"Ruining your cultivation, ruining your merit?"
Qin Mu sneered and slashed at the other chains, saying, "You are nothing but a copper Buddha statue. Where does your merit come from? Your merit is in suppressing Wu Nü here. Wu Nü has been devouring people right in front of you, and you turn a blind eye. If you had any merit, it would have long been tainted!"
The body of the great Buddha trembled, and the blood patterns on the copper body emitted dazzling rays of light, reflecting the golden foil on the outside, turning into a shining golden Buddha. It spoke with a booming voice, "Do you know how many people it will devour and how many creatures it will destroy if you release it?"
"I only know that behind you, it hides countless corpses. It uses you to do evil, but I haven't seen you do anything," Qin Mu said as he severed the second chain, sneering. "Outside is the ice tide that erupts several times every year. What have you done? That is the true merit, not sitting in a temple and suppressing a monster, let alone allowing the monster to devour people. If you can shatter the ice tide and save the common people downstream, then you will have great merit!"
The golden radiance of the Buddha statue shone brightly, and its hands seemed to move as if coming to life. Wu Nü was extremely terrified and hurriedly shouted, "This old bald donkey is an evil Buddha trying to kill me. Hurry!"
Qin Mu swiftly stepped out of the temple, activating the Shao Bao Sword to slash at the chains outside the temple.
"The evil of all sentient beings needs to be washed away by a great flood to rid them of their wickedness. This is the result of their own actions."
Boom!
A violent tremor reverberated, and the copper Buddha stood up, breaking through the ancient temple with its head, its voice thunderous, "You heretical devil, daring to ruin the Buddhist teachings! You wicked and stubborn being, beyond redemption!"
The chains that locked the copper Buddha's body and Wu Nü suddenly seemed to come alive, whistling through the air, rolling towards Qin Mu.
"Your Buddhist teachings are hypocritical, focused on saving yourselves rather than saving others," Qin Mu said, leaping to evade one chain's entanglement. He urged the Shao Bao Sword and struck at the last chain, saying, "When you suppressed Wu Nü all those years ago, if you had killed it, that could still be considered your merit. But you chose to suppress it and let it harm others. Its acts of devouring are its own sins. The deeper its guilt, the greater your merit in refining it? Disgusting! All the people devoured by Wu Nü should be counted against you!"
The Shao Bao Sword collided with the chain, and a tremendous force emanated from it, sending the precious sword flying.
Qin Mu grunted and took a step back, avoiding the two serpent-like chains behind him. He sneered, "You sit in the temple while floods rage outside. Instead of saving people, you hinder my rescue efforts and still fantasize about merit? Let me tell you, the elderly people in my village go to fight the ice tide every year, saving countless lives of the people downstream, as well as the birds and beasts. If merit alone could make one a Buddha, then every one of them would have long become golden Buddha statues, not mere clay molds!"
"Absurd!" The towering copper Buddha made a thunderous sound as it slammed its feet on the ground, walking out of the broken temple. With its palms pressed together, the sound of gold and iron colliding reverberated, and a brilliant Buddha light emerged, sending Qin Mu flying.
Qin Mu's limbs and body shook violently, and while still in mid-air, the chains were already closing in on him.
Qin Mu continuously stepped on the chains, running along them, and controlled the Shao Bao Sword with his Qi to swiftly attack the last chain that bound Wu Nü.
The chains, like gigantic pythons, intertwined and crisscrossed in mid-air, launching successive attacks on Qin Mu, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Although the copper Buddha was clearly made of yellow brass, it moved with incredible agility, leaving people bewildered.
Previously, the copper Buddha couldn't distinguish between Qin Mu and Wu Nü. As long as Qin Mu uttered the magic words, the copper Buddha automatically responded by reciting Buddhist mantras to refine Wu Nü. But now, as Qin Mu attempted to release Wu Nü, the copper Buddha took on a different demeanor and actively attacked him.
The massive chains continued to crisscross, and Qin Mu stepped on one of the chains while avoiding the attacks of the others.
The power transmitted through the chains from the copper Buddha gradually grew stronger. The vibrations caused by the friction between the chains intensified, making it difficult for Qin Mu to maintain his balance. His legs became numb and sore, and his precision with controlling the Shao Bao Sword was far inferior to before.
The power of the copper Buddha grew stronger and stronger, as if an infinite force resided within its body, awakening little by little.
Old Lady Si and the lame man had mentioned this copper Buddha before, saying that it was peculiar. Old Lady Si had attempted to get rid of Wu Nü, but she was stopped by the copper Buddha and failed.
Old Lady Si was undoubtedly extremely powerful, yet she couldn't eliminate Wu Nü, indicating that the fully awakened power of the copper Buddha would be terrifying!
And now, the power of the copper Buddha was gradually awakening bit by bit!
Even if it awakens by just a fraction, it is not something Qin Mu can resist.
At that moment, a deafening roar of landslides and ground cracks echoed as the ice tide surging downstream finally arrived. Towering icebergs, reaching tens of zhang in height, emerged in front of the oasis, pushed by the turbulent currents on the river surface, right behind Qin Mu!
Qin Mu was immediately enveloped in darkness and hastily turned around. Countless blocks of ice were squeezed and tumbled, surging up to the mountaintop of the icebergs. Then, with a crash, they rolled down, crushed underwater, only to be replaced by new ice blocks ascending the mountaintop, repeating the cycle.
The ice tide, crushing everything in its path, had already pulverized the bodies on the ice, leaving no trace. Only the rolling icebergs surged forward, threatening to crush everything!
"Hmph!"
The copper Buddha seemed to sense the imminent danger and, without caring about Qin Mu, spread its arms and pushed against the surging ice tide.
A large golden bell composed of radiance formed around the periphery of the oasis, enveloping it!
Countless blocks of ice collided with the golden bell, making a loud clanging sound, shattering upon impact. Each piece of ice hitting the bell sent ripples of golden light spreading in all directions. From Qin Mu's perspective, it was truly spectacular and magnificent.
Then, the ice tide surged forward, accompanied by thunderous roars resembling countless thunderclaps, constantly reverberating. Amidst the clamor, the bell's chimes resonated!
The collision between the power of heaven and earth and the Buddha's supernatural abilities shook the heavens and the earth. Even the oasis trembled incessantly, as if it could sink into the water at any moment.
The outer ice tide was blocked by the oasis and the golden bell in the middle of the river, growing taller and taller. The ice tide on both sides had already flowed downstream, bypassing the oasis. Only the area blocked by the oasis had more and more floating ice, gradually showing signs of submerging the oasis.
Rumble!
The chains trembled, rolling toward Qin Mu. This copper Buddha surprisingly still had extra strength. Each chain moved like a spiritual snake or a gigantic python, relentlessly pursuing him.
Simultaneously, the copper Buddha's body moved, producing the clang of metal collisions. Its palms repeatedly struck the walls of the golden bell, fortifying it.
The chains entangled its body, constantly flying and attacking Qin Mu, while Wu Nü, who had transformed into the young girl Xianqing'er, was dragged stumbling and suddenly fell to the ground. She was dragged and beaten, her face bruised and swollen, looking pitiful.
Qin Mu stepped on the chains and immediately felt the power of the giant Buddha diminish significantly, no longer as terrifying. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly swung his Shao Bao Sword, making a clang sound as he cut off the final chain.
Wu Nü stood dazed, raising her arm. Two golden rings could be seen on her wrist, with broken chains hanging from them. She couldn't help but feel both shocked and delighted.
There were golden rings on its ankles as well, dragging two broken chains.
"Don't stand there, run!" Qin Mu shouted loudly, rushing towards her.
Wu Nü burst into loud laughter, her laughter filled with sorrow. Suddenly, her body rapidly swelled, and Xianqing'er's skin was stretched until it flew in all directions, revealing her true form covered in joints. With a hundred legs fluttering, she called out, "Little brother, jump on me, and I'll take you out of here!"
Qin Mu landed on her body. This formidable monster, covered in bone armor, charged forward, dragging the golden ring chains, howling towards the rear of the oasis. Its legs moved quickly, one after another, then it leaped into the air. Its long body with hundreds of legs moved together, traversing through the air, colliding with the walls of the golden bell!
"You wretched being, you are my merit, yet you still want to escape?"
The copper Buddha turned around, and its large brass hand made a grasping motion. The golden rings and chains on Wu Nü's body fluttered and floated backward, while the chains on the copper Buddha's body also floated up, seemingly about to reconnect with the broken chains.
Wu Nü felt a chill down her spine, being dragged down by the chains on her body. The chains on her ankle exerted great force, continuously pulling her backward.
Using all of her hundred legs, Wu Nü desperately crawled forward, but she was still dragged backward.
Qin Mu was about to use his Qi to control the sword and cut off the golden rings on Wu Nü's limbs when a slender beam of light flashed, cutting through the golden bell and passing between the copper Buddha's eyes.
The copper Buddha roared in anger, its palm reaching towards its own eyes. Wu Nü suddenly felt lightened and hurriedly ran, leaping in a few steps, breaking free from the encirclement of the golden bell, and racing across the river's surface.
Behind them, the copper Buddha's roar continued, and suddenly the golden bell collapsed and shattered. A mountain-like ice tide surged, engulfing the oasis and the copper Buddha. The ancient temple was instantly crushed, and the entire oasis was leveled!
"I have no conflicts with you..."
The copper Buddha raged, but before it could finish its sentence, it, along with the oasis, was submerged by the ice tide, pressed under the water!
