Chapter 2205: The Buddha-Demon Battle
"Hua Qingfeng, the First Lord of Divine Firmament, has lost again." In Divine Firmament City, countless gazes froze. Were all the Nine Heavens First Lords going to be eliminated? This time, Lin Feng would not let Hua Qingfeng off easily. He stepped forward, his body closing in like an afterimage, an overwhelming pressure sweeping outward. Staring at the figure before him, he said coldly, "Speak for yourself!"
A cold wind howled, striking Hua Qingfeng's face, sending a chill deep into his heart. Defeated, defeated again. Looking at Lin Feng's figure ahead, he, the First Lord of Divine Firmament, hailed as the one most likely to claim the championship of this Nine Heavens Gathering, had now lost two battles in a row on the stage of the ultimate showdown. What face did he have left to continue fighting?
"Once the Nine Heavens Gathering is over, I should engage in serious self-reflection," Hua Qingfeng murmured to himself. Then he spoke aloud: "I, Hua Qingfeng, admit defeat."
As these words fell, the hearts of those in Divine Firmament City trembled slightly. This statement, uttered from Hua Qingfeng's lips, meant that the First Lord of Divine Firmament was out. Hua Qingfeng's ranking in the Nine Heavens Gathering: sixth place.
"The ultimate showdown has indeed not disappointed. Zhou Rongman and Lin Feng—everyone thought they would be eliminated. Yet, they have successively defeated Hua Qingfeng, telling everyone that having reached this point, no one can doubt their strength," many thought to themselves.
Now, five people remained on the battlefield. Moreover, Kong Ming had defeated that supreme array master, which meant Kong Ming was at least guaranteed a top-four spot. Could that array master, though defeated by Kong Ming, still overcome one of the other three? It was hard to say. These people were all too terrifying. Without experiencing it firsthand, one couldn't even judge who was stronger, unless they clashed directly.
However, one thing was clear: the title of First Lord of Divine Firmament should never have belonged to Hua Qingfeng. Even his fellow disciple Kong Ming was by no means weaker than him. And Zhou Rongman, who had defeated Hua Qingfeng, could just as well be the First Lord of Divine Firmament. After this battle, the titles of several of the Nine Heavens First Lords would also change hands. For example, the First Lord of Azure Night, the Heartless Young Master, would have to yield to Lin Feng or Chu Chunqiu, both cultivators from the Azure Night Continent.
"With four people left, since you've lost, you should be eliminated," Zhou Rongman said, looking at the remaining four. Finally, his gaze fell on the Array Artisan. The Array Artisan's eyes turned cold. He was a formidable expert, having sealed himself within an Array Ore. Even though he had started over from the Martial Emperor Realm, he should have been among the peak figures of this level. Yet today, on the stage of the Nine Heavens Gathering, he had lost. And now, someone was pointing at him, telling him to leave.
"Kong Ming cultivates the Ten Thousand Buddhas Facing the Heavens and the Indestructible Golden Body. He is undoubtedly an extraordinary figure. But who is this guy, daring to show me such contempt?" The Array Artisan stared at Zhou Rongman. In an instant, his array dao manifested, attacking Zhou Rongman. However, Zhou Rongman grew a thousand arms, directly breaking through any attack with sheer force. One force subdues a hundred techniques—if one possesses supreme strength, everything can be shattered.
Zhou Rongman stepped forward, charging at his opponent. This battle was far less dazzling than the previous one. The fight between Kong Ming and the Array Artisan had been earth-shattering in its grandeur. But Zhou Rongman brought the battle down to its most unadorned state, lacking in spectacle yet being the most direct and domineering.
The Array Artisan could do nothing to Zhou Rongman, but Zhou Rongman couldn't hit him either, as he specialized in close-quarters combat. The Array Artisan's array dao was immensely powerful—why would he give Zhou Rongman the chance? He intended to use his array power to wear Zhou Rongman down until he died.
At this moment, Zhou Rongman stopped, saying to the Array Artisan, "What's the point of a fight like this?"
"In a fight like this, the one who ultimately loses will be you," the Array Artisan said coldly. This battle was indeed frustrating. Zhou Rongman's offense and defense were both monstrous, but he couldn't get close. The Array Artisan's words weren't wrong. If the fight continued like this, victory would belong to the Array Artisan, who could unleash an endless barrage of attacks. But such a battle was very dull.
"Zhou Rongman's weakness is speed. Although he's fast, as long as you restrict his movement and prevent him from using his speed, Zhou Rongman will be limited," the crowd thought. Those in the battle had also noticed this. But then Kong Ming spoke, looking at the Array Artisan: "You are a grandmaster-level figure. Since you've lost, you should voluntarily withdraw from the battle. Why persist like this?"
Lin Feng and Chu Chunqiu also looked at him, causing the Array Artisan's expression to stiffen. He clasped his hands behind his back, standing in the void, and sighed: "The world changes, and generation after generation of geniuses emerge endlessly. At this Nine Heavens Gathering, I am eliminated."
Just as Kong Ming had said, he was a grandmaster-level figure. Having lost to his opponent, there was no need to cling to the battle platform. When it was time to fight, he would fight. But when it was over, rankings weren't that important to him. So he stepped aside, looking at the final four.
"The ones ranked first and second have both been eliminated. Hua Qingfeng is sixth, and this terrifying array master is fifth. The remaining four will compete for the top four spots," the crowd murmured. Hua Qingfeng had originally been ranked first but was eliminated. The array master, originally ranked second, was also eliminated. The ultimate showdown of the Nine Heavens Gathering had exceeded everyone's expectations.
"Now, only four remain: Zhou Rongman, Kong Ming, Chu Chunqiu, and Lin Feng. Zhou Rongman and Kong Ming seem to have some similarities—both possess terrifying offense and defense. However, Zhou Rongman's attacks are single-target and direct, while Kong Ming uses Buddhist techniques. In terms of defense, Kong Ming also has the Indestructible Golden Body. If the two of them clash, who knows what the outcome will be? And the battle between Lin Feng and Chu Chunqiu has yet to be decided."
"Lin Feng, you and I seem to share some fate. Among the remaining four, let's have a match. Zhou Rongman and Chu Chunqiu will have another. No one will be eliminated. The winners will fight each other, and the losers will fight each other, to determine the final rankings," Kong Ming said slowly, looking at Lin Feng with a calm voice.
"Kong Ming wants to fight Lin Feng? He is a Buddhist cultivator, while Lin Feng cultivates demonic arts. Their clash will be just as spectacular," the crowd thought.
Lin Feng also looked at Kong Ming. Kong Ming's Indestructible Golden Body was far stronger than Wang Ti Zhuoqing's. Zhuoqing had also participated in the Nine Heavens Gathering but was eliminated early, not even making the top thirty. Compared to Kong Ming, he was nothing—the gap in their strength was enormous.
"Alright," Lin Feng nodded. Now, only four remained, all peak Martial Emperor Realm figures. He wanted to fight every one of them. Being able to experience Kong Ming's supreme Buddhist techniques was something Lin Feng looked forward to.
"Whoever wins between you two will then fight me for the number one spot in the Nine Heavens," Zhou Rongman said with a grin, pointing at the two of them. This made Chu Chunqiu's expression freeze as he looked at Zhou Rongman. Was this guy ignoring him, as if his defeat was a foregone conclusion?
The people in Divine Firmament City also wiped their sweat. Although Zhou Rongman was very strong, was Chu Chunqiu any weaker? This Zhou Rongman was an interesting fellow.
Chu Chunqiu released his Heaven-Devouring Will, pressing it toward Zhou Rongman. Since the other had an unmatched physical body, he would let him experience the meaning of devouring the heavens and swallow his will.
On Lin Feng's side, Kong Ming's body blazed with radiant Buddhist light. One hundred and eight Buddha statues appeared behind him. His body transformed into a golden form, giving the impression of an invincible Buddha, a supreme master of Buddhist techniques.
Around Lin Feng, demonic light blazed into the sky. In the void, demonic clouds rolled. The Nine Nether hung overhead, and a melody lingered. That stretch of sky was half Buddha, half demon—one side bathed in brilliant Buddhist light, the other shrouded in darkness.
The Nine Nether Demon Melody played, and demonic light in the heavens and earth continuously eroded the Buddhist light, seeking to occupy the entire void and sky.
"The Nine Nether Demon Melody, one of the nine supreme melodies of heaven and earth. But among those nine melodies, there is also a Buddhist melody: the Great Compassion Mantra, which saves all beings." Kong Ming closed his eyes, his body fully transforming into a golden form, impervious to all things. His golden body sat in the void, ten thousand Buddhas paying homage. The one hundred and eight Buddha statues simultaneously sounded Buddhist chants, like celestial music, purifying everything.
At this moment, above Divine Firmament City, endless Buddhist chants rolled forth. The Great Compassion Mantra resounded through heaven and earth. Everyone felt as if a Buddhist light enveloped them, penetrating their hearts. In an instant, they were drawn into a state of emptiness, letting go of themselves, entering a state of no-self. All thoughts of conflict returned to nothingness, all intent to kill was set aside, returning to peace. No desires, no demands, letting go of everything, embracing compassion.
For a time, many in Divine Firmament City showed expressions of reverence, their eyes calm, their hearts as still water. At this moment, they let go of everything, forgot everything.
"Such a powerful Buddhist melody! The Great Compassion Mantra, one of the nine supreme melodies, makes people lose their will to fight. Yet he himself is using it in battle," many were shocked. They noticed that those around them had already fallen into the artistic conception of the melody. In their eyes, Kong Ming at this moment was holy, supreme—a compassionate ancient Buddha. But they seemed to forget that Kong Ming was using the Great Compassion Mantra to fight.
"The Nine Nether Demon Melody is directed solely at Kong Ming, while Kong Ming's Great Compassion Mantra resounds directly through heaven and earth. It seems he has cultivated it more deeply, mastering it better than Lin Feng," many thought. The Buddhist light had already overpowered the demonic light.
"This bald donkey, where did he get the Great Compassion Mantra?" The Idler's gaze stiffened as he stared at Kong Ming fighting inside. That bald donkey had hidden too deeply—he was the most formidable figure of the Sacred Mountain!