Volume 5 Chapter 117
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Volume 5 Chapter 117: Blood Battle, Heart Battle (Part 3)
"Buddha Body" is said to be one of the highest techniques in Buddhism. In reality, the method of cultivating the Buddha Body is known to every disciple of the Buddhist sect. Simply put, it is merging the vast Buddha power with one’s own physical body. However, although it sounds easy to say, it is very difficult to achieve. In the flourishing realm of Middle-earth’s cultivation, there are tens of thousands of Buddhist disciples who know the techniques, but according to "Ri" and Feng Qingtian, only about a dozen have succeeded.
When the Buddha power and the physical body are fully merged, the person who achieves the "Buddha Body" becomes a blend of matter and energy.
Once the "Buddha Body" is successfully cultivated, not only can low-level Taoist methods and ordinary magical tools inflict no harm on the one who has achieved the Buddha Body, but they also have greatly increased Buddha power within, speak the words of the Buddha, and emit Buddha light. This not only enhances their strength but also grants them several extremely powerful abilities.
It is precisely because of the difficulty of cultivating the "Buddha Body" and its immense power once achieved that it is regarded as one of the highest techniques in Buddhism.
Although "Ri" had previously given up direct control over Master Bo Guangyan’s mind, some remnants of influence still remained. Bo Guangyan’s ability to break free from his influence at a crucial moment indeed surprised "Ri." Not only could Bo Guangyan escape his control, but he also cultivated one of the highest Buddhist techniques, the "Buddha Body," which made "Ri" intensely interested in him. His gaze on Bo Guangyan was filled with curiosity.
"I have heard that the Buddhist cultivation method has unique aspects in mind control, but it is quite the opposite of my cultivation method. The brilliance lies in bringing peace to one’s mind, adept at suppressing various desires and emotions deep within the heart. It seems to be true. This is indeed a good opponent to test the power of my cultivation method."
As "Ri" murmured to himself, his interest in Master Bo Guangyan grew stronger. The unique cultivation method "Ri" demonstrated was his own creation. Since he established this cultivation method, he had been undefeated and rarely faced challenges. Now, seeing a cultivation method that subtly counters his own naturally sparked great interest, as it would be extremely useful for him to further improve his method or even achieve breakthroughs.
The powerful Master Bo Guangyan, regarded as the top expert among the young generation of the Righteous Alliance, was now seen as a test subject by "Ri." Given "Ri’s" prideful character and disregard for others, even if the abbot of "Mercy Cloud Temple" came to him, he would still consider it just another test subject.
Discovering that Feng Qingtian did not respond at all to her words, "Ri" felt a bit strange. She knew that although Feng Qingtian usually did not talk much, whenever he did speak about cultivation methods, he would definitely engage in a discussion.
Turning curiously to look at Feng Qingtian, she found his eyes filled with surprise, gazing at Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan’s location.
Could there be something unusual happening there as well?
"Ri" turned to look at Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan’s position, only to see that Little Black, resting on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder, had been seriously injured and had fallen to the ground. Meanwhile, Jin Qinghan and Xu Qingfan were no longer fighting each other; instead, Jin Qinghan’s face was filled with anger as he slapped Xu Qingfan’s cheeks repeatedly with great force, causing a bit of blood to seep from the corner of Xu Qingfan’s mouth and making his cheeks visibly swollen.
However, because of Jin Qinghan’s merciless slaps, Xu Qingfan’s eyes gradually cleared up from their previous confusion.
"Ri" felt even more surprised.
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Moments earlier, under "Ri’s" careful influence, certain emotions in Jin Qinghan’s heart suddenly intensified. He didn’t want Xu Qingfan to become a "Beast Madness cultivator," so he swung his sword at Xu Qingfan. Little Black, eager to protect his master, had no defensive moves, so to protect Xu Qingfan, he attacked Jin Qinghan’s eyes directly. With the massive death energy from Little Black’s peck, if Jin Qinghan did not stop his attack and defend, he would die even faster than Xu Qingfan.
Yet, under "Ri’s" deliberate guidance, Jin Qinghan’s desire to end Xu Qingfan’s suffering deepened, even to the point where he didn’t care about his own life. Facing Little Black’s attack, he ignored it and continued to swing his sword at Xu Qingfan.
In this way, Little Black could kill Jin Qinghan to avenge Xu Qingfan, but Xu Qingfan would still only be able to die by Jin Qinghan’s sword.
However, Little Black attacked Jin Qinghan to protect Xu Qingfan. Seeing Jin Qinghan continue to attack Xu Qingfan without care, as if he would only be happy to kill Xu Qingfan regardless of his own life, made Little Black very anxious. Although it could pierce Jin Qinghan’s head through his eyes in the next moment, letting the deadly energy turn Jin Qinghan into a pile of bones, Xu Qingfan would still be cut in half by Jin Qinghan.
In the end, with a strong desire to protect its master, Little Black gave up its attack on Jin Qinghan. It let out a cry full of sorrow and turned to fly in front of Jin Qinghan’s golden sword.
At a critical moment, Little Black finally caught up. Its tiny body suddenly burst with incredible strength as it crashed hard into Jin Qinghan’s golden sword.
Blood splattered, hitting Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan’s faces and bodies. Although Little Black contained astonishing deadly energy, its blood was still red and warm.
This collision almost tore Little Black apart, sending it flying far away into the group of "Beast Madness cultivators" that were attacking. A huge wound stretched from Little Black’s belly to its right wing, connecting to nothing but a thin layer of flesh, which was a shocking sight.
Because of this, after being so severely injured, Little Black’s life force weakened, and since it contained very strong deadly energy, those "Beast Madness cultivators," who held great hatred for all living things, viewed Little Black as dead and did not continue their attack.
However, even so, if it was not treated in time, Little Black would soon die.
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Little Black was badly hurt and close to death, but with his great strength, Jin Qinghan could not hold onto the golden sword. The sword slipped and instead of hitting Xu Qingfan’s neck, it struck his right arm, causing a deep wound that showed bone. Xu Qingfan’s blood mixed with Little Black’s blood, splattering onto Jin Qinghan’s head, body, and in his eyes.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and because Jin Qinghan was a bit distracted while trying to kill Xu Qingfan, he didn’t see what really happened.
Blood splashed into Jin Qinghan’s eyes, and the world turned red. Feeling the warmth and wetness all over him, with red liquid dripping from his hair, Jin Qinghan thought it was all Xu Qingfan’s blood and believed he had killed him. He suddenly woke up from his daze, shocked by his own actions.
Even if Xu Qingfan was infected by "Beast Madness," Jin Qinghan, with his character and feelings for Xu Qingfan, would not so easily decide to kill him.
In that moment of deciding, Jin Qinghan felt a certain emotion in his heart grow strong, as if out of control. Now, looking back, he felt a wave of fear and alertness. Unlike Master Bo Guangyan, he didn’t realize that someone was controlling his mind at that moment; he thought it was an internal demon.
"Senior Brother Xu… did I kill him?"
Even though Jin Qinghan was fearless, he was stunned by what happened. Xu Qingfan, his only friend, the one he had relied on for so many years, had been killed by him?
His eyes were full of blood, and everything was red. Jin Qinghan didn’t even see Xu Qingfan standing nearby. Due to the shock of "killing Xu Qingfan," he forgot to use his Divine Sense to check his surroundings, standing there in a daze, ignoring Xu Qingfan, Little Black who was about to die, and the nearby "Beast Madness cultivator" that could tear them apart any moment.
In just a moment, but to Jin Qinghan, it felt like an eternity since the world was created. The blood in his eyes slowly faded, and at last, the world before him was not just endless red but became clear again.
Then, Xu Qingfan, who had a blank expression like Jin Qinghan, suddenly appeared in front of him.
Jin Qinghan’s eyes first showed surprise, then disbelief, and finally turned into pure joy.
Xu Qingfan was not dead!
Even Jin Qinghan, who was usually emotionless, felt a surge of excitement and even had the urge to hug Xu Qingfan.
But then, Xu Qingfan’s actions left Jin Qinghan stunned, and the joy inside him vanished, replaced by overwhelming anger.
Xu Qingfan slowly looked at the shocking wound on his right arm, then turned to look at Jin Qinghan, who stood ready to strike with a golden giant sword pointed delicately at Xu Qingfan’s chest.
However, Xu Qingfan did not show any anger or disbelief at Jin Qinghan wanting to kill him. Instead, his eyes showed relief and sadness as he leaned forward towards the giant sword in Jin Qinghan’s hand.
Xu Qingfan was actually seeking death!
Jin Qinghan had just freed himself from the guilt of wanting to kill Xu Qingfan and the relief of finding out Xu Qingfan was alive. Now, shocked to see Xu Qingfan wanting to seek death again, the turmoil in his heart was unimaginable.
Jin Qinghan knew why Xu Qingfan wanted to die. Even a great master could not escape the infection of "Beast Madness." Many cultivators at the Golden Core Stage had been infected, and he had never heard of anyone who was bitten by a "Beast Madness cultivator" and came out unharmed. They either died or became a "Beast Madness cultivator" to harm the world.
Compared to the latter, Xu Qingfan firmly chose the former. He wanted to end his own life while he was still clear-headed. The various fantasies he had in his heart were undoubtedly the most frightening things for Xu Qingfan.
Perhaps it was because of different bonds. If others did this, Jin Qinghan might have admired them, thinking it was a selfless sacrifice for a greater cause. But since it was Xu Qingfan, especially after what had just happened, an uncontrollable anger suddenly spread in Jin Qinghan’s heart.
Rage.
For Jin Qinghan, Xu Qingfan wanting to die now was not bravery; it was weakness, it was escape, it was the act of a coward!
Just like that, Xu Qingfan was his only friend. It was impossible for him to see Xu Qingfan as an ordinary person. The so-called selflessness and treating everyone equally was something Jin Qinghan had only heard of but never seen. He had never planned to do it himself.
"What self-sacrifice for a greater cause? To hell with that! You better live! Even if it means being locked up for life, it’s better than dying right now."
This was Jin Qinghan’s thought, completely different from the ideas he had before under Ri’s deliberate guidance.
In the moment the giant sword stabbed into Xu Qingfan’s chest, Jin Qinghan moved the sword away, refusing to let Xu Qingfan kill himself. Then, Jin Qinghan suddenly charged at Xu Qingfan. Out of anger, his eyes were blood red, as if they were filled with blood.
"Slap… Slap… Slap… Slap…"
Then, Jin Qinghan rushed in front of Xu Qingfan, raising his left hand, which was not holding a sword, and slapped Xu Qingfan more than ten times, left and right. Even though the noise in the mountain was very loud, the crisp sound of the slaps was still very sharp.
"Xu Qingfan! What are you doing? Is it just because you are infected with ‘Beast Madness’? But do you need to seek death? What will happen to Jiuhua if you die? What about Ting’er? What will happen to your student? What about this mission? You are running away, you coward! Are you my Senior Brother Xu? When I lost to Feng Qingtian in the big competition back then, what did you say? When the Newcomer Competition fell into despair, what did you say? Xu Qingfan, what is wrong with you?"
If anyone else who knew Jin Qinghan saw this scene, they would surely be shocked and speechless. Is this excited and bloodshot-eyed person about to curse not the same Jin Qinghan who was once as cold and indifferent as an iceberg?
But this also shows how important Xu Qingfan is in Jin Qinghan’s heart, so important that it makes him lose his usual cold logic.
Meanwhile, the "Beast Madness cultivators" attacking finally broke through Xu Ying and Xu Zhiyuan’s defense and charged towards Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan. But at that moment, Jin Qinghan was caught in an unprecedented frenzy. In his eyes, there was only the coward Xu Qingfan, and in his heart, he just wanted Xu Qingfan to wake up. Those attacking "Beast Madness cultivators" seemed like annoying flies to him. With a swing of his golden sword, he cut the first six or seven "Beast Madness cultivators" into more than ten pieces. His power was even greater than the strength of Master Bo Guangyan, who had previously killed over ten Condensed Core Stage Beast Madness cultivators. But Jin Qinghan only fixed his fierce gaze on Xu Qingfan, unaware of everything else.
Jin Qinghan spoke quickly, but his slaps were even quicker and harder. Even before he finished speaking, Xu Qingfan’s cheeks began to swell, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Yet, his previously confused and despairing eyes gradually regained clarity.
Jin Qinghan’s rare fury and his slaps shocked Xu Qingfan, who had already been lost in endless despair. Moreover, Jin Qinghan’s angry shout was like a warning bell, suddenly waking Xu Qingfan up.
As soon as Xu Qingfan regained consciousness, he quickly thought through everything that had happened, just like Master Bo Guangyan, and discovered the mistakes within.
Xu Qingfan knew that with his own character, if he discovered he was infected by the "Beast Madness," he might really consider suicide, but that would only happen after trying to stop it and failing. After years of experience, Xu Qingfan had become much more rational. Even if he were to contemplate suicide, he would make sure to arrange everything properly, such as his disciples, the squad’s current mission, and most importantly, the matter of Zhang Hualing and the Soul Bead.
However, just now, the sudden illusion greatly amplified his fear and despair of becoming a "Beast Madness cultivator," causing him to lose his usual calculations and rationality.
If Xu Qingfan had experienced this situation alone, he could say it was just an internal demon suddenly erupting. But after seeing Jin Qinghan’s intent to kill him turn into completely different behavior, Xu Qingfan concluded, like Master Bo Guangyan, that a skilled master was secretly influencing everyone’s emotions and thoughts.
The strongest opponent he had faced before who could control the mind was "Ying" from the "Ming" organization. Even "Ying" could only amplify the most primal desires in people’s hearts, like fear or lust, but could not manipulate based on different obsessions and desires. And whenever "Ying" tried to control someone’s mind, Xu Qingfan had always been alert due to various signs. However, this time, whether it was Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan, or Master Bo Guangyan, they were all played with like puppets and only realized it afterwards, far beyond "Ying" in skill!
Also, the faint presence of Feng Qingtian that he sensed before showed that this action was definitely not just about eliminating "Beast Madness cultivators."
Looking down at the wound on his ankle, Xu Qingfan had a weak and bitter smile. The urgent task was still to stop himself from becoming a "Beast Madness cultivator."
When Jin Qinghan waved to hit Xu Qingfan again, Xu Qingfan’s uninjured right hand moved to block Jin Qinghan’s next slap. Jin Qinghan was briefly taken aback and upon closer inspection, he found that Xu Qingfan had regained his clarity and calmness. Once Xu Qingfan regained control, Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Ying also began to exert their strength, and the defense around them became solid once more. In the chaos, Xu Zhiyuan rescued the seriously injured Little Black and placed him next to Xu Qingfan.
"Sorry, Junior Brother Jin, for worrying you. I’m fine now."
Seeing that Xu Qingfan had finally recovered, Jin Qinghan felt a sense of relief, but upon seeing the wound on Xu Qingfan’s foot, he felt worried again.
Just as Jin Qinghan wanted to say something more, Xu Qingfan interrupted, "The situation is urgent. You need to listen to me. I have to meditate again to see if I can control the ‘Beast Madness’. For now, I can’t help you much. There are a few things you must pay attention to. First, this action might not be as simple as eliminating the ‘Beast Madness cultivator’. There are skilled masters who can control the mind watching us in the shadows. Our previous strange behavior was a result of that master’s intervention, so you must be careful. Second, during my meditation, do not let Master Bo Guangyan meet with me, and don’t tell anyone about my situation; I don’t know what he might think. Third…"
At this point, Xu Qingfan hesitated slightly, then took out Zhang Hualing’s Soul Bead and a blank green slip. While closing his eyes and concentrating, he recorded the details about Zhang Hualing on the green slip and then handed it to Jin Qinghan.
"If something happens to me, you must immediately escape to ‘Ronghua Mountain’, following the steps recorded on this green slip. Don’t seek revenge for me, and don’t pay attention to others trying to comfort you. What’s on this green slip is much more important than all of this."
Hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Jin Qinghan was confused but nodded gravely as he took the slip.
"One last thing, remember the feeling you had during your strike and the flow of Spirit Qi in your body. I believe that might be the key to your breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage."
Jin Qinghan recalled his incredible strike from earlier. Hearing that Xu Qingfan was still thinking of him warmed his heart, but he quickly returned to his usual calm and rational self. He nodded and asked, "So what should I do now? Should I protect you?"
Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "No, I have two avatars here, which are enough. You need to leave this mountain immediately and check the situation outside. If this action isn’t as simple as we thought, the people outside might also be in danger."
Although Jin Qinghan was reluctant, he ultimately understood the importance of the situation. He nodded slightly and was about to rush outside.
Suddenly, Xu Qingfan stopped Jin Qinghan and said, "Be very careful. Also, if you encounter Feng Qingtian in the future, remember to stay calm and rational."
Upon hearing Xu Qingfan suddenly mention Feng Qingtian, Jin Qinghan was momentarily taken aback. However, he thought Xu Qingfan was afraid something might happen to him, so he was making plans for the future. Jin Qinghan simply nodded slightly, but in his heart, he silently decided that this time, he would do whatever it took to protect Xu Qingfan.
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"Oh…"
"What’s wrong?" Seeing "Ri" suddenly sigh, Feng Qingtian asked lightly.
"Nothing really, just a bit disappointed." As he spoke, "Ri" glanced at Xu Qingfan, who was advising Jin Qinghan, and softly said, "I always thought that the one who could kill my brother would be a great hero, but this time it was such a disappointment. Among the three who entered the mountain, that little monk is the best in both character and skill. He might even become a good opponent in the future. Jin Qinghan, although not as good as the little monk, managed to wake up from my control in time, so he’s not bad. Only Xu Qingfan, while his skill is quite good and his cultivation method is mysterious, his mind is unstable, and he has too many flaws in his heart. In the end, it will be hard for him to achieve greatness. Thinking that my brother died at the hands of such a person makes me feel a bit sorry."
Feng Qingtian thought about everything Xu Qingfan had done before, but he couldn’t connect Xu Qingfan with the words "unstable mind" and "many flaws." Yet, Xu Qingfan was indeed the last to regain his senses, and he found himself at a loss for words.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred. Jin Qinghan, who had been talking privately with Xu Qingfan, suddenly erupted with power and killed a large number of "Beast Madness cultivators." Then he began to flee toward the outside of the mountain, leaving "Ri" and Feng Qingtian stunned.
"The ones who escape outside belong to you. This little monk and Xu Qingfan will be mine, how does that sound?"
"Ri" and Feng Qingtian silently watched Jin Qinghan leave. After a moment, "Ri" suddenly spoke.
"Okay."
Jin Qinghan nodded silently, then left the mountain’s heart just like Jin Qinghan did.
The real battle finally began.
