Chapter 92. Save Zhou Keyi first, or rush to rescue Yun Weisi?

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Yun Weisi took action.

He used a special technique to split the Chunzhao Sword into three swords that flew towards Zhou Keyi!

The swords’ glow was bright like a rainbow and forceful like a lightning bolt. No one could stop it.

He was not going to kill Zhou Keyi—instead, his intention was to cut off the iron chains.

But the swords’ glow stopped three chi away from Zhou Keyi!

In a short while, the swords’ glow was absorbed by an invisible barrier. Only the Chunzhao Sword itself was fortunately retrieved, because Yun Weisi had noticed the danger in advance.

At the same time, Yun Weisi and Changming were put under pressure from every direction. A blinding golden light ignited.

Changming looked around. The pressure coming from all eight directions had slowly gained shape, each taking Chunchi’s appearance.

But all these eight “Chunchi” were half-transparent, as if they were not actually present here or could dissipate at any second.

Changming shivered and quickly set up a barrier.

“Daoists have had the technique of the Three Pure Ones since time immemorial. Many people struggle for their whole lives, but it’s extremely difficult to refine at least one incarnation. Who would have thought that Leader Chunchi would have reached such a boundlessly profound realm in the art of incarnations? It’s truly fascinating!”

His expression was amused, but his heart sank a little.

It would be even more difficult to win today. Before, they had thought that they would definitely be able to put the Wanlian Buddhist Temple in a difficult position, since the Ghost King had joined them. But now, it seemed that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been concealing a lot more than what they had anticipated.

Chunchi’s cultivation was definitely not lower than that of a grandmaster.

Thousands of ghosts were causing trouble outside, haunting the You Capital, and every place inside here was plagued with traps and numerous incarnations. Since the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had used Zhou Keyi as bait to lure them here, they must have been all-prepared.

While he was thinking, the eight incarnations moved at lightning speed, casting golden light. A single word of a Buddhist chant escaped their mouths at the same time.

“Om!”

Om: the first syllable of a famous six-character mantra 

The first syllable of the mantra sounded, and a high stupa descended to the earth, surrounded by golden light. It was adorned with silver and gold threads, beautiful purples and brilliant reds, blazing and colorful. It put pressure on Changming from above, restricting his movements so that he could not take a single step.

The stupa was covered with the “om” character from a six-syllable sutra all over. They were rotating around it slowly, shining brightly with the stupa and illuminating each other. Their compelling force was incredibly high, and Changming seemed to feel thousands of chains on his body. This made him breathless, almost suffocating him.

He opened his mouth slightly, but could not make a sound. Even if he recited a sword technique in his heart, it was blocked by an incorporeal power that was sealing off his consciousness.

The stupa kept descending lower, and the golden light seemed to be taking a substantial form, binding his body. Blood started to ooze from under his clothes.

Nevertheless, Changming’s expression was calm, as if the suffering that he had been put under did not bother him at all.

The golden light was getting even denser, cutting through the flesh under his clothes. The expressions of Chunchi’s incarnations flickered, and they moved their fingers. A red lotus fell from the top of the stupa, bursting into golden light!

A body that had been trapped with this technique was bound to fall apart, alongside the soul that resided inside, completely ground to dust! 

No. Chunchi’s incarnation did not sense Jiufang Changming’s death. Could it be that he had also created an incarnation?

Just as he had thought of it, a person appeared behind his back.

It was Changming!

A sword was glittering, and its brilliant rays outshined the sky.

The sword qi dashed up to the sky, leaching away every evil in the six directions.

The stupa dimmed for a moment. While the Sifei Sword was present, nothing could ever compare to it.

“Not an incarnation.”

As if he had seen through the doubt in Chinchi’s incarnation, Changming dispelled it of his own accord.

“I was not as fortunate as Leader Chunchi to have the chance to cultivate countless incarnations, but I’ve reached the pinnacle of the Art of Transferring Spirit, so I can use it effortlessly. Should we see whether your incarnations or my puppets are stronger today?”

“Great.”

As his voice sounded, four of Chunchi’s incarnations merged into one in the air. He closed his eyes, folding his fingers into complex seals. His hands moved like flowers that bloomed and withered away. A lotus blossomed nearby, glowing with pure sacred light, seemingly sacrosanct.

For Changming, this resplendent and beautiful golden lotus was infinitely oppressive. The flower was growing bigger. Like that stupa that kept getting larger, it was circling above Changming’s head, dropping golden rays on him. Looking from afar, a person would have thought that Changming was bathing in the golden light.

The one who was chanting was serene and gentle, and the one listening seemed to have no demands and desires. It looked like the perfect image of a monk preaching Buddhism and a devoted worshiper listening faithfully. However, if one was there with them, that person would have realized that their battle was like stones and fierce whirlpools hidden under the surface of calm water. Both of them were trying to pull the other to eternal damnation.

The pressure of the lotus had created a boundless illusion realm, trapping Changming’s consciousness inside. It was even more violent than the stupa. While the latter had only been an appetizer, the main course was only being served now.

Changming felt as if he was in a realm of deities and Buddhas, surrounded by blooming lotuses. Everything was overflowing with brilliant lights and vibrant colors, full of wavering banners and lines of sutras silently flowing through the void. Anything he saw could have been an illusion, as appearances were deceptive. The one standing in the center was the founder of Buddhist sects himself, Fozun Xu Tiancang, who looked like Chunchi. His eyes were closed tightly, the thumb and middle fingers of his right hand touching each other above the palm of his left hand, and the fingers of his left hand were wrapped around the other hand.

It was an exceedingly convoluted secret technique of Buddhist sects. Reportedly, a person with an advanced cultivation level who had comprehended this skill could obtain an invincible body that was impervious to swords or spears and was resistant to fire and water. Nothing evil or heretical could touch it. His heart would be as glass, and he was transparent, as if he had broken through to the realm of Great Completion. Anyone who saw him could only bow their head, asking for advice, submitting both mentally and physically. Only then would they have a chance to be granted Buddhist clemency: to turn around and see the shore.

Great Completion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen 

Around and see the shore: repent and be saved

While this technique was being used, the second character of the six-syllable mantra sounded.

“Ma!”

This short sound would make anyone’s skin crawl. It shook the world like a lion’s roar, forcing any creature to tremble in trepidation.

The lotus quivered, and its petals fell onto Changming’s head like a crumbling mountain. No one could resist them.

A barrier of spiritual powers had enveloped Changming, but it was becoming covered in cracks at a visible speed, yet the petal kept pressuring him, ready to crush his body underneath.

The petals that had seemed weightless like feathers were actually heavier than stone, and could smash him to death.

At this moment, Changming only raised his hand.

This movement looked like he was lightly flicking leaves off his head.

A small weight can move burdens, if it’s skilled enough.

The petals fell down, floating towards Chunchi.

The spring scenery immediately changed into a world of ice and snow.

A fierce gale, bringing snowflakes, was blowing towards the two of them.

One attack had been received and one attack had been sent out. The tables had been turned. Now, it could be said that they had officially exchanged greeting blows twice.

It was twice, because Chunchi attacked first, and Changming had interrupted it with the puppet and the Art of Conferring Spirit. The second time round, Changming had reversed the illusion world, dragging Chunchi into the trial.

Chunchi was not surprised.

If Chunchi’s opponent could be easily defeated, he would have had no right to call himself Jiufang Changming.

Once, this name, Jiufang Changming, meant the strongest existence in the world.

Jiufang Changming possessed vast knowledge, and had comprehended the many techniques of various clans. Once, he had entered a Buddhist sect to study their skills. Although Buddhists looked down on people like this, Chunchi had never held Jiufang Changming in contempt, unlike Jiang Li, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.

In his opinion, Jiufang Changming was a worthy opponent. Decades ago, he had managed to make the almost completed Liuhe Zhutian Formation fail with his own hands. Even though he was unaware of the truth, he still was able to return from the dead, and save his life from the Yellow Springs. Although the cultivation level of the Jiufang Changming in front of his eyes was lacking compared to his past self, he had managed to grasp at a slim chance of survival, did not give up, and came back. Given time, he could probably break through his barriers and advance to the next realm.

Chunchi even felt that he would be able to see through many mysteries of the universe after today’s battle.

The cold was freezing to the bone, and Chunchi’s gown was wildly fluttering in the wind. He was standing as firmly as a mountain, and pondered with his eyes closed. Very soon, a golden light appeared around his body.

The golden light was spreading around like ripples on the water, followed by the sound of wooden fish. Every time there was the knocking sound, the blaze weakened. By the ninth time, the heavy snowfall had stopped, and only the wind was still howling, but it was gradually calming down as well. Golden light slowly started to shine through the clouds, lightening the air. The rays of the sun appeared, and the blaze was coming to an end. Changming smiled, waving his sleeve.

“Sword, come!”

“Ni!”

Almost at the same time, two rays of scripture appeared!

The Sifei Sword was glowing brazenly, and the dark clouds above their heads had dispersed.

But there was no shining sun behind the clouds. Instead, there were the countless rays of Buddhist light, obstructed by the Sifei Sword. Two formidable spiritual powers had encountered each other, and neither one was willing to yield half a cun.

Buddhist light: Buddha’s halo

The more the Buddhist light flourished, the brighter the Sifei Sword shined.

The clouds were lowering over the world, and a fresh wind came from afar, gathering above them. As the clouds met the wind, covering the place, the black and white qi of the world merged together like a mix of good and evil, fusing and separating again.

If he wanted to break Jiufang Changming’s barrier, he only had this moment!

“Pad!”

“Me!”

“Hum!”

Chunchi uttered the three remaining syllables at once, one louder than the other in one vigorous effort, intending to crush his opponent using this opportunity.

…

As the Buddhist chanting was getting louder, Zhou Keyi, who had been tied with iron chains, was putting all his effort into enduring the torture, yet he still revealed a suffering expression.

His body was covered in bloody injuries. As if he had been cut with a knife, there was one wound after another. It was a slow death through a thousand cuts.

These injuries not only affected his flesh, but also penetrated deep into the sea of his consciousness. Zhou Keyi’s spiritual power had been exhausted by the prolonged tortures to the point he almost had no trace of it left. Every slash of this incorporeal sword was directly aimed at his sea of consciousness, causing him unbearable pain. He only wished he could die right now, putting a stop to the endless sufferings.

But something was still supporting him in the depths of his heart, so he was still alive.

An imposing master, the master of the Jianxue, as well as a disciple of that person—he could not die under such humiliating circumstances.

Otherwise, when the next generations would happen to mention him, talking about Jiufang Changming, they would only sigh casually—

Ah, Zhou Keyi, that master of the Jianxue Clan? Didn’t he die, after being captured by a Buddhist sect? Truly, no matter how hard a Demonic cultivator practices, they will never be able to gain the upper hand in a fight against Buddhists.

He would not resign to such a fate!

Who said that Demonic cultivators were inferior to others? At least to prove to that person, to make him believe that I haven’t taken the wrong path…

He had not taken the wrong path!

Blood was dripping down from the corners of his mouth.

The wounds were splitting his skin, winding along his body and revealing flesh on his neck, arms and lower. It was a ghastly sight, truly horrible.

Zhou Keyi opened his eyes slightly, as if he had seen someone coming closer and stretching hand out to him.

Sleep. Just fall asleep, and you’ll forget everything, solving your predicament.

You won’t be tortured again, and you won’t feel confused or angered.

In this dream, you’ll still be the master of the largest Demonic clan, looking down on every creature and doing whatever you please.

Zhou Keyi was breathing heavily, struggling against the enticement.

He blinked with difficulty. His sweat and blood had obstructed his vision, but he seemed to see Chunchi fighting with Changming fiercely. The latter had even managed to split his attention, looking at him.

Zhou Keyi managed to raise the corners of his mouth, thinking that he was hallucinating.

Everyone told that person not to come, why would he still be here, seeking his death?

After all, Zhou Keyi was his most detested disciple.

…

The Sifei Sword was stronger.

Changming only needed a short moment to finish the fight with Chunchi.

However, he had to face a tougher choice.

Yun Weisi, on his part, had encountered the Sixteen Vajras of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. They had used a formation of diamond lotuses to trap him. On top of that, there were also the other four incarnations of Chunchi. They had been fighting each other up to the moment the victor was determined in Changming’s battle. Chunchi was forced to retrieve his incarnations, throwing all his forces to attack Yun Weisi. The Sixteen Vajras were also determined to kill him, and the favorable conditions allowed them to put layers of restrictions on their enemy. No matter how formidable Yun Weisi was, his strength was coming to an end as well.

In this split second, Changming had to make a choice.

Save Zhou Keyi first, or rush to rescue Yun Weisi?