I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 407 Two Opportunities, Reshaping the Physical Body

Something is wrong!
The scholar before me is at least ten parts off out of nine!
"You've also come here seeking immortality and enlightenment?"

Haihui Dashen took a deep breath and stared intently at Lu Xiu, his gaze unwavering.

"No, I am here to learn the way to save the world and help people."

The young man asked in surprise, "In the past, the Sage of Literature spread his teachings throughout the world, saving countless people. You are a scholar, your talent is evident, and you have a noble spirit in your heart. Why do you need me to teach you the way to save the world?"

Lu Xiu shook his head and said, "Studying can't save the world. I was originally the top scholar in the imperial examination, but I couldn't escape the torment of this evil world. If it weren't for the help of a benefactor, I would have already passed away."

"In the end, even scholars are like clay figures crossing a river; they themselves need help to cross, so how can they talk about helping others?"

After Lu Xiu finished speaking, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply, saying:

"Learning knows no order of precedence; the accomplished come first. Although you appear to be a young man, you were able to see through my abilities at a glance, which shows that you have real skills. I hope you will not look down on my ignorance and foolishness and will generously impart to me the elixir of salvation."

The young man chuckled and said, "I'm just a rough man, all I know is fighting and killing. I don't have the great wisdom you see, let alone any magic remedy to save the world."

Seeing Lu Xiu look up with a puzzled expression, the young man explained, "Don't let my slender stature fool you; I am actually a mighty warrior with the strength to uproot mountains and the spirit to overwhelm the world!"

Lu Xiu's eyes lit up, and he immediately unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his strong chest with a large dragon tattooed over his shoulder!

"Senior, please don't look down on me just because I'm a scholar. I also have a heart that wants to slay demons and monsters and bring peace to the world."

"."

The boy looked down at his thin arms and legs, then looked up at the burly scholar with a golden dragon painted on his body, his claws outstretched.

If it weren't for the fact that the other person still had the face of his former colleague, he would have thought he had mistaken the person for someone else!

"Who did you learn this method from?"

Haihui Dashen had a look on his face as if he had never seen anything like it before.

Although there are many civil officials in the upper realm who are more capable than military generals, this is a true god of literature who controls the literary fortune, fame, wealth, and countless articles in the human world.

How could a true literary immortal, whose saliva is also a masterpiece of literature, possibly carve dragons and tigers on his body and steal the livelihood of these crude and vulgar warriors?

Military generals discarded their helmets and armor to become civil officials, while civil officials abandoned their pens to join the army as warriors.
So, in this era of great calamity, the balance of Yin and Yang is disrupted, and even the balance of civil and military energies is reversed and disrupted?
The Great God of the Sea did not believe in such superstitions; he preferred to believe that Lu Xiu had been bewitched by demons.

Perhaps the other party's intention is to destroy Lu Xiu's Dao heart, causing him to fall into the mortal world, lose his true nature, and never be able to return to the upper realm.

That's terrible!
"This method was taught to me by my savior and the master who led me onto the path of Tao."

Haihui, the Great God, narrowed his eyes and said in a dangerous tone, "What kind of scholar? You are a literary immortal who shines as brightly as the sun and moon, yet you abandon your true self and demean yourself. Isn't this just ruining your own path? I think the scholar you speak of is probably a demon in disguise, trying to drag you into the demonic path and make sure you can never rise again!"

"Take me to your master, I want to see what kind of demon he is, daring to be so bold!"

Lu Xiu frowned and corrected him, saying, "Master is no ordinary person, much less a demon! Furthermore, this 'Wenxin Diaolong' is not an ordinary method of physical training, but a righteous method that uses the writings of sages and the righteous spirit to transform literature into martial arts, and to suppress villains."

"Senior, could it be that you have some misunderstanding?"

"misunderstanding?"

The young man, who was itching to stand up for his colleague, stopped in his tracks and said with a hint of doubt, "I've heard that righteous energy can drive away evil spirits and demons, but I've never heard of a scholar in this world who can hone his skills and transform his literary talent into martial prowess."

The boy pointed to the plaque on his temple that had been replaced by someone, which read, "Cultivation is not easy; beware of scams."

"You haven't been scammed, have you?!"

Lu Xiu looked at the characters on the plaque and found them somewhat familiar.

He took off his long robe, turned his body, and faced the boy with his broad back, saying solemnly:
"This method of Wenxin Diaolong uses the words of sages and virtuous men as painting, and the noble spirit of righteousness as ink to outline it."

"Immortal, please look!"

Lu Xiu channeled the literary energy within his chest, and every word from the books he had ever read transformed into dragon scales, radiating brilliant light!
These rays of light emanated from every orifice of the body, their radiance ethereal and dazzling, as brilliant as brocade, capable of scorching the heavens!
Lu Xiu's aura surged, and he exhaled a thunderous voice, saying, "This is the Way of the Sage of Literature. Below, it is the rivers and mountains; above, it is the sun and stars. Every dragon scale is a manifestation of the words of a sage. If this is an evil method, then there is no more righteous law in the world!"

Even the well-informed and knowledgeable Haihui was stunned for a moment.

Upon closer inspection, he indeed saw extremely small, flowing characters on Lu Xiujin's dragon tattoo.

Those tiny words converged into distinct little rivers of dragon scales, flowing ceaselessly along their respective paths, eventually forming a great dragon composed of the words of a sage, clinging to Lu Xiu's chest and back, constantly nourishing his body and spirit.

"What is your teacher's name?"

Lu Xiu shook his head and said, "My teacher is not interested in fame or fortune, but finds joy in the Way and does not allow his students to reveal his name."

The Great God Haihui was puzzled. Could a sage really emerge in such a wicked world?
“Your virtue is outstanding, and your talent is extraordinary; you are indeed not an ordinary person. But I cannot teach you.”

"Why not?" Lu Xiu asked, puzzled.

"Because you were once a celestial being in the upper realm, and you are my colleague."

According to the laws of Heaven, reincarnated immortals and gods are not allowed to reveal their identities to each other, but the Great God of the Sea has never known what the laws of Heaven are.

In heaven, he may abide by the heavenly rules, but in the mortal realm, he is not subject to heavenly control!

"Compared to the teacher, the immortal's words sound more like a scam."

Lu Xiu glanced at the slogan on the plaque and felt even more that this immortal was unreliable.

"Why would I lie to you? You were originally the Wenchang Emperor, a righteous god who governs the fame and fortune of scholars in the three thousand worlds."

“In the past, you were ordered by the Heavenly Emperor to make your final pilgrimage to the mortal realm, but at the end of the Heavenly Road, at the boundary between Yin and Yang, you were ambushed by a Dharma Corpse and returned to the Yin River.”

"Later, the Heavenly Path was severed, and the deities of Guixu could not return to the Upper Realm. The Heavenly Book of Conferring Gods in the hands of the Heavenly Emperor also lost its effect, leaving the true spirit of the Emperor to reincarnate and wait for the Heavenly Path to reopen."

"We are both officials in the same court, how could I possibly accept you as my student?"

Lu Xiu remained skeptical. After a moment's thought, he shook his head and said, "Whether what you say is true or false, that god has nothing to do with me at this moment."

“In this evil world, no deity who governs the order of heaven and earth is seen to save us from suffering.”

Lu Xiu scoffed, "It's clear that just being a bookworm can't save the world, whether you become a god or not."

"The virtue of those gods is probably even inferior to that of my sect leader."

Upon hearing this, the boy immediately retorted, "Not all the immortals and gods in the upper realm are like that! How many immortals and gods are ranked among the immortals in the heavenly realm? How can one or two who are incompetent represent all of them?"

Recalling the chaos of the world, Lu Xiu said in a low voice, "Are there really only one or two incompetent fools?"

"In my opinion, those who dare to defy the Heavenly Emperor's decree and take the initiative to descend to the mortal realm to resolve the matter, like the Immortal, are the minority."

"."

The boy was speechless.

He racked his brains, counting on his fingers, and realized that there were only a handful of people who dared to openly defy the Heavenly Emperor's orders, and he himself could only rank last among them, a nobody.

If you really think about it that way, they seem to be the real rotten apples in the eyes of the Heavenly Emperor.
Lu Xiu left the Demon Pill Temple.

He didn't ask anything about his identity, as if the gods who were high above and untouchable in the minds of mortals were nothing in his eyes.

After Lu Xiu left, even the usually lively and cheerful Haihui became silent.

Or maybe we should just steal that tower anyway.
Just as the Great God of the Sea was pondering how to steal the tower, new guests arrived outside the Demon Orb Temple.

"Is big brother a god?"

A pair of golden carp-shaped children arrived at the temple, their voices filled with the innocent, childlike tones of children.

No sooner had He Xin finished speaking than Ru Yi added, "My brother and I are juniors of the Azure Dragon God, and we've heard there's a chance to become immortals here."

The Great God of the Sea opened his vast vision and saw that the children before him were actually two golden carp with dragon-like auras who had attained enlightenment.

"Azure Dragon God, since you are juniors among the gods, why do you come to me seeking immortal destiny?"

He Xin Tong'er bowed and said, "The Divine Lord is corrupted by the turbid energy and has gone into seclusion. Although we have survived three calamities and obtained the energy to transform into dragons, the heaven and earth are not connected and the Dragon Gate has not been opened. We cannot transform into dragons, so we can only take human form as golden carp, enter the world to cultivate, and accumulate our cultivation."

Upon hearing this, the boy raised an eyebrow and immediately said fiercely, "Do you know who I am?"

"I don't know."

"I am a villain who has pulled out dragon tendons and peeled off dragon skin. Everyone calls me the Demon Child Reborn. The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas regard me as an enemy. How dare you two little fish and shrimps who have not yet transformed into dragons come to me to learn my skills?"

"."

The fierce-looking boy sneered, "You can still leave while I'm not hungry. If you wait even a moment longer, my stomach will rumble. Not to mention one or two golden carp, even a whole river of dragons wouldn't be enough to fill my teeth!" The girl Ruyi stared wide-eyed, her body stiff and motionless.

Beside him, Hexin Tong'er reached out and grabbed Ruyi's hand, pulling her away with all his might. This was hardly the caring older brother he was supposed to be; it was unbelievable that the sect leader would say such a thing!
This is clearly a demon!

The two boys fled to the seaside without looking back, never mentioning the matter of seeking immortality or visiting Taoist masters again.

Inside the Demon Temple, the Great God of the Sea laughed heartily.

It was as if scaring two children while they played was a fun game.

After the laughter subsided, the young man sitting on the altar suddenly felt bored again.

If he hadn't had a grudge against the dragon clan, he would have really wanted to take those two golden carp as his disciples.

Who could refuse someone who calls them "brother" all the time, especially when they are the youngest in their family? Especially when they are a pair of exceptionally well-behaved and sensible children who are blessed with good fortune and virtue.

However, even the great master Haihui only felt a slight pity.

If he collects the two golden carp, when the Dragon Gate opens in the future, the two boys will leap into dragons, and when others ask them who their master is.

The two children replied, "The Great God of the Three Altars and the Sea!"

When that time comes, not only will the gods laugh at him and the two golden carp, but the two children will also be ostracized by the dragon clan and become a laughing stock in the eyes of others.

"It is truly difficult to find someone who walks among men in this world."

The Great God of the Sea calculated the days and decided to wait another half a year. If he could not find someone destined for him during this time, he would return to the Upper Realm with his senior brother.
Seven days later, at the Demon Orb Temple.

Just as the Great God Haihui was closing his eyes to rest, a heavy, bright yellow aura, as heavy as a mountain, suddenly flew towards him from outside the temple.

It was a mountain spirit that could move mountains and cross seas at any time.

At first, the Great God of the Sea did not take it seriously. After all, he had seen many people with merit in the past six months. However, when the Qishan clan appeared in front of the temple with the authority of more than a dozen famous mountains and great peaks, he was still quite shocked!

Where did this unorthodox method come from?

The Great God of the Sea looked at the various mountain seals that Qishan had privately refined on his body, as if he saw a series of heavenly laws hanging on the other party's forehead, and each one was a crime deserving of death even if it meant being torn to pieces a thousand times!
Logically, as one of the Five Camps Divine Generals, he should have captured this audacious demon and brought him back to the Upper Realm for judgment by the God of Justice.

But what's with the incense burning on the mountain spirit that's so closely connected to the human race's fortune?

In times of great calamity, sages do not appear, and immortals and gods disappear.

Where did so many people of great merit come from in this corner of the East China Sea?
Unable to bear it any longer, the Great God of the Sea Society instantly sent his divine sense out of the small temple and into the sky.

He surveyed the vast expanse, searching for all suspicious individuals, but found nothing.

The other party seems to have a way to block out celestial secrets.
The Great God of the Sea's gaze shifted between light and shadow. Finally, he let out a cold snort, and a wisp of his divine consciousness returned to his body.

At this moment, Qishan had just stepped into the temple gate and entered the incense hall.

"Wow! Whose little girl is that? She's so pretty!"

Qishan remained as simple and honest as ever. She didn't seem to realize that in this dilapidated temple where there was only sea breeze and no one else, how could a girl from an ordinary family have come to stay?

"Good girl, let me ask you something. Do you know any of the immortals here?"

The boy in the lotus-patterned fairy robe said without any temper, "Open your eyes wide and look carefully, am I a boy or a girl?"

"Oh, it's actually a boy or a girl!"

"."

The Great God of the Sea Meeting paused in his breathing.

Where did this monster come from? Why wasn't it eliminated by those who exorcise demons and protect the righteous path?

"A charlatan like you, trying to seek immortality and learn the Tao? The great immortal is right here in this temple. Go ahead and ask him for a favor and see if he'll grant your request!"

How hot-tempered is the Great God of the Sea? If it weren't for the fact that the other party possessed such profound merit, he probably would have already turned on him and attacked!
The Qishan clan originally attained enlightenment from a burst of bright yellow energy born from the interaction of heaven and earth. Although their thinking was unusual, they were not truly tyrannical.

Upon seeing the boy's appearance, she knew that he was the 'great immortal' of this place.

But who would have thought that a great immortal would look like a little girl?
Qishan was bound by a red ribbon and thrown out of the Demon Orb Temple.

The immensely powerful Qishan clan was like a small pebble in front of the boy. By the time he came to his senses, he had already been thrown thousands of miles away!
Qishan rose in a disheveled state, before him lay a landscape of towering peaks. Not far from the mountainside stood a pavilion, where a Taoist priest dressed in a Bagua robe was playing chess with a majestic man in an imperial crown.

Before Qishan could recover, another surprised exclamation rang out beside him.

Qishan glanced to the side and saw an ordinary-looking old farmer staring at her with a surprised look.

East China Sea.

The great god Haihui, who had casually offered the Qishan clan a chance, shook his head.

Even if a monster of this origin has a lot of merit, it can't compare to a monster with a powerful backer and a solid foundation.

"I hope that one day I won't see you on the Demon-Slaying Platform."

Stealing the power of famous mountains and great peaks—in the mortal world, who but those three senior sages who are not under the control of the Heavenly Emperor could protect them?

The Great God of the Sea has a cold exterior but a warm heart. He couldn't bear to see the Qishan clan head down a path of no return, so he decided to lend a hand. As for whether the other party can seize the opportunity, that's entirely up to their own fate.

Here, the Great God of the Sea had just seen off the Qishan clan and hadn't even calmed down when another almost transparent ghost floated in from outside the temple.

The Great God of the Sea was not surprised, only numb.

He's already entertained humans, gods, and demons; what's one more ghost to him?
"Are you here to learn from a master as well?"

The little girl, who looked only three or five years old, nodded and shook her head: "I don't have much time left. I came here to ask the immortal for a question."

"What's the matter?"

"If a ghost dies, can the merits it accumulated be returned?"

Haihui asked in surprise, "Since it's the virtue you've accumulated yourself, why talk about returning it?"

The ghost child Shiyue said earnestly, "I was rescued by the Goddess Baosheng, which saved me from my suffering. All the merits I have accumulated over the years are thanks to the Goddess Baosheng, and I must repay her kindness."

Shi Yue paused, then said with some heartache, "It would be such a waste to just throw away all this incense."

The Great God of the Sea didn't seem to care much and said, "How much merit can a little kid like you have?"

Shi Yue raised her head, and her almost translucent, ethereal ghost body suddenly emitted an incredibly rich amount of human merit.

If that merit were converted into incense offerings for the Blood Lake, it would amount to at least five million.

As a child-protecting maiden, she was one of the earliest attendants of the Goddess of Childbirth, and the incense offerings made to Shiyue by the people of Dayan reached an astonishing level.

"."

The Great God of the Sea remained silent for a long time.

In this defiled and evil world, many righteous cultivators cannot resist the erosion of the turbid energy and no longer adhere to the righteous path of cultivation, but instead choose unorthodox and heretical paths.

As a ghost or demon, regardless of the state of the world, one should cultivate evil arts according to one's nature. However, the ghost child in front of me goes against nature and uses merit to refine himself and accumulate spiritual power.

Before the connection between heaven and earth was severed, the other party might still have the possibility of transcending the Yin ghost and becoming a ghost immortal.

But now that the path to heaven is cut off, if the spirit of purity cannot be rebuilt into a celestial body by the Immortal Pool, then only death awaits it.

When the girl asked him a question, the Great God Haihui's gaze flickered uncertainly.

This question was even more difficult for him to answer than asking him to seek immortality or learn the Tao.

Seeing that the immortal remained silent, Shi Yue was somewhat disappointed, but she still bowed to the young man and thanked the immortal.

Seeing that the girl was about to leave the Demon Orb Temple, the Great God of the Sea no longer hesitated and decisively stopped her:
"Wait! While I cannot do what you ask, I do have a way to reshape your physical body, allowing you to continue your cultivation without fear of the defilement of this evil world."

Shi Yue's eyes lit up, but then she heard the boy say, "However, you must inherit my legacy and become my follower before I can help you."

After considering for a moment, Shi Yue nodded in agreement when she remembered what Xu Qing had told her.

The Great God Haihui felt that something was not quite right. He was supposed to be waiting for someone with a predestined connection to seek his teachings, but this seemed more like him eagerly begging others to learn from him.
The eight large characters on the plaque of the incense hall, "Cultivation is not easy, beware of fraud," were particularly eye-catching at this moment.

(End of this chapter)