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"Matsya!"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng let out an enraged cry. Its glittering golden feathers fell away one after another, turning into specks of spiritual light that drifted upward. In a manner akin to feathered ascension, it shed its beastly form and transformed into a divine being half man, half bird.

Matsya's dragon head changed as well. Yet he did not reveal the form he had borne as Vishnu's first incarnation—a human body with a fish tail, four arms wielding sacred implements. Instead, he took the form of a man with dragon horns and arms, and a fish tail.

Most importantly, Matsya was not adorned with the elaborate golden ornaments, flowers, and gemstones worn by other Brahma Way gods. The style of his clothing was closer to that of the gods of the Central Plains.

Clearly, the spiritual fish Matsya had already been influenced by the power of the Central Plains divine pantheon. Even the foundation of his being had begun to shift.

"You traitor!"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng stared at Matsya, fury blazing plainly in its eyes.

But when it saw the faintly discernible clear qi and golden light around Matsya, fear immediately overwhelmed its rage. "You actually learned the Buddhist and immortal arts of the Central Plains! You wield powers not recorded in the righteous dharma."

"Have you been beguiled by Vishnu's ninth incarnation? Have you forgotten the righteous dharma? Do you wish to deny the gods and embark upon the road to self-destruction?"

As the half-man, half-bird creature roared in fear and fury, it raised a hand and clenched the air. A vajra forged from white bone appeared in its grasp, drawing together streaks of lightning.

With a sweep of its arm and the Golden-Winged Great Peng's throwing motion, the vajra became a bolt of lightning and descended.