A Trace of Saber Intent Commands White Bones, a Glimmer of Rainbow Light Confounds the Heavenly Secrets

On the plateau, between snow-capped mountains and large lakes, there are also large areas of flat landforms.

The barley has already been harvested this year; the yellowish stalks gleam like gold under the bright sunlight.

The Ancient City of Zhangzhung is surrounded by such fields, as if it were in a sea of gold, giving the entire city a solemn and sacred feel.

Hundreds of people, cloaked in black, rode across the vast fields on local black-maned, yellow-bodied steeds.

As they entered the city, they slowed their horses' hooves slightly.

Upon seeing such noble attire, the slaves working throughout the city all knelt down and bowed with their palms pressed together in respect.

"The slaves here seem to be in better health than those elsewhere."

The leading man lifted his hood, revealing a typical Persia face.

He had a full head of long black hair with slightly curled ends, high cheekbones, a very thick mustache on his upper lip, but his chin was clean-shaven.

This person was none other than Mahalun from the Dashi Empire.

His full name, when translated into Hanwen, is twenty-seven characters long.

Not to mention foreigners, even his own countrymen who know him well often refer to him simply by the pronunciation of the three characters "Mahalun".

The man walking alongside him, beneath his cloak, wore a brownish-red monk's robe, had no eyebrows or beard, was blind in one right eye, and had full, fleshy cheeks.

This monk Aduoluo, and he was the second disciple of the Mountain King Divine Monk.

He is also the Dharma Master Who Protects the Nation of the lineage of King Ari, who now possesses the strongest military force after the split of Tubo.

Although the Ancient City of Zhangzhung was not the territory of King Ari, the customs were still the same. Aduoluo glanced at the slaves' complexions and knew the reason.

"After all, the barley harvest has been plentiful, and soon it will be time to sow winter barley. The slaves will need to have a few good meals so they will have the strength then."

Aduoluo smiled, "Furthermore, my uncle always advocates that nobles should not be too demanding of slaves, otherwise, if the slaves escape to other places, it is the nobles who will lose their own good fortune."

"Of the Eighteen Cities of Zhangzhung, which one wouldn't give him face?"

The group passed through the city, paying no further attention to the slaves who were giving way, and soon arrived at a cluster of magnificent temples.

Throughout the temple, tall prayer flags and colorful ribbons fluttered.

The monks were leading the distinguished guests who had come to worship to offer incense before the Buddha, thanking the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for blessing this year's bountiful harvest.

The large commotion caused by the approach of several hundred people to draw so much attention that many monks became wary.

Aduoluo dismounted, ripped off his cloak, threw it off the horse, revealing his full form.

Immediately, many monks recognized him and bowed to him.

A handsome young monk, with one shoulder bare and barefoot, came and bowed to Aduoluo, then turned and led the way.

"Heh, my martial uncle must have sensed that we've come to see him. Since he's willing to send someone to welcome us, it naturally means he's willing to help."

Aduoluo showed delight and invited Mahalun to accompany him. He also invited only about ten people into the temple, while the rest waited outside.

The handsome young monk led them around multiple halls, taking them further and further astray.

In front of them lay what appeared to be a large meadow with a pool of water in the middle, as blue as the sky.

Several bright yellow cushions were placed by the pool, with incense burners, prayer wheels, and cheese placed on them.

The sesame seeds, fried in oil, have an amazing aroma, and once added to the water, they immediately attract fish in the pond to feed.

Mahalun immediately recognized that there were several kinds of fish in the pond, all of which were species that could not survive on the plateau.

I don't know what kind of wonderful method they used to raise them, but they are so lively and playful in this lake.

Aduoluo was the first to step forward and bow deeply.

The dozen or so people behind him also removed their cloaks and went down to pay their respects.

There were actually more than a dozen monks, and they all greeted him with, "Greetings, Dharma Master Zengming! Greetings, Uncle-Master!"

The long-haired old man turned his face, revealing a round face. Although it was full of wrinkles and his beard was sparse, one could still see a hint of good fortune in him.

"Good! Good! Of my senior brother's disciples, only a small portion seek the wisdom of enlightenment; the rest have become his disciples in search of his supernatural powers."

"Among those with supernatural powers, you have gained the most."

The round, plump old man smiled. "It's a pity you two didn't form a good relationship. You came from the same school, yet you fought for over ten years. Today, you've finally resolved your grudges and become fellow travelers."

"Aduoluo, you did very well."

"Distinguished guest from the Dashi Kingdom, I should be even more grateful to you!"

Mahalun stepped forward and bowed. "The House of Wisdom still preserves the manuscripts of the Mountain King Divine Monk and the Dharma Master Zengming. As the commander-in-chief of the House of Wisdom's Dharma Protectorate, it is my duty to do one or two things for the distinguished guests of the palace."

The Dashi Empire built a "House of Wisdom" in its capital, Baghdad, to collect and store ancient texts from both the East and the West.

Astronomy, geography, medicine, divination, architecture, philosophy of various countries, martial arts and military affairs—categorized and all-encompassing.

They also invited many talented individuals to translate it into the Dashi script.

That place can be described as the highest institution of learning in the Dashi Empire, and also a gathering place for the Dashi Empire's top experts.

Mahalun, as the commander of the Guardian Army of the House of Wisdom, was also revered as the "Guardian Lord" by the Persia in the country. His high position and great power were self-evident.

The plump old man was also moved when he heard that the visitor was actually the current Dharma Protector.

"The arrival of distinguished guests must be due to some special connection; please speak frankly."

Without further ado, Mahalun stepped forward and pulled out a mirror from his pocket.

"Master, please look. This is the Sogdians Nine Luminaries Shared Heart Mirrors. The nine people who possess this mirror, including myself, were originally wise and virtuous individuals from various countries."

"But just recently, four Mirror Masters of the Great Tang met with misfortune."

Mahalun frowned deeply and took a long breath when he spoke of this matter.

"There are four precious mirrors, which should have already fallen into the hands of the Great Tang Inner Guard. Their Imperial Astronomical Bureau has many wise men, and they will probably rely on these mirrors to perform unique divination methods."

"We, the few mirror masters, will soon be heading to Chang'an. Even if we lose our mirrors along the way, our identities as mirror masters won't be so easily erased."

"I'm afraid that once we enter Chang'an, the philosophers of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau will immediately become aware of us and distinguish us from the envoys of all nations. If that happens, we will be unable to proceed."

After listening to this statement, the plump old man remained silent for a moment.

Aduoluo chimed in from the side, "We originally hoped to avenge our master on this journey..."

The round, plump old man said, "You haven't even left yet, and you've already lost four Mirror Masters. You must have encountered some unforeseen event. Do you really have any hope of revenge?"

Aduoluo's one eyelid twitched.

He's been worried about this a lot lately.

If they had obtained the Divine Drum, along with the drums from their fellow disciples, they would have already collected all eighteen drums.

If the Four Great Aristocratic Clans the Turks, the Dashi, and the Great Tang were to unite and Hai Donglai, their chances of success would be quite high.

However, the Mirror Masters of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans were all killed in the battle to ambush Chu Tianshu.

With four top experts missing from their side and a powerful newcomer on the opposing side, how could they not be worried?

However, the Dashi had to make a considerable sacrifice to bring together their fellow disciples who were scattered across different countries.

The Turks, on the other hand, had already secretly amassed their forces, waiting only for Hai Donglai and his men to die before launching a large-scale southward invasion.

These things are all like arrows on a bowstring, they cannot be left unattended. If the operation is canceled, it will cause huge losses, and in my lifetime, it will be difficult to come up with such a situation again.

"Uncle-Master!"

Aduoluo hesitated, "You are skilled in divination; could it be that you foresaw that this time will be unlucky for us?"

The plump old man stared at him for a few moments, then turned his head away and suddenly reached into the grass to fan it, startling a dragonfly.

The yellowish-brown dragonfly, with its tail slightly upturned like a scorpion's tail, is a specialty of Tubo.

Whoosh!

With a slight movement of his right hand, he had already grasped the dragonfly in his palm, his five fingers loosely closed.

"Aduoluo, I ask you, when I spread my five fingers, will this dragonfly in my hand be alive or dead?"

Aduoluo immediately smiled, "My uncle is compassionate, how could he kill without cause?"

"These dragonfly larvae parasitize the stems and leaves of barley, sucking its nutrients; they are a deadly enemy of barley."

The plump old man calmly said, "If I crush it to death, preventing it from laying eggs, it will be considered ending the bad karma. If I don't crush it, it's because my compassion is acting up."

"Let me ask you again, will this thought of mine ultimately lead to the resolution of karmic ties, or will it lead to compassion?"

Aduoluo's forehead gradually became sweaty.

In terms of martial arts skills, he considered himself to be superior to this senior martial uncle.

However, in terms of Buddhist wit, wisdom, and divination skills, he found it difficult to honestly claim that he was superior to his opponent.

His uncle's question must be related to their trip to the Great Tang, but he couldn't answer it.

"I'll ask you again."

The round, plump old man looked at his loosely clenched fist.

"What if this dragonfly is related to the fate of the nation for hundreds of years to come?"

"If the dragonfly dies, it means that our Tubo will be annexed by the Great Tang sooner or later, Great Tang will continue to prosper, and even become stronger."

"If the dragonfly doesn't die, it means that the Tubo kingdom can continue and has a chance to revive, and the Dashi and the Turks both have a chance to rise to a higher level..."

Mahalun suddenly laughed, interrupting the old man.

"Dharma Master Zengming, I understand what you are trying to say!"

Mahalun said, "Droughts and floods are like the will of Heaven; the will of Heaven is difficult to change, so it is easy to predict."

"Human hearts are fickle; the same person at the same moment, acting on the same issue, may make different choices. Therefore, it is meaningless to inquire about good or bad fortune in matters of life."

The plump old man nodded slightly, a smile on his face.

"That's one layer of meaning, and there's another."

The plump old man continued, "Let's assume that this dragonfly truly represents the fate of the nation."

"I'm telling you, this dragonfly is dead. Do you still want to see the answer in my hand?"

Mahalun stroked his mustache, his gaze sharpening.

"Assuming it truly represents the fate of us Persia, then even if it's dead, I will bring it back to life!"

When he said this, all the monks around him felt a slight tingling sensation in their bodies.

It was as if thousands of tiny blades were hidden in the air around them.

There seemed to be a faint crackling sound coming from between their clothes and skin.

The azure pool water suddenly rippled with waves.

A snow-white yak skeleton slowly rose from the bottom of the pool, walked on all fours, and climbed ashore.

That skeleton, devoid of flesh and blood, trembled and swayed, yet grew stronger with each step.

When the cow bone reached Mahalun's side, a deep, resonant bellow strangely emanated from the empty skeleton.

Moo!!!

The waves in the pond surged and rippled, and the grass rippled in layers.

The cow's bellow caused ripples to spread throughout the surrounding area.

Mahalun's hand gently caressed the cow's skull, his gaze fixed on the round, plump old man.

Aduoluo stood beside him, staring incredulously at the protector of the Dashi Empire.

Having been with the Kunlun Society for so many years, he never knew that Mahalun's cultivation had actually reached this level.

Human intentions are like lightning, only too subtle and delicate.

Once the mind is cultivated into Saber Intent, it is released outwards. This transformation from the inside out is like the change of heavenly thunder.

When thunder roars, what you actually see is not electricity, but the air itself that has been struck.

Therefore, the vast majority of Saber Intent does not harm people with lightning-fast intention, but rather manifests as a favorable external wind.

Mahalun managed to condense his Saber Intent after it left his body, and it still moved like dark electricity, manipulating the bones of the corpse!

This is truly Saber Intent that transcends life and death, and then returns to life.

"Good!!"

The plump old man broke into a wide smile.

"How can a person destined for great things be swayed by divination?"

He opened his palm, and the live dragonfly flew up.

"I will use magic to disrupt the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's divinations, so that you will not be discovered prematurely."

"Furthermore, over the years, I've had several premonitions that my senior brother may not be truly dead after all."

"I will rely on divination to exert influence from the unseen realm, striving to steer everything in your favor, allowing you to launch your plan at the optimal time."

Mahalun was slightly surprised. "A mage can actually do such a thing?"

The plump old man's smile remained unchanged.

"This is something that even the most accomplished masters of our Snow Mountain Esoteric Sect can only do once in their lifetime."

"I have enjoyed wealth and honor for so many years because of the patronage of Tubo, which has allowed me to concentrate on studying Buddhism and pursuing its mysteries."

"I must repay this great kindness."

"Now that I am old, it is time to end this bond."

The old man picked up the prayer wheel beside him, shook it gently, and chanted in a long voice.

"Good! Good!"

The prayer wheel spun and suddenly burst into flames.

The flames quickly spread to the plump old man's entire body, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Aduoluo and the many monks behind him exclaimed in surprise and tried to move forward.

Mahalun reached out and stopped them.

"I see."

Mahalun bowed solemnly, "For our journey to Chang'an."

"Dharma Master Zengming has achieved rainbow body transformation!"

Many monks from the temples rushed over, some of them bursting into tears.

Without Dharma Master Zengming, the temple's prestige will surely decline significantly.

When the Mountain King died, Tubo split apart. Now that Zengming dead, will the monks he united also follow the same path?

But some monks knelt down devoutly.

The Great Tang.

Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Cao Mengzheng received Nie Hongxian in a quiet room.

A young Daoist priest was arranging four silver mirrors on a small table, holding a tortoise shell in his hands, and meditating with his eyes closed.

Nie Hongxian could sense that when the Daoist was meditating, all the surrounding objects and scenery, even the dust particles in the air, seemed to become several times clearer.

Suddenly, the clarity of all the scenery dropped back to its original state.

The young Daoist priest was startled, the tortoise shell in his hand fell to the ground, and he clutched his head, feeling dizzy.

Cao Mengzheng suddenly turned his head and looked northwest.

"Where did this rainbow light come from, obscuring the secrets of heaven?"

Cao Mengzheng stood up. "Using a century-old Dharma Lineage to achieve rainbow body transformation and conceal divination beyond human affairs is one thing, but why make it difficult to predict natural disasters within eighty-one days?"

"You wretched child! You wretched child!"

The old scholar trembled with rage and smashed the teacup in his hand.

"With such utterly indifferent compassion for all living beings, when will the world ever recover from such perverse and wicked acts?"

(End of this chapter)