Slaying Gods with Martial Dao

Without a second thought, Xu Ying raised his left hand and smacked toward the iron-core Buddha in his right. The iron-core Buddha was small and nimble. With a single leap, it broke free of his grasp, hopping and bounding until it reached the crown of a Buddha statue. There, it sat down cross-legged, grinning down at them with none of its earlier solemn dignity. "Hard to guard against, isn't it?" Xu Ying murmured. He had already been cautious enough, yet he had still fallen into a trap. When he snatched the iron-core Buddha from Zi Xi's hands, he had assumed it was merely an ancient artifact. Little did he expect that it functioned almost like an incarnation—capable of walking, leaping, talking, laughing, and even casting Buddhist techniques. And worse, the wretched thing could secretly inform God King Xuankong! Just then, a blast of astral wind rushed at him from behind. Xu Ying spun around and flipped his palm outward, unleashing the Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace from his hand. Within that astral wind lurked a torrential divine power, as though an ancient deity were reviving to vent sky-scorching wrath. While Xu Ying's Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace was undeniably formidable, he now lacked the support of the five great hidden treasures, leaving his magic power far inferior to this godly might! The Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace was crushed with a resounding crack! *Hum!* Behind him, the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, Immortal Dao Jade Pool, and Third Heavenly Pass materialized one after another, sending his cultivation soaring. Immediately after, the Immortal Realm was suddenly pierced, and a colossal cave-heaven descended from the sky, showering immortal light and dew as it linked directly to Xu Ying's Crimson Palace secret treasure! The towering Immortal Realm hovered over Xu Ying's head, appearing practically within arm's reach. Xu Ying's momentum surged, his physical strength leaping dramatically as he met the divine power of that palm strike head-on. Across from him, Buddhist chanting abruptly swelled, and burning Buddhas appeared in the sky one after another. The blessing of the Buddhas caused the strength of God King Xuankong's Fire Virtue incarnation to multiply explosively! *Bang!* The space around the former site of the Great Thunderclap Temple shuddered violently. Xu Ying activated the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art, his body swelling and shrinking in turn as he drove the technique straight to the sixth revolution in an instant. His physical strength peaked at its absolute limit, blocking the more than forty thousand years of divine power wielded by Xuankong's Fire Virtue incarnation! He had helped the Little Celestial Venerable repair the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art, and in order to achieve the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, he had cultivated it alongside him. In a short span of time, he had mastered the technique up to the sixth revolution. It was an ancient art of physical sanctification, exceptionally empowering to the physical body and Primordial Spirit. Xu Ying had stripped away its reliance on the incense smoke spirit dao, driving it purely with his own magic power, making it even stronger than the original version! Master Fire Dragon rushed in front of Han Zekang, pouring all his magic power into resisting the shockwave. He let out a muffled groan as cave-heavens appeared behind him one by one to bolster his cultivation and strength. Though he was not among the very strongest Qi Refiners of the Taishi Great World, he was no pushover either. Even so, a single clash between Xu Ying and Xuankong's Fire Virtue incarnation pushed him to the brink of collapse. Before everyone's eyes, a boundless sea of fire suddenly surged. Xuankong's Fire Virtue incarnation stepped out from the inferno, the raging flames behind him condensing into a fiery cloak that draped over his shoulders. Flames swirled behind his head, forming a halo shaped like a ring of fire. Within that ring sat extraordinary ancient Buddhas, utterly motionless, presiding over the void and displaying the profound wonders of Buddhist arts. Suddenly, another blast of astral wind struck Xu Ying from behind. Recognizing it as Xuankong's Water Virtue incarnation, he instantly pivoted and met it with a palm strike. Yet the force carried by this astral wind was even more terrifying. Xuankong's Water Virtue incarnation felt as if the entire Heavenly Sea were pouring down to suppress him. Taking advantage of his turn, the Fire Virtue incarnation immediately slammed another palm toward his back. *Bang!* The Fire Virtue incarnation's strike landed square on the back of his heart. The clothes on Xu Ying's back shredded into pieces, yet his flesh and blood remained utterly undamaged! A shock went through the Fire Virtue incarnation's mind: *Such a physical body is practically indestructible!* Xu Ying's palm force clashed against the Water Virtue incarnation's strike. The Water Virtue incarnation's expression shifted dramatically, and he staggered back several paces. An ocean formed of Samadhi Divine Water swirled endlessly around him to dissipate Xu Ying's strike. God King Xuankong's Water Virtue incarnation stepped forward, the Samadhi Divine Water transforming into an azure cloak that draped over his shoulders. The expressions of both incarnations grew grave as they flanked Xu Ying from the front and rear. This preliminary clash had proven that Xu Ying's strength truly was outrageously formidable. Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang were driven into a corner beneath a line of massive stone Buddhas. For the first time, master and disciple truly felt how perilous the world could be. Han Zekang muttered, "Master, for our Divine Vulture Palace to fall from a renowned sect to just two nobodies like us... we really can't complain." Master Fire Dragon nodded repeatedly. "I was counting quietly. From entering the former site of the Great Thunderclap Temple until now, if Young Master Xu hadn't been leading the way, we would have died three times over." This was the fourth! Xu Ying's heart sank slightly as he glanced at the two merit incarnations. The water and fire incarnations were towering and majestic, standing far taller than the surrounding Buddha statues. Their magic power was immensely potent, radiating a presence comparable even to God Kings like Xuanyu and Xuanxing! Furthermore, these two incarnations wielded not only Heavenly Dao divine arts, but also ancient dao arts and divine powers taught by an ancient Buddha! Forty thousand years ago, during the demonic realm's invasion, God King Xuankong had wielded the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron to suppress the demonic path, drawing the demonic forces of the world into the cauldron and accumulating supreme merit. The countless people of the Taishi Great World had united in offering incense smoke. Over the millennia, the merit gathered by the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron had been refined by Xuankong, combined with Samadhi Divine Water and Samadhi True Fire to forge these two merit incarnations. Given how astonishing the strength of these two incarnations was, the combat prowess of Xuankong's true form was bound to be even more terrifying! Xu Ying looked up. Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky above, where an immortal array had activated to form nine tiers of the heavens, its unyielding, supreme might holding Xuankong at bay. Xu Ying felt slightly relieved. "Xu Ying, you possess profound mastery over the Heavenly Dao, shielding yourself from my Heavenly Eye, Heavenly Ear, and Heavenly Mind Penetrabilities, thinking your plan was foolproof," the Water Virtue incarnation said, staring at him with bright, piercing eyes. "Yet it never crossed your mind that the iron-core Buddha in your hands is my master." Perched cross-legged on the Buddha statue's head, the iron-core Buddha chuckled. "That's right! I am his master! Every bit of his Buddhist arts was taught by me." Xu Ying took off the mask on his face, tossed it aside, and smiled. "When Zi Xi brought out the iron-core Buddha to block my divine art, I assumed it was a magic treasure. I didn't expect it to be an incarnation. That said, did you teach the God King Buddhist arts in hopes that he would break the Buddhist seals and set you free? If so, why are you still imprisoned in that sea of fire?" The moment those words were spoken, the smile on the iron-core Buddha's face froze. Xu Ying observed this and understood completely. Smiling, he said, "You didn't teach the God King your real abilities, did you? And after learning what he could, he never truly intended to save you either, did he?" His words caused the expressions of both Xuankong incarnations to darken. Xu Ying continued, "So you secretly reached out to Zi Xi. You saw that Xuankong had no real intention of freeing you, so you planned to groom Zi Xi to replace him, right?" The faces of the two incarnations turned even uglier. Xu Ying chuckled. "When I arrived here, the iron-core Buddha took the initiative to project the method for undoing the seal onto the gateway. Were you planning to abandon both the God King and Zi Xi so that I could enjoy your exclusive favor?" Perched atop the statue, the petite iron-core Buddha sighed and said to Xuankong's two incarnations, "My Buddha is merciful. Deliver him from this world at once." Xuankong's Water Virtue incarnation sighed. "Daoist Friend Xu, regarding what happened back then, I was merely following orders. There was never any personal enmity between us. I had no desire to target you again, yet you insisted on knocking on my door. If you are willing to let go of this grievance, I am willing to grant you a way out alive." Xu Ying smiled. "All right. I let it go." Both of Xuankong's incarnations froze, never expecting him to agree so readily. The iron-core Buddha burst out laughing, mocking, "Xuankong, I told you to learn my Buddhist arts, not my hypocrisy!" Xuankong's Water Virtue incarnation maintained an unchanged expression. "If Daoist Friend Xu is willing to resolve our grievances, I naturally welcome it. However, you must leave my Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron behind." Xu Ying smiled. "That cauldron was refined from my cultivation realm." The Water Virtue incarnation replied, "You refined it for less than a thousand years; I refined it for more than forty thousand years." Xu Ying said, "It is my realm, carved straight from my body by you." The Fire Virtue incarnation flew into a grand fury, taking a step forward and barking, "The brat doesn't know when to advance or retreat! Why waste words on him? Kill him outright!" The Water Virtue incarnation sighed. "Daoist Friend Xu, your obsession is too heavy. Today, I have no choice but to help you dispel it." The two God King incarnations attacked once more. The instant their divine arts converged, their combined might surged exponentially. Meeting the joint attack of the two God Kings, Xu Ying grunted softly and staggered back. The two God Kings stepped forward again, their water and fire intertwining once more to multiply the power of their divine art several times over! During the Intertwined Refining stage, water and fire intertwine to form the elixir cauldron; the key lay in fusing water and fire into a single crucible to dramatically increase its power. Individually, neither the Water Virtue incarnation nor the Fire Virtue incarnation of God King Xuankong was overwhelmingly strong, but when their water and fire intertwined, their might became ridiculously immense! As the two incarnations lunged again, a streak of clear qi suddenly flew out from the crown of Xu Ying's head, transforming into the three Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits of Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing. Together, they blocked the blow. Both of Xuankong's incarnations stumbled backward. Before they could steady themselves, Xu Ying's Three Purities Primordial Spirits flew forth, slamming a succession of palm strikes onto them and nearly blasting both God King incarnations apart! Xu Ying stepped forward and waved his hand. The Huntian Cauldron flew out from Master Fire Dragon's Realm of Xiyi, crashing down with overwhelming weight to suppress the two God Kings, intending to refine them right then and there! "One Qi Transforming into Three Purities?" The iron-core Buddha sneered. "Your One Qi Transforming into Three Purities hasn't reached full mastery yet! Xuankong, lay down your Water-Fire domain to sever his Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits so they have nowhere to anchor! Then recite the Padme Mantra I taught you to break his Dao heart, leaving him unable to sustain the Three Purities!" Hearing this, Xuankong's two incarnations spread out their Water-Fire domain. Xu Ying activated his Heavenly Dao domain to counter it, but the power of his Three Purities Primordial Spirits was hindered in the process. "*Padme!*" The Water Virtue and Fire Virtue incarnations roared in unison, waves of rolling Buddhist chanting crashing outward. Xu Ying's Three Purities Primordial Spirits began to waver. Seeing this, the iron-core Buddha barked angrily, "Useless! You useless fools! Let me teach you!" Standing on the statue's crown, the iron-core Buddha gestured left and right, demonstrating techniques as it shouted, "Use my Heart Buddha Seal to lock his Dao heart! Then use my Five Hells Samsara!" Seeing this, Master Fire Dragon told Han Zekang, "Go burn the incense! Your master is going to slaughter that iron-core Buddha!" He leapt into the air, lunging toward the iron-core Buddha as he roared, "Divine Vulture Palace's Daoist Master Fire Dragon is here! All evil begone—that'll teach you to run your mouth! Swift, swift, swift!" His Primordial Spirit manifested amid dancing flames, unleashing flurry after flurry of talismans that flew straight toward the iron-core Buddha. Though the iron-core Buddha was a lump of iron with little magic power left, it was extraordinarily agile, darting and bounding like the wind to evade his attacks. The burning talismans exploded with booming blasts the moment they hit the ground, sending the iron-core Buddha tumbling and rolling. The iron-core Buddha flew into a rage. "I am a Buddha! How dare you try to subdue me?!" Within its body lingered a wisp of an ancient Buddha's power. It had previously dragged Xu Ying into an illusion of karmic fire, only to be shattered by Xu Ying's divine consciousness. Now, it attempted the same trick, aiming to drag Master Fire Dragon into the illusion! Yet Master Fire Dragon's divine soul remained completely unyielding, entirely beyond its ability to shake. *This baldy actually has some skill!* What it did not realize was that the Divine Vulture Palace lineage had always specialized in this exact path. Divine Vulture Palace cultivated Netherworld techniques, and their mastery over the divine soul was virtually unmatched under heaven. Their ancestors had once served under the Four Giants of the Netherworld, copying the runes etched into the four giants' bodies to attain enlightenment and ultimately ascend to immortality. Master Fire Dragon had originally lacked exceptional talent, possessing only a shallow understanding of the ancestral runes. But under Xu Ying's grooming, he had achieved startling breakthroughs in Netherworld arts. His mental resilience in this regard was far sturdier than Xu Ying's. When the iron-core Buddha failed to drag him into an illusion, one of Master Fire Dragon's talismans was instantly slapped onto its body. *Bang!* The talisman detonated, sending the iron-core Buddha tumbling and rolling until it slammed into the gateway that sealed its true body. At the same time, Han Zekang was scurrying about, lighting incense sticks and planting them before each of the stone Buddhas guarding this place. Seeing this, the iron-core Buddha was consumed with fury. "Little brat, I'll slaughter you first!" "Die first yourself!" Master Fire Dragon flew in, slapping a string of talismans onto its frame. Beside itself with rage, the iron-core Buddha shrieked, "Baldy, do you know who I am? I am—" "Detonate! Detonate! Detonate!" Master Fire Dragon roared, and the demon-subduing talismans exploded, instantly leaving the iron-core Buddha battered and scorched all over. Just as Master Fire Dragon prepared to finish it off, the stone Buddhas were awakened by the incense smoke qi. Abruptly, a deafening swell of Buddhist chanting erupted. Master Fire Dragon groaned, feeling his physical body, Primordial Spirit, magic power, divine consciousness, and everything else fall under absolute suppression—not a single shred of magic power could be mobilized! With a loud *thud*, he fell from the sky and slammed onto the ground. The iron-core Buddha also fell with a clatter not far from him. Han Zekang felt his physical body, Primordial Spirit, and magic power sealed as well. In a panic, he asked, "Master, what do we do?" "Brawl!" Master Fire Dragon scrambled to his feet and lunged at the iron-core Buddha. Han Zekang rushed over as well. Master and disciple brawled desperately with the tiny iron-core Buddha, locked in a bare-knuckle struggle for their lives. All around them, the vertical eyes on the foreheads of the stone Buddhas snapped open. Each formed distinct hand seals in varied postures, sealing every dao art in the vicinity and suppressing everything! Xu Ying and Xuankong's two incarnations were also forced to the ground. Behind Xu Ying came a series of sharp clangs as the Huntian Cauldron, Jade Pool, Twelve-Storyed Mansions, and Third Heavenly Pass fell one after another, stripped entirely of magic power. Even the Immortal Realm cave-heaven behind him dimmed, spun once, and vanished. Xuankong's two incarnations were likewise unable to wield any incense smoke qi, yet their physical bodies remained immensely powerful. The Fire Virtue incarnation strode forward with a sneer. "Xu Ying, without magic power, how can you possibly stand against two God Kings?" The two God Kings charged him simultaneously from the left and right! Right at that moment, an entirely different power surged skyward from within Xu Ying's body, transforming into a cave-heaven that connected directly to the Other Shore of the Martial Dao! Activating his profound art, his body surged through six revolutions. He bounded upward, meeting the Fire Virtue incarnation's massive hand with a straight punch. *Bang!* The Fire Virtue incarnation's palm was punched clean through. Xu Ying shot through the hole in his hand, unleashing the Eight Methods of the God of War. Xu Ying dropped from the sky. First method: Overturning the Heavens! The sky seemed to burst apart, like a continent of the Immortal Realm crashing down from the heavens. Xu Ying drove a palm strike directly onto the Fire Virtue incarnation's forehead, caving his skull inward with immense force. Second method: Subverting the Earth! Xu Ying landed on his chest, his feet sinking deeply into the flesh as the ribs cracked and snapped under the pressure. His hands thrust upward, as though tearing the earth inside out! The Fire Virtue incarnation's jaw shattered. Xu Ying spun around him like a whirlwind—the third method, Overturning the Seas; the fourth, Crashing Mountains; the fifth, Dao Hammer; the sixth, Heavenly Attraction; the seventh, Slaying Gods; the eighth, Returning to the Dao! In the blink of an eye, he unleashed the entire sequence across his body! The Fire Virtue incarnation's massive frame shook uncontrollably, his bones and limbs bursting apart one by one! Xu Ying landed, spun, and unfolded the ninth method of the Eight Methods of the God of War: Heaven-Shattering Stance. The colossal body of the Fire Virtue incarnation tore down the middle, unable to hold together any longer. It exploded into a sea of blazing Samadhi True Fire, flowing into the Huntian Cauldron. Without breaking stride, Xu Ying charged at the oncoming Water Virtue incarnation. A single strike of the Other Shore blew clean through the incoming palm and chest, as if opening a gateway to another realm's distant shore! Ascension! The eleventh method bloomed under his hands. Torrential martial dao essence qi hurled the Water Virtue incarnation's massive body into the sky, where it detonated into surging waves of Samadhi Divine Water that rained down—and were swallowed up by the Huntian Cauldron as well! Xu Ying landed with a heavy *thud*, stating flatly, "Without magic power, you die even faster." Relying on its diminutive, agile frame and iron-cast body, the iron-core Buddha had knocked Master Fire Dragon and Han Zekang down in just a dozen moves, pummeling the master and disciple mercilessly. Suddenly, Xu Ying walked over and brought his foot down. With a wet *squelch*, he stomped the iron lump into a smear of iron mush!