"Long sword across the nine fields, tall crown touching the dark dome. Alone in the enlightened world, hailed as a hero in all directions? Good, good, good... Hailed as a hero in all directions. Among the world, who is the hero?" Hearing Hong Yi's four lines of poetry, Bai Ziyue trembled all over, savoring them carefully, feeling an endless heroic spirit. This young man, one of the mysterious Eight Great Demon Immortals of the world, stood up abruptly and laughed three times loudly, "Drink, drink. Just for your poem, it strikes a chord with me. It can be said that we are bosom friends meeting at the ends of the earth." Saying this, Bai Ziyue handed the wine gourd to Hong Yi again. Gulp gulp gulp, Hong Yi drank three consecutive mouthfuls, still not satisfied. He only felt that the more he drank this wine, the warmer his body became, as if he were airly and about to fly. However, his mind became clearer and clearer, without the slightest sign of intoxication. Obviously, this wine was extraordinary. Hong Yi felt very comfortable in his heart, simply because of Bai Ziyue's appearance and display of extraordinary powers, scaring away those fierce and evil people hunting foxes. If Bai Ziyue hadn't appeared today, a group of foxes would have been in great danger. "Alone in the enlightened world, hailed as a hero in all directions..." After Hong Yi drank the wine, Bai Ziyue took his large gourd and drank continuously. With each mouthful, he recited a line of the poem, as if using the poem as a side dish for the wine. "A great sage uses history books as a side dish for wine. Today, your poem, Hong Yi, can also be used as a side dish for wine. It's been a long time since I've been this carefree." After drinking more than ten mouthfuls, Bai Ziyue seemed to have a slight tipsiness and sang loudly again, "After drinking our wine... One can breathe freely and not cough... After drinking our wine, one doesn't need to kowtow when seeing the emperor..." "What kind of song is this?" Hong Yi asked. "I composed a song about wine." Bai Ziyue laughed again. "What a wild and unrestrained young man, with supernatural powers and such carefreeness." Seeing Bai Ziyue's wild and unrestrained yet composed demeanor, and thinking of his extraordinary powers just now, Hong Yi couldn't help secretly envying him. "Mr. Bai is known as one of the Eight Great Demon Immortals in the world? May I ask what a demon immortal is?" Hong Yi asked. He had read "The Book of Martial Arts" and "The Book of Tao" in the past two days. He knew that those who practiced martial arts and reached the realm of human immortals, and those who cultivated their souls to the stage of possessing and seizing a body and transferring the physical body could be called ghost immortals. After achieving the Yang God, they could be called immortal gods. As for demon immortals, he had never heard of them. "Call me Ziyue. Mr. Bai is too formal. Just because of the poem you gave me, you are my bosom friend, Bai Ziyue." Bai Ziyue took another mouthful of wine, with a slight blush on his face, but the divine light in his eyes remained as gentle as jade. "A demon immortal is the same as a ghost immortal. Anyone who is not human and has cultivated the Yin God to possess and seize a body to become a ghost immortal. I spent sixty years cultivating hard in the mountains and became a ghost immortal. I reincarnated and attached myself to a fetus. Now I am fifteen. How old are you, Brother Yi?" "So Ziyue is over fifteen. I am also exactly fifteen. I have read the Book of Tao. There are demons and ghosts who forcibly seize human bodies and destroy human souls. Ziyue reincarnated and grew in a fetus. You are indeed a righteous demon immortal." Hong Yi said. Originally, whenever an animal gained spirituality and its soul emerged and gradually cultivated to the realm of ghost immortal, it could possess and seize a body, transfer to a human body, or even forcibly seize a human body and destroy the human soul to occupy the physical body. Similarly, after those who practice immortal arts have their physical bodies decayed, they can also have their souls emerge and seize a human body. "It's not being righteous, but forcibly occupying a human body and destroying a human soul would consume one's own soul, harming others without benefiting oneself. Moreover, an adult's body has already formed and cannot be shaped. If one practices martial arts, they must not be able to reach a profound level. A fetus is just a lump of flesh and blood, without a soul or spirit, and is extremely pure. Only after birth does one gradually develop thoughts and have intelligence to be considered a human." Bai Ziyue said. "So that's the case." Hong Yi understood. "But do those who cultivate immortality also need to practice martial arts?" "Practicing only the nature and not the life is the first illness of practice. Practicing only the soul and not the spirit cannot cross the sea of suffering to the other shore." Bai Ziyue said, "A person's mental thoughts are the soul, and a person's physical form is the spirit. One nature and one life require dual cultivation. Otherwise, empty talk about rationality and not cultivating the physical body is also not feasible." "No wonder! Scholars all need to focus on archery to strengthen their bodies. That's the reason." Hong Yi said. "Dual cultivation of nature and life may still not lead to transcendence!" Bai Ziyue shook his head. "Eh?" Hong Yi asked doubtfully. "Don't ask me. I don't know either. My soul has only cultivated to the realm of ghost immortal and has not experienced the thunder tribulation. And my martial arts have only reached the realm of the Martial Saint who has refined the marrow and exchanged the blood, and have not become a human immortal. This time I came to Yujing to seek answers." Bai Ziyue said. "What answers are you seeking?" "It is rumored that there are three volumes of books in the Great Zen Temple. One volume is 'The Sutra of Maitreya in the Past', one volume is 'The Sutra of Tathagata in the Present', and one volume is 'The Sutra of Non-Birth in the Future'. They are the supreme methods for transcendence. 'The Sutra of Maitreya in the Past' is the supreme secret for cultivating the soul. 'The Sutra of Tathagata in the Present' is the supreme fist technique for achieving the realm of human immortals. As for 'The Sutra of Non-Birth in the Future', I don't know. However, it is rumored that to truly achieve transcendence, one needs to study all three volumes together. The Great Zen Temple was destroyed, and the whereabouts of the three volumes are unknown. They may be collected in the royal library. This time I came to Yujing to look for these three books." "'The Sutra of Maitreya in the Past', 'The Sutra of Tathagata in the Present', 'The Sutra of Non-Birth in the Future'." Hearing these three names, Hong Yi's eyelids twitched. He had heard these three names before. It was recorded in Li Yan's thatched cottage notes as follows: "The Great Zen Temple has three sutras, namely the past, the present, and the future. Just like a scholar establishing virtue, achieving merit, and expressing his ideas. Unfortunately, I have not witnessed them personally. What a pity, what a pity." However, this single note contains no other information. "No wonder you are a demon immortal. Your words are not as evasive as those of humans. If it were an ordinary person, how could they speak out so straightforwardly about looking for secret volumes in the royal library of Yujing?" Hearing Bai Ziyue's candidness and openness, with a flavor of "Nothing is impossible to tell others", Hong Yi felt an additional sense of closeness in his heart. "However, Ziyue is also a great expert in martial arts and has actually cultivated to the realm of the Martial Saint. If I want to practice martial arts, I have to ask him for advice." Hong Yi thought to himself. The Great Qian Dynasty has a strict examination system for classifying martial strength: martial student, martial apprentice, martial warrior, martial master, congenital martial master, grand master, and martial saint. Although the classification is very detailed, the experts in the army are mostly only martial warriors and martial masters. There are very few who have reached the congenital realm with a strong internal organs and long-lasting physical strength, let alone grand masters and martial saints. As for human immortals, they have never even heard of them. "I have been reading 'The Book of Martial Arts' intensively these days and also want to practice, but I lack guidance. Among three people, there must be one who can be my teacher. Today, I met Ziyue and need to seek your advice." Hong Yi said to Bai Ziyue. "Hong Yi, you want to practice martial arts?" Bai Ziyue looked at Hong Yi and then at "The Book of Martial Arts" on the table. "This 'Book of Martial Arts' has many deleted parts, and the things recorded in it are mostly rough. Your skin is flabby, your tendons are weak, and you have no martial strength. It's like a blank slate without a foundation. It's very difficult to cultivate strong martial strength in a short period of time." "Let's take it one step at a time." Hong Yi smiled. "To practice martial arts, the first step is to cultivate the flesh, tendons, and skin membranes. In the 'Hall of Martial Arts' of the Great Qian Dynasty, those who have cultivated the skin membranes are designated as martial warriors and are also considered students in the imperial examination. They can easily hold the position of a military officer commanding a hundred men in the army." Bai Ziyue said, seeming to be very familiar with the system in the army. In the army of the Great Qian Dynasty, five people form a "unit", and the military officer is called the "unit leader". A hundred people form a "company", and the military officer is called the "company leader". Five hundred people form a battalion, and the military officer is called the "commanding officer". A thousand people form an "army", and the military officer is called the "general". Ten thousand people form a "command", and the military officer is called the "commander". Everything is strictly hierarchical, far surpassing the imperial court. All positions are held based on martial strength and military achievements. "Among all the martial arts in the world that focus on cultivating the flesh, tendons, and skin, none surpass the 'Bovine Demon Mighty Method' and 'Tiger Demon Bone-Training Fist' of the Great Zen Temple. After practicing these two sets of fists, the bones, tendons, flesh, and skin become strong, and the external skills are mastered, reaching the level of a martial master. As for entering the congenital realm, there are various breathing and meditation methods for cultivating the internal organs, with a wide variety. I'll teach you the Bovine Demon Mighty Method first."

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