Chapter 34: Bodhi's Surprise

Passing through the spatial vortex, a towering suspended mountain appeared before them—it was Mount Fangcun.

"Uncle-master."

"Uncle-master."

"Grand-uncle-master."

Walking on Mount Fangcun, Ji Ning occasionally exchanged a few words with some familiar disciples, then arrived at his master Bodhi's Daoist temple. The two boy attendants at the temple gate, Qingshui and Baihe, did not block him, clearly having received the patriarch's instructions.

Entering the temple, Ji Ning saw his master Bodhi sitting cross-legged in the distance.

"Master." Ji Ning bowed respectfully.

"What is it?" Bodhi looked at Ji Ning.

"This time I launched surprise attacks on several locations of the Undying Sect, killing over ten Celestial Immortals and True Gods," Ji Ning said. "I wanted to force the Undying Sect to release my senior apprentice-sister, but they still refused. However, who would have thought... while inspecting the spoils of war, I made an unexpected discovery."

Bodhi smiled: "What discovery, that you came specially to tell me?"

"Those Celestial Immortals and True Gods were nothing special; the real gain came from the Celestial Immortal Shaoyan Chou," Ji Ning said. "Among the treasures left by Shaoyan Chou, I obtained a strange object containing seven great techniques. Each of these seven techniques was profoundly mysterious. I exhausted myself to learn all seven, and when I did, the strange object shattered into nothingness."

Ji Ning had pondered for a long time before deciding to say this.

He could have kept the seven techniques from his master, but given the current conflict between the two camps, the techniques were useless in his hands. Reporting them brought more benefits.

He wasn't afraid of the Undying Sect making a move against him in the shadows; he feared someone within his own camp might strike. If some great power comparable to Master Bodhi guessed that Ji Ning had obtained a precious treasure from the Chaos Primordials and killed him, even if Patriarch Bodhi later flew into a rage, it would be too late.

"Oh?" Bodhi smiled and nodded. "It might be the legacy left by some great power."

After learning the legacy, the object shattered into nothingness—a common method to prevent the legacy from spreading widely.

"These are the seven techniques I recorded," Ji Ning said, producing a bamboo scroll. "I have imprinted them all into this scroll. Please take a look, Master."

Bodhi took it and immediately began to inspect it with his divine sense.

He looked...

For a full half hour.

Bodhi was completely immersed, and Ji Ning waited silently by his side.

"Ji Ning." Bodhi looked up, his face full of surprise. "You have rendered great merit."

Ji Ning felt relieved.

As long as it could help his own camp. His own strength was limited; among these techniques, only the "Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu" and the "Karmic Sin Weapon" were usable. The Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu required the precious 'Chaos Nectar' to reach the second level. As for the other techniques, even with them, he could not yet comprehend them.

"These seven techniques must be techniques of the Chaos Primordials," Bodhi marveled. "To think that such techniques would be in the hands of a mere Celestial Immortal. It must be that some Chaos Primordial was killed, and its treasures were left somewhere in the Three Realms, later obtained by Shaoyan Chou."

"I know many Chaos Primordial techniques, but these seven are among the top, especially the 'Lang Talismans'—most useful!" Bodhi was overjoyed.

"Many Chaos Primordial techniques?" Ji Ning looked at his master.

"Of course many."

Bodhi laughed. "From ancient times to now, we have killed many Chaos Primordials, including powerful ones like Luohu, especially the Lord of All Things. The Lord of All Things had an army under him... We killed them all and naturally obtained the treasures they left behind. The seven techniques you obtained were probably left by some Chaos Primordial after its death, scattered in the Three Realms."

Ji Ning nodded.

"But some Chaos Primordial techniques are very useful, while others..." Bodhi shook his head. "Require certain rare objects that exist only in the worlds where those races lived. In our Three Realms, they simply cannot be found, so they are useless. For example, your 'Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu' requires so many rare objects to reach the second level, some of which I have never even heard of."

"We previously had two other techniques for creating avatars from the Chaos Primordials: the 'Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons' and the 'Thousand Bodies Sacred Scripture.' The 'Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons' is similar to yours, but it splits into twelve avatars. It is also slightly easier to cultivate. Some great powers are training in it. As for the 'Thousand Bodies Sacred Scripture,' it is formidable. When mastered, it can split into a thousand avatars, each reaching the power of the original. When merged, it greatly boosts the original's strength. Unfortunately, even to begin the 'Thousand Bodies Sacred Scripture,' one needs a treasure called the 'World Heart,' which we simply do not have."

"Thousand Bodies Sacred Scripture?" Ji Ning was shocked.

Split into a thousand avatars?

That was terrifying.

"The World Heart is a tiny crystal formed when a Chaos World ages and decays over countless years, then is destroyed. This crystal... is also the source for the next cycle of nurturing many gods and demons to open a new Chaos World. That crystal is the World Heart," Bodhi explained. "To begin the 'Thousand Bodies Sacred Scripture,' one needs such a World Heart. Tell me, since we only have the Three Realms as a single Chaos World, where would we get a World Heart?"

Ji Ning had searched the memories of Celestial Immortals and True Gods from the Nine Chaos Kingdoms and knew about the 'World Heart.'

The World Heart was a treasure even more precious than Chaos Nectar.

The Nine Chaos Kingdoms might have obtained one, but without a doubt, they were taken by the Nine Chaos King and the other two World-level beings. Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals could not even dream of it.

"Among your seven techniques, the 'Lang Talismans' is the most useful. The 'Karmic Sin Weapon' might be somewhat useful in the current calamity, as it can nurture some Protocosmic spirit-treasures," Bodhi said. "But to nurture a Chaos treasure through slaughter would be extremely difficult. Who knows how many killings it would take to nurture one Chaos treasure."

The leaders of Buddhism and Daoism, the Three Sovereigns, and many powerful figures like Bodhi and the Five Emperors all possessed Chaos treasures.

Thus, they did not place much importance on the 'Karmic Sin Weapon' technique.

"Of course, the 'Karmic Sin Weapon' technique is still useful for you," Bodhi smiled. "But the 'Lang Talismans' is a method for creating talismans. Each talisman-making technique is a closely guarded secret. Talismans can be prepared in advance, and during battle, you can use a large number of them at once, overwhelming your opponent."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that the talisman maker can comprehend the mysteries of the 'Lang Talismans.' In our Three Realms, the best at formations and talisman arts is undoubtedly Human Sovereign Fuxi," Bodhi laughed. "Even I was delighted when I saw the 'Lang Talismans' and can already make some talismans. If Fuxi sees it, he might be able to learn it completely."

Ji Ning was speechless.

The 'Lang Talismans' was too profound; to him, it was like reading a heavenly book.

For Human Sovereign Fuxi, its use might be astonishingly great.

"By the way, you said Shaoyan Chou obtained it. Does he also know these seven techniques?" Bodhi's expression changed.

"Master," Ji Ning quickly said, "I exhausted myself to learn these seven techniques. With Shaoyan Chou's strength as a Celestial Immortal, he could barely learn the 'Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu' and part of the 'Nine Insect Beast Solutions.' He couldn't manage the rest."

"That's good," Bodhi smiled. "The 'Eighteen Fiendgods of Taowu' and the 'Nine Insect Beast Solutions' are not threatening. In the past, when we coexisted peacefully with the Undying Sect, many befriended each other, some becoming close friends. Many techniques were exchanged; they had ours, and we had theirs. They also have the 'Twelve Capital Heavenly Gods and Demons' and the 'Thousand Bodies Sacred Scripture.' As for the 'Nine Insect Beast Solutions,' it requires a long time to cultivate and is costly. Neither side has that time now."

Ji Ning nodded.

"But to be safe, this Shaoyan Chou must be eliminated," Bodhi said.

"Yes," Ji Ning nodded.

Because he had first refined the treasures left by the Celestial Immortals and True Gods, then refined many magical artifacts, and finally discovered the stone tablet among the miscellaneous items. Refining so many treasures had taken over a day. If Shaoyan Chou wanted to inform, he would have done so long ago, so Ji Ning had not been in a hurry to eliminate him.

...

Indeed.

Shaoyan Chou had indeed harbored wishful thinking.

"Of those seven techniques, I only learned the first and part of the second," Shaoyan Chou was drinking in a hall. "But I can tell they are incredible techniques. And the pressure from that stone tablet was more terrifying than the Heavenly Dao! If I report it to the Undying Sect, they might kill me to silence me while seizing the techniques from Ji Ning."

"Ji Ning probably obtained the seven techniques and will keep them hidden, unwilling to tell anyone."

"Yes, that must be it."

Shaoyan Chou himself had kept them hidden, never telling a second person.

He also believed Ji Ning would do the same!

And he dared not inform. Reporting such powerful techniques to the Undying Sect would likely bring no benefit and might even get him killed. Shaoyan Chou knew well the Undying Sect's methods—they were extremely ruthless.

"Hmm..." Shaoyan Chou felt his head spin.

"This, how..."

"Die."

"Just die."

Shaoyan Chou's eyes grew hazy, then his soul dissolved, and he died, his soul scattered. His other avatar died as well.

...

Mount Fangcun.

Bodhi closed his eyes, then opened them, looking at Ji Ning: "Shaoyan Chou's other two avatars are dead. All eighteen of his avatars are dead."

Ji Ning breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Shaoyan Chou did not have a treasure like the 'Void Boat' to travel through the Chaos. Since his avatars were all within the Three Realms, Bodhi's intervention was effortless... Just as Ji Ning could easily 'bewilder' the weak, Bodhi could effortlessly make a Celestial Immortal commit suicide.

Of course, the Undying Sect also wanted to make Ji Ning commit suicide quietly, but many Dao Ancestors were only at the second or third level of heartforce. Generally, if one had a basic understanding of heartforce or a strong soul, it was very difficult to force suicide.

"Come, let's go see Human Sovereign Fuxi," Bodhi smiled. "When he sees the 'Lang Talismans,' he will surely be excited and delighted. Such supreme talisman techniques are rare and hard to come by."

Whoosh.

A spatial vortex appeared before them.

Bodhi took Ji Ning's hand and stepped into the spatial vortex.