Chapter 1797: Dharma Image and Dharma Body

The Human World

"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life. Your junior is eternally grateful."

The female Taoist priest slowly awakened, still very weak, but struggled to rise. Supported by Yun Wei, she bowed with difficulty. However, the alien power had been expelled. The female Taoist priest's own cultivation was not weak, and her breathing quickly stabilized. After taking a few pills, she gradually recovered.

Qin Sang wanted to learn more about Ant Cricket Mountain, so he didn't immediately enter meditation and asked some questions. Both of them were timid and hesitant, only mumbling when faced with questions they found inconvenient to answer. Seeing their difficulty, Qin Sang didn't press further. He learned that the sect's gate of Ant Cricket Mountain was located in Zhongmao Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the Tian Shu Court. Unlike other Taoist sects, Ant Cricket Mountain worshipped a rare Plague God. From the very beginning of their cultivation, disciples of this sect began to study plague toxins and talismans. Throughout the entire Taoist world, Ant Cricket Mountain was unparalleled in this field. The current sect master of Ant Cricket Mountain was known as Primordial Lord Qingdan. The origin of this title was her famous battle, where, through an unknown technique or talisman, misty water instantly filled the air, and the void seemed to ripple gently like water. When the mist cleared, the enemy had died, yet their face was rosy and they appeared unharmed, as if alive. Taoist disciples could also receive summons from the Taoist Court. Yun Wei and Qin Sang's previous competition for the summons was actually related to Primordial Lord Qingdan. He knew his master intended to befriend Grandmaster Lingxu, a master of alchemy, but having no prior acquaintance with Grandmaster Lingxu, a sudden visit would be presumptuous. He happened to see this summons and wanted to obtain Grandmaster Lingxu's token to present to his master. This would make it easy to then approach Grandmaster Lingxu. Unfortunately, he was not Qin Sang's match.

While conversing with the two, Qin Sang also observed the poisonous bead within his body. After absorbing the alien power, the poisonous bead showed no change. That alien power had merged with the bloodthirsty miasma poison in the poisonous bead, but its unique fluctuations had not disappeared. It wasn't assimilated by the bloodthirsty miasma poison, and the amount of alien power was extremely small, indicating that its rank was at least not inferior to the bloodthirsty miasma poison.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Where were you attacked by this alien power?" Yun Wei and the female Taoist priest exchanged glances, hesitating. After a moment, Yun Wei said, "We dare not deceive you, Senior. We truly don't know the exact location. Our master led us deep into the altar. Although we formed formations to protect ourselves, we could barely survive even with all our efforts, and dared not be distracted, simply following our master forward. That alien power also appeared suddenly. Our master said it was triggered by a strange place when the golden light erupted; it was fleeting and its source unknown..." For some reason, Yun Wei elaborated a bit more. At this point, Yun Wei's expression grew somewhat dim. It wasn't just him and his junior sister who were brought here; other fellow disciples were also present. Primordial Lord Qingdan had brought her true disciples into this dangerous place, intending for them to maintain a special formation. Unfortunately, the anomaly occurred too suddenly, catching everyone unprepared. The other disciples couldn't withstand the alien power and died on the spot, leaving only the two of them. Ant Cricket Mountain had suffered heavy losses this time! Precisely because of this, upon learning that demons were causing trouble behind the scenes, Primordial Lord Qingdan was enraged. She immediately accepted True Lord Wan's invitation, intending to seek revenge personally.

Qin Sang nodded slightly, deep in thought. The Altar of Jushan Prefecture could be called a truly wondrous place in the world. The divine abilities unleashed by countless ancient powerful beings had been preserved and transformed into strange, illusory landscapes that endured through time, something Qin Sang had never witnessed before. Extraordinary sights were common here, constantly challenging conventional understanding. It was not surprising that a potent poison could evolve in such a place. Qin Sang tried to discern something from the fluctuations of the alien power, but unfortunately found no clue. Thanks to the poisonous bead gifted by the fat silkworm, Qin Sang gained the ability to detoxify and control poisons. However, he himself was not proficient in the Way of Poison, nor did he intend to dedicate himself to studying it. Asking him to analyze the alien power might be asking too much. Primordial Lord Qingdan, who was skilled in the Way of Poison, couldn't protect her disciples when the alien power attacked, which showed how treacherous the power was. He was indeed somewhat interested in this alien power. If the poisonous bead absorbed more of it, his own use of poison and the power of the Heavenly Absolute Soul-Swaying Needles would be enhanced.

While he pondered, time slowly passed. Qin Sang kept a portion of his mind focused outside, watching intently. After waiting for a full hour, he finally saw an anomaly! Beyond the gray curtain, deep within the altar, dazzling multi-colored light suddenly erupted. Qin Sang abruptly stood up, thinking it would cause a disturbance throughout the entire altar, just like the previous golden light. Yun Wei and the other disciple, unaware of the situation outside, looked at Qin Sang anxiously. After a few breaths, the multi-colored light dissipated, and there was no abnormality. Qin Sang's expression remained solemn. The multi-colored light was likely caused by a major battle between the two sides. Creating such a spectacle deep within the altar indicated an extremely fierce conflict. He also needed to make some preparations. Qin Sang glanced at Yun Wei and the other disciple, gripping the Imperial Bell Talisman in his hand. He had already checked; there was no wood spirit energy nearby, so without the Stabilization Pill and the divine ability of the Spiritual Wood Body, his strength was greatly diminished. Fortunately, he had saved the Imperial Bell Talisman during the previous battle, which would allow him to retreat safely even if an anomaly occurred.

The anticipated situation did not occur. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qin Sang saw familiar escape lights flying from a distance—some bright, some dim—which were True Lord Zhang and the others. There were five people in total. True Lord Zhang, True Lord Youhuang, and True Lord Guyun were all present, but True Lord Zhijian was nowhere to be seen. The other two were strangers, a man and a woman. The man was dressed in white robes, holding a feather fan and wearing a silk scarf, but his aura was somewhat chaotic, affecting his composure. The woman was slender and beautiful, but her face was cold, her brows furrowed with sternness, and she made no attempt to hide her killing intent.

Confirming there were no pursuers behind them, Qin Sang quickly activated the talisman array to welcome the true lords inside. "This woman must be Primordial Lord Qingdan..." Qin Sang's gaze swept over the woman, then he looked at True Lord Zhang and frowned, asking, "Where is True Lord Zhijian?" He noticed that True Lord Youhuang and True Lord Guyun, like the unfamiliar man, had rapid breathing and were greatly depleted. True Lord Guyun's face was even paler, clearly injured. After entering the stone pavilion, he didn't even stop to greet them, immediately sitting down to regulate his breathing. Only True Lord Zhang, though also not in good condition, showed a hint of joy in his expression, as if he had gained some benefit.

True Lord Zhang said with a relaxed expression, "Fellow Daoist, rest assured. True Lord Zhijian is fine; he is currently covering our rear..." At this moment, Primordial Lord Qingdan had checked her disciple's injuries and learned from Yun Wei that Qin Sang had intervened. Her expression softened, the sternness on her pretty face disappearing. She walked up to Qin Sang and bowed, saying, "I am Qingdan, a humble Taoist. Thank you, True Lord Qingfeng, for your intervention and for healing my disciple's injuries." "It was merely a small effort, Primordial Lord. You overstate it." Qin Sang cupped his hands and said calmly. Seeing this, Primordial Lord Qingdan dispensed with further formalities and introduced the man to Qin Sang. This man, whose Taoist title was Scholar Bohxian, was a friend of Primordial Lord Qingdan. The two exchanged greetings. As they were speaking, a sword light suddenly transformed into a rainbow and arrived. Qin Sang quickly activated the talisman array to welcome True Lord Zhijian into the stone pavilion. From then on, everyone was present, except for the two Taoist Court immortal officials and Mo Xingdao.

"How is it?" True Lord Zhang asked with concern. True Lord Zhijian nodded and said, "No need to wait any longer. We will now retreat to the Golden Hall and meet with the Taoist Court members there." Hearing this, everyone's expressions relaxed. Qin Sang kept to his duties, not inquiring about the course or outcome of the battle, observing silently.

After a brief adjustment, everyone flew out of the gray curtain together. True Lord Zhijian and True Lord Zhang took the lead and rear positions, with the injured protected in the middle, flying towards the outer perimeter of the altar. The further they went, the more relaxed everyone's expressions became. Yun Wei and his junior sister followed closely behind Primordial Lord Qingdan. Seeing the situation ease, True Lord Yun Wei secretly communicated something with his master using a secret technique. Primordial Lord Qingdan glanced at Qin Sang, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She had originally thought Qin Sang had forcefully expelled the stubborn alien power from her disciple's body using his powerful cultivation. Only now did she realize he had used a secret art of poison to subtly dissolve the alien power. She looked at Qin Sang and pondered silently. When they were close to the Nine-Bend Star River and confirmed there was no danger, she transmitted a message to Qin Sang, "Forgive my presumption, True Lord, but when you were healing my disciple, did you notice anything special about that alien power?" Qin Sang had anticipated this question and pondered, "The amount of alien power was too small. I only know that my detoxification method had some effect. It seems to be a potent poison, but it also has strange aspects that I cannot fathom or guess its origin." After a moment of hesitation, Primordial Lord Qingdan said again, "May I ask True Lord to enlighten me on your detoxification method? I am willing to exchange it for other treasures and will do my best to meet your requirements." If it had been earlier, Qin Sang could have asked Primordial Lord Qingdan to teach him the legacy talismans of Ant Cricket Mountain. Qin Sang slightly shook his head and refused, "This method is extremely important to me. It requires my personal touch and cannot be passed on. Please do not blame me, Primordial Lord." Seeing Qin Sang's firm and unyielding attitude, Primordial Lord Qingdan showed disappointment and fell into thought.

Soon, the Nine-Bend Star River appeared in their sight. Confirming there were no anomalies, everyone immediately crossed the river and successfully returned to the Golden Hall. The Golden Hall appeared as before, very peaceful. True Lord Zhang shot a spirit talisman into the sky. Afterwards, everyone slowly flew towards the Golden Hall's exit, occasionally looking back. Even as they approached the Golden Hall's exit, they still didn't see the Taoist Court immortal officials. Remembering Hongyuzi's warning, no one dared to leave without permission, so they could only find a place near the exit to wait.

Another half day passed. A figure appeared not far from where they were hiding. Seeing who it was, True Lord Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought something had happened to the Venerable One." The newcomer was indeed Venerable Zhenru. After returning to the Golden Hall, he had found a secluded spot to heal. Upon receiving True Lord Zhang's message, he rushed to meet them. As Venerable Zhenru appeared, before they could even exchange a few words, the Nine-Bend Star River suddenly surged with ripples.

Everyone gazed intently and saw a point of red light break through the Star River, moving extremely fast and without stopping, rushing towards the Golden Hall's exit. The red light was actually a mass of raging fire, with blazing flames enveloping an extremely luxurious carriage. It was pulled by a fire-beast resembling a fire rhino, exuding an astonishing aura. Wherever it passed, it seemed to incinerate even the void itself. The flames were like a veil, capable of separating inside from outside. Everyone saw True Lord Wan riding at the front of the carriage, personally controlling it. Faintly, there were a few more figures within the carriage, presumably Taoist Court immortal officials, but no demons were seen. That fiery light made no attempt to conceal itself, heading directly for the Golden Hall's entrance. When the carriage approached, Qin Sang and the others also appeared. However, the carriage did not stop, and True Lord Wan's voice was heard: "Follow behind!" Everyone followed the carriage closely, rushing into the auspicious clouds, and soon reached the edge of the clouds. Beyond that, they would leave the Jushan Prefecture Altar.

Their escape speed was extremely fast. They surged out of the auspicious clouds, flew across the central plain, and in the blink of an eye, were above the mountain range where they had once hidden. Just then, everyone felt an inexplicable palpitation. Everyone, including the immortal officials inside the carriage, simultaneously looked towards the east, their faces filled with shock. It was midday, and the sky was bright. Yet, in the distant sky, a dense darkness rapidly spread across the eastern firmament. 'Rumble!' 'Crack!' As the darkness spread, between heaven and earth, thunder roared and lightning flashed, wild winds howled, and the earth trembled, accompanied by myriad rays of light. Countless anomalies flashed one after another, with various colored light points being born and exploding, like spiritual flowers continuously blooming. The vital energy of heaven and earth was being impacted by a terrifying force, with chaotic energy wildly surging. Everyone finally saw it. Deep within the darkness, a faint, massive outline appeared. It was a roc, completely black, its dark feathers seemingly capable of devouring light. It flew towards them, its outstretched wings bringing forth darkness that surged, covering the sky and blotting out the sun. Everyone's minds were shaken, their faces paling in alarm. Qin Sang also showed a look of surprise. "Dharma Idol!" He felt a familiar aura from the black demonic roc—the aura of a Dharma Idol! This was not the demon beast's true body, but a Dharma Idol, though this Dharma Idol was extremely solid, comparable to reality. Both the black demonic roc's aura and the celestial phenomena it caused were enough to prove that this demon was a Great Demon of the Void Refinement stage! "So, Dharma Idols are the divine abilities of Great Demons at the Void Refinement stage..." Qin Sang realized this, no wonder the demon marquises he had encountered before had no Dharma Idols, and no wonder the Azure Luan Dharma Idol could resist Marquis Li's heavenly might suppression. Hongyuzi had guessed correctly; there truly was a demon king blocking their path! The darkness spread too quickly, instantly occupying half the sky. The black demonic roc seemed to spread across the firmament, looking down upon them like ants. In the darkness, two sharp gazes, like keen swords, pierced through everyone's hearts. "Retreat quickly!" True Lord Zhang was in a great hurry, wanting to retreat back into the altar, but a demon marquis rushed out of the auspicious clouds, sneering as he watched them. Suddenly, a cold huff exploded in everyone's minds, followed by terrifying pressure. Everyone then saw a tide of spiritual energy surging towards them faster than the black demonic roc, with an aura capable of destroying everything. The carriage, however, remained suspended and unmoving. Just then, a strong wind suddenly rose around them, and dark clouds instantly covered the sky, with fierce thunder raging. The vital energy of this place seemed to be drawn by something, frantically gathering upwards, and surprisingly condensed into a human figure. This person was clad in a Taoist robe, wore a Taoist crown, had white beard and white eyebrows, stood amidst the wind and thunder, and calmly gazed at the black demonic roc. "It's the legendary Dharma Body! A Great True Lord!" True Lord Guyun exclaimed, looking at the old Taoist priest, his face full of shock and longing. Qin Sang was no exception; this was a Dharma Body purely condensed from the true essence of heaven and earth. The true body of this Great True Lord was still unknown. "Old monster, bullying the young, have you no shame?" The Great True Lord laughed heartily. The black demonic roc's eyes shot out two golden beams, like sharp arrows. Everyone only saw two golden rainbows. The Great True Lord smiled faintly and pointed his finger into the void. 'Whoosh!' The sky faintly revealed myriad stars, and a celestial river descended from the heavens, connected to the Milky Way above, blocking the tide of spiritual energy, sweeping away the golden beams, and obliterating a mountain. The black demonic roc let out a cold snort, its wings flapping, sweeping away the demon marquises, and the darkness slowly retreated towards the horizon. "You all go first." The Great True Lord left these words, his figure dissipated, his vital energy returned to heaven and earth, and the celestial phenomena vanished with him.

For a long time, everyone couldn't recover from the shock. This area was mountainous with rolling hills, limiting visibility, but they could still see for a hundred li. Yet, no one could see any anomalies. This indicated that the true bodies of the Great True Lord and the black demonic roc were at least several hundred li away, battling across the void using their Dharma Idols and Dharma Bodies. Only then did Qin Sang realize he had previously thought too simply. Void Refinement cultivators would certainly cause celestial phenomena when they acted, accompanied by wind and thunder, but not seeing anomalies did not mean they were safe.