Chapter 497: Heart Sutra Sitting in Oblivion, the Dragon Demon's Secret (Make-up Update 4)

The Chief of the Pacification Bureau's face twitched, and he rose to bow with cupped hands.

"The whole story, before and after, this minister has told in full, without the slightest concealment. I beg Your Majesty to discern clearly!"

"Mm?"

Seeing him refuse so flatly, Wu Wu Yingxing knit his brow, but the Qian Emperor seemed not to mind, merely waving a hand:

"Lord Zhang's words, I naturally trust!"

"Many thanks for Your Majesty's trust!"

The Chief of the Pacification Bureau let out a breath of relief!

"The Star-Picking Tower, the great traitor of the realm — if that thief Qin Yun does not die, this sovereign's heart cannot rest easy!"

The Qian Emperor tapped the chessboard lightly, pondering!

"If Your Majesty harbors doubts, you might send Brother Wan to accompany this minister. At the speed of the Dun Tian Zhou, a round trip would take only a few days!"

The Chief of the Pacification Bureau bowed again:

"To prevent the villain from fleeing far, this minister believes we should set out at once!"

"That cannot be."

Wu Wu Yingxing spoke up to stop him: "The Grand Sacrifice is imminent. Anyone may leave the capital, but Brother Wan alone may not."

Saying so, he cupped his hands toward the Qian Emperor:

"Your Majesty must not forget that, against the Thousand Spirits Dharma Lord, the family has no divine city to move, and has not yet reached the Yellow Dragon's presence…"

"Master Wu's words carry reason!"

The Qian Emperor nodded: "The nation is facing Qin Yun…"

"Qin Yun must be dealt with by the family."

Wu Wu Yingxing raised his hand and tossed a few copper coins onto the table; amid flickering fluorescent light, they transformed into all manner of death characters!

"This minister cast nine hexagrams in a row. The hexagram images, every one of them, point to death — that thief Qin Yun must already be dead, with no future in this world."

"Does the Master suspect Zhang?"

The Chief of the Pacification Bureau could not help but retort: "If Qin Yun were truly dead, who would be driving the Eight Directions Pagoda? Even if Master Qin were truly dead, this matter would not be so easily endured."

"Enough."

Seeing the two of them about to keep arguing, the Qian Emperor rebuked them in a low voice. Only when both bowed and fell silent did he say:

"Master Wu's hexagrams are precise, and Lord Zhang's words cannot be false. The nation is facing Qin Yun — at this critical juncture, the Martial Suppression King truly cannot leave the city."

At this point, he paused briefly, then turned to the Chief of the Pacification Bureau:

"What does Lord Zhang think?"

The Chief of the Pacification Bureau swallowed the words that had reached his lips!

"This minister has no objection!"

"Mm!"

Seeing this, the Qian Emperor no longer pressed the matter, and waved his hand: "I am weary!"

"This minister takes his leave!"

Watching the two depart, the Qian Emperor only then rose, paced slowly within the rear hall, muttering "Qin Yun" and "Star-Picking Tower." After a moment, he reached out and took down a bronze mirror from the wall!

Hum—

As his true qi urged it on, the bronze mirror suddenly blazed with light. After a moment, beams and shadows wove and shifted!

The Qian Emperor focused his gaze, and saw the bronze mirror turn into a stretch of inky darkness. Within that darkness came all manner of shrill, terrifying shrieks!

Crash—

Suddenly, blades of light flared in profusion!

Under the Qian Emperor's gaze, within the darkness there seemed to be a streak of even blacker azure dragon roaming freely. Blade-light swept across, slicing through swath after swath of black radiance. From within the darkness came the sound of tearing silk, of roars, of blades cutting through flesh and blood!

After a short while, all the sounds faded!

Wan Wan Zhuliu's figure appeared within the bronze mirror, gripping the Subduing-Demon Dragon God Blade, clad in the Sea-Calming Dark Tortoise Armor, a pair of cold eyes revealed outside:

"Has Your Majesty summoned me?"

"Wan Zhuliu, what did you find?"

The Qian Emperor inquired!

"Jin Lin passed through, severing pursuit here. The Eight Directions Temple flashed and vanished — its position is hard to fix. Just now this minister was suddenly blocked by something strange, and only broke free after killing my way out!"

Wan Wan Zhuliu cupped his hands and answered!

Having learned the strangeness of the Eight Directions Temple's people, he did not enter the You Jing, and has not until now!

"If the heart cannot find the Eight Directions Temple, the ten-thousand-year cloud of doubt within will remain. Now that I have sought you out, there is one such matter!"

The Qian Emperor briefly summarized what had just transpired!

"Qin Yun?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu's gaze darkened slightly. Through the Dark Tortoise Armor, the dragon patterns on his brow seemed to flicker with light:

"This wretch cultivates the Dragon Demon Heart Sutra. Though he is not of the Dragon Demon lineage, his transformations are myriad — a single drop of blood can be reborn. Yet the difference is not great; he seems to be truly dead!"

Within the darkness, there seemed to be the echo of wind!

Wan Wan Zhuliu stood leaning on his blade, yet appeared quite calm:

"Your Majesty need not panic. If he lives, this minister shall cut him down."

"Wan Zhuliu, on this trip, did you gain much?"

The Qian Emperor's expression eased slightly, yet he seemed to know the reason, and after giving a few instructions, he extinguished the monitored scene!

Whoo-whoo—

Within the darkness, there seemed to be scattered sounds, but very quickly, as if startled, they swiftly fled far away!

"Dragon Demon, only you, Pang Pang Wenlong!"

A low voice sounded, and at that moment, threads of silver light flowed through Wan Wan Zhuliu's eyes, transforming into a blurred figure wreathed in silver light!

It could not be the bronze mirror:

"If you must act, to create this treasure, against Pang Pang Wenlong, or against Dragon Demon, only you, you must touch that Eight Directions Temple."

"Touch what? Why touch? Why come?"

He took the mirror as if monitoring it, Wan Wan Zhuliu's voice cold: "Heaven relies on the same guidance, kill through six strange places, against the Eight Directions Temple, what lies ahead and behind?"

"Can do, whenever you wish!"

The figure wreathed in silver light shook his head: "The Eight Directions Temple is cut off from this Ci Fang You Jing, with so many strange tiers, the grade is not enough, no way to help you create 'Cloud Demon Body Transformation'"

"Cloud Demon Body Transformation, must one enter the Eight Directions Temple?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu's eyes flickered!

"If the Offering succeeds, perhaps there is a way!"

The figure wreathed in silver light was always very cautious: "Above, if not this body, even if the Offering draws the Eight Directions Temple, you still absolutely cannot enter!"

"Why?"

Wan Wan Zhuliu did not care whether it was true or not, did not speak, his hand made a grasping motion, grabbing the silver light into his palm:

"Hope you are not deceiving Heaven?"

"I am surnamed Yun, how could Heaven deceive me?"

'Boom—' a sound, the silver light vanished, Wan Wan Zhuliu raised his blade and walked into the darkness, his voice cold:

"This king's surname is Wan."

……

……

Whooo—

The Eight Directions Tower moved, as light and shadow dispersed, Li Yuan stepped forward, his eyes seemingly not retaining any of the devastation around him, in a daze, he could not help but walk into the study tower!

A purple robe covering his body, precisely Senior Qin Yun!

"Junior!"

Li Yuan reined in his spirit and bowed in greeting!

Qin Yun nodded, sizing up Li Yuan in the room, his expression changing: "Wild Ox Physique?"

With such a name, Li Yuan could not truly accept it, but Senior Qin Yun clearly did not wish to discuss the name further, and slightly raised his hand, the surrounding light and shadow shifted!

It had transformed into a study room!

"Sit!"

With such a person, Li Yuan could not truly envy, for he had only just achieved true qi mastery to a subtle degree, let alone the divine realm's application of change!

"Seeing the Great Zhou Emperor, what are your impressions?"

Qin Yun asked!

Recalling the ruined great city, Li Yuan answered:

"The Offering is dangerous!"

Sitting on the great throne, the emperor of this dynasty within the Offering, because of this Offering had turned into ruins, the impact of that scene, far more intense than words could describe!

"Where is the danger?"

Qin Yun asked again!

"This…"

Li Yuan shook his head, books on rituals were too few, he only knew its form but not its why!

"Rituals, are ceremonies to communicate with spirits, or perhaps, to communicate with heaven!"

Qin Yun could not help but say:

"If you are a god, when you receive a ritual from someone, and you are offered nothing in return, would you instead be cruel, and destroy the sacrificer?"

"Would not!"

Li Yuan shook his head!

"Then where does the danger of the Offering lie?"

Qin Yun asked and answered himself: "This danger, or rather the backlash, comes from the Offering not meeting the specifications of the ceremony, therefore, no response is received, instead backlash is received!"

"Not meeting specifications?" Li Yuan slightly frowned!

"The method of the Great Zhou's great ritual to the Eight Directions Temple comes from the Master, this method has no problems, the reason it went wrong, the Master at that time did not understand either, until later.."

Qin Yun paused slightly, did not speak of the process, directly stated the result: "But, the ceremony of the great ritual to the Eight Directions Temple actually still has one condition not met, that is, the one who enters the temple!"

"The one who enters the temple?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred: "Could it be what Senior Dragon Demon said, that person reborn through the wondrous sight?" No, that's not right!

Li Yuan touched the Dragon Mirage Belt at his waist, according to the little mother dragon's words, Tian Shi Yuan had someone suspected of having entered the Eight Directions Temple, it couldn't possibly also be a person reborn through the wondrous sight, could it?

"Perhaps it is talent!" Qin Yun answered! "Talent?"

"Correct, this old man believes, the great ritual drawing out the Eight Directions Temple is one thing, the qualification to enter it is equally important!" Qin Yun pinched his beard, calmly saying!

"This.."

Li Yuan pinched the Dragon Mirage Belt, feeling this was more reliable by far!

"The Offering of incense and fire is clear, sufficient talent to enter the temple is also clear, according to this old man's ability, the former might be more important than the latter, but it is not yet known!"

Qin Yun did not insist on death!

Li Yuan tentatively asked: "What does Senior always think about this matter?"

"The imperial court's Offering this time, perhaps is still an opportunity for verification!"

Listening to the meaning in his words, Li Yuan secretly felt it was quite wondrous — this Eight Directions Temple was truly extraordinary, and the trip had not been in vain, especially having just witnessed with his own eyes the Zhou Emperor's wretched state!

The Ten Thousand Women Seed Fortune Sacrifice Temple had failed!

Li Yuan was pondering how to answer, but fortunately Qin Yun changed the subject, already turning to the Dragon Demon Development Sutra:

"The Dragon Demon Development Sutra, what you all outside call it, is actually a divine art of our sect, should be called 'Sitting-Forgetting Development Sutra', Ten Thousand Beasts as its root, Sitting-Forgetting as its essence!"

Li Yuan gathered his thoughts, listening to Qin Yun's exposition!

The Sitting-Forgetting Development Sutra was extremely complex; what the Dragon Demon had transmitted to him was only a small outline. Qin Yun spoke at length, lecturing for two hours straight, until the meaning made Li Yuan's temples twitch and throb!

"The Sitting-Forgetting Development Sutra is not something just anyone can practice; it requires both form and talent. You must study it well before practicing. Once you begin, you will have to ponder it several times!"

Seeing Li Yuan's state was not good, Qin Yun stopped, roughly explained the key points he needed to pay attention to when practicing, then stood up and said he would send him to the Eight Directions Tower!

"That old fellow is still hard to deal with!"

Outside the Eight Directions Tower, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Li Yuan rubbed his temples. Tonight's encounter had truly been overwhelming; even with the boost from various items enhancing his spirit, he could not avoid feeling dizzy and heavy-headed!

In this state, he was clearly not suited to practice martial arts, let alone a divine art of this level!

Because of this, Li Yuan did not wait for Old Han to return. Without knowing what the sound was, he returned to his room, took a few Spirit Pills, and fell asleep!

This sleep, he slept until the second hour past noon!

Upon waking, Li Yuan did not feel much grogginess. Last night, he had not dreamed the entire night — the quality of sleep was rarely poor! "Hoo."

Standing by the bed, he practiced a few sets of stake-post stances, then took a few Spirit Pills. Li Yuan's spirit recovered by half. Only then did he sit cross-legged, return to stillness, and sort out this sect's 'Ten Thousand Beasts Sitting-Forgetting, Dragon Demon Development Sutra'!

This sect's demonic art, which shared its name with the Bai Shen Fa, according to Qin Yun's words, had its essence in Sitting-Forgetting. To enter the door, one must observe form!

But this was not the same as the observation-form method he had come into contact with before, and it was not to be taken lightly!

"Form preserves its spirit, body preserves its form! Observe its form, and you may transform into its form."

"Transform ten thousand forms into flesh and blood, thus ten thousand transformations, a drop of blood reborn."