566 Midway Interception (2/2)
Zhao Qian and the others were left dumbfounded. They had focused all their attention on trying to prevent experts of the Exterior from approaching and neglected the presence of other creatures. However, this goshawk was massive. How could it have gone undetected by the grandmasters?
”Where in the world did this cursed beast come from?!”
It was none other than Meng Qi who had morphed into the goshawk. The opportunity had just been too great to be missed. It was so tempting that he could not help but enter the stage despite his subpar talents!
The goshawk spread its wings, preparing to soar even higher. It was unclear when a gate etched with strange patterns had appeared in the sky.
The gate swung open noiselessly and a charm the color of the Chaos flew out. The charm was brimming with a simple, unadorned breath that swirled in a dense mist. Large runes and seal scripts were floating and submerging inside. It seemed to be harboring a certain power of heaven and earth.
The second it appeared, thousands of auspicious signs and brilliant colors lit up their surroundings and shot straight to the skies.
The doors opened, revealing Yunhe!
The Dharma and Logos within a radius of one hundred miles subsequently changed, mimicking the Plenitude Gate. Gods and Buddhas, immortals and saints, demons and ghosts, Golden Crow and Jade Hare, as well as the stars inside the Chaos took shape. They trapped the nine senior Buddhist monks and the former Crown Prince inside a formation.
Yunhe saw his opportunity and took it. Rolling his sleeve, he tucked the Plenitude Gate inside it. A magic cloud was conjured, its shade enveloping Meng Qi. A golden glow radiated from Yunhe's entire body as he retrieved his charm. He seemed to be trying to pull off some great escape technique to flee from this place. He relied on numerous methods and techniques to stop the Dharmakayas from tracking him.
Compared to his excited and expectant feelings earlier, Meng Qi had become more confident. The Withering Bodhi Tree in his hand felt so tangible and real. The Primary Instruction of Buddha's Palm was indeed in his possession, which would make the subsequent events much simpler!
If Yunhe could not evade the Dharmakayas, Meng Qi would have him hide inside the Plenitude Gate and then he would tear up the Reincarnation Charm. He would idle around in a random world for two months and carefully comprehend the Primary Instruction. Even if he were not to walk on the path of becoming a monk, he could use the Eight Nine Mysteries to simulate an authentic Buddha's Palm attack. The attack might be an imitation but the murderous aura was as potent as the real thing!
On the other hand, the other Dharmakayas had no inkling about the wondrous use of the Reincarnation Charm. The only one who would be left waiting for him on the ground was undoubtedly Chong He. Whatever happened, he still had Immortal Yunhe backing him up. What did he have to fear?
More importantly, if he noticed that something was off, he could just toss the Withering Bodhi Tree once he was done comprehending it. He would discard the problem-attracting tree and escape!
”I'm so slick!”
The nine Buddhist monks, Zhao Qian, and Wei Gao were stunned by the formation that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Even though the suppression of the charm was quickly lifted, the layers of the Plenitude Formation were well-prepared. They were so stunned that it took them several seconds to compose themselves and forcefully destroy the formation. By then, they could only watch as a golden ray of light transformed into the glimmer of the evening's twilight, shooting into the distance before disappearing in the blink of an eye.
”Go after him!” Zhao Qian bellowed. No matter how refined his upbringing or how strong his Zen heart, he could not help losing control of his emotions. He was exasperated. After all, something that he had been working on for so long was suddenly stolen from right under his nose. It was as if the cooked duck had suddenly flown away.
Several of the Dharmakayas in Fish Sea had been rushing toward where Meng Qi had disappeared. Some of them finally managed to distinguish a direction and instantly arrived there. The fastest one was not Chong He but 'Sword Maniac' He Qi, 'Prime Asura' Meng Nan, and Dharma King Dushi who had once again merged with the void.
The Giant Vajra that was conjured from the Buddha's relics and formation could not leave the vicinity of Fish Sea and the Bogda Shan mountain range, so it could only disappear abruptly. The Dharma Kings carrying their Buddhist Commandment Blades and Buddha's relics tried to chase after Meng Qi but fell behind along with Abbess of Shui Yue Nunnery, the current Bliss Bodhisattva, and Taoist Shou Jing.
The formation dissipated, finally releasing Tan Han and the lucky experts of the Exterior stranded at the edge of Fish Sea. They were lucky enough to escape the battle of the Dharmakayas and grandmasters. The experts felt weak and dizzy, but they knew they had to leave as soon as possible. They repeatedly warned themselves never to let greed blind them in the future.
After putting some distance between them and Zhao Qian and the nine Buddhist monks, Immortal Yunhe released Meng Qi and prepared to unleash his techniques of Taoism to eliminate any traces they may have left behind. He wanted to conceal their breaths and prevent the pursuers from tracking them.
At this very moment, he suddenly had an inexplicable feeling of tranquility and compassion descending from high above!
Meng Qi's heart seized. The compassionate feeling was not overwhelming, yet it seemed to have brought about delicate changes to his environment. The heaven and earth in the vicinity turned into the pure land of a Buddhist nation, with all sorts of Dharma and Logos rejecting him. He could no longer sense the sea of Vital Qi of heaven and earth or draw the power of nature. His body lost the ability to fly through the void and he plunged to the ground like a falling stone.
A Primordial Charm of Purity floated in front of Immortal Yunhe. Barely able to steady himself, he went to grab the falling Meng Qi but found himself a step late.
Meng Qi somersaulted in midair, dissipating the momentum of his fall. He then used Thousand Pounds Falling, causing his body to fall toward Immensity Sea at a heightened speed.
He held the Reincarnation Charm in his left hand, ready to use it the moment he detected anything wrong.
Had he not noticed that the sensation of tranquility and compassion seemed to have difficulty attacking him, he would have long used his Reincarnation Charm. He would not even have waited around for Immortal Yunhe!
A strong, unyielding breath was felt from the distance. A thought suddenly crossed Meng Qi's mind. The Dominator had ”shrunk” from interfering directly in Luoyang—he had made Meng Qi wait for a few days before returning. With so many Dharmakayas here today, would the Reincarnation Charm work?
The thought made him sweat profusely.
Thud! Both of his feet landed, creating a deep pit in the sand.
Zhen Hui, who had been helping Hong Neng lift a boulder, stared dumbstruck at the familiar figure and the Withering Bodhi Tree which felt exceptionally similar to A Smile on Pinching a Flower that he had once comprehended.
”It is not only the Primary Instruction that dropped from the sky but Senior Brother too...”