Zhang Kui's Journey to the West in the Investiture of the Gods

Chapter 23: On the Dao, the Fourth Stage of the Golden Core

Ji Li and Yu Qing's faces still held lingering amazement and joy.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on reaching the Celestial Immortal realm in one fell swoop. From now on, you will be free from the constraints of the mortal and immortal realms and roam the world at your own pace." Ji Li spoke first, his words full of sincerity. As a disciple of Wen Zhong, he was exceptionally knowledgeable and knew the difficulties of the Celestial Immortal tribulations, especially the inner demon tribulations, which were extremely dangerous. Zhang Kui's ability to overcome them so smoothly demonstrated that his Dao heart was firm and his foundation was solid, far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Yu Qing also sighed, "Just now, watching the general undergo his tribulation, especially the changes in his aura during the tribulation of inner demons, from chaos to clarity, from struggle to harmony, seemed to coincide with some kind of ultimate truth of heaven and earth, which benefited us both greatly. Many of the confusions we had in our cultivation in the past have suddenly become clear." He spoke earnestly. The Daoist charm of "seeking truth" and "seeing one's true nature" that Zhang Kui exuded during his tribulation had indeed allowed them to touch upon the profound mysteries.

Zhang Kui's aura was now fully contained, but the harmonious feeling of being one with heaven and earth around him could not be completely concealed. He smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Fellow Daoists, you flatter me. I was fortunate enough to survive this tribulation thanks to the Grand Master's teachings and the protection of Senior Lü Yue and the two of you. The few insights I gained during the tribulation were nothing more than clarifying my mind and seeing my true nature, and retracing the path of cultivation."

"To understand one's true nature and embark on the path of cultivation again..." Ji Li pondered these eight words, his eyes gleaming. "My master often said that the path is long and arduous, but perseverance will lead to the destination. However, the two words 'understanding one's true nature' are the most difficult hurdle for countless cultivators to overcome. General Zhang was able to see through this point during the Heavenly Tribulation, so the path to becoming a Golden Immortal is within reach."

The three exchanged smiles, their relationship growing even closer after this encounter. Seeing the two men's profound auras and the harmonious flow of the five elements' spiritual energy around them, Zhang Kui, clearly deeply immersed in this path, asked, "Judging from your auras, you two fellow Daoists possess extraordinary attainments in the Dao of the Five Elements. Why don't we discuss and exchange our insights?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Li and Yu Qing were both invigorated. Although their master, Wen Zhong, possessed extraordinary magical abilities, he was usually busy with important military and national affairs, and his thunder magic and divine eye techniques were far more profound and mysterious. In fact, he was not as close to the understanding as Zhang Kui, who had just broken through and had a deep understanding of the details of cultivation. Moreover, Zhang Kui possessed the bloodline of the Wu clan and had been taught the Heavenly Gang Great Technique, so his perspective was bound to be unique.

Yu Qing sighed and said frankly, "To be honest, General, although we have been taught the Shangqing Immortal Techniques by our master and are quite proficient in the Five Elements Escape Techniques and spells, we always feel that we have only grasped the form but not the spirit. There are always some stagnations in the transformation of the Five Elements, making it difficult to achieve true smoothness and endless vitality. Our master once said that this requires enlightenment and opportunity, and cannot be forced."

Ji Li added, "Especially the principle of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint. When applying it, one often loses sight of the other, making it difficult to apply the wonders of generation and restraint to actual combat escape techniques, thus greatly reducing its power and speed."

Zhang Kui nodded slightly, deeply understanding this sentiment. Before obtaining the Golden Elixir Dao, he relied on his bloodline instincts to drive the power of the earth element, which was also reckless and inefficient. It wasn't until he cultivated the orthodox methods of the Xuanmen and comprehended the "Five Elements Great Escape" among the Thirty-Six Methods of the Heavenly Gang that he truly glimpsed the profound mysteries of the Five Elements Dao.

He paused for a moment, then organized his thoughts: "What you two fellow Daoists have felt, I have also experienced. The Five Elements are not isolated, but a whole; they generate and restrain each other, in an endless cycle."

He extended his right hand, palm facing upward, and with a slight thought, a point of earthy yellow spiritual light appeared, then transformed into a platinum color, sharp and piercing, before turning into a flowing azure, followed by the emergence of verdant wood energy, and finally rising into crimson flames. The five elements of light circulated and transformed in his palm, seamlessly and without the slightest stagnation, as if forming a miniature cycle of heaven and earth.

Ji Li and Yu Qing were mesmerized. They could also perform the transformation of the five elements, but none of them could do it so effortlessly, as naturally as breathing.

"This is the wonder of the mutual generation of the five elements," Zhang Kui explained. "Earth generates metal, metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, and fire generates earth again. If one can integrate this principle into the escape technique, one can use the opponent's strength against them, using a trace of magic power to draw upon the vast spiritual energy of the five elements in the world, which not only doubles the speed but also greatly reduces the consumption."

Then, the five elements of light in his palm suddenly changed, the flames surged and instantly suppressed the water light; the water light in turn extinguished the flames; the golden light cut through the wood energy; the earth and stones buried the golden edge... all sorts of mutually restraining scenes appeared alternately, filled with a law of destruction and balance.

"The mutual restraint of the five elements is not simply about destruction. Metal restrains wood, but it can also be used to carve wood into useful objects; fire restrains metal, but it can also be used to refine metal into useful materials. When applied to escape techniques and magic, it is the key to overcoming the strong with the weak, breaking through force with skill, avoiding suppression, and finding an opening to advance."

Zhang Kui, drawing on his own experience using the "Five Elements Great Escape" and "Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming" supernatural powers, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way: "For example, if you encounter an obstacle using Earth Escape, you don't necessarily have to force your way through with stronger Earth power. You can switch to Metal Escape, using the principle that Metal overcomes Wood. If the obstacle contains Wood energy, you can break through it; or you can switch to Water Escape, using the counterforce of Earth overcoming Water. By taking advantage of its restraining force, you can actually accelerate your stealth..."

He recounted his insights and experiences in cultivating the "Five Elements Great Escape" supernatural power without reservation. This included not only the mysteries of the supernatural power itself, but also the intuitive perception of the essence of power inherent in the bloodline of the Wu clan.

Ji Li and Yu Qing listened with rapt attention, sometimes frowning, sometimes suddenly understanding. Zhang Kui's explanation opened a completely new door for them, and many long-standing doubts were suddenly resolved. Their internal magical power unconsciously circulated, and the fluctuations of the five elements spiritual energy around them became increasingly lively and dynamic.

"...Therefore, the Five Elements Great Escape, and even the highest realm of all Five Elements techniques, is not about forcibly controlling them, but about integrating, guiding, and transforming them. One must act as the central hub, drawing upon the power of the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth for one's own use, in order to reach a state of traveling a thousand miles in an instant, where nothing can obstruct one's path." Zhang Kui concluded, the Five Elements light in his palm fading away.

The valley fell silent for a moment, save for the mournful sound of the wind. Ji Li and Yu Qing closed their eyes, still deeply immersed in their recent insights. After a long while, they exhaled a long breath, opened their eyes, and their pupils shone brightly, clearly indicating that they had gained a great deal.

The two men exchanged a glance, straightened their clothes, and bowed deeply to Zhang Kui: "General Zhang, we will never forget your kindness in imparting your knowledge today!"

They knew that although Zhang Kui had not passed on a specific cultivation method, it was a precious insight that pointed directly to the origin of the Five Elements Dao, especially the cultivation understanding of the Heavenly Gang Divine Power "Five Elements Great Escape," which was something that ordinary cultivators could not even dream of obtaining. This friendship was truly too heavy a burden.

Zhang Kui quickly helped the two up and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoists, there's no need for such formalities. We are both under the Grand Tutor's command and are all seekers of the Dao. It is only right that we verify each other's understanding. I am very happy to be of any help to you two."

Ji Li said solemnly, "Such profound insights are not easily obtained. General, your magnanimity is truly admirable."

They exchanged some subtle techniques on circulating the five elements' spiritual power. Ji Li and Yu Qing understood that although Zhang Kui had stabilized his realm, he obviously still needed time to deeply comprehend the mysteries of the Celestial Immortal realm. So they tactfully took their leave and returned to the military camp to digest what they had learned that day.

After seeing the two off, Zhang Kui's gaze swept over the valley that had been baptized by the heavenly tribulation. Although it was in ruins, it still retained a rich spiritual energy and Daoist charm. With a thought, he silently disappeared into the cliff on one side.

The earth and rocks parted before him like flowing water, then silently closed up behind him. In a short while, a simple and clean cave dwelling was created. The cave was small, only about three zhang in size, but it was isolated from the wind, snow, and noise of the outside world, making it exceptionally quiet.

Zhang Kui sat cross-legged, carefully recalling the entire process of his tribulation. From the tempering of his body by lightning, to the emergence of inner demons, to the subjugation of his restless mind, the capture of his wandering thoughts, and the severing of his old self, and finally to the auspicious arrival of heavenly omens and the condensation of the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit, each step seemed to be a natural progression, but in reality, it was fraught with hidden dangers.

"Cultivating truth, seeking one's true self..." he murmured to himself, his Dao heart becoming increasingly clear and lucid. Advancing to the Celestial Immortal realm was not only a surge in magical power, but also a leap in the level of life, making his perception of the laws of heaven and earth clearer than ever before.

Calming his mind, he focused his inner gaze on his dantian. The golden core had undergone a dramatic transformation, increasing in size several times over, resembling a chicken egg. Its golden light was now restrained, and it had begun to merge with his divine soul. The four profound Dao patterns on the surface of the golden core slowly flowed, radiating a vast and boundless power.

"The Golden Core has reached its fourth stage." Zhang Kui was overjoyed.

The Golden Elixir Path advances to a major realm every three stages, with the fourth stage corresponding to the Celestial Immortal realm. The quality and quantity of the Golden Elixir undergo a leap forward, and the magical power that can be stored and mobilized is far beyond what is possible at the Earth Immortal level.

What surprised him even more was that the "Size-to-Size" divine power seed, which had been revolving around the Golden Core and could not be imprinted, was now trembling slightly, resonating strongly with the fourth Dao pattern that had just emerged from the Golden Core.

"The time has come!" Zhang Kuifu thought to himself, and immediately circulated his qi and blood and golden core power, carefully guiding the ever-changing divine power seed towards the fourth Dao pattern.

hum!

The golden core trembled slightly, and the fourth Dao pattern shone brightly, like an invisible brand, actively accepting the "Size and Size at Will" divine power seed. The seed merged into the Dao pattern, instantly becoming one with it, and the shape of the Dao pattern also became somewhat illusory and uncertain, filled with the mysterious aura of spatial change.

Success! The "Size at Will" supernatural power was finally successfully inscribed on the Golden Elixir.

From then on, all four Heavenly Divine Powers merged with the Golden Core, allowing him to unleash them with a mere thought, as easily as moving an arm or finger, their power multiplied. He tested the subtle application of the power; a finger instantly grew to the thickness of a radish, and with another thought, it returned to its original size. The change in size was instantaneous, incredibly smooth, without the previous sluggishness or effort. Although it was still far from the legendary level of "manifesting heaven and earth," it was already an excellent auxiliary divine power.

In the following time, Zhang Kui immersed himself in cultivation in this tranquil cave, consolidating his early-stage Celestial Immortal cultivation, while carefully comprehending the four divine abilities engraved on his Golden Core, especially the newly acquired "Size Ruyi".

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Kui awoke from his deep meditation. His aura was perfectly balanced and full, and divine light flickered between the opening and closing of his eyes. He had completely solidified his early-stage Celestial Immortal realm and had complete control over his own power.

He stood up, took a step, and appeared outside the cave in the next moment.

At this moment, the sky outside the cave was gradually brightening, and the thick clouds that shrouded the North Sea seemed to have been torn open by an invisible giant hand. In the distant sky, a red sun was struggling to break free from the horizon and burst forth.

A myriad of rays of light pierced the pre-dawn darkness, dyeing the swirling snow with golden-red hues, a breathtaking spectacle. The sunlight bathed Zhang Kui, warming him completely, erasing all traces of cold. He stood with his hands behind his back, quietly gazing at this magnificent sunrise, a sense of peace and expansiveness filling his heart.

With a flash, Zhang Kui transformed into a streak of light and sped towards the rear camp, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.