Chapter 673: Reigniting the Battle Against Mingyue

Mountains stretched endlessly!

Lush and verdant!

From the void looking downward, not a trace of the great tomb could be seen.

This great tomb was built into the mountain itself, buried deep beneath the earth; only by tearing through the dense trees could one spot the entrance on one side of the mountain.

It was a pitch-black opening.

At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary cave.

Inside the entrance, countless broken rocks blocked the way.

Unless one's spiritual sense far surpassed ordinary cultivators and could scan the ground below, it was impossible to discover this great tomb.

For around this great tomb, a phantom array had been set up.

And right now, not far from the entrance, the red-robed monk, Mingyue Fozun, was attempting to break the phantom array.

"It's you?" Mingyue paused his actions and looked toward He Pingsheng in the void.

He Pingsheng had also seen him: "Yes… it's me!"

Facing Mingyue now, he felt no fear as before.

Mingyue's cultivation base was exactly as it had been twenty-nine years ago—no progress at all, still at Void Refinement Level One.

It wasn't due to lack of talent or effort, but because the poison He Pingsheng had planted in him twenty-nine years ago was too potent.

Mingyue had spent nearly two decades just purging the toxin from his body.

Otherwise, he wouldn't still be stuck at Void Refinement Level One.

So, seeing He Pingsheng, Mingyue's wrath was only natural.

But a Buddha does not give in to anger; once anger takes root, the mind becomes unstable, and cultivation slows further.

Now that he had a Body Integration bodyguard, He Pingsheng had no fear of this monk—he smiled down at him condescendingly and mocked: "All say Buddhist disciples are tasked with subduing demons and exterminating evils, yet our Mingyue Fozun now digs up graves in this desolate wasteland!"

"Tsk tsk tsk… Is this how Buddhist disciples cultivate their minds?"

"Amitabha…" After being mocked by He Pingsheng, Mingyue's mind grew calm. He chanted a Buddhist mantra: "This humble monk failed to recognize the great mountain you are—you are He Pingsheng, the first genius of the Zhu Que Emperor Domain. What a grave mistake!"

He Pingsheng smiled.

I never expected this bastard had dug up my background after all these years.

Too bad—he only uncovered half of it.

I'm no one from the Zhu Que Emperor Domain.

"What brings you here, Master Mingyue?" He Pingsheng descended slightly, drawing closer to Mingyue.

Mingyue said: "Naturally, to subdue demons and exterminate evils!"

"Heh…" He Pingsheng pointed at the great tomb. "This is the tomb of a Divine Emperor—you clearly want to steal its treasures, yet you speak of subduing demons?"

"Even Buddhist disciples aren't pure!"

"Hehehe… Amitabha…" Mingyue clasped his hands and chanted two Buddhist mantras toward He Pingsheng, then continued: "You know only one side of the truth. All places of yin and malevolent energy breed ghosts and spirits."

"Zhou Qingmei should still be on you, correct?"

"Since I've encountered you… I'll take her off your hands!"

"I swear, I'll only capture demons and spirits—no harm to you, how about that?"

Mingyue looked at He Pingsheng with full confidence.

Even though He Pingsheng's cultivation had risen from Level Seven to Level Ten?

So what?

His tricks are merely poison arts—now that I've found a way to resist poison, why should I fear your spells?

He Pingsheng shook his head: "I'm sorry, Master… I cannot fulfill your request."

"Moreover… today, you won't leave this place!"

"Though you didn't kill me back then, your murderous intent was clear!"

"So today, killing you, this monk, won't bind me to karmic retribution!"

"Naturally!" Mingyue waved his hand, and a string of Buddhist prayer beads appeared in his grasp: "If you wish to fight, I'll oblige. But consider this—fists and feet have no eyes. If you're injured—or if I deliver you to salvation—don't blame me!"

With that, Mingyue waved his hand, and the string of beads split into one hundred and eight, blasting toward He Pingsheng with a thunderous crash.

Dense as falling rain!

Each bead was a separate attack.

The black beads, empowered by Buddhist cosmic principles, turned golden, each emblazoned with a Buddhist " Wan " character as they slammed forward.

He Pingsheng stepped back instantly—this monk was too decisive, always striking first.

Last time, this bastard leapt from the void and trapped him with his cassock.

Now, again, he attacked without warning.

"Open!" He Pingsheng had prepared—he waved his hand and summoned the blood-red turtle shell.

A blue-green spiritual turtle shadow enveloped him.

The turtle stood a hundred zhang tall, solid and real.

Pata pata pata pata…

One hundred and eight prayer beads struck the turtle shadow in rapid succession.

Each bead's force seemed weak, but their sheer number was overwhelming.

Together, the one hundred and eight beads shattered the turtle shadow with cracks spreading across its form.

He Pingsheng wasn't surprised.

At least this attack had been blocked.

"Swoosh… swoosh swoosh…"

In an instant, seven Wu Xiang Beidou Nails flew from his spiritual sense.

The emerald-green spiritual nails shot toward the red-robed monk at blinding speed.

Mingyue's avatar smiled faintly: "Poisonous spiritual attacks? What can they do to me?"

Hummm… hummm… hummm…

Suddenly, a burst of golden light erupted from his chest, slamming toward He Pingsheng's seven spiritual nails.

The spiritual nails never reached the monk's mind.

Yet eight violet poison thorns slipped through Mingyue's body, silent and unseen.

Puh…

Puh puh puh puh…

Mingyue's body instantly pierced through with several blood holes.

After striking, the eight thorns returned to He Pingsheng's dantian, where he nurtured them.

Correct!

His spiritual attack had been the feint—the eight poison thorns were the real strike.

Deception and reality combined—one strike landed!

"Puh…" The monk recoiled swiftly, spitting blood, while golden light erupted again from his chest.

He Pingsheng clearly sensed that Mingyue now possessed some artifact capable of instantly purging the poison.

Once the poison was gone, those eight thorns caused no real harm.

Not even a scratch.

"Bodhisattvas!"

"Fozun, aid me!"

The barefoot, handsome young monk stood in midair, murmuring incantations.

One after another, golden lights flew from the void behind him and slammed onto his back with thudding impacts.

Mingyue's avatar suddenly gained immense power!

His body swelled instantly to mountainous size—a hundred zhang tall.

A golden qi dragon coiled around his right arm.

With a casual swing, the golden dragon roared forth, fangs and claws bared, lunging at He Pingsheng.