Shancai Child gazed beyond the Purple Bamboo Forest, looking towards the South Sea, capturing the entire battlefield before his eyes.
In the northern sky, massive clusters of dark clouds gathered, flashing with lightning and thunder.
Countless "Elixir Wells" from the Shangqing Palace erupted like signal smoke, occasionally extinguishing one after another.
The Qingcheng Sword Array—a Sword Tower formed by encircling Flying Swords—charged unrivaled through the Flowing Light Sea, gobbling up the lives of cultivators like carp devouring feed in a pond.
More fearsome than the Sword Array was a Green Bird, upon whose back stood a purple-robed fairy, relentlessly pursuing the Demon Suppression Arhat.
The monk, who claimed "to exorcize demons is to preach, and to slay evil is to achieve Buddha," yet was inherently bloodthirsty, seemed somewhat skilled in Shancai Child's view; currently, he was only capable of defending without any chance to retaliate.
Suddenly, a giant palm covered the sky above these local battlefields.
The Bodhisattva Guanyin had made her move!
Shancai Child, no, Red Boy's eyes flickered with flames...
"Chant the spell! Chant chant chant chant!"
"Om! Ma! Ni! Pa! Mi! Hum!"
Bai Suzhen's lips moved as she spoke.
Above Red Boy's head, on his hands, and on his feet, the five Golden Hoops tightened simultaneously.
His physical body sent forth unbearable intense pain, but even more agonizing was the feeling that a hand was squeezing his three souls and seven spirits together; Red Boy screamed tragically, his whole body convulsing as his newly gathered mana instantly dissipated.
Riding on a butterfly's back, Little Radish wiped the sweat from her forehead, her heart pounding furiously.
Little Radish and the butterfly were mixed amongst the followers of Guanyin, now even assisting the Bodhisattva.
She didn't want to refrain from helping Li Changzhou, but "Life Extension and Death Avoidance" told her that siding with Guanyin was the safest, regardless of whether Li Changzhou or Guanyin won, she would be safe.
She also knew Li Changzhou was outside now, Red Boy would go out and help Li Changzhou (not really helping, but having aligned goals), but she didn't dare release him.
If Red Boy was freed, the first to die would be Bai Suzhen, who was chanting the spell, followed by her!
If she dared risk her life to release Red Boy, then her awakened Instinct would not be "Life Extension and Death Avoidance."
Little Qing, holding the Green Snake Sword, stood beside Bai Suzhen, trembling as she gazed at the battle above.
In the past, relying on her five hundred years of mana, she had strutted around in Lin'an. Only now did she realize how weak she was; she feared that entering the battlefield, she would be dissolved by spells and smashed into pulp by magic treasures.
"Wait... when my mother... comes in... I want to kill you all myself! Ah!!" Red Boy rolled on the ground, glaring at Bai Suzhen through gritted teeth.
In Fire Cloud Cave, he was once so carefree, with the Mountain God and the land as his servants!
Having become Shancai Child, he spent his days begging pitifully, posing as completely dependent, even the turtle monster that hadn't achieved immortality dared to mock him!
Little Qing's eyes flitted by: "Your mother can barely protect herself, I advise you to convert early and save your own life."
Red Boy wanted to say something, but the agonizing pain overwhelmed his thoughts; aside from pain, he couldn't feel anything, he almost wished to kill himself!
Bai Suzhen did not dare to stop; when the Bodhisattva Guanyin instructed her in the mantras, she was told two things—
First, if the little sprite (Little Radish) calls to chant the spell, then chant it;
Second, once you start chanting, you must chant for the duration of half a tea session.
After half a tea session, even without the "Golden Hoop Spell," Red Boy wouldn't have the strength to resist for a while.
"The Bodhisattva has made her move." Little Qing looked at the hand covering the sky, "It should be over."
In her view, besides the legendary Buddha, who else could compete against the Bodhisattva Guanyin?
Even though she had lived for five hundred years and her sister for a thousand years, to them, Guanyin was still a myth.
Two extremely thin beams of blue light pierced the air, striking at the palm of Guanyin.
Initially, Little Qing didn't think much of it until a monster that was knocked back accidentally brushed against the blue light and instantly vanished, leaving only wisps of white smoke. Only then did she realize the terror of the blue light.
Even so, under Guanyin's command, the blue light was forced to retreat step by step, eventually disappearing.
The very next second, the South Sea trembled, Mount Putuo shook, and in the distance, the vertically falling waterfall swayed left and right.
Little Qing quickly steadied herself against a nearby rock.
When she looked up again, a massive dark mountain rose from the South Sea, clashing against Guanyin's jade hand high above the nine heavens.
Bang!
The violent impact swept across all directions, the grass of the Purple Bamboo Forest bowing down like wild weeds, and Little Qing's slender body nearly blown away.
Little Radish and the butterfly had promptly grabbed onto Bai Suzhen's sleeve, using this thousand-year-old monster as their Stabilizer.
As Little Qing stumbled and finally stabilized herself, the gigantic mountain vanished, and so did Guanyin's jade hand. If not for the battlefield that was the Flowing Light Sea still in existence, and the suddenly appearing giant tree still visible on the horizon, she might have suspected that what just happened was an illusion.
"...How is this possible?" She couldn't believe it.
She had assumed that once Guanyin made her move, the outcome would be determined in the blink of an eye. Could it be that they were at a stalemate?
Given the character of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, she wouldn't let her followers perish in vain. Since they were still at a stalemate, what did that imply?
Guanyin was incapable as well!
"How can this be..."
A pleasant scolding voice echoed between heaven and earth.
"Guanyin, back then you made my child kowtow step-by-step all the way to Luojia Mountain, totaling one hundred and twenty-nine thousand and three hundred kowtows. Today, even if I fall from being an Earth Immortal and Cuiyun Mountain crumbles, I will slap you one hundred and twenty-nine thousand and three hundred times!"
Before Little Qing could react.
"Ah!!!" Curled up on the ground, Red Boy suddenly kneeled up, clutching his head and roaring skyward, "Mother!!"