Chapter 1373: Golden Sword Lock, Buddha-Demon Effigy

"There is no need."

Sha Tang snapped back to his senses and looked back. The gray-robed Demon Lord already stood beside him.

Yun Hengzi raised a hand, drew a golden lock from his sleeve, and handed it to Sha Tang. "This item is named the Golden Sword Lock. No matter the caliber of the Immortal Sword, once caught in its grip, it will be nearly impossible to break free."

Sha Tang understood instantly. He took the Golden Sword Lock and stepped forward.

Yun Hengzi lightly stroked his white beard, watching calmly.

Sha Tang strode forward and rose into the air, arriving right before Yan Bei'an.

"Lock!"

Sha Tang tossed out the Golden Sword Lock.

Yan Bei'an furrowed his brow and immediately unleashed a sword strike.

Unexpectedly, he played right into his opponent's hands. An instant later, the Immortal Sword slipped from his grasp. In the blink of an eye, it was trapped by the golden lock. All surrounding Sword Qi was instantly severed in that moment, fading into nothingness.

Yan Bei'an froze. He quickly formed a sword gesture with his fingers and slashed toward Sha Tang.

Sha Tang raised a hand, sending a wave of Demonic Power rippling outward. He unleashed a Divine Ability, dissolving the Sword Qi.

"Without your Immortal Sword, your strikes are easily broken."

Yan Bei'an stared at the demon, his brow furrowing as he muttered, "Eighth Rank?"

Sha Tang leaped forward. With a wave of his hand, his Demonic Power transformed into a sky full of flying feathers that shot toward Yan Bei'an.

Yan Bei'an tried to mobilize his Immortal Sword, but the golden lock held it in a death grip. No matter how he called to it, the blade refused to budge.

Left with no choice, Yan Bei'an could only dodge repeatedly. He raised his hand to stir up a burst of Sword Qi, intending to block the flying feathers, but a moment later, the Sword Qi was seemingly drawn away, instantly shattering into pieces.

Yan Bei'an looked up, his brow knit tightly.

"What a formidable golden lock!"

This artifact truly was the absolute bane of a Sword Cultivator.

"What Dharma Instrument is that? It's so powerful."

Yu Hongdou asked aloud.

"The Golden Sword Lock?"

The Old Sword Cultivator was experienced and knowledgeable; he recognized it at a glance.

"Wasn't this thing destroyed long ago?"

He frowned deeply, never expecting to see such an item here.

"What does this Dharma Instrument do?"

The Old Sword Cultivator explained, "This Golden Sword Lock has extraordinary origins. It was forged by a mighty predecessor specifically to counter Sword Cultivators. Once this lock emerges, all surrounding Sword Qi is rendered useless, and it imposes a Restrictive Seal to trap a cultivator's Flying Sword. A Sword Immortal bereft of their Flying Sword loses a massive portion of their strength. That boy is in deep trouble. If he had his sword in hand, the demon before him wouldn't be able to touch him. But now, it's hard to say."

"Then shouldn't we go help Senior Brother?"

"And do what?" the Old Sword Cultivator said. "With your meager skills, you wouldn't even be worth a look. Just sit tight."

"Are we really just going to stand here and watch?"

"What else?"

"Isn't he your disciple?"

The Old Sword Cultivator shook his head and said, "Right now, this is merely a dispute between the younger generation. If I step in, things will only get more complicated."

Yu Hongdou didn't quite understand. He felt it was simply a matter of whether one could win the fight; what did being of the younger generation have to do with it?

The Old Sword Cultivator couldn't be bothered to explain, his gaze fixed on the fight.

Li Gu drew back his longbow and shouted, "Sword Immortal Yan! I will assist you!"

Only the sharp whistle of a feathered arrow piercing the air rang out.

This arrow shot straight toward the golden lock, aiming to break the Restrictive Seal on the Immortal Sword.

The arrow exploded, sending a plume of fire shooting into the sky.

But when the flames faded, the Golden Sword Lock remained completely unscathed, entirely unchanged.

Li Gu stared blankly, muttering, "What kind of Dharma Instrument is this..."

Wu Daozi was similarly bewildered.

But suddenly, a voice drifted from his sleeve.

"This is the Golden Sword Lock, the absolute bane of Sword Cultivators. To think such a supreme spiritual treasure would find its way to the Mortal World. Truly bizarre. Hmm... wait, it seems to be merely a replica."

Wu Daozi paused and asked, "Does the Divine Jiao know how to break this Golden Sword Lock?"

"If it were the genuine Golden Sword Lock, it wouldn't matter who tried. But since it's just a replica, it can perhaps be broken with brute force."

"I shall grant you a wisp of Flood Dragon qi. I imagine it will be enough to shatter this Golden Sword Lock."

"Many thanks, Divine Jiao."

Wu Daozi lifted his brush and began to paint, drawing forth a Flood Dragon that coiled into the air.

As the Flood Dragon qi fell onto the Painting Scroll, it sprang up in an instant, turning from an illusion into reality.

Because of this, Wu Daozi was drained of nearly half his Magical Power. In an instant, his expression grew visibly heavier.

"Go!"

Accompanied by the hiss of a Flood Dragon.

The manifested Flood Dragon charged straight toward the Golden Sword Lock.

Sha Tang was taken aback. He shouted, "Beast! How dare you!"

He swung his hand, whipping up a fierce gale, but it was not enough to stop the charging Flood Dragon.

In a split second, the Flood Dragon slammed into the Golden Sword Lock.

"Crack..."

The next moment, a faint, shallow crack emerged on the Golden Sword Lock.

Yan Bei'an caught sight of this and froze. He raised his hand and roared, "Rise!"

He called to his Immortal Sword. As the blade vibrated, the crack became increasingly distinct.

Only a sharp shattering sound rang out.

"Bang!"

The Golden Sword Lock was blasted apart by the Immortal Sword, shattering into fragments that rained down.

Instantly, Sword Qi rippled outward.

"Damn it!"

Seeing this, Sha Tang had no choice but to bite the bullet and press forward.

He raised two fingers, his gaze locked dead ahead, and chanted, "Buddha births a demonic image. Three heads and six arms, burning mountains and boiling seas. Buddha-Demon Effigy, manifest!"

Suddenly, Sha Tang's face changed—half grew sinister, while the other half turned serene and benevolent.

Behind him, the sudden, deep tolling of an ancient bell rang out.

A Dharma Manifestation rose from the ground. Half of its face exuded a Buddhist aura of compassion, while the other half was a grotesque, demonic visage with bared fangs, wreathed in sinister energy. Demonic blood seemed to surge within it.

A Buddha-Demon Effigy?

The Old Sword Cultivator's brow suddenly furrowed.

On the other side, Yun Hengzi stared at the Dharma Manifestation, his heart also skipping a beat.

He hadn't expected this demon to hide his true depths so well either.

The moment the Buddha-Demon Effigy was revealed, a sea of fire erupted. Yet bizarrely, a radiant Buddhist light simultaneously shone down from the sky.

As that demonic energy rippled outward, all the surrounding Sword Qi was cleaved down.

Just like the Buddha-Demon Effigy, Sha Tang was now half demon, half Buddha.

But the longer one looked, the more he seemed to have turned into a madman, an eerie smile plastered across his face.

Wu Daozi had drained most of his Magical Power and was currently recovering. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but feel profoundly shocked.

"What kind of Dharma Manifestation is this?"

The Divine Jiao hidden within the Painted Scroll in his sleeve provided the answer.

"An ancient Buddha-Demon Effigy. This demon is truly capable, to have actually comprehended this path on his own."

The Divine Jiao let out a breath and said, "This is far more powerful than those demonic cultivators. This path borrows the qi destiny of both Buddhism and the demonic way. Long ago, someone who cultivated this path eventually morphed into a monstrosity that was neither human nor ghost, and it was later lost. But in that era, the Buddha-Demon path was something that could clash head-on with a Sword Immortal."

At this point, the Divine Jiao paused and said, "It's a pity this demon's foundation is lacking. Although he has the protection of this Dharma Manifestation, he can unleash, at most, thirty percent of its power."

The Old Sword Cultivator also watched this scene.

Looking at the Buddha-Demon Effigy, he couldn't quite make sense of what he was seeing.