The Great Witch, Kunpeng, Ascending to Immortality

Chapter 444 The Great Witch, Kunpeng, Ascending to Immortality

Inside the cave at Wujian Cliff, time seemed to lose its measure.

Li Xijun's figure, sitting cross-legged, had remained silent before the sword mark for an unknown amount of time.

However, the atmosphere circulating in the cave was undergoing a dramatic transformation.

These three illusory images, representing the three fundamental elements of "Heaven, Earth, and Man," are no longer independent but begin to slowly merge.

An aura of majesty, far surpassing the Dharma Aspect level and exceeding that of ordinary Grandmasters, and having already firmly entered another dimension of life, slowly diffused from Li Xijun's body, like a sleeping giant beast beginning to breathe.

That is————

The oppressive power of the Dharmakaya realm!

Although it is not yet fully stable and is still in the critical process of integration and transformation, its essential sublimation and power are already clearly discernible.

At the entrance of the cave.

A knowing glint flashed in Ye Wuqing's eyes. He nodded slightly and murmured, "The realm of Dharma Body is merely a natural progression for him."

His tone was flat, as if he were stating a perfectly obvious fact, without the slightest surprise or astonishment.

The Fairy Jinghong also gazed at Li Xijun's figure undergoing fusion and transformation with her beautiful eyes. The last trace of disbelief in her heart caused by the speed of the other party's advancement vanished, replaced by a sense of "it should be so".

She nodded gently, agreeing with her master's judgment.

In their view, Li Xijun's ability to kill a veteran Arhat despite being a newcomer indicates that his foundation, comprehension, and the level of power he possesses have already surpassed the scope of ordinary Dharma Body advancement.

Now that the key to the sword of cause and effect has been completed, and the window paper leading to the Dharma body has been pierced, it is not a difficult hurdle at all, and there is no real threshold or difficulty to speak of.

Therefore, the master and apprentice lingered on Li Xijun for a moment, and after confirming that his promotion process was smooth and orderly without any danger, they both looked away.

the reason is simple.

Because, at the very moment that Li Xijun's Dharma body began to merge and exude the pressure of his Dharma body, the long-accumulated "Great Change of Heaven and Earth" in the entire Great Xia world finally erupted and officially began!

now,.

At that moment, all living beings around the world, whether martial artists or ordinary people, felt something, as if some invisible shackle that had always existed in their hearts, or some kind of "thin" or "scarce" state, was suddenly swept away and filled by a torrent!

To the east, the vast East China Sea.

Giant waves rose without wind, and beneath the sea surface, a faint, multicolored glow shone through. Countless rare and exotic fish and beasts leaped out of the water, inhaling and exhaling the spiritual energy in the air, which had suddenly become many times denser.

On the island, vegetation grows at a visible rate, and some ancient trees and vines even emit a shimmering, precious light.

The sword energy of the Jianmen Islands soared even higher, as if it had received endless nourishment, its sharpness piercing straight through the nine heavens.

The North, the vast and desolate northern desert.

In the perpetually harsh grasslands and deserts, the earth's spiritual energy suddenly rises from the ground, withered grasses come back to life, and patches of green spread at an astonishing speed.

Some ancient cairns and altars emanate a hazy glow, as if connecting to a long-dormant source. The sky becomes exceptionally high and clear, and the starlight seems several times brighter than usual.

The West, the endless Western Regions.

Amidst the yellow sand, clear springs gushed forth, converging into streams.

The ancient city ruins, buried by sandstorms year after year, reveal golden Sanskrit inscriptions or ancient Taoist patterns on some of the remains, resonating with the spiritual energy surging between heaven and earth. Occasionally, mirage-like celestial palaces even appear in the desert sky.

The South, the rugged southern frontier.

The Ten Thousand Mountains seemed to come alive; the miasma was neutralized and dispelled by the pure spiritual energy, revealing an even more lush and beautiful mountain body.

Countless venomous insects and strange beasts let out joyful or intimidating cries, their aura rising steadily.

Deep in the mountains, some hidden caves that had long been deemed devoid of spiritual energy began to ripple with the power of the restrictions once more.

The Central Plains, the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Rivers flow faster, their water vapor imbued with spiritual energy; mountains appear even more majestic and imposing, their earth energy rising; even in ordinary cities and towns, the air becomes fresh and pleasant, the chronically ill feel their breathing become easier, and the weak feel their spirits lifted.

This change was not gentle and gradual, but rather like a dam that had been building up for millennia bursting, with spiritual energy surging like a tidal wave and instantly sweeping across every corner of the world!

For martial artists, this feeling is particularly profound:

The Qi Accumulation Realm martial artists at the lower levels were pleasantly surprised to find that the internal energy they usually struggled to cultivate was now flowing like a stream, and their cultivation speed suddenly increased several times!

They vaguely felt that there seemed to be some kind of "sweet rain" between heaven and earth, which nourished their parched meridians and made their practice incredibly smooth.

Those at the Enlightenment Realm, especially the geniuses ranked on the Human Ranking, have even more acute senses.

They found that the barrier between themselves and nature had thinned, and that it was easier than ever to perceive the forces of nature such as wind, fire, thunder, and lightning.

Many geniuses who had been stuck at a certain level for a long time suddenly had a flash of inspiration and gained a clear understanding, taking a solid step towards the realm of "communication between man and nature" or even "unity of man and nature", and their confidence increased.

When we arrived at the outdoor scene, the feeling was beyond "smooth"; it was a complete transformation!

They are like people who have lived on the high plateau for many years and suddenly come to the plains, their every breath filled with power.

The speed of the circulation of true essence within the body surged dramatically, and the efficiency of interaction with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth increased exponentially.

A martial artist at the first level of the Outer Realm who could originally only draw upon the power of heaven and earth within a few dozen or a hundred feet around their body can now, with a slight thought, draw upon the spiritual energy within a range of hundreds of feet. When unleashing an Outer Realm killing move, its power is more than doubled.

The resulting celestial phenomena were even more vast and solid, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression.

The most obvious change is the absolute nature of the power gap.

Before this, an ordinary martial artist at the first level of the Outer Realm could be ambushed by a group of top-tier martial arts masters who were well-coordinated and had reached the peak of the Qi Opening Realm. If there were enough of them, the martial artist might be caught off guard and lose.

But now... no matter how many people are at the Enlightenment Realm, even if everyone cultivates the five supreme divine skills, they are like ants trying to shake a mountain in the face of the tangible surge of spiritual energy in the world stirred up by the Outer Realm experts. They can't even get close before being crushed by the overwhelming power of heaven and earth.

The chasm between realms was magnified to a despairing degree by the suddenly enriched environment of heaven and earth.

Many powerful cultivators from the Outer Realm who had previously had to endure and yield in the counties and prefectures due to the large number of powerful local families or the deeply entrenched influence of sects, now felt the seemingly inexhaustible power surging within them and the immense aura generated by their every move. The pent-up frustration and caution in their hearts were instantly dispelled, replaced by strong confidence and fighting spirit.

Some of the previously cautious outdoor scenes have begun to gleam with ambition.

Those who have reached the level of a Dharma Master have a deeper understanding of this.

They clearly felt that they had previously been in a "low-pressure area" or "shallow waters," where the Dharma manifestations...

When one tries to influence the heavens and earth, there is always an invisible constraint and stagnation, making it difficult to fully unleash its power.

At this moment, the "water level" of heaven and earth surged, the "pressure" returned to normal or even overloaded, and that feeling of restraint suddenly disappeared!

With a thought, their own Dharma forms manifested, and they immediately felt their connection with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth become ten or a hundred times stronger!

The Dharma form became more solid and enormous, and the power it contained increased immeasurably.

With a wave of his hand, the wind and clouds changed color, the earth shook, and a sense of pride and ambition arose spontaneously, that "one man's strength can rival ten thousand troops" and "one can tread on mountains and rivers and rule over a region".

Many renowned Dharma masters, especially those residing in border or remote areas, gazed at the vast land with gleaming eyes, and the thought of carving out their own territory and establishing themselves as kings rose uncontrollably in their hearts.

Grandmasters, as the true high-end combat force in this world, undergo even more astonishing changes.

Deep within the imperial palace of the Great Xia capital.

A clear, melodious cry, like the call of a phoenix, rang out, and a blazing, noble crimson light shot into the sky, illuminating half the sky as if it were a fiery sunset.

Amidst the light, a colossal divine bird form stretched out its body, its shape resembling a phoenix, its color like flames, its tail feathers long and brilliant, burning with the inextinguishable Southern Bright Fire—it was none other than the Vermilion Bird Venerable's Vermilion Bird form!

The Vermilion Bird's Dharma form at this moment is many times larger than before.

Its wings spread out as if they could cover the entire imperial city, each feather as clear as if it were cast from real divine iron, flowing with the patterns of the Great Dao.

She merely stretched herself, and the fire-attribute spiritual energy she unleashed was like a vast ocean surging and roaring, with waves of heat sweeping across the land, yet it was precisely controlled above the palace, demonstrating her meticulous mastery.

Mu Wanqiu felt as if she had been relieved of an immense burden. The power she mobilized with every move was boundless. What made her even more swayed was that the lifespan limit that was originally clear and would come hundreds of years later had become blurry and distant. Under the nourishment of the surging spiritual energy, her vitality was growing and extending at a speed that could be clearly perceived!

"Hey——!"

Another deep, resonant roar, like the rumble of the earth yet carrying the force of a rushing river, rang out.

On the other side of the palace, a deep blue light permeated the air, and water vapor gathered into clouds, which then transformed into the phantom of towering waves.

A giant Xuan Turtle, its body as large as a mountain and a combination of a tortoise and a snake, raises its head to the sky. The mysterious patterns on its shell shimmer with an eerie light, and as its snake head breathes in and out, it draws upon the waters of the heavens.

The Xuanwu Venerable's Xuanwu Dharma form appeared, its power in no way inferior to that of the Vermilion Bird.

With a slight thought, Su Manniang, guided by her Dharma image, actually created a ten-thousand-foot-long river, condensed from pure water-attribute spiritual energy, that was as solid as a physical object, in the sky above the capital!

The river was not real, yet it exuded a powerful aura of water element and immense pressure, like the Milky Way cascading down from the heavens, hanging above the capital city, a truly awe-inspiring sight!

"A divine beast! A divine beast has appeared!"

"Xuanwu! It's the divine beast Xuanwu protecting us!"

In the capital, countless people looked up and saw this scene that seemed like a myth come to life. Shocked, they knelt down and prayed devoutly, their hearts filled with fear and awe.

Inside the palace, Mu Wanqiu, having toned down some of the power of her divine form, looked helplessly in the direction where Su Manniang had manifested her divine form, and transmitted her thoughts: "Alright, put away the divine form. The pressure is too strong; don't frighten the people of the capital."

The voice of Venerable Xuanwu carried a hint of coldness and composure, transmitted through divine sense: "My display of power is not merely for stretching my muscles. Haven't you noticed that since the beginning of this great upheaval, undercurrents have been surging throughout the capital, and people's hearts are restless? Many have been blinded by the sudden surge of power, and have harbored unwarranted thoughts of probing."

She paused, then continued, "Nowadays, the strength of martial artists has generally increased dramatically, but precisely because of this, the gap between realms is even more like an insurmountable chasm! For a Grandmaster like me, crushing a Dharma Aspect Grandmaster would be much easier than before."

"The purpose of displaying our strength now is to show those with ulterior motives that even though His Majesty has not yet returned to the capital, the central government of Great Xia still has you and me in charge, and no overstepping of our authority will be tolerated!"

"Look, isn't the capital city much quieter and more orderly right now?"

As soon as Venerable Suzaku Mu Wanqiu swept her divine sense across the city, she found that the subtle restlessness and probing aura that had been present in various parts of the capital had mostly subsided, and were even filled with fear and lingering apprehension.

She nodded slightly, agreeing with Su Manniang's approach, but the worry between her brows did not disappear.

Her gaze seemed to pierce through the palace walls, looking across the vast territory of the Great Xia Dynasty, and even the entire world. She sighed softly, "It's easy to intimidate the capital, but in this world—with the revival of spiritual energy, the law of strength as the supreme authority will be amplified infinitely. I wonder how many powerful figures will develop ambitions because of this, and how many balances will be broken. I only worry that war will break out again, and countless lives will be lost."

A hint of longing and worry flickered in her eyes: "Moreover—Qinghan suddenly left without saying goodbye some time ago, leaving only a vague letter saying that she sensed a call from the West that resonated with her bloodline—and there has been no news of her since. How can I, as her master, be at ease? And now, with this upheaval in the world—"

Mu Wanqiu's tone lowered: "Xi Jun—it would be best if you returned soon. Although the world has changed drastically, the strength of those long-established Dharma Bodies has probably grown to an unimaginable level, and Your Majesty may find it difficult to regain the title of 'Number One Under Heaven.'"

"But he is ultimately the supreme being of the Dharma Body, and the king of our Great Xia. Only with him in charge of the central government can the people's hearts be truly at ease and the villains in all directions be deterred."

As the two women were talking, the changes in the world began to spread to those who were truly at the pinnacle of the world.

Deep in the northern grasslands.

A man with a weathered face, holding a seemingly rough and dark giant axe, stood quietly in front of a lonely ovoo.

He made no move to exert his power or manifest any unusual phenomena, but as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged in, his very existence began to undergo a terrifying change.

In the eyes of many martial artists whose confidence had swelled due to their sudden increase in strength and who couldn't help but spread their senses in all directions, the figure of this grassland man had not changed, but his life essence, his aura, and the "weight" of his existence were expanding at an astonishing speed.

Like a sponge thrown into water, it frantically absorbs water and its volume increases dramatically!

In the perception of some newly enlightened and spirited Dharma Aspect Masters, he seemed to have transformed into a giant hundreds of feet tall, towering to the heavens and earth, exuding a wild and ancient aura.

In the perception of a newly emerged powerhouse who, due to the dramatic changes in the world and by chance, broke through to the seventh level of the Outer Realm and considered himself to be a top-tier existence below the Grandmaster, that figure swelled to thousands and tens of thousands of feet!

That was no longer a "person", but a great shaman who filled the field of vision, stood on the ground, reached the sky, and was filled with primordial blood and energy, as if he came from the ancient mythological era!

The terrifying sense of oppression instantly froze his ambition, which had just risen due to the breakthrough. He fell to his knees with a thud, drenched in cold sweat, not daring to even lift his head.

Ultimately, it's not just about perception.

A truly extraordinary phenomenon has manifested in the northern desert sky!

A colossal phantom of a prehistoric giant, tens of thousands of feet tall, with muscles bulging like dragons, draped in animal skins and wielding a giant axe, appeared towering over the northern grasslands!

The giant axe phantom moved slightly, as if it could cleave the continent and tear apart the sky!

That pure, extreme aura of power and blood swept across thousands of miles of the north, causing all the martial artists who witnessed this scene to be shaken to their core, and the whole world to be in an uproar!

East, the Feathered Gate.

The changes were equally earth-shattering.

First, the disciples of the Feathered Ascension Sect sensed something and all looked up at the sky.

A clear, high-pitched cry, seemingly able to pierce through the heavens and containing boundless freedom and transcendence, rang out from the deepest secret realm of the Feathered Gate, instantly spreading throughout half the world!

The light from all corners of the world was once again involuntarily drawn towards the East China Sea.

Above the Feathered Gate Mountains, the sea of ​​clouds surged, and countless illusory spirit birds, radiating pure white light and resembling cranes yet even more mystical, flew out from all parts of the mountains as if returning to their nests, converging in the sky.

They gathered more and more, densely packed, and eventually intertwined and merged, transforming into a gigantic bird of unimaginable size, whose wingspan was enough to cover the mountains and even the sky and the sun!

The great bird was pure white, radiating celestial light. Each feather seemed to be formed from the purest spiritual energy and Dao patterns, and its eyes, when they opened and closed, seemed to hold the birth and death of the universe.

All living beings in the world look up at it and cannot help but have the illusion that if this great bird were to flap its wings and inhale, it could probably swallow even the sun hanging in the middle of the sky!

The next moment, the great bird raised its head and let out a long cry that shook the world.

Its sudden flapping of wings was not an attack, but a gesture of breaking free from constraints and embracing freedom!

"call-!!!"

An indescribable, terrifying gale swept across the heavens and earth with this gust, but this wind was not destructive; rather, it carried a cleansing and sublimating quality.

Under the gaze of countless astonished eyes, the pure white phantom of the divine bird that blotted out the sun transformed into a stream of light that reached the heavens and the earth, soaring into the sky and instantly breaking through the barrier of the world, rushing into the boundless blue sky beyond!

Then, against the backdrop of the higher and more vast starry sky, the shape of the flowing light changed once again.

It was no longer a large bird, but transformed into a colossal Kun, so enormous that it seemed to be able to encircle the stars and roam the sea of ​​stars!

The giant Kun swung its tail among the stars, stirring up the Milky Way. It opened its mouth as if it could devour the entire star field and actually swallowed a flowing ribbon of starlight from afar!

The whole process was filled with an indescribable sense of freedom and ease, as well as a feeling of "fish leaping freely in the vast sea and birds flying freely in the high sky," finally breaking free from constraints and enjoying great freedom—a feeling of ascending to immortality!

The world was shaken! The Daoist heart wavered!

And at that very moment, hum!

A familiar and majestic fluctuation erupted once again, without warning, from the very depths of the world's origin!

A dazzling golden pillar of light, imbued with the aura of supreme laws, pierced through all the strange phenomena and the surge of spiritual energy. Rising from the unknown, it once again reigned supreme over the world's sky, spreading the boundless golden canopy before the eyes and into the minds of every living being.

The Book of Mortals has revealed its divine power once more!