Volume 2 - Chapter 22: One Move to Subdue the Grandmasters of the World - Part 2
The poison woman’s acquisition of the pill was backed by the machinations of Boundless Mountain.
In fact, it was highly likely that Boundless Mountain orchestrated or even deliberately induced the situation!
Otherwise, even if the poison woman had the intention, without knowing about the existence of such a pill, she would have resorted to other methods.
“All living beings possess the inherent roots of greed, anger, and delusion. Demons and fiends thirst for blood—that is greed. Their violent temperament—that is anger. Even flowers and grass are no different: growing toward the sun is greed, and spreading roots deep into the earth is anger...”
On the platform, the young man in a kasaya continued his slow and measured exposition.
His voice was warm and soothing, like a ray of Buddha’s light piercing the chill winds along the Long River, leaving the audience feeling as though they were basking in the warmth of spring.
Li Hao listened quietly to his words. Though he had never practiced Buddhist techniques, he could swiftly comprehend the principles being elucidated.
This, in turn, added a new perspective to his Dao of All Things.
Even human nature could be incorporated into the Dao.
But how did greed, anger, and delusion connect to birds, beasts, flowers, and grass?
Li Hao fell into contemplation.
What was the common thread between them?
Or could it be that all things truly shared a connection?
If not, then the concept he had tirelessly pursued would be nothing more than an ethereal illusion. He would never be able to perfect his Grandmaster Dao and would only step into the Three Immortals Realm as an ordinary grandmaster.
As Li Hao pondered, the young man on the platform continued speaking with unwavering flow.
When he reached the conclusion, he looked toward the gathered grandmasters below. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to Li Hao, and he smiled faintly as he said:
“I have heard that our Great Yu has produced a once-in-a-millennium genius who achieved the Grandmaster Realm at the age of fourteen, unmatched in history. Might I have the honor of seeking his guidance?”
Hearing this, the crowd snapped out of their daze and immediately turned their attention to Li Hao.
Their eyes sparkled with anticipation and mischief, long curious to see if the legendary youth lived up to his reputation.
Previously, they had been hesitant to probe, wary of the boy’s family name and unwilling to risk offense.
“He is one of the personal disciples of the Boundless Buddhist Lord and also a figure on the Heavenly Dragon Ranking, occupying the top position!”
Shen Yunqing’s expression shifted subtly as he reminded Li Hao.
Being from Qingzhou, Shen Yunqing was familiar with the details of that infamous battle. He also knew of the friction between Li Hao and Li Qianfeng. The latter was a disciple of the Boundless Buddhist Lord, and the young man on the platform was, in fact, Li Qianfeng’s senior brother.
The man’s sudden challenge was likely an attempt to restore some face for his junior or even for the Boundless Buddhist Lord himself.
The struggle over the true dragon of the Li family had caused a sensation. Though Shen Yunqing and the other disciples of the Sacred Palace had not participated in the event, tales of what transpired at the subsequent banquet had long circulated widely.
Li Hao, armed with nothing but a single chopstick, nearly killed a direct disciple of the Boundless Buddhist Lord.
The shocking nature of this event ensured it became a hot topic, spreading like wildfire.
If it were merely a baseless rumor, it would have died out quickly. But as it was witnessed by countless banquet attendees, the truth could not be suppressed.
Seated nearby, Li Wushuang’s expression also changed, anger flickering in her eyes as she stared at the young man on the platform.
Just moments ago, she had found his Grandmaster Dao enlightening, even secretly admiring him. But now, his direct callout of Li Hao was clearly an act of provocation.
How could she not see that his actions were deliberately targeted?
Li Hao’s gaze met that of the young man on the platform. Though both wore faint smiles, Li Hao could discern the coldness lurking in his opponent’s eyes.
Greed, anger, delusion. It seemed this man had succumbed to anger.
Li Hao felt a twinge of amusement. He hadn’t gone looking for trouble, yet trouble had found him first.
“I have no interest in merely discussing Dao.”
Li Hao’s tone was calm.
This was not a retreat but a deliberate provocation.
The rules of Dao discourse dictated restraint, but Li Hao had no interest in drawn-out entanglements. If it came to blows, crippling the opponent would be ideal.
“Could it be that Young Master Li has not come here to engage in Dao discussion?”
Qin Wuque narrowed his eyes slightly, chuckling softly.
He was a Buddhist Venerable, one step away from reaching the peak of the Grandmaster Realm, his Dao Heart perfectly intact.
His purpose for attending this discourse was to perfect his Dao.
The moment he saw Li Hao strike the drum at the entrance, he recognized him.
“Whether or not I engage depends on my mood,” Li Hao replied with a smile. “I just find your Dao overly simplistic—hardly worth discussing.”
The crowd was momentarily stunned.
Qin Wuque was a direct disciple of the Boundless Buddhist Lord, and his Dao was by no means ordinary. To enter the Dao through anger alone was a testament to his profound insight. Yet, Li Hao had just dismissed it as simplistic?
Qin Wuque’s smile did not falter as he replied:
“If Young Master Li finds my Dao Heart simplistic, then I must ask: what kind of Dao Heart does Young Master Li possess? I’ve heard that you attained the Heavenly and Man Realm after a duel with your father, the Duke of Xingwu. Could it be that your Dao Heart is the Dao of Killing—born from fratricide and patricide?”
The words fell like a thunderclap, silencing the crowd.
Everyone had heard rumors of this, but none dared mention it in the presence of someone from the Divine General Mansion. After all, for the Li family, this was a disgrace.
For Qin Wuque to openly bring it up now was a direct slap in the face of the Li family.
Li Wushuang’s face turned pale, her anger intensifying. While this was a stain on the Li family’s reputation, she understood the truth of the events and knew Li Hao could not be blamed. For Qin Wuque to bring it up so publicly was clearly intended to humiliate the Divine General Mansion.
Li Hao locked his gaze onto Qin Wuque, his smile fading.
“Do you really wish to discuss Dao?” Li Hao asked softly.
Qin Wuque’s smile deepened as he replied, “I humbly ask for Young Master Li’s guidance.”
Li Hao said nothing in response. Instead, he raised his hand, and a small stone flew from the ground into his palm.
The stone began to spin rapidly, its surface polished smooth until it resembled a pristine, white chess piece.
“All things in heaven and earth can embody the Dao. If you can withstand this one move, it will prove that your Grandmaster Dao has some merit.”
Li Hao’s voice was calm, but each word rang clearly across the gathering.
As the crowd watched in astonishment, Li Hao raised his hand. Holding the chess piece delicately as if making a move on a chessboard, he gently pressed down.
The chess piece shot forward, landing on the Dao discussion platform.
In that instant, a surge of energy condensed around the tiny chess piece. Layers of soft yet unyielding power enveloped it, radiating divine light and resplendent brilliance.
Simultaneously, a towering aura erupted from Li Hao’s body, and an imposing phantom of a hundred-zhang tall Heavenly Avatar emerged behind him.
The Heavenly Avatar, standing like a god, cast its gaze over the entire assembly, exuding an overwhelming aura of invincibility.
The avatar mirrored Li Hao’s actions, its colossal hand pinching the tiny chess piece between its fingers.
The chess piece, now glowing like a miniature sun, descended upon Qin Wuque with an aura that seemed to embody the highest principles of heaven and earth.
Like a chess move played decisively on the board, it pressed downward unerringly, without remorse.
Qin Wuque’s expression changed abruptly. From the overwhelming presence of the Heavenly Avatar, he felt a terrifying aura akin to facing the vastness of mountains and rivers, the might of the sun and stars!
The descending chess piece no longer seemed like a mere stone. Instead, it was as if an immense and boundless mountain loomed overhead, pressing down relentlessly.
Such immense power left him utterly shaken and almost unable to comprehend its scope.
“Boundless Golden Body!!”
Sensing imminent danger, Qin Wuque roared furiously, releasing a Buddhist chant that echoed through the air. Gone was his previous calm and composed demeanor.
A divine soul manifested behind him, glowing with golden light. His kasaya shimmered like burning flames, and the prayer beads he wore emanated a sacred aura, giving him the appearance of a benevolent deity.
However, as he gathered his strength to confront the attack, his expression turned savage, his Way of Anger igniting with ferocity.
Rage became his weapon, an explosive and ruthless force akin to a wrathful guardian deity.
“Heaven-Opening Divine Palm!!”
The radiance of the Boundless Golden Body erupted with intense power, like a sun ablaze, as Qin Wuque raised his hands to unleash a devastating strike at the descending chess piece.
The chess piece, now resembling a miniature radiant sun, illuminated the entire area with dazzling brilliance, too intense to gaze upon directly.
With the descent of the Heavenly Avatar’s hand, the chess piece carried an aura that seemed to pierce through the nine abysses, shaking the heavens and the earth.
The Dao discussion platform trembled violently. Even the waves of the Long River surged in response, crashing onto the platform as though drawn by the immense energy.
A deafening roar resounded as the golden palm collided with the radiant chess piece.
Under the overwhelming pressure of the Heavenly Avatar’s divine aura, Qin Wuque’s golden palm disintegrated inch by inch. The chess piece was no ordinary stone—it was imbued with Li Hao’s deeply honed Dao and the power of his mastery over Object Manipulation.
Li Hao’s skill in Object Manipulation surpassed even that of the imperial clan. Though Qin Wuque was a direct disciple of the Boundless Buddhist Lord, his Object Manipulation Techniques paled in comparison.
“Great Buddha Golden Body!”
“Boundless Light of the Buddha!!”
As his divine palm shattered, Qin Wuque’s eyes filled with rage and despair. Letting out a furious roar, he unleashed all his strength.
Golden energy erupted from the 84,000 pores of his body, his veins surged with power, and the Dao veins he cultivated burned brightly as he summoned another mighty strike.
Yet, the hand of the Heavenly Avatar was unstoppable.
It bore the weight of supreme rules, descending with an unrelenting and impassive might.
The storm-like pressure ripped through Qin Wuque’s kasaya, sending it fluttering wildly. His wide-open eyes reflected the image of his own crumbling palm strike, and the radiant chess piece descending mercilessly.
The chess piece, enveloped in divine light, hurtled downward like a comet from the heavens. It struck him squarely at the center of his brow.
Though the chess piece was originally just an ordinary stone, it remained intact even after the intense clash. This was because the vast and boundless energy enveloping it had protected it from shattering—a testament to the fact that Li Hao had not even exerted his full strength.
The overwhelming force pressed onto Qin Wuque’s shoulders. Bone-cracking sounds echoed as his shoulders buckled under the pressure. His legs trembled violently before his knees gave way, plunging deeply into the Dao discussion platform and fracturing the stone beneath.
His physical body could not withstand the force. His knees collapsed, slamming into the platform with a sickening thud, splattering blood onto his face and kasaya.
The immense pressure continued unabated, forcing his entire body downward.
Soon, he was sprawled on the platform, his limbs splayed helplessly like a paralyzed frog.
From below the platform, it looked as though Qin Wuque had been pinned down by a single finger of the Heavenly Avatar, utterly immobilized.
He struggled in vain, resembling nothing more than a squirming toad.