Chapter 401: Subduing Bear Dividing Might, Seventh Sword, Final Duel!

【Long Yi's figure suddenly flashed, tearing the phantom with one claw, only to find Xie Guan's figure dissipating into the invisible again.】

【Wind and rain filled the field, countless water arrows pouring down like a storm, the dense offensive suffocating.】

【You pinched the Buddha seal without haste.】

【Both hands slowly loosened, the right palm facing upward, resting on the left palm, the two thumbs gently touching, an aura of being immovable like a mountain, sealing the world, quietly permeating.】

【You released the hand seal, pointing your fingertips lightly.】

【In an instant!】

【A void vortex slowly formed before your fingertips, the vortex filled with sealing and spatial power, gradually expanding as it rotated.】

【Hundreds of water arrows were drawn by an invisible force, falling into the vortex one after another, disappearing without a trace.】

【Master Lianchi, although not seeing this scene for the first time, still could not hide the look of amazement on his face.】

【Xie Hong spoke slowly, recognizing this hand seal: "One of the three supreme hand seals of Buddhism—'Dharma Setting World Seal'."】

【"This seal has the ability of returning to ruins and setting boundaries, sealing the world, and is a supreme secret method of Buddhism."】

【Xie Hong was proficient in the learning of the three families of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and only needed one look to recognize it.】

【This is a hand seal that even the current Buddha Sect and many high monks in Buddhism have not mastered, yet it actually appeared in the hands of a Xie family concubine's son!】

【Quite absurd!】

【Those water arrows with astonishing power, even heavy city walls, would be destroyed under such dense offensive.】

【However, at this moment, before the water arrows could touch the corner of your clothes, they fell into the white vortex like dumplings, without half a sound.】

【Lu Hua's eyes flashed with surprise, secretly thinking, when did you learn such a powerful Buddhist method?】

【Long Yi's figure flashed again in the rain curtain, his sharp claws like electricity, taking straight for Xie Guan.】

【Xie Guan's figure turned into smoke again, drifting into the invisible.】

【Lu Hua counted silently, her eyes full of disbelief: "Seventh 'Loss and Exchange Dharma Spirit Substitution'..."】

【Although she didn't know how many more times you could use the substitution technique, she knew clearly in her heart that this technique absolutely could not be used infinitely.】

【Moreover, with Long Yi's current strength, one only needs a light touch, and your physical body will instantly be squeezed to explode.】

【You didn't even dare to use the sword to block Long Yi's sharp claws, only able to constantly dodge and substitute, in extreme danger.】

【Long Yi's figure disappeared again, leaving only his low roar in the rain curtain.】

【The sky full of rain filled the field!】

【And the water tornado moving slowly in the field.】

【Lu Hua became increasingly anxious; she knew that you could not make a single mistake, and Long Yi only needed to seize one opportunity, and you would be torn into pieces by Long Yi.】

【The ninth talisman paper drifted down slowly!】

【Long Yi summoned a surging wave from the river, sitting across the wave, his figure appearing and disappearing with the impact of the waves, his offensive becoming increasingly fierce.】

【Once again, Long Yi's sharp claws tore through Xie Guan's figure, yet Xie Guan disappeared again.】

【Long Yi's face had even more anger, a flash of impatience in his eyes.】

【He had already lost count of how many times he had shattered Xie Guan's figure.】

【Long Yi pondered in his heart, his face gradually gloomy; Xie Guan could not keep substituting forever.】

【He simply stopped his figure, looking coldly at Xie Guan who appeared in the field again, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth, revealing a mouth full of dense sharp teeth.】

【"Now how... to run?" His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a touch of mockery.】

【Xie Hong behind Long Yi looked around, discovering that the ground in the field was full of water stains, the previous water tornado and the giant wave summoned by Long Yi had all disappeared, his eyes thoughtful.】

【You did not respond to Long Yi's provocation, your hands quickly forming a Buddha seal, your fingertips sliding lightly.】

【A black vortex slowly formed before you, completely different from the previous white vortex. The vortex was surging, as if something was about to drill out.】

【The Demon Master's eyes flashed with realization, whispering: "Using his own way to treat his own body."】

【Next moment!】

【Hundreds of water arrows shot out from the vortex, exactly the same as the water arrows Long Yi had manufactured using the water tornado earlier.】

【Long Yi snorted coldly, spitting out a stream of cold air, condensing a crystal-clear ice shield in front of him.】

【The water arrows hit the ice shield one after another, making a "hissing" sound, green smoke rising from the surface of the ice shield, but it was not pierced through.】

【Long Yi was puzzled in his heart; this was clearly his method, why could Xie Guan display it? Although he didn't understand, he faintly sensed the aura of Buddhist techniques in that black and white vortex.】

【The seal in your hand slowly dissipated; clearly, this strike did not cause substantial harm to Long Yi, and all this was within your expectations.】

【Your gaze shifted slightly, noticing that Long Yi did not continue to approach, but stood not far away, his eyes looking at you coldly, as if looking at a person about to die.】

【The water tornado in the field had already dissipated, and the waves had returned to calm.】

【The river mist gradually dissipated, and the cold moonlight spilled down, reflecting a messy battlefield.】

【The bluestone slab ground was full of water stains, countless pits beaten out by water arrows, the stagnant water reflecting the bright moon in the sky, as if pieces of broken mirrors.】

【You understood in your heart that Long Yi's true killing move was about to arrive.】

【Perhaps all his previous offensives were for this moment's layout.】

【You looked down at the ground, the moon shadow in the stagnant water shaking slightly, as if predicting something.】

【Suddenly!】

【Long Yi's figure moved, chanting a section of obscure incantations in his mouth, his entire body emitting coldness.】

【The stagnant water on the ground suddenly boiled, countless water droplets in the pits rising into the air, turning into sharp water thorns, floating in mid-air, shimmering with cold light.】

【Long Yi spoke coldly: "Xie Guan... it should end."】

【Before the words had faded, countless water thorns poured down like a storm, pointing straight at your vital points!】 【401-

【The entire space has been completely sealed; you have nowhere to hide!】

【Water spikes fill the field, dense and numerous, as if a net of death, completely shrouding you.】

【Lu Hua's face changed drastically, her eyes full of anxiety.】

【So this was Long Yi's final killing move!】

【Even if you use the substitution technique now, there is no more ground to hide in.】

【"Terrible!"】

【Her heart sank, and just as she was preparing to help, she was gently stopped by Master Lianchi: "Not yet."】

【Lu Hua was burning with anxiety, but could only watch helplessly as thousands of ice spikes shot toward you like a rain of pear blossoms.】

【The surrounding cold air suddenly erupted, stirring up a vast expanse of white water vapor, obscuring the line of sight.】

【The First Master flicked his sleeve, and the "Spring and Autumn Brush" sword intent erupted, blowing away the mist.】

【Long Yi's face was gloomy; only countless shattered ice shards remained in the field, while Xie Guan's figure had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a yellow talisman and an illusory butterfly with flapping wings flying gently.】

【Another substitution!】

【Lu Hua opened her Dharma eyes again, her gaze like lightning, quickly searching for Xie Guan's figure.】

【Unexpectedly, she did not find him!】

【Long Yi's gaze suddenly locked onto the ground, only to see a clod of earth slowly bulging, forming a large lump.】

【The clod of earth cracked open, and your figure leaped out from within.】

【Seeing this, Lu Hua let out a long sigh of relief, secretly thinking: I didn't expect you to have already anticipated Long Yi's killing move and hidden underground in advance.】

【Only then did she understand that the Xie Guan on the ground just now was merely an illusion created using the Mirage Butterfly Transformation Circle, one of the "Seven Arts of the Yin Talisman," while the real you had already performed the fourth art, "Subduing Bear's Divided Might," using earth-control techniques to hide underground.】

【The "Seven Arts of the Yin Talisman"—Nurturing Will, Flourishing Spirit, Teng Snake, Divided Might, Corpse Eating, Turning Circle, and Damaging Exchange Mirage Butterfly—correspond respectively to "Fixing Spirit," "Seeking Luck," "Controlling Water," "Controlling Earth," "Seizing Souls," "Substitution," and "Illusion."】

【The seven arts complement each other, with infinite wonderful uses, and you have actually been able to apply them flexibly and master them thoroughly.】

【Lu Hua could not help but feel horrified; how many days had it been, and you had already mastered them to such a degree!】

【The Demon Master watched from the side, understanding in his heart: "These three types of Daoist arts should be Long Yi's innate talents; he is not proficient in high-level martial arts."】

【This is also the weakness of demons—they are born with strong physical bodies but cannot truly transform into human form, making it difficult for them to study the world's martial arts classics and impossible to compare with true Grandmasters of the world.】

【Although Xie Guan relied on the "Seven Arts of the Yin Talisman" and the two great Buddhist hand seals to respond calmly in the exchange, he also exposed his own weaknesses.】

【Although Xie Guan's methods were varied, he lacked powerful offensive techniques, making it difficult to pose a fatal threat to Long Yi.】

【Long Yi exhaled thick white air; although his cultivation was deep, the continuous performance of three crowd-control Daoist arts—"Water Tornado," "Summoning Waves," and "Ice Spikes"—had already consumed a huge amount of energy.】

【However, he was not in a hurry because he saw that you could not break his defense.】

【You had already performed many Daoist arts, and your cultivation was far inferior to his; the first one to be unable to hold on should be you.】

【As long as he adjusted slightly and recovered his vitality, it would be your death day.】

【Your expression remained unchanged, and the "San Zhen Ten Thousand Laws Sword" in your hand trembled slightly, with sharp sword intent rising on the blade, coiling around the sword body like a swimming snake.】

【Lu Hua watched you, her heart full of doubt; what other trump cards did you have?】

【The seven sword intents in your sea of consciousness gradually lit up, like stars.】

【Lu Hua knew you were about to perform the Second Master's Nine Swords, however, even the "Demon-Slaying Sword," which you had mastered the longest and which was the most restraining to demons, had failed to cause substantial damage to Long Yi.】

【What other sword intent could turn the situation around?】

【She sighed secretly in her heart: "Xie Guan's cultivation is ultimately too low; if he could be on the same level as Long Yi, the 'Demon-Slaying Sword' alone would be enough to make Long Yi flee in fear."】

【Just at this moment, the sword blade in your hand suddenly shook, and sword intent surged out like a tide.】

【The "San Zhen Ten Thousand Laws Sword" was first stained with a clear radiance, followed immediately by a touch of scorching intent.】

【Lu Hua recognized at a glance that this was the sword intent of the "Ghost-Slaying" and "Demon-Slaying" swords!】

【A third sword intent quietly emerged, with a layer of ethereal clouds and mist coiling around the sword body.】

【Seeing this, the Demon Master spoke slowly: "This is the Second Master's sword intent—Cloud Gazing."】

【"Back then, the Second Master climbed a high mountain at the age of nineteen, saw the clouds and mist rising and falling, and realized the first sword—Cloud Gazing."】

【"White clouds look back and merge, green mists enter and are not seen, energy steams in the Yunmeng Marsh."】

【The sword intent is like clouds, ethereal and indefinite, yet containing infinite changes.】

【Immediately after, a new sword intent appeared on the sword body, carrying the intent of life and death, with black annihilation power coiling around the sword tip, as if it could swallow all vitality.】

【"Amitabha!"】

【Seeing this, Master Lianchi pressed his palms together and chanted in a low voice: "A true method of restraining Buddhism."】

【He was most familiar with this sword intent, and a deep sense of dread appeared in his eyes.】

【Back then, the Second Master entered Buddhism and realized the fourth sword—Extinction.】

【The Second Master's Nine Swords are all offensive swords; not a single one is used for defense.】

【The Nine Swords restrain all laws in the world; three thousand sects, demons, ghosts, and monsters all bow their heads under his sword.】

【It can be said to be one sword breaking ten thousand laws!】

【A flash of surprise crossed Master Lianchi's eyes; although he knew Xie Guan had received the Second Master's inheritance, he had not expected that he had already comprehended two swords in such a short time.】

【However, upon further thought, the two supreme Buddhist hand seals had not been comprehended by the Buddhist sects of past generations, yet they had been comprehended by Xie Guan, showing that his talent was rare in the world.】

【The Demon Master's gaze condensed, only to see a new sword intent appearing on the "San Zhen Ten Thousand Laws Sword."】

【From the sword body, there unexpectedly came the faint clear chirping of birds, as if a nine-heaven Luan bird were circling above it.】

【"This is... Wind Chirping." The Demon Master said in a low voice, his tone carrying a touch of reminiscence.】

【"Back then, the Second Master stepped into the grassland's Eternal Heaven, saw the vast wind, and realized the seventh sword—Wind Chirping."】

【"The nine-heaven Luan bird pierces the clouds, the ten-thousand-mile long wind listens to the wind chirping."】

【The Demon Master had once witnessed the Second Master draw his sword on the grassland; that sword cut down the clouds in the sky, transforming them into a vigorous spring rain.】

【That was one of the Nine Swords—"Wind Chirping."】

【At this moment, the Wind Chirping sword intent gradually condensed on the "San Zhen Ten Thousand Laws Sword" in Xie Guan's hand, the sword tip trembling lightly, as if resonating with the long wind between heaven and earth.】

【Seeing that Xie Guan had already performed five swords—"Demon-Slaying," "Ghost-Slaying," "Cloud Gazing," "Extinction," and "Wind Chirping"—Lu Hua concluded in her heart that this should be all of the Second Master's Nine Swords that Xie Guan had comprehended.】

【Comprehending three swords in such a short time was already shocking to the world.】

【A solemn expression also appeared on Long Yi's face; facing the Second Master's sword intent, he could not help but feel a trace of fear in his heart.】

【However, just at this moment—】

【A new sword intent unexpectedly appeared on the "San Zhen Ten Thousand Laws Sword"; this sword intent was completely different from the previous ones, revealing a profound sense of space.】

【"This is... Refining the Void!"】

【The First Master's face was complex, carrying both emotion and shock, and he muttered in a low voice: "This is the sword of 'no distance in heaven and earth' that the Second Master realized after seeing my Carefree Wandering; one sword can cross a hundred or a thousand miles."】

【"Refining the Void" is the most mysterious of the Second Master's Nine Swords; it is rumored that this sword can cut through the void and rarely appears in the world.】

【You held the "San Zhen Ten Thousand Laws Sword," six sword intents intertwined, and where the sword tip pointed, it seemed as if even space was torn apart.】

【Long Yi's pupils shrank like needles, his mind shaken; he had not expected that Xie Guan's comprehension would reach this state!】

【His body flowed with golden brilliance, his protective scales rose and fell like waves, and his gang energy stacked layer upon layer, constructing a copper wall and iron fortress that was indestructible.】

【The two's energy intertwined, following like a shadow, with no way to avoid; Xie Guan's substitution technique had no use here.】

【Long Yi was not a dull person and would naturally not sit and wait for death, waiting for Xie Guan's sword intent to be perfected.】

【The Demon Master's gaze narrowed, and he whispered: "This is the final showdown."】

【Xie Guan's timing was wonderful, right in the instant Long Yi was regulating his breath.】

【At this time!】

【Lu Hua's pupils expanded suddenly, full of disbelief.】

【She witnessed with her own eyes that on the Ten Thousand Laws Sword, the sword intent condensed again, shining brilliantly.】

【"The... seventh sword!" After saying this, the shock could not be hidden.】

【Even the Demon Master was full of astonishment.】

【Xie Guan had wonderfully comprehended five swords in a short time!】

(End of chapter)