Chapter 295: Struggle

Fahui stood up and looked down at Li Xuanling. He bared his teeth, revealing sharp, clean white teeth, while intestines and blood hanging from his body dripped down little by little. He sneered, "Beast, I've been chasing you all this way, and as my past life memories gradually awakened, I knew you'd come to this small Daoist temple. So I've been waiting for you..."

"Beast..."

Li Xuanling had been forced north by the Zifu, already harboring resentment. Now, startled and provoked by the monk's words, his unwillingness and regret surged, transforming into a scorching fury that burned in his heart and lungs. He snarled, "You keep calling me a beast, keep calling me sinful! Look at the bones beneath your feet, wipe the flesh and blood from your body, and open your dog eyes to see who the real beast is!"

"Hahahahaha!" Fahui, enraged, laughed instead. Intricate golden patterns appeared on his body. He clasped his hands together, and all the flesh and blood on the ground melted like red wax, transforming into wisps of pale golden mist that permeated the courtyard.

"You were originally the black serpent I held in my wrathful left hand. If you're not a beast, who is? I never expected you to escape to the south for decades and live in tyrannical luxury... Now that I am returning to my Mahā position, you should also become complete through me."

Before his words had even faded, he shot forward like a cannonball, swinging his fist towards Li Xuanling's face. Li Xuanling's left hand was on his sword, the Moon Gap Sword Arc having been prepared for a long time. He drew his sword with a sudden flash, unleashing a pure white sword light that illuminated the hall.

"Clang!" Fahui, bare-handed, his palms gleaming with golden light, forcefully seized the long-prepared sword light, then closed his five fingers, crushing it to dust. Golden light shimmered in his inhuman eyes as he allowed Li Xuanling to create distance, then laughed:

"As for these Daoist priests in the temple... the fact that I was able to kill them proves they were utterly sinful."

"You!" Li Xuanling was stunned by his words for a moment. He then sneered, completely dismissing Fahui's words. Fahui, however, raised an eyebrow and angrily said:

"You don't believe me?"

He slowly raised his muscular arm. The golden mist on the ground, drawn by him, rose like dragons or serpents. It condensed into a golden light in his palm, revealing various scenes: A Foundation Establishment wolf demon riding the wind, black mist swirling, demonic energy soaring... The wolf demon devoured the temple master, then forced the old Daoist priests to collect infants as food... Various scenes—infants crying, priests weeping—all appeared.

Li Xuanling already knew these Daoist priests had engaged in questionable acts, but he understood the circumstances and wouldn't be easily intimidated. He sneered, "Offering infants was a last resort! If they hadn't done it, the wolf demon would have immediately devoured all the people in the village below. How can you make a judgment on such a difficult decision, weighing what's heavier or lighter?"

"Make a judgment?" A hole had been blasted in the temple roof, and fine raindrops were falling through. Dim sunlight pierced through a gap in the thick rain clouds, striking Fahui's profile, making half of his face appear pale. Fahui's eyes glowed golden, and his voice was solemn:

"Evil is evil, and evil must be slaughtered! What excuses are you talking about? Everyone has their reasons; excuses are not a justification for evil. Killing these creatures is not excessive!"

"Once I've purged all evil-doers, heaven and earth will naturally be cleansed."

With these words, he flew forward, golden light shimmering between his palms. Li Xuanling was speechless for a moment, and the golden light in the temple grew even denser. He felt a haze in his mind, and a surge of indignation crashed around within him, causing extreme vexation. Wielding his sword, he exchanged several blows with Fahui, his palms aching from the impact, caught in a dilemma.

"Hmph!" Fahui's fist-wind was powerful and heavy, each punch fiercer than the last. How could he still be considered a monk without magic? Li Xuanling's heart grew increasingly desperate. He thought to himself:

"It must be that I am meant to die by his hand to fulfill this person's destiny, this Mahā reincarnation. My death might be insignificant, but the Li family still needs my father to stand firm..."

Just then, the Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed in Li Xuanling's Ascending Yang Palace suddenly stirred. It released streams of cool air that swirled in his mind.

He felt as if he had eaten a large chunk of ice in the hottest days of summer, his mind clear and refreshed. His previously faltering defense also stabilized. Li Xuanling's heart stirred greatly. He heard a gentle, calm voice in his ear.

"Calm your mind and hold on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."

Li Xuanling instantly knew that all the strange phenomena just now were Fahui's magic, impossible to guard against and truly too bizarre. Someone had intervened to dispel Fahui's spell. His heart was immediately filled with both joy and doubt, and he secretly thought:

"Who could it be... Xiao Chuting?! But it doesn't quite feel like him..."

Under the dark, heavy mist, the mountains were desolate. Moonlight-white buildings were scattered throughout. On the highest platform, fallen leaves drifted down, landing on a jade-like table.

"Fate..." Lu Jiangxian leaned back against a jade-like desk. In his hand, he held a thin, pure white thread that stretched into the boundless void, swaying gently. In his other hand, he held a silver halo that floated up and down as if alive, appearing quite mystical.

"It seems that ever since I bestowed the Record of the Deep Sea Long Whale, this Mahā, from thousands of miles away, locked onto Li Tongya and began to lay out its plans... The Wrathful Mahā has cultivated for nine generations, gathering various fates. In this life, it intends to kill Li Tongya to attain enlightenment..."

"The Zifu and even Golden Core cultivators from the south are conspiring, using their divine abilities to protect Li Tongya, to use him as bait, and to kill this Mahā..."

Lu Jiangxian slowly frowned, a hint of confusion. "What is the true connection between Talisman Qi and fate? Why do people receive different talismans? Is it because the Talisman Qi manifests their existing fate, or does it bestow a certain fate upon them?"

Thinking of this, Lu Jiangxian suddenly gained some insight. "Li Tongya is bait, not a sacrifice. If handled properly, his death is not inevitable... As long as he can hold out until the Wrathful Mahā fully awakens within Fahui, and the Zifu cultivators intervene, he will survive..."

Lu Jiangxian's strength had not yet recovered to the point where he could contend with Zifu Mahā or even Golden Core Dharma Idols. But for him to sit idly in the mirror, waiting for Li Tongya to be used as a pawn and bait by others, was truly frustrating. He remained cautious, but he was no longer the bewildered and helpless novice he once was.

"Although I cannot directly intervene, I won't simply be manipulated..." He pondered carefully:

"Back then, even Minghui and Jinlian Mahā were powerless against the Dharma Mirror's true form, which shows the high status of the Dharma Mirror. It should be of an immortal level. As long as this matter doesn't involve immortals, I can still make some moves without being detected."

Lu Jiangxian activated the power of divination he had obtained from Liu Changdie back then. The silver light suddenly appeared, shrinking by one-third. After a moment's wait, a single character condensed: "Auspicious."

"Good." It was originally a scheme by a group of Zifu Mahā, but Lu Jiangxian always felt more at ease by calculating it himself. He lightly flicked the thread in his hand, making it shimmer with white light, and secretly set a bottom line for himself:

"I will only intervene through the Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed as a medium. This way, even if those Zifu cultivators suddenly go mad and capture Li Xuanling or Li Tongya, they won't detect anything, not even if they rack their brains!"

The Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed was one of the Dharma Mirror's foundations; even an immortal might not detect it in person. If not for this, Li Chijing and Li Tongya would have been captured long ago, having loitered before Zifu cultivators day after day.

After considering every aspect, Lu Jiangxian was sure it was foolproof. Only then did a slight smile play on his lips, and he whispered:

"Let's play along with these people; consider it gaining experience! I've been consuming your family's incense offerings and remnants for years, so I should contribute my share too!"