Chapter 218: Chapter 215: Dao Artifact Dharma Manifestation, Yuan Magnetic Sword Formula
The night sky remained unchanged, the bright moon hung high.
The sounds of wind and thunder had gradually faded away, the violent gusts and muffled booms all dissipated.
Atop the Middle Finger Peak of the Five Finger Mountain, Jiang Li and Hui Lun faced each other from a distance, both silent, as if lost in quiet contemplation.
Suddenly, Hui Lun, seated atop the White Dragon, covered his right knee with his right hand, fingers pointing downward, as though he intended to touch the ground through the air.
At the same time, a radiant light of Perfection manifested around his body, unblemished, while ghostly shadows seemed to lurk around him, howling gales swirling, faintly shaping into terrible forms of Ghosts and Demons.
"Demon-suppressing Seal."
Yuan Zhen witnessed this scene and whispered, "One of the Seal Techniques created by the Awakened of the Buddhist sects, it is said this seal can vanquish Demons externally, and govern Heart Demons internally, transforming one’s stray thoughts into Demons for one’s own use. I never expected Hui Lun to have mastered such an ultimate skill. Junior uncle, what do you think?"
Zhang Daoyi was seated cross-legged on the ground, practicing Breathing Control on Yin and Yang, suppressing the restlessness in his body. Hearing Yuan Zhen’s words, his body involuntarily stiffened, causing a chill in Yuan Zhen’s heart.
’He’s on guard against me to this extent? Does he truly believe Jiang Li’s words?’
Worries formed in Yuan Zhen’s mind.
Zhang Daoyi’s heightened guard against Yuan Zhen indicated that he no longer trusted Yuan Zhen. If Zhang Daoyi shared this mistrust with the Daoist Lord, it might lead to turmoil within the Daode Sect.
Inciting rebellion within the Taiping Sect had been the idea of the upper echelons of the Daode Sect, yet they didn’t inform the detached Daoist Lord because the Daoist Lord espoused Wuwei. If he learned of this matter, it was almost certain he wouldn’t agree.
Now, Zhang Daoyi seemed to believe Jiang Li’s words and had sensed the truth. If he conveyed these words to the Daoist Lord, it could potentially lead to friction between the Daoist Lord and the higher-ups of the Daode Sect, particularly Yuan Zhen’s mentor.
This was undoubtedly a severely detrimental development.
With this in mind, Yuan Zhen stared intently at Zhang Daoyi, as if trying to dissect Zhang Daoyi’s appearance and see through his heart.
Feeling the "scorching" gaze, Zhang Daoyi tensed up, sensing impending trouble, fearing that his disciple might truly possess the vice of longing for the forbidden.
He strived to remain calm and said, "The technique that Hui Lun used to trap us was not of his own strength, but that of a Fourth-Grade Expert. It must’ve been the ’Six Paths of Reincarnation’ of the King Zhuanlun of the Buddha Country. Since he has mastered this technique, he should be well-versed in the ’Six Paths Reincarnation Forbidden Scripture’ of King Zhuanlun, otherwise, it would be detrimental to him. And he has also cultivated the Awakened’s Demon-suppressing Seal, which is indicative of his extraordinary talent. He certainly has the potential to become a Third-Grade Expert."
Yuan Zhen, noticing Zhang Daoyi’s increasing wariness, felt more anxious, but he also knew he couldn’t be too overt, so he slightly lowered his eyes, withdrew his gaze, and said, "Indeed, in the future, Hui Lun might even succeed to the position of the Chief of the Buddha Country."
"Compared to him, another disciple of the Awakened, Hui Neng, really pales in comparison. In the future, our Sect will have to pay more attention to Hui Lun."
He spoke of paying more attention to Hui Lun, yet his Divine Sense discreetly observed Zhang Daoyi, keeping him within his perception at all times.
And Zhang Daoyi, feeling the subtle prying, grew increasingly uneasy.
Meanwhile, Zhong Shenxiu sensed the splendid radiance around Hui Lun, which was as if a Bodhisattva had descended to the world, realizing that the other’s Heavenly Being’s Dao Fruit was likely nearing Perfection, or else such a phenomena wouldn’t appear.
On the other hand, although Jiang Li’s gaze seemed substantial, his thoughts had already grown ethereal, clearly falling into his Dao and trapped within the Illusion Realm. The advantage seemed clear at a glance.
Zhong Shenxiu rested her palm on the sword hilt, her Confucian True Qi turning into the words that swirled around her, precisely the "Righteous Qi Song" of Confucianism.
Jiang Li was after all from the Dinghu Sect. If he truly suffered defeat, Zhong Shenxiu would intervene to save him, upholding righteousness.
Furthermore, Jiang Li had previously prevented Ji Chengye from targeting Ming Yang. Although Ming Yang had almost died from falling off the cliff in the end, he did manage to escape, and for that, Zhong Shenxiu felt obliged.
Whether it was for public or personal reasons, she ought to lend a helping hand.
However, this also depended on whether Jiang Li needed it.
Just as Zhong Shenxiu was about to take action, the seemingly distracted Jiang Li stirred.
A bright luster appeared around his body, the pure moonlight seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, gathering around him, his sleeves fluttering as though he was a reclusive figure detached from this world.
"What is this..." Zhong Shenxiu showed a look of surprise.
Yuan Zhen, busy spying on others, took a deep breath and turned his attention to Jiang Li, "Elder Tianxuan of the Dinghu Sect’s ’Taiwei Fu.’"
Truly a constant stream of surprises. Not only had Hui Lun shown extraordinary prowess, but Jiang Li was also not to be underestimated.
And within that hellish Illusion Realm, a bright moon rose slowly above Jiang Li’s head.
"Taiyin Ju Zi, Water Clearing Gui E."
In that moment, the cold barrenness of Taiyin swept across the land, dispelling the hot winds, the chilly moonlight enveloping Jiang Li, making him appear like an ethereal immortal.
The Rashamon roared as it thrust forth, its eerie and mind-shattering strange powers aimed directly at Jiang Li’s Divine Soul; however—
As the trident approached Jiang Li’s brow, it suddenly started to frost over. The bright moon above Jiang Li reflected the shadow of the Rashamon, and a similar force struck back, colliding with the trident.
In an instant, the trident shattered bit by bit, from tip to end, spreading to the Rashamon’s body.
The massive and terrifying figure was shattered in a moment, vanishing without a trace, and the fiery hellish realm disappeared along with it, replaced by a desolate silver-white land.
"Boom!"
The sky, filled with bizarre whirlpools, rumbled, a powerful force shook this space. Jiang Li swept his gaze across, and the space cracked like a mirror, revealing the figure of Hui Lun, cross-legged in midair, his body luminous and resplendent.