The Eternal Way-Chapter 205 Killing the Demon Monk (Part Two)

A single sword strike was unleashed.

The great river surged westward, decisively splitting Mount Shalun, roaring ten thousand miles to touch the Dragon Gate, waves surging forward!

Killing energy moved south, affecting the axis of Earth, a single breath bound everything, all things lost their form, and the heavenly troops severed the heads of demon monks with a slash!

Without any hesitation, without holding back at all, Zhang Lan, empowered by the formation, swung his sword with ultimate power!

He even gave up on defense.

Prepared for a full month, condensing his vital energy for an entire month, he released that transcendent power!

Over a month ago, during Zhang Lan's first meeting with Li Qi, he faced two Eighth Rank opponents alone.

In that battle, he only used Sword Qi, never drawing the sword from its scabbard.

At that time, Zhang Lan said:

"I will use the Daoist methods I cultivate to mislead them about my true strength. At the critical moment, I'll close in with my Martial Dao cultivation and strike with my sword. That is where my chance of survival lies: kill one first, then fight the other. According to my estimate, there's a thirty percent chance I can counter-kill and save these hundreds of thousands. Moreover, I'm one hundred percent sure I can perish together with both of them." (See Chapter 168)

Since then, Li Qi had an idea of how Zhang Lan would unleash his explosive sword strike.

Zhang Lan's sword was the sword of a knight-errant.

The sword of a knight-errant, once drawn, leaves no regrets, it is death without life.

Unstoppable and invincible, clearing away the main evil, expecting Guangyang to enjoy peace!

Exerting too much force, the massive Sword Qi, amplified by the formation, became increasingly heavy, pressing down so hard his bones trembled, his skin split open, muscles were torn apart.

Even his heart and lungs showed signs of asthma, constantly panting and taking deep breaths.

But the Sword Qi was unbelievably sharp!

Infinite sword intent directly pierced through all the demonic energy surrounding Chan Zhi! It aimed to sever the head of the demon monk.

However, Chan Zhi smiled.

He didn't even bother with those Sword Qi, instead shaking his head: "The sword of a knight-errant, disheveled hair and beard, glaring eyes and difficulty speaking, clashing fiercely, aiming to cut the neck or pierce the liver and lungs, called the sword of a knight-errant, but in reality, it's just the sword of a commoner, not different from fighting cocks, once dead, it serves no purpose."

"Do I have a Buddha Realm around me? Can a commoner's sword slay a nation?"

As Chan Zhi finished speaking, space around him began to expand.

The Buddha Realm within his mind, perhaps containing Buddhalands, though defiled and uneven, arose due to the afflictions of sentient beings, thus creating such Buddhalands.

The Buddha Realm expanded, covering three inches around Chan Zhi.

Three inches of Buddha Realm could be broken by a single finger.

However, upon closer inspection, countless worlds appeared within.

Those three inches seemed to gather three thousand worlds, including various mountains like Snow Mountain, Fragrant Mountain, Jewel Mountain, Golden Mountain, Black Mountain, forming the mountain ranges of Heavenly Mountains.

There were also rivers, streams, springs, forming a golden sea of light.

And suns, moons, stars, celestial palaces, divine palaces of various deities, all appearing within the three-inch Buddha Realm, where there were Buddhas from the ten directions teaching, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, all gathered.

Around the Buddha Realm, there was a protective city built by the divine powers of the Buddhas, outside the three-inch Buddha Realm.

Within the protective city, there were heavenly beings each holding various armors and weapons, riding various mounts, standing solemnly, wearing various precious adornments, holding various treasures, guarding the Buddha Realm.

Zhang Lan's resolute Sword Qi broke through the surrounding demonic energies, cutting down demons, finally reaching the entrance of the three-inch Buddha Realm.

Then, the Sword Qi pierced through the Buddha Realm.

A loud sound like thunder echoed.

War drums startled the mountains, nearly toppling them.

Sword intent enveloped the surroundings, turning into fierce winds and heavy rain!

The sword of a commoner could slay one person.

Could it slay a nation?

Zhang Lan's body cracked open, blood pouring out as the Sword Qi entered the Buddha Realm, wreaking havoc.

Earth split open, mountain ranges were severed, oceans parted, the protective city was cleaved by Sword Qi.

Sword intent continuously expanded within the Buddha Realm, with blood-like lava constantly spewing out, looking as if the earth was being torn open, bleeding.

Earthquakes shook, the sky changed color, the Buddha Realm cracked.

Sword Qi like silver snakes roamed erratically within the three-inch Buddha Realm, countless razor-sharp Sword Qi kept penetrating the Buddha Realm, spreading continuously, attempting to break the protective city.

These tendrils repeatedly plowed the ground, all larger rocks, houses, completely shattered, continuous explosions sounded like raindrops hitting the earth, showing no signs of stopping.

However—

Rainstorm hitting the earth, although seemingly grand, might cause floods or landslides,

but could it really cause substantial damage to the earth?

Obviously, it couldn't.

Although the Buddha Realm was ravaged and cracked, countless heavenly beings fell, almost two-thirds of the Buddha Realm crumbled, yet Chan Zhi simply lightly pinched his fingers, softly chanting: "With this pure and clear heart, inner light illuminates, transforming the ten directions into the color of Jambūdvīpa, this is known as the soul's enlightenment, shining brightly, illuminating all Buddha Realms."

As he spoke, a brilliant Buddha light shone around him, his demonic deity manifestation receded, revealing a third manifestation.

The third manifestation was a seated Buddha statue, with kind eyebrows and gentle eyes, soft voice, surrounded by faint light, a golden statue adorned with jewels.

With a treasure vase, a golden bell, hanging around, the breeze moving, the bells and vases chimed, echoing over ten miles.

In a short time, Chan Zhi had already revealed three manifestations.

One was the Peacock King manifestation, another was the Heart-Eating Demon God manifestation, and now this compassionate Buddha Heart manifestation.

The treasure vases around the manifestation flew up, descending into the three-inch Buddha Realm.

A drop of nectar flew out, falling into the Buddha Realm.

That single drop of nectar suddenly divided into billions of parts, directly covering the entire three-inch Buddha Realm!

Sweet dew descended, its water sweet, possessing eight virtues, landing on the ground and disappearing, soaking into the soil, yet causing no flood.

Heavy rain poured down, clouds dispersed, cool breezes emerged from the waters, spreading moisture, touching the people, bringing comfort and joy, nourishing them.

Thus, the soil within the Buddha Realm became fertile, bright, smooth, as if someone had sprinkled water to make flowers bloom beautifully.

Likewise, when Buddha light appeared, all the land within this Buddha Realm naturally became rich and lush, as if smeared with oil, making it beautiful and moist.

Previously suffering heavenly beings were rescued, their pain relieved by the nectar.

The Buddha Realm was restored.

Not leaving a trace.

Yet the Sword Qi was already at its end, unable to penetrate even half an inch further.

This confrontation clearly ended with Chan Zhi's complete victory.

The sword of a commoner cannot rival a nation.

A sword capable of cutting everything, when facing an entire nation, was thoroughly restrained, having no means of resistance.

Having dispelled the desperate sword strike enhanced by the formation, Chan Zhi no longer held back, striking Zhang Lan with another palm.

This palm was identical to the one that previously carved through the mountains,

killing this martial artist, then abducting Shen Shuibei, returning to report to Li Qi.

Hmm... However, this was likely Li Qi's trap, wasn't it?

Chan Zhi sensed this.

Li Qi hadn't given up.

Luring him out, thinking he'd be injured by such an ambush?

Thinking two Seventh Rank combatants could pose a threat to him?

Truly... somewhat laughable.

Like childish mischief.

Then, let him learn what a true Seventh Rank truly means.

Not some rogue Seventh Rank, nor a fake Seventh Rank boosted by formations.

Still, that formation had some merit.

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How did they achieve that?

While attacking Zhang Lan, Chan Zhi wondered.

Originally, this should've been a large array regulating the energies of mountains and rivers, useful for civilian purposes, hardly for combat.

It could regulate weather, adjust terrestrial energies, ensure bountiful harvests, and mitigate minor natural disasters like ordinary floods, earthquakes, snowstorms, which could be preemptively mitigated by this array.

Of course, lightning tribulations, heaven's punishment, or even yin-yang inversion weren't within its control.

Therefore, besides its size, this array had no particular value.

To cover as wide an area as possible, this array was designed to be enormous, three such arrays could cover an entire prefecture.

Thus, hiding here, by manipulating local energies, merely diverting part of the vast power could easily mask other energies, appearing as normal energy fluctuations externally.

But...

How could such an array provide enhancing power? Impossible unless modified.

Modifying required someone highly skilled in formations.

Achieving such modifications implied unimaginably profound formation skills, could it be someone near Li Qi?

Chan Zhi considered it unlikely.

Someone with such formation skills wouldn't remain at Eighth Rank; besides the fake Seventh Rank and the fleeing Sikuang of Guangyang, no one here surpassed Eighth Rank.

Forget it, thinking too much was useless.

Guangyang posed no threat to him, no matter the schemes, they were futile.

Facing absolute power, let Little Friend Li Qi see his true strength.

Let him truly give up, losing all will to resist, working obediently, contributing his knowledge and intelligence, laying a solid foundation for his Sixth Rank path.

He wanted to crush Li Qi's spirit, eliminate all hope, grind his pride to dust, using absolute power to show this clever genius—

Geniuses are called geniuses because they aren't yet strong enough to be called powerful.

Boasting pride in being a genius, playing politics with intellect, manipulating plots, meant nothing before true power.

Many thoughts flashed through Chan Zhi's mind in an instant, but his attack remained unhindered.

His palm struck, Zhang Lan, exhausted from his previous sword strike, had no defense, about to be smashed to pieces, dying without burial.

Just as Chan Zhi's palm was about to strike,

another sword descended from the sky.

Chan Zhi's pupils contracted!

Where did this second sword come from?

A third Seventh Rank?

Impossible?!

But whether possible or not,

it was happening.

A third Seventh Rank appeared!

This sudden appearance was... a woman?

But Chan Zhi soon realized, this sudden sword wasn't wielded by a person.

Not a person, but a manifestation!

Another manifestation, reaching Seventh Rank, descended here.

A female manifestation, a hundred zhang tall, surrounded by ethereal mist, cold moonlight, graceful demeanor, arms adorned with palace rouge, clear light condensing dew, pure moonlight smokeless, cold and beautiful.

Behind her, a pale moon looked down upon the world for millennia.

Chan Zhi, well-traveled, couldn't recognize this manifestation.

Generally, manifestations represented mastery of certain teachings, fully grasped, able to harness their full power.

Manifestations are representations of teachings, formed when teachings are fully understood and integrated.

Thus, observing manifestations reveals information about teachings, like seeing the Peacock King manifestation indicates it comes from the Peacock King's teachings.

But Chan Zhi couldn't identify or recall this manifestation's origin.

This suggested the teaching was obscure, hence the unfamiliar manifestation.

Though surprising, it wasn't concerning.

Shaking his head, the three-inch Buddha Realm still covered him, ignoring the sword.

The previously formidable knight-errant sword posed no threat, now this ordinary manifestation couldn't harm him either.

His palm continued downward.

Just as he was about to strike Zhang Lan, the female manifestation's sword reached Chan Zhi's body.

The three-inch Buddha Realm shattered, the sword pierced his flesh!

Chan Zhi's flesh was extremely tough, yet this sword penetrated straight through.

The attack was interrupted.

Chan Zhi flew out.

Attempting to defend, but failing, he was again pierced, flying backward.

From south to north, the sword destroyed all defenses of the three-inch Buddha Realm, seven treasures fell, nectar dried up, Chan Zhi's manifestation shattered.

Chan Zhi grew furious.

He roared angrily.

"Benefactor Shen! My patience is running out!"

"Surrender now, or you won't leave unscathed."

Then, he reached out again, pressing down!

In his golden palm, a world suddenly appeared!

The three-inch Buddha Realm transformed into a palm-held Buddha Realm!

The palm-held Buddha Realm spanned heaven and earth, collapsing mountains and cracking earth, completely suppressing Shen Shuibei's manifestation!

But a sharp sword intent pierced the sky, slicing open the wind door!

A surge of Taiyin energy rose to the sky, flipping mountains and breaking seas, forcibly opening a hole in Chan Zhi's palm, breaking all seals and suppressions with one sword!

Directly shattering Chan Zhi's manifestation.

For a swordsman, show weakness, reveal advantage, strike last, arrive first.

Zhang Lan was merely bait.

This second sword was the hidden killing move.

The sword of a commoner cannot rival a nation.

But this sword, was the sword of an Immortal.

An Immortal's sword, wrapped in the four seasons, controlled by the five elements, opened by yin and yang, when drawn, reverses the universe, overturns cosmic light, resets chaos.

A realm can be broken.

Can a mere nation withstand an Immortal's sword?