Caught in a Dilemma

"Soul-Eroding Evil Gu!"

Wu Da snorted coldly, releasing poisonous threads that intertwined into a net. Black evil energy filled the surrounding area, condensing into a giant Gu with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Combined with Ghost Chariot's ultimate move, it pounced towards the Buddha-Slaying Monk.

"Asura Pardons Buddha!"

The Buddha-Slaying Monk exerted the Asura Divine Power, and a ferocious Asura War God appeared behind him. At the same time, the Blood Sha Qi spread, and at the same time, the Buddha's light enveloped his body, making him pure and solemn. The black and white colors mixed together, presenting a contradictory state of fusion between Buddha and demon.

The three powerful techniques clashed, their immense energies clashing, and a violent explosion seemed imminent. The Buddha-Slaying Monk appeared to be struggling, seemingly unable to withstand the ferocity of the two Monster Race. However, he promptly switched to a strategy of using softness to overcome hardness. On the surface, he used the opponent's force to deflect their attack, while secretly using the Si Clan's ultimate technique, "Mirror Reflection Technique," to transfer seventy percent of his power away. Quite "coincidentally," this power was directed at the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King, while the remaining thirty percent exploded at close range, the mixed evil currents engulfing the Buddha-Slaying Monk.

Faced with the combined power of the three forces, a vast evil torrent whose power was no less than that of any Grandmaster's ultimate move, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King stood still, his brow splitting open to reveal a vertical eye that shot out a pale divine light.

Under the divine light, the evil current melted away like snow, its energy rapidly dissipating until only half remained. The Purple-Pupiled Spirit King released Power of Anomalies to maintain the palace while simultaneously catching the remaining evil current with his palm. With a slight sway, he steadily received the impact, which was equivalent to Grandmaster's ultimate move.

After the aftershocks of the explosion dissipated, the unharmed figure of the Buddha-Slaying Monk was revealed. His body was covered with a layer of golden light, much like the famous Buddhist School protective skill "Golden Bell Cover." The monsters present also made the same judgment.

Only the Buddha-Slaying Monk knew that he blocked the attack by relying on the Bodhi Indestructible Golden Body. The golden light on the outside was an illusion he created by using the "Solar Prominence Eruption" method. It was just a facade, but unless the opponent had cultivated the Golden Bell Cover, they could not tell the difference just by looking.

Ghost Chariot and Wu Da's expressions turned extremely ugly. Although they had gained the upper hand in the previous contest of ultimate moves, they had not injured each other at all. Such an advantage was meaningless. Moreover, judging from the result alone, it was two against one, and they had even been injured. The difference in skill was obvious.

Was the Buddha-Slaying Monk really that powerful? How was he so severely injured by the experts from Glazed Temple? Was it due to a sneak attack, or did he truly possess a special bloodline that allowed him to experience a surge in Cultivation Body upon near-death resurrection?

The monsters were filled with doubt and even envy, while the Buddha-Slaying Monk also cast a wary gaze at the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King. He had just witnessed the scene where the other party, despite being distracted, was still able to easily block Grandmaster- level ultimate move, demonstrating Foundation that surpassed the Spirit Transformation Realm.

But his extraordinary Foundation was secondary; more important was the pupil technique his opponent unleashed with his third eye. This technique, called the Depleting Divine Light, was a special ray of light that stripped away life force and annihilated spiritual energy. When Si Ming was hit by it, he almost didn't survive.

If even someone with a superhuman Jade-Clad Dharma Body can be affected like this, then it goes without saying that it would be the same for anyone below the Grandmaster. Even a Grandmaster would suffer a significant loss of Cultivation Body if struck by it. This is how the title of Purple-Pupiled Spirit King came about.

What's even more terrifying is that this eye technique doesn't consume much energy and can be used as a regular move. Countless Buddhist School masters have died directly or indirectly from the Depleting Divine Light. For the eminent monks of Glazed Temple, it was almost a nightmare.

To deal with the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King, we must find a way to restrain his Depleting Divine Light. If we can do this, it will be equivalent to removing the tiger's claws. Therefore, the Glazed Temple spared no effort to create the Glazed Precept-Breaking Saber.

The Buddha-Slaying Monk sneered, "Want to fight again? It turns out you're all too incompetent to expose my true nature, so don't blame me."

Ghost Chariot and Wu Da gritted their teeth in hatred, but were helpless. As it turned out, they were indeed no match for each other in terms of strength.

The Wang Dashe let out a low laugh and said, "Interesting Human Race, let me have a go at you."

"Yi Divine General, please don't rush to make a move. Let me handle it."

Just as Wang Dashe was about to make his move, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King interrupted, saying to the Buddha-Slaying Monk, "You are quite good, proving my judgment. Therefore, I will give you a chance with one palm strike. If you can withstand this strike, you will be able to replace the Barbarian Divine General, possess the corresponding authority, mobilize our people, and no one will question your identity anymore."

At most, it won't happen openly, but who knows what might happen secretly. The Buddha-Slaying Monk thought this to himself, but said aloud, "That depends on how powerful your palm strike is. If you're as useless as your subordinates, I wouldn't even consider the position of Barbarian Divine General."

The Purple-Pupiled Spirit King wasn't annoyed; instead, he smiled and said, "This palm strike will surely satisfy you."

Chapter 383 A Dilemma

Si Ming intended to test the strength of the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King, so he gathered his True Essence and simultaneously circulated the Vajra Demon-Subduing Power and the Asura Divine Power, but did not allow the two to merge. He only outwardly manifested the appearance of the Asura, Glazed Precept-Breaking Saber concealed a chilling Blood Sha Qi. The unfinished Karmic Sins of a Thousand Buddhas resonated with him, chanting demonic hymns and ghostly murmurs, which enhanced Si Ming's Cultivation Body.

On the other side, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King showed an approving expression, raised his palm, and a surge of Power of Anomalies gathered, distorting the rules of all laws, as if breaking the separation between the Yin and Yang realms, attracting the wails of 100,000 fierce ghosts, instantly turning the Spirit King Hall into the Yama's Palace.

"Ten Thousand Souls Gather Evil, Divine Souls Become Ferocious Together!"

With a single palm strike, a surge of deadly evil energy rushed forth, Si Ming immediately felt a thousand pounds of force pressing down on him, making it difficult for him to move. He also felt a suffocating sensation, unable to breathe. He knew that a direct confrontation was not a wise move. He had to show resilience and at least create a stalemate in order to force out the opponent's true strength.

So he calmed his mind and focused his energy, dispelling his panic. He stood motionless, and the Glazed Precept-Breaking Saber, enhanced by his skill, vibrated at a high frequency, displaying extraordinary skill. It penetrated the gaps in the thickest part of the attack with precision, cutting into the turbulent current and securing a foothold for himself.

Si Ming was like a small boat on a vast ocean, bobbing up and down in the raging waves. It seemed dangerous, but he always managed to avoid danger and stay afloat. The bursts of air that cut across his body barely grazed his body, which only highlighted the calm and composed demeanor of the swordsman.

This exquisite martial art, comparable to the skill of Butcher Ding's Ox-Carving, was Monster Race had never seen before. Even their old rival Glazed Temple, had never possessed similar martial arts. Whether it was Buddhist School or the Monster Race, their fighting methods tended towards the forceful and aggressive style, pursuing strength, speed, and durability.

Si Ming is now displaying a different style of fighting, pursuing the ultimate in skill, but not the kind of softness overcoming hardness. If using softness to overcome hardness is like using a delicate carving knife to turn a piece of tofu into a food sculpture, Si Ming is now using a butcher's knife to turn a roast suckling pig into a food sculpture, showing his extraordinary skill of handling heavy tasks with ease.

The admiration in the eyes of the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King deepened, but it was not the right time to show the magnanimity of a superior. In this situation, failing to subdue the Buddha-Slaying Monk would be tantamount to declaring his incompetence. Therefore, he intensified his power, and the already surging evil energy became even more violent. The residual force of the attack forced the four divine generals watching from the side to retreat, and the entire Spirit King Hall trembled, with sand and dust falling from all the pillars.

If even bystanders felt this way, Si Ming, who was in the middle of the evil current, found it even more difficult. It was as if the density of the opponent had suddenly increased. Where he could easily find an opening to stab, he could not find a place to strike.

The Asura Divine Power alone was not enough to withstand it, and his physical body was also showing signs of weakness under the powerful impact. Fortunately, Si Ming had already gained some insight into the unparalleled cultivation of the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King. He roared and activated the hidden Vajra Demon-Subduing Power to further enhance his Cultivation Body. Instead, he used the ultimate technique of the Demon Race.

"Dragon Turtle Shatters a Thousand Waves!"

A colossal image of a dragon-turtle appeared above Si Ming's head, swaying and radiating boundless divine power. It crashed into the evil current with the force of a landslide and a tsunami. In an instant, a shocking explosion occurred. The Spirit King Hall, which had withstood several impacts, could not escape this calamity and shattered on the spot, turning into a sky full of flying stone chips. A faint ring of energy could be seen spreading out in mid-air.

The four divine generals managed to escape the palace in time, avoiding getting covered in dust and dirt, while the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King stood firmly in place, his body spotless and his aura perfectly undisturbed.

Si Ming remained in place, but his body was now tattered and torn, his chest heaving violently, his power greatly depleted, and a faint golden light emanated from his body before finally collapsing and dissipating. To others, this scene was instinctively interpreted as the Golden Bell Cover breaking down.

The man on the Ghost Chariot asked with a puzzled expression, "What kind of martial art was that just now? It didn't seem to be from Buddhist School, nor did it resemble any other school of martial arts. How come I've never seen it before?"

Wu Da chuckled and said, "Of course you haven't seen it before, because this isn't a Human Race martial art at all."

Ghost Chariot retorted, "If it's not Human Race, then is it some kind of martial art from our Monster Race? Hey, you know what, it does resemble it. Ferocious and tyrannical, destroying order—it really does have a bit of our Monster Race's style."

"Fool, this is the martial art of the Demon Race," the Great Snake said sarcastically. "Stop spouting your shallow opinions; you'll only drag us down with you."

Ghost Chariot retorted, dissatisfied, "Wang Dashe, what do you mean? Are you implying that I've disgraced the Five Divine Generals... oh, now it's the Four Divine Generals."

"Next time you call me 'King,' add another 'King' to your name, and I'll devour you!"

The Great Snake stared at the Ghost Chariot with a chilling gaze, sending a shiver down its spine and silencing any further complaints.

Henzhen, standing to the side, wore an expression of disbelief. She could never have guessed that the Buddha-Slaying Monk would be related to the Demon Race, which had long since disappeared from the stage of history. Now all her previous suspicions were in vain. No matter how reasonable her suspicions were, there was no solid evidence. In the face of true Demon Race martial arts, her suspicions seemed utterly pale.

On the ruins of the Spirit King Hall, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King stood with his hands behind his back and said, "It's actually the martial arts of the Demon Race. Your identity is truly beyond my expectations. Does this palm strike convince you?"

In the Barbarian Continent, Demon Race are as rare as animals, their numbers are extremely small. To ordinary people, they are creatures that only exist in mythology, and it is impossible to see even one in a lifetime, which is very different from the situation in the Sea Continent.

Si Ming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and still said, "I'm not convinced!"