Ziyuan stared blankly at Li Yundong, this young man standing before her like a towering mountain, capable of shielding her from the wind and rain, holding the heavens aloft! How long ago was it that he, knowing nothing, had to beg her for guidance on various cultivation questions?

How long ago was it that his naivety and immaturity had earned her scorn? But now, he had grown into such a powerful cultivator.

The vengeful spirits that had taken her so much effort to battle, he had merely scattered them with a furious roar, relying only on his sheer aura! In that instant, Ziyuan was reminded of her own Master, how incredibly powerful and reliable he had been; just looking at his back offered a sensation of warmth and deep security.

With him here, the sky itself could not fall! Li Yundong looked at Ziyuan with concern.

Seeing this fairy-like woman staring at him in a daze, he worried she might have sustained some injury, and asked again, more anxiously, "Ziyuan, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Ziyuan snapped out of her trance.

She glanced quickly around, noticing everyone present was staring at the two of them in stunned silence. Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her voice, "Let go of me." Only then did Li Yundong realize he was embracing her waist openly in front of everyone, which was rather inappropriate.

He coughed dryly and immediately released his arm from around her, his expression slightly unnatural. However, at that moment, the onlookers were focused only on how Li Yundong had so casually neutralized Tachibana Chiko's ferocious assault; they paid little attention to Ziyuan’s reaction.

Tachibana Chiko stared at Li Yundong in shocked suspicion. She demanded, "It's you?

Didn't you withdraw from the Lotus Gathering Competition? How do you know the Great Hand Seal technique of our Shingon Esoteric School?" Li Yundong spared her a faint glance, and instead of answering directly, retorted, "Aren't you Japanese?

For Sect Leader Wan to allow you to participate in the Lotus Gathering Competition was already an exception. Why must your Japanese cultivators come to our Chinese cultivation world's competition just to cause trouble?" Tachibana Chiko was now clearly possessed, her personality having shifted dramatically.

Her previous innocence had vanished, replaced by the haughtiness and arrogance of the Shinto priestess spirit of the Tachibana lineage. She sneered, "These cultivators just treated you like an enemy, and now you step up to defend them?" Li Yundong glanced at the people gathered, noting that most of the cultivators present showed expressions of shame.

He smiled slightly and said, "I am not standing up for them; I am standing up for Ziyuan, and for the Chinese cultivation world. Besides, I recall hearing you say that our Chinese cultivation world has no masters, correct?

That was what you said?" Tachibana Chiko burst into loud laughter. "Isn't that true?

Even Ziyuan, touted as the best in your world, was no match for me! Is there anyone else who dares to step forward?" Saying this, she surveyed the crowd with a disdainful, utterly arrogant air.

Though the cultivators from various sects felt furious and indignant, the power Tachibana Chiko had just displayed was clearly at the level of a Great Cultivator, far beyond their ability to handle. Even Zhang Ling felt a creeping worry, thinking to himself: This Tachibana Chiko is young, yet her fighting prowess is so fierce.

If a real fight breaks out, the outcome is uncertain, and this whole place will surely be flattened! Moreover, if I were to lose, the Zhengyi Sect would be utterly disgraced!

This Li Yundong seems ready to step in, so let him do it. If he wins, it will prove the might of our Chinese cultivation world; if he loses, it won't concern our Zhengyi Sect.

The cultivators of the various sects held their own counsel, especially after the crushing defeats suffered by Zhang Cunya, Zhang Tian, and others; not a single one stepped forward to accept the challenge. Seeing this, Li Yundong raised an eyebrow and declared, "If no one steps up, then I will!

I will show you whether the Chinese cultivation world has any masters or not!" Tachibana Chiko scoffed coldly, "Do you even have the qualification to participate? Wasn't your qualification already revoked?

Hmph, you Chinese only know how to fight amongst yourselves!" Li Yundong snorted, offering no reply. He turned and nodded toward Ziyuan, signaling that he was taking the stage and that she should stand down.

Ziyuan looked at Li Yundong with complex emotions. She knew this was hardly the time for romantic lingering.

She nodded and cautioned him with evident worry, "Be careful. She is truly strong, and I don't think she used her full power just now!" Li Yundong nodded slightly, flashing Ziyuan a reassuring smile.

After seeing her return to her seat, he turned to Wan Zhenyuan and cupped his hands, "Sect Leader Wan, according to the rules of the Lotus Gathering Competition, am I permitted to compete now?" Wan Zhenyuan, who had remained silent, observing everything, cleared his throat when Li Yundong addressed him. "Since the Japanese are disregarding the rules, why should we adhere to them?" Hearing this, the crowd immediately erupted in boisterous support: "Exactly!

It's one thing for you Japanese to come uninvited, but to start fighting is truly bullying our cultivation world as if we have no one left!" "Venerable Li, teach these Japanese a good lesson!" "Venerable Li, it's up to you now!" Tachibana Chiko listened, a mocking sneer on her face. She cast a cold glance over the crowd and scoffed, "You Chinese cultivators treated him like an enemy just moments ago, and now you look to him like a savior.

I'm embarrassed for you!" The crowd instantly felt shame creep over them; those who had previously hurled the most vicious insults at Li Yundong were now particularly mortified. Seeing this, Li Yundong spoke loudly, "How they treated me is an internal matter for the Chinese cultivation world; it is not for you to meddle in, nor for you to judge!" Tachibana Chiko faltered, vexed.

"Then I ask you, how do you know the Great Hand Seal technique of our Shingon Esoteric School? Did you steal it?" Li Yundong heard this and burst into hearty laughter, as if he had just heard the most unbelievable joke in the world.

Tachibana Chiko angrily demanded, "Bastard, what are you laughing at!" Li Yundong roared with laughter, "For an apprentice to claim that the Master's technique was stolen from the apprentice—isn't that the greatest joke? It's hilarious!" Tachibana Chiko's face was like frost, her eyes glinting with killing intent.

"Our Shingon Esoteric School was founded by Kobo Daishi in the seventh year of Ennin, which is 816 AD. The Great Hand Seal of Shingon existed then.

How dare you suggest we stole it from you?" Li Yundong laughed loudly, "Do you even know the origins of Kobo Daishi? Whom he studied under, and from where he learned the Shingon Esoteric methods?" Ci Nian, standing nearby, inwardly thought: Not good.

Tachibana Chiko is possessed by the spirit of the Tachibana Priestess now; she is not skilled at debate. Why did she bring up this topic?

Isn't she just courting trouble? Just as Ci Nian was about to interrupt and divert the conversation, Li Yundong spoke loudly across the arena, "As a successor of the Shingon Esoteric School, and as a priestess of Mount Koya, you don't know the origins of your own founding master or the source of your techniques?

That is truly comical!" Li Yundong spoke fluently and confidently, recounting the life story of Kobo Daishi with perfect clarity. Many cultivators from Daoist sects knew the history of their own tradition intimately, but mostly concerning Daoism; they were often hazy on the history of Japanese cultivation.

Hearing this, they suddenly understood: "Oh, so the ancestor of these little devils actually came from our school!" Some began to mock loudly, "Little devils, your techniques were learned from us first—what are you showing off about?" Tachibana Chiko listened, somewhat stunned, her face covered in frost. Ci Nian inwardly panicked, chanting a Buddhist invocation loudly, "Venerable Li, what you said before is correct, but after Master Keika imparted the true teachings to Kobo Daishi, Emperor Wuzong of Tang began to favor Daoism and suppress Buddhism.

Daoism flourished, while Buddhism suffered the Calamity of Huichang. The Shingon Esoteric School declined in the Tang Dynasty and vanished from China, yet it prospered on our Mount Koya in Japan!

Your Chinese cultivation world only ever knew internal strife and failed to cherish its heritage. We preserved these traditions for you; shouldn't you be thanking us?" Li Yundong gave a cold smile and stated loudly, "Oda Nobunaga, during Japan's Warring States period, burned down Mount Hiei.

He ordered his soldiers to kill everyone they saw—monks and nuns, civilians, women, and children—and report the number of heads taken for rewards. Women and children with even moderate attractiveness were kept to reward the army; the rest were slaughtered.

This disaster claimed four to five thousand lives, their bodies piled haphazardly across the mountain. Oda Nobunaga also set fire to the Main Hall and the twenty-one Sanno Shrines of Enryaku-ji, burning up centuries of treasured statues and scriptures.

Your Japanese Buddhist sanctuary, Mount Hiei, was reduced to ruins! Such a profound calamity is unheard of even in our Chinese cultivation world—how dare you point fingers at us?" Ci Nian was filled with rage, but he knew every word Li Yundong spoke was true.

Unable to find a counter-argument, he said, "The Nine Syllable Mantra is a technique created solely by our Shingon Esoteric School. How do you explain that, Venerable Li?" Li Yundong laughed heartily, "Are you truly certain the Nine Syllable Mantra is your sole creation?" He turned around, addressing everyone in the arena, and declared loudly, "I believe everyone here knows that the Great Hand Seal of Shingon is not exclusive to Tang Esotericism; Tibetan Esotericism has it too, and so does Japanese Shingon, known as East Esotericism!

The Great Hand Seal of Shingon is divided into the Six Syllable Mantra and the Nine Syllable Mantra. The Six Syllable Mantra is Om Mani Padme Hum, primarily used by Tibetan and Tang Esotericism; while the Nine Syllable Mantra is Rin Pyo Sha Toh Ka Jin Ritsu Zen, mainly used by East Esotericism!

The Six Syllable Mantra originates from the mantra of the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, Avalokiteshvara—hence it is also called the Great Bright Mantra of Six Syllables! But does anyone know where the Nine Syllable Mantra originated?" The crowd watched as Li Yundong quoted scriptures and spoke like a rushing river, demonstrating unparalleled eloquence and spirit.

Though they had previously quarreled with Li Yundong, faced with a common enemy, they all responded in kind: "Venerable Li, please tell us quickly, don't keep us in suspense!" Li Yundong smiled slightly and announced loudly to Ci Nian, "The Nine Syllable Mantra, your Shingon Esoteric School's proudest achievement, actually originated in our Daoism!" This statement caused an uproar among many cultivators. Some stared blankly, saying, "No way!

The Nine Syllable Mantra of the Shingon Esoteric School originated in our Daoism? How could I not know that?" "Ha!

Now this is hilarious! The son beat the father!" "What's funnier is that the father, beaten by the son, didn't even realize the son learned the beating technique from the father!" "Alas, what an injustice!

This beating was totally undeserved!" "Damn it! These little Japs are a bunch of bastards, even hitting their own father!" The crowd erupted in discussion and loud laughter.

Tachibana Chiko, Shen Xiu, and Ci Nian were all furious upon hearing Li Yundong's claim. The ultimate technique created by Kobo Daishi of their Shingon Esoteric School—for Li Yundong to say it originated in Daoism—was an intolerable insult!