Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 470 A touch of sword intent dispels white bones, a glimmer of rainbow light disrupts the secrets of heaven.
On the plateau, between snow-capped mountains and large lakes, there are also large areas of flat landforms.

The barley has already been harvested this year, and the yellowish stalks gleam like gold under the bright sunlight.

The ancient city of Xiangxiong is surrounded by such fields, as if it were in a sea of ​​gold, giving the entire city a solemn and sacred feel.

Hundreds of people, cloaked in black, rode across the vast fields on locally bred black-maned, yellow-bodied horses.

As they entered the city, they slowed their horses' hooves slightly.

Upon seeing such noble attire, the slaves working throughout the city all knelt down and bowed with their palms together in respect.

"The slaves here seem to be in better health than those in other places."

The leading man lifted his hood, revealing a typical Persian face.

He had a full head of long black hair with slightly curled ends, high cheekbones, a very thick mustache on his upper lip, but his chin was clean-shaven.

This person was none other than Maharun from the Abbasid Caliphate.

His full name, when translated into Chinese, is twenty-seven characters long.

Not to mention foreigners, even his own countrymen who are familiar with him often refer to him by the pronunciation of the three characters "Maharun".

The man riding alongside him, beneath his cloak, wore a brownish-red monk's robe, had no eyebrows or beard, was blind in one right eye, and had full, fleshy cheeks.

This monk was named Adoro, and he was the second disciple of the Mountain King Monk.

He is also the guardian mage of the lineage of King Ari, who now possesses the strongest military force after the split of Tibet.

Although the ancient city of Xiangxiong was not the territory of King Ali, the customs were still the same. Adoro glanced at the slaves' complexions and knew the reason.

"After all, the barley harvest has been plentiful. Soon it will be time to plant winter barley, and the slaves will need to have a few full meals so they will have the strength."

Adoro smiled and said, "Furthermore, my uncle always advocates that nobles should not be too demanding of slaves, otherwise, if the slaves escape to other places, it is the nobles who will lose their own blessings."

"Of the eighteen cities of Xiangxiong, which one wouldn't give him face?"

The group passed through the city, no longer glancing at the slaves who were giving way, and soon arrived at a cluster of magnificent temples.

Throughout the temple, tall prayer flags and colorful ribbons fluttered.

The monks were leading the distinguished guests who had come to worship to offer incense before the Buddha, thanking the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for blessing this year's bountiful harvest.

The large commotion caused by the approach of several hundred people to draw the attention of many monks, who became wary.

Adorlos dismounted, ripped off his cloak, threw it off the horse, and revealed his full form.

Immediately, many monks recognized him and bowed to him.

A handsome young monk, with one shoulder bare and barefoot, came and bowed to Adora, then turned and led the way.

"Heh, my martial uncle must have sensed that we've come to see him. Since he's willing to send someone to welcome us, it means he's willing to help."

Adoro showed delight and invited Mahalun to accompany him. He also invited only a dozen or so people into the temple, while the rest waited outside.

The handsome young monk led them around multiple halls, taking them further and further astray.

In front of them was what appeared to be a large meadow with a pool of water in the middle, as blue as the sky.

Several bright yellow cushions were placed by the pool, with incense burners, prayer wheels, and cheese placed on them.

An old man, wrapped in white fur and with a full head of silver hair that reached his waist, sat on a cushion, flicking his fingers to throw food into the lake.

The sesame seeds, fried in oil, have an amazing aroma, and once added to the water, they immediately attract fish in the pond to feed on them.

Mahalun immediately recognized that there were several kinds of fish in the pond, all of which were species that could not survive on the plateau.

I don't know what kind of wonderful method was used to raise them, but they are so lively in this lake.

Adoro stepped forward first and bowed deeply.

The dozen or so people behind him also removed their cloaks and went down to pay their respects.

There were actually more than a dozen monks, and they all said, "Greetings, Master Zengming! Greetings, Uncle-Master!"

The long-haired old man turned his face, revealing a round face. Although it was full of wrinkles and his beard was sparse, one could still see a hint of good fortune in him.

"Good! Good! Of my senior brother's disciples, only a small portion seek the wisdom of enlightenment; the rest have become his disciples in search of his supernatural powers."

"Among those with supernatural powers, you have gained the most."

The round, plump old man smiled and said, "It's a pity that you two didn't form a good relationship. You came from the same school, yet you fought each other for more than ten years. Today, you have finally resolved your grudges and become fellow travelers."

"Adoro, you did a great job."

"Distinguished guest from the Abbasid Caliphate, I should be even more grateful to you!"

Mahalun stepped forward and bowed: "The manuscripts of the Mountain King Monk and Master Zengming are still preserved in the Wisdom Palace. As the commander of the Dharma Protector Army of the Wisdom Palace, it is my duty to do one or two things for the distinguished guests in the palace."

The Abbasid Caliphate built a "Palace of Wisdom" in its capital Baghdad to collect and store ancient texts from both the East and the West.

Astronomy, geography, medicine, divination, architecture, philosophy of various countries, martial arts and military affairs—it is categorized into all sorts of subjects, encompassing everything.

They also invited many talented people to translate it into Arabic script.

It can be said to be the highest institution of learning in the Abbasid Caliphate, and also a place where the Abbasid Caliphate's masters gather.

Mahalun, as the commander of the Dharma Protectorate of the Palace of Wisdom, was also revered as the "Dharma Protector" by the Persians in the country. His high position and great power were self-evident.

The plump old man was also moved when he heard that the visitor was actually the current Dharma Protector.

"The arrival of distinguished guests must be due to some special connection; please speak frankly."

Without further ado, Mahalun took a few steps forward and pulled out a mirror from his pocket.

“Master, please look. This is the Sogdian Nine Luminaries Harmony Mirror. The nine people who possess this mirror, including myself, were originally wise and virtuous people from various countries.”

"But just recently, four mirror masters of the Tang Dynasty met with misfortune."

Mahalun frowned deeply and took a long breath when he spoke of this.

"There are four precious mirrors, which should have already fallen into the hands of the Tang Dynasty's Imperial Guard. Their Imperial Observatory has many wise men, and they will probably rely on the precious mirrors to perform unique divination methods."

“We, the mirror masters, will soon be heading to Chang’an. Even if we lose our mirrors along the way, our identity as mirror masters will not be so easily erased.”

"I'm afraid that once we enter Chang'an, the philosophers of the Imperial Observatory will immediately become aware of us and distinguish us from the envoys of all nations. In that case, it will be inconvenient for us to proceed."

After listening to this statement, the round, plump old man did not express his opinion for a moment.

Adorlo chimed in from the side, "We originally had the hope of avenging our master on this journey..."

The round, plump old man said, "You haven't even left yet, and you've already lost four Mirror Masters. You must have encountered some unforeseen circumstances. Do you really have any hope of revenge?"

Adoro's one eyelid twitched.

He's been worried about this a lot lately.

If they had obtained the divine drum, along with the drums from their fellow disciples, they would have already collected all eighteen drums.

If the four great families of the Turks, the Abbasids, and the Tang Dynasty unite and launch a surprise attack on Haidonglai, their chances of success should not be low.

However, the Mirror Masters of the four great families were all killed in the battle to besiege Chu Tianshu.

With our side losing four top experts while the enemy gains a powerful old monster, how can we not be worried?

However, the Arabs had to make a considerable sacrifice to bring together their fellow disciples who were scattered across different countries.

The Turks, on the other hand, had already secretly amassed their forces, waiting only for Hai Donglai and his men to die before launching a large-scale southward invasion.

These things are all like arrows on a bowstring, they cannot be left unattended. If the operation is canceled, it will cause huge losses, and it will be difficult to come up with such a situation again in one's lifetime.

"Uncle Master!"

Adoro hesitated and said, "You are skilled in divination, could it be that you have foreseen that this time will be unlucky for us?"

The plump old man stared at him for a few breaths, then turned his head away and suddenly reached his hand into the grass to fan it, startling a dragonfly.

The yellowish-brown dragonfly, with its tail slightly upturned like a scorpion's tail, is a specialty of Tibet.

Whoosh!
With a slight movement of his right hand, he had already grasped the dragonfly in his palm, his five fingers loosely closed.

"Adoro, I ask you, when I spread my five fingers, will this dragonfly in my hand be alive or dead?"

Adoro immediately smiled: "Master Uncle is compassionate, how could he kill without cause?"

"The larvae of these dragonflies parasitize the stems and leaves of barley, sucking its nutrients. They are the barley's greatest enemy," the round, plump old man said calmly. "If I crush it to death, preventing it from laying eggs, it will be considered ending the bad karma. If I don't crush it, it's because of my compassion."

"Let me ask you again, will this thought of mine lead to fulfilling karmic ties, or to compassion?"

Adorro's forehead gradually became sweaty.

In terms of martial arts skills, he considered himself to be above this senior uncle.

However, in terms of Buddhist wit, wisdom, and divination skills, he found it difficult to honestly claim that he was superior to his opponent.

His uncle's question must be related to their trip to the Tang Dynasty, but he couldn't answer it.

"I'll ask you again."

The round, plump old man looked at his loosely clenched fist.

"If this dragonfly is related to the fate of the nation for the next few hundred years."

"If the dragonfly dies, it means that our Tibet will be annexed by the Tang Dynasty sooner or later, and the Tang Dynasty will continue to prosper and become even stronger."

"If the dragonfly doesn't die, it means that the Tibetan kingdom can still continue and has a chance to revive. The Abbasid Caliphate and the Turkic Khaganate also have a chance to rise to a higher level..."

Mahalun suddenly laughed, interrupting the old man.

“Venerable Zengming, I understand what you are trying to say!”

Mahalun said, "Droughts and floods are like the fate of the heavens, which is difficult to change, so it is easy to calculate."

"Human hearts are fickle. The same person at the same moment may make different choices when dealing with the same problem. Therefore, it is meaningless to ask about good or bad fortune in matters of life."

The plump old man nodded slightly, a smile on his face.

"That's one layer of meaning, and there's another."

The plump old man continued, "Let's assume that this dragonfly can truly represent the fate of the nation."

"I'm telling you now, this dragonfly is dead. Do you still want to see the answer in my hand?"

Mahalun stroked his mustache, his gaze sharpening.

"Assuming it truly represents the fate of us Persians, then even if it is dead, I will bring it back to life!"

When he said this, all the monks around him felt a slight tingling sensation in their bodies.

It was as if thousands of tiny blades were hidden in the air around them.

There seemed to be a faint crackling sound coming from between their clothes and skin.

The azure pool water suddenly rippled with waves.

A snow-white yak skeleton slowly rose from the bottom of the pool, walked on all fours, and climbed ashore.

That skeleton, devoid of flesh and blood, trembled and swayed, yet grew stronger with each step.

When the cow bone reached Mahalun's side, a deep, resonant bellow strangely emanated from the empty skeleton.

Moo! ! !
The waves in the pond surged and rippled, and the grass rippled in layers.

The cow's bellow caused ripples to spread throughout the surrounding area.

Mahalun's hand gently caressed the cow's skull, his gaze fixed on the round, plump old man.

Adoro stood beside him, staring incredulously at the protector of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Having been with the Kunlun Society for so many years, he never knew that Mahalun's cultivation had actually reached this level.

Human intentions are like lightning, only too subtle and delicate.

Once the mind is cultivated into sword intent, it is released outwards. This transformation from the inside out is like the change of heavenly thunder.

When thunder roars, what people actually see is not electricity, but the air itself that has been struck.

Therefore, the vast majority of sword intent does not harm people with lightning-fast intention, but is presented in the form of external favorable wind.

Mahalun managed to condense the sword intent after it left his body and transformed, and it still moved like dark electricity, controlling the bones of the corpse!
This is truly the sword intent that transcends life and death, and then returns to life.

"it is good!!"

The plump old man finally broke into a smile.

"How can a person who is destined for great things be swayed by divination?"

He opened his palm, and the live dragonfly flew up.

"I will use magic to disrupt the Imperial Observatory's divination, so that you will not be discovered in advance."

"Furthermore, over the years, I have repeatedly felt that my senior brother may not be completely dead."

“I will rely on divination to exert influence in the unseen world and do my best to guide everything in the most favorable direction for you, so that you can launch your plan at the best time.”

Mahalun was slightly surprised: "A mage can actually do such a thing?"

The plump old man's smile remained unchanged.

"This is something that our Snow Mountain Secret Sect's great masters can only do once in their lifetime."

"I have enjoyed wealth and honor for so many years because of the support of the Tibetans, which has allowed me to study Buddhism in peace and pursue its mysteries."

"I must repay this great kindness."

"Now that I am old, it is time to end this bond."

The old man picked up the prayer wheel beside him, shook it gently, and chanted in a long voice.

"Good! Good!"

The prayer wheel spun and suddenly burst into flames.

The flames quickly spread to the plump old man's entire body, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Adorlo and the many monks behind him exclaimed in surprise and tried to move forward.

Mahalun reached out and stopped them.

"I see."

Mahalun bowed solemnly, saying, "This is for our journey to Chang'an."

"Master Zengming has achieved rainbow body transformation!"

Many monks from the temples rushed over, some of them bursting into tears.

Without Master Zengming, the temple's prestige will surely decline significantly.

When the Mountain King died, Tibet split apart. Now that Zengming has died, will the monks he united also follow the same path?
But some monks knelt down devoutly.

Datang.

Qin Tianjian.

Cao Mengzheng received Nie Hongxian in a quiet room.

A young Taoist priest was arranging four silver mirrors on a small table, holding a tortoise shell in his hands, and meditating with his eyes closed.

Nie Hongxian could sense that when the Taoist was meditating, all the surrounding objects and scenery, even the dust particles in the air, seemed to become several times clearer.

Suddenly, the clarity of all the scenery dropped back to its original state.

The young Taoist priest was startled, and the tortoise shell in his hand fell to the ground. He held his head in his hands and felt dizzy.

Cao Mengzheng suddenly turned his head and looked northwest.

"Where did this rainbow light come from, obscuring the secrets of heaven?"

Cao Mengzheng stood up. "Using the rainbow transformation of a century-old lineage to conceal divination beyond human affairs is one thing, but why make it difficult to predict natural disasters within eighty-one days?"

"You wretched child! You wretched child!"

The old scholar trembled with rage and smashed the teacup in his hand.

"With such a lack of compassion for all living beings, and with such perverse and wicked people as you in the world, when will the world ever be any better?"

(End of this chapter)