Chapter 450: Don't Use Human Sovereign Jiang as Your Dharma Body
Previously, Jiang Li hadn’t deeply studied the Dharmakaya Sect, with most of his knowledge limited to the honest Li Er and the soccer team that spent years kicking planets across the cosmos. Compared to Bai Hongtu, Jiang Li had considered the Dharmakaya Sect relatively normal.
Today’s visit proved his previous understanding shallow. The Dharmakaya Sect members were so dedicated that they used their own miserable experiences to warn future generations.
Jiang Li admired their spirit.
“But with the Dharmakaya Sect’s atmosphere, can coming here really help me learn Divine Transformation?”
Jiang Li doubted he could achieve it.
His greatest takeaway was learning the precautions when using his own image as a Dharma Body.
“The me from the System’s timeline could probably do it – otherwise the System wouldn’t have issued this mission.”
“The me from that timeline truly was a once-in-a-millennium genius.” Jiang Li conceded defeat.
Currently clueless about breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage, he’d tried compressing his power to that level. Useless. The System remained silent, refusing to acknowledge him as Divine Transformation stage.
Understandable. Though his power was compressed, his actual realm remained Mahayana Stage.
“Stubborn System.”
Jiang Li reached the Scripture Pavilion’s sixth floor, where collections started with Tribulation Transcendence cultivation insights, let alone countless immortal manuscripts.
As one of the Six Great Sects with deep Immortal Realm connections, the Dharmakaya Sect naturally possessed numerous immortal manuscripts.
Their parent organization, the Dharmakaya Immortal Sect, advocated self-reliance without external tools – hence why they never bestowed immortal artifacts upon the mortal sect.
But Jiang Li had heard the real reason from Immortal Elder Changcun: few in the Dharmakaya Immortal Sect practiced artifact forging, and their pride prevented outsourcing. Thus they produced few immortal artifacts – and shoddy ones at that – too embarrassed to gift their subordinate sect, instead preaching about self-sufficiency.
Having previously studied immortal manuscripts, Jiang Li saw no need to revisit them. Most discussed using immortal beasts or objects as Dharma Bodies post-ascension – powerful but irrelevant to him.
Even the Dharmakaya Immortal Sect couldn’t use Dao Ancestor as a Dharma Body. Their experiences offered Jiang Li nothing.
Instead, one Tribulation Transcendence cultivation record caught his attention:
“Failed Experiments in Condensing Human Sovereign Jiang’s Dharma Body – by Li Er”
Li Nian’er curiously peeked at her father’s writings, currently obsessed with deifying Jiang Li.
“Human Sovereign Jiang breaking through to Mahayana is truly remarkable. After his breakthrough, he explained the process – unfortunately I couldn’t comprehend it. Perhaps modeling my Dharma Body after him could elevate my power.”
“Yan Calendar 4500, First Attempt: Seems possible. I successfully condensed a rudimentary Human Sovereign Jiang Dharma Body – tremendously powerful. I could even defeat Commander Liu now. But premature celebration – this is just a prototype. A perfected version might channel even more power from him.”
“Yan Calendar 4520, Second Attempt: The prototype grows more substantial, channeling increasing power. Astonishingly, Human Sovereign Jiang shows no strain despite the massive energy drain. Just how much power does he contain? Only someone like him could protect the Nine Provinces.”
“Yan Calendar 4530, Third Attempt: Three steps from success.”
“Yan Calendar 4540, Fourth Attempt: Two steps away.”
“Yan Calendar 4550, Fifth Attempt: One step remaining. When I perfect Human Sovereign Jiang’s Dharma Body, I’ll become the Nine Provinces’ second strongest.”
“Yan Calendar 4560, Sixth Attempt: Now three steps from success… wait, why am I regressing?”
“Yan Calendar 4570, Seventh Attempt: Not my imagination – the Dharma Body grows increasingly abstract.”
Jiang Li noticed accompanying sketches – grotesquely distorted Human Sovereign Jiang figures bearing no resemblance to himself.
“…Is Li Er really this bad at drawing?”
He recalled Li Er demonstrating excellent painting skills during the Yunshui Secret Realm’s art immortal trial.
Meaning the Dharma Bodies truly were that ugly.
…
“Yan Calendar 4700, Sixteenth Attempt: Hopeless. No connection to Human Sovereign Jiang remains. The more I study him, the more unfathomable he becomes – manifesting countless aspects, each representing different powers and identities, as if he’s multiplied into myriad supreme avatars. Compressing ten thousand forms into one Dharma Body proves impossible.”
“This reminds me of the legendary Buddha, said to manifest countless forms – though his represent all living beings, while Human Sovereign Jiang’s… perhaps ‘supreme aspects’?”
With each attempt, Li Er’s Dharma Bodies grew more abstract – resembling eldritch abominations rather than Jiang Li.
“Abandoning attempts. No possibility of success.”
“Why was I nearing success initially, only to regress?”
“Perhaps after Human Sovereign Jiang reached Mahayana, his cultivation kept advancing. My condensation speed couldn’t match his growth rate until his power surpassed my comprehension, causing the failures.”
“While plausible, this seems unrealistic. Mahayana should only rival Earthly Immortals at best – boldly, perhaps Celestial Immortals. This situation shouldn’t occur.”
“Must be another reason. Even Immortal Elder Changcun has no answers.”
“To later readers: DO NOT attempt using Human Sovereign Jiang as your Dharma Body. Pure waste of time.”
Jiang Li closed the book with peculiar expression.
Li Nian’er abandoned her plan to deify Uncle Jiang.
If even her Tribulation Transcendence father failed to model a Dharma Body after Uncle Jiang, her attempting it would only spawn some unspeakable horror.
Frustrated at discarding such a promising idea, she wondered – what should she deify then?
“Come, let’s visit the Dharmakaya Sect elders.” Jiang Li shook his head. Had Li Er succeeded, he’d have welcomed it – meaning he could lend Li Er power.
If successful, Jiang Li might have encouraged all Nine Provinces inhabitants to learn the technique using his image.
Current evidence suggested impossibility.
“Right, the elders are over there.” Li Nian’er hoped to learn from them. All Unity Stage experts with unique trump cards, even the weakest ranked mid-tier among peers.
The elders possessed profound Dharma Body expertise. With increased inter-world exchanges, they’d developed new theories – Li Nian’er hoped for inspirational breakthroughs.