Chapter 629 — Killing Intent Hard to Suppress

Before, he could employ only a single divine store: if he used the divine-path divine store, the demon-path divine store had to close; if he used the demon-path divine store, the divine-path divine store had to close. To use both at once was to set god and demon at war.

Vital essence came in many kinds — divine essence, demonic essence, demon essence, dragon essence, phoenix essence, Buddha essence, Dao essence — and, finely divided, in still more; the Four Great Spirit Bodies of Jingping, for instance, could be divided into four great categories, and each category into yet different sub-classes. Divine essence and demonic essence were two opposing categories, incompatible as fire and water: essence of the divine-path attribute meeting essence of the demon-path attribute would annihilate each other. And now Shen Mu had opened this eye, and had actually achieved the unification of god and demon!

Outside the temple, the Buddhas each pondered in silence — when suddenly Yama, the Buddha King, laughed: "Jiankong, Buddha-son, we will not contend. " Jiankong, Buddha-son, was slightly startled; he bowed and said, "I obey the Buddha's decree. " With that, he withdrew.

Sagara, the Dragon King Buddha, likewise summoned his disciple and said, "Today we do not contend. " The other Buddhas and Tathagatas of the heavens also called their disciples to them one after another and declared they would not contend, saying with smiles, "Our Buddha holds the Four Elements as void; not contending is itself contending.

Today let us yield to him.

Let others do the contending.

" Though the many Buddha-sons were doubtful at heart, they all returned as ordered and took their places in attendance beside their Buddhas.

These Buddhas summoned only their own disciples of the Buddhist realm; the many Buddha-sons who remained were all young talents sent by the Heavenly Court to study in the Buddhist realm, as well as disciples taken by the Heavenly Court's own Buddhas, and every one of them was eager to try his hand.

Dharma King Molun smiled and said, "How magnanimous of you, senior brothers. But how could the Emperor's Throne Sutra of Brahma, the Heavenly Buddha King, go untaken?

If it is not taken, would we not be letting an outsider have it cheap?

" Another Buddha laughed and said, "That is indeed so. " Several more Buddhas chimed in, "Our two senior brothers speak sense.

We cannot let the Buddhist Dharma go so cheap to an outsider. " Dharma King Molun laughed heartily: "Prince Moonlight, are your injuries healed?

" He had just used Buddhist Dharma to heal Prince Moonlight, and the Prince's wounds had largely mended.

His gaze burned as he looked toward Shen Mu, battle intent blazing, and he said in a deep voice, "Layman Shen ambushed your disciple.

This disciple very much wishes to test himself against him once more!

" Dharma King Molun smiled: "It was declared that life and death are not to be spoken of. If you think only of victory and defeat and not of life and death, I fear you will suffer again. " Prince Moonlight's heart turned cold.

Dharma King Molun then looked to the other Buddha-sons and smiled: "You are all heirs of the Buddhas; you should know that this time only life and death are at stake, not victory or defeat, and there is no need to haggle over the entanglements of Buddhist Dharma. Prince Sunlight, Prince Capricorn, Princess Palong, Prince Floating Cloud — do you all understand?

" The ones he named were the princes and princesses of the Buddha-lands the Heavenly Court had established within the Buddhist realm.

Buddha-lands stood in great numbers throughout the Buddhist realm, and many had already become the Heavenly Court's forces; and these princes and princesses were the outstanding leaders of the younger generation among them, not only cultivating under the Buddhas but also entering the Heavenly Court from time to time to cultivate loftier arts and secret techniques. The crowd assented one after another. Prince Sunlight smiled and said, "Senior brother Moonlight's abilities are no weaker than mine.

He will surely win handily. Your humble brother will stand here and watch the heads roll.

" Prince Moonlight stepped forward from the crowd, a bright moon at the back of his head — that was his sword aura and sword-light. Where the moonlight shone, moon radiance filled the sky and sword-light spread across the heavens — truly extraordinary!

Let alone in the lower realms, even among the heavens of the Buddhist realm such exquisite sword arts and sword mantras were rarely seen! Prince Moonlight looked at Shen Mu, his gaze flickering: "You ambushed me and nearly took my life.

Now that I am on guard, I will subdue the demon and eradicate the evil! " Behind his head the bright moon was like a wheel, and the sword-light rushed at Shen Mu like a great pillar of light with a resonant hum; at the same time rays of light shot out from that moon in every direction — all of them sword-light — and they actually turned in midair, clearly having been prepared in advance to cut off Shen Mu's retreat!

His swordsmanship was grand and imposing, a peerless art: moon radiance filling the sky, sword-light dancing through the heavens.

Compared with the Sunset Sword Art of Yuyuan's First Rain and Yuyuan's Emerging Clouds, it had far more refinement and Zen. Shen Mu's three eyes opened, and he pointed a finger.

His sword core hummed and quivered, and a thick pillar of sword-light burst from it — a pure Sword-Circling Style. Eight thousand flying swords flew circling around; though they used the same move, each sword's form was different! The sword pillar was three chi thick and eighteen zhang long.

With a sweeping slash, the moon radiance across the sky shattered! "If I do not go all out, you will think I truly cannot kill you!

" Shen Mu stepped forward; the Mystic Body Three Cores Art erupted, the Ancestral Dragon's Eight Tones rang out in eight strange notes, and his sword-finger thrust. The sword pillar surged through the bright moon behind Prince Moonlight's head; eight thousand swords whirled, and the moon shattered with a boom. The sword pillar pressed down — and Prince Moonlight was smashed to powder!

Monk Chenghuai was startled and drew in his head: "Lord Shen has killed again.

.

. This is bad. I truly do not know why Tathagata sent him.

This sort of thing, I cannot smooth over.

. .

" Shen Mu looked around, his gaze sweeping over several hundred Buddha-sons. He raised his hand to grip his sword core, and said calmly, "Once my killing intent rises, it is hard to restrain; demonic thoughts surge in my mind, and a heart for slaughter arises. Fellow Daoists, you may all come at once — subdue the demon in my heart, and perfect your merits! "