Chapter 102

And Zhan Xiao and Wang Wu, however, were somehow strange; Lu Fan noticed it at once and looked at them with great interest.

Only saw Zhan Xiao's eyes filled with horror, his body also slightly trembling. Yet he strained to lift his head, seemingly utterly unwilling to submit.

"As the heir of the Zhan family, I will surely ascend to the pinnacle someday; I will never kowtow to such nonsense!"

He gritted his teeth tightly, as if struggling against some powerful existence, yet this seemed rather inexplicable.

Indeed, the vast majority of those present were devoutly paying homage, yet each did so willingly.

The Original Incarnation Dharma Statue, which the crowd had hailed as a manifestation of the Technique God, had not emitted the slightest menace; at most it was merely the vast glory of embracing all rivers, the four seas submitting.

By contrast, Wang Wu's crystal eyes sparkled with light—three parts excitement, three parts curiosity, and three parts doubt. She circled the slowly walking Original Incarnation Dharma Statue and Lu Fan's surroundings, as if she had discerned some connection.

"Wang Wu, seeing your master, why don't you kneel?"

Lu Fan's gaze turned icy, and he shouted sternly.

Wang Wu blinked slightly, then coldly fixed Lu Fan with a glance, the corner of her mouth lifting as she said, "I didn't see you kneeling either; it's just a statue—why should I worship it?"

Her gaze was piercing, bearing a sharp edge, even a hint of provocation. Though her expression had been cold before, now it carried a different charm, no longer that of an ice-cold beauty.

Lu Fan gave a light smile, curled his lip, and puffed his lips toward the Original Incarnation Dharma Statue. The statue abruptly halted its steps, turned its head slightly, and an aura of domineering supremacy burst forth, surging toward Wang Wu.

Wang Wu's face changed dramatically; in an instant she felt as if she were amidst raging waves, tossed about, insignificant and trivial.

She clenched her silver teeth, her pale face flushing with fury, possessing an obstinacy that made her stare fixedly at the lifelike statue, refusing to yield.

"Bold Wang Wu, seeing your master's statue so disrespectful, devoid of any reverence, you deserve punishment!"

The Original Incarnation Dharma Statue had gathered sufficient faith source power; now it actually spoke. Anyone who suddenly witnessed this would likely be shocked, thinking they had lost their mind and fallen into an illusion.

As soon as that voice faded, the invisible spiritual source power in the surrounding void instantly gathered and condensed, a glimmer of light appearing, forming a great hand that pressed down toward Wang Wu's head.

"No!"

Qing Yi also didn't know when she had noticed this place; seeing the scene, her expression changed drastically, her Wind Wave Art condensing into a huge sword blade that blasted open two Martial Lords, then she turned and lunged toward Wang Wu.

Zhao Zu and the others also came to their senses, ceased fighting, and stared in disbelief at the scene before them. The statue had actually come back to life, and they too took it for a manifestation of the "Technique God."

"Impossible—how could such a divine sign appear in the tiny Bright Moon Empire?"

The triangular-eyed Martial Lord shook his head hard, his face full of denial, yet his words betrayed uncertainty, utterly unable to comprehend what lay before him.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming gave a cold smile and sneered, "Hmph! What does a petty Martial Lord like you know? The Original Incarnation Dharma Statue, having gathered ample faith power, can manifest the might of the Ancestral Talisman Technique God across tens of millions of li, even crossing realms. As long as faith is sincere enough, even a barbaric secret realm can summon it across boundaries, condensing form and revealing its aspect."

He himself was only a Fourth-Rank Grand Martial Master at present, able to contend with the opponent for a while only thanks to the support of a Fifth-Rank Forbidden Formation; yet when he spoke now, he adopted an aloof, superior attitude.

Upon hearing this, the triangular-eyed Martial Lord's face showed shock, he nodded slightly as if to say "I see." The animated statue before them, though not the legendary manifestation of the Technique God, still possessed some divine abilities of the powerful beings behind it, immeasurable.

Others also had a faint realization, yet their shock and horror remained largely unchanged. Even without this thing before them, the formation alone was not something the few present could lightly dismiss.

Qing Yi's mind and spirit were wholly focused on Wang Wu—or, more precisely, on that Original Incarnation Dharma Statue. Her Wind Wave Art surged and roared, transforming into myriad blade waves, twisting and coiling, and in an instant condensed into a colossal spiral storm.

One saw her hovering in the void, her waist twisting as if dancing, her hands waving to push forth that spiral storm.

"Boom—crack!"

The spiral storm swept through the void, and the entire formation's condensed array here was indeed thrown into disorder and distortion, as if it were about to snap apart.

Lu Fan furrowed his brow, his spirit tightened, and he couldn't help but regard the opponent with renewed esteem.

"It seems you still held back some strength just now; even if I cannot produce any means to repel enemies today, with your formidable power you could surely kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, intimidating everyone on the spot!"

He gave a slight nod; the strength he displayed so easily this time actually carried the momentum to break a Fifth-Rank Forbidden Formation—indeed he was no ordinary person.

"Heh heh! Very well, I'll probe your reality and illusion!"

He curled the corner of his mouth, extended a single hand, and lightly tapped the radiant great hand. There was no trace of mysterious fluctuation, yet on that radiant hand the halo flowed, and when it was still just a few zhang from Wang Wu, it suddenly halted.

The spiral storm finally caught up, blocking the radiant great hand in one fell swoop, exploding and rolling upward to meet it.

"Wind Wave Art, suppress it!"

Qing Yi's beautiful brows knit, she gave a clear shout, and the momentum of the spiral storm surged; in an instant the surrounding air flow became chaotic, turning into ripples that rolled toward the center.

At that very moment, the radiant great hand suddenly trembled, turned into streams of rosy light, and then dissipated.

"This is..."

Qing Yi stood frozen, somewhat incredulous. Although she had confidence in her own techniques, that radiant great hand's momentum was mysterious; she could not discern its reality or illusion. Moreover, just now that hand had not paused for no reason—she simply hadn't had time to react, and likely its boundless power had already erupted upon Wang Wu.

The dozen or so people who remained conscious were also bewildered. That radiant great hand was so formidable it could easily suppress anyone here; how could it possibly vanish without having unleashed its power, like a fleeting illusion?

Zhu Ge Qing Ming was the first to regain his composure, his eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, astonished to the point of being unable to speak.

"This is the Formless Dharma Seal; the seal sigils are brandished, the formation's momentum erupts, formless and traceless. It can shift between reality and illusion at any time and place, impossible to guard against—a divine ability only a Seventh-Rank Grand Arts Practitioner can wield."

Ke Da Shi wore an embarrassed grin, muttering twice; even he didn't believe his own words, yet there it was before his eyes.

As expected, before his words had even faded, the dissipating streams of rosy light, with an unfathomable mysterious power, flowed and transformed into seal sigils, drifting around the spiral storm.

Wind blades converged, power undulated. Yet the drifting seal sigils remained unmoved, moving with an ineffable rhythm—expanding and contracting like a net, thereby tightly enveloping the spiral storm.

Qing Yi's face turned ashen; her prideful divine technique, the Wind Wave Art that had always prevailed, now lost its momentum, entirely trapped within that seal-sigil net.

"You said you'd ensure my Dharma Propagation Assembly would proceed smoothly, but looking at it now, I'm somewhat dissatisfied."

Lu Fan raised his eyebrows, half-smiling, staring at Qing Yi with a strange expression, casually appraising her.

Qing Yi's brows knit together; she coldly glanced at Lu Fan, then floated upward, diving into the seal-sigil net.

One saw her treading the void, her movements graceful; her mature figure, buffeted by the gale, displayed an alluring posture. Even an ordinary person, if not instantly bewitched, would likely have their spirit stirred and be stunned for a moment.

Lu Fan, however, remained unmoved; he glanced briefly at the Original Incarnation Dharma Statue, and a faint mental power shot forth.

The Original Incarnation Dharma Statue immediately reacted, a vigorous murderous aura suddenly condensing into boundless dignity, and it roared loudly:

"How dare you act presumptuously before this seat! You have great gall!"

As soon as those words rose, the seal-sigil net trembled once and then vanished.

The next instant, as Qing Yi leapt through the void, her surroundings were instantly overlaid with intersecting seal-sigil ripples, like a heavenly net, enveloping her completely.

Her face turned ashen; she instinctively flung her hand out. Wind blades surged, but to no avail—the ripple-like seal sigils linked together, turning into threads that wound around her.

At the same moment, the true qi circulating in her acupoints and meridians ceased, and even the endless flow of true essence in her dantian gradually stagnated.

"Ah!"

She cried out in surprise, her body losing control as she fell downward.

Lu Fan shook his head slightly, leapt up as if teleporting, and in an instant stood before Qing Yi. He gently put his arm around her waist, slowly lowered her to the ground, then casually laid her down and laughed loudly.

"Qing Yi, my Master has a strange temper; whatever he wants to do, no one can stop him. Wang Wu, you don't heed teachings—from now on, don't recklessly show off again!"

As soon as his words fell, he looked toward Wang Wu. Seeing her clench her silver teeth, her face deathly pale, she anxiously gazed in Qing Yi's direction.

Apparently feeling Lu Fan's gaze, Wang Wu shifted her eyes, her almond eyes coldly fixed on him, filled with resentment and anger, yet also with disdainful contempt.

"Hmph! Lu Fan, don't get too pleased too soon—one day I will uncover your true face!"

She clenched her silver teeth tightly, gave Lu Fan a glare, then slowly turned, bowed toward the Original Body Dharma Image, and respectfully said:

"Disciple Wang Wu was unaware that the Master had arrived; please forgive me, Master!"

Just moments ago she wore a proud expression, but now she lowered her lofty head in a devout posture. Although she did not perform the full prostration ceremony, her bearing and demeanor left nothing to criticize.

Lu Fan furrowed his brows; this little girl's surrender was rather sudden and strange. What does 'uncover your true face' mean? Could it be that she knows this Original Body Dharma Image is just him pretending to be a deity?

If that were true, it would be disastrous—if she truly saw through his guise, future troubles would be great. Revealing his true origins would expose him to the world, which absolutely cannot happen.

He let out a slight sigh, turned his brow, and then a surge of mental power shot toward the Original Body Dharma Image.