Chapter 23: Breaking the Ice

Chapter 23: Breaking the Ice

The excruciating pain jolted Ning Xuan awake. He tried to open his eyes, only to find his eye sockets throbbing with such intense agony that the simple act of opening them was impossible.

His eyeballs had once again been eaten by that demon first.

It seemed that the demon always prioritized his eyes.

This time, Ning Xuan did not attempt to perceive the true nature of the demon through the sensation of being "gnawed upon."

Instead, he decisively mobilized his remaining strength. With a muffled groan, his blood and qi surged to his head, erupting from his seven orifices in an instant.

Consequently, the agony of the Avici Hell dissipated.

Darkness.

Boundless darkness...

Ning Xuan felt a gentle night breeze brushing through his hair.

[Nine of Three].

He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the dense forest, the black moon, and the high mountains. With a soft sigh, he simply collapsed backward in a sprawling "starfish" position, trying his best to relax.

Constant tension would destroy his will.

In this nightmare akin to Avici Hell, death of the body was not what was terrifying; what was terrifying was the gradual collapse of the mind and the descent into despair. That would mean true, eternal damnation.

He swore that once he returned, he would gather all the courtesans of the Zuihua Pavilion and the Chenxiang Pavilion in one place. He would make them strip naked to drink and revel with him, and have the musicians play the pipa under the moonlight while wearing the thinnest red gauze.

He swore he would eat the most luxurious and delicious foods; even if he had to run ten thousand-mile horses to death, they would have to deliver his meal from thousands of miles away that very day.

He swore he would gather all the people he found pleasing and gently ask them about their dreams. If they were good dreams, he would immediately help them realize them; if they were bad, he would tell them to go eat shit.

He had suffered so much; he absolutely refused to marry down to some pasture in Hanzhou. Why should he live under someone else's thumb? Why should he continue to suffer? Why couldn't he just let things slide and do whatever the hell he wanted?

"Hahaha..."

*Slap.*

Ning Xuan raised his hand and slapped his forehead, letting out a low laugh. After taking several deep breaths, his gaze regained its calm, ruthlessness, and decisiveness.

Here, he had no one to rely on.

He could only rely on himself.

He could only rely on himself.

He had to find every possible way to kill the opponent.

He... had recovered.

He began to contemplate the recent situation.

Originally, he was close to succeeding—at least things were moving in a positive direction—but that Bodhisattva had suddenly recovered, and even stronger than before.

Why?

That "Heng-Ha" sound was a sonic attack, similar to the "Lion's Roar" technique used in the martial arts world, yet when executed by the Bodhisattva, it was terrifyingly powerful.

So, why didn't the Bodhisattva use it at the beginning? Why did it instead crouch in the mountain crevices to search for him?

Therefore, "Heng-Ha" was a secret technique, and the Bodhisattva's sudden recovery was also a secret technique.

Correct?

After being hit by the "Heng-Ha," his entire body had nearly collapsed, yet he had managed to maintain a sliver of consciousness.

It was a blessing that his mother believed in Buddhism, for it allowed him to recognize the movements the Bodhisattva made before eating him.

Holding his palms upward to catch him was the "Dhyana Mudra."

Lifting him up and pressing him against the earth was the "Marici Mudra" (Subduing Demon Mudra).

However, he had not sensed any additional power within those two mudras.

In other words, those two mudras were merely imitations of the movements.

If it were a true Bodhisattva, it wouldn't perform the opening stances of divine powers without them having any effect.

Thus, this once again proved that this was merely a demon wearing the skin of a Bodhisattva.

Correct?

Suddenly, two details flashed through Ning Xuan's mind.

First, the pale light.

Before the Bodhisattva used its secret technique to recover, a pale white light had exploded before his eyes.

That was the color of sunlight.

Why did the demon only appear during the day?

What about the night?

There was no such thing on the first night.

What about the second night? Was it still there?

Second, the slow movements.

Compared to the Bodhisattva's power, its movements were actually quite slow, especially once it got close.

The Bodhisattva's capabilities could be divided into "four power zones."

In terms of raw power, a single palm strike or roar from the Bodhisattva could cause him to collapse completely, stripping him of all resistance.

In terms of speed, the Bodhisattva could only match him; while he was desperately fleeing, the Bodhisattva could only desperately pursue.

In terms of close-range maneuvering and dodging, the Bodhisattva could be described as "clumsy"; otherwise, it wouldn't have allowed him to burrow into its mouth and down its esophagus to force out its secret technique.

Inside the Bodhisattva's belly, the demon—which was likely a rat—occupied the final zone. Judging by how it instinctively went for his eyes twice, this demon was likely terrified of being seen; even when facing food, it would prioritize eating the prey's eyeballs first.

Ning Xuan pondered, then glanced up at the black moon in the sky.

He decided to do one thing.

A bold thing.

He brought out the "Many Children and Grandchildren" [box], but did not carry it on his back.

He gathered his various bottles and jars of poison, but did not coat his blade with it.

At the same time, he gathered extra medicinal supplies commonly carried by martial artists—items for "replenishing blood and qi," "relaxing muscles and promoting circulation," and "regulating and recovering"—and stuffed them into his robes.

Then, he thrust the Beast-Slaying Saber straight into the earth, like a flag fluttering violently before the dawn.

With these external burdens removed, he felt light.

He no longer went to explore the "Nightmare Boundary"; instead, he sat cross-legged in place beneath the Beast-Slaying Saber, closing his eyes to rest.

As time passed, his condition climbed toward its peak.

Finally...

Dawn arrived.

Ning Xuan opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.

He could already feel the gaze peering down from above.

A rumbling, thunderous sound drifted down from over his head.

"Little fellow, are you looking for—"

Before the words could finish, Ning Xuan slammed his palm against the ground and leaped up. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Bodhisattva, hunched over, its downward gaze piercing through the forest to land upon him.

Then, like a gust of wind, he bolted toward the northern Manfeng Mountains.

Without his heavy burdens, his speed was half a step faster than before, and his consumption was slightly lower.

The Bodhisattva gave a faint smile and immediately gave chase.

One incense stick's worth of time passed...

Half an hour passed...

An hour passed...

A look of surprise appeared on the Bodhisattva's face.

Two hours passed...

Ning Xuan began to gorge on medicine.

Three hours passed...

The Bodhisattva followed from behind, saying, "Little fellow, you can certainly run."

Ning Xuan did not answer, lest he waste his strength.

He kept running.

Another hour passed...

He felt as though he had traversed the entire Manfeng Mountain range. The moment he stepped out of the mountain terrain, he felt himself finally strike a boundary.

And through the boundary, he saw the Beast-Slaying Saber.

The saber was still standing in its original place, emitting a faint, whistling hum in the afternoon gale.

Ning Xuan sat down cross-legged and began to rapidly recover his strength.

He remembered that when he had refined the Mountain-Crashing Bear previously, that bear demon had not leaped through the "boundary" to chase him; instead, it had sensed his location and returned the way it came.

He looked forward to seeing if this Bodhisattva would do the same.

Ning Xuan waited for a short while. Seeing that the Bodhisattva did not cross the boundary to come directly here, he quickly found a water vat in a nearby military camp, soaked himself to cool down, and then found some dried rations and meat from the camp to eat heartily.

He ate until he was seventy percent full, then sat cross-legged by the Beast-Slaying Saber once more.

The sky gradually darkened.

The pale sun slowly descended toward the west, obscured by the mountains, casting long, cold, and oppressive shadows.

Ning Xuan's physical strength had mostly recovered.

But the Bodhisattva had not yet arrived.

During his fight with the Mountain-Crashing Bear demon, that battle had taken place in a mountain villa, and Ning Xuan had never left that villa, so the time had never stretched across a full day and night.

But now, the second night was fast approaching.

He did not know if the Bodhisattva would vanish or if it would... continue to pursue him.

The sun disappeared.

The black moon rose.

Ning Xuan sat quietly.

His stamina had completely recovered.

Two more hours passed, and he heard a rumbling sound from the distance.

Under the moonlight, the Golden-Bodhisattva was approaching.

Ning Xuan laughed.

He struck the ground and began to run once more.

He bypassed the Golden-Bodhisattva and headed north again.

The Golden-Bodhisattva followed once more.

Four more hours later...

He crossed the "boundary" again, returning to his original spot.

The Bodhisattva continued to approach.

Ning Xuan continued to run.

He didn't believe the Bodhisattva could run indefinitely without consumption.

During the third round...

The Bodhisattva finally stopped. It ceased the pursuit.

It began to recover.

The white radiance on its body began to dim.

In the heavens, the black moon rose.

Ning Xuan took a deep breath and finally drew the Beast-Slaying Saber.

The youth's black hair danced wildly. Carrying the "Many Children and Grandchildren" on his back and wielding his long saber, he approached the Bodhisattva. Looking up at the giant, he said, "A mere demon dares to wear the skin of a Bodhisattva?"

The words were biting. The Golden-Bodhisattva, who was currently regulating its breath, snapped its eyes open instantly and raised a hand to strike Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan spun to dodge.

The Golden-Bodhisattva glanced at the heavy loads on his back, hesitated slightly, and then suddenly stood up to give chase again.

Ning Xuan began to run once more.

This time, he only ran as far as the mountain crevice by the waterfall from before, and just as before, he ducked inside.

*Bang!*

*Bang!*

The Golden-Bodhisattva pressed its hands against both sides of the crevice, its massive face leaning in.

"Little fellow, this time, let's see—"

*Boom!*

Before the words could finish, a thunderous roar erupted, followed by a streak of rapid light.

With the large iron box on his back and gripping the Beast-Slaying Saber, Ning Xuan charged violently into the Bodhisattva's gaping maw with a posture he had envisioned hundreds and thousands of times—a posture that would commit no errors. He plunged straight down the esophagus.

He skillfully threw the "Four Generations Under One Roof" [box] to clear the path.

He skillfully activated the "Many Children and Grandchildren," then delivered a powerful kick, causing the large iron box to simultaneously erupt with hundreds and thousands of hidden weapons while plummeting rapidly downward.

Following behind, he channeled his Swallow-鸣 (Yánmíng) Strength and swung his blade in a frenzied slash.

*Cough!*

*Cough, cough!!*

The Bodhisattva's coughing grew increasingly violent.

The wind within the esophagus became more turbulent.

The "Many Children and Grandchildren" reached a point of equilibrium in mid-air, unable to fall further.

Ning Xuan's black hair writhed upward like seaweed in the deep ocean.

Meanwhile, numerous wounds appeared within the Bodhisattva's esophagus.

The two sides began a tug-of-war within the throat.

Just then, a furious scream originating from the Bodhisattva's internal organs suddenly reached Ning Xuan's ears, followed immediately by a familiar burst of pale white light before his eyes.

The light was not intense.

But as it washed over his wounds, it rapidly repaired them.

Ning Xuan was stunned.

*'It can't be...'*

A profound sense of despair rose from the depths of his heart.

If he had gone to such lengths and it was still just another cycle, then... what was he supposed to do next time?

A strange breath began to brew.

All the violent upward currents in the esophagus ceased.

"Heng~~~"

Though despairing, Ning Xuan's reactions were lightning-fast. He stopped descending and instead stepped against the walls of the esophageal tube, racing upward.

Just as he was about to reach the opening of the esophagus, a massive explosion occurred.

"HA!!!"

*Bang!*

He was spat out of the massive mouth like a grain of rice, launched into mid-air.

His peripheral vision caught the Golden-Bodhisattva below.

Suddenly, he froze.

The ten-丈-tall Bodhisattva had shrunk slightly, becoming eight 丈 tall, and was currently staring at him with eyes filled with extreme fury.

"Little fellow, I will eat you slowly, very slowly, until you regret ever coming into this world."

Ning Xuan burst into wild laughter, the despair in his heart swept away.

In the next instant, he surged his strength one last time and committed suicide before he even hit the ground.

(End of Chapter)