Before reconstructing his body, Jiang Chuan had told Jing Hui that he would be going into seclusion for ten days.
Jing Hui, meanwhile, chose to take a mission from the External Affairs Hall to earn Spirit Stones.
The mission itself was simple: repair the formation at the Spirit Beast Courtyard to prevent its spirit beasts from escaping and disturbing the Holy Emperor's princes, princesses, and civil and military officials of the Nine Abyss Dynasty, who would soon be visiting.
Jing Hui's task was equally simple: serve as a guard and prevent any spirit beasts from disrupting the Warrior Monk Institute disciples as they repaired the formation.
There had originally been nothing unusual about it. After all, such work was common at Bodhi Temple.
But the problem was that Jing Hui ran into Elder Jing Zhen!
"So Elder Jing Zhen said he was short-handed and needed someone to clean the stables, and you happily ran right over?" Jiang Chuan sat beneath the pomegranate tree, his chin resting in both hands.
"My first reaction was obviously to refuse. Who wanted to work?" Jing Hui immediately denied it.
"Then why did you end up cleaning stables for seven days, Senior Brother?" Jiang Chuan asked.
"Elder Jing Zhen said that if I helped clean the stables, he'd give me a surprise—one he guaranteed I'd never forget for the rest of my life."
"The surprise was chopping a thousand jin of firewood?"
"It was chopping two thousand jin of firewood."
Jiang Chuan: "..."
Senior Brother, Elder Jing Zhen really had treated you like livestock.
No, to be precise, even livestock did not get worked this hard.
After comforting Jing Hui, who had been treated like a black slave, Jiang Chuan returned to his room and once again used the simulation to comprehend the Great Dao and Dao Transformation Power.
After using Jing Hui as an excuse to send Elder Kong Bei away, you eagerly began comprehending the Dao stele.
This time, you did not choose the Dao stele carved with an immortal phoenix. Instead, you chose one carved with a saber-wielding monk.
"Heaven gave birth to all things to nourish mankind. What cannot be killed? Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The next instant, a furious roar rang out in Jiang Chuan's sea of consciousness, like the thunderous tolling of great bells, deafening and soul-shaking.
Clang!!!
Before Jiang Chuan's eyes, a monk clad in a kasaya, his face sharp as if carved by a blade, swung his saber at the demon beasts flooding the heavens and earth.
The brilliant saber light was like a rising sun, dazzling beyond compare.
This strike was unlike the Demon Slaying Saber Jiang Chuan and Golden Wind had wielded, its killing intent spreading in all directions, seeking to cast all living things into the infernal prison forever.
Yet in Jiang Chuan's eyes, this strike was even more terrifying.
Because Jiang Chuan felt that the instant the monk swung his saber, he was no longer human!
He had become the supreme Heavenly Dao, all-encompassing and boundless.
His saber was like a punishment descended from the heavens, bestowing death upon all beings!
If Heaven wanted you dead, who could refuse to die?
As the saber light flashed past, countless demons fell.
As the monk continued swinging his saber, the killing intent between heaven and earth grew increasingly intense, and Jiang Chuan's eyes gradually turned crimson.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Jiang Chuan shouted and joined the battlefield.
Treasured Mountain Seal!
Demon Slaying Saber!
Darkness Space!
One divine ability after another was unleashed continuously by Jiang Chuan, while one demon beast after another fell beneath his attacks.
You comprehended the Dao stele, your consciousness immersed in slaughter, and died through Dao transformation.
This romance simulation failed.
After returning to the real world once more, Jiang Chuan continued savoring the lingering aftertaste of the Great Dao he had just comprehended.
"Waging punishment on behalf of Heaven, slaughtering all living beings. This senior's Great Dao truly is extraordinary."
A look of yearning then appeared in Jiang Chuan's eyes. "I wonder when I'll possess such strength?"
Jiang Chuan then took the gourd containing the Hundred Herbs Soul Nurturing Pill from his Storage Bag, poured out one Hundred Herbs Soul Nurturing Pill, swallowed it, and began cultivating.
You knew that if you could comprehend the Dao of Slaughter, it would be of immense benefit to your cultivation of the "Demon Slaying Saber."
After sending Elder Kong Bei away, you eagerly began comprehending it once again.
A moment later, you once again became immersed in slaughter, unable to pull yourself free, and died through Dao transformation.
This romance simulation failed.
You felt that your "Demon Slaying Saber" had advanced another step and had already reached major accomplishment. At the same time, your understanding of Dao Transformation Power had also grown deeper.
When you comprehended the Dao stele again, you felt that you were no longer sinking into slaughter.
As the monk continued wielding his saber, you felt that your consciousness was gradually merging with his.
You seemed to become an icy, emotionless god of slaughter, endlessly harvesting the lives of all living things.
In the end, your consciousness once again became immersed in slaughter, merged with the god of slaughter, and died through Dao transformation.
This romance simulation ended.
"Ten times! I finally did it!"
Jiang Chuan leaned against the pomegranate tree, his face brimming with delight.
The next moment, a soul-stirring flash of saber light flickered through Jiang Chuan's eyes.
"I wonder what kind of power I can unleash if I use the Dao of Slaughter to wield the Demon Slaying Saber?"
Jiang Chuan had comprehended the Dao stele because Jing Zhen had once said—
Comprehending the Great Dao of one's predecessors would be of great use to you in the future.
But at the time, Jiang Chuan had not known what that use actually was.
Comprehending the Dao of Life, Death, and Nirvana together with the Lihuo Nirvana Method had helped him reconstruct his body.
That gave Jiang Chuan a faint understanding of the Great Dao's great usefulness.
In the simulation, Jiang Chuan seized the opportunity to ask Elder Jing Bei, ultimately confirming his guess.
Divine abilities!
The divine referred to the Dao.
In the beginning, there was God; God and Dao were one.
In many ancient texts, God and Dao meant the same thing.
Divine abilities were derived from the Great Dao. Only by activating them with the laws of the Great Dao could one bring out their greatest power.
Otherwise, just like Jiang Chuan before, one could at most obtain its form, but not its spirit.
Only when both spirit and form were present could a divine ability's greatest power be unleashed!
"Unfortunately, even after transforming through the Dao more than ten times, I still haven't fully comprehended Dao Transformation Power."
Jiang Chuan sighed softly. A thread of golden light emerged from his fingertip, then turned into a tiny sword no larger than a fingernail.
A breeze passed through, making the pomegranate leaves rustle down.
The tiny golden sword shot into the sky and collided with an emerald-green leaf.
A bizarre sight appeared. The instant the leaf touched the tiny sword, it gradually melted away like ice and snow.
By the time it fell into Jiang Chuan's palm, less than one-third remained.
"If I had truly comprehended Dao Transformation Power, this leaf should have vanished without a trace by now."
Jiang Chuan then meditated for another hour before preparing to rise and return to his room to rest.
"Junior Brother!"
Jiang Chuan looked toward the voice and saw Jing Hui descending from the sky, along with a tabby cat crouched atop Jing Hui's head.
"Ancestor, what brings you to my humble abode today?" Jiang Chuan asked, looking surprised.
The tabby cat atop Jing Hui's head was none other than Ancestor Ziyun of Stone Lotus Ridge.
Ancestor Ziyun rolled her eyes at Jiang Chuan.
"You little monk, how could your brain already be so useless at such a young age?"
Jiang Chuan: "..."
Your brain is the useless one!
If I could actually fight you... Considering you're a cat, I'd beat you until even Abbot Kong Ming couldn't recognize you!
"Two months ago, when you came to Stone Lotus Ridge, didn't I say that the next time I beat up a Bodhi Temple elder, I'd call you over to watch?" Ancestor Ziyun explained.
Jiang Chuan suddenly understood.
Over the past two months, he had spent several years in the simulation world, gone to Sunfall Sea, clashed with the Sword Fairy Mu Bingyun, and comprehended the Dao stele.
He had long since forgotten about this matter.
"Ancestor, who are we beating up this time?" Jiang Chuan's voice was filled with anticipation and excitement.
He could not wait to see that black-hearted old bastard Elder Jing Zhen get beaten to a pulp!
Before you continue