Chapter 55: The Brightness Achievement Dharma

The monk who spoke rudely had the Dharma name Yuan Neng, and the one with him was called Yuan Jue. Both belonged to the Esoteric Buddhist school of Dharma cultivation. They believed they had achieved success in their cultivation, so they looked down on others and walked through the world with great arrogance. Originally, they came upon the notice posted by the prefect of Fenghua City to subdue a demon. They thought they could show off their skills and perhaps find a path to wealth and fame. They even hoped to be reported to the Tiandu royal family and be granted titles like Guardian Recluse or True Man. They did not expect so many people to be here!

The Confucian scholar carrying the sword, though young, possessed an incredibly powerful Zhenqi. When Yuan Neng first met him, they had a small clash, and Yuan Neng did not gain any advantage. He became wary. He had intended to teach these newly arrived, even younger cultivators a lesson, but the scholar’s words made him hesitate. Just then, Hua Xin spoke, which suited Yuan Neng’s intentions perfectly. He flicked his monk’s robe and grinned, saying, “Young and full of vigor, that’s excellent! This humble monk will see what skills you young man truly possess!”

Hua Xin had a stubborn and fiery temper. He did not like the sight of this plump, big-headed monk. How could a monk who abstains from meat grow like this? He guessed this monk did not strictly observe the precepts. Hearing the rude words, Hua Xin could not hold back his anger. His aura surged, and the Zhenqi inside him rumbled into motion. Immediately, his body was covered in a fiery red glow!

Medicine God Valley was primarily a sect focused on alchemy, but its internal cultivation techniques were also highly advanced. They condensed Danhuo and had a large supply of spiritual herbs for consumption and cultivation. To some extent, their progress in the early stages was extremely fast. Although Hua Xin had a fiery temper, his natural talent was excellent. Otherwise, he would not have been taken as a disciple by an elder like Old Daoist Danhuo and brought along on this journey.

Medicine God Valley’s internal technique was called the Yang Dan Divine Art, which specialized in cultivating Yang fire Zhenqi. As Hua Xin gathered his power, the fiery energy grew intense. With the blazing midday sun adding to the might, the surrounding space seemed to warp slightly. Yuan Neng’s greasy, round face could not help but show a trace of seriousness. The halo behind his head suddenly glowed with brilliant, multicolored light, becoming even more distinct. It vaguely separated into three layers, shining dazzlingly!

“This strange monk really has some skill. Ignorant commoners who see this would probably worship him as a Buddha or Bodhisattva!” Mu Yuan watched as the two took a step forward, their auras clashing. Hua Xin, being an outstanding disciple of Medicine God Valley, clearly had the upper hand. The halo behind Yuan Neng’s head immediately fragmented a bit, scattering colored specks like chaotic rain.

Yuan Neng and Yuan Jue’s expressions changed. The prefect and the garrison commander quickly stepped forward, smiling as they said, “Gentlemen, there’s no need for this. We’re all here to subdue the demon. We should work together with one heart!”

Jin Yun pulled Hua Xin back, and Hua Xin withdrew his power. Yuan Neng felt he had lost face but could not attack Hua Xin again. He turned toward Mu Yuan instead. The halo behind his head gathered into a large hand and grabbed down directly!

“This old monk is crazy! Why is he biting people like a mad dog?” Mu Yuan sighed inwardly. “Do I really look like a soft target?”

He casually slapped out, releasing a bone-chilling cold energy. It transformed into an icy light dragon in the air, tangling with the multicolored large hand!

Mu Yuan was not actually proficient in the Ice Soul Divine Light technique. Moreover, the Ice Soul Divine Light method possessed by those two Ice Soul Sect disciples only reached the Qi Refining Third Layer. Mu Yuan usually did not focus on it, only using it for comparison with Tidal Flow. Still, he had made some progress, particularly in the arts of condensing water into ice and freezing vast areas. Now, when he used it, it looked quite impressive. As long as no one from the Ice Soul Sect was present, it could fool these people!

As the ice dragon and the colored light wrestled, Mu Yuan did not want to stand out too much. But seeing Yuan Neng’s attitude, if he did not let him suffer a bit, he would likely try to reclaim the face he lost against Hua Xin. Although Mu Yuan did not want to attract these people’s attention—preferring to secretly target the youth in yellow—he saw the ice dragon and the large hand locked in a stalemate. Secretly, he activated the Dragon King’s Dynamic Force. Immediately, a barely visible flash of electricity shot through the icy energy. Both the large hand and the ice dragon shook and then scattered!

“Your technique is truly remarkable, Master. I admire it!” Mu Yuan clasped his hands, appearing to yield. However, since their contest ended in a draw, Mu Yuan seemed quite modest.

“Excellent, excellent, excellent! The three of you are truly extraordinary individuals. Now we have ten people. Tonight, we will take action and kill the demon beast in one strike!” The garrison commander clapped his hands in admiration, his face full of joy.

Yuan Neng flicked his brows. Just now, a burst of lightning force had penetrated, almost dispersing his “Brightness Achievement Dharma.” Fortunately, that lightning force was not very strong, and the other party deliberately showed weakness, which actually won Yuan Neng’s goodwill.

“This benefactor’s technique is truly exquisite. The Ice Soul Sect is very impressive!” Yuan Neng finally managed to utter a word of praise after a long pause.

Mu Yuan seized the opportunity to ask, “But may I ask which school of Divine Ability this is, Master? It is so mysterious and extraordinary. My knowledge is limited, and I have never heard of it before!”

Yuan Neng’s favor toward this cultivator, who seemed quite dignified, increased another level. He suddenly found Mu Yuan pleasing in every way. Since arriving at the prefect’s residence, he had not gotten along with any of the other cultivators. It was rare to meet a young man who knew how to speak. How could Yuan Neng not be pleased? He immediately explained, “This is a technique from our sect, one of the Six Achievements—the Brightness Achievement Dharma. It stimulates the tangible brightness inside and outside the body and mind. If one advances further, contemplating with wisdom, one can attain the formless brightness of Buddha’s wisdom. By then, don’t think you can show off everywhere with just a bit of fire!”

Mu Yuan chuckled darkly. Hua Xin turned back angrily, snorted coldly, and ignored them.

Mu Yuan continued, “The Brightness Achievement Dharma truly lives up to its name. Its colored light is magnificent, illuminating the world!”

Yuan Neng slightly pressed his palms together, then rubbed his bald head. “This colored light is condensed from the Power of Faith collected in our sect’s temples. It is ethereal, like a dream or illusion. Only when cultivated to a high level can one see the true power of this Divine Ability.”

“Faith can be transformed into a Divine Ability?”

Not only Mu Yuan, but everyone else turned around abruptly, their faces filled with surprise. The Confucian scholar carrying the sword frowned and suddenly said, “Are you monks from the Great Sun Sect of the Tianyu Kingdom?”

Yuan Neng’s face was full of pride. “Indeed, our Great Sun Sect overshadows the entire world, like the sun itself. How could you hope to match us?”

Everyone fell silent. Mu Yuan was almost immune to Yuan Neng’s self-satisfaction by now and simply smiled. The group then entered the main hall. Maids served tea on both sides, and everyone took their seats. Only then did Mu Yuan carefully observe the fellow cultivators on this journey.

Aside from himself, Hua Xin, Jin Yun, Yuan Neng, Yuan Jue, the youth in yellow, and the Confucian scholar carrying the sword, the other three were all women. They wore colorful gauze dresses and were very beautiful. Though not as striking as Jin Yun, they were still rare beauties. The prefect introduced them, and Mu Yuan learned that the youth in yellow was named Xiao Tianyu, a disciple under True Lord Guangyuan. The Confucian scholar carrying the sword was Ling Siyuan from Shanhe Academy. The three women were fellow disciples, all from the Tianshan Sword Sect, named Huan Chen, Huan Yan, and Huan Meng.

“Shanhe Academy?” Mu Yuan thought to himself, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Mu Yuan remembered True Lord Tiemu saying that the adversary of the Slovenly Daoist, who taught Mu Yuan Tidal Flow, was the head of Shanhe Academy. Although the Slovenly Daoist never mentioned revenge, Mu Yuan still held a grudge against Shanhe Academy. “Heaven bless, may you die in this incident, demon beast! I have high hopes for you. You must not be too weak and waste all this effort!”