Precept Saber

Venerable Chengyuan's cultivation had already been at the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage, a mere half-step away from the late stage. Now, he possessed formidable strength comparable to that of a great cultivator! This secret art was essentially a double-edged technique. Once its duration expired, he would have to spend decades in secluded meditation to replenish the deficit. Yet he had cast it without the slightest hesitation. The enemy side had two experts of the same realm. Outside reinforcements could not arrive in time. The temple-protecting spirit array was primarily meant to ward off external enemies. Now that the intruders had succeeded, they would certainly focus everything on escaping, drastically reducing the array's restraining power. The relic was what remained from Patriarch Hongyi's failed breakthrough, making its efficacy easy to deduce. Venerable Chengyuan had been trapped at the bottleneck to late Nascent Soul for years, unable to glimpse a way forward. The relic's significance to him was self-evident—it could not be lost. Even if it cost a staggering price, he would not hesitate! He was an accomplished, enlightened monk for whom sitting motionless in the meditation hall for decades was commonplace. His steadfast mental fortitude was among the finest in the world, and few external matters could cause a ripple in his mind. Yet at this moment, killing intent flooded Venerable Chengyuan's face, his gaze as sharp as a blade. The relic was a matter of competing for the Grand Dao. If he missed it, he might remain stranded here for the rest of his life. When a cultivator encountered such an opportunity, they would hold nothing back and fight to the death! Qin Sang shifted his attention from the relic to Venerable Chengyuan. Sensing the change in Chengyuan's aura, his eyes narrowed slightly, knowing he had met a formidable foe. *Whoosh!* The phoenix wings flapped rapidly. Moving with fluid grace, Qin Sang transformed into a flash of lightning and shot out of the pagoda forest in an instant, fleeing toward the exterior of the temple. Though his flight speed was swift, it could not match the speed of Venerable Chengyuan teleporting with the aid of the spirit array. Just as Qin Sang cleared the vast bamboo forest behind Zhulan Temple's rear mountain, the void ahead rippled, and Chengyuan materialized out of thin air, blocking the way like a teleporting apparition. Before Chengyuan's figure had fully solidified, a flash of saber radiance erupted abruptly. The saber radiance surged from Chengyuan's heart. The saber was only four fingers long, shaped like a bird's feather, thin and light as gauze. This was a precept saber! It was also Venerable Chengyuan's life-bound magic treasure. A precept saber. A blade of monastic discipline. Yet in Venerable Chengyuan's hands, it was an outright weapon of slaughter. Ever since entering meditation at the cliffside rock inscription, Chengyuan's hands had remained free of blood for many years. The precept saber remained sheathed like a caged ferocious tiger, yet its murderous nature was never eradicated. All the killing intent in Chengyuan's heart had merged into his saber intent, nourished year after year. Once unsheathed, its light cleaved the sun. Killing aura filled the autumn air, bringing bleak, mournful winds along the road! Qin Sang's field of vision was entirely consumed by this single precept saber; it seemed as if the sun itself had been split in two. It was already late autumn. Under the influence of the saber intent, the surroundings grew bone-chillingly cold, as if winter had arrived in an instant. *It is not a pseudo-spirit treasure.* Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, his expression calm. From the precept saber's aura, he deduced that it was a supreme magic treasure. Perhaps it was a special advantage of Buddhist cultivators, but Qin Sang had noticed that many Buddhist cultivators in the Western Desert had stronger divine sense than peers of the same realm. Barring any surprises, Venerable Chengyuan's divine sense had already reached the Morphing realm, qualifying him to practice the *Sacrificial Origin Art*, but the precept saber's power still remained within the bounds of a magic treasure. Evidently, secret arts like the *Sacrificial Origin Art* used to cultivate pseudo-spirit treasures were not commonplace in Zhongzhou either—or at least not widely known in the Western Desert. After his previous encounter with that cultivator from Eight Views Temple, Qin Sang had thought that aside from the Sun God Tree, his other magic treasures would hold little advantage in Zhongzhou. He had therefore overestimated Chengyuan's strength as much as possible and refrained from acting rashly. Of course, it was also possible that Chengyuan was so focused on breaking through that he was unwilling to distract himself with external objects, since practicing the *Sacrificial Origin Art* consumed vast amounts of mental effort. For a cultivator, cultivation realm remained paramount; such time was better spent seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough. In any case, without a pseudo-spirit treasure, Qin Sang would not fear Chengyuan even if the monk were a true great cultivator, let alone someone who had forcefully boosted his strength. "Fine bladecraft!" Qin Sang barked, the demonic banners flapping vigorously before him. The saber radiance shot forward, locking onto Qin Sang. Though it was only a supreme magic treasure, Venerable Chengyuan had nourished his saber intent for countless years. Now that the precept saber was unsheathed for the first time, its power was extraordinary and not to be taken lightly. Any other mid-Nascent Soul cultivator could very well have their physical body cleaved in two with a single misstep. Qin Sang's glabella throbbed with faint, piercing pain, giving him the illusion that he was about to be split down the middle. Without a trace of panic on his face, he braked his flying light abruptly and unleashed the demonic fire! The black demonic fire transformed into a mass of black clouds; wherever the flames drifted, rocks and bamboo turned to ash. Then the fire suddenly converged inward, morphing into a fire dragon that reared its head toward the heavens and lunged straight at the precept saber! During the decades spent traveling through the Storm Belt, Qin Sang had devoted nearly all his time to cultivating the *Fire Seed Golden Lotus*. His divine sense had grown substantially, allowing the fire lotus to refine even more demonic fire. With the lotus's aid, the volume of demonic fire he could command had naturally expanded, and its power had surged accordingly. Sensing the momentum of the demonic fire dragon, Venerable Chengyuan felt a chill in his heart. *Slash!* The saber radiance plunged into the demonic fire dragon, slicing straight through from its head to its belly. Thin as it was, the precept saber was incomparably sharp. The upper half of the dragon was bisected, leaving its tail connected so that it resembled a two-headed black serpent. However, cleaving through the demonic fire eroded most of the saber intent. Qin Sang flapped his wings and formed the Lotus Seal in his mind, shifting sideways to evade it. "A pseudo-spirit treasure!" Chengyuan let out a low cry, his fingers twirling like a wheel as he swiftly formed a hand seal. Instantly, clouds roiled across the mountaintop. Ten thousand rays of golden light rained down from the temple-protecting spirit array. As the saying went, speed was paramount in war. Had the monks of Zhulan Temple been able to assemble their formation in time and join hands to operate the protective array in Chengyuan's support, the pressure on Qin Sang would have multiplied. However, only an instant had passed between Qin Sang and Liuli striking and the present moment. The monks had been scattered all across the temple attending to their duties. Even if well-trained, how could they match the speed of Nascent Soul cultivators? The disciples guarding the array could only maintain its basic defense, draping a golden light barrier over Zhulan Temple, but their ability to shift the formation's stances lagged far behind the pace of the battle. Knowing the situation was dire, the monks rushed furiously toward the rear mountain, jostling to be first. For now, Chengyuan had no choice but to split his focus and direct the array himself. Qin Sang glanced up. Dazzling golden light filled his vision as a golden deluge rained down, prickling his back like needles. He hastily stimulated the Ruyi Pearl within him, manifesting a protective stellar qi barrier. Simultaneously, he shifted his hand seals, and the demonic fire rose into the sky, becoming a dark cloud that blocked from above. *Swish! Swish! Swish!* Golden light rained down like arrows, blotting out the sky. Flames danced restlessly within the dark cloud, showing signs of dispersing. Refusing to relent, Chengyuan flicked his precept saber, about to strike again, when two strange *Heng-Ha* sounds suddenly rang out, shaking his essence soul. "Insignificant tricks!" A flush of blood rushed to Chengyuan's sallow face. He barked in fury as chimes tolled continuously from within his body, and the illusory silhouette of a bronze bell flickered outside him. It was much smaller than before, covering only his head and tolling repeatedly. Knowing Qin Sang's divine sense was powerful—the strongest adversary he had ever encountered—he naturally guarded against such soul-attacking divine abilities. This bronze bell was an exceptional defensive treasure. It not only shielded the physical body, but its chimes also possessed a special power to protect the essence soul. The chimes shattered the *Heng-Ha* sounds, greatly weakening the effect of the *Soul Absorbing True Words*. Furthermore, Chengyuan's divine sense was inherently strong, so the damage he suffered was minuscule. Qin Sang had never expected to severely wound Chengyuan with the *Soul Absorbing True Words*. His goal was to create an opening for Liuli! Just as Chengyuan's essence soul came under assault, Liuli arrived. Repeating her previous tactic, the Ice Soul Divine Light crept silently beneath him and erupted abruptly. Unfortunately, her opponent was also a battle-hardened expert, and the same trick rarely worked twice. Chengyuan had anticipated Liuli's movements. Shaking off the *Soul Absorbing True Words*, he teleported away immediately, causing the Ice Soul Divine Light to strike empty air. A sharp gleam flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. His years spent studying Zhulan Temple's protective array were not in vain. Using his Heavenly Eye divine ability to sense the subtle shifts in the array's qi, he could predict the approximate area Chengyuan would appear after teleporting. He directed the demonic fire at once, altering its course toward an empty stretch of void. The window was fleeting, making minor inaccuracies inevitable, and dispersing the demonic fire diminished its potency. Chengyuan reappeared at the outer fringe of the fire's reach. His precept saber slashed dozens of times around him, each blade of saber qi blossoming like a lotus to repel the encroaching fire. At the same time, Chengyuan chanted a Buddhist invocation and formed a one-handed Earth-Touching Mudra. A golden ring abruptly surged from the ground. The golden ring rose directly beneath Qin Sang. After witnessing Qin Sang's strength, this was the only way Chengyuan could think of to keep the relic: secretly channeling most of the array's power to this spot to set a trap. Once ensnared by the golden ring, Qin Sang would be trapped in a cage, and breaking free would take considerable effort. By then, reinforcements would have arrived, and the experts of the allied temples could join hands to bottle the two thieves inside Zhulan Temple like turtles in a jar. The golden ring soared like lightning. Qin Sang seemed at his wit's end, his brow furrowed deeply. Chengyuan tilted the blade of his precept saber slightly, aiming it at Liuli to prevent the Daoist nun from attempting a rescue, while simultaneously pouring his full power into the spirit array to imprison Qin Sang. Right at that moment, frigid light surged skyward from where Liuli stood. From the corner of his eye, Chengyuan caught sight of an oddly shaped small seal, and his heart skipped a beat. *Roar!* A cold sun hung high as the Tengshe revived. The roar resonated throughout the oasis. The mortals piously prostrating on the ground looked up at the sky in terror, only to behold a monstrous beast tearing through the golden clouds with bared fangs and brandished claws, radiating savage malice. The Buddha in the golden clouds was gone, seemingly devoured alive by the monster. Tears fell as wailing and weeping erupted among the populace. The Fourfold Tengshe Seal had been handed to Liuli, and after years of sacrificial refinement, it had acknowledged her as its master. Liuli's cultivation was lower than Tong Lingyu's, yet in her hands, the spirit treasure's power seemed even stronger, and she showed no signs of great strain. This was the crucial difference between a spirit treasure recognizing a master and using the *Tongbao Formula*. *Whoosh!* The Tengshe swooped downward. "A true spirit treasure!" Chengyuan's composure shattered completely. Heart shaken to its core, he cried out in disbelief. True spirit treasures were extraordinarily rare even in Zhongzhou. They were exceptionally difficult to forge, and even if someone painstakingly refined a life-bound treasure to the level of a spirit treasure, its spirituality would die with its master upon their death, degrading it back to a magic treasure unable to be passed down. Where on earth had this pair of baleful stars come from? One wielded bizarre, secretive divine abilities and commanded a spirit treasure. The other possessed flight speed and divine sense fully equal to a great cultivator's, and held a pseudo-spirit treasure. Cultivators of this caliber were uncommon even among the premier sects of the Central Plains. When had two such peerless masters emerged in the cultivation world? Fierce and ominous, the Tengshe rushed forth, cold flames lashing out. How could Chengyuan still care about trapping Qin Sang? He hurriedly teleported elsewhere to evade its brunt. To his shock, the Tengshe abruptly shifted direction. Rather than rescuing Qin Sang, it joined forces with the demonic fire, charging toward the light barrier overhead under countless terrified gazes. *Boom!* Golden light soared into the sky. The mountains seemed ready to collapse. Unprecedented monstrous waves surged across the oasis's grand lake. Cold flames and demonic fire blotted out the sky, the boundless blazing waves merging indistinguishably. The monks operating the array were still adhering to Chengyuan's will, focusing on directing the golden ring to trap Qin Sang, unable to react in time. They watched helplessly as a fissure was blasted open in the protective array from within. At the same time, the golden ring destabilized due to the shock to the array, revealing a flaw. Qin Sang seized the chance to break free. Suddenly, a loud shout echoed from outside the temple. "Senior Brother Chengyuan, Kongyu is here to aid you!" The rolling voice approached from afar. Venerable Kongyu. An eminent monk of Luoluo Temple, one of the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea, and a mid-Nascent Soul expert. Luoluo Temple had a peculiar name, derived from a spiritual tree unique to the Vast Sea known as the luoluo tree. Zhulan Temple sat in the eastern part of this oasis, while Luoluo Temple lay east of Zhulan Temple, neighboring it. It was the closest among the six allied temples. As expected, Venerable Kongyu was the first to arrive. His voice, fueled by true essence, was deafening like thunder. The next moment, an elderly monk draped in a kasaya appeared in the sky above Zhulan Temple. Holding a purple-gold alms bowl in his left hand, Venerable Kongyu's gaze was sharp as lightning. He spotted the cracked light barrier at once, and with a flick of his wrist, prepared to seal the fissure with his bowl. Abruptly, a fierce gust shot in from an angle—it was none other than the Jinchen Sword. From the very beginning, Qin Sang's external incarnation had been guarding outside the temple, both to intercept reinforcements and prevent them from arriving too quickly, and to coordinate with those inside to break the array when needed. The process of seizing the treasure had gone smoother than expected. Qin Sang had not even deployed the Sun God Tree. *There is another one outside!* The Zhulan Temple monks, whose hopes had just rekindled upon seeing Kongyu arrive, watched them shatter once more. Venerable Chengyuan laughed out of sheer fury. Three mid-Nascent Soul experts plotting against their little Zhulan Temple—he truly did not know whether to feel enraged or honored. *Slash!* The sword qi bore down. Venerable Kongyu had not anticipated a formidable enemy lurking outside the temple. Taken aback, he hastily swung the alms bowl, pointing its mouth toward the sword qi to unleash a jet of purple-gold profound light. With a resonant thud, the sword radiance was swallowed by the profound light, halting the Jinchen Sword's momentum. Kongyu shuddered, knocked backward several hundred zhang. Though unhurt, he was powerless to stop the enemies inside Zhulan Temple. *Whoosh! Whoosh!* Two silhouettes flashed out through the fissure. ... Beyond the oasis. Across the boundless sea of sand. Several bodhi trees stood lonely amidst the yellow dunes, providing a sliver of shade for passing monks. At this moment, someone sat cross-legged beneath a bodhi tree. A bamboo hat concealed the figure's face, yet they were dressed in celestial garments and adorned with gemstone garlands, resembling a living Bodhisattva—none other than the illustrious Moonlight Bodhisattva. A crowd of monks stood gathered around. Seeing Moonlight Bodhisattva's audacious attire, the younger monks glared with fury in their eyes. Venerables such as Chengzhen and Guanhui were still able to overlook it, spittle flying as they focused intently on their debate over scriptural doctrine. Just as the debate reached a fervent pitch, Venerable Chengzhen abruptly stopped speaking and looked down in surprise. The jade pendant at his waist chimed, cracking in two. The gathered monks blanched at the sound, falling dead silent. Trouble at the temple! "What? Are you eminent monks admitting defeat already? In that case, leave behind the texts of your temple's Scripture Depository," Moonlight Bodhisattva said with a faint laugh, unaware of the reason, voice ethereal.