Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 272 Repaying Karma

Gou Du and Xue Muhua were about to make a move, but upon hearing Ding Chunqiu's enthusiastic invitation to fight, they stepped back a few paces.

Li Qiushui mustered her remaining strength and unleashed three white rainbow palm strikes in quick succession. The strikes were unpredictable and deceptive, and as Kumārajīva dodged, Li Qiushui leaped out and landed not far from Ding Chunqiu. After taking a closer look, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Wonderful! Little Ding, back then my senior brother said that although you have excellent talent, you are greedy and do not know how to control yourself. If I were to pass on the Beiming Divine Skill to you, it would firstly bring disaster to the martial arts world, and secondly harm others and yourself. Therefore, he did not pass it on. You hate him to the bone because of this. Now you know his good intentions, right?"

At this moment, Ding Chunqiu felt countless streams of energy surging and leaping through his body, causing his internal organs and meridians to swell and feel as if they were about to burst. However, Gou Du and Xue Muhua refused to hit him as instructed, which made him even more agitated.

Hearing Li Qiushui's words, he was both annoyed and furious, and shouted: "You bitch, you lied to me time and time again, and I forgave you time and time again. Now that Wuyazi is dead, you still lie to me! The Beiming Divine Art absorbs other people's internal energy to strengthen itself. There must be a way to resolve this situation. If I had obtained the true teachings, why would I have suffered because of this?"

Seeing him curse, Li Qiushui's smile became even brighter: "Haha, you fool, don't you know that the sun at its zenith will decline, and the moon at its fullest will wane? Have you not heard that the sky tilts to the northwest and the earth sinks to the southeast? Haha, nothing has a permanent lifespan, and the heavens and earth are not perfect. If the Northern Darkness Divine Art could truly absorb people's internal energy without end, Wu Yazi would have already reached the pinnacle of his skill. How could we have ambushed him back then?"

Ding Chunqiu was shocked, but he refused to admit it and shouted, "Impossible! Don't try to fool me! Even with my meridians and acupoints refined through countless trials, I still can't contain this much power. How old are these two kids? How many years have they been practicing martial arts? They have absorbed far more power than I have. How can they possibly withstand it?"

Jiang Mingzhe sighed, "That's because the founder of the Xiaoyao Sect created this Kun-to-Peng Divine Skill in his later years. He didn't pass it on to the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect, but to a Khitan warrior named Xiao Yuanshan. By chance, Old Man Xiao passed it on to me. This divine skill is profound and difficult to describe. It unlocks the infinite potential of the human body, unifies essence, energy, and spirit, blends yin and yang energies, builds a bridge between heaven and earth, integrates the innate and acquired, and resonates and generates multidimensional power. It's like turning a river into a sea. You can't even imagine how high its realm is, Master!"

Only then did Duan Yu understand Jiang Mingzhe's intention: to burst Ding Chunqiu. He recalled his own near-bursting experience and said with lingering fear, "That's right. I absorbed too much internal energy before, and I was in grave danger. It was only by obtaining the Six Meridians Divine Sword Manual of my Duan family that I was able to condense my internal energy into sword energy and escape danger."

Jiang Mingzhe's explanation sounded like a divine book to Mu Wanqing and the others, but Ding Chunqiu, being who he was, immediately understood the high level of Jiang Mingzhe's teachings and couldn't help but drool with envy.

At the same time, the chaotic and turbulent true energy within your body intensified, and you realized that something terrible was about to happen. Without hesitation, you shouted loudly, "Good disciple, no, good master! As long as you tell me about this divine skill, you will be the leader of the Xingxiu Sect, no, the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect. With Sect Leader Jiang above me, Chunqiu is willing to be your first disciple."

Li Qiushui suddenly jumped out of the battle, and Duan Zhengchun, who was originally just playing a supporting role, immediately became the protagonist. Even if he was seriously injured, at his peak, how could he be a match for Kumārajīva?
Fortunately, Kumārajīva was not a murderous man and was a martial arts fanatic. He was willing to help Ding Chunqiu this time because Ding Chunqiu promised to reward him with the books in the Langhuan Jade Cave. To show his sincerity, he also offered a total of eight volumes of the Lesser Formless Skill in advance.

When Kumārajīva obtained this divine skill, he found that it was even more powerful than the Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin. Only then did he realize the high value of the Xiaoyao Sect's unique skills. He became greedy and wanted to acquire all of its unique skills.

Upon hearing Jiang Mingzhe's words about the fusion of Yin and Yang energies and the construction of the bridge between heaven and earth—top-tier and cutting-edge topics in martial arts—Old Jiu was completely captivated. If the occasion weren't inappropriate, he would have loved to pull up a small chair and invite Young Master Jiang to sit down and explain at length.

Therefore, even though Li Qiushui left, Kumārajīva did not take the opportunity to attack. He simply made a casual move, and spent nine and a half of his attention eavesdropping on what was being said over there.

Even with just this half-hearted attention, Duan Zhengchun was somewhat overwhelmed. His right hand wielded the Duan family sword, while his left hand used the One-Yang Finger. He fought fiercely and let out strange cries, his internal energy surging like a tide. Blood kept spurting from his mouth and nose, which made Shi Qinglu feel extremely distressed. She said in a panic, "Duan Lang, I'll hold off this foreign monk. You must run away!"

At this moment, Li Qingluo and Ruan Xingzhu sneaked out of the dilapidated wooden houses. After seeing the battle, they were both shocked. Ignoring the difference in strength, they each drew their swords and went forward to help.

A prince, three mature women, and Kumārajīva, who was only 5% committed, fought back and forth.

On this battlefield, upon hearing Ding Chunqiu refer to himself as a disciple, Jiang Mingzhe couldn't help but laugh and say, "Master, your shamelessness is unprecedented, it's a pity you were born in the wrong era... Oh well, karma will eventually catch up with you. You used the Dissolving Power Technique to break my Northern Darkness Divine Art, that's your karma, but my kneeling and kowtowing to you as your master and learning your martial arts is also my karma. Since you want to learn the Kun Transformation into a Peng Technique, listen carefully!"

Ding Chunqiu never expected that Jiang Mingzhe would actually tell him. Overjoyed, he endured the churning pain in his body and listened intently to what he was saying.

Jiang Mingzhe said in a very low voice, "Thunder is yang, lightning is yin, yin and yang combine to form thunder and lightning! The spirit relies on the sun palace, the lord of the sun, and the power relies on the moon palace, returning to the yin. The innate essence is stored in one qi, and the acquired power circulates through the twelve meridians..."

His voice was so soft it was barely audible that Ding Chunqiu could barely hear it, even with all his might. For a moment, he forgot all his pain and focused entirely on listening to him.

Duan Yu was close by and could hear it, but as a man of integrity, he thought to himself: Second Brother told his master to hear it in order to settle the karmic debt between master and disciple, but he didn't say that I could hear it too.

He immediately turned his head away, focusing intently on watching his father fight, completely ignoring what was happening.

Seeing Ding Chunqiu's smile grow wider, Azi knew that what Jiang Mingzhe had said was the true teaching. She was furious and said, "You big ginger, you stinking ginger, why are you throwing a tantrum at a time like this! Shut up! If little Ding learns the divine skill, what will become of us?"

Jiang Mingzhe ignored Azi and continued reciting the incantation word by word.

Ding Chunqiu devoted his life to studying the Xiaoyao School's kung fu. Just by listening, he knew that this kung fu was indeed of the Xiaoyao School's style, but its level was extremely high. Just a few words of the formula inspired countless wonderful ideas in him.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he didn't even notice how incredibly slow Jiang Mingzhe's speech was.

During this time, Kumārajīva kept shaking his two large, drooping ears, secretly using his secret esoteric Buddhist technique of hearing things with his clairaudience to try to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, Jiang Mingzhe's voice was too soft, and he could only hear about five out of ten words clearly, guessing the other five.

Li Qiushui stood motionless with her arms crossed, expressionless, watching as veins bulged and sprang from Ding Chunqiu's hands, neck, and face, his eyes gradually turning blood red and bulging, but her face was filled with admiration and ecstasy.

As she watched, Li Qiushui sighed softly, her eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions—a mixture of nostalgia, relief, joy, and pain. She then looked up at the sky, where the clouds drifted by, seemingly oblivious to everything happening on the ground.

"...It can penetrate walls and carve through barriers, it can cross mountains and seas, it can nourish the spirit, it can thunder and roar, it can shine throughout the universe, and it can be awe-inspiring and invincible."

It took Jiang Mingzhe several incense sticks to burn before he finished reciting the incantation. He didn't explain it, but simply said, "This is how this skill is. With Master's wisdom, there's no need for me to explain its meaning. Master, this is the supreme divine skill of the Xiaoyao Sect. Your disciple has told you everything without any concealment, which is to fulfill the bond between you and me as master and disciple."

Ding Chunqiu then came to his senses, cackling strangely, "Good, good, I didn't take you as my disciple for nothing... Huh? Huh? How could this be?"

Only then did he realize that the abnormality in his body was much more serious than before!
He hurriedly tried to use his newly acquired skills to dissipate the excess internal energy, but it was too late. With a painful growl, his eyes suddenly exploded, his eyeballs flying out. At the same time, the blood vessels throughout his body burst, the force so intense that even his flesh was shattered, and in an instant he was covered in blood. Jiang Mingzhe and Duan Yu cried out in unison, feeling an incomparably vast and powerful internal energy surging into their bodies. It was Ding Chunqiu's internal energy, which had reached its limit, and after blasting open his meridians and acupoints, bursting his blood vessels and eyes, it suddenly surged back along the path through which the two of them had channeled their internal energy.

Without hesitation, the two frantically circulated the Transformation Technique, continuously storing the surging internal energy into their dantian. Fortunately, this internal energy was of the same nature and origin, making the transformation extremely efficient.

Although Ding Chunqiu was blind and had suffered extremely serious internal and external injuries, he knew that something was wrong. He let out a miserable howl and twisted his body to try to escape.

However, just as Jiang and Duan were unable to shake him off, he was also unable to shake them off now. He could only let the enormous internal energy that had just been absorbed flow back. After a while, even his own original internal energy began to leave his body due to the suction.

Ding Chunqiu was filled with terror and despair. He cried out, "Why didn't you teach me the Kun Transformation into Peng Technique sooner? You did it on purpose! You did it on purpose! Fine, fine, then I'll give it all to you, give it all to you, let's die together!"

After saying that, he frantically channeled his inner strength, disregarding poison techniques and formless true energy, and desperately pushed it into the bodies of the two.

A short while later, Duan Yu groaned and cried out, "It's full, I'm full! Second brother, save me!"

Ding Chunqiu laughed maniacally, "Here, take it all! I'll stuff you until you burst! Ah!"

He suddenly let out a scream, as Abi rushed in without anyone noticing, and with a powerful sword strike, severed Ding Chunqiu's arm at wrist level. She herself was also thrown back by the shock, spitting blood in mid-air.

Duan Yu stumbled back a few steps, crying out in pain, "Abi!"

He rushed over quickly, but his internal energy was blocked and he couldn't control himself. He only took two steps before falling heavily to the ground. He immediately struggled to get up and scrambled towards Abi.

Just as she was about to reach out to help, Mu Wanqing pulled Abi away and said urgently, "You can't control your strength, don't hurt him again. You should meditate and regulate your breathing first. With Doctor Xue here, he will definitely be able to save her."

Duan Yu, his face covered in snot and tears, said in a panic, "Yes, yes, I'm alright. Quickly, please ask the divine physician to save Abi. Oh, and my second brother too!"

He stumbled to his feet, picked up the sword that Abi had dropped, and was about to chop off Ding Chunqiu's other hand when Azi slapped him away, saying fiercely, "Duan Xiaoyu, what do you think you're doing! My Da Sheng Jiang is not as useless as you. Humph, Bai Qing and the other two demons are on the verge of becoming immortals and ancestors, so don't ruin their plans!"

Seeing that Duan Yu was about to ruin Jiang Mingzhe's plans, A Zi hurriedly unleashed several palm strikes. The grayish-white palm force seemed to be connected as one, and Duan Yanqing had no way to dodge. He had no choice but to use his One Yang Finger to take the blow head-on. After the two collided, he groaned and flew away. A Zi didn't even look at him. With two leaps, she jumped over and blocked Duan Yu.

Duan Yu said anxiously, "But Second Brother..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Mingzhe, only to see him with his eyes closed and head bowed, his expression serene, a slight smile playing on his lips, showing no sign of impatience. Then she remembered: Oh! My second brother possesses the Kun-to-Peng transformation technique, yet he absorbs far more energy than I can!

Duan Yu had absorbed a great deal of internal energy in Shaolin Temple, and was already close to his limit. Just now, he absorbed another twenty or thirty years' worth of internal energy from Ding Chunqiu, which made him even more exhausted. If it weren't for Abi's constant attention and timely rescue, even if he had been saved, his meridians would have been severely injured.

Ding Chunqiu lost an arm, leaving him with half of his internal energy. This energy, along with the internal energy he had absorbed from Xiaoyaozi, Su Xinghe, and others, surged into Jiang Mingzhe's body.

At this moment, Jiang Mingzhe was almost in a state of complete detachment from the outside world, completely unaware of the external world. He only felt that his own bones, flesh, internal organs, qi and blood were all rapidly improving, and his body was lighter and clearer than ever before.

After a while, a mountain wind suddenly blew by, and everyone watched as Jiang Mingzhe floated up from the ground, with only one hand still holding Ding Chunqiu's hand, like a kite being tethered, drifting in the wind, his eyes closed, but a mysterious and indescribable smile on his lips.

Li Qiushui's gaze was complex as she murmured, "Free and Unfettered Wind, this must be Free and Unfettered Wind..."

At this moment, Ding Chunqiu's hair and beard withered away, and his body continued to shrink. Jiang Mingzhe was in a state of complete absorption, and he kept sucking away Ding Chunqiu's power and even his own essence and blood.

Duan Yu, A Zi, and the others had witnessed Jiang Mingzhe's ability to draw people in at Shaolin Temple, but Li Qiushui was startled, thinking, "Is this still the kung fu of my Xiaoyao Sect? How can it be so sinister?"

Another gust of wind passed, and Ding Chunqiu's wrist suddenly snapped, as if it had been decaying for hundreds of years. Jiang Mingzhe was no longer restrained, and his ascent speed suddenly increased. Li Qiushui's eyes flashed with brilliance, and she exclaimed, "He has ascended! It turns out that when our sect's martial arts are practiced to the highest level, one can actually ascend!"

Zhong Ling burst into tears, and Wang Yuyan rushed towards Jiang Mingzhe in a panic. Mu Wanqing stopped them, saying with tears in her eyes, "My lord is about to become an immortal, we mustn't block his path to immortality... Azi, what are you doing!"

The girl spoke a few words in a pitiful tone, then immediately turned into a fierce roar.

But then Azi leaped up, stepping on Duan Yu's head and shouting, "Brother, help me!"

Duan Yu instinctively said, "Okay!" and mustered all his internal energy to leap several feet.

When Duan Yu reached the peak of his leap, A Zi jumped upwards with a whoosh, causing Duan Yu to plummet. A Zi, however, used the momentum to rise another two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), grabbed Jiang Mingzhe's legs, and giggled triumphantly: "Silly girl Wang Pangpang, you blockhead! This big ginger is mine alone! We'll bless you when we become immortals... Huh? Huh?"

By this time, Kumārajīva and the others had already stopped fighting. They all stared blankly up at Jiang Mingzhe, who was being carried by Azi, as he slowly fell to the ground.

Zhong Ling screamed, laughing and crying at the same time, and skipped over. She jumped up and grabbed Jiang Mingzhe's trouser leg, pulling it down while complaining, "Brother Jiang, wake up! You were going to become an immortal, but it was all because of that poisonous girl Azi who ruined your great plan. You should get rid of her!"

(End of this chapter)