Chapter 369

Words : 2583 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 369Above Lu Qing’s head, the grey-robed old monk radiated golden light. A massive Buddha shadow appeared behind him. With a cold and stern expression, the grey-robed old monk stood on a golden boat, raising one palm and pressing it down. As this palm descended, the Buddha shadow behind the old monk also extended a giant palm, pressing down through the air toward Lu Qing. As the palm approached, chants seemed to echo through the heavens, and golden runes encircled the Buddha shadow’s giant palm. With a force that seemed capable of crushing everything, it bore down on Lu Qing to suppress him. It turned out that the old monk had purposely let himself appear forced to descend under the barrage of arrows and allowed himself to be captured by Lu Qing’s Earth Vein Magnetism, leading him to believe he had succeeded in his scheme. In reality, this was all intentional on the monk’s part, aimed at making Lu Qing lower his guard so he could deliver a fatal blow up close. “As expected, you should never underestimate a Foundation Establishment cultivator.” Sensing the immense power of the Buddha shadow’s giant palm, Lu Qing felt a surge of admiration in his heart. Clearly, this grey-robed old monk had kept other tricks up his sleeve, yet had only been using that golden shuttle artifact to fight so far. Even when encircled by Lu Qing’s arrow barrage, he pretended to be weak, acting as if Lu Qing had forced him down. Seemingly caught in Lu Qing’s trap, in truth, he was playing along, setting a trap of his own. He was only waiting until he got close to unleash his deadly strike. The Buddha’s giant palm covered an area over a dozen zhang around Lu Qing’s head. Not only was it incredibly fast, but its oppressive force was tremendous. Before the giant palm could even fully descend, its overpowering suppression force already bound Lu Qing, making his body feel sluggish and hindering his ability to dodge. It was as if the old monk aimed to reverse the roles, crushing Lu Qing and his entire domain. “It seems I’ll need to get serious.” Seeing the massive Buddha palm looming before him, Lu Qing’s expression hardened, and a radiant light emerged from his body. Boom! The next moment, the Buddha palm struck where Lu Qing stood. Dust and smoke erupted across the area, and the ground for more than a dozen zhang around sank beneath the force of the palm. Seen from above, a giant palm imprint suddenly appeared on the plains, creating a powerful visual impact. The power of this palm strike was overwhelming, terrifying enough to make even an Precelestial Realm cultivator’s face change in fear. “Hm?” However, upon seeing the devastation caused by his strike, the grey-robed old monk showed no satisfaction. Instead, his expression shifted. He sensed that the Earth Vein Magnetism binding him hadn’t completely dissipated. It was still entwined around him, restricting his movements. He stared intently below, and suddenly, his pupils constricted. Amidst the dust cloud, there was a sudden tremor, and it exploded outward in all directions. A figure emitting a white radiance shot out from within the smoke, speeding straight toward the grey-robed old monk. Alarmed, the monk instinctively raised his palm to strike. Simultaneously, the Buddha shadow behind him stirred up a whirlwind, sending another palm toward Lu Qing in the air! Faced with the blinding golden light and the massive Buddha palm coming toward him, Lu Qing’s gaze remained calm, showing no sign of panic. At some point, he had stowed away his blade and bow into his Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag. A gentle breeze surrounded him, further boosting his speed. Without dodging, his right hand formed a fist, and he launched a punch directly at the Buddha palm! Roar! As Lu Qing’s fist struck, the roar of a tiger reverberated through the sky. In a fleeting moment, the grey-robed old monk seemed to see an ancient, giant tiger emerge from Lu Qing’s figure. The monk’s shock intensified, realizing it was an illusion created by the overwhelming intensity of Lu Qing’s fist intent, shaking his very mind. Boom! Fist and palm collided in midair, causing a whirlwind to arise. High above, layers of white mist formed in the sky, whipped up by fierce winds. Had this clash occurred on the ground, it would’ve sent sand and stones flying, leaving grass and trees uprooted. Though Lu Qing’s size seemed insignificant before the Buddha palm’s width of over ten zhang, like a mere insect attempting to shake a massive tree, reality defied appearances. With Lu Qing’s punch, cracks began to spread from the center of the glass-like giant Buddha palm, rapidly extending across the entire palm and up its arm. Finally, it shattered completely. “How is this possible?!” Seeing the Buddha palm disintegrate, the grey-robed old monk’s eyes filled with disbelief. He could not fathom that his Buddha Dharma Image, powered by the treasure within him, could be so effortlessly shattered. Having destroyed the Buddha’s arm with a single punch, Lu Qing did not pause. With the breeze lifting him, he dropped a few zhang to neutralize the backlash, then surged upward again, charging directly toward the monk. There was only one chance. As long as the monk remained on the golden boat in midair, he could advance or retreat at will, making him nearly invincible. Now that he had managed to get close, Lu Qing wouldn’t let this golden opportunity slip by. He noticed that the arm of the Buddha shadow he had shattered was gradually regenerating, so he needed to finish this quickly. With the power of the talisman, Lu Qing could briefly fly, rapidly approaching the old monk, launching another punch. The grey-robed old monk, already wary of Lu Qing’s devastating fists, dared not receive it directly. Yet, just as he had pretended to be caught in Lu Qing’s domain to relax his guard before launching a sneak attack, he now found himself trapped within Lu Qing’s domain, entangled in the Earth Vein Magnetism, his speed significantly reduced. Trying to retreat was too late. Forced into a corner, he hastily formed a seal, driving the remaining arm of his Buddha Dharma Image to press down against Lu Qing. But, as expected, when fist and palm clashed once more, the Buddha’s other arm shattered under Lu Qing’s punch. With the breeze surrounding him, Lu Qing closed in on the monk once more, delivering another devastating punch. This time, the grey-robed old monk was utterly out of options. Gathering the last of his spiritual power, he struck back at Lu Qing’s fist. But if even his strongest techniques couldn’t withstand Lu Qing’s punch, how could his flesh match up? Under the overwhelming force of Lu Qing’s fist, the monk’s arm shattered instantly, his entire body thrown back as he spewed blood, separated from the golden boat. “A great opportunity!” Lu Qing had long coveted the golden boat, so without hesitation, he abandoned pursuit, grabbing hold of the boat and focusing his mind to claim it. With the grey-robed old monk gravely injured, Lu Qing’s punch not only contained tremendous force but also profound fist intent. The monk’s spirit was nearly shattered by the impact, rendering him incapable of controlling the golden boat. Thus, Lu Qing easily stored the boat into his Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag. Then, seeing the monk still suspended in midair, the breeze stirred around Lu Qing as he pursued once more. Although it might seem complex, in reality, Lu Qing’s series of actions—from knocking the monk off the golden boat to seizing the boat—took only an instant. By the time Lu Qing reached him, the monk hadn’t yet touched the ground. Meeting the monk’s fearful gaze, Lu Qing’s expression remained blank as he delivered a final punch to the monk’s chest. Thud! This time, Lu Qing did not hold back. His punch penetrated the monk’s chest, and the impact instantly tore through his body. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak, the monk’s physical resilience far surpassed an Precelestial Realm cultivator. Despite enduring such a fearsome punch, the monk’s body didn’t explode completely but was left with a gaping hole through his chest, smashing him into the ground, leaving a deep pit. ... Lu Qing descended to the pit’s edge, looking indifferently at the barely-breathing monk, now on the brink of death. The monk had taken a punch from Lu Qing in his body-radiance state, and though his body hadn’t been destroyed, he was clearly beyond saving. “So, you’re a body cultivator as well!” Though barely conscious, the monk noticed the white radiance surrounding Lu Qing, showing sudden realization. Based on records from Xuankong Mountain’s predecessors, the path of the body cultivator was formidable. While it had many drawbacks, in terms of combat strength, it ranked among the top three cultivation paths. Especially in close combat, body cultivators were virtually unbeatable. Being ambushed by a body cultivator who had reached the stage of body radiance, the monk felt his defeat was justified. “However, there is one thing I still don’t understand. What grudge does Xuankong Mountain have with you that you would slaughter my disciples?” Knowing he wouldn’t survive, the monk stared at the ghost-face mask on Lu Qing’s face, voicing his greatest question. Yet, Lu Qing did not grant him the answer he sought. With a blank expression, he replied, “That’s something you’ll have to figure out in the underworld.” Saying that, he launched another punch. With the ferocity of his punch, the gravely injured monk, already on the verge of death and unable to summon any spiritual power, was utterly destroyed, turning into a cloud of blood. Just as the monk’s body disintegrated, a grey light shot out from the blood mist, heading straight for Lu Qing’s brow. Its speed was astonishing, catching Lu Qing off guard. But the next moment, just as the grey light was about to strike his brow, a golden garment’s image appeared, enveloping Lu Qing entirely. The grey light struck the garment’s image, sizzling as wisps of grey smoke rose from it. “Ah! The power of merit—this is impossible!” The grey-robed old monk’s enraged cry sounded briefly before the grey light was incinerated, its voice dissipating completely. It turned out that the grey light was the monk’s spirit. He had known he couldn’t escape death but had refused to give up. In his last moments, he unleashed a secret technique to launch a final, desperate attack, attempting to invade Lu Qing’s brow acupoint. If he could shatter Lu Qing’s spirit, he could possibly claim Lu Qing’s formidable body for himself. Even if he failed, as long as he injured Lu Qing’s spirit, he could temporarily hinder an enemy of Xuankong Mountain and leave a trace of his spirit on Lu Qing, allowing his sect to track and hunt him down. But he had never expected that Lu Qing’s body possessed the Celestial Garment of Merit, capable of blocking all spirit attacks. The monk’s scheme stood no chance; his spirit was incinerated by the garment before it could even begin. “These old-timers sure have a lot of tricks.” Lu Qing rubbed his brow with a sigh. The speed of that spirit attack had been so swift that even he had nearly failed to react. But even if the monk’s spirit had entered his brow acupoint, Lu Qing wouldn’t have been worried. In fact, he believed that if the monk had seen what lay within his brow acupoint, the monk would have likely died of fright first. With the protection of the Earth Spirit Pearl and Soul Talisman, Lu Qing doubted any spirit attack below the Golden Core Realm could harm him. Having neutralized the old monk’s final assault, Lu Qing’s gaze fell upon the pit. He saw that even after the monk’s body was destroyed, something had survived. It was a bead with a faint golden glow, hovering midair. Lu Qing could tell this was some kind of rare treasure the monk had refined. Just as he was about to examine it, he suddenly looked up toward the Ling Mountain Range, his expression changing. His sharp intuition warned him that another powerful presence was approaching. Moreover, this aura carried a faint sense of danger. Sensing this, Lu Qing didn’t hesitate, flashing to the pit and seizing the golden bead, storing it in his Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag. “Xiao Li, come!” Xiao Li, who had been hiding nearby to assist, suddenly appeared, leaping into Lu Qing’s arms. Holding Xiao Li, Lu Qing’s body radiated green light as he transformed into a streak of light, shooting off into the distance. This time, he held nothing back, fully activating the power of the talisman. With spiritual power surging through his limbs, each step propelled him several dozen zhang, and with another step, he was again dozens of zhang ahead. In mere moments, he had transformed into a streak of light, disappearing far off in the landscape. Several breaths later, a figure appeared at the site of Lu Qing’s battle with the old monk. Observing with a serious expression, his face suddenly darkened as he arrived at the pit where the monk had fallen. Seeing the bloodstains, his face turned grim. He sensed that Elder Kurong’s spirit had completely vanished here. ... After leaving the battlefield, Lu Qing pushed his talisman and body technique to the limit, transforming into a streak of light as he sped away. After covering several hundred li, sensing no one was pursuing him, he slipped into a remote mountain, finding a cave to hide in temporarily. Equipped with spiritual artifacts that concealed his presence and the spirit-concealing power of the Soul Talisman, he felt confident that if he wished to hide, nearly no one in the world could find him. After remaining quietly in the cave for half an hour and confirming that no one was pursuing him, Lu Qing finally relaxed. Earlier, he had sensed a faint danger from the Ling Mountain Range. Although the threat wasn’t particularly strong, Lu Qing had no desire to take any risks in his current situation. For now, Xuankong Mountain was in the open, while he remained in the shadows. As long as he wished, his enemies wouldn’t be able to track him. With things as they were, why needlessly take risks? From the old monk’s strength, Lu Qing could tell Xuankong Mountain had considerable resources and many artifacts. Even he had to use many trump cards to take down his opponent. If someone stronger than the monk were to arrive, it would be far harder for him to escape. Once in a difficult battle, if reinforcements came, he might just meet his end in an unexpected defeat. His purpose in coming to Western State wasn’t to fight to the death with Xuankong Mountain but to cause them trouble. For now, it was best to remain hidden in the shadows. After all, his battle with the old monk had brought him ample gains. Once he digested what he’d learned from the battle, he could always seek trouble with Xuankong Mountain later. Thinking this, Lu Qing took out a stack of jade talismans and inserted them into the ground, setting up a simple concealment array. Only then did he flip his hand, producing the golden boat from his Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag.

Chapter 369

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