Chapter 43: The Yin-Yang Great Handprint

"Well played by the two Protectors of the Yin-Yang School! The Confucian school is spent, and the Mohists have departed; now let us of the Peasant school test your Yin-Yang Great Handprints!"

Compared to the Confucians and Mohists, the members of the Peasant school who had arrived this time were also startled by the methods of the Yin-Yang School. However, since such ruthless actions had not been stopped by Lord Changping, the underlying meaning was self-evident.

The State of Qin did not care about the relative strength of the various philosophical schools; as long as one possessed extraordinary abilities, they could enter the royal court to serve as protectors or swordsmen. Yet, compared to the smaller factions, the schools gathered here today were indeed formidable.

Though the two Yin-Yang protectors upon the high platform were powerful, their Peasant school was not weak either. Fortified by the Earth-Sensing Formation and with their powers compounding, though only three of them had come today, they could unleash a terrifying combat strength just the same.

"The Peasant school?"

"Who would have thought you would still dare to come to the State of Qin? Have you forgotten Martial Lord Bai Qi of Qin?"

Looking at the three successors of the Peasant school clad in coarse burlap, a profound look involuntarily crossed the face of the Moon Goddess. Twenty years ago, the crimes committed by the Peasant school had yet to be reckoned with by Qin, and today they had delivered themselves right to the doorstep.

With a light step, she shifted her form and cast illusions, appearing instantly before the three Peasant successors beneath the high platform. In the span of a single breath, her hands wove eighteen spell seals, directly blanketing them in the Lunar Mirage.

"Twenty-Four Seasons of Earth and Earth!"

Ignoring the ungrounded words spoken by the Moon Goddess of the Yin-Yang School—what connection did Martial Lord Bai Qi have with their Peasant school?—the three young men, all barely over twenty, exchanged glances. Then, gripping their long swords and taking up their positions, they enveloped the Moon Goddess within their formation.

Created by Shennong based on the twenty-four seasonal changes of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, this formation could be activated with as few as two people. The greater the number, the stronger the formation's might.

"Three in one make the Awakening of Insects. Though the Earth-Sensing Formation is strong, there are far too many flaws in your execution. Under the Mandate of Heaven, nothing can be concealed before my Yin-Yang School. If you had deployed Spring's Birth, Summer's Flourish, Autumn's Wither, and Winter's Extinction, it might still have held some power."

"But as you are now, you are simply not enough!"

Beneath the Lunar Mirage, minds were charmed and wills shaken, throwing the formation's nodes into chaos. Eighteen Yin-Yang Great Handprints followed one after another, forcibly enclosing the three Peasant members within them. Then, the swirling energy of Hunyuan Taiji revolved, and the power of the curse seals penetrated deep into the bodies of the three.

Urged by violent internal energy, the backlash of the Yin-Yang Great Handprints manifested in an instant. Brilliant, mysterious lights surged across their entire bodies, their meridians reversed, and expressions of agony twisted their features. Before long, they collapsed limply onto the earth.

***

"Embrace the primal spirit and hold to the One; can you remain inseparable?"

"Concentrate your vital breath and achieve supreme softness; can you become like a newborn babe?"

"Cleanse and purge your profound vision; can you be free of flaws?"

"Past causes create present effects; today I shall spare your lives!"

Chanting aloud, stepping forward and moving with the wind, in the space of a heartbeat, a pale cyan mysterious light spread outward from his entire body, directly shattering the Lunar Mirage of the Moon Goddess. Then, with a flick of his single hand and an outward release of force, he caused the three agonizingly pained figures of the Peasant school to float suspended in the void.

His hands likewise wove incantation seals, the phantom of the Hunyuan Taiji flickering into view. With a flick of his finger, Taiji diagrams imbued with profound mysteries were imprinted one by one into the bodies of the three, their tyrannical power purging the force of the Yin-Yang handprints from within.

Two years ago, at the Tiger Leap Gorge, karmic ties had been forged with the Peasant school over the Hawk Sword. Today, this would serve as repaying that debt. As the Taoists say, matters should not exceed three; after paying back two more times, all ties would be severed, and the Hawk Sword would belong to him completely.

Waving his hands to weave eighteen handprints once more, Taiji diagrams manifested in cyan mysterious light and sank into the bodies of the three. Then, parting and closing his hands, he struck out with a single palm, completely clearing the Yin-Yang curse seals from within the three men.

Throughout the entire Taoist school, Zhou Qing fancied that apart from himself and his master, Northern Abyss, no one else possessed such means. Although the power of the Yin-Yang curse seals was formidable, it ultimately did not depart from the Great Dao, thus escaping the bondage of the words of the *Dao Te Ching*.

A single scroll of *Purity* was sufficient to deal with the Yin-Yang Great Handprint; unless the Gate of All Marvels manifested and the underlying principles were revealed, one could not hope to comprehend its subtleties. Yet, no sooner had the Moon Goddess of the Yin-Yang School inflicted the Yin-Yang curse seals upon the three Peasant disciples than Zhou Qing undid them.

"Xuanqingzi of the Taoist Heavenly Sect!"

"Why do you interfere?"

It was evident that the Moon Goddess of the Yin-Yang School recognized Zhou Qing's identity. The moment Zhou Qing shattered the Lunar Mirage with a single strike, she had withdrawn and ascended the high platform, leaving Zhou Qing to work his craft. Yet she had not expected that he could genuinely undo the Yin-Yang curse seals.

According to what the Eastern Emperor had said, among the various states of the Central Plains today, almost no one could counter the Yin-Yang curse seals. To run into one here today was truly vexing.

"This is a bit of karma between Xuanqing and the Peasant school!"

***

"Who would have thought that in the brief span of two years, Your Excellency Eastern Taiyi would have found the Protector of the Moon. Truly, your divine might is extraordinary. Reckoning it up, the Lord of the East and I should have met once two years ago."

"I never imagined our next meeting would be within this grand Xianyang Palace. You two, I intend to claim the position of Royal Court Protector. What say you?"

Stepping through the void with surging vital energy, cyan lotus flowers blossomed and transformed into a flight of stairs. Zhou Qing walked leisurely upon them, lingering in carefree detachment until he reached a height level with the high platform ahead, gazing directly at the Lord of the East and the Moon Goddess of the Yin-Yang School.

The three protectors of the Yin-Yang School were the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. With the Sun and Moon now revealed, the Star Protector could not be far behind. Clad in a pale cyan Taoist robe and wearing a purple-gold lotus crown, though young in years, the single strike with which he had repelled the Moon Goddess during his recent move was enough to shock all the various schools present.

"Many thanks, Master Xuanqing, for your merciful rescue. Our Peasant school will no longer participate in this matter. Yin-Yang School, we shall meet again!"

The three Peasant disciples, having cheated death, lingered in lingering terror. If not for the intervention of Xuanqingzi of the Taoist Heavenly Sect, they felt certain they would have perished right here in Xianyang Palace at the hands of the Yin-Yang School.

Though they knew not what relation this Taoist Xuanqingzi bore to the Peasant school, saving their lives was enough. Refusing to dwell on it further, they struggled to their feet, cupped their hands in a bow, and cast resentful glances toward the Moon Goddess and the Lord of the East upon the high platform before departing in bitter dissatisfaction.

"The King of Qin has stated that the royal court shall have a Left and a Right Protector. Had Your Excellency not appeared, the two of us would have occupied these positions. However, His Excellency the Eastern Emperor stated a few days ago that Xuanqingzi of the Heavenly Sect is deeply entangled with the State of Qin; therefore, should Your Excellency claim a post, you shall hold the position of Royal Court Right Protector."

"What does Master Xuanqing think of this?"

Standing suspended in the void, riding the wind in absolute freedom—this was the extremely advanced stage of the Taoist *Wind-Riding Technique*, possessing to a certain degree the profound mystery of breaking through illusion and returning to the real. The Lord of the East was well aware of this Taoist successor before her.

Two years ago upon the Viewing Mystery Platform of Mount Taiyi, she had seen him once alongside His Excellency the Eastern Emperor, though at that time the young man had still been deep in seclusion, having just broken through into the realm of the Divine Transformation and Mysterious Spirit.

Profiting from that, she too had broken through to the Divine Transformation realm some time ago, but compared to the person before her, she was clearly a notch weaker. Among the various philosophical schools, those capable of dissolving the power of the Yin-Yang curse seals could be counted on one's fingers.

Stepping forward with a swaying, graceful posture and enveloped in a dark golden mysterious light, the Lord of the East looked at the Taoist Xuanqingzi before her, exchanging a glance with the Moon Goddess at her side.