Chapter 182: Great Mustard Seed Mountain True Form, A Shared Legacy

Chapter 182: Great Mustard Seed Mountain True Form, A Shared Legacy

After sparring with Ke Pingluan and Qin Qing Jue, the two were about to leave when they were invited to join Ji Jingqiu for a chat about the martial path.

Ji Jingqiu had some questions regarding the path to divinity that he wanted to ask the two.

After a moment of hesitation, they accepted the invitation and sat down together.

"Brother Ji, have you not yet reached the divine path?" Ke Pingluan asked in confusion.

In his opinion, Ji Jingqiu's blade techniques, although rough and inefficient in their application of martial principles, were not inferior in their intent to the secret techniques passed down in their respective families!

This was because Ji Jingqiu's techniques were likely self-created, and given his young age, it was natural that they couldn't compare to the secret traditions of their families.

However, the latter was particularly terrifying.

The intent of the martial path determines the upper limit.

Rough and unrefined techniques can be continuously improved and perfected.

But the intent of the martial path is not something that can be easily changed.

As long as Ji Jingqiu continues on this path, constantly improving, one day his blade techniques will be able to rival the secret traditions of their families.

Ji Jingqiu pondered for a moment, considering how to explain.

Strictly speaking, after deducing and creating the second blade technique, he had a clear vision of the threshold to divinity.

This was crucial as it meant he knew exactly where the threshold was, and all he needed to do was cross it.

This final step is also known as "tempering."

Just like forging a blade, once the tempering is complete, the true masterpiece is born.

His previous battle with these two was a part of this tempering process.

In fact, while sharpening his blade techniques against Ke Pingluan, he had a vague feeling of crossing this final hurdle, but he didn't take advantage of the pressure to make the leap because Ke Pingluan's pressure wasn't sufficient, and he felt that he could still achieve greater perfection.

However, some of these thoughts were not appropriate to express at the moment.

"It's right within reach, I can see the threshold, and I even had a breakthrough feeling, but I sense that I still lack a touch of perfection," Ji Jingqiu carefully explained.

After listening, Ke Pingluan pondered for a moment and slowly nodded, saying, "In the first three levels of martial cultivation, 'body and intent' and 'enlightened mind' are just the refinement of techniques, which can be achieved step by step. But for the divine path, it's a bit more complicated."

This profound statement left the uninitiated crowd speechless.

Mu Juncheng added, "Uncle Ke, you reached the divine path at seventeen, which is among the top twenty fastest in history."

Ke Pingluan frowned and said, "Don't call me Uncle Ke, it sounds strange. Just call me Brother Ke."

Mu Juncheng felt embarrassed, "Brother Ke, how can I do that? Wouldn't that mess up the generational order..."

To be honest, he had felt uncomfortable about it for a while, having to call a martial artist who was only a few years older than him "Uncle."

The crowd glanced at him.

He didn't seem to mind.

Ke Pingluan continued, "From the divine path onwards, it's no longer just about martial skill but involves the entire martial journey, or the more abstract 'Dao path'."

"Moreover, reaching the divine path is a true understanding of martial principles, and it also involves a touch of divine essence and a transformation of the mental state... You could say it covers a wide range of aspects."

"If you yourself feel that you still lack a touch of perfection, my suggestion is not to rush. The more perfect this step is, the greater the improvement after the breakthrough."

"When I first saw the threshold, I also sensed that something was missing. After two months of contemplation, I was able to cross the threshold to the divine path without any omissions."

Upon hearing this, Qin Qing Jue suddenly spoke up, "Reaching the divine path doesn't necessarily require contemplation. You can also use pressure to break through. A common method is to find a powerful martial artist's intent to pressure and complete the final transformation."

Ji Jingqiu nodded, "In a few days, I will visit Master Meng Pingchuan's residence to borrow his blade intent and complete the final perfection."

"Master Meng Pingchuan?" Ke Pingluan exclaimed in surprise, "His residence is indeed suitable for you, Brother Ji."

The group continued to chat about the divine path for a while, and the conversation gradually shifted to the gathering the next day.

Many martial artists had received private invitations from the Mu family, and from the current list of attendees, it seemed that the invitations were not based on strength.

Mu Juncheng explained, "It's not just Brother Ji who received the invitation. In fact, martial artists with talent in spiritual cultivation, like Yue Yourong, have also been invited." Then, turning to Ke Pingluan, he asked curiously, "By the way, I heard you won't be attending tomorrow's gathering?"

Ke Pingluan shook his head, "When I entered the martial path, I watched the Fire Temple Jail visualization diagram under my grandfather's arrangement, but I gained nothing from it. So, I won't be joining the gathering tomorrow."

As he spoke, Ke Pingluan subtly glanced at Ji Jingqiu, who happened to look up and met his gaze.

If he guessed correctly, Ji Jingqiu had found Mu Shuai's enlightenment site deep within the Azuregreen Demiplane, and that was why the Bodhi manifestation appeared around him at the time.

It was unclear what Ji Jingqiu had gained.

Perhaps he would truly gain something at tomorrow's gathering.

The crowd fell silent upon hearing this.

His grandfather... was he the supreme grandmaster of the Ke family?

Mu Juncheng understood, and this outcome wasn't surprising.

It was normal to gain nothing, and he would be shocked if Ji Jingqiu truly had an epiphany.

Historically, talented martial artists from the six great families would usually try one or two times. The Mu family's descendants initially resisted, feeling that their family's heritage shouldn't be shared with outsiders. Later, they felt nothing, and even a bit of anticipation.

The expectations of the family elders, who constantly talked about other families' geniuses, were shattered by this new perspective.

Mu Juncheng glanced at Ji Jingqiu, recalling how this guy's profound Zen mind was terrifying. He had cultivated the Mu Family's Heart Mystic Art, likely bestowed by his third grandfather, and even demonstrated the Great Purity Zen Mind that suppressed even Mu Juncheng.

Moreover, this guy's talent was among the highest in the history of the Federation. Perhaps, tomorrow he might truly reap some benefits?

"Tomorrow, I will head to the Four Guardian Stars to begin the Tower Challenge and undergo the final tempering," Ke Pingluan said, looking at Qin Qingjue. "You're the same, right? The True Seed Realm no longer offers any tempering for us. We can only spar with the apex warriors of past generations."

Qin Qingjue nodded slightly.

Yin Wushuang's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Are you referring to the 17th floor of the Jade Capital?"

The Jade Capital was divided into the Pre-Essence Body and Post-Essence Body, with nine floors in the former and seventeen in the latter.

Upon ascending a floor and defeating the corresponding guardian, one would earn the qualification to take their place, leaving behind a data avatar to guard that floor.

Everyone looked at Ji Jingqiu simultaneously.

Currently, the highest floor in the Pre-Essence Body, guarded by a guardian, was this very floor.

As for the 17th floor in the Post-Essence Body... It was guarded by the Federation's seventeen most powerful True Seed Realm martial geniuses over the past ten thousand years.

"If I remember correctly, the last guardian on the 17th floor was Zhang Tiancheng, two thousand years ago, right?"

"Yes."

When mentioning the last guardian, the crowd's expressions clearly displayed distinct attitudes—some were filled with reverence, others with disgust, but most were a complex mixture of emotions.

"This person... is truly hard to evaluate," Yue Yourong said softly.

The crowd nodded. They admired his talent but found it challenging to comment on his actions after achieving success in the martial path.

This person, born in the war-torn western region of the Federation, had endured a difficult life from a young age. After showing his talent, a Grandmaster at the time praised him as a "Land Dragon," and his fame became boundless.

However, after achieving success in the martial path, his true nature gradually revealed itself. The most feared aspect was his cruel and cold-blooded demeanor, and countless people died by his hand, including many innocent civilians.

The Security Bureau had tried to apprehend him numerous times, but he always left no trace of evidence, making it difficult for the Bureau to take action despite knowing it was him. Additionally, high-ranking officials protected him, allowing him to escape time and again.

After he became a Grandmaster and joined the Ten Thousand Martial Arts Union, his actions became even more unrestrained.

Under his leadership, the reputation of the Ten Thousand Martial Arts Union had already sunk to an unpleasant level.

Even Ji Jingqiu had heard of this person's name.

But the first time Ji Jingqiu heard this name, it wasn't for the reasons mentioned above.

He first learned about it from Senior He.

In Senior He's message, he specifically mentioned three people and asked Ji Jingqiu to pay extra attention to two of them in the future.

One of them was Zhang Tiancheng.

Senior He's evaluation of this person was "Evil Dragon in a Well."

An evil dragon that, once freed from its well, would wreak havoc on the world.

The crowd tacitly changed the topic.

Ji Jingqiu inquired about the guardians of the other floors of the Jade Capital.

"The 15th floor is an old acquaintance of yours, Brother Ji," Diao Xingyun said with a smile. "It's Ji Lin Yuan from a hundred years ago. As for the 16th floor, there's a genius warrior from three thousand years ago named Crimson Phosphor."

Ji Jingqiu narrowed his eyes.

The latter was the second person Senior He specifically asked him to pay attention to.

The evaluation of this person was "Disaster Star."

As dawn approached.

The gathering finally came to an end.

Ji Jingqiu returned to his room and began to meditate and regulate his breath.

After consuming a portion of Divine Skeleton Powder and nourishing his innate divine power, he started to organize his gains from his journey to the Bosa Demiplane.

There were three significant harvests from this trip.

First, by harnessing the vigorous vitality contained in the Life Blossom, the water of the Sea of Suffering in his Inner Realm further transformed, moving towards the Eight Treasures Merit Water, thereby deriving the divine technique of Bodhimanda Insight.

Second, a Nine Chi Nine Water Moon Spiritual Energy.

Third, he witnessed the destruction of a world, the Boundless Cataclysmic Tribulation, and further developed his second blade technique from this.

Among these three harvests, the most crucial and important one was the third.

If the first benefit was immediate and the second was for the near future, waiting for his breakthrough to the Divine Wanderer Realm to refine it instantly, then the third benefit was for the future. The third point was his greatest opportunity during this trip to the Bosa Demiplane.

Witnessing the destruction of a world, he gained a preliminary understanding of the Boundless Cataclysmic Tribulation.

During those seven days, he primarily did two things—observation and memorization.

Finally, when he reached his bottleneck, he began to comprehend, absorbing and transforming everything he could understand and grasp into his own.

This observation of the Dao was an overall improvement, and the greatest benefit was a deeper understanding of the existence of the Dao's principles.

Additionally, he initially thought that the second blade technique would only be comprehended after tempering himself at the Master's Ancestral Residence.

However, he never expected that by simply refining a strand of Extinction True Intention, he could use it as a foundation, integrate it into his blade technique, deduce and develop the second blade technique, and further his understanding of martial arts.

Completely digesting the destruction of a world... It was not something a martial artist at his stage could comprehend, let alone touch.

The level involved was too high.

The Boundless Cataclysmic Tribulation...

Under such a calamity, even celestials were like ants.

It was not something a martial artist at his level could witness. He managed to do so only with the protection of the Bodhi Tree and Wisdom Light.

Masters seek the Dao, and Grandmasters open the Dao.

Ji Jingqiu suspected that if a celestial master who practiced a path aligned with extinction, annihilation, and destruction had witnessed such a spectacle, they might have immediately found the Grandmaster's path, or even ascended on the spot!

Ji Jingqiu's thoughts turned, and he returned to his Inner Realm, sitting under the Bodhi Tree, looking up through the swaying green branches and leaves, and seeing the blood-soaked sky and the Sea of Suffering across worlds.

This Dao Observation allowed him to gain a new understanding of the existence of the Sea of Suffering Across Worlds.

Under the Boundless Cataclysmic Tribulation, the first force to overthrow it was the Sea of Suffering Across Worlds!

After carefully sensing the projection of the Sea of Suffering on the sky, Ji Jingqiu slowly closed his eyes, and a vision of World Destruction flashed through his mind.

"World Destruction... If one day I can see World Birth, with both birth and destruction complete, I wonder what divine wonders there would be..."

...

It was morning.

Ji Jingqiu contacted Long Qingyang and expressed his desire to borrow the power of the Dragon Tiger Dojo to repair and recast the Azure Sovereign.

"Are you about to see the divine?" Long Qingyang asked. "I have an idea. If you're lucky, you might be able to directly nurture the spirituality within the blade, allowing your Azure Sovereign to transform towards the direction of a Demi-God Armament."

"Send the blade to me. I'll have someone prepare it for you before you go to the Grandmaster's Ancestral Residence."

Ji Jingqiu readily agreed and carefully inquired about the key points, receiving a secret art.

The key to this secret art was to utilize the special state during the breakthrough of seeing the divine and combine it with weapons, allowing them to see the "Martial Dao God" just like himself.

Once successful, the relationship between the weapon master and the weapon would become closely connected, and there would be no issue of recognizing the master.

Furthermore, the weapon would advance along with the progress of its owner, constantly enhancing the strand of spirituality nurtured within the blade.

The only problem was the low success rate.

Afterwards, Ji Jingqiu described in detail the dangerous situation he encountered in the Demiplane when he was attacked by warriors from the Northern Azure Commerce Alliance and the Falling Phoenix Ancient Kingdom. He strongly hoped that the Dragon Tiger Dojo would help him regain his composure.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Rest assured, the Federation officials have already intervened in this matter!" Long Qingyang said solemnly. "We also saw part of the scene in the Demiplane. We noticed something amiss with the Northern Azure Alliance back then, and we will definitely give you an explanation."

Ji Jingqiu was stunned. Could they see the scene inside the Demiplane?

Didn't they say it was impossible before?

Oh no, would his description of the dangerous situation be exposed?

After a moment, Mu Juncheng knocked on the door, and Ji Jingqiu walked out of the room, joining Yue Yourong and several others to attend the Mu Family gathering.

The gathering was held at the Mu Family's main residence.

Contrary to Ji Jingqiu's expectations of luxury, it was rather simple, resembling an ancient ancestral hall.

Many warriors had already arrived before them, gathering outside in small groups to chat.

When Ji Jingqiu arrived, almost all of them turned their gazes towards him.

Those who were previously acquainted, or those who had been saved by Ji Jingqiu in the Demiplane, greeted them enthusiastically.

"Brother Ji, you're finally here! We've been waiting for you!"

"Haha, Brother Ji, we've already placed our bets! We're betting on whether you can comprehend something from the Mu Family's Visualization Chart!"

...

Ji Jingqiu and the Mu Family Patriarch had already discussed whether to reveal that he had comprehended the Fire Temple Jail Visualization Chart and cultivated it to perfection.

The Mu Family Patriarch's suggestion was for Ji Jingqiu to meet the Mu Family's Ancestor and demonstrate the Fire Temple Jail Visualization Chart in front of him, without explicitly stating it.

If the Mu Family's Ancestor could see it, he would naturally understand.

"The Visualization Chart is in the innermost ancestral hall. I'll take you there." Mu Juncheng led Ji Jingqiu and the others towards the deepest part of the main residence.

After a short while, they entered an ancient-style house filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. A folding screen was the first thing that caught their eyes, with a continuous mountain range depicted on it.

They stepped into the room, bypassing the screen.

A sea of crimson filled their vision.

It was a Visualization Chart hanging on the wall.

Almost instantly, Yue Yourong and the others were deeply shaken, their minds captivated.

On the Visualization Chart, the crimson sky was ablaze, with blood raining down, and the earth was flowing with lava. Everywhere they looked, it was a scene of hell.

Mu Juncheng, who had seen this reaction many times before, smiled.

Almost every warrior who laid eyes on this Visualization Chart for the first time would fall into such a state.

Those with weaker spiritual power would need ten to twenty minutes to recover.

It was said that the faster one recovered, the more likely they were to comprehend something from this Visualization Chart.

Then, Mu Juncheng was stunned, beginning to doubt his life choices.

"Brother Mu, was this folding screen also left by the Mu Ancestor?" Ji Jingqiu asked, his gaze fixed on the screen.

Mu Juncheng nodded subconsciously. "Yes, it was also left by our ancestors. It contains a secret art called 'Great Mustard Seed Mountain True Form,' but the elders said this secret art isn't very useful."

Ji Jingqiu laughed. He had thought this trip would be a mere formality, but he never expected to gain something extra.

"Brother Ji... aren't you going to comprehend this Visualization Chart?" Mu Juncheng asked quietly.

Ji Jingqiu casually replied, "The Fire Temple Jail Visualization Chart is so difficult, it's not something ordinary people can cultivate."

Mu Juncheng fell silent.

If it were before, he would have thought there was nothing wrong with this statement.

But now, he began to doubt.

Perhaps it was because Brother Ji's spiritual realm was too high, and he withstood the shock of the Visualization Chart! Mu Juncheng thought to himself.

(End of Chapter)

"Indeed, this is a grandmaster's true form, a visualization of the vast mountain. However, it seems that it is not directly used. Perhaps it is just a reference, but for Master Meng to see it as a standard, carve and polish the's mountain form. A few minutes later, Yue You astonished him, and he slowly closed his eyes. The image of the mountain appeared in his mind, it was indeed a grand vision of the vast mountain. It seems that there is no immediate use, but a profound understanding and deep contemplation of the mountain form. After a moment, he decided to speak to Meng. "Respect the elder, let's discuss something." The old man fell silent for a moment, and then said, "If one day not listen to you, I will leave and slash you." Meng was stunned for a moment, and then continued to speak to Meng, "What do you want?"

Meng pondered for a moment, and said, "You might as well say, what you want?"

He suddenly said, "Kid, I want to discuss something with you."

"Old man, but say nothing."

The old man fell silent for a moment, and then said, "If one day I am not listened to, I will leave and slash you."

Meng was stunned for a moment.

He remembered the old man who had made him see the young man later, harshly reprimanded the other, told the other what a person should be.

And now, the old man is even more fierce. "As for the reward…"

Meng thought for a moment, and said, "You might as well say, what you want?"

The old man pointed to the three people, 159 chapters had described, three heart worlds.

This repetition is necessary to emphasize the point, as it is a key part of the description. It is important to maintain the consistency of the imagery and the narrative to avoid any unintended repetition or redundancy.

Chapter end