Inside the prison.
Zhang Tianxiang appeared to be dozing, but his mind suddenly stirred.
Bang! Bang!
With two dull thuds, the two guards outside the door collapsed, revealing the figures of Ji Fu and Xin Jue. “Minister Zhang, we’ve come to rescue you!”
“It’s you!”
Zhang Tianxiang was astonished. Although he had encountered many strange events during his youth and always managed to escape danger with the help of unexpected benefactors, he never imagined that the ones coming to rescue him now would be this group of mysterious individuals!
“How did you come to the Western Regions?”
“Hearing that you were in trouble, we had no choice but to come!”
Xin Jue took out a bunch of keys and opened the prison door.
“I could have opened this door myself, but these shackles on my hands are magical artifacts, making movement somewhat inconvenient… I’ve already calculated that if this prison affair is exposed, the city guards will arrive for reinforcement in no more than three incense sticks’ time!”
Zhang Tianxiang whispered quickly.
“Please rest assured, Minister, we’ve made all the arrangements already!”
Xin Jue turned to Ji Fu. “Please, Brother Ji!”
“Hehe!”
Ji Fu glanced at Xin Jue, without declining. A red thread flew from his sleeve, bending and straightening as it pleased, and wrapped around the shackles several times.
Zzrraa!
After a shower of sparks, the two sets of shackles fell to the ground.
Zhang Tianxiang stared at Ji Fu in astonishment. He had met this strange person three times. The first time, Ji Fu was merely a strong young man whom he could have slain with a single sword stroke. The second time in Xijing, Ji Fu had already grown significantly, daring even to lead men to ambush the Subduing Dragon Master. But now, how did he cultivate such Daoist techniques? And his cultivation was so profound, his progress truly inconceivable.
Of course, he didn’t know that Ji Fu came from a noble family. As long as his chronic illness was cured and he had the proper techniques, supported by spiritual herbs and good fortune, his magical power would advance almost impossibly fast.
Possessing both the identity of a Reincarnator and a Crown Prince, Ji Fu’s rate of progress was among the top even in Wu Ming’s selection of Reincarnators.
“Let’s go!”
Zhang Tianxiang shook his wrists. “I’ll need a sword again!”
“Ahhh! The prisoner escaped!”
After they exited the prison, a guard saw them and immediately shouted, charging with his comrades wielding long spears.
Puff!
Zhang Tianxiang was unafraid, his sword blade emitting a glow. Several sword qi flashed, snapping the long spears. A red line appeared on the brows of these men, and they immediately fell to the ground, dead.
“This Zhang Tianxiang…”
Ji Fu and Xin Jue exchanged glances. “Truly the protagonist… Suffering in prison has not only prevented his decline but actually refined his sword techniques further… Probably his will has been tempered. Once he replenishes his lost essence, he may directly enter the Saintly Path!”
Zhang Tianxiang didn’t dwell on this, his entire being seemingly transforming into a sword beam. In an instant, he slaughtered the entire squad, then calmly said, “What’s the escape route you two prepared? That barbarian king Altai, upon realizing my absence, will surely close all four city gates and launch a citywide search!”
“Please rest assured, Minister. We found a noble from the White Elephant Kingdom, the elder sister of the previous King Sidi, who is willing to offer us shelter…”
Xin Jue wore a confident expression. “Even though she has lost power, the former king’s influence remains, and Altai dares not go too far. She can definitely get us out of the city!”
“Excellent! If I don’t avenge this, I shall no longer be human!”
Zhang Tianxiang glared fiercely toward the palace direction before saying, “Let’s go!”
“Venerable Sir, please stay a moment!”
Just then, a voice came from the side, unhurried yet urgent. Although the voice was gentle, the three immediately felt their hairs stand on end.
“Who are you?”
The three had just escaped from prison and were about to face a citywide manhunt. Could it be that the whole process had been watched from start to finish?
Even Xin Jue began to feel a bit alarmed.
They looked over and saw a young monk dressed in white robes, seemingly a figure stepping out from a painting. His entire body appeared cast from white jade, with a golden lotus mark on his forehead. His bare feet were spotless. At this moment, he joined his palms together, his face radiating compassion: “Amitabha, this humble monk’s dharma name is Jinlian. Although not invited by the White Elephant King, I dare to take on this task, hoping to resolve this grievance!”
“Grievance?”
Zhang Tianxiang’s face suddenly turned terrifying. “The dignity of my Great Zhou has been damaged, the chief envoy is in trouble, and the entire delegation’s hundreds of lives were lost. How do you intend to resolve this?”
Wuwu!
At this moment, the sound of military horns came from outside, clearly indicating that the White Elephant Kingdom’s guards had noticed something amiss and were beginning to assemble. The situation had become extremely critical.
Seeing this, the monk Jinlian merely smiled, his face revealing a mischievous expression: “Esteemed Sir, how about we make a bet?”
“What kind of bet?”
Ji Fu was about to attack when the monk’s Buddhist light shone upon him, causing his magical energy to stall slightly, giving him a warm and relaxed feeling, which made him inwardly alarmed.
“This humble monk will stand here without moving, allowing you to strike three swords at will! If you can injure this humble monk, naturally everything ends here! Even if I lose my life to you, I will have no complaints!”
“If you cannot injure me, I ask you to please show mercy and resolve this vendetta. If you agree, this humble monk will immediately escort you out of the country. Moreover, I will personally mediate with the White Elephant King!”
The monk Jinlian’s words were astonishingly bold.
At this moment, hearing the approaching footsteps, Zhang Tianxiang gritted his teeth: “Fine! Monk, since you are determined to die, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
“Naturally not! Not only will I not blame you, but I will be deeply grateful!”
Monk Jinlian was delighted: “Please, Esteemed Sir, strike the first blow!”
“Haa!”
Confidently, Zhang Tianxiang’s sword emitted a glow, and he thrust forward with a star-like slash straight down the center, the sword beam hissing with concentrated power, causing Ji Fu and Xin Jue to be deeply impressed.
Bang!
The sword beam struck Jinlian, but it seemed to encounter an extremely slippery resistance, deflecting off to the side.
“Thank you, Minister Zhang, for holding back. Two more strikes remain!”
Monk Jinlian smiled, while Zhang Tianxiang was suddenly left standing there in shock.
…
“Senior Brother Qingfeng, look at that monk. How shameless!”
Above the clouds, Qingfeng and Mingyue, two young attendants, hid within white clouds, pointing at the scene below. Mingyue clapped his hands. “That Jinlian monk must have already cultivated the Arhat True Body. To use it to bully an ordinary person without magical artifacts is truly despicable! Could it be that all the followers of the Brahman sect are this disgraceful?”
“Shh!”
Qingfeng, being more mature, cautioned, “The Brahman Deity and our Master are both great religious leaders. How can we insult their sect like this? We came here to endure this calamity. Remember, everyone caught in the calamity has every word and action connected to countless causes and effects. Perhaps just this one sentence of yours could plant a karmic seed, and in the future, you may have to confront the Brahman sect to attain liberation!”
Mingyue immediately covered his mouth and dared not speak further.
“Although we rely on the fortune of our Sect Leader, as long as we don’t provoke other tribulation points, by being cautious and careful, we have a good chance of surviving this tribulation. But we must not squander our hard cultivation!”
“Got it, got it…”
Mingyue, the boy attendant, shrank his neck. “I don’t want to be reduced to ashes either!”
At this moment, the scene below suddenly changed.
Zhang Tianxiang roared and struck another powerful blow. At the same time, Ji Fu and Xin Jue exchanged a glance, their bodies emitting black mist and red light, which attached to the sword, unleashing an astonishing strike!
“Buddhist Law Infinite, Golden Lotus Realm!”
Monk Jinlian joined his palms, his entire being suddenly seeming to be within a golden lotus illusion, neither outside nor inside the realm, mysterious and profound.
Puff!
The sword sliced through the air and was reluctantly withdrawn.
Ji Fu and Xin Jue looked equally horrified: “An Arhat from the Brahman sect?”
“Hehe… Now you know the monk’s power?”
From above the clouds, Mingyue chuckled. “Once someone opens their Dharma Realm, even if Zhang Tianxiang strikes a thousand or ten thousand times, it will be in vain!”
“This monk is supported by the Brahman sect and the fortune of the Western Regions, enough to counteract part of Zhang Tianxiang’s Dragon Qi pressure. If this continues, in the three-strike agreement, Zhang Tianxiang will surely suffer a crushing defeat!”
“Speaking of which, although the Dragon Qi is fierce, there are ways to circumvent it. Like the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains, he did it quite well. Zhang Tianxiang possesses the Dragon Qi; killing or imprisoning him is not advisable. Even if successful, the Dragon Qi will transfer, still endangering the nation… But now, it will only bring disaster to the thirty-six Western states. Once the revenge is fulfilled after prolonged warfare, this person’s Dragon Qi will be largely exhausted, making him no longer a threat… Even if he returns to the Central Plains, he will only be an ordinary official… Tsk tsk…”
Qingfeng seemed quite familiar with this concept, nodding approvingly.
“So what should we do now?”
Mingyue speculated. “Just watch the destined hero get trapped?”
“Of course not!”
Qingfeng was confident. “This great calamity originates in the West, as decreed by the six great religious leaders of the Central Plains. This is the will of Heaven! With such divine decree, how dare this monk come out and obstruct? We would be following Heaven’s will if we were to kill him! Haven’t you seen that even with the World-Honored One present and countless Arhats and Buddhas, none dared to move, allowing us to hover over the capital of the White Elephant Kingdom? That is ironclad proof! There’s no harm in aiding the destined hero a bit, thus creating a good karmic connection!”
“If that’s the case, what are we waiting for?”
Mingyue was the most impulsive. He took out a inkstone talisman and threw it down.
At this moment, on the ground, Zhang Tianxiang was also pushed to the brink. Suddenly biting his tongue, he spat out his essence blood, which enveloped the three-foot green blade: “Third strike!”
Chi!
The sword beam was like a dragon, accompanied by thunderous sound, vibrating with a sharp buzz.
Monk Jinlian smiled, watching the scene unfold. Just as he was about to use his magic, a inkstone suddenly fell from the sky, hitting him squarely on the forehead.
Bang!
This blow was indeed heavy, especially since the inkstone seemed to possess supernatural power. A splash of ink gushed out, instantly defiling Jinlian’s Arhat Golden Body, rendering him unable to use any magical techniques.
At this moment, Zhang Tianxiang’s third sword strike arrived, piercing straight into Jinlian’s chest. A surge of sword qi stirred, completely severing the monk’s vital organs and life force.
Roar!
Moreover, a dragon’s roar came from behind Zhang Tianxiang, sweeping with Dragon Qi, aiming to obliterate Jinlian’s form and soul entirely.
Weng!
At the critical moment, the lotus mark on Jinlian’s forehead flashed, transforming into a golden lotus that wrapped around Jinlian’s true spirit, quickly vanishing into the horizon.
Zhang Tianxiang pulled out his blood-stained sword, his expression stunned.
He had merely been a cornered beast fighting desperately, without the slightest confidence. Who could have imagined that this random strike would actually kill the monk?
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
Delighted, Xin Jue and Ji Fu saw the White Elephant guards rushing over. They immediately took Zhang Tianxiang and quickly fled the scene.
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