Chapter 217: Chapter 214 Essence Divinity Confrontation, Fiery Inferno
Boys going out into the world must protect themselves.
Because you never know if a man coveting your beauty lurks nearby, nor can you guess whether your opponent will resort to dishonorable tactics unfit for the light of day.
Everyone is from a reputable sect, equal in status and in the path we follow, yet the fight takes an unexpected turn when such underhand moves emerge... it’s simply... shameless to the extreme!
Stiffened, Zhang Daoyi felt his fists harden.
He would rather have been slashed by a sword than fall into such an embarrassing situation.
Yet, Zhang Daoyi couldn’t speak of it and could only endure the frustration silently, which was truly suffocating.
Merely observing the fluctuations of Qi mechanism within his body, Jiang Li could imagine Zhang Daoyi’s current mental state as tumultuous, unable to suppress such spiritual upheaval even with years of static cultivation practice.
Under such circumstances, if Zhang Daoyi still managed to detect Jiang Li’s meddling, Jiang Li would eat up the Five Finger Mountain on the spot.
"Fascinating divine skills, fierce swordsmanship..." Zhong Shenxiu watched the battle, an interested expression surfacing on her usually indifferent face,"High-frequency Sword Technique, what an odd name."
"More precisely, it’s the Divine Sword Thunder Protection High-frequency Technique." Jiang Li replied, while simultaneously transforming innate Qi into Water Qi to cool down the Mo Wu Sword.
This Divine Sword Thunder Protection High-frequency Technique, while undoubtedly powerful, also greatly wears down a weapon. Only because the Mo Wu Battle Box is a Sixth Grade Daoist Device could it withstand such sword techniques.
Large quantities of steam rose from the sword, and the Mo Wu Sword automatically transformed, its parts coming together to form a sheath that encompassed the blade.
Jiang Li intended to leave the field for now.
His bout with Zhang Daoyi left him uninjured, but drastic depletion of True Qi required recovery. Moreover, he needed to study the slight bit of True Qi he had stealthily absorbed.
This sliver of True Qi was taken directly from Zhang Daoyi’s Lower Dantian; from it, one could observe the changes in Zhang Daoyi’s Qi mechanism. He dared not claim to have directly mastered the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique, but glimpsing some of its mysteries was still feasible.
For two reasons, either of which was critical, Jiang Li decided to temporarily exit the arena, without considering fighting consecutively.
"Benefactor, please hold on."
A voice came from behind him. Jiang Li heard it, and ripples appeared in his usually undisturbed heart lake.
Since the last time he was stopped with a "Benefactor, please hold on," Jiang Li had a deep impression of this phrase. Being summoned again in such a way almost triggered a reflexive response in him.
’If it weren’t for my current depletion of True Qi, I would shatter your bald head,’ Jiang Li thought to himself while he calmly turned around to look at the monk sitting atop the White Dragon and said indifferently, "What guidance does the Great Master have for me?"
"Amitabha."
Hui Lun pressed his palms together, "The Great Master dares not presume to offer guidance; I am merely curious about the benefactor. If this humble monk is not mistaken, that giant palm transformed into the Five Finger Mountain originated from the benefactor, indicating a connection between the benefactor and Buddhism. Therefore, I seek instruction from the benefactor."
As a monk with morals and cultivation, Hui Lun naturally couldn’t say let me probe your secrets, preferring to preserve a noble pretext.
Moreover, he was indeed curious why Jiang Li bore Buddhist artifacts, seeking to investigate which third-grade figure from Buddha Country had intervened.
The Buddha Country had deep resources: aside from the Awakened, there were two other Great Masters, both of whom were third-grade. If Buddha Country was considered as a whole, then in terms of the number of third-grade powers among the current world’s forces, Buddha Country was the most respected.
Unfortunately, although Buddha Country was one nation, factions existed within, and it was not wholly unified.
This time it seemed that the White Lotus Saint Mother had made a move, but there was no guarantee that both Great Masters had no other plans or arrangements.
For two reasons, either of which was sufficient, Hui Lun felt compelled to make a probing move.
"I am too depleted," responded Jiang Li, "If the Great Master wishes, we can fight after I recover since the Ghost Gate is unique."
The Ghost Gate is unique, and in the end, there will only be one victor; a battle between them is inevitable, provided that—Hui Lun could win until then.
Jiang Li had already fought a battle, and it was completely reasonable for him to exit for the moment.
However, since Hui Lun had suggested this idea, he naturally had confidence in persuading Jiang Li.
"The humble monk can forego using True Qi and engage in a battle of spirit with the benefactor," Hui Lun said gently and unhurriedly, "Additionally, the humble monk noticed that the benefactor’s earlier manifestation of the Yinglong Dragon lacked the essence of a True Dragon, suggesting that the benefactor has not witnessed a True Dragon. Yet in this monk’s memories lies the form of a True Dragon. Should the benefactor spar with this monk, you may glean from my memories the appearance of a True Dragon."
"At the same time, you could also possibly glean certain information from my memories that you wish to know, correct?" Jiang Li didn’t lose his wits over the benefits Hui Lun offered, but instead retorted.
"Indeed," nodded Hui Lun.
"The Great Master is quite frank."
"Monks do not speak falsehoods."
Hui Lun showed earnest sincerity, displaying an open stance.
[Analyzing from his facial expression, Hui Lun isn’t lying, and there are no traces of deception in his words. Monks do not speak falsehoods. If Hui Lun breaks this precept now, he might show weaknesses in the spiritual clash.]
[But this doesn’t mean that Hui Lun has left room for choice.]
The Karma Collection autonomously displayed text in front of Jiang Li’s eyes, and he sensed a torrent of invisible Divine Sense surging around him, constantly seeking his flaws in an attempt to invade his soul.
Hui Lun’s Divine Sense searched for a breach in Jiang Li’s defenses. If Jiang Li, lured by the promise of understanding the True Dragon’s appearance, agreed to the spiritual contest, it would be a sign of greed; this greed would act as a catalyst, allowing Divine Sense to invade.
If Jiang Li didn’t accept this fight, it would mean he had overcome his greed, but the reason he didn’t respond was that he wasn’t confident, he didn’t want to fail, or rather, he was afraid of failing.
This became a vulnerability in a certain sense, one that Hui Lun found as a path for invasion.
Any slight fluctuation of the mind, which would normally not be considered a vulnerability, could provide an opportunity to experts skilled in this area.
The clash had begun.
"The monk is truly cunning," Jiang Li’s face became expressionless, "Is this also the compassion of the Buddhist?"
He changed his form of address for Hui Lun, already showing hostility in his words.
"Compassion, not compassion..."
Hui Lun was sitting cross-legged on the White Dragon, smiling as he spoke, "Little monk has already put down compassion, what about you, benefactor?"
"Heh, playing mind games."
Jiang Li scoffed, his eyes gleaming, "Playing mind games shows you’re not confident of winning, you are wary of me, monk, you’re scared."
His voice was like a bell, and by the end, it was accompanied by the Thunder Sound, attacking the opponent’s mind with the utmost righteousness of the Thunder Technique.
In his eyes, figures of Star Battle, Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Eight Trigrams, and other complicated patterns appeared one by one, seemingly filled with endless mysteries, constantly changing as if to trap somebody within them.
Because of Jiang Li’s demeanor, a wariness had arisen in Hui Lun’s heart, making him attempt to use words to strike at his opponent, rather than crushing him outright.
This single sentence from Jiang Li weighed more than countless mind games, pinpointing Hui Lun’s wariness and causing his heart to sink.
To say that Hui Lun was scared might be an exaggeration, but to say he was wary, that was definitely the case.
When Jiang Li spoke those words, a strong wind suddenly picked up, and the sound of distant thunder began to resonate, Hui Lun felt a sense of dread.
The wind stirred, the thunder rolled, and the heart moved.
The commotion from the outside further affected the mind, and Hui Lun felt Jiang Li’s gaze as if it had substance, shining on him, penetrating his Physical Body, True Qi, and spirit, seeing through everything inside and out, his gaze penetrating like light, leaving no place untouched.
The Emperor Observing Qi, laughing while killing.
The deterrence brought by his gaze penetrated the soul. If it were someone else, faced with such a gaze, they might have already been broken by this deterrence, surrendered without a fight.
Although Hui Lun was no ordinary person, he too felt a hint of real fear in his heart due to being suppressed by Jiang Li.
It seemed Jiang Li wasn’t skilled at mental confrontation, but once someone truly faced him, they found his mind extremely sensitive.
And like being able to see into people’s hearts, unlike Hui Lun who could invade with any slight thought, but could grasp others’ mental states, directly destroying their Mental State, using external demons to invade the inner divine, using the sound of wind and thunder to stir the mind.
"Amitabha."
Hui Lun’s expression was no longer gentle but carried a solemn dignity as he chanted:
"All consciousness aggregate five, like shadows of water trees,
What is seen, like illusions and dreams, should not be distinguished recklessly.
The three realms are like flame shadows, illusory dreams, and hair wheels,
If one can observe thus, one will ultimately achieve liberation."
Mental fluctuations, as if there was a Wisdom Sword in his heart, cut through that strand of fear, dispelled the hindrance, and calmed the spirit in time—
"Like the flame’s heat in motion, turns confounds the mind."
The night wind suddenly became scorching, and the dark night sky gradually became tinged with a crimson light. Torrential heat waves surged, making one feel like they were trapped in a fiery dwelling, bathing in intense Flames.
"The thirsty beast mistakes it for water, yet there is no actual water."
Jiang Li suddenly felt thirsty, the moisture in his mouth disappearing as if the external flames had entered it, scorching his throat and sweeping through his body.
The mental battle had officially begun.
"Thus the seeds of consciousness in motion, perceived in different realms,
As one with eye disease sees, the foolish man grows attached."
Rings upon rings of strange fluctuations appeared in the sky, and amidst the red-tinted darkness, whirlpools formed.
A great change of heaven and earth, Zhong Shenxiu, Zhang Daoyi, Yuan Zhen, Yang Ji, and others all disappeared from Jiang Li’s sight and Perception, replaced by surging crimson fire, and the landscape, mountains, and ground cracked and scorched.
For a moment, Jiang Li was as if in a fiery hell.
Then, a vision appeared before him, a Rashamon Evil Ghost with a blue face and fangs, three zhang tall with a black body and red hair, wielding a steel fork, appeared.
It grew ferocious flesh wings on its back and flew strikingly through the air towards him, the cold glint of the steel fork thrusting directly at Jiang Li’s head, a sense of crisis exploding in his heart.
If he were pierced by this steel fork, he would die!
[The Yaksha before you may be an illusion, but this attack is a real Divine Sense attack, not an illusion. To think one’s mind is firm and choose to take it head on, Senior Sister Gongsun and even Master would have to be widowed.]
’Ptui, I am not that lecherous.’
Reading the words that appeared on the Karma Collection, Jiang Li inwardly refuted them loudly.