The moment he saw Xiezhi, Zhu Yan figured it all out:
Zhu Yan knew that his judgment of Ji Yuan was correct. Ji Yuan was indeed an immortal of this era, but he was definitely the most talented and brilliant among them.
The reason why Ji Yuan was able to grasp Zhu Yan's thoughts, the reason why he was able to draw that fake sky and bright moon, and the reason why he was confident in fighting against Zhu Yan, was all because of Xiezhi.
Whether it is to take advantage of Ji Yuan or to cooperate with Ji Yuan for mutual benefit, with Xiezhi around, Ji Yuan naturally knows a lot. Although Xiezhi's level is unlikely to be as clear as Zhu Yan's, let alone the qualifications to play chess, it is an ancient mythical beast after all, so it should be easy for him to cooperate with Ji Yuan.
This is a question of first come, first served. Xiezhi got to know Ji Yuan first and can influence Ji Yuan's decision more!
…
At the moment when the Xiezhi pounced on him, countless thoughts flashed through Zhu Yan's mind, and in the next moment he opened his mouth and roared wildly.
"Ji Yuan—I am more worthy of you than Xiezhi..."
"Hoo—Zhu Yan, you talk too much nonsense, prepare to die!"
The Xiezhi opened its big mouth, and its terrifying sharp fangs bit towards Zhu Yan. Facing Ji Yuan, Zhu Yan was never afraid even in desperate moments. This was due to his own character, a condescending mentality of a superior, and the mentality of an elder facing a younger person.
But facing the Xiezhi, Zhu Yan, knowing his current condition, became a little panicked. How could his current physique withstand the bite of the Xiezhi? He subconsciously gathered the demonic power in his arms and hit the Xiezhi directly.
"Boom..."
The punch shook the sky, but it seemed to have pierced through a cloud. The aggressive Xiezhi seemed to be turned into a ball of ink, but it continued to cover Zhu Yan with undiminished momentum.
“Hua La La…”
Zhu Yan's entire body was shrouded in ink-like demonic energy. The Xiezhi seemed to have transformed into gas and liquid, flowing over Zhu Yan's demonic body. Suddenly, a beast head emerged behind Zhu Yan and bit Zhu Yan's neck fiercely.
"Puff..."
"Roar-"
Although Zhu Yan looked terrifying at the moment, he had been trapped in the sword formation and attacked for so long that he was already at the end of his strength, just like a person who was almost exhausted and fell into a muddy swamp.
"Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan! Xiezhi is just a mediocre person, a loser in ancient times. You can gain greater benefits by cooperating with me. Ji Yuan, help me drive Xiezhi away-"
Zhu Yan swung his fist upside down and hit the back of his neck, directly smashing the Xiezhi's skull, but the skull then melted back into the ink and formed a head under its armpit.
“Hahahahahaha…”
The laughter of Xiezhi sounded very terrifying to Zhu Yan.
"Zhu Yan, didn't you say you would never let Ji Yuan go? Aren't you and Ji Yuan irreconcilable? And now you're asking him for something? Don't you always believe that the weak don't deserve to live and that the strong must rely on themselves? The way you beg for mercy is no different from a running dog wagging its tail for mercy, hahahahaha..."
"Xiezhi, you are such a despicable person. If it weren't for Jiyuan, would you have had this opportunity?"
"Bang... Bang... Bang-bang-bang..."
Zhu Yan slapped the Xiezhi all over his body and tried to condense the demonic energy again, but his body was too badly injured, and the sword intention and sword energy kept stirring him. The intense pain and weakness made the demonic energy only have size but no spirit, and instead it was swallowed by the Xiezhi.
“Hahahahahaha… In Ji Yuan’s words, you are just madly angry and powerless! I am different from you. I only succeeded with Ji Yuan’s help. What can you do to me? Hahahahaha…”
Ji Yuan just maintained the sword formation from a distance and watched quietly.
Xiezhi's own condition was certainly not very good, and was even still far worse than Zhu Yan's current condition, but it took advantage of Zhu Yan's weakness to nibble at him bit by bit.
For Zhu Yan, this was a long, painful and fear-filled process. The death of this incarnation alone might not be that terrible, but the death of this incarnation represented a more terrible consequence, which was that he, Zhu Yan, would not be able to seize the initiative, and for a considerable period of time he would not have the energy and vitality to separate his true spirit from the wilderness.
As the person playing the chess piece, if he ends up like this, the interests in his hands are more likely to be taken away by other chess players. It is also more likely that he will not be able to catch up with the right position in the great changes of the world, and may eventually end up dead.
The Xiezhi in front of us is only a small terror; the unknown future full of uncertainty is the real terror.
Roaring, screaming, hysterical anger, and a strong sense of unwillingness mixed in...
The power in Zhu Yan's body was not enough to defeat Xiezhi in an instant, and eventually its vitality was consumed bit by bit, and then it was slowly dragged into the "earth" formed by the scroll.
The sky was no longer the pitch-black night sky, but looked a little pale, and the earth returned to its inky black color. The sky was white and the earth was black, just like the yin and yang.
Ji Yuan waited there for a long time before he gently closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and then stretched out his hand and the sword intent and sword energy of the Four Poles of the Sky receded like a tide.
“Zheng—”
The scabbard of the Qingteng Sword arrived first, followed by the long sword, and was returned to the sheath in front of Ji Yuan.
And a "Sword Intent Letter" that still exuded infinite sword intent and sword energy also flew back to Ji Yuan.
The amount of magic power consumed by the sword formation was extremely astonishing. Although the sword formation was retracted at this moment, the infinite sword intent and sword energy could not be used up, let alone dissipated. Instead, they all flowed into the scabbard of "Sword Intent Post" and Qingteng Sword.
"Huh... It's over..."
With a whisper, Ji Yuan looked towards the earth. It was pitch black there, but he could feel that it was still being stirred. It was just that the sense of violent power was continuing to weaken. Although it was very slow, it kept weakening. The most important thing was that Zhu Yan could not recover under such circumstances.
As Ji Yuan withdrew his magic power, the sky was actually torn apart. The "Picture of the Bright Moon in the Night Sky" that was originally hanging high in the sky kept cracking and finally turned into pieces of paper scraps and fell down. The scroll of the Xiezhi on the ground was taken back by Ji Yuan, and it felt much heavier as soon as he picked it up.
At this moment, the imperial palace reappeared around the pagoda. The capital city of Xiayong was still sleeping in the quiet night. The dark clouds in the sky were slowly fading away, and the moon was still high in the sky.
At this time, Monk Puhui raised his hand and looked towards the sky. Seeing the clouds retreat and the bright moon, he clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name.
"Good, Great Ming King Buddha, there should be no clouds tonight!"
Ji Yuan, who was far away, looked up at the pagoda, took a step forward and walked away on the wind. As a breeze blew into the room through the window on the third floor of the pagoda, the next moment, Ji Yuan was already standing in the meditation room of Monk Mo Yun.
"Good be to the Great Ming King Buddha, Mr. Ji, has the evildoer been subdued?"
"Well, it's okay."
Ji Yuan answered and moved his eyes away from the old monk and fell on the two women covered by quilts. Although they were lying unconscious, judging from their exposed shoulders, the women inside were probably naked.
"I have never seen such a terrifying monster in my entire cultivation. No, I have never even thought about it. What is the origin of this Zhu Yan? Is this the only celestial monster?"
"A celestial demon? I'm afraid it's still a long way off."
Ji Yuan thought so, but had no intention of elaborating on the ancient matters. Instead, he changed the subject and pointed to the bed and asked.
"Who are these two women?"
When Monk Moyun heard Mr. Ji's question, he suddenly remembered this difficult matter and smiled bitterly.
"One is Queen Li, the other is Concubine Wang. Oh, this is giving me a headache. Now I am not the only expert in the imperial city. Please ask Mr. Ji to send them back to their respective palaces..."
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and asked.
"Have they seen you, Master?"
Monk Moyun said helplessly.
"They should have seen me. Although they were confused and disoriented when they were sent here by the monster, they were still conscious. I think they could recognize me."
Ji Yuan turned and looked at Monk Mo Yun.
"Master, the so-called method of forgetting does not mean erasing ordinary people's memories, but burying them deep in the heart. It is still possible to remember them."
Memory is deeply intertwined with life and soul. It is not suitable to be separated until the moment when they are about to return to heaven and earth. Erasing people's memories directly is not a right way to do it, and it is also difficult to do. Even making people forget such deep memories requires advanced means. However, Mo Yun has frequent contacts with people in the palace, so it is easy for the two beauties in the harem to remember them.
"I know! Tomorrow, I will submit my resignation to the emperor, choose a place to practice well, and no longer care about the affairs of the court."
Ji Yuan nodded. Although it was not a bad thing for Ji Yuan that Monk Mo Yun was in the Xia Yong Dynasty, it might not be the case for Monk Mo Yun himself. He did not have to be deeply involved in the disputes of the world today. This might also be a good thing for Monk Mo Yun's practice.
Anyway, the pagoda in the imperial palace cannot be left empty. After the departure of the holy monk Mo Yun, there will definitely be another eminent monk coming, and there won't be just one.
"Master, you have awakened to this state of mind. I admire you. I will send the two ladies back on your behalf. We will say goodbye tonight."
"I would like to thank Mr. Ji for saving me, and also thank you for rescuing Xia Yong."
“It’s a piece of cake.”
Ji Yuan nodded, waved his sleeves, put the two jade bodies on the old monk Mo Yun's bed into his sleeves, then turned into the breeze and left the window.
Monk Mo Yun glanced at the slightly messy bed, walked to the window and clasped his hands together.
"Good be to the Great Ming King Buddha. When the heavens are about to go into chaos, there must be evildoers. Fortunately, I, a righteous master, am not afraid of the changing situation!"
That night, the duels and sword formations that Mo Yun witnessed far exceeded his own understanding of the way of heaven and earth, and gave rise to a more devout heart for practice.