Chapter 331: Battle Against Di Yi
"A dragon's grave?"
Hearing Zhang Ruochen's words, everyone's gaze once again turned toward that hill. Upon closer inspection, it indeed looked more and more like a massive tomb.
"Since it's a dragon's grave, perhaps the golden dragon from eight hundred years ago is buried beneath that hill." Duanmu Xingling's eyes sparkled, her eyelashes fluttering. Who knew what thoughts were running through her mind?
Huang Yanchen said, "Even if we know the Dragon Relic is beneath the hill, what use is it? We can't even take a single step closer to the hill."
"That might not necessarily be true."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the dragon horn in his hand and said, "The reason those humans and savage beasts died beneath the hill is that they disturbed the dragon soul within the hill, and its aura shattered their souls."
Although the golden dragon was dead, its soul had not yet dissipated.
Just now, Zhang Ruochen had nearly had his martial soul shattered by that dragon soul's mighty roar.
Si Xingkong asked, "How do we avoid the dragon soul?"
"Avoid?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "The golden dragon was once the mount of the Buddha Emperor and later swallowed the Buddha Emperor's relic. How terrifying must its cultivation be? With our cultivation, it's impossible to avoid its dragon soul. If we want to enter that hill, we must pay homage to the dragon soul."
Having said this, Zhang Ruochen immediately pressed his palms together and bowed deeply toward the hill ahead.
At the same time, he released his powerful spiritual power to communicate with the dragon soul within the hill, reciting a passage of the "Soul-Calming Mantra."
The "Soul-Calming Mantra" was a basic Buddhist scripture from the Ten Thousand Buddha Path, not a martial technique, so it was widely circulated. Almost every Buddhist monk could recite it.
Back then, the Ming Emperor's Palace naturally had a copy of the "Soul-Calming Mantra," and Zhang Ruochen had happened to read it once and memorized it.
The main function of the "Soul-Calming Mantra" was to purify the distracting thoughts, evil thoughts, and killing intent within a martial artist's heart, to soothe the spirits of the dead, and to calm the mind and spirit.
If one listened to monks reciting the "Soul-Calming Mantra" for a long time, it could even strengthen a martial artist's martial soul.
Of course, the "Soul-Calming Mantra" also had some offensive power. If recited by a high-ranking Buddhist monk, it could even immobilize a martial artist's martial soul, putting them into a hypnotic trance.
It was said that when Empress Chi Yao led her army to attack the Western Region, the Buddha Emperor had once recited the "Soul-Calming Mantra," causing Empress Chi Yao's army to sleep for seven days and seven nights, hoping to force her to retreat.
Unfortunately, the Buddha Emperor had underestimated Empress Chi Yao's resolve. In the end, the army marched into the Western Region and breached the Ten Thousand Buddha Path.
The ancient temple, which had stood for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, was destroyed in an instant.
Although the Ten Thousand Buddha Path was later rebuilt, it never regained its former glory.
Zhang Ruochen was not an enlightened monk, so reciting the "Soul-Calming Mantra" was just an attempt. He recited it with a devout heart, hoping it would have some effect on that dragon soul.
Si Xingkong, Chang Qiqi, Huang Yanchen, Duanmu Xingling, Zi Qian, and Chen Xi'er also pressed their palms together, kneeling on the ground to pay homage to the dragon soul.
Only by showing enough goodwill could they prevent the dragon soul from becoming hostile toward them.
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen felt the power of the dragon soul weakening, so he slowly walked toward the hill.
The others also stood up and immediately followed behind Zhang Ruochen, cautiously approaching.
When the oppressive power of the dragon soul had completely vanished, Zhang Ruochen stopped reciting the "Soul-Calming Mantra" and said in a low voice, "I'll look for the entrance to the dragon's grave. You all go quickly and gather the spiritual herbs on the hill. Remember, you must maintain a devout heart and not anger the dragon soul."
Hearing that they could gather the spiritual herbs, Chang Qiqi couldn't wait any longer and immediately rushed up the hill.
Guoguo was even faster than Chang Qiqi, already on the hill, gnawing on the spiritual herbs and feasting greedily.
Except for Zhang Ruochen, everyone else climbed the hill and began gathering the spiritual herbs.
Every spiritual herb on the hill was a rare treasure. There were healing herbs, herbs to enhance cultivation, and tonic herbs to extend one's lifespan.
Each herb they gathered was another fortune added to their wealth.
"Blood Coral, Blood Coral, I finally have it... haha..."
Chang Qiqi held a three-foot-tall, blood-jade-like coral in both hands, stroking it repeatedly, his heart filled with excitement. He quickly placed the Blood Coral into the space ring Zhang Ruochen had given him.
Then, Chang Qiqi immediately went to gather other spiritual herbs.
Zhang Ruochen also climbed the hill, but he didn't gather the herbs. Instead, he searched everywhere for the entrance to the hill.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen found a stone wall halfway up the hill. Its surface was very smooth but covered in moss, with many parts wrapped in mud and sand.
After brushing away the mud and sand, the outline of an ancient stone door gradually appeared. It was seven meters tall and carved with deep grooves.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen struck the surface of the stone door with a palm. The grooves immediately emitted a faint golden light, blocking his palm strike.
This strike also shook off a layer of stone skin from the door, revealing a deep, sunken pit that looked like a keyhole.
Zhang Ruochen's face lit up with joy, and he immediately called out to the others, "Everyone, come quickly! I've found the stone door leading into the hill."
Just as everyone was rushing toward the stone door, a piercing laugh suddenly sounded from the foot of the hill: "Zhang Ruochen, thank you for helping me find the Dragon Relic."
A man wearing a metal mask moved sideways, turning into a series of afterimages, and appeared at the foot of the hill. Then, with a push of his feet, he stepped on the water waves, rushing up the hill at high speed toward the stone door.
"Not good, it's Di Yi, the young master of the Black Market First Class Hall," Si Xingkong said.
Huang Yanchen was the closest to Di Yi. She immediately activated the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow, her body moving like a dragon shadow, and appeared in front of Di Yi, preparing to block him.
"Shua!"
Huang Yanchen drew an eighth-rank True Martial Treasure-level war sword. Her arm shook, sending out thirteen sword blossoms as she thrust toward Di Yi's heart.
Having broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, Huang Yanchen's speed was incredibly fast, and her movement technique was unpredictable. Nine figures appeared, as if she had thrust nine swords at once.
"Overestimating yourself."
Di Yi snorted coldly, not slowing down at all. He struck out with a palm toward Huang Yanchen's war sword.
Before the palm print even collided with the war sword, Huang Yanchen was sent flying back by the palm wind, spitting blood. Her body crashed toward the stone door.
In her half-unconscious state, Huang Yanchen couldn't activate the defensive inscriptions in her space pendant to protect herself. If she really hit the stone door, her bones would shatter, and she would die on the spot.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen was standing right next to the stone door. Seeing Huang Yanchen sent flying by Di Yi's palm, he immediately rushed forward, releasing all his true qi, and caught her back with both hands.
The two of them kept retreating until they reached the stone door, where Zhang Ruochen finally completely neutralized the impact force on Huang Yanchen's body and stopped.
"Zhang Ruochen, you dare to be distracted by saving someone while fighting me?"
Suddenly, Di Yi's cold laugh sounded from behind Zhang Ruochen.
Without any hesitation, Zhang Ruochen immediately infused his true qi into his space ring, activating its defensive inscriptions. A layer of white light surged out from the space ring, forming a spherical protective barrier.
Just as the protective barrier formed, Di Yi pointed a finger at Zhang Ruochen's back, targeting his main meridian, the Heavenly Heart Meridian.
"Hua!"
Although the protective barrier provided defense, Di Yi's fingertip still slowly pierced through, getting closer and closer to Zhang Ruochen's back.
The gloves Di Yi wore were called "Black Dragon Ghost Claws," a set of tenth-rank True Martial Treasures. It was because of these gloves that he could break through the space ring's defenses layer by layer.
If Di Yi really hit the Heavenly Heart Meridian, Zhang Ruochen's martial arts cultivation would be crippled.
At the critical moment, a dazzling light appeared on Zhang Ruochen's forehead. The Sword Intent Heart suspended in his Qi Sea emitted a bright white light.
Summoned by the Sword Intent Heart, the Abyssal Ancient Sword immediately flew out of its sheath, leaving a beautiful arc and dragging a sword light over ten meters long as it slashed toward Di Yi's arm.
"Flying sword killing, Sword Heart Illumination."
Di Yi exclaimed in surprise, immediately withdrawing his finger and striking out with a palm toward the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
Those Black Dragon Ghost Claw gloves were tenth-rank True Martial Treasures. Under Di Yi's true qi infusion, the inscriptions within the gloves were activated, forming a massive black dragon claw print over ten meters long that shot out.
The claw print condensed into shape, like a black cloud, with a terrifying momentum and immense power.
"Boom!"
The Abyssal Ancient Sword was sent flying back, crashing into the mud and stone of the hill, leaving only a deep sword hole.
Zhang Ruochen stretched out his arm, and the Abyssal Ancient Sword flew back, circling around his body once before slashing toward Di Yi again.
"Haha! To have reached Sword Heart Illumination at the Earth Extreme Realm, it seems I underestimated you earlier. In terms of swordsmanship, you surpass Bu Qianfan."
Although he knew Zhang Ruochen had reached the Sword Heart Illumination realm, Di Yi was not afraid. He laughed loudly and swung his arm again, sending out a massive black dragon claw print.
A force like a mountain or sea pressed down from above toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
Under normal circumstances, Zhang Ruochen would not choose to fight Di Yi head-on. Instead, he would use his flying sword technique to fight from a distance, looking for Di Yi's weaknesses and using exquisite swordsmanship to find an opportunity to win.
But now, he couldn't. He had to protect the unconscious Huang Yanchen, so he could only use his weakness to counter Di Yi's strength.
Di Yi was born with a sacred body, incredibly powerful, so close combat was naturally his forte.
"Dragon-Elephant Shadow."
Zhang Ruochen's body moved. He pushed off with his feet and charged forward.
His body split in two, as if two Zhang Ruochens had appeared. One was wrapped in a dragon shadow, and the other was wrapped in a divine elephant shadow.
The two Zhang Ruochens attacked from left and right simultaneously, striking out with dragon claws and elephant palms toward Di Yi.
"Boom!"
After the hard clash, both of them retreated explosively.
However, Zhang Ruochen retreated thirteen steps, while Di Yi only retreated three steps.
"Interesting. Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, worthy of being the top palm technique of the Ten Thousand Buddha Path."
Di Yi knew in his heart that Zhang Ruochen's palm technique was extremely fierce. If it weren't for his tenth-rank True Martial Treasure, the Black Dragon Ghost Claw gloves, he might not have gained the upper hand in that exchange.