“Clang!”

The head fell to the ground with a crisp sound. As it rolled, the veiled hat came off, revealing a head forged from dark iron and inlaid with ebony.

The artillery platform hovering high above stopped moving. A clear light rose, and a man in white appeared—the Second Senior Brother of the Imperial Observatory, utterly ordinary in appearance, height, and bearing, as ordinary as one could be.

Sun Xuanji stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Asura on the tower top.

Asura casually waved his hand, reducing the expensive magical puppet to dust.

As an artificer not skilled in close combat, Sun Xuanji, like other third-rank masters, maintained extreme vigilance when facing martial artists.

But unlike masters of other systems, artificers skilled in artifact crafting and formations understood the way of investment well, having more room to operate and more tricks up their sleeves.

This magical puppet was one of Sun Xuanji’s masterpieces. Its body was harder than a fourth-rank warrior’s, with ninety-nine small formations carved into its torso, combining capabilities for transmission, protection, and five elements formations.

Its arms were small-caliber cannons—even a fourth-rank expert would be severely injured taking a direct hit.

Moreover, its core ability was the spirit-gathering formation carved into its head, allowing Sun Xuanji to attach a strand of his primordial spirit within.

The puppet could briefly burst forth with the power of a third-rank artificer.

However, when his primordial spirit was attached to the puppet, Sun Xuanji’s real body couldn’t move, and the puppet’s power was slightly inferior to his true form.

Therefore, while the magical puppet wasn’t strong in actual combat, it made a perfect decoy.

If Asura had no backup plan, Sun Xuanji would have proceeded to break open the sealing tower and release Shen Shu’s remnants.

If he did, then they could probe out Asura’s trump cards.

This son of the Asura King was no simple character—he too had made preparations.

“An artificer of Great Zhou.”

Asura spoke slowly. He had perished in the Demon Purge campaign sixty years ago, by which time the artificer system had already existed for a hundred years.

“Worthy of Offerings!”

Sun Xuanji uttered these two words.

As his voice fell, the Asura fighting with Xu Qi An dispersed into golden light.

One of the three great Arhat realms—the Worthy of Offerings realm.

Worthy of Offerings, as the name suggests, meant being worthy of offerings from heaven and earth, the most profound realm in Buddhism. Arhats who could attain this realm were among the world’s few great compassionate ones.

The Worthy of Offerings realm had two main abilities: Wish Granting and Receiving Offerings.

Wish Granting: When devotees presented offerings and made wishes, the Arhat who mastered this realm could fulfill their wishes.

Of course, there were limitations—not any wish could be granted.

Receiving Offerings: The Arhat who mastered this realm could actively request offerings.

Inside the sealing tower was a sarira of the Worthy of Offerings realm.

Before the battle began, the vigilant Asura had presented offerings to the sarira and made a wish for an assistant identical to himself.

The sarira responded to his wish, using the power of the Worthy of Offerings realm to summon a helper identical to Asura.

Then, the real Asura had hidden nearby.

From start to finish, the one fighting Xu Qi An had been the helper “summoned” by the sarira, not Asura’s true body.

This helper, limited by the sarira’s rank, perfectly replicated Asura’s abilities but could only reach early third rank at most.

Moreover, it could only be maintained briefly, useful for a moment but not long-term.

Asura had been luring out Xu Qi An’s accomplices. He could have chosen to attack alongside his copy, but that would only have startled the prey, scaring Xu Qi An away.

Before they even crossed hands, both sides had already laid out their strategies and set their traps.

The result was a draw.

“Was it my recent surveillance that aroused your vigilance?”

Xu Qi An gripped the Taiping Blade in his right hand, slowly walking toward the sealing tower.

“Bodhisattva Guang Xian had already predicted that the Southern Demons would take advantage when the Buddhist sect intervened in the Central Plains’ legitimate succession dispute, seizing the opportunity to take control of the Ten Thousand Mountains.”

Asura’s voice was young yet mellow: “Hence he entrusted me to guard the Southern Region.”

I hate enemies with brains… Xu Qi An bent his knees and shot toward Asura like an arrow, the Taiping Blade in his hand unleashing dazzling blade light that distorted the air.

Ding!

The Taiping Blade was caught between two fingers, its blade qi unable to harm Asura’s Vajra body despite spewing forth.

Xu Qi An spun like a top, bringing the Taiping Blade into rotation, allowing it to break free from the enemy’s fingers.

As Asura withdrew his fingers, he said calmly: “No killing!”

The power of precepts descended, preventing any thoughts of battle or resistance from arising.

The fighting spirit was completely eroded.

Immediately after, the ring of fire behind Asura’s head was extinguished, replaced by a majestic golden wheel of light.

His bearing changed dramatically—domineering, sharp, murderous, like an unsheathed divine weapon.

The Floating Pagoda spun reactively, similarly emanating stern and domineering suppression force, trying to affect Asura and weaken his power.

Bang!

Asura clenched his fist, ignoring the Floating Pagoda’s power, and struck Xu Qi An’s chest, causing his dark golden skin to crack inch by inch as his chest instantly caved in.

The Demon-Slaying force, known for its powerful attacks, directly tore through the Diamond Spirit Technique.

If he couldn’t break through the Diamond Spirit Technique, how could Asura be worthy of being called the strongest warrior below the Bodhisattvas?

Xu Qi An flew back like a cannonball, crashing through building after building, temple after temple, plowing a debris-filled trench through the Southern Dharma Temple.

Without its master’s enhancement, the Floating Pagoda’s attempt to influence an Arhat who had attained the Demon-Slaying realm was rather forced.

At this moment, Asura suddenly turned sideways as a dark golden blade light brushed past him, disappearing into the temple complex.

Seconds later, buildings and halls split open one after another, as if cut by a blade through tofu.

Xu Qi An had used shadow jumping to appear silently behind Asura to launch an attack. Thanks to the Dark Gu’s “Star-Shifting” ability concealing his presence, Asura’s martial artist’s danger sense hadn’t warned him.

That earlier dodge was purely based on battlefield instinct.

But this also made Asura lose the initiative. As he turned sideways to avoid the blade light, Xu Qi An closed in, left hand clenched in a fist, right hand holding the blade, coordinating his attacks.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His fists were like cannons, exploding densely like rain on Asura’s body.

The wheel of light behind Asura’s head withdrew as the intense ring of fire “boomed” with an explosion, illuminating the night sky.

He switched seamlessly between Arhat and Vajra.

His already tall and mighty frame exploded with muscle, swelling another size larger.

Bang!

This Asura Vajra headbutted Xu Qi An’s forehead, forcibly breaking his combo with stronger, more domineering power.

In that instant of blacking out and losing consciousness, Xu Qi An recalled Fu Xiang’s words—Asura had failed to cultivate the Vajra dharma body and switched to the Chan system.

Someone qualified to cultivate the Vajra dharma body would have power and qi at least at the grand perfection of the third rank.

Only a stronger warrior could break a warrior’s combo.

The next moment, attack and defense reversed. The ring of fire behind Asura’s head extinguished as the wheel of light lit up, his fists wrapped in Demon-Slaying force, punching deep craters into Xu Qi An’s body.

Now it was Xu Qi An’s turn to fall into the desperate situation of being caught in a warrior’s combo.

With Asura’s strength and the Demon-Slaying realm’s “fight to the death” damage, even if one combo couldn’t kill a warrior with strong vitality, it could make their condition deteriorate and power greatly decrease.

The scales of victory thus tilted.

Seeing this, the monks of Southern Dharma Temple cheered, truly relieved.

Venerable Asura was invincible—without a first-rank expert present, none could defeat him.

“Venerable” was an honorific for Buddha’s disciples.

Thousands of years after Buddha’s enlightenment, most of his disciples had vanished in the river of time.

In the current Buddhist sect, only Bodhisattva Jia Luo Shu, Bodhisattva Guang Xian, and this son of the Asura King before them could be called “Venerable.”

High-ranking figures like Bodhisattva Liu Li Arhats Du Qing and Du E were considered rising stars in the Buddhist sect.

“Everyone quickly form formations, seal off the western courtyard, and don’t let the outsider and his accomplices escape. Warrior monks leave the temple to assist the city guard in putting out fires and capturing the arsonists.”

A white-bearded, white-browed old monk called out loudly.

“Yes, Elder Pan Fa!”

The crowd of monks was inspired, and their earlier fear and panic were completely swept away.

While Xu Qi An was “containing” Asura, Sun Xuanji hadn’t been idle. Standing at the edge of the artillery platform, he slowly spread his arms.

A circular formation appeared above his head, its patterns like twisted flames.

Twelve artillery platforms rose into the air, throwing themselves into the formation. Upon contact, their refined iron-cast bodies quickly melted, impurities removed, becoming bright molten iron.

This molten iron hung above Sun Xuanji’s head, casting an orange glow on his white clothes.

A second formation took shape, covering tons of molten iron. With hissing sounds, the iron rapidly cooled.

During the cooling process, an extra-large cannon barrel condensed, followed by the formation of the cannon body.

The prototype of a super-large cannon was born.

Artificers who mastered formations had bid farewell to furnaces and mortal fire.

Then, Sun Xuanji’s fingers danced in the air, drawing formations. Various patterns symbolizing different domains of power emerged, methodically branding themselves onto the super-large cannon.

Some reinforced the cannon body, others concentrated spiritual power… In a dozen breaths, dozens of formations were inscribed.

A super-large caliber magical cannon was forged.

“Snap!”

Sun Xuanji snapped his fingers, and the formations on the cannon barrel lit up one by one, triggering a chain reaction that illuminated all the formations on the cannon body.

Powerful spiritual power began to gather, a fist-sized ball of light appearing in the cannon’s mouth, growing larger as spiritual power concentrated.

This process continued for about ten seconds before Sun Xuanji suddenly shouted:

“Now!”

As his voice fell, Asura, who had been relentlessly pursuing and beating Xu Qi An while freely venting violence, suddenly had his chest cave in, followed by his abdomen, ribs, back, shoulders… various parts of his body showing different degrees of collapse.

His dark golden skin cracked like porcelain.

In an instant, his Diamond Spirit Technique collapsed, his internal organs were severely damaged, and his qi rapidly weakened.

Jade Shatter!

Xu Qi An had activated Jade Shatter, returning sixty percent of all damage received.

This was the limit of what Jade Shatter could do.

Taking advantage of Asura’s severe injuries, Xu Qi An merged into the shadows, appearing far away.

“Snap!”

Sun Xuanji snapped his fingers.

Boom!

The cannon spat out intense light, a one-meter diameter light pillar enveloping Asura.

The entire Southern Dharma Temple was lit up as bright as day by this light pillar.

The monks stared dumbly at this light pillar as if staring at the sun, their eyeballs streaming hot tears from the stimulation.

They couldn’t understand the suddenly reversed plot before them.

So strong… Xu Qi An squinted, staring unblinkingly at the light pillar.

Atop the Floating Pagoda, the phantom of the Medicine Master’s dharma body appeared, soft golden light sprinkling from the jade bottle, healing his injuries. Combined with a third-rank warrior’s powerful self-healing ability, it slowly removed the power of the Demon-Slaying realm.

As expected of the Demon-Slaying realm, renowned for combat power among Buddhism’s second rank. Though not comparable to the Nation-Stabilizing Sword’s properties, when accumulated, it could still counter a transcendent warrior’s self-healing ability…

In single combat, I couldn’t defeat Asura. Jade Shatter could only return sixty percent of damage—killing eight hundred enemies but losing a thousand of our own. Fortunately, I had the Medicine Master’s dharma body…

Xu Qi’an thought with lingering fear.

A Buddhist expert with combined second and third rank was terrifyingly powerful.

“Sun Senior Brother’s full-power strike, combined with my Jade Shatter’s damage—even if Asura doesn’t die, he won’t pose a threat anymore.”

The battle was decided!

The light pillar maintained for about twenty breaths before its power was exhausted, slowly dissipating.

Asura’s figure appeared in everyone’s sight, sitting cross-legged. The light pillar had struck a deep crater, and he sat within it with palms joined.

His kasaya had burned away, and this son of the Asura King’s skin was almost destroyed, revealing tender pink flesh that melted like wax.

Most horrifying was his head—the flesh burned away, exposing a charred skull.

His facial features were twisted together like a melted wax figure. Only two charred holes remained where his eye sockets had been, the eyeballs gone.

Xu Qi An’s Jade Shatter had directly broken Asura’s golden body and severely damaged his internal organs.

Even though he had quickly deployed Chan’s techniques to resist the “bombardment,” in his poor condition, he still couldn’t escape unscathed from a third-rank artificer’s full-power strike.

Strike while the iron is hot… Xu Qi An’s body merged into the shadows, emerging again from behind Asura.

The Taiping Blade fell!

Without the Diamond Spirit Technique’s protection, in Asura’s current state, his physical body couldn’t withstand the Taiping Blade’s sharpness.

Just one strike to take the head, then hand it to Sun Xuanji for sealing, and Asura would face only one path—complete extinction as his vitality was exhausted.

Boom, boom, boom…

At this moment, Xu Qi An heard drumbeats—dense, muffled drumbeats.

Though puzzled, this didn’t affect the Taiping Blade’s descent.

Ding!

A sharp metallic collision rang out as the Taiping Blade struck sparks. It failed to take Asura’s head, blocked by his outstretched palm.

A palm black as ink.

Asura’s burned skin rapidly regenerated. The skull was first covered by tender pink flesh, then wrapped in a layer of pitch-black skin.

Within a few breaths, Asura’s injuries were completely healed, but his appearance had greatly changed. His entire body was black as ink, like a demon from the abyss.

“It’s been so long since I released my bloodline power, so long I almost forgot I am the strongest warrior of the Asura clan.”

With a sigh, Asura flicked his finger, nearly making the Taiping Blade leave Xu Qi An’s hand.

Only now did Xu Qi An realize that those dense drumbeats were Asura’s heartbeats.

This… Seeing Asura in this form, Xu Qi An’s pupils dilated slightly, showing extreme shock and astonishment.

His loss of composure wasn’t from fear of Asura’s power.

Rather, he had seen another person with this kind of pitch-black skin.

Shen Shu’s black dharma body!

Bloodline power—this was the Asura clan’s bloodline power?!

Then Shen Shu was…