A First-Rank Martial Artist's Reckoning

Seeing the crumbling barrier stabilize again, the warrior monks on the mountain breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize that their backs were covered in sweat, and a wave of fear washed over them.

Just now, or perhaps in the next instant, this defensive array, which embodies almost all the power of Buddhist School, was shattered by this monster wielding the Vajra Dharma Form.

This also means that this being, who is both godlike and demonic, has the ability to almost single-handedly challenge the entire Buddhist School.

Fortunately, the main force was led by the Bodhisattva Gara, who possessed the most powerful overall combat strength in Buddhist School and controlled the indestructible form of Acala.

A buzzing sound filled the air. The golden light barrier was still swaying, but the ripples were immediately smoothed out when they reached the vicinity of the Acala statue.

"Amitabha!"

The monks clasped their hands together, feeling both relieved and fearful.

What's frightening is, in such a vast land as Kyushu, does such a being truly exist? Something that has driven Buddhist School to this point?

Fortunately, even such a terrifying monster was stopped.

Buddhist School sacred mountains are inviolable.

"The Acala King of the Garuda Tree Bodhisattva has never been defeated. Everyone, calm your minds and do not be intimidated by this monster's appearance. Protect your fellow disciples."

"Phew, Amitabha! You startled this humble monk. I almost thought the great formation was about to be broken."

"This monster is as crude and vulgar as a martial artist, only knowing how to unleash brute force. What martial artist in the world could break my Buddhist School with brute force?"

"Even that newly Great Feng Dynasty probably doesn't possess such power."

"The monster before us is probably beyond the capabilities of even a first-rank martial artist."

The reason is simple: a first-rank martial artist could never break through the formation composed of three first-rank masters and over four thousand Zen masters.

The monks whispered among themselves, encouraging each other, regaining their spirits and confidence.

In the distance, Li Miaozhen frowned deeply.

"Such a powerful protective formation; it seems even Shen Shu can't break it."

She tried to phrase her words as tactfully as possible, because she didn't know what the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox's personality was like, and didn't want to be too direct and upset her.

With a major war looming, she didn't want to cause trouble with her allies over trivial matters.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox shook her head and said bluntly:

"Unless a divine intervention snatches his head back, it will be difficult to break this great formation."

A half-step Martial God could defeat the entire Buddhist School except for the Buddha, but Shen Shu is not in his complete form now, so it is not surprising that he cannot break through the Buddhist School sect's all-out defense.

Moreover, the Buddha resides deep within Aranya; once the Buddha intervenes, Shenshu will undoubtedly be placed on the defensive.

At this point, the two Bodhisattvas, Guangxian and Liuli, along with nearly ten thousand Zen masters and martial monks, could become the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Therefore, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox endured until the extraordinary experts of the Great Feng had time to neutralize the Buddha's "helper" advantage. Xu Qi'an, a first-rank martial artist, could even play a certain auxiliary role in the struggle between the Buddha and Shen Shu.

Only in this way can we truly hope to snatch the head back from Aranya.

Li Miaozhen pondered for a moment, numerous methods to break the formation flashing through her mind, then shook her head and said:

"We can only see if Xu Ningyan's explosive power is as strong as he claims."

The Flying Swallow Heroine had never witnessed the violence of a first-rank martial artist before. Before the tribulation battle was over, she was taken back to the sect by her master and her senior brother Xuancheng.

Therefore, all they knew was that Xu Ningyan had become a first-rank martial artist, but they didn't have a clear idea of just how strong he was.

This astonishing array is of an extremely high level; the main array consists of three Bodhisattvas, one of whom is the Kalavinka tree, which controls the Dharma form of "Acala".

Under normal circumstances, they would find it difficult to break through the "Immovable King," let alone a Zen formation incorporating so many masters.

Only Shen Shu, a half-step Martial God, possesses such strength.

Buzzing sounds filled the air. The golden barrier shook violently but remained unbroken, while Shen Shu's attacks continued relentlessly, like a perpetual motion machine that never tires or stops.

The fist slammed into the barrier, creating layers of gale-force winds and energy that should have stirred up a terrifying hurricane near Aranda. However, as it approached the central image of Acala, all the "movements" were completely extinguished.

As a result, although the gales around Aranya were fierce, they were never able to accumulate enough energy to form a significant force.

After a period of stalemate, the image of Acala, which had merged with the Gara tree, began to tremble slightly.

The opportunity arose at the infinitely high horizon, under the azure sky. Xu Qi'an squinted and clearly saw the abnormality of the Immovable King.

Shen Shu's relentless and violent attacks finally managed to break through the so-called absolute defense of this Dharma form.

This was the first time Xu Qi'an had seen Fudo Myoo tremble while maintaining its potential energy.

It should be noted that even with the combined power of all living beings, he could only use the Gara tree as a punching bag, striking it from east to west and from west to east. Although it was an absolute suppression, he ultimately failed to truly break through the defenses of Fudo Myō-ō.

Otherwise, the Garuda tree would have died in the Central Plains.

Shen Shu succeeded; Shen Shu created an opportunity for him to break the formation.

In the current situation, this is the limit of what Shen Shu can do. This half-step Martial God alone cannot break through this great formation. At this moment, a first-rank martial artist who is also known for violence is needed to be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qi'an slowly stretched his muscles and bones, each muscle stretching and creased, each bone making a soft sound.

Then, his lumbar muscles suddenly clenched, causing all the muscles in his body to exert force and expand, making his body appear "thicker" and causing his robe to bulge slightly.

Ah~

Xu Qi'an let out a deep, powerful roar, the sound waves like rolling thunder.

With a roar, his skin slowly turned red, an abnormality caused by the rapid rush of blood to his blood vessels; his pores opened, spraying out a mist of blood.

Blood sacrifice!

The Gu technique of the Extraordinary Power Gu.

Burning Essence Blood grants a temporary boost to combat power.

How much combat power can a first-rank martial artist unleash by burning their Essence Blood?

In an instant, the sky and earth changed color, and the elemental forces of the entire world fell into chaos. Water and fire elements combined to form dense water vapor, while wind and earth elements combined to form a sandstorm.

The area within dozens of miles of Arando was transformed into a chaotic and ominous place.

Such an extraordinary phenomenon attracted the attention of the monks in the mountains. They looked around in bewilderment, unaware of what was happening in the outside world.

What, or what, has caused this chaos?

Li Miaozhen, who was very competitive, clicked her tongue in amazement and looked up at him with wide eyes. This was the first time she had witnessed Xu Ningyan truly display his cultivation level.

Even from such a great distance, she could still feel that terrifying, world-destroying power.

The joy and confidence that came with the advancement to the extraordinary level were completely suppressed at this moment.

Unbeknownst to many, the Silver Gong, who pretended to be a master in the Heaven and Earth Society but was actually just a novice martial artist, had truly grown into a towering figure.

This gave Li Miaozhen a sense of melancholy as time flew by.

Although not as powerful as Shen Shu, this power was truly terrifying. The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox snorted inwardly. She still remembered the day Xu Ningyan's wedding, when he sealed a wisp of her divine consciousness into Fuxiang's body, then sat on her and beat her buttocks.

Fox spirits hold grudges.

Master Jinlian, Zhao Shou, and Asuluo, on the other hand, had a clearer and more direct understanding of Xu Qi'an's progress.

When he was first promoted to the first rank, he didn't have the power he has now.

It's probably not just the blood sacrifice technique of the Power Gu; his own cultivation has also improved significantly in less than two months. Asuluo suddenly felt a surge of motivation to "catch up quickly."

On the other side, Xu Qi'an reached into his chest and pulled out a gleaming brass sword.

After grasping the sword, he suppressed all his aura and emotions, allowing his Dantian to transform into a vortex, absorbing the immense power within him.

This wasn't a fatal blow; it was the original version of "Heaven and Earth Slashed with One Blade."

The Heaven and Earth One Slash is an extreme and unorthodox sword technique that pours all power into a single strike, aiming to kill or injure the user. It is similar to the Blood Sacrifice Technique, but the two techniques can be perfectly combined.

Xu Qi'an gripped his sword, turned his body upside down, and swooped down.

In the eyes of Li Miaozhen and the others, he was a bright yellow meteorite, rubbing against the air and producing a dazzling yellow light. The atmosphere and the yellow light merged to form a rapidly falling cone-shaped air shell.

Zhao Shou seized the opportunity, flicked his finger, extended his right palm towards Xu Qi'an, and said in a deep voice:

"This sword will be unstoppable!"

Law Follows Speech flowed like law, adding power to this sword strike.

The yellow light intensified noticeably, becoming even more intense.

At this moment, Shen Shu increased the frequency of his attacks. His twenty-four fists were like twenty-four pile drivers, their shadows forming a continuous barrage. The "buzzing" sound, due to the excessive speed, lost its rhythm and discontinuity, transforming into a long, drawn-out "buzz~".

Just then, Xu Qi'an "fell" from the sky, his Zhenguo Sword leading the charge, fiercely stabbing towards the top of the Immovable King's image.

This time, with a deafening "boom," the golden barrier that had enveloped the entire Aranta collapsed completely amidst layers of exploding yellow light, disintegrating into a pure energy storm.

In front of each main hall, Zen masters collapsed one after another, dying silently, their internal organs shattered and their life force severed while they were in a meditative state.

The highly accomplished Zen master was abruptly "awakened" from his meditation, spitting out blood. He looked around in bewilderment and horror, not knowing what had happened.

Once a Zen master enters a meditative state, he becomes so absorbed in meditation that he loses all sense of time and temperature.

"This, this..."

Upon witnessing the horrific scene before them, they discovered that only a small number of highly accomplished Zen masters had survived, while all the mid- to low-level Zen masters had perished in meditation.

"What happened? What happened?!"

"They're all dead! All my disciples are dead?"

"This... this thousand-year period has passed, and our Buddhist School mountain has never seen such a tragic scene. Even when the Asura King came to the mountain, he was suppressed by the Buddha in the Demon-Suppressing Ravine."

The old Zen masters were shocked and furious, collapsing to the ground, heartbroken and unable to accept what they were seeing.

"What forces are attacking my holy mountain?"

An elder with a white beard hanging down to his chest, his beard stained with sticky blood, clenched his withered hands, veins bulging on his forehead, and asked the question with resentment.

The monks nearby, while tending to the wounded, responded with deep sorrow:

"It's a monster, completely black, a monster that wields the Vajra Dharma Form."

Completely black, wielding the "Vajra Dharma Form"? The senior Zen masters exchanged glances, seeing bewilderment in each other's eyes.

The old monk, whose white beard hung down to his chest, changed his expression slightly, as if he had thought of something, but instead of explaining, he asked:

"Unless it's him, or who else?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding monks all looked towards the main hall atop the mountain.

"Xu Yinluo of the Great Feng Dynasty."

"A newly Great Feng Dynasty."

Each of the monks spoke in turn.

Xu Qi'an, a first-rank martial artist. The monks looked at each other, and for a brief moment, no one spoke.

After a while, the old Zen master said with great sorrow:

"He's back for revenge, he's back for revenge. I knew it. Back then, we should have either killed him at all costs or brought him into the Buddhist School at all costs. Now look what's happened, after he advanced to the first rank, the first thing he did to take revenge on is our Buddhist School."

The monks and Zen masters all fell silent.

As direct descendants of the monks of Aranda, they were naturally aware of the grudges and grievances between their own sect and the "Buddhist disciples."

The Buddhist School has repeatedly attempted to strengthen its ties with its followers, but due to the debate between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism, the attitude of the higher-ups has remained ambiguous, preventing them from making a complete decision.

This resulted in the fact that although Arhats and Vajras were sent to forcibly convert people several times, they did not hold the belief that they would not give up until they achieved their goal.

At that time, many monks in the Angkor Thom pointed out that if they were determined to obtain the Buddhist disciples, then the Bodhisattvas should be prepared to go to the Central Plains and forcibly convert them, even if it meant turning against the Imperial Censor.

Now, the aftereffects are starting.

That Buddhist disciple from the Central Plains who pioneered the idea that all sentient beings can attain Buddhahood has now advanced to the rank of First-Grade Martial Artist and is coming to settle scores with the Buddhist School.

"What terrifying combat power."

Master Jinlian offered a heartfelt exclamation of praise.

Not to mention Shen Shu, the power Xu Ningyan just unleashed was something that no first-rank cultivator in any of the major systems could forcibly withstand.

Without exaggeration, excluding half-step Martial Gods and all the top-tier warriors, Xu Ningyan should be the strongest fighter in the world today.

Well, except for that "Wild" who ran away with the supervisor.

While Asuluo, Li Miaozhen, and others lamented the violence of the warriors, Xu Qi'an, standing proudly in front of the main hall, holding the national sword and facing the three first-rank Xu Qi'an, was not as cold and calm as he appeared.

"God, hurry up and come up! I probably can't handle three Bodhisattvas by myself, and I feel completely drained right now." Xu Qi'an prayed silently in his heart while his expression was stern.

After breaking through the defensive array, he immediately stopped the blood sacrifice. This would effectively conserve his strength and reduce the aftereffects, but a slight feeling of fatigue still followed, reminding him of the long-lost weakness he felt after spending all his money.

"All warrior monks, heed my command! Quickly lead the Zen master into the depths of Aranya for refuge!"

Guangxian's voice, which resonated with people of all ages and genders, echoed in the sky above Alanda.

In front of the collapsed main hall, the Gara Tree Bodhisattva stood tall and straight, his gaze towards Xu Ningyan filled with solemnity.

The jade-faced Bodhisattva Liuli, with her flowing black hair, stood to the right of the Garan tree, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed. To her left stood the young monk Guangxian, with red lips and white teeth.

The three bodhisattvas did not immediately take action, intimidated by Xu Yinluo, who appeared calm on the surface but was inwardly panicked.

"You've finally come this far."

"It is Bodhisattva Guangxian who said calmly."

"Do you ever regret it?"

Xu Qi'an twitched the corners of his mouth, giving a mocking smile.

The Bodhisattva Guangxian's tone remained calm:

"Now that you've come to Arantha, don't even think about leaving."

His gaze swept over Li Miaozhen and the others in the distance, and he said calmly:

"They're the same."

As the echo faded, a shadow that blotted out the sky rose from behind the three Bodhisattvas.

An enormous god appeared behind them unnoticed, its twelve arms outstretched like the fangs of a Venus flytrap, ready to devour the bodhisattvas.

This scene reminded Xu Qi'an of the sight he had seen in the Pagoda—atop the misty heights, a sinister deity looked down upon the Buddhist School bodhisattvas, poised to devour them.

Without hesitation, he immediately expanded his muscles, causing the blood to transform into a spring torrent, flushing his blood vessels and performing a blood sacrifice technique.

They attacked the Garuda tree from both the front and the rear, alongside Shenshu.

The plan was to combine the strength of two unparalleled warriors to kill the Gara Tree first. This was a plan that had been set before the war began.