Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 89: Chapter 81: Like a God, Like a Demon

BOOM!!!

Li Chang’an thrust out his palm. In that instant, it felt as if all the energy between heaven and earth had been drained. The Jianghu Martial Artists present could only see a ball of Azure Heaven Qi, condensed to the point of being almost solid, erupt from Li Chang’an’s hand.

In a flash, it swallowed everything.

“PFFT…”

“COUGH COUGH COUGH!!!”

As the ball of light pulsed with energy, two figures were sent flying backward like kites with their strings cut. They crashed into the main gate of Buddha Light Temple, creating two collapsed trails dozens of meters long!

For a moment, the scene was filled with billowing dust and swirling smoke.

The many Jianghu Martial Artists gathered nearby were already completely stunned.

They all forcibly suppressed the fear and trembling in their hearts, straining their wide eyes to peer into the smoke, trying to see what had become of the two figures who had been blasted away and whether they were injured.

One breath passed, then two…

After a full five breaths, the crowd of Jianghu Martial Artists finally saw the figures of Hui Xuan and Li Sheng climbing out from the collapsed wall.

The two managed to struggle to their feet amid the rubble, only to immediately raise their heads and stare in horror at the god-like, demonic figure not far away.

It could be said that in those few short breaths just now,

the torrent of emotions surging through them was greater than all the emotional turmoil they had experienced in all their years as Grandmasters combined!

A moment ago, upon realizing that Li Sheng alone was not enough to block Li Chang’an’s unfathomably profound palm strike, the old monk’s reaction had been swift and decisive.

He had rushed forward without the slightest hesitation, striking out with all his might to meet Li Chang’an’s attack.

It was precisely this opening that gave Li Sheng, who had failed to react in time, a moment to catch his breath. He too unleashed his signature skills, hoping to block Li Chang’an’s strike alongside the old monk.

In a life-or-death moment, nothing was more important than their own lives.

As for the Grandmasterly demeanor the two had painstakingly cultivated in front of others, it had long since been tossed to the nine heavens.

However, even when they threw their pride away and joined forces, they were still like two cannonballs blasted away by Li Chang’an’s palm, utterly powerless to fight back!

Peak of Grandmaster, infinitely close to the Great Grandmaster Realm!

After that brief exchange, the two quickly formed a rough judgment of Li Chang’an’s strength, and expressions of disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight, appeared on their faces.

A ten-year-old at the Peak of Grandmaster… Throughout history, scouring all the historical records related to the Martial Dao, forget seeing it with their own eyes—they had never even heard of such a thing.

To put it bluntly,

not even the storytellers who roamed the Jianghu would dare to make up a tale like this!

But now, not only had they encountered a ten-year-old Grandmaster who defied all common sense, but they had also entered into a life-or-death conflict with him…

At this thought, their temples couldn’t help but throb.

Li Chang’an had no interest in their inner turmoil.

He clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the two as if no one else was around, stopping a short distance away. “Heavenly treasures, Cultivation Techniques Secret Manuals, or your own lives,” he said nonchalantly. “Choose one to leave behind.”

When he fought the young monk Jingshan earlier, he had worn the same condescending expression, speaking of matters as if they had nothing to do with him in a light and breezy tone.

And now, facing two Grandmasters, Li Chang’an was taking the exact same attitude…

Without a doubt, this was a tremendous humiliation for Elder Monk Huixuan and Li Sheng. Yet, at this moment, they could only swallow their broken teeth and dare not show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

The old monk coughed twice, forcibly swallowing the mouthful of blood that had risen to his throat.

He spoke, his voice somewhat weak. “The Crown Prince is truly a dragon among men, a rarity in this world. To have reached the late stage of the Grandmaster Realm at only ten years of age… If I had not seen it with my own eyes today, I would not have dared to even dream that such an unprecedented thing could exist in this world…”

He had intended to say a few words to stall for time.

But Li Chang’an was clearly in no mood for his nonsense. “Treasures, techniques, or your lives,” he said flatly. “Choose one and hand it over. I don’t want to repeat myself a third time!”

Hearing his words, Monk Huixuan’s expression stiffened. It was a long moment before he spoke. “I cannot produce the Bodhi Fruit, and the ultimate techniques of the Buddhist Sect are secrets that cannot be passed on. If Your Highness insists on taking something, then I can only offer my own body to enlighten you!”

Li Chang’an raised an eyebrow at this and sneered, “So what you’re saying, Master, is that you’ve chosen death?”

Monk Huixuan’s whole body tensed, but he remained silent, his face ashen, steeling himself.

He didn’t believe Li Chang’an would dare to do anything to him in front of everyone.

The Buddhist Sect had a Buddha presiding over it, after all. And Buddha Light Temple wasn’t far from the Ancestral Court. If the commotion here got too big, the Buddha could arrive to save the day at any moment.

If Li Chang’an really dared to act against him in public, the Buddhist Sect would have the perfect excuse to move against him and detain him in Xihu Province…

Detain such a breathtakingly talented Crown Prince of Dayan, and then later find a way to forcibly convert him to Buddhism… If they could do that, the Buddhist Sect would completely surpass the other Three Major Sects and become a transcendent power in a league of its own!

It had to be said, the old monk was a man who dared to dream big, and he also dared to act.

Knowing full well he was gambling with his life, he still steeled himself and chose to go all-in.

Of course, he believed that with Li Chang’an’s intelligence, the boy should be able to figure out the source of his confidence and wouldn’t actually move against him.

“I am indeed reluctant to kill you. After all, if I kill you, how can I ask the Buddha for the Bodhi Fruit?” Li Chang’an’s gaze swept over him. Then, he struck out with his palm, shattering all the Azure Heaven Qi within the old monk’s meridians.

After crippling most of his cultivation, Li Chang’an continued, “Now, you’re just another one of my bargaining chips. If the Buddhist Sect wants to trade for you, they’ll have to offer something tempting enough for me!”

Li Chang’an didn’t kill him, but he did cripple most of his cultivation with a single palm strike.

For the old monk, this was a fate even worse than death. A wave of fury assaulted his heart, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, almost fainting on the spot!

Having done all this, Li Chang’an turned his gaze to Li Sheng. “What did you call me just now?” he asked, his interest piqued.

Li Sheng’s face shifted between shades of green and white. After a long moment, he finally squeezed two words from between his teeth: “Your Highness!”

Only then did Li Chang’an nod in satisfaction. “That’s more like it. He who understands the times is a wise man. I see you’re quite promising—much more promising than that good-for-nothing nephew of yours!”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “So, tell me. A Cultivation Technique, a treasure, or your own little life. Which will you choose to leave behind?”

With the old monk’s stubbornness as a prior example, Li Sheng didn’t dare to cross Li Chang’an.

Although the Li Family was a top-tier, First-class Sect, it was still a far cry from the Four Major Sects. The strongest ancestor in their clan was only at the late stage of the Grandmaster Realm.

Li Chang’an had casually crippled even the old monk. Li Sheng had no doubt that if he dared to utter a single stubborn word right now, Li Chang’an would execute him on the spot.

His expression changed again and again before he finally gritted his teeth. “I can trade a Grandmaster-Realm Cultivation Technique… and a Grandmaster-Realm Magical Treasure… to… to save my life!”

“Hmm…” Li Chang’an nodded. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at the Eldest Prince not far away. “So you’re abandoning your nephew’s life?”

Hearing this, Li Sheng fell silent for a long while before saying, “I’ll add another First-class Technique…”

Li Chang’an scoffed. “Your nephew is a Prince, you know. He’s the only blood relative your sister left behind, your beloved family, and he’s only worth a single First-class Technique? Why don’t you reconsider?”

At these words, Li Sheng nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

But he didn’t dare say another word. He could only grit his teeth and say, “I’ll… I’ll add a Fiery Heart-Clearing Lotus…”

Only then was Li Chang’an satisfied. He nodded. “Alright. You’re a very generous uncle. However, I will still be paying the Li Family a visit. You can gather more reinforcements then. It’ll save me the trouble of having to track people down!”

…

After taking care of everything, Li Chang’an dusted off his hands, returned to the martial arts arena outside Buddha Light Temple, and announced coolly, “I will remain here for seven days. Those who wish to challenge me within these seven days had better hurry!”

Hearing his voice, the surrounding crowd of onlooking Jianghu Martial Artists finally came to their senses a little.

However, they glanced at Li Chang’an, who stood in the arena as if he owned the place, and then at the two Grandmasters who hadn’t even been able to fully receive a single one of his moves. Instantly, their minds went blank again.

’Who am I? Where am I?’

’What just happened?’

’Did Crown Prince Dayan really defeat two famous Jianghu Grandmasters with a single move, all by himself?’

’Am I dreaming?’

Before coming to participate in the Martial Dao convention, all the Jianghu Martial Artists had imagined how it might unfold, but not a single one of them had ever thought it would end up like this.

The abbot of Buddha Light Temple had his cultivation mostly crippled by a single palm strike in front of everyone, and the head of the Li Family was forced to humiliatingly trade away cultivation techniques and heavenly treasures just to save his life…

If the entire battle hadn’t happened right before their very eyes, they might have even thought the two Grandmaster-Realm experts were just putting on an act.

…

After finally managing to process the flood of information in their minds,

the Jianghu Martial Artists finally considered the true consequences of this event: Dayan now had such a young Grandmaster for a Crown Prince. Would the major Sects of the world tolerate his existence?

Absolutely not!

Especially the Four Great Upper Sects, who were already ambitious and eyeing Dayan like tigers. They would absolutely not sit back and watch Crown Prince Dayan continue to grow stronger!

To be able to easily defeat two Grandmasters at the age of ten—such potential was truly a rarity in this world.

If he were allowed to grow any older, he might become another Land Immortal!

As long as the Four Great Upper Sects had any brains at all, they would never allow such a thing to happen!

And now, with Crown Prince Dayan having left the Imperial Palace on his own initiative to challenge all the Martial Artists of the world outside Buddha Light Temple, it was the absolute best opportunity for the Four Great Upper Sects to strike!

If they couldn’t seize this chance to assassinate Li Chang’an and he was allowed to return to the Dayan Imperial Palace, they would likely never get such a perfect opportunity again…

Not even the Four Major Sects could bear those consequences!

In other words, for a long time to come, the area outside Buddha Light Temple would likely become the sole focus of every Martial Artist in the world!

The Four Great Upper Sects would definitely not let this matter rest.

There was even a high probability that this would trigger a battle between Great Grandmasters—the kind of battle that had long existed only in legends!

After thinking all this through, the crowd of Jianghu Martial Artists felt a mix of nervousness and inexplicable excitement.

One by one, they used their various skills to rush off and spread the news, calling their friends and companions to come to Buddha Light Temple and enjoy this shocking piece of gossip—the kind you might only get to feast on once every few hundred, or even a thousand, years!

…