Chapter 292: Chapter 291 Lady Bizan
The dense autumn night was like a thin curtain of fog, concealing half of the moon.
In the desolate mountains, a sedan chair and a turquoise fragrant carriage approached each other.
"Lady Bizan’s late-night invitation is indeed an honor to this humble monk, may I ask what brings me this pleasure?"
Seated atop the sedan chair was a robust middle-aged Lama with ebony skin, his inscrutable eyes swept over the graceful figure in the opposing carriage, flashing with a peculiar light.
If there were any Martial World personage present, they would be utterly astounded.
Lady Bizan, top power of Great Cold State, mistress of the Jade Moon Palace, is a top master ranking thirteenth on the Fengchen Leaderboard.
"Tianzhi, you stealthily harmed my master in the past, today you will pay with your life."
The voice from within the carriage was pleasant, yet the tone was icy cold, filled with deep-seated hatred.
"Hahaha, back then, this humble monk and your master sat and conversed, the cycle of Yin and Yang brought unprecedented joy to your master. My dear Lady, what exactly do you mean by ’pay with your life’?"
The middle-aged Lama laughed sinisterly, his voice echoed all around.
"Evil monk!"
With a furious rebuke from Lady Bizan, an invisible aura spread forth, as if thrusting one into the harshest winter, causing one’s blood to coagulate.
Before long, earth-shaking explosions resounded in the barren mountains, birds flew in all directions, fragments of rocks scattered, trees exploded, and the disturbance continued for a long time before finally quieting down.
The moon finally broke free from the fog.
...
Shi Xiaole did not have a fixed destination, or in his mind, any place in the Martial World could be his destination.
This world was too fascinating, with numerous peculiar and dangerous locations, he planned to advance by overcoming these challenges, and climb to the peak of the martial arts world.
Of course, before that, he would sooner or later return to Qingxue State, to make the seven major sects pay a heavy price!
Traveling with Lin Shaoyi did not make the journey any more lively, often one would sit and practice, while the other would drink by the moonlight, each keeping to their own space without disturbing the other.
Mountains of emerald fluttered in the breeze.
A dazzling Sword Qi radiated from Shi Xiaole, making Lin Shaoyi stop his drinking.
Shi Shi Shi.
Dry leaves on the ground suddenly whirled up into the air, being pierced by the Sword Qi creating countless small holes, disintegrating into flying debris. Among the debris, Shi Xiaole remained unaffected, his green robe unsullied, as if an inexplicable force had segregated him.
"Omnipresent Sword Qi, is this, a sign of realizing the Sword Heart?"
Lin Shaoyi tightly held his wine pot, finally realizing the extent of Shi Xiaole’s abilities, yet this realization made even his heart race uncontrollably.
There are four Sword Marquis in Great Cold State, the youngest ’Sunset Little Sword Marquis’ who is only twenty years old, is almost close to understanding the Sword Heart.
But as far as Lin Shaoyi knew, Shi Xiaole was of a similar age. Could it be that his talent was not inferior to the ’Sunset Little Sword Marquis’?
"Ninety-eight percent Sword Heart."
Withdrawing his Sword Qi, Shi Xiaole slowly opened his eyes, without a trace of elation, instead carrying a sense of disappointment.
He had been in Great Cold State for four months now, but his Sword Heart had only progressed from ninety-seven to ninety-eight percent, the speed was as slow as a crawling tortoise.
Shi Xiaole finally understood how hard it was to realize Sword Heart. He doubted that even with more fortuitous encounters and five more years, he may not reach his present level.
"Still lacking the last two percent, but crossing this hurdle is even more difficult than before."
Though it seemed like just two percent difference from ninety-eight to a hundred, but this two percent represented cumulative efforts, that would eventually bear fruit, without sufficient accumulation, it is impossible to achieve.
With a self-deprecating laugh, Shi Xiaole stood up from the ground and walked away alone. His mind was in chaos, so he wanted to take a stroll to relax.
"He really doesn’t know how to be content."
After taking a sip of wine, Lin Shaoyi suppressed his urge to hit someone.
The barren mountain was silent, occasionally broken by the chirping of insects.
Shi Xiaole mused that if he could build a thatched house here with a beloved woman, spending days swordfighting, painting, and enjoying wine together, that would also be a truly carefree life.
A faint ripple caught his attention, making Shi Xiaole halt his steps. Had his spiritual senses not been sharper than before, he wouldn’t have been able to detect it.
The ripple was inconsistent, like a fallen leaf in a clear pond, creating ripples unknown to others.
Driven by intense curiosity, Shi Xiaole restrained his aura and slowly moved towards where the ripple was coming from, growing more taken aback with every step he took.
In his line of sight, everything was devastated.
Huge boulders were strewn around in pieces, layers of soil were overturned multiple times, trees were tilted in all directions, the scene was as if a localized earthquake had occurred, it was quite horrifying.
"Huh?"
In the end, Shi Xiaole couldn’t help but squint his eyes.
About thirty yards away, two people were sitting, one was a robust middle-aged Lama with dark skin, the other was a graceful woman dressed in green, with a jade hairpin in her hair.
The on-and-off ripple was emanating from the center of their palms which were three inches apart.
"Internal Power confrontation!"
Shi Xiaole was secretly astonished.
In the Martial World, there are various means of martial combat, but undoubtedly the most dangerous is the contest of Internal Power. This is a battle where there’s no rest until one side dies. A slight misstep could lead to a complete severance of the meridians, resulting in death.
If Shi Xiaole knew that the two individuals in the distance had been dueling for a whole day and night, he would certainly be even more surprised. How profound must their internal power be?
"Lady Bizan, prolonging this deadlock benefits neither of us. Dissipate the Destruction of All Great Method quickly. This humble monk swears by the name of the Living Buddha, I’ll let you go."
Master Tianzhi appeared to persuade kindly, yet deep in his eyes lurked a trace of wickedness and impatience.
He never expected that Lady Bizan would actually master the Destruction of All Great Method. This martial art is purely harmful to both oneself and the opponent; once entangled, it must be drained until one side’s internal power exhausts and dies.
In this situation, neither party can move unless their skills outclass the other by an entire level.
Master Tianzhi is ranked eleventh in the Martial World, his strength barely surpassing Lady Bizan’s by a hair’s breadth, so how could he possibly break free?
If that’s all there was, it would be manageable. However, what if someone approached them in the wilderness? As it stands, even an adult man with no martial arts skills could take their lives.
"Evil monk, do you think I would believe your words? Even if I don’t kill you today, it’s worth seeing your power exhausted."
On Lady Bizan’s flawless face surfaced a delightfully satisfied smile.
If she had a choice, of course, she wouldn’t want to die, but if she didn’t use the Destruction of All Great Method, she would end up like her master, drained to death by this evil monk.
If that’s the case, why should she compromise?
Just then, Master Tianzhi and Lady Bizan simultaneously tensed up. Both being renowned Martial World experts, they each noticed Shi Xiaole in the distance with all their heightened senses.
What differed was that Master Tianzhi’s face darkened, while Lady Bizan was full of joy.
From his appearance and temperament alone, Shi Xiaole didn’t seem like a bad person.
"Young man, this is the infamous evil monk Master Tianzhi, he is immobilized now, so quickly seize the chance to kill him!"
Lady Bizan shouted aloud.
"You damned bitch!"
Master Tianzhi was furious.
"Master Tianzhi?"
Shi Xiaole understood. During his four months in Great Cold State, he fundamentally understood everything he needed to know.
This Master Tianzhi was said to be a powerful practitioner of the Secret Sect’s branch, who had roamed the Martial World for decades. Utilizing the Joyful Zen technique, he drained dozens of innocent women, committed countless atrocities, and became the Martial World’s chief menace.
"Young man."
Suddenly, Master Tianzhi turned his head. A genial smile emerged, his eyes eerily rotating, emitting a sense of illusion in waves.
"Not good!"
Lady Bizan urgently regretted not warning Shi Xiaole.
This was Master Tianzhi’s Soul Hypnosis Method, which could affect the opposition’s focus. Even a regular Spiritual-Passage Realm expert could succumb. How could a young man like him resist it?
"Master, were you trying to ensnare me?"
Shi Xiaole’s eyes were clear, and the corners of his mouth even showed a faint smile.
"What?"
Master Tianzhi could not force a smile anymore. How was it possible that his Soul Hypnosis Method had no effect on this youngster?
Lady Bizan also looked strangely at Shi Xiaole.
When Shi Xiaole stood about ten feet away from them, his eyes displayed a bewitching color that could confuse others.
"Such a strong mental force!"
Being a Spiritual-Passage Realm expert and naturally considered as top-tier in every aspect, Master Tianzhi wasn’t bewildered but was indeed shocked. He had never felt such a vigorous mental force from someone this young before.
Shi Xiaole shook his head, extended his hand to draw his sword.
"Hold on, young man," Master Tianzhi said, "as long as you do not harm me, this humble monk is willing to teach you the Joyful Zen technique."
The promise of achieving pleasure and rapidly enhancing abilities would naturally be an irresistible temptation for any man. Master Tianzhi believed that even respectable gentlemen who ostensibly hated him would secretly desire the Joyful Zen technique for their own.
"Joyful Zen?"
Indeed, Shi Xiaole halts his actions.
With a scornful smile, Master Tianzhi earnestly said, "Young man, Joyful Zen is a secret technique of the Secret Sect. Provided that you spare me, by the oath of the Living Buddha, I’ll teach it to you."
Pausing a moment, he then lured him further, "The woman opposite is Lady Bizan of the Jade Moon Palace, with power, influence, talent and beauty; there are countless men in the Martial World who covet her. Cripple her Dantian first, then she’ll be yours."
In theory, the Destruction of All Great Method couldn’t be interrupted, but if one destroys a martial artist’s Dantian, all their internal power vanishes, and the situation naturally resolves.
"Young man, do not fall for the evil monk’s deceitful words."
Lady Bizan suddenly felt worried. Appearances can be deceiving, Shi Xiaole looked like a decent person, but who knew about his ethics?
After a moment of silence, Shi Xiaole spoke to Master Tianzhi, "Alright, I swear by the will of Heaven and Earth, as long as you recite the Joyful Zen, I won’t let anyone harm you, otherwise, let me be struck by lightning."
Honestly, Shi Xiaole wasn’t too interested in Joyful Zen. The reason humans are human is because they adhere to their principles. He disdained training in martial arts that harm others for personal gain.
However, it cannot be denied that Joyful Zen indeed was the extraordinary martial art of legends. Even if he won’t practice it himself, he could at least exchange it with the system for equally advanced martial arts knowledge.
