Yi-gang made a remarkable attempt to further perfect his Qi Sword Control Technique.
This involved rging the Qi Sword Control Technique taught by Zhang Sanfeng with the telekinesis spell.
The realm of sorcery was even more expansive than martial arts itself.
As an honor flower disciple, Yi-gang had both the right and obligation to learn martial and sorcery simultaneously, but he simply lacked the leisure to master all spells thoroughly.
Thus, he concentrated exclusively on telekinesis.
The one who advised him to take this path was none other than Dam Hyun.
Dam Hyun was an honor flower disciple who made choices directly opposite to Yi-gang’s.
He had fully committed himself to mastering spells rather than martial techniques.
Consequently, Dam Hyun could utilize telekinesis to a higher level than Yi-gang.
He could execute telekinesis without chanting incantations, forming hand seals, or even looking at the object.
Zzizizik— Buuuuk!
Thus, he could effortlessly rip away even the silk cloth that concealed sothing hanging from the ceiling.
Hoje Lama was enraged at Dam Hyun for ignoring his warnings.
Taking the form of a young boy, the Lama swung his Vajra.
A flash of blue lightning erupted from the sacred object modeled after thunder itself.
A lightning bolt instantly surged between the Vajra and Dam Hyun.
A flash of bright light burst forth, followed by a thunderous boom.
“W-what the—!”
Hoje Lama montarily panicked.
The Vajra he wielded was, in the Taoist sense, an incredibly powerful treasure.
Unable to contain his anger, he’d swung it too fiercely, unleashing excessive power.
Fearing he might have accidentally roasted his guest, Hoje Lama rushed forward.
Dam Hyun lay motionless on the floor, seemingly dead.
White smoke rose from Dam Hyun’s body as Hoje Lama hurriedly tapped his shoulder.
“Are you alright? Goodness, this is why I told you—!”
Hoje Lama froze abruptly.
What he’d thought was Dam Hyun collapsed on the floor wasn’t Dam Hyun at all.
If he hadn’t been a lama of profound cultivation, he wouldn’t have broken free from this illusion.
Hoje Lama had been tapping nothing but the bare floor. Instead of Dam Hyun, the floor displayed hastily scrawled symbols resembling the Eight Trigrams.
“What in the world…”
“What’s that over there?”
Dam Hyun’s voice echoed from the side.
He wasn’t even looking at Hoje Lama, his gaze fixed blankly toward the ceiling.
The silk cloth had fallen away, revealing what it had concealed.
Sothing was inscribed high upon the wall.
Written in Sanskrit using pignt mixed from ground gold powder were mantras, accompanied by endlessly branching lines resembling tree branches.
It was unlike anything found in the Central Plains.
While ordinary people would never comprehend these writings, Dam Hyun was far from ordinary.
Able to read Sanskrit and having absorbed countless texts from the Azure Forest’s Grand Library, Dam Hyun quickly understood their aning.
‘Circuits?’
These could indeed be described as ‘circuits.’
They were circuits manifesting the Eight Extraordinary ridians, capable of channeling imnse energy.
Such circuits were typically employed when constructing a massive Qin Formation.
Or perhaps…
‘Is it a ritual offering?’
If this was indeed an offering ritual, to whom, what, and why was it being perford?
Lost in these enticing questions, Dam Hyun suddenly received a powerful impact from behind.
“Kueok!”
Hoje Lama had kicked Dam Hyun’s back as he stood there, distracted.
Dam Hyun was flung forward, tumbling several tis across the floor.
Hoje Lama, breathing heavily in disbelief, glared down at Dam Hyun.
He had boldly attacked Dam Hyun, who dared to trick him yet stood there absent-mindedly.
But his foot didn’t feel the heavy impact he’d expected. Instead, it felt as though he’d kicked a fluffy cotton quilt.
He glared at Dam Hyun, who was slowly rising to his feet.
Dam Hyun’s robe was clearly singed; he’d definitely been struck by the Vajra’s lightning.
Yet how could he appear so unaffected?
Hoje Lama had no way of knowing that Dam Hyun had already grown accustod to electrical shocks.
How many tis had Dam Hyun clumsily approached Cheongho, only to get shocked in the process?
Beneath Dam Hyun’s robe was a protective Treasure he had modified specifically to counteract such electric shocks.
“Well, I’ll be off then.”
Dam Hyun smirked and suddenly dashed away.
Hoje Lama, enraged, gave chase.
Though Dam Hyun darted away swiftly like a fleeing rat, his speed was certainly not beyond the reach of Hoje Lama.
Once again, Hoje Lama lunged, aiming another kick at Dam Hyun’s back.
Flutter—
However, Hoje Lama’s kick connected only with empty air.
And where Dam Hyun had stood a mont before, a paper cutout shaped like a human fluttered slowly to the ground.
A chill ran down Hoje Lama’s spine.
Just like earlier, he had fallen prey to yet another illusion.
This was no ordinary matter.
How could a rinpoche, trained in Esoteric Buddhism, possibly be toyed with by the spell of a re wandering sorcerer?
This could only an that the Taoist nad Dam Hyun had reached the peak of his sorcery prowess.
Dududu—
Hoje Lama sensed a presence. This ti, having focused his mind, he wouldn’t fall for illusions again.
It ca from the opposite direction from where he’d chased Dam Hyun. Hoje Lama rushed forward, pushing his light footwork to its limits.
“You scoundrel!”
He swiftly rounded the corner.
Just as he prepared to unleash a palm strike, Hoje Lama froze.
The person there wasn’t Dam Hyun; instead, it was his twin brother, Yuje Lama.
Relief surged through Hoje Lama, and he cried out in joy, “Yuje! Perfect timing! That sorcerer nad Dam Hyun—!”
“What are you doing here right now?!” Yuje Lama angrily shouted at him.
Bewildered by his brother’s reaction, Hoje Lama stamred.
“What do you an? I was just—”
“This isn’t the ti for this!”
“W-why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Yuje Lama abruptly grabbed Hoje Lama’s wrist and pulled him along.
Hoje Lama was dragged along, bewildered. His brother guided him to a window overlooking the outside.
“Look!”
“What am I supposed to… see?”
Hoje Lama’s pupils widened sharply as he looked out the window.
Below the palace was a frozen lake, the houses of Lhasa, and beyond that, the mountain range.
Contrasting sharply against the distant jagged peaks was the clear blue sky.
There, unmistakably visible—
“S-since when?”
“An hour ago. We must start preparations imdiately, so stop wasting ti and follow !”
Despite his brother’s urging, Hoje Lama couldn’t easily tear his eyes away.
Far beyond the mountains, rising from the peak of a distant summit, was smoke.
It was a signal fire.
A beacon lit to announce an enemy invasion.
In all of Hoje Lama’s life, he’d never before witnessed such a smoke signal.
“Are you coming or not?”
“Y-yes, let’s go.”
Dealing with Dam Hyun’s mischief could wait until later.
There was only one day left.
Until the Mad Wind Army reached Lhasa—
Ti did not halt its rciless march.
No matter how desperately one grasped at it, ti walked on relentlessly.
Yet, when one wished it would quickly pass, ti crawled like a sluggish insect.
And when one sought to hold on to a departing mont, ti dashed away swiftly.
It was the sa for Yi-gang.
The ti spent receiving the Marrow Cleansing Tendon Changing Sutra from Bodhidharma was incredibly precious.
Before the Mad Wind Army invaded, before the arrival of the Evil Cult’s Cardinal, Yi-gang needed to grow stronger.
But ti cruelly flowed onward.
Today, the Mad Wind Army would arrive in Lhasa.
Yet Yi-gang continued training until the very last mont.
As the second-in-command of Potala Palace, the Panchen Lama had responsibilities to prepare for the Mad Wind Army’s arrival.
However, having witnessed Yi-gang’s training process, the Panchen Lama decided it was right to assist him until the very end.
The Panchen Lama’s hand swelled imnsely.
Without hesitation, he swung fiercely at Yi-gang.
Yi-gang raised his arm, blocking with the Mahamudra.
It was madness—the physical power behind the Mahamudra was as formidable as it appeared.
Kwaaaaang—
Thankfully, Yi-gang’s arm wasn’t broken.
Instead, he was pushed backward, the wooden floor shattering beneath his feet.
Yi-gang dispersed the incoming force, simultaneously pressing his right hand against the ground.
Kagak—
A chilling sound echoed as the tip of a large acupuncture needle embedded deeply into muscle scraped against bone.
This spine-tingling noise ca from Yi-gang’s elbow.
Even for soone like Yi-gang, this stage of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra was exceedingly painful.
Initially, he could barely walk, let alone fight.
But now, enduring full-body agony, he had improved enough to strike at Panchen Lama’s chin with his foot.
Sweeeek—
It was an angle impossible to evade, yet Panchen Lama’s head shifted unnaturally backward.
It was a bizarre movent, as though his neck had no bones.
Yi-gang twisted his waist, swiftly launching another attack toward Panchen Lama’s torso.
Suuuuk!
Yet again, Panchen Lama contorted his body at an unbelievable angle.
He was freely manipulating every bone and muscle in his body.
This was none other than the renowned Yogic Body Technique of Tianzhu.
Yi-gang’s attacks had failed twice in a row.
He remained in the stance, hand pressed firmly against the ground.
The Panchen Lama didn’t miss this opportunity.
“Be careful!” he warned, since this was not a life-or-death battle.
Yet Panchen Lama’s massively enlarged hands rcilessly rushed toward each other.
It was like the gesture of Amitabha Buddha, palms pressed together in prayer.
Such imnse power surged that even a bronze Buddha statue between his palms would have been flattened instantly.
But Yi-gang’s figure blurred suddenly, and Panchen Lama’s hands t empty air.
His enormous palms collided together.
Pang—!
An explosive roar thundered forth.
The shockwave rippled outward in all directions.
Such force alone could easily injure soone, but it was futile since he had missed.
The Panchen Lama realized how Yi-gang had evaded the attack.
Above.
“…Hup!”
Yi-gang had propelled himself upward by pushing off the ground with his palm, simultaneously releasing his internal energy.
He stabilized himself in midair, landing atop the Panchen Lama’s joined palms.
Yi-gang, crouching down, locked eyes with the Panchen Lama.
What followed was a brutally intense exchange of blows.
Yi-gang’s fists and feet rained down furiously upon the Panchen Lama.
Though the Panchen Lama raised his hands to block, he had already lost montum. Fighting at such close quarters was increasingly difficult.
Pabababak—
Eventually, the Panchen Lama took several strikes to his chest and stumbled backward.
Then…
Bodhidharma intervened, halting them.
「That is enough.」
Yi-gang stood breathing heavily.
He quickly understood why Bodhidharma had stopped the fight.
The large acupuncture needles, embedded deeply enough to reach the bones throughout his entire body, were slowly being expelled on their own.
「Your muscles and bones have finally settled into place. With this, you have completed this stage of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra.」
Even without Yi-gang exerting any effort, the acupuncture needles eventually fell to the floor.
Clank—
The tallic ringing echoed repeatedly.
Yi-gang let out a sigh as his body slumped.
“This ti was truly exhausting.”
He seldom complained, but this ti he simply couldn’t hold back.
Yi-gang grumbled about how distracting the acupuncture needles had been throughout the sparring.
「Originally, even this stage would involve placing needles into only one limb at a ti, slowly manifesting the changes. Wasn’t it your own greed that caused this discomfort?」
“But wasn’t it you, Grand Master, who suggested it would be better this way?”
「Well, that is true.」
“Yes, exactly.”
The Divine Monk chuckled, sowhat regretfully.
“It was fascinating to witness the legendary Marrow Cleansing Sutra training in person. It’s a pity you couldn’t complete the third stage.”
“It can’t be helped.”
Only by completing the third stage of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra could one truly prepare for complete Rebirth.
「Do not be greedy. Achieving Rebirth requires not just completing all three stages, but also extensive preliminary preparations.
「Human ntal strength has its limits.」
The Panchen Lama, who had been quietly observing, could barely hide his astonishnt.
‘Human ntal strength has its limits.’
This was a truth he understood better than anyone, having trained extensively as a practitioner of Esoteric Buddhism.
This was precisely why even extre ascetic practices required a systematic approach.
Otherwise, one’s mind could be damaged, or worse, driven completely insane.
Yet, the training process of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra was so arduous that even practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism would find it difficult to endure.
Thus, Bodhidharma’s advice to ‘take it easy, and proceed calmly’ was astonishing.
Even more astonishing was Yi-gang, who had completed this insane training without any problems.
‘Was the Dalai Lama’s choice truly correct?’
That doubt still lingered within the Panchen Lama.
But its aning had changed.
Previously, the Panchen Lama had been biased, thinking the young Central Plains warrior nad Baek Yi-gang couldn’t possibly be as extraordinary as the Dalai Lama claid.
Now, however…
‘Should we perhaps ask him to assist in defeating the Cardinal?’
Yi-gang would undoubtedly be of significant help to both the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama.
He felt conflicted about whether removing Yi-gang and his companions from the frontline was truly the right choice.
But it was already too late for such considerations.
Bong— Bong— Bong—
The urgent tolling of a bell echoed loudly.
The Panchen Lama abruptly rose from his seat.
It was the ergency bell rung by the lama monk who stood watch on the observation tower.
“Hm, the Mad Wind Army has arrived.”
The aning behind the ergency bell was clear: the Mad Wind Army had approached close enough to be visible from Potala Palace.
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