Li Yubing quickly reached out and held him, frowning as she glanced at the distant Heavenly Net God-Slaying Formation, shaking her head; the Tong Tianshu she knew was gone.
She was utterly puzzled. Where had Tong Tianshu gone, and why was Zhan Ran suddenly injured? She channeled her internal energy into him, and after a moment, shook her head. His inner power was vast, like a surging river; her own energy entering him was useless. His internal power was sound, his body unharmed, yet he had strangely fallen unconscious.
His coma must be connected to Tong Tianshu's disappearance, but the exact nature of the link was unclear. She would have to ask him later. Li Yubing shook her head, feeling that around Li Muchen, she had become the fool—like a junior, lacking in experience and wisdom.
She surveyed the unconscious Li Muchen and sighed. How could a man like this not wound a woman’s heart? No wonder his Senior Sister was so conflicted.
After a moment’s thought, she carried Li Muchen into the Hall of Heavenly Gods and laid him on the couch. Looking closely, her expression shifted slightly: Li Muchen was trembling faintly, his body moving subtly without any external force.
Li Yubing frowned and watched him for a while, then suddenly scooped him up and flashed outside the Hall of Heavenly Gods. The trembling in Li Muchen’s body ceased.
Li Yubing pondered, unsure if the movement was a good sign or if stillness was better; she felt adrift. So, her delicate jade palm pressed against Li Muchen’s brow center.
She could sense Li Muchen’s Sea of Consciousness was like a raging tempest, wild and brutal. She dared not approach, fearing being instantly devoured if she did.
She dared not probe her spirit inside, yet she vaguely detected a subtle aura. Finally, she concluded it was best not to re-enter the Hall of Heavenly Gods.
Carrying Li Muchen, she brought him to an outer room and laid him on a couch, staring at him. Li Muchen had calmed down now, lying perfectly still as if asleep.
Li Yubing breathed a sigh of relief and placed her palm on his brow center again, feeling carefully. His Sea of Consciousness slowly settled into tranquility.
Taking advantage of this lull, she picked up the secret manual and began to flip through it. Worrying now was pointless; looking at Li Muchen, it didn't seem too serious—he would wake up eventually.
Time passed slowly. The surroundings were so quiet that not a sound could be heard. She suddenly sensed something amiss, looked up, and saw Li Muchen had abruptly rolled over and sat up, adopting the cross-legged posture. His hands formed a peculiar mudra, and he muttered softly, seemingly reciting scriptures.
Li Yubing watched him, startled, daring not to disturb him. It seemed his foundation was still rooted in Buddhism. His low murmurs carried a strange power; she felt her own spirit sway, her spirit like the wind, his voice like the wind, stirring the flame of her spirit into turbulence.
Her vision swam; everything became unreal, dreamlike and illusory. She couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming—how could this be so strange?
She turned to look at Li Muchen. His lips moved, the pace of his recitation growing faster, the sound louder. Eventually, the chanting resonated throughout heaven and earth; between heaven and earth, there was only the sound of his recitation.
As the sound amplified, his body seemed to inflate like a balloon, growing larger and larger until, finally, he assumed a majestic posture, ten zhang tall, soaring toward the sky. Li Yubing looked up, unable to see his face, and felt an overwhelming urge to prostrate herself.
She shook her head, striving to calm her spirit. When she looked again, Li Muchen had returned to his normal size. Everything just now had been an illusion. The chanting continued to drill into her ears, straight into her mind, and she soon grew disoriented again. The Li Muchen before her grew large and tall once more, impossibly lofty.
She bit her tongue sharply, giving herself a jolt. Li Muchen returned to normal before her eyes. Her bright eyes narrowed, and she saw a faint figure flickering behind his head. Looking closely, it vaguely resembled his shadow.
She inwardly found it strange: why would his shadow flicker in daylight? It was writhing incessantly, as if engaged in combat. She stared for a while, unable to discern who he was fighting, but the techniques were exquisitely profound, his movements flowing like water, a breathtaking sight. After watching for a time, her mind stabilized, and Li Muchen's shadow became clearer and clearer.
Suddenly, his shadow stilled, ceasing its moves. Then, the shadow flickered violently, rapidly condensing and shrinking, transforming into a blinding white light that burst outward.
She instinctively squinted. When she opened her eyes again, a perfect, flawless moon hung suspended behind Li Muchen’s head. Even in the daytime, it was clearly visible—bright yet gentle, illuminating his face with solemn sanctity, making it impossible to look directly upon.
“This…” she gasped aloud.
The scene before her truly surpassed her imagination. A moon hanging behind his head—could it be that the moon from the heavens had fallen and he had caught it? This was utterly inconceivable.
Under her disbelieving gaze, this moon slowly merged into Li Muchen’s head, finally disappearing. Her spirit soared; all previous illusions vanished, and clarity returned.
She stared intently at Li Muchen, frowning. After a long pause, there was still no sign of him waking. She dared not move casually for fear of harming him, so she suppressed her curiosity and lowered her head to continue reading the secret manual. Such self-control was far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Time flowed quickly. By the time she finished reading the manual, it felt like only a blink of an eye. She turned her head and met Li Muchen’s bright eyes.
A smile touched her lips as she put down the manual: “You’re awake?”
Li Muchen’s expression was calm and peaceful. He glanced around, released his hand seals, and smiled: “Did the Palace Mistress memorize all these secret manuals?”
Li Yubing laughed, collecting the manuals: “Finally memorized. Old age, you know, my memory has gotten much worse.”
Li Muchen replied, “For a Grandmaster, the Sect Master is still quite young; living a few more centuries shouldn't be a problem.”
“Living that long holds little meaning,” Li Yubing shook her head.
Li Muchen smiled: “Isn’t today quite interesting?”
Li Yubing pursed her lips and smiled: “That won't keep one alive long—it’s enough to scare one to death. What exactly happened?”
Li Muchen’s smile faded, and he sighed, shaking his head: “This time it was truly precarious!”
“How so precarious?” Li Yubing asked eagerly.
Li Muchen said, “Tong Tianshu is gone, right?”
Li Yubing frowned: “I was just about to mention it; he’s certainly vanished! … Did he break the formation and escape? That could be troublesome!”
Li Muchen shook his head: “He didn't escape. He fought with everything he had, employing the Sacrifice Art, burning his physical body to strengthen his Nascent Soul.”
“Ah—?” Li Yubing gasped, surprised that Tong Tianshu could be so ruthless as to directly use the Sacrifice Art, a technique that guaranteed death.
“Didn't expect that, did you?” Li Muchen shook his head with a bitter smile: “This Sacrifice Art is truly sinister. After he used it, his spirit became overwhelmingly powerful, piercing out of the formation directly into my mind, attempting to seize my Nascent Soul!”
Li Yubing’s delicate mouth fell open.
Li Muchen shook his head: “His spirit was powerful and his Nascent Soul stable, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent!”
Li Yubing closed her mouth, asking in amazement: “That Tong fellow has lived so long, and he even used the Heavenly God Possession Art; his spirit must be incredibly strong. Were you able to handle him?”
Li Muchen laughed: “I once experienced a Nascent Soul usurping before, so I have some expertise in this. Though he is old and his Nascent Soul is strong, the battle of Nascent Souls is not like ordinary combat; he was at a disadvantage because he lacked experience, which gave me an opening.”
“So, is he completely dead now?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen nodded and laughed: “He is gone, dissipated into thin air.”
He decided to hide the true facts; he could not reveal that he had consumed Tong Tianshu’s Nascent Soul, intending to keep this secret buried forever.
“Alas…” Li Yubing sighed and shook her head: “A dignified Grandmaster falling to such a state—it truly is… If he had discussed it properly, we would have helped him!”
Li Muchen smiled: “Even as a Grandmaster, one must never assume invincibility or look down on anyone!”
“What was that bright moon appearing behind your head about?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen replied: “It was merely the materialization of spirit energy, the spiritual manifestation becoming the Dharma Body—a secret Buddhist technique I cultivate.”
“A Buddhist divine ability?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen nodded and smiled: “You could call it that.”
“It truly looks wondrous,” Li Yubing complimented: “Zhan Ran, if you appeared like that while preaching the Dharma, no one could resist you!”
Li Muchen said: “This is nothing; I am still far from complete.”
“What benefits does mastering this secret technique hold?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen shook his head: “I have only just mastered it; I don't yet know the specific advantages. I will explore them slowly in the future.”
“Hmm, it seems predecessors never managed to achieve it, is that right?” Li Yubing asked with a smile.
Curious about this divine ability of Li Muchen’s, she probed relentlessly. Li Muchen laughed: “Someone must have mastered it, otherwise how would it have been created?”
“Then why don’t you know the specific advantages?” Li Yubing huffed.
Li Muchen shook his head: “It only details the method of practice, not the method of application.”
“It seems you obtained it through a fortunate encounter, didn't you?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen nodded and smiled: “You could say that.”
“Alas… your luck, young man, is truly enviable,” Li Yubing shook her head.
Li Muchen laughed: “The Palace Mistress’s luck isn’t bad either. Look at these secret manuals, and those divine weapons.”
Li Yubing said: “I benefited from your fortune.”
Li Muchen chuckled twice: “Who benefited from whom remains to be seen.”
“Right, after all this, we still haven’t figured out exactly what happened—where those individuals who use the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s secret arts came from, and why they targeted Sect Master Yi,” Li Yubing mentioned.
Li Muchen pondered: “Perhaps some descendants of the Heavenly Dao Alliance survived. As for the feud with the Sect Master, outsiders can hardly clarify it; even the Sect Master is confused.”
“Alas… what a mess,” Li Yubing shook her head. The two of them went outside and looked at where the Heavenly Net God-Slaying Formation had been. It was empty; Tong Tianshu had vanished without a trace, not even his clothes remained.
“Now that this fellow is dead, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Shall we go?” Li Yubing suggested.
Li Muchen shook his head: “That formation hasn't been broken yet.”
“Do you really intend to break that formation?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen smiled: “Isn’t the Palace Mistress curious what is inside?”
Li Yubing said: “Could there be some treasure?”
Li Muchen: “I don't believe that Tong Tianshu would go to such lengths just to destroy it because he hated the Sacred Artifact!”
“Hmm, that makes sense,” Li Yubing nodded: “Then let’s break it open and see. Can you break it?”
Li Muchen smiled: “I’ll give it a try.”
He took out the jade pendant from his robes, held it between both hands, channeled his energy into it, and then slowly walked into the Heavenly Net God-Slaying Formation. A moment later, the thirty-six jade pendants suddenly flew out, rotating slowly around Li Muchen. As Li Muchen moved forward, the thirty-six followed, ceaselessly circling him.
Li Yubing dared not approach, able to feel the surging, mighty power that would devour or strike back should she get too close; she could only stay far away.
“Chi!” A light whistle suddenly sounded. Li Yubing quickly widened her bright eyes; the scene before her shimmered a few times, and then the distant view changed. A grand hall appeared before her eyes.
This hall was slightly inferior to the Hall of Heavenly Gods, smaller in scale, but its layout and style were almost identical—a miniature Hall of Heavenly Gods.
Li Muchen suddenly stopped and turned his head: “Palace Mistress, come over here.”
As his voice fell, the thirty-six jade pendants hung suspended in the air, motionless. Li Yubing flashed to Li Muchen’s side, looking at their surroundings with some trepidation.
What she saw before her was layers upon layers of mountains and lush, dense forests, completely different from what she saw outside the formation—another world entirely.
“How can you see outside?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen replied: “I was the one who set up this formation; I naturally have a way to see it. Palace Mistress, follow me closely, step exactly where I step.”
“Understood,” Li Yubing quickly nodded.
She followed Li Muchen closely, taking a dozen steps, when she heard a series of muffled thuds—“peng, peng, peng, peng”—the surrounding world shuddered, and the layered mountains seemed to lose reality, like reflections in water about to shatter at any moment.
“What is this…” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen pressed the jade pendants with both palms; the pendants flickered like stars in the sky.
Li Muchen smiled: “I am using a clever method, utilizing the Heavenly Net God-Slaying Formation to break the formation within.”
This was actually akin to the capability of a Grandmaster. Grandmasters are immune to formations because they form their own realm, becoming the masters of their own world, thus the outside world cannot affect them, and formations naturally become useless.
However, after entering the valley, their Grandmaster abilities were constrained; their spirits could not project outward, preventing them from controlling the outside world, leaving them helpless against formations.
Li Muchen used the Heavenly Net God-Slaying Formation; as its master, he was within it and protected by it, equivalent to controlling a realm. Although it couldn't compare to the ease of a Grandmaster, it was sufficient to break other formations.
Li Muchen said: “Palace Mistress, lend me a hand!”
Li Yubing quickly placed her palm on his back, finding that his internal energy was draining rapidly, the recovery rate slower than the depletion, like a massive vortex swallowing her energy, faster and faster, the suction growing stronger.
In a short while, her internal energy was exhausted. Unable to help herself, she pulled a porcelain bottle from her robes, crushed it, and tossed several pills into her mouth.
“Peng, peng, peng, peng…” With every step he took, Li Yubing saw the surrounding scenery shake violently, and the shaking grew more intense, threatening to dissipate at any moment.
Li Muchen’s face was pale, and he sighed: “I didn’t expect this formation’s power to be so strong!”
“Is it because it has endured for a century?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen shook his head: “This formation is less profound than the Heavenly Net God-Slaying Sword, but it excels in complexity, link upon link, and it draws upon external power; its might doesn’t increase with the passage of time.”
“Then it can be broken?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen nodded. Li Yubing felt the suction of her internal energy speed up even more. She sighed: “I can’t hold on much longer. Should I use a secret method to stimulate my potential?”
Li Muchen frowned, saying nothing, and quickened his pace. With a muffled thud—“Peng!”—Li Yubing felt a vast power surge toward her, and she was involuntarily flung backward.
Li Muchen also flew backward, and with two dull collisions—“Peng, peng”—both hit the door of a room, the view before them darkened, for they had entered a large hall.
Li Muchen didn't get up, smiling at Li Yubing: “We finally made it inside!”
Li Yubing turned to survey the surroundings. The layout of this hall was also identical to the Hall of Heavenly Gods, but where the statue was enshrined in the north, there stood a small, nine-story golden pagoda made of sandalwood. Each story was carved with Buddhist figures, exquisitely detailed and lifelike.
She took several deep breaths, able to feel the potent energy emanating from the Sandalwood-Gold Pagoda—it was the power of the spirit, pressing down so heavily that she could barely hold her head up, feeling an urge to kneel and prostrate herself.
Li Muchen also observed the Sandalwood-Gold Pagoda, nodding: “If my guess is correct, this is a Sarira Pagoda.”
“Sarira?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen nodded: “This aura is grand and luminous; it should be a Sarira.”
Li Yubing said: “Could the Heavenly Dao Alliance be Buddhist?”
Li Muchen shook his head: “This Sacred Artifact was transformed from the Sarira of a Venerable Monk. The cultivation level of this Monk during his life must have been terrifying, which is why he could suppress Tong Tianshu.”
“I wonder which Venerable Monk it was,” Li Yubing mused.
The two slowly got up. Under the crushing force, this simple action required great effort; their faces flushed red. Coupled with their previously overdrawn internal energy, they felt utterly weak.
Li Muchen placed his palms together but did not rush forward. Instead, he quietly began reciting the Immeasurable Brightness Heart Sutra. Immediately, warm and mellow streams of power flowed into their bodies, and the mountain-like pressure gradually receded.
Li Yubing also noticed the change, sensing profound mystery. Suddenly, she saw the Sandalwood-Gold Pagoda begin to glow faintly. Later, it shone as if the sun had struck it, casting a dark golden light that illuminated the great hall.
Li Muchen, however, remained motionless, reciting the sutra. Li Yubing could not understand the chanting, only feeling tranquility wash over her as her body gradually relaxed, almost drifting off to sleep.
Unknowingly, she experienced a lapse. When she awoke, her spirit was clear and full, feeling as if only an instant had passed, yet also like a long time. She glanced sideways; Li Muchen was still reciting, but the Sandalwood-Gold Pagoda had returned to its original dimness.
Li Muchen slowly stopped chanting and focused his gaze on the Sandalwood-Gold Pagoda.
Li Yubing waited for a while. Seeing that Li Muchen still hadn't moved, she urged him: “Zhan Ran?”
Li Muchen sighed, nodded, and slowly walked to the front of the pagoda. He reached in, then slowly withdrew his hand. Opening his palm, resting there was a round bead the size of a dragon’s eye, crystal clear like amber.
“This is the Sarira?” Li Yubing asked.
“This is indeed the Sarira,” Li Muchen nodded, slowly handing it over.
“So beautiful!” Li Yubing exclaimed, carefully taking it. She felt it was warm to the touch, the warmth penetrating her palm and sinking into her heart.
“This is what suppressed us?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muchen replied: “Precisely. This is the crystallized essence of a Virtuous Monk’s lifetime of arduous cultivation.”
Li Yubing pursed her lips and smiled: “Zhan Ran, when you die, will you also form this Sarira?”
Li Muchen smiled: “I cultivate Buddhist heart methods; I should be able to form a Sarira.”
Li Yubing said: “To preserve one's entire lifetime of ascetic cultivation after death—Buddhist teachings and divine abilities are truly extraordinary.”
Li Muchen laughed: “The Palace Mistress is envious. Do you also wish to form a Sarira?”
“Yes,” Li Yubing smiled wryly: “If I can form a Sarira after I die, I’ll place it in the Palace, and see which Grandmaster dares to cause trouble!”
“Why don’t you join me in cultivating Buddhism then,” Li Muchen chuckled.