49: Ultimate Meridian Path

“This item is still the most useful.”

Li Jiangchen inhaled with his palm, and the heavy water bead dropped into his hand.

Both Ancient Demons were at the Demon Lord level, and Ancient Demons are among the Hundred Ancient Demons, possessing cunning methods.

To avoid complications from a prolonged situation, he immediately activated his two Domain Divine Abilities and fused them for suppression.

Judging by the current result, the effect was even better than expected.

Li Jiangchen looked at the panel.

Previously, after opening the acupoints and dark meridians, he only had over a thousand years of Demon cultivation remaining, but this time it had surged to twelve thousand two hundred years.

In addition, he obtained a Peerless Grade Dao method.

[Reincarnation Birth (Peerless Grade): Condense a sub-soul, parasitize Reincarnation; if the sub-soul is immortal, the main soul is imperishable.]

“If the sub-soul is immortal... the main soul is imperishable...”

Li Jiangchen frowned slightly.

“Could it be that those two Ancient Demons just now were only sub-souls...”

Just as he was about to ask Ancient Spirit, he saw Ancient Spirit open her cherry lips and suddenly inhale, causing two illusory demon soul figures to float out of the remaining corpses and enter her abdomen.

Immediately, wisps of the qi of life and death emerged from Ancient Spirit's body, wrapping her in a grayish-white giant cocoon.

“Falling into a transformation through slumber...”

In his perception, Ancient Spirit's soul fluctuations entered a mysterious state, and the aura within the cocoon steadily increased.

Li Jiangchen simply opened the Demon Nation, absorbed her into his palm, and glanced at the two remaining corpses.

These two Ancient Demons had possessed Biyou Palace Disciples, and judging by their attire, they seemed to be at the level of Personal Disciples.

“What is that...”

A greenish-white Jade Slip was revealed in the bloodstain, emitting a faint glow.

Li Jiangchen retrieved it, infused his spiritual sense, and immediately countless text messages flooded his mind.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, a hint of joy flashing in their depths.

“The Four Heavenly Absolutes of Chaos. Biyou Palace's sect-guarding martial art.”

The Four Heavenly Absolutes of Chaos are divided into four absolutes: Palm, Sword, Fist, and Finger.

Each one is a Quenching Fiend Realm martial art.

But if one Cultivates the four martial arts to an advanced level, using one of them to command the other three absolutes, it can transform into a God Observation Realm level Move.

For example, the contemporary Biyou Palace Master, Palace Master's True Name, used the palm technique to absorb the other three absolutes, forming the Chaos Palm.

“The enemies are getting stronger, at the very least reaching the Demon Lord level. The Chan Meditation Sword Technique is gradually falling behind, and this sword technique happens to compensate for the power of my Moves.”

Li Jiangchen wiped the bloodstains off the Jade Slip and immediately returned to the team.

At this moment, the Biyou Palace Disciples and Elders were all suppressed, the palace on the mountaintop was engulfed in fierce flames, and the Dao Palace was reduced to ashes.

Thus, the matter of the Ancient Demon turmoil came to an end.

The next day.

Demon Suppression Division.

A mysterious armor Personal Guard held a silver tray, upon which lay a neatly folded set of tiger-faced green armor.

This was the standard mysterious armor that only a Deputy General was allowed to wear.

“If Lord Li hadn't intervened yesterday to suppress the Biyou Palace Elders, those Ancient Demons would have nearly escaped,” the Personal Guard said with a chuckle. “According to regulations, Lord Li's Merit Points are not only enough for promotion to Deputy General, but there is still plenty left over.

They can be exchanged for Secret Manuals or Magical Artifacts.”

Li Jiangchen took the silver waist token next to the mysterious armor, nodded, and said, “Please exchange all the remaining Merit Points for Artifact Refining Materials.”

With the heavy water bead in hand, he increasingly felt that the demon slaying sword, which was only a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, could not keep up with his strength.

Fortunately, the River God was stationed in the Demon Nation, and using the Water Refinement method, it wouldn't be difficult to upgrade the demon slaying sword to the High Grade level.

The Demon Suppression Division was extremely efficient; the Artifact Refining Materials were delivered half an hour later.

Fire Essence, Wood Marrow, Refined Gold... As the Demon Nation expanded, massive amounts of Artifact Refining spirit Materials were swallowed by the Willow Tree Demon, while the River God manipulated incantations, slowly integrating the Artifact Refining essence into the demon slaying sword.

Li Jiangchen, meanwhile, began checking the panel.

His gaze focused on the Demon cultivation, and suddenly the text on the panel changed.

[Do you wish to consume ten thousand years of Demon cultivation to refine one Demon Essence.]

“Demon Essence?”

Li Jiangchen was slightly surprised.

He originally thought Demon cultivation could only be used for Cultivation, but he didn't expect it to have other uses.

Spiritual sense surged in, and he immediately understood the function of the Demon Essence.

It turned out that this item could raise the grade of a Dao method.

One Demon Essence could raise a Low Grade Dao method to High Grade.

However, raising a High Grade Dao method to Peerless Grade required three of them.

“Three thousand years of Demon cultivation just to gain a Peerless Grade Dao method...” Li Jiangchen shook his head slightly. His Demon cultivation was not yet luxurious enough for such an expenditure.

“Over ten thousand years of cultivation can allow me to open at least a hundred more Meridians. Let me see the limit of the human body's Meridians.”

Li Jiangchen had a faint feeling that once the Meridians in his body were completely opened, incredible changes would occur.

The next moment, the Demon cultivation burned away.

[Year One: You sensed the Meridians in your body, gaining nothing.]

...[Year One Hundred: You successfully opened the three hundred and first Meridian.]

...[Year Six Thousand: You successfully opened the three hundred and sixtieth Meridian. The Meridians within your body are completely opened, the Grand Cycle is at Perfection, and you have reached the Meridian Opening Extreme Realm.]

Boom—

A tiny speck of light was born in his mind, immediately transforming into the appearance of a cross-legged, inch-tall figure, radiating a peculiar Dao method aura.

[Dharma Body Manifestation (Inactive): Peerless Grade Dao method. Can smelt all Body Refining Secret Methods in the world, nourish the Origin, and potentially advance into a Divine Ability.]

Li Jiangchen opened his eyes, feeling intense heat all over his body. His blood was thick like mercury, radiating astonishing heat outwards, and his physical strength surged continuously, far surpassing his previous level.

He clenched his fist, and the Void Realm exploded with a thunderous sound.

“Millions of jin of physical strength. A Peerless Grade Dao method has also been born within my body. Is this... the Meridian Opening Extreme Realm?”

Li Jiangchen's lips curved into an arc.

The Meridian Opening Extreme Realm represents the limit of the Meridian Opening Realm.

The ancient texts handed down contained only fragmented speculation, and no one had truly broken through yet.

Moreover, this Dharma Body Manifestation is a Body Refining Dao method, extremely rare. It can refine all Body Refining martial arts in the world, nourish the Origin, and has the potential to condense into a Divine Ability.

“Let's test the effect.”

With a thought, Li Jiangchen activated the Dharma Body Manifestation Dao method in his mind. Immediately, his vital energy and blood surged rapidly, his body swelled continuously, transforming him into a three-zhang-tall giant.

At the same time, the Dharma Body Manifestation figure opened its eyes, and with a gasp, the Giant Spirit Astral Force originally coiled in his Dantian transformed into a spiritual liquid and was swallowed into its abdomen.

In an instant, the light cluster of the Dharma Body Manifestation brightened slightly.

Li Jiangchen was startled, feeling the imprint of the Giant Spirit Astral Force within his body rapidly fading.

Just as he was wondering, a mass of Giant Spirit Astral Force that was more refined and concentrated was spat out by the Dharma Body Manifestation figure.

In his perception, the intensity of this protective Astral Force increased by more than several tenths.

“So that's what refining all Body Refining Secret Methods in the world means,” Li Jiangchen thought with suppressed joy.

He immediately planned to exchange for more Body Refining Cultivation Techniques, regardless of grade, Cultivate them one by one to the highest level using Demon cultivation, and then feed them all to the Dharma Body Manifestation.

Even if he didn't go to the Divine General Mansion to obtain the subsequent Giant Spirit Gang Yuan Body Cultivation Technique, the Body Refining foundation accumulated this way would likely not be inferior in the slightest.

However, his current Merit Points had all been exchanged for Artifact Refining Materials. If he wanted to exchange for Body Refining Cultivation Techniques, he would have to accumulate Merit Points for a while longer.

Li Jiangchen simply continued opening his acupoints.

A few breaths later, crackling sounds like frying beans came from all over his body, and bubble-like acupoints were born within his Meridians.

Immediately afterward, the Power of the Stars from the Void Realm surged in, transforming into illusory star shadows that merged into the acupoints.

Two hundred and eighty stars.

Three hundred stars... three hundred and sixty stars.

Boom—

The Star Pointing Art was Cultivated to its limit. The three hundred and sixty Power of the Stars coiled within his body, spontaneously circulating and faintly forming the momentum of a Formation.

“So this is the true face of the Star Pointing Art...”

“The Grand Heaven Star Dou Array.”

The moment the three hundred and sixty stars were opened, a star map flooded into his mind.

This Array was interlocked and resonated with the stars of the heavens.

When the Formation circulated, it could borrow power from the Grand Heaven Star Dou, increasing combat power by more than tenfold.

At this moment, with three hundred and sixty acupoints opened, Li Jiangchen's cultivation finally reached the Aperture Opening Realm Middle Stage.

Of course, the True Qi within his acupoints was merely dozens of times greater than that of an ordinary Aperture Opening Realm Martial Artist.

In terms of combat power, even without using Divine Abilities or Spiritual Qi, Li Jiangchen was confident he could slay the Dragon Lord from back then.

“Continue.”

After reaching the limit of opening the acupoints in the Aperture Opening Realm, the next step is Aperture Convergence.

When Aperture Convergence is complete, that is the Aperture Opening Realm Late Stage.

Li Jiangchen planned to Cultivate straight to the Aperture Opening Realm Peak in one go.

The Demon cultivation burned away.

[Year One: You attempted Aperture Convergence, discovering that the acupoints inside your body were like star mountains, completely motionless under the transportation of Xiantian True Qi.]

[Year Two: Motionless.]

...[Year One Hundred: Motionless.]

Li Jiangchen opened his eyes, his brows furrowed.