Chapter 17 — The Spirit Embryo Breaks the Barrier, Revealing the Demon Body
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Amid the violent tremors, the gilded bronze Buddha opened its eyes, and an overwhelming aura burst forth. A stern, thunderous rebuke crashed into Shen Mu's ears: "Heretical fiend! How dare you make a mockery before me, chanting a demon god's true words in flagrant defiance of all law! I shall subdue you with the Buddha's true mantra!"
The monster's face changed drastically. The golden Buddha raised a hand, seized the chains, and hauled the creature forward with such force that she could not stop herself, dragged helplessly before the statue.
Thud.
Overwhelmed by the Buddha's majesty, the monster was forced to kneel prostrate before the image, utterly unable to move.
"Om Mani Padme Hum! Om Mani Padme Hum! Om Mani Padme Hum..."
The golden Buddha opened its mouth and sent forth waves of sacred Sanskrit chanting, as though a living Buddha were reciting the true mantra. The creature heard the sound and her soul was crushed by an invisible force; she screeched and shrieked in agony.
Outside the temple, Shen Mu was blasted by the Buddhist mantra, his mind thrown into turmoil. Yet at that very moment, his vital energy arrived before the Spirit Embryo Barrier—and from beyond the Nine Heavens came a divine sound, as though gods dwelling above the firmament were reciting scriptures. It met the temple's Buddhist tones and swelled, matching them might for might, greatly easing the pressure upon his vital energy.
"What a chance!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Shen Mu chanted the demonic melody aloud: "Qikeduo Suomoye, Banruo Banruo Suomoye, Qikeduo Banruo Suomoye! Qikeduo Suomoye, Banruo Banruo Suomoye, Qikeduo Banruo Suomoye!"
The temple's Buddhist tones roared in response: "Om Mani Padme Hum! Om Mani Padme Hum!"
At the same time, the divine voice from beyond the Nine Heavens, borne at Shen Mu's brow, rose shrill and clear: "Guan, ming, duan, jing, wu, si, jiang, you! Tian, shi, dui, xi, wei, ling, nu!"
The three sounds collided and mingled, and the obstruction before his surging vital energy vanished!
Summoning all his strength, Shen Mu drove the Mystic Body Three-Pellet Art and flung every ounce of his vital energy against the Spirit Embryo Barrier!
CRASH—
The Yong River churned; giant waves split against the shore. And as the billows pounded the bank, Shen Mu's Spirit Embryo Barrier burst with a thunderous crack and collapsed, letting his vital energy pour in mighty floods into the Spirit Soul Divine Mansion!
Then, even more violent vital energy erupted from the Spirit Soul Divine Mansion, instantly surging through every limb and bone, rushing even through his skin and hair—every strand stood on end!
The Spirit Embryo Barrier—obliterated!
The breakthrough had succeeded!
Shen Mu stood stunned for a moment, then stopped chanting the demonic melody. The divine sound vanished just as abruptly. Within the temple, the golden Buddha's recitation, having lost its rival, also stilled. The statue returned to normal, motionless, leaving only the monster beneath it—tempered by the Buddhist chant into a limp, unmoving heap, alive or dead no one could say.
In Shen Mu's brow, the invisible wall that had sealed his Spirit Soul Divine Mansion was finally gone. The mansion stood open at last, without any obstruction!
"I really broke through?"
Shen Mu could not contain his ecstasy; he cheered before the temple. He had drunk untold amounts of Four-Symbol Spirit Marrow without ever awakening his Overlord Body, and now, he had broken through thanks to the clash of divine, demonic, and Buddhist sounds! His small chest swelled with a vast sense of accomplishment.
It was a while before Shen Mu settled down. He thought to himself: "The Spirit Embryo Barrier, the Spirit Soul Divine Mansion—since this is a divine treasury, there must be treasures left for me by the gods..."