Chapter 396

Chapter 396: Cutting the Dao to Refine the Body

Li Hui arrived and suddenly made his move.

“Clang, clang, clang…”

The Grand Princess casually shattered the golden sword shadow, feeling an immense shock as a thread of energy swept past her, probing her skills.

“Does Your Highness primarily practice the Sword Dao? I doubt it; your heart isn’t attached to the sword, nor are you deeply passionate about it. It seems you’ve been at your current level for many years,” Li Hui said as he walked toward the seat, a sword in hand, smiling. “I wish to unveil the seal of the palace. Opening up is better than closing off; I have my methods to dissolve the malevolence.”

“I have my own methods? Hmph, unless you intend to harm the national fortune of the Great Xia.”

“Indeed, one should repay grudges; when there is resentment, let it be heard, for fairness exists in the world. After releasing this malevolence, the national fortune will call for vengeance, giving them an opportunity to relieve their grievances and thus restore peace here.”

“Bold! How outrageous! The Great Xia will not forgive you,” the Grand Princess exclaimed, knowing full well that opening up is better than closing off, but if there were grievances to air, the royal family would bear the brunt of the misfortune.

“Clang…” The flying sword shot forth like a startled swan.

It was fast, too fast; even at a speed increased a hundredfold, one could not escape this terrifying sword.

However, after the sword light passed, a talisman fell to the ground. The Grand Princess was astonished to realize that she had not recognized it as a replacement talisman. No, it was not an ordinary replacement talisman, but a resonance talisman that shared experiences.

“Your Highness, I am everywhere; how many swords can you cut me with?”

Suddenly, hundreds of Li Hui emerged from the shadows, each wearing different attire and displaying diverse expressions, all wielding the Azure Sky Jade Symbol Sword and striking forth with the power of the Condense Essence Stage, able to slash at a Master from the All-Manifestation Realm.

“What’s going on?”

“Clang…” The long sword glimmered, and under the gaze of the Grand Princess, countless sword lights flowed like fish swimming, as hundreds of Li Hui exploded into fragments.

The ground was littered with residual talismans, clearly displaying the difference in strength.

As a Grand Princess with access to countless rare treasures, her practice naturally surpassed that of many ordinary All-Manifestation Realm cultivators.

Li Hui was self-aware enough to know that even if he grew to the Bosa stage, he would not be a match for her.

At this moment, his actions came across as somewhat opportunistic, as the Grand Princess could not move, having to sit on her throne to suppress the malevolence. Meanwhile, all the experts in the cold palace occupied their positions, working together to set up a powerful formation, trying to suppress the malevolence.

However, today Li Hui harbored great ambitions; he aimed to break free from his shackles and carve out his own Dao.

The Grand Princess retracted her flying sword, only to find many tiny spots appearing on the blade; slashing the talismans had actually damaged her beloved sword.

“How outrageous! No matter who you are or where you come from, die!” Her killing intent erupted; this sword was extremely important to her, like a dragon’s reverse scale—touch it, and one would die.

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Nearly a thousand talismans shattered, and the sword light suddenly surged toward the real body of Li Hui, fueled by the fury of the All-Manifestation. This was a power capable of breaking through all laws.

“Crack…”

Li Hui was sliced in half.

The Grand Princess frowned; was this still a layer of a replacement? To her astonishment, no matter how she looked at it before, it had appeared to be the real person, yet with the use of secret techniques to reverse time, the target she locked onto remained this layer of a replacement.

Strangely, even after being cut in two, Li Hui continued to speak: “Thank you, Your Highness, for your help. This sword has severed time, allowing me to carve out a body.”

Not long after, the yard of the servant quarters in the cold palace began to tremble gently, two shadows swirling endlessly, preparing to escape swiftly, when they were suddenly pinned down by a half-acre-wide Dragon Claw, gleaming with golden light.

Li Hui set down his tea cup and nodded, saying, “Truly worthy of the Grand Princess; this sword has ignited the flames of killing intent and finally cleaved open the essence of calamity power.”

“Sworn brother has quite a bold spirit, daring to plot against the current Grand Princess,” Wu Zhao said while pouring tea, looking charming and pleasing, catching a glimpse of beauty by candlelight, evoking an enchanting aura.

“Cycle of cause and effect—the one she helped me with in severing the essence of calamity is now the one I assist in resolving the cold palace crisis.”

“Although I’ve known you for a short time, I understand you often find reasons and can articulate points quite well, preferring to follow your own steps.”

“This matter comes from the heart; the heart decides all! Since we have become sworn siblings, when you rise to be Empress, I will use this to boast.”

“Is that possible? Countless high beings in Great Xia; I’ve only just realized how amusing my ambitions are, especially as great calamity approaches. One must possess strength and determination to turn the tide to become the Wutu Emperor. Instead, charming brother, accept me and let us seek immortality together.”

Li Hui shook his head with a wry smile: “To be honest, I carry several heavy responsibilities. In the Yin Moon Dynasty, many ghost kings are sharpening their knives, waiting to slay me. The first person in the inner sect of the Jin Tian Sect will surely have to fight me. Once my cultivation reaches new heights, I will march to the Hongmo Sect and create a sea of blood. The last layer of responsibility is truly terrifying; powerful beings from other continents want my life. Look at Lian Luosha and Qian Qiu Yue; they were once my close friends, yet now they have forgotten. It’s not their fault; it’s the Dao that is difficult, and cultivators face many calamities.”

“You are a true Daoist cultivator; after today, who knows when we will meet again? I hope you can give Wu Zhao a nickname; if she hears it often enough, she won’t forget.”

“Alright, upon first meeting you, you seemed like a tomboy. A girl should have the demeanor of a girl; let’s call you Mei Niang!” Li Hui casually named her.

“Wu Mei Niang?” Wu Zhao’s eyes sparkled like crescent moons as she playfully said, “Very well, let’s go with Mei Niang. Just wait until I, Wu Mei, rule the world; then whether it’s the Yin Moon Dynasty or the Hongmo Sect, my army shall turn them to ashes!”

“Ha ha ha!” The two laughed heartily.

Two hours later, a chilling wind began to blow, and ghostly wails echoed as dust clouds billowed.

The Heart Refining Branch prepared themselves; many thousands of miles away, countless ghostly entities surged toward this place. If the malevolence leaked from the cold palace, it would surely lead to unimaginable calamities.

During these two hours, Li Hui indulged in drinking.

He engaged in self-slicing—not slicing the soul, not cutting the spirit, and not cleaving the spiritual sense—but slicing out a Dao for himself, as if creating something from nothing.

To cut the Dao, one must inquire of the Dao.

At this moment, he asked himself during a crucial time, exhaling a breath of wine and murmuring: “The Dao That Can Be Spoken Is Not the Eternal Dao. With millions cultivating the Dao, there are millions of paths; yet there are few paths to reach the heavens. The Buddha is also a Dao; the practice is for the next life, for transcendence, for ultimate bliss. In the end, what is cultivated is still permanence; I do not wish to dissolve into nothing.”

“In truth! This cutting of the Dao is also a Dao.”

“My Dao is my Dao! Why should I cut Him? Only that which does not belong to me shall be severed!”

“Cut, cut, cut…” Li Hui drank all the fine wines from the treasure cabinet, laughing heartily as he cut out a figure.

“Go!”

The figure entered the swirling essence of calamity, and suddenly, light and shadow flickered, revealing a handsome monk who stood up and declared loudly, “The supreme art of the idle Daoist; without eliminating delusions, one does not seek the truth. The essence of ignorance is the Buddha nature; transforming the empty body is the Ideal Body. The Ideal Body is enlightened to have nothing; the original nature is the true Buddha, while the five aggregates are like floating clouds that come and go, and the three poisons are like bubbles that appear and vanish.”

“Daoist Brother, when to let go, let go; where is the Arhat fruit?”

“Ha ha ha! Well, when to let go, let go!” Li Hui swung his sword toward his arm, and the deeply embedded Arhat fruit unexpectedly flew out, merging thunderously into the body.

“It can only last for a short time, and I still need Daoist Brother’s assistance to attain that unparalleled merit,” the monk pressed his palms together, saying, “I am Jieyin!”