Chapter 459: Monk Jingmo

That kind of Body Refining was by no means a simple use of vital essence for Body Refining, but rather a deeper kind of Body Refining that involved life and death, because Li Qi had seen the feeling of a demon dragon between life and death.

The demon dragon that served as a desk in Chang'an Imperial Academy, named Crocodile Dragon but actually an earthworm, was like this; it possessed this state between life and death.

And this old man had preserved this state within himself; what Li Qi couldn't see was actually a powerful demon dragon... or even a miniature Heavenly World within a True Dragon!

The miniature Heavenly World within its body was directly extracted and worn by him as equipment, though it seemed to still require feeding to maintain its vitality...

The method of feeding was vital essence.

That's why Li Qi said he had a grudge against a True Dragon.

Stripping a Dragon of its internal miniature Heavenly World and wearing it as equipment, much like making a Spiritual Tool from a human skull, was an extremely detestable act.

And the old man's fishing was essentially for vital essence, to feed this equipment with that vital essence!

"Hm? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? Oh, you've figured it out, haven't you? Haha, I thought you were steady, but young people just can't keep their cool. What, is your secret discovered, so you're surprised?" The old man smiled and walked over to Li Qi: "Don't worry, we're on the same side. We both have a grudge against a True Dragon."

Li Qi was stunned when he heard this.

Actually, that wasn't what surprised him.

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

A Dragon Soul of a young True Dragon was actually entangled with his body, planted there by someone from an unknown force. (Details in Chapter 228)

After leaving Guangyang, Li Qi noticed this and saw through the other party's disguise, not getting into the vehicle.

If he had gotten in, he wouldn't know where he would have ended up.

However, at the time, Li Qi didn't know who it was. Later, he guessed it was the work of a Heavenly Demon, but after learning about Heavenly Demons, he found it unlikely. If a Heavenly Demon truly wanted to deceive him, it would be impossible for him to see through it.

So much time had passed that he had almost forgotten about this matter.

But suddenly, he was horrified to discover that this matter had been brought up again, and by a passerby who inadvertently stumbled upon it, leading to a misunderstanding.

Now that he thought about it, the reason the old man struck up a conversation with him was because he had sensed the True Dragon Dragon Soul entangled with his body.

And where did this True Dragon Dragon Soul come from?

Li Qi felt a chill run down his spine!

How many things were entangled around him? And how many conspiracies surrounded him?

It was just a trip to the East Sea, how many people were plotting against him?

However, Li Qi immediately took a few deep breaths.

It didn't matter, he came for this very reason.

He carried the Celestial Pole Golden Elixir Method, took on the path of Mount Luofu's revival, was entangled with Heavenly Demons, and existed as the Young Master of Shaman God Mountain...

He had benefited from these things, which made him the Li Qi he was today, so he naturally had to bear the consequences they brought. There was no such thing as only enjoying good things in this world.

Those who basked in glory would inevitably face hidden arrows from behind. The number of assassinations and conspiracies a brilliant leader had to face was probably hard to estimate.

Coming to the East Sea and wanting to get 'bait' from the True Dragons, he would definitely have to bite the hook first.

So, Li Qi suppressed his fear and forced a stiff smile: "Yes, but mine isn't a grudge, just a bit of a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding with a Dragon Soul? That's quite a misunderstanding, then. I won't ask about those things. I have high hopes for you, young man. That fishing platform is yours. Come, let's continue fishing!"

The old man laughed heartily, not finding anything special about it, and continued fishing with Li Qi.

Li Qi cleared his throat twice and readily agreed.

It was good to meet a Senior; at least on the subsequent Deep Ocean journey, he wouldn't be alone. If something happened, he could always shout, 'Senior, help!'

Whether he helped or not was one thing; whether he shouted or not was another.

Thus, Li Qi canceled his original reading plan and spent the entire day fishing with the old man.

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

First, he learned the old man's name: Shen Yi Army. Yes, his surname was Shen.

This surname had a meaning; it indicated that he was a descendant of a Heavenly God, possessing the Bloodline of an Innate God.

No wonder he could withstand a True Dragon's internal miniature Heavenly World; his Bloodline was indeed extraordinary.

He hadn't taken the Martial Artist path, but he still had some foundation from before, coupled with his quick mind and True Knowledge Dao Resonance, so he learned fishing with half the effort and twice the result, just barely getting started in a day.

This progress shocked Shen Yi Army so much that he checked Li Qi's Physical Body several times, muttering incessantly: "Impossible... impossible."

According to him, it was normal to get started in three to five decades, talented to get started in ten years, and a rare Martial Artist Genius to get started in three months.

The most formidable Genius he had ever seen got started in seven days, and at that time, he was already amazed.

But Li Qi got started in just one day, which made him suspect many times that Li Qi already knew how to do it and had mastered this skill.

However, after careful observation, Shen Yi Army had to admit that Li Qi was indeed new to it.

When he first started, Li Qi could still only control it to about 150 li, and that awkwardness couldn't have been faked, because the body has memory. Some subtle movements, a Mortal could imitate, but for Shen Yi Army, a strong Martial Artist, no one understood body habits better than him.

Li Qi was definitely a novice.

However, after a day of practice and then getting started, Li Qi could already smoothly reach the seabed 500 li deep.

In this sea, the seabed was relatively high, with 1,200 li being the deepest layer, so Li Qi had essentially reached half the depth, which could be said to be rapid progress.

Shen Yi Army was very pleased with this, but in the evening, he put away the fishing platform and prepared to rest, agreeing with Li Qi to fish again two days later, when they would truly enter the Deep Ocean area, and then fishing would be very exciting.

Li Qi bid farewell to Shen Yi Army and checked today's catch.

He had still caught quite a few things, most of them being eighth-grade sea beasts.

Those caught that possessed sentience and had embarked on the path of cultivation, regardless of their Dao, Li Qi released unconditionally. There was no need to cut off someone's Dao for this.

But if they were merely savage beasts, or lacked sentience, he would gladly accept them, usually processing them and putting them in his mustard seed bag.

First, there was the improvement in cultivation; the reason Li Qi stayed for a whole day was for this. This fishing technique improved Li Qi's reaction ability at an extraordinary speed.

As is well known, what is called reaction ability is actually a person's instantaneous information processing ability. The essence of 'reaction' is how quickly one processes information upon receiving it and then takes corresponding measures in an instant.

A slow-reacting person might take over a second to realize they've been hit, while a fast-reacting person senses the attack's presence before being hit.

Li Qi could say that in just one day of training, his reaction speed improved by at least 10%, and he also learned micro-manipulation of the fishing line, allowing him to lower the line deeper.

If he were a Martial Artist, it would prove that his control over his Physical Body had improved, but unfortunately, he was a Shaman, so this ability was of little use to him.

But merely improving his reactions was already quite significant; control over his Physical Body was just a bonus.

In addition to the improvements in his Physical Body and cultivation, he also had a substantial material income.

After a day, Li Qi obtained the Physical Bodies of four eighth-grade savage beasts and over a dozen ninth-grade ones. It seemed fishing was quite profitable.

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

For example, the old turtle that Shen Yi Army caught; if Li Qi had caught it, he would have been dragged down and eaten by it.

This was the East Sea, not so peaceful. The East Sea, which followed the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution, was a place of the law of the jungle and completely free competition.

The current atmosphere, feeling like a vacation, even with the leisure to fish and release, was essentially because this research vessel was present.

A fifth-grade Spiritual Artifact ship was usually enough to suppress all dangers, and Li Qi also benefited from it, able to enjoy peace without restraint and even indulge in the luxury of 'charity.'

Li Qi finished sorting his catch and returned to his room.

The Dao of Reason members were still working, maintaining the normal operation of the Spiritual Artifact ship so that it could reach the Deep Ocean area in a few days.

During this time, Li Qi planned to read.

If it weren't for Shen Yi Army, he would have spent the entire day reading. His original plan was to immerse himself in the Dao of Reason's library all day.

However, an entire evening was also good.

Thinking this, after a short rest, he went to the library.

However, in the library, he saw someone unexpected.

A monk.

Li Qi immediately became alert!

Because he had previously suspected that Buddhism and True Dragons were the starting point of the conspiracies around him recently.

Especially that strange Great Master, Jingmo.

Li Qi had long been suspicious of why he always failed to meet this Great Master, and he had always planned to investigate his background.

But what he didn't expect was to see him in the library, and... he was buried among numerous books. Judging by the number of books around him, he had probably been there for at least seven or eight days.

In other words, the reason he wasn't seen elsewhere was purely because this monk was a bookworm. As soon as he got on the ship, he started reading here, not resting or going out for a stroll.

Had he misunderstood?

This didn't look suspicious at all.

However, he might not be Monk Jingmo; it was better to ask.

Li Qi walked over and looked at the monk.

It was a monk, but... it was beyond Li Qi's expectation.

Because what he saw wasn't a face, but a mechanical head.

His entire body was made of steel, shimmering with the flow of magical power, and he could even hear some static, like the buzzing sound of internal operation.

This was a... Mechanical Monk?

What the hell is this?

A body entirely composed of Spiritual Artifact, without a Physical Body, or even a Spirit Soul. Li Qi couldn't sense anything other than the operation of the Spiritual Artifact.

Could this be... a Spiritual Artifact that had awakened its sentience, just like the Peng Hai Cauldron?

A humanoid Puppet Spiritual Artifact, that had awakened its sentience and then joined Buddhism?

Why does this sound so cyberpunk...

However, this might also explain why this thing appeared on the Dao of Reason's research vessel. Perhaps he was originally a humanoid Puppet of the Dao of Reason?

With these thoughts, Li Qi stepped forward and asked, "Excuse me, are you Great Master Jingmo?"

At this moment, the mechanical Puppet raised its head and emitted a stiff voice: "It is indeed Jingmo. This humble monk's cultivation is still shallow, so I am not worthy of the title of Great Master. You may simply call me by my Dharma name. May I ask the benefactor's name?"

The voice was quite cyberpunk, the typical mechanical friction sound. One could tell immediately that it wasn't a sound produced by vocal cords, but rather a tremolo similar to that produced by a reed.

"So it really is Great Master Jingmo. I've heard a lot about you from Wang Dun, but seeing you today still surprised me. I didn't expect Great Master to be so... unimaginable." Li Qi deliberated for a moment before saying this.

Then Jingmo smiled slightly, revealing a stiff smile, and said: "Just as giant ocean waves are stirred by fierce winds, and great currents surge through dark ravines without ceasing, so too does the mind arise from fierce winds. Even stubborn stones can become sentient. All sentient beings possess the wisdom appearance of the Tathagata. If I am sentient, then naturally I am no exception."

All sentient beings possess the appearance of the Tathagata, and thus, Puppets that have awakened their sentience are no exception.

"That is natural, but Great Master's appearance is still somewhat surprising. May I ask, Great Master, how did you awaken? How did you transform from a Puppet without sentience into the monk you are today?" Li Qi asked curiously.

"How did I awaken?" Monk Jingmo seemed to be taken aback by this question. He probably hadn't expected someone as familiar as Li Qi.

It was their first meeting, and after only a few sentences, Li Qi began to pry into his background, and he did so very directly, without any attempt to conceal it.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably already find Li Qi rude.

However, Monk Jingmo didn't seem angry; instead, he showed an expression of happiness.

But his expression was still very stiff, making people feel a little creepy, perfectly triggering the uncanny valley effect.

"Hmm... how did I awaken... That's a good question." Monk Jingmo put his palms together and said:

"When I was a Puppet, I had emptiness, no form, no vows; no resentment, no relatives, no cause, no effect, ultimately empty and silent."

"In the void, I gradually awakened to the Buddha-Dharma, realizing that the Dharma Body of all Buddhas and the bodies of sentient beings are equally without difference, which is called the One-Practice Samadhi. One should know that True Suchness is the foundation of Samadhi. If one cultivates, one can gradually give rise to immeasurable Samadhis, freeing oneself from all Karmic Obstructions. One should know that all Samadhis of external paths are inseparable from the mind of conceptual attachment, self-conceit, and attachment to worldly fame, gain, respect, and therefore are sentient."

"Thus, those who cultivate perfect enlightenment know that these empty flowers are without transmigration, and there is no body or mind that undergoes birth and death. If there is no birth and death, one can achieve perfect enlightenment, and naturally, this humble monk can too," Monk Jingmo said.

And Li Qi listened beside him, nodding slightly.

My drafts are almost depleted. If my condition doesn't improve tomorrow, I'll have to jump off a building.