Chapter 551 - 268: Blood Bell and Demon Fire Refine Yikong

Chapter 551: Chapter 268: Blood Bell and Demon Fire Refine Yikong

"We’ll reach Ning’an Prefecture City in about an hour. If you fight that Monk Yikong, it won’t be convenient for me to show myself. However, I will protect you from the shadows," Nie Xiangjun said after a moment of thought.

"In that case, you have my thanks."

Chen Sheng gave a slight nod, then pulled Sun Yuzhi with him as he leaped off the bird’s back.

Nie Xiangjun nodded. With a thought, the cyan Divine Bird suddenly ascended, soaring into the clouds.

Sun Yuzhi slowly retracted her gaze and looked at Chen Sheng.

"Envoy Nie said that this Yikong is no pushover. When you make your move, you must not be careless."

Chen Sheng smiled.

"Perfect. We’ll let that monk get a taste of my Nine Nether Demon Fire!"

With that said, Chen Sheng took a step forward. A layer of Gang Qi instantly erupted around him, and wreathed in Demon Fire, he transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight toward Ning’an Prefecture City.

Sun Yuzhi followed close behind.

...

On the Magic Altar before the Jingwu Bureau in Ning’an Prefecture City, Monk Yikong was still seated cross-legged, expounding on the profound meanings of Buddhist scriptures.

Golden Light flowed around his body, and the sound of Sanskrit chanting washed out in waves.

He was preaching here for two reasons. The first was to build momentum, using the Buddhist chants to concentrate his presence and bring his condition to its absolute peak.

The second was for his Cultivation, gathering the power of his followers to empower the Divine Fire on his Spirit Platform.

This was a secret Magic Technique of the Celestial Dragon Temple, capable of slightly increasing one’s strength in a short period.

Yikong had never dared to underestimate Chen Sheng in the slightest.

From the day he descended the mountain, he had been on high alert regarding the Ning’an Inspector.

To be ranked in the fifties on the Dragon and Tiger List was proof enough of his extraordinary nature.

Furthermore, rumors claimed he had once crossed realms to kill a late-stage Profound Mastery expert. His combat prowess could not be judged by conventional standards.

Therefore, even though Yikong himself had broken through to the late stage of Profound Mastery, he still didn’t dare to be the least bit careless.

’If I lose this battle, the Celestial Dragon Temple’s prestige will suffer another heavy blow.’

’The destruction of Golden Spring Temple has already infuriated the temple’s upper echelon. If I, too, fall in Ning’an, I fear even the abbot himself will have to get involved.’

"Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was in the Savatthi Kingdom..."

The melodious sound of the sutra was like a bell, but Yikong suddenly fell silent and raised his head to the sky.

In the southwestern sky, two crimson streaks of light were speeding through the air, leaving long trails of light behind them. Their speed was like that of falling meteors, heading straight for this place.

Such an undisguised arrival instantly startled everyone present.

Thousands of eyes looked up toward the sky in unison.

In just a few moments, the two figures had flown from the horizon to arrive, hovering in the air a hundred yards above the Magic Altar.

Cries of alarm immediately erupted from the crowd:

"It’s Chen Sheng! And Sun Yuzhi!"

"Chen Sheng! It’s Chen Sheng!"

"Lord Chen is back!"

"He came back so quickly..."

The exclamations rose and fell, spreading like a tidal wave.

By the window of a tavern, Xiong Lie, Wang Zhaoning, and the others all craned their necks to look, their expressions varied.

In a private room on the third floor, Li Chengyin and Wei Jing also focused their gazes on the figure in the dark official robes, a sharp glint in their eyes.

From within the previously quiet Jingwu Bureau Office, figures leaped out one after another, either landing on the rooftops or hovering in mid-air.

Seeing Chen Sheng appear, all the officials cupped their fists in salute, their voices solemn as they called out in a wave:

"Greetings, My Lord!"

The sound of their voices shook the long street.

Monk Yikong’s expression did not change. He slowly rose, looked up at the sky, and placed his palms together, a faint smile gracing his lips.

"I am Yikong, from the Celestial Dragon Temple."

High above, Chen Sheng stood with his hands behind his back, the sleeves of his dark robes billowing in the wind.

His gaze fell, his cold stare landing on the thin monk like a physical weight. His voice, carried by True Essence, rolled out for miles:

"Why have you come?!"

Though it was only four words, the power behind them was like a clap of thunder, so immense that it caused the surrounding Sanskrit chants to falter.

Yikong paused for a moment before replying with a smile:

"I have long heard that Donor Chen is undefeated in Ning’an and is particularly skilled in Buddhist Divine Techniques. This humble monk has long admired you and has come especially to ask for a few pointers. I hope you will not refuse me."

He was here to seek justice for the destruction of Golden Spring Temple, but he could not state this outright, so he had to use this as a pretext.

After all, the Government Office had its own laws and procedures. To directly demand accountability would only give them a handle against him.

"Ready to die, then?"

Chen Sheng’s voice, cold as iron, boomed out once more.

In the distant tavern, Li Chengyin’s eyes narrowed, and he snorted inwardly.

’This man certainly has a powerful presence.’

As a True Inheritor of Dragon Tiger Mountain, he too was usually surrounded by an entourage wherever he went.

But this style of shouting down from the sky and dominating the entire scene with sheer presence was rare indeed.

Wei Jing sneered as well. "Such arrogance is truly a rare sight."

But though his tone was dismissive, a grave look flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Because the aura Chen Sheng was currently displaying was even stronger than it had been before.

On the Magic Altar, Yikong laughed heartily, his voice like a great bell.

"If you truly have the ability to slay this humble monk, then by all means, make your move."

"Your wish is granted."

As the four words fell, Chen Sheng attacked abruptly, without any warning.

He took a single step, and the void trembled. A terrifying pressure surged out like a tide as a sky full of blood-red Demon Flame materialized from thin air, dyeing half the heavens red.

The intense heat forced the onlookers below to retreat. Those with weaker Cultivation turned pale, barely able to remain on their feet.

Yikong’s expression turned solemn. He felt a mountainous pressure bearing down on him, but he didn’t shrink back. Instead, he leaped into the sky and pressed his palms together.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Amidst the chant, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi surged wildly, and a nearly hundred-meter-tall phantom of a Vajra materialized behind him.

The Vajra’s Furious Gaze was blinding with Buddha Light, and its thunderous Sanskrit chanting made the very air ripple.

Yikong raised a palm, and the phantom behind him moved in unison, the giant Buddha’s hand rising to hold up the sky.

He had been building his power for a long time, and his momentum was now at its peak. His first move was an all-out attack.

"OM—!"

The Vajra phantom uttered a true mantra, and a vast, immense pressure descended.

Wherever the mantra passed, even the air seemed to freeze as it bore down on Chen Sheng.

"ROAR—!!"

Behind Chen Sheng, the Nine Nether Demon Fire billowed and surged, coalescing into a lifelike Blood Dragon.

Its scales were distinct, its whiskers flowed, and as it raised its head to roar, its draconic might was as oppressive as a prison.

As Chen Sheng stepped forward, the Blood Dragon roared and charged, opening its massive maw to slam into the Buddha’s palm.

"BOOM—!!!"

The instant the dragon and palm collided, the world seemed to stand still.

A blinding light exploded outward, forcing all the onlookers to instinctively shut their eyes.

Immediately after, a peerlessly violent shockwave swept across the area like a hurricane. Within a radius of several hundred yards, sand and stones were sent flying, tiles were torn from roofs, and the onlookers stumbled backward. Some of the common people who were too close were even knocked to the ground.

The Blood Dragon and the Golden Buddha phantom disintegrated simultaneously, dissolving into a sky full of motes of light.

’An even match?!’

This thought had just risen in the minds of many spectators.

But then, Monk Yikong’s expression changed dramatically.

The disintegrated Blood Dragon had not vanished completely. Instead, it had transformed into a sky-filling rain of blood-red fire, like a heavenly inferno pouring down, instantly blanketing the area for hundreds of yards.

The rain of fire was as dense as a net, completely sealing off all of Yikong’s paths of retreat.

Even more terrifying, the flames seemed to possess a life of their own, linking together to instantly form a blood-red canopy that trapped him firmly within.

’This is bad!’

Alarm bells screamed in Yikong’s mind. He tried to retreat rapidly, his body leaving several afterimages in its wake.

But the fire spread far faster than his Body Technique. In the blink of an eye, the blood-red canopy had closed in like an overturned giant bowl, completely engulfing him.

Seeing this, Yikong knew he was in trouble. He bit his lip, formed a Sealing Technique with his palms, and a phantom of a pale-gold giant bell enveloped his body.

It was his protective Divine Technique, the Vajra Bell.

Sanskrit characters flowed across the bell’s surface, its Golden Light shining brilliantly. He had clearly pushed it to its absolute limit.

In the next moment, however, Yikong’s pupils contracted again.

The blood-red Demon Fire clung to the surface of the bell, squirming and corroding it like a living creature.

What was more frightening was that the flames seemed capable of melting anything. Even something as durable as the Vajra Bell was being visibly dissolved by the Demon Fire.

’At this rate, the bell will break in less than ten breaths.’

’I absolutely cannot let it touch me!’

Yikong’s thoughts raced. Just as he was about to burn his blood essence and break through the curtain of fire at any cost, the space above him suddenly darkened.

An even larger bell of Demon Fire, inscribed with countless blood-red runes, came crashing down, completely suppressing him and his Vajra Bell within it!

"DONG! DONG! DONG—!!"

Muffled peals rang out continuously from within the Blood Bell, shaking the surroundings.

It was Yikong, frantically ramming against the inside, trying to break the bell and escape.

Every strike contained the vast True Essence of a late-stage Profound Mastery expert, causing ripples to spread across the Blood Bell’s surface.

But though the Blood Bell seemed to be made of flames, it was incredibly tough. No matter how hard he struck, it only trembled violently, showing no signs of cracking.

And Chen Sheng now stood atop the bell with his hands behind his back, wreathed in Demon Fire, the sleeves of his dark robes whipping in the heatwave.

He looked down at the struggling figure inside the bell, his expression impassive, utterly unmoved. He was like a Demon God of fire standing vigil in the sky, mercilessly suppressing all resistance within the bell.

The world fell silent, with only the tolling of the bell echoing through the air.

All the spectators were dumbfounded, staring at the shocking scene before them, speechless for a long time.

One move.

Chen Sheng had used just a single move to suppress Monk Yikong—a True Inheritor of the Celestial Dragon Temple and one of Yunzhou’s top prodigies!

For a moment, the entire street, and the area for miles around, was deathly silent.

—