"It actually chased after me?"
Seeing the mutant lizard truly chase after him, Xu Qing couldn't help feeling somewhat surprised.
He'd actually prepared for failure.
Besides changes in form and abilities, mutant beasts' most important change was their wisdom uniformly rising.
Setting aside some mutant creatures whose abilities related to mental power, basically the stronger mutant creatures' strength and higher their talent, the higher their wisdom.
Though mutant beasts didn't have humanity's countless information bombardments to think more comprehensively, their growth experiences were also unknown to humanity. Humanity also didn't know what these mutant beasts' thinking methods looked like after possessing intelligence not inferior to humans.
So for this provocation, he'd prepared for failure—even prepared quite a few other methods to attract the opponent's attention.
Who knew it would actually succeed?
Could this mutant lizard be too confident in its own strength?
Or had its evolution trended more toward its own power, with wisdom growing comparatively less?
Forget it—whatever the reason didn't matter anymore.
Sensing the mutant lizard behind nearly catching up, Xu Qing's eyes sharpened. His sword flight speed rose again.
"Roar!"
The mutant lizard roared, then accelerated further.
One person, one beast—who knew how long they ran. One thing was certain—this place was already far from Goose City. No human structures nearby either.
Using this as a battlefield, no need to worry about harming others.
Sword flight stopping, Xu Qing turned around, preparing to battle the mutant lizard—at least delaying time until Zhang Hai evacuated all Goose City survivors.
But right then, he heard a voice.
"Audacious evil creature! Daring to run rampant in broad daylight!"
"Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon, World-Honored Ksitigarbha, Vajra Buddhas—kill!"
A voice fierce as a Vajra Arhat resonated through the sky. Following it came an intense dragon's cry. Amid howling gales, a divine dragon phantom directly struck the mutant lizard's body, blasting it flying.
"Fear not, Daoist! This humble monk will protect you!"
Xu Qing looked at the monk who suddenly appeared, eyes showing some surprise.
A monk?
"Daoist, please watch this little one for me. After this humble monk sends this evil creature to meet Buddha, I'll properly converse with you."
Before Xu Qing could speak, the other party shoved the young novice monk beside him toward Xu Qing, then turned to face the mutant lizard already standing up.
"Roar—"
In a violent roar, the mutant lizard fiercely slapped the ground.
"Boom... boom..."
With thunderous sounds, the ground sprouted numerous earth spikes. The middle-aged monk's expression unchanged, his right foot stomped the ground fiercely.
"Boom!"
Violent force directly shattered the earth spikes about to pierce through.
"Trivial skills—dare show off before experts?"
"Arhat Golden Body."
Skyward spiritual energy erupted from the middle-aged monk's body. Then under some mysterious power's influence, his entire body turned golden, continuously expanding—from originally two meters directly expanding to twelve meters.
Entire body flashing golden light, like an Arhat incarnate.
Speaking, he directly swung his fist, fiercely attacking the mutant lizard. Seeing this, the mutant lizard's beast eyes also filled with fury. Its claws covered in rock burst forth earth-yellow energy, attacking this tiny human before it.
"Boom..."
A sudden tremendous sound. Visibly, massive airflow scattered in all directions. On the ground, the collision center of one person and one beast even caved in, cracking open a pit over thirty meters deep!
Terrifying impact force like a violent hurricane. Surrounding trees snapped at the waist. Countless branches shattered to powder under this terrifying impact.
"Such powerful strength!"
Even Xu Qing couldn't help but praise.
This monk's strength exceeded his speculation.
At this time point, cultivating the Buddhist ultimate skill Arhat Golden Body to such degree—this monk's talent couldn't be underestimated.
Regarding Buddhism, honestly, he held no favorable impression.
But toward those truly devoted to Buddha with whole hearts—he held no ill will either.
Those currently able to cultivate Buddhist methods were necessarily monks devoted to Buddha with whole hearts.
Moreover, cultivating Arhat Golden Body until physique could match strength with First Sequence talent mutant beasts evenly—this wasn't just wholehearted devotion to Buddha. Likely he'd integrated it into his own faith.
Deeply favored by Buddhist fate.
"Retreat for me!!!"
The middle-aged monk explosively shouted. Arhat Golden Body's radiance grew more dazzling. Beneath his feet appeared crack after crack. Faintly, one could even see Arhat phantoms manifesting behind him.
"Boom!"
With a tremendous sound, in Xu Qing's somewhat dumbfounded gaze, the middle-aged monk was instead blasted flying by the mutant lizard. Like a cannonball, he rapidly flew backward, heavily striking a tree—directly shattering it—then with remaining force consecutively smashing through over ten trees.
"Roar!!!"
The mutant lizard roared mightily, seemingly telling Xu Qing—no so-called evenly matched existed. Only one side crushing the other.
"Evil creature indeed has some substance!"
The middle-aged monk climbed up from the ground. Arhat Golden Body still radiated brilliant light.
As a Buddhist ultimate skill, once Arhat Golden Body cultivation succeeded, one became indestructible as vajra, impervious to all evils. As long as his internal spiritual energy sufficed, no matter how strong the opponent—don't expect to break his Arhat Golden Body and injure him.
Of course, damage severity received also affected his internal spiritual energy consumption. Stronger attacks, more damage received, more energy consumed—and vice versa.
If the opponent's attack was too powerful, his Arhat Golden Body might even consume all his internal spiritual energy in the collision's instant, then...
"Roar!"
The mutant lizard roared. The middle-aged monk and mutant lizard fought again.
The middle-aged monk's Arhat Golden Body. The mutant lizard's body surface covered in rock armor.
Without using other abilities, they seemed to enjoy intense physical collisions—fist-to-flesh striking sensations.
"Again again again!"
"You four-legged lizard are somewhat interesting!"
The middle-aged monk grew more excited fighting. His talent was good—the strongest in their temple.
Buddhist ultimate skills—learned and mastered, mastered and perfected.
Even Arhat Golden Body—in just three short days, he'd cultivated to entry level.
Only because no one compared, he also didn't know what level his strength had reached.
This mountain descent—mutant creatures encountered along the way hadn't satisfied him.
This mutant lizard's strength was decent. He'd even used Arhat Golden Body, yet in strength was suppressed by the opponent.
Though defensive ability fell short of his—each time he'd pierce through that rock armor layer, striking into its body—in an instant, it would be repaired by earth-yellow energy.
(End of Chapter)