The sun and moon are both wrong; who made him seek the Dharma?

Chapter 2 Black Flash

On the way back, Gao Haoguang savored the wondrous Daoist rhythm that connected all things.

Everything was connected by some kind of network, a power he had never imagined.

He thus came to perceive the true nature of the world.

Twelve-year-old Gao Haoguang looked melancholy and sighed like a little adult with an air of maturity.

"This may not necessarily be a good thing."

"When you look at a mountain, it is not a mountain; when you look at water, it is not water."

I'm afraid there's nothing left in this world that can pique my interest.

"What are you babbling about?"

Xia Chuan lay on the cart with his hands behind his head, legs crossed, and a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

"Hurry up and lead the donkey away."

"Why am I the one leading the donkey cart?!"

Gao Haoguang was abruptly pulled from that blissful state of "I am the only one sober in a world of drunks," his tone indignant:

"Didn't they say I awakened my innate supernatural power? Is it New Year's Day today?!"

Xia Chuan curled his lip, feeling proud rather than ashamed:

"On your joyous occasion, it is only right that you show respect to your senior brother."

"If it weren't for my finger, how would you have awakened your innate supernatural power?"

One should know how to be grateful.

Gao Haoguang remained silent, seething with hatred.

Sure enough, the senior brother who said he would give him the "Essential Techniques for the Common People" must have been replaced by the kind-hearted person.

This is the real face now.

He sighed and resigned himself to his fate, leading the donkey that was taller than him.

"Senior brother, you were the first to become my disciple, so you should know how we three Zhen perished back then, right?"

Xia Chuan carefully recalled the limited amount of sect history he had in his mind:

"Well, Master did mention that once when he got me drunk."

"It seems they were wiped out by a passing mage."

Gao Haoguang's eyes gleamed: "A corpse?"

Xia Chuan nodded:

"When mortals die, their lingering attachments turn them into Nirvana corpses, which are called ordinary corpses."

If a seeker of magic who has mastered magical power becomes a Nirvana Corpse, then naturally he is a Dharma Corpse.

"These high-level Nirvana corpses not only retain their memories from their previous lives perfectly, but their bodies, after being tempered by baleful energy, are even more robust, becoming ridiculously tough."

Gao Haoguang's brows furrowed tightly, and his voice involuntarily rose:

"Preserving memories from before death?!"

Xia Chuan waved his hand, signaling him not to make a fuss:

"However, the real trouble with the Dharma Corpse lies in the other two places."

"One is that as long as it is promoted to a Dharma Corpse, it will awaken its own unique innate divine power."

It's said that thing is like the innate supernatural power of a seeker of magic, unpredictable and even capable of distorting the laws of reality; I'm not entirely sure just how outrageous it is.

Gao Haoguang's gaze grew increasingly serious.

"The Corpse of Law is actually this strong?"

Xia Chuan nodded and added:

"Another troublesome aspect is that the corpse can use the spells it used in life without any hindrance, and can even activate magical artifacts."

Gao Haoguang looked up curiously: "Then, senior brother, can you defeat the Dharma Corpse?"

Xia Chuan shook his head and sighed, "I don't know either, I guess we can't beat them."

After all, even the most basic magical corpses have their own innate supernatural abilities.

Gao Haoguang was completely stunned.

"You can't even beat them?"

Xia Chuan nodded: "Well, after all, one should be careful when taking action."

"However, since I came out of seclusion, I have never been defeated, so the outcome is hard to say."

Gao Haoguang was taken aback.

In Gao Haoguang's eyes, his senior brother was simply invincible.

Every time he went out and met other seekers of the Dharma, they treated him with utmost respect, and countless people openly or secretly showed him goodwill.

I never expected him to be so strong, never having been defeated?

He couldn't help but ask, "How did you do that?"

Xia Chuan earnestly instructed: "For us prodigies, the most important thing is to fight across ranks and cultivate an invincible spirit within our hearts."

Gao Haoguang's ears stood up.

The old man, has he finally unleashed his ultimate attack?

"First of all, I cannot fight opponents whose skill level is higher than mine."

Xia Chuan explained in detail: "Because he is strong, although he might be able to beat him."

But if I lose, won't my efforts be ruined?

The aura of invincibility dissipated.

Gao Haoguang nodded to himself, silently making a mental note of it.

Before going to war, it is necessary to carefully compare the strengths of both sides.

"Secondly, I can't fight those who are at a similar level to me."

"Because he is good."

"What if I beat up the younger one and anger the older one? How am I supposed to maintain my invincible aura then?"

Gao Haoguang seemed to understand something.

It is essential to thoroughly investigate the other party's true intentions and background.

"So how did you manage to complete the challenge against someone of a higher level?"

Xia Chuan held up his third finger: "So the most important one is the third one."

"I'll find someone whose cultivation level is lower than mine to fight."

"I only take action against those who are clearly weaker than me."

Gao Haoguang: ? ? ?

"For you:"

A minor superpower can defeat a mediocre opponent;

The Middle Divine Power reverses the Lesser Divine Power;

The Great Supernatural Power overturns the Middle Supernatural Power.

"Moreover, before making a move, they would spray lime, poison their weapons, secretly administer drugs, and use hidden arrows to injure everyone."

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, do you understand?

"And most importantly,"

Xia Chuan's expression was serious:

"If you encounter an opponent you can't beat despite your meticulous planning, remember to snort coldly, 'You barely managed to fight me to a draw,' and then turn around and run away."

Remember, when you run, your movements should be stylish and your momentum should be strong.

"Only by mastering these four skills can one cultivate true invincibility."

Gao Haoguang felt like a clown just now.

So your invincibility is this kind of invincibility.

It seems Sanzhen is beyond saving.

Gao Haoguang sighed, his youthful face etched with the marks of time:

"I guess we can't count on you to avenge Sanzhen's blood feud; I'll have to do it myself."

Xia Chuan laughed heartily: "You've got quite the nerve."

"Even I'm not sure I could beat you, where do you get your confidence from?"

Gao Haoguang turned his head away disdainfully and said arrogantly:

"With my talent and innate supernatural abilities, I will definitely be able to surpass you and my master in a dozen years."

"At that time, I can destroy those mere corpses with a flick of my finger."

Xia Chuan shook his head and chuckled, but did not deny it.

This kid is indeed very talented, you could even say he's freakish.

Moreover, for some unknown reason, he awakened his innate supernatural power ahead of schedule.

Given time, he will surely achieve great things.

"Then I'll wait and see, Gray Boy. When you become successful in the future, don't forget the winning formula your senior brother taught you today."

If you encounter someone you can't beat, remember to use that move: "Barely manage a draw with me."

Gao Haoguang immediately bristled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "Who wants to listen to your nonsense?! I'm going to be invincible in this world, fair and square!"

The two bickered as the cart swayed and rocked its way along the muddy mountain road.

In the distance, a massive mountain peak, resembling an arched bridge, came into view, appearing and disappearing in the morning mist.

Down the mountain lies the current residence of the Three Truths, the Third Dharma Palace.

Xia Chuan's smiling face suddenly froze. He twitched his nose, and his expression instantly darkened.

Bloody smell?

An extremely strong and fresh smell of blood.

Did it come from the sect?

Xia Chuan calmly surveyed his surroundings, his seemingly casual eyes now sharp as a hawk's.

No, that's not right.

The smell of blood wasn't coming from the distant mountains; the source was right nearby.

Very close.

"Haoguang, stop for a moment."

Xia Chuan's serious, deep voice startled Gao Haoguang; he rarely saw his senior brother speak in such a tone. Gao Haoguang immediately tensed up as well.

"W-what's wrong?"

He unconsciously tightened his grip on the donkey's reins, nervously glancing around at the dense bushes.

Xia Chuan's expression shifted, then he laughed heartily, breaking the tense atmosphere:

"Nothing, I just couldn't hold it in anymore, I need to go relieve myself."

Having said that, he jumped off the carriage first and walked straight towards the bushes ahead in a carefree manner.

Gao Haoguang breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:

"It's just taking a break, why are you making such a fuss and making me so nervous?"

"A clever lad, too late."

Just then, a harsh, unpleasant sound, like fingernails scraping glass, suddenly rang out on the quiet mountain path.

A loud rustling sound came from the bushes.

A Nirvana corpse, clad in tattered, bright silver armor and with white hair, leaped down from a thick tree branch like a giant, withered spider.

With a loud bang, it slammed heavily onto the ground, blocking Xia Chuan and Gao Haoguang's path.

The corpse reeked of a nauseating stench, its shriveled muscles clinging tightly to its bones.

His bloodshot, murky eyes, filled with undisguised greed, scanned back and forth between Xia Chuan and Gao Haoguang.

"You're Sanzhen, right?"

The corpse grinned, revealing a mouthful of fangs, as if confirming the delicious meal that was about to be devoured.

"Back then, I ate quite a few of the Three True Disciples."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but stick out a long, barbed, purplish-black tongue and greedily lick his chapped lips:

"That feeling, tsk tsk, that flesh and blood filled with despair and spirit, it's truly unforgettable."

Gao Haoguang was completely stunned.

Is this the Nirvana corpse of the three who were wiped out back then?

The silver-armored Nirvana Corpse narrowed its eyes, sizing up Xia Chuan, its tone mocking:

"Sanzhen is getting worse and worse; he actually took a mortal as his eldest disciple."

Xia Chuan silently shielded Gao Haoguang behind him.

"Oh? This is your junior brother? He's got smooth skin and tender flesh, not bad, definitely more chewy than you."

The silver-armored Nirvana Corpse laughed loudly: "Don't worry, I'll capture you and your fellow disciples first."

"Enjoy it slowly in front of your master."

Facing the arrogant silver-armored corpse, Xia Chuan sighed deeply, as if lamenting the capriciousness of fate.

Xia Chuan's current level of achievement is largely due to his four undefeated techniques.

But ultimately it still depends on his own hard work.

[System, Skill Extraction, Preferred: Active Skills]

[Extracting data...]

As over nine hundred lottery points disappeared like flowing water, Xia Chuan felt much more at ease.

He took out the Three True Treasures of the Same Month token from his pocket.

Without making a sound, he turned his hand away and handed it to Gao Haoguang.

Gao Haoguang blankly accepted the cold token of the same month, his mind completely blank.

But I could hear my senior brother's suppressed anxiety very clearly.

"Run! I'll hold him off!"

Gao Haoguang looked up abruptly, only to see his senior brother's resolute profile with a hint of a determined smile.

"The Three Truths in the Same Month Decree, from this moment on, I pass it on to you."

"Run far away, survive, it's okay if you don't want revenge."

"It's not bad to live an ordinary life incognito, farming and raising donkeys."

"Just stay alive. Remember, don't look back."

Gao Haoguang stared blankly at his senior brother, whose mountain-like back now seemed somewhat tragic.

Immediately, Xia Chuan turned his head, his eyes burning with an unprecedented ferocity, and let out a rapid roar with all his might:

"Run!!!"

"Hurry up!!!"

Gao Haoguang gripped the Three Truths of the Same Month Token tightly in Xia Chuan's hand, turned around abruptly, and sprinted back the way he came with all his might.

Tears welled up like a burst dam, blurring her vision.

Senior brother...

The silver-armored Nirvana Corpse let out a sinister laugh, narrowing its eyes with mockery: "Truly deep brotherly affection."

"It wasn't in vain that I waited so long for you to say goodbye."

Xia Chuan turned around, faced the corpse, and nodded in agreement.

"really."

[978 lottery points consumed, draw preference: active skill, draw complete]

His bones cracked and popped as he looked at the Nirvana Corpse, his eyes revealing an indescribable joy:

"Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to explain it to him."

Silver-Armored Nirvana Corpse: ? ? ?

As the Nirvana Corpse's gaze shifted from mockery to terror, Xia Chuan's aura, originally belonging to a mortal, began to rise at an incredible speed!

It was a pure, absolute sense of oppression from physical power!

The Nirvana Corpse stared at Xia Chuan in disbelief:

This kid's physique seems even stronger than mine!

Xia Chuan glanced at the new skills on his panel:

"You're holding your head too high."

[Acquire Skill]

[Soul Release] (Golden Passive/Active):

Active (cooldown 15 min):

A soul-targeting slash delivered through melee attacks.

The next attack after this will definitely unleash [Black Flash], dealing damage to this attack:

A 2.5-fold increase in all damage;

Reset the cooldowns of all other skills;

Increases maximum mana and restores 20% of maximum mana (corrected to health).

Within ten minutes of Black Flash being triggered, all skill effects are increased by an additional 20%.

Passive: Every attack you make has a chance to trigger [Black Flash].

If Black Flash is used during the cooldown period, all skill cooldowns (including Black Flash) are reset, and the probability of using Black Flash is increased by 0.004%.

Initial probability: 0.01%.