"Hmph! You've brought shame to the Dali Duan family! Go back and reflect on your mistakes in private!" Emperor Duan Suzhen of Dali roared.
“But I…” Duan Sujie felt that she hadn’t lost yet.
"Shut up! You think you didn't lose? I'm afraid you're the only one here who can't see that Si Lian has been letting you win the whole time. If you had just put in a little more effort, you could have at least managed a draw. But where did you put all your energy? You've really disappointed me!"
The Emperor of Dali was furious when he saw his good-for-nothing son. He thought to himself that the Dali Kingdom should never be handed over to him. He should let him use his talents to have more children, and then pass the throne to his grandson.
Duan Sujie lowered his head in shame. He had indeed been somewhat lax in his training over the past two years. As the crown prince, he was very busy, working day and night, and had overdone it.
"Si Lian, have you already cultivated the One-Finger Divine Skill to the sixth rank?" Emperor Duan Suzhen of Dali asked with a grim expression. He was truly unhappy, but he could not show it too much.
"Your Majesty has keen insight; you were recently promoted to the sixth rank," Duan Silian said, clasping his hands in greeting.
Duan Sujie suddenly raised his head, feeling extremely unwilling, but he could only admit defeat. "I admit defeat. I didn't expect you to have cultivated the One-Finger Divine Skill to the sixth rank. Thank you for your mercy, Uncle."
"You flatter me, my dear nephew." Duan Silian smiled slightly. Two years ago, he was an eighth-rank official and Duan Sujie was a seventh-rank official. Now, the other party is still a seventh-rank official, but he has already reached the sixth-rank official. The difference in their ranks is obvious.
Duan Sujie was two years older than Duan Silian but was no match for him. Moreover, Duan Silian even deliberately let him win. Therefore, compared to Duan Sujie, Duan Silian's martial arts talent was beyond doubt.
"Duan Silian, a member of the Duan family of Dali, deliberately yielded to his opponent out of consideration for family ties. He had no intention of deceiving the Overlord. Please forgive him, Overlord," said Emperor Duan Suzhen of Dali, bowing respectfully.
Xiang Yu closed his eyes again. "I know, and I don't intend to blame you. It was my oversight before. A ruler of a country is busy with countless affairs of state; he should also receive a divine treasure."
As for your son, if he has the courage to help me demonstrate the function of this divine object, I can give him one as well. In other words, I can give a total of five divine treasures to the Duan family of Dali.”
The Emperor of Dali was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this treasure! I am willing to assist Your Majesty in demonstrating this divine weapon, even at the cost of my life!"
Duan Sujie also realized what was happening and immediately kowtowed to the ground, "Thank you, Overlord! I am willing to help you, even at the cost of my life!"
Elder Duan Suyan hesitated, but ultimately sighed helplessly. It would be too embarrassing for a monk like himself to jump out and compete with Duan Sujie for it.
Moreover, if he could get the divine treasure for his son and grandson, then all his efforts would not have been in vain, and he should be content.
“Very well, then I won’t stand on ceremony. Actually, there’s no need for you all to fight over this divine treasure, since you all belong to the same race and can share it. Besides, this divine treasure isn’t exactly a weapon of war. Please take a look.” As Xiang Yu spoke, he conjured three pills out of thin air in his palm, one red, one yellow, and one blue.
"A magic pill!" the law enforcement elder exclaimed.
The others thought the same thing, but none of them shouted it out.
Xiang Yu continued, "These aren't elixirs, they're divine medicines. The red one is for healing, the yellow one is for stamina, and the blue one is for stopping bleeding. Duan Sujie, don't move around, I'm going to use you to test the medicine."
"Yes!" Duan Sujie was excited. As expected, demonstrating the divine treasure had its benefits. These were all divine medicines, and there would definitely be no harm in taking them. But why couldn't he move them?
Xiang Yu was the first to hold up the small blue pill. "Try the hemostatic medicine first. This medicine can be used to treat wounds that cannot be stopped from bleeding, but it cannot heal the wound. Also, remember to crush it and apply it externally when using it. Especially for you high monks, do not take it internally, otherwise you may break your vow of celibacy."
Duan Sujie's eyes lit up, "Could this medicine be taken internally as... Ah! Ouch..."
With a slight twitch of Xiang Yu's right little finger, Duan Sujie's right ear was instantly struck by a sword of energy, leaving it a bloody mess and gushing blood.
Everyone gasped in shock. The Overlord had just made a move that cost Duan Sujie an ear. Those who had been envious of Duan Sujie were no longer so envious.
And what kind of martial arts did the Overlord just use? It was so powerful!
"Hmm? It's dangerous for you to move around like that, and I can't stop the bleeding." Xiang Yu frowned.
"Don't move!" Duan Sulong couldn't stand it anymore, so he flew over and slapped Duan Sujie several times, and Duan Sujie's body stiffened and stopped moving.
As the emperor of Dali, Duan Suzhen was heartbroken to see her son being treated so brutally. But they had just said they would die for him, and now they were making a scene over a mere ear. Where was the face of the Dali Duan family?
Even if Duan Sulong doesn't take action, his father will still do it himself. He even wants to take action against Duan Suyan, who has severed ties with the world and become a monk. It's too shameful and too stupid. Such behavior will surely disqualify him from the throne in the future.
Duan Suzhen glared fiercely at her son and said angrily, "As a man of the Dali Duan family, how can you back down because of such a small injury? Overlord, please do as you please, my son can handle it!"
"..." Duan Sujie was on the verge of tears. Was this really her father?
In reality, Duan Sujie couldn't even cry, because Duan Sulong had applied the pressure point technique too thoroughly; he could only breathe, not even blink. If he could speak, he would definitely make Duan Suyan give his father a good beating, since his grandfather loved him the most.
"How many more wounds does the Overlord want to inflict on my son? If the Overlord doesn't want to do it, I can do it for him!" Duan Suzhen didn't believe that Xiang Yu could kill her son. As long as he didn't die, everything else was a small matter. What was a little suffering? Others wouldn't even be qualified to suffer like that!
"Wait! Please, Overlord, do it yourself, using the same martial art as before!" Duan Siming suddenly realized something. If that were the case, should he cry or laugh?
"Does the abbot perhaps think that what the Overlord just used was..." Duan Sulong hadn't seen it clearly, but he had his doubts, though he just couldn't believe it.
"If I am not mistaken, what the Overlord just used was our sect's ultimate technique—the Six Meridians Divine Sword! The Shaoze Sword! May I ask if the Overlord is correct?" Duan Siming was shocked. He knew that none of them knew how to use the Six Meridians Divine Sword, and they had never even seen what it looked like!
Xiang Yu nodded to himself. It seemed that Duan Siping's descendant did indeed have extraordinary talent in martial arts. The technique he had just used was the most mysterious and unpredictable Shaoze Sword.
"Yes, but not entirely. What I used was the Six Meridians Divine Sword, which was imitated by the Xiaoyao Sect's Xiaowuxiang Gong. However, if you all want to see it, I can also demonstrate the other five Meridians Divine Swords for you to see, which may be helpful to your cultivation."
"Thank you, Overlord! Please use the Six Meridians Divine Sword technique multiple times for each strike!" Duan Siming was overjoyed.
Elder Duan Suyan, the law enforcement elder, also had his eyes shining. "Not bad! Overlord, try a few more times. As long as that kid can hold on, and you don't kill him, that's fine!"
Duan Sujie, “…”
Chapter 389 The Buddha's Compassion
In the following time, Xiang Yu demonstrated various sword moves of the Six Meridians Divine Sword to everyone. Of course, he did not hit Duan Sujie. It was just a demonstration. There was no need to kill him. Smashing off one of his ears was also to demonstrate the effect of the divine medicine.
Master Kurong got the best spot and watched Xiang Yu's every sword move intently. Since his ancestor Duan Siping, someone had finally learned the Six Meridians Divine Sword, but unfortunately, it was an outsider.
However, it cannot be said that Ba Wang was completely an outsider. At least Ba Wang and Xiao Yaozi had a close relationship, and Xiao Yaozi was both a teacher and a friend of their ancestor Duan Siping. This time, when he came to present the treasure, he specially demonstrated the Six Meridians Divine Sword to them, which shows that he took great care of the Duan family of Dali.
As for borrowing the One Finger Divine Skill manual, it now seems that the other party was clearly testing the attitude of the Dali Duan family. Only if they were satisfied would they demonstrate the Six Meridians Divine Sword today.
The Lesser Formless Skill is miraculous, but it is absolutely impossible to cultivate the One-Finger Divine Skill to the fourth level and learn the Six Meridians Divine Sword in less than a day using only the Lesser Formless Skill!
The only explanation is that the Overlord already knew the Six Meridian Divine Sword. His ancestor, Duan Siping, wanted to exchange the Six Meridian Divine Sword for Xiaoyaozi's Longevity and Immortality Skill. Although the exchange failed, Xiaoyaozi helped create the Withering and Flourishing Zen Skill. Out of gratitude, the ancestor may have given the One Finger Divine Skill and the Six Meridian Divine Sword to Xiaoyaozi.
Xiaoyaozi was not interested in the Six Meridians Divine Sword, but it was clear that this overlord liked it very much and had already cultivated it to the highest level, so that the qi sword he fired could turn and move at will!
"Have you all memorized it?" Xiang Yu demonstrated the Six Meridians Divine Sword six times in a row. Those who could remember it must have already memorized it. As for the rest of those with mediocre talent, it would be a waste to demonstrate it a few more times.
Moreover, Xiang Yu noticed that after watching the sword three times, the masters of Tianlong Temple divided the work so that each of them had to memorize one sword technique, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Without Xiang Yu's direct demonstration, relying solely on ancestral legends and the Six Meridians Divine Sword manual, it would have been extremely difficult to master the Six Meridians Divine Sword technique.
If Xiang Yu hadn't had the guidance of Xiaoyaozi, who had seen the real Six Meridians Divine Sword, it would have been impossible for him to master it so quickly.
"Thank you for spreading the Dharma, Overlord! The Duan family of Dali is deeply grateful!" Abbot Duan Siming bowed deeply, and Fan Tong, Kurong, and the others also expressed their sincere gratitude.
"Now, I will continue to demonstrate the effects of this divine medicine to you all." Xiang Yu glanced at Duan Sujie, who was missing an ear.
Just before demonstrating the Six Meridians Divine Sword to everyone, Xiang Yu handed the blue pill to the Emperor of Dali, instructing him to crush it and use it to stop Duan Sujie's bleeding.
The little blue pill could not only stop the bleeding, but also relieve the pain, so Duan Sujie felt no pain at all after taking the medicine. However, losing an ear makes a person disabled, and his mood was certainly not very pleasant.
"Give him this medicine." Xiang Yu's forehead veins throbbed as he took out a healing pill, then, to everyone's astonishment, pried off a small piece and handed it to the Emperor of Dali.
Hao Jiu nodded in satisfaction. "Bawang can give them the remaining half of the pill. It would be too wasteful for Duan Sujie to take a whole pill with such a minor injury. Since this is a demonstration of the medicine's effects, we should let them know that just a small piece can heal an ear injury. It will be of great benefit to them."
"The God of Wine is right. After all, they can't possibly have that many healing medicines." Xiang Yu felt a little better after hearing Hao Jiu's explanation. Fortunately, this wasn't the first or second time he'd done something like this, so he figured he might as well be stingy.
Emperor Duan Suzhen of Dali held the small piece of healing medicine and thought to herself, "How much effect can such a tiny bit of medicine have? Are you kidding me?"
However, after Duan Sujie took the healing medicine, it was time to witness a miracle.
Under the increasingly wide-eyed gaze of the Duan family, Duan Sujie's ear, which had been knocked off, miraculously grew back perfectly intact!
If this isn't a god, what is? He can bring people back to life, but he can certainly heal flesh and bone right before our eyes!
The energy potion shown next was equally amazing, instantly replenishing energy. Duan Sujie only ate a small piece, and his energy was fully restored, making him energetic again.
Everyone stared intently at Xiang Yu, though no one dared to look into his eyes; at most, they could only look down to his mouth.
However, everyone had a question in their minds: if these divine medicines were indeed the treasures that the Overlord wanted to bestow upon those five people, what did they have to do with martial arts talent? Could it be that the number of divine medicines was very small, and only those with high talent could obtain them?
"The demonstration is complete. If no one refuses, we can officially bestow the treasures. Please prepare a secret room for the five people I have chosen to enter. The rest of you should wait outside." Xiang Yu acted according to Hao Jiu's plan. The healing medicine could be revealed, but the matter of the Shadow System still needed to be kept secret.
"The secret chamber is just behind us, Your Majesty, please follow me." As an elder and one of the five chosen, Duan Sulong naturally took on the responsibility of leading the way.
Xiang Yu, Duan Sulong, and the others arrived at the secret room. The secret room was not large and not very secluded, but it had a structure similar to a safe house. The walls were very thick and sturdy, and the sound insulation was excellent.
"May I ask Your Majesty, how much of the divine medicine will each of us receive?" the Emperor of Dali asked impatiently, and the others also sat up straight.
"You've misunderstood," Xiang Yu said with his eyes closed. "What I promised you wasn't those three divine medicines, but a divine treasure capable of creating them. With it, you can produce divine medicines in an endless stream. If you're careful, it should be enough for your Duan family. But please remember, it's best not to spread the word about the divine treasure and the divine medicines, lest you bring disaster upon yourselves. I think you all understand the principle of 'possessing a treasure invites trouble.'"
"We will remember the teachings of the Overlord." Everyone felt a chill in their hearts and immediately understood the meaning behind Xiang Yu's words. It was a small matter if the divine medicine was spread, but the divine treasure that could create the divine medicine must never be known to others, not even relatives or clansmen.
“Good. Next, we will begin binding the divine treasures. If you want something, agree to it in your heart; if you don’t want it, refuse it.” Xiang Yu said solemnly.
The five men thought to themselves, "How could we possibly refuse? Anyone who dares to refuse at this time would be a sinner against the entire clan!"
"Binding process initiated, do you agree to bind?" Hao Jiu's voice rang in the minds of the five people simultaneously.
"Agreed!" The five people agreed almost simultaneously.
"Congratulations everyone, the binding is successful. The Overlord will grant you a certain amount of energy points every day, the exact amount of which depends on your own talent." Hao Jiu smiled slightly. Which of these five shadow systems will be the focus of cultivation depends on the talent of their hosts.
However, for now, they are all configured as botnets, and there are only three types of medicine available: a small blue pill costing 1000 energy points, a stamina potion costing 5000 energy points, and a healing potion costing 10000 energy points!
It's not because Hao Jiu is greedy that he set such a high price, but for the sake of balance in the eight parts of Tian Long Ba Bu. If too much of the divine medicine were to be circulated, the later plot might be changed.
For example, someone who should have sought treatment from Doctor Xue instead came to the Duan family of Dali, or the Duan family of Dali used a miraculous medicine to unify the martial arts world.
It's important to understand that Hao Jiu doesn't have the energy to pay attention to what the chicken hosts are doing, nor can she interfere with their original life trajectories.
Moreover, Hao Jiu's price isn't actually that high. Since Xiang Yu's current host level is very high, the energy the Shadow System gains every day is several times their own talent value. As long as the host's talent isn't too bad, it's not a problem to save up one or two healing pills a year.
Of course, one guy has already set his sights on the little blue pill...
Just as Master Kurong was about to ask about the Kurong Divine Skill, Xiang Yu spoke first.
"Now that the affairs of Dali are concluded, Xiaoyaozi and I should also depart. You are all elites of the Dali Duan family, so do not waste your talents. Master Fantong, here is the Black Tiger back. Farewell."
After Xiang Yu finished speaking, he waved his hand lightly, and the air door opened instantly.
Whoosh!
A streak of black light flashed past, startling Zhenjie and his son.
Bang!
Black Tiger crashed into the wall and slowly slid down, shaking his somewhat dazed head. Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he sat cross-legged, clasped his hands together, and entered a meditative state like an old monk.
Duan Sulong looked completely bewildered. After thinking for a while, he took out a cucumber from his sleeve and handed it over.
Black Tiger opened his mouth with a look of utter despair, gently bit off a piece, and began to chew slowly and deliberately...
“Overlord, Overlord, where did this black tiger go…” Duan Sulong looked again in the secret room, but there was no trace of Overlord.
May Buddha have mercy! What exactly did this black tiger experience in less than a day?!