The sixteen-foot golden body was one of Buddhism's supreme arts. Once mastered, it shielded the body with a golden form to ward off attacks, while simultaneously possessing offensive capabilities. Combining offense and defense seamlessly, it possessed virtually no flaws.
Those who attained the pinnacle of the golden body could shed their mortal coils and achieve Buddhahood on the spot.
Legend had it that in the Buddhist Kingdom, an enlightened monk attained enlightenment beneath a Bodhi tree, achieving complete mastery over the sixteen-foot golden body. No attack could breach it, rendering him practically invincible under the heavens.
Supreme arts were difficult to get started with, but they were certainly not as difficult as Universe in the Palm. Thus, Eldest Senior Sister felt Lu Yang was capable of learning it.
Lu Yang had a senior brother at the peak Golden Core stage who had also mastered the sixteen-foot golden body.
"Who said the sixteen-foot golden body is a Buddhist spell? That art existed back in the ancient era!" the Immortal Fairy shouted, holding the ultimate authority on such matters.
"It existed in ancient times?" Neither Lu Yang nor Eldest Senior Sister had known this.
The Immortal Fairy gave two smug huffs. "Naturally! It's just that during the ancient era, even though everyone called what they manifested a 'sixteen-foot golden body', their sizes varied drastically. It was only after the five of us became immortals that the size of the sixteen-foot golden body became standardized."
Lu Yang was puzzled. "What does you five becoming immortals have to do with the sixteen-foot golden body?"
"Because we standardized the weights and measures, of course! Previously, every race had different measurement standards. After the five of us became immortals, we defined exactly how long one zhang was."
Lu Yang was thoroughly shocked. Never mind the other four immortals—you actually helped standardize weights and measures, Fairy?
"Immortal Ying Tian proposed it. One day, he told us very solemnly that people outside were spreading rumors—some claiming he stood eight zhang tall, others saying he was only one chi tall. He suspected the measurement standards differed between races, which was why rumors made him fluctuate wildly between towering and miniature. Later, once we standardized weights and measures, that problem disappeared just as expected."
"Standardizing weights and measures was that effective?"
"Yup! I was so busy standardizing weights and measures across the various races that I didn't have time to tell the outside world how tall Immortal Ying Tian actually was."
"So you were the one spreading rumors all along!"
"You can't really call it spreading rumors! Early on, a believer asked me how tall Immortal Ying Tian was. I hadn't fully woken up yet, so I casually blurted out 'eight zhang.' As a result, the rumor spread like wildfire, completely out of control. Seeing that this wouldn't do, I hurriedly told believers he was one chi tall.
"Think about it: with rumors outside saying Immortal Ying Tian was eight zhang tall and others saying he was one chi tall, if you average the two out, wouldn't that give you his normal height?"
The Immortal Fairy's logic was impeccably reasonable; Lu Yang couldn't find a single flaw in it for a moment.
She continued, "Besides, this immortal can manifest a golden body too. It's just that I know far too many things to bother using a sixteen-foot golden body.
"Arts like Law Phenomenon of Heaven and Earth or Size Manipulation serve roughly the same purpose as the sixteen-foot golden body—they're all about fighting with a gigantic form."
Eldest Senior Sister nodded, agreeing with the Immortal Fairy's viewpoint. As the saying went, the Great Dao was simple and all paths led to the same destination; many spells shared similarities. Knowing one was sufficient; there was no need to master every single one like she did.
"Follow me outside."
Eldest Senior Sister led Lu Yang to an open clearing on the back mountain—the very spot where she had taught him Shrinking the Earth to Inches last time.
The Immortal Fairy emerged from Lu Yang's body, wanting to instruct him as well.
Lu Yang's confidence surged, his fighting spirit soaring. With Eldest Senior Sister, a powerhouse of the present era, and the Immortal Fairy, a powerhouse of antiquity, teaching him together, there was no way he could fail!
"To cultivate the sixteen-foot golden body, you must first maintain a peaceful state of mind."
"To cultivate the sixteen-foot golden body, you must first mobilize your own qi and blood."
Eldest Senior Sister and the Immortal Fairy spoke at the exact same time, leaving Lu Yang stunned.
Whom was he supposed to listen to?
Eldest Senior Sister looked calmly at the Immortal Fairy. "Only with a peaceful state of mind can one bring out their standard or even extraordinary capabilities. Fairy, why should he mobilize qi and blood?"
The Immortal Fairy showed no fear of Eldest Senior Sister either. Staring straight at Lu Yang, her momentum didn't yield an inch. "Qi and blood connect to the meridians, and the meridians carry spiritual energy. The sixteen-foot golden body is the product of blending qi, blood, and spiritual energy, so naturally one must mobilize qi and blood first."
Lu Yang: "..."
*Fairy, shouldn't you be staring down Eldest Senior Sister? Why are you staring at me?*
*And shouldn't I say something in this situation to declare my stance?*
Unfortunately, he dared not offend either side.
Caught between the clash of two supreme experts from ancient and modern times, Lu Yang had no choice but to tuck his tail between his legs.
"I am the Acting Sect Master! Listen to me!" The Immortal Fairy deployed her trump card to force Eldest Senior Sister back.
"...Very well."
The clash between the two supreme powerhouses of antiquity and modernity drew to a close; their contest of arts unfolded silently, without the mortal world noticing in the slightest.
"I'll teach you. Close your eyes, feel the qi and blood within your body, and attempt to mobilize them."
Lu Yang closed his eyes and looked inward. The sound of mighty rivers seemed to echo in his ears, surging ceaselessly—this was his qi and blood.
His qi and blood far surpassed that of the Golden Core stage; even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not necessarily compare.
"Mobilize the power of your qi and blood. Make the fluctuations of your qi and blood align with the fluctuations of your meridians to create a resonance. The stronger the resonance, the greater the power of your qi, blood, and spiritual energy!"
*Thump—thump—thump—*
The surroundings fell utterly silent, save for the exceptionally robust beating of Lu Yang's heart.
"Expand your qi, blood, and spiritual energy outward! Imagine them as solid matter, bursting out with a bang from inside your body to form a humanoid shape—ideally in your own likeness!"
Beside them, Eldest Senior Sister nodded slightly. The Fairy's method of instruction differed little in essence from her own; whether starting with a calm mind or with qi and blood, both would ultimately lead to cultivating the sixteen-foot golden body.
The rest was up to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang was unaware of Eldest Senior Sister's expectations for him. He kept his eyes closed from start to finish. Qi and blood surged within him, yet his mindset remained tranquil.
He vaguely caught hold of a sensation—ethereal and elusive, yet within reach and remarkably tangible.
Lu Yang seized that sensation and gave it a forceful tug!
Qi and blood churned as spiritual energy gushed forth. Woven together, they circulated at high speed within his body, before surging outward!
The instant the two forces manifested outside his body, formlessness turned into a radiant gold, gleaming brilliantly as if cast from pure gold!
*Boom—*
The sixteen-foot golden body burst into existence, appearing ten meters away from Lu Yang!
Lu Yang: "?"
*Isn't the golden body supposed to shield my body? Why did you run so far away?*
*Ah well. It might be a bit far and lack defensive capability, but serving as an attack works too.*
The sixteen-foot golden body was exceptionally solid; merely swinging its arm for a casual blow would be something no Golden Core cultivator could endure.
Lu Yang attempted to control the golden body, only to find it completely unresponsive, sitting there like a statue.
"..."
*How come other people's golden bodies combine offense and defense, while mine has neither?*
"Why don't you climb inside the golden body and see?" suggested the Immortal Fairy, who was also encountering this situation for the first time.
When others manifested the sixteen-foot golden body, they were always inside it. Perhaps it was the same for Lu Yang.
Not far away, Eldest Senior Sister wore an odd expression as well. There hadn't been a single flaw in the method taught by the Immortal Fairy, so how on earth had it produced such a result?
Helpless, Lu Yang could only try the method suggested by the Immortal Fairy.
He trotted over to the feet of the golden body and found that, as expected of something he had manifested himself, its exterior was remarkably sturdy—so sturdy he couldn't even find an opening to get inside.
"Try from under the feet?" the Immortal Fairy suggested again.
Lu Yang had no choice but to crouch down, lift the golden body's foot, and squeeze inside from beneath the sole.
Once inside the golden body, Lu Yang felt a surge of excitement. *This is the golden body I manifested!*
*Let the world witness the might of the golden body!*
He directed his mind, but the golden body didn't budge an inch!
He directed his mind again, yet the golden body remained utterly motionless!
Solid as a golden mountain!
"...Did I cultivate a fucking golden body, or a tortoise shell?!"
Chapter 461