Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 47 The Number One Person Under Heaven Whose Fate and Death Are Unknown

Daxiangguo Temple.

Inside the Guanyin Temple.

Jiewen, like an ancient Buddha in deep meditation, slowly exuded the fragrance of sandalwood from his twelve refined acupoints, which subtly condensed into twelve illusory lotus petals all over his body. As his monk's robe billowed, a pure, crystal-like light flickered with his breath.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and his large body darted out like a startled swan, landing lightly in the courtyard without even disturbing the dust.

But the next moment, his expression relaxed, and joy appeared on his face.

"Junior brother is back!"

One of the visitors was Zhan Zhao.

However, when he turned to look behind Zhan Zhao at the woman with her face covered by a veil and the bright and beautiful young girl, a solemn expression appeared between Jie Wen's brows. He clearly sensed the terrifying aura of Madam Gu and put his hands together, saying, "I did not know that you two were here to greet me. I have failed to welcome you properly."

After Zhan Zhao finished introducing them, Jie Wen immediately showed a respectful expression: "Amitabha! So you are the daughter of 'Heart Swordsman'. Your father killed Wan Jue back then, which was a great merit. You have also received the Heart Seal inheritance, which shows that the lineage is not broken. It is a cause for celebration."

Madam Gu said calmly, "The Great Xiangguo Temple will soon produce another grandmaster. The righteous path is like a lamp, and the lamps will continue to shine. This is something to be happy about."

Jie was slightly taken aback by what he heard.

He genuinely felt that the "Heart Swordsman" had a worthy successor, and that his daughter was also such a powerful figure, which was truly a cause for celebration.

But the other person's tone didn't convey any congratulations whatsoever; it was just a polite formality...

Zhan Zhao couldn't say whether this person was acting strangely, so he simply recounted the bloody incident that had occurred that night.

"This is happening!"

Jie Wen's expression was extremely solemn: "If there really is the shadow of 'Zhong Kui' behind these cases, the harm this person poses is truly terrifying."

After laying the groundwork, Zhan Zhao revealed his purpose: "Madam Gu is willing to use the 'Heart Sword Divine Technique' to check the situation of the Six Doors' hidden agents and determine whether they have been misled by thieves."

"Excellent! Excellent! Please!"

Jiewen was straightforward; he led the way directly to the place where the two were being held.

The Daxiangguo Temple originally did not have a private prison, but after the poisoning incident during morning prayers, a special place was set up for its confinement, with disciplinary monks guarding it day and night.

In the days since Zhan Zhao left, nothing unexpected has happened in the temple. When the door opened, Ding Jue was seen resting against the wall.

This undercover agent of the Six Doors, a preaching monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple, was pale and weak, precisely because he was being disturbed by the foreign true energy within him.

However, to eradicate it completely, one cannot be too hasty, otherwise it can easily damage the brain and lead to dementia.

Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Dingjue twisted his body, about to wake up, when in a flash, Madam Gu appeared in front of him, her fingers like swords, striking him squarely between the eyebrows.

Sword of Thoughts - A Thousand Thoughts Weave a Web!

This sword intent is driven by a myriad of thoughts, making the sword moves both illusory and real. In battle, only by maintaining a state of mind where "not a single thought arises, and all thoughts are extinguished" can one avoid being disturbed by it.

Anyone with worries in their heart will be trapped in a tangible net of swords and an intangible net of the mind, being restricted at every step and hindered at every turn.

And when practiced to a deeper level, it has even more miraculous effects.

For example, Dingjue at this moment slowly opened his eyes, his gaze empty.

Because he can't see anything, can't hear anything, and even his basic sense of touch has temporarily disappeared.

This is the ultimate effect of the Sword of Thought, directly weaving an impenetrable net around the mind, making it impossible for Dingjue, who is trapped within it, to see, hear, smell, or speak.

The shock of depriving one of the five external senses plunges Dingjue into an abyss, leaving him in a state of mental chaos.

'Truly an unparalleled sword technique!'

Zhan Zhao observed and learned from the experience.

In a sense, this Heart Sword Divine Technique and the Six Lines Formless Sword Qi each represent two extremes. The Six Lines Formless Sword Qi uses the most extreme transformations of the hexagrams to predict all of the enemy's actions, thus gaining the upper hand. When practiced to a high level, even the most ordinary sword moves can be transformed into something magical, leading to victory.

The Heart Sword Divine Technique involves refining sword intent with one's own thoughts and emotions. When practiced to a high level, the Heart Sword can strip the enemy of their seven emotions and block their senses, leaving them with no chance to gain the upper hand and forcing them to obediently submit to slaughter.

'If these two sword techniques could complement each other and be combined into one, that would be incredibly powerful!'

Zhan Zhao couldn't help but daydream.

Imagine having a clear understanding of the enemy's situation on one hand, and shielding the enemy from external perception on the other. With this balance of power, how can the enemy possibly fight back?
It's been nerfed so badly it's unplayable.

But he was just thinking about it.

The Six Lines Formless Sword Qi has not yet opened its innate Qi Sea, so how can it be so ambitious as to set its sights on other peerless sword techniques?

It's good to use it as a reference to improve one's swordsmanship, but to fully master it would be too difficult.

As he was pondering, Dingjue's expression also changed.

After experiencing the bewilderment and helplessness of having his five senses deprived, this person showed no fear between his brows, but instead a raging inferno of fury.

Suddenly, the dormant alien true energy transformed into a pitch-black evil dragon, its scales and claws outstretched, spewing out invisible true fire that clashed fiercely with the sword energy.

But this was exactly the moment that Madam Gu had been waiting for.

With her two fingers like hooks, she made a sweeping motion in the air, as if an invisible chain had wrapped around the dragon's neck and suddenly pulled outwards!

"Ugh... Ahhh!"

Dingjue's face contorted instantly, his eyelids trembled violently, his eyes darted around, and a non-human howl burst from his throat.

"not good!"

Upon seeing this, Jiewen's expression immediately changed, and he was about to make a move—

"break!"

With a sudden turn of her fingers, Madam Gu caused the illusory dragon in the spiritual realm to roar and struggle, but it was ultimately stripped away and dissolved.

Clearly, this power was already at its limit; it was merely bluffing earlier and had no power to perish together with its host. It could only unwillingly dissipate into nothingness.

As soon as the invasive, foreign energy dissipated, Dingjue's expression quickly calmed down, his head lolled to the side, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Madam Gu withdrew her finger and dispelled the sword of thought: "Now the problem is completely solved."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Gu!"

Jie Wen hurriedly asked, "Does this unusual true energy have any distinguishing features?"

"..."

Madam Gu remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering three words: "'Ten Thousand Annihilation Palm'?"

Upon hearing this, Jie Wen was immediately moved: "'Ten Thousand Annihilation Palm'?"

Zhan Zhao's eyes flickered, while Lian Caiyun was somewhat taken aback.

Why would a single martial art cause these two masters of the era to lose their composure to varying degrees?
Zhan Zhao thought for a moment and then asked, "Is it the 'Ten Thousand Absolute Palm' ranked fourth on the White Jade Pavilion's Fist and Palm Ranking?"

"Not bad!"

Jie Wen took a deep breath and explained, "Don't be fooled by the plain name of this palm technique. It is actually the habit of its creator. Back then, martial artists in the Central Plains also called it 'Nine Dragons Divine Fire Prison'."

"It was created by the 'Venerable Ten Thousand Absolutes'!"

Madam Gu continued, her tone finally showing a noticeable change: "The former master of the 'Ten Thousand Absolutes Palace,' the number one person in the world whose fate remains unknown to this day!"

(End of this chapter)