Chapter 65

"I rarely see Rep-Man fight like this."

Old Wolf, watching the excitement from outside the barrier, said with great interest in Gaelic.

"After all, he isn't serious; he's only using about thirty percent of his power, just playing around."

Elaine explained calmly,

"Though, if we're talking about not being serious, the other side is clearly doing the same."

Indeed, Jingo Rin's father didn't look nervous at all; he was still gulping down cola.

Neither side was taking it seriously.

After all, everyone knew this was just a display of skill, not even a proper martial arts match, let alone something that could result in injury or death.

But even while playing around, both sides still had their own internal reflections—Jingo Rin was secretly astonished, because in the ten years since she debuted, she had never encountered an expert in this northeastern land whom she couldn't take down while fighting so casually, and who was worth her taking seriously.

Qi Xing had also spent ten years in the martial arts world, having suffered more hardships and encountered far more powerful experts than she had.

However, his martial arts had already reached perfection, and it was truly rare to find someone who could still spar and entertain him like this, someone who could pique his interest.

Especially such a young girl?

Playing for a while longer wouldn't be bad, but unfortunately, Qi Xing wasn't just here to play.

If he only fought so casually, he feared he wouldn't be able to see anything in the end.

"Even if we can't kill each other, we should at least have some fun, right?"

So Qi Xing called out,

"Your strength should be more than this.

Guardian of the North, Shrine Maiden of Mutsu!

If you really want to show sympathy for someone like me who carries a demon, then fight me seriously!"

Once these words were spoken, Jingo Rin was finally taken aback.

Her overly vivid imagination, combined with Qi Xing's deliberate leading, caused many dark and gritty delusional plots to fly through the shrine maiden's little head.

"Fine."

A moment later, she nodded deeply, her expression complex as she said, "Then I will grant your wish."

This girl was truly serious and silly in a somewhat cute way.

Leaping into the air, she tapped her feet lightly, retreated ten meters to create some distance, slowly closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

She raised her hands slowly, and her fingertips gently met in the void.

In an instant, everyone, whether inside or outside the barrier, could clearly feel a shocking aura surging out from her body like a tidal wave—vast, infinite, and as scorching as the blazing sun!

The air seemed to solidify; the dueling arena was shrouded in a solemn and imposing power, silencing even the sound of the wind.

"— — Om (Homage)."

Her voice was low and solemn, like the great bell of a temple ringing through the world at midnight.

She began to form mudras.

Mudras of the Buddhist Esoteric path.

The first was the Vairocana Mudra, the second was the Manjushri Vajra Sword Mudra, the third was the Amitabha Alms Bowl Mudra, and the fourth was the Akasagarbha Samadhi Mudra.

Sun wheel, sword, alms bowl, true fire.

Qi Xing could understand these completely without needing an explanation.

The four mudras converged in her hands; with each one formed, the aura between heaven and earth became more scorching, like fire burning the sky, just like the midsummer sun distorting the air.

"Of old in Takamagahara, the deity who sits in power and radiance is named Uriel."

"This deity governs the blazing flames, wields the brilliant light of the heavenly sun, illuminates the darkness, and judges evil souls."

"Thus, guarding the gates of the underworld, suppressing all demons and driving away evil spirits!"

But at the same time, what the shrine maiden was chanting was undoubtedly a Shinto prayer.

"At this moment, I pray with sincerity, asking the deity to bear witness."

"I respectfully invite the manifestation of divine power, to sweep away the filth and cleanse all impurities."

"With the utmost sincerity, I offer this wish."

"— — No Style · Exorcism of Gods and Demons."

As her voice fell, the world instantly fell into dead silence.

Until the next moment—

Boom!!!

Black flames surged madly from the shrine maiden's body!

Those flames were not the previous crimson red, but deep as eternal night, like a pitch-black torrent gushing from hell.

The flames seemed alive, churning and burning around her.

At the same time, they caused a deathly chill to permeate the air.

And within this burning darkness, a huge silhouette gradually appeared.

As the black flames churned, they formed a massive battle avatar, wrapping Jingo Rin's figure within it, as if a deity were residing inside the flames.

This battle avatar was ten stories tall, with six wings made of black flames unfurled behind it.

They were not solid, but formed from burning black flames; translucent yet filled with overwhelming divine power.

The flutter of each wing stirred up a storm of scorching flames, tearing the earth apart.

It was a huge six-winged Tengu.

Its majestic appearance was filled with peerless divine dignity and an aura of destruction, every inch of its body wreathed in life-extinguishing fire.

Only the shrine maiden stood at the core of the battle avatar, her figure hidden within the black flames.

The small world in all four directions immediately trembled, almost ready to be completely swallowed by these monstrous black flames at any moment!

"By the Supreme King!

What is that?!"

Old Wolf, who had just boasted that he could maintain the barrier for at least ten minutes, was the first one unable to handle it!

Elaine understood a little bit of everything, and precisely because she understood everything, she was even more astonished: Esoteric mudras and Shinto prayers—mixing these together was one thing.

After all, Japan had a cultural tradition of syncretizing gods and Buddhas anyway.

But to worship a great angel of Christianity and then transform into a six-winged Tengu—isn't this stitching together a bit too exaggerated?!

The shrine maiden's eyes opened within the flame battle avatar, her sky-blue pupils gushing with endless divine power.

She slowly raised her arm, and her fingertips came together again.

The flames in the six-winged Tengu's hands immediately condensed into a great sword of black fire, which swung down towards Qi Xing with a destructive aura—as if the entire world would be reduced to ashes under her single blow!

Now, it was impossible for Qi Xing to continue using any "deflect-transform-emit" techniques.

Next, should he continue to use his thunder technique and fists to break it?

No, Qi Xing already had other ideas.

He wasn't here to bully a young girl; he was just here to explore the secrets of mythology.

So, the fighting style he should use now was, of course, only one kind.

At the critical moment, Qi Xing's second [silver coin]—the Silver Coin of [Illusion]—had already jumped into his hand.

"People have no constant posture, water has no constant shape."

"Chaotic Sea (Yam), transform my form."

"I now ride the waves to become a dragon, soaring to the nine heavens."

"Help me rise to the heights, and break through the blue clouds with force!"

It was incredible, even though Jingo Rin's black flames had already burned almost everything around, everything within the barrier, and even the air itself.

Yet as Qi Xing held the silver coin and chanted, water vapor surged out madly like a tide.

Clear water flowed like a dream, spreading from under his feet, winding upward, and engulfing him in an instant.

His figure suddenly became misty and hazy, as if reality and illusion were overlapping.

In an instant, he no longer had a human form.

The first thing to change were Qi Xing's eyes—within his pupils, surging waves were reflected, deep and boundless, mirroring the rivers and seas.

Immediately after, on his skin, translucent scales emerged—these were the Dao rhymes formed by the condensation of water, looking both real and illusory, flickering in and out of existence.

His stature grew taller, his arms gradually lengthened, turning into pale dragon claws, with faint water light flowing from his fingertips, sharp and intimidating.

His spine curved and extended, and a long white shadow stretched out from behind him, becoming a serpentine dragon body.

Wind rolled and clouds surged; amidst the mist, dragon horns broke through the air with an elegant curve, just like a true dragon descending from ancient legends.

They were not real; they were an illusion created by the silver coin—but [Illusion] is also Truth, and Truth is also Illusion.

Qi Xing's figure had disappeared.

Replacing it was a dragon, entirely snow-white and formed from boundless water essence, as clear and beautiful as a spring found only in the heavens.

Yet, beautiful as it was, it glared with bared fangs, riding the clouds and soaring.

Its scales reflected the surrounding world like water mirrors, seeming illusory and unreal, yet with every flick of its tail, it stirred up storms and raised huge waves, carrying the vast power of the primordial chaotic sea!

It raised its head and roared, the sound of the dragon's roar piercing the void like thunder, commanding and shaking all directions!

At this moment, Qi Xing had turned into a dragon, and this water dragon was also himself.

The illusory body was the Dharma body, and the illusion was the Truth.

In the small world that was already in turmoil, a fierce battle between a dragon and a six-winged Tengu had begun!

A gale suddenly arose, and scorching flames collided fiercely with water light.

The six-winged Tengu, burning with black flames, stepped out from the fire, its massive battle avatar like a deity descending, flames dancing wildly, the long sword in its hand wreathed in black fire that burned away all life.

Every time it swung, the sword blade tore through space, leaving a trail of unquenchable flames, the air burning and emitting a distorted wail.

Opposite the shrine maiden, the white dragon shadow circled in mid-air, dreamy and illusory.

The Tengu's flame sword slashed over, the sharp blade striking directly at the white dragon's head.

But the white dragon shook in the wind in mid-air, instantly transforming into clouds filling the sky!

The dragon is the clouds, and the clouds are water.

Nothing is better than water; it changes freely and can become anything.

The destructive sword blade fell, slamming onto the ground.

Instantly, raging black flames erupted, scorched earth churning like a rift to hell.

Outside, Old Wolf, who was maintaining the barrier, had his vision blur, and for a moment, blood surged in his chest.

Water light flowed, its shadow shifting like the wind.

The white dragon's body swung, transforming into a rainstorm, slashing fiercely at the six-winged Tengu.

A rainstorm might not sound very impressive, but in reality, a sufficiently massive and powerful rainstorm can even tear steel apart.

The surging water waves turned into a torrential downpour, falling from the sky and smashing into the black-flame-burning Tengu.

The Tengu immediately flapped its wings, and terrifying flames surged out, turning into rolling waves of fire that rushed toward the sky and the rainstorm!

The black flames collided with the water waves like an angry tide, and the world instantly erupted with a deafening blast!

Scorching flames and water currents intertwined, turning into a steam storm that swept in all directions.

The firelight shone on the water mist; the white dragon dodged the sword edge and coiled around the Tengu like a giant python, its dragon claws tearing at it—

— — What a great monster showdown!

067: The Impossible Child

"The outcome is decided; Master Leipu has won."

Outside the barrier, although supporting the barrier was very hard work, Old Wolf couldn't help but sigh that being able to see this shocking monster showdown up close made the hardship worth the price of admission.

"I'm afraid that's not certain yet."

However, Elaine, Qi Xing's little fan girl, said something different for once.

In the small world, the white phantom dragon held the six-winged Tengu tightly, its dragon claws digging into the burning black flame body, emitting a harsh hissing sound of steam.

Under the claw marks, the Tengu's flame body was torn with cracks.

But at the same time, the scorching flames churned, and the black flames also burned the white dragon's body, even spreading along its dragon claws.

— — Sizzle!

Water mist surged, and the white dragon's scales were rapidly evaporating under the scorching flames, large swaths of transparent water being burned into nothingness.

Its dragon horns became faint, its tail became erratic like mist, and even its huge dragon claws had become translucent, as if they would be burned away at any moment!

Was this just fire burning up water?

But how could illusory water be burned dry by fire?

Only Qi Xing, the dragon in question, understood the actual situation best.

Only he could feel that what the six-winged Tengu was burning was not [water] at all.

What she was burning away was—Qi Xing's [silver coin] divine power.

Every time he was struck by the Tengu's flame sword, and every time he was scorched by her flames, Qi Xing could feel the output power of his second [silver coin] dropping.

(It's just as I guessed.)

Even so, he wasn't panicked; instead, he thought very calmly.

Jingo Rin's flames, the [Fire of Uriel], just as Qi Xing had speculated when he saw Sasa faint earlier, likely had the effect of reducing [silver coin]—or more accurately, directly burning away the divine power of the Creator of Darkness.

Sasa here was just a shadow of her sealed main body projected into the human world, so of course she would immediately disconnect after being lightly singed by the [Fire of Uriel].

A complete [Silver Coin Messenger], while not necessarily suffering much from one or two hits, would likely have an entire [silver coin]'s mythological archetype disconnected if continuously scorched by divine fire, making it impossible to use the power represented by that archetype… How terrifying!

This was a flame that could burn away divine power and seal divine status.

The originally vast and boundless white dragon shadow was like a river about to run dry, its water flow becoming increasingly thin, making it difficult to maintain its complete form.

The power of the dragon claws tearing at the Tengu's battle avatar was also rapidly weakening.

If this continued, this water phantom dragon would completely turn into nothingness.

— — When Qi Xing watched "Campione!" in his past life and saw the protagonist have this kind of authority, he felt it was like cheating.

In this life, facing such a cheat skill himself, it was even harder to handle.

Although he was complaining like this in his heart, he couldn't help but smile.

If he encountered disgusting evil, of course he would just kill it.

But since this was just playing around this time, and it was a friendly spar with someone else, he could naturally relax a bit.

However, Qi Xing still wanted to win.

How could he win?

It was actually very simple!

Qi Xing's martial arts weren't practiced in vain.

Martial arts were the main body; the [silver coin] was just his plug-in.

"It's over!"

The six-winged Tengu raised its hand to lift its sword, the ink-black flame sword slashing down with force, striking toward the neck of the already dilapidated white dragon!

— — However, at the instant before the sword blade struck the dragon's head, the white dragon's body suddenly exploded in advance!

Countless brilliant water lights scattered like shattered glass.

The water flow wasn't burned away by the black flames, but disintegrated completely at the last moment, like waking from a dream, suddenly returning to nothingness!

Inside the six-winged Tengu battle avatar, Jingo Rin's pupils contracted slightly.

Her heaven-sent combat intuition let her know—this wasn't right!

"— — Oh no!"

She was just about to flap her wings and retreat, but from within the shattered water light, an afterimage had already shot out—