Chapter 87

With the small mountain peak at its core, the sand and gravel swirled like a dragon, blocking out the sky and sun, spiraling upwards in circles as if the most terrifying sandstorm were approaching.

Amidst the swirling sandstorm, vague black shadows could be seen, twisting and shapeless, heavy with yin energy, emitting mournful cries as they continuously lunged towards the peak.

This was precisely the "Eighteen Lamentations of the Wraiths" technique, specifically the "Wraiths Claiming Souls," activated by the old man using his Sandstorm Divine Skill!

At the foot of the mountain, the lush oasis withered rapidly amidst the flying sand and rolling stones, turning desolate and yellow, as if all the moisture had been drained. The cattle, sheep, and herders stood stiff, their skin and muscles losing moisture inch by inch, with vague black shadows flying out of their bodies, heading towards the "wraiths" at the peak.

This terrifying scene did not stop at the small mountain and the nearby oasis but spread over a hundred miles, draining the souls of all living beings and withering the entire land.

Outside the Sandstorm Village, the wind and sand enveloped the relatively normal soil, causing it to dry and crack, extending from the direction of the small mountain all the way to the village and beyond.

In the village, one by one, the passersby froze, their movements slowing, their skin shriveling, and black shadows struggling to escape from their bodies.

The wind and sand struck the "First Family of the Vast Sea" inn, producing a dense, rapid sound, making the seemingly dilapidated inn sway and creak, as if it would soon lose its moisture, turn to powder, and collapse.

Inside the inn, the guests at each table, like the herders outside, became dazed, about to lose their souls.

Qiu Jiuniang suddenly stood up, her eyebrows arching, and she shouted loudly, "Old不死 (undead), be careful of the heavenly retribution, may your son have no anus! What did my inn ever do to you?"

With her cold and fierce scolding, a chill wind seemed to sweep through the inn, making the guests shiver and snap back to their senses, looking at each other with fear. The wooden boards of the inn's exterior also stopped losing moisture, but they still swayed and creaked under the wind and sand.

"The confrontation between grandmasters is too terrifying..." a sand traveler with eyes like sapphires muttered. They were several dozen miles away from the confrontation, yet they almost had their souls sucked away. If it weren't for the mysterious Qiu Jiuniang, they might not have escaped this disaster.

The leader of the sand travelers, who wore a curved saber, said with fear, "Normal grandmasters would contain the range of their confrontation to concentrate their power, but the old man is an exception. The more souls he absorbs, the more powerful his 'Eighteen Lamentations of the Wraiths' becomes! Running into this is truly a stroke of bad luck!"

They were bandits of the瀚海戈壁 (Vast Sea Desert), subjects of the "Evil Saber of the Vast Sea" Zeluoju, and had some knowledge of the "Eighteen Lamentations of the Wraiths."

"Boss, should we believe in Buddhism to resolve our sins and avoid such bad luck?"

"Believe in your mother's Buddhism!"

...

Meng Qi, who had just reached the center of Sandstorm Village, had a dark golden glow on his skin, locking his body and soul, resembling an arhat. However, the dark golden glow was becoming increasingly dim, like a candle in a strong wind, about to go out at any moment.

He gritted his teeth, striving to focus, realizing today the terrifying power of the peak outer realm, akin to a natural disaster!

At the peak of the small mountain, Xuan Bei recited mantras while holding dark golden prayer beads, emitting streams of crystal light from his hands, making the peak look like a Buddhist paradise.

As the old man struck with his palm, the wraiths surged like a black torrent, sometimes screaming and dissipating in the crystal light, and sometimes tearing the crystal light to shreds.

Xuan Bei remained calm and composed, looking at the old man, his voice echoing in the old man's heart:

"Do you know why I chose the 'Maha Vajra Fist' with missing important scriptures instead of the complete divine skill?"

The old man's gaze intensified, raising his right palm and pushing with his left. The wind and sand suddenly fell like a dragon, and the wraiths became even more intangible, as if existing between the realms of yin and yang, making them impossible to resist.

After Xuan Bei finished speaking, a bead on his prayer beads turned from dark gold to pitch black. Then, he threw a punch.

This punch seemed to fill the entire world, the fist becoming transparent and pure, like crystal, free from dust.

A golden glow enveloped him, and illusory golden lotuses bloomed on the peak, with a vague void appearing behind him.

In the void, fierce and grotesque wraiths and spirits surrounded a golden lotus throne, where a bodhisattva sat, full of compassion, pitying all beings, holding the ever-changing life and death aura, like a wheel of black and white, containing the great secrets of the universe and the mysteries of life and death.

The bodhisattva's face was blurry and changing, ultimately matching Xuan Bei's appearance, though one was melancholic and heavy, and the other compassionate and solemn!

The bodhisattva opened his mouth, and the void echoed with the sound of clouds and thunder:

"After this day, in countless eons, in all worlds, all hells, and the three evil paths, all suffering beings, I vow to save and free them from the hells, the realms of animals, and hungry ghosts. When all these beings have become Buddhas, then I will attain perfect enlightenment."

"Hell will not be empty until I become a Buddha; all beings will be saved before I attain enlightenment."

Chanting sounds filled the air, and the Buddha light shone brightly, making the wraiths and spirits lose their ferocity and resentment, their faces becoming peaceful as they disappeared into the void.

The wind and sand stopped, and the foot of the mountain echoed with chants and Buddha's names. Withered grass gradually turned green, streams trickled, and the skin of the desiccated herders and livestock slowly regained its fullness, with the black souls returning to their bodies, the vitality of life flourishing.

The cracked earth stabilized, and the soulless passersby in Sandstorm Village were freed from "hell," feeling both bewildered and fearful.

Inside the inn, the cursing Qiu Jiuniang showed a hint of surprise, muttering to herself, "Is there really someone who has practiced the 'Maha Vajra Fist' to this level?"

Under the life-giving aura and the crystal Buddha light, Meng Qi, who had been struggling, finally broke free from the influence of the "Eighteen Lamentations of the Wraiths." The dark golden glow on his skin no longer dimmed, becoming pure again.

Looking at the scene before him, which had just traversed the boundary between life and death, Meng Qi couldn't help but think, "This must be the power of the immortals!"

The Maha Vajra Fist, exploring the cycle of life and death!

The old man's move was broken, and he let out a long howl, his voice piercing the clouds and the soul, like a ghost king from the depths of hell.

Black energy rose around him, as if hell had opened, and the spirits were out of control.

Then, he raised his palm to the sky and struck down, the "Eighteen Lamentations of the Wraiths" technique, "The Gates of Hell Open"!

Xuan Bei and the bodhisattva behind him remained melancholic and compassionate, their fists like seals, striking again with the "Maha Vajra Fist" technique, "Saving All Beings"!

...

Meng Qi turned back and saw the small mountain surrounded by swirling sand and gravel, black energy and Buddha light competing, intertwining, and seemingly evenly matched.

He knew that with his strength, he couldn't help his master, let alone approach the mountain, which would only make him a burden. However, his junior brother was alone in the inn, inexperienced and prone to mistakes, which could lead to fatal consequences. Therefore, he temporarily abandoned his plan to "escape from Shaolin" and decided to return to the inn to meet up with his junior brother.

Under normal circumstances, he would have no qualms about escaping, but the situation was special. He and his junior brother had a deep friendship, and he couldn't just abandon him.

Moreover, Meng Qi, though unwilling to admit it, knew that if there were other enemies or if the old man gained the upper hand, the nightmare of losing moisture and having souls sucked away would reoccur. The inn would be the safest place, as it had a suspected outer realm practitioner, Qiu Jiuniang.

Meng Qi had to admit that seeking shelter and helping his junior brother were equally important reasons for his return to the inn.

Just as he turned, his gaze froze, and his pupils contracted sharply. On the sand-filled street, a man with a strange appearance stood directly opposite him.

He wore a black cloak like a sand traveler, with white hair but a young face, as if he were a man in his twenties or thirties. The contrast made him particularly terrifying.

"An Guo Xie..." Meng Qi whispered his name, not turning to run.

In this situation, turning to run would expose his true vulnerabilities, leaving his back and vital points open to attack.

An Guo Xie, the "White-Headed Vulture," the old man's granddisciple, a master with all nine orifices open, ranked 36th on the Human List, was far stronger than him!

An Guo Xie had a gaunt face with prominent features, giving him a unique exotic beauty. He smiled wickedly and taunted, "My luck is quite good, running into one directly. Now I don't have to worry about being punished by the old ancestor."

He didn't take an opponent who hadn't opened his orifices seriously, treating him like a cat playing with a mouse.

As he spoke, he lunged forward like a vulture, pushing his palms forward, the palm wind scorching, making Meng Qi feel as if he were buried deep in the desert, struggling to breathe, his skin drying, his body losing moisture, and his strength waning.

Although he hadn't learned the "Eighteen Lamentations of the Wraiths," his Sandstorm Divine Skill was already at a high level!