Chapter Eighty-Two: The Contest (Part Three)
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Tongyuan’s expression suddenly grew grave. He took the long sword from his shoulder, faced Shi Qi, and stood ready, blade in hand.
Shi Qi saw this and put away his playful attitude, preparing to defend with all his might.
Activating his Celestial Eye, Shi Qi observed Zhang Tongyuan’s body radiating powerful spiritual energy. That energy surged endlessly from within Zhang Tongyuan, swirling about him, finally concentrating entirely into his right hand, which grasped the sword.
“What tremendous power!” Shi Qi frowned.
He immediately summoned his ice magic, raising three ice walls before him, then tossed the Thousand-Ren Shield in front and channeled all his true energy into defense.
“This sword is called White Rainbow!”
With a loud shout, Zhang Tongyuan vanished from sight in an instant.
Sun Fanbai cried out, “So fast!!”
Yuanwu exclaimed, “Amitabha! Even this monk’s heart’s eye could not follow Daoist Zhang’s movement!”
Zhang Tongyuan’s voice suddenly echoed through the air: “Boy, watch closely this sword.”
“Hm?”
Hidden behind the shield, Shi Qi used his Celestial Eye to search for Zhang Tongyuan’s location.
“For this sword…”
“It will be magnificent!”
“Man and blade as one! White Rainbow Pierces the Sun!”
With a thunderous shout, everyone looked ahead only to see a white rainbow burst forth from the void, charging straight for Shi Qi’s ice walls!
“Crack! Crack! Crack!”
The White Rainbow pierced the thick ice walls in an instant, and only after a few heartbeats did the ice walls, as if belatedly reacting, crumble like thin paper into a heap of ice shards scattered through the air.
Shi Qi instantly felt immense pressure. Without hesitation, he activated the Thousand-Ren Shield’s unique ability.
“Stand tall as a thousand cliffs!!”
The Thousand-Ren Shield instantly expanded, looming like a small mountain in front of Shi Qi.
“Clang!!!”
The White Rainbow struck the shield with a tremendous roar.
The moment the White Rainbow sword collided with the shield, Shi Qi felt his spiritual power being frantically drained by the Thousand-Ren Shield. He had no choice but to steady his demon core and exert all his strength to control the shield.
The Thousand-Ren Shield held against the White Rainbow sword for several breaths but could no longer withstand the assault. It wobbled and promptly entered a dormant state.
The White Rainbow sword’s glow dimmed slightly, but its momentum did not lessen; it continued through the shield, charging straight at Shi Qi.
Shi Qi was alarmed and raised his hand to block.
“Sigh…” Little Jin shook his head. “It’s over—how could anyone use their hand to block Grandpa Zhang’s sword?”
No sooner had he spoken than something unexpected happened.
The White Rainbow sword stabbed at Shi Qi’s hand, but could not advance another inch, as if it had struck an invisible barrier.
As everyone stared in surprise, a huge roar sounded.
“Boom!!!”
The White Rainbow sword exploded in a burst of light, a massive shockwave surging in all directions, even shaking Little Jin’s protective barrier.
Bai Qiu sighed, “Such terrifying power!!”
Sun Fanbai frowned, “What did the White Rainbow sword collide with?”
Yuanwu pressed his palms together, “Amitabha, this monk only saw two flashes of white light.”
After a few moments, the white light dissipated, and everyone looked to the battleground.
Zhang Tongyuan stood where he had been, the White Rainbow sword resting on his shoulder, but his whole body now appeared somewhat translucent.
Turning to Shi Qi’s side, they saw that Shi Qi’s right arm had vanished. He was lying on the ground, panting heavily.
---
Zhang Tongyuan spat out the grass stem from his mouth and murmured, “Kid, the Thousand-Ren Shield is impressive enough, but you actually wield Divine Thunder.”
“Divine Thunder?!”
At Zhang Tongyuan’s words, both Bai Qiu and Sun Fanbai cried out in shock.
Bai Qiu shouted, “Qi, you’ve been hiding your abilities!”
Shi Qi lay on the ground, his true energy pouring into the Mending Technique to repair his right arm. He waved his left hand dismissively toward Bai Qiu and the others.
Zhang Tongyuan chuckled, “Heh, I really am unlucky—wherever I go, it’s always the same story. Hahaha! Little Jin, I concede.”
Little Jin, meanwhile, stared blankly at Shi Qi, seemingly oblivious to the conversation around him.
Sun Fanbai stepped forward, “Senior Jin... Senior Jin!!”
“Ah…” Little Jin finally snapped out of his reverie. “Ah, alright, next!”
No one knew what Little Jin had just been thinking. Ever since Zhang Tongyuan’s remark, he had retreated deeply into his own thoughts.
Sun Fanbai waved his hand, “Master Yuanwu, please.”
Yuanwu replied, “Amitabha, Daoist Sun, after you.”
As Sun Fanbai and Yuanwu exchanged courtesies, the large, portly monk on the opposite side leapt into the center. It was Jue Se.
Jue Se beckoned to Yuanwu, “Little monk, you come up.”
Being named, Yuanwu had no choice but to step forward.
He pressed his palms together and bowed to Jue Se, “Master, this monk Yuanwu pays his respects.”
Jue Se retorted, “So only you have manners, and I don’t?”
Sweat broke out on Yuanwu’s forehead. “This…”
The usually prim Yuanwu had never encountered such an eccentric monk and was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
“Heh.” Jue Se smiled, clearly amused at having teased Yuanwu.
He continued, “Come, I won’t hold back.”
“Amitabha.” Yuanwu intoned the Buddhist chant, relieved that he no longer had to converse, as the match was finally about to begin. He said, “Please instruct me, Master.”
With that, Yuanwu spread his fingers and slowly struck forward with his palm.
Before his palm even completed its motion, a huge golden imprint appeared before Jue Se, slamming toward him.
Jue Se smiled faintly, “Ah, the Great Sun Tathagata Palm?”
He formed a hand seal and chanted, “Om mani padme hum!”
To everyone’s astonishment, Yuanwu’s golden palm imprint passed straight through Jue Se’s body without leaving the slightest mark, as if Jue Se weren’t even present!
Bai Qiu exclaimed, “What sort of secret technique is this?!”
Before Little Jin could answer, Yuanwu shouted in shock, “All Laws Are Void!!”
Jue Se’s small eyes opened slightly. He replied, “Oh, not bad, little monk. You even know All Laws Are Void.”
Sun Fanbai asked, “What is All Laws Are Void?”
Yuanwu explained, “Fellow Daoists, have you heard of the Indestructible Vajra from Thunder Sound Temple?”
Bai Qiu nodded repeatedly, “Ranked sixth among the Ten Great Miracles, the temple’s treasured art. They say once mastered, it can forge a golden body akin to the body-refining arts of Emperor City. Its defense is immense; normal attacks can do nothing.”
Yuanwu nodded, “The world knows Indestructible Vajra, but few understand All Laws Are Void. All Laws Are Void is the ancient Buddhist tome from the predecessor of Thunder Sound Temple, the ancient Heavenly Sound Temple, divided into three volumes: All Laws Are Void, All Laws Return to the Source, and All Laws Without Limit. All Laws Are Void is the realm of no law; no Daoist or Buddhist technique can harm it. All Laws Return to the Source is for breaking techniques; one can instantly spot flaws in an opponent’s spell, provided one has trained the Buddhist heart’s eye. All Laws Without Limit combines both. When All Laws Are Void faces an enemy, no technique can harm it, but it cannot attack. All Laws Return to the Source allows offense and defense. All Laws Without Limit sees through all magic; spells cannot harm, and one can move freely within them to defeat the enemy.”
Bai Qiu was stunned, “Spells can’t harm him? Such divine power exists in this world?”
Jue Se shook his head, “Why don’t you all come up and try together?”
At his words, Bai Qiu eagerly stepped forward. He threw a Heavenly Thunder Talisman, which split a thunderbolt toward Jue Se.
The thunder was powerful, but it still failed to strike Jue Se, passing through and smashing into the ground behind him.
---
Bai Qiu shook his head and stepped back. “As expected, All Laws Are Void… How are we supposed to fight this?”
Shi Qi lay weakly to one side and murmured, “Master, such divine power must consume immense true energy. He currently wields only a tenth of his full power; hold your position and exhaust him!”
Jue Se turned to Shi Qi and gave him a look of approval. He replied slowly, “Clever, boy. You’re right. I can only maintain All Laws Are Void for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”
Bai Qiu laughed, “I knew it—nothing is truly invincible. Master Yuanwu, wear him down!”
Yuanwu shook his head, “Amitabha, this monk would not take advantage of another’s weakness. Since I cannot break Master’s All Laws Are Void, I choose to concede…”
Before Yuanwu could finish, a flash of golden light shot toward him.
The monk’s robe in Yuanwu’s backpack flew out on its own, draping over him and enveloping him in a layer of red protective true energy.
“Clang!”
The gold light struck the protective energy and bounced away.
“Master…” Yuanwu exclaimed hurriedly.
Jue Se roared in anger, “Damn it! Did I tell you to surrender? All I know isn’t just All Laws Are Void! Finally some fun—don’t you dare surrender so easily. I can still fight!”
With that, Jue Se swept his robe. A staff shot out from his Buddhist garment, striking at Yuanwu.
Yuanwu swung his robe and batted the staff back.
Jue Se leapt forward, caught the staff in midair, and charged at Yuanwu.
Yuanwu retreated, wielding his robe to defend.
Jue Se pressed his attack fiercely, his staff swinging relentlessly at Yuanwu.
Yuanwu, unarmed, dared not take a direct blow, relying on his robe’s defensive power to maneuver.
Seeing this, Bai Qiu suddenly had an idea. He opened his Spatial Ring and rummaged through it.
“Here… here… found it!”
Bai Qiu fished something out of his bag, grabbed an object, and tossed it to Yuanwu.
“Master, catch!”
Hearing Bai Qiu’s call, Yuanwu looked up to see two black sticks flying toward him. Without hesitating, he blocked another attack with his robe, then jumped up and snatched the objects.
In his hands, he saw they were two halves of the Demon-Subduing Staff.
With a thought, Yuanwu infused the staff with Buddhist power.
The Demon-Subduing Staff responded to the golden energy, merging into a single staff!
Seeing Jue Se’s staff attack again, Yuanwu raised the Demon-Subduing Staff to meet it.
“Duang!”
The two Buddhist weapons collided with a tremendous clang.
Whatever the Demon-Subduing Staff was made of, it matched Jue Se’s staff blow for blow.
Jue Se’s eyes lit up, “What a treasure!”
The two began to duel, each wielding their weapon!
With Buddhist martial arts, their strength was boundless. Each gripped a thousand-pound staff, relying not on skill but pure brute force.
“Clang! Clang! Clang!”
The arena echoed with ceaseless crashes.
At this moment, close combat was far more thrilling than spells. The two moved faster and faster, trading blows, evenly matched!