Techniques and Dao

Chapter 68 The Eye of the Candle Dragon
The Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff), a divine iron that stabilizes the bottom of the Milky Way.

This treasure was forged by Laozi using nine-times-refined iron. It was later obtained by Yu the Great and used as a measuring rod to determine the depth of rivers and seas during his flood control efforts. The precious iron rod, left behind after the flood control, was once placed at the bottom of the eastern sea. The golden cudgel has two golden hoops at each end, and a section of black iron in the center. Next to the hoops is an inscription: "The Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel), weighing 13,500 jin (approximately 6,250 kg)."

The Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel) was later obtained by Sun Wukong and became his weapon. After Sun Wukong was named the Victorious Fighting Buddha by the Buddha, the Golden Cudgel disappeared for over a thousand years.

The Supreme Lord said that magical treasures change with the times. The same goes for the places where magical treasures are hidden.

So, Huasheng arrived at a place known as the "Peak of the East Sea".

This is a colossal skyscraper that pierces the clouds—

Shanghai Tower.

The Shanghai Tower is a dragon-shaped supertall building standing in the Lujiazui area of ​​Pudong, Shanghai. The project covers an area of ​​433,954 square meters, with 118 floors and a total height of 632 meters. The elevators can reach the 119th floor in 50 seconds, and the highest floor accessible to passengers is the 126th floor.

No one would have imagined that the peerless divine iron Ruyi Jingu Bang would be hidden inside this super high-rise building in full view of everyone!
Where is the Golden Cudgel? How can he borrow this weapon from the Victorious Fighting Buddha? And how can he obtain it? These were all questions facing Hua Sheng. After a moment's thought, he decided to go to the rooftop first, because only the highest point could be called the "summit."

"Thirteen thousand five hundred jin." Dressed casually, Hua Sheng sat in the high-speed elevator, looked at his right hand, and muttered to himself, "What would it feel like to hold it?"

Thirteen thousand five hundred catties. One catty in the Sui and Tang dynasties was about 640 grams today. Converted to today's weight, that's 17,280 catties, or 8.64 tons.

Weighing less than nine tons, it's not something Hanamoto could easily lift with a little magic. Using it with ease would be no difficult task at all.

The most difficult question is whether Sun Wukong, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, will lend him the Golden Cudgel. Sun Wukong studied Taoism and ultimately became a Buddha. Spanning the realms of immortals and Buddhas, more than a thousand years later, is he still the same Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Sun, who hated evil as if it were his former self?

Even after attaining Buddhahood and detaching from worldly desires, the desire to save all sentient beings will always remain. With reasoned explanation, Hua Sheng felt it wasn't impossible.

The sun gradually set. Hua Sheng reached into his bag, touched the jade pendant bestowed upon him by Laozi, and stepped out of the elevator with the other tourists. This was the highest point tourists could reach, and the area was bustling with people coming and going. He walked to the glass curtain wall and gazed at the golden skyline of the city in the distance.

There's also a small elevator on this floor that leads to higher floors. Hanamori then walked through the sky cafe to the small elevator, but just as she was about to press the button, a staff member stopped her.

"Sorry, sir, this area is not open to ordinary tourists."

The staff member said with a serious expression, "The elevators that go up are only for VIPs and require reservations."

"How many floors can this elevator go up to?"

"The highest floor can reach is 126 floors."

"What if you want to go even higher?"

The staff member looked at Hua Sheng suspiciously: "Once you get to the 126th floor, you can see the glass ceiling on the roof. Outside the ceiling is the roof of the Shanghai Tower. That's outdoors; you can't go to the roof."

Security is extremely tight on supertall buildings worldwide. These structures are not only city landmarks but also popular destinations for extreme sports enthusiasts. Any questions about the building's exterior or rooftop will invariably raise suspicion among security personnel.

Hua Sheng thought that this meant the top floor of the Shanghai Tower was dozens of meters above his head. He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble; he was no longer the same person he used to be, and a mere six or seven stories of height obviously wouldn't stop him.

Hua Sheng exited the elevator leading to a higher floor and walked towards a less crowded corner.

"Here it is!" Hua Sheng found an advertising board, walked to the gap between it and the wall, silently recited the incantation, and shouted, "Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!" Instantly, he passed through the wall behind him and arrived in the passage of the emergency staircase.

Hua Sheng turned around, changed his casual clothes back into the robes of the Shudo Academy, and leaped through the thick reinforced concrete ceiling to jump up one floor.

"It should be the 120th floor." Then he jumped again, counting the floors as he jumped.

"121st floor, 122nd floor, 123rd floor, 124th floor, 125th floor, 126th floor, 127th floor..."

Just as he read out the 127th floor, Hua Sheng's head slammed hard against the ceiling with a thud, and he fell down with stars in his eyes, the pain causing him to black out.

Hua Sheng quickly touched the back of his head, as if he had been unexpectedly hit on the head with a club. He looked at his palm; thankfully, there was no blood.

He shook his head to clear his mind, his vision filled with dazzling golden stars. At first, he thought it was a hallucination from the impact. But when the stars faded, he realized he was indeed in a floor surrounded by golden walls.

Hua Sheng swayed as he straightened up, presumably because when he was crossing the 126th floor, he was struck down by an unknown force, preventing him from passing through.

Any magic array capable of blocking wall-penetrating techniques must exist. Hua Sheng looked around; this was a high-ceilinged space about five stories high. The four sides were golden copper and iron walls and slanted pillars of varying thicknesses. The ceiling was decorated with various horizontal lines, and above that was a circular glass dome, through which one could see the sky outside.

He had already reached the top floor of this colossal skyscraper; beyond that lay the outdoors. What force was stopping him?
Hua Sheng's gaze fell upon the center of the space, where a two-story-tall golden glass sculpture stood. Its design resembled a standing fish. If its head were turned to the side, it looked like a pair of eyes radiating a warm, jade-like luster. He cautiously surveyed his surroundings; apart from this colossal jade-colored object, there was nothing else unusual in the room.

So, Hanamori leaped onto a slanted pillar, crouching low as she climbed upwards. After reaching the top of the pillar, she jumped onto the central horizontal decorative stripe, scaling it like a grid as she made her way towards the central transparent glass ceiling, attempting to squeeze through it.

Just as they were getting closer to the ceiling, a fiery red face suddenly appeared on the glass ceiling. Hua Sheng was startled, lost her grip, and fell from mid-air, but thankfully landed safely this time.

The fiery red face slowly descended from the sky, revealing a slender, fiery red body that resembled both a dragon and a snake. Hua Sheng had studied the history of various ancient mythical beasts at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and immediately recognized that it was very similar to the legendary half-dragon, half-human mythical beast "Zhulong".

Why is there a candle dragon on the top floor of this building? This place, with its grand feng shui formation, wouldn't have a candle dragon guarding it for no reason.

Hua Sheng thought to himself, the presence of a divine beast guarding this place proves that there is indeed some extraordinary treasure hidden here. And when he and Taishang Xiaojun first arrived in the mortal realm, Taishang Xiaojun had already sensed this strangeness.

The Candle Dragon, its body ablaze with flames, hovered above the large jade sculpture, its golden eyes gleaming as it glanced down at Hua Sheng. Suddenly, it uttered a deep, resonant voice: "Where did this nobody come from, daring to trespass here!"

Hua Sheng cupped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Great Immortal Zhulong, I am Hua Sheng, a disciple of Taoism, and I wish to meet the Victorious Fighting Buddha!"

Zhulong's voice made Huasheng's eardrums ache: "You brat, what business do you have seeing the Victorious Buddha?"

"This disciple wishes to borrow the Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magic staff) for a while."

Zhulong laughed loudly, saying in a low, slow voice, "How laughable! How could you mortals like you possibly control this Sea-Stabilizing Divine Iron! If I didn't know some minor tricks like passing through walls, I might not have shown myself to you at all. Now, retreat at once!"

Hua Sheng raised his left hand towards Zhulong and shouted, "This disciple has the Path to Victory Buddha!"

Zhulong, who had already turned his head away, turned it back again. He brought his hand close to Huasheng's and examined it carefully: "This is indeed the guide to the Victorious Buddha."

Hua Sheng asked, "Has this disciple seen the Victorious Buddha?"

“Since you have travel permits, I, the Dragon, may inform the Victorious Buddha.”

"This disciple awaits you here!"

Zhulong said, "You should go back."

"What? Can't I even wait here for the Victorious Buddha to see me?"

“The Buddha’s travel pass is just a travel document and does not mean that you can see the Buddha at any time.”

"Can't I just make an appointment and wait in line? I really have something urgent! I can wait!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a year." Hua Sheng's spirits immediately sank. He exclaimed, "What? Wait a year? Even the best hospital's specialist appointments don't take that long! I want to cut in line!"

"You want to see the Victorious Buddha, but it's not that the Victorious Buddha wants to see you. Of course you should wait."

"Great Immortal Zhulong, my need for this Golden Cudgel is not for my own selfish reasons. It is truly to save countless lives!"

"You mere brat!" Zhulong glared, and a gust of wind blew towards Huasheng. Huasheng immediately chanted an incantation, his feet rooted to the ground as he faced the gust of wind without moving an inch.

The dragon circled back and forth in the air, its eyes filled with doubt. The gale intensified, and Hua Sheng took a step forward, crossing her arms in front of her but remaining motionless.

Zhulong said, "I didn't expect you to have such skill. Where do you cultivate?"

"This disciple is practicing at the Daoist Academy in Shengping Ning," Hua Sheng replied.

"Oh, the renowned Daoist Academy. No wonder, no wonder, a year of cultivation is equivalent to a hundred years of cultivation in the human world."

"Great Immortal, since you know my origins, may I be allowed to meet the Victorious Fighting Buddha?"

"Little Taoist priest, your cultivation is no better than that of an ordinary child immortal. The Victorious Buddha will not see you."

"Great Immortal Zhulong, the situation is extremely urgent! Please, Great Immortal, have mercy!" In his desperation, Hua Sheng tried to rush forward. He stepped on the edge of the wall and flew into the air.

Zhulong roared angrily, shaking the chandelier and the wall, and Huasheng was shaken down again.

"Great Immortal, if you stop me again, I'll..." Hua Sheng also became angry, "This disciple isn't here for sightseeing, time is of the essence!"

"Little Taoist priest, what do you want?" Zhulong looked at the furious Huasheng with disdain.

Hua Sheng sprang to her feet and ran around the room, shouting, "I'll take the emergency escape route to the roof!"

He saw the iron gate with the green "Emergency Exit" light on, pulled it open, and found himself on the stairs. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "Who cares about you? I can't just climb the stairs, can't I?"

But it was too early to say that. Hua Sheng had just taken a step forward when he was immediately bounced back by a tremendous, invisible force. Although the door was open, it was also protected by a barrier. Hua Sheng couldn't leave the area at all.

"What's going on! Why can ordinary staff members of the building go up, but I can't?"

Zhulong said, "The Divine Iron that Stabilizes the Sea is placed here. Ordinary people can go up there since they can't see or touch it. But since you know magic, I can't let you go."

Upon hearing the words "the Divine Iron that Stabilizes the Sea," Hua Sheng's heart stirred. As he raised his hand to argue further, the jade token left to him by the Supreme Lord Laozi clattered to the ground. Only then did Hua Sheng remember that this jade token from the Supreme Lord Laozi was sufficient proof of his legitimate cause.

"Great Immortal Zhulong, the jade tablet of Taiqing Daode Tianzun Taishang Laojun is here!" Hua Sheng quickly picked up the jade tablet and shouted.

Zhulong turned around in mid-air: "Where did this jade tablet come from?"

Hua Sheng replied, "Tonight, the Xuanwu Spirit Serpent will unleash its moon-controlling technique and crash into the mortal realm, simultaneously summoning a massive attack from strange beasts. We, the disciples of the Daoist Academy, have mobilized all our forces to defend the universe. I have come to borrow the Ruyi Jingu Bang from the Victorious Fighting Buddha!"

Zhulong said, "Even with Laozi's jade tablet, the Golden Cudgel is not something you can take at will. You keep talking about saving lives, but what abilities do you, a mere Taoist, actually possess?"

"How can I prove this?" Hua Sheng asked.

The dragon coils around the golden sculpture in the center.

"If you can pass through the magic array of the Candle Dragon's Eye, I will allow you to go and meet the Victorious Fighting Buddha."

Overjoyed at the glimmer of hope, Hua Sheng quickly suppressed his excitement and began to carefully observe the jade statue of the "Eye of the Candle Dragon" in the center of the floor. The statue had an eye-like opening in the center, easily passable even by an adult; with a slight shrinking spell, flying through would be a piece of cake. However, Hua Sheng then realized that the Candle Dragon's description suggested it wouldn't be an easy task. This meant that ordinary cultivators couldn't pass through this eye; there must be some magical mechanism within it.

But no matter the difficulties, we must grit our teeth and try. As Lao Tzu said, once the battle to protect Qiankun begins, without the aid of the Golden Cudgel, the Academy of Arts and Sciences will be helpless in breaking the Jupiter Veil on Mingyou's body. Achieving victory in the entire battle will be extremely difficult.

"This disciple is willing to give it a try!" Hua Sheng made up his mind.

“Young Taoist, have you thought this through? The Eye of the Candle Dragon is no trivial skill; it is the Six Ding Divine Fire Technique. Those with shallow cultivation will surely be burned to ashes,” the Candle Dragon said.

"What difference does it make if I, Hua Sheng, am gone from this world of countless beings?" Hua Sheng said without hesitation. "But if we turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people, we are nothing but superfluous people in this mortal realm. Great Immortal Zhulong, you must keep your word!"

Without pausing, Hua Sheng performed a backflip, instantly shrinking to the size of a grain of wheat, and flew towards the gap in the Eye of the Candle Dragon.

Just as he approached, the entire jade statue suddenly turned from gold to red. The space where the central pupil had been was now empty, but it abruptly transformed into a raging inferno.

Hua Sheng felt an astonishing heat rushing towards him. His heart sank. He had used the Samadhi True Fire before and should not be afraid of ordinary divine fire. However, the raging fire in the eye of the Candle Dragon was even more intense than the Samadhi True Fire of the Lingxiao level. If he directly rushed into the raging fire, he would be severely burned or even reduced to ashes.

But then he thought, even if it were raging fire, if he could pass through it quickly, it would only be for a moment, at most causing some burns to his skin. With that thought, Hua Sheng took a deep breath and rushed into the fire.

The voice of the Candle Dragon came from above: "Little Taoist, do not underestimate the Candle Dragon's Fiery Eye. Once you enter this method, you will be entangled in it and unable to escape until you are reduced to ashes."

Hua Sheng had long since disregarded everything else. He chanted an ice spell, and a layer of ice as hard as a rock immediately rose around his body.

Unfortunately, the ice melted and evaporated immediately upon approaching it, leaving not even a drop of water behind.

Hua Sheng was still unwilling to give up. He silently recited the Frost Spell three more times, and the ice around his body thickened several times over, the entire layer of ice just large enough to pass through the central gap. He tried again, but melted away after getting less than half a meter away.

It seems that using ice magic to fight against the divine fire technique is like throwing an egg against a rock. It would be better to fight fire with fire, using one's own true fire spell to suppress the even hotter Six Ding Divine Fire.

Hua Sheng gritted his teeth. Rather than be burned to death by the Six Ding Divine Fire in the Eye of the Candle Dragon, it would be more swift to be burned to death by his own true fire. He chanted the Fire Control Technique, using a fire control incantation that was close to the Samadhi True Fire. He wrapped himself in his burning Taoist robe, transformed into a ball of raging fire, and rushed into the raging fire of the Eye of the Candle Dragon.

The Candle Dragon in mid-air frowned. After waiting for a long time, it did not see Hua Sheng emerge from the other end of the Candle Dragon's eye. It shook its head and sighed, "The Candle Dragon's fiery eye is not as thin as paper. Once you step into it, you will be trapped. A perfectly good young man has lost his life for no reason." After saying that, the Candle Dragon spiraled upward, preparing to disappear.

Suddenly, the huge jade statue behind them made a thud and shook.

Zhulong suddenly turned his head. Beneath this jade throne was a skyscraper damper weighing tens of tons, which would only sway slightly during hurricanes.

If it weren't for the hurricane that had just swept by, Zhulong was about to turn around when he heard the jade statue begin to shake violently, making a rumbling sound like an earthquake. Zhulong had no choice but to slowly move forward to find out the reason.

A deafening roar erupted! A ball of orange flame shot out from the center of the pupil sculpture. Zhulong looked closely and saw that it wasn't a human figure, but rather—a fire phoenix!!
A phoenix engulfed in flames!
After the fire phoenix burst out of the Candle Dragon's Eye, it crashed into the wall with a bang and then fell to the ground, causing flames to burst forth wherever it touched the wall.

Zhulong blew out the flames on the wall and the ground with one breath. The flames of the fire phoenix had also dissipated, revealing Hua Sheng, who had fainted on the ground. At this moment, Hua Sheng's Xiyuan Daoist robes were burned to tatters by the flames.

"Who exactly are you? How could you possibly break the Divine Fire Technique of the Victorious Fighting Buddha!" ​​Zhulong asked in bewilderment. "This rebirth in fire, could it be..."

At this moment, Hua Sheng let out a groan and slowly came to her senses. She stood up unsteadily and looked at Zhulong in a daze. Then she turned around and looked at the eye of Zhulong behind her, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Zhulong! Don't underestimate a mere Taoist priest like me!" Hua Sheng shouted. "Keep your word! Let me through quickly so I can see the Victorious Fighting Buddha, Sun Wukong!!"

(End of this chapter)