I was feeling worse and worse. At that moment, I saw the sky filling with darkness, the daylight gradually fading. All around, the air was thick with the chanting from Brother Owen's mouth—it was like knives, like hammers, tearing at my body, pounding my ghostly soul.
But the golden-masked man called Mr. Oblivion seemed completely unaffected. He raised a hand, and the two blue-faced men who had been clutching their heads and squatting on the ground behind him now stood up again.
"That damned monk, of all things to chant, why pick some ghost scripture? Let me give you a hand."
Allen Zhang said this and immediately pressed a hand against my back. Strangely, I could no longer hear the chanting and Buddhist recitations—only the sound of wind reached my ears now and then. I looked at him in surprise; he seemed unaffected and was visibly excited, as if ready to rush forward.
"Six Forms of Burning Zen—Realm of Killing..."
Suddenly, Vincent Swallow roared. In an instant, the sky seemed crowded with ghostly shadows, and the ground split open with deep grooves. Shattered stones flew everywhere, quickly ground into dust.
Yet Brother Owen still sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed and hands clasped, chanting. Around him, it was as if a barrier had formed, shielding him from the swirling, unseen forces in the air—forces I soon recognized as killing intent.
Vincent Swallow's power clashed violently with Brother Owen's, neither yielding. At that moment, Allen Zhang gave me a reminder.
"Heh, while those two master and disciple are fighting, we'd better go find the person we're looking for."
From afar, I watched Vincent Swallow, feeling a pang of pity.
"Let's find the person you're looking for first, Ethan Zhang. As for the direct fight, let's leave that for later. Heh, I think I've seen something interesting today—when I get back, I'll treat it as a greeting gift for John Chou."
Allen Zhang gave a sinister smile, then stood up and started walking behind the Buddha statue.
I glanced at Vincent Swallow once more. He and Brother Owen seemed to be asleep, utterly motionless, yet their powers were still fiercely clashing. Around Brother Owen's body, streaks of black lightning appeared.
I followed Allen Zhang. If we started fighting now, it would only work against us—finding my cousin was the key. We reached the edge of the Grand Buddha Hall, where there was a huge window. The gap was wide enough for us to slip through. Looking down, I saw the buildings of the Buddhist compound below.
But to get down, we'd have to either fly or jump. In our current situation, even the slightest use of ghostly power would get us noticed immediately.
"Sand transformation."
Suddenly, Allen Zhang pressed a hand against the stone bricks. A rustling sound followed, and to my amazement, the base of the Grand Buddha Hall, once made of stone, turned into flowing sand.
"Hurry up, just slide down and you'll be fine."
Just then, a sudden, thunderous noise erupted. I turned my head quickly, worried about Vincent Swallow.
"If you want to watch, I won't stop you. Heh, I'm heading down first."