Chapter Twenty-Four: The Supreme Golden Body Technique!

After separating from his spirit weapon, Yang Nan recalled it to his side. To his surprise, after consuming the cultivator's soul, the black glow of the weapon had intensified. The scales that had been shattered by the Gale Demon Ancestor had regrown, and in this clash, the weapon had not suffered any loss; rather, it seemed to have gained an advantage.

"Could it be that the 'Underworld Soldier Soul-Devouring Record' allows my weapon to grow in rank by consuming humans?" Yang Nan felt a surge of joy at this discovery. However, although Zeng Lian was dead, the techniques of the Rune Sect were indeed peculiar, and Yang Nan dared not look down upon them. "Brother Chiyang, this Heavenly Rune Sect is truly formidable to be able to summon such a demon god."

Chiyang sheathed his dharma sword. Ignoring the gruesome eating habits of Old Crab and the other demons, he sighed and said, "It is fortunate that he specialized only in summoning. If he had mastered both summoning and cursing, it would have been impossible for you to defeat him so easily."

The Rune Sect’s techniques were divided into summoning to beckon deities and cursing to destroy souls; both branches had their strengths, and there were many who mastered both!

In a battle between cultivators, victory or defeat is decided in an instant, sometimes by the narrowest of margins. Having witnessed the power of the summoning, Yang Nan felt a newfound respect for the arts of the Dharma Sect. He knew he must not underestimate the Rune Sect simply because Zeng Lian was weak, lest he suffer a disastrous defeat later.

He looked up at Chiyang and smiled. "Brother, let us go into this Earth Temple and see what these two sects—one demonic and one Taoist—are really up to."

Chiyang was also filled with curiosity about the strange occurrences in the world, and he nodded in agreement.

When Yang Nan had battled above Hot Spring City, the mortals below had only sensed supernatural phenomena—swirling winds and moving clouds. However, the ghost deputies inside the Earth Temple had seen everything clearly. Seeing the foreign cultivator slaughter all the "immortal masters" with such ruthless precision, they were terrified and had long since lined up to welcome Yang Nan.

As Yang Nan landed in the city, Ox-Head and Horse-Face led a group of ghost deputies forward. These underworld deities were invisible to the mortal eye, but to the spiritual vision of a cultivator, they were as clear and tangible as living beings.

"This man is truly ruthless; he wiped out the previous masters in one fell swoop!" Ox-Head and Horse-Face felt a chill in their hearts, but they put on obsequious smiles. "Great Immortal, your display of power to exterminate those demonic clowns is truly admirable. May we ask what orders you have for us upon your arrival?"

*These petty demons and underworld deities are just like courtesans in a brothel, greeting strangers as if they were old acquaintances...* Yang Nan’s heart stirred, and a seven-colored divine light blossomed from the small bronze coin on his chest, shrouding his entire body. In an instant, he appeared like a deity descending from the heavens, his presence as majestic as a prison. The light filled the temple, making it glow with brilliant radiance and rising immortal energy.

"What a terrifying and powerful divine light!" Ox-Head and Horse-Face trembled even more violently. Even the former Mountain God did not possess such majesty, let alone the current Earth Deity of this temple.

Only then did they realize that the person who had arrived today was not some benevolent immortal, but a harbinger of doom. If they did not serve him with the utmost care, this star of calamity could crush them like ants.

Yang Nan walked into the temple and saw two statues on the altar: one with a beast’s head and human body, looking like a demon, and the other with the graceful, ethereal appearance of a Taoist immortal. It was incredibly bizarre to see a Taoist and a demon sharing the same altar.

"So, this is the reason for the collusion between the two sects..." Yang Nan turned and smiled. "Ox-Head, Horse-Face!"

The two figures shuddered and immediately replied, "We are here, my lord!"

"Why are these two statues worshipped here? What is their origin?" Yang Nan asked, pointing to the statues, which emitted only a faint spiritual light.

Ox-Head, being slightly bolder, stepped forward and opened his large mouth, revealing two rows of teeth as he smiled ingratiatingly. "The Immortal may not know, but nowadays, all the cities in the world are occupied by various sects. This Black Heaven Demon God and the Spiritual Light Taoist Ancestor are the founders of the two sects that were here previously. They worship these statues to collect the power of faith and forge golden bodies!"

"Forge golden bodies?" Yang Nan asked, puzzled. "Who came up with this idea? Is the Buddhist 'Indestructible Golden Body' something that can be forged just by collecting some faith?"

The Buddhist Indestructible Golden Body had been known in the world for a long time, but even for high-virtue monks, achieving the status of an Arhat or Bodhisattva was no easy feat. Could these heretics really achieve a golden body simply by occupying cities and controlling the populace to collect faith? He had never heard of such a method for becoming an immortal.

Yang Nan and Chiyang exchanged a look of bewilderment. Beside them, Horse-Face grinned widely. "The Immortal may not know, but this method of the 'Faith Golden Body' has long been widespread. As long as you occupy enough territory and have enough commoners, the golden body is sure to be achieved!"

Seeing how confident he sounded, Yang Nan became deeply interested and began to question him thoroughly.

Ten years ago, a profound scripture called the "Supreme Golden Body Method" had begun to circulate among the people. It spread across the world overnight for unknown reasons, and anyone with even a modicum of cultivation obtained the incantations. This method described how to erect statues and absorb faith to achieve an immortal golden body.

The path to longevity is elusive, and peerless techniques are hard to come by. Once this method—which promised a path to sainthood—spread, it caused a massive stir in the mortal world. What cultivator wouldn't want to achieve an indestructible golden body?

Although the technique was easy to obtain, who could control the common people?

It wasn't until a few years ago, when Emperor Yuanwu issued a decree to establish the Immortal Affairs Bureau and the regional kings followed suit, that demons, ghosts, and various Taoist sects emerged from the shadows. Whether they were demonic, Taoist, Buddhist, or demon-cultivators, as long as they could serve the regional kings, they would be provided with temples and allowed to spread their faith.

The kings gained the support of cultivation forces, and the sects gained the support of the mortal powers. In an instant, the world fractured and became impossible to manage.

From then on, the common people lived in constant peril, shadowed at every turn by cultivators capable of razing cities. The cultivators were like giants, and the people were like ants. The kings only cared about the increase in their own power and ignored the lives of their subjects.

Yang Nan felt a chill run down his spine. *How formidable!* he thought. *The person who spread this technique has ulterior motives! This is clearly meant to throw the world into chaos and make it impossible to govern!*

With this, humans, demons, ghosts, and Taoists were all mixed together, and the resulting karmic debts and grievances could never be untangled.

Chiyang frowned. "A-Nan, I never expected that someone was deliberately spreading this technique ten years ago. It must be very sinister, otherwise so many people would not have been fooled."

Yang Nan nodded. He knew that longevity was not so easily attained. This "Supreme Golden Body Method" sounded similar to the "Supreme Demon Body Method," but its effects were vastly different. If it didn't significantly increase one's cultivation, so many monsters and ghosts wouldn't have been duped. Yet, if it were truly a peerless technique, who would leak it so easily? And why make it known to the entire world?

Achieving immortality and sainthood is something that, since ancient times, everyone would prefer to keep for themselves!

"No wonder there are suddenly so many temples in the world; it turns out they are all for the sake of longevity! Ox-Head, was this Earth Temple originally a City God Temple?" Yang Nan looked at the group of grotesque-looking ghost deputies and understood.

Ox-Head nodded with a bitter face. "The Immortal is correct. Ten years ago, a demon star streaked across the sky, and the Old Lord of the Underworld never returned. The Ten Kings of the Underworld each went their own way. After the City God of this temple resigned, there was no one left to manage it, and later, those 'immortal masters' converted it into an Earth Temple to worship their own underworld deities."

These underworld deities did not enter the cycle of reincarnation, hoping instead to cultivate a physical body through ghost training. But before achieving a physical form, their cultivation was low, and a single master-level human cultivator could defeat hundreds of ghosts. When faced with such powerful experts, Ox-Head and Horse-Face had no choice but to submit.

Yang Nan pondered for a moment and asked, "Do all of you know this 'Supreme Golden Body Method'?"

Ox-Head nodded. "For some reason, this method spread everywhere. Even low-level ghost deputies like us know the incantations. But while the method is easy to get, believers are hard to find. If there aren't enough believers, the power of faith is too shallow. It is said that several years ago, someone in Chang'an City already forged a 'Supreme Golden Body' and achieved an indestructible form!"

"Someone has already succeeded? Who?" Yang Nan asked, shocked. Could this really be a method for rapid longevity? If it weren't a supreme technique, how could someone have truly achieved an indestructible body?

Seeing that Yang Nan’s expression had softened, Horse-Face gathered his courage and interjected, "I heard it is the commander of the Imperial Guards, the Martial Saint Yang Lan! Oh, wait—it should be Martial God Yang Lan now! He occupies the six districts of the capital and has millions of believers. Over the years, the power of faith he has gathered is immense, and he has far surpassed these sects that only hold onto individual provinces and prefectures."

"Yang Lan...!!!" Yang Nan clenched his fists, his eyes glinting with a murderous intent. He sneered, "I never expected it! So he is the one who achieved the Supreme Golden Body?"

Back then, Yang Lan had escaped with his life under the Panlong Sword at the foot of Mount Kunlun, and today, he had risen to power once again!

No matter how strong Yang Lan had become, Yang Nan was not afraid. He was no longer the Yang Nan of the past. Even if Yang Lan had forged an indestructible golden body, so what?

One day, he would surely see Yang Lan's head fall under his blade!

After six years of secluded cultivation, Yang Nan’s Taoist heart had greatly matured. Though he was angry, he knew that now was not the right time to seek revenge in Chang'an. The city was not only home to the Bureau of Rare Beasts but also the Immortal Affairs Bureau and numerous powerful cultivation factions!

Even a master as strong as a Venerable would not be a match for them. Without thorough preparation, he would never rashly go to Chang'an.

Chiyang said with a solemn expression, "It seems this Supreme Golden Body Method is indeed significant. Ox-Head, Horse-Face, quickly recite the technique for us to hear."