"Paper figures?!"
Shi Kui watched the paper figure's body slowly fall, losing all composure.
Tricked again?!
First a puppet, and now a paper substitute!
Despite his strength, Shi Kui, the reincarnation of Ashura, found his pride trampled by Yan Shouyi's constant trickery, being played like a monkey. His pride wouldn't allow Yan Shouyi to tread on his dignity like this.
But in the next second, Shi Kui calmed down again, realizing something terrible.
Previously, Yan Shouyi used the wooden puppet dharma body to test his strength.
And this time, Yan Shouyi used a paper substitute, for what purpose?
Was it just to toy with him?
No, it absolutely wouldn't be that simple!
This brat...
He's luring the tiger away from its lair, distracting me... His real body must be plotting something!
At this thought, Shi Kui's heart suddenly grew cold.
An uncontrollable fear made him instinctively lower his head.
The instant he lowered his head, a blade light flashed past his head.
The audience couldn't help but let out mournful wails.
Shi Kui didn't see it, but the audience did.
The moment Shi Kui crushed the paper substitute, Yan Shouyi's real body appeared on his other side.
He also held the Zanpakuto, brewing a terrifying attack.
It was the "One Sword Asks Heaven" that Yan Shouyi inherited from General Qing Jiang.
This saber seemed to possess the power to sever everything in the world. Everyone fully believed that if this saber were to strike Shi Kui's neck, it would surely separate the demon monk's head from his body!
However, Shi Kui had anticipated it a step ahead and dodged by lowering his head.
Dodging meant all of Yan Shouyi's previous efforts were in vain.
What a pity!
The previous "lure the tiger away" move had surprised everyone. No one had guessed that Yan Shouyi would also use the art of paper crafting, the "golden cicada shedding its shell" technique.
They were so close to beheading the demon monk!
Now that Shi Kui knew Yan Shouyi had this trick up his sleeve, trying to pull it off again would be almost impossible, meaning Yan Shouyi had completely lost this opportunity.
Just as everyone was regretting and lamenting the pity, a scene that shocked everyone appeared.
The saber strike Yan Shouyi had unleashed into the air, after passing over Shi Kui's head, didn't immediately retract but continued forward with undiminished momentum.
With a "clang," the Zanpakuto, carrying terrifying power, struck the halo behind Shi Kui!
Everyone was astonished!
Any practitioner with some foundation could tell that Yan Shouyi's saber strike was aimed directly at the halo behind Shi Kui.
From the beginning, he had no intention of beheading the demon monk with this move!
But... why attack the halo behind Shi Kui instead of killing the main body? Was there some mystery to it?
Suddenly, the Monk Miaoji, who had initially looked solemn and believed Yan Shouyi couldn't defeat Shi Kui, relaxed his brows and exclaimed, "Amitabha!"
This "Amitabha" carried a sense of sudden enlightenment and relief.
The dog Taoist immediately couldn't help but retort, "Amitabha my ass, you bald donkey, did you realize something?"
Infuriated, Monk Miaoji punched the dog Taoist, then happily said, "Shouyi truly has wisdom! I take back my previous words. Now it seems Shouyi has a high probability of killing the demon monk!"
"Uncle Miaoji, did you discover something?" Lin Zhitong asked anxiously.
Monk Miaoji clasped his hands together, nodded, and said gently, "Yes."
The dog Taoist, clutching his abdomen, couldn't help but complain, "Damn it, you punch me when I ask you something, but you smile sweetly when Lin girl asks, may that bald donkey die a horrible death!"
Ignoring the dog Taoist's grumbling, Monk Miaoji explained:
"Shouyi could have used the Ancestral Dragon Sword to directly sever the demon monk's karma, but his True Dragon Violet Qi is no longer sufficient for him to use the Ancestral Dragon Sword. Inside the halo behind the demon monk are sealed the vengeful souls of thousands of innocent people from his remains a hundred years ago. If Shouyi breaks the halo, releases the vengeful souls, and then helps them find peace, it would be immense merit! Such immense merit, forming True Dragon Violet Qi, would be enough for Shouyi to use the Ancestral Dragon Sword again!"
Upon hearing Monk Miaoji's explanation, Lin Zhitong's thoughts became clear, and she beamed with joy.
The dog Taoist also stopped complaining about Monk Miaoji and instead whistled happily, "That brat Shouyi has been smart since he was little!"
Not enough True Dragon Violet Qi? Then find a way to get enough!
Here was a ready-made opportunity to earn merit, why let it slip away?!
The Zanpakuto struck the halo. Without the protection of Buddhist golden body, the halo was extremely fragile, and on top of that, Shi Kui had never expected Yan Shouyi to have such a move. The halo instantly shattered!
With a "bang," the halo turned into countless fragments!
Immediately after, earth-shattering cries echoed across West Lake!
Over a thousand vengeful souls emerged from the halo. A hundred years of suffering made them cry out uncontrollably, their voices incredibly desolate, bringing tears to the eyes of anyone who heard them!
Ghosts swirled, obscuring the sky, circling in the heavy rain, unwilling to leave, seemingly wanting revenge on Shi Kui.
Shi Kui snapped back to his senses, his anger surging, "You scoundrel, how dare you break my halo?!"
Before Yan Shouyi could land, San Yuan came to his aid, carrying him backward and creating distance from Shi Kui.
At the same time, Yan Shouyi smiled and said, "Does breaking your halo require a special date?"
The sarcasm was at its peak!
Shi Kui let out a cold snort, grabbed a few vengeful souls casually, and stuffed them into the mouth of his Asura dharma form.
He said dismissively, "My power has nothing to do with these vengeful souls. Breaking the halo has no effect on me!"
Shi Kui mocked Yan Shouyi for doing something unnecessary.
But how could Shi Kui guess Yan Shouyi's true objective?
Yan Shouyi clasped his hands together, a golden light flashed across his body, and he chanted words.
Immediately after, a giant "卍" symbol appeared at his feet, reflecting Yan Shouyi's body, making him appear like a living Buddha descending to earth.
If Yan Shouyi hadn't had thick hair on his head, he would have looked exactly like a Buddhist disciple.
Everyone was already accustomed to Yan Shouyi suddenly using Buddhist techniques, after all, he was a descendant of Lu Ban.
What everyone was curious about was the purpose of Yan Shouyi using Buddhist techniques.
Shi Kui was a demon monk, and using Buddhist techniques in front of a demon monk was no different from showing off skills in front of an expert.
Shi Kui took just one look and knew what Yan Shouyi was trying to do.
This brat was chanting the "Heart Sutra"!
This was a scripture for transcending vengeful souls!
But even though Shi Kui recognized the scripture Yan Shouyi was chanting, he was still puzzled.
With a formidable enemy before him, why was this brat chanting scriptures to transcend vengeful souls instead of focusing on the fight?
Even if the vengeful souls were transcended, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest, nor would it increase the brat's combat power!
Under Shi Kui's bewildered gaze, Yan Shouyi sat like an old monk, unhurriedly chanting the scripture:
"Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, practicing deeply the Prajnaparamita,
Perceived that the five skandhas are empty.
O Shariputra,
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form.
That which is form is emptiness; that which is emptiness is form.
The same is true for feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness.
..."