Chapter 625 - King Kui Li
Cultivator Jia was immediately unconvinced, sneering, "Zhenren Xiangshan is skilled in teaching his disciples, that much is true. But have you not noticed the great number of years he has been in this world? From the time Zhenren Shen started his cultivation up until the time he transcended beyond the mortal world, it was only a few years. Where would he find the time to nurture any disciples?"
All the cultivators there were rational people. One after another they entered into discussions. They heard that Zhenren Shen's speed of cultivation was outstanding be it then or now. Until today, no one from the four main Daoist sects could break the record for achieving Huandan, Immortality, and transcend beyond the mortal world in such a short time. There is no one who can truly compare to such innate talent. Even Zhenren Chen and his natural-born Daoist body required over two hundred years before it could break away from the whims, and become one of the deities. The rumors were that the years Zhenren Shen needed to reach this step was just short of a hundred. In comparison to Zhenren Xiangshan during that time, Zhenren Shen was undoubtedly much quicker.
Cultivator Jia heard the discussion of the crowd, and he gradually grew excited as well. With a smile, he proclaimed, "I presume everyone has only vaguely heard about Zhenren Shen's rapid cultivation, but clueless about the specific details. I, however, have heard some of these details from my uncle. Maybe some of you wish to hear those intricacies?"
Although to these cultivators neither reaching first nor reaching last were not impossible, but with regard to a legendary person such as Shen Lian who could cultivate with such speed, the details were very much a curiosity. They all beckoned, "Please tell us."
The eccentric cultivator was now silent. After all, the only thing he did not like was to see Cultivator Jia with such a complacent look on his face. As for making light of Zhenren Shen, the eccentric had no such courage.
It should be known that Zhenren Shen and Zhenren Chen did a great service to the cultivation community. Only a few of the Celestialism orthodoxies that exist today did not receive their benevolence. During the demonic chaos in the world, if Zhenren Shen did not take the initiative to engage in the bier discourse of Dao with the Demon Master and eliminate the vast demonic trial on behalf of the cultivation community, half of the currently existing Celestialism orthodoxies would have been wiped out.
Later on, another problem arose – the revolt of the Luoists. This time it was Zhenren Shen's favorite disciple who came to the rescue. Zhenren Chen upheld the right way, and once again saved the Celestialisms from suffering such trials. It should be known that Fairy Zhao of Luoism was rumored to be Zhenren Shen's close friend and confidante. Even those such as the Demon Master wanted to kill Fairy Zhao, using this as a pretext to disturb the heart and soul of Zhenren Shen.
Qing Xuan honored its masters and respected their teachings, but at that point, it was none other than Zhenren Chen himself who killed Luoism and Fairy Zhao. That action alone demonstrates how hard it was for Zhenren Chen to make that decision.
Perhaps Chen Jinchan was the kind of morally righteous cultivator the community lacked. He was often serving others, and before he achieved immortality he earned a reputation for being 'The Gentleman of Dao'– meaning, Chen Jinchan was a gentleman amongst those who cultivated Dao. Therefore in the thousand years after that, there were many throughout the world who became his disciples and his friends. If any person dared to speak ill of him and word got out, those accusations would not stand in the cultivation community unless it was someone extraordinarily capable.
At the moment, Cultivator Jia paid no mind to what the eccentric cultivator was talking about. Shen Lian's past achievement in cultivation was something Cultivator Jia knew inside out. Every time he thought about it, he would still be as excited as the first time. He began the story, "Zhenren Shen was sixteen years of age when he went out to sea and entered Qing Xuan. He left the mountain when he was thirty-three. At that time he was already a Huandan, an opponent not to be messed with.
Even a normal and incredibly able person on the third or fourth transformation of Huandan was no match for him. Moreover, he was the first person in almost a hundred years to successfully cultivate the Taixu Strategy, the most supreme technique on this world. It is purportedly known as such because it was the hardest Huandan Dao formula in the realm of cultivation. Since its conception by Founding Master Qingshui, Fairy Ziling and Zhenren Biyun were the sole two who completed Huandan. Shen Lian became the third after he left the mountain, and he only needed a year.
Fifteen years later, Zhenren Shen adopted the position of Headmaster in Qing Xuan. Immediately after that, he broke the juncture to immortality. At forty-nine years of age, he engaged in the bier discourse of Dao with the Demon Master, and finally transcended beyond the mortal world. Taking everything into account, Zhenren Shen used less than thirty-three years to transcend the mortal world since he started cultivating at Qing Xuan.
Moreover, all throughout his fifteen years of being headmaster, there were Zhenren Gu, Zhenren Yan, and Zhenren Lu – the trio of which all achieved the eighth transformation of Huandan. Place this achievement in any other Daoist sect, three Zhenrens each achieving the eighth transformation of Huandan, and it seems impossible to comprehend. If I say none of them were influenced by Zhenren Shen, would any of you believe me?"
Having finished the story, Cultivator Jia stared at the eccentric cultivator.
His words were rational and true. Moreover, there was no need to fabricate, therefore everyone believed him. As what he spoke was the truth, everyone was stunned speechless after they heard some of the details told. The reason for their shock was because Zhenren Shen's cultivation speed was simply contrary to what they acknowledged. By what logic could a person's cultivation be quicker as he neared the end?
Seventeen years were used for Huandan. After Huandan, came the transcending beyond the mortal world. The latter required a year less than Huandan – sixteen.
Since ancient times countless cultivators, as many as the grains of Ganges, devoted their whole lives to gain immortality. Most of them, however, did not have good prospects of achieving this. For Zhenren Shen to achieve that in as short a time as thirty-three years, it was more incredible than the rumors of a celestial who was reincarnated.
In fact, they had no clue that Shen Lian was admittedly a natural genius, but if he did not have the supreme Mastery of Senses derived from the supreme Lingbao Tianzun Art of Spiritual Enhancement, he would not have been able to improve himself so rapidly.
Furthermore, the Art of Spiritual Enhancement created by a person of such stature as Lingbao Tianzun was the only one of its kind that was of help to a cultivator in all stages of cultivation. In the initial stages, it enabled a non-reliance on outside factors to expand the power of the spirit. In the later stages, it helped to smoothen the cultivation process.
These reasons were not obvious to all, except for Shen Lian himself.
The eccentric cultivator who was given the stare by Cultivator Jia, flew into rage out of humiliation, "You with the surname Jia, what are you looking at me for?"
Cultivator Jia laughed with disdain, or maybe even with contempt.
In the end, the eccentric cultivator was fuelled with rage. He thought to himself, It is not only you who have a supporter in Qing Xuan, I have my own supporter too. You can boast all you want for all I care but you did not have to step on my dignity. I do not dare to speak of Zhenren Shen and Zhenren Chen, so I will not speak at all and instead beat you to a pulp. Let us see whether you have any dignity left after that.
His method of cultivation was somewhat biased, and not the right way. At the present, he was extremely angry and he did not care at all that he was at Dengtian Building. He immediately conjured up ten needle-shaped weapons which hung suspended in the air.
The other cultivators muttered to themselves, saying that this was not a good sign. This instrument was called the murderous Zimu needle. It was a Mu needle cultivated from the cinnabar fields within the body. Borrowing the magnetic strength of the Mu needle, the needle was controlled and launched. Cultivator Jia had some attainment, but it was likely that it would be immediately pricked into a hole.
People of the Jia family were prone to making provoking remarks, this cultivator had already shown his tone of voice. Perhaps next time he would not dare to be so careless.
The onlookers see everything clearly. But the cultivator, in his anger, had a clouded brain.
The cultivator did not care at all for anything else. Clearly, the anger had gone to his head, giving him the courage to do. The ten murderous needles approached Cultivator Jia.
How could Cultivator Jia foresee that a minor disagreement would lead to such a confrontation? It came as no surprise that he was immediately scared out of his wits. He looked at the murderous needles as they came his way, but immediately a ray of golden light flew out and headed towards the direction of the needles.
Before the golden ray could block the needles, a five-colored divine light followed behind. It immediately brushed aside both the needles and the golden light.
All they saw was a girl in a green skirt at the foot of the staircase. Her brows were knit in a frown as she stared at all the people there.
At that point, the door flew open and a handsome youth entered. He was the person-in-charge of Dengtian Building. It was he who used his own instrument, the ceremonial Golden Wire Mesh, to save Cultivator Jia. He did not expect that his Golden Wire Mesh, as well as the murderous Zimu needle, would be perished by the five-colored divine light.
When the handsome young man's instrument was taken away quite leisurely, he was not too happy about it. But when he saw the young girl's appearance, his look changed abruptly and dramatically. He ran towards her and bowed, "I greet you, King Kui Li".
The cultivators at the scene were nothing short of surprised. Only those Demon Kings who have experienced the Lightning Trials of Transformation could be referred to as such.