Chapter 26: The Mechanical True Buddha

Although some of the surveillance cameras had already failed, Fan Jiu was not worried in the least. Qingfeng’s combat style was notoriously brutal, and with the fighting happening so close to the surveillance room, it was only natural for the system to be affected. Besides, even if by some remote chance Qingfeng lost, so what? The power hidden within this stronghold was far beyond what three civilians, even if one of them was gifted, could ever hope to overturn. They had no idea what lurked in the basement; once someone entered, survival was no longer an option.

…

“We should just leave. This place gives me the creeps,” Lord Crow muttered, cowering in Liang Zhi’s collar.

Liang Zhi arched an eyebrow. “You’re scared of something this minor?”

The way to the basement was far from easy. At first, the stairs were normal, but at their end stood a heavy iron door. Beyond that, a dark, yawning tunnel led downward.

Here, sunlight hadn’t reached for years. Dew and mold beaded thick on the stone, and walking over it felt strangely unsettling.

“I’m not scared—I just don’t like it here,” Lord Crow pecked at Liang Zhi, too wary of the environment to fly about recklessly.

Qiu Shilu also gripped Liang Zhi’s clothes tightly, treading carefully. Though she possessed the strength of a dragon and would never falter in a life-or-death moment, she still harbored the fears typical of any young woman. In the dark stairwell, the occasional heart-wrenching scream echoed, and something seemed to crawl in the unseen corners. The sensation was far more thrilling than any haunted house.

After a tense journey, the two finally emerged into a space filled with light. The walls here were white and smooth, lined with cables and signboards. If not for the absence of windows, Liang Zhi might have thought he’d returned to his previous life.

They walked down a corridor and entered a relatively enclosed chamber. Suddenly, with a loud clang, an alloy door slammed shut behind them.

Footsteps approached. Two oddly dressed figures stepped out from the opposite side.

The route Liang Zhi and his companions had taken was rarely used; staff at Peach Blossom Spring usually accessed the basement by a private elevator.

“Namo Mechanical Tathāgata. So the two of you came from that way—it’s no wonder we didn’t meet you along the way,” declared a burly, golden-skinned monk in a yellow robe, his muscled arm exposed. Hands clasped, he intoned a Buddhist chant; this was Monk Jin Yue.

The other figure, hunched and draped in animal pelts, had filthy golden hair falling to his waist. His face was chiseled and fierce, his pupils narrow and yellow, like the eyes of a beast.

This was Kraven.

Their entrance was imposing, but Liang Zhi and his companion merely whispered to each other.

“That foreigner is filthy and reeks. Can you handle him?” Qiu Shilu asked softly.

Liang Zhi was reluctant. “Shouldn’t we figure out their abilities before picking opponents?” Kraven looked like he was about to attract flies.

“What’s there to figure out? That bald guy’s obviously a powerhouse—I should fight him,” Qiu Shilu argued.

Their bickering left Monk Jin Yue awkwardly hanging, while Kraven stared intently at Qiu Shilu, having caught the scent of a high-quality woman.

“If you have any questions, you can ask me directly,” Monk Jin Yue said politely. “A monk does not speak falsehoods; I will answer honestly.”

Liang Zhi, realizing it was rude to ignore them, turned to Monk Jin Yue. “Alright, I’ll ask directly: what exactly is this Mechanical Tathāgata?”

What exactly…?

Monk Jin Yue’s eyes reddened instantly. With a furious snort, he charged at Liang Zhi, steam seeming to vent from his ears and nostrils.

“Die! Die! The dignity of my Buddha is inviolable! Those who blaspheme must be cast into the tongue-pulling hell!”

“Uh, isn’t your Buddha supposed to be merciful?” Liang Zhi’s eyes widened. Clearly, the concept of Buddhism here was not the same as in his own world.

Monk Jin Yue lunged with daggers drawn. “No mercy for blasphemers!”

Liang Zhi turned for help, but saw that Qiu Shilu was also in trouble: several iron doors had opened, and deformed beasts were attacking her.

A spider, black-haired and the size of a wagon wheel; a red-scaled serpent with twin horns on its head; and a gorilla pounding its chest like a war drum.

On Kraven’s shoulder perched a magnificent hunting falcon.

Both Liang Zhi and Qiu Shilu found themselves under siege at almost the same moment.

Liang Zhi unfurled his battle standard, its wires slicing through the air like razors at Monk Jin Yue. Yet the monk merely closed his eyes and charged like an enraged bull.

The sharp wires jabbed straight at his eyelids, but even after bending, they failed to pierce them. If Monk Jin Yue’s eyelids were this tough, the rest of his body was surely impervious.

Ignoring all attacks, Monk Jin Yue barreled up to Liang Zhi and slashed at his throat. Liang Zhi barely raised an arm in defense before the monk kicked him aside.

Liang Zhi tumbled twice, glancing at his arm—there wasn’t even a scratch.

“My black-shroud coat can block slashing to some degree, but there’s no pain either… and that kick just now… So, this guy’s only strength is his defense. What I need to do is restrain him!”

If steel wires couldn’t hurt Monk Jin Yue’s eyes, nothing else would, either.

Cloth Bind!

Monk Jin Yue’s robe suddenly tightened, restricting his movement just enough for Liang Zhi to dart past and press his hand to the floor at the monk’s feet.

The tiles surged like water, locking Monk Jin Yue’s shoes in place.

Liang Zhi smiled. Now he only needed to use the floor’s material to encase Monk Jin Yue like a statue and claim victory!

But the unexpected happened: Monk Jin Yue leaped free of the tiles’ grip.

Liang Zhi’s pupils widened in shock. Something was wrong! He had seen the skin on Monk Jin Yue’s feet ripple like water just before.

Liang Zhi sprang up and dashed away. If he couldn’t wound or capture this guy, there was no way to win.

Lord Crow poked his head from Liang Zhi’s collar, narrating like a commentator: “He’s a Skin Puppet from the body arts extreme sequence—he can freely control his skin. And that’s just a low-level skill! If you’d seen a high-level Skin Puppet… heh, they’re monsters.”

“Don’t run! Stand still, so this humble monk can feast on your flesh!” Monk Jin Yue thundered after him. Usually mild-mannered, he turned utterly deranged if anyone questioned his faith.

He still remembered the scene he had witnessed in the West: a colossal figure, armored in gold plates, sporting missile silos on its back, a left arm bristling with gun barrels, and a right arm bearing three super-cannons, each over a dozen meters long.

From that moment, he had devoted himself fully to the Buddhist path, never allowing anyone to blaspheme against the Mechanical True Buddha.

As he ran, he shouted slogans: “More is beautiful! Bigger is better! Caliber is justice! The turret is truth! My Buddha is invincible!”

Liang Zhi ran even faster. “This guy must be completely insane.”