A curse echoed in Sanbao's mind. For ease of access, he kept all his talismans inside his robe against his chest. The area, perpetually warmed and dried by his circulating magical energy, was the safest place for them. He never imagined that after three encounters, Wu Ni had shrewdly deduced his methods.Now, only the talisman chewed in his mouth was usable... His brow furrowed as he prepared to bite the tip of his tongue. Suddenly, a cold light flashed beside him.He saw Yeluo, gripping her sword with both hands, standing straight as a pine. The blade erupted with a blue-violet radiance, an eerie, dark glow that chilled the soul to behold."A spell-forged blade...!" Yeluo's eyes snapped open. "Thunderous Judgment!"A massive bolt of lightning erupted from the sword, flooding the entire underground palace and racing towards Wu Ni's hiding spot."Using the blade to channel the heavenly thunder latent beneath the earth," Sanbao muttered, watching Yeluo's back with newfound respect. "Zhouku Academy is truly extraordinary." Though the lightning was still small, its potential was immeasurable.Faster than words can tell, the sword-lightning encircled Wu Ni, leaving him no room for escape. Seizing the moment, Yeluo directed her longsword through the air, driving it straight towards him. The sword pierced his heart, pinning him to the wall."Got him!" Elated, Yeluo rushed forward.Wu Ni's eyes snapped open.Sanbao cried out in alarm, "Wait, stop! It's an illusion—!"Before Yeluo could react, a sharp crack of breaking metal sounded. Sanbao, in desperation, shoved Yeluo to the ground. The shattered sword fragment flew past the back of his head, embedding itself in the stone wall beside Bensheng's ear.Bensheng collapsed, hearing Sanbao urgently calling Yeluo's name. "What happened?""She channeled too much power into the sword. The backlash from it breaking has caused internal injuries.""Cough... I'm fine." Yeluo coughed, coming to. She tried to stand, leaning on Sanbao's arm, but lacked the strength.Wu Ni, successful in his ploy, laughed maniacally. "No weapon now! Let's see what you can do!"Yeluo frowned, recited an incantation, and splayed the fingers of her right hand. From a pile of shattered treasures in a corner of the
palace, a sword of purest azure flew out and landed firmly in her grasp.Everyone stared, stunned. Sanbao roared with laughter. "You fool, Wu Ni! Where do you think you are? This is the Royal Palace, housing three thousand treasures and divine artifacts! What does it matter if our young lady breaks one sword? There are plenty here for her to choose from!"Wu Ni's expression darkened. He remained silent, pacing and shifting his position carefully. Sanbao's vigilance sharpened, his focus locked on Wu Ni's feet.A Desperate TurnBensheng finally shook off his stupor from the rapid shocks. A stinging pain in his right hand demanded attention... He looked down."...Ananda? You're back?"Ananda was practically bristling with panic. "The cauldron! A huge cauldron!""What?""Wu Ni's accomplice!" Ananda shrieked into Bensheng's ear. "The one disguised as an Academy disciple! He's bringing a massive cauldron!"Instinctively, Bensheng asked, "How big?"Ananda pointed ahead. "As big as that one... Huh? Why is that cauldron here?"Bensheng followed its gaze, and his pupils constricted. He surged to his feet and lunged forward, screaming."Look out—!"With a deafening BOOM, an enormous bronze cauldron crashed down from above.Trapped and Taunted"Heh heh... Hahahaha!" From within the billowing dust, Wu Ni laughed, hands clasped behind his back, his laughter twisted and triumphant. "I've finally waited for this day! Sanbao, I've finally defeated you!"When the dust cleared, the bronze cauldron was revealed, standing as tall as a man and driven solidly into the ground—a grim tableau stamped into Bensheng's vision."Yeluo—! Uncle Sanbao—!"Bensheng rushed over, thrusting his hands under the cauldron, trying to lift it. Wu Ni leaped gracefully from the wall onto the cauldron, casually scraping the mud from his soles on its handle,
looking down at Bensheng with disdain."Save your strength, boy. Don't you know your own limits? If you knew supernatural powers, you could channel energy into your hands, and a weight like this would be nothing... Like this!"He crouched, pressed a single finger against Bensheng's forehead. Bensheng looked up hatefully, but before he could even register Wu Ni's expression, he was sent flying by that one finger, crashing through a row of bookshelves.Ananda, fearless, charged at Wu Ni with its sharp beak. As Wu Ni prepared to swat it aside, a tremor ran through the cauldron beneath his feet.A flash of blue-violet light shot out from under the cauldron, shattering a section of stone tiles. Wu Ni dodged aside and looked. Within the dust under the cauldron, two figures were visible.Bensheng climbed out of the bookshelves, his face lighting up with relief. Yeluo's azure sword was jammed diagonally under one foot of the cauldron, creating a small gap between the heavy vessel and the floor. Yeluo and Sanbao had their heads poked out, gasping for air."Yeluo! Uncle Sanbao! Are you okay?""Cough... Still alive... Can't move, but not dead yet." Sanbao looked at the sword, sighing with awe and fear. "Truly a divine artifact..."After catching her breath, Yeluo looked at Bensheng. "Bensheng, run! You're no match for him!" She shot him a meaningful look. If he could get out and call for help—whether the Imperial Constabulary or a Court Supervisor—they could be saved.Understanding dawned on Bensheng. He turned to leave."After all these years, you haven't changed." Wu Ni's sneering voice came from behind. "I heard disciples who come to Zhouku Academy learn something. But not you. All you know is how to run. You abandoned your kin in the Lumbini Deer Garden then, and you abandon your companions now. Lu Bensheng... you are a coward!"Bensheng froze, his fists slowly clenching.Seizing the opportunity, Wu Ni raised his hands. Countless fine needles flew from his sleeves, surrounding Bensheng from all directions, blocking every escape route.Bensheng stood motionless, his breathing growing ragged.Yeluo cried out, "It's dangerous! Run...!"The moment the needles closed in, he lifted his foot and stomped down hard.
There was nothing but empty air beneath his foot.Yet he stepped onto that void and began to run.The Path Beneath His Feet"This is...!" Sanbao's eyes widened."The secret art, 'Path Beneath the Feet'!" Yeluo exclaimed, tears of joy and shock welling in her eyes after the initial astonishment. "He did it!"Gnashing his teeth, Wu Ni waved his hands repeatedly. He abandoned the needles, summoning heavy iron arrows with a new curse. These arrows were so weighty they could crater the stone walls. Though Bensheng had activated "Path Beneath the Feet," he could only desperately dodge, with no capacity to counter-attack. Soon the palace floor was riddled with iron arrows and flying stone shards. Ironically, the area around the bronze cauldron became the safest spot.The rubble piled higher. The entire palace was being utterly destroyed. Bensheng retreated to the cauldron, standing before Yeluo and Sanbao, panting heavily. The bandage on his forehead had fallen off during his flight. A large, bruised bump, stained with blood, was visible. He was covered in wounds."Bensheng..." Ananda, hiding under the cauldron, looked at him with deep worry.Bensheng looked down, about to offer reassurance, when a rush of air approached. Wu Ni closed in, seizing him by the throat. He struggled fiercely, but Wu Ni lifted him higher. "Die!"At that critical moment, Sanbao, under the cauldron, threw his head back, cheeks puffed, and spat a stream of blood like an arrow straight at Wu Ni. Wu Ni hastily released Bensheng and leapt back, but not fast enough. The blood splattered across his legs.Sanbao laughed through his bloodied mouth. "Spilling blood for a scoundrel like you is my bad luck!""You seek death!"Wu Ni raised his hand to summon an iron arrow, but found his arm frozen. The blood droplets on his legs, infused with the power of the spell seal, rapidly crawled up his entire body.So, the talisman Sanbao had chewed could suppress supernatural powers. But fearing its potency had waned over time, he had bitten his tongue, using a blood sacrifice to enhance the seal's power.The strength-enhancing curse on Wu Ni's arms was instantly nullified by the talisman's power. His arms fell, weak and sore. But he
could still stand. He thought that once the soreness passed, even without the curse, his own physical strength would be more than enough to subdue Bensheng.With this thought, he cast a contemptuous glance towards the cauldron.The spot was empty. Bensheng was gone.A sudden, icy grip closed on the nape of his neck. Then, a heavy fist slammed into the vital 'Life Gate' acupoint below the lumbar spine. Without his protective spells, Wu Ni felt an excruciating, bone-deep pain.Behind him, Bensheng roared, grabbed the back of his neck, lifted his entire body, and slammed him brutally into the ground."I am... NOT a coward!"Wu Ni's head was smashed into the floor. Furious, he tried to shout but couldn't open his mouth. The hand on his neck didn't release him; instead, it lifted him again. The veins on Bensheng's hands bulged as he hoisted Wu Ni, twice his size, into the air.Ananda screeched at the top of its lungs, "Now, Bensheng! Throw him! Finish him!"Bensheng seemed not to hear. Step by labored step, he carried Wu Ni towards Sanbao. His face was flushed with strain. "Uncle Sanbao... Talisman... Remote... Manip... ulate..."Understanding dawned on Sanbao. He reached into his chest, then remembered with a shock—all his talismans were soaked and ruined by Wu Ni's rain... Slap! A crumpled talisman was pressed onto Bensheng's trembling leg. A delicate, jade-like hand then desperately pulled at Sanbao's sleeve."Uncle, hurry!"It was Yeluo. The talisman on her was still intact.Sanbao threw his head back in wild laughter. He deftly extended a single finger and touched the instep of Bensheng's foot, which was right before him."This master," Wu Ni snarled, pulling out a dark, sinister dagger, "will not—"Whoosh...The air seemed to shudder for an instant. The support vanished from beneath Wu Ni, and he plummeted towards the ground. Instinctively, he bent his legs, ready to land on his feet.But his feet never touched the ground.Yeluo stared dumbfounded at the scene before her. Starting from his feet, Wu Ni dissolved into ash. Glimmering specks within the black
smoke, until nothing remained. No trace."Utter annihilation..."Sanbao had pointed at Ananda and said that without a connection to matter, it would be annihilated. It was true!Life... is so fragile...Sanbao himself seemed momentarily dazed, looking down at the finger that had touched Bensheng. "How was it so... easy?" he murmured."What's wrong?""Truth be told... I was boasting earlier, drunk on wine... Using 'Remote Manipulation' to annihilate someone isn't that simple. It requires severing all their most significant connections to sources of energy. Just now, I moved Bensheng, cutting off Wu Ni's connection to the earth. But the energy of Heaven and Earth are nearly equivalent. Without the earth, he still had his connection to the air in this palace. I thought it would, at most, cause severe internal injuries... But he was utterly annihilated... This can only mean that the energy connected to Bensheng is vaster and more immense than that of the very air in this palace." Sanbao sounded bewildered. "But... is that possible? He's only twelve."Yeluo was stunned, her brilliant mind struggling to process the death she had just witnessed, no matter how deserved. Sanbao shook his head with a soft smile and gently patted her head. "Alright, don't dwell on it. His evil deeds were numerous. Entering the cycle of rebirth is his just desert. You are clever and kind. Don't waste your sorrow on him."His gaze held a deep, unexpected tenderness, as if looking through her to a treasure he wished to protect and shield from the world.The Cage in the DarknessBensheng's eyes were wide open. At this life-or-death moment, he felt strangely calm, even curious about what scenery the "Manipulation" phase of Sanbao's "Remote Manipulation" would reveal. But his vision simply darkened, then slowly light returned.It was a fog-like darkness, with no distinction between sky and ground. When his feet found solid footing, he looked up and saw a row of cage bars stretching endlessly into the distance, forming a massive enclosure.Inside the cage was a young girl's bedchamber.A little girl, pink and delicate, was running around inside. She rode a wooden horse, climbed a short-legged screen, then formed
hand seals with her chubby little hands, seemingly imagining herself a mighty practitioner. Her fumbling, childish gestures made Bensheng chuckle. Hearing him, the little girl looked up with delight, then lifted the hem of her dress and hopped over."Who are you?" Her eyes were remarkably soft and bright, with large, round black pupils."My name is Bensheng." He crouched to her level. "Why are you locked in a cage?""Cage?" She was taken aback, then giggled, pointing at Bensheng. "You're the one in the cage!"It seemed the row of bars created a paradox: those outside thought the one inside was trapped, while the one inside believed the outsider was caged. Bensheng smiled, letting the topic go. "You play really well!""Of course! These are my favorite things to play with!" The little girl reached out a hand. "Do you want to play too?""No thanks!" Bensheng said with an air of maturity. "I'm bigger than you, I don't play with those. But... I have a little sister back home. She wasn't born yet when I left. Now... she should be about your age. If she were here, she'd definitely play with you."The girl blinked, looking skeptical. "You knew she was a sister before she was even born?""Ah..." Bensheng was stumped, scratching his head. "Well... my mother is very beautiful. I think she must have had a daughter just as pretty!""Okay! It's more fun with two!" The girl blinked, her eyes seeming to hold a universe of stars. "Then you must bring her next time! We promise!""Okay!" Bensheng nodded. "But you have to tell me where this place is, so I can bring her to find you."The little girl suddenly fell silent. She looked around, her eyes gradually dimming..."I don't know. I can't remember..."Just as Bensheng was about to speak, everything went black again—the exact same sensation as the "Manipulation" phase! When he opened his eyes, the scene had changed. Yeluo and Sanbao stood side-by-side before him, watching him anxiously.Sanbao waved a hand. "Hey!"Yeluo reached out and grasped his arm. "Bensheng, are you alright?"Her small hand was so soft he could feel the pulse in her wrist.
Bensheng swallowed. "I'm fine."Yeluo sighed in relief. "I was worried Uncle might have 'moved' you to some remote place. It seems it wasn't as bad as I feared."Bensheng grinned. "You'll never guess what I saw—a little girl, like carved from jade. She was in a cage inside a dark space, but she was playing happily all by herself. It was incredible!"As soon as the words left Bensheng's mouth, Sanbao's face turned deathly pale. "Already... a little girl...?"Escape from the Collapsing PalaceThe sound of grinding stone from the floor interrupted them. Shaking off his thoughts, Sanbao looked around and gasped in horror. "No! Wu Ni has damaged the structural tiles! The palace is collapsing! We must go!""But there's no way out!" Yeluo cried.The underground palace had no windows. Its only two exits—the main gate and the tunnel—were blocked by collapsed rubble.The ground shook violently. Large sections of the ceiling began to fall. The situation was dire. There was only one way left to escape this trap—Bensheng stared. "Why are you looking at me?""Use 'Passing Through Walls'!" Sanbao and Yeluo said in unison."It's the only art that can get us out of here!" Sanbao pounded the ground in frustration. "Quickly! Now!"Bensheng felt like crying. "It's not like I can just use it whenever I want...!"Sanbao gripped Bensheng's shoulders. "You can! Forget all reason! Use your heart to realize 'Passing Through Walls'!"A roar filled Bensheng's mind. He suddenly remembered what Zhong Lixi had said during the Land Trial:"All dharmas are born from the mind, manifested by the mind. All causes and effects, all worlds and minute particles, take form based on the mind."Amidst the falling stones, Sanbao bellowed, "Bensheng, believe in yourself!"He had believed the mother in the illusion. He had believed Zhong Lixi on the cloud. Now, could he believe in himself, trapped underground?Bensheng reached out, firmly grasping Yeluo and Sanbao. He stood up, glaring defiantly at the collapsing wall ahead."Ananda!"
"I'm here!" Ananda had already flown into his pocket."HAAAA—!"Without further hesitation, Bensheng closed his eyes and charged straight towards the wall.With a final, earth-shattering crash, the stone brick ceiling collapsed entirely, consigning the Royal Underground Palace to ruin