The first collaboration between the Buddhists and the young experts of Qianlong City ended in crushing defeat, dealing a heavy blow to their confidence and morale.
Ji Xuan frowned deeply.
Instead, as a bystander with rich experience in the martial world, Old Daoist Jiaoye immediately assessed the situation and transmitted a message:
“Don’t panic.
“Young master, Xu Qi’an is a third rank after all, and his physical body is much stronger than yours.
“But just because his body is strong, doesn’t mean his combat strength matches it. The reason he was able to sever the White Tiger’s right claw with such ease was because of that supreme divine weapon.
“We just need to find a way to deal with that sabre, then Xu Qi’an is merely a fourth rank martial artist with third rank defence.
“With our combined strength, it’s enough to tie him down.”
Now, Old Daoist Jiaoye dared not boast about defeating Xu Qi’an anymore, he believed Ji Xuan and the others’ mindset had changed as well.
Deal with that sabre… Ji Xuan’s brows furrowed even tighter, ideas flashing through his mind as he quickly sorted through their own strengths, skills, and combat power.
His eyes suddenly shone, and he whispered:
“Qihuan Danxiang, I remember your Heart Gu can control some creatures with little intelligence, does that include weapons with a rudimentary spirit?”
Everyone present was clever, and all immediately turned to look at Qihuan Danxiang.
“In theory, as long as something possesses intelligence, I can manipulate or influence it. But I have never attempted to affect a supreme divine weapon,” Qihuan Danxiang replied slowly.
“That’s enough!”
The warrior monk Jingyuan said quietly:
“We don’t necessarily need to defeat him, just buy time. As long as we last until Arhat Duqing or the two Vajra defeat their opponents, we win.
“If they’re slow in determining a victor, we can wear Xu Qi’an down slowly.”
After secretly discussing via sound transmission, everyone regained their confidence, at least now they saw hope for victory.
Where there’s hope, there’s fighting spirit.
Xu Qi’an watched their discussion in silence, unhurried and calm.
His gaze swept over Ji Xuan and the others, then turned to his younger brother and sister in the distance.
Still obedient enough, not coming to meddle again… he commented inwardly.
If he kidnapped Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai for leverage against Xu Pingfeng, might he get an unexpected surprise?
No, Xu Pingfeng had stopped being human in his pursuit of first rank. Since he could treat one son as a tool and a pawn, naturally he could treat another son and a daughter likewise.
The only difference between me and Xu Yuanhuai is that I was born earlier, not that Xu Pingfeng favours them more.
If his second son and eldest daughter obstructed his promotion, he’d abandon them all the same.
After so many dual cultivation sessions with the National Teacher, my qi had flourished wildly, perfect for testing my skills with them.
Xu Qi’an withdrew his gaze and saw Jingxin leading the other Zen monks in meditation, sitting cross-legged and forming an array.
They’re planning to use Zen skills against my Lion’s Roar…
As expected, once the formation was in place, Jingxin gazed deeply at him and intoned:
“Put down your butcher’s blade!”
The power of the precept was magnified by the formation, for an instant, Xu Qi’an felt not only serene in mind, unable to raise any thought of fighting, but even wanted to discard the Taiping Sabre.
Similarly, from the consciousness shared by the Taiping Sabre, he sensed its own sentiment: Ah, master, I don’t want to fight anymore either!
Thud, thud, thud…
Jingyuan was the first to spring into action. This time, he didn’t clash with Xu Qi’an head-to-head, but deftly snatched the Taiping Sabre from his hands.
He succeeded with ease.
Neither Xu Qi’an nor the Taiping Sabre offered much resistance.
Having obtained the sabre, Jingyuan did not hesitate, turning to hurl the Taiping Sabre away.
Qihuan Danxiang stepped forward, reaching out to catch the sabre by the hilt. As soon as he grasped the peerless weapon, he immediately employed his Heart Gu art, attempting to control it, to make it their own weapon.
But the attempt failed, the sabre trembled violently, and several times nearly broke free from his grasp.
Qihuan Danxiang changed tactics, trying a gentler, more persuasive “communication” to influence the divine weapon, instilling it with the idea of “cease fighting”.
After a few moments’ resistance, the Taiping Sabre decided this suggestion wasn’t so bad and simply stopped struggling, as if it wasn’t very bright.
Success!
Ji Xuan and the others cheered inwardly.
Without the Taiping Sabre, Xu Qi’an was nothing but a thick-skinned turtle, his threat level rapidly plummeting.
At this moment, Xu Qi’an broke out of the state of precept, ignoring the warrior monk Jingyuan right beside him. His body became covered in shadow and he merged into Jingyuan’s own shadow.
Using Jingyuan’s shadow as a springboard, he appeared in Liu Hongmian’s shadow.
Bang!
Liu Hongmian’s skirt fluttered as her embroidered shoes gouged a deep pit in the ground.
But before she could attack, Xu Qi’an shadow-jumped again, now appearing at Ji Xuan’s feet.
He continued to leap from shadow to shadow among the group, then emerged from Qihuan Danxiang’s shadow.
His target was obvious, to reclaim the Taiping Sabre.
Jingxin’s brow furrowed and he called out:
“One shall not kill!”
Just as Xu Qi’an was about to strike, he suddenly froze.
Seizing this chance, Jingyuan turned to help, his body bathed in golden radiance, making him look like a bolt of golden lightning.
Clang!
Jingyuan smashed a fist into Xu Qi’an’s face.
The effect of the precept only lasts a few seconds, each use requires at least five seconds to recharge… Xu Qi’an grinned savagely, returning the favour as he smashed his own head into Jingyuan’s forehead.
Bang!
A spray of golden lacquer shot from Jingyuan’s forehead, his protective glow dulled in an instant as he was flung away like a cannonball.
“Fall back!”
Ji Xuan shoved Qihuan Danxiang aside and stepped forward, his Moonshadow Sword exploding with blinding light, this time, he aimed for the centre of Xu Qi’an’s brow.
“Roar…”
A deep lion roar erupted from Xu Qi’an’s throat, darkness blurring Ji Xuan’s vision. Next, he heard a series of ‘clang clang clang’ sounds at his chest, dense as a blacksmith hammering iron.
The next second, agony flooded him as his entire chest caved inwards.
Liu Hongmian swiftly darted in, stringly catching Ji Xuan and pulling him back with her.
The beauty from Wanhua Tower was pale.
A fourth-rank Ji Xuan had been defeated so quickly, was what Xu Qi’an said earlier true, was that just a warm-up?
“Young master!”
Qihuan Danxiang bellowed, his expression savage, a mix of fury and shame. One hand gripping the sabre, he crushed a brocade pouch at his waist with the other.
“Bang!”
A cloud of green burst out, accompanied by an ominous buzzing, sometimes dispersing, sometimes gathering.
Liu Hongmian, White Tiger, and the rest turned pale, retreating swiftly.
This was a terrifying venomous insect. According to Qihuan Danxiang, it was called the Bone-Eroding Worm, born in the deepest abyss where the Gu god was sealed, feeding on the god’s seeping power.
They were poisonous throughout, able to spew toxins from their jaws that could dissolve the body of a fourth-rank martial artist from skin to flesh to bone, a swarm of sufficient size could kill a fourth rank in just three breaths.
This was Qihuan Danxiang’s trump card. He rarely used it, for once they tasted human blood, even he would struggle to control them.
The Heart Gu master, violent by nature, screamed:
“Xu, genius or not, I don’t care, today, even if I’m consumed by the Bone-Eroding Worms, I will make you pay!”
In the distance, Xu Yuanshuang dragged her brother and decisively retreated, she clearly knew how fearsome these insects were.
The green cloud danced across the sky, under Qihuan Danxiang’s control swiftly enveloping Xu Qi’an, engulfing his body and face completely.
Seeing this, Xu Yuanhuai suddenly realised his sister had stopped moving. Turning to her, he found her expression complex as she stared, lost in thought, at the distant green silhouette.
This time, the price he’ll pay will be steep enough… Xu Yuanhuai thought complicatedly.
He suddenly widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.
Xu Yuanshuang, Old Daoist Jiaoye, Liu Hongmian and others wore similar expressions. In the eyes of the crowd, those venomous insects, which should have been bloodthirsty and deadly, suddenly began to “dissolve” on a massive scale.
They turned into pure, green fluid. Rather than drip to the ground, this liquid seeped in through Xu Qi’an’s pores and merged into his body.
Thus, the golden light on Xu Qi’an’s skin became tinged with a green radiance.
After a few seconds, the green glow slowly faded away, vanishing completely.
“Burp~”
Xu Qi’an let out a satisfied burp and said with a smile,
“Thank you for the treat.”
This… Qihuan Danxiang’s pupils contracted suddenly, his face instantly went pale, and he howled hysterically,
“This is impossible, this is impossible!”
“This is Silver Gong Xu; he’s just too strong…”
Liu Hongmian’s fighting spirit was more than half extinguished.
“There’s still a chance. Control that sabre, I’ll keep him occupied.”
Warrior Monk Jingyuan roared, the veins on his forehead bulging, his handsome face turning somewhat savage.
This was different from what he had expected. In his view, with so many Rank Four experts working together, plus Jingxin providing support, suppressing Xu Qi’an should have been an absolute breeze.
However, Xu Qi’an’s strength far surpassed everyone’s imagination.
Jingyuan knew even more clearly that Xu Qi’an still had his strongest technique unused.
Compared to their confrontation in Xiangzhou, he seemed to have grown even stronger.
This was not an illusion, Xu Qi’an was indeed much stronger. The seals were still there, and he had only removed two of the nails.
But his overall standard had risen, thanks to his recent dual cultivation.
After dual cultivating with a female expert at the peak of the second rank, the depth and purity of his qi had become incomparable to before.
On top of that, his third rank physique, Taiping Sabre’s assistance, and the Sevenfold Gu’s techniques meant that beneath third rank, almost no one could match him.
“Thou shalt not kill!”
Jingxin calmly coordinated with Jingyuan, enforcing the precepts to restrain their target.
Clang, clang, clang…
Jingyuan pressed in with swift, close attacks, turning every part of his body into a weapon. With each crisp, cracking explosion, the blows grew heavier, his assault as swift and relentless as a storm.
Jingyuan gradually entered his stride, his attacks growing more fluid, but suddenly, his martial intuition warned him of impending danger.
There was no specific vision presented, the danger seemed to come from all directions.
Poison!
Having crossed paths with Xu Qi’an in Leizhou before, he immediately recognised the source of the threat.
At the same time, his skin felt a scorching pain. Toxins, like maggots on rotting bones, seeped in through his pores.
His toxins can already threaten me… Jingyuan’s heart sank, and he instinctively held his breath, causing his attacks to falter.
At that moment, Xu Qi’an finally seized the chance and spat a mouthful of ghastly green gas at him.
In an instant, Jingyuan’s vision went black, he could see nothing, while his eyes burned with excruciating pain.
Two streams of bloody tears flowed from his eye sockets; his eyeballs had been corroded, shrivelled, leaving him blind.
Jingxin’s face changed dramatically. Because he was some distance away, he could not sense the effects of the toxin himself, and never imagined that the previously ferocious, tiger-like Jingyuan would become blind in the blink of an eye.
Xu Qi’an twisted his waist and swung his arms, making a move to strike a fatal blow.
“Thou shalt not kill!”
Jingxin quickly chanted the Buddha’s name, invoking the precepts to save his junior.
He’s fallen for it… Xu Qi’an immediately vanished, using shadow jumping to emerge from Qihuan Danxiang’s shadow.
As a Heart Gu Master, being ambushed at close range by a martial artist meant certain death.
Qihuan Danxiang did his utmost to save himself. No longer splitting his focus to control the Taiping Sabre, he drove his Heart Gu, sending out a wave of power aimed at the soul.
Relying on his own strength alone, he could not affect the soul of a rank three martial artist. His view filled with a closing fist.
Just then, a gust of wind arose, the one-armed White Tiger interposed itself in front of him, taking the punch head-on.
Bang!
The physical body of a fourth rank Yao was also tough; White Tiger grunted, then rolled away together with Qihuan Danxiang.
At this time, because the previous Heart Gu control had been broken off, the Taiping Sabre “awoke,” broke free from Qihuan Danxiang’s hand by itself, and flew back to its master.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz……”
The Taiping Sabre transmitted waves of intent, its meaning was roughly: Things weren’t what you think; let me explain…
Don’t use a scoundre’s opening line on me… Xu Qi’an gripped the sabre, swiftly retreated and created distance, readying his sabre for a drawn attack from afar.
This distance was already beyond the range of the precepts.
What’s he trying to do?
Jingxin and the other monks could not fathom his move.
At such a distance, even with a sabre wave, how much power would remain?
It should have been impossible to break through the formation of monks strengthened by their Zen powers.
“Broken Jade!”
Xu Qi’an spoke lightly, gathered strength for a moment, and swung the Taiping Sabre.
A deep lion’s roar resounded, an arc of dark-gold sabre light flashed past in a blink and, the next moment, was in front of Jingxin and the rest.
Better die as broken jade than live as intact tile.
Once marked, distance became irrelevant.
Pfft, pfft, pfft…
One after another, the monks’ chests split open with horrifying sabre wounds, shattering their hearts and ending their lives.
The Zen formation could not withstand the overbearing sabre intent.
Jingxin was the only monk to survive the ordeal. Though his body was not as strong as a martial artist’s, as a fourth rank his vitality still surpassed ordinary people.
With his heart destroyed, he did not die immediately.
With trembling hands, he took a porcelain vial from his monk’s robe, poured out a pinch of incense ash, and smeared it on his chest.
It was incense ash from the burner at Arhat Duqing’s seat, saturated with the energy of non-living over the years.
It had the effect of reviving the dead and healing wounds.
On the other side, bloody gashes burst again and again across Xu Qi’an’s chest, flesh torn and mangled, his heart ripped open.
Such was the price of Broken Jade.
However, for someone with a rank three body, these injuries were far from fatal. At worst, due to the presence of the sealing nails, they would just heal slower.
Liu Hongmian’s body trembled, her legs turned to jelly, her heart filled only with terror.
Ji Xuan, though gravely wounded, had not lost consciousness and witnessed everything. His gaze dulled, his expression deeply stricken.
The lucky-to-be-alive Qihuan Danxiang finally felt immense fear towards this long-renowned genius of the Central Plains.
White Tiger now only wanted to escape, with no other thoughts in its mind.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuanhuai clenched his fists tightly, his heart bitter and despairing. At this point, he no longer harboured the slightest intention to compete with Xu Qi’an.
Defeated, a crushing defeat, and that’s even with his cultivation sealed… Xu Yuanshuang’s mind was in a daze.
“So, so strong. This is the realm I have always dreamed of,” Miao Youfang muttered.
He looked to the side, trying to get the old Daoist’s agreement, only to find the old fellow had already withdrawn far away, putting quite some distance between them.
At that moment, the golden alms bowl suspended motionless in the sky suddenly vibrated violently, sending out ripples of golden light.
The battle between Arhat Duqing and Luo Yuheng was about to conclude.
The despairing Jingxin, Ji Xuan, and others all held their breath, clutching at this last glimmer of hope in the darkness.
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