Chapter 231 — Slaying the Monk

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!

The two little giants battled it out in the hills and forests, when of a sudden the Chubao Sword flew out and, swift as lightning, stabbed into the great sun behind the Half-Fool Monk's head.

The Half-Fool Monk was startled and hastily raised a hand to block, and at that very moment Shen Mu drove a fist out, like the great sun shining on high to temper the soul; the Half-Fool Monk's soul was shaken and he failed to block that sword-light, and the Chubao Sword shattered the great sun behind his head.

His Vajra Unconquerable Art was broken at once; his body began to shrink, Shen Mu drove out a fist, the bones within the Half-Fool Monk shuddered violently, and with a muffled grunt he fell back.

Shen Mu's fists came like a raging wind and a pelting storm, pounding at him madly; the Half-Fool Monk cried out in pain, and the more his heart quailed the more he trembled, and he hastily turned and ran for all he was worth; in a few bounds he was aloft in the air, fleeing into the heavens. Shen Mu paused, and looked up at the sky.

The monk fled with great speed; in a few breaths he was six or seven li away, and only then did he stop, a lotus blossoming beneath his feet to bear him up.

He thought: "This fiend is formidable, with far too many tricks, but his speed is not great; he cannot catch me.

I can still rally and begin again. .

.

" No sooner had he thought it than there came a rumbling shock; the Half-Fool Monk looked hastily, and was struck with dread: Shen Mu, both feet flying, came rending the air, so swift that he could scarcely see him! Boom!

Shen Mu's fist crashed into his face; the Half-Fool Monk's whole face caved in, and the force of the Nine Dragons Riding Wind and Thunder ran through it, rushed into his skull, and burst.

In midair, forty-five azure dragons with bloody halos bared claws and fangs, roaring in fury, and among the azure dragons a headless corpse fell. "Fool of a monk, I could have let you run ten li first.

"