Chapter 122: Ten Thousand Forces Applied, Overwhelming The Field
Qi energy surged turbulently, vast like a flood, overwhelming and crashing down.
Amid a fierce roar, Abbot Huiming of Vajra Temple shot forth like an arrow, bursting with his full force, swiftly lunging forward with a palm that pierced the air.
Hong Yuan instantly felt the surrounding air boiling, rapidly heating up as if on fire, and turning into an impenetrable copper wall and iron bastion that locked him firmly inside.
Though the Illuminating Envoy said nothing, his actions were no slower than Huiming’s. His figure flickered between real and illusory, changing unpredictably like an indistinct phantom. His hands formed finger seals with incredibly swift changes, lightly floating without any show of force, yet sealing off all paths forward and backward for Hong Yuan.
These two top masters from Vajra Temple and Red Lotus Sect, representing righteous and evil factions, had been fighting to the death just a moment ago, but suddenly joined forces in perfect harmony, unleashing a fierce killing assault.
Killing Hong Yuan was secondary.
The ultimate goal was still to seize that Nirvana Dharma Eye!
Hong Yuan was immediately trapped within their heaven-net-earth-net-like offensive.
With the overwhelming force of these two great masters, forget a mortal body—even a frame forged of metal and iron would be shattered.
Hong Yuan did not know if his current physique could withstand it without covering it in force.
Fortunately, he had no need to test it.
As the surging force pressed in, he extended one hand, making a grasping motion in the void, as if a handle had grown out of the empty space before him.
Huiming and the Illuminating Envoy instantly felt their bodies being pulled, involuntarily leaning forward. They hurriedly stabilized their forms, but the force they had gathered had already dissipated.
Though only a little leaked out, it caused their net-like offensive to stall for a moment. Hong Yuan seized this opportunity, his figure shooting forth like lightning, darting through the “gap.”
Huiming and the Illuminating Envoy hurriedly struck out, their palm forces clashing—one rigid and explosive, like a mountain flood bursting or volcanic magma erupting; the other dense like wind, every strand carrying insidious and sharp cutting power!
A shadow flashed.
Hong Yuan flashed out a step ahead. Huiming and the Illuminating Envoy’s attacks collided, instantly erupting in a dense series of muffled blasts. Scattered qi energy spilled out, swiftly whipping up sand, gravel, and debris into the air.
Hong Yuan stood atop a vast expanse of ruins.
Flames spread in all directions, fiery serpents coiling fiercely with the wind, gradually igniting the great trees in the courtyard, resembling torches one after another.
Head Hu Tong’s expression changed drastically. He stepped forward, leaping onto a collapsed massive wall, and shouted loudly: “All disciples, listen up! Immediately go extinguish the great fire.”
His voice boomed out like rolling thunder.
Hu Tong knew very well that among those present, whether the Red Lotus Sect demons or the thief who had suddenly appeared and stolen his Vajra Temple’s supreme treasure, none could be handled by ordinary disciples.
It was better to have the disciples put out the fire. If the blaze were allowed to spread unchecked, even if they repelled this group of outer path demons, Vajra Temple’s centuries of accumulation would suffer heavy losses.
“Martial Uncle Hu Tong, that thief calls himself Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities. He forced his way in and earlier gravely wounded Martial Uncles Hui Zhen and Hui Chi in the front hall. You must be careful!”
A monk shouted loudly.
The man had an aged face, his hand wrapped in a piece of yellow cloth with faint bloodstains.
“What?” Hu Tong’s expression grew even colder upon hearing this.
Head Huizhi’s eyes also flashed with a cold gleam.
Amid the scattering smoke and dust, Huiming and the Illuminating Envoy both snorted coldly, each retreating several zhang. Huiming steadied his form, his gaze once again fixed on Hong Yuan.
Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities?
Earlier, the commotion in the front hall had already been noticed by Huiming and the others, but before they could go investigate, the Secret Treasure Pagoda had already been engulfed in flames.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Figures shot forth one after another. Vajra Temple’s Three Hui, Red Lotus Sect’s Illuminating Envoy, Hong Lian, Dharma King Qingjing, Dharma King Baosheng, and others also unleashed their movements, clearly divided into two sides yet simultaneously surrounding Hong Yuan.
Roar!
That corpse puppet leaped up, its heavy body smashing heavily onto the ground. With a clear and resonant bell ring, it landed beside Hong Lian.
Seven top masters and one invulnerable to blades and spears, extremely poisonous corpse puppet glared menacingly. Such a lineup would be enough to strike terror into hearts anywhere in the world. Even a grandmaster would not dare face them head-on and would instead retreat first, using superior mobility to defeat them one by one.
Hong Yuan weighed the black-and-white mottled pebble in his hand. Facing gazes that were either sharp or dark, his expression remained calm as he shook his head and sighed lightly: “A bunch of monks unclean in the six roots and full of the five poisons, a bunch of inhuman ghost-like demons and ghosts—fighting to the death just moments ago, now suddenly united against a common foe.”
“How interesting!”
He spread his palm flat, revealing the eyeball in his palm. In an instant, he could feel everyone’s gazes shifting over, their qi surging and poised to strike.
“This thing is called the Nirvana Dharma Eye? Forgive my shallow knowledge. Could you experts enlighten me: what divine properties does it have to make you all fight to the death for it?”
Dharma King Baosheng patted his big belly with a smiling squint. Dharma King Qingjing narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing this uninvited guest Hong Yuan.
Hong Lian combed her hair, her every smile and frown exuding seductive charm.
The Illuminating Envoy stared at Hong Yuan, his deep eyes suddenly bright as a mirror, reflecting Hong Yuan’s figure within.
Hu Tong snorted coldly and stepped forward, about to speak, when Huiming waved his hand and said: “Friend Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities, this Nirvana Dharma Eye is an eye left by the Buddha at the moment of his nirvana, the supreme treasure of our Vajra Temple. Please return it to the temple.”
Huiming’s earlier fury had been because his temple’s treasure was seized by an outsider, clouding his mind with rage.
Now that his anger had subsided somewhat, he was gradually calming down.
Mainly, this Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities had effortlessly escaped the joint assault of him and the Illuminating Envoy, even playing them for fools.
Though Martial Brothers Hui Zhen and Hui Chi had been gravely wounded by the opponent, they were not dead yet, leaving room for maneuver.
The most pressing threat right now was still from Red Lotus Sect.
Four top masters, including one of the two envoys, the Illuminating Envoy, the demoness who cultivated Empty Flower Painted Skin Gang, and one powerful corpse puppet.
If not careful, forget preserving the Nirvana Dharma Eye—Vajra Temple’s four centuries of foundation might suffer a catastrophic blow.
Hong Lian’s eyes flowed charmingly, her voice soft and tender: “Old Abbot, how shameless. This Nirvana Dharma Eye is clearly a treasure of our Red Lotus Holy Religion’s Great Desire Heaven, hidden away by you bald donkeys for so many years… Friend Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities, don’t be deceived by him.”
“Silence, demoness!” Hu Tong roared in fury, his voice like exploding thunder: “Do not blaspheme our Buddha’s holy relic.”
Hong Yuan smiled: “You each claim your own reason. Since you both say this thing belongs to your side, why not have the two sides fight it out? Whoever wins decides its ownership.”
At these words, the scene fell silent.
Huiming paused briefly, then suddenly said: “Friend Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities, you may temporarily hold the Nirvana Dharma Eye, but the Red Lotus Sect demons wreak havoc on the world and have today committed boundless sins before the Buddha. Please lend our temple a hand to repel these demonic cult evils—we will owe you a favor.”
“Subduing demons and exorcising devils is something I’m always very interested in. It’s just that I haven’t done much of it before, so my hands are a bit rusty. Great Master, you’ve chanted sutras for many years and must have plenty of experience. Please strike first and show me how…”
Before Hong Yuan finished speaking, a cold voice rang out: “No need to argue over who goes first—you all must die!”
Sizzle!
Dharma King Qingjing had been standing behind Hong Yuan and now leaped up, cold stars swirling between his fingers and claws, like falling stars streaking through the sky.
A bone-chilling aura pierced through his body, surging in from his back in an instant. Dharma King Qingjing flashed forward, his fingers and claws already touching Hong Yuan’s clothes.
The Shattering Star Finger Claw Gang he cultivated was renowned for its speed. Extreme speed combined with unmatched sharp finger force could slice through metal and iron.
Dharma King Qingjing’s face was coldly stern, but his eyes brimmed with cruelty and ferocity.
Gang Body was the fusion of sorcery and martial arts, and sorcery was borrowing life from the heavens—whatever was borrowed must be repaid. Those who cultivated Gang Body often had twisted and extreme temperaments.
This could not be resisted by mere firm will; it was the inevitable “minor” price of achieving Gang Body.
Ding ding ding!
Just as Dharma King Qingjing’s claws descended, a strand of qi energy suddenly rippled from Hong Yuan’s back. This qi was soft and dense, unremarkable, yet swiftly intercepted the vicious claw.
As the claw fell, the qi exploded, turning into countless hair-thin flying needles that pierced through the cold stars one by one.
Body-Piercing Formless Force!
Dharma King Qingjing felt a powerful resisting force, followed by stinging pain in his fingers and palm. His iron-hard hand now had countless piercing pores.
Dense needle-like force invaded from his palm, reaching his limbs, bones, organs, and viscera, wreaking havoc like countless invisible swords controlled by another, fighting a great melee within his body.
“Ah!”
Even with Dharma King Qingjing’s will, he could not suppress a low roar. His face instantly paled, and he staggered back.
“You clawed me once, so I return the favor!”
Pfft!
Hong Yuan counter-struck with a claw. Though he had not cultivated any Gang Body, his palm was as tough as a thousand-times-forged blade or sword, easily piercing through Dharma King Qingjing’s heart.
He gripped the still-beating heart and spat out force, instantly exploding it.
Blood spurted wildly, spraying in all directions.
Hong Yuan withdrew his hand. Blocked by the force, it remained spotless and clean, not even a drop of the splashing blood touching it, swept away by an invisible net.
Behind him, Dharma King Qingjing let out a heart-wrenching mad roar, thrashing like a drunkard, not yet dead, his claws tearing apart nearby stones.
“The first one!”
To Hong Yuan, Gang Body was the most useless to him, as he would never cultivate something with such severe side effects.
It was nice to obtain one, but he would not let it tie his hands—kill when it was time to kill.
Even if he couldn’t get one now, once he achieved dual crown accomplishments, he wouldn’t need to act personally; a single word would have them delivered to his door.
“What?”
As Dharma King Qingjing attacked, the Illuminating Envoy and others also moved, only a split-second slower. Yet they never expected that in this flash of lightning, the surprise attack from behind had failed, and instead Daoist Ten Thousand Calamities had pierced his heart with a claw.
“Junior Brother Qingjing!”
Dharma King Baosheng’s eyes nearly split in rage. He and Qingjing were originally martial brothers, cultivating together in the Buddhist sect, later leaving together due to disagreement with certain Buddhist doctrines, and earning the favor of Red Lotus Holy Lord to join Red Lotus Sect.
That was many years ago.
Though they had clashed over the years, making everyone in the sect know they were at odds, their old friendship was real.
Dharma King Baosheng roared in fury. Thunder seemed to explode underfoot as he kicked a large green stone flying like a soccer ball, smashing through the air toward Hong Yuan.
At the same time, he stomped, the ground trembling violently as he shot forth like a cannonball.
“In jianghu, I kill you, you kill me—it’s commonplace. Why make it so tragic?”
Hong Yuan laughed heartily, lightly spinning his footwork and shifting three chi sideways, perfectly dodging the incoming “ball.” The swift airflow made his hair flutter.
“Kung fu soccer?”
Hong Yuan still had leisure to quip, then suddenly punched out. Spiral qi formed on his fist, like flowing halos.
It immediately clashed with the leg Dharma King Baosheng brought down. The spiral qi erupted violently. Fist and leg did not actually touch; the formless qi exploded.
Dharma King Baosheng grunted and flew back like a cannonball.
As Hong Yuan punched with one hand, his other formed a sword finger and pointed to empty space beside him without looking.
Ding!
A light ring, like striking a jade chime.
At the spot Hong Yuan’s sword finger pointed, ripples spread through the air, like a calm water surface broken, revealing a faint figure whose face showed astonishment.
Hong Yuan’s fingertip qi was like a sword, hissing and cracking through the airflows. The figure waved long sleeves, eyes like water.
Splash!
Hong Yuan seemed to hear splashing water in his ears, followed by continuous crisp “pop pop pop” sounds where his finger force struck, like shattering mirrors one after another.
Behind the mirrors, the Illuminating Envoy’s elusive figure appeared, his expression grave.
“This martial art is called Mirroring Heart Method, right?”
Hong Yuan had overheard the earlier exchange between Hong Lian and the Illuminating Envoy. His gaze fell on the Illuminating Envoy. With naked eyes, the other appeared hazy, close at hand yet far as the horizon, impossible to grasp.
It was less martial art and more an exquisitely advanced illusion technique.
Only thanks to his transcendent comprehension and spiritual sense powerful beyond ordinary imagination could he easily see through the real and fake. An ordinary martial artist, even a Microscopic Level Grandmaster, would likely be toyed with in the palm of his hand.
“Interesting martial art. Care to teach it to me?”
The Illuminating Envoy’s expression was indifferent, his face returning to emotionless calm. Suddenly, a clear bell rang, followed by a shrill roar piercing the air. A ferocious figure shot toward him, fist wind surging and enveloping Hong Yuan’s entire body.
Hong Yuan looked at the tall figure before him wearing a bronze mask, resembling a wild beast. His spiritual sense detected no living aura from the other, and he sighed.
“Old Song, oh Old Song, now you’ve truly become Lao Song!”
He could naturally recognize the true identity of the bronze-masked man, as he and Lao Song were friends who had fought and then bonded.
Rip!
Amid tearing wind, Hong Yuan’s figure shot like lightning, leaping up and stomping heavily on the corpse puppet’s face. The bronze mask immediately emitted an overburdened sound, deeply caving into the corpse puppet’s face.
Hong Yuan borrowed the momentum to soar upward, instantly arriving above Huiming, Hu Tong, Huizhi, and the others. A net unfolded, vast and majestic qi pressing down.
“Didn’t you three great masters say you wanted to subdue demons and exorcise devils? You can’t just watch—come at me together!”
