Monk Jingmo

That kind of tempering is not simply using Essence Blood to refine the body, but a deeper level of tempering, involving life and death, because Li Qi had seen the feeling of the Demon Dragon being between life and death.

The dragon that served as a desk at the Imperial Academy in Chang'an, which was called Crocodile Dragon Demon Dragon was actually an earthworm, was just like that; it possessed a state between life and death.

This old man had preserved this state within himself. What Li Qi couldn't see was actually a powerful Demon Dragon... or even a small world within the body of a true dragon!

His inner world was extracted and placed on his body as equipment, but it seemed to need to be fed to maintain his vitality...

The method of nourishment is through Essence Blood.

That's why Li Qi said he had a grudge against the true dragon.

Taking the inner world from a dragon and then using it as equipment is like taking a human skull and making it into Law Artifact —it's an extremely annoying thing to do.

The old man's fishing was essentially for the sake of his Essence Blood, which he used to nourish the equipment!

"Hmm? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? Oh, you noticed, haven't you? Ha, I thought you were so composed. Young people can't keep their composure. What, your secret has been discovered, so you're surprised?" The old man smiled and walked over to Li Qi's side. "Don't worry, we're on the same side. We all have a grudge against the True Dragon."

Li Qi was taken aback when he heard this.

That wasn't what surprised him.

However, the old man's words suddenly reminded him of something.

He actually possessed the Dragon Soul of a young true dragon, a fact framed by someone of unknown origin. (See Chapter 228 for details)

After leaving Guangyang, Li Qi realized this and saw through the other party's disguise, so he did not get on the car.

Once you get on the bus, you never know where you'll end up.

At the time, Li Qi didn't know who it was. Later, he guessed that it was the work of the Heavenly Demon, but after learning about the Heavenly Demon, he found that this was unlikely. If the Heavenly Demon really wanted to deceive him, there was no way he would have been able to see through it.

So much time has passed, he's almost forgotten about it.

But suddenly, he was horrified to discover that the matter had been brought up again, and it was a passerby who had inadvertently brought it up and caused the passerby to misunderstand.

Looking back now, the reason the old man struck up a conversation with me was because he sensed the true Dragon Soul entwined around me.

But where does this true Dragon Soul come from?

Li Qi felt a chill run down his spine!

Just how many things are entangled around him? And how many conspiracies are swirling around him?

It was just a trip out of the East China Sea; how many people were plotting against him?

However, Li Qi immediately took a few deep breaths.

It's okay, that's why he came.

He carries the Polaris Golden Core Method, has taken the initiative to shoulder the responsibility of the revival of Mount Luofu, has entanglements with the Heavenly Demon, and is also known as the Young Master of Wushen Mountain...

He gained the benefits of these things, which made him Li Qi is today, and naturally he must also bear the consequences of them. There are no good things in this world that you can only enjoy.

Those who bask in the glory are bound to face hidden arrows from behind. The number of assassinations and conspiracies that a radiant leader must confront is probably difficult to estimate.

Having arrived in the East China Sea, if you want to get 'bait' from the true dragons, you must first get hooked.

So, Li Qi suppressed his fear and gave a stiff smile, "Yes, but it's not that I have a grudge, it's just a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding about the Dragon Soul? That's quite a misunderstanding. I won't ask you about those things. I have high hopes for you, young man. I'll give you the fishing platform. Come on, keep fishing!"

The old man laughed heartily, not finding anything particularly unusual, and continued fishing with Li Qi.

Li Qi coughed twice and readily agreed.

It's great to have met a senior colleague; at least I won't be all alone on my future deep-sea journey, and if anything happens, I can call out, "Senior, help me!"

Whether to save them or not is one thing, whether to shout for help or not is another.

So Li Qi canceled his original reading plan and instead spent the day fishing with the old man.

On this day, Li Qi felt he had gained a great deal.

First, we learned the old man's name. His name was Shen Yijun, that's right, his surname was Shen.

There's a story behind this surname; it suggests that he was a descendant of a true god in heaven, possessing the bloodline of Innate Spirits.

No wonder it can withstand the inner world of a true dragon; its bloodline is indeed extraordinary.

He didn't pursue martial arts, but he had some prior experience, and with his quick wit and True Knowledge Dao Charm, he learned fishing much more efficiently, barely getting the hang of it in a day.

This progress terrified Shen Yijun. He checked Li Qi's body several times, muttering repeatedly, "Impossible... impossible."

According to him, it is common to take thirty to fifty years to master the basics, ten years to master the basics is considered to be talented, and three months to master the basics is already a rare genius in martial arts.

He had seen the most amazing geniuses, who mastered the basics in just seven days, and at that time he was already amazed by their Celestial Person.

However, Li Qi mastered the skill in just one day, which made him doubt many times, thinking that Li Qi already knew it before and had already mastered the skill.

However, after careful observation, Shen Yijun had to admit that Li Qi had indeed learned something new.

When he first started, Li Qi could only control the movement to about 150 li. His clumsy appearance was not an act. Because the body has memory, ordinary people can imitate some subtle movements, but for Shen Yijun, a martial artist who was not weak, no one understood the body's habits better than him.

Li Qi is definitely a novice.

However, after a day of practice and once he got the hang of it, Li Qi was able to successfully descend to the seabed, which was 500 miles deep.

The seabed in this sea is quite high; 1,200 miles in, you've reached the bottom. So Li Qi has basically reached the halfway point, which means his progress is incredibly rapid.

Shen Yijun was very satisfied with this, but in the evening he packed up the fishing platform and prepared to rest. He made an appointment with Li Qi to go fishing again in two days, when they would truly enter the deep ocean, and fishing there would be very exciting.

Li Qi bid farewell to Shen Yijun and checked the day's catch.

They caught quite a few things, mostly eighth-grade sea creatures.

Those who were caught by fishing, possessed intelligence, and had already embarked on the path of cultivation, regardless of their Dao Path, were released unconditionally by Li Qi. There was no need to sever Human Path's path for the sake of this.

But if it's just Savage Beast, or one without mind, he'll simply accept it, usually dispose of it, and then put it in his Mustard Seed Bag.

First and foremost was the improvement in his cultivation level. This was the reason why Li Qi stayed for an entire day. This fishing technique had enhanced Li Qi's reaction speed at an extraordinary rate.

As we all know, reaction ability is actually a person's instantaneous information processing ability. When receiving information, how to quickly process this information and then take corresponding measures in an instant is the essence of 'reaction'.

People with slow reaction times may take more than a second to realize they have been hit, while those with fast reaction times will sense the attack before they are hit.

Li Qi could be said to have improved his reaction speed by at least 10% in just one day of training, and he also learned to manipulate the fishing line, allowing him to lower it deeper.

If he were a martial artist, it would prove that he has improved his control over his body, but unfortunately he is Shaman, so this ability is of little use to him.

But simply improving reaction time is already quite important; the ability to control the body is just an added bonus.

Besides the improvement in physical health and cultivation, there is also a substantial income in terms of material wealth.

By the end of the day, Li Qi had obtained the bodies of four Rank 8 Savage Beast and more than a dozen Rank 9 beasts. It seems fishing is quite profitable.

Unfortunately, if Li Qi were to do it himself, he wouldn't dare to fish.

For example, if Li Qi were to catch the old turtle that Shen Yijun caught, he would be dragged down and eaten by the turtle.

This is the East China Sea, which is not so peaceful. Following the Way of Evolution, the East China Sea is a place where the strong prey on the weak and where competition is completely free.

The atmosphere feels like a vacation now, and there's even energy left to fish and release fish, which is essentially because of this research vessel.

Fifth Rank Treasure Ship is enough to suppress all dangers in most cases. Li Qi also benefits from this, and can enjoy comfort and luxury without restraint.

After cleaning up his catch, Li Qi returned to his room.

Those who follow the Reason Way are still working, maintaining the normal operation of the treasure ship so that it can reach the deep ocean in a few days.

During this time, Li Qi prepared to go to school.

If it weren't for Shen Yijun, he would have spent the entire day reading; his original plan was to immerse himself in Reason Way's library all day.

However, a whole night is not bad either.

With that in mind, he went to the library after only a short rest.

However, in the library, he met an unexpected person.

A monk.

Li Qi immediately became alert!

Because he had previously suspected that Buddhism and the True Dragon were the starting point for the recent conspiracies around him.

Especially that eccentric high monk, Master Jing Mo.

Li Qi had long harbored suspicions about why he couldn't see this master and had been preparing to investigate his background.

But to his surprise, he actually saw the other person in the library, and... he was buried in a sea of books. Judging from the number of books around him, he had probably been there for at least seven or eight days.

In other words, the reason he cannot be seen in other places is simply because this monk is a book lover. He would come here to read as soon as he boarded the ship, without resting or going out for a stroll.

Was I wrong?

This doesn't seem suspicious at all.

However, he might not be the Monk Jingmo. It's best to ask him.

Li Qi walked over and looked at the monk.

He was a monk, but... to Li Qi's surprise.

Because what he saw was not a face, but a mechanical head.

Its entire body was made of steel, shimmering with the light of flowing Law Power, and you could even hear some noises, like the hissing sound of its internal workings.

This is... a Mechanical Monk?

What the hell is this thing?

The body was entirely composed of Law Treasure, without a physical body or even a soul. Li Qi could not sense anything other than the operation of the Law Treasure.

Could this be... a magical Law Treasure that has awakened its consciousness, just like the Sea Cooking Pot?

A humanoid puppet Law Treasure awakened its consciousness and then joined the Buddhist sect.

This sounds so cyberpunk...

However, this also seems to explain why this thing appeared on Reason Way's research ship. Perhaps it was originally Reason Way's humanoid puppet.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qi stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, are you Master Jing Mo?"

At this moment, the mechanical puppet raised its head and spoke in a stiff voice, "It is indeed Jingmo. This humble monk's cultivation is still shallow, and I am not worthy of the name of a master. Please address me by my Dharma name. May I ask, benefactor?"

The sound was quite cyberpunk, the kind of typical mechanical friction sound. You could tell at a glance that it wasn't a sound produced by the vocal cords, but rather a vibrato similar to that produced by a reed.

"So it really is Master Jing Mo. I've heard Wang Dun talk about you quite a bit, but seeing you today still surprised me. I never imagined that you would be so... unbelievable." Li Qi said after a moment's thought.

But then Jingmo smiled slightly, revealing a stiff smile, and said, "Just as the waves of the ocean are caused by a strong wind, and the torrents surge through the dark valleys without end, so too does the mind arise from the strong wind. Even stubborn rocks become sentient beings. All sentient beings possess the wisdom of the Tathagata. If I am a sentient being, I am naturally no exception."

All sentient beings possess the image of the Tathagata, and so too do puppets that have awakened their minds.

"That's natural, but Master's appearance is still somewhat unexpected. May I ask, Master, how did you awaken? How did you transform from a mindless puppet into the monk you are today?" Li Qi asked curiously.

"How did you awaken?" Monk Jingmo seemed taken aback by the question. He probably hadn't expected someone as outgoing as Li Qi to be there.

Even though it was their first meeting and they hadn't exchanged more than two words, Li Qi started digging into his background and digging into his secrets. He did it very bluntly and without any attempt to hide it.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have already thought Li Qi was being rude.

However, Monk Jingmo did not seem angry at all; instead, he showed a happy expression.

However, his expression remained stiff, which was somewhat unsettling, perfectly triggering the uncanny valley.

"Hmm... how did you awaken... that's a good question." Monk Jingmo put his hands together and said:

"When one is a puppet, there is emptiness, formlessness, and desirelessness; no resentment, no affection, no cause, no effect, ultimately just emptiness and stillness."

"In emptiness, one gradually realizes the Buddha's teachings, that the Buddha's body and the body of sentient beings are equal and without difference. This is called the Samadhi of One Practice. Know that true suchness is the root of Samadhi. If one practices, one can gradually generate immeasurable Samadhi and be free from all karmic obstacles. Know that all the Samadhis of non -Outer Dao are inseparable from the mind of love, pride, and arrogance, and are attached to worldly fame, profit, and respect. Therefore, sentient beings are..."

"Thus, those who cultivate perfect enlightenment know that there is no transmigration of the illusory world, nor is there any body or mind to suffer birth and death. Since those who are free from birth and death can attain perfect enlightenment, this humble monk can naturally do the same," said Monk Jingmo.

Li Qi listened attentively from the side, nodding slightly.

My drafts are almost gone; if my condition doesn't improve by tomorrow, I'll have no choice but to jump off a building.