Chapter 205: Kill the demon monk (I)

Chan Zhi the Monk swiftly traversed the Outer Domain and arrived at Guangyang.

To the naked eye, it looked as if he had pushed open the Pagoda’s gate and walked out.

“Ah… the suppressive force of this world, phew,” Chan Zhi the Monk sighed.

Those who had never been to the Outer Domain could not understand this oppressive feeling.

Compared to the unbridled freedom of the Outer Domain, in this world, it seemed as if every word and action was being watched.

Here, Dao that were too lofty in essence would be suppressed.

People with excessively high Realms would be suppressed.

The range of battle impact must not exceed a thousand li, otherwise, it would incur Heavenly Punishment.

No speed was allowed to exceed the Heavenly Dao’s limit.

No one was allowed to delve deeper than thirty thousand li underground.

Laws such as these were engraved upon the Heavenly Dao of this world; no one needed to monitor them, as Heaven and Earth themselves set the norms for everyone.

‘Rules’ permeated the entire world.

In contrast, the Outer Domain was the truly free place.

Countless people from the outside world desired to ‘Ascend’ into this place; they gave it numerous names, such as Immortal Realm, Divine Realm, High Heaven, Divine Dynasty, Heavenly Kingdom, Sacred Realm, and Supreme Land.

Their ultimate goal of cultivation was to Ascend from their own world to this one, to become true Divine Beings, Immortals, or something else.

But cultivators who truly lived here only wanted to escape to the Outer Domain.

It was oppressive, far too oppressive.

It felt as if Mount Tai was pressing on their chest, making even breathing feel difficult.

They felt constrained.

However, it was fine; he was just here to pick someone up.

“The location is… ah, found it,” Chan Zhi the Monk smiled, taking a step forward.

Then, his body suddenly became illusory, before he stepped into a grotto.

This was precisely where Guangyang Sicheng was hiding.

If he had known that Li Qi would instruct Chan Zhi the Monk to come here, he would probably regret not having killed Li Qi directly back then.

Chan Zhi the Monk, however, upon arriving here, sighed:

“Hmm? Is this a Formation created by Guangyang to regulate mountains and rivers? No wonder it can conceal auras so well that even I couldn’t detect it; it’s truly impressive. That female companion hiding here is indeed quite cunning.”

“However, since I’m here, the defenses here seem a bit redundant,” Chan Zhi muttered to himself, then extended his hand and gently pressed downwards.

A giant hand appeared in the sky.

The golden hand, translucent in its entirety, pressed down towards the ground in a gesture of plucking a flower.

What was clearly ‘ground’ suddenly transformed into ‘water,’ easily penetrated by that hand.

No, it didn’t turn into water.

Rather, in the face of that hand’s immense power, solid matter behaved like a fluid.

His hand entering the ground was like an ordinary person’s hand entering water.

There was no obstruction.

It wasn’t that there was no resistance, but simply that this resistance was virtually nonexistent to him.

Mountains were flattened.

The earth shook violently!

The ground rippled like water!

The earth cracked, water and land soared, and all living beings were terrified, seeing mountain gods fleeing and water gods retreating!

The gods of mountains and rivers, just by seeing this giant hand, already understood the disparity in power and fled in panic.

Chan Zhi the Monk, however, didn’t care. The giant hand continued to press down, leaving a massive crater in the ground. The surrounding earth continuously trembled, and the displaced rocks and soil surged out, constantly burying the nearby mountains and rivers, then forming new mountains, rivers, and streams.

Countless mountain and water gods who had just fled, now saw their golden bodies flicker, and some even perished directly!

There was no choice; this Formation could prevent prying and information dissemination.

To ‘invite someone’ in, one first had to break this Formation created by Guangyang City.

Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult.

It was simply a matter of using force to overcome skill.

However, that giant hand did not continue downwards indefinitely.

After digging down several thousand meters, a barrier suddenly rose.

“Chan Zhi the Monk! You are going too far!” Guangyang Sicheng’s voice echoed from below!

“Ah, there’s another rat hiding here? Very well, then, let’s take care of it together; truly, this is this monk’s good fortune,” Chan Zhi the Monk smiled, seemingly a little surprised, but without much change in his demeanor.

“Then come and try!” Guangyang Sicheng roared, and the barrier suddenly expanded!

Immediately following that, countless Spiritual Artifacts, tens of thousands of them, appeared in the sky!

The Dao of Reason was best at Artifact Refining and setting up Formations.

To explore the principles of all things – this was the Dao of the Dao of Reason. They would usually apply the principles they discovered to practical use, which meant creating Spiritual Artifacts that could replicate these methods.

Thus, the Dao of Reason had its special Formations and a large number of Spiritual Artifacts that could be mass-produced.

“Go!” Guangyang Sicheng waved his hands, and countless Spiritual Artifacts clanged, then shot towards Chan Zhi the Monk with extreme speed!

Among these Spiritual Artifacts, there were several hundred of the same Rank as Li Qi’s golden thread, and even seven or eight that were stronger than Rank 8 Jin Qi (Metal Energy), reaching Rank 7.

These Spiritual Artifacts formed a Formation.

Golden bells rang, churning clouds and water.

Jade chimes struck, startling ghosts and gods.

Censers burned, fire clouds covering the top.

Feather fans waved, colorful Phoenixes danced gracefully.

Soul banners moved, the ghost Realm trembling.

Stiff crossbows, golden swords and silver spears, purple mist and red clouds, black Qi spreading.

Layers of halberds, stacks of spears and knives, golden bells and jade chimes, myriad Spiritual Artifacts, covering the sky and earth!

No matter how unskilled in combat, Guangyang Sicheng was still a dignified Rank 7. Now, with the advantage of terrain and the assistance of the Formation below, he instantly unleashed incredible power.

The pungent smell of sulfur permeated the air, water waves surged, the earth trembled, and the sky turned gloomy.

Just the aftermath of this Formation caused the surrounding weather to become chaotic, astronomical phenomena to be disturbed, the weather to be turbulent, and the earth’s Qi to churn.

However, Chan Zhi merely stood in place, hands clasped together.

Then, he softly chanted: “This Peacock, is my body.”

Just this one line… no, only half a line of scripture, yet it caused Buddha’s light to emanate all around him.

The Peacock’s characteristic is to feed on poisonous insects and plants; no poison can harm it, instead, it makes its feathers plump and lustrous, superior to all other birds and beasts, hence the saying, “immune to all Dharmas.”

There is a Buddhist Venerable, Peacock Bright King, known as the ‘World-Protecting Vajra,’ who is protected by divine light, causing all things to retreat, precisely because the Peacock has the characteristic of being untouched by all things.

In ancient times, there was a strange beast in the snowy mountains, a golden Peacock, who diligently chanted the Peacock Bright King Mantra, and thus always remained safe.

But once, due to a craving for pleasure, he went with many female Peacocks to play in a distant mountain, and did not chant the mantra, thus he was captured by humans. When he was bound, he regained his mindfulness, chanted the mantra, and immediately broke free from his bonds, gaining freedom.

At this moment, what Chan Zhi chanted was a half-sentence of the Peacock Bright King Mantra, with errors and omissions.

After chanting the mantra, a great Peacock Dharma body appeared behind Chan Zhi the Monk, and Mandala light radiated around him. A Peacock Dharma image materialized behind him.

The Peacock emitted Buddha’s light, like a wisp of cloud in the vast sky, and those Spiritual Artifacts completely ignored commands, actually ‘slipping’ out from the edge of the area covered by the Peacock Dharma body’s Buddha light.

It was a very strange scene, as if magnets were repelling each other; countless Spiritual Artifacts circled Chan Zhi the Monk, but could not get close to him at all.

Guangyang Sicheng, however, did not linger in battle.

After this move forced Chan Zhi the Monk to defend, he unhesitatingly activated the Formation, causing this grand Formation, built with the combined power of an entire province, to self-destruct directly!

Then, he pulled back and prepared to escape.

Although he had spoken so resolutely just now, his first reaction was this.

Attack with full force to compel Chan Zhi the Monk to defend, then detonate the Formation to prevent the opponent from pursuing, and then escape completely.

Almost at the moment of their meeting, he made this decision.

It was very fast and very wise; this was almost Guangyang Sicheng’s only chance of survival.

There was only one question.

How was he exposed?

This place should have ensured that no aura would leak out; how did Chan Zhi the Monk find him?

After much thought, only one answer came to his mind.

Young Master of Shaman God Mountain!

Besides him, no one else could have told Chan Zhi about this!

That scoundrel!

He merely refused to be his lackey, and he actually did such a thing, wanting to use Chan Zhi to kill him with a borrowed knife!?

Despicable and shameless!

However, at this moment, the Dharma image behind Chan Zhi the Monk changed.

Originally, it was the Great Peacock Dharma image, of seven precious colors, radiating brilliant light, perceiving mosquitoes and insects as if they were infants.

This Dharma image had stringent defenses, difficult to breach.

But after the Formation self-destructed, he should have continued to defend.

If he didn’t defend, he would be injured by the Formation’s self-destruction, and thus unable to pursue Guangyang Sicheng.

However, Chan Zhi the Monk, who should have continued to defend to avoid injury, did not make the judgment Guangyang Sicheng had expected.

In Guangyang Sicheng’s view, Chan Zhi the Monk had directly abandoned his defense.

It seemed Chan Zhi the Monk wasn’t afraid of getting hurt at all?

However, the new Dharma image that appeared was—

A Devil.

It was originally noon.

But, suddenly.

The sky turned dark.

Something had blotted out the sunlight for a hundred li around.

A colossal nightmare descended upon the world.

A terrifying Demonic Overlord, human from the waist up and with countless venomous snakes drooling from the waist down, stood behind Chan Zhi.

These deformed snakes were more like tentacles, their eyes pitch black, with countless faces of screaming agony on the tentacles.

Li Qi had once seen Chan Zhi in this form.

When Chan Zhi the Monk lost control, he took on the appearance of this Devil God!

From beneath that terrifying Devil God’s seat, black, smoking acid continuously dripped.

All the Spiritual Artifacts that had attacked, and even the self-destructing Formation, began to dissolve.

Like wind blowing through light, like a knife cutting water, they did not touch.

Chan Zhi the Monk’s Demonic Qi was like boiling soup, and these external objects were like solid ice; upon contact, the ice melted and vanished rapidly.

Guangyang Sicheng, who was frantically fleeing in the distance, was astonished to see that Chan Zhi the Monk did not pay him any mind, but instead, with this Devil God’s body, forcibly suppressed the self-destructing Formation!

He was forcibly pushing back a bomb that was in the process of exploding!

Why would he do such a thing?

Guangyang Sicheng couldn’t understand it at all.

Did he not want to affect the surroundings?

Impossible!

How could this demonic monk have such a thought?

However, to his surprise, after suppressing the Formation, Chan Zhi the Monk actually reached out, protected the area beneath the grotto, and raised his voice, saying: “Shen Xiaoyou, I was entrusted by Li Qi to find you and invite you to be a guest at this monk’s Pagoda for a while; Li Qi Xiaoyou is also there.”

It was only when Chan Zhi spoke these words that Guangyang Sicheng understood.

Chan Zhi the Monk wasn’t looking for him at all!

Someone was hiding beneath his Formation; how could such a thing happen?! Which accursed person had harmed him!

Guangyang Sicheng was filled with indignation, but he also felt a bit of luck.

So, the other party wasn’t coming for him? Could he escape?

Under this stroke of luck, he did not stop, rushing quickly to a hundred li away.

This was the boundary; leaving here meant leaving the Devil God’s affected range, and his chance of successful escape would be over seventy percent!

As long as he crossed that line—

However, in the next instant.

Guangyang Sicheng stopped.

Behind him, a terrifying aura erupted, causing even Guangyang Sicheng, a Rank 7, to tremble.

A Rank 7 combat power, definitely another Rank 7 combat power!

What was going on?

He couldn’t help but look back.

He saw a martial artist.

Broad-shouldered and muscular, two meters tall, with muscles like forged iron and bones like cast steel, he was clenching his fists, stripped to the waist and smiling. His blood Qi surged like rolling wolf smoke, erupting from his Baihui acupoint and soaring a hundred zhang high! It could be seen clearly from a hundred li away.

What a robust man!

That blood Qi was simply a raging fire! It was better when contained, but if fully unleashed, it could even melt metal and iron, turning the ground into liquid!

“Thump, thump, thump.” A dull sound echoed, as if the God of Heaven was beating a drum, or as if the earth was pulsating.

But Guangyang Sicheng knew this was the sound of a heartbeat.

An extremely powerful heart, pumping blood, flowing throughout the body, providing strength to every muscle!

It was this martial artist who, with one hand, stopped Chan Zhi the Monk, who was about to reach down.

For this, he endured a direct blow from Chan Zhi the Monk.

Chan Zhi the Monk’s large hand landed on him, making crackling sounds.

The martial artist’s bones made crisp sounds, like iron beads hitting the ground, tapping, tapping, tapping, or like jade stones colliding, but no matter what, they didn’t sound like bones.

As he stretched, the large tendons in his body vibrated like a giant bow, twanging.

His skin was firm, dense, yet smooth and lustrous, like silk, or like mercury, supple yet heavy, impervious to white blades, leaving no trace from arrows.

Just by looking at this body, one knew he was definitely a martial artist!

“Rank 7? No, he’s Rank 8, but temporarily boosted to Rank 7 by a Formation. Who is it?” Guangyang Sicheng retreated while observing who was interfering from not far away.

Not everyone could elevate their Realm through external forces; just as a balloon would burst if overinflated, if one’s foundation wasn’t solid enough, then raising one’s Realm through external forces was seeking death.

To be able to advance from Rank 8 to Rank 7, what kind of Genius was this?

Regardless of Guangyang Sicheng, who was currently fleeing.

On Chan Zhi the Monk’s side, the demonic monk smiled: “Someone from Orthodox Sword Palace? A Formation boost? And, it’s a Formation personally presided over by Shen Xiaoyou?”

He looked down and saw that, at some unknown point, Shen Shuibi was standing below, presiding over the Formation established by Guangyang City to regulate the mountains, rivers, and earth Qi.

Without Guangyang Sicheng even realizing it, this Formation had already been usurped and modified by her!

Chan Zhi couldn’t help but laugh aloud: “Li Xiaoyou even entrusted me to find you, but I didn’t expect Shen Xiaoyou to have such a robust man by her side. It seems she’s enjoying herself so much she forgot to return, so Li Xiaoyou was being overly sentimental.”

Before his teasing words even landed, the man, Zhang Lan, moved.

Under the boost of the Formation, he drew his sword.

The first phase of Li Qi’s plan officially began.

(Double update today, one more to come)