"Vajra Demon Subjugation!"
"Hah!"
As Master Wu Hai led his people to form the Vajra Demon Subjugation Formation, many Buddhist esper users present felt a solemn and sacred power bolstering them.
(〔Vajra Demon Subjugation Formation〕: Provides 12%*n damage reduction and 10%*n resistance to all 〔Buddhist〕 esper users within the range, and when 〔Buddhist〕 esper users attack, it adds 5%*n true damage. n = number of people in the formation, minimum 2, maximum 9; while the formation is active, those forming it cannot leave their designated positions. Non-〔Buddhist〕 esper users within the formation gain a 5%*n dual resistance bonus.)
In fact, the Vajra Demon Subjugation Formation is a skill that many B-rank and above Buddhist esper users are highly likely to awaken, so in this situation where almost everyone was a monk, it was easy to gather more than seven people.
Just as all the primary physical and magical attackers were preparing to unleash a barrage of firepower on the charging Asura, several massive figures suddenly descended from the sky, passing over the Vajra Demon Subjugation Formation and heading towards the students and teachers behind.
"It's a Lou Galo! Everyone focus fire! We must take it down first!" the abbot from White Horse Temple commanded. "Everyone stay vigilant! There's definitely more than one Lou Galo! Don't let them capture anyone!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately began to direct heavy fire at the rapidly approaching Lou Galo. The intense magical explosions and concentrated firepower caused a burst of smoke and dust.
Qing Lianzi, who was guarding the students, observed the movements within the smoke while listening to the sounds of the Vajra Demon Subjugation Formation on the other side of the dust – it was clear that Master Wu Hai had already begun to contend with the Asura.
"Everyone down!"
Someone shouted, and Qing Lianzi quickly looked. He saw two Lou Galos emerge rapidly from the smoke, extending their claws to grab the students in the crowd.
Qing Lianzi could even clearly see the carved stone faces of the Lou Galos, their broken wings, their human bodies with bird-like wings...
"It's a Lou Galo Golem! Damn it! Spiritual energy and magic are useless against them!" The abbot of White Horse Temple threw a sutra and shouted, "Om Mani Padme Hum! Sacred ground of Buddhism! Banish evil!"
The sutra fluttered in mid-air without any wind, and countless Sanskrit incantations erupted, gradually forming a shining golden sphere.
"Go!"
The golden sphere suddenly expanded, then instantly detonated, transforming into a golden wave that swept over everything around.
At this moment, everyone discovered that both the Asura and the Lou Galo Golems had become slow-moving, as if they were being played at 0.5x speed.
Then, a golden light shot out, piercing directly through the forehead of a Lou Galo Golem. As this Lou Galo Golem began to disintegrate, a heroic figure stepped on the flying debris in the air and grasped the golden light.
It was He Lanxin.
At this time, He Lanxin had four pupils in her eyes, surrounded by a phantom golden armor, and her overlord halberd gleamed with a faint golden light, clearly the one that had pierced the Lou Galo Golem's forehead.
Then, she lightly stepped back, drawing her stance, and assumed a throwing posture. Targeting another Lou Galo Golem, she hurled her long halberd again.
(〔Overlord Formation Breaker〕: Hurl the long halberd to deal damage, and refresh this skill upon killing a target; you can reactivate this skill at any time within 1 minute, allowing you to flash to the side of the overlord halberd.)
On the other side, Zhang Hanshan's body rapidly expanded, passionately clashing with an Asura wielding a giant hammer.
However, the Asura's strength was terrifying. After a few exchanges, Zhang Hanshan had noticeably more injuries than the Asura, which made the former marvel.
Suddenly, a figure flashed rapidly behind this Asura and pierced its back with a sword, causing the Asura to yelp and grope around behind it with its free hand.
Zhang Hanshan seized this opportunity to land several punches on the Asura, then knocked it unconscious to the ground with a headbutt.
Cao Beijie's figure appeared next to Zhang Hanshan, and he said to him, "There are quite a few Lou Galo Golems attacking students. He Lanxin asked me to help you finish off the Asura quickly, then go back to help her."
Zhang Hanshan nodded and immediately went to find the next Asura that had not been stopped by the Vajra Demon Subjugation Formation, while Cao Beijie bent down and finished off the unconscious Asura with a sword.
...
"Great Sun Truth, Holy Fire Blazing; Cleanse the World, Save All Beings..."
As King Taishan continuously chanted the scriptures, one Sanskrit character after another lit up on the lotus platform of the giant Buddha.
Shortly after, all the Sanskrit characters on the lotus platform lit up, and King Taishan quickly retreated and said, "A wisp of the Golden Winged Garuda's remnant soul has been summoned by me. I will lure it away shortly, and your task is to capture the remnant soul! Be careful of the remnant soul's sonic vibrations later; if you are hit, your soul will be damaged!"
The three heard King Taishan's words and all retreated, while simultaneously becoming vigilant towards the Buddha statue.
With a loud bang, the Buddha's hands changed from clasped to open, and a golden phantom figure rapidly rushed out of the Buddha statue and flew towards the outside of the grotto.
King Taishan waved his hand, and several bamboo slips flew out of thin air, transforming into the words "Heavenly Net" that trapped the Garuda's remnant soul within the grotto.
"Prepare to act!" King Taishan commanded, and rushed out first, intercepting the Garuda's remnant soul. The latter clearly did not intend to entangle with King Taishan, so it directly changed direction.
However, the other three attempted to block the remnant soul from three different directions. Thus, the Garuda's remnant soul raised its head like a cornered beast.
"Careful! It's going to shriek!"
King Taishan conjured a tube of bamboo slips as if performing a magic trick. Upon unfolding it, it transformed into a shield that enveloped him.
"Aoooooo—"
A sharp, penetrating cry instantly pierced through the hastily erected defenses of the few, leaving King Taishan and the others dizzy. It then transformed into an afterimage and charged upwards.
"Damn it..." King Taishan shook his head and shouted, "Stop it!"
Just as the afterimage was about to rush out of the grotto, a portal appeared out of nowhere in front of it.