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*****
"This is merely a petty spell I created myself. Might I ask, what are these 'Thirty-Six Methods of Tiangang' that the True Immortal speaks of?"
Hearing Taiyi Zhenren's exclamation, George's interest was piqued, and he asked with a smile.
He had heard of the "Thirty-Six Transformations of Tiangang" and the "Seventy-Two Transformations of Disha." In Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie practiced the Thirty-Six Tiangang Transformations, while Sun Wukong practiced the Seventy-Two Disha Transformations.
As for the difference between the two, Journey to the West seemed to suggest that both were primarily techniques to avoid the Three Calamities.
However, the Thirty-Six Tiangang Transformations were often depicted as clumsy, allowing one to turn into mountains, rocks, or giant elephants, but lacking the finesse for detailed changes, like transforming into a little girl.
The Seventy-Two Disha Transformations, on the other hand, had no such restrictions, allowing for the free transformation into birds, beasts, insects, and objects.
He just didn't know if the "Thirty-Six Transformations" and the "Thirty-Six Methods" were the same thing.
"Actually, these Thirty-Six Methods of Tiangang..."
Taiyi Zhenren was not stingy with his knowledge. He quickly explained the common knowledge shared by most Daoist disciples to George. In addition to the Tiangang Methods, he also explained the Seventy-Two Arts of Disha.
"So that is how it is. Thank you, True Immortal, for clarifying my doubts."
A moment later, George bowed with a Daoist salute, sighing inwardly at the profundity of the Daoist magic of the Three Sects.
It turned out that the "Thirty-Six Methods of Tiangang" and the "Seventy-Two Arts of Disha" were indeed different from the "Transformations" he knew of.
The Thirty-Six Tiangang Methods referred to thirty-six types of Great Divine Abilities (Siddhis), which were:
Mediation of Creation, Reversal of Yin and Yang, Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations, Returning the Heaven and Reverting the Sun, Calling the Wind and Summoning the Rain, Shaking Mountains and Earth, Riding Mists and Mounting Clouds, Dividing Rivers into Land, Vertical Golden Light, Overturning Rivers and Stirring Seas, Turning Ground to Steel, Great Five-Element Evasion, Six Ding and Six Jia Miraculous Gates, Foreknowing the Future, Whipping Mountains and Moving Stones, Resurrecting the Dead, Flying Body and Trace Concealment, Nine Breaths to Convince Qi, Extracting Primal Yang, Subduing Dragons and Taming Tigers, Mending Heaven and Bathing the Sun, Pushing Mountains and Filling Seas, Turning Stone into Gold, Standing Upright Without Shadow, Fetal Transformation and Shape Shifting, Size At Will, Flowers Blooming in an Instant, Roaming Spirit and Driving Qi, Seeing Through Walls, Returning Wind and Reverting Fire, Mastering the Five Thunders, Diving into the Abyss and Shrinking the Earth, Flying Sand and Moving Stones, Carrying Mountains to Cross Seas, Scattering Beans to Make Soldiers, and the Nail-Head Seven Arrows.
The Seventy-Two Arts of Disha were similar:
Communicating with the Nether, Exorcizing Spirits, Shouldering Mountains, Forbidding Water, Borrowing Wind, Spreading Fog, Praying for Clear Skies, Praying for Rain, Sitting in Fire, Entering Water, Masking the Sun, Riding the Wind, Boiling Stones, Spewing Flame, Swallowing Knives, Pot Heaven, Divine Travel, Walking on Water, Staff Dissolution, Doppelgänger, Invisibility, Reattaching Heads, Immobilization, Beheading Demons, Invoking Immortals, Chasing Souls, Seizing Souls, Summoning Clouds, Fetching the Moon, Transporting, Dream Entry, Dismemberment, Parasitic Staff, Cutting Flows, Averting Disasters, Resolving Difficulties, Yellow and White (Alchemy), Sword Art, Divination, Earth Travel, Astrology, Formation Laying, False Form, Spraying Transformation, Pointing Transformation, Corpse Dissolution, Shifting Scenery, Summoning, Expelling, Gathering Beasts, Taming Birds, Qi Prohibition, Great Strength, Penetrating Stone, Generating Light, Optical Illusions, Guidance, Ingesting Food, Opening Walls, Leaping Cliffs, Sprouting Heads, Climbing and Copying, Drinking Water, Sleeping in Snow, Exposure to Sun, Playing with Pills, Talisman Water, Medicine, Knowing the Time, Knowing the Location, Grain Avoidance, and Nightmare Prayer.
The Thirty-Six Methods and Seventy-Two Arts were divine abilities that most Daoist disciples were expected to cultivate. However, those who could learn all of them were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Most Daoist disciples only mastered a small portion of the simpler ones.
For example: Borrowing Wind, Spreading Fog, Praying for Clear Skies, Praying for Rain, Sitting in Fire, Entering Water, Swallowing Knives, Spewing Flame, and Transporting.
Those who were more skilled could master techniques like: Riding Mists and Mounting Clouds, Resurrecting the Dead, Subduing Dragons and Taming Tigers, Pushing Mountains and Filling Seas, Dividing Rivers into Land, and the Great Five-Element Evasion.
Only the top-tier Daoist experts could cast spells like: Mediation of Creation, Mending Heaven and Bathing the Sun, Nail-Head Seven Arrows, and Vertical Golden Light.
Mediation of Creation referred to mediating the profound creation of heaven and earth, creating something from nothing, and turning death into life. Goddess Nuwa had practiced this divine ability to the extreme, which was why she could mold clay to create humanity.
Mending Heaven and Bathing the Sun were the abilities used by Nuwa to refine the five-colored stones to mend the sky, and by Fuxi to bathe the sun.
Nail-Head Seven Arrows was a technique associated with the rogue cultivator Daoist Lu Ya. He refined a magic treasure called the "Nail-Head Seven Arrows Book." When combined with this top-tier divine ability, one could kill a person invisibly from a distance; even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would find it hard to escape this doom.
As for Vertical Golden Light, George knew it well. It was the divine ability personally taught by Yuanshi Tianzun to the Twelve Golden Immortals after their "Three Flowers on the Crown" were severed and the "Five Qi in the Chest" were extinguished, causing them to lose all their mana. Its speed was comparable to teleportation.
The reason Taiyi was surprised that George could restore the General's Manor with a wave of his hand was that the Repair Charm he used looked very similar to the time-reversal divine ability, Returning the Heaven and Reverting the Sun.
Even Taiyi himself had not yet mastered that specific divine ability.
Or rather, among the disciples of the Three Sects, those who could learn and cast that ability were in the minority.
"For a Fellow Daoist to be able to create a divine ability similar to Returning the Heaven and Reverting the Sun... you are truly a prodigy in the cultivation of the Dao!" Taiyi Zhenren exclaimed with admiration.
"You flatter me, truly." George waved his hand modestly. "I am merely a jack of all trades, master of none."
"I thank all the Immortals for saving my son. Li Jing will never forget this kindness. Please, everyone, take a seat!"
Seeing that the General's Manor had been restored by George's magic, Li Jing first expressed his gratitude, then invited everyone to sit down and continue celebrating Ne Zha's birthday and his successful tribulation crossing.
George and Taiyi naturally agreed readily. However, Shen Gongbao waved his hand in refusal.
"I need to return to the East Sea immediately and inform the Dragon King of what happened here."
The direction of events here had deviated completely from the original plan. He needed to inform Ao Guang immediately and then decide on the next steps to ensure their original goal could still be achieved.
However, he glanced at Ao Bing, who looked reluctant to leave, paused for a moment, and then continued:
"You may stay here to represent the Dragon Clan in attending Ne Zha's birthday."
He made this decision partly because he saw that Ao Bing desperately wanted to stay and celebrate with Ne Zha, and partly to have Ao Bing monitor Chentang Pass, preventing Taiyi and the others from breaking their promise.
Although they had reached an agreement earlier, if Taiyi and the others failed to keep their word and went to the Jade Void Palace to reveal the truth, the ones who would suffer in the end would be him and the Dragon Clan.
After all, Ne Zha had already passed the tribulation.
This was a precautionary measure; though, regarding Taiyi's character, he still trusted him.
"Thank you, Master!"
Hearing his master allow him to stay, a smile instantly bloomed on Ao Bing's face.
For years, he had been bitterly cultivating with Shen Gongbao. His only friend was Ne Zha. He wanted to attend Ne Zha's birthday and personally say "I'm sorry" to him.
After Shen Gongbao flew away, the General's Manor became lively once again.
While conversing with Taiyi Zhenren—this future member of the Twelve Golden Immortals—George gradually figured out the man's character and temperament.
Innocent and kind, informal, humorous, loving freedom, and fond of fine wine and food. He was simply a born Daoist cultivator; no wonder he was so doted upon by Yuanshi Tianzun.
George liked Taiyi Zhenren's personality as well, primarily because such people were very easy to handle.
He simply used a Transfiguration spell to conjure up fine wines and delicacies from various different worlds, which successfully drove Taiyi Zhenren's favorability toward him to the peak.
Originally, Taiyi felt George was a good person for mediating the conflict and helping Ne Zha survive the tribulation. Now, he considered him a bosom friend.
He even decided in his heart that once his Master came out of seclusion, he would find a way to beg his Master to accept George as a disciple. Having him as a junior brother meant they could drink wine, eat meat, and discuss the Dao together in the future.
However, just as everyone had celebrated until midnight and the party was finally breaking up for rest, Shen Gongbao returned.
And in his hand, he held a purple dragon claw.
(End of Chapter)