Chapter 351: Chapter 175: Is Captain Zhao That Big?

"Still haunting me."

Cangwu Zi said faintly, suddenly striking out with his palm toward an empty patch of ground beside him.

With a loud BANG, a figure appeared where the Palm Force landed, striking back with a palm of his own.

The two Palm Forces collided in mid-air, creating a deafening roar.

"Should I call you Cangwu Zi, or Venerable Mahakala?"

The newcomer was, of course, Zhao Rui, who had pursued him here.

"It’s just a name! Who knows, I might forget it again someday! My name is Song Guangxuan now!"

Cangwu Zi said, his face devoid of emotion.

"Song Guangxuan? Who are you really? Is Cangwu Zi still in there?"

Zhao Rui asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.

He had pursued him all this way not only because of his karmic entanglement with Cangwu Zi but, more importantly, because he wanted to know: what exactly was this Demonic Thought?

’The Celestial Demon’s influence had triggered Cangwu Zi’s Heart Demon, but who was this Heart Demon?’

’Was it a pre-existing split personality, or the descent of some unknown power, much like when Cangwu Zi’s Divine Soul had possessed the Shouzhuo Daoist Child?’

It was a type of Martial Arts Heart Method.

"He is, and he is not. I am I, and Cangwu Zi is also I, yet I am not Cangwu Zi. Young friend, you have achieved Contribution to Creation at such a young age; your future is limitless. How about we call the grudge between you and Cangwu Zi settled?"

Cangwu Zi—no, he should be called Venerable Mahakala—said in a clear, resonant voice.

"Of course we can, but..."

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. If the Dao could be put into words, how could it be called the Dao?"

"The Demon Dao is also the Dao!"

Venerable Mahakala smiled freely. At that moment, he had the air of an enlightened master, with not a trace of Demonic Qi about him.

"Where are you going?"

"To the place I am meant to go. In this vast world, anywhere can be home."

"I’d still prefer we fight. Otherwise, I won’t have any peace of mind."

Zhao Rui said frankly.

"You’re more arrogant than I imagined, but you seem to learn fast too. The Profound Dome True Self Aspect, you learned that from me, didn’t you?"

Cangwu Zi said, a strange smile on his face.

"Whether I did or not, what difference does it make to us?"

"The Celestial Demon Dharma Aspect... its wonders truly never cease."

Cangwu Zi’s eyes hardened, and a profound ray of black light suddenly shot out, striking towards Zhao Rui.

"The Celestial Demon has its cause, the Heart Demon has no form. After this battle, we owe each other nothing."

"Deal!"

Zhao Rui waved his hand, scattering the black light. He swept his arm out, and his Dharma Power converged, instantly forming a giant hand that blotted out the sky as it reached for Venerable Mahakala.

Venerable Mahakala was completely undaunted, conjuring a massive hand of his own to block the attack.

’Replicable Martial Art discovered: Mahayana Infinite. Replicate?’

"Replicate!"

’This is exactly what I was waiting for,’ Zhao Rui thought. ’Without replicating it, I can’t be at ease.’

’This old monster isn’t someone I can kill quickly.’

’But if I learn the Martial Arts he just created, then even if he has other breakthroughs in the future, I’ll at least have some insight into them.’

"You want to learn my Infinite Mahayana, don’t you? Since it’s called ’infinite,’ how could you possibly learn it? Take it all. Haha!"

From the moment Zhao Rui learned the Profound Dome True Self Body, Venerable Mahakala knew that Zhao Rui had a Divine Skill that could learn the Martial Arts of other sects.

He had seen Zhao Rui use the Heavenly Demon Body Technique, and had subconsciously concluded that Zhao Rui was under Celestial Demon Possession.

Therefore, he wasn’t surprised by Zhao Rui’s various wondrous abilities.

In this exchange, neither of them manifested their True Dharma Body, but fought with their physical bodies circulating Dharma True Essence.

For a moment, the space centered on the two of them fell into a shackle of True Qi, to the point that even the air could not move freely.

Song Ziwen stood to the side, watching in terror as the two combatants blinked in and out of existence. His legs were shaking so badly he could barely stand.

Fortunately, both of them deliberately contained the overflow of their Powerful Qi. The fight looked perilous, but all the destructive force was kept within their own bodies—a world of difference from the wide, sweeping attacks from before.

Not long after the two started fighting, Cang Zhenzi also caught up.

SWOOSH! He appeared next to Song Ziwen, scaring the already terrified guy so much he almost peed his pants.

"Dao... Daoist Master! I’m innocent!"

Song Ziwen stammered, trembling all over.

Cang Zhenzi shot him a look of disgust and ignored him, turning his grave attention to the dragon-and-tiger struggle between the two combatants.

’Senior Brother Cangwu Zi has become this powerful... I’m afraid he’s already on par with the Sect Leader.’

’Although this youth is at a slight disadvantage, his Power is profound, and he pulls out one surprising move after another. It’s as if he has achieved Mastery in all the Martial Arts in the world...’

’It seems our Qingcheng Sect has made a grave mistake!’

As one of the Qingcheng Sect’s top combatants, Cang Zhenzi was naturally well aware of the decisions made by the sect’s leadership.

The Sect Leader had achieved Great Success in his Divine Skill and intended to provoke Mount Emei. Everyone in the sect knew full well that the plan was to use the Qingcheng Sword Sect incident to probe Mount Emei’s limits.

As a result, Mount Emei showed no reaction, and it was their own Qingcheng Sect that was caught completely off guard by the Qingcheng Sword Sect.

’The situation has changed. We can’t cling to the past. The calamity of Gui Xu must not be allowed to happen again.’

Cang Zhenzi’s eyes gradually grew clear; he had already made a decision.

Wind and clouds gathered at the horizon; the pattering evening rain ceased!

The lingering autumn rain fell upon the world, leaving only a clear, pale sky in its wake.

Song Ziwen was soaked to the bone, and when the autumn wind blew, he began to shiver uncontrollably.

’Damn it, when I learn a Divine Skill, the very first thing I’m gonna do is go stand in the rain.’

’Song Ziwen thought back to the rain, recalling how the Daoist Master next to him had been wreathed in True Qi, completely untouched by a single drop. The memory was infuriating.’

’At least you could’ve shielded me a little!’

"HSSS!"

Song Ziwen hugged his arms, not daring to run off. He watched the two combatants with a resentful gaze.

’Well, "watching" was a generous term.’

After all, the two were so fast, all he saw were afterimages.

"Refreshing!"

A familiar voice sounded, and Song Ziwen immediately perked up.

"Grandpa! Are you okay!"

The title "Grandpa" rolled off Song Ziwen’s tongue with a tone of such deep concern, one might think he was addressing his actual grandfather.

"I’m fine!"

Song Guangxuan smiled calmly, his electric gaze landing on Zhao Rui, who had also reappeared. He laughed freely and asked, "How much did you learn? This Mahayana Infinite’s true nature is emptiness. From a formless void, it creates ten thousand self-aspects."

"Fellow Daoist, you are proficient in Buddhism, the Demon Dao, and Daoism. Truly formidable."

Zhao Rui said with sincere admiration.

"Without a self-aspect, there can be no celestial Dharma Aspects. The Dao, the demonic, and the Buddha are all inherently rootless. The mind is the true root, from which all phenomena are born."

After Song Guangxuan finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Cang Zhenzi and smiled faintly. "Junior Brother, how much did you learn?"

"Your skill is boundless, Senior Brother. I, your junior brother, have learned but a fraction."

Cang Zhenzi waved his Horsetail Whisk and chanted, "Boundless Celestial Venerable."

"After today, I have no further connection to the Qingcheng Sect. If you pass on what you have learned, consider it my repayment for the favor of being taught their arts."

With that, Song Guangxuan waved his right hand, pulling Song Ziwen into his grasp. He then laughed heartily and declared, "I’m off to the East Sea to discern the Celestial Secret and resolve the doubts in my heart! Farewell!"

With that said, he leaped into the air and strode away like a meteor, gracefully disappearing into the east.

This time, Zhao Rui did not give chase.

Instead, he turned and walked back the way he came.

"Boundless Celestial Venerable!"

Cang Zhenzi watched his senior brother’s departing figure, then looked at Zhao Rui’s retreating back. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, his unspoken words turning into a sigh.

He couldn’t bring himself to sue for peace.

He could only report back to the Sect Leader and wait for a decision.

...

"Extra! Extra! Dharma Grandmaster Reveals True Dharma Body Again! The Battle of the Century Makes New Waves!"

"From this day forward, the world is split in two: Immortals and mortals. If you’re not a Grandmaster, you’re just a commoner."

"I heard the big shots in the Court held an all-night meeting to discuss the future. I think the Court might have to re-evaluate the status of the various sects."

"Could they mobilize the entire army and wipe out..."

"How is that possible? You think a True Dharma Master can be killed so easily? If even one escaped, wouldn’t all the higher-ups in the Court live in fear?"

"I need to hurry up and send my kid to the nearest sect, see if he has the fortune to be accepted as a disciple. Before, when they were recruiting disciples, I scoffed at it."

"I’m going too, I’m going too!"

The commotion and discussions sparked by the True Dharma Body battle involving Zhao Rui and the others did not fade with the passage of time.

Instead, they intensified across the internet and even among the general populace.

This psychological impact was far greater than anything previous Martial Artists had ever caused.

This time, the event lasted a long time, the footage was high-quality, and it was officially confirmed—all of which told the world, without a shadow of a doubt:

There was a group of Martial Artists who could move mountains and fill seas, summon wind and rain, and with a casual blow, destroy a small town.

They could speak True Words that sow chaos in the minds of men.

And they could come and go without a trace.

They were comparable to the Land Immortals of legend.

The authorities made no move to stop the spread of this information, instead allowing it to circulate freely.

This alone spoke volumes about their intentions.

Some things just can’t be covered up.

「Dongqi University Martial Arts Team.」

The team members stared in disbelief at the enlarged images on their respective phone screens.

"I think it’s Captain Zhao!"

"But, how is that possible!"

"I also think it’s impossible. No matter how amazing Captain Zhao is, he can’t be *that* huge..."

A team member made an exaggerated gesture with his hand.

"A normal Dharma Realm expert is already incredible. At the start of the video, there were already a few smaller True Dharma Bodies."

But the later ones were absurdly large.

"No matter how strong Captain Zhao is, the most he could be is one of those smaller ones from the beginning!"

"Go ask the coach!"

"Yeah, let’s go ask the coach!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The team members all ran toward the main hall of Mingcan Courtyard.