Vaidurya Bodhisattva’s colourless domain, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Great Samsara Dharma Aspect, and Agaruka Bodhisattva’s close-quarters slaughter.
With the three Bodhisattvas joining forces, even a first rank martial artist at the peak of his powers would have been suppressed and beaten senseless.
Let alone Xu Qi’an in his current state, without the slightest trace of life, like a charred corpse.
At that moment, al-Asura, some distance away, produced a dazzling Sharira and said in a deep voice:
“First wish, the Great Feng Silver Gong Xu Qi’an to be by my side.”
He had added a prefix before Xu Qi’an’s name, so as to effectively prevent the Worthy One Phala from bringing the wrong person.
After all, the land of Jiuzhou was vast, and there were plenty of people named Xu Qi’an.
The Worthy One Phala flashed once, and in the next instant, Xu Qi’an, who had been facing a threefold encirclement, vanished from where he stood and appeared beside al-Asura.
The colourless domain enclosed Agaruka within it, and the beam from the Great Samsara Dharma Aspect failed to shine on Xu Qi’an, and so could not weaken his power.
This—trai—tor… Agaruka’s thoughts turned sluggishly, trapped within the colourless lapis lazuli domain.
After losing the Vajra Dharma Aspect, his battle strength had been damaged, and there was simply no way he could break Vaidurya Bodhisattva’s domain.
Of course, even at his peak, he wouldn’t have been able to break it either.
Although Agaruka’s overall battle strength was the greatest among the three Bodhisattvas, that didn’t mean he could crush the other two. They were all first rank, the gap between them wasn’t that great.
Al-Asura opened his mouth and swallowed the Worthy One Phala, hoisted Xu Qi’an over his shoulder, and ran.
We’ve successfully trapping Agaruka inside the colourless lapis lazuli domain, if the domain isn’t forcibly broken, it would take ten breaths to disperse on its own… I need to hold out against Vaidurya Bodhisattva for ten breaths. Xu Ningyan, wake up quickly… While thinking rapidly, al-Asura charged towards the depths of Ananda.
Suddenly, his forehead throbbed with pain, and then he heard two sounds, “ding” and “pfft”.
Immediately after, an indescribable tide of agony surged over him and swallowed him whole, crushing his will.
In his vision, white robes fluttered, a beauty like a painting, revealing the cold and elegant face of a Western Regions beauty.
Vaidurya Bodhisattva had appeared before him and drove a Demon-sealing Nail into his forehead.
This Demon-sealing Nail was the same one Xu Qi’an had driven into al-Asura’s abdomen back then. Later, he had returned it to Du’e, who had brought it back to Ananda.
After all, at the time he had still been a monk with “the four elements empty”. In order to keep his identity as a traitor from being exposed, even if he hadn’t wanted to hand it over, he would’ve had to.
Al-Asura’s primordial spirit weakened at a speed visible to the naked eye, and only at that moment did a martial artist’s danger sense finally react, urging him to flee, danger ahead…
Vaidurya Bodhisattva’s speed had exceeded danger sense.
His eyes bulged wide, bloodshot, while the resplendent light symbolising the Executioner Phala intertwined with flames and covered his right leg. The muscles in his leg exploded.
Smack~
Al-Asura’s right leg snapped out like a whip. He wasn’t afraid of fighting Vaidurya in close combat.
As a peak second rank, and a beyond-mortal even stronger than most second ranks, facing a Bodhisattva who wasn’t skilled in close combat, even if he couldn’t win, there was no need for him to cower.
The whipping kick shattered Vaidurya’s figure.
Like a ghost, she appeared behind al-Asura and reached for the charred Xu Qi’an.
After grabbing Xu Qi’an by the ankle, Vaidurya used the Walker Dharma Aspect, turning speed into strength, and forcibly dragged Xu Qi’an down, then casually hurled him backwards, where Agaruka and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva were.
The swastika character shot out a beam of light, striking Xu Qi’an squarely.
After throwing Xu Qi’an away, a small jade sabre slipped from Vaidurya Bodhisattva’s sleeve. With a swing of her arm, the blade swept across the back of al-Asura’s neck.
After spraying dazzling sparks, the small sabre smoothly severed al-Asura’s head.
But at that very moment, al-Asura’s figure slowly faded away, like a reflection of flowers in a mirror and moon in water.
Elsewhere, Xu Qi’an’s figure faded in the same way.
This was al-Asura’s second wish, summoning “puppets” that looked real enough to pass for the genuine article, though their aura was weaker than the original. This was a standard use of the Worthy One Phala.
The reason Vaidurya Bodhisattva hadn’t seen through it was because after the Demon-sealing Nail pierced al-Asura’s forehead, his aura had dropped sharply, perfectly throwing her senses into disorder.
That was also why al-Asura hadn’t immediately made a second wish after the first one ended, but had waited until he was struck by the Demon-sealing Nail before making the second wish in his heart.
Far from the main peak, in a relatively flat stretch of ground, the figures of al-Asura carrying Xu Qi’an appeared. At this moment, the two of them were already quite close to Demon-suppressing Ravine.
“Hmph!”
Having been toyed with twice in a row, Vaidurya’s pretty face turned cold. Her sleeves swayed, and in the blink of an eye she blocked al-Asura’s path.
At the same time, the colourless lapis lazuli barrier dispersed, and Agaruka kicked off with both legs. With a boom, amid the sound of the ground collapsing, he leapt high into the air and came in pursuit.
Crack crack! The wheel turned, the swastika character and the “human” character lit up, and beams shone towards al-Asura and Xu Qi’an.
Seeing the three Bodhisattvas’ encirclement and slaughter about to play out once again, al-Asura let out a helpless breath. He had done all he could.
To have dragged things out this long amid the pursuit and interception of three first rank experts, skilfully making use of the spells and artefacts on both sides, was already the greatest feat of his life.
A curtain like a shadow enveloped al-Asura and carried him away from the spot.
Agaruka lunged at empty air. Vaidurya’s gaze fell beneath the shadow of a tree to the slanted right, where two shadows slowly rose and took shape as al-Asura and a charred black human figure.
Bloody hell, that hurt. I nearly died…
The charred black figure stretched his limbs, his bones cracking loudly, while pieces of carbonised dead skin flaked off one by one.
The Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect hadn’t managed to kill him, but only now had he completely neutralised that force which had continued to wear away his life, allowing him to return from death.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s wheel slowly came to a halt, then withdrew, and the Great Compassion and Mercy Dharma Aspect appeared in its place.
The Great Compassion and Mercy Dharma Aspect was his strongest technique, and also his means of preserving himself and controlling others. Bringing it out now, switching from attack to defence, was enough to show how wary he was of Xu Qi’an.
The Buddha devoured Dharmapara… the Buddha isn’t the Buddha… The moment he awoke, Xu Qi’an immediately received the information from his “double” and gained partial control of the situation.
Agaruka’s face was dark as water as he said flatly:
“A first rank martial artist truly does have a tough life. But after taking a hit from the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect, how much of your cultivation remains?”
Xu Qi’an looked around at the three Bodhisattvas and sneered:
“My battle strength’s damaged, sure, but without the Vajra Dharma Aspect, you’re just a stinking lump of rock, not worth much.”
Then he looked at Vaidurya Bodhisattva.
“I could stand still and let you hit me for three days, and you still wouldn’t be able to snap one of my fingernails.”
Then he swept a glance at Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and gave a scornful shake of his head.
“You’ve got more than enough to protect yourself, so just stand by and watch. The three of you Bodhisattvas, what can you even do to al-Asura and me!”
This was the confidence of a first rank martial artist. He simply wasn’t afraid. Although the Bodhisattvas’ methods were strange and they could protect themselves, one side merely had more than enough self-preservation, while the other could act without the slightest restraint.
That was the difference.
As the two sides spoke, Ananda suddenly began to shake. It was like an earthquake had struck. Landslides broke out everywhere, and huge boulders tumbled down.
When the inner layers of rock split open, what they revealed was actually tender red flesh, flesh that swelled and contracted from time to time.
The whole of Ananda was actually a gigantic monster, a monster of flesh and blood.
At that moment, the monster had awakened.
So Shenshu really is in danger… Xu Qi’an’s heart tightened.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, in the form of a young monk, lifted the corners of his mouth and said flatly,
“You thought Shenshu could take back his head? You thought we hadn’t prepared for this? Did you also think that, with the great calamity approaching, we’d compromise and let you reclaim Shenshu’s head?”
His tone was cold, his expression was cold, yet beneath his words was a mocking amusement born of sheer intellectual superiority.
Vaidurya Bodhisattva’s voice was pleasant to the ear, full of the charm of a mature woman.
“Silver Gong Xu, you underestimate us, and you underestimate the Buddha too.”
Agaruka Bodhisattva’s face was stern as he said slowly,
“There’s a saying in the Central Plains, ‘please enter the boiling pot!’.1
“Xu Qi’an, the ones the Buddhist sect invited are you and Shenshu.
“Once the Buddha suppresses Shenshu, your death day will come. It’s true that we can’t kill you, but keeping you here won’t be difficult. Today, we’ll settle the score for the grudge in the Central Plains!”
Xu Qi’an said in a low voice,
“Fall back at once. Go and join Daoist Jinlian and the others. I’ll go help Shenshu.”
As al-Asura endured the pain and pulled out the Demon-sealing Nails with a secret technique, he replied,
“Be careful yourself.”
He leapt up and shot through the air into the distance. At the same time, Xu Qi’an repeatedly used the Dark Gu technique, jumping towards the Demon Suppressing Ravine.
After only two jumps, the Demon Suppressing Ravine was right ahead. A deep abyssal fissure had appeared there, but suddenly Agaruka Bodhisattva and Vaidurya Bodhisattva appeared before his eyes.
The former drew back his right arm, the muscles in his waist bulging, and drove out a punch that shattered the air.
The latter flashed behind Xu Qi’an and thrust the jade knife in her hand towards the middle of his back.
At the same time, she unfolded the colourless lapis lazuli domain, restricting Xu Qi’an’s movements.
Xu Qi’an’s pupils contracted slightly. Agaruka isn’t this fast. Vaidurya brought him here. What kind of damned speed is this…
“Clang!”
The jade knife struck the middle of Xu Qi’an’s back and threw off sparks.
Xu Qi’an used the Desire Gu to arouse his own lust, making his head swim with overpowering desire, filled with yearning for women. Then he used the Heart Gu technique to share emotions with Vaidurya Bodhisattva behind him.
A flush instantly rose on Vaidurya’s fair face, and her gaze turned slightly dazed. To her shock, she discovered that she was filled with improper desire for the man before her.
She longed for his embrace, for his thrusts.
This caused the colourless domain she had spread to slow noticeably, and she couldn’t bear to strike at him.
Seizing the gap of less than a second, he stretched out a palm towards Agaruka and clenched it sharply.
Dark Gu technique, Concealment!
The effect of “Concealment” on Agaruka lasted less than a second, but that was enough.
Agaruka’s vision went black, then bright again, and Xu Qi’an had vanished.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, watching from afar, had originally intended to summon the Great Samsara Dharma Aspect and deliver a crushing blow. But when he saw Xu Qi’an make the motion of drawing a sword, his brows twitched, and he let the man leap away through the shadows.
That movement just now had been the preparatory action for activating the other’s “Dao”.
When he used the Great Mercy and Compassion Dharma Aspect, his enemies couldn’t produce killing intent or hostility, and couldn’t attack him. But if he switched to the Great Samsara Dharma Aspect, he wouldn’t have that advantage.
And the other’s “Dao” was terrifying. It couldn’t be dodged, and it couldn’t be blocked.
Vaidurya Bodhisattva quickly broke free from the shared emotions and stopped lusting after Xu Qi’an’s body, but it was already too late. She could only watch helplessly as he leapt into the abyss—the Demon Suppressing Ravine.
The three Bodhisattvas immediately gave chase and all plunged into the Demon Suppressing Ravine.
…
Boom!
Xu Qi’an crashed into the Demon Suppressing Ravine like a falling meteor, slamming into the surface of the tender red flesh.
At that moment, large amounts of stone shell were falling away from the towering cliff walls on both sides of the gully, exposing disgusting, horrifying, tender red flesh beneath.
That flesh wriggled faintly, unconsciously.
The whole mountain is alive? What kind of monster is this? This is completely unscientific… Xu Qi’an floated back up at once, not daring to continue standing on the monster’s body.
His gaze swept quickly around and locked on to a place on the cliff wall ahead. There was a tightly sealed vertical line there, like the monster’s firmly closed lips.
This must be the cavern entrance al-Asura spoke of, the one that might be hiding Shenshu’s head. Xu Qi’an flew swiftly towards the “lips”.
Bang! Bang!
Inside the mountain, muffled explosions rang out rhythmically, like shell after shell detonating. The powerful shockwaves kept forcing apart the tightly sealed vertical seam, only for it to close again at once. Whoever was inside simply couldn’t break out.
Shenshu’s opening a passage in there… Ananda, no, the Buddha was digesting him… In the space of a few flashing thoughts, Xu Qi’an judged the situation.
Without the slightest hesitation, he raised the Sovereign Sword, poured qi into it, and hacked fiercely into the crack.
Szz szz~
A grating sound that set the teeth on edge rang out, like chopping into tough leather. The Sovereign Sword successfully cut open the flesh, but in the very next moment, the flesh healed and recovered.
The Sovereign Sword’s property of continuously eroding vitality and hindering the recovery of wounds had failed.
It was the first time Xu Qi’an had ever encountered such a thing.
But it also proved that the monster before him was indeed a lifeform beyond first rank.
I can’t force my way in… Xu Qi’an planted the Sovereign Sword before him and drew a deep breath. His blood surged through his veins, his skin turned scarlet, and wave after wave of scorching blood mist sprayed from his pores.
He thrust both hands viciously into the seam of flesh and, with a savage expression, forced the perfectly sealed entrance open bit by bit.
Xu Qi’an sent his divine sense into the deep fleshy wall and detected Shenshu’s condition.
His whole body, including both arms, was bound by tender red tentacles. He was doing everything he could to stir up his qi, turning himself into a shell that exploded without ceasing, trying to shake off the compression of the fleshy walls and the entangling tentacles.
At the same time, Xu Qi’an also noticed that in the brief instants when the fleshy wall was shaken apart by Shenshu’s pulling and surging qi, there were countless tiny blood threads connecting Shenshu to the fleshy wall.
Those blood threads burrowed into Shenshu’s body, trying to control him.
Behind Shenshu was a head embedded in the fleshy wall.
He still hasn’t reclaimed his head. He still isn’t a complete half-step Martial God… A violent sting shot through Xu Qi’an’s palms. He hurriedly tried to withdraw his hands, only to find that his palms were firmly stuck to the fleshy wall and couldn’t be pulled free.
Moreover, his strength was draining away quickly.
Fortunately, only his palms were stuck. With a slight increase of force, and a series of wet snapping sounds, he tore apart one blood thread after another and pulled both hands free.
The flesh of his palms was mangled and bloody.
Those torn blood threads could only withdraw helplessly back into the fleshy wall.
“Utterly futile!”
Three streaks of golden light descended into the abyss, keeping a certain distance from Xu Qi’an.
“Shenshu or you, what gave either of you the confidence to think you could take back the head under the Buddha’s gaze?”
Agaruka Bodhisattva stood barefoot in the air.
Xu Qi’an said calmly,
“The Buddha sleeps in the Demon Suppressing Ravine, personally suppressing Shenshu’s head. I guess He can’t kill Shenshu, and the two sides are locked in a contest of strength. The Buddha’s power isn’t at its peak. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have remained hidden from the world for hundreds of years.”
The young monk smiled.
“And what if that’s true? Even if not at His peak, Beyond-rank is still Beyond-rank. It’s not something an incomplete Shenshu can contend with.”
As the two spoke, the sounds of explosions inside the cavern weakened. Shenshu seemed to have lost too much power and was beginning to run out of steam.
Agaruka Bodhisattva glanced at the tightly shut crack of the stone cavern and revealed a cold smile.
“Then go in and save him, if you dare. Attack!”
Above Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s head rose the Great Mercy and Compassion Dharma Aspect. Sanskrit chants swirled through the air, and an atmosphere of compassion for heaven and pity for mankind filled every corner of the abyss.
Vaidurya Bodhisattva spread her domain, and the black-and-white region extended continuously towards Xu Qi’an.
Agaruka took the lead and charged at Xu Qi’an.
They had no intention of giving Xu Qi’an any chance to sabotage things. They were trying to tie down this first-rank martial artist and create an opportunity for the Buddha.
Xu Qi’an let out a cold laugh, raised his right hand, and under the watchful gaze of the three Bodhisattvas, snapped his fingers.
Snap!
With that crisp snap, the fleshy walls on both sides suddenly convulsed violently, seeping large quantities of thick fresh blood.
From deep within the mountain cavern came a painful roar that sounded nothing like a human voice.
Broken Jade!
The expressions of the three Bodhisattvas changed abruptly.
Looking at the three Bodhisattvas, now unable to remain calm, Xu Qi’an smiled.
“Hurting me comes at a price. Even Beyond-rank is no exception.”
Give someone a taste of their own medicine ↩
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