"Invincible Vajra Overcoming Art!"
Monk Banchi erupted with Buddha light, his muscles swelling and his frame expanding to over three zhang tall. The nine-ring staff in his grip grew massive, thickening and lengthening until he stood like a wrathful Buddha, crowned with a blazing sun halo behind his head.
This was the Invincible Vajra Overcoming Art—a Buddhist technique famed for its unmatched physical might.
Buddhist arts came in many forms: some honed the mind and cultivated spell arts, others prized sudden enlightenment and sword or blade techniques, while a few belonged to the battle skill school, specializing in physical transformation.
The Invincible Vajra Overcoming Art was a battle skill, yet unlike other martial schools, it fused spell arts into its practice. But rather than blending battle and spell as the Grand Guardian did, it sealed spells into the monk’s staff and prayer beads. In daily training, the monk would chant sutras, refining his own evil thoughts into the beads and embedding divine abilities from scripture into the staff.
When battle came, the evil thoughts stored in the beads could be unleashed, transforming the monk into a ferocious war-form, while the staff’s hidden spells struck suddenly and unpredictably.
Monk Banchi charged, Buddha light blazing. Yet this Buddha looked more like the temple’s Vajra Yaksha—face twisted and fierce—as he swung his staff down at Quinn Shepherd with brutal force.
Quinn had already tasted the power of his Invincible Vajra Overcoming Art. Once Monk Banchi assumed the Vajra Yaksha war-form, his body became nearly indestructible—hard enough to withstand even the Grand Guardian’s Sword.
And his strength was monstrous enough to crush Quinn’s treasure ship straight down through the clouds.
Quinn Shepherd activated the Overlord Three-Core Art, his body rippling as golden light shot from the heavens and flooded his frame. His flesh transformed—he became the Metal Star Lord: a towering metal god, white-furred tiger claws, feet astride twin golden dragons, his head a fierce tiger’s, brows white and glaring. In his grip, golden qi coalesced into a massive bronze axe, gleaming like a war god’s weapon.
A golden serpent coiled around Quinn’s left ear, hissing as it breathed out streams of metallic qi.
He was channeling the Metal Star Lord’s true art, transforming into the Metal Star Lord’s divine form and commanding all metal qi under heaven.
The Five Luminaries realm held countless secrets. Quinn’s mastery of it was already profound, and with guidance from the Imperial Preceptor, he’d forged the god-forms of all five Star Lords—far surpassing most Five Luminaries cultivators.
Seeing Quinn’s transformation, Monk Banchi sneered. His nine-ring staff spun, swelling until it resembled a giant hammer crowned with nine golden rings, then crashed down with thunderous force!
With a deafening shock, Quinn’s bronze axe collided with the nine-ring staff. Power erupted—they were both blasted back, Quinn staggering as the twin dragons beneath his feet flew out, coiling around Monk Banchi’s legs. The nine golden rings whooshed off the staff, battering Quinn’s forehead one after another, sparks flying as he tumbled head over heels.
But Monk Banchi was a true sorcerer, a master of the Six Harmonies realm. With a stomp, he shattered the golden dragons, seized his staff, and vaulted into the air. The nine golden rings whistled back, reattaching to the staff mid-leap.
Boom!
Monk Banchi smashed his staff down on Quinn, sending him sliding helplessly back and plowing a deep furrow in the earth. The bronze axe in Quinn’s grip shattered under the blow.
Monk Banchi surged forward with blinding speed, closing the gap in a few bounds. His staff thrust out again—a thunderous impact sent Quinn flying, unable to keep his footing.
The staff vibrated, nine golden rings clanging against Quinn’s chest and hurling him a hundred yards, flattening a swath of trees.
"Sumeru Seal—strike!"
Monk Banchi soared overhead, chanting a true word as he struck down at Quinn’s landing spot. The earth shook, trees toppled, and a giant handprint—half an acre wide—was stamped deep into the ground. Above it hovered a phantom Sumeru Mountain, countless Buddhist runes swirling around the illusory peak.
Monk Banchi landed, one hand bracing his staff, the other pressed to his chest in a ritual bow. He stood just beyond the giant handprint, saluting: "I am not a bloodthirsty killer. These thunderous means are only to rid the world of evil—there was no other choice. Allow me to chant a passage of the Rebirth Sutra for you, Cult Master, to send your soul to bliss and end your wickedness..."
He was about to begin when a chill ran down his spine. He leapt up just in time as the ground split open—spikes of gold qi burst upward, stabbing wildly toward the sky!
Monk Banchi slammed his staff down, scattering the nine rings to shatter the golden spikes. Then the phantom Sumeru Mountain crumbled, and countless streams of gold qi gathered, forming a single sword-light—over ten zhang long—that stabbed into Monk Banchi’s chest with a metallic ring.
Monk Banchi grunted in pain as the sword-light pierced his chest. He roared, and Buddha-sound rang from his prayer beads, unleashing scripture runes that spun around the sword-light, layer upon layer, finally halting its advance.
Just then, a flash of water appeared—Quinn Shepherd surged forth as the Water Star Lord, human-headed, red-haired, serpent-bodied, wielding a trident before a towering tidal wave.
The trident stabbed at Monk Banchi as the tidal wave crashed down, forming a massive palm that pressed him into the earth.
Monk Banchi roared, Buddha light blazing, and raised his hand to block. But the force was overwhelming—the wave slapped him hard, sending him flying.
The trident struck his chest, transforming into three dragon heads that rammed him, howling, across the ground.
With a thunderous crash, the dragons and wave slammed the monk into the earth, gouging a huge pit.
As the water receded, Monk Banchi scrambled to his feet—only to see the Fire Star Lord charging at him: bull-headed, human-bodied, feet planted atop two fire dragons. A blazing bull’s eye flashed at its brow, slicing out a fire-light as swift as lightning. Monk Banchi blocked his neck, but pain shot through his hand—two fingers were sliced clean off.
Panic flickered in his heart. He gripped his nine-ring staff, swinging it like a hammer, the head swelling larger and larger—like a mountain crashing down. With his other hand, he formed a seal and struck forward.
Quinn transformed into the Fire Star Lord, roaring with limitless strength. A blazing fire gourd appeared behind him—he hugged it close, unleashing true fire that spewed out, heating the nine-ring staff until it glowed red-hot and dripped molten gold.
Monk Banchi was stunned—he’d forged the nine-ring staff with painstaking effort and Buddhist blessings, yet it couldn’t withstand the gourd’s true fire. If it melted, he’d lose his greatest weapon.
Quinn transformed into the Fire Star Lord, roaring with limitless strength. A blazing fire gourd appeared behind him—he hugged it close, unleashing true fire that spewed out, heating the nine-ring staff until it glowed red-hot and dripped molten gold.
Bang—
The fire gourd exploded, and the two fire dragons beneath Quinn’s feet shattered. Monk Banchi’s Sumeru Seal slammed down, but Quinn’s body twisted in midair—a streak of green light shot across the sky as he shifted into the Wood Star Lord: bird-bodied, human-headed, wings unfurled, feet planted atop twin Azure Dragons. He soared overhead, striking with a willow-branch whip.
Monk Banchi blocked the whip, but something felt wrong. The willow branch was impossibly supple, coiling around his arm like a green snake. Then it grew wildly, wrapping around his body.
In a blink, the whip thickened like a water bucket, transforming into a full willow tree that pinned him tight.
Meanwhile, the twin Azure Dragons beneath Quinn shrank down, turning into two streams of green qi that tried to burrow into Monk Banchi’s nostrils.
The fire gourd exploded, and the two fire dragons beneath Quinn’s feet shattered. Monk Banchi’s Sumeru Seal slammed down, but Quinn’s body twisted in midair—a streak of green light shot across the sky as he shifted into the Wood Star Lord: bird-bodied, human-headed, wings unfurled, feet planted atop twin Azure Dragons. He soared overhead, striking with a willow-branch whip.
Monk Banchi sealed his own senses, blocking the green qi from entering his body. He refined it with Buddha light. One by one, the prayer beads around his neck exploded, releasing surges of evil thoughts that flooded back into him.
Wrath surged through Monk Banchi. He roared, his body swelling again, shattering the willow tree with brute force. "When Grandpa Buddha gets angry, even Heaven yields! Demon, die!"
Meanwhile, the twin Azure Dragons beneath Quinn shrank down, turning into two streams of green qi that tried to burrow into Monk Banchi’s senses.
Metal clanged and fire blazed as the knives hammered Monk Banchi’s Vajra body, but not a mark was left.
"Grandpa Buddha’s body is diamond—nothing can break it!"
Monk Banchi’s face twisted with fury. He swung his staff in wild arcs, smashing down as Quinn’s twin blades clashed back, the impacts echoing through the forest and sending beasts fleeing in terror.
Suddenly, Quinn’s twin knives shattered under the strain, and Monk Banchi’s staff exploded as well.
"Die!"
Monk Banchi roared, fists heavy as mountains, pounding at Quinn. Quinn bellowed back, muscles swelling, lightning crackling around him as he unleashed Thunder Chant Eight-Form, Azure Dragons coiling his frame—meeting brute force with brute force!
Two little giants brawled through the forest until, suddenly, the Grand Guardian’s Sword shot out—streaking like lightning to stab into the blazing sun halo behind Monk Banchi’s head.
Monk Banchi was shocked, raising his hand to block. At that moment, Quinn’s fist crashed into him like the blazing midday sun, shaking his very soul. His spirit faltered; he failed to stop the sword-light, and the Grand Guardian’s Sword shattered the sun halo behind his head.
His Invincible Vajra Overcoming Art collapsed—his body shrank back, and Quinn hammered him again, bones rattling as Monk Banchi staggered with a muffled groan.
Quinn’s fists rained down like a storm, driving Monk Banchi back. Pain and fear welled up—he spun and bolted, bounding into the sky in a desperate escape.
Quinn paused, glancing up. The monk fled at incredible speed, covering six or seven li in a few breaths, finally stopping as lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet, holding him aloft. He thought, "This demon is fierce, but his speed isn’t great—he can’t catch me. I’ll regroup and strike back..."
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a thunderous boom split the air. Monk Banchi looked over, aghast—Quinn streaked through the sky, feet pounding like thunder, moving so fast he was nearly invisible!
Boom!
Quinn’s fist crashed into Monk Banchi’s face, caving it in. The full force of Nine-Dragon Thunder Rush exploded through his head—forty-five blood-streaked Azure Dragons roared out, blasting his skull apart.
In midair, forty-five blood-tinged Azure Dragons howled as a headless corpse tumbled from their midst.
"Stupid monk, I could’ve let you run ten li first."