149: Chapter 149 Huineng and Wuxin

"Yo, monks, you're a bit late," Jiang Yan turned and said with a smile.

"Not late, not late at all. We've arrived just in time to perform rites for these corrupted individuals," Heartless said, smiling.

Jiang Yan sheathed his longsword, wagged a finger, and said with a chuckle, "That won't do. These are my spoils of war."

"This humble monk is willing to assist Benefactor Jiang. Surely that entitles me to at least a sip of the soup?"

Jiang Yan rolled his eyes at Heartless and directly waved to the Qingyun Sect Disciples, signaling them to hurry and clean up the battlefield lest the monks take advantage.

"Monk, don't say I didn't look out for you. I'll leave those Peak Revered Masters to you, alright?"

Heartless watched as several Qingyun Sect Peak Revered Masters were still locked in combat with those from the Dao Yun Sect. He pressed his palms together and shouted, "Martial Uncle, it's your turn to take the stage."

Wise Ability pressed his palms together and stepped through the air. He seemed to move slowly, but in a flash of movement, he appeared behind a Dao Yun Sect Peak Revered Master.

Immediately after, a massive palm imbued with the majestic power of Buddhist light pushed forward horizontally.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft...!"

With a single palm strike, six Dao Yun Sect Peak Revered Masters spat out blue blood and were forcibly knocked out of the sky.

"Whoa, that's badass!" Jiang Yan praised.

"Amitabha," Heartless smiled slightly. "My Martial Uncle obtained a Buddhist Legacy within the Secret Realm. For that, we must also thank Senior Li Yi."

With Wise Ability joining the fray, the Dao Yun Sect Peak Revered Masters were suppressed in an instant.

Although Heartless didn't manage to snatch much, he still made off with the Storage Pouches of the nine Peak Revered Masters.

"Amitabha. Benefactor Li, we meet again," Wise Ability said, palms pressed together.

Li Yi returned the gesture with a smile. "Great Master Wise Ability, it seems you have gained a deeper understanding of the Buddha-dharma from that Legacy."

"I must thank Benefactor Li for that as well," Wise Ability said gratefully.

Just as the two were discussing how to uproot the three altars of the Dao Yun Sect and the areas polluted by the Sea Race, eight flying vessels suddenly appeared in the northern sky.

"Amitabha. It seems the Sects supporting the Dao Yun Sect have arrived," Wise Ability said.

"It should be Chilian Mountain," Li Yi noted, identifying them by the color of the vessels.

Wise Ability pressed his palms together. "Then please leave them to this poor monk. After all, Benefactor Li needs to rest."

"Then I shall trouble the Great Master," Li Yi said, making a gesture of invitation.

Watching Wise Ability fly toward the eight vessels, Jiang Yan hurried to Li Yi's side. "Revered Master, is this monk the legendary 'Demonic Monk' of that generation?"

"It's just worldly prejudice. Just like your Revered Master—others call me Li Three Essentials," Li Yi explained with a laugh.

Hearing this, Jiang Yan fell silent. He felt that the nickname was definitely accurate.

"In a moment, once your Martial Uncle Murong returns, you two will handle the reinforcements from the Fire Cloud Sect. You only need to stall them; other Sects will naturally come to help when the time comes," Li Yi instructed.

Jiang Yan nodded but asked, "Revered Master, do you really not need your Disciple to go on a killing spree?"

"We eat the meat, but we must leave some soup for the other Sects. After all, the landscape of the Eastern Region is due for a change," Li Yi said.

Hearing Li Yi's words, Jiang Yan understood instantly.

Although he really wanted to farm some experience, he understood that if they didn't let other Sects get the blood of the Three Great Sects on their hands, those Sects wouldn't have the face to claim they helped stop the Sea Race's invasion, let alone participate in future Secret Realms.

After all, everyone still had to follow the rules of the cultivation world on the surface.

Meanwhile, the monks Wise Ability and Heartless had already engaged the reinforcement army from Chilian Mountain.

Wise Ability truly lived up to being the one who received the Legacy of the Linxian Secret Realm; every time he struck with his palm, it carried the majestic power of Buddhist light.

As for Heartless, though he wasn't as strong as Wise Ability, as the Buddha-son of Dragon Elephant Temple, he possessed various means of his own.

Watching Heartless, a peer of his own generation, execute his moves, Jiang Yan subconsciously began to compare himself.

"If you don't use your trump cards, with your current strength, you might not necessarily be a match for that little monk," Li Yi critiqued.

"Revered Master, then between you and Revered Master Wise Ability, who is stronger?" Jiang Yan asked.

"Naturally, your Revered Master is stronger," Li Yi said with a proud expression. "Back in the day, your Revered Master was known as Li Three Essentials and was the number one Prodigy among his peers."

Jiang Yan couldn't help but laugh. "Revered Master, didn't you say those were just prejudices? Why are you treating it like a glorious achievement now?"

Li Yi's face flushed red, and he coughed twice to hide his embarrassment. "Well, you're the one who asked. Besides, your Revered Master has always been someone who adheres to the Three Essentials Principle."

While they spoke, Wise Ability's entire body radiated Buddhist light, and a massive Buddhist palm instantly slammed into one of the vessels.

Behind Heartless, the phantoms of the Eight Legions of Devas and Dragons emerged, pressing down directly toward the Elders of Red Refining Mountain who were leading the group.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion reduced the flying vessel to fragments.

Jiang Yan watched, dumbfounded. That vessel was, at the very least, Chilian Mountain's top-tier Magic Treasure, the 'Blazing Cloud Vessel', yet it was pulverized by a single palm strike from Wise Ability.

One had to realize that when Jiang Yan destroyed vessels, he started from the inside. This monk could destroy them from the outside; such strength was comparable to the combined full-force strike of all the Peak Revered Masters of the Qingyun Sect.

Amidst the sky full of debris, the Buddhist light shone brightly, as if a Demon-Subduing Vajra had descended upon the world.

Following that, Wise Ability struck out with another palm toward a second vessel.

Seeing two vessels in a row reduced to fragments, Jiang Yan felt a degree of admiration. He felt that among the previous generation, aside from his own Genius Revered Master, this 'Demonic Monk' was definitely the runner-up!

"Heavenly Dragon's Glare!" Heartless suddenly shouted.

The phantoms of the Eight Legions behind him suddenly solidified. Each dragon carried a different Buddhist dao intent—some with eyes wide in anger, some with eyes lowered in mercy—yet all radiated a brilliant Buddhist majesty that suppressed all evil.

The Elders of Red Refining Mountain didn't even have time to activate their Magic Treasures before they were surrounded by the dragon phantoms.

One of the Elders discovered in horror that his 'Sea God's Scales,' which he was so proud of, had actually begun to spontaneously combust within the Buddhist light!

"Is this a Buddhist Divine Ability?" Jiang Yan muttered to himself.

"More or less," Li Yi said.

Hearing Li Yi's words, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have never plundered any Divine Abilities.

"Revered Master, do you have any Divine Abilities?" Jiang Yan asked suddenly.

"I do. Didn't you see it?" Li Yi reminded him.

"That 'All Laws Return to One'?"

Li Yi nodded. "Though it isn't perfect, it can be considered one of my Divine Abilities."

"Revered Master, are Divine Abilities something one comprehends on their own? Or can they be learned?" Jiang Yan followed up.

"Most Divine Abilities are comprehended from various Spells. However, there are also some Divine Abilities from specific legacies, though those are extremely rare," Li Yi explained.

Hearing this, Jiang Yan silently opened his status panel.

Looking at the various Spells listed, he fell into deep thought.

Although he had plundered many high-level Spells, they lacked his own unique characteristics. Even the 'All Laws Return to One' he had seen Li Yi use was just someone else's technique.

'An Epiphany?'

'Could it be related to my own dao intent?'

In an instant, a flash of light seemed to cross Jiang Yan's mind as he recalled the final words of the Lord of the Deep Sea.

"A human Cultivator who hasn't even stepped into the Divided Soul Realm... how could he touch upon the 'Dao'?"

One had to remember that Chen Yaofeng was at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, and the sword intent he had nurtured for so long had certainly touched the edge.

Yet Li Yi, who hadn't even entered the Nascent Soul Realm, could reach that level. It definitely had to do with the 'Dao'.

"Revered Master, is the so-called 'Dao' a dao seed? Or is it dao intent?" Jiang Yan suddenly asked via voice transmission.

"A dao seed strengthens one's own Cultivation Techniques, Spells, and Martial Skills; its existence is an additive effect. You should have felt it yourself," Li Yi replied via voice transmission, then continued, "As for the dao intent you mentioned, it might be related to comprehending Laws or Origins. But calling it that is also correct. After all, Divine Abilities are also part of the manifestation process of the Dao."

With Li Yi's explanation, everything suddenly became clear to Jiang Yan.

He hadn't understood the existence of 'dao intent' before and thought it was related to the dao seed. But after Li Yi's explanation, it was as if he had pushed open a brand-new door.

Recalling the state of the grand array he had observed when he entered the Xuan Yin Mountain Range, he felt that he might truly be able to comprehend a Divine Ability of his own from these Spells.

Just as he was thinking about how to plan his Divine Ability, five more vessels flew in from the south.

After seeing the banners clearly, Li Yi patted his shoulder. "Go with your Martial Uncle Murong."

Jiang Yan cupped his fists in acceptance and charged toward the Fire Cloud Sect's reinforcement army alongside Murong Xue.

Regarding the stalling tactic—to give other Sects the chance to participate in wiping out the Fire Cloud Sect—Jiang Yan just defended casually a few times.

The other Sects that had just arrived at the Dao Yun Sect saw this and immediately realized that the Qingyun Sect was intentionally giving them a chance to participate in the crusade.