Every Sip, Every Morsel, Every Sword Stroke; a Challenge

Choke!!

The sword flashes and retracts in the blink of an eye.

More than a dozen wolves in the jungle were all killed on the spot, each with a sword wound to the forehead.

The swordsman wielding this sword was a middle-aged swordsman from Pengcheng, dressed in a thick blue robe, with a blue cloth turban and leather sleeves.

The hundred or two people who had fled here witnessed this scene, but none of them dared to approach and express their gratitude.

Only a few people, whose relatives had just been injured by wolves, bowed in this direction with tears in their eyes.

The rest were only thinking about getting as far away as possible.

"Wait!"

The swordsman from Pengcheng said, "Take these wolves with you. You can use their skins and meat, even though they don't taste good, they're still food. Don't go too deep into the forest. It won't be long before you can return home."

This emboldened quite a few people to come closer and carry the wolf carcasses, thanking them repeatedly.

"Brother Li, your swordsmanship is superb; no wonder you are a disciple of the Marquis of Pengcheng."

Li Jianke's real name was Jianke (Swordsman), and he had two companions.

One of them, holding an abacus and with a shrewd appearance, called himself Lian Shanbai. The other, also carrying a sword, had graying hair and a slightly hunched back; he was called Zhou Yuan.

Both of these men came from Denglai Mountain Market; one was a retainer of the Shutian Manor.

The other one, I heard, is also a disciple of that King Yama Chu, but I don't know where he came from.

This time, Pengcheng Sword Pavilion and Denglai Mountain Market acted together and rushed to Heze and Caozhou.

There were hundreds of groups of people involved.

Each group of people is guaranteed to have three different backgrounds.

Li Jianke's group, consisting of three individuals from different backgrounds, was the smallest group in terms of total number of people.

Because both Li Jianke and Lian Shanbai are quite skilled, the two of them together are equivalent to more than ten people working together in some groups.

"You flatter me! This isn't the first time we've encountered wild animals attacking people on our journey."

Li Jianke's words carried a hint of indignation. "The army split up to plunder, the powerful and wealthy aided and abetted the tyrants, and the people were thrown into chaos. It's as if these beasts have found an opportunity to revel."

Lian Shanbai was unsurprised. "There are countless mountains and forests in the world, harboring numerous ferocious beasts that harm people. It's common for them to kill people when they encounter them, but there's no time to specifically hunt for them."

"We have a heavy responsibility; let's continue searching for clues."

Li Jianke was a little annoyed, but he felt he had to respect his two companions, so he simply said, "Yes, let's keep looking."

Chu Tianshu and his team planned out general routes for hundreds of groups of people, which greatly increased the probability of finding soldiers and intercepting the evil deeds after they were deployed.

The problem is that not all the battalion commanders are with their soldiers.

As for the monks who accompanied each battalion, their whereabouts were of no concern to the soldiers, except for the military officers such as the battalion commanders.

It's hard to say whether Li Jianke and his group were lucky or extremely unlucky.

Although many wild beasts have been killed and several groups of rebel soldiers have been eliminated, a group of monks has not been found in the past two days.

The three emerged from the jungle, but there was no trace of ordinary people left.

Fortunately, there were vast stretches of farmland outside, and not many areas were trampled.

Zhou Yuan suddenly bent down and picked up a handful of debris from the edge of the field.

Lian Shanbai asked, "Have you found anything?"

Although Li Jianke respected his fellow travelers, he still harbored some doubts about Zhou Yuan's existence.

Lian Shanbai was no different.

Zhou Yuan, who should nominally belong to the same faction as him, looks like a commoner from the streets.

But at that moment, a glint of wisdom appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

The fact that someone hasn't become a master doesn't mean they lack wisdom and composure.

Moreover, Zhou Yuan encountered something he excelled at.

"I'm a carpenter by trade, and I know a lot about all kinds of wood. This kind of smelly sawdust is what wealthy families use in their Buddhist shrines."

Zhou Yuan said, "The wood is very smooth from sanding, and it's difficult to damage even after several coats of lacquer. Unless the base is moved along with it, it's less likely to get scratched or chipped by dirt."

Both Li Jianke and Lian Shanbai were astute individuals, and upon hearing this, they had already made their own judgment.

The Buddha statue is certainly more valuable than its base. If a wealthy family were passing by, there would be no reason for them to take the base with them when they fled.

This suggests that the person carrying these items was not only quite devout and knowledgeable about Buddhism, but also extremely composed.

Lian Shanbai almost lay on the ground, his gaze forming an extremely narrow angle with the ridge of the field, scanning around, and sure enough, he discovered unusual footprints.

The three immediately gave chase, and soon they came across an empty village.

Lian Shanbai sniffed and could smell the fragrance of spices coming from the empty houses at the edge of the village.

The three did not deliberately hide; instead, they pretended to be passing by.

Given the current chaos in the area, it's perfectly normal for three armed men to pass by.

Among the three, Zhou Yuan, with his meager martial arts skills, further solidified his status as an ordinary passerby in the eyes of outsiders.

Until they were only about a hundred paces away from the big house.

Suddenly, Li Jianke drew his sword. The sword shadow was like a fan, and the sword light formed a circle. The tip of the sword grazed the ground, and a piece of stone shot out.

The Sword Qi that Li Jianke unleashed in that instant was contained within the rubble.

But before they could break through the door, two crescent-shaped shovels suddenly emerged from the ground.

When!!!

Two crescent-shaped shovels were crossed to block the rubble, and two strong young monks who had been hiding in the soil burst out of the ground and jumped onto the surface.

On the other side of the roof ridge, two lithe monks emerged, each holding a chain and a dagger.

The practices at Celebration of the Sage Temple are numerous and varied. Some monks sleep in the ground, while others bathe in dew and sunlight; these are all methods of practice.

The four of them attacked from their training state, full of energy and spirit, their eight eyes gleaming with golden light.

It wasn't a gleaming light, but rather a reflected golden light.

Because of Lian Shanbai, hundreds of golden abacus beads were also produced.

It was meticulously polished brass; when propelled by internal force, it shot out, scattering bright light in all directions, dazzling the eyes.

The four monks shouted in unison, brandishing their weapons to block the abacus beads with an impenetrable barrier.

But at that moment, one of the abacus beads suddenly accelerated, grazed the crescent-shaped shovel, and struck the door panel.

A single grain of soil was conspicuously placed in the hollow center of the abacus beads.

Li Jianke's face was cold, the tip of his sword pointing towards the ground.

It was him who just quietly swept up a grain of dirt, hit an abacus bead, and embedded it in the wooden door.

His skill was pure and refined, no less than that of ordinary monks of the Sheng generation at Celebration of the Sage Temple. In particular, his swordsmanship was superb, he was good at killing, and he could use any object at will, with Sword Qi flowing freely.

At this moment, a surge of Sword Qi rippled through the soil, shattering the wooden door into pieces, with fragments shooting into the house.

The room, however, was shrouded in a chilling darkness.

The door fragments made neither the sound of hitting an object nor the sound of hitting the ground.

"What impressive Sword Qi..."

A deep voice echoed from the darkness, "Such swordsmanship skills suggest you have an extraordinary background. You're quite a formidable opponent."

"Too bad, coming to this old monk at a time like this means you can't blame me for using my magic weapons to bully you!!"

The darkness in the room suddenly shrank, transforming into a circle of fantastical colorful light as it did so.

Inside the room was a sandalwood base, upon which sat a one-foot-tall Maitreya Buddha made of mutton-fat Baiyu.

This Buddha statue has a slender figure, a full head of spiral hair, a handsome face, and two lifelike mustaches.

That magical, colorful light hung behind the Buddha statue's head.

Behind the Buddha statue sat a burly old monk with a halberd and a beard, his eyes flashing with a fierce light as he opened and closed them.

Those who have cultivated the Sixth Consciousness in Buddhism have an advantage in weapon crafting, but if they encounter good crafting materials, it's just icing on the cake.

When the old monk with the halberd was with the army, he saw such a large piece of flawless mutton-fat Baiyu, especially since it was carved with Maitreya Buddha, which was a good material for refining weapons.

"I entrust the relics of the Consciousness Realm Sarira to flawless jade, so that their various wondrous uses can be easily mastered."

"You're courting death."

A strange, radiant light appeared, seemingly weightless yet moving with incredible speed.

Suddenly, it rushed out from inside the door.

Both Li Jianke and Lian Shanbai felt a deadly threat, like a catastrophe, suddenly pressing down on them.

The two immediately sensed the need to react, but then realized that the colorful light was not coming from directly in front, but rather surrounding all directions, both above and below.

There was no blue sky or white clouds overhead, and no place to put one's feet.

No matter how we react, it seems we have no choice but to withstand this soul-crushing impact head-on.

The old monk with the halberd was a reserved person, and he did not underestimate these two masters in the slightest.

However, there was also a third-rate swordsman standing behind them.

Zhou Yuan had already drawn his sword when the two started fighting, but only now did he thrust his sword at them.

He was extremely tense when he unleashed this sword strike; his forehead, neck, and the backs and palms of his hands all became damp with sweat in the blink of an eye.

Almost as soon as he finished stabbing, he felt as if his heart was about to fly out with him.

Chu Tianshu knows a great many martial arts techniques; even a rough count reveals that there are more than dozens.

There are quite a few that are suitable for building a foundation.

However, the first set of skills that Chu Tianshu set for these people was all the Thirteen Death-Claiming Swords, which was naturally based on detailed considerations.

The moonlight radiation in this world can affect people's minds. In a sense, this environment is somewhat similar to the misty, Mist and Rosy Clouds Realm Layer of the martial arts world in the Great Ming.

However, the Mist and Rosy Clouds Realm Layer is more passive and inclusive, with very little bias. A master who opens their mind and body to experience the Yanxia can cultivate any kind of Divine Intent.

For example, the first master of the Xiahou Mountain Manor, in the later stages of his life, cultivated Martial Dao Divine Intent that was a kind of Sword Intent that was as indifferent as a salted fish, having reconciled with all the grudges of his life.

The moonlight radiation in this world is more proactive, more energetic, and more lethal.

In this world, it's relatively easier to get started by practicing martial arts produced in the Great Ming.

However, if one approaches moonlight radiation with a detached attitude, it's not much different from courting death.

The Thirteen Death-Claiming Swords, reorganized by Chu Tianshu, became the best choice.

This sword technique was created by Lu Shuangyan after experiencing the turmoil and suffering of her life, and in order to gain a sense of peace and tranquility.

After being repaired by Chu Tianshu with his mastery of the Nine-Nine Kalpa Ash Sword Intent.

Once the Thirteen Swords are mastered, one can gradually cultivate a burning passion, a spirit that defies death.

It is most likely to transform any painful emotions caused by external intrusion into the will to resist.

This is beneficial for maintaining one's sanity and resisting various factors such as moonlight pollution.

However, despite their cultivation, Chu Tianshu's thousands of disciples still possess relatively low levels of skill.

The sword intent and spirit they cultivated would not even be considered at the level of Martial Dao Divine Intent intent if placed in the Great Ming Dynasty.

If we say that someone who has cultivated the Martial Dao Divine Intent is at least equivalent to carrying a musket with an enormous number of bullets and a trajectory that can change at will.

Therefore, their current Sword Intent is at most equivalent to a few sparks produced when flint and steel collide, lacking any power and disappearing in an instant.

If we send them to find the people who are suffering, let them use their Sword Intent to enlighten them, transform their suffering into motivation for life, and not let them wallow in it for too long.

They certainly can't do that.

Therefore, Chu Tianshu only assigned them one task.

When you see strange, colorful light around those monks, releasing your Sword Intent is enough.

Bass!!

The colorful light, before it could even touch the sword, suddenly recoiled like the tongue of a startled toad.

Both Li Jianke and Lian Shanbai Shangdu completely bewildered.

The force of that sword strike was only a little over a hundred pounds, with no Sword Qi that could be released outwards.

If I had to put it into words, at most there was a slight projecting of momentum and intent.

Like a fleeting spark, tiny and faint, it vanishes in an instant.

The old monk couldn't understand it at all: how could that sword strike force the Consciousness Realm Sarira to retreat?

At that very moment, he truly had a premonition...

Die!!!

The outer shell of that colorful light suddenly cracked, and its surface turned a furious red.

The light emanating from within is still colored, but the contrast between the multicolored light and the pure red of the outer shell creates a sense of extreme danger.

A blindingly bright light erupted in an instant.

None of the monks had time to dodge.

A silent, yet terrifying explosion, and a sea of white.

Li Jianke stood there for a long time before he felt his vision return to normal.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

The house in front was still there, but the five monks were lying on the ground, their bodies gone.

The Baiyu Buddha statue remained motionless, and the colorful light behind its head had also disappeared.

Lian Shanbai asked with a pounding heart, "What... what was that just now? Old Zhou, what the hell is your sword?!"

Old Zhou looked at the sword in his hand, his face pale, and swallowed hard.

"I don't understand either, but the little fairy said so."

"We are the nemesis of these people."

Carpenter Zhou said blankly, "Perhaps it means that our swords now are their retribution!"

A tiny, illusory spark met the world's most perfect fuel for a raging fire.

The pain evoked by thoughts and desires is collected and concentrated to its extreme, forming an outer shell, a "membrane" capable of containing the power of the Eighth Consciousness Storehouse.

With just the right trigger, even the smallest one, pain can transform into resistance.

It's like when a hair lands, it deviates by about half the diameter of a hair strand—such a small impact.

The outer casing will catch fire!

Because Chu Tianshu had just arrived in this world, he had already encountered a third-rate person who used Demonic Dao secret techniques to harm people, and he also sensed the terrifying threat that Demonic Dao would pose to the future.

Even at that time, he was completely unaware of any Eighth Consciousness Treasure Storehouse, yet he still chose to have his disciples begin practicing the Death-Claiming Sword Technique.

Only those who begin with this method can possess such pure sword intent and mindset.

Victory is not achieved through force, but through sincerity.

Every drink and every bite is preordained!

"It's indeed unlikely that we can find so many monks quickly and ensure that we can defeat each group we encounter by force."

Chu Tianshu stood among a group of flat, ground-hugging monks, and another ball of colorful light appeared in his hand.

"However, you yourselves are creating a disaster that will kill you."

"Anyone who faces my disciples, whom I can remotely ignite at any time, is doomed to die the moment they meet me!"

Chu Tianshu looked up at the sky, and behind him were four colorful lights, enveloped by his aura, suspended in mid-air.

Adding this bundle in my hand, that makes five finished pieces of the Consciousness Realm Sarira.

As he released his breath, a light, indistinguishable to the naked eye, soared straight into the sky.

Anyone with keen spiritual perception, capable of sensing the primordial energy of heaven and earth, can achieve this within a single prefecture, even without being a true Attaining the Dao being.

Everyone could see that sliver of colorful light.

"You're plotting against me, aren't you? Planning to swallow the relic, greatly increase your strength, and then surround and kill me?"

"Then I'll give you a choice too."

Chu Tianshu raised his hand upwards, channeling his immense Mind Power, and guided it with his index finger.

That streak of colorful light, shooting straight into the sky, twisted slightly, turning left and right, and finally seemed to form a line of vertical characters.

"Within a single day!"

"Don't come, or it will all be ruined!"

Choose this path: go collect the corpses of those useless monks.

Or perhaps we should try to seize the finished treasures you greedily desire.

(End of this chapter)