Chapter 818: Frightened Flight

The strength displayed by this Master Bu Huai from the Vajra Zen Temple was indeed beyond Li Yi's expectations; with the eruption of Vajra power, every movement he made carried the might to shake heaven and earth.

He truly seemed about to become a Vajra annihilating the world.

This Vajra let out a lion's roar, while one palm erupted with boundless golden light, as if transforming into a Five-Finger Mountain descending to crush Li Yi.

The lion's roar possesses the power to suppress the primordial spirit and shake the mind; ordinary cultivators would have their primordial spirit shatter and die instantly upon hearing it, and even powerful cultivators would suffer primordial spirit damage, mental disarray, and be unable to withstand follow-up attacks.

Yet Li Yi's primordial spirit manifestation was protected by the divine treasure Crimson Lotus; beneath its radiant aura, this lion's roar affected him no more than a loud noise.

But sensing the faint tremor of the Crimson Lotus's radiance, he immediately understood: this roar carried potent primordial spirit attack—if he had been unprepared, he would have suffered grave injury.

"Only now are you using your full strength?"

Li Yi felt the force of that palm descending; even he was startled, yet the opponent had not used his full strength, and neither had Li Yi.

The Crimson Gold Shattered Star Spear in his hand erupted once more with ten-thousand-zhang divine light, its tip exposed—Vajra power could not suppress it—but this alone was not enough.

In an instant, the roars of dragon and tiger thundered through heaven and earth.

The terrifying power contained within Li Yi's physical body now surged forth; even without magical power enhancement, this force alone was sufficient to slay powerful opponents.

Dragon-Tiger power, wrapped in Crimson Gold divine light, exploded and forcibly shattered the Vajra power.

Yet even so, Li Yi paid a price: his Dragon-Tiger power let out a mournful cry, Crimson Gold divine light splattered like sparks, and in the clash of forces, Master Bu Huai's Vajra power was not decisively overwhelmed.

Both sides seemed evenly matched in this strike.

"This monk's strength is terrifying—how do people in this world cultivate to reach such a level?" Li Yi was deeply startled; this was the first time he had felt such formidable power from an opponent of comparable strength.

Yet not only was Li Yi startled.

Master Bu Huai was even more startled—he cultivated the Vajra form, his strength like dragon and elephant, a top-tier expert of the Vajra Zen Temple; even if other temple cultivators surpassed him in other areas, few could match him in raw power.

Yet today, facing this lay cultivator, he felt an inexplicable sense of being outmatched.

Why did this man possess such strength, when he showed no Vajra form and received no blessing from the Bodhisattva of Vast Dragon Power?

BOOM!

With the explosion of power, the Vajra-like Master Bu Huai was forced backward again, while a streak of Crimson Gold divine light forcibly pierced through his Vajra power and slashed across his palm.

His indestructible Vajra body emitted the clang of metal on metal, sparks flying everywhere; a massive palm as thick as a fan was cleanly severed, pale golden blood spraying—the air carried not the stench of blood, but an inexplicable fragrance.

"Master Bu Huai's Vajra body has been broken?"

This sight shocked the abbot of Xiangguo Temple, Le Kong.

After just one exchange, his palm had been severed—how many years of cultivation had he lost?

Master Bu Huai's Vajra body emphasized indestructibility, impermeability, purity, and non-defilement, aiming for perfection; before achieving the World-Abiding Vajra state, his Vajra body must never be breached, or he could never attain Bodhi.

"Brother!"

The other Vajra Zen Temple warrior monks, seeing this, were horrified; they simultaneously raised their staffs and sabers, preparing to charge and fight Li Yi.

If Master Bu Huai died here today, the loss to the Vajra Zen Temple would be incalculable.

"All of you, stand down! You are no match for this lay cultivator." Yet Master Bu Huai roared, like a lion's bellow, freezing them in place.

Li Yi's Crimson Gold Shattered Star Spear was stained with blood; he stepped upon auspicious clouds, eyes icy, and charged forward again.

Once gaining the upper hand, he would not relent.

His warrior nature was ingrained in his bones—he gave the opponent no chance to recover, for this monk was truly formidable, yet he had lost due to his weapon.

Had Li Yi not held the Crimson Gold Shattered Star Spear, he might not have gained any advantage.

Dragon-Tiger power roared again, Crimson Gold divine light once more illuminated the heavens.

This strike was equally terrifying.

Master Bu Huai raised his Vajra power once more, roaring as he gripped his staff and met the attack; now that his Vajra body was broken and his strength draining, he knew he could not prolong the battle—or he would surely die.

Thus he adopted only a defensive stance.

BOOM!

In the collision, countless divine lights splattered; the terrifying force sent Master Bu Huai flying like a meteor, crashing heavily to the ground and smashing an entire mountain peak.

"Kill."

Li Yi's expression was cold, his aura stronger than before; he rode the clouds and descended, unleashing Dragon-Tiger power, Crimson Gold divine light engulfing the entire mountain range, denying the opponent any chance to recover.

Yet from the ruins of the mountain, streams of golden light surged skyward, forming a circular shield; this shield bore eight divine radiances, with an ancient character carved at its center—merely by its appearance, surrounding air echoed with faint Sanskrit chants.

Li Yi's strike could have obliterated hundreds of li of mountains, yet when it fell, it failed to break the strange disc—only tearing through several layers of divine radiance, leaving its core untouched.

"Cough, cough."

A cough echoed as Master Bu Huai rose from the mountain ruins, pale golden blood dripping from his lips, his staff covered in cracks; if he endured a few more clashes, he would surely perish on the spot.

"You had this treasure and didn't use it sooner?" Li Yi's gaze shifted—he judged this disc to be at least a celestial artifact on the Xuan Immortal Continent.

Unless he retrieved the Divine Wood Crimson Gold Furnace from the Wildlands, ignited Dao fire, and melted it down, he could not break this treasure. "This is the Eight-Treasure Vajra Disc, blessed by eight successive World-Abiding Vajras of the Vajra Zen Temple, capable of dispelling all calamities, crossing all tribulations, and may not be used except in life-or-death peril."

After being beaten, Master Bu Huai's voice had grown quiet, his temper vanished; his face bore a bitter expression—he had suffered greatly and now regretted his actions.

He had intended to kill Li Yi in a few strikes, intimidate Abbot Le Kong of Xiangguo Temple, and seize the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue; instead, he had suffered heavy losses—his Vajra body broken, and now he had been forced to activate the Eight-Treasure Vajra Disc.

The blessings of the World-Abiding Vajras upon the Eight-Treasure Vajra Disc were not infinite; excessive use would drain its power, reducing it to an ordinary object.

"Wearing a turtle shell doesn't make you invincible—I'll send you to your death today." Li Yi immediately sheathed his spear, then drew the Moonbow and an obsidian arrow from his Five Elements Bracelet.

Before Master Bu Huai could speak again, Li Yi had drawn the bow fully.

"Damn."

Master Bu Huai had no desire to fight further; seeing the bow and arrow, his heart pounded wildly with a sense of mortal peril.

Without hesitation, he turned and fled.

If he stayed, he would die here—what use was the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue now?

Master Bu Huai immediately retreated, the Eight-Treasure Vajra Disc radiating divine light to shield him completely.

Yet at the same moment, Li Yi's Moonbow fired the obsidian arrow.

Unlike the Crimson Gold arrow, this obsidian arrow from the Demon God Realm was faster and more penetrating, though less powerful.

To pierce the Eight-Treasure Vajra Disc, this obsidian arrow was clearly more suitable.

A streak of dark light arrived instantly—no evasion possible, only passive defense.

The dark light struck the divine radiance; six of the eight layers were instantly pierced, and the remaining force was spent as it broke through the seventh layer, halting before the eighth.

"Blocked?" Li Yi was surprised.

Yet for the fleeing Master Bu Huai, this sight filled him with shock and terror.

Seven of the Eight-Treasure Vajra Disc's eight layers had been shattered in an instant—if Li Yi's power had been slightly stronger, he would have died here.

"Think you can escape?" But Li Yi had no intention of letting him go; his auspicious clouds surged forward as he chased after him.

"Li Yi, the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue!" Zhang Fanyin cried out urgently, unwilling to let Li Yi pursue Master Bu Huai.

"Kill him, then take the Bodhisattva statue—anyone who dares to seize it, kill them too." Li Yi's voice echoed as his figure vanished.

Hearing this, Abbot Le Kong of Xiangguo Temple frowned; he stared at the nearly accessible flesh-body Bodhisattva statue, torn in indecision.

If Master Bu Huai died and he took the statue, would he not invite the wrath of a great demon?

What calamity might this bring upon Xiangguo Temple in the future?

Yet if he did not take it, would he not betray the Bodhisattva's bestowed fortune?

"Brother, this opportunity won't come again—what are you waiting for?" The other monks of Xiangguo Temple whispered urgently.

Abbot Le Kong sighed softly: "I fear inviting great disaster. That lay cultivator shattered Master Bu Huai's Vajra body—he can surely break my Subduing Demon Art. If I take this flesh-body Bodhisattva statue now, I will invite death. Stay calm, observe the situation."

He decided to wait and watch.

If Li Yi killed Master Bu Huai, he would abandon the statue; if Li Yi was held back by Master Bu Huai, he would not miss this chance.

Yet he did not wait long.

Li Yi returned after only fifteen minutes.

In his hand he carried a corpse dripping pale golden blood, its body riddled with wounds—sword cuts, fist impressions, arrow holes—testifying to a brutal, desperate battle.

"Master Bu Huai's corpse," Abbot Le Kong murmured, his face filled with sorrow.

He never imagined Master Bu Huai had failed to escape, hunted down and slain outright.

Yet he had no time to mourn.

Suddenly—

A streak of Crimson Gold divine light obliterated all before it, slashing toward them.

Abbot Le Kong's pupils shrank sharply; he hastily whipped his cassock, swallowing the terrifying light, then without hesitation, fled with his fellow monks as if pursued by demons.

Clearly, Li Yi had not killed Master Bu Huai merely to end it—he intended to exterminate them all.

Seeing them flee, Li Yi snorted coldly and ceased pursuit.

To try to snatch his spoils—look at your own life's strength first.

(End of Chapter)