Chapter 181 - 108: Three Yuan Phenomenal Body, Formless Celestial Demon (Part 2)

Chapter 181: Chapter 108: Three Yuan Phenomenal Body, Formless Celestial Demon (Part 2)

Just like that, a Daoist skill surfaced in Xuzhuang’s mind.

Xuzhuang frowned and called Meng Fusheng over. "Nephew Meng, I have a question for you. You must answer me honestly."

Meng Fusheng said, "Please ask, Uncle."

Xuzhuang asked, "What Daoist skill did you comprehend from this wall carving?"

The question seemed to truly stump Meng Fusheng. He thought for a long time, his eyes betraying his obvious confusion. "It was... What was that Daoist skill again?"

Xuzhuang shook his head. He knew Meng Fusheng’s mind was addled; there was no point in asking him anything.

The technique he had comprehended from the wall carving was called the *Three Elements Elephant Body Technique*. It was a Qimen Daoist Skill that divided one’s cultivation base into three equal parts.

This skill divided one’s cultivation base into three parts. Initially, each part held only a third of the total Magical Power, so it wasn’t particularly formidable. But as one cultivated, the three parts would grow in concert until each could be trained to a level equal to the original, total Magical Power. At that point, a unique Divine Technique would manifest.

This meant that whether a Cultivator was engaged in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, practicing a Daoist art, or even fighting someone, once one part of their Magical Power was depleted, they could retract it and deploy another. Their power would be instantly restored. Once one part was exhausted, another was ready. In other words, while the amount of Magical Power available at any given moment remained the same, it was equivalent to having three times the reserves.

Such a technique was indeed incredibly powerful. But while it seemed to align with Xuzhuang’s theory, it was actually miles off the mark.

Xuzhuang had initially guessed that Meng Fusheng had comprehended some kind of body-splitting or soul-dividing technique from the wall carving. He’d assumed a cultivation error had reduced Meng Fusheng to his current state, whether due to his own mistake or interference from an external demon—both were plausible.

But if Meng Fusheng had been cultivating the *Three Elements Elephant Body Technique*, any error should have resulted in severe injuries, a catastrophic loss of cultivation, or even death. Even if he had succumbed to a cultivation deviation, it shouldn’t have turned him into this... spectral version of himself.

Xuzhuang furrowed his brow and studied the wall carving intently. The short text truly contained many profundities. The more Xuzhuang examined it, the deeper his understanding of the *Three Elements Elephant Body Technique* became. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. ’If that’s the case,’ he thought, ’then it’s not entirely impossible.’

Once he understood the crux of the matter, a flood of ideas came to Xuzhuang. After running a few calculations against the principles of the *Three Elements Elephant Body Technique*, he came to a firm conclusion and murmured, "So that’s how it is."

Meng Fusheng asked doubtfully, "Uncle, have you figured something out?"

Xuzhuang chuckled softly, turned back to him, and said, "Let me take another look."

Just as Meng Fusheng was about to respond, he saw Xuzhuang close his eyes for a moment before snapping them open. Two beams of invisible, divine light shot from his magical eyes, scanning Meng Fusheng from head to toe, not missing a single inch.

Meng Fusheng said, feeling a little uncomfortable, "Uncle, even as a respected elder, you shouldn’t be prying into your nephew like that."

Xuzhuang didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze deepened until he finally discovered that Meng Fusheng’s form wasn’t solid at all—it was just a mass of shockingly lifelike vital energy.

Xuzhuang smiled faintly. "Rest assured, Nephew. I know the root of your problem now."

A shadow fell over Meng Fusheng’s face. He said in a low voice, "What problem could I possibly have? If you ask me, Uncle, it’s your behavior that seems far from normal."

Seeing his tone turning aggressive, Xuzhuang remained unbothered. He said coolly, "As I said, Nephew, you’ve been trapped for too long. Your resentment has festered. If not for that, how could you have been afflicted by a Formless Celestial Demon!"

Meng Fusheng flinched, his brow furrowing. He seemed to ponder for a split second before casting the thought aside. But just as he opened his mouth to speak, a yellow paper talisman appeared in Xuzhuang’s hand. Xuzhuang slapped it onto his forehead, and just like the other Meng Fusheng, he was instantly paralyzed.

"Patience, Nephew," Xuzhuang said calmly. He produced a purification vase from his sleeve and seemed to hesitate for a second before biting his fingertip. With his blood, he began to write rows of crooked characters on the vase. Soon, the entire vessel was covered in a dense, messy scrawl, like writhing worms and snakes.

After finishing the script on the purification vase, Xuzhuang nodded to himself in satisfaction. He held the vase, his expression turning solemn. Straightening his robes, he let out a low cry. High above, a Gangyun of ethereal form and ten thousand shifting colors slowly rose into the air, erupting in a blaze of brilliant light!

An immense, majestic aura began to emanate from some unknown source. Within the Bronze Palace, though there was neither dust nor loose stone, a strange rustling sound arose from all around. A moment later, the entire hall began to tremble perceptibly.

If an outsider were present, they would be astonished to find that boundless, formless Magical Power was surging through the empty space, scouring every inch of the surrounding corridors in all directions, leaving no corner unsearched.

For the first time since achieving the Nascent Soul realm, Xuzhuang fully unleashed his Magical Power. He swept through the entire vast but empty Bronze Palace in an instant and immediately found what he was looking for.

Unhurried, Xuzhuang formed a hand seal and activated his Five Elements Escape Skill. A young, stiff-bodied Cultivator, sitting cross-legged, appeared and fell to the floor before him. Who else could it be but Meng Fusheng?

Suddenly, there were three Meng Fushengs in the hall, all rigid and motionless. The difference was that two were paralyzed by Xuzhuang’s Detention Technique, while this newest one looked like a corpse—his face was ashen and utterly bloodless. If not for the single, faint breath he still drew, one could have pronounced him dead.

Xuzhuang activated his magical eyes again. As he expected, this one was not an insubstantial illusion like the others, but a true body of flesh and blood. However, it contained neither a Nascent Soul nor any Magical Power. It was utterly empty.

"Just as I thought." Instead of being alarmed, Xuzhuang was delighted. He clapped his hands and laughed. "An unexpected prize, and it didn’t even take any effort! The Formless Celestial Demon has walked right into my grasp!"

As it turned out, Xuzhuang had been all but certain that Meng Fusheng’s mind had been thrown into chaos by a Formless Celestial Demon, causing him to make a critical error while cultivating the *Three Elements Elephant Body Technique*. After his Magical Power was divided into three parts, he lost control, and all of it escaped his body, splitting into three separate "Meng Fushengs."

In other words, none of the three Meng Fushengs was the original, and yet all of them were real—they were simply manifestations of Meng Fusheng’s Magical Power, separated from his physical body.

Now that he had found Meng Fusheng’s physical body, it proved his theory was correct down to the last detail. This meant there was still hope. Meng Fusheng was, after all, Senior Brother Daochen’s disciple. Even though he wasn’t formally inducted, his foundation was from an orthodox school. His cultivation couldn’t be so easily seized by a Celestial Demon. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have lingered in this muddled state for so long.

All that was left was to find Meng Fusheng’s final body of power and exorcise the Celestial Demon in one fell swoop.

This part wasn’t difficult. By bringing Meng Fusheng’s physical body here and causing such a massive disturbance, Xuzhuang was certain the last one would come to investigate.

Xuzhuang calmly circulated his Magical Power. The Gangyun above his head instantly began to radiate a five-colored light that flowed without end. Forming a Magic Formula with his hands, he pointed toward the corridor.

RUUUMBLE! A series of violent tremors echoed from the corridor. Under the power of Xuzhuang’s Five Elements Escape Skill, the bronze walls on either side slammed together, section by section. As the entire passageway sealed itself shut, the person hiding inside was forced out into the main hall.

The one who emerged was, of course, another Meng Fusheng.

Forced into the hall, this Meng Fusheng wore a wary expression. "Who in the world are you?" he asked slowly.

Xuzhuang smiled. "No need to be anxious, Nephew Meng. You’ll find out soon enough." Then his tone shifted, and he shouted, "Insignificant Celestial Demon! Did you really think you could hide right under my nose!"

He had previously tested the other figures with the Ming Venerable’s Image Pendant, assuming one was a Celestial Demon in disguise. When that failed, he had let the matter slide. But now that he knew Meng Fusheng was merely tainted by a Formless Celestial Demon, how could he not realize it was lurking right before his eyes? That was why he had retrieved Meng Fusheng’s physical body—to lure out the final body of power and purge the demonic corruption once and for all.

The time had come. Xuzhuang raised an arm and pointed at the Gangyun. The Ming Venerable’s Image Pendant rose from its center, blazing like a great sun. In an instant, waves of demon-purging light swept through the hall.

In just a moment, all three figures of Meng Fusheng convulsed. A stream of formless, foul energy shot skyward with a bizarre shriek, and the three bodies instantly disintegrated. The force of it even caused Xuzhuang’s Ming Venerable’s Image Pendant to tremble, and the demon-purging light faltered. In that instant, the foul energy shot straight for Xuzhuang.

"This Celestial Demon is muddled and chaotic. It truly doesn’t know when to quit." Xuzhuang shook his head, brandished the purification vase, and let out a sharp cry, "Contain!"

He had refined this very purification vase using a technique for capturing Formless Celestial Demons from the *Primordial Venerable Dao Transmission and Demon Refining Scripture*. There was no way he would let his quarry escape. With a SWOOSH, the vase sucked the formless, foul energy inside and suppressed it.