Chapter 799: You May Escape the Great Calamity, But Can You Escape Me?

With matters having reached this point, even the Eastern Pole Emperor could only temporarily suppress his thoughts.

Everyone fell silent, focusing their full attention on this place.

In fact, even the disciples of the Sanxian Sect were quite vague about Shen Yi's specific strength; this eldest disciple certainly had many terrifying feats, such as a bitter victory against three peers including You Yao, and slaying over a thousand monks in the battle at Nanping Prefecture.

But the former was obscured by the realm of Taixu, with no one knowing exactly what happened inside; the latter seemed numerous in quantity, but most were Arhats, and those five Bodhisattvas were all travelers transformed by Huang Liuliu, so they could only be called fierce and ruthless; as for actual strength, many direct senior disciples could achieve the same.

Now facing this third-rank perfect Bodhisattva of Nan Nan Xumi, everyone certainly believed Shen Yi could win, but whether he could achieve a crushing victory matching his reputation remained an unknown.

"..."

The monk from Xuantian Shan had intended to emulate the second cultivator he faced, waiting calmly for Shen Yi to attack, hoping to find a flaw before counterattacking.

But he never expected the opponent to remain completely still, simply hanging motionless in the air.

As time passed, the pressure in his heart gradually doubled, to the point where his fingertips began to tremble imperceptibly.

This was the power of a renowned name.

No more waiting!

The black and thin monk feared that if this continued, before the opponent revealed a flaw, he himself would lose the courage to strike.

He bent forward again, emitting a hoarse roar.

The Golden Body dharma image behind him made a similar movement; both arms held the Demon-Subduing Pestle and thrust forward, as a surging Jinhe instantly swept through the yellow clouds.

Watching the incoming Demon-Subduing Pestle, Shen Yi finally moved; suddenly, a sky full of black clouds roared out, wrapping around the universe to encase himself, his form vanishing into invisibility.

"He retreated?"

Not to mention the disciples of the Sanxian Sect, even the monks, upon seeing this scene, looked up in successive shock.

With the prestige of Taixu Zhenjun, not to mention decisively suppressing a peer, at the very least he should have clashed head-on; yet he chose to avoid from the very start. Was this caution or cowardice? It was truly hard to say.

"This..." Xuan Weizi had just comforted himself that the matter was settled and that using this to intimidate those monks would be good, but immediately he saw such a scene, and he couldn't help but look at Li Shan with confusion.

After all, most of his understanding of Shen Yi came from the words of this adopted disciple.

"This disciple does not know."

Li Shan was equally unable to understand; even if Taixu's Dao Fruit seemed unsuitable for direct combat, just the sword light that lit up in Nanping Prefecture earlier would have been enough to give this monk a hard time.

Many direct disciples of the Sanxian Sect also looked at each other in confusion.

However, what was even more eye-opening was yet to come.

The monk from Xuantian Shan was equally puzzled by the opponent's response, but since he had already struck, once an arrow is loosed, there is no turning back; he gritted his teeth and commanded his dharma image to charge directly into that vast, empty universe.

Two Demon-Subduing Pestles were swung out repeatedly, effortlessly tearing apart that black cloud.

Shen Yi's hidden form began to emerge; no matter how he tried to evade, the surrounding black clouds were being rapidly washed away by the Jinhe, the covered area shrinking smaller and smaller, until eventually he would be forced into a position with nowhere to hide.

"..."

In the eyes of the Sanxian Sect disciples below, confusion began to surge.

Was this wretched cultivator really their own eldest disciple, notorious for his ferocity?

"So the eldest disciple is also afraid to fight?!" The black and thin monk's fighting spirit grew even more vigorous, even emitting a deep, resonant question like a great bronze bell; he strode up into the sky, numerous Buddhist treasures on his body simultaneously radiating light, coordinating with that massive dharma image to seal off all of the opponent's escape routes.

"Tsk."

The Eastern Pole Emperor frowned; perhaps his reputation had some exaggeration, but it should not be so utterly wretched.

He roughly guessed Shen Yi's thoughts, but felt the opponent was even more foolish.

Either lie in ambush like a venomous snake to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy, or, having chosen to step forward, then simply display the spirit of a true dragon to intimidate all directions.

How could one want both? Wanting to hide one's reserves while refusing to be a cold observer, ultimately losing both.

Clearly, this eldest disciple might have a cultivation level slightly higher than others, but far from being able to subdue a peer-level Bodhisattva without revealing his true methods.

Now the disciple of Xuantian Shan had reached the peak of momentum, while the black cloud had already been torn apart by nearly ninety percent; trying to take down this monk now would only cost a greater price.

The Emperor's vision was incredibly sharp.

The instant his thoughts crossed his mind, Shen Yi was indeed forced into a desperate situation.

The remaining black clouds were no longer sufficient to protect him.

And the black and thin monk had, for the first time, surpassed him in position; he stepped up towards the sky, looking down at the figure dodging and weaving within the black clouds, a fierce light rising in his eyes.

Whether the opponent had other thoughts or was truly strong outside but weak inside, at the very least he must seize this opportunity for victory.

The Demon-Subduing Pestles were like two great brushes, and the Jinhe was like inexhaustible thick ink.

Every time they were swung out just now, they left marks in the heavens and earth; and now, these marks formed a huge handprint on the yellow clouds.

Within the towering Golden Body, the black and thin monk's chest heaved violently; both simultaneously raised their arms high, then suddenly slammed them down.

The Demon-Subduing Pestles were like inverted mountains, crashing down from the sky with the force of Lei Ting, pointing directly at that Daoist Lord in black robes who had completely lost any room for maneuver.

After Shen Yi stepped forward, no one ever imagined the situation would become this absurd.

Even if his strength was high, he was still within the third-rank category; facing this extremely fierce strike, he would similarly face a life-or-death crisis.

"How could this be?"

Hao Ming Zhenren's face had lost all color; his eyes wide, he watched the two falling golden giant peaks, his muttering sounding like a mosquito.

Before the eyes of all.

Shen Yi's expression turned solemn, his thin lips pressed tightly together.

Just then, as if he had found an opportunity, a sharp light flashed in his eyes; at the very moment the black and thin monk's momentum was at its peak, he suddenly joined his fingers into a sword gesture, and a Bai Hong shot out violently from his fingertips.

Pfft—

The disciple of Xuantian Shan, like a fierce tiger pouncing, crashed into a green stone; his entire body suddenly trembled.

He stared blankly, lowering his gaze to look at the gash on his body.

That sword, which appeared and vanished in an instant, had precisely pierced through his fruit position; under the impact of the vast calamity force, that golden fruit, tempered for many years, was covered in cracks in an instant, visibly dimming.

The monk trembled as he raised his head, wanting to say something, but under the devastation of that sword intent, his life force simply dissipated.

A wisp of red fluid spilled across the sky.

Announcing that this debate, originally held to prevent the situation from escalating further, had claimed its first life...

The entire arena fell into Tianyan Siji.

Only Shen Yi's faint breathing remained.

"He did it on purpose!"

Master Miaoyin suddenly stood up and roared toward the arena.

Although he had mocked in his heart earlier, how could he not realize now that the opponent possessed such a spiritual treasure and immortal sword yet never summoned it, only falling into the so-called life-or-death crisis? This was no normal duel; it was clearly just an excuse to intentionally take a life!

"..."

The Eastern Pole Emperor was also stunned for a moment.

The reason he had previously thought in other directions was that no one would act as Master Miaoyin the Monk described.

Because this great calamity was meant to select an Immortal Emperor.

And after the debate, even if one took first place, approval from both sects was still required.

Such feigned weakness for the sake of killing would obviously completely ignite the Puti Sect's fury and resistance, bringing not the slightest benefit to one's future.

After the Monk's enlightenment.

The disciples of the Sanxian Sect also realized the reason behind this absurd scene before them.

They looked at the back of their senior brother Taixu with complex expressions.

Why would he do something so utterly detrimental to himself with no benefit whatsoever?

The red fluid falling from the sky reflected in everyone's eyes, slightly glaring.

Under this stimulation, many disciples began to recall many things.

For instance, they had not originally come to fight for the Dao ground, but to seek justice for their fellow sect members.

From junior sister Ling Su and junior brother Mao Feng at the very beginning... to the many disciples who perished in the Eastern Continent later, and senior brother Chu Xi who was slain by the Great Selfless Bodhisattva.

It was not that senior brother Taixu was at fault, but that they themselves had been blinded by incense offerings, which made the other's actions seem strange and incomprehensible.

This senior brother had never forgotten the original intention.

He had come to seek justice; a life debt must be repaid with a life!

"No wonder he has always stationed himself in Nanping Prefecture, never competing with junior brothers and sisters for incense offerings..." Li Shan's throat rolled as he looked at his master, the shame on his face now reaching its utmost intensity.

Everyone else was using the names of those deceased fellow disciples to seek private gain, while the one who truly took this matter to heart was this Taixu True Person, who had only recently entered the sect.

This was the undisputed eldest disciple of the Sanxian Sect!

"Bullshit! Did your disciples hold back even an inch just now, forcing my senior brother Taixu to this extent, and now you won't allow him to fight back?!"

Xiang Ming raised his arm and shouted, retorting to Master Miaoyin the Monk first: "Dueling always has accidents; if you fear death, just come up, kowtow loudly, and admit defeat!"

The other disciples immediately echoed him, cursing the monks so thoroughly that they were left speechless for a long time.

"..."

The Joyous True Buddha looked down coldly at the Daoist Lord Xuan Shang, remembering that he had said before the debate that harmony should be valued.

This junior seemed not to have listened.

Facing the chilling gaze of a True Buddha, Shen Yi did not turn back, but simply stood quietly with his hands hanging by his sides.

From the very beginning, what he intended to fight was not these third-rank disciples.

He was fighting these first-rank giants.

As for the content of the struggle, it was that anger and hatred in the hearts of the disciples of both sects that the True Buddha wished to quell, but which he absolutely could not accept.

"What exactly do you intend to do?"

Ignoring the gaze cast by the Eastern Pole Emperor, Empress Hou Tu Niangniang looked at that young junior and asked in her heart.

She was beginning to understand less and less.

Unwilling to become an Immortal Emperor yet stirring up a killing calamity; completely unable to discern his aim. Among the three powers in the world, which side does this person stand on?

Could it not be... on that side?

Empress Hou Tu Niangniang instinctively looked toward the direction of the Divine Dynasty's Imperial City, outside the Eastern Mount Nan Xumi.

"Please, True Buddha, decide!"

Many Great Selfless Bodhisattvas also had grim faces and could only look toward the two True Buddhas.

Just as the Joyous True Buddha made a move, the Eastern Pole Emperor raised an eyebrow, not yet having spoken, when Empress Hou Tu Niangniang already glanced over lightly: "Just now, when your sect's disciple was too nervous and did not hear clearly, we did not say anything either."

She referred precisely to the incident where True Person Haoming admitted defeat upon entering the arena but was still beaten into serious injury.

"Heh."

The Joyous True Buddha met her gaze; he had not expected that this Empress Hou Tu Emperor, who did not concern herself with worldly affairs, would also be unable to restrain her temper when facing the conflict between the two sects.

That name of purity and loving the world was not necessarily all true.

"This old monk only wishes to say that harboring a heart to harm others will ultimately harm oneself."

"Since both Emperors feel there is no problem, this old monk has no objection either. Since it is a debate on the Dao, then let us speak by skill."

As the words fell, the Joyous True Buddha lightly waved his sleeve, stopping the monks' commotion.

Yet when these monks looked at Shen Yi, the surging hatred and anger in their eyes was something even first-rank giants could not suppress.

Under such circumstances, the Daoist Lord Xuan Shang still did not restrain himself.

Shen Yi slightly adjusted his qi, looked at the monks again, and nodded his chin: "Again."

Two simple words, yet more effective than the Joyous True Buddha's words.

The monks, who had just been full of resentment, became surprisingly quiet after hearing this sentence.

You look at me, I look at you.

The situation did not seem very different from the Sanxian Sect disciples earlier.

Master Miaoyin the Monk, who had roared out, 顺势 directly sat back down; he and Shen Yi would definitely have a battle, but before that, he needed to obtain enough information to increase his chances.

Just as before, even if unwilling, those who must take the field cannot escape.

"Zhu Shixiong, grant me your instruction!"

Seeing he could not dodge, the yellow-robed Monk gritted his teeth, strode forward, and leaped onto the yellow clouds.

The same Golden Body Dharma Image remained shrouded in black clouds.

He clearly did not wish to suffer the same fate as the disciples of Tianshan; since Shen Yi did not move, he stood motionless as well, ensuring he would give the other no excuse to strike a killing blow.

Yet as time passed, he gradually sensed something was amiss.

The surrounding black clouds grew ever denser, nearly obscuring his vision, while from that void, threads of sword intent quietly emerged, prickling his back like needles and making his whole body numb.

The killing intent surged more fiercely, eroding his mind.

The Monk even felt that the moment the sword intent covered his entire body would be the moment of his death.

A third-rank Walker, whose instincts carved into his very bones through arduous cultivation and tempering, how could he tolerate handing life and death over to another?

Sweat beads on the Monk's forehead grew denser and denser until they soaked his eyes.

Finally, the defenses in his heart were utterly torn apart.

"Do not think to bluff me!"

Accompanied by a shrill, hoarse roar, the Monk's arm muscles bulged, and together with that massive Golden Body Dharma Image, he smashed down upon the black clouds before him with fierce momentum.

He easily tore through the void that had left him drenched in sweat, and with surprising precision; the moment his fists thrust out, he directly located the figure of Taixu Zhenjun, aiming straight for the other's head.

Such a brilliant strike caused the Monk's pupils to suddenly dilate, his eyes filled with terror.

He had forced this Taixu Zhenjun into a "life-or-death crisis."

Swish—

Accompanied by a dull sword sound.

Bai Hong struck out once more.

Shen Yi lowered his hand, quietly watching the Monk before him crash down.

Seeing his appearance of a narrow victory, everyone's expressions grew exceedingly complex.

This duel seemed to be becoming strange.

(End of this chapter)