Emptiness and haze, darkness and silence. The blade’s light seemed unreal, like a dream born from the deepest and most painful memories of the heart.
Abandoned at a young age, he had endured the monastery’s hardships, often gazing at pilgrims with a heart gnawed by longing. Master Bao felt as if he had returned to the days before he learned Chan, unable to break free from the memories for a long time.
The long blade came leisurely, as if attempting to sever this serenity.
Each person’s Chan mind could not be identical. Master Bao, dazed and stunned, was about to be struck by the blade’s force.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred. Despite his breath seemingly merging into one with the others, he struck out with his palm, still wearing that stunned expression!
He was like a puppet, controlled by the other four monks’ collective will. His palms struck out, emitting powerful force. His hands seemed to swell by a size, striking left and right toward the blade.
Could this actually work? The four monks behind pursued swiftly, forcing Meng Qi to change tactics. He bent his long blade, striking both palms to gain momentum. Like a caged bird breaking free, he spread his wings and soared, evading the pincer attack and leaping over Master Bao.
The four monks adjusted their steps, bypassing Master Bao, and once again loosely encircling Meng Qi.
After several exchanges, both sides seemed to return to the beginning. Meng Qi had not broken free from the encirclement, and the five monks—Long, Xiang, Hu, Bao, and Peng—had not narrowed their containment range to restrict Meng Qi’s maneuvering space.
One was affected by A-nan’s Precept-breaking Blade, yet the other four could still manipulate his body. This combined secret technique was too eerie, giving the complete sensation of a single entity… Meng Qi did not stop his steps, making strange directional changes while thoughts surged in his mind—martial knowledge from the Solitary Sword of the Heavens, the Primordial Unity of the Eight and Nine, and other techniques flashed through his consciousness, attempting to locate the key to this puzzle.
He had cultivated the first volume of the Yi Jin Jing for quite some time now. The Deathless Seal Art, the Solitary Sword of the Heavens, had vaguely touched the threshold of a new and vast world.
This confrontation was not like the previous one against Qing Sanren and the Flame Demon King, where he could exploit shifts in their minds, use the desperate posture and A-nan’s Precept-breaking Blade to force one opponent to retreat temporarily, creating a time gap. Long, Xiang, Hu, Bao, and Peng were like a monster with five bodies simultaneously attacking with hands, feet, and head. If he couldn’t locate its “Primordial Spirit,” even affecting parts of the body wouldn’t hinder the “Primordial Spirit” from puppeteering the affected parts seamlessly, making it difficult to create an opening!
Where exactly was the key?
Scene after scene from the fight flashed rapidly through Meng Qi’s mind: connected breaths, mysteriously identical qi, a sudden surge of Chan intent, and the surrounding purity spreading…
External scenery is the inner world’s resonance with natural forces, directly manifesting outward and interfering with reality by drawing on certain principles and forms of Heaven and Earth… If it were half-step External Scenery or Heaven and Man United, the external forces drawn would be minimal, mainly using the principles of Heaven and Earth to concentrate one’s own aura, just like his imitation of the Reversing Heaven Seal.
Aura… Momentum…
Meng Qi had once wanted to evolve the Solitary Sword of the Nine into a technique that broke momentum, but due to his weak sword cultivation, he had no clue until he learned the Celestial Blade, which helped him understand other sword techniques, and then practiced the Flying Immortal from the Heavens, comprehending sword principles, and enhancing his Yi Jin Jing cultivation, which gradually gave him direction and thoughts. Though he had not yet broken through, he vaguely sensed the existence of “momentum.”
Could it be that they achieved their unity by relying on this mysterious “momentum”?
When one unites with Heaven and Earth, there must be specific exchanges and flows. Internally, it is a path; externally, it manifests as momentum. These exchanges and flows follow patterns and methods, naturally having vulnerabilities!
Although Meng Qi had reached the Subtle Penetration state and possessed the ability to project his spirit outward, the surrounding purity and solemnity severely interfered with his perception, giving him only a vague sense of the “momentum” without detailed understanding, making it difficult to find vulnerabilities.
Another slash was unleashed, his footwork suddenly advancing and retreating. Meng Qi barely evaded the five monks’ encirclement. His mind was calm as water, and he had already made a decision: he must suppress this purity to sense the details.
And only “momentum” could interfere with and suppress “momentum”!
His footsteps shifted rapidly, his figure continuously changing. Suddenly, he raised his blade, striking as if whipping or cleaving.
The blade trembled continuously, seemingly rubbing against the air at high speed. Each tremor sounded like a rolling thunderclap, embodying the void of Heaven, the weight of thunder, the speed of lightning, the slowness of myriad changes, and the unyielding might of Heaven’s punishment!
Meng Qi did not directly use the Dharmakaya technique he had barely grasped—”Heaven Strikes Five Thunders.” Any Dharmakaya move would invite suspicion and covetousness. If his origins were discovered, the followers of the Su Nu Sect were certainly not benevolent people.
However, if he omitted the true intent and only used the form changes and quintessence of “Heaven Strikes Five Thunders” to trigger “Heaven’s Wound,” no one would detect the trickery. After all, the Divine Destruction Nine Extinctions had been lost since ancient times, and no one knew its specific details, making it safer than using “Thunder Shocking the Nine Heavens”!
Bright silver lightning erupted, surging forth as the long blade descended like Heaven’s punishment. The blade force entangled together, seemingly transforming into a coiling thunder dragon, ferociously lunging toward the five monks.
Boom!
The sky seemed to darken slightly, and a muffled thunderclap echoed, distant and prolonged, disrupting the serenity.
The oppressive feeling weighed heavily on people’s hearts, as if divine presence loomed overhead, heralding Heaven’s punishment!
Blackened streaks appeared on the ground from the stray electricity. Deep slashes formed in the earth between Meng Qi and the five monks, rapidly spreading toward them.
Faced with “Heaven’s Punishment,” the five monks did not slacken. Each struck a palm simultaneously, all hands glowing dark gold and shining like jade. In midair, a faint Buddhist chant seemed to arise!
Boom!
Lightning erupted, and Heaven’s punishment finally arrived, vast and mighty, destroying everything.
The might of Heaven’s punishment was terrifying, significantly weakening the serene Chan intent, continuously growing and spreading to counteract it.
Under the severe interference, fluctuations in distance revealed the deeply hidden “momentum” to Meng Qi’s mind, like a dreamlike scroll unfolding.
The illusory chanting of Buddha continued. Points of light flew from the mountain temple and the five monks’ bodies, coalescing in midair into an invisible Buddha image, with a compassionate, merciful expression.
Prayers, praises, chants, and invocations filled the ears; the intent of purity, transcendence, salvation, and self-sacrifice manifested externally. The great Buddha sat majestically in the center, with the five monks as extensions of its limbs!
So that was it! It was a combined technique using the power of incense and candle offerings!
Meng Qi instantly understood. The five monks had used their own vows and the offerings of incense to condense an invisible Buddha, their minds ascending to the “Pure Land,” united with the Buddha as their “Primordial Spirit,” merging into one entity, exchanging true energy as if flowing within a single body. Hence, they appeared seamless and impregnable!
Chanting “Amitabha Buddha,” ascending to the Pure Land!
The thunder dissipated, and the five monks’ combined effort directly withstood Meng Qi’s “Heaven’s Wound” blade force, dispelling the oppressive feeling without yielding, allowing the serene intent to spread once more, and the Buddhist momentum to retreat into obscurity!
Meng Qi showed no slightest sign of disappointment. He laughed aloud, raised his long blade again, not targeting any of the five monks but instead slashing into the empty sky!
The blade aimed at emptiness, nothing in sight. Yet the expression on Master Hua Yan suddenly froze. For the first time, the five monks’ expressions changed. Whether palms, fists, fingers, or claws, they simultaneously attacked Meng Qi’s body.
The blade light was ethereal, seemingly arising from the depths of the heart, evoking birth, aging, sickness, death, suffering, separation, and hatred!
Receiving one slash of “Breaking Precepts Intent,” one would plunge into the sea of suffering rebirth!
No regrets in this life? How could life be without regrets?
You wish to enlighten the world, so I shall take this chance to infiltrate the Buddhist order, wear your kasaya, twist your sutras, damage your reputation, violate your precepts, tempt the monks to fall, and destroy immeasurable Buddhist teachings!
The illusory Buddha gazed compassionately at the demonic blade light, suddenly shedding tears from the corners of its eyes, and the light disintegrated.
A creation of the mind naturally fears a mind-to-mind confrontation the most!
The air churned, and purity vanished. The five monks—Long, Xiang, Hu, Bao, and Peng—immediately felt their unified sensation fluctuating, sometimes strong, sometimes weak. Their true energy could no longer flow as freely as within a single body. The palms, fingers, fists, and claws attacking Meng Qi slowed slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Meng Qi twisted midair, dodging the attacks. His long blade slashed eight times as a feint before powerfully cleaving toward Long Master with overwhelming force.
Master Long’s expression turned solemn. He clenched his five fingers once more, unleashing a crackling force—half pulling, half dissolving—to counter this domineering slash while awaiting reinforcements.
As long as he survived this crisis, they could unite again.
The finger force struck “Heaven’s Wound,” suddenly feeling it devoid of strength, as hollow as the sky, absorbing true energy.
Meng Qi’s face turned pale gold. He forcibly borrowed the force, swiftly retreating and escaping the triple encirclement of Masters Hu, Bao, and Peng. Turning, he slashed at Master Xiang with a single stroke.
This slash pushed his true energy to its peak, further fueled by half of Master Long’s power. It was heavy as a mountain, collapsing the air currents, erupting into thunder, and forming a vortex before the blade, pulling Master Xiang forward involuntarily.
Master Xiang had no choice but to meet the attack with a palm strike. His hand gleamed like jade, his energy forceful and pure.
Bang!
His palm deflected the blade’s edge, colliding with the sword. Master Xiang felt the blade’s weight was overwhelming, as if facing a dragon or elephant.
Spitting a mouthful of blood, he was directly sent flying. Without their united strength, how could his power rival Meng Qi, who possessed the Eight and Nine Primordial Unity, and even had half of Master Long’s force!
Crack! Master Xiang crashed into a withered tree, breaking it and falling down, unable to rise immediately.
Meng Qi borrowed the force again to change direction, dodging the attack. His long blade moved as fast as lightning, directly rushing toward Master Bao.
This slash relied purely on speed. Master Bao couldn’t dodge in time and could only clasp his palms together, attempting to trap the blade.
“Heaven’s Wound” was caught. Master Bao felt the blade carried no force, only sheer speed!
His gaze froze as he saw Meng Qi extend his left hand, flicking his fingers five times. The illusory finger wind struck his body, sealing his acupoints.
“The ‘Qing Ming Xu Xu Zhi’ of the Seven Ultimate Hands…” he slowly fell, gaining sudden understanding.
Meng Qi now understood one principle and thus mastered all. With the foundation of the Eight and Nine Primordial Unity, he could easily simulate opening techniques when possessing the corresponding martial arts.
In a short moment, two had fallen. Masters Long, Hu, and Peng were helpless, continuously attacking Meng Qi from different angles but always just short of hitting him.
At that moment, Meng Qi’s tongue emitted a spring thunderclap:
“Break!”
His voice boomed like thunder, deafening to the ears. Without their unity, Long, Hu, and Peng were momentarily stunned.
The long blade struck, unstoppable in force. Before Master Long could recover, Meng Qi cleaved him away. Had he not deliberately used the flat of the blade, he might have already passed on to the Western Paradise!
Meng Qi’s momentum grew stronger as he fought, roaring again: “Fall before me!”
Feigning eight slashes, his long blade struck forcefully, seemingly shrinking the heavens and earth as he attacked the two monks, Hu and Peng, intending to face them both alone!
The two monks struck out with four palms, their energy crisscrossing, meeting force with force.
Bang!
The two monks felt the blade’s weight as if mountains pressed down, overwhelming their energy, making their arms tremble uncontrollably as they involuntarily stepped back several paces.
Meng Qi’s momentum had reached its peak, while the two monks’ minds were seized, their strength less than seventy or eighty percent. Even united, they were still overpowered by his sheer force!
As the two monks retreated, Meng Qi slightly adjusted his breath, relying on the Deathless Seal Art’s ability to recover energy, rushed forward, and struck two more slashes, sending them crashing to the ground.
“How many moves?” Meng Qi sheathed his blade and smiled, asking Jiang Zhiwei.
Jiang Zhiwei smiled sweetly and replied, “Seventeen.”
Meng Qi turned to look at Zhao Qian and others, laughing loudly: “Crown Prince, twenty moves unbeaten? Seventeen is enough!”
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