Chapter 177: Drought Demon Ba's Rampage, Encirclement of Wuwei (Part 2)
Amidst the surrounding monks, someone suddenly froze, revealing a look of pain as their mouth opened and closed, suddenly bursting into flames.
The flames spewed from their seven orifices, burning all their flesh and transforming those monks into human torches.
"This is..."
In Guanyin's eyes, the light flowed, and the Heavenly Vision of the Buddhist Six Powers allowed her to clearly see the grotesque monster crawling out from within the great star, her expression changed, "Drought Demon!"
Before her words fell, the roar escalated further, and the crimson monster leaped out like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey. Its sharp claws tore through the sky and the Separation and Union Divine Light, the shadow of its claws pressing down on the earth like a mountain.
Guanyin gently twirled her slender fingers, pulling out the willow branch from the Suet Jade Flask, and swung it slowly but swiftly, the rain of light sliced towards the shadow of the claws.
In their collision, the rain of light was evaporated by an extreme heat, turning into fuel to further ignite the fire, the shadow of the claws pressed down, striking the suddenly larger willow branch, a sudden flame flow exploded outward.
"Boom!"
The Flame Qi swept through the air, lifting the light veil on Guanyin's head, her surroundings rippled with flames, while the Drought Demon was also pushed back, tracing an arc in mid-air, falling to earth like a meteor.
"Bang!"
As it hit the ground, the flame flow devoured over a thousand monks, turning the ground into scorched earth, and the endless Earth Qi was transformed into Flame Energy.
The temperature rapidly rose, the world felt like a furnace, incinerating all things.
Wherever the Drought Demon landed, a Thousand Miles of Barren Land ensued, not just in front, but even extending towards the already occupied commanderies. Along the way, all flora died, life extinguished, even the yellow earth became a congealed black hue.
Guanyin's expression turned extremely grave, as she discovered that the Drought Demon's aura was frantically surging, the ground beneath its feet was the source of its power, endlessly providing Earth Qi.
The appearance of this monster placed this contingent in an extremely disadvantageous position.
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Meanwhile, the central army led by Manjusri reached a mountain range, where divine power intertwined between the mountains, forming glowing radiance in the sky, a vision of a winged dragon emerged.
Manjusri and the White-haired Ape soared into the air, looking at the arrayed Heavenly Soldiers from afar, he said plainly, "The future Family Head of the Gongsun Family, and Elder Tianxuan of the previous generation from the Dinghu Sect, intending to use the vows of the Ji and Jiang to contain me?"
The power of Heaven's Punishment, Manjusri had witnessed before on Kunxu Mountain.
Jiang Li's strength could compare to third grade, yet under the tremors of Heavenly Might, he was directly reduced to dust, almost annihilated in body and spirit. Though subsequent developments indicated this was Jiang Li's intention, he had created a facade of destruction to deceive Heaven's Punishment.
But the power of Heaven's Punishment was unmistakably potent.
Even for a third-grade, suffering Heaven's Punishment would be gravely injurious if not fatal.
Now that Manjusri had mastered the Tathagata Undestructible True Body, he was certain not to die, though injuries were inevitable.
In the opponent's ranks, Jiang Sikong, the only one in the Jiang family capable of contesting Manjusri in the Sixth Brother's path, fearing he was waiting for Heaven's Punishment to descend.
"Hiding behind a woman, truly it taints the name of my Jiang family." Manjusri snorted coldly.
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The two contingents were both obstructed, with Guanyin and Manjusri each encountering the challenges set by Jiang Li, both scenarios simultaneously entered Tan Wuwei's perception, making her aware of the unfavorable situation.
Tan Wuwei's route had now reached the Yellow Earth Plain, ahead was an expanse of yellow earth, with one or two weathered rocky peaks occasionally protruding.
This was the route taken by the Daoist Lord during his westward journey, where Daoist Lord fought with Ji Jiji, ultimately damaging Ji Jiji's body at the cost of his injuries. Laojun Temple was built here accordingly.
This place had already suffered from the disaster of the Drought Demon, and a century ago, the duel of two mighty figures turned it into wasteland, a thousand-li radius of yellow earth and yellow sand, seldom seen by man.
"What a perfect battlefield it is."
Tan Wuwei, dressed in a Su Luo Robe, stood gallantly, detached from her subordinates, and descended onto the rocky peak before her, saying: "Wasn't I right, three of you?"
It seemed that her words were met with response, as a swordsman clad in hemp garments and a straw hat silently appeared, it was Mo Sect Master Mo Xuankong.
With sharp sword momentum but a faint scent of blood, the Daoist gracefully landed, blocking the front, it was Daoist Guang Cheng, the head of Yuxu Temple.
Another Daoist, dressed in a purple Eight Trigrams Dao Robe, about forty years old, with long hair tinted with black and white, wielding a long sword on his back, was Guangyuan Daoist, also from Yuxu Temple.
This one indeed left Yuxu Temple, coming to fight.
With all the third grades from the Buddha Country deployed, if Yuxu Temple still stationed a third grade, it would seem too stingy. As a Sword Cultivator, Daoist Guang Cheng naturally wasn't lacking in spirit, directly having Guangyuan Daoist join the fray.
This, too, was within Tan Wuwei's prediction, though it was unclear whether she foresaw the current situation, or if her Reverse Knowledge of the Future Divine Power noticed this circumstance.
Three third-grades surrounded Tan Wuwei from three sides.
The Buddhist army split into three routes, converting Earth Deities along the way, covering the Divine Domain of True Void Home, transferring the people within into the Buddha Country. Such actions forced the opponent to intercept likewise, dispatching two third-grade combat powers to intercept Guanyin and Tan Wuwei.
The rest was for Manjusri to handle.
Manjusri summoned the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Image, mastering the Tathagata Undestructible True Body, previously injuring Guang Cheng in a two-against-one, now confident of reenacting that scene to achieve complete victory.
Once Manjusri defeated the enemy, he could tidy up the remaining two routes of adversaries.
This strategy centered around Manjusri, maximizing his combat advantage, and though the opponent knew the intent of the Buddha Country's side, they inevitably had to intercept.
Overall, simple but practical, it forced the opponent to respond.
Jiang Li also responded, but his approach was unexpected. Releasing the Drought Demon to wreak havoc on the path of Guanyin, even attempting to destroy the areas converted.
Using Heaven's Punishment to threaten Manjusri, with Jiang Li lurking in the shadows, blocking the central route.
Then, to pour all the remaining third grades into Tan Wuwei's route, aiming to exterminate this third grade capable of Reverse Knowledge of the Future.
Shifting from passive response to proactive attack, breaking the strategy of the Buddha Country's side.
"That day I said Jiang Sikong is ruthless, others might not harm believers, but he absolutely would."
Tan Wuwei, facing the encirclement, remained calm, and under the gaze and Qi Mechanism lock of the three, said: "Back then the Taiping Sect's three hundred sixty thousand followers were incapacitated by Jiang Li's poisonous rain, ultimately perishing in the aftermath of battle, this time perhaps it's another three hundred sixty thousand. Once strange, twice familiar, to him perhaps it's just erasing a bunch of ants, utterly disregarded. The Drought Demon's devastation, who knows how many will die on the scorched earth."
It seemed like compassion, yet carried a subtle sarcasm, causing the three encircling individuals to frown involuntarily.
But none of the three were ordinary, even with a conscience, they wouldn't succumb to provocation at this moment.
"Wuwei, your rhetoric is still impressive, no wonder you were once the first Mo Bian of our Mo Sect."
Mo Xuankong spoke with a slight coldness, "Unfortunately, the Mo Bian arts once used to uphold justice have now changed their flavor. Jiang Sikong's means might be rather ruthless, but to act this way, isn't it because you follow the Evil Path, converting the people? If there's blame, it's first on you, don't reverse right and wrong, and switch the concepts."
As he finished speaking, three sharp sword momentums simultaneously locked onto Tan Wuwei, sealing all routes of retreat.
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