Chen Chuan halted, his expression turning slightly more serious. He could tell this was a martial artist at the Dongxuan View level, and from what the man said, he was very likely one of the participants in the campaign against the Tianji Sect.
He looked at him. "Xiaojue Temple?"
"Indeed."
Guang Yong pressed his palms together and said, "Only just now did I learn that the person I was waiting for is Benefactor Chen. Earlier, I heard Guang Shen speak of you. In truth, you have an affinity with our Chan Sect."
Chen Chuan had never heard of Guang Shen, but hearing him speak now, the figure of Prabhakar naturally surfaced in his mind. This sensation—where understanding was conveyed purely through the sound of a voice—was quite extraordinary.
Guang Yong had not waited here without reason. What he cultivated was the secret art of Xiaojue Temple, World-Knowing Chan, which possessed the ability to "follow the mind's intent, discerning the turning point in a single thought."
As long as he followed his heart and moved with circumstance, this secret art would point him toward the crucial person or matter he needed to confront. If he could successfully resolve it, it would aid the advancement of his cultivation.
He had not known beforehand what he was to face, nor had he known whom he was seeking. He had simply waited here based on his own intuition.
Now he knew that this opportunity likely rested on the person before him.
If Chen Chuan took his counsel and advanced no further, then even without a clash between them, it would benefit his cultivation. But if Chen Chuan refused, he would have no choice but to resort to certain means.
Chen Chuan glanced at Guang Yong. The man claimed he intended to detain him, yet stood there motionless without any apparent attempt to physically bar his way.
After a moment's thought, Chen Chuan looked outward. With a shift of his intention, the prismatic object on him shot whistling into the far distance.
Yet even though it clearly flew out toward his right hand, a moment later, with a whoosh, the object flew back from the left.
He raised an eyebrow and immediately deduced that he had entered an esoteric ritual or a secret art. There was, of course, another possibility: the other party was actually employing a kind of aberrant power.
If that was the case, then this monk likely walked the path of the Aberrant Visage.
Guang Yong smiled faintly and said, "The 'Penetrating Ability' manifested through the visualization of 'Venerable Mane' creates my 'Penetrating Ground.' The moment a benefactor sees me, he enters it. Unless the benefactor defeats me, there is no way to break free.
"However, I must inform you that when I manifest this power, my feet cannot move even half an inch. If I move, this aberration will instantly shatter."
Chen Chuan looked at him. Giving away the secret of his aberrant power so easily? Was he truly candid, or was this some tactical deception?
Yet even as this thought arose, he inexplicably felt that whatever the man sought to convey could not be veiled in the slightest. Whatever he wished to know, the other party would tell him.
Guang Yong seemed to perceive his thoughts and nodded to him with a smile.
The methods of the Chan Sect had their dharmas and their vows. What he observed was the "Pure Conduct Mind-Contemplation Observance," which emphasized right speech and right mindfulness, harboring neither malice nor falsehood, and stating one's views and thoughts with absolute clarity—neither deceiving oneself nor deceiving others.
Should he violate this, all his cultivated arts would be entirely forsaken.
Chen Chuan was in a hurry to reach Weishu State and had no time for idle chatter here. Since the other party had made his intentions crystal clear and had already set up his formation, he naturally would not hold back.
The moment that thought arose, Guang Yong seemed to sense it instantly. He snapped his head up and pushed a palm forward.
This palm seemed to reach Chen Chuan in an instant, swelling in a fraction of a second into a colossal golden hand seven or eight meters tall with fingers closed tight. The flickering golden-bronze flames drifting outside it and the golden palm lines across its surface were plainly visible, instantly filling his entire field of view.
Chen Chuan stared fixedly at the incoming palm. He knew that, situated within the other party's aberrant power, even if he could evade this strike with raw speed, the attack would likely still latch onto him out of thin air.
Thus, this blow could be said to be entirely inescapable. In other words, unless he broke through the aberrant power, the only path available to him here was to meet it head-on.
Fixing his gaze upon it, Chen Chuan stepped back with one foot and turned his torso sideways. At the same time, he curled his fingers into a fist, pulled it back to his waist, and let his spiritual fire surge and flicker across his body. The instant the colossal palm arrived right before him, he snapped his torso around and hammered a punch forward, slamming directly into the giant palm!
Boom!
White-gold and golden-bronze light collided in a sudden blast, and the ambient light flickered out for a fraction of a second.
Chen Chuan remained suspended midair in his single-fisted strike posture. His gaze was deep and focused, his body utterly unyielding without swaying in the slightest; only his black overcoat billowed backward.
Compared to his battle against Xiang Boqing, his strength had grown once more. Back then, he had relied purely on his physical body to contend with Xiang Boqing; now that he had advanced another step, the power he unleashed was even more overwhelming!
A cracking sound echoed through the surroundings. At the center of the giant palm where his fist connected, fine fissures appeared and spread outward rapidly, until with a loud crash, the entire hand shattered into countless crumbling fragments.
Seeing this, Guang Yong could not conceal his astonishment. With a look of praise and wonder, he said, "The benefactor's spirit pierces the heavens, and his strength surpasses Mount Meru. Truly, you are no ordinary mortal."
He saw with utter clarity that Chen Chuan had used no external aids in that punch, delivering it purely through physical might. Such power formed an intense contradiction with the aura of the Longevity View level he displayed.
He sighed deeply and said apologetically, "If I hold back, I fear I will be unable to detain you, Benefactor. This time, I must exert my full strength. I hope you will not take offense."
With that, he pressed his palms together. Bursts of light erupted from his body, and his entire form expanded rapidly. Within mere moments, he transformed into a towering Mane Visage dozens of meters high.
It bore a few resemblances to Guang Yong's original appearance: downcast eyes, a faint smile playing at the corners of the lips, hands formed into the Myriad Emptiness Seal, Chan robes draping down to the insteps, and golden rings swirling around the body.
Venerable Mane was a guardian protector at the Great Honored One's side. Yet the Aberrant Visage of the Chan Sect was distinctive—it was called the "Indeterminate Visage," capable of advancing in fruition alongside one's cultivation until ultimately attaining the status of a Great Honored One.
Upon seeing this, Chen Chuan felt an intuitive stirring. With a shift of his intention, the prismatic object wrapped in white-gold light shot whistling toward the opposite side, yet it passed straight through the figure as if striking mere illusion.
Guang Yong stood motionless, his expression tranquil and entirely unmoved. He chanted aloud, "Venerable Mane, without attachment, without departure, great emptiness indeterminate, the Chan image is true suchness."
This was yet another aberrant power, known as "Clinging to Emptiness." As long as he remained motionless, no one could touch him. In combination with his earlier aberrant power, it produced miraculous synergy.
He then brought his palms together in a salute and said, "I must inform the benefactor that the power of the Penetrating Ground contracts over time, until not an inch of space remains. If you cannot defeat me before then, you will ultimately be left with no room to maneuver."
***
Meanwhile, on the other side, Federation airships had spread out from all directions, launching assaults against the various zhisuo.
At the same time, they used high-volume broadcasting equipment to proclaim downward that they had come to liberate the populace and bring them hope. They would strike only the zhisuo, and as long as the citizens stayed in their homes and did not coordinate resistance with the Tianji Sect, they would not be attacked.
The populace across the state indeed remained indoors, but not because the broadcasts had worked; it was because the upper echelon of the Tianji Sect had instructed them to do so.
In truth, the Tianji Sect had arrived on the Ying Continent earlier than the Yono people. They had legitimately purchased the land beneath their feet from the First People and had done a great deal for them. The two had coexisted for centuries, meaning they had far more right to dwell on this land than the Federation did.
The populace living in Weishu State held the exact same view. To them, the Federation was an invading enemy desecrating their homeland, and they paid no heed to such rhetoric.
Even so, because the spiritual impacts unleashed by martial artists carried immense destructive force, numerous civilian residences were inevitably caught in the collateral damage. Lily continued taking photos aboard the airship, documenting everything.
Right then, with a sharp snap, Briggs reached out and caught a high-velocity bullet fired toward the camera.
He cast a cold sideways glance at the security officer standing nearby and said flatly, "I need an explanation."
The security officer was also a martial cultivator, seemingly at the third limit. Confronted by the imposing aura radiating from Briggs, he broke into a cold sweat and said, "My apologies. I'm acting under orders. You may film, but please try not to capture irrelevant scenes..."
He struggled to add, "These are... orders from above..."
Briggs said, "If there is a next time, I will let you know what it means to provoke a martial artist—and what it means to provoke the Martial Artists Council."
The man dared not reply and slipped away drenched in cold sweat.
Only upon turning the corner did he scoff. With so many Throne martial artists from the Federation gathered here, what right did a lone martial artist have to act so haughty?
Just then, he suddenly noticed blood dripping from his nose, refusing to stop no matter what he did. His vision went black, and he collapsed headlong onto the ground.
***
Within the Tianji Great Hall, Real Man Chonghua also watched the explosions erupting across various parts of the state.
Still, it was evident that the Federation was exercising a degree of restraint, showing no intent to slaughter civilians, which brought him a slight measure of relief.
The Federation did not yet seem to realize that even without the nodes, the esoteric ritual would continue operating on its own. They were still launching attacks against the various zhisuo, evidently intending to dismantle the hub points one by one.
This would buy them at least half a day's time.
He looked once more toward the upper reaches of the great hall. At the upper end of the thread, an ethereal swimming fish seemed to drift, while at the very end of the silk thread lay a thin beam of light. That was precisely where the fissure was located; only by extending outward from there could the esoteric ritual bridge both realms, providing guidance so the Celestial Master could return from that side.
He said slowly, "The Ritual Quelling Plate anchors the celestial pole, the Tianji Fish circles the eight directions, and the Universal Realm Mirror penetrates both realms. Each maintains its post, and for now we need not worry.
"Junior brothers, before long the enemy host will arrive before us. Four directions, four positions—we each shall guard one."
Gao Xu, Ming, and Long Xian all assumed solemn expressions, offered a salute, and walked outward.
Chonghua possessed the highest cultivation among the four Zhenren, so he left a portion of his Divine Visage to hold down the hall and guard against unforeseen developments, while the rest of his Divine Visage stepped outside as well.
Each of the four took a separate direction. Emerging from the great hall, they arrived at a spacious platform hewn from the cliff face that jutted outward into the open air. Before them lay the vast earth of Weishu State and the boundless sky, gusts of wind howling past and whipping their hair, beards, and robes.
Each took up their stance in the center of their respective platforms, looked upward into the sky, and chanted in unison:
"Disciple Chonghua, here to receive the Beidou Fate-Governing Heavenly Lord."
"Disciple Gao Xu, here to receive the Nine Directions Mountain-Governing Heavenly Lord."
"Disciple Ming, here to receive the Southern Heavens Heavy Spirit Heavenly Lord."
"Disciple Long Xian, here to receive the Seven Luminaries Light-Virtue Heavenly Lord."
With a tremendous roar, the spiritual vigor of the four surged far upward, piercing directly beyond the celestial rift. As if something had been triggered, a radiant burst of spiritual light beamed down from beyond the heavens, pouring into the body of every single one of them.
Chapter 1296