Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Hearing what the others said, Li Xiucheng thought to himself, "This is a spoiled brat. He's bullied them quite a bit."

Seeing that Li Xiuchen ignored him and went straight into the tavern, Wang San Gongzi ordered his men to go in and kill Li Xiuchen. Li Xiuchen saw several men rushing towards him, but Wang San Gongzi swiftly countered with several powerful strikes, sending his men flying. Thinking that things had come to this point and he had no other choice, he decided to fight to the death to avoid being bullied and to see just how strong his skills were.

Seeing his men being sent flying by Li Xiuchen, Young Master Wang said, "You just wait, the Wang family will not let you get away with this. You won't live past today. You dare to touch anyone from the Wang family? You're asking for trouble. Don't you even know who dares to mess with the Wang family?"

What are you guys doing? Aren't you coming over to help me up? You guys have no sense of propriety at all. The men who had been pretending to be dead on the ground quickly got up and helped the Third Young Master Wang run towards the Wang family in a disheveled state.

Seeing the surprised looks on the faces of the people in the tavern, Li Xiucheng said, "Waiter, bring me some hot dishes, a pot of wine, and a top-notch VIP room."

The waiter glanced at Li Xiuchen and quickly said, "Come, this way, please." Li Xiuchen followed the waiter up to the third floor and sat down at a table. He overheard someone next to him saying, "Did you know? Miss Weiwei from Tianwu Academy has already reached the late stage of Dou Wang and can enter Dou Huang at any time. I heard from others that Miss Weiwei is extremely beautiful, like a celestial being. It's truly extraordinary that she has such high martial arts skills at such a young age. But it seems that the second young master of the Bai family has taken a liking to her. It seems that the other day, the second young master of the Bai family said that if anyone dares to pursue Miss Weiwei, he will break their legs. We should just keep it to ourselves. The second young master of the Bai family is not someone to be trifled with."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuchen thought to himself, "This Second Young Master Bai is still arrogant. He probably doesn't know who I, Li Xiuchen, am. Miss Weiwei is mine, and no one can take her away. If anyone dares to try, I'll beat them to death." As for that poor Third Young Master Wang, he had long since forgotten about him.

Just as Li Xiuchen finished eating and was about to rest, Young Master Wang led a large group of men into Li Xiuchen's room, each carrying a weapon. At Young Master Wang's command, dozens of his men immediately attacked Li Xiuchen, swinging their weapons, intending to kill him. But these men were too foolish; they didn't know how powerful Li Xiuchen was.

Li Xiuchen sneered, "You chickens and dogs dare to be so insolent in front of me? You're clearly courting death." With a swift backhand, he unleashed several powerful strikes, combined with Dragon Battle in the Wild and Hidden Dragon's Roar. Within minutes, everyone except for Young Master Wang was beaten to a pulp. Young Master Wang knelt on the ground, pleading, "Master, it's my fault. I shouldn't have provoked you. If you kill me, the Wang family will never forgive you. Please let me go. I'll never dare to do it again."

Li Xiuchen chuckled twice and said, "You think you're worthy of my letting you go? You thought you were so tough? You wanted to kill me? Come on, hit me then. Let's see who beats whom today." With that, he uttered "Flying Dragon in the Sky," sending Li Xiuchen flying outside, his fate unknown.

At this point, the people in the tavern were so frightened that they ran out. The Holy Buddha then said, "You could have been a little more humble and avoided provoking the Wang family. After all, the Wang family is a prominent local clan. It's better to avoid trouble; don't create problems for yourself."

Li Xiucheng chuckled and said to the Holy Buddha, "The moment I first sent him and the griffin flying, I knew I had no way out. They've gone too far, harming the local area. I'm acting on behalf of Heaven; there's nothing to be afraid of! We Buddhists are compassionate. We should be eliminating harm for the people. If I keep tolerating them, they'll become even more lawless. I can't just let them bully me with all my martial arts skills."

Although Buddhism is based on compassion, it is not something that everyone can afford to offend. The Holy Buddha said, "Well said, you did the right thing. This is actually a test for both of you."

Li Xiucheng deeply understood that Buddhists, in heaven and earth, are supreme! Therefore, the essence of greatness lies in the belief that only they exist in the universe, that nothing else exists besides themselves; it is precisely because heaven and earth are vast, yet they are the greatest; otherwise, how could one become a great being, an ancestor? How could one transcend the cycle of birth and death, and act detached from worldly affairs? Every great being is unique, meaning that each of their methods of cultivation has its own distinct path; otherwise, how could one become a great being? Without leading the world and forging one's own path, one is at best merely following...

Being born late is just being behind others! Without a spirit of surpassing and striving, it's impossible to achieve great things.

Chapter 1200 Dou Di Continent

That night, Li Xiucheng thought of Weiwei again. Two years remained of the three-year agreement; he wondered how Weiwei was doing. Had her strength increased? He missed her terribly. Gradually, he drifted off to sleep, and in his hazy state, he seemed to see Weiwei again. The moon was like a silver platter, and the sky was filled with countless stars. On the cliff, Li Xiucheng lay sprawled on the grass, fast asleep. Moonlight shone on his face. Tomorrow, he would step onto the Dou Qi Continent. His heart was filled with immense anxiety: Was his strength sufficient? Would he encounter any difficulties…?

In his previous life, Li Xiucheng was a rich second-generation heir who didn't care about money, beautiful women, or power. After arriving on this Dou Di Continent, he was pleasantly surprised to find that, due to his experiences in his two lives, his soul was much stronger than that of ordinary people! You should know that on the Dou Di Continent, the soul is innate, and it may become slightly stronger with age.

In the Dou Di Continent, there is no magic as commonly seen in novels; instead, Dou Qi (Battle Qi) is the sole dominant element. On this continent, the cultivation of Dou Qi is something everyone pursues. Through the efforts of countless individuals, it has reached its pinnacle, making people inextricably linked to Dou Qi. The role of Dou Qi on the Dou Qi Continent has become irreplaceable.

The cultivation levels in this world are: "Dou Zhe, Dou Shi, Da Dou Shi, Dou Ling, Dou Wang, Dou Huang, Dou Zong, Dou Zun, Dou Sheng, Dou Di".

Because of the multitude of Dou Qi (Battle Qi), countless cultivation methods have branched off from this main line. Just as hands have different lengths and people have different social statuses, Dou Qi cultivation methods naturally vary in strength. Through summarization and calculation, the Dou Di Continent divides Dou Qi cultivation methods into four tiers and twelve levels, from highest to lowest: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow!

Each level is further divided into three grades: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The level of your cultivation technique determines how far you can go and how much you can achieve in the future. For example, someone who cultivates a Xuan-level technique is naturally much stronger than someone who cultivates a Huang-level technique.

In the Dou Di Continent, there is a clear distinction between high and low, noble and base. Only those with strong personal strength have power. Having one's own cultivation technique is also very important; the higher the level of the technique, the faster one's strength increases and the faster one progresses.

For example, Li Xiucheng's "Holy Buddha System" is a top-level cultivation technique. If you persist in cultivating it, you will definitely grow faster than your peers!

There is also a type called Battle Techniques! As the name suggests, these are special skills that utilize Battle Qi. On the Dou Di Continent, Battle Techniques are also divided into levels, generally categorized as Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

There are countless fighting techniques on the Dou Di Continent. However, most of the fighting techniques that are commonly circulated are the lowest level. To obtain more advanced fighting techniques, one must join a large religious sect, a powerful family, or the Dou Qi Academy that Weiwei attended.

However, there are also people like Li Xiucheng. Some obtain cultivation techniques left behind by predecessors through fortuitous encounters, or possess unique fighting skills of their own. These fighting skills evolved from cultivation techniques are extremely powerful. If two people are of the same level, the one with the matching cultivation techniques and fighting skills will be more powerful! In general, possessing a high-level cultivation technique is extremely important and will greatly help one's future path!

However, advanced cultivation techniques for Dou Qi are extremely difficult for ordinary people to obtain. The techniques circulating among the common people are at most Yellow-rank techniques. Some stronger families or smaller sects should possess Profound-rank cultivation methods; for example, the Wang family's Dou Qi technique is a wind-attribute, and a Profound-rank Dou Qi technique. Above Profound-rank is Earth-rank, but such profound techniques are perhaps only possessed by transcendent forces and great empires…

As for the Heavenly Rank, ... it hasn't appeared for hundreds of years. Perhaps only a few Dou Di (Battle Emperors) can possess it.

Theoretically speaking, it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to obtain advanced cultivation techniques. However, nothing is absolute. The Dou Qi Continent is vast and chaotic, with countless races. In the north of the continent, there is the Honey Clan, which is known for its immense strength and can merge with the power of the Heavenly King. In the south of the continent, there are various races with extremely high intelligence and the ability to absorb magic. There are also dark races known for their cunning and ruthlessness.

Due to the vastness of the region, there are many unknown hermits. After their lives come to an end, these solitary individuals may hide the martial arts they created in seclusion, waiting for a destined person to discover them. On the Dou Qi Continent, a saying is passed down: If one day you fall into the Void or the Mountain of Abundance, do not panic. Take two steps forward, and perhaps you will become a strong person!

In the nearly thousand years of history of mainland China, there are countless stories of people becoming strong through fortuitous encounters.

Li Xiucheng possessed a perfect cultivation technique, but he was currently only a Dou Wang (Battle King). He said what he needed was constant training; what he lacked was real combat experience. Only through continuous combat could he improve his strength. There were always people stronger than him, and the sky was always higher. His destination was the Dou Di Continent, teeming with powerful experts. Dou Di was an unattainable myth, but Li Xiucheng silently resolved to strive towards that goal!

The sun rose in the east as scheduled. Sunlight shone on Li Xiucheng's face, and he opened his eyes. He was extremely excited. "What beautiful weather!" he exclaimed. Li Xiucheng shouldered his pack and set off on his journey again. He walked a very long way, and before him lay a vast, enormous forest. This forest was unusually large, stretching for thousands of miles. Experienced hunters called it the Dark Forest, and divided it into three layers. The first layer, the outermost layer, was entirely safe, with very few wild animals seen. Even if they were, they were harmless. The second layer saw wild animals frequently, and was considered by hunters to be the most suitable hunting ground. Of course, it was not without its dangers. As for the third layer, no one knew what lay within. No one who had gone in had ever come out. Naturally, no one dared to cross that line.

Li Xiucheng chose the Dark Forest path after careful consideration. The dangers of the Dark Forest would hone his abilities, and he wanted to explore its innermost depths to see just how perilous it truly was.

Filled with excitement, Li Xiucheng strode confidently into the dark forest...

Wild beasts were naturally the first combat opponents that came to Li Xiucheng's mind. Of course, being in the Dark Forest meant certain death with the slightest mistake, so choosing the right beasts for combat was crucial. He learned from the Holy Buddha that some beasts in the Dark Forest lived in packs, dominating their respective areas. Individually, their attack power wasn't strong, but as a group, they were terrifying. Li Xiucheng wasn't stupid; he naturally wouldn't provoke these formidable opponents, and even if he unfortunately encountered one, he would choose to flee immediately.

About ten minutes later, Li Xiucheng arrived at the edge of the Dark Forest. Under the cold moonlight, the Dark Forest appeared gloomy and mysterious, but it couldn't dampen Li Xiucheng's desire for real combat.

Li Xiucheng took out a waist knife he had prepared beforehand from the bag, and crouched down as he walked step by step into the dark forest. Just as the hunters had said, it was very difficult to encounter wild animals on the outermost edge. However, even so, Li Xiucheng's nerves were stretched to an unprecedented level, and half of his thin clothes were already soaked with sweat.

"Whoo~~~"

Li Xiucheng exhaled several breaths of cold air to temporarily relax his nerves. If he remained in a state of high alert for too long, given his current endurance, he would probably collapse before even seeing the wild animal.

Leaning against the tree trunk, Li Xiucheng took out a water bag from his bag and drank a few mouthfuls. Suddenly, he realized that he was feeling drowsy. However, being in the dark forest, he was afraid that he would be attacked by wild beasts if he made a mistake. Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in Gu Chen's mind, and the drowsiness was forcibly thrown to the back of his mind.

"Weiwei, where are you? How are you? I miss you so much, Weiwei. Is it true, as they say, that you're already incredibly strong? Will you fall for that Young Master Bai? Will you forget me...?" Thinking about this, Li Xiucheng shed tears of longing. He closed his eyes, recalling all the times he had spent with Weiwei, and gradually became confused.

The night passed quickly, and Li Xiucheng finally stepped into the darkness. The Dark Forest stretched for thousands of miles, its trees lush and green, its weeds crisscrossing like sickles, and countless unnamed wildflowers blooming in profusion, their fragrance invigorating the senses. "Roar!" A beastly roar rang out as a saber-toothed tiger leaped from the undergrowth. "I thought it was something special, just a wild beast," Li Xiucheng said dismissively, slashing at the tiger with his waist knife. But the saber-toothed tiger didn't pounce; it simply turned and fled, looking utterly pathetic. "Damn it, cowardly beast," Li Xiucheng cursed in annoyance. "Hiss!" Another hiss rang out, and a dark shadow pounced near Li Xiucheng. At that moment, Li Xiucheng's demonic blade thrust in that direction with unparalleled speed, the longsword flashing with intense heat.

"puff!"

"hiss!"

Emerging from the grass was a massive snake nearly eight meters long. Its entire body was silvery-white, its scales tightly packed, gleaming with a pale silver light. Its barrel-sized body seemed to contain immense power. It raised a third of its body, its jaws gaping wide as it lunged at Li Xiucheng. Fortunately, Li Xiucheng reacted in time, stabbing the snake with his sword, causing it to painfully abandon its attack. "It's a Silver Serpent!" Li Xiucheng muttered to himself, exclaiming in surprise. The Silver Serpent was a high-level first-tier spirit beast, comparable in strength to a human fighting spirit. However, at the same level, human fighters were no match for spirit beasts, as spirit beasts possessed incredibly powerful bodies—a quality that human martial artists could never match.

The Silver Serpent, stabbed by a sword, suffered a gaping wound and instantly became enraged. Its massive tail swept towards Li Xiucheng, simultaneously spitting out venom. Li Xiucheng, a Battle King, far surpassed the Silver Serpent in strength, easily dodging its sweeping attack. He then unleashed dozens of swift strikes with his demonic blade, each blow slicing through the serpent's body with unstoppable force.

"Hiss!" The Silver Serpent hissed in pain, its body writhing in agony. "Die!" Li Xiucheng exuded a murderous aura, his demonic blade condensing powerful battle qi. With a swift movement, the blade sliced ​​across the Silver Serpent's neck. Blood splattered, and a foul, metallic stench filled the air. Li Xiucheng stared at the Silver Serpent, now severed in two, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. If he hadn't been a Battle King, he would have been in serious trouble.

Li Xiucheng packed his belongings, preparing to continue. At this moment, the Holy Buddha suddenly said, "I advise you not to go any further. Beyond that lies the deepest part of the Dark Forest. I almost lost my life here when I first came." "No, I must continue! This is only my first battle. The most important challenge lies ahead. I cannot give up. To improve my strength, I must persevere. I cannot let Weiwei down. I've heard Weiwei is very strong now. If I don't work hard, I'll be left behind." The Holy Buddha said, "It seems you're determined to continue. In that case, why don't you rest here for a while? I'll transfer some of my experience to you." "Alright, let's recover our strength here. You can teach me a few more moves."

You just used eight-tenths of your strength. If you were to go any deeper, it would probably be even more difficult. I will pass on my Nine Yang Divine Skill to you. You must work hard. You have superhuman comprehension abilities, and I hope you can grasp the true essence of the Nine Yang Divine Skill in a short time! And so, Li Xiucheng began his cultivation.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill allows one's internal energy to merge with all things, increasing the operational capacity of battle qi at an astonishingly rapid and inexhaustible speed. Even ordinary punches and kicks can unleash tremendous power; its defensive power is unparalleled, with an automatic protective function that deflects external attacks, creating an indestructible body; the practitioner's lightness skill surpasses that of any master of lightness skill in the world; it is also a holy grail of healing, immune to all poisons, and specifically counters all cold and yin poisonous internal energies. The Nine Yang Divine Skill is a comprehensive martial arts system; once mastered, all martial arts techniques in the world become readily available. Learning the Nine Yang Divine Skill can enhance one's comprehension of combat techniques, allowing for a deeper understanding of others' techniques. If one possesses great talent, one can even memorize techniques used by others after a single glance. In short, this is an extremely powerful martial art!

Chapter 1201 Silence

Li Xiuchen had always had a strange feeling about the Dark Forest. For some reason, from the moment he stepped into it not long ago, he felt a gaze fixed intently on him from not far behind. After glancing around, Li Xiuchen cautiously took two steps forward, then suddenly sprang into action, using his battle qi to quickly ascend to the second level. A short while later, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness and stood where Li Xiuchen had just stood, gazing at him from afar, a smile unconsciously playing on their lips.

"Li Xiuchen, just entered the sect, a Dou Wang, you've gained cultivation and treasure and you still want no one to know? Hahaha, what exactly is that thing inside your body~" The man muttered to himself, then nodded with satisfaction.

"What do you think?" A voice suddenly floated out from behind the man. "Tell me, should I call you Emperor Wu or Mountain Man?"

"Hahaha, Wen Chong, since you're here, let's meet. Why keep hiding? Am I... that scary?" The mountain man suddenly turned around, and the rock he was looking at was instantly covered with dense cracks. And a figure slowly emerged from behind the rock.

"I seek the hermit amidst the fragrance of a hundred flowers. Hermit, how is your coiled dragon doing these days?" Wen Chong slowly stood still, hands behind his back, and smiled as he looked at the hermit opposite him.

"How's Panlong? Can't you see it?" The hermit withdrew his gaze and looked back at the spot where Li Xiuchen had left. Behind Wen Chong, the cracked rock instantly turned into dust. Wen Chong glanced indifferently at the dust behind him, his hands behind his back unconsciously clenching into fists.

"Alright, if you have nothing else, I'll be going now. There's still a good show to watch, and I don't want to miss it." Shanren turned to look at Wenchong. "So... is there something you need?"

"Huh? Ah! It's nothing." Wen Chong was stunned and didn't react. "I also came to watch the show, but I sensed a dragon coming to take a look in the middle of it."

The hermit nodded and said no more. He took a deep look in the direction Li Xiuchen had left, then darted off to the other side and quickly disappeared from Wen Chong's sight.

As Wen Chong watched the mountain man gradually disappear, his tense nerves immediately relaxed. A gentle breeze blew by, and his shirt, already soaked with cold sweat, clung to his body, feeling particularly biting. Wen Chong gritted his teeth, frowned, and followed the mountain man. In an instant, the place, which had been somewhat noisy, became eerily quiet.

Before the green leaves blown down by the wind could even touch the ground, a sudden "rustling" sound rang out.

"Wenchong, Wenchong, so many years have passed, and you still haven't changed at all." The speaker was none other than the mountain man who had been gone for a long time. "Watching a show? This show is nowhere near as interesting as you, hehe." The mountain man grinned, his face full of disdain.

There was another rustling sound. This time, the mountain man chose to leave on foot, heading in the same direction that Li Xiuchen had gone.

After running for a long time, Li Xiuchen's breathing became heavy, and his steps became unsteady. He knew that he had almost exhausted his battle qi. Li Xiuchen hurriedly stopped, glanced at his surroundings, and quickly hid in a cave not far away.

After entering the cave, Li Xiuchen carefully inspected it and, finding no signs of wild animal activity, sealed the entrance and quietly sat down cross-legged.

"Holy Buddha, aren't I a Battle King now? Why do I feel like my battle aura isn't the same as before? Is something wrong?" Li Xiuchen asked curiously after resting for a while and regaining some of his energy. But after a long time, the Holy Buddha still didn't speak.

"Holy Buddha? Asleep?" Li Xiuchen suddenly felt something was strange. In his memory, the Holy Buddha had never been so silent as he was today. "Holy Buddha? Holy Buddha?" Seeing no response, Li Xiuchen called out to the Holy Buddha cautiously again.

"Quickly..." The Holy Buddha finally spoke, but his words were broken and unusually low.

"What? What did you say?" Li Xiuchen was stunned, not having heard clearly, and asked anxiously.

"Quick...quick...hurry up and go..." The Holy Buddha's voice rang out again, but for some reason, this time his voice was not only unusually low but also sounded extremely painful. Li Xiuchen frowned. He didn't know why the Holy Buddha was giving him such a warning. Before entering this cave, he had carefully checked it, and there were no signs of wild animals living inside or around it.

"Why? How..." Just as Li Xiuchen was about to ask for clarification, he suddenly realized that the silence around him was a little eerie. The rustling sounds that had been there not long ago had disappeared without a trace. The whole world was so quiet that he could only hear his own heartbeat and his increasingly heavy breathing.

"Holy...Holy Buddha..." Li Xiuchen lowered his voice involuntarily. If someone were nearby, it would appear as if only his lips moved. Large beads of sweat slowly slid down Li Xiuchen's face. "Holy Buddha...what happened..."

With a crisp "crack," the stone sealing the cave entrance seemed to split open, and Li Xiuchen slowly walked towards the opening, circulating his battle qi as he went. Suddenly, however, his pupils dilated more than twice their normal size. His battle qi, which had almost fully recovered, had vanished completely. Li Xiuchen was speechless with shock, and his breathing became heavier without him even realizing it.

"Drip, drip, drip," a crisp, melodious dripping sound suddenly rang out in the cave. Li Xiuchen, who had just lifted one foot, stopped abruptly in mid-air. He remembered that there was no water flowing through this cave. Li Xiuchen slowly put his foot back down, his hands gradually clenching, silently taking two deep breaths, closing his eyes to calm himself, and slowly turning his head back. The dripping sound continued, and seemed to be getting closer and closer.

Li Xiuchen gritted his teeth and turned his head, only to find nothing behind him. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his nerves were jolted back into focus. He turned his head back, only to find it still empty. Li Xiuchen closed his eyes and exhaled, but when he opened them, he found himself in complete darkness.

"Senior sister! We're almost at the Dark Forest! You're not going to tell me he's in the Dark Forest right now, are you?" Weiwei leaned out of the carriage and glanced at the dark forest ahead before turning back to ask the woman in black robes sitting inside.

“Yes, he’s right here. If my information is correct, he just left the city and came here not long ago.” The woman in black robes opened her eyes, looked at Weiwei, and answered with a smile.

"But...but..." Upon hearing this answer, Weiwei's expression suddenly became extremely anxious, her eyes darting around, unable to conceal her inner urgency.

"But soon a good show will unfold in the Dark Forest." The woman in black shook her head slightly, looking at Weiwei's expression, her eyes fixed on the Dark Forest before her. The speeding carriage jolted and bumped, but the woman in black seemed to see through the curtain, her gaze unwavering. Unconsciously, a hint of anger and pain appeared in her eyes.

Seeing the woman in black robes' expression, Weiwei, who was about to speak, tightly shut her mouth again, saying nothing more. A moment of silence fell over the carriage, broken only by the sounds of the horses galloping outside and the carriage's jolting.

"Wenchong! You're foolish! Why did you provoke him for no reason!" In a tent deep in the dark forest, Wenchong stood quietly in the middle, listening to the old man sitting in front of him reprimanding him.

"Tell me, what are we doing in the Dark Forest? Have you done your job?" The old man sitting in front frowned and reprimanded Wen Chong sternly. "I told you a long time ago not to mess with him, but you, you were just following him around chatting like an idiot!" The old man's anger intensified as he spoke.

"Master...Father." Wen Chong paused abruptly after speaking, straightened his chest, and continued tentatively, "Father, I've taken care of things. As for him, I just happened to run into him on my way back." Wen Chong explained slowly.

"Shut up!" the old man, whom Wen Chong called "father," shouted sternly. "Just a coincidence? He'll just randomly show up so you can just happen to run into him!"

"I don't know why he came out this time..." Wen Chong helplessly spread his hands as if to defend himself, but suddenly he seemed to remember something, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. "Father, Panlong has come out."

The old man paused, looking at Wen Chong's serious face, and couldn't help but rub the teacup in his hand. He stared blankly at the ground, lost in thought, and only after a long time did he come back to his senses. "Are you... sure?" For some reason, the old man's voice suddenly became low and hoarse.

"I'm sure." Wen Chong thought for a moment and nodded heavily.