Unlike the others, the light surging across Blood Chan Zi's Rebirth Seal was not golden, but dark red.
That dark-red radiance gathered in his palm, forming a nine-petaled blood lotus whose petals slowly unfurled.
Upon every petal sat a miniature phantom of Buddha. Every one of those Buddhas bore Blood Chan Zi's own face, and the blood marks between their brows linked together, forming a line of densely packed incantation.
"Patron says this poor monk's compassion is false."
He opened his eyes. A thick tide of blood surged within those eyes that had once been as gentle as a spring breeze.
"This poor monk admits it."
"This poor monk was never truly compassionate."
"When this poor monk killed, there was only exhilaration in his heart."
"The Buddha this poor monk chanted was a killing Buddha."
"The Bodhisattva this poor monk worshipped was the Blood Bodhisattva."
"The paradise this poor monk cultivated was a blade forged from karma."
"Patron carves his opponents' faces onto his armor. This poor monk carves every life he has taken onto his own blade."
"You and I travel different roads, yet arrive at the same destination."
The instant his words fell, the nine-petaled blood lotus in his left palm suddenly bloomed.
The blossoming lotus turned into blood-red petals dancing through the sky. Every petal was a slash condensed from Blood Chan Zi's killing intent and karma.
Those petals flew densely toward Blood Slaughter, blotting out the sky like a blizzard made of blades.
Blood Slaughter stood at the heart of the petal storm.
He did not dodge.
He raised his right arm and held the Double-Edged Great Axe crosswise before him.
The blood slurry upon the axe blades began to whirl at high speed. Ring after ring of bloody vortexes piled layer upon layer across the