Archfiend

Chapter 202: Danxia Temple (21)

At this instant, all the red lights flickered again. Before Xu Yangyi even reacted, a giant Transference Formation suddenly appeared before him.

There was no room for resistance. The front of Xu Yangyi’s eyes became fuzzy again, and after a spell of dizziness, he opened his eyes. To his astonishment, he discovered that he wasn’t within the Yellow Springs Path. As for the pelt scroll, it had already restored itself to its original state at some unknown time and was in his hand.

“I was forcibly transferred?” Although his dizziness had already passed, he still felt a little faint. Pressing his temples, he placed the pelt scroll into his storage ring. When he shut his eyes again, the spiritual sense of late-stage Qi Condensation erupted with a bang!

This spiritual sense was like the stretching of his hand, encompassing everything within 300 meters. Everything was taken into his brain. His first perception of something wasn’t from the front but from behind!

This location… was unknown. As far as he could he see was an extremely large space, even surpassing the livyatan’s territory. Yet now, there were already at least a hundred people stationed and resting here.

At the minimum, this was a space around 4,000 to 5,000 meters in size. The surroundings were all rocky caverns. Moreover, there were up to a hundred of them. In all likelihood, everyone else had entered from these caves.

Xu Yangyi inwardly nodded. As expected… the final destination was the honeycomb wall. At the moment, everyone’s gazes were concentrated on him. It seemed like he had appeared in front of everyone.

Xu Yangyi “caught sight” of a young monk. Based on this monk’s age, it wasn’t an understatement to say that he was a Buddhist acolyte. However, he wore a kasaya and had a six-ringed staff in his hand. On his chest, a string of bodhi seeds emitted a faint azure radiance.

The monk’s appearance was extremely delicate and refined, his expression ever calm. Even if he was already drenched with blood at this moment and his left arm had vanished without a trace, his face was placid. Apart from indifference, there was nothing else.

Behind him, there were ten men wearing short-sleeved monk dress, their skin color completely golden. They were like ten bronze statues. Quite a few of them already bore wounds on their bodies, yet presently their hands were joined in prayer, and they chanted sutras. They didn’t utter a single word.

“The three apex powers…” Xu Yangyi’s eyelids faintly stirred. The three schools of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were apex powers that hardly ever came into the world in China. He firmly remembered everyone’s reminders: If Nascent Soul exists, then they are bound to be within the three schools!

This monk, seemingly not that different from himself, was likewise… at the late stage of Qi Condensation!

Bump… Five meters in front of the monk, it appeared as if an invisible barrier had been touched. The monk’s lake-like eyes slightly raised up, motionlessly glancing at him.

This was the Buddhist’s defensive spiritual sense… Xu Yangyi was letting his spiritual sense show that he didn’t have the slightest intention of attacking, and wound past the other. Although he passed by, the monk’s eyes didn’t shift away. The monk studied him for a full four seconds and then lightly shook his staff and lowered his head.

“Junior Brother Fahui?” a monk dimly inquired, his appearance like that of a bronze man.

“Nothing.” The monk called Fahui said serenely, “Just… that a strong person has arrived…”

“He’s very strong?” another copper monk said slow-wittedly.

“Very strong.” Fahui said without hardly any hesitation. Afterwards, he added on firmly, his voice chopping nail and slicing iron, “No weaker than the Four Mountain-Protector Sword Inheritors of Greenwall’s First Mountain… Should there be no conflict, let us not provoke this benefactor by any means. Amitabha.”

“Him?” The gaze of the monk who had spoke before suddenly flashed. “He can match the Four Swords of Greenwall’s First Mountain?”

“Amitabha…” Fahui recited a prayer and said gravely, “Perhaps… he is even beyond them…”

“Up to now, this poor monk considers this person to be among those who I am most unwilling take as an opponent.”

Xu Yangyi pulled back his spiritual sense and looked to the other side. Over yonder, there were young Daoists. Evidently, they weren’t very well-disposed towards the monks, sitting somewhat far away from them. On their backs, they each carried a longsword.

The people weren’t unusual, three late-stage Qi Condensation. As Xu Yangyi’s spiritual sense brushed over the three swords, however, he suddenly felt a stabbing pain as if his spiritual sense had been pricked by a needle!

“This is…” he sucked in deeply. “A magik treasure…”

The Three Great Sects actually provided late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators with magik treasures that they could use! It didn’t need to be asked to be known. These three young Daoists were absolutely outstanding talents within their sect! It was only a mystery as to which mountain they originated from. Greenwall? Cranecry? Or Dragon-Tiger?

“Even people from the Three Great Ancestral Halls have actually come.” Xu Yangyi calmed his mind. Just as he was about to leave, a young Daoist calmly raised his head at the same time and deeply eyed him. Simultaneously, a spiritual sense harboring a terrible murderous aura suddenly charged Xu Yangyi’s departing spiritual sense!

“This is…” Xu Yangyi’s closed eyes abruptly jumped. “A divine ability that attacks spiritual sense?”

Apart from himself, he’d never witnessed someone use a divine ability that attacked spiritual sense! This was the first time! Moreover… this spiritual sense was rather odd. It wasn’t strong, but… its offensive nature was clearly formidable! If it had to be described, it was like an unsheathed sharp sword, bringing forth a sky filled with sword rain!

Perhaps this sword didn’t kill, but the battle formation was enough to cause one to suffocate. After his astonishment passed, Xu Yangyi’s heart immediately cooled. In the midst of withdrawing, his spiritual sense turned back and counterattacked without the slightest hesitation!

You want to clash? Probe my foundation? Good… my spiritual sense isn’t afraid of anyone! I wasn’t originally planning for much of a disturbance, but since you’re taking the lead to make trouble, I’m no coward, either.

The young Daoist raised his head, the wisp of a faint smile likewise revealed at the crook of his mouth. In the same manner, he held ample confidence in himself! Xu Yangyi’s spiritual sense coiled around and even actually dared to counterattack. Daoism never believed in setting down the butcher’s blade and instantly becoming a Buddha. Especially… in this place!

BANG! The two spiritual senses slammed together without fanfare. In the next second, the young Daoist knitted his brows, and his eyes snapped open. He looked at Xu Yangyi incredulously. However, his expression didn’t last for three seconds. Shortly afterwards, he firmly pressed down on his head and spun over to the side, vomiting!

Xu Yangyi faintly smiled. His spiritual sense moved away once more.

“Ling Xiaozi?” A young Daoist turned his head in shock, looking at the frantically puking Ling Xiaozi in disbelief. He then looked at the silhouette ahead in amazement. “Just now… you used the Seated Forgetful Anatta?” [1]

Ling Xiaozi vomited so much that his face turned green. This was a basic indication of minor trauma to the spiritual sense. He didn’t say anything, only vomiting as he firmly nodded.

The faces of the other two Daoists became completely solemn. Ling Xiaozi, Wu Weizi, Qing Jingzi, and Xuan Chengzi were this generation’s Four Swords of Greenwall Mountain’s First Mountain among Daoism’s Three Great Ancestral Halls. Although Wu Weizi had already passed on into immortality, it could absolutely be said that they were striking talents within the same generation. Furthermore… others weren’t aware, but they understood very well! The Seated Forgetful Anatta could increase the intensity of spiritual sense by a fifth! [2]

In particular… they were even sword-cultivators! Sword-cultivators, almost extinct in the modern age! Sword-cultivators carefully studied how to attack the best defenses and skills to reap lives. A spiritual-sense attack even more so! It could be said that while those who were able to triumph over them within the same generation existed, those able to best them in spiritual sense were absolutely rare!

Unexpectedly… in this place, they had encountered such a person! In a collision of spiritual sense, Ling Xiaozi was forced to suffer an immediate defeat!

“What’s his identity?” Xuan Chengzi was a short, thin Daoist. He looked at Xu Yangyi’s back and furrowed his brows. “A fresh face… Ling Xiaozi, you want us to slay him here?”

Just as he finished speaking, he felt his arm being pulled. He turned his head and glanced. Ling Xiaozi had finally gained hold of himself, gritting his teeth as he shook his head.

“Don’t provoke him.” Ling Xiaozi took a deep breath and looked seriously at Xu Yangyi’s back. “This person is very strong. For him to be capable of arriving here, how is he an easily handled fellow? At the beginning, over a thousand people entered. Now, only a tenth made it… This person can’t be provoked, as much as possible. To reach late-stage Qi Condensation at such an age, his aptitude in itself isn’t weaker than ours at all.”

Xu Yangyi’s spiritual sense continued to sweep forward. He saw a man that was also wearing camouflage. The man’s haughty expression concealed a tiredness, and his entourage beside him were all wounded. However, two dead-looking, old men followed from behind him. Their bodily fluctuations made it hard for one to find them in contempt!

Half-step… Foundation Establishment! 

And yet, the emblem on the man’s chest illustrated his identity. The Nangong Clan, one of demonkind’s Five Great Clans! Among the Five Great Demon Clans, the others all had two-character surnames apart from the Ming Clan. The Nangong… If they called themselves second, those that dared proclaim themselves as first were absolutely few!

Just as Xu Yangyi’s spiritual sense brushed past, one of the old men raised his head and furrowed his brows as he looked towards Xu Yangyi’s back.

“Qiao Wu?” The camouflaged man raised a brow. “Is there… something off about him?

Qiao Wu thought it over and then bowed. “Sixth Young Master, this person’s spiritual sense… is dreadfully strong, almost the same as this old servant’s. The qi on his body is unsteady. He should’ve just advanced to the late stage. On one hand, to have this level of spiritual sense upon just entering the late stage, this person definitely can’t be considered weak. On the other, to be capable of advancing to the late stage in such a place, his fortune is deep. Young Master, if you want to vie for the clan master’s position in several decades, you’ll have to be mindful of many things.”

“Him?” The camouflaged man raised a brow. “How are his talents compared to eldest and second eldest?”

Solemn-faced, Qiao Wu seemed to ponder this and said, “I’m not exactly certain, but I can determine that this person would be quite a thorn.”

“And if you made a move?”

“I have the confidence to beat him, but I’d still need a fair amount of time.”

“And if you and Quan Liu engaged at the same time?”

Qiao Wu laughed confidently. “I would be certain to suppress him within twenty moves.”

“Then all right.” The camouflaged man shot a deep glance at Xu Yangyi and sneered. “After we go in, find a chance to question him. If he doesn’t answer, I’ll have to trouble you two sirs with giving him a one-way ticket to hell.”

“I shall do as you bid,” the two old men said respectfully in sync.

Xu Yangyi was none the wiser to this. His spiritual sense willfully diverged, and he saw a man in martial attire with the Xuanyuan Clan’s emblem dazzling brightly on his chest. Accompanying him were seven people. Each person was in no way a character easily provoked.

Xu Yangyi looked over one by one… Everyone present was silent and uncommunicative. However, all of them carried wounds on their bodies. The atmosphere was rather grave.

Suddenly, his brows faintly knitted. He saw a coffin… A coffin being carried by four living people! Inside the coffin, an extremely bizarre aura was felt. Half-step Foundation Establishment, yet it gave off an abnormally terrible sensation. It was as if… once the person lying inside the coffin appeared, he would be able to immediately crush all of them! Yet from time to time, it was shockingly feeble, seemingly not even at the initial stage of Qi Condensation.

“That’s Senior Bloodblade.” At Xu Yangyi’s side, a familiar voice rang out. “He’s savage by nature… He makes no distinction between good and evil and has already been wanted by the cultivation world for thirty years. I didn’t expect that he would show up here.”

Xu Yangyi opened his eyes. Presently, he still hadn’t seen the Xingtian Legion, but because he appeared in front of everyone they all saw him. This voice belonged to Yao Xintan.

“How long have you guys been here?” This was Xu Yangyi’s first question.

“Three days.”

Three days, huh… Xu Yangyi’s brows slightly furrowed. It happened again… The time in this place and the outside world wasn’t equal. This event had happened again.

Back then… he’d lost himself in a coma for three years. At the moment, he had stayed in the alternate space for several hours, but three days had already passed on the outside. He opened his eyes, yet just as he was planning to ask a question, everything before him caused him to swallow his words into his belly! 

Spiritual sense was a radar. Moments ago, he only had this radar scan the back but not the front. Right now, as he opened his eyes, everything in front of him caused all his blood to start boiling!

Facing him, an odd landform had appeared. There was a giant cave here, numerous times bigger than the livyatan’s lair! Perhaps… it was a full 3,000 meters long! Over a thousand meters tall!

Originally, it should’ve been a giant rock wall, but now, countless holes had split open on it. Each hole was three to four meters in size and the inside was a black expanse, a typical honeycomb geography!

1. This required a decent amount of time to wrap my head around. As always, the names of these moves aren’t short and pretty and contain a lot of meaning. The “Seated Forgetful Anatta” is a skill found in video games, but is based on an actual Daoist text called the Zuowanglun. The term anatta is a Buddhist term for “non-self”. It feels weird using a Buddhist term used to describe a “Daoist move”, but it feels the best, and there is history between the two. Said to be a skill of the Pure Yang Sect in a video game.

2. “Passed onto immortality” Another euphemism in Daoism that one has died.