Dragon Subduing

Great Buddhist Momentum linked as one, and a Buddhist domain rose.

The four monks stood in the four directions, their precious visages solemn, awe-inspiring and inviolable.

Seeing this, Xu Yang said no more. He raised his hand and once again formed the momentum of Unity of Heaven and Man.

The key to a battle between grandmasters lay in the contest of momentum and the struggle for power.

The four monks joined forces to establish a Buddhist domain. Ordinary grandmasters could hardly withstand such momentum; trapped within it, they would undoubtedly lose.

But Xu Yang was no ordinary grandmaster.

Martial Path Reaches Divinity and Unity of Heaven and Man—combined with his own abilities, these two skill traits produced results far beyond one plus one equaling two.

He raised both hands into the air. The momentum of Heaven and Man took shape, and vaguely, a giant seemed to rise up, standing between heaven and earth like a god or devil. Within this vast Buddhist domain, it propped open a broad expanse of heaven and earth, seizing control over part of the primordial qi.

"Hmm!?"

Seeing their opponent form his momentum and achieve Unity of Heaven and Man, the eyes of all four monks narrowed.

He could still form momentum within the Buddhist domain?

Such ability was indeed terrifying. They absolutely could not let him live!

"Amitabha!"

In an instant, killing intent transformed into Buddhist intent. The four monks loudly proclaimed a Buddhist chant and struck together to suppress the demon.

Venerable Dixian gripped the Vajra Chan Sect, leapt into the air, and brought his staff down in a cleaving blow. Empowered by the Buddhist domain, its might increased severalfold.

Great Perfection Staff Technique!

Among the four monks, when it came to martial arts, Master Jiaxiang's Profound Zen Meditation Art stood foremost, the greatest defense among all techniques.

Venerable Dixian's Great Perfection Staff Technique came next, possessing Vajra Demon Subduing Merit. After that came Daoxin's Damo Hand and Wisdom's Heart Buddha Palm, each with its own unique qualities.

As the strongest in offensive power, Venerable Dixian bore the undeniable responsibility of leading the attack. The Great Perfection Staff Technique unfolded with the wrathful might of a vajra, splitting the sky and shaking the earth.

The other two monks, Daoxin and Wisdom, also unleashed Damo Hand and Buddhist Heart Palm. They each thrust a palm from either side, their surging Buddhist palms pressing down like mountains. With the Buddhist domain's empowerment, their power soared as well.

Only Jiaxiang remained unmoving. He sat suspended in the void, his face full of suffering and compassion for all beneath heaven.

Within the heavy siege, facing the Vajra Chan Sect cleaving toward him and the Tathagata Buddha Palms crashing in from both sides, Xu Yang showed no fear. He raised his hands and launched his moves.

One hand drove forth to shake the vajra, while the other gathered and transformed the Tathagata!

"Roar!"

His forcibly driven hand formed a dragon-like palm momentum, striking out the shadow of an Arrogant Dragon—supremely hard, supremely strong, supremely righteous, and supremely vast.

Combat Scroll, Dragon Subduing Chapter—Arrogant Dragon Returns to the Sea!

An Arrogant Dragon represented the pinnacle of prosperity. At its height, prosperity declined; it was bound to fall from the heavens.

Thus, the essence of the original Dragon Subduing Palm was "Arrogant Dragon Regrets," carrying the meaning that strength should never be exhausted.

But after merging with the Martial Scripture, the ultimate move of Combat Scroll Subduing Dragon swallowed the meaning of regret and became a momentum without regret.

What was without regret?

Giving everything without leaving any room behind; rather break than bend, rather die than turn back—this was without regret.

This move pushed the Arrogant Dragon's forceful momentum to its utmost. Even if blood splashed across heaven and earth and the dragon soul returned to the sea, it would not hesitate.

Thus, it was called—Arrogant Dragon Returns to the Sea!

The ultimate killing move, with nothing held back!

"Roar!!!"

The Arrogant Dragon roared and charged out in a fury, its forceful momentum at its peak as it met the Vajra Chan Sect head-on with attack against attack.

Bang!!!

The staff's phantom shattered, revealing its true form. Venerable Dixian's long brows trembled. His body tensed as both hands desperately pressed down on the staff—and on the lifelike shadow of the Arrogant Dragon beneath it.

However...

This stalemate lasted only an instant.

"Roar!!!"

The Arrogant Dragon let out a furious roar and surged forth with mountain-crushing force. The Vajra Chan Sect exploded straight into fragments, while Venerable Dixian was struck savagely by the dragon's head, its forceful power pouring entirely into his body.

Just then...

"Amitabha!"

A Buddhist chant rang out. Jiaxiang suddenly moved, appearing behind Dixian in an instant. Both hands pushed out to steady his body and dissolve the Arrogant Dragon's forceful power.

Among the four monks, Jiaxiang stood foremost. His Profound Zen Meditation Art was known as the greatest defense; unmoving as a mountain, it surpassed even Dixian's Great Perfection Staff Technique.

Ahead, Jiaxiang shielded Dixian and neutralized the Arrogant Dragon's momentum.

Behind them, Daoxin and Wisdom joined hands. Their mountain-heavy palms had arrived.

"Damo Hand!"

"Buddhist Heart Palm!"

The two monks unleashed their ultimate techniques without reserve. Their mountain-heavy palms crashed down, striking Xu Yang's body again and again.

Xu Yang did not evade. One hand moved in transformation, yin and yang two energies appearing in his palm and turning into black-and-white twin fish, drawing in both men's palm power with the momentum of taiji.

Martial Scripture Fighting Scroll—Qi Transforms Three Thousand!

"Whoosh~!"

The mountain-heavy palms came crashing down, yet the result was as calm as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze. Yin and yang as one qi gathered and transformed three thousand.

It did not merely gather and transform—it could also channel and unleash!

"Ha!"

Xu Yang absorbed both men's palm power in a single move, then turned his hand and released it. Another Arrogant Dragon Returns to the Sea blasted heavily toward Dixian and Jiaxiang before him.

Gathering, transforming, channeling, and unleashing—Arrogant Dragon Returns to the Sea was even more powerful than before.

"!!!"

A sharp gleam flashed through Jiaxiang's eyes. He immediately moved Dixian behind him and faced the attack himself.

Though called facing it, he still remained seated. Jiaxiang sat cross-legged, suspended in the void, like a clay statue or wooden carving. He sat in silent, withered meditation, unmoving as a mountain.

Profound Zen Meditation Art!

Boom!!!

The Arrogant Dragon roared as it arrived. The impact was no less thunderous than lightning, and ripples rolled outward with the force to shatter everything.

Yet Jiaxiang remained seated in withered meditation, unmoving. The Profound Zen Meditation Art was pushed to its limit, bolstered by the vast power of the Buddhist domain. It was as though a Black-Robed Ancient Buddha sat suspended in the void, forcefully enduring the Arrogant Dragon's devastating impact.

Worthy of being foremost among the four monks, possessing the greatest defense. Under the Arrogant Dragon's full-force assault, the Black-Robed Ancient Buddha wore a grief-stricken expression, seated in the void in withered meditation, yet remained utterly unmoved—steady as Mount Tai.

The Arrogant Dragon's momentum was nearly exhausted. It was about to fade away without accomplishing anything.

"Ha!"

Xu Yang tapped off the ground with one foot and soared into the air. Dazzling golden light shone around him like the blazing sun, and he became...

"Roar!!!"

A true dragon appeared with a roar, piercing through layer upon layer of Buddhist light and soaring straight into the hundred-foot heavens.

Dragon Subduing, Dragon Subduing—what did Dragon Subduing mean?

In the Beggar's Gang's original Dragon Subduing Palm, the dragon referred to one's opponent, signifying that the palm momentum was so forceful it could subdue a dragon.

But after merging with the Martial Scripture, this Dragon Subduing Palm had already transformed, undergone Rebirth and Transformation. Its meaning of Dragon Subduing no longer lay in others, but in oneself—in subduing one's own power, one's own dragon.

Put simply, it meant developing one's body to its limit: mobilizing the strength of every organ, every muscle, every bone, even every cell, completely controlling one's own abilities and power. This was "Dragon Subduing!"

This realm had originally existed only in theory, with no conditions for it to be realized, because ordinary martial artists simply could not fully control themselves or master their own bodies.

But now, Xu Yang had reached it. He had achieved it!

In the Spirit Condensation Realm, he visualized himself, then combined it with the wondrous, mysterious power of Martial Path Reaches Divinity. At last, he had attained this theoretical ultimate realm of the technique, subdued his own dragon, and mastered his own power.

Thus, at this moment, he could transform into a dragon—a true dragon complete in both form and spirit, peerlessly powerful!

"Roar!!!"

Above the hundred-foot heavens, the true dragon soared and roared, locking onto the Black-Robed Ancient Buddha from on high.

"Not good!!!"

The pupils of Daoxin and the other two monks contracted. All sensed the terrifying might of this move. They dared not delay and immediately rushed to assist.

The three monks hurried to Jiaxiang's back and poured out all their primordial power, supporting the momentum of withered meditation. The Black-Robed Ancient Buddha's body grew ever more solid, as though the True Body of a Buddha had descended.

At this very moment...

"Roar!!!"

Within the heavens, the true dragon roared and crashed down in a wrathful charge without regret, piercing into the Ancient Buddha's body.

Not a single drop, not the slightest shred, of its true power leaked out.

Extremely terrifying control over power!

In the end...

Bang!!!

With a resounding explosion, the Buddhist domain shattered and the visions vanished.

On the battlefield, Xu Yang stood with his back turned, slowly curling his five fingers.

Behind Xu Yang, the three monks braced Jiaxiang's body, forming a stable triangular formation.

But the result...

"XU! QING! YANG!!!"

"Ah!!!"

Jiaxiang's eyes bulged with fury as he struggled to say those three words. Then his body trembled and exploded with a thunderous blast.

Boom!!!

Black robes burst apart, and blood sprayed in a bleak crimson arc. Jiaxiang, the greatest in defense, had also borne the greatest force. His body exploded on the spot, leaving neither corpse nor bones behind!

Bang!!!

Jiaxiang's body exploded, and the three monks were struck by the impact as well. Each spewed blood and flew away, crashing more than a dozen yards off. Beneath their tattered kasayas and monk robes were bodies of flesh and bone, drenched in blood and trembling without end. After a few convulsions, all of them collapsed unconscious onto the ground.

Victory or defeat had been decided!

Xu Yang stood with his back turned, not looking at the result. He merely slowly clenched his palm into a fist, calming the surging power within his body.

He had won. As expected, he had won!

Why?

Because his strength was greater!

The Great Buddhist Momentum created by the four monks joining forces was indeed incomparably formidable. Looking across the martial world, whether the Three Grandmasters or the Lingnan Heavenly Saber, all would be cast down to the mortal realm under this momentum's suppression and left at its mercy.

But Xu Yang was the exception.

Because he was an anomaly—the greatest anomaly in this world!

Martial Path Reaches Divinity and Unity of Heaven and Man, when combined with his own abilities, did not produce an effect of one plus one equaling two. It equaled three, equaled four, perhaps even five or six—a severalfold increase.

The Great Buddhist Momentum formed by the four monks could not suppress the self-momentum of Xu Yang's Martial Path Reaches Divinity and Unity of Heaven and Man. The two were evenly matched, neither able to distinguish superiority from inferiority.

Since both sides' "momentum" was evenly matched, then to determine who stood above the other, they had to look at the foundation of their cultivation and the subtlety of their martial arts.

In that contest, Xu Yang naturally emerged victorious.

The Martial Scripture Fighting Scroll was unmatched under heaven. It had not only fused the essence of Great Zhou martial arts; in recent years, he had also recorded every top martial art of this world—Ice Profound Force, Blazing Sun Technique, Longevity Art, Yi Jian Shu, Eight Forms of the Heavenly Saber—and achieved Mastery Through Comprehension, incorporating them into the Martial Scripture's system.

Jiaxiang and the four monks might be great Buddhist masters whose cultivation approached the miraculous, but how could their attainments in martial arts compare with Xu Yang, who possessed the Martial Scripture and so many skill traits?

Therefore, their defeat was not unjust—not in the slightest!

Only...

Though Xu Yang had won, he had also paid a price.

The Dragon Subduing method and the Arrogant Dragon move were simply too extreme. The burden they placed upon the body was terrifying.

If an ordinary grandmaster used this method against an enemy, even should he defeat his opponent, his own body would ultimately collapse, and both sides would perish together like jade and stone.

Only Xu Yang, whose Martial Scripture had fused the finest arts under heaven, whose body-tempering methods had reached the divine, and whose physique had been enhanced by many skill traits, had forged an unparalleled physical body. Only then could he avoid exploding to death after using this move.

Even so, he had suffered considerable injury. His qi and blood churned within him, his internal organs shook without rest, and a disorderly surge of qi and blood rushed upward, causing bright red blood to seep from the corner of his mouth. Though inconspicuous, it was exceptionally glaring.

Anyone could see from such signs that he was injured.

At this result...

"..."

"..."

"..."

Along both banks of the river and around the winding waters, there was only dead silence.

Everyone stood dumbfounded, their eyes filled with shock. They had yet to recover from the astonishment of what they had just witnessed.

And who could blame them? Could such a scene truly have been the work of mortals?

Since when had this world gained so many immortals?