The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2015: Slaying Gyatso with a Sword
Standing on the roof of the Shengxueshan Restaurant, you really get the feeling of "standing on the top of the mountain and looking down on all the other mountains".

The Shengxueshan Grand Hotel is located on the main north-south axis of the city, offering a panoramic view of the entire Gaozhou city.

The Jialing River, like a green ribbon, flowed from the north, making a sharp bend east of the city. Several merchant ships floated on the river, their boatmen standing barefoot on the decks. With a push of their long poles, ripples spread across the water, startling two or three egrets. The outline of Jinping Mountain on the opposite bank was bathed in the bluish-gray light of the sky, the thin mist on its waist resembling cotton wool carelessly torn apart.

The city's streets and alleys rise and fall with the terrain, resembling a living chessboard.

The prefectural government office to the due north was the most imposing, with copper nails on its black lacquered gate reflecting the sunlight. The constables were handling the corpses of the people who had just died, most of whom were, of course, Tibetan spies.

The market in the west has opened. The steam from steaming flatbreads mingles with the aroma of mutton soup. Salt merchants are arguing with someone in the local Sichuan dialect. Several farmers carrying fresh lotus roots are squatting in a corner, tying up the muddy sections of the lotus roots with straw ropes.

In front of the Zhang Fei Temple in the south of the city, worshippers were placing incense sticks into the bronze cauldron. Amidst the swirling smoke, an elderly scholar wearing a perforated headdress bowed deeply to the statue of Marquis Huan, while two young boys behind him secretly slipped a sour date into the donation box. How mischievous! Feng Jiuxiao couldn't help but think of his own childhood.

The busiest place was Xiaxin Street, where the shop assistants of the silk shop were carrying colorful brocades into the store, their beautiful patterns like flowing water.

An apprentice at the neighboring pharmacy stood on a stool wiping the plaque that read "Exquisite Medical Skills," while a street performer wielded a steel fork with great skill, causing copper coins to jingle as they fell into a ceramic bowl.

Many Tibetan merchants set up stalls selling Tibetan knives, saffron, and small trinkets. Of course, the quality of their saffron was certainly not as good as the goods in the large shops.

Turning eastward, several ochre-red robes appeared and disappeared among the ancient cypress trees; those were lamas walking along the path. Several young women wearing veils were supporting each other as they walked towards each other, the hems of their pale yellow skirts brushing against the newly fallen locust blossoms by the roadside.

The town is filled with rows of houses, with Han-style bamboo houses and Tibetan-style earthen houses scattered in a harmonious manner.

The autumn wind brushed past my ears, carrying the smells of tung oil, incense, and the fishy odor of the river.

Two figures darted about in the due north direction, moving as fast as arrows released from a bow. One after the other, they looked like two large birds flying close to the ground from a distance!
Feng Jiuxiao muttered to himself, "This Prince Jiacuo is actually at the Triple Glazed Realm, which means that the Holy Venerable must have experts at the Triple Glazed Realm or above under his command! Since Zizai met me in the Demon Capital, the Holy Venerable must be in seclusion now, cultivating diligently, hoping to be able to fight me in the future!"

Seeing that he was about to reach the western city wall again, Prince Gyatso immediately ran south!
Pang Shiwu took the opportunity to adjust his breathing, first inhaling and exhaling fifty times, then humming and exhaling fifty times, repeating the cycle. The so-called "humming and exhaling breathing method" means that the "humming" sound gathers energy, and the "ha" sound releases energy! With each inhale and exhale, one feels a continuous flow of energy and a refreshed mind!

Having run for so long, Gyatso naturally realized that the black-clad youth behind him wasn't unable to catch up, but was deliberately wearing him down! He discovered that no matter how fast he accelerated, decelerated, or made sharp turns, the other party always maintained a constant distance of six zhang! Such precise control was clearly intentional!

Moreover, he could clearly feel that the other party's breathing was constantly changing. Sometimes he would exhale deeply and breathe in slowly, sometimes he would breathe in slowly and breathe in slowly, sometimes he would not breathe at all, and sometimes he would be panting heavily. This guy was actually using the gap in chasing him to practice breathing exercises. This was simply too much!
So he also began to take the opportunity to try out how to regulate his breathing while running wildly! In the past, he had always lived a life of luxury, and only practiced breathing exercises when sitting or lying down. If it weren't for his master obtaining an ice bed made of snow-capped mountain jade that allowed him to continue breathing exercises even in his sleep, which was twice as inefficient and half as effective, and hadn't been used up by countless rare and precious materials, how could he have broken through to the third level of the Glazed Realm?

He secretly circulated his inner energy and began to try various breathing techniques. Esoteric Buddhist breathing is divided into three stages: "Nine-Section Buddha Breath," "Vajra Recitation," and "Central Channel Suspension Breath."

The Nine-Section Buddha Breathing Method, corresponding to the meditation mudra, has the effect of purifying the three channels and seven chakras!
The Vajra recitation breathing method, corresponding to the Vajra Hum Kala mudra, has the effect of activating the Bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment) in the heart chakra.
The Central Channel Suspension Breathing Method, corresponding to the Dharmadhatu Mudra, manifests as: attainment of a rainbow body!

With his current skill level, he has naturally reached the highest level. However, sitting still and running are two different states. The key challenge is to be able to make things easy and maintain the same breathing as when sitting still while running!
Gyatso began by trying basic breathing techniques. The original posture for the Nine-Section Buddha Breath was "Vajra posture with the spine like an arrow." The method was to inhale through the right nostril, allowing white pure light to enter, then hold the breath—visualize the purification of the energy channels—and then exhale through the left nostril, expelling the black karmic turbidity. This cycle was repeated nine times to cure blockages in the energy channels! This is known as "Nine-Section Breath, Cleansing the Three Karmas."

While running, Gyatso tried to use breathing techniques, trying his best to keep his heartbeat and breathing steady, and then began to inhale through his right nostril!
Behind him, Pang Shiwu had already tried the mortal breathing method and began the deep martial breathing method! The characteristic of the martial breathing method is "abdominal breathing, deep and powerful!" After fifty repetitions, the feeling was indeed noticeably different from the breathing he experienced while meditating. The so-called "qi sinking to the dantian, power originating from the spine" refers to the horse stance; now that he was running like an arrow, how could he achieve "power originating from the spine"? Pang Shiwu began to try punching! He only used the punches to sense and utilize his qi, without actually attacking Jiacuo!

The two kept switching between various breathing techniques that they usually only use when they are still, and each of them actually made great progress!
Pang Shiwu gradually realized why his elder brother, no matter when he fought a great battle, always ended up calm and relaxed, never panting. Although he himself had also reached the pinnacle of skill, if he encountered a master like Mingzun, who was five times stronger than him in the Glazed Realm, he would have to exert all his strength in every move to try to survive. After a great battle, it would be difficult for him to remain calm and composed!

The two of them sped around the inner city highway, circling the inner city twice in a short time!
Feng Jiuxiao thought to himself: It seems that Fifteen is taking this opportunity to practice his breathing technique. Such conditions are rare and hard to come by. If this opportunity is interrupted, there may never be another suitable chance!
To encounter a master of equal skill as an opponent is a stroke of luck for a martial artist! If the opponent is weaker, they'll be defeated in a few moves, failing to provide any motivation; if the opponent is stronger, one risks death! Therefore, the best outcome is to find an opponent whose skill is similar but slightly weaker. This is because one gains valuable experience and improves their own level while simultaneously defeating the opponent, thus eliminating another adversary from the world!
This Prince Gyatso is now a perfect whetstone!
Pang Shiwu adjusted to the "True Breath" level, using reverse abdominal breathing, which was smooth and silent!

He had long desired to enter the state of "turtle breathing" but could not! This turtle breathing is different from that turtle breathing! The commonly known turtle breathing technique refers to the state where, in a static state, "the true person breathes from their heels." Its core lies in "external breathing ceases, internal breathing arises naturally," mimicking the life state of turtles during hibernation, achieving the innate state of "breathing without inhalation or exhalation, and true qi circulating naturally." "This technique is not something an ordinary person can practice recklessly; one must uphold precepts and accumulate virtue to even begin to enter."

When external breathing is cut off, it means that breathing through the mouth and nose is almost completely stopped, and the only way to exchange breath with the outside world is through the skin pores.

Internal energy arises spontaneously, and true qi circulates automatically along the Ren and Du meridians, forming the "Small Heavenly Circuit"—what the *Huangting Jing* calls "breath entering the dantian between breaths." At this time, the heart beats only three times within sixty breaths, similar to an animal hibernating, with extremely slow metabolism!
The breathing techniques that martial arts masters usually talk about are simply about how many hours one can hold their breath, not about maintaining a state of breathing for years on end. If a person truly reaches a state where they can maintain a state of breathing for many years, with their breath ceasing but their heart and meridians functioning on their own, then they have reached the state of oneness with heaven and earth. According to Taoism, this is a sign of impending ascension to immortality!
The book "Wuzhen Pian" says: "The true man dives into the deep abyss, floats on the surface, and abides by the rules!"
The Turtle Breathing Technique is also extremely useful in actual combat!

The Liezi (a classic Chinese text) records that "there is a waterfall thirty fathoms high, flowing in a circular pattern for ninety miles, where fish and turtles cannot swim, and soft-shelled turtles and alligators cannot live. Yet an old man walks on it," which refers to the art of turtle breathing to avoid water.

According to the "New Book of Military Tactics", scouts could "hold their breath like a corpse" when encountering the enemy, thus deceiving the search.

Furthermore, when a person is seriously injured, entering a state of respiration can reduce metabolism and slow down blood loss!

Therefore, the method of tortoise breathing is extremely important!
Pang Shiwu thought to himself: He could easily hold his breath like a corpse when he was lying down, by holding his breath, weakening his heartbeat, or using his isolated microcosm to shield himself. But how could he "hold his breath like a corpse" under such strenuous exercise?
He silently recited: "Like a tortoise breathing gently, returning to one's root and restoring one's life force, achieving perfect harmony of form and spirit, and uniting with the Dao."

Pang Shiwu held his breath and began to enter the "internal energy circulation." Normally, he wouldn't feel uncomfortable even after five hours, but now, in the midst of a frenzied run, he suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded after holding his breath for just a moment! He had to stop! It seemed that the frenzied run had consumed too much true energy, and the "internal energy circulation" alone could not meet the normal consumption; the supply of essence into qi was weaker than the demand!

Having already completed the third lap, Pang Shiwu felt he had tried various methods and gained considerable experience. At least when fighting enemies, he could maintain a more stable breathing. Stable breathing meant stable condition, and stable condition meant stable combat power!

Running any further wouldn't bring any benefit, so Pang Shiwu shouted, "Take this!" A flash of light, and the Frost Condensation Sword was already drawn!
He is deliberately avoiding using the Blood Sword because he doesn't want to put his opponent at a disadvantage!
An opponent who is at a disadvantage cannot pose a greater challenge! Without greater challenges, how can one break through to higher levels?
Gyatso had no choice but to draw his scimitar from his waist to parry!

With a loud clang, swords clashed, sending sparks flying!
Gyatso's Tibetan knife contains extraterrestrial meteorite iron and millennia-old ice from snow-capped mountains. Its blade is incredibly tough and its edge is indestructible, making it comparable to the Frost Condensation Sword!
However, Pang Shiwu used the momentum of his forward charge to thrust out his sword, gaining the advantage of the first move. Jiacuo, on the other hand, retaliated by retreating, putting him at a disadvantage. As the swords clashed, Jiacuo slid back more than two zhang, his feet carving two deep trenches into the ground!

Pang Shiwu's body was also stunned by Gyatso's shock!
The two men faced each other from a distance beneath the city wall.

Gyatso's curved sword gleamed coldly, his expression tense: "Who exactly are you?"

Pang Shiwu said, "Pang Shiwu! What are you so nervous about?"

"There's something strange about the sword at your waist; it's making me uneasy!"

"Since you're afraid of this, then I'll take it off first!" Pang Shiwu actually took off the Blood Rain Fragrance Sword, and then with a light wave, the Blood Rain Fragrance Sword, sword and scabbard together, shot into the city wall like an arrow released from a bow. With a loud thud, the surrounding gravel and dust scattered everywhere!
Gyatso raised a thick, dark eyebrow. "You're very arrogant!"

Pang Shiwu said calmly, "That's called confidence!"

"You can't let me go?"

"cannot!"

"Why? We don't seem to have any personal grudges, do we?"

"No."

"Then why are you making things difficult for me?"

"Because you are a Tibetan, and I am a Song person. If I release you, you will continue to harm the Song people, and I will become your accomplice!" "Release me, and I will give you one million taels of silver!"

"Hehe, you may not know me very well. Look at this." Pang Shiwu pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket. "Money? I don't lack it! My elder brother's business makes a fortune every day. This million taels is just a few days' income. You think you can bribe me with this little bit of money? You're not quite there yet!"

Gyatso's eyes flashed. "Making a fortune every day? A few days' worth of income, and you're saying that's all? Are you kidding me?"

Pang Shiwu took back the silver note. "Whether you believe it or not is your business! Come on! You can't run anymore anyway!"

Gyatso glanced at the blood-stained sword on the city wall, then shifted his gaze back to Pang Shiwu's face, his eyes gradually hardening. "Without the blessing of that sword, I'd like to see how you defeat me?"

Pang Shiwu said with a forced smile, "Hehe, then let me see if your Tantric Great Handprint is truly invincible!"

Gyatso slowly raised his left palm, which gradually turned a pale gold color! His right hand, holding a hidden knife, crackled with electricity!
Gyatso said, "My sword is called Crescent Moon. Its curved blade is like a new moon, and the six-syllable mantra is engraved on the back of the blade. The secret meaning is to sever the cycle of reincarnation! Today, I will sever your cycle of reincarnation!" His aura surged!
Pang Shiwu said, "My sword is called the Frost Condensation Sword. Its cold light is like frost, and its sword energy is like ice. There is a saying in the martial world that it is the sword of a gentleman and the weapon to slay evil! Today, let me slay you, you evil demon!"

Sharp words, a tit-for-tat response!

Gyatso suddenly moved and slashed with his sword!

A three-zhang-long blade of light tore through the void and roared in!

Pang Shiwu flicked his Frost Sword, and a blue lightning bolt shot straight up at him!

boom!
The blade's edge clashed with the sword's edge, instantly creating a deafening explosion. The shockwave swept across the land, cracking the earth and filling the sky with dust! Trees on both sides were snapped in two by the shockwave!

Prince Gyatso's left hand has his index finger and thumb touching to form a ring, with the other three fingers standing upright like a sword—meaning "Samaya Sword," forming the Immovable Fundamental Mudra! This mudra is one of the core mudras in Tantric Buddhism, especially Shingon and Tibetan Buddhism, symbolizing the demon-subduing power and wisdom of "Acala"!
Pang Shiwu naturally recognized this seal; his elder brother, Feng Jiuxiao, had used it many times! He didn't understand Tantric hand seals, but he had learned a few Taoist hand seals from his elder brother. He felt that the other's hand seals were neither fish nor fowl, probably because they were performed with one hand!

Many hand gestures require the use of both hands. For example, the "Immovable Root Mudra" should be formed by bending the index finger and thumb of the right hand to form a ring, with the other three fingers straight like a sword. The left hand is placed in front of the navel with the palm facing up and the thumb pressing on the base of the ring finger. The posture should be lotus position, with the spine straight like an arrow and the chin slightly tucked in!

However, Gyatso used his left hand to form the mudra at this moment, which naturally looked awkward and inappropriate! Since it looked awkward and inappropriate, its power was naturally greatly reduced!
Upon realizing this, Pang Shiwu immediately unleashed the move "Eagle Soars Through the Sky"! The sword moved in a straight line, like an eagle swooping down, aiming straight for Gyatso's throat! This move was the first of Zeng Yong's Thirteen Divine Eagle Swords!
Seeing the fierceness of his opponent's sword, Gyatso realized that the power of his hand seals was greatly reduced, and he had no choice but to dodge! Suddenly, he felt that his swordsmanship was not as smooth as the Tantric Great Hand Seal, so he simply sheathed his sword and stopped using the fundamental hand seals!

The right hand with three fingers raised symbolizes severing the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance! The Mahavairocana Sutra Commentary states, "The three-pronged vajra mudra destroys the three obstacles!"
Pressing the thumb against the index finger symbolizes the unity of wisdom and compassion; the thumb represents "great emptiness," and the index finger represents "great compassion."

Place your left hand in front of your navel, palm facing up, with your thumb pressing on the base of your ring finger. This represents the power of the Vajradhatu mandala, drawing the breath into the central channel and igniting Kundalini—known in Tibetan Buddhism as the "Navel Fire Meditation Mudra"!
The most important function of this seal is naturally to subdue demons!

Gyatso roared, "Immovable as a mountain, the fire of wisdom burns three thousand worlds. With a slight turn of the fingertip, the demon palace crumbles in an instant!"

In an instant, a gigantic phantom handprint appeared out of thin air, charging towards Pang Shiwu with overwhelming force! It swept across the land, unstoppable!
Pang Shiwu naturally dared not take this heavy blow head-on! The Tantric hand seals were imbued with the power of ghosts and gods, and their power was immense. To brutally withstand it would be a brainless act. Pang Shiwu naturally had to avoid its edge. His figure moved two zhang to the side with lightning speed, and at the same time, he thrust out the Frost Condensation Sword, and a blue lightning dragon roared out!

This sword strike is the second of the Thirteen Swords of the Divine Eagle, Eagle Claw Locks the Throat! The sword blade slashes diagonally, like an eagle's claw locking and blocking the enemy's attack!
The force of his fists was as powerful as a mountain sweeping across the land, and the sword energy was as majestic as a dragon looking down upon all things!

With a deafening boom, the shockwave exploded, and the fist imprint and the sword dragon simultaneously turned into countless flying ashes!

Evenly matched!

Gyatso was not surprised; on the contrary, his fighting spirit was even stronger!
He immediately placed both hands in front of his chest, level with his heart chakra. His right palm faced outwards, thumb and forefinger touching to form a ring, the other three fingers extended—symbolizing "preaching"; his left palm faced inwards, thumb and forefinger touching to form a ring, the other three fingers extended—symbolizing "listening attentively." The two rings together formed the image of a "Dharma wheel," forming the wheel-turning mudra. He chanted: "The Buddha's hand turns the Dharma wheel, sprinkling nectar across the three thousand worlds. One finger, one wheel turns, all beings escape the burning house."

Pang Shiwu then unleashed the third strike of the Divine Eagle Sword Technique—Eagle Soaring to the Nine Heavens! The sword's momentum rose, and the sword energy spread like eagle wings, sweeping across Gyatso's wrist!
The two clashed from a distance, their skills evenly matched. Their sword energy and fist strikes, while causing numerous cracks in the earth, had no effect on either of them whatsoever! Dust swirled and fell, sliding away upon encountering the glass surrounding them!
Seeing that his opponent was no longer able to defeat him without the "Demon Sword" enhancement, Gyatso not only lost his fear but was also inspired to kill Pang Shiwu! They exchanged blows for several more times, still evenly matched!

Suddenly, Gyatso's right arm bent naturally, palm outstretched forward, fingers pointing upward, palm facing outward, shoulder-width apart; his left hand hung down. He formed the Abhaya Mudra (gesture of fearlessness)! He chanted: "The Buddha's hand bestows fearlessness, compassionate light embraces the universe. One mudra encompasses the entire world, all beings attain eternal peace."

Pang Shiwu thought to himself: This sword strike will probably be a draw again! Could it be that without the Blood Sword's blessing, I can't defeat this Tibetan? Countless martial arts techniques flashed through his mind. Seeing that the opponent's hand seal had already solidified, a flash of inspiration struck him, and in an instant, he unleashed a sword strike!
Using a sword instead of a knife, the sword embodies the intent of a knife!
This strike is the "Sweeping Through the Ages" technique of the Blood Blade!
After the elder brother's optimization, this strike became incredibly sharp and powerful, imbued with domineering, arrogant, and murderous aura. Almost no one in the world could withstand this world-destroying strike!

Combining the insights gained from practicing the "humph and ha" breathing techniques during his sprint, Pang Shiwu immediately shouted, "Break!" His voice was thunderous, and "Break" was even more powerful and forceful than "Ha"! As if divinely aided, the three-zhang blade aura suddenly grew another zhang, forming a four-zhang blade aura!
The Fearless Seal arrived just in time, and the four-zhang blade of light slashed down right at his head!
The blade's edge slashed to the ground!
Break through the fearlessness seal, break through the crystal shield... break through the true form!

Gyatso froze, an expression of disbelief on his face!
"You...you actually killed me?"

Pang Shiwu sheathed his sword, walked slowly to the base of the city wall, and with a flick of his right sleeve, a strong wind swept through, and the blood-stained scabbard flew back to his hand from the city wall!
He walked back to Gyatso and said, "Your martial arts are indeed impressive! But in front of me, they are still no match!" With that, he turned and left gracefully.
Gyatso's eyes turned ashen, and he murmured, "Master, you must avenge me!" Before he finished speaking, he was torn in two!

Two lamas suddenly emerged from the shadows, surrounding Gyatso's body. With lightning speed, they re-bound and reassembled his remains. One of the lamas said, "Leave Gaozhou immediately and return to the Garan Monastery! If His Holiness uses a secret method, I wonder if it's possible to revive His Highness!"

Another lama said, "Regardless of whether we can revive His Highness, we must do our best! Right now, we need to find some preservatives and spices to prevent His Highness's body from mutating!"

"Alright! We'll have to change our clothes later, otherwise we won't be able to leave the city. They've started checking all the lamas in the city!"

Although he couldn't hear what the two lamas were saying, and seeing that they were just collecting the corpses, Feng Jiuxiao didn't pay them any mind. He leaped down from the rooftop and landed gracefully, then began his journey towards the government office.

Pang Shiwu was eager to report back, so he naturally arrived before him.

Pang Shiwu said, "Brother, I killed Gyatso!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "I saw it!"

"you saw it?"

"Yes, I was right there, and I could see you!"

"Huh? The rooftop of Mount Saint Snow? The view from there... is indeed quite impressive!"

"Someone will handle things here. Let's go!"

Under the blazing sun, three carriages led the way, with eight riders following at a distance, as they galloped along the main road.

The city gates are now under martial law!

But with a gold medal in hand, there are naturally no obstacles!
Thank you for your strong support and encouragement from Yudong!