Divine Will Stays the Slaughter

Si Ming thought for a while but still had no clue. Or rather, there were too many similar martial arts techniques that he could think of, and he couldn't tell which one was more similar. Just as he was about to give up guessing, he suddenly remembered Xia Guanxue's current identity and suddenly realized.

"By the way, this continuous Sword Qi attack is very similar to the 'Shadowless Divine Needle' of Chen Xiangduan, the leader of the Shadow Hero Guard. It seems that he has gained the favor of this leader and has been taught the relevant martial arts secrets."

"The Five Kan Rouses Raging Waters!"

Xia Guanxue suddenly unleashed her ultimate move. The countless sword lights seemed to be restrained, abruptly contracting inwards and forming a torrent of Sword Qi Torrent that erupted forth.

"Wisdom Sun Dispels All Darkness!"

Not to be outdone, Ying Zhou calmed his mind and roared fiercely. The wolf's howl shook the screen and caused the sword light to retreat. He then took a step forward and unleashed a magnificent slash, scattering the torrent of Sword Qi Torrent as he rushed straight towards Xia Guanxue. His other hand had already been secretly gathering power, and once he got close, he immediately fired it like a cannonball, blasting it towards her.

"Your tactics are too simple, so simple that anyone could see through them at a glance."

Xia Guanxue pointed her fingers at the ground, secretly diverting her power before making her move. The Sword Qi hidden underground was immediately detonated with the sword move "Primordial Gen Raises a Lofty Mountain". As a result, the earth shone with a brilliant halo, illuminating Ying Zhou's feet, and layers upon layers of endless Sword Qi burst forth from the ground.

Resisting an attack from below is more difficult than resisting an attack from above, since few people practice defense against this type of attack. Ying Zhou was forced to retreat repeatedly, and had to bend down and swing his sword to shatter the Sword Qi, but in the end he still could not escape unscathed and was stabbed in the calf by the Sword Qi, and the outcome was clear.

Seeing this, Xia Guanxue immediately stopped her subsequent attack and withdrew her Sword Qi. It wasn't a life-or-death battle, so the sparring should end here. Meanwhile, Murong Wu, who was waiting by the arena, quickly went over to bandage Ying Zhou and stop the bleeding.

Si Ming said to Xia Guanxue, "Your Swordsmanship has improved significantly since you came to Nation of Valor. Your attacks are more decisive, and you've eliminated complicated variations, making it simpler and more powerful."

"Thanks to Senior Ba's guidance these past few days, the title of 'War God' is well-deserved. He could easily see the shortcomings in my Swordsmanship and helped me eliminate some flashy but impractical sword moves. In addition, his targeted advice has also benefited me greatly."

After bandaging his wound, Ying Zhou said with dissatisfaction, "It's not as amazing as you say. Although Senior Ba's insight is indeed outstanding and his guidance is not empty talk, it's not quite at the level of immediate results."

He stomped his foot, deciding the injury wasn't serious and wouldn't affect the fight, so he taunted again, "Hurry up, let's start the second round. You can't just win and leave."

Xia Guanxue glanced at it and said, "Forget it. If you don't solve your State of Mind problem, you will never be able to beat me. Even if we fight a hundred times, the result will be the same. Senior Ba is right. You hesitated for a moment when you drew your sword, and you didn't dare to let go completely, which prevented your sword intent from reaching its peak. Beating you in your current state will not give you any sense of accomplishment."

"You make it sound so nice, but didn't you also hold back when you drew your sword?" Ying Zhou retorted.

"Swords and sabers are different. A sword is for the gentleman, so it should embody moderation, not exhausting its strength or reaching its full potential. But a saber is for the brave, where the brave prevail in a narrow encounter, and one must have an unwavering determination. These are common sense principles in martial arts."

Ying Zhou clicked his tongue, but couldn't refute it, so he could only ask Si Ming, "What do you think?"

"What do you mean by 'how you see it'? You already have the answer in your heart, don't you?" Si Ming retorted.

Ying Zhou remained silent for a moment, then asked weakly, "Then what should I do? Didn't you always tell me that it's better to guide than to block?"

Only when facing Si Ming would he be willing to lower his head and ask for advice. After all, he had suffered enough lessons in the past and had long lost face. If it were anyone else, he would rather die than lower his head.

"I taught you that it's better to guide than to suppress, because at that time you simply couldn't control your emotions. Instead of forcibly resisting, it's better to find a way to vent them, while at the same time tempering your mind with Buddhist School martial arts. Use both methods to control the demonic intent in your heart until you are strong enough to face your inner demons without being devoured."

"Am I powerful enough now?" Ying Zhou looked at his palm.

You should have more confidence in yourself; you're not the same person you used to be.

Si Ming pondered for a moment, then advised, "Use demonic power to enter your heart, and divine power to unleash your attacks. The ultimate goal of this mental technique is not to control killing with demonic power, but to Divine Intent Halts Slaughter. Forget emotions and hatred, Non-Self both god and Gods and Devils, yet neither is the self. Remember, you are neither a compassionate Buddha nor a bloodthirsty demon. Buddha and demon are merely tools in your hands. Whether you become a Buddha or a demon is a matter of a single thought. This doesn't mean you have to choose between becoming a Buddha or a demon in an instant, but rather that you must wield the killing blade with a compassionate heart, becoming one with Buddha."

"... I will give it a try." Ying Zhou gripped the Conquest Demon Saber tightly in his hand, making up his mind.

Murong Wu said worriedly, "Isn't this too dangerous? What if Brother Ying Zhou can't control the demonic intent in his heart..."

Si Ming patted Murong Wu on the shoulder and said, "You have to trust your partner. If even we don't trust him, where will he get support from? And who else can trust him more than us?"

Then he said to Ying Zhou, "You may not believe in yourself, but you must believe in me, who believes in you."

Encouraged by these words, Ying Zhou was filled with excitement and pride. He waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely succeed."

He immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and meditated, directing his spiritual consciousness into his sea of consciousness to search for the demonic intent hidden within his heart, and thus release it.

A moment later, Si Ming and the others noticed a change in Ying Zhou, with a surge of frenzied and chaotic killing intent that was rapidly spreading. Murong Wu nervously clenched his hands.

In an instant, the image of the Asura Demon God rose behind Ying Zhou, generating an endless vortex of suction that continuously devoured the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, transforming it into Devil Qi, causing his Cultivation Body to rapidly increase, leaping three levels in a row.

"Kill!"

When Ying Zhou opened his eyes, all that remained in them was a scarlet killing intent; he had lost all reason.

"We... we failed!" Murong Wu exclaimed in panic. "What are we going to do now?"

"Asura Flame Blade!"

Suddenly, Ying Zhou raised his sword to the sky, and a magnificent sword aura pierced the clouds, absorbing the evil fire and scorching the area within hundreds of feet. Sword auras fell rapidly like a meteor shower, and he followed up with a downward slash, a hundred-foot-long flaming blade slashing down from the sky, leaving a red mark in the void.

The power of this move far surpassed that of the past, proving that the War God's judgment was very accurate. There was indeed still untapped power within Ying Zhou, which he had been suppressing all along.

Seeing this, Si Ming pushed off with both feet and rushed into the sky. The hundred-foot-long flaming blade struck his head and immediately stopped, exploding into sparks and scattering its residual force. As for the other scattered blade energy, it could not shake him in the slightest, just like water waves hitting rocks, splashing out in waves.

Si Ming charged straight to Ying Zhou, unleashing a devastating palm strike that sent the Conquest Demon Saber flying. It then blasted Ying Zhou from the air, sending him tumbling to the ground like a gourd, covered in dust and looking utterly disheveled.

"Kill--"

"Kill your mother!"

Before Ying Zhou unleash his Cultivation Body, Si Ming grabbed him and planted his head upside down in the ground, causing the training platform to sink.

Ying Zhou fainted on the spot, and after losing consciousness, the Asura Devil Qi on his body also dissipated.

"See? I told you to trust me. There won't be any problems. Even if you've fallen into demonic possession, I can still wake you up." Si Ming rubbed his hands together, revealing a reassuring smile.

Chapter 812 Divine Intent Halts Slaughter

"See? As expected, nothing bad will happen. Go ahead and try it without worry, don't be afraid."

Si Ming encouraged him with a kind and gentle smile, like that of an elder.

"I didn't believe your lies!"