Chapter 30: 崩溃 (Collapse)

Surya could feel the weight of death pressing upon him. His breath was ragged, his vision blurred, and his body screamed in agony from the relentless onslaught of Lin Tao's sword and Xu Fei's talismans. His limbs were heavy, his movements sluggish. His powers, once vast and unfathomable, were almost completely drained. Lin Tao and Xu Fei circled him like wolves, confident that victory was within their grasp.

"To think that the great Rebel Buddha would meet his end like this," Xu Fei taunted, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "Pathetic. Reduced to a cowering fool."

Lin Tao's eyes, however, were filled with something different—a mixture of pity and respect. "Surya, your strength is undeniable, but it's time to let go. The cycle of fate brings us all to this moment."

Surya, on his knees, seemed to struggle even to lift his head. His voice came out weak and breathless, yet dripping with a defiance that refused to die. "Pity... from you two?" He coughed, blood staining his lips. "If... if only you knew…"

Xu Fei raised another talisman, ready to deliver the final blow. "Enough of your dying words, Buddha. Let's end this misery."

But just as they were about to strike, Surya's lips twisted into a smirk. His voice, once strained, now held a calm and collected tone. "You think me a coward? You think I've been begging for my life?" His gaze sharpened, and a flicker of confidence returned to his eyes. "You forget... I am the Rebel Buddha. I was born tricky, cheeky, and clever. Even now, I'm three steps ahead."

Lin Tao paused, sensing a shift. "What... do you mean?" he asked cautiously, his warrior instincts kicking in.

Xu Fei scoffed. "He's stalling! Trying to buy himself time. Don't listen to his tricks, Lin Tao!"

Surya chuckled—a deep, resonant laugh that cut through the tension of the battlefield. It was the first time he had laughed so openly, so freely, in this entire confrontation. "Xu Fei, your impatience will be your undoing. You should listen carefully, for once."

The two warriors hesitated, thrown off by the sudden change in his demeanor.

Surya's eyes gleamed with a mischievous light as he continued, "You see, while you were so focused on breaking me down, I was laying the foundation of your defeat. Look around. The very ground we stand on, the trees, the air—everything is laden with microbombs, charged with energy."

Xu Fei sneered, "You think we'd be afraid of some tiny bombs? This is nothing but a desperate bluff."

Surya's smile only grew wider. "A bluff? Alone, each microbomb may be insignificant, harmless even. But when there are billions—no, trillions—of them covering every inch around us..."

The realization dawned on Lin Tao's face, his calm demeanor faltering. "You planted them... throughout the entire terrain?"

Xu Fei's bravado slipped away, replaced by an expression of fear. "You're a hypocrite! You called our tactics cowardly, and yet here you are, pulling such a trick!"

Surya's tone turned cold. "This is not a playground, Xu Fei. There are no rules in a battle to the death. What I said before? Merely distractions to keep you from noticing what I was doing."

Lin Tao and Xu Fei exchanged glances, their confidence rapidly eroding.

Surya's voice grew sharper, his words cutting through the tension like a blade. "These nanobombs use minimal energy. Even within your talisman's field, I could still place them—slowly, patiently. You see, Xu Fei, I may have seemed weak, but I was simply playing my part."

Xu Fei's eyes widened with a mix of rage and panic. "Lin Tao! End him now, before he—"

Before Xu Fei could finish, Surya tapped his staff on the ground. "崩溃 (Collapse)."

The forest erupted into chaos.

The very earth beneath them seemed to roar as if a dragon had awakened from a millennium-long slumber. A chain reaction of explosions tore through the terrain, each blast feeding into the next, creating a sea of fiery energy that consumed everything in its path. Trees were uprooted, their ancient trunks blasted into splinters. Rocks shattered like glass, and the air filled with a storm of burning debris.

The fog that had once filled the forest evaporated in an instant, replaced by a towering inferno. The energy from the explosions danced and twisted, forming ethereal shapes in the air—dragons, phoenixes, and serpents of pure fire. The ground shook violently as the very landscape seemed to come alive, writhing and reshaping itself under the immense force.

Surya, prepared for this moment, encased himself in a steel orb created by his staff, a cocoon forged from his remaining power. The metallic sphere gleamed amidst the chaos, reflecting the colors of the firestorm raging around it. Inside, Surya could feel his energy slowly returning, the talismanic field that had drained him now obliterated by the overwhelming power of his own attack.

As the flames began to die down, a heavy silence fell over the battlefield. The once-thick forest was now a charred wasteland, the air heavy with ash and the smell of burnt wood. The ground was scorched black, the remnants of trees and stones scattered like the bones of ancient beasts. The energy in the air crackled, a reminder of the sheer power that had been unleashed.

Xu Fei was nowhere to be seen—his body had been reduced to nothing but a brittle, blackened skeleton. His flesh had melted away in the inferno, his face twisted in a permanent, horrified grimace. His once-haughty talismans were now nothing more than ashes blowing in the wind.

But Lin Tao, ever the resilient warrior, still lived. Crawling through the rubble, his body was broken, his skin scorched, and his breathing shallow. And yet, in his hand, he still gripped the Sword of Immortals, the sacred blade untouched by the devastation around them. The ancient runes upon it glowed softly, a testament to its divine craftsmanship and enduring power.

Surya stepped out of his metallic orb, his robes singed but his spirit renewed. He walked through the debris with a steady gait, approaching the wounded Lin Tao. "It's a shame it had to end like this, Lin Tao," he said quietly, his voice carrying a hint of genuine regret. "You were a worthy adversary, an honorable one. Not many can say that."

Lin Tao, barely able to speak, managed a weak smile. "I fought… for what I believed in. As did you. Perhaps… in another life…"

Surya nodded, understanding. "Perhaps." He knelt down, gently prying the Sword of Immortals from Lin Tao's hand. The sword, a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship, radiated a soothing energy despite the destruction surrounding them. He examined the blade, feeling its weight and the ancient power coursing through it. With a fluid motion, he opened a spatial tear—a pocket of space accessible only through his mastery of Dao—and placed the sword within. The blade vanished, now hidden safely in his invisible inventory.

Standing up, Surya clasped his hands together and muttered a soft prayer. His voice was calm, almost serene. The ground beneath him seemed to quiet, the remnants of the explosions settling into a peaceful stillness.

"May your spirits find rest, Lin Tao. And you too, Xu Fei. May you learn in your next lives what you could not in this one."

With a final glance at the desolate landscape, Surya turned and continued down the path, the mist now cleared away, revealing the trail ahead. He knew the battles to come would be just as difficult, if not more so. But his resolve was unshaken, his purpose clear. Mei Li and Lin Wei awaited him, and he would not let anything—nor anyone—stand in his way.