Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 256 One Day, It's All for You
Si Han's heart skipped a beat at Lu Xingzhou's words: "It was taught by a wandering monk named Zhao En. Uh... according to what Young Master Lu said before, this Zen Master Zhao En was sent by Gu Zhanting?"

"Send... I doubt Gu Zhanting can send him." Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment, but decided not to make the matter clear. If Si Han had a brain fart and wanted to reap the benefits, it would only make things more complicated.

So he said, "I originally thought that letting you obtain the bone dragon was a way to lure Gu Shaoli into making a move, but now it seems there's another purpose behind it. Let's not worry about anything else for now. How many of you have cultivated that technique to control the bone dragon? Can this function be disabled?"

Si Han said, "Abolishing it is probably impossible, but stopping its practice is possible. Is there any problem with this skill?"

“This is an evil, yin-based technique… Normally, your Shadow Moon Sect’s techniques are biased towards yin, so there is no conflict when practicing them. The problem is that you are a royal court, and your royal energy channels conflict with this kind of yin evil.”

Si Han felt a slight tremor in his heart.

They are not Buddhist or Taoist practitioners, and they are completely ignorant about things like energy channels and fortune; in fact, many of them do not even believe in these things.

But since these words came from the man of the Heavenly Yao Holy Lord... their credibility is infinitely higher.

The Holy Lord of Tianyao would not make empty promises in this regard, especially since he intends to support them in becoming the second Great Qian Dynasty, he would certainly place even greater emphasis on the Qi Meridian.

"Then let's immediately stop practicing this technique. What further instructions does the Holy Lord have for this?"

Lu Xingzhou took out a set of array flags: "Four of you will be stationed in the four directions of Shadowmoon City, each holding a flag. You can immerse your divine sense into the flag. I will handle the rest."

An elder of the Shadow Moon Sect cautiously asked, "Is this for..."

"To suppress your royal aura!"

The entire Shadowmoon Sect was energized: "We will obey Young Master Lu's orders!"

The group took their flags and went to the four corners of Shadowmoon City, while Lu Xingzhou took the main flag and quickly went to the very center of Shadowmoon City.

In the dead of night, Shadowmoon City was deserted. In the center was a large square, and being alone there evoked a sense of loneliness and fear, much like Lu Xingzhou's current state of mind.

Not knowing whether the other party was human or ghost, judging from their similar cultivation levels, Lu Xingzhou still trusted that Ye Tinglan could defeat someone of the same level. The title of the number one in the world was earned by defeating those of the same level, and even the Demon Emperor was inferior to her.

However, if the other party can utilize the vital energy of a nation, then Ye Tinglan might suffer a loss.

He couldn't do anything else, nor did he dare to invite Si Han and the others to join the battle. The only thing he could do was help Ye Tinglan suppress the energy veins here, at least to prevent the other party from using them.

But this is a difficult task... at least not something a fourth-grade cultivator can do.

Qi channels, being such an ethereal and intangible thing, do not correspond to magical power, but rather to divine sense. For a cultivator who has not yet broken through to the third rank and has not yet opened up the cultivation of the divine soul, it is far too much to ask.

Lu Xingzhou closed his eyes, immersing his mind in the array flags.

A dragon-like aura could be felt, faintly appearing above Shadowmoon City, covering a hundred miles of sky. However, the dragon's aura was drifting, as if specks of starlight were disappearing into the west, being stolen and borrowed. The Shadowmoon Sect elders from the four corners and Si Han's divine senses focused, helping to suppress the aura from all sides, but they were unaware of the reason, simply borrowing the power, which required Lu Xingzhou's intervention.

Lu Xingzhou silently activated the Qi Luck Technique he had learned from Ye Tinglan when he was at the Heavenly Sword Sect, mobilizing the power of the Four Symbols to condense the heavens and stabilize the eight directions.

The sea of ​​consciousness is like being pricked by needles; even a slight stimulation is enough to exceed its capacity.

Just as Ye Tinglan said back then, "Changing the feng shui energy is going against the will of heaven and changing one's fate," and "Are you willing to risk your life for Shen Tang?"

How did I respond back then?

"Perhaps one day, it will be for your sake, sir."

A prophecy.

Ironically, no one knew whether Ye Tinglan needed this desperate help or not; perhaps she didn't need it at all.

…………

The battle between Ye Tinglan and Monk Zhao En has also reached a fever pitch.

At first, Zhao En looked down on this woman.

He's been in this realm for quite some time now, judging from his familiarity with Ye Tinglan during their conversation. It's clear he has a fairly good understanding of the powerful Tianyao Saint Lord. According to various sources, this Tianyao Saint Lord is probably not even a hundred years old.

For cultivators of the highest level, this age is considered an astonishing genius, extremely rare even in ancient times. However, this could be a disadvantage in battle, as less than a hundred years of combat experience is clearly inexperienced compared to ancient demons, and their understanding of ancient mystical arts is obviously lacking.

The old woman Ah Nuo spoke of was, to these old monsters, a perfectly young woman. A young woman, still in the passionate stage of love, was clearly a mess of thoughts and full of flaws.

The actual fight turned out to be completely different.

Based on observation, neither the Great Qian nor the Tian Shuang kingdoms had much Buddhism. Logically, Ye Tinglan shouldn't be so familiar with Buddhist practices, but in actual combat, it turned out she was very proficient.

His supposedly brilliant "ancient magic" posed no threat whatsoever to Ye Tinglan, who seemed to have practiced it a thousand times over.

He thought he could influence the weaknesses in the other person's mind, so he used various kinds of mental attacks or illusions, but they had no effect on Ye Tinglan at all. Instead, they pierced his own sea of ​​consciousness and caused him great pain.

For example, right now, he used his self-performed blissful illusion to lure the other person into a heavenly dream, where they would see their most tender and affectionate "lover." But the young lover was strangled to death by Ye Tinglan without even a change in expression.

The illusion shattered like glass, and Ye Tinglan's sword almost pierced Zhao En's heart. Fortunately, Zhao En dodged quickly, and only a spray of blood appeared.

"With your unwavering will, how could you possibly sway Hongluan?" Zhao En retreated, asking incredulously, "Could it be that you're just playing around with your lover?"

Ye Tinglan's face was stern, her sword aura frosty and cold.

She has no obligation to answer the monk's questions.

In fact, Lu Xingzhou's way of interacting with her is different from what most people understand. As for her so-called lover, he never even agreed! Lu Xingzhou is now pitifully begging for a little attention with phrases like "reward" and "I'm tired."

Your lover in this illusion starts off by showering you with love and trying to seduce you... Are you crazy? Even if it were the real Lu Xingzhou doing this, she'd still kill him without hesitation. Besides, this monk's secret technique is malicious. If she were to actually fall for him in the illusion, she'd most likely be aroused by his lust and become his vessel.

She was all too familiar with this method of "Enchanting Union with Maidens." She could even teach Lu Xingzhou how to counter the "Enchanting Union with Maidens" technique; how could she not have experience herself? She was an expert.

There's nothing new under the sun, and the Charming Maiden's Mysterious Skill wasn't created out of thin air; it's simply an ancient tradition, and perhaps it really is a branch of the Buddhist Joyful Sect.

Just as the battle was gaining momentum, the monk vanished again, and the scene changed once more.

Another illusionary invasion? Is this never going to end?

Ye Tinglan suddenly looked up.

Originally, he was in a mountain valley surrounded by dark peaks, like an abyss. Now it was even more obvious, as if he had fallen into a demonic abyss, and the surrounding peaks had turned into pillars of Buddha's light, like giant fingers standing and suppressing him.

A giant golden Buddha face looms overhead, looking down upon the scene.

Like ants in the palm of a god, they cannot escape no matter what they try.

The immense pressure weighed on their bodies and minds, leaving them unable to move, only desperate cries and struggles remaining.

Ye Tinglan's knees buckled, and she almost used her sword to support herself on the ground.

This is not an illusion... or rather, it is more than just an illusion.

This is the opponent's ultimate skill, a forbidden technique like the Buddha Kingdom in the Palm of the Hand, which combines physical pressure with mental assault. Anyone with a weak will would be crushed simply by being trapped in such a desperate situation.

However, this imagery is something that arises only when there is an absolute gap in cultivation levels; it should not occur when people of the same level are competing.

The difference in levels arose because the opponent borrowed other powers and combined them with his own.

Ye Tinglan knew what that was... She never imagined that this monk had already stolen so much of the energy of this place.

In other words, if this move can be broken, the connection between the opponent and the energy flow of this place can be completely severed, and everything will return to its original state. The opponent would never dare to use this move casually, because once it is used, there will be no way out; either she dies, or the opponent is completely defeated.

"Is this the level of the old monsters from the ancient realm?" Sweat dripped from Ye Tinglan's forehead, but he chuckled lightly: "So easily defeated, you've only been fighting for a short while and you've already revealed your trump card."

Zhao En's face was ashen. Unable to launch any other attacks, he could only slowly reply, "The strength of the Heavenly Yao Holy Lord is indeed far beyond my expectations. She is undoubtedly the number one in the Great Qian Dynasty, and perhaps she is truly the number one in the world, not just in the Great Qian Dynasty."

Ye Tinglan slowly said, "You flatter me. There are countless strong people in this world. It's just that you have lived in the heavens for so long that you are unaware of the heroes of the human world."

"Perhaps, but it doesn't matter." Zhao En chanted a Buddhist prayer in a low voice: "If the Holy Lord of Tianyao were to perish here, this world would be nothing more than this."

Ye Tinglan suddenly looked up and saw another giant hand above her, slowly pressing down.

Although the downward pressure was slow, it brought greater mental pressure.

Ye Tinglan's mind was already stinging, but the indomitable fighting spirit in her eyes grew even stronger: "Then let's see if you have the ability."

"Whoosh!" A compass flew out of the ring.

The compass spins rapidly, and the stars shift and the constellations move.

The Buddha's palm, pressing down, was blocked by the compass and could not advance an inch.

The compass emitted a soft light, spreading throughout the universe, leaving no place for evil spirits to hide.

It seemed to illuminate the shadows beneath the finger-like pillars of Buddha's light, creating an incongruous connection with the golden Buddha's light above.

"Clang!" The divine sword was drawn again, slashing towards the boundary between the shadow and the Buddha's light.

That is to separate Zhao En from Tian Shuang's Qi Meridian.

"Clang!" The sword light struck the base of the finger, and blood spilled from the corner of Zhao En's mouth, his body swaying slightly.

Blood also trickled from the corner of Ye Tinglan's mouth. Distracted, the compass above began to sink under the pressure of the Buddha's palm, barely a foot away from the top of her head.

Whether she cuts her finger first or the Buddha's palm presses down on her head first, it's all a matter of a moment.

However, she was ultimately distracted by dealing with different forces, putting her at a clear disadvantage.

If only someone could help... even just a little bit.

Just then, it seemed like I was hallucinating again.

Lu Xingzhou's image inexplicably appeared in the room, like a giant standing tall and upright, holding up a Buddha's palm.

No... this is not an illusion.

This is Lu Xingzhou, whose whereabouts are unknown, using the Qi Meridian Suppression Technique to compete with Zhao En for the Heavenly Frost Qi Meridian, which is manifested here.

This decision flashed through Ye Tinglan's mind, and without further hesitation, the divine sword burst forth with dazzling light, slashing straight towards the roots of the fingers around her.

He seemed to hear Zhao En's horrified exclamation in his ears: "How is this possible!"

Only one line from that conversation flashed through Ye Tinglan's mind.

"Perhaps one day, it will be for your sake, sir."

(End of this chapter)