Chapter 471 - The Book of Life and Death
Shen Lian kept quiet for a while, then said, "Do you know if your founding master Chang Shengzi has gone through the cultivation hurdles to reach the state of immortality?"
Liu Mengde said, "I don"t understand what you said about the cultivation hurdles, but I practice a different technique from the founding master. I feel odd that you asked about whether the founding master is immortal. With your cultivation, can you not detect the book of life and death?"
Shen Lian was moved, "The book of life and death really exists?"
Liu Mengde was confused, as for someone who had sufficient cultivation experience would definitely detect the book of life and death. As Shen Lian asked about it, he then told him what he knew, "The book of life and death was formed by the force of the universe, it is otherwise known as the book of human, as it has a record of all the knowledge of the intelligent beings in the universe. As life and death are recorded in the book, it possesses divine power. Once you"re in the record of the book of life and death, when you reach what"s recorded in the book, you will die. Even my founding masters" names are not removed from the book of life and death. When the time is here, they only have the choice to go through a cycle of reincarnations."
Shen Lian was slightly surprised, as he did not expect there was this mystery on this side of the world. If the book of life and death did exist, and if it was so much more powerful than the rumors, why did he not feel anything? Was it because he was not a living being that was from this side of the world, or was there other reason?
Shen Lian continued to ask, "What do you mean by removing the name from the book of life and death?"
Liu Mengde said, "You should know that in the deepest level of cultivation for Xuanmen cultivators, the essence, Qi and spirit can be made into one, and the primordial spirit is subsequently born. At this level, one is not a commoner anymore, but someone known as Dixian, or the walking celestial of the earth. My founding masters are all the walking celestials of the earth, and hence they have supernatural power beyond consideration, but this is not the end of cultivation. After the walking celestial of the earth is the state of Tianxian, who can understand one of the Great Ways of the heaven and earth and take it in for personal use. Till then it can detect the connection between the self and the book of life and death, and hence cut it off, to be removed from the book of life and death. For my cultivation technique, to the maximum, it will be about the understanding of the Great Way of Fire in heaven and earth, to be able to produce the purest True Samadhi Fire. By then my name will be removed from the book of life and death. You"re powerful beyond my imagination, but you are not aware of the book of life and death. Is it because something went wrong during your reincarnation which removed the connection between you and the book of life and death? I hope you don"t mind if I ask about your current cultivation level."
Shen Lian thought about the different paths that led to the same ending. From this side of the world, the Qi cultivators too walked the path of primordial spirit celestialism, but there was n.o.body like the Daoist master, whose words became the rules of governance, and hence the birth of the nine states of cultivation.
He smiled, "From your words, I guess I was at the level of Tianxian."
Liu Mengde was stunned as he never expected Shen Lian to say he was at the level of Tianxian. He could not tell the depth of Shen Lian, but he held the pride of being a student from Xuan Zhen Temple.
Ultimately, there were countless living beings, but Xuan Zhen Temple had the limited number of top individuals, the Xuan Zhen Qi Zi. All of them achieved the Daoist Primordial Spirit and had power that could reach the sky. There were even several tens of people studying under the sect like his master Mu Zhen, where even Da Xia dared not to neglect them, and to register them as Zhenren individually.
Even in Yin Shang where Qi cultivators were blooming, Xuan Zhen Temple was considered one of the top celestial sects.
Furthermore, Xuan Zhen Temple had lasted for more than a thousand years. It was recognized as an authentic Xuanmen by the world.
Even with such a force, there was no one in the level of Tianxian.
It was a level where the founding masters of Xuan Zhen Temple could achieve. Even though his master Mu Zhen said that he could have the power to go against the Great Saint if he had True Samadhi Fire, to step into the level of Tianxian was just a hope. While that level sounded easy, there were only the top in the world who could achieve it, and not even Emperor Xia had them under control.
As the Great Saints among the demons were too could not be suppressed by Da Xia.
Even though Liu Mengde had the cultural exposure and knowledge from Xuan Zhen Temple, he too was not clear about whose names could be removed from the book of life and death. Perhaps only the founding master Chang Shengzi could tell.
Liu Mengde thought of a question. If Shen Lian was a Tianxian, why was he reincarnated? He asked, "You said you were roughly at the level of Tianxian. Was it because you faced some misfortune and hence you never recovered to your peak?"
Shen Lian smiled, "I indeed have not recovered back to my peak, but it is not necessarily true that my past self was more powerful. You"re still at the level of seeking for power, hence you cannot understand what my current situation is. Let"s say the ending of your cultivation leads you to the Great Way of Fire, but I did not only just obtain fire, I too obtained wood, water, metal and earth, the Dao of the five elements. They were all as clear as writings on the back of my palm to me. Even if it"s the True Samadhi Fire, it will not be difficult for me to learn it."
As Shen Lian flickered his fingers, a white fire appeared at the tip of his finger. The vitality of the universe all gathered towards the fire at his fingertips.
This was indeed the True Samadhi Fire, although it was not its purest form, it was much more powerful than Liu Mengde"s.
In the beginning, Liu Mengde was filled with respect, and now he was filled with admiration.
Shen Lian did not lie, in terms of power of the Primordial Spirit, it was not comparable to his peak, but his understanding towards power had changed. At the very least, his past self would find it difficult to hurt his current self.
He also would not say he was more powerful than the past, as he currently too would not be able to hurt his past self, as his primordial spirit was unbelievably strong.
After the battle at the bier discourse of Dao, Shen Lian"s largest reward was having a clear understanding of the art of spiritual enhancement. The profoundness of Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incarnation both became his resources. They helped him to understand the mastery of senses better. It was no longer something he did not understand at all.
Dream Heart Sutra and Free Form Incarnation still relied on external sources to boost the spirit, but the mastery of senses sought from the inside, to dig out the impossibly strong power of the psyche from the heart.
Just like the nuclear weapon from his previous life. When there was a nuclear reaction, even a tiny bit of material could cause an explosion that could destroy the world.
The Mastery of Senses was the supreme art of spiritual enhancement Lingbao Tianzhun left behind. It contained another cultivation method Shen Lian did not manage to a.n.a.lyze. It dug out the powerful psyche he had from the depth of his heart. The spirit was enhanced with the absorption of the power of the psyche.
It was close to saying that something was born from nothing. Shen Lian had to admit it, and it was the existence of Lingbao Tianzhun. It was not something he could understand. He could not even describe it.
Perhaps only those who had become Daoist Master or Buddha could understand such existence, but till that step, even if it was just another step away, it would require one to cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers.
Just like the Heavenly King in the past, who was much more powerful than Shen Lian by a thousand times, he too failed at the last step. He was not able to walk the same path as the Daoist Master or Buddha.