Chapter 231 — Slaying the Monk
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
One hand gripped the nine-ringed Zen staff, and the staff became a hammer, its head shrieking as it swelled, growing ever larger, smashing forward like a falling hillside; the other hand formed a seal, and the seal struck out before him.
Shen Mu, in the form of the Fire Marquis, Lord Yinghuo, roared in fury, his strength inexhaustible; a fire gourd appeared behind his back, and he gathered this gourd into his arms, and from the gourd spurted blazing true fire.
The great fire burned the nine-ringed Zen staff red-hot, and molten gold streamed unceasingly from it.
The Half-Fool Monk was startled.
The nine-ringed Zen staff was a primal weapon he had toiled to refine, and though it had been blessed with Buddha-dharma, it could not withstand the true fire in that gourd; if it were melted down, he would lose a great weapon. But there was no time now to think it over; he could only stake the destruction of his primal weapon and, gritting his teeth, smash Shen Mu to death! Boom— The fire gourd burst asunder under the blow, and the two fire dragons beneath Shen Mu's feet were shattered to pieces.
The Half-Fool Monk's Sumeru Seal came hard on its heels; of a sudden Shen Mu's body shook, and down from the sky shot a beam of azure light. Shen Mu's body became the form of the Wood Marquis, Lord Sui, man's head and bird's body and bird's feet, wings sprouting from his back, treading two azure dragons.
He beat his wings and rose, dodged the Sumeru Seal, came above the Half-Fool Monk, and lashed down at his face with the willow whip in his hand. The Half-Fool Monk raised a hand to block; no sooner had he blocked the willow whip than he felt something was wrong.
That willow whip was unbelievably supple, coiling about his arm like an azure snake, and then the whip suddenly grew wild and long, winding itself about his body. In the blink of an eye the willow whip was thick as a bucket, become a willow tree that bound him fast.
At the same time the two azure dragons beneath Shen Mu's feet were shrinking, turning into two streams of azure qi that burrowed into his nostrils.
"Coming, all is void; going, all is void!
The six senses, the six consciousnesses — seal! " The Half-Fool Monk sealed his own senses; the two streams of azure qi could not burrow into his body, and he refined them with Buddha-light. The prayer beads at his neck burst one after another, and more evil thoughts gushed out from the beads and returned into his body. The Half-Fool Monk's evil thoughts surged; he gave a roar and his flesh swelled once more, shattering the willow tree to powder.
He bellowed in fury: "When the Buddha's grandpa is angry, even Heaven must give way! Fiend, come and die!
" No sooner had he roared it than Shen Mu's form changed again: man's head, serpent's body, and behind him rose the Gate of Bearing Heaven, two slaughter-knives in his hands, charging straight at him.
There came a ceaseless clang-clang-clang of bursting sound; Buddha-light and firelight streamed continually from the Half-Fool Monk, and the slaughter-knives struck his body but left no wound at all.
"Buddha's grandpa has a vajra body — nothing can break it!
" The Half-Fool Monk's face was hideous, the Zen staff in his hand sweeping wide and sweeping closed, smashing down madly; Shen Mu's twin blades clashed with his staff, and the great reports burst out and sent the birds and beasts of the surrounding hills and forests fleeing in frantic terror. Of a sudden the twin blades in Shen Mu's hands burst apart with a pa-pa; they could not withstand the enormous force of the two men and exploded, and the staff in the Half-Fool Monk's hands exploded as well.
"Die! " The Half-Fool Monk roared again and again, his fists heavy as mountains, one fist after another pounding at him; Shen Mu bellowed in fury, his sinews and frame swelling violently, lightning coursing all about him, and roused the Eight Thunderpeals, azure dragons coiling about his body, meeting him hard against hard!