The man in green and the nun in white stood behind of the teenager in Daoist attire. The Saintess did not proceed forward. After she noticed Huangji Fo's arrival, she immediately moved towards him as though she was frightened by the teenager in Daoist attire.
Huangji Fo had seen enough in his life to not feel overwhelmed by the teenager's capabilities.
His sloppy ears shifted slightly as they caught the messages from the Saintess. Only then did he realize that this teenager was the mysteriously powerful character that she ran into previously. Now it seemed that the teenager was beyond scary. Though, this did not change anything. He was determined to get the nun back, and he would stop at nothing.
"'Dao' is intangible and endless; it is to be carefree and unrestrained. Despite the matters in this world that has shape and is tangible, but how could one tell if what lies in front of them was real or not? Fellow Daoist, your wise words are beyond my comprehension. I'm not sure if my understanding is correct?" Huangji Fo spoke as he pointed out the reasoning behind Shen Lian's words.
This had shown his capabilities. Even the man in green looked at him in admiration as he thought about how Huangji Fo did have something in him.
Huangji Fo sounded casual, but his entire attention was directed to Shen Lian. If Shen Lian could utter those words so casually, he was indeed beyond terrifying.
In Buddhism, this was known as knowing one's nature and heart; In Daoism, this was considered as breaking through whims and being one with the heaven and earth. If said person was not in the rank of celestials yet, he would not be far off by now.
Shen Lian clapped with his fair hands; his fingers were slender and long, as though they were beautiful jade that was crafted with the natural essence of Dao. The claps were crisp and clear. His every move was full of the grace of a great master.
"If Dao was something that could be put into words so easily, then it would not be the eternal Dao that it is. Fellow Daoist, you are asking me to explain my previous sentence, what about what I have just said earlier?" Even though he spoke so casually, those were words of wisdom.
After hearing it, Huangji Fo felt like Shen Lian was like the sky – he could see it, and that was all there was. He knew that there was no way that he could guess what he was thinking, given that he was in a league of his own.
"I must be confused for a while back there. The greatness of Dao is not something that can be put into words. However, if Fellow Daoist refused my request to bring her away today, I supposed that it will not be a happy ending," he spoke.
Shen Lian smiled, "I was planning to sort you out sooner or later anyway, I might as well let you know today that, not just anyone can call themselves a 'Fo', Buddha," Shen Lian spoke.
He seemed so casual and unaffected even when faced with Huangji Fo's overwhelming Qi dynamic. He was sizing Huangji Fo cheerfully, as though he was looking at nothing but a mere strand of grass.
Shen Lian's demeanor pissed Huangji Fo off ever more.
His Buddhist techniques were fuelled on by his rage, and he did not bother suppressing it himself either. He decided to just let the natural course of things have their way. Since he could not control his heart, he might as well let it be.
All these years, he did not even have to bow to the Golden-bodied Arhat. However, right now he was being taken lightly by Shen Lian, whom background he was unaware of. Moreover, Shen Lian was shielding the nun from Zizai Temple and acted against his great plan.
The Buddha might have patience, but not him.
He laughed loudly, and his laughter echoed through the sky and swirled amidst the mountains. The echo did not die off until much later.
"Fellow Daoist, you are forcing me to send you to meet the Daoist Master Heavenly King."
In Daoist legends, the Daoist Master and the Heavenly King had once built a heaven and lived within it. When the cultivators of the Xuanmen died, they would be brought over to become one of the living creatures in the heaven.
After he had spoken, his aura surged. His entire body swelled, as though it contained the world within it.
Huangji Fo's greatness made Shen Lian's flimsy body in the pagoda seemed insignificant in comparison.
It was as though he only needed to clap his hand to turn Shen Lian into a meat patty. Shen Lian would not be able to put up a fight at all.
Shen Lian raised his head to meet Huangji Fo's giant Buddhist eyes that looked like lanterns. Their Qi dynamic had actually been joined into one, and the clash between their spirits was not something that could easily be observed by outsiders.
In Huangji Fo's eyes, the pagoda in the mountains had disappeared.
He manifested into his Buddha body. He towered over Shen Lian with his huge and impressive body.
He saw a dot, an origin that seemed murky inside.
It was segregated into Yin and Yang and the Five Elements; eventually, it turned into the galaxies and the vastness that was the Universe. His giant golden body seemed to have become a part of the universe.
He could not find Shen Lian. At the same time, he knew that the Universe was Shen Lian's work. In the vastness of the Universe, regardless of how gigantic he was, he seemed so insignificant.
Out of a sudden, Shen Lian appeared amidst the galaxy. It was him, and yet it was not.
He formed a gesture with his hand, and a divine mountain appeared immediately. The galaxy was rolled up and was sent flying at his Buddha body.
Huangji Fo chanted his Buddhist chants, and eight dragons appeared. They were long and their bodies were dragged across the sky. The power of the dragon managed to resist against the incoming divine mountain. The dragon wrapped its body tightly around the divine mountain, as though it was ready to crush it into pieces.
The golden light and the divine light clashed; the giant impact created an immeasurable force that could not be described with words. The stray, strange spiritual force was dispersed, and they clashed against Huangji Fo's spiritual manifestation.
He remained composed and was unmoved.
"Huangji Shocking Technique," he yelled.
The outsiders – the man in green and the nun, saw intangible ripples broke through the air between Shen Lian and Huangji Fo. There was no impressive clash of Dao techniques, but the spiritual aftermath had shattered the pagoda into pieces. Even the trees at the back bent backward and broke.
The man in green drew the tracks repeatedly and shielded both of them within the divine light as they retreated towards the back.
At the same time, there was a flower basket hovering above the lady. Ray streamed down from it and isolated her from the external stimuli like a water screen. She was not injured.
It was no longer important how these people managed to protect themselves. The clash between Shen Lian and Huangji Fo had attracted the attention of the surrounding cultivators.
"Huangji Shocking Technique, who is Huangji Fo fighting against?"
"Could it be Hong Yangzi?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Hong Yangzi's techniques are not as pure as this; the techniques here combined the Dao with the heaven and earth, how scary indeed."
The person who spoke last seemed knowledgeable and was able to tell that Shen Lian's supreme techniques had incorporated the meaning of Dao within it.
Regardless of the onlookers, Shen Lian remained calm and carefree.
In fact, he was holding back. He allowed for Huangji Fo to hike up his aura with Huangji Shocking Technique. Yet, he was still not satisfied with the level of intensity. It was still insufficient to excite his spirit. He still could not find a chance that could allow for him to sweep away all of the whims and cultivated his Primordial Spirit.
The chance that Shen Lian needed was a strong wave of pressure that could push him over to make the last step. Then, he would be able to make his way into the ranks of celestials.
A Treasure Wheel appeared behind Huangji Fo's head, and it was made out of eight golden dragons intertwining with each other.
The eight dragons were almost able to deduce all living beings in the world.
He was emitting golden rays, and his skin was close to being pure gold. It was translucent, and his eyes were kind and his expression solemn.
It was as though a real Buddha had descended to the world and was ready to eradicate the evilness, bringing light to the human realm once again.
The stronger his aura was, the more worried the man in green and the nun got. The monk had powerful Dharma, they were unsure if Shen Lian could keep him under control. Furthermore, why was Shen Lian allowing for him to hike up his aura instead of nipping him at his bud?
The man in green was about to draw out the marks of Dao – one of the Nine Secrets of Xuantian he learned from his Honored Master. It could be turned into the Killing Techniques of Heaven.
"Senior Apprentice-Brother Qingyi, please hold up. Brother Shen is winning this fight," the nun in white spoke.
The man in green was Song Qingyi, and the nun in white was the successor of the Zizai Temple, Qixiu – the sole survivor of the Xiao family of Flying Celestials Island.
Shen Lian looked into the designs of nature and was waiting purposely at the pagoda for the both of them.
Moreover, Huangji Fo was Zhao Xiaoyu's enemy. Conveniently, he could kill two birds with one stone.
"Junior Apprentice-Sister, how did you know?" Song Qingyi asked.
"Dao is endless, and the strength of a man is limited. The evil monk has not attained the golden body yet, and his mana was after all, limited. Though Brother Shen was letting him to gather his aura, it has now developed to the point where it is beyond the evil monk's control. So long as Brother Shen could resist his attack, he will not have any strength left to put up a fight anymore," Qixiu spoke.
"I can't believe that bloody Huangji is going to have it easy. Though, according to Daoist Liuqing, you will be faced with a lot of trials and tribulations in life. You will have an ill-fated relationship with the one who absolved the misfortune in your life. Seeing how Shen Lian rescued you this time, it would seem that he is your ill-fated relationship," Song Qingyi sighed.
"Ill-fated relationship is still a bond, no?" Qixiu murmured.
Her expression was complicated; it was not known if it was joy or worry that was on her face.
Song Qingyi kept quiet. If this was an ill-fated relationship, then its seeds had been sowed since long ago.
He stared at Shen Lian, and he felt an indescribable feeling welled up within him. Initially, he thought that after his Honored Master had passed on the Nine Secrets of Xuantian to him – Enlightenment Scripture - and having been sent into the little space by his Honored Master, his level of cultivation at the state of Huandan would elevate him nearer to the level Shen Lian was at. However, now it seemed that the distance between them was bigger than before.
Even though he knew that he could trigger the monk to hike up his aura and let it spin out of his control, he would not dream of obtaining victory in this manner as he did not have the confidence to resist the first wave of attacks. Yet, Shen Lian looked so carefree. During their conversation, Huangji Fo had struck twice, and the sheer amount of power was sufficient to collapse even the sky. However, the power was nothing to Shen Lian. The moment it approached him, it was extinguished completely by the five-colored ray.
It was as though the five-colored ray had absolved the scary power.
He also noticed how wise Qixiu had gotten ever since she awakened her mental perception; to think that she could pick this up in such a short period of time.
Huangji Fo kept waving his golden fist, and divine light was spilling out from the Treasure Wheel behind of him. The world was lit up, and it was as though a real Buddha had come to this world. The eight dragons roared endlessly. The power of the dragons accompanied that of the Buddhist fist, and together they charged at Shen Lian.
Shen Lian handled all of these casually and did not even bother hiking up his aura. He let the scary power come at him again and again. However, not even the corners of his clothes were touched by the power.
The golden ray spilled all over the world. The overwhelming power rolled down as though they had come from the Milky Way. The scary clash between these two lasted until the evening.
An immeasurable amount of energy spilled all over, and yet the five-colored ray captured all of them without letting any more of them spill out.
The cultivators who were observing the fight saw the ground splitting open and closed up again; the trees being destroyed and regrew again.
Eventually, Huangji Fo's aura started to drop. His power was weakening.
Shen Lian finally acted. He stood up like a deity who held the Dao in his hand and walked out from the void. He was shooting tangible silver rays from his eyes, and the rays could sweep away all obstacles within seconds.
The silver-white ray triumphed over the moonlight in the sky. Everyone felt their heart beating with excitement.
The man in green and the nun in white stood behind of the teenager in Daoist attire. The Saintess did not proceed forward. After she noticed Huangji Fo's arrival, she immediately moved towards him as though she was frightened by the teenager in Daoist attire.
Huangji Fo had seen enough in his life to not feel overwhelmed by the teenager's capabilities.
His sloppy ears shifted slightly as they caught the messages from the Saintess. Only then did he realize that this teenager was the mysteriously powerful character that she ran into previously. Now it seemed that the teenager was beyond scary. Though, this did not change anything. He was determined to get the nun back, and he would stop at nothing.
"'Dao' is intangible and endless; it is to be carefree and unrestrained. Despite the matters in this world that has shape and is tangible, but how could one tell if what lies in front of them was real or not? Fellow Daoist, your wise words are beyond my comprehension. I'm not sure if my understanding is correct?" Huangji Fo spoke as he pointed out the reasoning behind Shen Lian's words.
This had shown his capabilities. Even the man in green looked at him in admiration as he thought about how Huangji Fo did have something in him.
Huangji Fo sounded casual, but his entire attention was directed to Shen Lian. If Shen Lian could utter those words so casually, he was indeed beyond terrifying.
In Buddhism, this was known as knowing one's nature and heart; In Daoism, this was considered as breaking through whims and being one with the heaven and earth. If said person was not in the rank of celestials yet, he would not be far off by now.
Shen Lian clapped with his fair hands; his fingers were slender and long, as though they were beautiful jade that was crafted with the natural essence of Dao. The claps were crisp and clear. His every move was full of the grace of a great master.
"If Dao was something that could be put into words so easily, then it would not be the eternal Dao that it is. Fellow Daoist, you are asking me to explain my previous sentence, what about what I have just said earlier?" Even though he spoke so casually, those were words of wisdom.
After hearing it, Huangji Fo felt like Shen Lian was like the sky – he could see it, and that was all there was. He knew that there was no way that he could guess what he was thinking, given that he was in a league of his own.
"I must be confused for a while back there. The greatness of Dao is not something that can be put into words. However, if Fellow Daoist refused my request to bring her away today, I supposed that it will not be a happy ending," he spoke.
Shen Lian smiled, "I was planning to sort you out sooner or later anyway, I might as well let you know today that, not just anyone can call themselves a 'Fo', Buddha," Shen Lian spoke.
He seemed so casual and unaffected even when faced with Huangji Fo's overwhelming Qi dynamic. He was sizing Huangji Fo cheerfully, as though he was looking at nothing but a mere strand of grass.
Shen Lian's demeanor pissed Huangji Fo off ever more.
His Buddhist techniques were fuelled on by his rage, and he did not bother suppressing it himself either. He decided to just let the natural course of things have their way. Since he could not control his heart, he might as well let it be.
All these years, he did not even have to bow to the Golden-bodied Arhat. However, right now he was being taken lightly by Shen Lian, whom background he was unaware of. Moreover, Shen Lian was shielding the nun from Zizai Temple and acted against his great plan.
The Buddha might have patience, but not him.
He laughed loudly, and his laughter echoed through the sky and swirled amidst the mountains. The echo did not die off until much later.
"Fellow Daoist, you are forcing me to send you to meet the Daoist Master Heavenly King."
In Daoist legends, the Daoist Master and the Heavenly King had once built a heaven and lived within it. When the cultivators of the Xuanmen died, they would be brought over to become one of the living creatures in the heaven.
After he had spoken, his aura surged. His entire body swelled, as though it contained the world within it.
Huangji Fo's greatness made Shen Lian's flimsy body in the pagoda seemed insignificant in comparison.
It was as though he only needed to clap his hand to turn Shen Lian into a meat patty. Shen Lian would not be able to put up a fight at all.
Shen Lian raised his head to meet Huangji Fo's giant Buddhist eyes that looked like lanterns. Their Qi dynamic had actually been joined into one, and the clash between their spirits was not something that could easily be observed by outsiders.
In Huangji Fo's eyes, the pagoda in the mountains had disappeared.
He manifested into his Buddha body. He towered over Shen Lian with his huge and impressive body.
He saw a dot, an origin that seemed murky inside.
It was segregated into Yin and Yang and the Five Elements; eventually, it turned into the galaxies and the vastness that was the Universe. His giant golden body seemed to have become a part of the universe.
He could not find Shen Lian. At the same time, he knew that the Universe was Shen Lian's work. In the vastness of the Universe, regardless of how gigantic he was, he seemed so insignificant.
Out of a sudden, Shen Lian appeared amidst the galaxy. It was him, and yet it was not.
He formed a gesture with his hand, and a divine mountain appeared immediately. The galaxy was rolled up and was sent flying at his Buddha body.
Huangji Fo chanted his Buddhist chants, and eight dragons appeared. They were long and their bodies were dragged across the sky. The power of the dragon managed to resist against the incoming divine mountain. The dragon wrapped its body tightly around the divine mountain, as though it was ready to crush it into pieces.
The golden light and the divine light clashed; the giant impact created an immeasurable force that could not be described with words. The stray, strange spiritual force was dispersed, and they clashed against Huangji Fo's spiritual manifestation.
He remained composed and was unmoved.
"Huangji Shocking Technique," he yelled.
The outsiders – the man in green and the nun, saw intangible ripples broke through the air between Shen Lian and Huangji Fo. There was no impressive clash of Dao techniques, but the spiritual aftermath had shattered the pagoda into pieces. Even the trees at the back bent backward and broke.
The man in green drew the tracks repeatedly and shielded both of them within the divine light as they retreated towards the back.
At the same time, there was a flower basket hovering above the lady. Ray streamed down from it and isolated her from the external stimuli like a water screen. She was not injured.
It was no longer important how these people managed to protect themselves. The clash between Shen Lian and Huangji Fo had attracted the attention of the surrounding cultivators.
"Huangji Shocking Technique, who is Huangji Fo fighting against?"
"Could it be Hong Yangzi?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Hong Yangzi's techniques are not as pure as this; the techniques here combined the Dao with the heaven and earth, how scary indeed."
The person who spoke last seemed knowledgeable and was able to tell that Shen Lian's supreme techniques had incorporated the meaning of Dao within it.
Regardless of the onlookers, Shen Lian remained calm and carefree.
In fact, he was holding back. He allowed for Huangji Fo to hike up his aura with Huangji Shocking Technique. Yet, he was still not satisfied with the level of intensity. It was still insufficient to excite his spirit. He still could not find a chance that could allow for him to sweep away all of the whims and cultivated his Primordial Spirit.
The chance that Shen Lian needed was a strong wave of pressure that could push him over to make the last step. Then, he would be able to make his way into the ranks of celestials.
A Treasure Wheel appeared behind Huangji Fo's head, and it was made out of eight golden dragons intertwining with each other.
The eight dragons were almost able to deduce all living beings in the world.
He was emitting golden rays, and his skin was close to being pure gold. It was translucent, and his eyes were kind and his expression solemn.
It was as though a real Buddha had descended to the world and was ready to eradicate the evilness, bringing light to the human realm once again.
The stronger his aura was, the more worried the man in green and the nun got. The monk had powerful Dharma, they were unsure if Shen Lian could keep him under control. Furthermore, why was Shen Lian allowing for him to hike up his aura instead of nipping him at his bud?
The man in green was about to draw out the marks of Dao – one of the Nine Secrets of Xuantian he learned from his Honored Master. It could be turned into the Killing Techniques of Heaven.
"Senior Apprentice-Brother Qingyi, please hold up. Brother Shen is winning this fight," the nun in white spoke.
The man in green was Song Qingyi, and the nun in white was the successor of the Zizai Temple, Qixiu – the sole survivor of the Xiao family of Flying Celestials Island.
Shen Lian looked into the designs of nature and was waiting purposely at the pagoda for the both of them.
Moreover, Huangji Fo was Zhao Xiaoyu's enemy. Conveniently, he could kill two birds with one stone.
"Junior Apprentice-Sister, how did you know?" Song Qingyi asked.
"Dao is endless, and the strength of a man is limited. The evil monk has not attained the golden body yet, and his mana was after all, limited. Though Brother Shen was letting him to gather his aura, it has now developed to the point where it is beyond the evil monk's control. So long as Brother Shen could resist his attack, he will not have any strength left to put up a fight anymore," Qixiu spoke.
"I can't believe that bloody Huangji is going to have it easy. Though, according to Daoist Liuqing, you will be faced with a lot of trials and tribulations in life. You will have an ill-fated relationship with the one who absolved the misfortune in your life. Seeing how Shen Lian rescued you this time, it would seem that he is your ill-fated relationship," Song Qingyi sighed.
"Ill-fated relationship is still a bond, no?" Qixiu murmured.
Her expression was complicated; it was not known if it was joy or worry that was on her face.
Song Qingyi kept quiet. If this was an ill-fated relationship, then its seeds had been sowed since long ago.
He stared at Shen Lian, and he felt an indescribable feeling welled up within him. Initially, he thought that after his Honored Master had passed on the Nine Secrets of Xuantian to him – Enlightenment Scripture - and having been sent into the little space by his Honored Master, his level of cultivation at the state of Huandan would elevate him nearer to the level Shen Lian was at. However, now it seemed that the distance between them was bigger than before.
Even though he knew that he could trigger the monk to hike up his aura and let it spin out of his control, he would not dream of obtaining victory in this manner as he did not have the confidence to resist the first wave of attacks. Yet, Shen Lian looked so carefree. During their conversation, Huangji Fo had struck twice, and the sheer amount of power was sufficient to collapse even the sky. However, the power was nothing to Shen Lian. The moment it approached him, it was extinguished completely by the five-colored ray.
It was as though the five-colored ray had absolved the scary power.
He also noticed how wise Qixiu had gotten ever since she awakened her mental perception; to think that she could pick this up in such a short period of time.
Huangji Fo kept waving his golden fist, and divine light was spilling out from the Treasure Wheel behind of him. The world was lit up, and it was as though a real Buddha had come to this world. The eight dragons roared endlessly. The power of the dragons accompanied that of the Buddhist fist, and together they charged at Shen Lian.
Shen Lian handled all of these casually and did not even bother hiking up his aura. He let the scary power come at him again and again. However, not even the corners of his clothes were touched by the power.
The golden ray spilled all over the world. The overwhelming power rolled down as though they had come from the Milky Way. The scary clash between these two lasted until the evening.
An immeasurable amount of energy spilled all over, and yet the five-colored ray captured all of them without letting any more of them spill out.
The cultivators who were observing the fight saw the ground splitting open and closed up again; the trees being destroyed and regrew again.
Eventually, Huangji Fo's aura started to drop. His power was weakening.
Shen Lian finally acted. He stood up like a deity who held the Dao in his hand and walked out from the void. He was shooting tangible silver rays from his eyes, and the rays could sweep away all obstacles within seconds.
The silver-white ray triumphed over the moonlight in the sky. Everyone felt their heart beating with excitement.
