Stranger Danger

Chapter 575: Primordial Spirit Flying Sword

As he spoke, Ji Donglei charged toward Joy Bodhisattva. Veins were popping across his skin as if he was clenching his entire body, and a terrible, destructive aura was washing out of him.

“Is he going to detonate his primordial spirit?!”

Ye Qing was stunned. A Grandmaster was someone who had forged a bridge between the inner world within them and the outer world beyond them, and a primordial spirit was a Yin God that had been baptized by origin energy. To detonate one’s primordial spirit was no different from detonating one’s cultivation, martial intent, insight into the world and everything, and usually, the resulting explosion was potent enough to kill everything within a certain range. It was terrifying to say the least.

Rumble!

The next moment, a terrific explosion deafened everyone’s ears. Blissful Peak was already tethering on the brink of collapse to begin with, and this explosion outright blew up its top. Those who were too slow to dodge out of the way were either torn to shreds by the explosion or buried in rock and soil.

No one noticed that a transparent short sword was flying through the dust clouds and toward the distance without a sound.

“Primordial Spirit Flying Sword”

The “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword” was a secret art in the “Sword King Scripture”. By nurturing a flying sword in one’s primordial spirit, one could use it for offense, defense, and most importantly, escaping and saving oneself.

The “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword” was created from a warrior’s spirit and martial intent. Formless and insubstantial, it could be as still as a maiden[1] or as swift as lightning. It could travel a great distance in a single breath and passed through both heaven and earth with ease.

Considering the circumstances, Ji Donglei knew it was impossible for him to escape Joy Bodhisattva and Myriad Shadows—at least not normally. Therefore, he had no choice but to pretend that he was going to die together with his enemies and detonate most of his primordial spirit. While everything was in chaos, he attached a wisp of his primordial spirit into his “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword” and flew away from Blissful Mountain.

Although detonating most of his primordial spirit was the same as committing suicide, and the wisp currently attached to the Primordial Spirit Flying Sword wasn’t enough for him to begin a new life as a ghost warrior or soul warrior, Ji Donglei still did it.

It wasn’t because he didn’t want to live, of course. It just wasn’t an option for him.

For one, he could not trick Joy Bodhisattva or Myriad Shadows if he didn’t detonate enough primordial spirit, and the resulting explosion was too weak.

Two, Burning Heart had influenced every aspect of his being, and not even his primordial spirit was an exception. Even if he managed to escape in the end, he was still probably going to die.

That was why he committed suicide.

This was fine though. He could die with a smile on his face if he could report what happened today back to Sword King City. His sect would do everything in their power to see Joy Bodhisattva and Myriad Shadows dead, and the Way of Taiping’s conspiracy would be snuffed out in its nascency, essentially killing two birds with one stone.

It was worth his death.

“You will regret this, Joy Bodhisattva!”

Inside the “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword”, Ji Donglei’s broken primordial spirit howled with indescribable rage and hatred. He was going to make the woman who cost him everything pay if it was the last thing he did.

Suddenly, a gigantic hand appeared in the sky and caught Ji Donglei’s “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword” firmly.

The next moment, the hand shrank down to a normal size, and Joy Bodhisattva appeared behind it.

“Joy Bodhisattva! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!”

The “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword” containing Ji Donglei’s broken primordial spirit writhed and struggled with all its might, but it was futile. Then, his face appeared on the blade’s surface and glared at Joy Bodhisattva with infinite hatred and defiance.

He knew it was over.

His last hope had just been snuffed out by none other than the damned woman herself.

“The Primordial Spirit Flying Sword?!”

Myriad Shadows clenched his hand and gathered the dust clouds covering the entire peak into a ball. Then sky cleared up in an instant. It was then he saw the transparent sword in Joy Bodhisattva’s hand and exclaimed in astonishment and anger.

He hadn’t noticed Ji Donglei’s ‘Primordial Spirit Flying Sword’. Had the Sword Executor Elder succeeded in escaping and reporting what happened here back to Sword King City, then his grand plan would have collapsed like a sand castle.

Luckily for him, Joy Bodhisattva proved even more competent than he expected. He was curious though. How did the woman notice the Primordial Spirit Flying Sword where he did not?

“How did you sense Ji Donglei’s ‘Primordial Spirit Flying Sword’, Joy Bodhisattva?”

She answered, “You probably don’t know Sword King City very well because your main base of operation is in the south, Sakyamuni, but Ji Donglei is a shrewd man despite his upright appearance. I knew he would pull something like this and was on my guard from the start.”

“Good. Good!” Myriad Shadows hummed in thought for a moment before breaking into a smile. “You’re as strong as you are shrewd, and you are definitely more competent than Xiong Kuohai. You are exactly the kind of talent my sect needs to rebuild ourselves and resume our great work to bless all of mankind.”

“Thank you, Sakyamuni. I offer my undying loyalty to you and the sect,” Joy Bodhisattva replied after clenching her fingers and crushing Ji Donglei’s “Primordial Spirit Flying Sword” into bits.

It was clear that Myriad Shadows had accepted her terms.

“Yes. To reward your undying loyalty and outstanding devotion toward our sect, I hereby appoint you as Venerable Joy.”

Myriad Shadows looked at Joy Bodhisattva and declared, “I bestow upon you the White Lotus Spellcrown...”

As soon as he said this, a bell ringing resounded throughout the world, and a crown shaped like a white lotus with nine petals appeared on top of Joy Bodhisattva’s head.

“The Taiping Spell Robe...”

The bell rang a second time, and a spell robe with yin yang patterns suddenly appeared around her body.

“The Yellow Sky Horsetail Whisk...”

A yellow horsetail whisk appeared in her right hand.

“... and finally, the All Is Well Tablet!”

A square-shaped tablet the size of a palm flew toward Joy Bodhisattva and hung itself on her waist.

“Thank you for your bestowal, Sakyamuni.”

Joy Bodhisattva daintily dropped to one knee and hung her horsetail whisk across her arm.

“Hahaha! Rise, Venerable One!” Myriad Shadows made a lifting gesture with a wide smile on his face. “From now on, you and I are compatriots. Instead of getting hung up with formalities, we should support each other and work toward reviving our sect and spreading happiness across the world.”

“As you command, Sakyamuni.” Joy Bodhisattva rose to her feet and thanked him.

“With that done, let’s get down to business.” Myriad Shadows swept his gaze across the remaining survivors and asked, “What do you want to do with them?”

Joy Bodhisattva answered, “Kill those who deserved to die and leave the rest alive.”

“Oh? And how do you differentiate between the two?” Myriad Shadows asked with great interest.

“Those who defy the sect should die, and those who do not should live.”

As soon as she finished, the eight Bodhisattvas still in the sky abruptly lowered their palms and attacked Gold Ingot, Wei Changhe, and the Endless Sand elites Xiong Kuohai had brought with him.

At this point, everyone was fatigued and injured to a certain extent, and Xiong Kuohai’s men were no exception. Combined with the element of surprise, most of them were squashed like pancakes before they even realized what was happening. Only Gold Ingot, Wei Changhe, and a handful of people managed to escape one way or another.

“What is the meaning of this, Joy Bodhisattva?! We are members of the Way of Taiping as well!” A pale-faced Gold Ingot shouted.

“No, you are not.” Joy Bodhisattva said indifferently, “You are simply Xiong Kuohai’s men.”

“We... we’re willing to join the Way of Taiping! We’re willing to submit to you, Sakyamuni, so please, save us!” Gold Ingot shouted even as regret gripped him. He knew that Joy Bodhisattva was taking advantage of her new power to punish them for their betrayal, but what could they do?

“You’re too noisy!” Myriad Shadows grunted, and Gold Ingot’s shadow abruptly stood up and grabbed his neck. No matter how much the man struggled, he was unable to break free until the final end claimed him.

“Do you wish to end up like him?” Joy Bodhisattva glanced indifferently at the others.

“Kill the traitors and evildoers who defy the Way of Taiping!” Mistress Ruyi suddenly let out a shout before taking the lead and charging Wei Changhe first. Worriless, Wisdom Queen and all remaining Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples followed right behind her.

The rest of the survivors exchanged a glance with each other before charging toward Xiong Kuohai’s men as well. A wise man submits to the circumstances he was presented with. If they did not obey the command, then the only fate that awaited them was death.

Ye Qing was no exception. Earlier, he had to stop roleplaying a corpse and escape due to the massive explosion caused by the detonation of Ji Donglei’s primordial spirit. Luckily, no one noticed anything strange. Now, he had to join in on the attack on Xiong Kuohai’s men to avoid standing out.

He did not fight like he usually did, of course. He made sure to perform on the level of an ordinary warrior. He was the one who ruined the Way of Taiping’s conspiracy at Luo Shui, and he was pretty sure that the cult had not withdrawn the bounty on his head. The last thing he wanted to do was to stand out in front of one of the Four Sakyamunis.

1. I’m not sure why a maiden or more accurately a virgin is being used to describe stillness but whatever? Lol. ☜