The brilliance of the Great Sun, the wisdom of the Buddha, neither born nor destroyed, complete with all virtues, illuminating all places, dispelling all darkness—such is the sword light, invincible wherever it goes!
Ji Shan felt as if illuminated by light, his body transformed into “lapis lazuli,” transparent inside and out. Every part of his body, every pore, and every thought of his Yuan Shen were illuminated by the “light of wisdom” contained within the sword glow, leaving no secrets untouched. His opponent anticipated every move, adapting effortlessly, making resistance futile.
Compared to this sensation, the scorching heat igniting air currents and melting protective auras, and the miraculous sword lights piercing from all directions—front, back, left, right, above, and below—seemed trivial.
The Tathagata, the Supreme One of Esoteric Buddhism!
Ji Shan had no doubt—the ultimate expression of this sword technique could slay multitudes. Before the majestic image of the Great Sun Tathagata, he felt as vulnerable as a shorn lamb, a feeble member among the fallen!
The moment this thought arose, he became alert, instinctively opening his body’s acupoints and visualizing “Vairocana Vajra”—the esoteric name of the Great Sun Tathagata in the Vajra Realm, one of over a dozen dharma forms cultivated by the Diamond Temple.
His golden body appeared white-fleshed, complete with the thirty-two auspicious marks. Upon manifestation, Ji Shan’s spiritual clarity returned instantly.
Besides “penetrating” both Yuan Shen and physical form, besides the searing heat and omnipresent reach, this sword technique also possessed the power to subdue the mind, as if the Tathagata himself had manifested!
What an extraordinary sword technique!
Ji Shan pursed his lips, his expression solemn, his body and mind inseparable from his precept blade.
So what if my physical and spiritual responses are known?
I shall strike with righteousness and strength!
The precept blade rose, radiating golden Buddha light, making no elaborate moves, disregarding the sword lights from other directions, cutting forward with fearless determination!
When celestial maidens tempt and desires arise, this blade shall sever them!
When evil spirits block the path and the other shore seems distant, this blade shall sever them!
When external demons take Buddha’s form and distort true dharma, this blade shall sever them!
The all-encompassing light of the Great Sun split apart, unable to approach, the sea of fire divided and rolled back to both sides. Ji Shan, wielding the wisdom of Vajra that cuts through all, countered penetration with courage, and encirclement with fearlessness. Precisely blocking this sword strike, a crisp “clang” rang through the air!
Meng Qi had once witnessed an exquisite and intricate blade technique from Zhen Yong, the Shaolin spy, where even the “three thousand strands of affliction” dissipated—yet it was entirely different from Ji Shan’s blade.
Ji Shan’s blade embodies steadfastness, tranquility, courage, ferocity, and sharpness!
The blade light shone clearly, swung again without hesitation, severing sword lights, piercing through “wisdom.”
Expel external demons, protect the Buddha Dharma!
Stroke after stroke, Ji Shan wielded his blade with the courage and fearlessness to expel external demons. His body, spirit, mind, will, and precept blade became one. As if a Vajra form had manifested, he forced Meng Qi seemingly into a defensive stance, softening hardness, letting flames drift with the wind, the long sword either refracting or reflecting, sometimes combining both, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, barely resisting.
Ji Shan exhaled powerfully, chanting Esoteric mantras, coordinating with the “Expel Demons Blade Technique,” his body glowing faintly golden. Wherever the blade light went, sword techniques parted!
“Evil spirits confuse the mind—sever it!”
The precept blade swept sideways, radiating lapis lazuli light, filling the air with golden brilliance. Meng Qi’s flowing fire darted left and right, flame lights scattering like an evening sunset.
“External doctrines distort the Dharma—sever it!”
Another strike, straightforward and unadorned, yet fearless and mighty, parted all dharma, preventing sword lights from approaching. Meng Qi circled his long sword, as if a blazing sun descended, explosions thundering, waves of energy rolling outward, barely holding off the assault.
“The Buddha disturbs ‘self’—sever it!”
His voice boomed like a great bell, shaking the Yuan Shen. The precept blade seemed like a ray of Buddha light descending from heaven. Around him, flames extinguished, sword lights vanished, leaving only the red jade.
“Clang!”
Meng Qi blocked sideways with his long sword, flames reigniting, barely withstanding this blow.
Ji Shan seized the advantage, seeing Meng Qi step back stroke by stroke, defending relentlessly, preparing to unleash the killing move of the “Expel Demons Blade Technique” to decisively win. Yet at this moment, he sensed a disruption in his qi flow!
Previously, his body, Yuan Shen, mind, will, precept blade, and inner heavenly path were unified, embodying fearlessness—the very foundation of the “Expel Demons Blade Technique,” seamlessly integrated, internal and external indistinguishable!
Yet now, that sense of unity between body, mind, and blade was gone, his steadfastness, courage, and fearlessness marred!
What happened?
Following the qi disruption, Ji Shan instantly identified the issue—the edge of his precept blade, a treasure-grade weapon, bore a tiny, rice-grain-sized notch!
A notch on a treasure-grade precept blade!
Like a single rat dropping spoiling a pot of soup, like a black speck on an otherwise flawless sheet, the harmony was broken!
This! Countless scenes flashed through Ji Shan’s mind—each moment of their clash, how the opponent seemingly yielded under his blade, retreating and defending. Yet each clash struck the same spot repeatedly, accumulating damage until finally, a notch formed!
He did this on purpose!
Ji Shan’s mind faltered, his fearlessness fractured. His blade slowed slightly. Meng Qi laughed aloud, and his long sword, compressed to the extreme, erupted fully!
Boom!
A tremendous explosion erupted, flames bursting like waves, melting the ground by a full layer.
The sword transformed into the Great Sun, hurling itself into Ji Shan’s arms!
Ji Shan barely swung his blade, attempting to block with a crosscut, yet lacking the earlier unshakable resolve and fearlessness. Like lapis lazuli, once cracked, it could never fully recover!
Boom!
Blade and sword met—not with a metallic clang, but a terrifying explosion. The brilliance of the red sun swallowed Ji Shan whole.
Falling through the sea of flames, Ji Shan plummeted downward. Meng Qi seized the opportunity, diving from above with a downward slash.
The left hand forms a palm blade, the right hand grips the long sword. The blade is heavy, as if bending the void itself, while the sword’s radiance blazes brilliantly, illuminating all directions!
Ji Shan sensed an indescribable danger. His precept blade, seemingly slow yet lightning-fast in execution, sliced through the air repeatedly—each tremor shearing away a layer of vexation. His left hand, fingers curled, emanated a dark golden glow as it struck forward with unstoppable force.
A faint golden glow surrounded him, like a womb, solid as Vajra!
Before the “Vajra Realm,” Meng Qi’s palm blade and long sword suddenly struck each other!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
An indescribable explosion thundered into Zhao Qian and Wei Gao’s ears from afar, shaking their Yuan Shen, their minds ringing, vision blinding white, as if their eyes had been seared by light. Even from a distance, the heat wave scorched their faces and curled their hair.
The fall of the Great Sun—destroying heaven and earth!
Shortly after, Zhao Qian regained his vision. He saw the collapse of Liushaji’s houses, a crater formed in the ground, glowing more brilliantly the deeper it went, as melted sand solidified into lapis lazuli, reflecting light!
At the crater’s bottom, smooth and about five or six zhang deep, lay Ji Shan, his red lama robe in tatters.
Blood flowed from Ji Shan’s nose and mouth. Though not gravely injured, it was only because he had exerted his utmost strength, exhausting all means, while his opponent did not pursue relentlessly.
He soared upward, gazing at Meng Qi floating midair, wielding flowing fire, shouting with hidden anger and frustration: “You only prevailed by relying on a sharper weapon!”
If not for his sword surpassing my precept blade significantly, how could repeated strikes at the same spot create a notch? Without this flaw, how could I have exposed such a major weakness, exploited by him!
Meng Qi ignored him, instead gazing at the crater’s bottom—that was the real reason he withheld follow-up attacks.
At the crater’s bottom flowed an underground stream, now evaporated by the “sunfall,” not yet replenished. In its center, a pitch-black shadow loomed, within which lay a bone from the hand.
This hand bone gave Meng Qi an oddly familiar feeling—hidden within its blackness was a gleam of whiteness, exuding an aura of immortality!
One of the other hand bones of the “Yellow Spring”!
Yet this bone differed markedly from the one Meng Qi had obtained—it was no ordinary bone!
Where his gaze fell, surrounding light seemed to fade, revealing only a blood-yellow river flowing from emptiness to emptiness, embodying muddiness, decadence, malevolence, and transcendence—a fusion of contradictory sensations.
The power within this hand bone was not sealed!
Before Meng Qi could entertain any thoughts, he saw the shadows around the hand bone twist and writhe, detaching from the ground, seemingly taking human form.
A powerful figure from the School of Impermanence and Death?
One worthy of wielding the “Yellow Spring” hand bone?
Meng Qi ignored Ji Shan, turned, and fled, leaving behind a taunting transmission: “True mastery lies in exploiting one’s own strengths.”
Ji Shan hesitated, then, seeing the sinister shadow below, hastily fled as well.
A wise man avoids immediate danger; a prudent monk refrains from rash acts!
As for the mysterious swordsman who wounded him, revenge would come in due time!
This was the first time he had suffered loss at the hands of an equal.
Zhao Qian and Wei Gao, witnessing this from afar, dared not approach, choosing instead a distant route.
Meng Qi flew for hundreds of miles before catching his breath, glancing back to see darkness engulfing Liushaji, soon vanishing.
The School of Impermanence and Death has joined the pursuit of the “Tathagata Palm”…
And they’ve even brought forth bones of the “Yellow Spring”—how many more might they possess?
Why did they bury themselves underground with the Yellow Spring bones? Their concealment method was peculiar—though temporarily unable to act, it was extremely hidden. From the outside, observing qi flow and sensing heaven and earth revealed nothing, only a faint chill…
Had Jiu Niang fallen into their hands?
Numerous questions surfaced, but Meng Qi didn’t hesitate. Taking a slight detour, he made his way toward the entrance of the Immortal Trace at the Vast Sea.
Seeing that “hand bone,” Meng Qi finally understood why the School of Impermanence and Death treated the one he possessed with such ambiguous importance.
They were likely obtained separately, and since its power was dormant, his bone was suspected not to be from the Yellow Spring, yet no definitive method existed to disprove it, hence their strange attitude.
Not long after setting off, Meng Qi suddenly caught a faint scent of blood.
His heart tightened. He carefully searched the area, uncovering several pieces of bloodied flesh hidden beneath the sand. Their vitality was strong, radiating immense power—clearly belonging to an Outer Scenery expert.
“This is part of the heart, this a vertebra… the rest are gone…” Examining the remains, Meng Qi preliminarily concluded the “owner” had perished. Fortunately, it wasn’t someone he knew.
“An Outer Scenery expert has fallen in this matter…” Meng Qi’s expression darkened. Suddenly, he recalled Xue Lengjiao’s warning: “Delay may bring disaster!”
“Could this be what she meant by ‘delay may bring disaster’? What exactly are the Snow Mountain Sect, the Diamond Temple, and the Asura Temple plotting together?”
Meng Qi searched the area thoroughly but found no further clues. Composing himself, he headed toward the Immortal Trace entrance, donned his mask, retrieved his “Primordial Eye,” and activated the “Gate of Biyou Heaven.”
As Meng Qi approached Biyou Palace, he sensed a heavy atmosphere. Lingbao Tianzun stood at the entrance, wearing a mask, clad in a drab Taoist robe, holding the “Qingping Sword.”
“Follow me,” he said, turning inward.
As the current master of Biyou Palace, he sensed any entry and thus awaited Meng Qi at the palace gate.
Following Lingbao Tianzun into a grand hall, Meng Qi saw numerous dark-yellow meditation cushions. Currently seated were four figures: “Changsheng Immortal Sovereign,” “Nanhua Tianzun,” “Mount Li Old Mother,” and an unfamiliar “Immortal.”
“Taiyi Immortal,” Lingbao Tianzun introduced briefly.
Taiyi Immortal was not Taiyi Tianzun.
Seeing the “Yuanshi Tianzun,” the four felt slight unease but quickly suppressed it, being formidable experts themselves.
After Meng Qi sat cross-legged, Lingbao Tianzun asked: “Are you all participating in the Tathagata Palm matter?”
“Yes,” Meng Qi replied concisely, maintaining the dignity of “Yuanshi Tianzun.”
The other four nodded.
Lingbao Tianzun nodded and said: “The Yuhai Tahan front line only has Outer Scenery experts, making disguise impossible. Therefore, everyone shall reveal their true identities to prevent misunderstandings and injuries. I shall begin.”
This was specifically for Meng Qi’s introduction.
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