Chapter 167 — The Decisive Battle
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 6
In an instant, all the black clouds shook and whirled, the whole immense Heaven-Reaching Peak trembled, and that terrifying figure, its entire body having turned the color of blood, came hurtling out of the deep dark aperture, like a leviathan roaring at the heavens, lunging straight at Dao Yan and the others.
Every face changed at once!
Standing at the very summit of wind and cloud, the Beast Sovereign youth threw back his head and let out a long cry, his garments whipping wildly in the gale. And with him, the giant demonic spirit beneath his feet roared in fury, a sound that far surpassed his own, bearing down like a mountain—a spectacle of such magnitude as had no equal in the world!
But within that brief moment, in the eyes of Dao Yan, Reverend Pu Cheng, and Yun Yifeng—three of the foremost cultivators under heaven—it was already clear that though the demonic spirit was drenched in blood and hideous to behold, the crucial thing was that its demonic power had surged. The wounds inflicted earlier by Yun Yifeng's pure flame were long gone without a trace; indeed, the creature seemed mightier than before. And now, as the black clouds dispersed, one could vaguely see behind the monster, within the black cloud, heaps of beast-demon corpses like dried leaves, crumpled upon the ground.
Now the colossal figure spread its claws and bared its fangs, blotting out the entire canopy of heaven, its shadow falling in an instant over the three masters. Dao Yan's face was stern; just as he was about to act, he heard Reverend Pu Cheng beside him softly intone a Buddhist invocation and say, "Brother Daoists, pray step back a little."
With that, Reverend Pu Cheng drifted two steps forward, facing that immense shadow plunging down from the sky. Seen from afar, Pu Cheng looked as tiny as an ant.
A golden radiance suddenly spread from between his hands, dazzling bright in this world of black cloud and baleful qi, like a single point of brilliant sunlight!
Upon the face of that eminent monk, a faint compassion showed; his palms joined, and from the tips of his fingers golden light burst forth, growing from small to vast, blazing in an instant, radiating ten thousand beams of golden light that shot straight to the heavens. Within the golden light, a treasure in the form of a round golden wheel slowly rose—radiant, wholly of gold, a chi or so in diameter, its rim engraved with the golden forms of the Arhats in their sacred postures, while at its center was the true image of the Buddha with one palm raised, in compassion delivering all living beings.
In the distance, countless people cried out in astonishment almost in unison!
"'The Great Compassion Golden Wheel'...!"
The moment this supreme Buddhist treasure appeared, the golden light blazed forth all the more brilliantly. With only Reverend Pu Cheng's strength alone, this golden screen seemed in no way inferior to the one just raised by a hundred righteous disciples together. And within the golden screen, all manner of Buddhist mantras flickered in and out of view; wherever its light fell, there was an air of solemn dignity and compassion, in stark contrast to the baleful qi ahead.
Yet even facing this rare and peerless Buddhist treasure, that demonic beast, leaping forth from the depths of the black cloud and brimming with the will to kill, showed not the slightest intent of retreat under the Beast Sovereign's urging. It came down still from the heavens, crashing down with a roar, and plunged headlong into the golden light.