Chapter 520: The Endgame

The method Yuan Chaoliang used to suppress the monks of Enryaku-ji was to remove the hearts from the bodies of Heaven and Man martial monks. And the foundation that condensed Susanoo was also this heart.

Naturally, Susanoo’s vital point was also this heart.

Although Li Miao had not seen the process of Yuan Chaoliang condensing Susanoo, he had seen the scene where he removed the heart from the body of a Heaven and Man martial monk. A little association was enough to speculate that the heart must be related to Susanoo.

Coupled with the fact that Li Miao had pierced his skull when they met, one option was eliminated. Combining this with the slight probing during the battle, it was enough for him to conclude—Susanoo’s vital point was in the heart.

Thus, he played along with the ruse.

Susanoo was able to suppress Li Miao in brute strength, but in terms of combat experience and techniques, he was derived from the monks of Enryaku-ji, and coupled with Jianzhen’s interference, his consciousness was muddled, so he fell into the trap Li Miao had set using himself as bait.

Sss—

Fresh blood pumped out along the blade of the Kusanagi Sword and then dripped down.

Li Miao’s distraction dissipated.

Susanoo was finally able to pull out the Kusanagi Sword; he fell from mid-air, knelt on one knee, reached out to cover his chest, and even poked his fingers into the wound, trying to plug it.

It was ineffective.

A massive amount of fresh blood continued to gush from the wound, accumulating into a pool at his feet within a few breaths, even causing the pitch-black sand to float.

Swish.

The illusion dissipated.

The bright moon hung in the sky, and corpses lay everywhere.

Susanoo shifted his gaze; he had returned to the ruins of the main hall. This ruin had been torn even more finely by his and Li Miao’s battle, and it was almost impossible to find building fragments larger than a fist.

And not far in front of him, Li Miao covered his mouth and choked, fresh blood gushing from between his fingers and falling to the ground with a splash.

He, too, was at the end of his rope.

No matter how you looked at it, Susanoo had pierced his chest; even the heart meridian simulated by protective True Qi, the moment it was shattered, had pumped countless fragments and bits of flesh into his lungs, adding insult to the injury that had not yet fully healed.

"Cough, cough, cough."

He coughed a few times, tore open the clothing on his chest, and reached directly into the hole in his chest to grope around. After a few sticky sounds, he let out a long breath, took out his hand, and threw a handful of shredded flesh onto the ground.

"That feels better."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with a smile.

"That was quite fierce. From the time I started wandering the Jianghu until now, you are the first one I’ve had to set an ambush to kill; you can be proud of that."

"Relax, dizziness is normal."

Susanoo’s face showed anger.

He wanted to rush toward Li Miao again, but as the fresh blood beneath him accumulated more and more, that strange sensation became increasingly severe. In his vision, Li Miao’s figure began to blur, disperse, and then overlap, and the evil thoughts and anger in his heart that could not be calmed rose and fell, making him want to vomit.

"Ugh—"

He actually opened his mouth and vomited.

He vomited half of a crystal-clear, scarlet heart onto the ground.

Clang.

That half-heart touched the ground, making a crisp sound, and then melted into the accumulated blood, disappearing without a trace.

But strangely, after Susanoo vomited that half-heart, the Demonic Buddha phantom behind him also changed abruptly—the already mottled golden body shattered and withered, revealing the blue-black skin beneath, identical to Susanoo’s, and the bizarre lotus throne beneath him shrieked as it withered and dissipated piece by piece.

Susanoo was stunned.

He could feel that although his realm, True Qi, and strength had weakened in every aspect, something that had been secretly imposing shackles on him within his body had also disappeared along with that half-heart.

"Oh, phase two."