Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed. If an ordinary person made such a promise, the people of Cihang Jingzhai would naturally not believe it.

However, they had no choice but to believe Li Xiuyuan's words, after all, he was the Venerable Dragon Subduer, and monks do not lie.

Fen Qinghui was extremely grateful, and Shi Feixuan was even happier, having already forgotten about the broken Sekong Sword.

…………

In the meditation room of Cihang Jingzhai, Li Xiuyuan looked at the thousand-year-old treasure in his hand.

After he promised to help someone from Cihang Jingzhai break through the life-and-death barrier in the Cihang Sword Manual, they quickly delivered the He Shi Bi jade.

Afterwards, Li Xiuyuan requested a quiet room, which led to the scene before us.

This is a pure white, flawless jade seal, shimmering with precious light, peacefully placed inside a jade box, undisturbed by the world.

The seal is engraved with a pattern of five dragons intertwined, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, but one corner is missing, which is then filled with gold.

Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Bian He, a man from Chu, saw a phoenix perched on a blue stone in Jing Mountain. (There was an ancient saying that "there is no treasure land if the phoenix does not land there.") So he presented this rough stone to King Li of Chu, and the jade craftsmen identified it as a stone.

Bian He was punished for deceiving the king by having his left foot cut off. When King Wu of Chu ascended the throne, Bian He went to present treasures again, and his right foot was cut off for the same crime.

During the reign of King Wen of Chu, Bian He held a jade and wept bitterly at the foot of Mount Jing. He wept until his tears dried up and he shed tears of blood.

King Wen was very surprised, so he ordered people to cut open the rough stone, and they found a precious jade. After being carved into a jade disc by skilled craftsmen, it was known as the "He Shi Bi".

Later generations used the He Shi Bi as an imperial seal, with the first two characters being "Shou Ming" (Received the Mandate) and the last being "Yong Chang" (Eternal Prosperity).

Li Xiuyuan held the He Shi Bi in his hand and felt that his true energy was becoming slightly out of control.

As the Great Sun Tathagata Sutra was activated, Shakyamuni Buddha appeared on Li Xiuyuan's back, accompanied by bursts of Buddhist chanting. The restless true energy finally calmed down.

The strange energy contained within the He Shi Bi jade would cause any martial artist to suffer a reverse flow of true energy and go into qi deviation if they got close to it, but its effect on Li Xiuyuan was negligible.

Li Xiuyuan wanted to use the unique energy of the He Shi Bi to train his body, thereby helping him break through the final layer of the Golden Bell Shield. Naturally, others would find it difficult to use this treasure.

But for Li Xiuyuan, it was an easy task.

Li Xiuyuan infused the Great Sun True Qi into the He Shi Bi jade. The jade immediately shone brightly, overflowing with light, and a strange energy tried to rush into his body.

Li Xiuyuan slowly guided the strange energy from the He Shi Bi jade to temper the muscles in his body. At the same time, he focused on multitasking and activated the Golden Bell Shield, wanting to take this body-training method to the next level.

Buzz!

A series of resounding booms echoed as Li Xiuyuan was enveloped in the strange energy of the He Shi Bi jade, and he began the final guidance.

Chapter 25 Tiger's Roar Golden Bell Shield, Dragon's Cry Iron Shirt

A series of crackling sounds rang out, and Li Xiuyuan's body shone with a golden light. His bronze skin and perfect eight-pack abs were as if every curve had been meticulously sculpted.

His entire body seemed to have been meticulously polished, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

The Golden Bell Cover Technique has reached its ultimate perfection!

Li Xiuyuan has finally mastered this body-refining technique to perfection, even though every step is crystal clear under the deduction of the Great Sun Golden Buddha.

But when these powers were applied to him, he felt his whole body was full of explosive power. He could throw a punch that weighed 100,000 jin, which would be enough to blow anyone in the Tang Dynasty away. Even in terms of combat power based solely on physical training, few in the Tang Dynasty could compare.

Moreover, the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms he practiced was originally an external martial art, which became stronger as his power increased.

Li Xiuyuan looked at the He Shi Bi jade in his hand, which had long lost its former glory. He gently squeezed it, and it turned into powder and scattered on the ground.

As Li Xiuyuan's Golden Bell Shield technique reached its peak, his achievements in body training were considered to have reached a certain level, but he would not stop there.

Even with such a powerful physical body, he was not qualified to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Yuan Technique, a method for achieving sainthood through physical means.

Because the lowest level of that level of cultivation technique is Human Immortal, which is far inferior to his!

Sun Wukong and Yang Jian, one was born of nature, the other was born from the union of an immortal and a mortal, and both possessed immense strength from birth.

The two people's physical bodies do not need any refinement and can directly cultivate the Nine Revolutions Yuan Gong, a body-refining method of this level.

Li Xiuyuan's mortal body was far inferior.

Thinking of this, Li Xiuyuan decided to choose another body-refining technique. He looked around the Merit Mall, but the techniques were either too expensive or unsuitable.

“Master, if you find the cultivation technique too expensive, you can choose a lower-level one and practice it together with the Golden Bell Shield.”

A clear, gentle voice rang out; it was truly kind and understanding.

Li Xiuyuan was delighted to hear this and asked, "Oh, system, do you have any recommendations?"

"As the saying goes: The tiger roars under the golden bell, the dragon sings in the iron shirt!"

“Master, you can choose to practice Iron Shirt. Moreover, if you master this technique and Golden Bell Cover, you can achieve an indestructible body.”

Li Xiuyuan was puzzled upon hearing this. After all, although the Iron Shirt technique was widely known in the martial arts world, it was not stronger than the Golden Bell Shield. However, upon hearing about the Vajra Indestructible technique, he immediately chose it without hesitation.

"Okay, this door will do!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Master, you have spent 400 merit points to exchange for Iron Shirt."

Iron Shirt – is an external martial arts technique for protecting the body. Once mastered, the entire body becomes impervious to blades and spears. At its peak, the entire body is as if wearing an invisible iron armor, providing astonishing defense.

Immediately, the method of practicing Iron Shirt appeared in Li Xiuyuan's mind. The method of practicing Iron Shirt involves wrapping a soft cloth around the chest and back several times, then rubbing it vigorously with the hands, and then doing elbow and arm bending and straightening exercises.

At night, it is advisable to use a sturdy wooden board as a bed, so that the bones can frequently come into contact with and be rubbed by the sturdy material. Over time, the bones and muscles will gradually become stronger.

Afterwards, he would plant the iron pole in the sand and practice various skills on it. But when he was about to put down the pole, he would throw his upper body, shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, arms and other parts into the sand. He practiced this for three years.

Then remove the soft cloth wrapped around the body and strike it with a wooden hammer while simultaneously focusing your energy and concentrating your strength. After three more years, the upper body will become as soft as cotton, and the Iron Shirt technique will be mastered.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan thought to himself that the Iron Shirt technique was complicated and would be extremely difficult for others, but since he had already perfected the Golden Bell Shield, he could skip many steps.

Iron Shirt consists of eight forms: Vajra Stance, Overlord Lifting the Tripod, Shovel Arm Pressing Qi, Horse Stance Qi Cultivation, Facing Elbow Raise, Iron Ox Arching the Ground, Jade Tu Kicking the Door, and Vajra Finger Strength.

At Li Xiuyuan's upper dantian, the golden Buddha statue circulated, and in an instant, it was deduced.

Iron Shirt - Vajra Standing Posture!

Li Xiuyuan stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards. His knees were slightly bent as if sitting, his hands were held in front of his chest, his fingers slightly bent and slightly clenched, his palms facing each other, his body upright, and his eyes slightly closed.

He stood on the earth like a Vajra. His entire body was perfectly integrated, radiating an incomparably powerful aura.

Vajra is the protector of the Buddha, symbolizing that his body is indestructible and indestructible like a diamond. He possesses supreme majesty and subdues demons and monsters.

In an instant, Li Xiuyuan had grasped the essence of the Vajra Protector's teachings, and had clearly integrated it into his mind and will.

At this moment, behind Li Xiuyuan, a golden Buddha image appeared, its entire body as if cast in gold. Its image of the Great Sun Tathagata held a revered position in Buddhism, and its visualization of the Vajra was incredibly swift.

In an instant, Li Xiuyuan had mastered the Iron Shirt – Vajra Stance.

Next steps: Lifting the tripod like a king, pressing down with the shoulders, and practicing the horse stance to build up internal energy.

……

After a long while, Li Xiuyuan exhaled a breath of stale air. At this moment, his Iron Shirt technique had already achieved minor success.

You should know that he originally mastered the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Shirt techniques as easily and quickly as drinking water.

It's like Zhang Wuji from The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. After mastering the Nine Yang Manual, he practiced the Great Shift of the Universe and reached the seventh level in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The same principle applies to Li Xiuyuan's practice of Iron Shirt after he had mastered the Golden Bell Cover technique.

Considering that there was still a long time to go, he decided to practice the four moves following Iron Shirt later, so as not to keep the people of Cihang Jingzhai waiting for too long.

Although Li Xiuyuan has achieved minor success in Iron Shirt, it has not significantly improved his physical body. It is likely that he had already honed his skills enough while practicing Golden Bell Shield.

Further practice would yield minimal improvement. The most important aspect of Li Xiuyuan's Iron Shirt training was that he could only clearly perceive the changes within himself when he reached the Great Perfection.

Tiger's Roar, Golden Bell Shield; Dragon's Cry, Iron Shirt. Li Xiuyuan was really looking forward to it!

Li Xiuyuan walked out of the meditation room, where a woman in a green robe was already waiting. Her demeanor was otherworldly; she was none other than Shi Feixuan.

When Li Xiuyuan saw Shi Feixuan waiting outside the door, he knew that Shi Feixuan had been outside for a long time. He had just been practicing the Golden Bell Cover and Iron Shirt techniques, so he naturally ignored him.

Chapter 26 He Feixuan's Mental Cultivation

Li Xiuyuan said calmly, "Feixuan, I've kept you waiting!"

When Shi Feixuan saw the door open and Li Xiuyuan appear, she replied, "No, I just arrived too."

As he spoke, the head monk bowed.

Li Xiuyuan asked, "Do you have something to discuss with me?"

Shi Feixuan raised her snow-white neck and said, "Reporting to the Venerable One, my master and Zen Master Liaokong have been waiting for a long time in the Cihang Hall!"

Li Xiuyuan nodded upon hearing this and replied, "Alright! You lead the way."

He probably guessed that the people of Cihang Jingzhai had finished their discussion and that he had promised to help someone break through and enter the final level of the Cihang Sword Manual, the life-and-death barrier.

Shi Feixuan nodded in agreement.

As she spoke, she walked ahead, with Li Xiuyuan following behind.

After a while, the two entered the Cihang Hall, where they saw Fen Qinghui and Zen Master Liaokong sitting in the main seats. When they saw Li Xiuyuan appear, they immediately stood up!

"Disciple Fen Qinghui greets the Venerable One."

"Disciple Liaokong greets Your Excellency!"

Li Xiuyuan replied calmly, "No need for such formalities, you two!"

He paused and asked, "Qinghui, have you decided who in Cihang Jingzhai will break through the barrier between life and death?"

Li Xiuyuan will naturally keep his promise from last time, since he received a benefit from him.

After exchanging glances with Zen Master Liaokong, Fen Qinghui said, "Your Excellency, I have thought it through and hope that you can help Feixuan break through."