Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 85 Dharma Body Sword Techniques

Even among the seven evil sects, Xuanming Mansion is the most hated.

They readily dig up human remains and create living corpses.

They even directly abducted strong individuals in their prime and turned them into human puppets.

There's also the infamous assassin, Qianji, who is always blamed for any assassination attempt.

At the height of Xuanming Mansion's power, everyone in the martial arts world lived in fear.

He was worried that his ancestral graves would be robbed, and that his own talent had caught the eye of the elders of the Xuanming Palace.

In fact, the requirements for making puppets are extremely high, and only a handful of people in the Xuanming Palace are in charge. At the same time, the requirements for the martial artist's birth date, age, cultivation level, and martial arts are increasingly stringent.

What they preferred was to dig up the graves of martial arts masters who had just been buried and use secret methods to turn them into living corpses.

Although stiff and awkward movements are inevitable, with such cultivation, one can unleash 70% of their pre-birth combat power.

Their lifespan is limited. Living corpses made from the bodies of ordinary martial artists last only a few days, while living corpses made from the bodies of Foundation Establishment martial artists can last for two or three years before they rot and fall apart.

A Refined God-level Living Corpse possesses both internal and external qualities; its physical body does not age with time and remains at its peak until death, with its vital energy as strong as a furnace.

Once a single vessel is successfully crafted, it can be passed down through two generations, serving the Xuanming Palace for decades.

Even after their elders have died, they are still being driven by the Xuanming Palace and their corpses are being defiled. Who can tolerate this?

One day, under the call of the then abbot of Baiyun Temple, the righteous heroes joined forces to launch an attack and besiege Xuanming Mansion.

He killed dozens of Refining God Demon Lords in one fell swoop, freeing hundreds of Refining God-level living corpses.

The abbot of Baiyun Temple, the head of the Bodhidharma Hall of Shaolin Temple, the current patriarch of the Cui clan of Boling, and the mysterious grandmaster of the Great Chu royal family—the four Dharma bodies—joined forces, and the lord of Xuanming Mansion died on the spot.

Also, the two Dharma Body-level living corpses that had been passed down through generations were destroyed.

After this battle, the Xuanming Palace disappeared without a trace, and the Seven Demonic Sects almost had to be renamed the Six Demonic Sects.

It wasn't until a century later that it was revived, with disciples emerging.

However, they have become much more low-key and no longer dare to steal corpses or excavate the tombs of powerful figures from sects and families as they did back then.

"The Seven Demonic Sects are all wicked and wicked, and righteous heroes all have the right to kill them. The Xuanming Palace is on par with the Taotie Sect, and is one of the few sects, temples, and families that have stood on the same side as the imperial court and are determined to eradicate them. A Foundation Establishment Realm disciple can be promoted seven times in a row by the Captain of the Thieves' Bureau and become a key candidate for cultivation."

Lu Li recalled the various rewards offered to Xuanming Mansion disciples, and the level of dislike they received was truly unique.

"The two temples and three monasteries can reward you with a martial art that has reached the peak of the Divine Refinement realm, and the five great families can offer pills that can help a Divine Refinement expert break through to the next realm—but unfortunately, there is a Divine Refinement level living corpse following you, so you can't touch this person."

In the world, which family's ancestral tomb contains the most corpses of powerful figures?

Naturally, these include major sects, top families, and imperial tombs.

The rise of the Xuanming Palace was aimed at these very places.

There are also the equally heinous disciples of the Taotie Sect, who are considered the most wicked of all demons, and who are relentlessly pursued by various forces whenever they show their tracks.

The Taotie Sect's philosophy is to use the ways of others to satisfy one's extreme desires.

The Devouring Heaven Hungry Ghost Technique can devour the internal energy and even martial arts techniques of others, thereby rapidly increasing one's own strength.

He offended all the major powers and was stuck on the kill list.

In comparison, although the seven evil sects, such as the Rakshasa Palace and the Blood River Sect, had bad reputations, they did not suffer as severe suppression.

Lu Li turned his gaze to Wen Nanzheng and his servant, and the words "Mica Marrow Crystal" came into his ears.

If he didn't know, that would be fine. Senior Brother Lin from Xiaoxi Sword Pavilion had just talked to him about this topic. There was a mica mine in Chungu County that belonged to the Liu family.

The mica produced is directly supplied to the Caobang region, as are mica chalcedony crystals.

The last one was unearthed more than 20 years ago, so it's about time it was unearthed again.

Now that the patriarch of the Liu family has passed away, his descendants are fighting over the family property, creating chaos and causing disorder in the management of the mine.

The failure to notify the canal gang immediately allowed Wen Nanzheng and the young man surnamed You to benefit from the situation.

There was only one piece of mica marrow crystal, and the two men made a bet to decide who got it.

"This is a spiritual material for forging top-grade magical artifacts. With a few more materials, the Nebula Palace can directly forge a top-grade magical longsword for me!"

Lu Li's eyes burned with fervor; he felt no guilt whatsoever about snatching things from the Seven Demonic Sects.

"Using the passengers on the bus as pawns in your duel, and dragging me into it, means that the mica crystal is destined for me—who told you to not have a bodyguard to hone your skills? Of course, you'd pick the softest persimmon to squeeze!"

"We need to act quickly. Judging from her words, the elders of the sect are not far away—the master of the direct disciples of the Rakshasa Palace must be a Refinement God Realm expert, someone we cannot afford to offend."

He strode forward, no longer needing to conceal himself, and sprinted in the direction Wen Nanzheng had left.

Before long, the two women's backs came into view.

He channeled his inner strength to the fullest, striding forward and closing the distance in an instant, his gaze firmly fixed on the demoness of the Rakshasa Palace.

With such a commotion that was not concealed, Wen Nanzheng naturally noticed it, and her expression changed drastically when she turned her head to look.

"I was wrong. That quiet, unassuming young man in the carriage was the real expert, and he even followed me—"

Wen Nanzheng reflected in her heart that this was an unforgivable mistake for the successor of the Rakshasa Temple.

Misjudging people or revealing her whereabouts could cost her her life.

"However, you were too confident, daring to chase after me alone with your sword. You didn't know your own limitations—that's right, a young Foundation Establishment cultivator from a small sect in a small place, you must be pampered by your fellow disciples and spoiled by your teachers—I'll take your life to teach you the dangers of the martial world, and also to remind yourself that such carelessness could lead to death if you choose the wrong target in the future!"

Her slender, jade-like hands reached forward, seemingly creating layers of overlapping images, like a dream.

But it harbors a deadly secret. Once pecked by a phantom butterfly, one may appear physically unharmed, but in reality, one will fall into a deep sleep and never wake up again.

Because those affected by this technique feel as if they are trapped in a dream, it is known as the "Demon Butterfly Hand."

It directly harms a person's soul, leaving no chance for treatment; it is extremely insidious.

Halfway through the interview, her gaze froze, her expression one of astonishment.

With both hands pressed down into the void, his figure floated backward incredibly, narrowly avoiding the chilling sword light.

Intuition told her that if she used the Demon Butterfly Hand to catch the sword, there would be no other outcome than both of her wrists being severed.

Wen Nanzheng had no choice but to retreat again and again, raising the danger level of the young man she had been traveling with for several days once more.

He wasn't some genius martial artist trained by a small sect, but a true disciple of a major sect with equal strength to himself.

Her body moved like a butterfly flitting among flowers, creating a phantom with each turn, and a faint fragrance permeated the air, subtly lowering one's fighting spirit.

No matter how it changed, it could not shake off that pure sword light, which followed her like a shadow and was always close to her true form.

The skin could even feel the cool, refreshing air, as if sharp needles were piercing it.

"Refine a secret technique? Who starts with a killing move? Unless you're a greenhorn, this isn't even a killing move for him!"

Wen Nanzheng felt a chill in her heart that was colder than the glint of a sword; she knew that one wrong move today and she would be done for.

He considered himself to have exceptional talent, but his progress in the early stages of the Rakshasa Illusionary Dream Sutra was slow, which is why his cultivation level appeared average.

Once she passes the Foundation Establishment stage, it won't be long before she becomes as famous in the martial arts world as her senior sister.

As a result, he encountered an unknown young swordsman and was completely overwhelmed throughout the fight, only then realizing what it meant to be outmatched and to be outmatched.

Wen Nanzheng suddenly bit her tongue, causing her maid's clothes to burst open, revealing a gauze skirt underneath.

The right hand, shaped like glass, was photographed from an incredible angle, conveying a sense of encompassing heaven and earth and sealing off any changes.

Butterflies fluttered, and petals fell.

So you're the only one who can master mystical techniques? As one of the nine candidates for Holy Maiden of the Rakshasa Palace, don't I have any?!

As his palm reached mid-air, Wen Nanzheng felt a sudden surge of immense fear. He reached back with his left hand, and the alluring young woman instinctively lunged forward to shield him.

The cold light accelerated again in an impossible moment, and the chill of late autumn gave people goosebumps, with a faint metallic clang.

The alluring young woman's eyes glazed over, blood seeped from her chest, staining her white dress, and she collapsed.

"Huh—this is the first time someone has managed to dodge my sword. Interesting."

Lu Li landed and sheathed his sword, but his arm was swept by the palm wind, tearing off a piece of cloth.

The autumn wind and golden energy sever cause and effect; the sword strikes with unerring accuracy, never missing its mark.

I only discovered today that this move can be avoided by switching people to block the sword.

Of course, it's also because his cultivation level is not high enough.

When one truly reaches the realm where sword intent permeates the principles of law and can sever cause and effect, even if one escapes to the ends of the earth, the sword will still strike the void.

However, that would be something to consider when one has reached the pinnacle of spiritual refinement and is ready to condense their Dharma body.

"Who exactly are you? I am the candidate saintess of the Rakshasa Palace. My sect's deacons are guarding me nearby, and my master is also not far away. If you dare to harm me, no one can protect you!"

This sword strike terrified Wen Nanzheng, as if she had become a ripe ear of wheat, about to be harvested.

The cycle of the four seasons is as it should be, and cannot be defied.

If she hadn't reacted quickly enough and had her personal maid take the sword, the one lying on the ground would have been her, a strong contender for the position of Holy Maiden of the Rakshasa Prince.

It's insane! How could someone encounter such a powerful figure in a small town like Chungu County?

What kind of mysterious technique is this? It's clearly a Dharma Body Sword Technique!

To master such a terrifying sword technique at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, one must be a prodigy ranked among the top ten on the Human Ranking!

No, there doesn't seem to be a young man with such low cultivation among the top ten on the Human Ranking.

"Don't worry, I'll kill you quickly; they won't be able to catch up."

Lu Li didn't relax for a moment. As a direct descendant of the Seven Demonic Sects, he might possess a secret treasure bestowed by his master.

That's a powerful treasure that can turn the tide of battle even when you're at a higher level. Be extra careful the closer you get to victory.

"Brother, please spare my life! I'll agree to anything you say!"

Wen Nanzheng suddenly looked pitiful, with tears streaming down her face, making one want to cherish and protect her.

But when she secretly glanced over, the young swordsman remained unmoved. She muttered a curse inwardly, his sword intent firm and pure, proving he was indeed untemptible.

Seeing him raise his sword to attack again, a flash of inspiration struck her. She grabbed several small pieces and hurled them using a "scattering flowers" technique, blurting out, "This mica crystal is for you. Farewell!"

Lu Li's gaze sharpened, and five or six objects shot out in different directions. One of them was a crystal, only the size of a walnut, with a dark blue color and an eerie glow.

It was the mica crystal that the young man surnamed You from Xuanming Mansion had given to Wen Nanzheng!