Brute force worked miracles!
"According to you, that fire-element Foundation Establishment Object, because it received the lingering blessing of this deceased Arhat, has actually developed a considerable spirituality over a long period of time?"
Moreover, they have already injured three senior brothers who went to collect the Qi Refining Great Perfection.
After questioning Zhu Qing and Shi Xin separately and obtaining corroborating information from each other, almost ruling out the possibility of collusion and fabrication, Qi Yun's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his fingers unconsciously stroked his chin.
This news was quite unexpected for him.
It is not unheard of for Foundation Establishment Object to develop spirituality.
However, this usually occurs under extremely harsh conditions and requires a long incubation period.
A spiritual Foundation Establishment Object born from the remnants of Arhat within the [Remnant Realm] possesses power and difficulty far exceeding that of the ordinary.
"That's right," Zhu Qing replied, panting despite his pain, his tone still carrying a hint of lingering fear. "That Foundation Establishment Object is said to have been formed from the largest and most core fragment remaining after that Arhat's own Dao Foundation collapsed."
Having lingered in this place for many years, and constantly immersed in the lingering thoughts of the Arhat and the spiritual energy of the Buddhist realm, it has long since become highly spiritual, even capable of autonomously mobilizing a portion of the local energy.
He paused, a hint of helplessness on his face. "Although the senior brother who has reached the Qi Refining Great Perfection has begun to touch the mysteries of his own Dao Foundation and can use some of his power."
However, he was ultimately not a true Foundation Establishment True Person, and there was a fundamental difference in their levels of power.
The Foundation Establishment Object itself originated from the foundation of an Arhat's Dao Foundation, and it thrived in this place, with almost no such restrictions.
In addition, the [Miluoluo Mountain] has a suppressive effect on us Holy Sect disciples----
The several senior disciples who had achieved Great Perfection suffered a truly frustrating defeat.
On the other side, when Qi Yun repeatedly questioned him, Shi Xin gave almost the same answer, adding, "That thing is extremely cunning. It knows how to take advantage of the terrain and can also manipulate some Buddhist fire and residual restrictions. It's very troublesome."
"Is that Foundation Establishment Object still in Karma-Burning Valley?" Qi Yun asked Zhu Qing again after a moment of silence.
"It's still here." Zhu Qing nodded affirmatively. "Although it repelled three Great Perfection senior brothers in succession, its own spiritual power was also greatly depleted, and it is said to have suffered some damage."
They have now hidden themselves in the deepest part of Karma-Burning Valley, where powerful natural barriers and raging Buddhist fire form an excellent barrier, making it very difficult to force one's way in.
Having obtained almost identical testimonies from both sides, Qi Yun waved for the Dharma Protector Vajra to take the two away and keep them under guard again, while he himself fell into deep thought.
He paced slowly, his brows furrowed, silently pondering the situation before him.
Based on the information we have so far, it's clear that trying to seize that Foundation Establishment Object by force using our own strength is not an option.
He is very self-aware.
The three Qi Refining Great Perfection were already halfway to Foundation Establishment, and their strength far surpassed that of ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
Even they returned defeated and injured. Even if I have many trump cards and my true combat strength is stronger than that of an average Qi Refining Peak, I am still no match for a true Qi Refining Great Perfection.
Forcing your way in would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
What if we include this Dharma Protector Vajra?
Qi Yun's gaze involuntarily fell upon the bronze figure standing motionless beside him, exuding a profound aura.
This guardian Dharma Protector Vajra is incredibly powerful; it crippled two Qi Refining Peak with just two punches, indicating that its strength has definitely reached the Foundation Establishment threshold, or perhaps even higher.
If it could be driven to fight against that Foundation Establishment Object.
The odds of winning will undoubtedly increase significantly.
But he dismissed the idea as soon as it arose.
No—this guardian Dharma Protector Vajra is listening to me now because it has mistaken me for an "Arhat" and is driven by the residual Buddhist aura on me.
However, that Foundation Establishment Object also bears the lingering remnant of the Arhat who was the original owner of this Remnant Realm!
Fundamentally, their power comes from the same source, both being a part left behind by that Arhat.
Letting the Dharma Protector Vajra deal with that Foundation Establishment Object is like letting it fight itself, or letting the left hand fight the right.
This route is probably also unworkable.
With his brows furrowed, Qi Yun subconsciously and rapidly twirled the platinum Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist.
I finally found a fire-elemental Foundation Establishment Object was within my reach and aligned with my Daoist principles, but I can't take it with me?
As the warm touch of the prayer beads reached him, Qi Yun's brain raced, piecing together and reorganizing all the information he currently possessed, trying to find that possible, overlooked glimmer of hope.
Having gathered all the information, Qi Yun transformed once more into a wisp of light mist, hovering in mid-air, his right hand fingers moving rapidly like butterflies flitting among flowers.
[Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries]
"Puff!"
As soon as he began to perform the Method Formula, Qi Yun felt a tightness in his chest, a metallic taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a small mouthful of blood.
But this is just the beginning.
As he delved deeper into his calculations, countless invisible threads of cause and effect coiled around him, their other ends connected to unpredictable mists and backlash.
His pure body began to twist and collapse in a strange way.
Some areas even became transparent and invisible, as if erased by an eraser!
The backlash from [Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries] began to erupt.
However, just as his body was about to collapse, Qi Yun simultaneously Hand Seals with his left hand, activating the [Gather Form and Disperse Qi] technique.
The pure energy returned and condensed, and the collapsing body gathered together once more!
Crash - Rebuild - Crash again - Rebuild again!
This is an extremely painful and dangerous process.
Qi Yun's consciousness was like a small boat tossed about in a stormy sea.
The deduction of [Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries] must be kept uninterrupted.
They also had to endure the pain of their physical body and Divine Soul being constantly torn apart and forcibly stitched back together.
In the hazy glow of the clear air, his face began to show a sickly pallor.
One day, two days, three days----
In this secluded mountain, if it weren't for the Dharma Protector Vajra bronze figure standing solemnly protecting it, isolating it from the outside world.
His intense fluctuations in aura and unusual phenomena had already attracted unnecessary trouble.
Three full days have passed.
When the dim, yellowish light shone down again on the fourth day.
The pure energy that Qi Yun had transformed into suddenly contracted violently, then solidified completely, revealing his original form.
His face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color, his lips were cracked, and his eyes were dull, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Even his posture was somewhat unsteady.
He slowly released the Method Formula that he had been holding for three whole days.
"Call----"
A long breath, tinged with the stench of blood, escaped from his mouth.
In those weary eyes, a flash of clarity and sharpness, like the sun breaking through the clouds, suddenly appeared.
It worked!
Although [Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries] is domineering and dangerous, its effects are truly miraculous.
In an almost self-destructive manner, he forcefully extracted the only viable key to breaking the deadlock from the complex fog of cause and effect!
His gaze fell on his left wrist.
The string of white-gold prayer beads, smooth and lustrous like jade, was quietly encircling that spot.
"So this is the solution to breaking the deadlock." Qi Yun murmured to himself, his voice hoarse but carrying a sense of sudden enlightenment and certainty.
The deduction clearly points to this string of prayer beads formed from the Mingxin resentment of the young monk Mingxin and the essence of Buddhism.
It is not merely a spiritual artifact that provides spiritual inspiration.
It also contains the [Dao Position] of a true Arhat.
With this item in hand, one can suppress the spirituality of that Foundation Establishment Object, preventing it from causing harm.
Once his mind was made up, Qi Yun immediately summoned the Dharma Protector Vajra and ordered it to guard the Dharma strictly outside, preventing anything from disturbing it.
He then sat cross-legged and began circulating the [Innate One-Heart Art].
At the same time, he took out a few treasured pills and fed them into his mouth.
Feeling the warm current of the elixir melting and nourishing his riddled meridians and Divine Soul, Qi Yun gained a deeper understanding of the [Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries].
This [Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries] is indeed just as the old True Person said.
They relied solely on brute force to achieve miracles.
Without regard for skill or avoidance, they forcefully sacrifice themselves, defying cause and effect.
The effects are truly remarkable, but the backlash is also incredibly severe.
He looked inward at the hidden injuries slowly healing within his body, still feeling lingering fear.
If it weren't for the [Gather Form and Disperse Qi] technique being so exquisite and mysterious, capable of almost infinitely reshaping my physical body...
I fear my body has already collapsed more than a hundred times over.
Relying on his Qi Refining Peak cultivation and solid foundation, this was the first time he had ever used [Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries] with such recklessness and for such a long time to calculate the solution to a specific problem.
Although he eventually succeeded in glimpsing the secrets of heaven and finding the direction, he was exhausted, his Divine Soul was greatly depleted, and his physical body was on the verge of its limit.
Even the [Gather Form and Disperse Qi] technique was almost too late to pull him back from the brink of collapse.
After regulating his breathing for about half a day, feeling that his condition had recovered somewhat and that he could move freely, Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes.
He was still tired, but his eyes had regained their firmness and spirit.
"Next, it's time to go and check out this Foundation Establishment Object."
[Karma-Burning Valley]
Before we even got really close, a suffocating heat wave hit us.
The mountains on both sides of the valley entrance are not ordinary soil and rocks, but a dark red crystalline substance with an ever-burning golden flame flowing on its surface.
This Buddha fire is no ordinary fire; it does not burn grass or trees, but specifically burns away Sha Qi, karma, and demonic thoughts.
For Devil Cultivator cultivators, being touched by it is like a maggot clinging to their bones, extremely difficult to get rid of.
The valley was filled with a dazzling array of light and shadow.
The ground cracked open in countless fissures, surging with thick, golden-red flames that were sometimes calm like a lake and sometimes gushing like a spring.
The air was filled with the scent of burning ash mixed with a strange sandalwood aroma.
And on the outskirts of this desolate place, near the valley entrance...
One after another, figures with deep and heavy auras appeared and disappeared.
They possessed an inner aura and sharp eyes, indicating they were all extraordinary individuals, with the lowest Qi Refining Peak of Qi Refining.
These people are guarding this place, trying to find an opportunity to seize the Foundation Establishment Object in the valley from the disciples of the Holy Sect.
They maintained a tacit distance from each other, wary of one another, while keeping a close eye on the movements in Karma-Burning Valley.
In this oppressive and tense silence.
A dazzling golden light, like a sharp sword tearing through the dim sky, sped from afar, its target clear: the entrance to Karma-Burning Valley!
"Someone else has arrived?"
"Who is it? They're so fast!"
"That escaping light... does it look familiar?"
The group of people lurking outside the valley immediately tensed up, their Divine Sense sweeping across the area, and they subconsciously raised their guard, their True Essence surging within them.
In such a place, every additional person means one more competitor.
In particular, this kind of undisguised and direct approach often signifies extreme confidence in one's own abilities.
Or perhaps—there's something to rely on.
But when the golden light rapidly approached and revealed its true form, all the Divine Sense that had been secretly observing recoiled as if burned.
The hidden figures froze in unison, their faces simultaneously displaying extremely strange expressions.
There's no other reason than this!
The ones rapidly approaching Karma-Burning Valley at this moment are not disciples of the Holy Sect at all.
Rather, it is that Dharma Protector Vajra who inspires fear in this [Miluoluo Mountain], whose fists are so hard they can shatter Law Artifact.
Almost everyone who has stayed here and survived to this day has suffered at the hands of this monster.
At this moment, they saw this malevolent star rushing straight towards the Karma-Burning Valley.
Almost instinctively, all lurking presences were instantly concealed to the extreme, and the figure shrank further and further into the shadows.
Their gazes shifted away, no longer daring to look directly at the bronze figure.
They were terrified of accidentally attracting its "attention" and getting a beating for no reason.
As for why this Dharma Protector Vajra came to Karma-Burning Valley, and what it wanted to do there, no one knew, and no one dared to ask.
Anyway, it can take whatever it wants from this godforsaken place, as long as it doesn't cause trouble for me.
At this moment, Qi Yun, who had transformed into an almost invisible stream of pure energy and quietly attached himself to the Dharma Protector Vajra, took in all the reactions of the people outside the valley.
Looking at those senior brothers who were usually quite influential in the Inner Mansion.
At this moment, they were like quails encountering their natural enemy, holding their breath and wishing they could bury themselves in the ground.
Qi Yun grinned.
Since my senior brothers are taking such good care of me—
"Then, I, Qi, will not stand on ceremony."
Surrounded by a group of top disciples from the Inner Mansion, Qi Yun brazenly hitched a ride with the Dharma Protector Vajra and safely entered the [Karma-Burning Valley].
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