Beginning with the Ubume Bird
Chapter 679 - Chapter 679 Chapter 65 Munis Feast (Part 2)

Chapter 679: Chapter 65 Muni’s Feast (Part 2) Chapter 679: Chapter 65 Muni’s Feast (Part 2) “`

Zheng!

The golden bullet mixed with the pungent smell of gunpowder burst forth from the barrel, its invisible ripples spreading out like ripples on water.

The swiftly lunging Muni only tilted his head imperceptibly to dodge the bullet.

Bright-red blood spurted sky-high, blurring Yang Zheng’s vision. Then, a wave of intense pain hit him, as his pupils contracted into pinpoints. Silently gasping for air, the torn muscles and blood vessels at his shoulder constricted to stem the gushing blood.

Qian Wu’s vision blurred for a moment; by the time Muni reappeared before him, he had a gun-toting arm clenched in his mouth. More horrifying was the fact that he was chewing voraciously on the human arm, skin, bone, and all. In just five or six seconds, the entire arm, along with the bloodstains and fabric fibers, disappeared into Muni’s mouth.

Qian Wu was so stunned by the scene that he momentarily failed to react.

Muni licked the fresh blood off his lips. He toyed with Yang Zheng’s handgun, which was just a standard 92-type police pistol endowed with immense power only by the enhancement of the “Unrighteous Magazine.”

Muni ejected the magazine, tossing each bullet into his mouth one by one, like eating jellybeans. After consuming a dozen or more, he realized the magazine was still full, which brightly caught his attention. Then, he treasured it and tucked it into his pants pocket.

“Gulp~”

Mo, hiding behind a patch of shanty houses, swallowed. It seemed that even these tin sheets, which couldn’t withstand much of a temper tantrum, offered him a sense of security.

Ren Ni, who had somehow regrouped with him, was calmer by comparison. He hid to one side, his eyes darting about, seemingly hesitant.

Mo patted his shoulder and shook his head, saying, “Just with an Unrighteous Magazine, Yang Zheng can’t stay comfortable as the top man under the Six Ministries for two years.”

…

With a pale face, Yang Zheng raised his head; he could see clearly the man in the yellow raincoat on the hilltop who was wolfing down his arm. Li Yan’s words echoed in his ears.

“Muni doesn’t seek to kill his opponents cleanly or efficiently; there’s something wrong with him. He takes pleasure in eating his prey alive. Also, his approach to attacking is very primitive. He pounces like a dog, biting directly at the vitals. You’ll know once you see it.”

Under Muni’s gaze, Yang Zheng estimated the distance between them while flexing his only intact left hand back and forth, seemingly unfazed by the loss of his right arm and weapon.

Muni revealed a row of snow-white teeth, smiling, then suddenly vanished from his spot.

Zheng!

Yang Zheng’s fist landed heavily on Muni’s face. The motorboats around the dock silently crumpled into a heap, and a hundred-meter-wide pit appeared out of nowhere on the sea, the surging waters instantly submerging Yang Zheng’s trouser legs. The dark clouds in the sky were swept away, revealing a sky full of stars.

Struck by the blow, Muni flew back by Qian Wu’s side. His ill-fitting yellow raincoat tore to shreds, drifting helplessly down the mountainside.

“Huff!”

Landing, Muni couldn’t help but look surprised. He touched his own eye socket but found no sign of injury. Then he directed a fervently fanatical gaze toward Yang Zheng, even more intense than those he gave Yu Shiqie or Li Yan!

In the nocturnal darkness, Yang Zheng, wrapped in a black leather jacket and blue scarf, appeared enshrouded in a red cloud, his features faintly visible. It was like a red blaze amidst the night.

With the Dharma body fully realized, he was of the Six Ministries!

“`

Mo looked on, secretly clicking his tongue in astonishment.

“The rumours are indeed true.”

No wonder Zhao Jianzhong had said that dealing with Muni, Yang Zheng declared himself duty-bound to step forward.

.

In reality, Yang Zheng’s experience was far from shallow, having become a core member of the Jiao Chong at the founding of the Yan Zhao Club, and was favored by Zhao Jianzhong. In the space of two years, the power of the Yan Zhao Club expanded rapidly, producing two Jie Luos among the Ten Masters, and scores within the Six Ministries. Despite being a junior compared to these figures, Yang Zheng, with his years of tempering, should have stepped into the role of a Six Ministries Walker a long time ago if he had wanted to.

However, it was rumored that Yang Zheng did not want to discard his real name and was determined to pursue the path of Dharma. Therefore, he had yet to step into the Six Ministries.

The status within the Yan Fu Heritage varied from high to low. Some lower heritages had no potential to enter the Six Ministries; even if they passed the Yan Fu trials and consumed numerous secret treasures, their peak would only ever reach the Seven Palaces Peak. Whereas those with deep potential from higher heritages had two paths to enter the Six Ministries: the Dharma and the Dharma Lord.

The Dharma is difficult, but the Dharma Lord is easy.

The term “Dharma Lord” originates from the “Deity Yoga” of Esoteric Buddhism, which implies fusion. Proxies only need to find the corresponding creatures of their lineage in the Daqian Yanfu World, merge their consciousness and real body, and from then on, you are the heritage, and the heritage is you.

But if there is the slightest error, the Dharma Lord may be subject to possession by the other party. Once possessed, they would lose their identity within Yan Fu, becoming a winged insect within the fruit, and the complete Yan Fu Heritage would be shattered and lost within a single domain of the fruit.

Unless the creature of the heritage is willing to annihilate all consciousness, allowing the Proxy to devour it. There is precedent for this; Cao Yuanchao once brought Si Wenji a true body of a Nine-tailed Fox whose consciousness had been completely erased. A Dharma Lord achieved in this manner comes with virtually no side effects, helping to preserve one’s own consciousness and memory from erosion to the greatest extent possible.

In other words, there is indeed the possibility of the heritage’s consciousness disrupting one’s sense of self when a Dharma Lord reaches completion. Even Zhuo Jiu, one of the current Ten Masters, suffers from a lingering headache due to the overwhelming power of the heritage’s consciousness when he achieved the status of Dharma Lord.

In today’s Yan Zhao Club, eight or nine out of ten are Six Ministries of Dharma Lords. Those willing or capable of following the path of the Dharma are few and far between.

As for the term “Dharma,” it comes from the “Cheng Weishi Theory,” stating that Muni attained the second fruit, forever free of the two obstructions, also called “Dharma.” This refers to the various mystical powers Enlightenment of Shakyamuni, which is why “Dharma” also implies sudden Enlightenment.

How to walk this path, no one can say for sure. It is known that one must solidify oneself with vast amounts of Awakening Degree and secret treasures from Yan Fu, and at the crucial moment, break through oneself. By purifying all impurities within the Yan Fu heritage, it is a path lined with great risks and low rewards.

Initially, in the Yan Zhao Club, only Proxies of the Dharma could keep their own names, especially among the Ten Masters. Those of the Dharma, such as Feather Lord, Ghost Master, and Human Master, were often called by their true names, whereas those of the Dharma Lord, like the landlord Hou Tu and Scale Lord Zhu Jiuyin, were referred to by their heritage names.

But as time passed, some old rules became blurred. Now, many of those of the Dharma Lord, and even those of the Seven Palaces, are often known by their real names.

The existence of the Yan Zhao Club made it easier for many to rise to higher statuses. It is said that before the Yan Zhao Club’s time, the ratio of Dharma to Dharma Lord was about one in ten, but two years into this same club, Yang Zheng has become an extremely rare individual willing to pursue the Dharma, and is the only one who has successfully become a Dharma Six Ministries during the Yan Zhao Club era.

But he might also be the one to die the quickest…

Zheng! Zheng!

One huge pit after another appeared out of nowhere on the sea. This was a sign of Yang Zheng losing control and leaking his power. Muni bit at him again and again. Except for his speed and strength, the attack was utterly straightforward, causing the newly-promoted Yang Zheng to run ragged. If it was not for Muni’s insistence on biting only once each time and returning to Qian Wu’s side immediately upon being hit by Yang Zheng’s fist, Yang Zheng might have already died beneath Muni’s teeth.

But as the attack dragged on without success, Muni also showed signs of impatience.

“Muni, you must remember. Do not let Qian Wu out of your sight for longer than the time it takes to breathe,” Se Kong instructed Muni while shaking his delicate fingers. “If you feel overwhelmed, eat the old man immediately. No matter what tricks Zhao Jianzhong employs, you won’t have to be afraid. Remember this well.”