Chapter 129
"A statue of a Myō-ō..."
Among the three-wheeled bodies consisting of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Myō-ōs, the Kyōryōrinshin, which subjugates demons.
Although Xi Xichang was not very interested in Buddhism, she could distinguish between a Buddha and a Myō-ō.
"Daiitoku Myō-ō is the Myō-ō who protects the west. Perhaps... this Myō-ō statue was the role of scattering the directions here."
When Jiang Ziya had checked the directions, the reason why the blade that should have stopped at the east had stopped, pointing to the west, was surely because the power of this Myō-ō statue had acted.
"Is that all?"
"Perhaps... we should assume that such statues were installed in all four directions overnight."
Seeing that the direction was not caught in the inn, it was not difficult to guess that such an object had been placed around the village.
Since one of the Five Great Myō-ōs, called the Five Great Honored Ones, was here, the remaining Myō-ōs would also be in charge of their respective directions.
"Then isn't that strange? There are five Myō-ōs, aren't there?"
Xi Xichang, as if she had a question about Jiang Ziya's words, tilted her head.
Surely, if it was the Five Great Myō-ōs, it meant five Myō-ōs.
If each Myō-ō statue was installed in the four cardinal directions, where was the remaining one Myō-ō?
At Xi Xichang's question, Jiang Ziya carefully looked at the Myō-ō statue.
It was clear that they had intentionally twisted the heavenly qi, the earthly qi, and the water qi of the sea that passed through the village by placing the four Myō-ō statues that protected each direction in reverse.
If it were like this, the natural energy that should have flowed through the village naturally would be circling inside the village.
The place where the gathered energy was concentrated.
"There must be a statue of Fudō Myō-ō in the village. That will be the core of the formation."
Although Jiang Ziya was also a layman in Buddhist techniques, he had heard and knew the general principles when he had received Master Gongsun's teachings.
This was a kind of mandala, and although it looked simple, it was a very difficult technique to handle.
Clang!
"Wait. No. No."
As Xi Xichang drew her sword, Jiang Ziya hurriedly stopped Xi Xichang.
"If this is suspicious, wouldn't it be better to break it quickly before something happens?"
"Although it's not a Buddha statue, the Myō-ōs are the disciples of the Buddha. You'll be punished for that."
"If it were a world where the Buddha would punish, the world would not be like this now."
As Xi Xichang was about to swing her sword, Jiang Ziya stopped joking and hurriedly blocked Xi Xichang's sword with Tonglin.
"We still don't know who installed this, or for what reason."
"'They'?"
Jiang Ziya, as if he were embarrassed, withdrew the Tonglin that had been blocking Xi Xichang's sword.
"I have some people I suspect... but I'm saying it because I don't know the definite reason. Maybe it's necessary for the Water God Festival..."
Hearing those words, Xi Xichang could immediately guess who Jiang Ziya was suspecting.
In the first place, if it was a technique displayed with a Myō-ō statue, it was surely of Buddhism or esoteric Buddhism, and since Xi Xichang was not blind, it was more difficult not to notice at this point.
"You must be talking about those lamas."
"Are they lamas?"
"Judging by their clothes... they were not the clothes of the Central Plains."
Jiang Ziya, who had not seen many monks, had thought that they were just wearing flashy clothes to hold the Buddhist service of the Water God Festival.
"In any case, it's not a big danger right now, so let's watch a little more."
"It'll be too late after it becomes dangerous."
"I'm not sure if it's really necessary for the Water God Festival, since I don't have such an experience. Since we've found the Myō-ō statue that forms the formation today and have confirmed it, it won't be so difficult to destroy this even if an unforeseen situation occurs."
At the words that they had not made a wasted trip, Xi Xichang put her sword back into the scabbard.
In any case, since Jiang Ziya was more proficient in such formations or techniques than her, it would be the right judgment to follow his opinion.
However, since Jiang Ziya still had an unresolved question, he intended to check the Fudō Myō-ō statue, which was the center of the technique, alone, without telling Xi Xichang.
Although he had heard that the Water God Festival was held in the village every year, since the Middle River was not as rough and stormy as the sea, it could not be normal for the surrounding energy to be disturbed like this every time.
If he found the Fudō Myō-ō statue, he would be able to grasp the more accurate purpose of the formation that was now spread in the village.
"By the way, aren't we going to be late for the main round?"
"Ah, the main round!"
Since he had been engrossed in the technique, he had completely forgotten that the time for the main round of the Fish Dragon Festival was approaching.
Jiang Ziya and Xi Xichang hurriedly displayed their divine footwork towards the venue where the main round of the Fish Dragon Festival was held.
* * *
Rumble!
The sound of thunder echoed above the gray sky.
Under the sky where an ultimate formation that was contrary to the laws of heaven and earth was spread, the two absolute beings, with the Paecheon Pavilion between them, were looking at each other without even flinching.
The appearance of Mo Guangdi, Jeul, who was showing the dignity of an emperor with a black strong qi rising like a haze, and Su Hu, whose red mist was wrapping around his body like a snake and was arousing the fear of the beholder, was quite contrasting and also wonderful.
"Do you dare to face me alone?"
Jeul, looking at Su Hu who was slowly walking towards him, uttered a short word.
"'Dare'... hahaha!"
Su Hu burst into a loud laugh and slowly floated up to the top of the pavilion.
Although it looked like the state of walking on air, it could not deceive Jeul's gaze.
"Strange."
One thing was certain, Su Hu was not using martial arts.
Nevertheless, the red airflow flowing around Su Hu's body was expanding threateningly and was exuding hostility in all directions.
"Do you think this King Seong needs help to kill just one human?"
"King Seong..."
A title that Jeul had never heard of in his knowledge.
No, since he had not even been aware of the existence of a peerless master named Su Hu, perhaps it was natural.
Su Hu's arrogant voice was declaring that he would face Jeul alone.
Su Hu's martial prowess was truly an unprecedented state.
Jeul had no intention of underestimating him.
"Look around. How does this place look to you?"
Su Hu's voice, which had now changed to a lower tone, was extremely gloomy.
Jeul, feeling the strong power flowing from his voice, frowned.
Unless one's vocal cords were injured or one intentionally modulated one's voice, it was not a common thing for a person's voice to change so drastically.
Moreover, a magic containing Su Hu's will to subdue Jeul right away was flowing from Su Hu's voice.
However, Jeul was also a peerless master of the martial world who had achieved the divine authority of the supreme level.
His Ten Variations True Art lightly brushed off the magic contained in Su Hu's voice as if it were a grating noise.
"Since you have ruined my pavilion, I must hold you responsible."
"Haha! Look! The world where this King Seong originally existed! Unlike your world where it is difficult to use even a handful of magic, this is my domain. My world."
A chaotic world where the laws of nature had been reversed.
Jeul could not understand Su Hu's crazy story.
However, as he said, the air in the ultimate formation was extremely sticky, and a foul smell and an unknown strange sensation were grating on his extremely trained nerves.
It was clear that what he had thought was the effect of the formation that was tying him down was rather giving strength to Su Hu.
"But it's a pity... that I have to face a half-dead corpse whose life is draining away at this time when I can exert my full power."
"How dare you!"
At Su Hu's words, Jeul's eyebrows twitched. Soon, a ray of black light flew from his finger towards Su Hu.
Bang!
The Ten Variations Finger Sword that had extended from Jeul's finger was about to pierce Su Hu, but at Su Hu's one gesture, it passed him and cut the pillar of the pavilion.
"I'll make you a proposal."
Su Hu was in a very good mood.
How long had it been since he had smelled the scent of his hometown?
His whole body was full of energy, his blood was boiling, and magic was overflowing.
Since it had been a long time since he had been in such a good mood, Su Hu wanted to bestow mercy with a happy heart.
"I will spare you. You will become an immortal body that does not need to fear a gnawing death. I will give you the conquered world."
Jeul, at Su Hu's words, was convinced that his body condition had been leaked to the outside.
At the fact that such a thing had happened despite his careful attention, he once again recalled that there were no secrets in the world.
"Serve me."
At Su Hu's arrogant words, Jeul snorted.
"You talk too much."
At Jeul's one word of refusal, his subordinates who were lined up behind Su Hu revealed a thick murderous intent.
At Jeul's answer, Su Hu smiled, revealing his white teeth.
Jeul, looking at his particularly sharp canines, expressionlessly checked his body condition.
"If you feel for yourself how painful it is to serve me after death, you will regret it."
As Su Hu stretched out his hand, a red airflow instantly surged and began to rise at Jeul's feet.
Jeul, in the instantly created whirlwind, immediately displayed the Ten Supreme Variations and made his Diamond Body as hard as a rock.
Rumble!
As the red whirlwind swallowed Jeul, a huge pressure poured towards Jeul with the smell of burning clothes.
The rocks and gravel that were swirling in the whirlwind became blades and flew towards Jeul's skin, and the power contained in them began to beat Jeul's Diamond Body like a thunderbolt.
The Infinite Ten Thousand Variations.
Jeul, in the storm, quietly stretched out one hand.
A dozen afterimages were displayed around him in unison and stretched out their hands in different directions, and soon, a dozen rays of light tore the whirlwind and began to emit their light in all directions.
Thwack!
As the black sword qi was scattered in all directions, the whirlwind was scattered like a cloud pushed by a strong wind.
Jeul, as he was, gathered both arms and clenched his two hands.
"Yes! That's what makes it fun!"
In Su Hu's one hand, three fireballs the size of a human head had already appeared.
Each fireball was rotating on Su Hu's palm and was greedily licking its tongue.
The sparks that flew from there melted the soil and pierced the rocks, so one could guess how great the heat was.
Swoosh!
The fireballs rotated greatly and flew towards Jeul.
A huge black strong qi extended from Jeul's clenched two hands.
Jeul's Ten Variations Finger Sword, with a tremendous momentum, cut the fireballs as they were and flew towards Su Hu.
"Hahaha! To cut the flames of hell!"
Su Hu, flying in the sky like a bird flapping its wings freely, leisurely avoided Jeul's Ten Variations Finger Sword.
In the place where the Ten Variations Finger Sword had extended, the gray sky was torn, and a huge hole was pierced.
However, the hole where the clear air had come in was instantly closed and began to emit a turbid smoke again.
Su Hu, feeling that the energy of the formation was weakening once again, this time stretched out both hands and clenched them towards Jeul.
Rumble!
The ground where Jeul was floating shook, and the soil and stones began to float up to the sky.
In contrast, Jeul's body began to slowly descend to the floor. Jeul, supporting the weight of a thousand pounds that he felt on his head, let out a short groan.
"Hmm!"
(End of Chapter)