Divine Tang Era

The food in the martial arts school's canteen was indeed quite good, with both meat and vegetables, as well as a soup made from demon beast bones and medicinal herbs, specifically for nourishing the disciples' bodies. Disciples could eat this kind of food once a day. If they wanted more, they had to pay.

This is just the worst food at the martial arts school; there are even meals made with monster meat.

Of course, those were only for senior sword-wielding disciples and the head of the academy. Disciples like Gongliang, who were just beginning their training and still honing their skills, had no chance to taste them.

After the meal, Lu Shizong took Xu Dan to the pharmacy to get a pot of medicinal soup packaged in bamboo tubes.

As a novice disciple, he receives one pot of medicine each day. But if he wants more, he has to pay extra. Besides the medicinal soup, the pharmacy also sells more portable and potent pills. These require additional payment.

However, Xu Dan's body no longer needs any supplements, so eating more won't help.

The reason he took the herbal decoction was to avoid being out of place and to prevent others from noticing his uniqueness.

If people knew he grew up drinking earth's milk and dragon's blood, they'd probably treat him like a piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh, ready to devour him alive. So, it's best to be low-key. Some things can be shown off, but others must be kept hidden, lest you die without even knowing how you died.

At night, Xu Dan sat on the edge of his bed, flipping through his notes by candlelight.

"During the reign of Emperor Taizong, the Kingdom of Nepal presented a type of safflower, similar to safflower. When cooked over a fire, it enhances the flavor of food."

The notes weren't systematically categorized; they were written down entirely as thoughts came to mind. This is precisely what piqued Xu Dan's interest. The unknown is what makes them so captivating. Knowing the main point diminishes interest.

Bolingcai, Bo means Persia and Leng means rhombus, so it means rhombus-shaped vegetable from Persia.

Even now, the Minnan region is still called by this name.

Over the course of a thousand years, some things may have changed, but others have become ingrained in our very being.

Xu Dan continued reading, and the book stated: "In the former site of the Beiting Protectorate, there is a mound foundation, which the locals call the Broken City. Ancient coins and bronze artifacts are often found there, especially bronze Buddhas of various sizes. Recently, profiteers have set up shacks there to dig and sell them, but the supply is inexhaustible. Lang Qing returned with several bronze Buddhas, all of which were recently unearthed."

I request one, about two inches high and two-tenths of an inch thick, in the shape of Weituo.

Below is a lotus-shaped base with four holes, all of which are through. Below this is a round pillar, resembling the top pillar of a crown, presumably for mounting. Behind the Buddha's head is a bronze nose with a straight hole, presumably for fastening. There is also a bronze dagger, about seven inches long, with a green, raised surface like emerald, almost half a inch thick, remarkably beautiful. All are antique artifacts.

I never expected there would be records of digging for treasure. This book is getting more and more interesting. I'll continue reading.

"A salt merchant from Chuzhou suffered from a strange ailment, feeling a tightness in his chest and diaphragm."

After a while, it was discovered that a tiny person was hiding in the diaphragm, capable of speaking, but only the patient could hear it; others could not. If the tiny person said what they wanted to eat, they had to be given it. If food was offered, and the tiny person said they didn't want it, the patient couldn't swallow. The patient suffered greatly, and all treatments were ineffective. Hearing of a skilled doctor, the patient invited him to treat the patient. The doctor instructed the patient to take dozens of large spider webs, layer them, and stick them to the chest and back, while also applying medicine.

Soon after, the little man inside was bound very tightly, and the spider web gradually seeped into his skin.

The physician said, "If this little person can be born, it will be a great treasure." When the patient felt unbearable abdominal distension, medicine was administered to dissolve it. After it was dissolved, the body was gone, leaving only the head, about an inch long, resembling a beautiful young child.

Upon seeing this, Xu Dan thought to himself: This Divine Tang Dynasty is indeed not the Tang Dynasty I read about in my history books; all sorts of strange and unusual things happen here.

Indeed, even ghosts, monsters, cultivators, and martial artists have appeared. Anyone who still thinks this is the Tang Dynasty from history books is a fool.

Flipping through his notes, Xu Dan inexplicably recalled the demon-slaying fist intent that he had witnessed today with his double pupils.

That deity, though clearly visualized by him, seemed to come alive with every movement. Meanwhile, all he could visualize was a newly fused, still very rough and blurry body; no wonder he couldn't unleash the Demon-Slaying Fist.

Thinking of this, Xu Dan put down his book, sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and meditated.

In an instant, a giant behemoth, standing tall and upright, with its feet planted on the sun and moon, its hair flowing in smooth golden silk, possessing the powerful body of a golden behemoth and a titan ape, and with the invincible will of Sun Wukong treading the heavens, appeared in his mind. It clenched its fists, faced the sky, and let out an indomitable roar.

Xu Dan frowned as he looked at the Vajra Behemoth.

Its appearance is still a bit lacking, making people feel like it's a wild beast that crawled out of a barbaric world. It is fierce, but not majestic or domineering at all.

After thinking for a while, he imagined and had King Kong Behemoth put on Sun Wukong's golden chainmail armor, lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes, wear the supreme crown, and wield a wild double-sided giant axe.

Wearing this outfit instantly transformed her image.

The demon-subduing fist intent he contemplates today still features a coat of fluffy golden hair, and four enormous, interlocking fangs in his mouth exude an untamed ferocity and wildness. His body, a fusion of Titan ape and golden behemoth, is clad in golden armor. He possesses both majesty and a raw, primal power.

At this moment, a new King Kong Behemoth appeared. No, perhaps calling him King Kong Behemoth is inappropriate; he should be called King Behemoth.

No, "King of Behemoths" won't do; he should be called the Great Behemoth. Yes, there's no more fitting title.

As the visualization deepened, the image of Behemoth became more and more vivid, and his hair and armor became more and more realistic.

Suddenly, Behemoth opened his eyes, holding a double-edged axe, looked up at the sky, and roared with unyielding, unwilling, and fearless rage: I want this sky to no longer obscure my vision; I want this earth to no longer bury my heart; I want all living beings to understand my will; I want all gods and Buddhas to vanish into thin air!

That person is Behemoth the Great.

This is also the demon-slaying fist intent that Xu Dan wanted.

The reason he didn't choose to imagine the image of Sun Wukong from the TV series was because that image was too thin and too kind.

Even later, when he emerged from under the Five Finger Mountain, he gave off an air of worldliness, shrewdness, and obsequiousness, which was not the image he liked.

What he admires is the unruly Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who dares to shatter the heavens even when facing countless gods.

After a while, the image of Behemoth became increasingly vivid, as if it had come to life. Xu Dan's heart stirred, and he went downstairs and began practicing boxing in the courtyard. Each punch was as fast as lightning, as swift as thunder, like a hawk darting through the forest, or a lion catching a rabbit.

Above his head, in the void, the imagined Behemoth Emperor swung his double-edged axe with brute force, following his movements.

Finally, Xu Dan threw a punch, and Behemoth roared as it swung down its giant axe. In an instant, the two became one, their intentions and strengths harmonizing, their minds following each other. Hands, feet, elbows, knees, and hips—the six parts, internal and external, were perfectly integrated and unified, forming a harmonious whole.

"boom"

A loud bang.

The fist struck the wall, shattering the thick wall with a single blow.

"Wow, how am I so amazing? I can even punch from a distance." Xu Dan looked at his fist, then at the shattered bricks on the ground, his face full of disbelief.

"Young master, is that you?" came Yun Niang's weak voice from behind, she must have been frightened.

"It's me," Xu Dan replied.

Are you alright?

"I'm fine. I accidentally knocked down the wall while practicing my boxing. Go to sleep! We'll find someone to fix it tomorrow."

"Okay, then you should go to sleep early too. Don't hit the wall anymore, it's scary," Yun Niang instructed before going back to her room to sleep.

Xu Dan looked at the wall with a large gap, shook his head, took out some talisman powder from his storage bag and sprinkled it on the ground. He then moved tables and chairs out of the inn to block the gap, and pasted talisman paper on it to prevent ghosts from floating in at night, which would be no fun.

Only after everything was taken care of did he go back to his room to sleep.