Divine Intent Halts Slaughter (continued)

Ying Zhou pointed to his head, which was wrapped in white cloth like an India man's, and said angrily, "Is this what you call not being hurt? My head is all broken!"

"I was just letting you experience Mother Earth's care up close. Not even your brains spilled out, so how could you say that? At most, it was just a matter of using your brain," Si Ming said earnestly. "The more you use your brain, the more agile it becomes. Don't you feel smarter than before?"

"No."

"That's right. Treatments always take time and can't be effective immediately. You'll feel the effects after trying it a few more times."

"If I try a few more times, I'll become an idiot!" Ying Zhou said resentfully. "Can't you just avoid my head and try something else?"

"Once you fall into demonic possession, ordinary attacks will only make you more enraged and insane. Only by making you lose consciousness can you stop the demonic possession. Therefore, attacking the head is the most effective. Don't worry, the hardness of your skull is far beyond your imagination. At most, you'll be seriously injured, but dying won't be so easy."

"I'm not worried about getting beaten to death, but rather about getting dumber and dumber the more I'm beaten."

"You need to have confidence in your intelligence. You've already hit rock bottom; how much lower can you go?"

You're deliberately trying to annoy me, aren't you!

Ying Zhou unleashed a palm strike, which Si Ming dodged by dodging to the side. The strike then aimed at Murong Wu, who was brewing medicine behind him. Just as Ying Zhou was about to warn him, Murong Wu punched him away.

Although he looks weak, he has cultivated the "Shennong's Three Fists" and has also undergone the Hundred-Refinement Medicinal Body Transformation and Marrow Cleansing. Murong Wu's physical fitness is no less than that of those body-refining martial artists. It's just that his appearance is easy to deceive people.

"Uh, you're not the person I want to attack."

Before Ying Zhou could explain, Si Ming asked Murong Wu, "I think his patience is better than before. He only couldn't help but attack after I provoked him so many times. More importantly, he didn't use Buddhist School Cultivation Method to restrain himself; it was a natural reaction."

"Hmm, it might have a channeling effect as well. Some of the pent-up demonic energy has been released, so it should be easier to try again next time."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhou suddenly realized, "So you were deliberately trying to anger me."

Si Ming, "Now you're confident in your intelligence, aren't you?"

"... Even though I know you're deliberately trying to annoy me, I still can't help wanting to punch you."

"Keep this mindset, try a few more times, believe in yourself and you will succeed. With me here, you won't cause any trouble, so go ahead and do it without hesitation."

Ordinary people dare not easily attempt to become demonic, and avoid it at all costs, because once they fail, they will fall into an abyss of no return. But now that Si Ming is in charge, even if Ying Zhou loses control and becomes demonic, he will not be able to do anything bad. This is equivalent to having the opportunity to "start from scratch". Even if his chance of success is only 10%, theoretically he only needs to try ten times to pass.

Subsequent developments proved that Si Ming's idea was not wrong, and Ying Zhou's chances were not so low. After being tricked by Si Ming again, he succeeded on his third attempt, regained his rationality after being possessed by demons, and mastered new powers.

Ba Shenhuang believes that to overcome inner demons, one must have unwavering confidence in one's own success. However, this is not the only way. The key is to have no fear whatsoever, to be resolute and courageous, and to forge ahead without hesitation.

Having unwavering belief in one's ability to succeed is one approach, and having no worries about the consequences of failure is another; both can give one the courage to take a bold gamble.

It's like a gambler discovering that if they lose, they don't lose money, and if they win, they make money. So why bother being cautious and careful? Naturally, they go all in every time and gamble recklessly.

Of course, this solution to eliminate worries also has its drawbacks. It can easily lead to laziness, causing people to give up at the first sign of difficulty. They think, "Why bother trying when I have the chance to start over?" That's why Si Ming chose to use the method of planting radishes to make Ying Zhou fall into a coma, reminding him that there are still punishments for failure and that he should not give up easily.

"So this is the power of Divine Intent Halts Slaughter," Ying Zhou murmured, looking at his hands. "It's truly a wondrous state. I was filled with killing intent, yet my mind was perfectly calm, as if I were observing myself from an outsider's perspective."

As Si Ming observed, he pondered, "His State of Mind is very similar to Si Jingyu Clear Mirror and Still Water. Perhaps they are just different perspectives on the same thing, except that Ying Zhou possesses the Asura Bloodline, which adds a bloodthirsty and belligerent nature to his character."

After experiencing it for a moment, Ying Zhou caught sight of Xia Guanxue watching from the corner out of the corner of his eye, and immediately shouted, "Take my blade!"

He turned and slashed without holding back, unleashing a blade imbued with the Asura Sha Qi, its momentum resembling a life-or-death duel, its killing intent terrifying.

Xia Guanxue was not surprised at all. With a blank expression, she made a sword incantation, and the divine Sword Qi was drawn with a clang. Vast sword energy surged out of the scabbard, as dense as a school of fish.

However, quantity cannot overcome quality. The Torrent of Sword Qi energy was cleaved in two by the several-foot-long blade aura, the shockwaves sweeping to both sides, and it collapsed and disintegrated in the blink of an eye. Xia Guanxue could only temporarily avoid the sharp edge, lightly touching the ground with her toes to dodge it.

"Second cut!"

Ying Zhou, seizing the advantage, pressed his advantage and immediately followed up with a second move. The Conquest Demon Saber seemed to split in two, unleashing a horizontal and vertical slash simultaneously, transforming into a cross-shaped blade of energy that roared forth with even greater power than the first move.

"You got away with something, so you should have known when to stop. Do you have to wait until things turn sour before you learn your lesson?"

Xia Guanxue raised her eyebrows and deftly twirled her sword. The divine sword was suddenly sheathed and then drawn again, surging with Sword Qi that swirled and circled in front of her, endlessly repeating. Then, boundless Sword Qi burst forth from the sword ring.

Seeing this, Si Ming's eyes lit up. "Combining sword formation with Sword Qi to achieve the effect of instant formation, and doing so independently without relying on external objects, is truly a brilliant idea. Although the sword formation can only be maintained for a short time due to the unsustainable nature of Sword Qi, it is enough for a duel, and a single move can decide the outcome."

He became increasingly certain that Xia Guanxue had cultivated the Mystic Void Divine Needle, because most group-attack martial arts are of the broad type, such as the "Ten Thousand Swords Heavenly Dipper" in the Evil-Slaying Sword Art, which generates a bunch of Sword Qi that rush down, pursuing coverage bombardment rather than precise strikes.

It's not that Si Ming couldn't control the Sword Qi with perfect precision, but from an efficiency standpoint, pursuing precise operation would drastically reduce the quantity of Sword Qi, thus lowering the power of the ultimate move. The Mystic Void Divine Needle, on the other hand, can ensure both precise operation and maintain quantity, achieving an excellent balance between the two. This is the key to its becoming a signature martial art at the Spirit Transformation level.

If Si Ming were to imitate Xia Guanxue in setting up a Sword Qi formation, he could do it, but it would be much more difficult. He would also need to learn the relevant formation knowledge, since not every sword formation can be set up quickly. Some sword formations require a physical medium to set up, and some have a wider range that cannot be simplified or miniaturized.

As they pondered, the Sword Qi energy and saber aura clashed once more. A rain of swords swept across the Sword Qi, spreading out in layers like waves. The cross-shaped saber aura was annihilated by the sword energy and ultimately could not withstand it. Its energy was worn down and it shattered and collapsed halfway. Moreover, at the end of the endless rain of swords, there was still a glimmer of brilliant cold light waiting for the right moment to erupt.

"The third strike!"

Despite his thwarted attack, Ying Zhou was not discouraged. With his long hair flowing freely, he appeared both divine and demonic, his killing intent surging. He immediately merged with his sword, transforming into an unparalleled, hundred-fold forged blade, and charged down into the rain of swords, cutting through the enemy lines until he reached Xia Guanxue.

Xia Guanxue immediately unleashed a hidden killing move, a sharp sword rainbow shooting out, its annihilating aura roaring in all directions, its dazzling white light dazzling the eyes, its intensity far surpassing the previous sword rain, instantly piercing through the magnificent blade light.

With a clang, the Conquest Demon Saber was knocked away by the sword rainbow, but Ying Zhou was nowhere to be seen in the dissipating blade light.

You've fallen for their trap!

Suddenly, Ying Zhou burst from the ground, his hands surging with fierce True Essence, combining and counterattacking Xia Guanxue's lower abdomen. Each punch was powerful and heavy, and with the help of the Asura Divine Power, even without a sword, his fist and palm skills were still formidable and not to be underestimated.

On the other hand, close combat was not Xia Guanxue's forte. Furthermore, Ying Zhou closed the distance and pressed his advantage, denying him any space to unleash his sword. As a result, Xia Guanxue was forced to retreat steadily, only able to defend with invisible Sword Qi, navigating the space between the fists and palm strikes.

"Primordial Gen Raises a Lofty Mountain!"

Knowing that prolonged defense would inevitably lead to defeat, Xia Guanxue had no choice but to take a gamble. She gripped her sword and thrust it into the ground, instantly unleashing a barrage of Sword Qi like a spear formation, attempting to block Ying Zhou's advance and force him to retreat.

But with victory in sight, Ying Zhou was unwilling to retreat. He unleashed his full power and struck out with a palm. His body moved with his palm, and the domineering palm force shattered the Sword Qi that pierced the ground. Like a hammer smashing into his chest, it sent Xia Guanxue flying dozens of feet away.

"Two to one, I'm still the winner!"