Chapter 675: Six Fists Are Better Than Two
Turning back the clock a couple of seconds…
‘Holy shit…,’ Zhen Xun Tian thought to herself in disbelief as she realized the package that had been sent flying towards like a rocket was none other than the aether treasure she had made for a day, just like this.
‘I don’t believe it…talk about a change in luck!’
Luck.
The only word that Zhen Xun TIan could use to describe this singular moment in time was “lucky”.
For this was a moment that could only occur due to three improbable events happening all at the same time, affecting one another in such a way that it led to this moment that could only be attributed to sheer luck.
If any of these events went a different way, had a different result, Zhen Xun Tian would be in a massive heap of trouble by now.
First, had that mysterious blur or whatever not rescued the girl in time, Zhen Xun Tian would’ve attempted to intercept the attack herself. Regardless of whether or not she succeeded in this rescue attempt though, it would’ve ended with her opening herself up to an attack from Gao Ao Long.
Instead, the rescuing of the girl in that exact moment led to Gao Ao Long getting distracted, as well as causing Zhen Xun Tian to turn around in order to receive the [Dragon Stranglers].
Speaking of that package, it was already an incredible moment of luck that the exact thing she needed to kick Gao Ao Long’s ass in, had been delivered to her in her hour of need. Whomever realized that this was what she needed would definitely get a reward after all of this was over.
Second, had Zhen Xun Tian not turned around at that time, Gao Ao Long would’ve definitely noticed the package before she could notice. This in turn, would lead to Gao Ao Long being able to intercept the aether treasure, and possibly use it himself in order to turn this battle of equivalent abilities into a one-sided slaughter.
Instead, the package ended up flying directly into Zhen Xun Tian’s arms, right as she was turning around no less. All she needed then was a moment to activate and equip the arms, which came sooner than she had anticipated.
Finally, had Zhen Shi, Zhen Bao and Zhen Qiu not rescued the High Elders in time, Gao Ao Long would’ve used them as hostages again in order to prevent Zhen Zhen Xun Tian from doing anything. The Fallen could’ve easily used them as leverage in order to prevent Zhen Xun Tian from being able to fight properly, or worse.
Instead, as Gao Ao Long had her back turned against her, Zhen Xun Tian used that moment to make her move!
‘I don’t know whether to chalk this moment up as being a coincidence or just me being real lucky, but I’m going to strike while the iron is hot! [Dragon Stranglers], activate!’
Zhen Xun Tian sent her aether into the arms carved from dragon bones, causing them to twitch.
The arm-like aether treasure did not suddenly open up and encase her arms as one might expect, but instead, the [Dragon Stranglers] came to life and attached themselves directly into Zhen Xun Tian’s back and temporarily fused with her skeleton and nervous system.
A faint aura of dragon force could be felt radiating off of these strange arms of bone.
As intimidating as these dragon bone arms were though, Zhen Xun Tian wasn’t quite done yet.
As the [Dragon Stranglers] installed themselves, Zhen Xun Tian also focused on the kraken shaped tattoo that would normally stay hidden beneath the rest of her ink, and brought it forward by channeling both her own aether and the weird energy that had become a part of her the moment she etched this tattoo onto her back.
Once the tattoo had fully surfaced, a pair of arms made of an inky energetic substance took form directly below her normal arms.
Finally, she summoned forth her [Astra], which were a pair of intricate looking brass knuckles that she lovingly called the [Asura Dusters]. If one were to take a close look at the metallic rings that covered the knuckles, one could make out a face of pure anger carved into them.
‘Alright…now for the fun part.’
While Gao Ao Long’s back was still turned, Zhen Xun Tian began to condense aether into her [Astra], dragon force into the [Dragon Stranglers] and that weird energy coming from her tattoo into her ink-like arms, until all six of her fists were starting to glow six different colors.
Evidently, as she wasn’t being the least bit subtle about this exercise in power, Gao Ao Long ended up detecting this fluctuation of three different energy types happening all at once.
As soon as she saw Gao Ao Long’s face, Zhen Xun Tian couldn’t help but respond with a vicious looking smile and a very straightforward statement.
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‘Wait a minute…how is she channeling three different types of energy at the same time, if two of those energies are explosively in direct conflict with each other? Hurricroak and I almost got our arms blasted into smithereens after she tried to absorb dragon force from that electrified water rodent!’
[I’m still sorry about that, by the way, maestro.]
‘Its cool, I got over that the moment my arms got healed. Please run shit like that by me before you do something like that again though.’
[Fair enough.]
Pathos teased/answered.
Luckily, Logos actually understood what was going on.
=Huh…I think I know what she’s doing, and it’s actually pretty clever too.=
‘Okay…what the fuck is she doing?’
=Do you notice how her two additional set of arms look decidedly…out of place, in comparison to the rest of her body?=
‘Its visually obvious, yes.’
=Well, she is actually using those arms as repositories for dragon force and [Chaos]. Simply put, she’s not actually circulating aether, dragon force and [Chaos] all at the same time, she is actually condensing each of type of energy into the appropriate appendage and then circulating them throughout her body in a manner fast enough that it all sorta blends together.=
‘Uh…what?’
=Think of the normal aether channels as a series of pipes, with aether flowing like water through out it. Now, those pipes can’t handle multiple types of liquid at the same time or else things get weird. However, if one could say swap out the water with something else…=
‘Oh…okay, I get it now. Thank you, Logos.’
=Anytime, milord.=
[Young master, the rest of us are still in position. Do you want us to still go in?]
‘Play it by ear y’all, we’re gonna have to play this by ear.’
[As you wish!]
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Going with the flow of this moment, Zhen Xun Tian rushed straight towards Gao Ao Long, all the while chanting a sutra she had learned a long time ago from a wandering wise man.
[All life is trapped in an endless cycle of six realms…it is by understanding these realms does one understand reality…by understanding reality, one gets closer to understanding Nirvana…]
As to why she began to chant this strange sutra, the answer was quite simple.
How else was one supposed to maximize the power of a World class aether art without chanting?
[…through the accumulation of karma, one’s reincarnation can be determined…]
With every word of the sutra completed, the energies circulating throughout Zhen Xun Tian’s body began to agitate the ink covering her skin.
Constructs of energy that bore a resemblance to her various tattoos began to come off and form into a strange looking wheel that depicted six vastly different sceneries.
[Deva, Asura, Manusa, Tiryak, Preta, Naraka…]
Once she said the last words of her sutra, Zhen Xun Tian was ready to end this in one blow…ideally.
[…it is through my hands that I turn the wheel of my existence to what I want. Symphony of Samsara!]
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Aether Art: Symphony of Samsara
Rarity/Quality: Major World Art
Description:
An aether art that was created to celebrate the six realms of reality, as described in Buddhist philosophy, and channel their power into a devastating three to six part combination of moves.
In either case of this art being employed, the power of each realm is channeled through the user’s fists.
…
Once upon a time, a being calling himself the Buddha appeared on Valresta.
He brought with him a series of teachings, sutras and mantras that pertained to a certain philosophical point of view.
That view being that all life is trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation through six realms of existence, and depending on how one lives while existing in one of these six realms, will determine how they’ll live once they reincarnate.
It was only through the act of reaching enlightenment could one achieve Nirvana, the extinction of self, that somebody could remove themselves from this cycle entirely.
(Un)surprisingly, his philosophy ended up forming the basis of a whole cultivation movement.
…
=He’s cool, he just operates on a completely different wavelength from us.=
=He’s very proud of his followers’ talents.=
