Chapter Fifty-Five: The Brawl

“What! That monk is actually his avatar!” The crowd was struck with astonishment. After all, avatars were not something one could cultivate easily, and besides, the other party was clearly a disciple of Maoshan—how could he possibly have developed such a formidable Buddhist avatar? It was truly perplexing, almost unimaginable. Even Zhou Yuan, standing nearby, felt deeply shocked. He knew his senior brother was powerful, but he had no idea that Zhang Xiao had already cultivated an avatar. To manifest an avatar during the Golden Core stage—if he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, wouldn’t he elevate the avatar to a second soul? Then, among disciples of the same realm, who could ever be his match? And Zhang Xiao wasn’t even a direct disciple. At this thought, even Zhou Yuan’s composed heart was filled with a strong sense of jealousy toward Zhang Xiao.

When Zhang Xiao heard someone expose his identity, he let out a cold laugh. With a thought, his distant avatar transformed into a golden beam and shot toward him, intending to return to Zhang Xiao’s body. After such a fierce battle, the avatar had expended much energy and needed to replenish its spiritual power within Zhang Xiao. This was the avatar’s flaw—if it became a second soul, it could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on its own, no longer needing to reside within the original body.

“Hmph, you wish to return? Not a chance!” Zhang Yifan, the direct disciple of Kunlun, shouted coldly, summoning a cloud of fire to strike at Zhang Xiao’s avatar. “Courting death!” Seeing this, Zhang Xiao’s eyes flashed. The Seven Arts of Maoshan were cast in an instant, forming a black cloud that blocked Zhang Yifan’s fire cloud. At the same time, Zhang Xiao flipped his palm and summoned the Heavenly Sound Bell to attack Zhang Yifan. “Dong!” The palm-sized bell instantly expanded, becoming a giant several meters tall, crashing down toward Zhang Yifan, resonating with a deep, chaotic sound.

“Hmph!” Zhang Yifan was not to be outdone. He summoned a glazed ring to protect himself, and the two treasures collided. “Boom!” The explosion echoed. The glazed ring shielding Zhang Yifan was evidently a ninth-grade magical artifact, and as a defensive treasure, it was even more precious than Zhang Xiao’s Heavenly Sound Bell. But Zhang Xiao would not let him off so easily. With a flicker, he approached Zhang Yifan in a flash. Zhang Xiao’s entire body glowed with runes; his Vajra Immovable Body was laced with blue Dao patterns. With the move “Tiger Out of the Cage,” he hammered both fists onto the glazed ring.

“Bang!” Zhang Yifan hadn’t expected Zhang Xiao to close in so suddenly, and, caught off guard, was struck and sent flying, crashing into the stone wall of the Feixia Golden Pagoda. “Puff!” Though Zhang Yifan had a ninth-grade artifact shielding him, Zhang Xiao’s punch still made his organs churn, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. At that moment, the avatar transformed into golden light and entered Zhang Xiao’s brow. All the Buddhist energy in Zhang Xiao’s body surged into the avatar, and within a few breaths, the avatar’s Buddhist energy was fully replenished.

But Zhang Xiao did not release the avatar; instead, he borrowed its power, unleashing his full aura. Instantly, Buddhist light burst forth from him. A wheel of Dharma appeared behind his head, its center bearing a small Buddha seated cross-legged—the avatar’s true form. Zhang Xiao’s aura erupted, startling everyone present, so much so that none dared to act rashly.

Seeing he had achieved his purpose, Zhang Xiao ceased his attacks. Though his strength was great, facing eight opponents at once, his chances of victory were slim. As for Zhou Yuan, Zhang Xiao had never trusted him from the start.

Zhang Yifan climbed up from the ground. Seeing Zhang Xiao had stopped, he quickly took a pill from his sleeve and swallowed it, seizing the moment to recover from his injuries.

“Sir, what a formidable physique. Might I ask if the technique you used was the Vajra Body of our Buddhist sect?” Yuan Zhen, the direct disciple of Shaolin Chan School, bowed in Buddhist salute and asked Zhang Xiao.

Zhang Xiao smiled and replied, “What I performed was not the Vajra Body, but the Immovable Body. Master, you’ve mistaken it.” Zhang Xiao’s words were not inaccurate. Ever since he formed his Golden Core, the Vajra Immovable Body had merged with his Dao patterns, forming another type of body. Although it remained a Buddhist technique, it had lost the meaning of the Vajra, so to call it the Immovable Body was apt.

“So that’s how it is. If you ever have the chance, please visit our Shaolin Chan School as a guest,” Yuan Zhen said with a smile. Li Peng of the Five Venoms Sect interjected, “Monk, this isn’t the time for you to make connections. There are ten of us, but only one Five-Colored Cloud Banner. How will we divide it?” Li Peng’s words sent everyone into contemplation. The situation was strange: all ten were experts, their cultivation and magical artifacts roughly equal, and none dared to act rashly.

As everyone considered, their subtle gazes shifted toward Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, realizing someone was plotting against him. After all, Maoshan was the dominant force now, with both Zhang Xiao and Zhou Yuan as top experts. If they joined forces, who could withstand them?

Seeing the unfriendly gazes, Zhou Yuan sneered, “What, do you all intend to make an example of me?” Li Peng’s expression suddenly changed, “Heh, friend, don’t misunderstand. How could we possibly harm you?” Hearing this, Zhou Yuan’s expression improved, but at that moment, Tian Long’er of Dragon Tiger Mountain made a move. Twelve formation flags rose, trapping Zhou Yuan within. “Attack! Kill Zhang Xiao first, then Zhou Yuan!” With Tian Long’er’s roar, the others unleashed their treasures against Zhang Xiao. It turned out that the group had already reached a secret agreement: eliminate Maoshan first. The pressure from the two Maoshan experts was simply too great, so they decided to kill them both before anything else.

Facing the incoming magical artifacts, Zhang Xiao’s expression darkened. He summoned the Crystal Demon-Subduing Staff, sweeping aside the attacking treasures. “Excellent technique! Allow this humble monk to learn from you!” Shaolin’s Yuan Zhen suddenly launched an attack, wielding a Dragon Staff and sending countless staff shadows toward Zhang Xiao. Zhang Xiao channeled spiritual energy into the Demon-Subduing Staff, and countless Buddhist lotuses emerged from the staff as he met Yuan Zhen’s assault with the move “Splitting Mount Hua.”

“Bang bang bang!” As they fought, ten directions were filled with staff shadows, impervious to wind and rain; no one else could interfere. The sky was awash in staff shadows and Buddhist light, driving all demons away. After a protracted battle, Zhang Xiao, relying on his formidable golden body, gradually pressed Yuan Zhen to the brink, making the Dragon Staff feel heavier and heavier in Yuan Zhen’s hands, while Zhang Xiao’s Demon-Subduing Staff only grew stronger.

“Bang!” Zhang Xiao flipped the staff with a move called “White Monkey Snatches the Moon,” dodging Yuan Zhen’s Dragon Staff and stabbing straight at Yuan Zhen’s heart. Yuan Zhen, startled, quickly withdrew the Dragon Staff to shield his chest. But in Zhang Xiao’s hands, the Demon-Subduing Staff seemed almost sentient; what was meant as a thrust became a sweep, and with boundless Buddhist power, it struck Yuan Zhen and sent him flying.

Their exchange was swift; in the blink of an eye, victory was decided. Yuan Zhen, hit by Zhang Xiao’s full force, survived only because his left shoulder was already deformed, and his body was tough from physical cultivation—otherwise, Zhang Xiao’s blow would have reduced him to pulp.

Seeing Yuan Zhen’s defeat, the crowd’s shock only deepened their murderous resolve toward Zhang Xiao. Ouyang Zhongshi of the Myriad Demons Sect and Li Peng of the Five Venoms Sect exchanged glances, each unleashing their artifacts in a full assault on Zhang Xiao. Meanwhile, Ge Tianming of the Nine Fiends Palace summoned an axe the size of a door to strike Zhang Xiao. Only Yang Wansan of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion refrained from attacking directly, instead raising a Ten-Thousand-Demon Banner to bolster the other three.

He was also guarding against sneak attacks from righteous cultivators. Facing the three major demonic experts, Zhang Xiao dared not be careless, employing Divine Footwork to move ceaselessly around the scene. Atop his head, the Dharma wheel’s central avatar continuously cast golden lotuses, while the Heavenly Sound Bell rang out, its peals like waves. Yet even so, he was being suppressed by the three.

The lotuses, though not especially powerful, still troubled Ouyang Zhongshi and his companions, but they could not alter the overall situation. Zhang Xiao felt troubled—not lacking in magical artifacts or techniques, but his cultivation was still too low. Even the Heavenly Sound Bell could only display a fraction of its power; the rest of his divine abilities remained unusable. If only he could break through to the Nascent Soul stage, even nine or more opponents would not be his match. Of course, all he could do was think about it for now.

Ouyang Zhongshi and the other two saw that Zhang Xiao’s Divine Footwork was extraordinary, and if they kept this up, he would surely find an opening. So, gritting their teeth, they each unleashed their most secret skills. Ouyang Zhongshi’s black heart spat out a cloud of black smoke that enveloped him, from which countless wails and screams emerged. “Boom!” Five bizarre heads burst forth, shocking Zhang Xiao, who had seen Zhu Chao of the Myriad Demons Sect use the Twin Skull Secret Art before, but Ouyang Zhongshi’s display was far grander and more terrifying.

Cautious, Zhang Xiao watched as Ouyang Zhongshi’s black heart linked the five heads together, forming an abnormally tall monster. Ouyang Zhongshi stood atop it, manipulating the beast as it charged at Zhang Xiao. Five-elemental Dao arts poured forth from its five heads, each as powerful as a Golden Core cultivator’s full-strength attack. Zhang Xiao dared not slack off, using Divine Footwork more frequently.

Meanwhile, Li Peng of the Five Venoms Sect opened his hands, five-colored clouds swirling around them, forming enormous poisonous hands that spewed endless toxic smoke. Even the stone walls of the Feixia Golden Pagoda, struck by the poison, were corroded into fist-sized holes. The walls were so tough that even Zhang Xiao could not break them, yet Li Peng’s poison fumes managed to eat through them, making everyone pale with fear.

Zhang Xiao could only continue dodging with Divine Footwork, but his space for maneuver was shrinking. Just as he dodged with all his might, a shadow flashed by, slicing toward him so quickly that he failed to avoid it, leaving a gash on his shoulder. Zhang Xiao was deeply shaken—since mastering the Immovable Body, it was the first time someone had wounded him. Examining the wound, he saw it was tainted with baleful energy, hindering its recovery. With a thought, he circulated his Buddhist energy and purified the baleful force.

Yet, as soon as he did, dozens of black shadows swept toward him. Zhang Xiao’s expression changed, and he fully employed Divine Footwork to evade. But just as he escaped Ge Tianming’s attack, dozens of five-elemental Dao arts crashed down upon him.