Chapter 286 - 144: Defying the Current, Divine Thought, Pinnacle of Dao Skill, Call Me "Hall Master Ji

Chapter 286: Chapter 144: Defying the Current, Divine Thought, Pinnacle of Dao Skill, Call Me "Hall Master Ji

Or, under some kind of extreme pressure, one could spontaneously build their own ’Dao Foundation’!

The former is merely following the rules, but the latter is the grand path to soaring as an Immortal.

It was said that the True Inheritance disciples of the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, without exception, would descend the mountain to travel the world when they reached the cusp of Qi Absorption and Grain Avoidance. They would spend several years, even more than a decade, using their life experiences and adventures to break through the final barrier of their Dao Skill and give rise to a ’thought’.

Only by doing so could their future path be smooth and unobstructed.

Previously, Ji Xiu had always felt this barrier was as elusive as catching the wind and grasping at shadows, utterly incomprehensible.

But...

But now, feeling the gazes from all around—each one as sharp and cutting as a blade, making his Skin Membrane ache—he knew they all carried a single message: ’Know your place and retreat.’

His own body had been pushed to its limit. His skin, bones, and sinews were all vibrating violently, as if taking another step forward would mean life-or-death peril.

Faint whispers, like the buzzing of mosquitoes, seemed to drift from the few Daoist Schools at the far end of the street, landing softly in Ji Xiu’s ears:

"And here I was thinking he was some heaven-blessed prodigy. I almost believed he could withstand the pressure from all the Grandmasters and make it to the end."

"Hah! That’s the combined gaze of sixty-three Grandmasters. Who could possibly withstand that?"

"The kid’s already done well to make it halfway, but this is as far as he goes!"

"He can’t even reach the gates of his Master’s Celestial Blade Daoist School. He doesn’t even have the right to receive our challenges!"

From within the six great, mountain-like Daoist Schools, Martial Artists of all shapes and sizes, clad in Immortal Robes, watched him. With sharp gazes and folded arms, they tilted their chins up from the end of the street, their eyes filled with appraisal and idle chatter.

That kind of gaze...

’Ji Xiu did not like it one bit.’

He slowly lowered his gaze.

He began to visualize the Ten Thousand Laws Dao Seal Visualization Map in his mind. Having walked halfway and pushed his body to its absolute limit, he suddenly crossed his legs and sat down right where he stood.

’Let the storms from every direction assail me; they cannot stir a single wave within my body.’

This action stunned everyone watching:

"What is he doing...?"

「Back behind him.」

「On a pavilion outside Daoist School Street.」

From this spot, leaning against the railing and listening to the wind, one could see everything happening on the long, wide street, taking it all in at a glance.

Xiao Mingli, in her wheelchair, was watching Ji Xiu’s every move, flanked by Granny Shi and Li Xuanyi.

Seeing him suddenly stop halfway and sit down, Li Xuanyi was taken aback.

"He can’t take it anymore?"

"It makes sense. To withstand the pressure from so many Grandmasters—more than thirty of them—and make it this far is already incredible given his level of Cultivation..."

"With more time, after some more polishing, he might not be without a chance..."

She didn’t finish her sentence.

Xiao Mingli suddenly cut her off.

"No."

The woman in the wheelchair watched quietly with her amber eyes, her gaze fixed on the young man whose spine was being targeted by pairs of incredibly potent ’thoughts’, threatening to crush him.

Her slender, willow-like eyebrows finally furrowed, revealing unexpected surprise. She even gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly.

"He’s..."

"He’s trying to use the gazes of these sixty-three Grandmasters to catalyze his own ’Dao Foundation’, to make his Divine Soul undergo a transformation and produce a ’thought’. He intends to achieve Refining Illusion into Truth and influence reality."

Divine Thought!?

Hearing this term, both Li Xuanyi and Granny Shi couldn’t help but turn pale.

"Miss, are you saying... this boy can unify the Daoist and Martial paths before even reaching the Qi Barrier?"

"Doesn’t that mean if he can break through the ’Three Great Limits’, he’ll be able to form a ’Flesh Treasure Body’, comparable to you back in your day!"

Xiao Mingli watched quietly.

"If he can overcome this hurdle today..."

"Then it’s almost a certainty."

Flesh Treasure Body!

Muttering those weighty words, both Granny Shi and Li Xuanyi fell silent.

If one had to open the Human Body Secret Treasures—at least the Three Limits—to achieve a Title...

...then...

...to continue making progress beyond a Title, one must form a ’Treasure Body’.

The so-called Flesh Treasure Body, the Martial Dao Treasure Body!

It is the ’talent’ that bursts forth when one has fully cultivated their Flesh, Bone, and Skin, and then combines it with a spirit cultivated to its absolute peak... a sublime state of body and soul merging into one upon breaking through that ’great barrier’!

This hard-earned, post-natal talent allows a Martial Artist, in that single instant, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those of Alien Divine Blood and the Celestial Human Divine!

Under Xiao Mingli’s watchful gaze...

...she saw with her own eyes...

...after Ji Xiu sat cross-legged, he faced the sixty-three Daoist Schools, the sixty-three Grandmasters, and the accumulated fortune of the Jiangyin Martial Arts world from the past Hundred Years. It was like a great mountain pressing down on him, threatening to shatter his Martial Arts Zen Heart and crush his condensed Divine Soul.

Yet, even under such pressure, his spine remained perfectly straight.

Until—

He sat quietly for half an hour, allowing the various thought-filled gazes to fall upon him, ceaselessly transforming into blades and swords that stabbed at his physical body.

Finally... Ji Xiu slowly opened his eyes.

With that glance, a sensation of ’thoughts like lightning’ surged forth, shooting straight toward the end of the long street!

At that moment, Ji Xiu stood up, withstanding the abyssal pressure. He had ground down all the various thoughts, dissolved them completely, and absorbed them into his spirit, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!

ZING!

Some of the weaker Martial Artists who had been watching with folded arms were struck by his gaze. Their minds went blank, as if hit by a sudden Thunderbolt, and the hairs on their bodies stood on end!

Then, the young man leaped up in an instant, like a long-limbed ape. His figure was cloaked in a fiery, blazing Purest Gang. His Divine Soul had solidified, achieving Refining Illusion into Truth, and burst forth into reality, manifesting as a ’thought’!

After that, the dozens of gazes from the Grandmasters clashed with his ’thought’ in an unseen Magical Combat! No matter how fierce the struggle, they could no longer crush his physical body in the slightest!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

One, two, three...

At an incomparably faster speed than before, Ji Xiu advanced with unstoppable momentum!

The Daoist School Masters of the Great Daoist Schools like Purple Mist, Water and Fire, Quanshan, and Jing Hong, whom he had seen before, could only watch as he strode past their gates.

Especially when they saw the gazes of numerous Grandmasters clashing with that formless ’thought’ capable of carrying a Daoist Technique...

...each and every one of them was utterly shocked:

"You..."

"You cultivated ’Divine Thought’ all by yourself!?"

Dao Skills were not considered rare in Jiangyin Prefecture.

In fact, if one wanted to reach a higher realm, cultivating a Dao Skill as well was essential.

But...

Most Martial Artists’ attainments in Dao Skills were merely average. Before becoming a Grandmaster, they couldn’t even comprehend Script Recognition and Locket Granting, thus losing any chance of forming a ’Martial Dao Treasure Body’.

But that didn’t mean they were ignorant of what it meant to break through these Shackles at his age and realm, to reach the pinnacle of Dao Skill and build a Dao Foundation!!

This kid had a future chance of attaining a ’Martial Dao Treasure Body’ and reaching the ’Qi Sea Peak’!

Chang Panshi, the Daoist School Master of the Water and Fire Daoist School, sat before his own gate, watching this scene unfold, the fire of anger in his chest flaring up uncontrollably.

He never would have imagined, not even in death...

...that the sixty-three Daoist Schools and sixty-three Grandmasters, in their attempt to once again unseat the ’Martial Arts Leader’ weighing down on them, had set up this ’Banquet of Hongmen’ to intimidate the boy.

But not only had it failed to intimidate him, it had actually allowed him to take another great leap forward, building a peerless foundation!

’The combined pressure from dozens of Grandmasters’ gazes not only failed to break his spine, but actually helped him forge ’Divine Thought’?’

’What kind of Demon Fiend is this! Unbelievable, simply unbelievable!’

’Duan Chenzhou, oh, Duan Chenzhou, you could have just died, but why did you have to take in a peerless prodigy that even Wang Xuanyang in his prime might not have matched?’

’Damn it, damn it all! Why wasn’t such a talent born into my own school!’

「In that moment.」

Some Grandmasters were furious, beating their chests and stamping their feet in anger. Some sighed, their eyes filled with envy. Others were full of regret, never expecting that their attempt to hinder him would instead become the whetstone that sharpened his blade...

But no matter how complex their emotions...

...they couldn’t stop...

...the young man from stepping before the Great Daoist School designated No. 1, the seat of the Martial Arts Leader, its roof ridge bathed in the golden brilliance of the setting sun!

"Esteemed Grandmasters."

"Now..."

"Do I, Ji Xiu, have what it takes to sit in this seat of the Martial Arts Leader and inherit my Master’s mantle!?"

Standing atop the nine-tiered stone steps.

Ji Xiu glanced at the dozens of Great Daoist Schools arrayed on both sides and simply raised an eyebrow.

At this moment, his thought had materialized, and he had ascended to the pinnacle of Dao Skill!

And as his simple words fell...

...after a brief, heavy silence.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Figure after figure, their Qi and Blood surging, leaped out from the Daoist Schools in the front ranks!

"Master Ji, your position... our masters... they acknowledge it!"

"However!"

"According to the rules of the Martial Arts Daoist Schools, inheriting it doesn’t mean you can hold it!"

"Therefore..."

"We request your instruction!"