novelraw Chapter 72 End of the Year
Chapter 72 End of the Year
Chapter 72 Ending After a Thousand Years
The phantom of Shakyamuni clasped his hands together, nodded slightly, and golden light flowed around him. His figure seemed to melt into the sunlight, turning into specks of golden light that slowly dissipated.
"It's just a fragment of the true meaning of the past taken from a Buddha statue; it can't be considered the real Shakyamuni." Zhou Yi's voice rang out calmly, as if the shocking scene just now was just something he did casually.
Zuo Ruotong gazed intently at the dissipating golden light and slowly said, "Even this is enough to shock the world. If the ancestral temples of the Chan school of Buddhism knew that you could borrow such true meaning through talismanic magic—they would probably never have a peaceful day again. Those old monks would definitely pester you to discuss the Dao every day."
"I couldn't be happier." Zhou Yi's lips curled up slightly, revealing an enigmatic smile. "It's a good opportunity to take them for a stroll in the north, to stretch their muscles and bones, and to do our part for this land."
Upon hearing this, Zuo Ruotong couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. This disciple always acted in unexpected ways, yet subtly aligned with some kind of general trend.
He said no more, turning his gaze to Chengzhen, who remained somewhat dazed on the steps, and asked gently, "Well, Chengzhen, are you convinced now?"
Chengzhen snapped out of her daze, exhaling a long breath. Her face still held a mixture of shock and relief. She clasped her hands in a respectful bow towards Zhou Yi and said frankly, "I'm convinced. Junior Brother Zhou's abilities are extraordinary and unfathomable, far beyond my reach. I was presumptuous."
Zuo Ruotong nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over all the disciples present. Her voice was calm yet carried an undeniable weight: "Within the entire Sanyi Sect, if we're talking about someone who can reliably defeat Chengzhen, besides myself, I'm afraid it's hard to find another person."
He changed the subject, his gaze falling back on Zhou Yi, his eyes flashing with a complex light, "But let alone you, Chengzhen, even I, who was watching the battle just now, witnessed that phantom's last move—I couldn't help but feel a sense of insurmountable power."
"Senior brother!" Upon hearing this, Si Chong was startled and couldn't help but speak, as if he wanted to say something.
Zuo Ruotong gently waved her hand, interrupting him, a broad-minded and gratified smile appearing on her face: "Si Chong, there's no need to say more. As the saying goes, a disciple doesn't necessarily have to be inferior to his master. Besides..."
He paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening like lightning. Though his aura didn't erupt, it was as if a dormant volcano was awakening, and the air itself seemed to thicken and become heavy: "I haven't lost yet."
The moment the words left his mouth, everyone felt a blur before their eyes!
It was as if space itself was being slightly distorted by an invisible force, or as if one's vision was being forcibly pulled.
Upon closer inspection, Zuo Ruotong's figure had vanished from the high steps, appearing silently in the center of the courtyard, a foot away from Zhou Yi, as if by teleportation! A long afterimage was left behind her!
Compared to Chengzhen's swift and rapid charge just now, Zuo Ruotong's movement, which was almost like "shrinking the earth to an inch," was more than twice as fast. Moreover, it was completely effortless, as if he was meant to stand there, and the movement was extremely natural and fluid.
"Come, Zhou Yi." Zuo Ruotong's robe sleeves fluttered without wind as he calmly gazed at this disciple, whom even he found unfathomable. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Let your master—properly assess—what level of enlightenment you have attained in these twenty-three years!"
The last syllable had not completely dissipated—
Zuo Ruotong has already made her move!
Without warning, without gathering any strength, and without even a shrug of the shoulders.
He simply raised his left hand very naturally, his fingers slightly spread and his palm slightly sunken, as if he were just about to gently touch a breeze in front of him.
However, just as he raised his hand, the phantom of that hand seemed to break through the limitations of space and appeared out of thin air in front of Zhou Yi's face!
His palm was clenched inward, not striking directly, but carrying an indescribable suction force and a restrictive aura that enveloped all directions, as if he wanted to seize the space around Zhou Yi and even Zhou Yi himself!
The ultimate martial art of the Sanyi Sect—Cloud Hands: Embracing the Moon!
It appears gentle, but it actually contains hidden power, with its strength concealed and its follow-up moves endless.
Faced with this unpredictable and masterful attack, Zhou Yi remained standing still, his figure unshaken.
He simply raised his right hand seemingly casually, his wrist turned slightly, and his five fingers swept lightly towards the palm shadow that was already in front of him, as if he were playing a zither.
The movements were graceful and effortless.
"Pop~"
A faint, almost inaudible sound, like a bubble bursting.
Zuo Ruotong's mysterious and unpredictable "Embracing the Moon" technique, which could instantly subdue most experts, was quietly swept away by this casual brush, as if dust had been brushed off, and its power vanished without a trace.
At the same time, Zhou Yi moved his feet slightly. Without any visible effort, he slid forward a step as naturally as flowing water, just within an arm's length of Zuo Ruotong's body!
This distance is usually a dangerous place that cultivators who are good at mid-to-long-range combat and have versatile talisman techniques should try their best to avoid, as it means exposing themselves to the absolute domain of close combat experts.
Zuo Ruotong's pupils suddenly contracted!
His original plan was to close the distance at lightning speed, compress the space, and limit the effectiveness of Zhou Yi's unpredictable talismanic techniques.
To my utter surprise, the other party not only did not avoid me, but instead took the initiative to meet me, and even dared to step into my arm's length!
This courage and confidence far exceeded his expectations.
What alarmed him even more was that the opponent's seemingly casual flick and his perfectly natural close-range footwork showed that he also had unfathomable attainments in the art of "life and death"! It was definitely not just relying on external talismans and magic.
"Good lad—" Zuo Ruotong's mind raced, and he vaguely felt that he was being underestimated?
Since there's no need for probing, let's fight with all our might!
With a single thought, Zuo Ruotong held nothing back!
"Buzz—!"
A breath far more powerful, pure, and vast than Chengzhen's, erupted from Zuo Ruotong's body like a sleeping dragon suddenly awakening!
His entire body instantly transformed into a warm, flawless, almost transparent jade-like luster, even his hair and eyebrows turned into pure silver-white, and his eyes shone with a tangible, divine light!
Reverse Rebirth Triple, Limitless Double!
Its level of refinement and the sense of sublimation of life it brings even faintly touches the threshold of the third level!
The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze instantly, filled with this powerful and sacred life energy. Those with weaker cultivation, such as Shuiyun and Lu Jin, felt their breath catch in their throats and their hearts feel heavy, as if they were facing a majestic divine mountain.
The two were no more than an arm's length apart.
At a distance close enough to clearly feel each other's breath and heartbeat, the two calmly looked at each other.
There were no words, no warning.
The next instant, "Bang bang bang bang bang—!!!"
A series of muffled thuds, so dense they almost formed a continuous chorus, like a torrential downpour hitting banana leaves, suddenly exploded between the two of them!
Neither of them moved much, maintaining that close distance, like two frozen sculptures.
But their hands had already transformed into countless afterimages that were difficult to detect with the naked eye!
Fists, palms, fingers, claws, elbows, shoulders—every part of the body becomes a deadly weapon.
The exquisite moves of the Sanyi Sect were effortlessly mastered by Zuo Ruotong, yet she constantly innovated. Each strike contained the immense power of the peak of the second level of the Reverse Life Realm, sometimes fierce and unparalleled, sometimes gentle and clinging, sometimes righteous and peaceful, with countless variations.
The responses from the I Ching are equally dazzling.
His movements, while not bearing the clear traces of the San Yi School's techniques as Zuo Ruotong's, were more natural and unpredictable.
Sometimes it was like a gentle breeze brushing a willow, using softness to overcome hardness, subtly deflecting Zuo Ruotong's overwhelming offensive; sometimes it was like a sudden thunderbolt, breaking through the surface with a single point, a flick of a finger causing Zuo Ruotong's subsequent moves to die in the womb; sometimes it was like a deep pool and a towering mountain, dissolving the incoming force layer by layer with only the slightest tremor of the skin.
Within this small space, the two fought with speed, skill, and intention!
The movements were so fast that, to onlookers, it seemed as if the two had grown a thousand arms, frantically colliding, striking, and dismantling each other in a tiny space!
Countless afterimages intertwined and overlapped, forming a dazzling web of light and shadow.
The surging energy emanated from the two of them, spreading and rippled outwards like tangible waves!
The blue bricks on the courtyard floor silently developed fine, spiderweb-like cracks, and the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees rustled and moved without wind, as if they were trembling in fear for this earth-shattering duel.
"So strong—" Lu Jin murmured involuntarily, her face turning slightly pale.
He even sensed that either of the two people fighting fiercely in the arena, if they were to get serious, could probably kill him with just one palm strike!
The phrase "a thousand strikes in an instant" is no exaggeration when describing the exchange between Zuo Ruotong and Zhou Yi at this moment.
Even to an onlooker, what might appear as a mere leaf drifting from a branch and not yet touching the ground could be the brief moment during which countless exchanges, collisions, and dismantlings of offense and defense occurred around those two seemingly still figures.
The passage of time seemed to be distorted and accelerated in their realm.
Then "thump!"
A dull yet exceptionally clear sound, like a sudden heartbeat or the thud of a giant hammer striking a drum, abruptly broke the continuous explosion!
All sounds, all afterimages, all the surging energy, all fell into absolute silence after that one sound.
The transition from extreme motion to extreme stillness is sudden and unexpected, yet it carries a shocking force that can stop your heart.
Everyone's vision instantly became clear.
In the arena, the two remained an arm's length apart, standing facing each other.
Zuo Ruotong took a slight step back.
On the spotless Taoist robe on his chest, there was a clear, shallow handprint with five distinct fingers.
At the mark, the jade-white reverse luster rippled slightly and slowly subsided, without causing any substantial damage, but its very existence had already announced the outcome.
In the end, this ultimate showdown between master and disciple resulted in him being one move behind.
Zuo Ruotong slowly exhaled a long breath, and the jade-white luster around her body and the silver-white hair faded away like the tide, returning to normal.
He glanced down at the palm print on his chest, his face showing no anger or frustration, but rather a relieved, gratified, and somewhat complicated smile.
"I lost," he admitted calmly.
Zhou Yi also withdrew his hand, pinched his right thumb and forefinger together, and gestured an extremely small distance: "Just this little bit."
"A slight difference can lead to a huge error." Zuo Ruotong shook his head, looking clearly at his disciple who had already surpassed him. "I'm not so old and blind that I can't see the outcome of a battle. Besides—you haven't even used your truly proficient methods."
His gaze shifted to the outside of the arena, to the ancient sword case that remained quietly suspended.
"Shuiyun Changqing and the others have already told me in detail about Wugensheng's matter." Zuo Ruotong's tone became somewhat distant. "You cleaved a small hill in front of those demons of Quanxing with a single sword? Then ten thousand swords were unleashed at once, cleansing the demonic atmosphere—the person who described that scene still feels lingering fear. I don't think they would fabricate it to deceive me."
He looked at Zhou Yi again, his eyes filled with emotion and a hint of relief: "Zhou Yi, you have completely—surpassed me."
"I, Zuo Ruotong—have nothing more to teach you."
Upon hearing this, Si Chong, Cheng Zhen, Shui Yun, and the others on the steps were all greatly shocked!
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi did not show any pride or humility, but instead looked at Zuo Ruotong with a deeper gaze, as if he could see through the deeper emotions beneath the other party's calm surface.
He spoke slowly, his voice low, yet it seemed to touch upon something profound: "It seems—Master, you have already discerned the ultimate—truth—of the Threefold Reversal of Life within my Three Ones Sect."
It should be noted that Zhou Yi has already taken one foot into the realm of the Middle Divine Power.
Even someone at the ultimate level two couldn't possibly hold their own against him for so long. Even if it was only for a few seconds. Even if he wasn't serious.
Although it was only for a moment, with his right palm touching his chest and then separating, Zhou Yi still noticed that the realm was completely different from the second level.
What Zuo Ruotong was hiding...
He was completely unaware that he had quietly entered the third level.
Yes.
The Book of Changes warns Wugensheng not to venture into the mountains and meet Zuo Ruotong.
Conversely, if Zuo Ruotong wanted to see Wugensheng, who in the world could stop her?
He had already used the pretense of seclusion to meet Wugensheng with the help of a great divination master from Shangqing, thus achieving the third level of enlightenment. He learned the truth and understood why none of the elders from the sect who had gone out to travel and break through to the third level had returned.
How should I put it?
He immediately had the thought that it would be better to die.
It wasn't until Wugensheng persuaded him to come and see Zhouyi that he finally understood.
And now it has been exposed by the I Ching.
Zuo Ruotong's body trembled almost imperceptibly, then she gave a bitter smile, a smile that carried both magnanimity and a faint desolation born of understanding: "So that's how it is—you saw it so clearly back then?"
"Viewed from the side, it's a range; viewed from the front, it's a peak; its appearance varies depending on distance and elevation." Zhou Yi's gaze swept over the familiar courtyard and the distant mountains. "Master, from childhood to adulthood, you have cultivated, experienced, and climbed in these mountains. What you see and feel are all the shapes and spirits of the mountains. Naturally, it's difficult to step outside the mountains and see their entirety, or even their very essence."
He paused, his tone carrying a detached calm: "As for me, I came down from the mountain long ago. I have seen rivers, lakes, seas, plains, and deserts. I have also witnessed Western guns and cannons, Japanese ambitions, the wickedness of people's hearts, and the torrent of the times. Having seen so much, when I look back at this mountain, my perspective will naturally be somewhat different."
Zuo Ruotong remained silent for a long time, then let out a long, deep sigh.
The sigh was interwoven with complex emotions that were hard to describe: there was the joy of witnessing his disciple's transcendence, the melancholy of facing the limitations of his own path, and perhaps a faint loneliness after seeing through decades of persistence, as well as a hidden longing and relief for higher and farther scenery.
The wind in the courtyard seemed to sense this change in mood, becoming gentle and lingering, brushing against everyone's clothes and cheeks, carrying the unique crispness and coolness of the mountains.
"Looking back now," Zuo Ruotong's voice returned to calm, but was clearer than before, as if she had unloaded some invisible burden, "whether it's my past self or my obsessions and perceptions from even further back, I can't help but feel that they are somewhat ridiculous."
His gaze swept over the various expressions on the steps—Si Chong, Cheng Zhen, Shui Yun, Chang Qing, and the young Lu Jin—before finally settling on Zhou Yi beside him.
"I was thinking—maybe I could wait a little longer, see more, and let time tell the answer," Zuo Ruotong said slowly, her tone carrying a subtle, gentle reluctance that belonged to an elder. "But since even you have come this far and see things so clearly—then it's time."
He paused, then his voice suddenly became clear and firm, as if he had made a momentous decision: "It's time—to tell them the truth."
"Senior brother?!" Upon hearing these words, and combined with the vague conversation between the two of them about the "three truths of reverse life," Si Chong's ominous premonition suddenly intensified, and he couldn't help but shout out, subconsciously taking a step forward.
Zuo Ruotong did not turn around to look at him, but simply nodded slightly to Zhou Yi. Her eyes contained entrustment, recognition, and a calm sense of "walking the same path".
"Let's go, Zhou Yi." Zuo Ruotong strode towards the main entrance of the hall, her back view appearing tall and resolute in the afternoon sunlight, her voice clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Come with me—to witness the—final—death of the Trinity Sect."
He spoke those last two words very softly, yet with great weight, like a morning bell or evening drum striking the heart of everyone.
Even those like Shuiyun Changqing and Lu Jin, who didn't know exactly what had happened, still felt a sense of foreboding.
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It was a bit bland, but it got right to the point.
go to bed.
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