The Star River Era! The Dimensional Freedom Demon

The first day of the second lunar month is the Zhongyang Festival.

On this day, a golden sun seemed to rise above the South China Sea, its radiance soaring from the coastal cliffs and spreading all the way to the heart of Hongdu.

Wherever it passed, golden clouds swirled in the sky, all things were bathed in its radiance, and exotic fragrances permeated the surrounding fields, spreading for miles like a jade flower descending to earth.

As the rosy clouds passed, all mortals looked up and held their breath, as if they were seeing celestial beings on patrol and auspicious clouds descending upon the mortal world.

Inside Ji Chen's newly built Cloud Dragon Hall, all the high-ranking priests and grandmasters changed color and rushed out of the hall.

"This humble Taoist priest, Yuanxu, greets you all."

The fragrant aroma made Zhang Jichang and the others' mouths water and their spirits lifted.

"The essence of Yin energy, the root of the Great Dao, the body of pure Yang!"

An elderly Taoist priest from the Shenxiao Sect, his hair and beard completely white, paled, utterly awestruck by the indescribably magnificent figure of the Taoist standing before the gate.

The newcomer wore a moon-white Taoist robe, embroidered with flowing cloud patterns in gold thread, which shone brightly. His long, black hair was casually draped over his shoulders, highlighting his well-defined, refined face.

His pupils, in particular, were clear and bright like glass, silently gazing down at everyone in the hall.

Although their gazes appeared peaceful and gentle, not a single person dared to look them directly in the eye.

After a brief silence, all the Daoists present bowed in unison:

"The Qi... of the Zhengyi Shenxiao Sect pays respects to the True Man."

"...Qingwei School... ...Greetings, Master."

"The Shangqing School... ...paying homage to the Master."

Ji Yuanxu gently lifted his right palm, without any unusual phenomena or fluctuations, yet the crowd seemed to be lifted by an invisible wind, and had no choice but to stand up.

"I am Yuanxu, and I have come here to oversee the compilation of the Yunlong Scripture. I hope that my fellow Daoists will assist me."

Upon hearing Ji Yuanxu's words, everyone exclaimed that they dared not, made way for him, and led him into the hall.

As Ji Yuanxu entered the Cloud Dragon Hall, the room gradually filled with fragrance, creating a magical atmosphere. A single breath from the fragrance would instantly dispel weariness and refresh the mind.

Those who were already in good condition felt even more at ease and their thoughts flowed more quickly and nimbly than usual when they stayed here.

The nine images and six seated postures are meant to imitate and mimic the form of the innate Dao body, bringing his physical form closer to the Dao.

When the mind is truly as one, it allows him to be as profound and real as the universe, unleashing his potential and enabling him to perceive the Dao of Heaven and Earth as naturally as breathing.

The Taiyi Pure Yang Breathing Method allows him to absorb the innate true Yang energy as the mother of the Golden Elixir, eliminating all the Yin turbidity in his body and connecting the Qian Yang.

His essence, energy, and spirit are all close to the Dao, his nature and life are in perfect harmony, and he has the innate talent of being one with his spirit. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a Dao child born of the blessings of heaven and earth and endowed with the yang energy.

The spirit within the fetus is one, transforming what is acquired into what is innate.

Getting closer to him is the shortcut!

Compared to this, even the purest and most refined state is considered inferior.

Zhang Jichang was momentarily distracted, and the veins on his hand holding the whisk bulged.

He looked at Ji Yuanxu in front of him, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts that even the Daoist aura surrounding the man in front of him couldn't suppress.

"A pure Yang body? More than that!"

Zhang Jichang was deeply shaken.

Throughout history, there has never been a single person who could remain untainted by worldly corruption and filth.

"Is this the foundation of King Wu's power? But can such a foundation truly be possessed by any mortal?"

Old Master Zhang sat down in the hall, somewhat lost in thought.

He still couldn't quite believe what he was seeing; everything he had seen in the past told him it was impossible.

but... ...

In the following days, after Ji Yuanxu took over the compilation of the Yunlong Sutra and demonstrated his miraculous ability to integrate and comprehend, he had no choice but to believe him.

In just three days, the workload was equivalent to what they had done in the past half month.

"This... this is simply a miracle!"

Qi Xuanli, the leader of the Shenxiao Sect, held the newly compiled scriptures and examined the meaning of each word. Even with his knowledge, he could not find any obvious flaws.

"Old Qi, have you finished reading? If you have, send it over quickly."

The other Taoist priests in the hall eagerly passed it around, as it was the culmination of their collective efforts.

Although it was only a first draft, the gaze was that of someone looking at their son.

"Incredible! With Master Yuanxu's help, we might actually be able to create a masterpiece that will be remembered for all time."

The Taoist's eyes flickered.

Before they arrived, none of them believed that they could create a masterpiece that could be relied upon for scientific research.

The Confucian classics are vast and numerous, all accumulated over thousands of years and the result of the hard work of countless sages, thus providing sufficient foundation to support the grand undertaking of the imperial examinations.

And the *Yunlong Jing*?

It might be possible to create an unparalleled martial arts masterpiece, but to expect it to spawn a vast collection of classics and philosophical works like the Tao Te Ching, the Book of Poetry, and the Analects, becoming a model for all martial arts in the world, is simply a pipe dream.

Until 'Ji Yuanxu' arrived.

"If it could truly be created, I'm afraid some of us would be able to list sages and saints."

Some people say this.

Immediately, everyone involuntarily looked at Ji Yuanxu, who was resting with his eyes closed.

If anyone could be ranked among the sages and worthies, this position would surely be theirs.

Ji Yuanxu opened his eyes and smiled:

"Don't look at me like that. Yuanxu dares not take credit for himself. When King Wu bestows rewards in the future, all of you virtuous and accomplished immortals will be recorded in history."

At this moment, Master Wang emerged from the corner, carefully choosing his words:

"Master, how far are you from ascension?"

"Ascension?"

Ji Yuanxu looked lost in thought.

After he perfected the three martial arts techniques and comprehended the technique [Qianyang Nine Tribulations Body] based on his own physique, he naturally felt an urge to 'fly'.

That is the impulse to break free from current constraints and elevate oneself.

Without his innate talent and cultivated physique, Ji Chen might have actually been able to help 'Ji Yuanxu' ascend to heaven, and perhaps even gain access to new world coordinates.

Unfortunately, ascension requires returning the sun and moon to the light and the void to the darkness, meaning one must not only return everything about oneself to this world.

We must also see through our attachment to appearances and return to some kind of essence.

The first condition alone stopped Ji Chen. After returning everything to this world, even if he swallowed the world, he would not be able to obtain Ji Yuanxu's current abilities.

This is similar to how even if you eat the sheep, you won't get the nutrients from the grass.

As for the second condition, he was also somewhat lacking.

He could barely see through the appearance of his own physical body. As for other things, with his current experience, women, food, money, and so on were basically obstacles for him.

Understanding the true nature of things is even more a distant prospect.

The most outstanding individuals in the world are merely candidates for ascension, not guaranteed admission.

and so.

"Ascension is not my wish; I only wish to remain in the mortal world."

Ji Yuanxu stood before the leader of the sect, his voice calm and detached, yet possessing an air of transcendence, resembling the demeanor of an immortal.

His act immediately commanded everyone's respect.

Master Wang curled his lip, feeling that this "real person" was just giving him the runaround.

Who in the world doesn't yearn to ascend to immortality?

Ji Yuanxu ignored him and called out to the others in the hall.

"King Wu once instructed that the first draft of the Cloud Dragon Scripture should reach 200,000 words. After further deletion and refinement, it was reduced to 10,000 words. Now it is only a little over 10,000 words. Fellow Daoists still need to work hard."

Compiling the Yunlong Sutra was of great significance to him.

The Cloud Dragon Scripture is forged in the furnace of a hundred scriptures, and at that time one will be qualified to climb to a higher realm of martial arts. When all the people of the Nine Provinces practice it, the path to the Nine Transformations of Qi and Blood will naturally be trodden out as more people walk it.

For him personally, the benefits are immeasurable.

In a more high-energy world, gathering so many powerful mages would be simply unthinkable.

By communicating with these highly skilled masters, he can learn from the strengths of various schools, integrate them, and refine his own martial arts system.

Although the compilation process did not involve extraordinary resources, what it yielded was the wisdom of the most outstanding predecessors.

This experience alone was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, bringing him countless intangible blessings.

That's why he was extremely enthusiastic about it.

The same applies to the other participants.

The rewards bestowed by the sect were the primary motivation that attracted them, but the rewards from participating in this massive project alone were enough to save them decades of arduous cultivation and enlightenment.