Based purely on appearance, the Corrupted Monk looked no different from her phantom. The only distinction was the Buddhist beads on her wrist—they were gone. Her left hand was now empty. That string of beads inscribed with numerous esoteric Buddhist sutras currently encircled Triangle Head's wrist.
Rin seemed eager to try her hand, but Jason held her back.
Triangle Head dragged his blade forward, taking heavy steps. This was his battle—no one needed to interfere.
His own murderous aura had reached its limit. He needed some pure spiritual power to harmonize it before he could advance further.
The Corrupted Monk faced a similar problem. "Yaobikuni" was a legendary name—in reality, she had no connection to the mythical figure who'd lived eight hundred years.
Before drinking Fountainhead Palace's immortality water and letting the undying worm parasitize her body, she'd also been an esoteric Buddhist practitioner with extremely refined spiritual discipline.
She'd broken through that barrier, but her Buddhist cultivation was too advanced. Without a Buddhist realm to ease her mental pressure, she needed sufficient killing intent to counterbalance the Buddhist aura, allowing her to walk an entirely new path.
Through the Buddhist beads' subtle resonance, the Corrupted Monk also saw Triangle Head. Both "individuals" recognized certain qualities in each other. If they could obtain these qualities, they could advance further.
Both sides were exceptionally silent. The deathmatch began in the next moment.
The naginata and Triangle Head's blade clashed together. Both weapons carried tremendous force, their collision ringing like thunder.
After absorbing some essential power from the Corrupted Monk's phantom, Triangle Head's techniques had changed. He no longer relied solely on the repetitive mechanical pattern of dragging his blade, slashing, then dragging again.
After one fierce downward strike, he gripped the handle with one hand and supported the blade's back with the other, blocking the Corrupted Monk's follow-up side slash.
The Corrupted Monk practiced numerous esoteric Buddhist techniques. Though she hadn't reached truly mythical levels of strength, her power was immense, her body hard as refined steel, her speed adequately agile, with imposing momentum and explosive force.
The entire ten-meter-wide vermillion bridge fell within her attack range. Her three-meter naginata often whirled like a tornado in continuous slashing strikes.
Triangle Head had learned Ashina's deflection technique, constantly parrying and blocking. When the Corrupted Monk spun her entire body attempting a great whirlwind slash, he struck fiercely with his blade.
The naginata resembled the Eastern crescent blade—long and narrow with a curved angle, its handle forged from refined steel, remarkably long, allowing two-handed grip. Originally the weapon of warrior monks guarding temples, it gradually spread to the samurai class. During the Edo shogunate period, some female warriors also used naginatas.
This blade's handle measured two meters, its edge one meter. When swung, it generated fierce winds, sending fallen leaves on the vermillion bridge flying through the air.
Without dharma robes for protection, without Buddhist supernatural powers enhancing various aspects, even his weapon inferior to his opponent's, Triangle Head was beaten quite badly by the Corrupted Monk's ferocious assault. His bare chest was covered in wounds, yet he didn't retreat a single step, maintaining his rhythm of two defensive moves to one offensive strike.
Bella, this self-proclaimed Western Sword Saint, could see Triangle Head's defeat was only a matter of time. Strength, speed, stamina, techniques—he was comprehensively suppressed in every aspect. In a fair fight, Triangle Head had no hope of winning. Looking at the Corrupted Monk's ease, she could probably simultaneously defeat two Triangle Heads and still claim victory.
Even in a war of attrition, most people couldn't outlast her. Buddhist endurance was first-rate.
Bella's right index and middle fingers touched her forehead. Single combat? Right! Single combat was good—she supported it—but she could cast two invisible spells at the air. That couldn't be called cheating, right?
Through her contract with Triangle Head, she raised her hand and blessed him with a third-level spell she'd named Discover Potential. As the name suggested, it enhanced combat power, though from a mental level—an inside-out improvement.
In game terms, it added one point to all attack, defense, and saving throw values.
This slight enhancement still wasn't enough to erase the opponent's advantage. She pointed remotely at the Corrupted Monk. The monk was quite alert but, being tightly entangled by Triangle Head, could only emit a beast-like roar.
Bella didn't care about that. This creature was destined to be killed by Triangle Head anyway—she couldn't recruit her aboard ship. No amount of offense mattered.
She connected a portion of the Corrupted Monk's mind to Jason's, then raised her katana and stabbed Jason through the heart from behind...
Through the mental link, the Corrupted Monk suffered the same fatal wound. Her naginata movements immediately became completely chaotic, and Triangle Head seized the opportunity to viciously slash her shoulder.
Forced damage sharing—another third-level psionic spell Bella had invented.
In normal single combat, this technique was useless—typical "damage self 1,600 to kill enemy 800," somewhat like Hidan from Naruto.
However, it proved quite useful in chaotic battles. For example, capture an enemy minion, use mental linking to connect to the Boss, then kill the minion—theoretically dealing 2,400 damage!
Bella had developed this spell but never had a chance to use it. Now trying it out, the results were remarkable.
Five seconds later, Jason revived and ran back from the ship.
"Don't worry, I'll be gentler this time." Bella soothed Jason, then stabbed him through the heart with her sword again.
Jason died again...
The Corrupted Monk stumbled, this time leaving an enormous opening. Triangle Head wasted no words, raising his blade to chop.
Triangle Head's blade struck the Corrupted Monk's neck, nearly severing it completely. Yet she didn't die. After struggling on the ground for several seconds, she shakily stood up.
Her head in its white monk's hood tilted to one side, that hannya mask looking increasingly sinister. Something writhed within the Corrupted Monk's neck, and suddenly a gigantic worm-like creature roughly five meters long, resembling a centipede, burst forth.
The Undying Worm!
The massive centipede firmly occupied what should have been the head's position. This Undying Worm took over the Corrupted Monk's body, still fearlessly trading blows with Triangle Head.
Bella clicked her tongue watching. This wasn't much different from Resident Evil—at most, one was a technological product, the other magical.
Ten seconds later, Jason came trotting back again.
He looked at Bella with some resentment in his eyes. He hadn't even done anything yet, just running back and forth dying all day. When would this end?!
Bella apologized repeatedly, but for victory's sake, she didn't mind sacrificing a bit of face.
Jason died.
Jason died again.
Jason died yet again.
Jason died once more.
Jason died yet another time!
They truly lacked the Mortal Blade, but in all things under heaven, what was truly immortal and imperishable? Wasn't Odin more formidable than the Sakura Dragon? Those destined to die would still die.
The universe itself would perish, let alone one small Undying Worm.
The Corrupted Monk in Undying Worm state was indeed strong, but without her previous skilled martial arts or many Buddhist power enhancements, relying solely on the single attribute of immortality to hold on, she couldn't defeat Triangle Head.