3: The origin of the divine body

"Heaven And Earth Treasure..."

Thinking of something, Li Jiangchen took out the Golden Antler from his embrace. Strands of Geng Metal Qi wrapped around his fingertips, turning his palm golden.

Heaven And Earth Treasure often grows in deep mountains and old forests. This antler of a Yang Deer barely counts as a Ninth-Grade Heaven And Earth Treasure of the lowest quality.

The original owner had once stolen a Body Refining Incomplete Manual from the Divine General Mansion called the Giant Spirit Gang Yuan Body.

This Cultivation Technique was a martial art passed down by the First Generation Divine General of the Giant Spirit Divine General Manor. It is divided into Twelve Layers. Once mastered, the body is surrounded by Giant Spirit Astral Force, making it indestructible through all calamities.

However, it is extremely difficult to start. Initially, it requires a strength of 100,000 Catties of Qi. Besides the Qi requirement, each layer also requires refining Heaven And Earth Treasure to temper the body.

For several generations, no one in the Giant Spirit Divine General Manor has been able to start practicing it.

This Body Refining martial art was thus thrown into a corner of the Scripture Pavilion to collect dust; otherwise, the original owner would not have been able to secretly copy a three-layer Incomplete Manual.

The original owner intended to find Heaven And Earth Treasure and attempt to Cultivate the Giant Spirit Gang Yuan Body.

"The prerequisite for entry is 100,000 Catties of strength. No wonder even the Giant Spirit Divine General Manor struggles to find anyone who can start... However, I have found a way to Breakthrough to the Xiantian Realm."

According to the book's description, even without a Xiantian Cultivation Technique to refine Xiantian Qi, one can rely on the slow process of time to gradually accumulate a trace of Xiantian Qi.

For Li Jiangchen, to Breakthrough to the Xiantian Realm, he only needed to slay one more Demon and obtain Demon cultivation.

"In this world, the one thing that is not lacking is Demons..."

Li Jiangchen continued flipping through the books, and his brow twitched when he read a Detailed Discussion on the Meridian Opening Realm.

"The human body is born with twenty visible meridians, while the number of dark meridians is unknown."

"The more meridians opened, the higher the quality of the Xiantian Qi refined. By utilizing Heaven And Earth Treasure and Special Methods, one can Cultivate a Special Physique."

"Ancient records state that opening thirty-six meridians allows one to condense a Dharma Body."

"Opening seventy-two meridians allows one to condense a Spirit Body."

"Those who open over one hundred meridians can condense a Divine Body, allowing the Bloodline to be passed down through generations."

"In that case, the First Generation Divine General must have been someone who opened over one hundred meridians and condensed the Giant Spirit Divine Body."

Li Jiangchen closed the book, his chest rising and falling, a thought surfacing in his mind.

"Slaying Demons to obtain Demon cultivation... Even without a Secret Manual for opening dark meridians, I can rely on the slow grind of time to attempt to open the dark meridians within my body."

The more meridians opened, the purer the Xiantian Qi, the higher the combat power, and the greater the benefits for the Dao path of subsequent Realms.

What if I haven't Awakened the Giant Spirit Bloodline?

He could forge his own unique Divine Body, pass his Bloodline down to future generations, and establish a Divine General Mansion.

The next day, dawn was breaking.

Inside the Demon Suppression Division.

The Demon Suppression Bell hanging on the rope suddenly rang, startling Shen Luo and Shen Honglian.

"The Demon Suppression Bell is ringing, another Demon is causing trouble.

The needle points southwest, and thirty miles southwest there is only one place: Daoxiang Village..." Shen Luo's face was grim. "Honglian, hurry up. Maybe we can still save some villagers."

"Brother, should we notify Lord Li?"

Shen Honglian hesitated.

Since Li Jiangchen was parachuted in several months ago, the Demon Suppression Bell has rung several times, but he ignored it every time.

"Forget it. If he intended to kill Demons, he wouldn't have waited until today," Shen Luo immediately refused.

Just as the two were about to leave, a horse neigh entered the courtyard, revealing a person's figure.

Li Jiangchen was clad in mysterious armor, holding a Hundred Refinements Sword, riding a Green-Headed Red-Maned Horse. He frowned at the two and said, "What are you waiting for? Quickly mount up and follow me to slay the Demon."

...Southwest outside the city, three fine horses galloped rapidly along the official road.

Shen Luo looked at the figure ahead, his mind filled with thousands of thoughts.

'Could it be true, as Honglian said, that Lord Li was merely pretending before...'

'I'll wait and see...'

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a village appeared before their eyes.

What met their eyes were large fields of golden rice, but no farmers stood at the field edges. Instead, there was an intense smell of blood.

"The blood on the ground hasn't congealed yet. The Demon... is still here."

Bang—

The wooden door shattered, and Li Jiangchen followed the blood trail to the village Ancestral Hall.

The smell of blood was strongest here, and shattered human remains were visible everywhere.

A strong gust of wind blew past, and a human head rolled out from inside the Ancestral Hall, its face distorted and its eyes filled with terror.

This horrifying scene made even Shen Honglian, who had witnessed such sights before, feel stomach acid surge and a wave of nausea.

Li Jiangchen's face was ashen as he walked toward the Ancestral Hall ahead.

The Ancestral Hall door was already broken, and the memorial tablets worshipped by the villagers were scattered across the ground. Along with the thick, ink-like smell of blood, there were rustling sounds of chewing.

"Demon Suppression Division... Heh heh, just in time. A few supplements have arrived to nourish my wife."

A pair of eerie green compound eyes appeared inside the dim Ancestral Hall, and a Praying Mantis Demon, entirely emerald green and about ten feet long, crawled out.

The moment they met, the Praying Mantis Demon raised its forelimbs, which resembled swords, slicing an arc through the air, as if it had already foreseen the scene of the person before it being disemboweled, just like the villagers before.

Sword light struck. Li Jiangchen stomped his foot, drew the long sword from his waist, and the blade clashed with the Praying Mantis Demon's forelimb, sending sparks flying.

20,000 Catties of strength erupted. The powerful force transmitted through the sword caused the Praying Mantis Demon's forelimb to tremble uncontrollably.

"Meridian Opening Realm Peak!"

The Praying Mantis Demon secretly cried out that things were bad. Just as it was about to retreat into the Ancestral Hall, a Bloody Palm Print appeared before its eyes, constantly magnifying within its eerie green compound eyes.

Bang—

The palm print landed, forcibly pressing the Praying Mantis Demon's triangular head into its abdominal cavity, immediately followed by the powerful force crushing it into a lump of meat paste. Foul, dark green blood seeped into the ground.

[Slew 1 Enlightened Praying Mantis Demon, gained 450 Years of Demon cultivation.]

"I got a bit heated and didn't realize I used too much force, wasting a lot of Demon blood." Li Jiangchen glanced briefly and stepped past it.

Behind him, Shen Luo was already dumbfounded.

The profoundness of that earlier palm strike surpassed his understanding; in his memory, only the Lord Captain could compare.

Crucially, the Lord Captain was a Xiantian Realm expert!

On the other side, Li Jiangchen stepped into the Ancestral Hall.

What met his eyes was a fat Praying Mantis Demon chewing on human bones with remnants of flesh attached. It continuously expelled white, transparent, fist-sized Insect Eggs from its tail, which were stacked like a small tower in the corners and on the rafters.

"Husband, boohoo~ You killed my husband..." The Female Praying Mantis Demon wailed, yet continued chewing on the human bones. Its sharp forelimbs suddenly trembled, and two Crescent Moon Sword Lights fiercely attacked.

Seeing this, Li Jiangchen circulated the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada Movement Technique, channeling Qi throughout his body, and executed a defensive sword move from the Thirty-Six Demon Slaying Swords. Thick sword light protected his entire body.

In an instant, the sword lights clashed. Accompanied by a crisp shattering sound, half of the Hundred Refinements Sword fell to the ground.

This female mantis was actually stronger!

The Female Praying Mantis Demon straightened up, revealing its fat abdomen, and let out a Demonic Sound: "This Demon will tear you to shreds, eat you, and turn you into nourishment for my children."

As its forelimbs trembled and the sword light solidified, an incomparably powerful Bloody Palm Print blasted out from Li Jiangchen's palm, and the immense force instantly shattered its skull, sending brain matter splashing.

'This power—it wasn't a waste to consume Thirty Years of Demon cultivation to refine another trace of Xiantian Qi.' Li Jiangchen let out a long breath.

"Come in and move the corpses!"

Shen Luo and the other person entered the Ancestral Hall, forcing down their nausea as they began tying ropes and moving the Demon corpses.

"These Insect Eggs are good things. They contain Life Essence and are great supplements. Take them all."

"Yes, Lord."

The two were completely won over by Li Jiangchen's thunderous methods and were now utterly respectful.

Li Jiangchen's gaze fell upon the panel.

Besides the Demon cultivation he had just gained, a martial art had appeared on it.

[Xiantian. Flying Mantis Spirit Slaying Sword (Transcendent)]