CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 172: SUBODHI CALLED YOU (3000 WORDS)

Subodhi was frantically stimulating his spirit again, with system notifications flashing on the screen continuously.

"Ding, you are under Subodhi’s spiritual attack. The system determines, automatically blocking the opponent’s possession, your spirit seems to have become somewhat resilient, and your Spiritual Proficiency has improved."

"Ding, you are under..."

Lu Ren tugged, this persistent way Subodhi was greeting him was truly unique. Even though he had stepped into Bright Awakening, Subodhi could still effectively enhance his Spiritual Proficiency.

It’s just that due to long neglect, the improvement frequency has changed from ten times per second initially to only once every few minutes now.

Lu Ren’s spiritual will sank, the Lamp of Freedom Observation naturally lit up, illuminating his spirit all around, bright with lights in the deep sea darkness, like an all-always lit oil lamp, steady and never extinguished.

As his spirit continued to descend, he delved deep into his own heart.

Unknown how much time passed, maybe a moment, maybe a day, Lu Ren felt as if he had crossed some boundary, reaching a subtle place, large or small, in a state of uncertainty.

Only by keeping his spirit and mind in a mysterious state could he find it.

The Taoist called it Inner Realm, the Buddhist referred to it as a place within meditation.

If the spirit hasn’t reached a certain strength, breaking the limit, reaching the Bright Awakening level, and the mind attaining a harmonious stage, the Inner Realm can’t be sensed at all.

Ksitigarbha once said back then that he had cultivated in meditation, which is a spiritual realm, latent in the depths of the soul, a strange state.

Only then could one feel the deepest meditation within one’s heart.

It is a realm between spiritual realms, and through this spiritual realm, to enter a place of uncertainty.

But from Lu Ren’s current perspective, this Inner Realm is sensed through a special spiritual state, perceiving the most special point in the depths of the soul, seemingly real, yet due to dimensional issues, allowing one’s perspective to analyze their mind and will from a new angle, extending to an unknown point.

No wonder the Taoist terms the Nascent Soul Realm as needing to abandon existing concepts, to observe a whole new world with a childlike heart.

Perhaps consciousness was born here, the soul nurtured within, now merely returning.

This is another meaning of returning to simplicity.

As if much time passed, and yet only a moment.

After a long absence, Lu Ren came alone with his own Power to this most mysterious place in the heart.

Looking at Subodhi, tightly bound by Spirit Light Chains, seeing his slightly weary expression, Lu Ren couldn’t help but speak: "You seem quite haggard recently, Master."

Subodhi opened his mouth soundlessly, and only then did Lu Ren realize he had previously muted Subodhi, so the other party could only attempt possession as a means of trying to communicate.

With a slight mental shift, the Inner Realm resembling a mute movie became vibrant, appearing with various ineffable meanings, and a lively atmosphere emerged in the once silent world.

Despite the continued silence, it was no longer ’soundless’ like before.

Upon seeing this, Subodhi showed an expression of astonishment, smiling: "Fellow Daoist, your insight is astonishing. How long has it been since achieving a step from the Great Perfection Realm of Fist Technique to Bright Awakening, and you’re not yet thirty years old?"

"Almost thirty."

Indeed, he was a little under twenty-six when he encountered the system. Now, in just three to four short years, he had already stepped into the Bright Awakening Realm.

Such a shocking advancement, if the truth were to spread, it might have a large group eager to invite him as a guest.

Perhaps it’s the research institute, perhaps the Martial Path Academy.

Eventually, one must be chosen.

"I dare say even Shakyamuni can’t compare to you."

"I think the same way."

Lu Ren, with a usual expression and a self-assured reply, caused Subodhi’s smiling face to pause slightly.

Joking, am I not super awesome?

Ever since encountering Ksitigarbha, he treated these mythically legendary figures with equanimity.

They are also people, just with talents extraordinarily surpassing the ordinary, reaching heights unimaginable to commoners, with mind and body evolution beyond the common man.

This left Subodhi without words, breaking the somewhat serene peace of his heart at that moment.

Seeing a few traces of ferocity and distortion in Subodhi’s expression, Lu Ren teased: "Do you consider yourself a demon or a Buddha?"

Subodhi’s expression returned to calm.

"Buddha or demon, it lies within a single thought, the difference only in principle."

Pausing a moment, he finally revealed the purpose of calling Lu Ren, his expression full of expectation and hope.

"Have you entered Kunlun?"

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow: "How do you know?"

Seeing Lu Ren not denying, Subodhi, of course, understood he guessed right.

"Because the environment has changed, the world’s entire environment seems to be loosening its shackles. Haven’t you felt it? This is a world suitable for our cultivation!

Kunlun, it is the Immortal Realm!"

Subodhi’s tone held a slight excitement.

"Back then, Emperor Shi sought immortality by sending the alchemist Xu Fu overseas to seek the three mountains. When Xu Fu found Penglai, he collected the Nine Heavens Essence Qi, trained an Essence of the Netherworld into a batch of Longevity Pill and fled.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was enraged and immediately dispatched Meng Tian with an army to hunt him down. Under Xu Fu’s escape, he accidentally entered the true Kunlun within the Kunlun Mountain Range.

This is the real Immortal World!"

Lu Ren felt a subtle shock, suspecting this Kunlun Exotic Realm was more mysterious than he imagined.

When the Multiverse begins to connect with the reality world, then the Otherworld, which once had the most recent close contact, will become the first batch to connect.

Perhaps the ancients have already spent a long time in this world.

Then what exactly is here that attracts these ancients? Did immortals truly appear in ancient times?!

At this point, Subodhi stared straight at Lu Ren.

"Fellow Taoist Lu, I have an unparalleled True Skill after Bright Awakening that can directly reach the Tathagata, which was realized by the Venerable Shakyamuni after his divine travel through the void. It is a Bright Awakening Level True Skill."

"What are the requirements?"

Lu Ren felt a slight stir in his heart and did not contemplate refusal, but rather felt eager since the path beyond Bright Awakening was unclear to him. Without the experience of predecessors, everything had to be navigated step by step.

As Ji Quanzhen said, everything after Bright Awakening must rely on oneself to journey through.

He too is a traveler.

But this is only for them; for Lu Ren, if there was more boxing martial arts True Skills of the Bright Awakening Realm to refer to, then he would have considerable assistance.

He wants to try to see if he can practice these into Skills, eventually integrate them, and transform them into his own True Skill.

"You truly understand me, Fellow Taoist!"

Subodhi smiled, "My only requirement is to let me out."

"You are merely a soul, without spirit or body, how do you survive?"

Lu Ren almost said, you’re just a cluster of electromagnetic fields; who knows what might scatter you, why jump here?

Subodhi said, "It’s rumored that the Kunlun Jade is vast and boundless, with free spiritual Qi in the world for gathering and cultivation. I suppose with my skills, I could naturally reconstruct a body, seeking transcendence."

Transcendence, huh...

And spiritual Qi...

But, based on the system of Borrowing False to True Cultivation, transcendence through shedding the flesh, and the eternal spirit for cultivators, perhaps these special particle pulses in the electromagnetic atmosphere could indeed be absorbed by Subodhi.

Lu Ren couldn’t help but smirk internally.

Aren’t you all seeking a red-skinned skeleton for your physical body, yet now emphasizing its importance?

The always calm-faced Lu Ren now revealed a rare trace of a mocking smile.

"Master, didn’t your Buddhism say the body is just a stinking sack? Now you’re free from shackles, attaining freedom, why do you want that?"

Subodhi kept smiling.

"Fellow Taoist, you too are of the Bright Awakening kind; why ask me such a question?"

Huh?!

Is he calling him ignorant?

Lu Ren felt displeased.

He immediately said coldly, "Fine, I can let you out. First, explain that Bright Awakening Realm martial arts."

Subodhi said, "I feel I must go out first."

"The initiative is with me. You can consider it."

Lu Ren sneered at this.

"You think about it."

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Subodhi to say more, his spirit lifted and returned to reality, not further blocking Subodhi.

In meditation cultivation is mainly the practice of Qi Cultivation cultivators. Martial Arts Families still polish their spirit and strengthen their physique.

But in the end, Lu Ren vaguely feels he still must take a walk through meditation.

This old fellow needs some hanging; otherwise, his nose will soon pierce the sky.

He opened his slightly closed eyes, looking at the warrior guarding beside him.

"Excuse me, how long have I had my eyes closed?"

The warrior, looking quite experienced but actually very young, was startled upon hearing, scratching his scalp: "Comrade, did you close your eyes?"

Then he hesitated slightly: "Maybe about a second or so."

"Thank you."

Lu Ren mused; he had conversed with Subodhi in the Inner Realm for at least ten minutes.

The speed of the spiritual mind is indeed unimaginable.

An instant can flash many thoughts. He didn’t expect just a blink to have such length in the Inner Realm.

He finally somewhat understands how the subsequent path after Qi Cultivation Enlightenment is tested.

Without the Inner Realm, where would there be ample time to deduce the cultivation path?

But for the Martial Arts Family pursuing extreme physique, is this the direction their path goes as well?

Probably not.

All the way until the final checkpoint, close to two hundred kilometers from the exit, the flow of vehicles was incredibly frequent, clearly indicating Huaxia had invested greatly here in mere two years.

No wonder Xiao Chen said targeting specific particle pulses within the Kunlun Realm would soon lead to the development of targeted warfare weapons.

Due to the Security Bureau’s identity, the officer guarding the checkpoint couldn’t help but say proactively.

"Comrade, further inside gets more dangerous. Next, you’ll likely need to operate alone. Do you have enough supplies?"