Chapter 62: Spoiling Your Merit

"Damned be your cultivation, damned be your merits!" Qin Mu scoffed, turning to sever the remaining chains. "You are but a bronze Buddha statue, where could you possibly accrue merit? Your so-called merit lies solely in suppressing the Wu Nu here. You sat idly by as the Wu Nu devoured humans before your very eyes, unconcerned. If you ever possessed merit, it has long since been squandered!"

The venerable Buddha statue trembled, and the blood-red patterns on its bronze form erupted with light, reflected by the outer layer of gold foil, transforming it into a golden, resplendent Buddha. It spoke with a resonant, deep voice: "Do you not know that if you release it, it will consume countless lives and wreak untold destruction?"

"All I know is that it concealed innumerable corpses behind you, using you to perpetuate evil, and I saw you do nothing," Qin Mu retorted, severing the second chain with a cold laugh. "Outside, the ice tide rages, erupting several times each year. What have you done? That, and only that, is where true merit lies, not in sitting in your temple, suppressing a monster, especially when you indulge its cannibalistic ways! If you were to shatter the ice tide and save the downstream populace, then you would accrue boundless merit!"

The Buddha statue's golden light intensified, and its hands began to move, appearing eerily lifelike. The Wu Nu, utterly terrified, shrieked, "This old bald donkey is an evil Buddha! He seeks to refine me to death! Quickly!"

Qin Mu moved with the speed of a gust of wind, flashing out of the temple and urging the Shao Bao Sword towards the chains outside the structure.

"The evil of sentient beings requires a great flood to cleanse it, only then can evil be shed. This is their karma, shaping their destiny."

*Boom!*

A violent tremor shook the ground. The bronze Buddha rose to its feet, its head smashing through the roof of the ancient temple, its voice shaking the heavens and earth: "You, an evil demon from beyond, dare to violate Buddhist law! Stubborn, wicked obstacle, beyond salvation!"

The chains binding the bronze Buddha statue and the Wu Nu seemed to come alive, whistling through the air and lashing out towards Qin Mu.

"Your so-called Buddhist law is a means to save yourself by saving others, not to save others for the sake of saving others. It is sheer hypocrisy," Qin Mu declared, leaping to evade the embrace of one chain. He urged the Shao Bao Sword towards the last chain restraining the Wu Nu, adding, "Had you slain the Wu Nu when you suppressed it back then, it might have been considered merit. But you *chose* to suppress it, allowing it to harm people. Its consumption of humans is its sin, but the deeper its sins, the greater your merit in refining it? Bah! Every person devoured by the Wu Nu should be counted on *your* head!"

*Zheng—*

The Shao Bao Sword clashed with the chain, and an immense force surged through it, knocking the treasure sword from Qin Mu's grasp. He grunted, staggering back to avoid the two chains now lashing out like black pythons. He scoffed, "You sit in your temple while floods rage outside. Not only do you refuse to save them, but you obstruct me from doing so, and still fantasize about merit? Let me tell you, the elders of my village battle the ice tide every year, saving the downstream populace and countless flying birds and beasts! If merit alone could grant Buddhahood, every single one of them would already be a golden-bodied Grand Buddha, not a bronze figurine or clay sculpture!"

"Nonsense!"

The colossal bronze Buddha, incredibly tall, lifted its foot and slammed it down with a boom, stepping out of the ruined temple. It clasped its hands together, the sound of gold and iron colliding echoing, and suddenly a brilliant Buddha light erupted, sending Qin Mu flying!

Qin Mu's limbs and bones were severely shaken. While he was still in mid-air, the chains lashed out, seeking to entangle him! Qin Mu's feet tapped continuously on the chains, allowing him to dart along them. He controlled the Shao Bao Sword, sending it flying like a streak of light towards the last chain binding the Wu Nu.

One by one, the chains, thick as pythons, weaved through the air, attacking Qin Mu relentlessly, a dizzying spectacle. This venerable bronze Buddha, though forged from yellow copper, was incredibly flexible, truly inconceivable.

Previously, the bronze Buddha could not distinguish between Qin Mu and the Wu Nu. As long as Qin Mu uttered certain incantations, the bronze Buddha would automatically react, speaking true words of Buddhist law to refine the Wu Nu. But now that Qin Mu sought to release the Wu Nu, the bronze Buddha presented a completely different demeanor, actively attacking him.

The thick chains continued to interlace. Qin Mu stepped onto one chain, evading the attacks of the others. However, the force transmitted through the chains by the venerable bronze Buddha gradually intensified. The friction between the chains caused them to shake violently, making it difficult for him to stand steadily. His legs trembled with fatigue, and his control over the Shao Bao Sword was significantly impaired.

The force emanating from this venerable bronze Buddha grew ever stronger, as if infinite power lay dormant within its body, now awakening one by one. Granny Si and Cripple had both mentioned this venerable bronze Buddha, describing it as very peculiar. Granny Si had even spoken of her attempt to eradicate the Wu Nu, which was thwarted by the bronze Buddha, preventing her success. Granny Si was undoubtedly immensely powerful, yet she failed to eliminate the Wu Nu, indicating that when the bronze Buddha's full power awakened, it would be utterly terrifying! And now, the bronze Buddha's power was awakening, one by one! Even a slight increase in its power was beyond Qin Mu's ability to withstand.

Just then, a colossal roar, like a mountain collapsing and the earth cracking, echoed through the air. The ice tide, surging downstream from the upper reaches, had finally arrived. Towering ice mountains on the river surface were swept forward by the surging torrent. Dozens of *zhang* high, they appeared before the oasis, behind Qin Mu!

Qin Mu was immediately enveloped in shadow. He swiftly turned his head to look, only to see innumerable ice blocks being squeezed, rolled, and forced up the peak of the ice mountain, then crashing down from the summit with a loud *wah la*. They were crushed to the riverbed, while new ice blocks were again propelled to the peak, only to slide down once more. This ice tide crushed everything in its path. The corpses on the ice had already been pulverized, leaving no trace, only the surging, forward-rolling ice mountain, seemingly intent on obliterating everything!

"Du—"

The venerable bronze Buddha seemed to sense the impending danger. With no time for Qin Mu, it spread its arms wide, embracing the surging ice tide.

*Bang—*

An enormous golden bell, formed of light, materialized outside the oasis, enveloping it! The innumerable ice blocks of the ice tide struck the golden bell one step ahead, creating a cacophony of banging sounds as they were shattered to pieces. Every piece of floating ice that struck the golden bell caused wave-like golden light to scatter in all directions. From Qin Mu's perspective, it was a truly spectacular and beautiful sight. Then, the ice tide surged forward, its roar like the explosion of countless thunders, a ceaseless *boom boom*. Amidst it, the golden bell's chimes rang in harmony!

The forces of heaven and earth clashed with the bronze Buddha's Buddhist divine ability, shaking the heavens and earth. Even the oasis trembled incessantly, appearing as if it could sink into the water at any moment. The ice tide outside, blocked by the oasis in the river's heart and the golden bell, rose higher and higher. The ice tide on either side of the oasis had already flowed downstream. Only where the oasis blocked the flow did the floating ice accumulate, gradually threatening to overflow the oasis.

*Wah la—*

The chains shook, lashing out towards Qin Mu. This venerable bronze Buddha actually had strength to spare. The chains, like spirit snakes and giant pythons, weaved through the air, relentlessly pursuing him. At the same time, the bronze Buddha's body moved, emitting the clang of metal. It continuously patted the four walls of the golden bell, reinforcing it. The chains coiled around its body, flipping and flying with its movements, attacking Qin Mu. The Wu Nu, transformed into the little girl Xian Qing'er, was dragged and stumbled, suddenly falling to the ground, bruised and battered, a pitiable sight.

Qin Mu's foot stepped onto the chains, and he immediately felt the Great Buddha's strength decrease significantly, no longer so terrifying. He seized the opportunity, wielding the Shao Bao Sword to chop repeatedly. With a *dang lang*, the last chain was severed.

The Wu Nu was stunned for a moment, then lifted its arms, seeing only two golden rings on its wrists, from which broken chains hung. It couldn't help but feel both surprised and joyful. Golden rings also adorned its ankles, dragging two broken chains.

"Don't just stand there, hurry and leave!" Qin Mu shouted, pouncing forward.

The Wu Nu let out a shrill laugh. Its body suddenly expanded, the skin of Xian Qing'er stretched like human skin as it revealed its true form, covered in joints. Its hundred feet danced, and it cried out, "Little brother, jump onto my body! I will take you out of here!"

Qin Mu landed on its body. This great demon, clad in bone armor, charged forward, dragging the golden rings and chains with a *whoosh* towards the rear of the oasis. Its legs moved with incredible speed, then it soared upwards, its long body and hundred feet moving in unison, breaking through the air and heading towards the wall of the golden bell!

"Wicked obstacle, you are my merit, and you still wish to escape?"

The venerable bronze Buddha turned its body, and its large yellow copper hand made a grabbing motion. The golden rings and chains on the Wu Nu's body made a *wah la la* sound, floating backward, and the chains on the bronze Buddha's body also lifted on their own, seeming to reconnect with the broken chains.

The Wu Nu's hair stood on end as it was pulled down by the chains on its body. The force transmitted through the rings on its feet was immense, dragging it back continuously. The Wu Nu used all hundred feet, crawling forward with all its might, but it was still dragged backward continuously.

Qin Mu was just about to use his *qi* to control the sword and sever the golden rings on the Wu Nu's hands and feet when suddenly an extremely fine ray of light flashed over, cutting through the golden bell and flashing between the bronze Buddha's eyes.

The bronze Buddha roared in anger, bringing its hand to its own eyes. The Wu Nu felt its body relax completely. It hastily scattered its legs and ran madly, leaping up within a few steps, rushing out of the golden bell's coverage, and stepping onto the river surface with a *whoosh*, speeding away.

Behind them, the bronze Buddha's roars were incessant. Suddenly, the golden bell collapsed and disintegrated. The ice tide, like a mountain, surged forward, engulfing the oasis and the bronze Buddha. The ancient temple was also shattered in an instant, the entire oasis flattened!

"I and you are like well water and river water, we do not interfere with each other..."

The bronze Buddha, shaking with rage, did not even finish its sentence before it, along with the oasis, was pushed into the river water by the ice tide, submerged beneath the surface!