The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 213 - 208: Protected by a Secret Curse, Evil Cannot Invade

Chapter 213: Chapter 208: Protected by a Secret Curse, Evil Cannot Invade

Vishnu, bearing the Yuan Tu Sword, charged toward Mount Shushan, acting on the orders of Ancestor Minghe. However, halfway through his journey, he encountered Enlightenment Dao, and without much ado, a fight broke out between them.

Enlightenment Dao unsheathed the Seven Stars Sword, and with one thrust aimed directly at Vishnu. The sword radiance flickered, rising in a whirl, and the grass, trees, and rocks were caught in its force, spiraling up into a tornado. This strike, though not a killing move, was far stronger than any before it—a clear sign of his increased cultivation.

"Hiss!"

A tear opened in the void, with seven cold stars shimmering on the Seven Stars Sword, too bright to look upon. Vishnu shouted, and the Yuan Tu Sword transformed into a trail of blood-red light, slashing horizontally. When the blood light collided with the cold light, sparks as big as bowls burst forth, raining down and leveling a mountain with a crackling sound.

Twisting a sword technique, Enlightenment Dao executed another thrust. This attack held a wondrous sword rhyme within it, whistling forth and causing a momentary lull in Vishnu’s spirit. However, Vishnu’s resolve to kill remained steadfast. The distracting effect of the sword rhyme was only slight, but once his sword met the attack, he sensed something amiss. This strike seemed as forceful as thunder, yet the actual strength behind it was only sufficient to slay a mortal, far from enough to penetrate his flesh!

"Lifting as if heavy!" Vishnu immediately recognized that this person’s understanding of the Sword Dao was extraordinary. The attack, appearing as heavy as mountains and fierce as thunder, was in fact as light as goose feathers.

Performing a White Snake in the Grass in mid-air, Enlightenment Dao crouched down and twisted upward like a dragon ascending to the heavens, flipping his hand to thrust out another sword strike, called the Azure Dragon Returning.

This thrust seemed careless and light as a feather, but upon contact with the Yuan Tu Sword, it sent Vishnu flying as if he had been struck by lightning. He inwardly exclaimed, "This strike is another case of heavy-as-light, with the force of thunder yet feather-light. The variability of this scoundrel’s swordsmanship is indeed great and peculiar!"

Moving through the void, Enlightenment Dao relentlessly pursued, his Seven Stars Sword conjuring thirty-six Sword Flowers, each targeting one of Vishnu’s thirty-six vital acupoints.

Out of these thirty-six attacks, eighteen were as light as goose feathers and eighteen as heavy as Mount Tai, interweaved with alternating heaviness and lightness. It was the Yin and Yang harmony of Tai Chi Swordplay, combining softness and firmness, rivaling Zhang Junshi’s Tai Chi Fist, and full of strange changes. Vishnu defended in succession, but still could not entirely fend off the assault, and one thrust injured the Chengqi acupoint beneath the corner of his eye. His eyeball immediately burst, blinding one eye.

The two exchanged dozens of blows rapidly. What took long to describe happened in a mere blink of an eye—It was extremely fast! In the martial world, nothing is unbreakable except by speed! Enlightenment Dao’s Tai Chi Swordplay, as fast as lightning and fierce as a meteor, wounded Vishnu.

Vishnu inwardly cried out, "Ah, this damn Taoist is tremendously formidable! His swordsmanship is so fierce and terrifying!"

In a hurry, he pointed with the Yuan Tu Sword, unleashing a fearsome murderous aura that took the form of blood-colored lotuses. Enlightenment Dao thrust his sword into the mass of lotuses, to which Vishnu shouted, "Explode!"

The blood-colored lotuses burst instantly, creating a thunderous roar as the blood qi swept forth, teeming with the force of slaughter. Anyone touched by it would likely ignite all the Karmic Force on their body and be burned alive. Enlightenment Dao was startled, acknowledging the Yuan Tu Sword, the Divine Sword paired with Ancestor Minghe, had immense power. He quickly opened his mouth and spat out a mass of thunderclouds. These thunderclouds blocked the blood qi, with thunder rolling inside, refining it all.

"Thunder, utterly rigid and fierce, is indeed the perfect counter to my blood qi. Yet, armed with the Yuan Tu Sword, how could I lose to him?" Vishnu thought to himself.

Vishnu formed a Dharma Spell with his hands, putting his fingers on the sword’s edge and dragging, creating a streak of Qi. Pointing the Yuan Tu Sword at Enlightenment Dao, he shouted, "Yuan Tu Slaying Sword, endless slaughter, Ancestor Minghe, Mana is boundless! Hasten as if following a decree!"

A terrifying blood qi burst from the Yuan Tu Sword, materializing into a blood figure. This blood figure gripped the Yuan Tu Sword and cleaved down toward Enlightenment Dao’s forehead. Enlightenment Dao’s whole body bristled, and with a twist of his sword technique, a burst of radiance shot from his blade, forming a fierce fire dragon that collided with the blood figure!

"Clang!"

Enlightenment Dao felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and Karmic Fire appeared on his body. He quickly formed a spell with his hands and patted down, chanting a spell.

The spell went:

Amid the boundless Fengdu, through the layers of Diamond Mountain;

The Spiritual Treasure’s Immeasurable Light pierces through Flame Pool’s ire;

All souls of sin in Nine Serenities, follow the Fragrant Cloud Banner’s pyre;

On the Wisdom-Gathering Blue Lotus, spirits ascend, forever at peace, never to tire!

This incantation was a secret spell of the Supreme Pure Luminous Lineage, learned by Daoist Equal to Heaven while attending teachings in the Mira Palace. Named the "Break Hell Curse," it allowed immediate focus and calm, eliminating some of the Karmic Force from oneself. The Karmic Fire that had ignited was also completely extinguished by him.

Another incantation went:

The Celestial Venerable comforts the disciple’s soul and vitals with the mysterious protection of Azure Dragon and White Tiger,

The entourage in disarray, with Xuanwu above and Vermilion Bird below, guards me in my chariot!

With this spell and a twist of his fingers, Enlightenment Dao was flanked by the Azure Dragon on his left and the White Tiger on his right, Xuanwu above and the Vermilion Bird below his feet. Once spoken, the spell instantly purified his flesh and removed the Karmic Force. This spell, naturally from the Spiritual Treasure lineage, was called the "Pure Heart Divine Curse," harnessing the Celestial Venerable and the Four Symbols’ divine beasts to cleanse his body.

Vishnu frowned and inquired, "Are you from the lineage of Celestial Venerable?"

Enlightenment Dao laughed scornfully, "Not at all, I hail from your grandpa’s lineage! You may call me ’Great Uncle’!"

Just as Vishnu was about to speak, Enlightenment Dao interrupted, "My grandson is about to talk!"

Vishnu couldn’t help but ask, "Who is your grandson?"

Enlightenment Dao burst into laughter. Vishnu was taken aback and suddenly seethed with rage. He summoned the Yuan Tu Sword and unleashed his divine skills. The sword stretched a hundred yards long and slashed towards Enlightenment Dao! Seeing the formidable might of the sword, Enlightenment Dao naturally dared not take it head-on. He stepped upon Moving Clouds to dodge it, but as the sword landed without striking its target, it quickly swept across for a horizontal blow. Despite its increased size, it seemed even more agile. Enlightenment Dao felt the blood in his body churn violently as a surge of murderous intent reached his heart’s core, causing extreme restlessness as if the Karmic Force was about to ignite once again.

In his rush, Enlightenment Dao recited a section of the "Pure Heart Divine Curse," the incantations stated:

Supreme Celestial of the Starry Hub, ever responsive, driving away evil, binding spirits, protecting life and body,

Wisdom bright, purifying heart and soul in tranquility, eternal are three souls, spirits unresting, resolving grievance and cursing,

All beings are deeply entangled in grudges difficult to unravel, a lifetime of knots tied into enmity,

The comeuppance of three lives doesn’t cease; today I impart the wondrous Dharma to eradicate all karmic enmities,

When heard and chanted with devout heart, enemies naturally dissolve and vanish.

Being the Sage’s Magic Curse, naturally, there were many exquisites about it. Reciting this segment of "Pure Heart Divine Curse," he was able to suppress the raging murderous impulse in his heart. Without panic, he formed a sword technique with his hands, and his Seven Stars Sword also extended hundreds of yards, clashing fiercely with the Yuan Tu Sword, causing the sea of clouds to churn and the heaven and earth to tremble.

Vishnu snorted coldly. This man was probably a disciple secretly passed down from the Lingbao lineage. Otherwise, where would he have so many incantations from the Shangqing Lineage? Even if they were not the Sage’s Secret Teachings, they must belong to several generations of the Sage’s disciples! He pointed at the Yuan Tu Sword, which instantly transformed into a beam of blood light, striking swiftly. It pounced upon the Seven Stars Sword. Yet, with a flash of cold light, the Seven Stars Sword shook off the blood light covering it.

"How come this Yuan Tu Sword’s bloody aura, which can contaminate all spiritual energy of Magical Treasures, doesn’t affect this sword?" Vishnu thought hard but could not figure it out. As he pondered, he saw a Golden Core flying straight toward him and involuntarily let out a shout. He quickly spat out a breath of bloody aura to block it.

Enlightenment Dao took this opportunity to attack him with a Golden Sand Pill, a Magical Treasure forged by the Buddhist sect, inscribed with countless Buddhist Scriptures, naturally impervious to pollution and obstruction by the bloody aura. However, it was slightly hindered, and its power diminished somewhat. With a thud, it struck Vishnu’s left eye, causing him to tumble down and cry out, "It’s killing me! What is this Magical Treasure?!" With both eyes blinded by Enlightenment Dao, he could only quickly sweep out with his divine sense, and as he saw Enlightenment Dao charging with his sword, he urgently called back the Yuan Tu Sword to block Enlightenment Dao’s advance.

The Divine Skills of the Indestructible Realm activated immediately, and his eyes were healed at once, but blood still filled the sockets, evoking chills in anyone who saw it.

"This scoundrel’s mana is already sufficient to refine the Primordial Dao Fruit; I just don’t understand why he’s still stagnating in the third level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal! Dammit, I thought with the Yuan Tu Sword in my hand I would be invincible, yet I never expected his Magical Treasure to be so bizarre, and moreover, he has the Sage’s Secret Teachings to block the murderous karmic energies from the Yuan Tu Sword, which is exceedingly vexing!" Having been out of sight for a long time, Vishnu had suffered greatly at the hands of Enlightenment Dao in his return to the world, leaving him feeling unbearably stifled.

Enlightenment Dao was now a being capable of rivaling a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal, but he simply could not advance further. There were still many Divine Skills he could not perform, or else his mana would be even more terrifying.

Enlightenment Dao silently recited the "Pure Heart Divine Curse," "Pure Body Divine Curse," and "Break Hell Curse." With the blessings of these three spells, he was unaffected by the Karmic Forces.

"In the end, it’s because my mana is not enough. The Yuan Tu Sword is formidable, but his Magical Treasure is no worse!" Taking the Yuan Tu Sword in hand, Vishnu engaged Enlightenment Dao in combat once again. But moments later, he was battered and bloodied, flung far away.

Enlightenment Dao taunted with a strange laugh, "Grandson, quickly hand over the Yuan Tu Sword, and Great Grandpa might spare your life!"

Vishnu was just about to retort with a curse, when Enlightenment Dao interrupted again, "My grandson loves to talk back!"

These words immediately forced Vishnu to choke back his words, infuriating him so much that Samadhi True Fire spurted from his nostrils. He was enraged to the point where the Three Corpses Deity within him leaped furiously like thunder, desperately wishing he could rip Enlightenment Dao into pieces and chew him up.

"I can’t beat him anymore, I must leave!" Being stabbed in the chest and spewing fresh blood, Vishnu felt intense pain. He turned and fled, becoming a streak of blood light and disappearing into the distance.

Enlightenment Dao couldn’t help cursing, "My grandson is the best at running away! Where do you think you’re going!"

Vishnu was steaming with anger, yet there was nothing he could do.

Nowadays, Enlightenment Dao was no longer comparable to his former self, the Daoist Equal to Heaven. Armed with numerous Magical Treasures and protected by Secret Curses, Vishnu’s mana somewhat fell short in comparison. With only the Yuan Tu Sword at his disposal, how could he be a match for Enlightenment Dao?

"I never expected my mana would have improved this much. It seems that these years of listening and preaching were greatly beneficial, and the Tai Chi Swordplay I created is not bad either! And I haven’t even used my Swallowing Dragon Stele yet." Enlightenment Dao thought to himself as he quickly gave chase.

Shushan was already in sight, but Vishnu moved too fast. Enlightenment Dao’s Escape Technique, though formidable, could not catch up to him.

Driven to desperation, Vishnu directly initiated the Blood Escape, how could Enlightenment Dao possibly catch up?

After all, their lives were uncertain, so please listen to the next part to find out. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Starting Point (qidian.com), where your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)