Aside from specific items and methods, very few people in the world could manipulate Dragon Qi; even the Jianzheng had no power over it, let alone the tower spirit.
Thus, with an Earth Book fragment, the incantation passed down by the Jianzheng, and bearing half a nation’s fortune, Xu Qi’an was the only person in the world capable of manipulating Dragon Qi.
Under these circumstances, all Xu Qi’an needed to do was be present when the Buddhists attempted to seize the Dragon Qi.
No one would have imagined that among the warriors of Leizhou, there lay someone able to control Dragon Qi; not even Jingxin had expected it. So, when he learned that the tower spirit could guide Dragon Qi, he was fully confident of success.
Once the Dragon Qi entered the Earth Book fragment, it immediately devoured the little dragon inside the mirror, then coiled around in the Earth Book’s space, transforming into a solid sculpture, ceasing all movement.
In that instant, all gazes that had been following the Dragon Qi focused on Xu Qi’an.
The people of Leizhou looked on with envy and jealousy, while the Buddhist monks’ eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
“You…”
Head Monk Hengyin’s face twisted with rage as he pointed at Xu Qi’an and roared, “Demonic heretic, demonic heretic! Today, you must die!”
This man had first injured the warrior monks of the temple, then cleverly incited the Leizhou warriors, and subsequently summoned Sun Xuanji, the arcanist from the Sitianjian…
He had ambushed them in the dreamscape, and after leaving the dream, bombarded them again.
With everything stacking on each other, Head Monk Hengyin’s mental state was on the verge of collapse.
Zen Master Jingxin’s face was contorted in pain, as if his heart was being cut by sabres. What should have been his chance, his good fortune, had been wrenched away by force.
Warrior Monk Jingyuan shouted, “Hand over the Buddhist treasure and we’ll spare your life!”
Xu Qi’an sneered, “A treasure chooses the virtuous; it selected me. Does Buddhism now seek to rob by force? Brothers, let’s fight our way out and split the spoils equally.”
Li Shaoyun’s eyes lit up. “Do you mean it?”
The envious Leizhou warriors also looked over.
“If I’m lying, you can kill me on the spot,” Xu Qi’an laughed.
Liu Yun’s eyes flickered, and she shouted, “He’s right! First, let’s kill this bunch of bald donkeys and get out of the stupa tower. Then we’ll split the treasure. If we can’t leave the tower, it’s all meaningless.”
She now stood unconditionally on Xu Qian’s side, to repay him for saving her life.
The Leizhou warriors thought it made sense and immediately guarded the cannon. Holding weapons in one hand and lifting muskets or military crossbows in the other, they confronted the Buddhist monks.
Hengyin bellowed in fury, “Who’s seeking to rob by force? You! That Dragon Qi is a treasure of the Buddhist sect, how could a coarse martial artist like you lay a finger on it? If you don’t hand over the Dragon Qi today, don’t even dream of leaving the stupa tower. Brothers, join me in subduing evil!”
He sat cross-legged on the spot, palms pressed together, and began chanting scripture.
The other Buddhist Zen masters followed suit, sitting cross-legged, pressing their palms together, and chanting.
A “boom” went through the minds of the Leizhou warriors: those mosquito-like voices swirled in their ears, echoed in their minds, cleansing the violence from their hearts and stirring an urge to convert to Buddhism.
Among Buddhists, the zen masters were not renowned for combat; their main methods of attack derived from the “Precepts” of fifth-rank Silacarya. ninth rank acolytes gained no combat benefits; eighth rank warrior monks did not belong to the zen master path.
Seventh rank Dharmacarya were skilled in Buddhist dharma, able to perform rites for the dead and brainwash the living.
Sixth rank Dhyanacarya focused on Zen, able to resist external spirits when meditating.
Fourth rank Sadhu, like ninth rank acolytes, were a preliminary rank and did not have combat bonuses.
In other words, before reaching second-rank Arhat, the combat power of Buddhist zen masters was extremely limited.
This hinted at why Buddhism had two systems: warrior monks were like bodyguards to the zen masters, protecting them before they attained senior rank.
As such, third-rank Vajra were also known as protectors of the dharma.
Head Monk Hengyin led the zen masters in chanting scripture, deploying the skill of the seventh-rank Dharmacarya — brainwashing the living.
Buddhist chants filled the third storey of the tower, seeking to convert the Leizhou warriors. Apart from Li Shaoyun and some of the fourth and fifth rank warriors, every other hero wore a hideous, resistant expression.
Though they had not yet converted, they had lost their fighting strength, struggling only to resist the increasingly powerful urge to become monks.
Fortunately, the disciples of the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace were affected as well, losing their combat effectiveness.
Clang… Xu Qi’an calmly took out a cannon, aimed it at the Buddhist monks, pinched the fuse, and lit it.
With a muffled “boom”, the cannon jerked back, firing a cannonball at Head Monk Hengyin.
Warrior monk Jingyuan threw himself before the zen masters, punching forcefully at the cannonball. The blast of air and fire swept across a third of the space.
In such cramped quarters, the cannon wrought tremendous destruction.
People were knocked off their feet by the blast; flames singeing their brows and hair. The cross-legged zen masters wobbled but quickly steadied themselves and resumed chanting.
Dongfang Wanqing snatched a monk knife1 from a warrior monk, lunged forward, spun sharply, and slashed out a blade light that twisted the air.
The blade light shattered the bodies of two men, flashed across the cannon barrel, and exploded on the hard ground.
The cannon barrel split in half with a clean cut.
Yuan Yi snorted coldly, and shot forward like a rabbit, closing in on Dongfang Wanrong in just two steps. In the process, he held his hand on his sabre at his waist.
Dongfang Wanrong was a Warlock. If he could get close, he could finish her off within ten moves.
Zen Master Jingxin, meanwhile, pressed his hands together, locking his gaze on Yuan Yi. “Put down…”
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Xu Qi’an pulled the trigger, attempting to blow off Zen Master Jingxin’s head and disrupt his precept.
Dongfang Wanqing spun and threw the sabre back. With a clang, the spinning sabre struck Yuan Yi’s own, knocking the blade aside.
Seizing this opportunity, Dongfang Wanrong summoned a phantom, which descended on her, granting her the physique and defence of a martial artist.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yuan Yi’s sabre attacks, filled with intent, rained down on Dongfang Wanrong, forcing her back with every strike. She could only endure, unable to parry.
Despite having a martial artist’s physique and defence, close combat was still not a warlock’s domain.
On the other side, Li Shaoyun wielded his long spear, tangling with Dongfang Wanqing. His spear intent was like a dragon, every thrust accompanied by a piercing sonic boom.
“Tsht!”
Dongfang Wanrong tore off a piece of Yuan Yi’s clothing and cast a curse of death.
In the next instant, the vigorous Yuan Yi stiffened, his face paling as if suffering unimaginable harm from within.
It was a shame Dongfang Wanrong couldn’t pull out a lock of his hair; with it, the curse of death would have been even deadlier.
Before she could retaliate, a figure flashed beside her, twin sabres criss-crossing at her throat, sending sparks flying with a shrill sound throughout the space.
The phantom above Dongfang Wanrong’s head shook violently, nearly dissipating; a deep blade mark appeared on her fair neck, blood flowing copiously.
“Stinking monk, aren’t you going to help?” Dongfang Wanrong shouted angrily.
It was impossible for her to withstand two fourth-rank martial artists specialising in close combat alone.
Jingyuan had no choice but to join the fight, keeping the Shuangdao Sect master in check while watching out for the monks.
…
Inside the temple, Li Lingsu stood on the artillery platform, peering nervously at the bead in the hands of Vajra Du’nan, feeling worried for his two sweethearts.
As for Xu Qian, Li Lingsu felt that whatever Xu Qian tried to steal had nothing to do with him, and whether he succeeded or failed was irrelevant, as long as this senior managed to leave the pagoda safely.
“Se— Senior Sun…”
Li Lingsu asked, “That strand of Dragon Qi just now, what was its origin?”
Sun Xuanji replied, “It’s.”
After quite a while, Li Lingsu did not receive any further response.
Just as he was focusing on watching the fight, having already forgotten his own question, he heard Sun Xuanji slowly say, “Dragon…”
What are you talking about… Li Lingsu’s mind was full of questions.
“Amazing, amazing!”
The little white fox curled up in Mu Nanzhi’s arms, watching with great interest.
“You see the little bead from so far away?”
Mu Nanzhi rubbed its head.
“Don’t rub my head, it feels weird,” the little white fox said coquettishly. “I can see it, I can see it very clearly.”
Mu Nanzhi felt a bit envious, as the distance was too great and she could not see anything at all.
She rubbed the little fox’s head again. Its fur was smooth and her hand was warm; if it were made into a fox fur coat, it would be just right for this increasingly cold season.
Wait, what am I thinking? It’s still a child… Mu Nanzhi restrained her instinctive longing for a mink or fox-fur coat.
“By the way, little fox spirit, why did you come here?” Mu Nanzhi asked curiously.
This little fox had appeared by her side for no reason, and without any warning.
“Mistress sent me!”
The little white fox answered every question, honest and obedient.
“Mistress?” Mu Nanzhi looked at it.
“I can’t say. If I say, I’ll be locked a the little dark room,” the little white fox replied earnestly.
…
Xu Qi’an silently appeared in the shadow of Head Monk Hengyin, blowing out a mouthful of azure smoke with force. Mixed in with the poisonous gas was the aphrodisiac vapour from the Desire Gu, and the mind-affecting power of the Heart Gu.
But without exception, all of this failed. When a zen master meditates, he could resist intrusion from outside demons.
Xu Qi’an was not surprised by this, as he knew the mystical powers of Zen; Monk Shenshu had long demonstrated this. The reason he bothered with these seemingly futile attempts was actually to deal with the surrounding warrior monks.
While the monks were being disturbed and controlled by Desire Gu, Poison Gu and Heart Gu, Xu Qi’an slapped a palm onto Head Monk Hengyin’s baihui acupoint.
“Thou shalt not kill!”
Zen Master Jingxin pressed his palms together and spoke in a deep voice.
A look of struggle flashed in Xu Qi’an’s eyes, and in the end, he did not bring his hand down.
In that split second, warrior monk Jingyuan, face ashen, charged back to the rescue.
Seeing this, Xu Qi’an hesitated no longer and used the shadows to leap away.
Jingyuan had just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly a scream sounded beside him. He turned his head and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
A warrior monk had thrust his monk knife into Hengyin’s chest, blood instantly staining his kasaya. The sudden change was too fast, Jingxin’s and Jingyuan’s attention had been focused on Xu Qi’an, and they had never expected a traitor would appear among the monks.
That monk pulled out the sabre with a vicious grin, saying, “If you dare oppose him, none of you will meet a good end.”
With a grim face, Jingyuan sent out a palm strike, knocking unconscious the monk who had been affected by the Desire Gu.
“This is the Desire Gu, the Desire Gu of the shaman clans from the Southern Marches. Those afflicted will fall hopelessly in love with the host who controls the mother gu,” Jingxin sighed.
The Buddhist monks were shocked and furious, and looked at Xu Qi’an as if he were the devil.
Xu Qi’an barked in a low voice, “Get up!”
As he spoke, Head Monk Hengyin, who should have been thoroughly dead, suddenly sat up, pressed his palms together, and looked at Dongfang Wanrong with empty eyes, saying:
“Lay down your butcher’s blade!”
Dongfang Wanrong’s body abruptly stiffened and confusion flashed in her eyes.
The Corpse Gu!
Just now, when emerging from Hengyin’s shadow, Xu Qi’an had used the distraction caused by the poisonous, desire and heart gu to do two things: firstly, he had planted a child gu of the Desire Gu into the nearest monk. Secondly, he had scattered child gu of the Corpse Gu onto Hengyin’s kasaya. Once Hengyin died, the Corpse Gu took over his body and turned him into a puppet.
Due to the Corpse Gu’s limited power, it could only retain part of Hengyin’s cultivation, around fifth rank.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
For seasoned warriors, Dongfang Wanrong’s opening was practically fatal.
Three sabres struck her in a furious onslaught, causing the shadow behind her to tremble violently, just about to collapse.
Once the heroic spirit shadow was gone, as a Warlock, Dongfang Wanrong would be beheaded in an instant by the two fourth-rank martial artists. There was no second possibility.
Despair showed in Zen Master Jingxin’s eyes. He looked at the ever-smiling, palms-pressed, uninvolved spirit of the pagoda, and said in a low voice:
“Senior, I have but two requests, please release Nalan Tianlu and please send us out of the stupa tower.”
Since there was no way to win inside the tower, it was best to have everyone teleported outside.
The old monk looked kindly at Xu Qi’an and the others. “Are you all willing?”
“Not willing!” Xu Qi’an answered at once. After speaking, he muttered to himself internally, This pagoda spirit really has a strange temperament.
The old monk shook his head, “This poor monk does not force others.”
Jingxin’s expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said, “Then it does not include them.”
The old monk nodded with a smile. “Very well.”
He waved his hand, and strands of golden light brushed over, clinging to the disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace and the monks of Sanhua Temple.
The next moment, they vanished from the pagoda, reappearing on the plaza outside.
They had succeeded in escaping.
…
Huff! Having looked around for a moment and confirmed that he was outside the pagoda, Jingxin sighed in relief.
The monks of Sanhua Temple showed expressions of delight, feeling a sense of having narrowly escaped death.
“Rong’er…”
Dongfang Wanrong heard a gentle voice beside her, and sharply turned her head to see a half-illusory old man standing by her side, dressed in a Warlock’s robe, with white hair and beard, a weathered face, and a gentle smile fixed on her.
Her vision blurred at once, tears filling her eyes. She choked out, “Teacher…”
“City Lord Nalan!”
Irbu, also dressed in a Warlock’s robe, appeared, flicking out a black bead with his finger, and said:
“Stay inside the Soul Nourishing Bead for now. Once we return to Mount Jing City, the Great Warlock will rebuild your body for you.”
For Warlocks and Daoists who mainly cultivated the primordial spirit, as long as the primordial spirit remained intact, the physical body could be replaced. Although it might hinder further advancement due to the mismatch between body and soul, requiring decades or even centuries of adjustment.
But Nalan Tianlu himself was already a second-rank Master of Rain, practically at the ceiling of cultivation. Advancing to first rank required great fortune, and centuries of effort might not be enough.
“Senior Uncle Du’nan, your disciple has failed in his duty and could only resort to this last measure.”
Jingxin approached Vajra Du’nan, pressed his palms together, and bowed his head in remorse.
Dunan said nothing, only staring at the entrance to the stupa tower.
Irbu chuckled. “They are trapped now. Sun Xuanji, did you ever foresee this situation?”
On the artillery platform in the air, Mu Nanzhi frowned delicately. “Oh no, they can’t get out.”
Monk’s knives are long knives / sabres used for cutting vegetables, working with cloth, etc, one is not permitted to kill with them. As such, they often had a horizontal, blunt tip so as to not have a stabbing point. ↩
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