Beast God
Chapter 19: Water Burial Buddha

Qin Ziyu gripped his sword and unexpectedly ignored Chen Guan and the others, striding step by step toward the Fish Man. His pace wasn't fast, but each step carried tremendous force—his long, powerful legs moved with ironclad determination, his entire body radiating explosive energy.

Strange purple and green hues emerged on his exposed skin—half his face shimmered with purple qi while the other half glowed green. His hands mirrored this phenomenon—one purple, one green—rendering his entire appearance eerily mysterious.

Chen Guan's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this, recognizing the transformation occurring on Qin Ziyu's body. While the Divine Land boasted many renowned secret techniques and Legendary-grade Mystical Spirits were exceedingly rare, three thousand years provided ample time for numerous legendary methods to emerge. Among them, one had become virtually common knowledge—the Purple-Green Dual Qi Profound Skill wielded by Qin Beige, one of the Ten Heavenly Kings. During that chaotic era, Qin Beige had forged his formidable reputation with this technique, remaining virtually undefeated since his sudden rise and establishing the Qin family's enduring eight-hundred-year dominance.

The Purple-Green Dual Qi Profound Skill represented an extraordinary secret method combining hardness with softness, yin with yang, water with fire—exceptionally domineering and capable of shattering anything at its peak. Yet today, aside from Qin Beige himself, no one knew from which Mystical Spirit this technique originated, nor had any other Qin family member mastered it.

Though Qin Ziyu carried Qin bloodline, he wasn't from the main lineage—merely a branch family member raised elsewhere. That he possessed such a world-shaking secret technique defied belief unless witnessed firsthand. Chen Guan had previously speculated Qin Ziyu might possess high-quality secret techniques but never imagined it would be the legendary Purple-Green Dual Qi Profound Skill.

"No wonder his advancement speed surpasses others," Chen Guan thought privately. "While legendary techniques typically make cultivation and progression slower than ordinary methods, exceptions exist—like this Purple-Green Dual Qi Profound Skill. Once cultivated, it continuously absorbs heaven-earth yin-yang essence without conscious effort, operating automatically..."

Wang Lian and the others also recognized Qin Ziyu's technique, their faces lighting up with pleasant surprise. "Ziyu, I'll cover you," Wang Lian declared, sending a barrage of flying daggers toward the Fish Man. Though not mystical treasures, these daggers were forged from Mystical Spirit materials—far surpassing ordinary steel in hardness and sharpness. Throwing knives had been Wang Lian's primary training focus since childhood.

The daggers flew with astonishing speed, nearly reaching the Fish Man instantly—two targeting its eyes, another pair aimed at its throat and groin. Wang Lian's throws demonstrated not only precision but remarkable stability. Yet the Fish Man dodged with impossible quickness, evading every dagger.

As the Fish Man accelerated its charge, Qin Ziyu's sword flashed into motion. Blade shadows multiplied like phantoms, countless chilling strikes piercing toward the creature. His swordplay and footwork clearly benefited from secret skill enhancements. However, a series of metallic clangs rang out as the Fish Man intercepted Qin Ziyu's ever-changing sword techniques barehanded—its scaled palm deflecting the mystical treasure-grade blade.

The sight chilled Chen Guan's group. Though uncertain about the sword's exact grade and quality, any mystical treasure Qin Ziyu carried surely wasn't inferior. That the Fish Man could directly block such a blade with its scaled palm spoke volumes about its terrifying physical resilience.

True to his reputation as the academy's unparalleled genius, Qin Ziyu remained unbroken despite failing to wound the Fish Man. His body flowed with his sword—footwork and blade work merging unpredictably, hardness and softness combining seamlessly. His offensive surged like a mighty river, completely occupying the Fish Man's attention.

Lu Teng and Gongsun Zhuo, who had initially prepared to charge with their weapons, now held back—not from cowardice but because Qin Ziyu and the Fish Man's blistering combat pace left no opening for joint attacks. Rash intervention might hinder rather than help.

Fortunately, empowered by the Purple-Green Dual Qi Profound Skill, Qin Ziyu fought the Fish Man to a temporary stalemate, barely stabilizing their precarious situation. "Truly worthy of Qin Ziyu—absolutely formidable," Lu Teng marveled.

Gongsun Zhuo, however, remained less optimistic, his eyes locked on the battle: "Ziyu's strong, but he's only level seven. That Fish Man must be a level ten Mystical Spirit—likely high-grade, possibly even Legendary-grade. Ziyu can't injure it. Prolonged combat will exhaust him, worsening our predicament. We must find an escape from this ravine or some hiding place before his stamina fails—otherwise we're doomed."

"If even Qin Ziyu's Purple-Green Dual Qi Profound Skill combined with a mystical treasure blade can't harm it, what hope do we have?" Lu Teng asked bitterly, his face grim.

Wang Lian clutched her daggers, staring intently at the Fish Man with sudden realization. "Seeing this Fish Man's complete form today reminds me of an ancient text describing a Mystical Spirit called Water Burial Buddha—its description closely matches this creature."

"Water Burial Buddha?" The group turned to her—knowing the Fish Man's origins might reveal its weakness.

"I only recall fragments," Wang Lian admitted. "The text was incomplete, and my memory's hazy. It mentioned a Buddhist branch of Mystical Spirits that, nearing life's end, would enter lakes to await death—allowing fish to consume their corpses, returning them to nature."

She continued: "Originally weak Mystical Spirits, these fish underwent mutations after prolonged consumption of Buddhist Spirits—gaining levels and quality improvements. Having devoured so many Buddhist Spirits, they transformed into dual-element Water-Buddha Mystical Spirits—the so-called Water Burial Buddhas. Their levels, quality, and even appearances varied depending on which Buddhist Spirits they'd consumed."

"That must be it!" Lu Teng exclaimed eagerly. "Did the text mention any weaknesses?"

Wang Lian kept her eyes on the Fish Man: "Water Burial Buddhas' forms and abilities depend entirely on which Buddhist Spirits they've eaten—no fixed characteristics exist. Finding common weaknesses proves difficult." She pointed out details: "This Fish Man wears a Buddhist prayer bead necklace, holds a bone bowl, and wields what appears to be a vajra—all likely mystical treasures from Buddhist Spirits it consumed. If it truly is a Water Burial Buddha, the Buddhist Spirits it devoured must have been extraordinary—both in quality and quantity—making its mutation extremely advanced. Discovering weaknesses grows even harder."

Disappointment washed over Lu Teng's group—knowing its origins without identifying weaknesses offered little practical value.

Suddenly, Wang Lian gasped: "Ah! I nearly forgot—the text's final line mentioned that Water Burial Buddhas live by consuming Buddhist Spirits... and ultimately perish the same way."