Chapter 598: The Sacred Relics of This World—Time Is Running Out!

Sima family, carriage pavilion.

Demon Master Xu Jiangxian watched the old monk's Liulifajie unfold before him.

Several figures lay as if in deep sleep, radiating Zen energy.

"Ten-Layer Liuli Turnover Pagoda!"

"A sacred relic of the Eastern Holy Buddha Sect."

Sacred relics were objects used by great sects to suppress destiny's tide; the Buddhist sect possessed the "Demon Subduing Club" and the "Ten-Layer Liuli Turnover Pagoda."

The Confucian school had the "Ruler of Restraint."

The Three Truths Sect possessed the "Three Truths Ten Thousand Talisman Sword," the "Master of Heaven Seal," the "Dragon-Tiger Bone Ship," and the "Ancestral Master's Golden Scripture."

The Three Truths Sect held the most sacred relics, each with distinct origins.

"Old monk, you're willing to spend big—using this sacred relic will require decades of incense and vows to replenish."

Xu Jiangxian smiled faintly, "Then I cannot be stingy either."

The demon sect also possessed one sacred relic: a fragment of left hand bone, known as the "Heavenly Demon Hand."

It was said to have been left behind by the ascended Ancestor Huang Dao.

In the demon sect, strength reigns supreme, morality secondary; to obtain this hand bone, the former Demon Master slaughtered all four branches of the sect—his cruelty so extreme that even the demon sect trembled at the mere mention.

Xu Jiangxian had long since refined it into his left hand.

He raised his left hand; the finger bones were clearly defined, glowing with translucent light.

It did not resemble a demonic treasure at all, but rather something of Buddhist origin.

The demon hand was densely inscribed with tiny characters, including the complete text of the "Heavenly Demon Scripture" and one technique: "Heavenly Demon Body."

Beyond that, this hand bone had another function: it could condense one drop of "Heavenly Demon Blood" each year.

It could transform mortal flesh—strengthening sinews and bones, cleansing marrow and meridians, enhancing physical strength, and even spawning demonic bones unlike those of ordinary men.

It augmented primordial spirit power and could even aid in igniting divine fire.

A rare and priceless treasure!

Yet the true origin of this hand bone remained an unsolved mystery.

Among the demon sect, legends about this hand bone varied wildly, but most attributed it to the ascended Ancestor Huang Dao.

Xu Jiangxian opened his palm; a drop of crimson "Heavenly Demon Blood" appeared.

He gazed at Zhu Zhiqian, now enveloped in demonic qi, his face filled with mad ecstasy.

Zhu Zhiqian was currently meditating on one technique of the "Heaven-Shaking Earth-Smashing Demon Art": "Heaven and Earth Weep."

Xu Jiangxian lightly tapped; the drop of demon blood shot like a streak of light into Zhu Zhiqian's forehead.

Zhu Zhiqian's expression changed abruptly; he then focused intently, his face gradually brightening with joy.

His aura surged upward—his original cultivation base of Wu Dao Fifth Realm, "Spring Thunder," broke through into Wu Dao Sixth Realm, "Finger-Winding."

He let out a long howl.

His cultivation in Yuan Shen Seventh Realm, "Spirit Travel," grew even more stable.

He was only one step away from piercing the seventh realm and igniting divine fire.

Zhu Zhiqian's heart burned hot—he had not only earned the Demon Master's favor but also gained one technique of the "Heaven-Shaking Earth-Smashing Great Art."

Now he received this gift as well.

Those rivals he once feared, like Xue Bai, were merely at Wu Dao Sixth Realm—he no longer regarded them as threats.

A pure stream of demonic internal energy dispersed the demon blood, guiding it through his limbs and bones.

He quickly bowed respectfully to Xu Jiangxian:

"Disciple thanks the Demon Master for his cultivation."

Xu Jiangxian slowly nodded, his gaze sharpening with coldness.

"If you lose, you know the consequence."

Zhu Zhiqian's heart tightened; he immediately began refining the demon blood within him, daring not to delay.

He knew the Demon Master's methods all too well.

Xu Jiangxian was not in a hurry; he crossed his hands behind his back and watched the opposing Liulifajie.

He had come to Bianjing at invitation, beyond repaying a debt.

This demon master, who had roamed the world for decades, harbored one burning desire: the Master of the Eastern Sea!

What scheme was the Master hiding behind?

When the Master failed to raise the dragon, he left behind the Ze Lake, now teeming with demons and monsters.

Without the Master's permission, how could the Great Sui have risen? How could the Northern Shengtian have emerged? How could the Southern Buddhist Kingdom have come to be?

The Master had taken the demon sect's "Heavenly Demon Scripture" and seen what Ancestor Huang Dao had left behind.

"Spiritual energy returns—the gate to ascension."

The Three Truths Sect's Ancestor had left: "All under heaven united—the chance for ascension."

Yet!

The Tang unification did not open the gate to ascension, leaving the Master filled with doubt and resentment.

So!

The Master rebuilt the Great Qi, overthrowing the Tang.

Xu Jiangxian held deep dread for this Master, whispering low:

"A man who lives too long becomes terrifying beyond imagination."

The world believed the Master had lived seven hundred years—but none knew the first Master of Qi and the current Master were one and the same.

The Master may have existed since the Yan Dynasty, merely assuming different identities.

He had tried nearly every method of ascension, yet never achieved transcendence.

Like a ghost drifting across this land.

Now, a great calamity unseen in three thousand years had quietly begun, heralding an unprecedented transformation.

Xu Jiangxian knew this peerless Master would never lightly abandon the chance of ascension, nor would he wander toward the illusory Eastern Sea!

He was likely lurking in shadows, plotting slowly, seeking that one thread of transcendence.

When Xu Jiangxian returned to the present,

A profound demonic aura spread from Zhu Zhiqian—he stood bare-chested.

His rib bones protruded like bone spikes, sharp as swords.

Zhu Zhiqian's grin was manic.

His aura stabilized at the peak of Wu Dao Sixth Realm, "Finger-Winding," one step away from ascending to the upper three realms of Wu Dao.

Shen Kuan stepped back; his Soul-Nourishing Banner was hypersensitive to soul resentment, and Zhu Zhiqian's demonic aura sent shivers through him.

This scholar of the Academy had shed far more blood than anyone realized.

The crippled old man watched, silently concluding: Xie Guan's fate was sealed.

Even without Buddhist arts, he could not possibly match this Blood God Sect's Holy Son, favored by the Demon Master.

Among his peers in Bianjing, few could rival him.

Especially not a Xie family bastard.

All he now wondered was how to escape the Demon Master's grasp.

Xu Jiangxian nodded slightly—Zhu Zhiqian's age and cultivation were commendable.

With the demon blood's aid, demonic bones had grown, his strength further enhanced.

【Your hand formed a seal unconsciously.】

【"Dharma Realm Seal!"】

【The old monk sighed softly—this Ten-Layer Liuli Turnover Pagoda contained no such Buddhist seal.】

【He had only read of it in sutras, the seal the Buddha Shakyamuni could manifest.】

【Yet here, in a boy's hand, it slowly reappeared.】

【Legend said this seal could imprison an entire realm, still all things.】

【The technique the old monk intended to teach the boy—"Vajra Zen Buddha's Jade Hand"—was derived from this "Dharma Realm Seal."】

【Though none understood the seal in Xie Guan's hand, they saw the old monk's shock.】

【Several suspected Xie Guan had climbed the ninth or tenth floor and obtained a Buddhist sacred scripture.】

【The old monk had cultivated Buddhism for a century, devoted to precepts, living with only the green lamp—yet never gained such fortune!】

【Who would have thought a boy who merely skimmed Buddhist sutras could achieve this?】

【Lian Chi's thoughts churned, but his cultivation steadied him slowly.】

【Then!】

【Your hand seal changed again!】

【Both hands clasped thumbs within palms, left index finger upright, right fist gripping left index finger before chest.】

【Light, boundless and radiant, flowed through his fingers—as if holding the ultimate truth of heaven and earth.】

【Crystal-clear Buddhist light bloomed from his fingertips, tracing through empty space.】

【The aura that had sealed all things vanished; in its place arose emptiness, purification, liberation, and transcendence.】

【"This is..."】

【The old monk's face flushed crimson, his expression one of utter disbelief.】

【"Vajra Realm's Zizaiyin."】

【This is the mudra of Vairocana Buddha, the most important deity in Esoteric Buddhism.】

【It is also one of the Three Great Mudras of the Buddhist tradition; holding this mudra grants freedom from earthly suffering, the Eight Sufferings, and the Eight Calamities, achieving liberation and ease.】

【This mudra is recorded in ancient Buddhist scriptures, yet no one has ever mastered it.】

【It exists only in texts and legends.】

【Lianchi felt a sense of absurdity, as if the Buddha himself had descended into the world.】

【Could Xie Guan be the reincarnation of the Buddha?】

【Your hands are moving!】

【"Come back...!"】

【Lianchi's Five-Colored Liuli Realm was barely holding together—he had already seen two supreme Buddha mudras; if Xie Guan now formed a third, would the Three Mudras converge and carry him straight to the Western Paradise?】

【His mind nearly cracked—his century-long Buddhist devotion teetered on collapse.】

【Thankfully!】

【You finally made no further gestures with your hands and slowly lowered them.】

【Lianchi exhaled. If you had ascended right here, ascending to meet the Western Pure Land's Tathagata, he feared he would have spat blood on the spot.】

【You slowly opened your eyes. The sudden presence of supreme meaning—light, ethereal, clear—had touched your understanding, as if you had briefly commanded the highest wisdom above all things.】

【It had now vanished entirely, leaving no trace.】

【Only two Buddhist mudras remained in your heart.】

【"Dharma Realm Seal!"】

【"Vajra Realm's Zizaiyin."】

【The Dharma Realm Seal holds the power to contain all things.】

【The Vajra Realm's Zizaiyin purifies all things and grants freedom and transcendence.】

【In your mind-sea, besides the two characters "Hong" and "Yuan,"】

【two new Buddhist palm symbols, marked with the Wan, now appeared—symbols of the two mudras.】

【As you slowly recalled them, a weathered, compassionate voice reached you.】

【"Xie Guan, young friend, how do you feel now?"】

【Only then did you return to yourself, rising slowly and bowing with both hands in the Buddhist gesture.】

【The old monk's face was beaming.】

【You bowed deeply, voice thick with gratitude: "Thank you, Master Lianchi, for guiding me to these two Buddhist mudras."】

【"This is your own karmic fortune, not mine."】

【The old monk gazed at you deeply and said: "There is still time before the hour is up. I will teach you one more mudra: the Vajra Zen Tathagata Jade Hand."】

【"This is the Way of Qi-Weapons: forming blades—swords, spears, halberds, or any weapon—from the Primordial Spirit's power in the crown and the innate blood-qi of martial cultivation, outside the body."】

【"Buddhism forbids weapons, so only fists, feet, and palm seals are permitted."】

【The old monk showed no concealment, slowly demonstrating; the three guards immediately focused intently, and Xu Jiangxian also turned her attention.】

【Only Sima Muqing's eyes remained vacant.】

【The old monk clasped his hands, teaching the qi-circulation method—a technique requiring the union of Primordial Spirit and martial innate qi.】

【The three guards' faces fell in disappointment; they had trained only in martial qi or Primordial Spirit alone.】

【The most supreme arts in the world are those that cultivate both Primordial Spirit and martial qi together.】

【Not mere separate cultivation!】

【Xu Jiangxian's eyes brightened—she was already skilled in demonic arts, and here was an uncanny parallel.】

【She was slowly forming a Buddhist palm in her hand, but it was entirely black, radiating demonic energy—only the shape resembled it.】

【Master Lianchi's "Vajra Zen Tathagata Jade Hand" is the most fiercely potent, the most violently powerful in the world.】

【After explaining all its subtleties, the old monk said: "This mudra is called Buddha Hand, Surging Waves."】

【"When unleashed, it multiplies martial power by eight—even for a martial cultivator of the Third Realm. If used to guard oneself, it grants tenfold defense, nearly unbreakable."】

【All were stunned—eightfold power increase? For a cultivator of the same realm, it would mean crushing dominance by sheer force.】

【Tenfold defense for self-protection?】

【This is the power of a World-Class Grandmaster!】

【Lianchi said: "This mudra appears simple, but is exceedingly difficult. Even uniting Primordial Spirit and innate qi into a swirling vortex—what is called Spirit-Flesh Unity—is hard to sustain within the body. Then you must circulate it over a dozen times without the slightest error... it cannot be achieved overnight."】

【The old monk looked at the youth, closed his eyes slightly as if in thought; a star pattern emerged on his forehead, and the qi in his dantian thickened.】

【He was attempting it!】

【"Remember, on the path of cultivation, never rush for quick gains," the old monk's voice whispered in your ear, a warning and reminder.】

【"Only steady, grounded progress can truly..."】

【You completed your qi circulation, forming the Buddhist "Vajra Realm's Zizaiyin." This mudra purifies—your Daoist inner art transformed into Buddhist method.】

【"Boom—"】

【In the old monk's eyes, a golden Liuli Buddha hand materialized, gently moving.】

【Lianchi clasped his hands, trembling slightly: "Impossible..."】

【His own painstakingly invented Tathagata Hand—the youth had learned it after hearing it once.】

【The three guards stared, dumbfounded, watching the youth wield the Liuli Buddha hand as if it were his own limb.】

【Xu Jiangxian was even more shaken—her high cultivation allowed her to grasp its true depth.】

【She now felt greater confidence in Xie Guan's chances of victory.】

【Xie Guan had mastered this "Surging Waves Buddha Hand."】

【You asked: "Master Lianchi, have I learned it?"】

【The old monk murmured: "Namo Amitabha Buddha."】

【At that moment!】

【Xu Jiangxian arrived with Zhu Zhiqian and the lame old man.】

【The old monk merely shifted his intent—the Five-Colored Liuli Realm covering three zhang vanished.】

【Lianchi softly said: "Xie Guan, young friend, give your all."】

【He had already resolved to protect Xie Guan at all costs.】

【Xu Jiangxian bowed: "I entrust this matter to you, Young Master."】

【The three guards also hurriedly said: "We entrust this to you, Young Master."】

【Only then did Sima Muqing snap back to awareness, gazing at the slender youth beneath the moonlight—this battle determined her and her daughter's lives.】

【Xu Jiangxian smiled: "Master Lianchi, may we begin?"】

【The old monk nodded faintly.】

【Under the clear moonlight, dappled bamboo shadows fell.】

【The two sides automatically cleared a space.】

【Zhu Zhiqian stepped forward, tall and proud, eyes icy.】

【"Xie Guan, I will tear off your head."】

【A light breeze stirred the bamboo, rustling softly.】

【Yet you replied calmly:】

【"It's late. I still have to attend the Qunfang Banquet. Let's end this quickly."】

(End of Chapter)