, repeatedly replaying the process of his battle with Deng Lizhen, the elder of the Kunlun Sect. He also gained some insights and enlightenment, and when he fought against someone like Deng Lizhen again, there were many mistakes that could be avoided.

  The path of cultivation is just such a repetitive and monotonous journey, all the excitement is just for show to others. Only those who cultivate can understand how dull and boring this process is, no wonder the junior brothers of the Cui Shan Sect are not willing to do more homework.

  Xuán Kōng's consciousness fell into the void, and he took a long, deep breath. At his chest, the Yuán Léi Shén Fǎ Xīang condensed. According to the ancient incantations of the Cuī Shān Sect, tiny thunderbolts continuously floated around him.

  From time to time, some foreign demon heads would occasionally appear, envying the profoundness of Xuán Kōng's cultivation. They would project their own shadows to descend from the sky, but they would be surrounded by the Upper Clear Divine Thunder around Xuán Kōng's body and would be lightly stirred into nothing but dust.

  Muttering the true words in his mouth, at this moment, on Xu Kong's face, various expressions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure cannot be found. It is like a heavenly Buddha statue, also like the true body of a god in a temple, without joy or anger, but just looking at it makes one feel a kind of dignified and solemn expression that seems to see through everything in the world.

  All worldly fantasies are shattered, and only various mysteries flow through from the bottom of one's heart.

  Orthodox Dharma has a general high point, as long as the boundary is reached, the cultivation will naturally improve. In the previous life, I have seen all the ugliness and evil of the world, and enjoyed all the food, drink, and fun. This life has obtained the immortal family's magical powers, and the mysterious emptiness naturally turns to the Tao with one heart.

  In the obscurity, it silently agrees with the adage "no self, no phenomena, no sentient beings".

  I've experienced everything in the world; I can let go of everything I've experienced. It's laughable that those monks who preach and cultivate in the Central Plains, only teach people to let go, but don't know that they haven't even picked it up in the first place, so where do they get off talking about letting go?

  Xuan Kong's experience, however, had skipped this hurdle, and only by picking it up could he put it down. It perfectly conformed to the thread of life between heaven and earth, and the ultimate principle that combined heaven and earth. Threads of magical power were slowly drawn out from the Purple Mansion Golden Elixir, transformed into the True Fire of the Alchemical Furnace, and slowly burned the Golden Elixir.

  That golden elixir, originally the size of a small finger, slowly melted and softened under the scorching true fire. Then, Xuan Kong drew in more heavenly spiritual energy from the air with one breath. The spiritual energy was slowly inflated, then condensed by the true fire again. With effort comes reward.

  Although the golden elixir expanded to a degree that was almost imperceptible, a gentle smile still emerged on Xuán Kōng's face. Every cell, every acupoint, and every meridian were filled with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making Xuán Kōng feel as if his parched self, on the verge of dying in the desert, had suddenly fallen into an oasis spring.

  Taking a big gulp of water, taking in a big breath of spiritual energy, a faint smile appeared on the face of Xu Kong, without any emotions, just like an infant who had drunk enough milk and was naturally satisfied, revealing a contented smile.