150: Chapter 151 Shi Yongxin in Despair

Under the gaze of the crowd, the scene unfolding on the stage exceeded the understanding of the vast majority of spectators.

Shi Yongxin's three aggressive ace martial monks, who had just completed a perfect tactical encirclement, saw their thunderous offensive come to a sudden, unheralded halt just inches away from the pale girl! Like three high-speed chariots suddenly slammed by an invisible giant hand, they froze in place.

There was no violent collision, no explosion of clashing energies, not even any obvious skill radiance. There was only a heart-palpitating, eerie silence, as if time itself had stagnated.

"What's going on?!"

"Why did they stop?"

"Attack! Hit her!"

"What is Shi Yongxin doing? Why aren't his monks moving?"

A clamor of astonishment rose from the stands. People craned their necks and widened their eyes, completely failing to understand what had happened. One second, those three monks were as fierce as tigers; the next, they were like precision machinery suddenly cut off from power, standing stiffly with hollow eyes, unable to even maintain basic combat stances.

By the edge of the stage, Shi Yongxin's face instantly turned ashen, and cold sweat seeped from his temples. He felt the abnormality earlier and more clearly than the audience! Through the tight soul link, he frantically issued commands for subsequent attacks, defenses, and movements to the three monks. However, the feedback from the other end of the link was unprecedentedly sluggish, chaotic, and even carried a sense of "obstruction" that made his skin crawl.

When an attack command was issued, the monks would delay for a second or two before their bodies began to react stiffly and incoherently; when a movement command was issued, their steps were like they were filled with lead, stumbling and slow. What alarmed him even more was that when he tried to sense the monks' fighting will and status, all he got was a cold blankness and an indescribable dissipation. It was as if something had crudely interfered with or even damaged their core drives as combat units!

"Damn it! What exactly is going on?!" Shi Yongxin roared in his heart, an ominous premonition coiling around his heart like a cold venomous snake. He had fought for many years and encountered all kinds of formidable enemies and bizarre skills, but he had never seen a method so silent yet seemingly striking at the very source, rendering his monks dysfunctional in an instant!

Just as Shi Yongxin was filled with doubt and trying to figure out the situation, the Yama Maiden floating in mid-air—Gui Wanwan—deepened the ethereal and playful smile at the corner of her mouth slightly. She seemed to have lost interest in the three dim-witted monks before her, or perhaps, she felt it was time to end this uninteresting performance.

She reached out her right hand, which had been empty, casually to her side.

Buzz...

Space rippled like water, and a massive weapon with an extremely exaggerated design—forming a sharp contrast with her petite figure—appeared out of thin air in her hand.

It was a giant scythe, pitch-black throughout, with only a line of cold, ghostly light flowing along the edge! The handle of the scythe was taller than she was, and the curved blade was like a crescent moon for reaping lives, nearly two meters long. The edge wasn't absolutely sharp but carried a sense of blunt weight, yet the grayish-white death aura lingering on it made one's soul ache. The moment the scythe appeared, the temperature on the stage seemed to drop by several degrees, and even the faint golden Buddha light emanating from the dazed monks seemed to dim.

[Yama's Scythe]! Gui Wanwan's natal weapon; its very existence was a deterrent to the souls of the living.

Gui Wanwan gripped the long handle of the scythe, which was much thicker than her arm, with one hand, her movements as relaxed as if she were picking up a feather. She didn't even use any skills, just held the scythe and gave a casual horizontal swing toward the three stiff monks below, as if brushing dust off a table!

There was no world-shaking blade qi, no sharp edge tearing through space.

Only a thin, nearly transparent grayish-white arched ripple spread silently with the swing of the scythe, sweeping across the bodies of the three monks below.

This seemingly nonchalant strike contained the soul-deterring effect inherent to [Yama's Scythe]! As long as Gui Wanwan's spirit attribute far exceeded the target's, any of her attacks (including basic attacks) would carry a strong soul impact, causing the target to fall into a "Soul Dread" state, with sluggish reactions and dissipated will, making it difficult to muster effective defense or offensive intent.

The three monks, whose souls were already damaged and reactions slowed by the [Yama Extermination Curse], shuddered violently the moment this soul ripple swept over them! The blankness in the eyes of the Bull Demon Martial Monk and the Sanctuary Martial Monk was instantly replaced by a deeper fear. Although their bodies were still trying to move due to command delays, those movements were distorted and posed no threat.

Only the SSS-Rank Three-Eyed Martial Monk, at the moment the soul ripple touched him, saw the faint golden vertical line on his forehead suddenly explode with unprecedentedly dazzling light! A stubborn combat instinct, mixed with the power of the many beneficial Buddha seals Shi Yongxin had placed on him, actually allowed him to maintain a trace of clarity under this dual soul strike, and his body instinctively assumed a defensive posture.

"Sacred Buddha Seal! Vajra Indestructibility!"

Below the stage, Shi Yongxin's pupils contracted. Almost at the same time Gui Wanwan swung her scythe, he let out a hoarse roar! He didn't have time for more; he could only apply his ultimate life-saving divine skill—the Nirvana Buddha Seal, which could provide a brief state of absolute invincibility—at maximum speed to the Three-Eyed Martial Monk, who was in the relatively best condition!

Buzz—!

A circle of pure, solid, faint golden Buddha light emanating a supreme sacred aura instantly enveloped the Three-Eyed Martial Monk's burly frame like the sturdiest eggshell! The Buddha light flowed, with countless tiny " 卍" runes appearing and disappearing on its surface, emitting a powerful aura that repelled all magic and evil.

Gui Wanwan's grayish-white soul ripple swept against this layer of sacred Buddha light like water hitting a reef, quietly sliding away and dissipating without penetrating in the slightest. In his invincible state, the Three-Eyed Martial Monk was immune to all damage and negative effects.

However, Shi Yongxin's "Sacred Buddha Seal" was a single-target skill! In his haste, he could only protect the most core Three-Eyed Martial Monk!

Swish!

The grayish-white soul ripple passed through the bodies of the Bull Demon Martial Monk and the Sanctuary Martial Monk without any hindrance.

The two monks stiffened abruptly, the last spark of light in their eyes extinguishing like a candle in the wind. The various beneficial Buddha lights applied to them instantly dimmed and collapsed. Then, a tooth-aching "hissing" sound came from within them—not the sound of flesh being cut, but the wail of souls being eroded and annihilated by the death aura.

Thump! Thump!

Two heavy thuds. The Bull Demon Martial Monk's burly, tower-like frame, along with the heavy seasoned copper staff in his hand, and the Sanctuary Martial Monk's lean and upright figure, along with his fallen demon-subduing staff, collapsed to the ground almost simultaneously, no longer making a sound.

There were no wounds on the surface of their bodies, but their life force was completely severed, and the spiritual light of their souls had vanished. The two corpses quickly became transparent and faded, eventually turning into specks of light and dissipating in the air—they were forcibly sent back to their original worlds, and with their souls severely damaged, it would be difficult for Shi Yongxin to summon them again for a long time; even if summoned, their strength would be far inferior to before.

"No—!!" Shi Yongxin's eyes nearly split as he let out a low roar of extreme heartache. These two monks were his important right-hand men, and cultivating them had cost him countless efforts! And just like that, they were inexplicably "insta-killed"?

What made his heart turn even colder was the Three-Eyed Martial Monk, who was in an invincible state...

Shrouded in the faint golden invincible Buddha light, the Three-Eyed Martial Monk stood dazed in place. He maintained a defensive posture, yet his eyes were still hollow, and even... revealed a trace of undisguisable fear! He was clearly in an absolutely safe state, so why was he still afraid?

Gui Wanwan didn't seem to care about insta-killing two small fry. Her gaze fell on the faint golden eggshell, and a flash of mockery crossed her grayish-white eyes.

"Invincible?" she whispered, her voice ethereal and drifting, yet clearly reaching the ears of everyone nearby. "A pity. What the turtle shell protects is just an empty shell that's been scared out of its wits."

She raised her pale little hand again, her five fingers curling into a phantom grip toward the Three-Eyed Martial Monk enveloped in the invincible Buddha light.

"Yama Prison Decree."

Four words, like a sentence from the God of Death.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The air around the Three-Eyed Martial Monk suddenly became viscous and chillingly cold!

Countless grey-white nether energies surged from the void, swiftly interweaving and condensing into a translucent, ghastly white prison made of countless twisted talismans and chains, enveloping the Three-Eyed Martial Monk along with the invincible Buddha light surrounding him!

The prison was not large, just enough to trap him in the center, radiating a terrifying aura that imprisoned everything and eroded the soul.

【Yama Prison Decree】!

Gui Wanwan's eighth skill, constructing a soul cage using nether authority.

If the trapped entity forcibly charges or attempts to pass through the cage, it will cause additional, permanent, and deepened damage to the soul!

This is a form of house arrest and deterrence targeting the soul.

The moment this ghastly white prison took shape, the Three-Eyed Martial Monk, currently within the invincible Buddha light, began to tremble violently against his will!

The golden eye on his forehead flickered frantically, unstable, showing that his soul was suffering immense shock and torment.

This was not a physical or energy-based attack; the invincible Buddha light was helpless against it.

It was coercion and punishment acting directly upon the depths of his soul, originating from a higher-order death authority!

It was a warning to him: move recklessly, and the soul damage will be even worse!

"Roar——!!"

The Three-Eyed Martial Monk let out a low, inhuman roar mixed with pain and fear.

He clutched his head with both hands, and the pale golden invincible Buddha light on his body flickered in and out due to the violent fluctuations of his soul.

He clearly possessed the strength to tear everything before him to shreds, but the instinctive fear of that ghastly white prison and the pale girl outside it, surging from the depths of his soul, made him dare not move an inch!

It was as if beyond that prison lay an abyss where his soul would be scattered!

"What?!"

"The Three-Eyed... is afraid?!"

"Under the invincible state... he's afraid?!"

"How is this possible? Can a summon feel fear? And so obviously?"

"What exactly did that ghost girl do to him?!"

The entire audience, including many high-level Class Transferees, watched in stunned silence, their worldview receiving a massive shock!

summons were creations of energy and rules, possessing combat instincts, but such vivid, human-like "fear" emotions—and being displayed while in an invincible state—were simply unheard of!

This completely defied their understanding of summons!

Shi Yongxin was struck as if by lightning, his mind blank.

Through the soul link, he could feel with crystal clarity the tsunami-like fear and despair surging from the Three-Eyed Martial Monk!

That fear was so pure, so profound, that it even overwhelmed the commands of his master!

He tried to communicate, ask, and soothe... but all he received was a chaotic, fearful screeching.

"No... impossible! How can this be?!"

Shi Yongxin's face turned pale, and he swayed, on the verge of collapsing.

His greatest reliance, the SSS-Rank Talent Three-Eyed Martial Monk, had actually lost the will to fight because of a single skill from the opponent, even while in an invincible state?!

"Martial Saint Rock-Shattering Fist! Smash that damn cage for me! Attack! Attack that woman!"

Extreme shock and humiliation turned into frantic rage.

Shi Yongxin lost his reason, roaring madly through the soul link and forcibly issuing an attack command!

He didn't believe it; he didn't believe that the invincible Three-Eyed Martial Monk couldn't even touch the corner of her clothes!

Driven by Shi Yongxin's forced command, the Three-Eyed Martial Monk, deep in fear, let out a painful roar.

As if using up all his strength and willpower to resist the fear-based coercion on a soul level, he raised his right fist, which was wrapped in pale golden invincible Buddha light.

On his fist, earth-yellow light frantically gathered and compressed, emitting a heart-stopping destructive fluctuation—the epic-grade skill 【Martial Saint Rock-Shattering Fist】!

This punch had once left a deep fist mark on Gu Shuanglin's World Tree; its power was unquestionable.

However, when the Three-Eyed Martial Monk's gaze touched the barrier of the ghastly white prison that trapped him, that fear originating from his soul surged like a tide again, causing a fatal hesitation and tremor in his movements.

But ultimately, he could not fully defy his master's forced command.

"Roar!!!"

Accompanied by a roar that transformed fear into brutality, the Three-Eyed Martial Monk threw a punch!

The target was directed straight at Gui Wanwan, who was floating outside the prison, sitting on her scythe with ease!

Boom——!!!

The terrifying fist force erupted, turning into a stream of earth-yellow energy, over a meter in diameter and refined to the extreme.

It tore through the air, carrying terrifying kinetic energy at dozens of times the speed of sound, crashing toward Gui Wanwan!

Wherever it passed, space twisted slightly, emitting a groan of being unable to bear the load.

However, the moment the fist force erupted and the Three-Eyed Martial Monk's body lunged forward, his body inevitably and briefly "contacted" the ghastly white barrier of the 【Yama Prison Decree】.

There was no sound.

But in the eyes of all the keen-perceiving powerhouses, the Three-Eyed Martial Monk's soul, shrouded in invincible Buddha light, seemed to have been struck hard by an invisible hammer burning with nether flames!

The golden eye on his forehead dimmed to the point of extinction in an instant, his entire aura visibly withered by a large margin, and even the layer of pale golden invincible Buddha light on his body fluctuated violently and dimmed significantly!

Forcibly passing through the "Yama Prison Decree" had caused secondary, severe damage to his soul!

And that massive stream of energy from the 【Martial Saint Rock-Shattering Fist】...

Gui Wanwan didn't even stand up from the scythe she was sitting on.

She just tilted her head slightly, as if admiring some inconsequential fireworks.

That terrifying fist force, capable of collapsing a small hill, brushed past the corner of her clothes, roaring past by a hair's breadth, and slammed heavily into the arena's edge barrier, which was dozens of meters high!

BOOM!!!!

A deafening explosion rang out, and the entire martial arts stadium seemed to shake!

The sturdy arena barrier erupted with blinding light, ripples surged on its surface, and even fine, spiderweb-like cracks appeared!

This was enough to show just how terrifying the power of that punch was.

Unfortunately, it missed.

And it missed by a ridiculous margin.

The fist force dissipated, and the light of the barrier slowly calmed.

The Three-Eyed Martial Monk remained in his punching posture, frozen in mid-air, bowing his head, saying nothing.

The layer of pale golden invincible Buddha light on his body, due to the severe damage to his soul and the end of the skill's duration, flickered like a candle in the wind a few times before quietly extinguishing.

The invincible state was over.

And he remained trapped in the ghastly white cage of the 【Yama Prison Decree】, his aura withered, his eyes hollow, and the golden eye on his forehead completely dimmed, devoid of any luster.

He just hung there quietly, like a broken puppet that had lost all power, unresponsive to any subsequent commands or calls from Shi Yongxin.

Inside and outside the arena, there was dead silence.

Only Gui Wanwan sat on her giant scythe, gently swinging her lower legs.

Her grey-white eyes, carrying a trace of boredom, swept over the "empty shell" below, then glanced at the ashen-faced Shi Yongxin off the stage.

Finally, her gaze landed on the referee, who also seemed a bit dazed.

Her red lips parted slightly, and her ethereal voice sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet venue:

"He has lost his combat capability."

"I won this boring game, right?"

Her tone was flat, as if she were stating an obvious fact.

The referee opened his mouth, looking at the Three-Eyed Martial Monk trapped in the cage, unresponsive, and then at the Bull Demon Martial Monk and Temple Martial Monk who had already disappeared from the ground.

For a moment, he didn't know how to rule.

According to the rules, a summon losing its combat capability meant a loss.

But the Three-Eyed Martial Monk was clearly still "alive" and had a physical form...

"Three-Eyed! Answer me! Move! Move for me!"

Shi Yongxin's face was as pale as paper, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

He roared uselessly into the soul link, even attempting to strike the Three-Eyed Martial Monk directly with mental energy, but all he received was a cold, deathly void.

The feeling was as if the link with the Three-Eyed Martial Monk was still there, but at the other end of the link, there was nothing left...

No, only a broken, empty shell that had lost all its "content" remained.

His strongest trump card, the SSS-Rank Talent Three-Eyed Martial Monk, seemed to have had its core combat consciousness and soul origin thoroughly "crushed," "sealed," or "erased" by some terrifying power the moment it forcibly passed through the ghastly white prison!

What remained was merely a husk with a powerful body and residual energy, but no autonomous will or combat instinct!

This kind of defeat was more thorough and more despair-inducing than simply being killed!