Xiao Chen had heard of and seen Buddhist Martial Techniques before. Back at Dragon Wood Star, when he fought against Long Fei, Long Fei had used Thousand-Hand White Bones, which was like the incarnation of the Thousand-Arm Buddha.
The Demon Subduing Staff Technique of the Black Mountain Four Bandits’ boss, Meng Bai, was also a Buddhist Martial Technique, one that was very strong.
The history of the ancient Buddhist sect could be traced back to the Immortal Epoch. However, when the Immortal Epoch ended, the Buddhist sects disappeared as well.
They left no Magic Skills behind. Only fragmented techniques remained extant in the Martial Epoch. There was no complete system with Cultivation Techniques, Martial Techniques, and Movement Techniques.
Thus, there were very few experts of Buddhist Martial Techniques. Most people just used them to widen their horizons and supplement their martial prowess.
However, this Zhuang Zhenghe in front of Xiao Chen’s group seemed different. The giant Buddha behind him looked very dignified and holy. As it stood upright, it had a smile on its face, like it had seen through all things mundane.
If not for that indistinct sinister cast to the Buddha’s lips. Xiao Chen would not have figured this to be a Martial Technique. He might have taken it for a real Buddha descending to the world to speak of the Dao and grant enlightenment.
Zhuang Zhenghe smiled and said, “Little friends, you all have hearts filled with benevolence, helping this old monk collect so many Peak Spirit Veins. Quickly, hand them over, and you will have earned great merit, enough to wash away the sins of the mundane world.”
“Acting all mysterious. I cultivate the Massacre Saber Dao, extinguishing all life. I do not believe in heaven or hell. I believe only in myself. Even if deities or Buddhas exist, I will exterminate them.”
Ye Chen’s black hair turned scarlet as he instantly drew his saber. Nine hundred strands of scarlet saber light shot out. These scarlet saber lights all contained extremely strong killing Qi and a saber intent that was close to one hundred percent comprehended.
Just one saber light could kill many Martial Sages. With nine hundred strands of saber light, Ye Chen formed a huge killing formation.
Aggrieved spirits howled in the formation, death gods roared, and a scarlet light filled the sky, pressing towards Zhuang Zhenghe.
Zhuang Zhenghe smiled and said, “This old monk tried to talk reason and give you merits, but you rejected it. In that case, this monk can only start a massacre to wash away all your sins. Buddha’s Light Shining Gloriously!”
He set his palms together again, and the giant Buddha behind him chanted. It formed a hand seal with its left hand and pointed forward with its right.
The golden light of the Buddha faded to scarlet. The Buddha’s expression changed as well, becoming utterly sinister as it exuded killing Qi.
Many scarlet bodhi flowers flew out from the scarlet Buddha light. When this Buddha light shone on Ye Chen’s killing formation, the formation started spinning continuously. The nine hundred strands of saber Qi whirled continuously, blocking the spreading Buddha light.
However, the bodhi flowers wilted and regrew in an endless cycle.
Ye Chen’s killing formation was very ferocious, replete with the cries of death gods. However, under this relentless Buddha light, it slowly dwindled. Eventually, it got assimilated into the Buddha light.
Xiao Chen’s expression changed. He unfurled the Freedom Wings and carried Lord Jiu and Ye Chen up at the same time, flying away quickly.
Everywhere the scarlet Buddha light passed, bodhi trees sprouted. It seemed like a Buddhist sermon was going on under the bodhi trees. Heavenly music resounded as a bodhisattva stood with palms together.
This should have been a scene filled with benevolence and virtue. However, in this scarlet light, it looked peculiar.
Zhuang Zhenghe smiled faintly and took a step forward. He stepped across this strange scene and landed before the three once again, preventing them from leaving.
The scarlet bodhi trees behind Zhuang Zhenghe suddenly shattered. Not a single blade of grass remained on the ground, which became entirely void of life, turning into a dead wasteland. The three were shocked at the sight.
If this Buddha light swept over them, they might not even know how they died.
“Buddha is benevolent. This monk is benevolent. Hand over the Spirit Veins and come with me to the Heavenly Starry Ocean to start a sect. This monk can spare you from death.”
Zhuang Zhenghe smiled, and the giant Buddha behind him looked extremely horrifying.
“Xiao Chen, what should we do? The top ten of the Primal Chaos Domain’s Evil Cultivator Ranking are all very incredible. This Zhuang Zhenghe has even managed to escape quasi-Emperors several times before,” Lord Jiu said with a quavering voice.
Ye Chen sent a voice projection. Xiao Chen, should we agree first? When we go to the Heavenly Starry Ocean, I guarantee that this fellow will die a miserable death.
No, you two should go first. I have a feeling about something. I will meet up with you two outside.
Before the two could object, Xiao Chen stepped forward and said with a smile, “The things that enter my, Xiao Chen’s, hands will never be taken from me. It looks like you are an evil monk who has killed many people. To think you still want to establish a sect! I will destroy your Buddha image.”
Xiao Chen unleashed his will of thunder from his forehead. The purple talisman gave off a bright light as it charged at the Buddha image behind Zhuang Zhenghe.
When Zhuang Zhenghe heard the name “Xiao Chen,” he said, “So, you are Xiao Chen. You have been rather famous recently. However, with a mere forty-percent-comprehended will of thunder, you dare to try and break my Buddha incarnation? You look down on me too much.”
He sent out a palm strike; then by multitasking, the giant Buddha behind him sent out two palm imprints, one at Xiao Chen and the other at the retreating Ye Chen and Lord Jiu.
The first palm imprint clashed with the approaching purple Lightning Talisman. The palm closed, grabbing the purple talisman like it wanted to crush the talisman as it gave off a scarlet Buddha light.
However, contrary to Zhuang Zhenghe’s expectations, the talisman had an immortal light in it. No matter how much strength he used, some light would always remain, indestructible.
“Break!” Xiao Chen shouted, and the talisman tore through the palm imprint, streaking towards the giant Buddha behind. Flying like a meteor, it entered the Buddha’s mouth.
Terrifying electricity burst in the Buddha’s mouth, and its head promptly exploded.
Scarlet light spread through the air. Where it touched the ground, it grew a scarlet bodhi tree that sucked away all the life in the surrounding area. The land five kilometers around instantly died.
Not a single blade of grass remained, and all the trees withered.
Zhuang Zhenghe revealed a pained expression. The palm imprint heading for Lord Jiu and Ye Chen collapsed on its own. The two took the opportunity to escape.
“This old man will eat you alive!”
A scarlet light spread from the headless Buddha image, and its head started to regenerate slowly. Now, Zhuang Zhenghe was livid. He stomped on the ground, setting the sky and the land atremble; even space shook.
“Buddha Moving Mountains and Rivers!”
Zhuang Zhenghe leaped and sent out a palm strike at Xiao Chen. This attack was boundlessly tyrannical. It was very ferocious, sweeping everything before it.
When the colossal palm descended, it covered the region with the power to move rivers and mountains, transforming nature.
This was the power of a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage, able to flip mountains and rivers with one palm strike.
The will of thunder returned to Xiao Chen’s body. Then, he thought, If this were the complete Buddha image, I would not be able to break this palm strike forcefully.
However, now that the Buddha image is broken, I should be able to do it with ten Dragon Force.
Myriad Heaven Divine Fist, Deities Descending! Tenfold combat prowess!
Ten indistinct ancient heavenly dragons appeared behind Xiao Chen. Divine light entered his body. As the ten dragons roared, he punched with ten Dragon Force.
The instant the palm and the fist collided, all the ground for five kilometers around fissured. Countless rocks and enough dirt to form hills flew into the air and shrouded the sun in the sky.
Everyone in the Heavenly Ruin Wasteland felt this berserk force. No matter where they were, they all looked over.
“Buddhist Incarnation? It’s the Bloody Monk, Zhuang Zhenghe. Why is that old fellow still here? Didn’t he leave after failing to snatch the Beautiful Mountain and River Painting?”
“Who is fighting with him? Is it another great grandmaster-level Martial Sage?”
“That’s strange. Ten dragons roaring—this seems to be the White Robed King Xiao Chen’s killing move. This was the move that knocked Di Wuque into the ground before everyone.”
The cultivators remaining in the Heavenly Ruin Wasteland all could not help but feel excited. The people of the Frost Moon Palace and the Heavenly Music Sect were looking for Xiao Chen, yet he was fighting with a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
—
Ten Dragon Force clashing with Buddha Moving Mountains and Rivers shattered the ground entirely. The destructive force produced was even more than that from Xiao Chen’s battle with Di Wuque.
This disparity was because both moves were straightforward and powerful, filled with violence and ferocity.
Zhuang Zhenghe felt surprised at not being able to kill Xiao Chen with one palm strike. Instead, Xiao Chen managed to block it. The head of the Buddha was still slowly regenerating.
That Buddha was his incarnation, the incarnation formed by his will while cultivating the Buddhist Cultivation Technique. Injuring the incarnation was equal to damaging his fundamental cultivation.
A moment of carelessness resulted in Xiao Chen injuring the origin of his will. How could Zhuang Zhenghe not be enraged?
He yelled ferociously. His battle cry echoed endlessly in the scarlet Buddha light. It was like the Buddha roaring with Buddhist music supporting it.
Rings of scarlet Buddha light amplified this roar by ten times, one hundred times, one thousand times.
The ferocious roar propagated over half of the Heavenly Ruin Wasteland. It shocked the cultivators who were watching from afar, causing them to fall out of the sky and suffer severe injuries.
“Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed the abyss of worldly suffering! Repent and be absolved of your crimes!”
After the thousandfold amplification, this ferocious roar gathered into a Buddhist exhortation. It was both a direct attack and a sound wave attack. It also contained a mental enticement and trap.
This exhortation was an extremely exquisite Buddhist secret technique. Mentally weak opponents would immediately abandon all resistance, letting the sound assault them and crush them into powder.
Even after getting destroyed, these people would be thankful.
The Buddhist exhortation originally was wise and benevolent. However, this Zhuang Zhenghe roared in rage, full of murderous intent that transformed these words into a demonic sound.
Before the sound arrived, Xiao Chen saw all sorts of illusions in his mind—all the suffering he endured on the path to where he was now. These illusions made him relive the bitterness and suffering he had undergone.
However, Xiao Chen had a tough mind. His mental state had already reached a flawless and perfect level. He had tasted all sorts of suffering before. Experiencing them all over again was nothing.
I will never turn back before reaching the peak. Evil comes endlessly; I will not stop killing it.
Xiao Chen’s eyes cleared, and he executed Dragon Tone Art. The area within five kilometers filled with auspicious clouds. The King Azure Dragon peeked its head out and roared together with Xiao Chen, clashing with Zhuang Zhenghe’s scarlet Buddha’s voice.
The two were separated by five kilometers; the battlefield was vast and broad. Sound clashed with sound, shaking the sky and the ground. The rocks and dirt floating in the air were all crushed into powder.
Several of the cultivators who heard the commotion stood on faraway hills to watch, not daring to get close. When they saw that it was really Xiao Chen fighting with Zhuang Zhenghe, they were flabbergasted.
“It actually is Xiao Chen. Based on the situation, he has exchanged at least two moves with Zhuang Zhenghe.”
“Two moves…Zhuang Zhenghe is a loose cultivator who became famous one hundred years ago, yet he is unable to kill Xiao Chen with one palm strike.”
“Xiao Chen’s Dragon Tone Art is becoming increasingly formidable. Zhuang Zhenghe’s Buddha’s voice once killed a hundred Martial Sages in one go, completely crippling a Rank 8 sect.”
“However, Xiao Chen is definitely not Zhuang Zhenghe’s match. The Heavenly Music Sect and the Frost Moon Palace both issued kill orders for Xiao Chen. Previously, Di Wuque also offered benefits for the same. Xiao Chen will definitely flee the Heavenly Ruin Wasteland. If we stand guard outside the exit, we might be able to find an opportunity.”
