With the blessing of Abbot Yan Song, Yan Shouyi felt energized, capable of climbing five floors without breaking a sweat.
From a being as insignificant as an ant, he now stood on par with Miao Hua and the Evil Thought in terms of physical presence.
Though he was unsure of their true strength against each other, at least their aura was now equal.
Miao Hua and the Evil Thought stared at Yan Shouyi with disbelief. Initially, they were astonished by his sudden power. Upon learning that Abbot Yan Song had aided him, both were infuriated.
The Evil Thought, in particular, roared to the heavens in anger, "Yan Song! Do you think sending a junior can kill me? You and I are one. If I die, you won't live much longer!!"
Abbot Yan Song clearly did not wish to die, otherwise, he would not have indulged Miao Hua and the Evil Thought for so long.
However, as matters stood, if Abbot Yan Song did not intervene, Yan Shouyi would surely perish.
Abbot Yan Song offered no reply to the Evil Thought, which only fueled its rage further.
It immediately locked onto Yan Shouyi as its target, diving into the sea of consciousness and transforming into a colossal shadow, stealthily approaching Yan Shouyi from within.
Seeing the shadow looming below, Yan Shouyi dared not be careless and quickly moved his body.
The sea of consciousness lacked solid ground, yet he could float in mid-air. This was because he too was now merely a fleeting consciousness, however imposing his appearance.
But the Evil Thought was swift, soon catching up to Yan Shouyi and bursting forth from the water.
The Evil Thought transformed into a ferocious shark, its gaping maw lunging to tear at Yan Shouyi. Yan Shouyi felt a chill run down his spine.
If bitten, half his body would be gone. He wondered how much injury to his consciousness would affect his physical form.
Just as he was about to be bitten by the Evil Thought, a ray of Buddhist light struck its back from behind.
The Evil Thought cried out in pain, falling back into the sea of consciousness. It then surfaced with half its head, glaring furiously at its attacker.
It was Miao Hua who had intervened!
"Miao Hua, what are you doing?!" the Evil Thought questioned.
Yan Shouyi turned around, chuckling at the sight, "What need is there to ask? The wise converge in their thoughts. Miao Hua has made the right choice!"
Choosing to aid the Evil Thought, though it might bring revenge, would ultimately leave Miao Hua subject to the Evil Thought's torment and control.
However, by choosing to help Yan Shouyi, there was a chance to eliminate the Evil Thought and achieve true liberation. Afterward, Miao Hua could exact his own revenge!
Faced with such a choice, even a fool would know what to do!
Previously, Yan Shouyi's strength was negligible, so Miao Hua had not considered him. But now it was different; Yan Shouyi's power had clearly surged.
The tides had turned. Miao Hua chose to side with Yan Shouyi, leaving the Evil Thought isolated and helpless!
"In my eyes, you are no different from Yan Song. If I have the chance, I will not let either of you go!"
Miao Hua unleashed a palm strike. A massive golden palm print descended from the sky, landing squarely on the Evil Thought's head!
The sea of consciousness churned violently, churning up monstrous waves that instantly swallowed the Evil Thought.
Yan Shouyi had already retreated to the side. Seeing Miao Hua help him, he laughed heartily,
"Uncle Miao Hua, well fought!"
Miao Hua snorted, entirely unappreciative of Yan Shouyi's praise.
Having previously called him a damned bald donkey, Yan Shouyi now addressed him as Uncle Miao Hua. What shameless audacity!
Seizing an opportunity, Miao Hua spoke to Yan Shouyi:
"If you and I join forces to eliminate the Evil Thought, I will allow you to leave Cold Mountain Temple. But we must be clear: once we are out, you cannot obstruct me from killing Yan Song!"
"This..." Yan Shouyi hesitated.
"Revenge is the only thing I wish to accomplish in this life. If you refuse, we can perish together. I will still choose to aid the Evil Thought!"
Miao Hua was ruthless, even towards himself.
As the saying goes, the aggressive fear the desperate, but Yan Shouyi's inner demons, though "aggressive," could only bow before Miao Hua's "desperation."
"Fine, I agree!"
Yan Shouyi inwardly added, *As if.*
Upon hearing this, Miao Hua suddenly struck Yan Shouyi with a palm.
However, this palm strike carried no offensive power. Instead, a Buddhist seal entered Yan Shouyi's body.
"Uncle, what is this?!" Yan Shouyi asked, bewildered.
"This is a force of precept. If you fail to uphold your promise after we leave, the precept will continuously torment your consciousness," Miao Hua explained.
I...
Yan Shouyi suppressed the urge to curse. He couldn't say anything more now, lest this fickle Miao Hua change his mind again.
Still, having a precept placed upon his consciousness by Miao Hua left him deeply displeased.
Yan Shouyi asked, "Does the precept torment severely?"
"That depends on how much pain you can endure," Miao Hua replied with a cold smile, seemingly having anticipated Yan Shouyi's potential breach of contract.
Helpless, Yan Shouyi could only concede for the time being.
He would find a way to deal with the precept after leaving. Perhaps Senior Ben Heng could resolve it, or perhaps the damned bald donkey Miao Hua was merely bluffing, and no such precept actually existed.
As the two reached their agreement, the sea of consciousness gradually returned to a calm state.
Strangely, the Evil Thought seemed to have vanished, making no further appearance.
Yan Shouyi scanned his surroundings vigilantly, frowning, "Could the Evil Thought have escaped?"
Miao Hua remained cautious, "The sea of consciousness is a sealed space. For it to leave would be an admission of defeat. Therefore, it must still be here... It is likely lurking in the depths of the sea of consciousness, waiting for an opportune moment to launch a sneak attack on us!"
*Boom—*
As he spoke, a colossal shark surged from beneath Miao Hua's feet!
It was the Evil Thought, which had been waiting for its chance!
Having battled the Evil Thought for countless years, Miao Hua was well-acquainted with its tactics. He nimbly dodged, simultaneously bringing his palms together to erect a golden bell around himself.
The Evil Thought bit down on the golden bell, causing ripples on its surface but failing to shatter it.
This did not deter the Evil Thought. It persisted in biting the golden bell, dragging Miao Hua downward into the sea of consciousness, as if intending to pull him into its depths.
Miao Hua, of course, would not allow the Evil Thought to succeed. A golden "卍" symbol appeared before him, which he then opened his mouth and swallowed.
Gathering the energy in his dantian, Miao Hua spoke again:
"ROAR—"
Visibly tangible shockwaves spread outwards, creating hundred-meter-high waves on the sea of consciousness, forcing even Yan Shouyi to retreat.
The Evil Thought, caught directly in the blast, writhed in agony!
"Miao Hua... you have improved considerably... but don't forget, this power is all mine!!"
The Evil Thought, enduring the pain, unleashed its own Buddhist Lion's Roar towards Miao Hua.
The two waves intertwined, causing the very air to explode!
The sea of consciousness formed countless swirling vortexes, connecting sky and sea, creating a scene akin to the apocalypse!
"Fortunately, this is a virtual world. If this were reality, it would truly be a battle of deities..."
Yan Shouyi mused, but he could no longer remain a bystander.
However, as he prepared to act, he suddenly felt rather awkward.
"I... I am empty-handed, and my original abilities cannot be used. How can I help?"