Bodhisattva Liuli’s Colorless Domain, Bodhisattva Guangxian’s Great Reincarnation Dharma Image, and Bodhisattva Jialuoshu’s close-quarters combat.

The combined assault of three bodhisattvas would suppress and overwhelm even a First-Rank martial artist at full strength.

Let alone Xu Qi An, who now showed no signs of life, appearing as nothing more than a charred corpse.

At this moment, Asura, watching from afar, took out a luminous Buddhist relic and said in a deep voice:

“First wish: bring the Great Zhou Silver Gong Xu Qi An to my side.”

He added the prefix before Xu Qi An’s name to ensure the Wish-Granting Position wouldn’t summon the wrong person.

After all, in the Nine Provinces, many shared the name Xu Qi An.

The Wish-Granting Position flashed once, and in the next instant, Xu Qi An, who had been surrounded on three sides, vanished and appeared beside Asura.

The Colorless Domain had enveloped Jialuoshu, and the Great Reincarnation Dharma Image’s beam failed to reach Xu Qi An, thus unable to diminish his strength.

This… traitor… Inside the Colorless Crystal Domain, Jialuoshu’s thoughts turned slowly.

Having lost his Vajra Dharma Image, his combat ability was impaired, and he had no hope of breaking through Bodhisattva Liuli’s domain.

Of course, even at full strength, it would have been impossible.

Though Jialuoshu was the strongest among the three bodhisattvas in overall combat ability, this didn’t mean he could overwhelm the other two. As fellow First-Rank cultivators, the gap wasn’t that significant.

Asura swallowed the Wish-Granting Position relic, hoisted Xu Qi An onto his shoulder, and fled.

Successfully trapping Jialuoshu in the Colorless Crystal Domain—unless forcibly broken, it would take ten breaths to dissipate naturally… I need to hold out against Bodhisattva Liuli for ten breaths. Wake up quickly, Xu Ning Yan… Asura thought rapidly while sprinting toward the depths of Alantuoyi.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his forehead, followed by two sounds: “ding” and “puff.”

Then, an indescribable wave of agony surged through him, engulfing him and destroying his will.

In his vision appeared a floating white dress and a beautiful figure—the cold, beautiful Western Region face of Bodhisattva Liuli.

She had appeared before him, driving a Demon-Sealing Nail into his forehead.

This was the same nail that Xu Qi An had once driven into Asura’s abdomen, which he later returned to Du E, who brought it back to Alantuoyi.

After all, back then he was still a “four elements are empty” monk, and to maintain his cover as a traitor, he had no choice but to return it.

Asura’s divine soul visibly weakened, and only now did his martial artist’s danger sense provide feedback, urging him to flee from the danger ahead…

Bodhisattva Liuli’s speed had exceeded his danger perception.

His eyes bulged, bloodshot, as the brilliant light and flames of the Bandit-Slaying Position intertwined to cover his right leg, causing his leg muscles to explode with power.

Snap!

Asura’s right leg snapped out like a whip. He wasn’t afraid of close combat with Liuli.

As a peak Second-Rank cultivator, stronger than most others at his rank, facing a bodhisattva who wasn’t specialized in close combat, he didn’t need to back down even if he couldn’t win.

The kick shattered Liuli’s image.

She materialized ghost-like behind Asura, reaching for the charred form of Xu Qi An.

After grabbing Xu Qi An’s ankle, Liuli manifested her Walker Dharma Image, converting speed into strength, forcefully yanking Xu Qi An down, and tossing him backward toward Jialuoshu and Bodhisattva Guangxian.

The “swastika” symbol shot out a beam of light, striking Xu Qi An directly.

After throwing Xu Qi An, a jade knife slid from Liuli’s sleeve. With a sweep of her arm, the blade crossed Asura’s neck.

After a spray of brilliant sparks, the knife successfully severed Asura’s head.

But at that moment, Asura’s form slowly dissipated like a mirage.

On the other side, Xu Qi An’s form similarly vanished.

This was Asura’s second wish, summoning puppets that perfectly mimicked their originals but with weaker auras—a standard operation of the Wish-Granting Position.

The reason Liuli couldn’t detect the deception was that after the Demon-Sealing Nail pierced Asura’s forehead, his aura plummeted dramatically, creating confusion in her perception.

This was also why Asura hadn’t immediately made his second wish after the first one but rather waited until after being struck by the Demon-Sealing Nail to silently make his second wish.

Far from the main peak, in a relatively flat area, Asura’s figure appeared carrying Xu Qi An on his back. By now, they were very close to Zhen Mo Ravine.

“Hmph!”

Having been fooled twice in succession, Liuli’s beautiful face turned cold. With a wave of her sleeves, she instantly blocked Asura’s escape route.

By this time, the Colorless Crystal Domain had dissipated. Jialuoshu’s legs tensed, and with a “boom” that collapsed the ground beneath him, he leaped high into pursuit.

Crack! Crack! The disc rotated, the swastika and “human” characters illuminating as their beams shot toward Asura and Xu Qi An.

Seeing the three bodhisattvas’ encirclement replay itself, Asura exhaled helplessly. He had done his best.

Managing to hold out this long against three First-Rank cultivators’ pursuit and blockade by cleverly using both enemy and friendly spells and artifacts was already a peak life achievement.

A shadow-like curtain enveloped Asura, causing him to vanish from his position.

Jialuoshu’s lunge met empty air, while Liuli’s gaze fell on the tree shadows to the diagonal right, where two shadows slowly emerged, materializing into Asura and the charred figure.

“That fucking hurt… I almost died…”

The charred figure stretched, his bones cracking as carbonized dead skin fell away in chunks.

The Mahavairocana Dharma Image hadn’t killed him, but only now had he fully neutralized that life-destroying force, returning from death.

Bodhisattva Guangxian’s disc slowly stopped rotating and retracted as his Great Compassion Dharma Image emerged.

The Great Compassion Dharma Image was his strongest technique, used both for survival and control. Deploying it now, switching from offense to defense, showed how wary he was of Xu Qi An.

Buddha ate Faji… Buddha is not Buddha… Upon awakening, Xu Qi An immediately received information from his “clone,” grasping part of the situation.

Jialuoshu’s face was as still as water as he said flatly:

“First-rank martial artists are indeed hard to kill, but after taking a hit from the Mahavairocana Dharma Image, how much of your power remains?”

Xu Qi An looked around at the three bodhisattvas and sneered:

“My combat power may be diminished, but you, without your Vajra Dharma Image, are just a useless rock, amounting to nothing.”

He turned to Bodhisattva Liuli, “Even if I stood still for three days letting you attack, could you break one of my fingernails?”

Then, glancing at Bodhisattva Guangxian, he smirked and shook his head:

“You can barely protect yourself. Just stand aside and watch. What can you three bodhisattvas do to me?”

This was the confidence of a First-Rank martial artist. He wasn’t intimidated at all. Though the bodhisattvas had mysterious techniques and could protect themselves, there was a vast difference between merely being able to defend oneself and being able to attack without restraint.

That was the gap between them.

As they spoke, Alantuoyi suddenly began to shake as if hit by an earthquake. Landslides occurred in various places as huge boulders tumbled down.

When the inner rock layer split open, it revealed tender red flesh that alternately expanded and contracted.

The entire Alantuoyi was a massive monster, a creature of flesh and blood.

And now, this monster had awakened.

Shen Shu must be in danger… Xu Qi An’s heart tightened.

Bodhisattva Guangxian, in his young monk form, raised the corner of his mouth and said coldly:

“You think Shen Shu can retrieve his head? Do you think we weren’t prepared? Perhaps you even thought that with the Great Calamity approaching, we would compromise and let you take back Shen Shu’s head?”

His tone was cold, his expression frigid, yet his words carried the mockery of intellectual superiority.

Bodhisattva Liuli’s voice was melodious, full of mature feminine charm:

“Silver Gong Xu, you’ve underestimated us, and you’ve underestimated Buddha even more.”

Jialuoshu’s face was stern as he slowly said:

“There’s a saying in the Central Plains: ‘Please, step into the urn!’

“Xu Qi An, the Buddhist sect has invited both you and Shen Shu.

“After Buddha suppresses Shen Shu, it will be your time to die. We may not be able to kill you, but keeping you here won’t be difficult. Today, we’ll settle our score from the Central Plains!”

Xu Qi An said in a low voice:

“Retreat quickly and regroup with Daoist Jin Lian and the others. I’ll go help Shen Shu.”

While enduring the pain and using a secret technique to remove the Demon-Sealing Nail, Asura responded:

“Be careful yourself.”

He leaped upward, soaring away toward the distance. At the same time, Xu Qi An used consecutive Shadow Parasite techniques, jumping toward Zhen Mo Ravine.

After just two jumps, with Zhen Mo Ravine ahead and its abyssal opening in sight, Jialuoshu and Bodhisattva Liuli suddenly appeared before him.

The former pulled back his right arm, his waist muscles bulging, as he thrust forward with a punch that shattered the air.

The latter flashed behind Xu Qi An, her jade knife aimed at his heart.

She simultaneously deployed her Colorless Crystal Domain, restricting Xu Qi An’s movements.

Xu Qi An’s pupils constricted slightly—Jialuoshu wasn’t this fast normally; Liuli must have brought him here. What kind of terrifying speed was this…

“Ding!”

The jade knife struck Xu Qi An’s back, sending sparks flying.

Xu Qi An used the Emotion Parasite to amplify his desires, making his head swell with longing for women, then employed the Heart Parasite technique to share emotions with Bodhisattva Liuli behind him.

A blush instantly surged across Liuli’s fair face, her gaze becoming slightly unfocused as she found herself, to her shock, filled with inappropriate desire for the man before her.

She yearned for his embrace, his passion.

This caused her Colorless Domain to noticeably stagnate, as she became reluctant to harm him.

Taking advantage of this split-second opening, he extended his palm toward Jialuoshu and clenched it forcefully.

Shadow Parasite—Blind!

The “Blind” effect on Jialuoshu lasted less than a second, but it was enough.

Jialuoshu’s vision went black, then bright again, and Xu Qi An had vanished.

Watching this scene from afar, Bodhisattva Guangxian initially intended to summon his Great Reincarnation Dharma Image for a heavy strike, but upon seeing Xu Qi An make a sword-drawing motion, he raised an eyebrow and allowed the other to escape via shadow jump.

That gesture just now was the preliminary motion for activating the other’s “Dao.”

With his “Great Compassion Dharma Image” deployed, enemies couldn’t generate killing intent or hostility toward him, couldn’t strike at him, but if he switched to the Great Reincarnation Dharma Image…

That protection would be gone, and the other’s “Dao” was terrifying—impossible to dodge or resist.

Bodhisattva Liuli quickly broke free from the shared emotions, no longer lusting after Xu Qi An, but it was too late. She could only watch helplessly as he leaped into the abyss—Zhen Mo Ravine.

The three bodhisattvas immediately gave chase, plunging into Zhen Mo Ravine together.

…

Boom!

Xu Qi An crashed into Zhen Mo Ravine like a meteor, landing on the tender red flesh surface.

Now, the towering cliff walls on both sides of Zhen Mo Ravine shed massive amounts of stone shell, revealing nauseating, horrifying tender red flesh beneath.

This flesh writhed slightly, unconsciously.

The entire mountain is alive? What kind of monster? This defies science… Xu Qi An floated up again, not daring to continue standing on the monster’s body.

His gaze quickly swept the area, fixing on a vertical seam in the cliff face ahead, like the tightly sealed lips of the monster.

This must be the cave entrance where Asura said Shen Shu’s head might be hidden! Xu Qi An flew rapidly toward the “lips.”

Bang! Bang!

From within the mountain came rhythmic, muffled explosions, like artillery shells detonating. Powerful shock waves repeatedly forced open the tightly sealed vertical seam, but it quickly closed again, trapping those inside.

Shen Shu is trying to force a path inside… Alantuoyi, no, Buddha is digesting him… Xu Qi An’s thoughts flashed as he assessed the situation.

Without hesitation, he raised the Imperial Sword, infused it with qi, and violently slashed into the crevice.

Shhh shhh…

A sound that set teeth on edge rang out, like cutting through tough leather. The Imperial Sword successfully cut through the flesh, but in the next moment, the flesh healed and restored itself.

The Imperial Sword’s ability to continuously extinguish life force and prevent wounds from healing had failed.

This was the first time Xu Qi An had encountered such a situation.

But it also proved that the monster before him was indeed a being beyond First-Rank.

Can’t break through… Xu Qi An planted the Imperial Sword in front of him, took a deep breath, and blood surged through his vessels as his skin turned bright red, jets of hot blood mist spraying from his pores.

With a fierce expression, he forcefully thrust both hands into the flesh seam, gradually prying open the tightly sealed entrance.

Xu Qi An extended his divine sense into the deep flesh walls, detecting Shen Shu’s situation.

He was bound by tender red tentacles all over his body, including his arms, desperately surging his qi, turning himself into a constantly exploding shell, trying to blast apart the flesh walls’ compression and the tentacles’ binding.

At the same time, Xu Qi An noticed that during Shen Shu’s pulling and qi surges, in the brief moments when the flesh walls were forced apart, countless tiny blood vessels connected Shen Shu to the walls.

These blood vessels bored into Shen Shu’s body, attempting to control him.

Behind Shen Shu was a head embedded in the flesh wall.

He hasn’t retrieved his head yet, he’s not yet a complete quasi-fighting God… Xu Qi An felt a violent sensation in his palms and hurriedly withdrew his hands, only to find his palms firmly adhered to the flesh wall, unable to pull free.

Moreover, his strength was rapidly draining away.

Fortunately, only his palms were stuck. With slightly more force, accompanied by a “plop” sound, he broke the blood vessels and successfully withdrew his hands.

His palms were a mess of blood and flesh.

Those broken blood vessels reluctantly retracted into the flesh wall.

“All in vain!”

Three golden lights descended into the abyss, maintaining a certain distance from Xu Qi An.

“Whether it’s Shen Shu or you, what gave you the confidence to think you could reclaim the head under Buddha’s watch?”

Bodhisattva Jialuoshu stood barefoot in the air.

Xu Qi An calmly said:

“Buddha slumbers in Zhen Mo Ravine, personally suppressing Shen Shu’s head. I guess He can’t kill Shen Shu, and they’re locked in a stalemate. Buddha isn’t at peak strength. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have remained hidden for hundreds of years.”

The young monk smiled:

“So what if that’s true? Even not at peak strength, a Beyond-Mortal is still a Beyond-Mortal. An incomplete Shen Shu can’t match Him.”

As they spoke, the explosions from the cave weakened. Shen Shu seemed to have lost too much strength and was running out of energy.

Bodhisattva Jialuoshu glanced at the tightly sealed cave entrance and sneered:

“Why don’t you go in and save him? Attack!”

Above Bodhisattva Guangxian’s head rose the “Great Compassion Dharma Image,” Sanskrit chants echoing as an atmosphere of universal compassion filled every space in the abyss.

Bodhisattva Liuli deployed her domain, the black and white realm continuously spreading toward Xu Qi An.

Jialuoshu took the lead, charging at Xu Qi An.

They didn’t plan to give Xu Qi An any chance to cause trouble, attempting to tie down this First-Rank martial artist and create an opportunity for Buddha.

Xu Qi An gave a cold laugh, raised his right hand, and under the scrutinizing gazes of the three bodhisattvas, snapped his fingers.

Snap!

With that crisp snap, the flesh walls on both sides suddenly shook violently, oozing copious amounts of thick fresh blood.

From deep within the cave came an inhuman, agonized roar.

Shattering jade!

The three bodhisattvas’ expressions changed drastically.

Looking at the three bodhisattvas who couldn’t maintain their composure, Xu Qi An smiled and said:

“Those who harm me must pay a price—even Beyond-Mortals are no exception.”