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

Chapter 443 The Celestial Maiden's Old Love, Above the Kui Ba

Outside the bronze coffin, Xu Qing respectfully invited Nüba to come out of the mountains to assist his Great Luo Sect in completely conquering the Yin River, a treasure land of feng shui.

Inside the bronze coffin, the naked Nüba was so embarrassed that she couldn't even get out of the coffin.

The cleansing of the Yin River is imperative, how could Xu Qing simply let it go? Even if he had to deceive him, he would still have to lure the Heavenly Maiden hiding in the coffin out of her home.

This is not the despicable act of the Cowherd stealing the Weaver Girl's fairy clothes, but rather the great benevolence and righteousness of Old Man Xu!
"This phoenix coronet and embroidered robe are available for the heavenly maidens to use."

Xu Qing placed the bright red wedding dress in front of the bronze coffin, and Nüba opened a crack in the coffin, extending her smooth arm and revealing her short, bright red fingernails.

Clearly, Nüba was far more meticulous in grooming her nails than the careless Xu Qing.

It's unclear whether it was gnawed with its mouth or if there was a magical pair of pliers hidden in the coffin that could wrench the claws of the Kui Ba.

"This garment is so exquisite, could it be some kind of formal dress?"

A rustling sound came from inside the coffin.

Xu Qing turned to the side with his hands clasped, nodded and said, "Senior has a good eye. This is a formal dress that people only wear when they are happiest. It has the meaning of commemoration and blessing."

The phoenix coronet and embroidered robe originated during the reign of Emperor Taizong five dynasties ago. After Emperor Taizong, during the reign of Emperor Tianshui, the phoenix coronet and embroidered robe became a formal dress exclusively for noblewomen, that is, the dress for the wives of officials. The higher the rank of the husband, the more magnificent the dress.

First-rank officials wear gold embroidery, second-rank officials wear cloud-shaped shoulder patterns, and third-rank officials wear peacock patterns.
At that time, the phoenix coronet and embroidered robe were not the wedding attire recognized by the common people. It was not until later, when a compassionate empress said, "Wear my Han clothes and marry my Han men. All women in the world, regardless of their poverty or wealth, may wear the phoenix coronet and embroidered robe when they get married," that this former formal dress became the exclusive wedding attire for the sons and daughters of the Han people.

The phoenix coronet and embroidered robe originated only a little over a thousand years ago. How could Nüba, who had been banished to the Yin River for thousands of years, possibly recognize them?

Not to mention the concept of wedding attire that only existed hundreds of years ago!
"What dress did you wear when you were happiest? What would constitute being happiest?"

Nuba seemed quite satisfied with the precious garment that Xu Qing had given her.

"The celestial maiden's defeat of the warlord is something to be happy about."

Xu Qing was convinced that Nüba would not leave the Yin River and would not know the true meaning of the treasure robe for at least a short time, so he simply let loose and started talking nonsense.

"Defeat the Lord of War? Didn't you say this was a formal dress? It sounds more like a battle suit."

That's right, it's an armor that increases attack speed!

Xu Qing patiently explained, "Everyone has different standards for happiness. This precious garment was originally meant to be worn on the most celebratory and unforgettable occasions of one's life."

After a moment of silence inside the bronze coffin, Xu Qing heard Nüba say coldly, "Defeating the Lord of War is nothing to celebrate. If I hadn't exhausted my divine power in that battle back then, I wouldn't be in this situation."

"."

Xu Qing hadn't expected Nüba to say that, but it didn't stump him.

"Senior, you disregarded your own life for the sake of all living beings, and I deeply admire you. As for this precious garment, consider it a blessing for the Heavenly Maiden, hoping that she will be happy every day, just as this garment symbolizes."

Xu Qing usually teases cats and foxes, and his sweet talk is all the result of practice. Even the Heavenly Maiden finds it pleasing to the ear.

This junior is not bad. Although he is a man, he is quite filial. It was worth it when she lent him the protective immortal robe because she was grateful for the difficulties of cultivating the righteous path with her fellow practitioners.

Deep underground, Xu Qing continued to wait, but the woman in front of him seemed to be dressing up like an ordinary girl before going out. It took her most of the day just to put on a phoenix coronet and wedding robes.

Half a day later, the bronze coffin was opened, and Xu Qing finally saw the true face of the celestial maiden.

With slender shoulders and a swan-like neck, her wedding dress accentuated her snow-white skin; her crimson eyes blazed with fire, and a touch of vermilion painted her lips.

A pure and noble celestial maiden, adorned with a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe.

This is no ordinary bone structure; it is truly like the sunset glow illuminating a ten-mile-long red bridal procession, absolutely radiant and captivating.

Xu Qing looked at the tall, slender woman in front of him, who was not much shorter than him, and whose size was just right for him.

"This outfit really suits the senior."

Nuba said dismissively, "This precious garment was not originally considered a celestial garment. I just specially refined it, and now it is no less than the celestial garments of the Heavenly Palace."

Xu Qing suddenly realized that the Heavenly Maiden wasn't someone who had difficulty going out, but rather someone who stayed in her coffin doing needlework and mending this wedding dress.

"The Heavenly Maiden is incredibly skillful; she can truly summon two swallows with her bare hands and conquer the world on horseback."

Ignoring Xu Laojiang's flattery, Nuba asked directly, "What are your chances of winning if you go to fight the Lord of War?"

Xu Qing asked in a daze, "Senior, are you not planning to make a move?"

"I have a grudge against the Lord of War from a past life, so I will naturally take action. But if you want to defeat the Lord of War, you will definitely need the help of a military formation."

"Don't tell me you have no military formations or the ability to command troops, yet you come to ask me to come out of seclusion."

Xu Qing frowned slightly and asked, "If the Heavenly Maiden wants a large army to assist her, I do have a hundred thousand strong troops, but why must she need an army formation to help her?"

Nuba explained, "The Lord of War is the ancestor of all weapons in the world. In his early years, he received gold at Mount Gelu and Mount Yonghu and created the five weapons, which is how we got weapons of war such as swords, shields, and halberds."

"He was born of war and will die of war. The body that the Lord of the Nine Netherworlds summoned must have been transformed from the obsession of the former Lord of War. No matter how powerful others are, if they do not win in battle, the obsession of the former Lord of War will not dissipate and cannot be truly eliminated."

"Therefore, only by taking advantage of the enemy's strengths and defeating the commander can we achieve victory in one battle."

The book "Guanzi Dishu" states: "Mount Yonghu has water flowing out from it, and metal follows it. The ruler of war receives and controls it, making it into the halberd of Yonghu and the spear of Rui. Therefore, when the ruler of the world is enraged by striking the halberd, corpses fill the fields. This shows the origin of the spear."

Xu Qing suddenly realized, "No wonder the remaining leaders of the Yin River Sect were willing to follow the Lord of War; it's because He has the ability to command troops."

"He not only has the ability to command armies, but He also has the ability to control all weapons and magical treasures in the world. Whether it is the divine sword in my hand or this bronze coffin, as long as you use it to fight the enemy and use it as a weapon of killing, it will be controlled by Him."

"."

Xu Qing had considered how powerful the War Lord, who ranked first among the Twelve Sect Leaders, was, but he never expected him to be so unreasonable.

If his weapons are seized, wouldn't that render his Demon-Slaying Sword and even his Great Axe and Shield useless?

Nuba continued, "You don't need to be discouraged. Although the Lord of War can control all weapons, he is not without weaknesses."

"The power of the Five Elements is not within His control."

Xu Qing's heart stirred slightly, as if he had figured out the key to the Heavenly Maiden's victory over the War Lord back then.

"The Five Elements are the fundamental laws of the universe, not under the control of the Lord of War. And water and fire are merciless. Could it be that the Heavenly Maiden defeated the Lord of War using this very method?"

Nuba said with a deep gaze, "Water and fire are merciless, it's easy to say. Back then, among the heavenly fire god and the various water gods and thunder generals, which one could defeat the Lord of War?"

“Those immortals and gods rely too much on external objects. They use fire flags to collect divine fire and various magical treasures to strike thunder. The Lord of War is least afraid of these external objects.”

Nuba said in an enigmatic tone, "Weapons are made of metal and spears, but only fire can overcome them. The masses are no match for the might of the Lord of Weapons, so the Emperor summoned me to descend to the mortal realm to assist in the battle."

"At that time, although I had mastered fire magic, I was no match for the Lord of War. In order to break the deadlock, I had to use all my divine power and even become a zombie ghost or drought demon. That's how I summoned a thousand miles of scorched earth and broke the Lord of War's supernatural powers."

"It's laughable, really. I've done good for the world, but when I descended from the heavens as a goddess and transformed into Nüba, people called me a wicked drought demon."

Xu Qing was speechless.

He had heard of the drought demon before, and after becoming a zombie, he had specifically researched the past of all zombies, including the rise and fall of the female drought demon before him.

As early as the records of the Great Wilderness Northern Classic, Nüba was a female deity dressed in blue. These ancient classics even described her as 'a beautiful woman'.

However, after the drought, Nüba was described by the world and even those in power as a monster two or three feet tall, with eyes on the top of her head, naked, and walking like the wind.

There is also a saying that she was bald and hairless, which is considered "the ugliness of a ghost".

This means that among ghosts and monsters, Nüba is the ugliest monster.

When droughts cause widespread discontent, those in power, in order to appease the people, fabricate false claims that the drought is caused by the emergence of a drought demon, and that the drought can be relieved by expelling or eliminating the drought demon.

Over time, this led to the emergence of a custom called "beating the drought demon," which involved digging up newly buried graves and burning the corpses as a form of ritual to pray for rain.

A celestial maiden, banished north of the Red River and forbidden from returning to the celestial realm or moving freely in the mortal world, was transformed into a heinous monster.

Putting aside whether this is a just cause or not, just consider this: a beautiful and ethereal celestial maiden who sacrificed her divine status to save the world has suddenly become an ugly and bald yaksha in the eyes of the world.

This is a terrible thing, not just for a celestial maiden, but for anyone else!

On the way back, Nüba made Xu Qing carry her coffin, while she followed leisurely behind with her hands behind her back.

Xu Qingyuan didn't take it seriously until he carried the coffin on his back, and then he realized that this was no easy task.

A bronze coffin, yet heavier than a Purple Cloud Mountain!
If it weren't for Xu Qing's immense strength, and his frequent use of the five-colored divine stone as a lock, it would have been difficult to handle this coffin.

As she walked, Nüba inquired about Xu Qing's progress in cultivation in a tone befitting an elder.

When the Heavenly Maiden heard that Xu Qing had already reached the Flying Zombie realm at such a young age, she rarely showed any appreciation.

"With the body of a flying zombie and ten thousand years of cultivation, it's almost time for you to transform into a demon. When do you plan to begin?"

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "The Heavenly Maiden is different from me. I was born a mortal, not a celestial being. If I want to attain the Dao Fruit of the Drought Demon, I need the assistance of a spiritual object to defy fate."

"That fire-attribute spiritual object must be a supreme treasure from the very beginning of the world. Such things are rare in the world. How could a mere zombie with no background obtain it so easily?"

Xu Qing was determined not to reveal the identity of the Goddess of Life, nor could he reveal his background as a disciple of the Goddess. Otherwise, he would become a zombie with no background.

"Since you have no backing, why would you risk offending the Lord of War and those Corpses of Law?"

Xu Qing laughed and said, "Has the Heavenly Maiden forgotten what I said before? My family is very wealthy and powerful. We have many immortals in our celestial hall and we eat the incense offered by the people every day. If we back down in the face of danger, I will not be at peace."

"Furthermore, didn't the Heavenly Maiden also risk her life to stand up for the world back then? Now that I am of the same kind as the Heavenly Maiden, I naturally cannot lose my integrity as a zombie!"

Zombie spirit?

Do zombies have this?
The female demon looked at the young man carrying the coffin in front of her, her eyes shining with a strange light, and said: "You are different from ordinary corpse monsters. Corpse monsters are bound by their bloodthirsty nature. Only corpse monsters with the potential of Kuiba have independent consciousness."

"What's even more remarkable is that you also have a good character."

Upon hearing Nüba's praise, Xu Qing's eyes lit up, and he immediately revealed his true colors, asking, "Has the Heavenly Maiden ever taken on any disciples?"

"No, why are you asking that?"

Xu Qing said expectantly, "The Heavenly Maiden's cultivation is similar to mine. If the Heavenly Maiden senior does not mind my dullness, I am willing to follow the Heavenly Maiden to learn the Way of the Drought Demon."

The female demon snorted softly, as if she had seen through Xu Qing's plan. She said, "I am penniless. Apart from this bronze coffin, all I have is the immortal robe you are wearing. I have no treasures to help you break through the drought demon's limit."

After a pause, Nüba continued, "Everything is about going with the flow. You don't necessarily have to learn from me and become a drought demon. When the opportunity comes, you can find the treasures of the water and wood elements and become a water demon. It's not impossible for you to become a hairy beast."

Mao Hou is the ruler of the mountains and forests, and is responsible for life. It is the most difficult path to pass through Kui Ba. The zombies who can reach this point are no less than the Hou that the goddess of Zhonghuang Temple once tried her best to eliminate.

That once unique Hou, belonging to both heaven and earth, was attained by the Mao Hou.

The progenitor of zombies, possessing a body capable of death and destruction, yet wielding the power of life in the world, would likely have attained a higher level of enlightenment by now, had it not later become so ferocious that it brought calamity to the Three Realms.

Xu Qing did not attribute this to the inherent nature of zombies, but rather to the fact that Hou had not taken any preventative measures in advance.

Zombies are easily influenced by the malevolent energy that grows in the world, but if they have merit and incense offerings to their name, and have faith and aspirations that specifically counteract malevolent energy to offset the costs of cultivation, they can solve the ultimate problem of zombie cultivation from the root.

With a scroll of the "Scripture of Salvation" in his left hand and a scroll of the "Scripture of Living People" in his right, Xu Qing possessed both the "Scripture of Life and Death" and the "Scripture of Life and Death," which were also treasures that could gather the faith and aspirations of the world. As long as he followed his heart and cultivated step by step, he naturally did not need to worry about the crises that might be encountered above the level of Kui Ba.

This is also why he insisted on establishing the Cat Immortal Hall when he met Xuan Yu.

If the cultivation of the Corpse Monster is destined to be a poison that constantly increases in toxicity, causing people to lose themselves, then the Cat Immortal Hall and the Baosheng Temple are its antidote.

Everything Xu Qing did was for the sake of the disciples of the three religions, and also for himself.

Nuba was unaware that Xu Qing had already found the methods for advancing to the level of Maohou and Shuiba, and even less aware that Xu Qing was incredibly audacious, daring to use the merits of the three religions to deal with the transformations of the three types of Kuiba, attempting to glimpse the realm beyond Kuiba.

Xu Qing remained silent, not uttering a single word about the Water Demon or the Hairy Hou.

Nuba shook her head helplessly and could only offer some advice: "I am injured and can only help you break the water magic of the Lord of War. As for how to subdue it..."

"It also depends on you."

Xu Qing asked in surprise, "The Heavenly Maiden is hiding in the Yin River, avoiding the calamity, so how could she be injured?"

"."

Nuba looked at Xu Qing with a deep, mysterious gaze.

It's all to protect a junior with a good heart.

"You just said you are the leader of the Great Luo Sect?"

Xu Qing nodded.

The celestial maiden truthfully recounted: "Previously, a mortal cultivator in Hengzhou single-handedly annihilated the Twin Ghosts of Impermanence. At that time, the Dharma Master's avatar sensed the changes in the Yin River and sent an avatar to descend, intending to eliminate that person."

"These injuries were sustained when I, Azure Dragon God, and the Mirage Ship Owner joined forces to stop the Dharma Lord."

"Afterwards, the owner of the mirage ship sent a golden man to search for me and Qinglong. I asked the golden man who dared to offend the Lord of the Nine Netherworlds?"

"It then claimed to be the leader of the Great Luo Sect."

"."

Xu Qing felt uneasy; he never expected that such a thing would happen when he was performing the ritual to deliver the two ghosts from the dead.

(End of this chapter)