Chapter 53: Attacking the Heart
Useless in life, a god in death? Ding Songyan was shaken by these words.
Does such a martial art exist?
This is not cultivating for the afterlife; this is cultivating for after death!
Ding Songyan finally understood why Brother Youyang always said, "Human life is short, one might as well live recklessly."
His martial art dictated that he must die once he reached a certain level. Naturally, he had to live a life of debauchery and indulgence to avoid wasting his time in this world.
Ding Songyan also understood why the Heavenly Maiden Sect sent a Grandmaster, while the True Spirit Sect did not: If there was no danger, everyone would be happy; if there was danger, Ren Youyang would be even stronger after dying!
Su Qingli watched Ren Youyang face off against Ma Hanjiang without blinking, her little mouth chattering incessantly:
"Actually, it’s not as exaggerated as the 'Useless Divine Skill' claims. It’s nothing more than an extension of the two traits: 'Summoning Gods and Enslaving Ghosts' and 'Indestructible Spirit.' Well, it is quite miraculous, though. The first time you die, you can directly ascend a major realm and gain formidable abilities."
"In the past, many Sages even thought about cultivating 'Useless Divine Skill' practitioners to the 'Spirit Platform Realm' to see if they could break the ultimate restriction after the 'Severing the Connection Between Heaven and Earth' and successfully step into the 'Profound Realm' or even the 'Myriad Wonders Realm.' Unfortunately, it never succeeded. Practitioners of the 'Useless Divine Skill' could at most remain undead until the 'Heavenly Human Realm,' after which they would die for various reasons."
"Summoning Gods and Enslaving Ghosts," "Indestructible Spirit"? I seem to have seen these in the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas... Ding Songyan asked in astonishment:
"If you die the first time, can you die several more times?"
"It depends on your realm. Take Ren Youyang, for example; if he dies one more time now, he will completely vanish into thin air. If he can subsequently reach the perfection of the Dharma Realm, he can die once more. Upon reaching the perfection of the Heavenly Human Realm, he can die again. However, the subsequent deaths cannot directly break through major realms; they can only raise minor realms or enhance one's strength to a certain degree." Su Qingli suddenly felt a touch of emotion. "Ren Youyang is truly righteous. He originally must have intended to become a Grandmaster before dying, which would have allowed him to step directly into the Heavenly Human Realm. Uh, though now, he is also saving himself."
Before Ding Songyan could speak, Yan Changqing, on his back, spoke in the tone of someone lecturing a child:
"The 'Useless Divine Skill' defies the heavens. Practitioners face various death-tribulations before their first death. Little girl of the Su family, if you encounter such people, stay far away to avoid being implicated."
"You are not members of the Zhen family, yet that Grandmaster with murderous intent in his brain has been hunting you down. Even after being lured away by the Great Void Illusion, he turned back to search for you again. Have you not wondered why?"
"Ah, is that so..." Su Qingli blinked.
Ding Songyan didn't care; after all, Brother Youyang was already dead.
Inside the courtyard, Ren Youyang was as good as new, no longer appearing plump and pale.
His face was tinged with a ghostly green, his features sharp and prominent, and two canine ears stood tall, giving him an air of obvious majesty and a touch of ferocity.
Around him, golden light swirled, seemingly coalescing into golden armor, a golden crown, and a golden sword.
Ma Hanjiang’s foundation was unstable. After his spirit was affected by the "Thousand Changes and Myriad Transformations Charm the World Great Method," murderous intent quickly flooded his brain, and he lost his reason. Currently, he felt no fear; his muscles bulged as if carrying the weight of a surging river, and he slammed another punch toward Ren Youyang.
Ren Youyang raised his left palm, which was covered in golden light, and caught the punch at the perfect moment.
There was no sound of collision, nor did Ren Youyang’s body sway in the slightest.
He immediately changed his palm into a claw and pulled backward, causing Ma Hanjiang to stumble toward him involuntarily. Ren Youyang’s right palm stood upright and brushed against the other man’s face.
Seeing this, Ma Hanjiang was not alarmed but delighted. He closed his eyes, letting his face take on the texture of a thick turtle shell.
My "Profound Turtle Divine Art" has reached the Dharma Realm. Unless one finds the weak point, even another Grandmaster cannot break my defense!
In close-quarters combat, few can withstand my suicidal fighting style!
Ren Youyang’s right palm brushed across Ma Hanjiang’s face. Far from causing a wound, he didn't even leave a red mark.
Yet, with that touch, which lacked even a hint of violence, Ma Hanjiang suddenly froze, turning into a stone statue.
Almost simultaneously, a phantom flew out from his body—a phantom identical to him.
This was his soul, struggling desperately, unwilling to leave his body completely.
Ren Youyang’s left palm released Ma Hanjiang’s fist, gripped the illusory golden sword formed by the swirling light, and slashed forward with a whoosh.
The illusory golden sword struck Ma Hanjiang’s soul directly.
Ma Hanjiang’s soul immediately let out a silent scream, rapidly fading and nearing disintegration.
The long sword, emitting rays of golden light, slashed down once more.
In an instant, the old, hoarse voice of Yan Changqing echoed in Ding Songyan’s Sea of Consciousness:
"Go!"
Ding Songyan involuntarily shifted his "Qi" to his feet, then turned and lunged, crashing through the window on the other side of the room and escaping.
He leaped again, vaulting over the wall behind the house.
He kept shifting his position using "Qi," and Yan Changqing kept replenishing it for him.
After passing through several courtyards, he ducked into an empty room.
"Lay me on the rattan bed," Yan Changqing said in a calm voice.
Once Ding Songyan helped him lie down, the former Sect Master of the Absolute Saint Path said sternly:
"I must have the strange object that Zhen Qianfan forced me to consume removed, otherwise he will catch up soon. If he catches up, Ji Hanyi will surely be here too."
"Alright." Ding Songyan took out the dagger he had stowed away earlier and drew it from its sheath.
Looking at the blade shimmering with cold light, the smile on Yan Changqing’s face deepened:
"Hold tight."
Ding Songyan followed his instructions without wasting time, slicing open the green Lanshan robe to reveal the man’s gaunt, pale chest and abdomen.
Then, Ding Songyan swallowed hard and thrust the dagger into Yan Changqing’s abdomen with force.
Feeling the blade pierce through layers of resistance, blood spilled out. Ding Songyan pulled the dagger upward, splitting the chest and abdomen in two.
Throughout the process, Yan Changqing didn't even grunt, though his face turned significantly paler.
As his chest and abdomen were parted, Ding Songyan saw the situation inside:
Yan Changqing’s stomach had lost all recognizable shape; it was a patch of gloom, so deep that even the light shining in from the window was sucked into it. His heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, along with several strange internal organs, were huddled tightly next to the stomach, no longer in their original positions.
How could such a person still be alive?
From within that dark "stomach" extended a yellow object the size of a fist.
Inside the yellow object, crimson flames seemed to be burning, with a dark mass at the core of the fire.
"Cut that yellow thing out, and Zhen Qianfan will never be able to find us again." Yan Changqing’s voice rang softly in Ding Songyan’s ear and Sea of Consciousness.
Ding Songyan obediently raised the dagger, which was stained with bright red blood.
Under Yan Changqing’s expectant gaze, Ding Songyan, before the other could react, let his consciousness sink and instantly activated the dim, yellow sword intent like a candle flame within his Dantian.
The sword intent from Zheng Zhuxi!
A moment later, the sword intent shone brilliantly. The dim but warm light illuminated the surrounding darkness and lit up Ding Songyan’s Sea of Consciousness.
The figure of Yan Changqing in the Sea of Consciousness raised a hand to shield his eyes, and the "Clear Mist" seed retreated downward into the golden, illusory ocean.
Ding Songyan used this brief moment to break free from the other’s control.
His steel dagger stabbed down fiercely, aiming for Yan Changqing’s eye socket.
I want you to die!
The soft texture was quickly pierced. A good portion of Ding Songyan’s dagger sank into the enemy’s stunned eyeball, causing it to burst.
At this moment, Ding Songyan’s movements slowed inexplicably. The Yan Changqing in his Sea of Consciousness had already resisted the light of the candle-flame sword intent and regained control of his thoughts.
Within the golden, illusory ocean, several shadows suddenly darted out, weaving a dark and gloomy net that trapped Yan Changqing’s figure inside.
Ding Songyan suddenly realized:
This was the Heavenly Heart Mark left behind by Ji Hanyi.
Ding Songyan regained control over his own thoughts and was even able to drive the "Clear Mist" seed, letting it divide half its power to surge into his right palm, which held the dagger, with the force of a mountain torrent.
The dagger sank further into the eye socket.
In Yan Changqing’s other intact eye, the black pupil rapidly expanded, occupying everything.
Ding Songyan’s dagger immediately felt the obstruction of an invisible barrier.
Yan Changqing was using his own "Qi"!
This could also protect his body!
…………
Near the collapsed small building.
Ji Hanyi, with her tiger ears and tail, suddenly had a change in her gaze, as if she had sensed something.
She drifted backward by a yard, avoiding Tao Wenshu’s Northern Dipper Killing Sword, and then let her tiger claws return to the shape of hands, raising them before her.
Those ten slender, white fingers flicked rapidly, as if blooming a flower or imitating some kind of seal.
Silently, a brilliant, arrogant silver-white lightning bolt struck down from the gloomy, dark sky as if a rainstorm were imminent, hitting the space between Ji Hanyi and Tao Wenshu and forcing Tao Wenshu to retreat a few steps.
Rumble!
Borrowing the special celestial phenomenon created by Yan Changqing, Ji Hanyi let lightning bolt after lightning bolt strike this area, causing a gale to sweep in, howling and raging, obscuring vision.
Splash, splash, the rain finally fell, kicking up sprays of mist.
By the time the lightning subsided, Ji Hanyi’s figure had already vanished from Tao Wenshu’s sight.
…………
Ding Songyan gritted his teeth, using Yan Changqing’s "Qi," and tried his best to push the dagger into the man’s head.
The figure of Yan Changqing in his Sea of Consciousness had disappeared, returning to his body to confront the lethal attack with all his might, waiting for the moment Ding Songyan’s "Qi" ran out.
Within the barrier woven of invisible Qi, the dagger descended very slowly, slower and slower.
Ding Songyan’s "Qi" originally came from Yan Changqing; apart from the initial surprise, how could he break through the other’s protective Qi?
No! I must find a way! My "Qi" won't last long... Ding Songyan’s entire face turned beet red from the exertion.
Suddenly, he thought of several things:
Ji Hanyi was defeated by Feng Yining, leaving behind a mental flaw;
Yan Changqing said that humans are noble, emphasizing wisdom, spirit, and the Spirit Platform;
Their divine skills originated from the Heavenly Heart Wisdom Sutra;
Heavenly Heart, My Heart, Human Heart...
Their martial arts emphasize the heart. If I can shake Yan Changqing’s heart and spirit, could I influence his control of Qi, his use of Qi, and create an opportunity to kill him? Ding Songyan tried it as soon as he thought of it, sneering as he spoke:
"Are you curious about when I guessed it and when I started preparing?"
"Earlier, in the dungeon, you promised to replenish my Qi, but after I finished off the Zhen family disciples and took off the blindfold, you seemed to have forgotten about it, only urging me to take out the so-called strange object in your stomach."
"I was wondering at the time, aren't you worried about accidents? Why not think about having me carry you away as soon as the object was retrieved? Why be in such a hurry?"
"I guess, is it that once the so-called strange object is removed, you, this expert, will recover your original strength?"
"In that case, you wouldn't need me to carry you at all. I would no longer be useful, and you naturally wouldn't want to waste 'Qi' on me. What need does a dead person have for 'Qi'?"
"I didn't know what the strange object was at the time, until you told your obedient disciple about the Chaos remains!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ding Songyan suddenly felt the invisible Qi blocking the dagger loosen slightly, allowing the weapon to sink in a little deeper.
It worked!
The method worked!
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