荒墟牧神 - 第39章 赤日凌空煉陽魂 - 雲海書庫

, a demonic art for stilling the soul, locking the vital blood, and flaying skin to make garments — yet now he used it to seal his own soul, so that Mingxing's move could not refine it away! "Samaya!" A swift demonic utterance rang out. Shen Mu smiled, a flower held between his fingers; his palm shook and he blasted forth the Nether Demon Freedom Seal. Mingxing's soul lost its anchorage and was nearly torn from his body — but at that very instant Shen Mu shifted his technique, from demonic art to Buddhist art: the Sun Illumines the Yang Spirit, Refined in Midair! Mingxing's Sun Illumines the Yang Spirit, Refined in Midair made the fist the great sun, the thunder-voice scattering the soul and the golden light refining it; Shen Mu's made the fist the great sun as well, but the blazing Vermilion Bird vital force set the fist alight, and the flame was a primordial fire of horrifying intensity, able to melt steel. Shen Mu spread the five fingers of his fist wide, and the air in his palm exploded; a colossal blast struck face-on, scattering his opponent's soul. The old monk's Sun Illumines the Yang Spirit, Refined in Midair differed from Old Man Ma's: clearly the old monk's was the orthodox form, while Old Man Ma's had been modified to emphasize raw power. Only Shen Mu lacked the Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra, and so could not bring out its full might. Mingxing, his spirit shaken by the blast and nearly torn free, heard at once a low shout: "Samaya!" Shen Mu changed technique yet again — from palm to seal, a flower held aloft as he smiled, blasting forth the Nether Demon Freedom Seal a second time. He switched back and forth between the Buddhist and the demonic seal with perfect ease, without the slightest hitch, and Granny Zhu, the old monk and the rest were all shaken to their cores, stunned beyond all words. Conflict between Buddha and demon is inevitable: to circulate a demonic art and then drive a Buddhist one must be tremendously difficult — it could never be switched as freely as Shen Mu did. "It is the Overlord Body's vital force," said the Hard-of-Hearing Old Man, a smile on his face, in a low voice. Granny Zhu heard it, and her heart gave a small jolt. "The Hard-of-Hearing Old Man is right. Only the Overlord Body's vital force, which carries no attribute whatsoever, can switch between Buddhist and demonic arts without obstruction! Mu'er is indeed an Overlord Body — the village head was not mistaken!" The old monk rose to his feet abruptly, intoned a Buddha-name, and Shen Mu's Nether Demon Freedom Seal lost its power at once; an invisible force parted him from Mingxing. Mingxing was about to gather his spirit and match Shen Mu again when his vision went black and his body swayed. His throat had nearly been cut through by Shen Mu; he had lost too much blood. "I concede." The old monk glanced at Old Man Ma, beckoned Mingxing over, and said, "Junior brother, I have lost this round, but next time may not go the same way. Mingxing, you and I have wandered the world with nowhere to set down our feet; let us seek a good affinity nearby and find a village to settle in." Blood still flowed from Mingxing's throat as he stepped forward. The old monk bound his wound and applied medicine, then said with deep meaning, "Junior brother, a khakkhara can be remade once it is lost, but a head you have only one. To lose once is to lose everything. And as for this little donor — you cultivate demonic arts, treacherous and venomous; you have entered the demonic path. Beware lest you sink into hell and never be released in all eternity!" With that he swept away with Mingxing, their feet never touching the dust. Shen Mu leapt down from the stage and watched the old monk and his disciple go. Seeing Old Man Ma's grave face — plainly worried by the old monk's words — he hurriedly said, "Grandpa Ma, Granny, if the chance comes, will he kill us?" Granny Zhu laughed coldly. "Subduing demons and exterminating evil is that old bald donkey's very bread and bu