Feng Heng looked at her, his eyes and demeanor as peaceful as ever. He knew something was wrong with Zhen Biyu the moment she showed up.
He was very confident in his plan, so his tactic for this battle involved this ability. After learning from Monk Wuzhi that he had no chance of winning this battle, he investigated why the latter believed so and learned about the existence of the Nine Extremity Foundation.
So, he planned to wait until the two titans–Di Tian and Wang Wei–decided the victor before confronting the weakened winner. And his plan worked for a while.
No one could find him–even Wang Wei. And yet, everything changed as Zhen Biyu somehow discovered his hiding place.
'No matter what method she used showed she is not simple,' analyzed Feng Heng. 'Could she be like me? Possessed by someone else?'
Cultivators often despised Body Possession as it's better to recreate a fleshly body. After all, it's extremely difficult to make a soul perfectly fit with a foreign body.
So, there are a few occasions where body possession is used. The first one is poverty. Many cultivators do not have the means or resources to recreate their fleshly bodies.
The second reason is to increase talent through possession. This method is one of the ways cultivated can remove the shackles of their talent. However, they still have to deal with the issue of Essence and Spirit not 100% fitting together.
'Then, there is the possibility of some Emperor reviving themselves using the Heaven Will,' pondered Feng Heng. 'If that's the case, it would explain why she could find me.
'No, even a normal Emperor cannot easily find me.'
It's harder for him to use his hiding ability now that he has a fleshly body. Regardless, he was still confident not any regular Emperor could find him.
Feng Heng slowly stood up from his sitting position. He held the praying beads in his left hand while keeping his right hand in a praying position.
'I should be cautious of whether she is the real Zhen Biyu. But, I can also take this opportunity to test her.'
Feng Heng was peaceful at the fact his plan for this battle was ruined. He knew Zhen Biyu's arrival already got the attention of either Di Tian or Wang Wei–most likely, the latter.
And knowing how Wang Wei operated, he would never allow him to hide again. Regardless, Feng Heng was calm about the entire ordeal. As for the reason?
There are two, the first one being his new state of mind. After witnessing the revival of Buddhism, he became enlightened, and his state of mind was elevated. The depression, sadness, hopelessness, and heavy sense of mission he carried on his shoulder for billions of years were now removed.
The second and foremost reason is that he has the Heart of Hope and the Merit Proving Method. As such, Feng Heng knew he was fated to prove the Dao and become an Emperor.
With such a mindset, the battle, for him, was simply a way to enhance his benefit. If he could prove the Dao on his own and use the Heart of Hope and the Merit Proving Method, his strength would drastically improve.
'Losing is acceptable,' thought Feng Heng. 'However, I should also not give up until the last minute.'
"Layman, let's begin."
After saying these words, a golden array appeared underneath Feng Heng's feet. Then, a legion of men dressed in thin leather appeared with no weapon or armor. However, all the soldiers had copper-colored skins with golden lights flashing in their eyes.
"I am very proud of this Vajra Legion. Layman, please, have a try."
Zhen Biyu frowned, "Monk, how about we don't mess around and skip these unnecessary steps?"
She wanted to save time fighting with troops. Legions are useless for geniuses of their level–unless they are truly unique.
Zhen Biyu was initially confident of winning this battle. However, after meeting certain people and using secret techniques to detect their strengths, she realized how laughable such an idea was.
Nevertheless, she did not immediately give up. Her plans to steal the luck of Taoism can still benefit her. As long as she gets her hands on it, the trip to this battlefield would have been worth it.
As such, she did not want to waste time with the monk in case something unexpected occurred.
"Please," replied Feng Heng, shaking his head while simultaneously making a motion for her to make a move. She knew little about her opponent, while the latter probably knew much about him.
So, the best choice is to use his troops to force her to reveal some of her abilities.
"Are you Buddhist monks all about compassion? Why are you willing to let these poor soldiers die right before you? How can you be so cruel?" taunted Zhen Biyu with a sneer. "The hypocrisy is one of the many reasons your sect was wiped out from history."
Feng Heng did not react to her words. In his life, he had seen too many things, and this was not the first time he had heard these words. Furthermore, he knew the Buddhist Sect's actions back then were wrong. So, he has learned from the past and prepared for his Neo Buddhism.
"People often placed monks on a pedestal," replied Feng Heng calmly. "They believed monks should be perfect beings dedicated to serving the people: Beings with no flaws, negative emotions, or selfish desires.
"When the opposite is true. We are only human, with seven desires and six emotions. Although we preach about compassion, we can also learn to be ruthless."
"Your words are contradictory. How can you be compassionate and ruthless," said Zhen Biyu with a sneer.
"Unfortunately, this world is ruled by the powerful. And no one can become powerful without becoming ruthless. So, if any monk wishes to practice the way of compassion, they must first learn to be ruthless.
"As for the contradiction? Doesn't your Taoist Sect believe in Yin-Yang," replied Feng Heng with a smile.
"Speaking of ruthlessness," continued the young monk. "Can you, Taoist priests, talk about ruthlessness? Using the excuse of inaction, many of you have watched countless horrors and human suffering and remained indifferent.
"Some of you even participate in these horrors under the belief you were doing the work of Heaven and Earth, under the belief of participating in the flow of nature."
Feng Heng shook his head as he felt Zhen Biyu's words were the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black.
'I guess there is no way to bait him into accepting my direct challenge,' thought Zhen Biyu, not caring about the latter's words. Although she cultivated the Five Elements Dao, she never considered herself part of Taoism.
So, such a debate was meaningless to her.
'It seems we have to do this the hard way.'
Zhen Biyu did not rush toward the monk and directly fought him. Such a tactic was reckless as the latter could use his troops to form a potent array, which disadvantaged her.
So, she followed his rhythm and summoned her troops.
Her soldiers wore yellow armor, and a metallic light would flash in their skins and eyes.
'Metal Legion?' thought Feng Heng before ordering his men to attack. A brilliant golden light enveloped his legion as they marched toward the enemy.
[Buddha Palm]
The legion worked together as they used their formation. So, a towering golden hand descended from the Heavens, suppressing the Metal Legion.
[Sharp Sword]
The response of Zhen Biyu's troop was not slow. They gathered the power of the Metal Element into a formation to create a sword with unparalleled sharpness; they pushed this prominent attribute of the Metal Element to the limit.
Boom!
A terrifying sound and shockwave were generated from the clash of the gigantic yellow sword and the enormous golden palm. Spatial storms appeared in the surrounding area, leaving a devastating force in this area.
The result of the attack showed these two troops were equal in strength. And yet, dozens of soldiers from the Metal Legion died while only a few people from the Vajra Legion suffered minor injuries.
The reason for such a difference is simple–defensive capabilities. Zhen Biyu's troops protected themselves from the chaotic energy of the clash with metal energy or power.
Unfortunately, they were still leagues in difference compared to the fleshly body defense of the Vajra Legion.
"Keep attacking," ordered Feng Heng after seeing he had the initiative. So, his troop adopted a Dead Man Tactic. They attacked with no regard for any injury, pain, or injury.
Relying on their defensive capability far surpassing their opponent, they relentlessly attack to create as much damage as possible.
So, Zhen Biyu watched as hundreds of her soldiers died in a few minutes. She knew things could not continue as such, so she changed tactics and summoned another legion:
The Earth Legion.
This legion is known for two things: defense and endless stamina. So, she immediately ordered them to work with the Metal Legion to change the situation of this battle.
