Chapter 83: The Duel (Part Four)

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged hundreds of blows, the crystalline illusion filled with the clashing of weapons.

Jue Se laughed with excitement, “Ha ha ha ha! Delightful! Absolutely delightful!”

As soon as his words fell, Jue Se tossed his monk staff behind him, then formed a spell seal with both hands. His entire body suddenly radiated a brilliant golden light.

Almost at the same moment, Yuan Wu threw his demon-subduing staff behind him, also forming a spell seal with both hands, his body emitting the same intense golden glow.

Their movements and expressions were nearly identical.

The only difference was that one was fat, the other thin.

“Diamond Body!” they both shouted.

A flash of golden light burst forth, and both their bodies turned to gold, shining radiantly, as if they were two golden statues.

With a thunderous shout, they charged at each other.

A heavy punch collided, echoing with a dull thud.

Without pause, they kept throwing heavy punches at one another.

Fist met fist for dozens of rounds, then suddenly, Jue Se caught a flaw in Yuan Wu’s defense and landed a punch on Yuan Wu’s face, while Yuan Wu simultaneously struck Jue Se’s plump cheek with a heavy blow!

Both took the hits without retreating even half a step. Each absorbed the other’s blow, then immediately resumed the exchange.

In an instant, hundreds of punches were traded with no defense, no technique—just pure brawling.

This fierce close combat stirred the blood of all who watched.

Bai Qiu exclaimed, “Now this is a true duel between men!”

Sun Fanbai declared, “At a moment like this, magic seems insignificant before the might of the flesh.”

Shi Qi, lying on the ground, cried out, “Help me up... I can still fight!”

While the onlookers pondered, the two combatants unleashed several hundred more blows upon each other.

With a thunderous crash, both were sent flying, landing heavily on the ground.

Panting heavily, Jue Se struggled to his feet. His form was now slightly translucent.

Yuan Wu, on the other hand, lay on the ground gasping for breath, his Diamond Body broken, utterly exhausted, unable even to stand.

“Exhilarating!” Jue Se roared with satisfaction.

“Little Jin, I concede!” Jue Se called out, then turned and walked toward Yuan Wu.

Yuan Wu lay on his back, watching the plump Jue Se approach and extend his right hand.

With the last of his strength, Jue Se raised his right hand and clasped Yuan Wu’s, pulling him upright.

Yuan Wu wavered unsteadily, barely managing to stay standing.

Jue Se gazed at Yuan Wu’s face with satisfaction, but suddenly noticed something on Yuan Wu’s brow. His expression changed, though he quickly returned to normal.

He then asked, “Young monk, your name is Yuan Wu?”

“Yes, Master, that is correct,” Yuan Wu replied.

Jue Se nodded, then suddenly pointed at Yuan Wu’s brow.

A golden light shimmered at Yuan Wu’s forehead, flickering for several breaths before fading.

Not knowing what had happened, Yuan Wu quickly asked, “Master, what was that...?”

Jue Se waved his hand dismissively and leaned in to whisper something in Yuan Wu’s ear.

Yuan Wu’s expression changed dramatically as he turned to stare at Jue Se in disbelief.

Having finished, Jue Se turned and walked away.

Yuan Wu watched Jue Se’s ever-more translucent figure, brought his palms together, and recited, “Amitabha.”

Afterward, Yuan Wu left the arena.

Bai Qiu hurried to him, “Master, what did that fat monk say to you?”

Yuan Wu shook his head and gave no answer.

Sun Fanbai pulled Bai Qiu aside, “Why meddle in a monk’s affairs?”

Bai Qiu protested, “I’m just curious! By the way, Old Sun, it’s your turn, but there are only three of the Four Friends. Who will you fight?”

“Of course, it’s me!” came a voice from behind Bai Qiu. He turned to see Little Jin.

Little Jin beckoned to Sun Fanbai, “Come, let’s have some fun.”

Sun Fanbai nodded respectfully and entered the arena.

With a flicker, Little Jin appeared before Sun Fanbai.

Sun Fanbai saluted, “Elder Jin, please.”

Little Jin raised his hand, and a massive circular formation appeared in the arena.

Little Jin smiled, “Break the formation, and you win.”

Sun Fanbai glanced around and nodded. He stomped the ground, summoning a massive Bagua diagram beneath his feet.

He closed his eyes, sensing the array Little Jin had constructed, uncertain of its nature, not daring to act rashly.

Suddenly, he sensed a tearing sound behind him.

He swiftly shifted his position, stepping on the Bagua’s trigrams to dodge.

A flash of golden light appeared where he had just stood, piercing through instantly.

Bai Qiu exclaimed, “So fast! What was that?”

Shi Qi frowned, “A golden needle!”

Everyone activated their spiritual vision and saw that the flash was indeed a shining golden needle, now floating before Sun Fanbai, shimmering with light.

Little Jin smiled, “This is the Gale Needle Array!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the golden needle multiplied into eighty-one, and in a blink, countless needles flew at Sun Fanbai.

He quickly shifted position!

Gen Trigram! Gen Inversion! Earth Shield!

Suddenly, thick earthen barriers rose around Sun Fanbai, shielding him.

Little Jin remained unhurried, forming a spell seal with his hands. The eighty-one golden needles whirled into a needle-storm, lashing out at the earth shield.

The earthen barriers could not withstand the onslaught and were pierced in an instant.

A shout erupted from within, and a searing wind of fire burst forth, surging at the golden needles.

Fire and needles clashed and churned against each other.

Little Jin smiled, “Oh? The Dutian Banner of Raging Fire?”

With the earth shield shattered, Sun Fanbai stood within, fingers forming a seal. By his side fluttered two small flags, one black, one red.

They were the very Dutian Raging Fire Banners that Master Egret had once gifted him when the four companions first met.

Sun Fanbai formed another spell seal, and from the banners soared three fire dragons, lunging at the golden needles.

The dragons swept forward, their scorching flames chasing the needles through the formation.

Controlling the banners, Sun Fanbai pressed the attack, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm.

He lifted his hand and saw a tiny hole there, bleeding.

“When did that happen?” Sun Fanbai frowned, not knowing when he had been struck.

As he wondered, a sharp pain flared in his right arm.

He looked and saw another tiny hole there.

“An invisible needle?” Sun Fanbai muttered.

Little Jin said, “These needles are called ‘Shadowless’—without color or form.”

Realizing Little Jin’s cunning, Sun Fanbai dared not linger. He moved to the Xun position.

With a grand sweep, he invoked the Xun Trigram! Xun Severance! Wind Shield!

A gust of wind formed a shield around him.

As he moved, the Gale Needles broke through the fire dragons and gathered together.

They spun in the air, forming a massive golden arrow, levitating behind Sun Fanbai.

The arrow charged with devastating power, locking onto him.

Sun Fanbai seemed unaware, focused solely on seeking out the invisible needles.

“Gale Divine Arrow!” Little Jin called.

The golden arrow flashed and shot toward Sun Fanbai.

Bai Qiu shouted, “Old Sun, behind you!”

But Sun Fanbai didn’t seem to hear, still intent on controlling his shield.

“Oh no!” Bai Qiu cried.

Yet Sun Fanbai merely smiled. Without turning, he subtly pressed his hand downward.

The Gale Divine Arrow struck two feet behind him, as if restrained, unable to advance further, quivering in midair.

Little Jin frowned, then noticed the cause.

The arrow had landed at the Dui position!

Dui Trigram! Dui Void!

The Art of Disintegration!

The arrow was sealed and immobilized.

Sun Fanbai turned and summoned the Dutian Raging Fire Banners.

From them burst several thick fire dragons, which danced in the air and crashed into the Gale Divine Arrow.

At the same time, Sun Fanbai’s wind shield was pierced by the Shadowless Needles, which bored into his arm with a hiss.

Pain shot through his arm, but he did not cease his spellcasting.

The fire dragons scorched and battered the arrow, while the Shadowless Needles riddled his arm with small holes.

Sun Fanbai understood that although the Shadowless Needles were deadly, their power was limited. With his true energy circulating at full force, they could do little more than drain his blood.

Thus, it became a contest of endurance—whose strength would last longer: Sun Fanbai’s blood or the Gale Divine Arrow’s resilience.

Man and arrow were locked in stalemate. Sun Fanbai’s face turned pale; his body was riddled with wounds, blood streaming from him. He used his true energy to guard his heart and vital organs, preventing the needles from penetrating deeper.

The Gale Divine Arrow, too, was spent. Its form grew dim and flickering, on the verge of collapse.

At last, after the time it takes for incense to burn, the arrow fell to the ground and turned to dust.

With the arrow’s dissolution, the needle array lost its core and crumbled.

The Shadowless Needles dissipated.

Sun Fanbai dropped to one knee, blood still flowing from his wounds.

Shi Qi rushed forward and pressed a palm to Sun Fanbai’s back, channeling a healing water technique.

Little Jin now revealed his true form and landed before the two.

He applauded, “Well done! The Bagua Formation and the Dutian Raging Fire Banner—such impressive skills, young friend.”

Struggling to his feet, Sun Fanbai saluted, “Elder Jin flatters me. With but a single needle array, you nearly overwhelmed me. You held back.”

Little Jin smiled, “A win is a win. I said, break the formation and you win.”

He added, “Since you have broken my needle array, you are victorious. And I shall grant you a boon!”

With that, Little Jin pointed at Sun Fanbai. A beam of golden light shot from his fingertip, piercing Sun Fanbai’s brow in an instant.