Chapter 39 — The Crimson Sun Soars Through the Void, Tempering the Yang Soul
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Tut! Shen Mu raised his fingers, and a dazzling succession of finger-movements struck his brow, his tailbone, his navel, his crown, his Adam's apple, the pit of his heart, his perineum, his lungs, locking down his three souls and seven spirits!
Hidden Demon Metamorphosis Art! The Hidden Demon Metamorphosis Art that Granny Zhu had taught him had originally been a demonic art for fixing the souls, locking the vital blood, and flaying skin to make garments; now he used it to seal his own souls, so that Chenghuai's move could not temper them away!
"Samaya!
" A hurried demonic note came; Shen Mu smiled the flower-twirling smile, shook his palm, and the Hidden Demon Sovereign Seal burst forth.
Chenghuai's soul fled its house, nearly dragged from his body. Yet just then Shen Mu changed his move again, turning from demonic art to Buddhist art: Sun-Shine Yang Spirit Tempered in the Void!
Chenghuai's Sun-Shine Yang Spirit Tempered in the Void took the fist as the great sun, thunder-sound scattering the soul and golden light tempering it; Shen Mu's Sun-Shine Yang Spirit Tempered in the Void likewise took the fist as the great sun, but blazing Vermilion Bird vital essence set the fist afire—the firelight was primordial fire, dreadfully fierce, enough to melt steel.
Shen Mu's fist spread its five fingers, the air in his palm exploded at once, and a massive shock rushed at his opponent's face, blasting his souls into disarray. The white-browed monk's Sun-Shine Yang Spirit Tempered in the Void and Huo Ye's were not the same; plainly the white-browed monk's was the orthodox version, while Huo Ye's had been improved, with the emphasis on power.
Only, Shen Mu did not have the Tingming Mahayana Sutra, and could not draw out its full might.
Chenghuai had just been shaken to the soul, nearly driven from his body, when he heard a low shout: "Samaya! " Shen Mu had changed moves yet again, from palm to seal, smiling the flower-twirling smile as the Hidden Demon Sovereign Seal burst out once more. He switched back and forth between the Buddhist and demonic seal-arts without the slightest obstruction, without a trace of friction—a sight that left Granny Zhu, the white-browed monk, and the rest profoundly shaken, stunned beyond words.
Buddha and demon clashing is inevitable; to work a demonic art and then drive a Buddhist art must be incomparably difficult, absolutely impossible to switch as freely as Shen Mu did. "It is Overlord Body vital essence," the Deaf Elder said with a smile, in a low voice. Granny Zhu heard it, and her heart quivered: "The Deaf Elder is right.
Only Overlord Body vital essence, which has no attribute at all, can switch between Buddhist and demonic arts without hindrance!
Shen'er is indeed an Overlord Body; the village headman was not mistaken! " The white-browed monk rose abruptly, chanted a Buddha's name, and Shen Mu's Hidden Demon Sovereign Seal lost its power at once; an invisible force parted him from Chenghuai.
Chenghuai was about to gather his spirit and contend with Shen Mu once more when his vision suddenly went black and his body swayed.
His throat had nearly been cut through by Shen Mu; he had lost too much blood.
"I have lost. " The white-browed monk glanced at Huo Ye, beckoned Chenghuai over, and said, "Junior brother, this time it is I who have lost, but next time may not be so. Chenghuai, master and disciple have wandered the four directions with nowhere to settle; better to seek a karmic bond nearby and find a village to stay in.
" Chenghuai's throat still bled. He came forward; the white-browed monk bound his wound and applied medicine, then said with deep meaning, "Junior brother, a monk's staff may be remade if lost, but a head is lost only once.
You lost once, and so you have lost the whole game.
And this young benefactor—you practice demonic arts, treacherous and venomous; you have entered the demonic path. Beware lest you sink into hell and never be reborn!