Chapter 91: Northern Dark Water Curse

The golden light at their backs surged like raging waves. Though not upon them, the two felt immense pressure like ocean and sky combined. Several swift rainbow streaks shot through, their speed matching that of Konghuan’s Bodhi radiance. Mu Yuan and Chu Yunfei wore themselves out running, alternating bursts of two types of lightning-fire to constantly disrupt the pursuing golden light, preventing it from closing in!

Six curses rolled and twisted through the crowd chasing them, holding back a portion of the pursuers. While unable to cause harm, the Six Great Curses were swift, flexible, and hard to catch. They could only be blasted apart with zhenqi, greatly frustrating the group.

One broad-faced, large-eared brute, also part of toad Zi Lan’s gang and naturally hot-tempered, became incensed by the Purple Lightning Dragon Curse. Roaring furiously, he unleashed a massive monk’s blade. A yellow rainbow over ten zhang long coiled towards it but couldn’t contain the purple dragon. His demonic aura rolled like tidewater, spreading outwards. Several unprepared demons nearby shrieked as they were slammed into the sea, cursing angrily!

Seeing the rear ranks in chaos, Konghuan shouted, “Zi Lan, quickly destroy these curses! Leave these two rats to me! Stay calm!”

toad Zi Lan obeyed without question. With a flick of his hand, a bottle sparkling with cyan light appeared, hanging upside down. A tremendous suction force surged from its mouth. The agile form of the Purple Lightning Dragon Curse tangling with the brute suddenly slowed. A visible swirling current wrapped around the talismanic-dragon, while inside the crystal-clear bottle, vortexes boiled and emerald streams of light coiled.

Mu Yuan felt the curse’s plight as if personally experiencing it. Not good! He hadn’t expected toad Zi Lan, a mere demon, possessed such a clever artifact. With a thought, the sinuous purple dragon formed by the Purple Lightning Dragon Curse suddenly shattered, dispersing into streams of Primordial Qi.

toad Zi Lan’s bottle was called the Cyan Light Glazed Bottle. It excelled at capturing magical treasures. Against Mu Yuan’s Purple Lightning Dragon Curse, it was perfectly suited. Once caught by the suction current, Mu Yuan sensed it immediately. Fortunately, the Six Great Curses were all manifestations of Qi, allowing free coalescence and dispersion. Sacrificing a portion to the bottle’s grasp, the rest broke free.

Several strands of purple light were sucked into the bottle, but most re-coalesced mid-air into a clawed, fanged purple dragon once more, though its glow was dimmer. Seeming wary of the cyan-glowing bottle, it shook its head, flicked its tail, and vanished into the crowd!

Among the Six Great Curses, the Purple Lightning Dragon Curse was temporarily the strongest. The Northern Dark Water Curse came next. Among the demons attending the sermon, toad Zi Lan was powerful, but many were low-level riffraff. Riding blustering gales, though somewhat influenced by the Buddhist teachings, their demon winds still reeked heavily of blood due to their low cultivation. Mu Yuan sensed this and targeted these weaker opponents. The Six Great Curses darted and danced, weaving lightning-fast amidst the tumultuous winds and waters!

Most of these demons were marine creatures born with intelligence, saturated with thick Water Qi. The most potent curses against them were currently the Purple Lightning Dragon Curse and the Northern Dark Water Curse. Inundated with rolling Primordial Qi, the two curses devoured it like whales. Being Primordial Qi manifestations themselves, they knew no limits. The Purple Lightning Dragon Curse regained its full radiance, while the Northern Dark Water Curse swelled to its peak, roiled violently, and transformed into a deep, ink-black turtle. Despite its form, its movements stayed swift as lightning.

The Six Great Curses thrived behind them, but Mu Yuan and Chu Yunfei in front faced immense pressure. Though a Huayan Sect monk, Konghuan practiced the Wei Shi Sect’s Buddhist supernatural powers. He had awakened all Eight Consciousnesses, equivalent to the Daoist Sect’s Qi Refining Eighth Layer, having survived wind, thunder, and fire tribulations. Once he cultivated the final Alaya Consciousness and transformed the Nine Consciousnesses into the Four Wisdoms, he could condense a Buddha Relic and attain Arhatship.

Among these Eight Consciousnesses, the Body Consciousness specialized in extreme speed. Even with Mu Yuan and Chu Yunfei wielding Immortal Swords, their movements far beyond their usual capacity, they couldn’t shake this formidable Buddhist monk. Boundless as an ocean sky, layers of Bodhi light pressed down, their hidden weight crushing like mountains, making the struggle excruciating!

“Young benefactors, lay down your arms and surrender! The Buddhist path is vast, dedicated to saving the destined ones! If you repent sincerely, this humble monk can impart profound Buddhist law!” Konghuan’s voice boomed like thunder, resounding across the sea of clouds, shaking the duo’s very forms. This Pure Heavenly Sound was the power of the Wei Shi Sect’s Tongue Consciousness. While Mu Yuan didn’t know the specific divine ability the old monk cultivated, he couldn’t help but admire it, silently cursing, Just you wait, you stinking bald-head! Once I whip my sword-energy into thunderous notes, I’ll show you how to really shout!

Chu Yunfei, however, wouldn’t relent. Even as he fled, he cursed loudly, “Hey! Smelly monk! Who’s ‘destined’ for you? Stop your nonsense! I know you talk sweet, but even if you talk the sky down today, you won’t catch us!”

Konghuan remained hidden within the boundless radiance. Hearing Chu Yunfei, he chuckled, “Meeting itself is predestined! Do you not agree, young benefactors?”

“Pfah!” Chu Yunfei spat backward, unleashing a torrent of Five Fires Yin Thunder straight towards the golden sea hiding Konghuan. Light roiled, thunder detonated. The tremendous shockwave churned the sea below into towering waves. Though Chu Yunfei’s blood and Qi churned violently, it felt better than the oppressive mountain-like pressure. Shaken all over, he actually felt invigorated and burst into laughter.

Seeing Chu Yunfei struggling, Mu Yuan condensed his Purple Heaven Immortal-Slaying Thunder into a sparkling, whip-like whip crackling with sparks. It intertwined with Chu Yunfei’s Yin Thunder, forming a furious circle of explosive sound.

“If you two insist on persisting in error, blame not this monk for using Buddhist law to subdue demons!” Konghuan’s voice became ethereal. The sky-filling golden Buddha-clouds suddenly sank, thick as murky leaden skies crushing the heavens. “Treasure blossoms emit wonderful flames, light blazing like clouds, illumining all. From pores emerges change-clouds, whose brilliant light universally blesses all ten directions!”

Hearing Konghuan recite his chanted verses, his figure flickered unsteadily in the sky. Golden light exploded from his body, merging with the giant Bodhi Tree around him. Above, it touched sun and moon; below, it pierced to the Yellow Springs. It transformed into vast horse-galloping radiant Buddha-clouds, light and vapor fiercely grinding against each other, birthing infinite fiery rain that fell like a downpour. Seawater struck by it instantly vaporized into mist, spreading everywhere. In a flash, Heaven and Earth became a sea of white fog, blinding all sight!

The drifting mist encircled Mu Yuan and Chu Yunfei, feeling incredibly heavy. Amazed by this divine ability, Mu Yuan activated his Ice Soul Divine Light, fundamentally Tidal Flow. Over the vast, boundless ocean, he could unleash immense power. Milky Way essence wrapped around him. He spread his hands wide: black light flickered on his left, countless condensed water-thunder sparks grinding; purple light shimmered on his right as Purple Heaven Immortal-Slaying Thunder gathered into a long arc.

Both Tidal Flow and Dragon King’s Dynamic Force excelled at maritime combat. Surging water spirits converged from all sides, compressed entirely by him into thunder-light. Blending with Chu Yunfei’s Demon Banner’s black radiance, they thrust forwards with brute force.

“Woody, where are we fleeing? This old monk’s too powerful! He’s way beyond us! I can’t hold on!” Chu Yunfei complained, feeling his zhenqi rapidly deplete. Without his Immortal Sword Tiandu shielding him, he’d probably be immobilized already by Konghuan’s attack!

“Soon, soon!” Mu Yuan strained, retreating while fighting. Luckily, their cultivation techniques and divine abilities were incredibly potent. Though Konghuan had high magical power, he was pathetically poor. Had he possessed an artifact comparable to their Immortal Swords, he wouldn’t have struggled so much!

After fleeing an unknowable distance, Mu Yuan yelled, “Dive underwater!”

Chu Yunfei’s black aura churned. Together, they turned into twin streaks of light, plunging deep into the sea. Konghuan laughed, “What of it?” Parting the waters, he chased close behind.

The Buddhist Sect possessed few thunder methods, relying more on Buddha-flames for subduing demons. But Konghuan relied purely on his golden light. Its potential remained immense, even underwater. Inside the sea, Chu Yunfei’s Five Fires Yin Thunder was inhibited, but Mu Yuan’s Purple Heaven Immortal-Slaying Thunder proved even mightier. Fleeing in defeat, a patch of glowing blue light appeared ahead. Mu Yuan’s heart leaped with joy. Signaling Chu Yunfei to slow slightly, they began circling the blue radiance. Seeing them slow, Konghuan assumed their zhenqi was nearly depleted. Gathering himself, he charged forward!

The blue light naturally marked where Tian Gang and Bimo battled. The glow was Tian Gang’s Starry Cosmos Shining Dawn Thunder. Bimo’s blood-light had faded almost unseen, merely rolling amidst the blue center like crimson agate. Mu Yuan had acted on a desperate hope. Unsurprisingly, the Primordial Spirits fought on. Sensing the three intruders instantly, Tian Gang felt slight alarm, while Bimo was overjoyed!

His Nether Demon Primordial Spirit, forcibly transformed by the Nether Demon Immortal Body, was somewhat a shortcut. Against Tian Gang, a legitimate Divine Firmament Sect elder, it couldn’t compare. Despite possessing the Demon Suppressing Stone, he suffered from poor endurance. Over the recent days, using the White Bone Seal, he had slaughtered countless creatures nearby, converting their lifeblood to Qi to barely hold ground. This prolonged conflict had emptied the surrounding seas of living beings. Now, with three cultivators arriving, Bimo quickly hoisted the Demon Suppressing Stone overhead to ward off the Shining Dawn Thunder. A streamer of light enveloped his body as he instantly formed three massive palm seals slamming down towards the trio!

Konghuan cultivated the Eight Consciousnesses; his Eye Consciousness was limitless. He’d seen the blue radiance early on. However, Bimo’s blood-light was confined centrally, escaping his notice. The pure, righteous blue glow had left him unconcerned; he even considered calling this fellow Daoist for help in capturing the pair. Suddenly, a huge White Bone palm seal erupted through the blue light, lunging down at him. A wave of bloody stench assailed his senses. Shocked, his body flashed aside. The Bodhi Golden Tree surged forward to meet it. CRACK! An explosive roar echoed. Countless precious crystalline branches of his painstakingly crafted Vajra Bodhi Tree snapped. The hidden Buddha-shadow radiance amidst the branches also shattered immensely!