"What on earth!"
Monk, being quite resourceful, reacted almost instantaneously. The seed planted in the deepest layer of his Divine Soul suddenly emitted a Divine Light, washing over his entire Brain Palace like a tidal wave. However, he found nothing, and the pain in his head only intensified.
"Is it poison, witchcraft, or a curse?"
Monk, a veteran of countless battles, managed to stay calm under such circumstances. He let out a low growl, enduring the severe headache, and retreated to create distance. He then changed his method, rebooted the Divine Light of the seed, and swept over it again. But this time, it was still ineffective. Meanwhile, Yu Ci had already drawn his sword and charged, his frosty Sword Energy piercing straight into Monk's heart.
Impressive Monk, even in this critical moment, was still able to form a seal with both hands in front of his chest. With a soft "hum", a layer of golden light as thin as paper was emitted, one layer after another, seventeen or eighteen layers in total. They formed a golden shield around his body, clashing with the Sword Energy, producing a series of clanging sounds.
The Sword Energy couldn't penetrate. Taking advantage of this, Monk lowered his waist and sat on his horse. The golden shield around his body shattered with a "bang", scattering thousands of golden lights in all directions. The surrounding forest was riddled with holes, and even the thick trees were shattered by the golden light, making a spectacle that was unparalleled for a moment.
However, there was no sign of Yu Ci under the golden light.
"Earth Escape!"
Monk shouted, stomping heavily on the ground. The explosive shockwave instantly swept over the surrounding ground. He sensed Yu Ci's trace, but the latter was not coming towards him, but heading away. Without a second thought, Monk immediately activated the Formation he had set up earlier, intending to trap Yu Ci here.
But he was still one step too slow. Yu Ci was surprisingly fast and brushed past the edge of the activated Formation Aura. Then Monk lost his sensation of him. It was certain that Yu Ci must have some method of concealing his own aura, and even confusing his manipulation of Divine Consciousness. In the dark forest, he seemed like a fish back in water.
Monk began to believe that Yu Ci indeed had the ability to protect himself and retreat intact. He was a person who knew his priorities. Even though he failed to trap Yu Ci, he had bought some time. Seizing this opportunity, he once again activated the seed within his Original Soul. The Divine Light washed over his Divine Soul, and this time, he finally caught a faint shadow.
Such a cleansing of the Divine Soul by the Divine Light was actually a search for unique marks within the complex Divine Soul fluctuations. The key was to find the corresponding frequency. Monk's judgment and luck were not bad, and he succeeded on the third attempt.
However, at this moment, the lucky Monk shook, opened his eyes, and scanned the dark forest.
His breathing unconsciously became heavier. He turned around on the spot, quickly making a full circle. His sharp eyes seemed to be able to tear through the darkness. Compared to the sophisticated method of hiding one's aura, Yu Ci's way of concealing himself was not very clever. Monk roughly judged his hiding position, stared at it, and said in a deep voice:
"This is not a method of the Lichen Sect."
Monk's insight and judgment were extraordinary. He saw the value of this piece of information and wanted to gather more data, but Yu Ci didn't want to give him another chance.
More intense pain invaded Monk's Brain Palace because he had found the "target". The impact the "target" gave him became even more direct. At the level of Divine Soul that ordinary people couldn't reach, Monk's Brain Palace suddenly brightened, colliding head-on with the seed's Divine Light that was forced out again. The impact reached the deepest part of the Divine Soul where the Original Soul resided.
The impact on the Original Soul reverberated throughout Monk's body, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. Now, he could see more clearly. The entity he was facing was the very Remnant Soul he had just discovered. His rebellious disciple, even with only this trace left, still had the courage to challenge him. The Remnant Soul was drawing on an unprecedentedly brilliant starlight, darting around within the tri-layer structure of the Divine Soul, stirring up one wave of turmoil after another.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The absolute power of the other's attack was insignificant, but Monk had to admit that due to his negligence during the preparatory stage, he encountered a problem: the Remnant Soul had an inseparable connection with the Original Soul, where the seed had already been planted. Every clash at the level of the Divine Soul gave him a sense of helplessness, like his left hand fighting his right.
"I wonder when they colluded inside and out, and threw such a strange starlight in!"
After several clashes, Monk had gained some understanding of the nature of the starlight. The starlight appeared dazzling, yet somewhat illusory, as if it had no destructive power in itself, but could continuously input power through the Remnant Soul as a medium.
"The power input is not for destruction, but for erosion!"
Monk controlled his emotional fluctuations, meticulously analyzing the function of the starlight: "Just like the seed I planted, it is also constantly seeping into the deepest layer of the Divine Soul, attempting to change the nature of the Original Soul. Yes, this is essentially also a seed! That fool Zheng Yan, doesn't he understand that no matter who erodes him, he can never be his original self? Heh, he despises me to the bone, as long as it is detrimental to me, he will undoubtedly go all out. The younger generation like Yu Ci must have seized this point and made a deal with him!"
Based on the information gathered since their meeting, Monk had managed to analyze most of the situation. At this point, there was no need for him to maintain a false identity. The real Monk Zheng Yan was left with only a Remnant Soul, entangled with him with the help of the external force from Yu Ci. He, on the other hand, was Monk Zheng Yan's master, the abbot of the Pure Water Sect, known as Yi Xin, but in reality, he was the Blood Monk Tu Ling, who had shaken the Cultivation World hundreds of years ago!
Long before the chaos of the Sky Rift Valley broke out, he had made preparations, planting a "Spirit Seed" in Monk Zheng Yan's Original Soul, and had perfected it many times since then, until it was fully ready before the second Treasure Exchange Banquet. The Monk Zheng Yan who appeared in front of people at that time was, strictly speaking, a puppet with his Spirit wiped out, completely manipulated by him from behind.
Tu Ling had devised many plans, the core of which was to separate Zheng Yan and "Yi Xin", creating an impression of "Zheng Yan's innocence" in the hearts of He Qing, Yu Ci, and others. This was done in order to use the method of the golden cicada shedding its shell in the pre-arranged great battle, to abandon the identities of Yi Xin and Blood Monk, to destroy all clues, and to start anew.
He had initially succeeded. Including He Qing, the upper echelons of the Lichen Sect and various sects of Cliff City believed that the matter of the Sky Rift Valley had come to an end. Each had their own explanations. He Qing had even returned to the Sect to participate in the cultivation of the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens.
If things were to continue on this trajectory, in three to five years, most people would forget about Monk Zheng Yan, once a figure of high status in Cliff City. Even if they did remember him, they would only think of him as a pitiful pawn, manipulated by others. Even if he were to make a name for himself again as Monk Zheng Yan, people would not associate him with Blood Monk Tu Ling. He could even use his slight connections with the people of Cliff City to lay the groundwork for his return in this remote land.
However, now, the Yu Ci before his eyes, and the residual soul of Zheng Yan in the Brain Palace, have torn a gaping hole in his perfect plan. If he cannot deal with them, everything that follows will be mere talk!
"Your starlight seed is certainly not a method of the righteous path!"
As a monk, he of course would not care about the distinction between good and evil. His outcry was merely to unsettle Yu Ci's mind. From the dark forest, a cold laugh echoed. Monk's eyes turned cold, and from his sleeve slipped a short rod, as thick as a cup's mouth and no longer than two feet. It was jade-green, divided into five sections, and with each swing, it tore through the air, creating a fissure nearly a mile long in the forest. Where the fissure passed, all grass, trees, and living beings were shattered - a sight so impressive it left one speechless.
This was a top-grade magical instrument named "Jade Suppressing Energy Rod" prepared by Tu Spirit for his new identity. It was blessed with orthodox Buddhist demon-suppressing powers, equivalent to the level of ten layers of Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha. It was a rare treasure even at the Golden Elixir cultivator stage.
However, this casual strike failed to harm Yu Ci. Monk didn't intend to succeed with a single strike. His use of the Suppressing Energy Rod was merely a feint.
With a deep shout, he held the rod in front of his chest, slightly tilted, with the tip right at his brow. Immediately, a jade light flowed, and when it seeped into his brow, a "hum" sounded. A layer of pure gold color spread from his bald head. The wound inflicted by Yu Ci healed rapidly, new flesh grew, and in the blink of an eye, it was as good as new.
The golden and jade lights reflected each other, casting bizarre colors in the forest. But the light did more than just that. Not only did it shine outside, but even inside Monk's Brain Palace, it was ablaze with golden light, washing over his entire Divine Soul, illuminating him from the inside out.
A faint scent of sandalwood spread through the forest. In the shadows, Yu Ci sniffed it out and then let out a cold laugh:
"Is this the Golden Bone Jade Disc?"
His voice was only heard by himself, and a mile away, where Monk stood, the strong spreading momentum of the golden light suddenly slowed, then began to retract. The light was no longer dazzling, but instead became more rounded and smooth, occasionally spreading like layers of golden sand.
At the core of the light, a round and bright pearl rose from the top of Monk's head, rolling wildly in the air. Layers of golden light were scattered, revealing every detail of the shadows it reached.
***********