Chapter 26: Mediating the Seven Souls, Forging the Yin and Yang into a Dharmic Body

"To be a law for all ages through one's own existence!"

Hearing these words, Meng Qianyuan felt his breath hitch. A sensation like an electric current surged through him, making his scalp tingle. He was immensely gifted and possessed great ambitions, yet his goal was merely to achieve "Sanctification of the Flesh." Compared to Yi Beidou’s aspiration, his own ambition felt like a sparrow looking up at a soaring roc.

What was the significance of sanctifying the flesh? It was merely a method of self-deliverance, equivalent to the fruit of the Lesser Vehicle. Only by becoming a law for all ages could one truly be called the "Great Vehicle."

Even in death, the enlightenment remains undying.

Zhou Baiwei’s mouth hung slightly agape, her eyes shimmering with brilliance, while Zhao Ping, Sun Hanlin, and the others stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. If an ordinary person had spoken those words, they would have dismissed them as empty boasting. But could someone like Yi Beidou be considered ordinary?

Sanctification of the flesh, possessing divine anomalies, a will like iron and steel, the unity of knowledge and action, keeping one’s word—every syllable uttered carried the weight of cause and effect. If this scene were set within religious legend, it would be akin to the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vowing, "I shall not attain Buddhahood until the hells are empty." It was a grand, monumental vow to be practiced for a lifetime.

Even Wei Cheng, who had previously exuded a surging aura, paused slightly. His gaze toward Yi Beidou had changed entirely. Initially, he had viewed this man as a junior who had only just achieved sanctification and stepped into the world—lacking experience and perhaps still lost on his path—and had intended to offer some guidance. He never expected that his opponent would have such a clear goal and a will as firm as iron, already a true master of the Way.

Hearing these words, even he felt a rush of blood to his heart.

"Hahahaha! What a magnificent Way, what a magnificent Way! Born as a Heavenly Demon in this world, yet you maintain your own freedom; you do not wish to be a demon causing chaos, but instead seek to become a law for the world through your own existence. Moving Mount Tai, changing the Big Dipper—Yi Beidou, you are worthy of this name. It seems I am truly old."

Wei Cheng retracted his aura and shook his head with a wry smile.

"There is no enmity between us; in fact, we should form a bond of goodwill. Why hold onto this war of words? A thousand empty boasts are not worth an inch of progress underfoot. It took me twenty years of trials to achieve success in a single stroke, and now that I am studying martial arts and have encountered a peer who has also sanctified his flesh, it is only natural to ask for guidance. I hope you will not hesitate to teach me."

"It should be so," Yi Beidou replied. "We are both martial artists. When martial artists meet, if there is no exchange of blows, is that not like a grand banquet without wine? Since I achieved sanctification slightly earlier than you, I shall take the liberty of demonstrating a few of the mysteries that follow."

"However, a clash between us would carry too much destructive power. Without enmity, we should not be entangled, lest we damage our harmony. How about we trade just one move?" Wei Cheng said with a smile.

"One move it is," Yi Beidou agreed.

"Quick! Have someone seal off the area around the cemetery!" Hearing their exchange, Zhao Ping immediately ordered his subordinates. A clash between those who had sanctified their flesh was no trivial matter. If ordinary citizens were to witness it or, worse, record it and upload it to the internet, it would likely cause unnecessary turmoil. Beside them, Meng Qianyuan and Zhou Baiwei both looked on with excitement.

How often does an ordinary person get the chance to witness a clash between such figures?

Before the cemetery, on the open ground, Wei Cheng and Yi Beidou stood facing each other.

"Since you have only just achieved sanctification, you likely do not yet know that sanctification is not the end of the martial path."

"After achieving it, one undergoes a rebirth; the body experiences a qualitative change, leading to numerous possibilities. By stimulating the body with the supreme 'True Intent,' one can further transform the physical form."

"Ancient texts say that by 'adjusting the seven souls and recreating Yin and Yang into a Dharma Body,' one reaches this realm. Today, I will let you witness my Dharma Body!" Wei Cheng said calmly.

The next moment—*crack, crack!*

Accompanying a series of explosions from his joints and bones, his bronze-colored body suddenly expanded. His height, originally under 1.8 meters, rapidly increased. 1.9 meters. 2 meters. 2.2 meters...

Ultimately, his height locked in at 2.5 meters. His body remained well-proportioned; he grew forty teeth, his face became perfectly full, his shoulders, underarms, hands, feet, and neck were all fully rounded, his hands reached below his knees, and his fingers were slender... The Thirty-Two Marks of a Buddha were manifested. As he circulated his blood, his bronze skin shifted slightly, taking on a golden hue, as if he had been cast into a golden body.

The record for the tallest human in history was 2.47 meters, and Wei Cheng had already surpassed that! Is this a man or a Buddha?!

Zhou Baiwei, Sun Hanlin, and the other staff members felt their scalps tingling at the sight. It was as if they were living in a legend, standing before a golden Buddha, and they nearly knelt in worship.

Yi Beidou narrowed his eyes slightly; he finally understood why the old man's clothes were so loose. When martial arts reach a profound level, a martial artist can tense their muscles and stretch their bones to increase their height by ten to twenty centimeters, which is already difficult. For someone to circulate their blood like this and grow seventy or eighty centimeters was a miracle beyond the capabilities of a human body.

This was the so-called "adjusting the seven souls and recreating Yin and Yang." The seven souls and Yin and Yang referred to the human body itself. In ancient legends, the appearances of true immortals and gods differed from ordinary people for precisely this reason. After sanctifying the flesh, different individuals, relying on different Ways and methods, could further develop their bodies to form a "Dharma Body" distinct from the common man. Such a body possessed miraculous powers and boundless might.

"Legend has it that the Buddha had a sixteen-foot body. I have only trained to this extent, as my merit is likely not yet perfect. Brace yourself," Wei Cheng’s voice boomed like thunder.

With a movement, he was already before Yi Beidou. Despite his size, his speed was as swift as the wind.

*BOOM!*

His broad palm descended from the sky. The sonic boom of the air was like a muffled thunderclap, but the most terrifying aspect was his intent. Meng Qianyuan practiced the "Killing Heart Zen" passed down by this man—to kill the gods if gods block, to kill the Buddhas if Buddhas block—to carve out a path of stillness and freedom. The killing intent was already earth-shaking. As the creator of this intent, how could Wei Cheng be compared to Meng Qianyuan?

In his youth, he had become a monk and learned the "Heart-Intent Fist." Later, during the national crisis of Donghua, he returned to secular life, joined the army, fought in wars, killed countless enemies, and stained his hands with blood. He combined various martial arts with the Heart-Intent Fist, infused it with his own killing nature, achieved sanctification of the flesh, and created the "Killing Heart Zen." Among the martial artists of various nations, he was once renowned as the "Killing Heart Buddha." His killing nature was so terrifying that it chilled the hearts of many. The fact that he had suppressed his temperament in recent years did not mean his fire had gone out, but rather that he was seeking transformation.

With the palm he struck now, it was no longer mere killing intent, but Great Extinction, Great Nirvana. A single palm covering the sky, sweeping away the world’s demonic fog, leaving the world in peace, allowing everyone to enjoy tranquility. From Zen to killing, from killing back to Zen, just like the changing of the times—the light boat had already passed ten thousand mountains.

Not long ago, Yi Beidou had compared himself to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Now, a Buddha had emerged to suppress him with a Five-Finger Mountain; it was a prophecy fulfilled.

However, Yi Beidou was not the Monkey King. He was a "Heavenly Demon of Freedom" who dared to hinder even the Buddha himself, and in his heart, he harbored an ambition that reached far beyond the firmament.

Wei Cheng: Possessing the appearance of a Buddha, but a heart of killing.
Yi Beidou: A Heavenly Demon by nature, but possessing a divine heart.

Under that palm, the blood in his body surged, his hormones spiked several times over, and his demonic nature roared. His muscles hummed in unison, his hair stood on end, but his eyes remained as clear as a mirror. Gifted by nature, he was different from the rest; he did not need to adjust his seven souls, for his sanctification had already provided him with the foundation of a Dharma Body.

In this moment, under the stimulation of the sanctified Dharma Body’s true intent, the "Lotus Blooming in Fire" surged within his chest. Fire and wood were naturally contradictory, but because of his divine intent, they were born together—this was breaking the limit, the possibility of the impossible. He possessed a demonic nature yet held a divine heart; god and demon were in conflict, yet fused into one body—this, too, was the possibility of the impossible.

All paths of the Way lead to the same destination.

*BOOM!*

He struck his palm upward against the hand descending from the sky, his physical energy erupting, his intent following.

The Demonic Body strikes the palm to question the heavens.

This move is called "The Heavenly Demon Questions the Way"!