The Wood Release Buddha

The polar region?

Xiongzang Pavilion had been completely destroyed.

And that wasn't all. Deep Forest Emergence followed right after, once again reshaping the terrain. The resulting scene could no longer be described as mere landscaping by Captain Yamato's Wood Release.

Whoosh. With a sharp rush of air, Fang Xiu darted through the forest at a speed like a phantom. "Rasengan!" A sphere of spiraling Chakra appeared in his palm, and without a second thought, he slammed it into the Ghost King.

Resistance.

The enormous phantom demon god this guy had conjured was somewhat like Susanoo, and had a degree of defensive capability, too.

But Fang Xiu wasn't the least bit worried about something he'd already anticipated. After all, the Rasengan was a technique with unlimited possibilities—it had no requirements for Chakra nature, which meant other Chakra natures could be added to it, changing its properties.

Even if it sounded difficult to pull off, the Fourth Hokage hadn't managed to develop it before his death... but that was mostly because Minato Namikaze had died so young.

"Great Crimson Jade Rasengan."

With a thought, the nature transformation of Fire Release Chakra flowed from his palm into the azure sphere. At the same time, Fang Xiu, practically a human Tailed Beast, didn't hold back in the slightest.

Like a hot knife through butter, a large portion of the phantom coating the Ghost King shattered!

Boom! An explosion echoed through the enormous arena enclosed by Ten Thousand Mile Earth Style Wall. The earth and the sea of trees trembled faintly with the rumbling.

The shock wave from the blast and searing heat sent the entire ghost warrior flying. It crashed through the sea of trees, infused with Yang Release energy and naturally effective against evil spirits, taking damage with every impact.

At last, the Fusang Ghost King slammed into Sage Art: Ten Thousand Mile Earth Style Wall and let out an instinctive roar.

With that near-wailing roar, the armor covering the ghost warrior's body rapidly crumbled, shedding pieces like flakes.

Even so, he managed to stagger back to his feet, barely remaining upright on the battlefield.

Clearly, both the ghost warrior—something like a low-budget Fa Tian Xiang Di—and the Fusang Ghost King inside it had been gravely wounded by the Great Crimson Jade Rasengan and the domain created by Deep Forest Emergence.

When the smoke cleared, Hermit Caolu and the Gold and Silver Generals, lifted up by a towering tree, all turned toward the inside of the phantom at the same time—

The Ghost King was on one knee, looking utterly wretched. Only scraps of cloth remained on his body, and obvious, twisted, tree-veined wounds covered his arms, legs, and even his back. Wisps of smoke were rising from them.

This smooth little combo—or rather, opening move—was something Fang Xiu had planned for a long time.

Control the battlefield on a massive scale with Wood Release, creating a domain.

Use an instant Fire Release Rasengan to counter evil and break through defenses.

What came next? Fang Xiu had sent the enemy's avatar flying with his tiny body and finished forming his Hand Seals. His smooth little combo was only just beginning.

"Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands."

The earth ahead split open again, forming a vast fissure. Thick tree roots, several meters wide, surged together there; there were too many to count.

They were unmistakably writhing dragons! They twisted across the air, crossing, merging, taking shape—a Buddha.

A Wooden Giant Buddha, over fifty meters tall, suddenly stood between heaven and earth. It held a flower between two fingers, solemn and dignified, without sorrow, joy, or pity.

It could be seen not only from the outskirts, but even from the heart of the city! "I... I... I've had too much to drink?"

A middle-aged man grilling skewers on a rooftop stammered, the metal skewer slipping from his lips.

"A divine manifestation! The Buddha has descended!"

"Hahahaha, Amitabha, bless me so I win the lottery!"

"There's a Buddha, and earthen walls are enclosing a whole sea of trees!!!!"

"What on earth is happening?"

Xiangjiang had plenty of Buddhist temples and worshippers.

The moment the Wood Release Buddha appeared, it seized everyone's attention. Its combat strength aside, a height of nearly sixty meters was terrifying enough.

After all, the world's largest outdoor seated bronze statue was right there in Xiangjiang. It was made of 202 pieces of welded bronze, and the statue itself stood 23 meters tall. Including the lotus pedestal and base, it reached only 34 meters!

This was a bronze Buddha nearly twice that size. "Boom!"

And yet, the Wooden Giant Buddha seemed furious, with all the bearing of a Wisdom King. It raised an arm and swung at the comparatively tiny avatar.

"Shiranui!" the Ghost King whispered, a spark of fire escaping between his teeth.

The shattered phantom moved in sync with him.

But the spark suddenly swelled. A surging wave of fire rushed toward the Wood Buddha, scorching and tinged with darkness and gloom! Shiranui.

A kind of strange fire from the legends of Japan's Kyushu region, and also a monster from old folk tales. It appeared around Yatsushiro Sea and Ariake Sea when the wind was weak on the last day of the seventh lunar month, or on nights with a new moon. The sea seemed to burst into flames, and people believed it was the nameless wrath of the gods—hence its name.

Boom! It was like the collision of heaven and earth! The sea of trees shook once more as wave after wave of flame clamped down on the Buddha's fist, trying to knock it over.

But the Buddha that had descended stood sixty meters tall and was solid all the way through. It must have weighed over a thousand tons! The result was obvious.

The Wood Release Buddha stood firm as a mountain, and the demonic flames, brimming with sinister power, couldn't cling to it. The common knowledge that wood feared fire had become a joke on the spot.

Confronted with that overwhelming force and finding his Fire Release ineffective, the Ghost King's avatar drew a phantom katana to block. A shock wave spread outward, sending earth, leaves, and wood chips surging in every direction like ripples.

A cracking sound rang out.

The Ghost King ended up right back where he'd started: sprawled on the ground. The katana he'd relied on in desperation had snapped completely, breaking into countless pieces.

"The little turnip is going home! This is a man's place!"

He might have been losing, but he wouldn't back down.

With a furious roar, the increasingly dim demon avatar drew the second blade carried by the samurai—

The wakizashi.

It was a sign that he could still fight.

"Brat, go home!"

"This is a place for men!"

Even without an automatic Main God translator, Fang Xiu could still understand the old ghost.

"Quit yapping. This is only the beginning."

Tree Dragon Ascension.

As the battle went on, Fang Xiu had been controlling the battlefield the whole time. Now, a stirring pride gradually rose within him!

Earth Dragon Ascension.

Wood Dragon Ascension.

They were like mud packed onto a stone statue, making the Wood Release True Buddha grow even larger. Two arms, four arms, eight arms, ten arms...

Every arm was terrifyingly powerful, able to smash a reinforced-concrete apartment building as easily as paper.

Building-level destructive power? Watching the Buddha from afar, Tang Tian, whose Mutant Spider Lineage had been enhanced, realized how shallow his thinking had been. His boss hadn't even awakened his Mangekyō yet...

Besides, these weren't purely physical attacks. Earth Release in Pseudo-Sage Mode, and Wood Release formed by merging Water, Earth, and Yang Release, countered evil spirits and received an additional boost!

"Fusang Ghost King, you're too dangerous."

"Tonight... you have to die."

After another round of rapid enhancement, the Buddha looked even more magnificent. The evil warrior avatar facing it was battered and torn; it was hard to see how it could still be considered dangerous.

There'll be another update later. Thanks so much for all your support, everyone. I'll post extra chapters once the book goes on sale.

P.S. The book hasn't even made it through the first trial promotion yet, so don't save it for later—please keep reading and supporting it!