Chapter 233

Pudu True Monarch remained motionless, holding the scroll with both hands, but a milky-white light screen unfurled, blocking the boy's fist.

Li Zhuiyuan was not surprised by this, as the black and white here, though seemingly representing the defilement and purification of merit, were in fact a struggle between Pudu True Monarch and Sun Baishen.

The boy hadn't trained in martial arts, so the force of his punch wasn't great. However, the karmic fire attached to his fist was burning the white light screen that blocked him.

Pudu True Monarch: "Do you know what you are doing?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Of course."

Pudu True Monarch: "Consider the consequences."

Li Zhuiyuan: "One more like you won't make a difference."

Pudu True Monarch: "Turn back, and find salvation."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I don't believe in Buddha, and I certainly don't dare to believe you."

Pudu True Monarch had previously offered Li Zhuiyuan an extremely tempting condition. The boy believed that the True Monarchs sealed outside the hall's gate had surely been offered the same.

An unblemished existence does not mean one would not engage in sordid deeds. By simply burying all traces, the sacred light would naturally remain.

Li Zhuiyuan was unwilling to gamble that after seeing the sordid deeds the other party had committed, they would still be willing to release him or show him compassion.

Therefore, to control his own destiny, there was only one path he could take.

As for the heavenly wrath it spoke of, Li Zhuiyuan truly wasn't afraid.

After his last experience of leveraging the Great Emperor Fengdu's intervention, Li Zhuiyuan had come to understand Heaven's Dao's attitude towards such special beings.

The more he confronted and challenged them, the happier Heaven's Dao would be.

This must be why the river, in this current wave, had gently paved the way for him in advance, granting him such composure.

Although he had long anticipated that the river would bring something significant this time, Li Zhuiyuan hadn't expected, until he descended to this seabed, that it would push a Bodhisattva his way.

This was his "River Walk" under special care!

The white light from Pudu True Monarch suddenly flared brightly again. Not only did it envelop Li Zhuiyuan and heighten the brightness within the hall, but it also relentlessly pushed the black and white demarcation line outside the hall's gate outwards.

However, it had barely expanded before it was pushed back by the darkness.

The True Monarchs outside were not affected. The only one truly impacted was Liyuan True Monarch, who had charged in first with a staff and was closest to the main hall back then.

Pudu True Monarch: "Monkey, awaken quickly and protect the Dharma."

In Liyuan True Monarch's dust-covered eyes, a cold, sharp glint appeared. The black fur all over its body bristled, and its massive body began to move forward, attempting to force its way through the black and white demarcation line.

Blood continuously seeped from its body, staining the black fur crimson. Its armor also cracked and flaked off, and the scars on its monkey face tore open again, revealing raw flesh.

But it still gritted its bloodshot fangs, enduring immense pain as it pressed forward!

In Sun Baishen's memories, Wei Zhengdao had once suggested that Sun Baishen turn this monkey into monkey brain soup early on.

Wei Zhengdao had seen the "rebellious bone" in the little monkey, indicating its traitorous nature.

People like them, devoid of humanity themselves, were therefore able to perceive the humanity and bestiality in others with greater precision and clarity.

Back then, the monkey was the first to charge during the rebellion. Now, with the situation changing, it still stood as an opponent, charging forward once more.

Tan Wenbin: "Get ready."

Even now, Tan Wenbin didn't fully understand the true situation here, but he knew that no matter what little Yuan was doing, he had to lead his companions to block all external influences for him.

Rumsheng's energy gates began to open and close continuously. He closed his eyes, trying to recall the feeling from his previous battle with the Gate-Guarding True Monarch, hoping to avoid building up momentum from scratch.

Yin Meng had already prepared his poison jars, his fingertips continuously twirling the strings binding them, making final random adjustments.

The two children on Tan Wenbin's shoulders stared wide-eyed, pouted, and clenched their small fists, ready to follow their godfather into the fray at any moment.

Lin Shuyou stood in his position, wielding his twin maces.

Tan Wenbin: "A'You?"

Lin Shuyou: "I'm here!"

Lin Shuyou hadn't entered a trance, but even without it, he was still capable of fighting.

More and more blood poured from Liyuan True Monarch, and many wounds on its body exposed white bone. Yet, its forward momentum did not slow; even if it had to shed a layer of monkey skin, it would surely get inside!

Because darkness still clung to its body, they couldn't attack it directly, as they risked being dragged into the darkness. Therefore, a fierce battle would only erupt once it had fully emerged.

Finally, Liyuan True Monarch emerged.

It tilted its head back and opened its mouth, letting out a roar. As it looked at Sun Baishen sitting on the lotus platform, the monkey's eyes were filled with venom and hatred.

"You should have died long ago!"

Immediately after, the monkey's gaze fell upon the boy confronting Pudu True Monarch.

"Obdurate and insubordinate, you deserve to die!"

The monkey directly ignored Rumsheng and the others blocking its path; it certainly had the confidence to do so.

The monkey gripped the cracked staff in its hand. In an instant, a reverberating sound erupted, tormenting not only eardrums but also feeling as if one's heart had been violently struck.

Tan Wenbin licked his lips. Indeed, the monkey had been right earlier: the Gate-Guarding True Monarch was truly the weakest among them, and the monkey was indeed among the strongest of the True Monarchs.

Even though it had sustained severe injuries passing through the black and white demarcation line, the aura of power it exuded was still terrifying.

This was the manifestation of an original Yin God's frontline combat strength. Unlike the Generals of Increase and Decrease, the original True Monarchs possessed their own physical bodies and could unleash their true power without the limitations of a medium's body.

Tan Wenbin: "Rumsheng..."

Before Tan Wenbin could finish his command, all sixteen of Rumsheng's energy gates had fully opened, and his aura rapidly surged.

Revealing all his cards right at the start seemed unwise, but Rumsheng had already sensed that if he didn't open all his energy gates, he might not be able to block even one strike from the opponent!

Building momentum through battle depended on the opponent's strength. An opponent beyond his capacity simply wouldn't give him the chance to accumulate power.

The monkey lowered its head and looked at Rumsheng.

Perhaps only Rumsheng, in his current state, was worthy of its attention.

The monkey moved. In an instant, it appeared before Rumsheng, bringing its staff down!

"Bang!"

Rumsheng raised his Yellow River Shovel, blocking the monkey's strike. At the same time, blood rapidly surged from within him, instantly transforming him into a blood-soaked figure, just like the monkey.

The monkey's lips curled into a sinister grin as it continued to apply force, pressing the staff down.

Rumsheng's knees began to tremble, gradually bending uncontrollably as his center of gravity was forced lower and lower.

It's worth noting that Rumsheng held the shovel with both hands, while the monkey wielded its staff with a single hand.

With all his energy gates open, Rumsheng was completely at a disadvantage after the first exchange, and the monkey hadn't even used its full strength.

"Ghost Control Art!"

Tan Wenbin also decisively went all in. His eyes turned black, and as his hair billowed around him, he rose onto his tiptoes.

The monkey slightly tilted its head, scoffing, "A mere trick."

The original Tan Wenbin's body twisted, then dissipated into black ash.

But when the real Tan Wenbin appeared behind the monkey, its free hand immediately shot out, gripping Tan Wenbin's throat and twisting.

"Crack..."

Tan Wenbin dissipated again, and in the monkey's hand, a twisted paper figure appeared.

Little Yuan had a vast collection of secret techniques. Tan Wenbin knew he wasn't capable of learning the high-level ones, but he hadn't been idle; he focused on studying practical minor arts.

On countless nights, Tan Wenbin sat under a desk lamp, urging his two adopted sons to study hard!

A pair of long, emerald-green nails pierced the monkey's lower back. Tan Wenbin had successfully launched a sneak attack, but just as he was about to tear open the monkey's flesh and bone from that wound, the wound suddenly constricted, and the black monkey fur from that area wrapped around his arm, trapping him.

The monkey looked down at Tan Wenbin, its left hand clenched into a fist, and smashed downwards.

Just then, Lin Shuyou leaped up, wielding his twin maces and aiming for the monkey's head.

The punch that was meant for Tan Wenbin shifted direction seamlessly and struck towards Lin Shuyou instead.

"Bang!"

Even with his twin maces to block, the immense force from the monkey still sent Lin Shuyou flying. He crashed heavily against a pillar inside the hall before slowly slumping to the ground.

Blood continuously gushed from his mouth. He tried to brace himself and stand, but found it impossible.

Against an opponent of this caliber, relying solely on ordinary martial arts was simply too insufficient.

The monkey clenched its fist again, preparing to strike Tan Wenbin.

But at that moment, Tan Wenbin actually broke free from its restraint, his hands leaving its body. His ten fingers were covered in blood; he had left all ten of his fingernails embedded in the monkey's flesh.

Facing the monkey's fist, the freed Tan Wenbin did not choose to dodge. Instead, he crossed his hands to form a seal while suddenly looking up.

"Aargh!"

Two ghostly wails from the vengeful infants transformed into curses and were unleashed upon the monkey.

The monkey also opened its mouth, responding with a roar:

"Roar!"

The vengeful infants' curse power was instantly overwhelmed. The two children were struck as if by lightning, experiencing immense pain, yet they instinctively wrapped their arms around Tan Wenbin's head, ensuring their godfather's brain wouldn't be affected by the monkey's roar.

"Heh heh..."

The monkey let out a hearty laugh. After being tormented by the seal for so long, it was truly amusing to find so many appetizers waiting for it upon release.

But just as the monkey was about to attack Tan Wenbin again, it suddenly felt its staff beginning to rise.

Rumsheng, who had almost been forced to his knees by its single-handed pressure, now straightened his knees and tensed his body, raising his shovel and pushing the monkey's staff back.

The full activation of his energy gates was time-limited, but that didn't mean he couldn't build momentum while they were open.

While blood continuously overflowed, it was also rapidly drawn back into his body by the energy gates. All Rumsheng could hear now was the rapid thumping of his own heart.

With a powerful lift, Rumsheng also pushed forward.

After the monkey's staff was completely pushed away, it took another step back.

And at this moment, Tan Wenbin's hand seal was finally complete. The previous curses had been unleashed by the vengeful infants themselves, requiring no preparation from him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

All ten fingernails embedded in the monkey's body exploded.

The monkey's already unstable balance worsened, forcing it to take another step back.

Rumsheng seized this opportunity, repeatedly striking the monkey with his shovel.

The monkey retreated while blocking with its staff, forced back over a dozen steps by Rumsheng's fearless, unwavering momentum.

"Screech!"

The monkey's expression was savage. It could not allow itself to be suppressed to such a state by a mere character like this. Immediately, it pushed back with one leg, stabilizing itself completely, and executed a backhanded sweep with its staff.

"Bang!"

After the clash, Rumsheng's body uncontrollably slid backward. Just as he was about to fall backward, he forcefully engaged his core, shifting his momentum forward, and used his shovel to brace himself on the ground, struggling to regain his balance.

The monkey reached down, pulling out the fingernails from its waist one by one, then casually tossed them aside.

The contempt in its eyes gradually receded. It leaned its body forward, lowered its center of gravity, raised its staff to the side, and gravely assumed a stance:

"Enough of this ruckus. Time to clear the area."

Lin Shuyou, slumped against the pillar, tried several times to prop himself up and stand, but each attempt failed halfway.

He bit his lip hard, feeling a sense of unwillingness. The monkey's physique was terrifyingly strong. If he could enter a trance normally as he used to, his companions' situation would likely be much better.

Even if this method of revealing all his cards couldn't be sustained for too long, as long as they could hold out until little Yuan finished, there would still be hope.

But his current self, unable to enter a trance, was truly of too little use. The situation of watching his companions fall into a difficult, grueling battle while he couldn't properly participate filled Lin Shuyou with immense anger.

Li Zhuiyuan could understand the White Crane Boy. He knew the full situation, aware that it was already commendable for the boy to intervene against the Gate-Guarding True Monarch. Now, in the presence of Pudu True Monarch, a Bodhisattva's avatar, it was truly understandable that the boy dared not act.

But Lin Shuyou's thoughts were simpler and more direct, and few people could maintain rationality at such a moment:

"Boy, I'm regretting being a Guanjiangshou right now."

Sun Baishen couldn't move, nor could Pudu True Monarch.

But the latter's inability to move didn't mean it had no other methods.

When the white light enveloped Li Zhuiyuan, a terrifying will directly crushed down. His mental defenses seemed to become utterly defenceless, as the opponent penetrated every crevice with a surging tide.

An illusory mindscape gradually solidified.

Pudu True Monarch's figure appeared in a rice field.

In front was a long, two-story building with single-story extensions on its east and west sides.

"It seems there is still a beautiful side in your heart, this pastoral homeland..."

Pudu True Monarch closed its mouth and looked up. On the second-floor balcony, the boy's figure appeared.

The boy was covered in blood; everyone in the house had just been killed by him.

Just as Pudu True Monarch had finished setting up this illusion and as it itself had just entered, the task was already completed. The speed was simply inconceivable.

Li Zhuiyuan stood with his hands in his pockets, simply watching Pudu True Monarch standing in the field below.

The boy's mind was already far more resolute than that of an ordinary person. Furthermore, having been tempered by the Dream Ghoul's wave, since he could distinguish between real and fake, killing these fake people stirred no ripples in his heart whatsoever.

Li Zhuiyuan: "This routine is ancient. Can't you try something fresh?"

Pudu True Monarch: "Your six senses are truly pure."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let me guess, is the next line 'I am destined for Buddhism'?"

Pudu True Monarch: "Those born into the empty gate know not what the empty gate is; those born to sever mortal ties know not what mortal ties are. You are naturally unsuited for Buddhism."

Li Zhuiyuan lifted his foot and stepped forward. Although he clearly stepped beyond the balcony's edge, he did not fall. Instead, the surrounding environment became intertwined and distorted.

Even the rice fields around Pudu True Monarch transformed from rice stalks heavy with grains into eerily red spider lilies.

Pudu True Monarch: "I know what you're worried about. Rest assured, your karma is too heavy; I will not bury you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "But you'll bury this place."

Pudu True Monarch revealed a benevolent smile.

Li Zhuiyuan: "But you also promised to give me everything here."

Pudu True Monarch: "Guanjiangshou, haven't you already taken without asking?"

Hearing this, Li Zhuiyuan stopped. He suddenly smiled.

"I understand. You can perceive what the true 'you' has done, but the true 'you' cannot perceive your existence."

Pudu True Monarch smiled but said nothing.

Li Zhuiyuan: "No? So, you dare not let the true 'you' perceive your existence because, in the eyes of the true 'you', you are also a blemish that needs to be completely concealed!"

The smile on Pudu True Monarch's face vanished.

Li Zhuiyuan: "How ruthless."

Pudu True Monarch: "Some things are not for you to touch. I've given you a chance, but you didn't value it."

Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the constantly intertwining and shifting environment around them:

"If you could move, you could easily kill me, because I haven't trained in martial arts. But you can't move now, and I don't believe you can kill me here. As you can see, there are no flaws in my mental defenses. There used to be, but unfortunately, you arrived too late."

After he had gone to the capital and called Li Lan from the newsstand, his last mental vulnerability had also been mended.

Pudu True Monarch: "Otherwise, the cleaner a place is, the easier it gets dirty."

Li Zhuiyuan: "What's dirty?"

Pudu True Monarch spread its right hand, and a green lotus slowly bloomed from its palm.

In an instant, the surrounding environment was no longer a rural field; instead, it froze into a desolate ghost realm.

Pudu True Monarch: "Since you are unsuited for Buddhism, your demonic roots run deep."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Not listening to you makes me a demon? Also, let me remind you, your time is running out."

The boy looked up. The dark clouds in the sky began to churn; this was the karmic fire from his palm in reality, about to burn its way here.

Pudu True Monarch: "No one's heart is without flaws. If you haven't found one, then create one for them."

"Create a flaw?"

"I will create an inner demon for you, and then let it replace you."

Pudu True Monarch raised its palm. The green lotus floated up, burning with an eerie blue flame, and the True Monarch chanted:

"Green Lotus descends, strengthen your inner demon."