Ahead, Xu Yuanhuai, who had helped block the sabre’s force for his sister, suddenly turned around. Seeing his father descend, he was both surprised and delighted.
“Father, why have you come?”
The stern young man hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
Only Ji Xuan merely smiled, called out “National Teacher”, and showed no surprise, as if he had long expected his arrival.
Xu Pingfeng scrutinised his younger son and said with a smile,
“Not bad, your cultivation has improved again. It’s only a matter of time before you reach the fourth rank.”
Praised by his father, Xu Yuanhuai’s stern face broke into a smile, his satisfaction making him seem like a child.
A clear light flickered in Xu Yuanshuang’s eyes. She observed the figure in white and said in astonishment,
“Dad, you’re not here in person…”
The fortune surrounding the father before her was strange, nothing like that of a normal person.
“It’s just a puppet. The Jianzheng is keeping watch outside Yunzhou, so my true body cannot come. By using an accompanying artefact left by the old Heaven Gu Elder, and the ‘Shifting Constellations’, I managed to conceal myself from the Jianzheng’s Qi-watching technique.”
Xu Pingfeng simply offered this explanation, then his gaze swept past Xu Yuanshuang and fell on Ji Xuan.
“Are you ready?”
So that’s how it is… Xu Yuanshuang suddenly understood. At the level of her father and the Jianzheng, any artefact or technique from the Arcanist system to conceal Heaven’s secrets was already ineffective against them.
To keep something secret from the Jianzheng, you had to use methods from other systems.
But since father’s true body was not here, did it mean the Jianzheng had already locked onto him, and even the old Heaven Gu Elder’s techniques could no longer deceive him?
Ji Xuan did not answer immediately. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as though to steady himself.
“We are always ready, National Teacher.”
Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai watched their father and Ji Xuan curiously.
Xu Pingfeng nodded with satisfaction. With swift movements, he drew in the air, and formation patterns filled with the laws of heaven and earth appeared. They fell into position around the Wind-riding Boat, attaching themselves to the deck, the mast, the gunwales, and everywhere else.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Wind-riding Boat was covered in formation patterns.
Xu Yuanshuang widened her beautiful eyes, trying hard to memorise those incomprehensible runes. For an arcanist, these symbols that looked like scrawls were the greatest treasures.
Once Xu Pingfeng had finished setting up the formation, Xu Yuanshuang could not help but ask,
“Dad, what kind of formation is this?”
It actually required him to personally inscribe it.
Before fourth rank, arcanists had to endure a long “formation-memorising” stage.
So-called “formation-memorising” meant remembering every formation one could master, so that after advancing to the fourth rank, those formations branded into their mind would become second nature.
With a single thought, the formation would form of its own accord.
At the Sitianjian, there were two great tomes of formations, the “Tiangang” and the “Disha”, with a total of one hundred and eight grand formations, and each grand formation was split into a dozen or even dozens of minor formations.
At seventeen, being able to memorise two grand formations was already driving Xu Yuanshuang’s hairline back.
But she knew that an arcanist of her father’s rank would have “Tiangang” and “Disha” at his fingertips and could use any formation as his heart desired.
Any formation he inscribed by hand must be extraordinarily profound.
“What formation?” Xu Pingfeng looked at his daughter and smiled.
“This is the very formation I used all those years ago to steal the fortune of the Great Feng. Of course, compared to that world-shaking grand formation, this is a greatly simplified version.
“It has only a single function: to gather fortune.”
…
The “sabre” brought forth by the old man struck the surface of the golden bell, and a shrill noise rang across the sky.
Xu Qi’an, not far from the battlefield, bore the brunt of it and instantly lost his hearing, his ears ringing loudly.
Those on the southern peak suffered the same ringing in their ears. This inflicted so much pain that they clutched at their ears, leaving them with no energy to consider the direction of the fight or the changing situation.
“Crack!”
After a short stalemate lasting a dozen seconds, a crack appeared on the surface of the golden bell.
At the same time, the old man’s “sabre force” was spent.
The awe-inspiring, imposing golden body gave him no chance to swing a second sabre. The arm wielding the golden divine sword swept down, bringing the sword down in a slash.
His martial intuition warned him to dodge. The old man flickered aside, leaving only an afterimage.
Clatter!
As the sound of the mountain’s collapse rang out, the divine sword brought down masses of tumbling rock. This strike carried no apparent flow of qi, yet before it the main peak of Quanrong Mountain was like a pile of sand.
So easily toppled.
Now, the Asura Vajra seized the opportunity and retreated atop the vajra aspect’s shoulder.
Nowhere could be safer than this.
The sword missed. Before it could be withdrawn, the golden cudgel came down from above.
“Boom!”
Countless stones exploded. The summit of Quanrong Mountain’s main peak was completely smashed, leaving it a head shorter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The old man, relying on his martial intuition, darted to and fro like some nimble cockroach, flickering left and right, appearing and vanishing.
The Vajra’s twenty-four arms drew their bows, and blades, swords, cudgels, and staves came down one after another.
Stones shattered and flew, and again and again the main peak of Quanrong Mountain split apart, blasting tens of thousands of tons of soil and rock into the air.
Boom!
The golden cudgel crashed down, the old man’s figure shattered, and his true self appeared atop the cudgel, as thick as a giant tree.
Thud thud thud… He sprinted along the cudgel, racing towards the giant aspect, even taller than the mountain peak.
He ran faster and faster, like a sabre whistling through the air, the air around him twisting and warping.
The sabre’s edge ran straight at the brow of the vajra aspect.
Smack!
The vajra’s two enormous palms clapped together, in a gesture like swatting a fly, and slapped the old man in mid-air.
The next moment, the palms began to tremble violently, unable to close fully.
After a few seconds of deadlock, accompanied by a dull boom, the palms were shaken open, and the old man burst forth, his whole body drenched in blood, his arms and legs contorted grotesquely, his chest caved in.
A second-rank martial artist’s body had been broken by a single blow from the aspect.
The vajra aspect gave him no respite. Knowing attacks like these could hardly kill a beyond-mortal fighter with such a tenacious life force, it unleashed another ferocious assault.
Hundreds of metres tall, the golden body radiated myriad beams of Buddha light, turning the entire area around Quanrong Mountain brilliant gold for dozens of li.
Its presence was more terrifying than an abyss. Every living thing in the range of that Buddha light trembled in terror, prostrating on the ground.
“Al- alliance leader Cao, what’s going on…?”
Fu Jingmen fell to his knees, his whole body quivering with fear, head lowered.
Large beads of sweat rolled down Cao Qingyang’s brow. Like Fu Jingmen, he too knelt awkwardly and pressed his forehead to the ground.
Relying on his half-step beyond-mortal cultivation, he should not have been in such a bad state. But wounded and spent from the fighting, his condition now was no better than Fu Jingmen and the rest.
“I— is it a legendary arhat? A bodhisattva?”
The chairman of the Jianzhou Merchant’s Association, Qiao Weng, trembled as he barely squeezed out this speculation.
The old ancestor was already a second-rank martial artist. For him to be suppressed like this, this aspect must be one of the arhats or bodhisattvas. Vajras were third rank, third rank could never suppress a second-rank martial artist. This was simple logic.
He might have kept silent, but his words instantly ignited the panic in the hearts of the Wulin Alliance crowd.
Why would an arhat or bodhisattva appear here?
Why would the Buddhist sect pay such a price to deal with the Wulin Alliance?
Silver Gong Xu is seriously injured and can’t fight. The old ancestor is alone, can he win?
One question after another surfaced in the hearts of the crowd, bringing anxiety, tension, dread, and unease.
Cao Qingyang remained silent, his expression grave, his gaze faintly restless.
Since the appearance of the two vajras, he had known that Sun Xuanji was hiding something from him, deliberately obscuring the enemy’s profile.
But because Silver Gong Xu had fought three at once, defeating the Master of Rain of the Church of the Warlock God and displaying overwhelming power, and then the old ancestor had broken through to second rank and tightly held the field, he had not paid it much mind.
He had simply assumed that his own status was not high enough, and that Sun Xuanji lacked the patience to explain the details to him.
Until now, seeing this terrifying and peerless Dharma aspect descend, Cao Qingyang could not help but begin to doubt. Perhaps Sun Xuanji had intentionally concealed information not out of disdain, but because this second disciple of the Jianzheng himself did not have absolute confidence in victory.
Revealing the truth merely dampened morale.
This battle for the mountain had raged until now, with both sides constantly revealing trump cards in turn, far beyond the limits of what Cao Qingyang could imagine.
He even feared that the enemy might have yet stronger tricks awaiting them.
And sure enough, what he feared came to pass. Suddenly, Xiao Yuenu’s startled cry rang in his ears:
“Who is that?!”
Cao Qingyang and the others raised their heads with difficulty to look. In the distance, the old ancestor was still grappling with the Dharma aspect, and nothing seemed amiss.
After a second, they finally realised that Xiao Yuenu was referring to Xu Qi’an’s side.
…
Having obtained intelligence about the Buddhist Sect from Baiji, Xu Qi’an was well aware of all the Dharma aspects controlled by the surviving first rank Bodhisattvas, so he had a vague guess in his heart.
But no one had ever confirmed it, so he could not be sure.
“That’s the Vajra Dharma aspect!”
A gentle and familiar voice came from not far behind him.
In an instant, Xu Qi’an had a reflexive reaction, bristling instinctively, as if to turn and lash out with a full-strength attack!
But he forcefully suppressed the impulse, because he sensed neither hostility nor killing intent from the other party.
Thus, the martial artist’s danger sense had not been triggered.
Xu Qi’an “unhurriedly” collected himself and looked back, seeing a figure in white standing in mid-air, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at him warmly.
The man’s features bore some resemblance to his own, and to Second Uncle’s.
Xu Pingfeng!
Recognising that he was not in a state of being disowned, Xu Qi’an let out a sigh of relief and sneered:
“How dare just an avatar shout and swagger before me.”
No need to panic, his true body is being watched over by the Jianzheng, so he can’t come here… Xu Qi’an sharpened his senses and remained completely vigilant.
“It’s precisely because this is an avatar that I was able to suppress my hostility towards you earlier. I’ve come to say a few words to you.”
Xu Pingfeng stood with his hands behind his back, smiling gently.
His tone was gentle and calm too, as if the two of them did not have the relationship of a resentful father and son, but rather that of a kindly father and a smiling son.
“There’s nothing to say between us.”
Xu Qi’an held the Taiping Sabre in his left hand and the Sovereign Sword in his right.
Xu Pingfeng tilted his head, glancing at the old man retreating far away, and said with a smile:
“The Vajra Dharma aspect is unparalleled in both offense and defence. Within a single drop of blood is contained the power of the Agaruka Bodhisattva, as well as his insight into the Vajra Dharma aspect. You must know, the reason Agaruka could become the number one Buddhist fighting force was because of this Vajra Dharma aspect.
“Why is Shenshu so powerful? Also thanks to the Vajra Dharma aspect.
“This is not something that old man, as someone just newly stepped into second rank, can possibly overcome.”
He’s indirectly telling me that what Shenshu revealed was the Vajra Dharma aspect! Just that it had undergone some mutation… Xu Qi’an kept silent, his mind racing as he pondered the purpose for Xu Pingfeng’s appearance.
After a brief comment, Xu Pingfeng withdrew his gaze and no longer paid attention to the battle, saying:
“Ningyan, as father and son, I shall give you one last chance.
“I am willing to accept you. Come back to Yunzhou with me and all past grievances can be wiped clean. I will find a way to remove the Demon-Sealing Nails for you.
“As for the royal family, you need not worry. As long as you swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao not to claim the throne, they will be delighted to have you join.
“You know, recovering the national fortune isn’t the only way, recruiting you to join my ranks will just as surely strengthen Qianlong City’s fortune.”
Xu Qi’an stared at him for a few seconds and laughed:
“If recruiting me works just as well, why did you try to kill me back then?”
Xu Pingfeng sighed:
“Your growth was too rapid. Since your rise, it’s only been a little over a year. Recruiting you was too risky, especially with your unyielding character. Would you be willing to betray the Great Feng?”
Xu Qi’an looked at him as if he were an idiot:
“And now I’d suddenly be willing?”
Xu Pingfeng said:
“The Great Feng is turbulent, and the people live in misery, as you’ve seen yourself. I came for you today for that very reason, also because of your character.
“Very soon, I shall start my uprising. With the Buddhist sect’s support, Teacher Jianzheng is no longer an unshakeable mountain. Join Qianlong City, overthrow the rotten dynasty together and the people may finally have a good life.
“Ningyan, this is what you wanted to see, what you’ve always strived for. Your fate being tied to the Great Feng can also be resolved.
“After dual cultivation with Luo Yuheng, you are already mid third rank, with the peak just around the corner. Once you seize Mu Nanzhi’s spiritual essence, you can enter second rank.
“Do you remember what I said to you in the capital that day? If you achieve Hedao, then you will not die even if the national fortune is extracted.”
Xu Qi’an made no response, maintaining his silence.
Xu Pingfeng continued:
“To protect your life, your mother risked betraying her family and secretly gave birth to you in the capital.
“For these past twenty years, she had been placed under house arrest in Qianlong City, unable to take a single step outside. Although it was never said outright, I know she misses you. She secretly enquired about your news through Yuanshuang.
“Watching you grow step by step and make your name known, her smile has grown brighter over the past year or so.
“Yuanshuang and Yuanhuai are your siblings. Because of me, they carry a bit of hostility towards you, but even Yuanhuai is merely resentful of your superiority, he bears you no true hatred.
“If you are willing to let go of our conflict and surrender to Qianlong City, nothing you own now will change. You will gain a mother, a sister, a brother, and Yunzhou as well.
“And when the grand enterprise of dominating the Central Plains is accomplished, Yunzhou will be changed to Xuzhou. As my legitimate eldest son, Xuzhou will eventually be yours, yours and your line’s.”
And then give rise to descendants who rest on their ancestors’ laurels, picking up their bowls in comfort and cursing their mothers after putting them down?
Xu Qi’an said blandly:
“And if I refuse?”
Xu Pingfeng slowly put away his smile, and looked down at him coldly from above:
“You fear me so much you cannot sleep at night.”
He disdained scorn and contempt, but this sentence was the most mocking thing of all.
You fear me so much that you can’t eat or sleep well. I, as the strong, offer you an olive branch, shouldn’t you, the weak, feel honoured, ecstatic, and relieved?
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