Blazing Fire Pearls, Using Buddhas to Break the Formation

In front of the abandoned courtyard.

Yu Danxia, Diba Deng, and Sun Liang have all arrived, each accompanied by three other people.

It was Granny Putuo, an old Daoist priest with a yellow crown and white beard, and a thin, short-bearded swordsman.

"This is Elder Wang Daozi of the Supreme Purity Palace on Mount Mao, and this is Liu Qingsi, the head of the Sword-Washing Pool on Mount Mogan."

Granny Putuo introduced them to Han Baiyu, saying, "Of the sixteen martial arts sects in the south that the imperial court coerced, poisoned, and subdued, only these two have a long-standing relationship with me and possess a strong sense of righteousness. I had already persuaded them beforehand, so they can be trusted."

"There are four others who also said they were willing to help, but they come from wealthy families and were previously hesitant. Now that they've expressed their support, it's mostly because they're intimidated by Mr. Chu's power. I knocked them unconscious and kept them in custody."

As she finished speaking, a cold glint appeared in the old woman's eyes.

"The rest of them have too many bad deeds to be redeemed; kill them all!"

Wang Daozi bowed, Liu Qingsi clasped her hands in greeting, both bowing to Han Baiyu.

The Supreme Purity Palace Mount Mao was once a glorious place during the Northern Song, which also led to it becoming a melting pot of all sorts of people. Now it is in ruins and in a state of disrepair.

Although Wang Daozi was skilled in martial arts, he was originally an anomaly within his school and was not respected by the majority.

The Yuan Dynasty poisoned him because of his martial arts skills, intending to put him in charge of the Supreme Purity Palace. His disciples and factions, seeing that he had the support of the court, came to curry favor with him, which had long been a source of great annoyance for him.

Now that he had finally found a comfortable position, the old Daoist priest even showed a rare sharpness.

Liu Qingsi, whose reputation in the martial arts world was both righteous and wicked, was actually a proud and self-disciplined person.

Mount Mogan in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region is said to be the place where Gan Jiang Mo Xie Gan Jiang forged their swords. Their son, Meijianchi, to avenge his father Gan Jiang, drew his sword, cut off his head, and gave it to a chivalrous knight. The knight then presented the head to the King of Chu.

Finally, the heads of the knight-errant, the king, and the avenger fell into the cauldron together, tearing each other apart to death.

Liu Qingsi was naturally clean and always dressed neatly, frequently changing into new clothes and shoes. As a result, people mistakenly thought that he must love fine clothes and enjoy life and covet wealth. In fact, what he yearned for most was the fierce spirit in the story of Meijianchi.

After being tricked and poisoned, he wanted to fight to the death, but was secretly persuaded to stop by Granny Putuo.

That day in the garden, Chu Tianshu made a move, and a fierce battle ensued, stirring Liu Qingsi's emotions so much that she wanted to disregard everything and step in to help.

However, Chu Tianshu was too strong, and the Meteor Gods and Devils's lamp array was also extremely powerful. The battle situation was constantly changing, and before he could find an opportunity to make a move, he and the others were captured one after another.

Now that he was a prisoner, he was too embarrassed to admit his true feelings, fearing that he would appear to be a coward who feared death.

Where is Senior Chu?

Liu Qingsi looked around, then glanced into the house, and said with a smile, "Now that everything has been discussed, please allow me to wait until we enter the house to pay my respects to you, senior, and get to know you anew."

Although he already knew that Han Baiyu was the legendary celestial maiden, he still wanted to get to know Chu Tianshu again as soon as possible.

"No rush, the three of you should take this Heavenly Silkworm Ice Jade Pill first."

Han Baiyu took out a small jade bottle. "This Ice Jade Pill, while it cannot completely eliminate the hidden dangers of poison in your bodies, can seal them away."

"Senior Chu is treating one of my friends inside the house. We should protect him, but we fear someone might take the opportunity to attack. If any of the attackers are from the Yuan Dynasty and know how to activate potent poisons, the three of you must suppress the poison first before we can deal with the situation."

Granny Putuo trusted her the most, so she reached out and took one directly, swallowed it, and nodded to her two old friends.

The other two thought for a moment and then took it as well.

Sun Liang suddenly took out several crystal-clear Ruyu- like objects and distributed them to everyone.

"This is a slice of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor. Each person takes one slice and holds it in their mouth. If their internal energy is damaged later, it can be replenished immediately."

Wang Daozi of Mount Mao was skilled in medicine. Upon receiving the ginseng slice, his hands trembled, and he exclaimed in emotion, "Does such a rare treasure truly exist in the world?! This... this... this young brother just gave it to us like this?"

Sun Liang remained calm, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

"Even a whole Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor is nothing in Senior Chu's eyes. I have followed him and learned a thing or two. It is fate that this ginseng slice can be used at the right time."

Han Baiyu was also pleasantly surprised.

She had already heard the news of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor appearing in Liaodong, but she had been too busy to look for it before. Unexpectedly, she was able to find it here.

"Very good!"

Han Baiyu's gaze swept over the six people in front of him, confirming that each of them possessed extraordinary cultivation.

"There are six of us, plus myself and Tingyue, enough to command the eight main banners. We can set up a grand formation to protect this place."

Han Baiyu took out several large flags from the token space.

The flag is made of bright red brocade, embroidered with gold thread, and edged with pearls.

When everyone saw her casually conjure eight large flags, they couldn't help but be amazed, and they truly felt that the title of "Celestial Maiden of Central Shu" was well-deserved.

The Diba Deng man had some suspicions in his mind, but this was not the time for idle talk. He simply asked, "Can we set up a good formation with this last-minute effort?"

"This formation doesn't require much practice. Everyone has keen senses; just follow the flags in your hands. If the flags tell you to input your internal energy, then input it; if they tell you to move, then move."

Han Baiyu then distributed several auxiliary flags to the other nuns, instructing them, "Stay by Tingyue's side and never leave her without permission."

Everything was instructed correctly.

Han Baiyu walked out of the courtyard gate, took ten steps straight ahead, and raised the large flag and waved it.

Sure enough, everyone felt the flags in their hands stirring restlessly, and immediately relying on their sense of touch, they each flew away and scattered.

The sun shines brightly in the sky.

Green peaks, clear waters, and a desolate temple.

Han Baiyu, facing the clear breeze of the day, saw lush greenery everywhere and smelled the fresh scent of grass and trees, which was refreshing and invigorating.

"Wow, the beautiful scenery is endless!"

Before each battle, Han Baiyu always felt it was a good time to enjoy the scenery.

She didn't want to die and all she could remember before she died were ugly things.

"However, the sun is too far away, and the mountains are too green. This painting by the heavens is not quite satisfactory. Let us add a stroke to it."

Everyone was in position, and Han Baiyu waved his banner and slammed it to the ground.

Suddenly, a thin mist rose around the entire abandoned courtyard.

The mist, like steam, hissed and shot out from below the ground, forming a vast white fog in the air.

The fog accumulated more and more, spreading wider and wider.

The group of people, carrying large banners, moved swiftly through the fog. At first, they were only vaguely visible, but soon their figures were completely obscured.

Until this thick fog covered the area within a two-mile radius nestled in the mountain valley.

From a high altitude, the verdant mountains and clear waters on the earth resemble giant dragons and pythons playing.

A wisp of white mist hangs in the mountains and waters, like a precious pearl.

The mountain wind cannot disperse it, the lake wind cannot melt it; it trembles and stands tall, finding stillness in movement.

The formation had just been set up, less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

Two more figures have appeared on the mountain road.

It was the Monk Busha, holding prayer beads, and the Yang Muren carrying a wine jar.

The two men rushed over before their disciples, fearing they would miss the best opportunity.

However, it now seems they were a little too late.

"A formation?"

The Yang Muren sneered, "Such trivial skills, yet you dare to show off in front of us!"

Both the Beggars' Sect and Shaolin are masters of formations.

The Shaolin Eighteen Arhats Formation is famous throughout the world, but in reality, it is far more than that. Their temples have piles and sets of formation diagrams and secret manuals, ranging from combinations of three or eighteen people to combinations of five hundred or one thousand eight hundred people.

Although the Beggars' Sect' Sect has lax rules, the idea of uniting the masses for strength is deeply ingrained.

Even today, when a beggar sees a member of the Beggars' Sect' Sect, he must address them as "Master," or he will be slapped. Despite the growing discord between the upper and lower levels, every branch of the Beggars' Sect' Sect still diligently studies formations.

This is the foundation of one's livelihood. No matter what kind of business one does, if one doesn't understand formations at all, then such a branch would have been swallowed up long ago.

As soon as the Yang Muren finished speaking, his figure soared into the air, his arms outstretched like a giant kite.

In the blink of an eye, he had already flown directly above the two-mile-long white mist.

The white mist covered two miles horizontally, but its height was only about ten feet.

The Yang Muren hovered twenty feet in the air, straining his eyes to look down carefully.

"The boy who was poisoned by me is still inside this formation. I have a feeling about it. That is the biggest flaw in this formation."

The Yang Muren's eyes flickered, his mind racing.

"The expert who is skilled at detoxification must complete the procedure in one swift motion to save a life. If he is attacked now, even if he wants to withdraw his palm strike, it will be too late."

Even if their skill level is equal to mine, they would still be severely injured in this situation!

Upon thinking of this, the wine jar in his hand suddenly trembled.

The hard yet brittle coarse ceramic, under his shock, turned into powder without even making a sound.

Before the powder could even disperse, it mixed with the liquor, turning into a large lump of mud under the force of the palm.

The most suitable vessel for the Seven Stars Soul-Chasing Palm technique is this mud.

The liquor has a unique penetrability, and the coarse ceramic powder, which looks like dust, is actually made up of particles that are hundreds of times harder than normal soil.

The palm strike, imbued with the mud, explodes as it is delivered.

Even several highly skilled individuals who have achieved Celestial Person Resonance could easily have their bodies penetrated by the poison if they get too close, and their deaths would be imminent.

"Nourish the righteous energy of heaven and earth, and gather the myriad powers of the four directions!"

The Yang Muren shouted, and the primordial energy of heaven and earth from all directions converged on the mud.

In the blink of an eye, a dim yellow sphere formed, spinning at an unbelievable speed.

Suddenly, the mud ball broke through the distance barrier and flashed into the white mist.

Deep within the fog, a large red brocade flag, faintly visible, suddenly unfurled, partially obscuring and wrapping beneath the mud ball.

The mud ball vanished immediately; the expected explosion never occurred.

The palm force within the mud ball seemed to have been burned, heated, and scattered, and the sensation was severed in an instant.

The Yang Muren contracted as he pinpointed the direction of the flashing flag and suddenly swooped down.

Boom!!!

His figure tore through the air, striking like a bolt from the blue.

But as soon as he plunged into the mist, his voice trailed off instantly.

The monk Monk Busha stared intently and saw a small dot in the mist suddenly magnified.

That was the figure of the Yang Muren; he rushed straight out from the depths of the mist.

Upon realizing he was rushing towards Busha, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he abruptly stopped.

The old beggar's feet scraped against the ground, pressing down on the soil and rocks in front of him, causing them to tilt and arch until a small mound formed in front of his feet, finally stopping his forward momentum.

"When you swooped down, you didn't actively change your position, yet the formation unknowingly changed your direction and sent you out?"

"Monk Busha" —his tone seemed questioning, but his expression was resolute.

The Yang Muren's face twitched. He turned his head to look at the white mist again and said in a deep voice, "It seems to be the Blazing Fire Pearl Flag inside the formation!"

Legend has it that Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, possessed a rare treasure called the "Blazing Fire Pearl Flag," which could gather the energy of heaven and earth to intimidate the three armies.

Zhao Guangyi used this treasure to attack the Liao Kingdom, but was defeated and fled in disarray, losing the treasure in the process.

The Liao Kingdom copied this treasure, accumulating over a hundred years of effort to create eight main flags and twenty-four auxiliary flags, but due to internal strife, it was directly lost.

Later generations speculated that the pearl flag was likely forged by skilled craftsmen who integrated the Marrow Jade with the flag body without affecting the properties of the Marrow Jade itself, thus achieving the miraculous effect of gathering the energy of heaven and earth.

The formation of numerous flags must have hinted at some profound transformation, but unfortunately, I never had the chance to witness it.

The Yang Muren had heard this rumor. If he were at another time and had the chance to see such a thing, he would have the leisure to explore the formation and see how many changes there were.

But it can't be today!!

"Let's join forces, expand our protective Gang Qi to an area of ten zhang in radius, proceed cautiously, block out all the fog, and charge straight into the formation."

The Yang Muren's eyes sharpened, and he suggested, "A ten-zhang-high wall of qi will surely block out the fog and keep us clear of our direction."

Both the Six Harmonies Heart Method and the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic are ancient and long-standing martial arts techniques. When the two of them work together, complementing and assisting each other, they can maintain a ten-zhang qi wall for a long time. They should have been able to balance the speed of qi recovery and consumption.

Unfortunately, both of their internal strength had been altered by their own personalities.

In this situation, it's hard to predict whether the two internal skills can achieve such a tacit and lasting complementarity.

"I have another way."

The Monk Busha a glint in his red eyes, a sinister smile seemingly spreading across his face. "Buddhism is flourishing throughout the land; let Buddha help us break this formation."

He turned his head to look behind him, and the Lion's Roar and the method of transmitting Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission were actually integrated into one.

Visible sound waves expanded outwards from the front of his mouth, then contracted in circles in mid-air, condensing into a beam that traveled extremely far.

The Shaolin Beggars' Sect Clan disciples heard the deafening command while they were still on their way.

Lingyin Temple, located on the shore of West Lake, has fallen into disrepair.

But another Huiyin Goryeo Temple, flourished even more.

More than a decade ago, the King of Goryeo came to pay homage to the Yuan Dynasty emperor and toured Suzhou and Hangzhou. The emperor ordered him to offer incense and pay his respects at Huiyin Temple.

From then on, Huiyin Temple was also known as the Imperial Merit Monastery, a place where princes and nobles would make merits and offer incense when they visited Suzhou and Hangzhou.

The temple enshrines only one Vairocana Buddha.

There are Twenty Devas in front of the Buddha, and Eighteen Arhats behind him.

Distinguished monks flocked like rain, and pilgrims thronged like clouds. Even with the recent changes in Hang Prefecture, these influences have not yet reached this area.

But on this day, hundreds of Shaolin and Beggars' Sect ' Sect disciples, after turning a corner, barged into the temple.

There were martial arts practitioners in the temple, but they were no match for the experts summoned by the two top sects in the world.

Pilgrims screamed and scattered, carriages and horses rushed about, incense burners flew into the air, and dust filled the sky.

The monks in the temple were flung away by a Shaolin monk and crashed into the wall.

"Vairocana!!"

The Buddha statue was lifted up by four monks working together and ran away.

"Twenty Devas, Eighteen Venerable Ones, please move aside!"

The celestial guardian deities and venerable A Luo were kicked to pieces by these hundreds of people on the spot, or carried away by them.

The smiling face of the Great Golden Buddha, the compassion of the Arhats, and the solemnity of the Dharma Protectors all appeared as angry amidst this frantic running and turbulence.

The Monk Busha stood on the mountain path, one palm raised in front of his chest, softly chanting Buddhist mantras.

"May all Buddhas help me! Excellent! Excellent!"

The statues of Buddha and other deities were carried past him, the wind ruffling a corner of his robe.

The monk Monk Busha remained calm, his eyes fixed only on the white mist.

The angry expressions of the Buddhas and Dharma protectors had no way of reaching the monk's eyes.

The Buddha statues could only be helplessly moved and pushed towards the white mist.

These places of great religious significance, where statues have been refined day and night by the chanting Esoteric Buddhist Sanskrit Sound True Qi for countless hours, are excellent tools for embodying the inner strength of masters from both schools.

Thump! Thump! Thump!!

One after another, large statues were placed on the ground. Behind each statue, about ten people were pushing it, pouring their inner energy into the statue.

With eyes shining brightly and an angry expression, the Buddha statues moved forward, breaking through the mist amidst a rumbling sound.