Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.
The aged monk's answer rang out with conviction, but sometimes the loudest answer isn't necessarily the truth.
On the contrary, the louder the voice, the more likely there is something to hide.
A voice must be loud enough to cover one's own guilty conscience.
Chu Xingchen had no intention of pressing further. For now, matters had to be handled one at a time.
Xu Jin's plan remained highly valuable for reference. The aged monk's words might not be trustworthy, but the final destination and handling of wish power could not be deceived.
Moreover, some matters were better handled personally.
Chu Xingchen shot a glance at Xu Jin while transmitting through voice:
"Withdraw once the matter is complete."
Xu Jin nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.
Chu Xingchen's gaze shifted to the aged monk:
"Whether it is or isn't, you know and I know. This visit is merely to deliver a message. If we can catch you, my Divine Sect can catch others elsewhere. Take this message back and tell those Buddhas shining beneath the golden light."
"My Divine Sect wants a share as well. Otherwise, prepare to be rats together with us."
With that, the White Azure Great Technique's power surged forth.
The aged monk's eyes suddenly widened, and his face turned deathly pale as he collapsed to the ground.
But in the very instant the aged monk fell.
That golden great Buddha seemed to sense something, its lowered gaze shifting horizontally.
Chu Xingchen's expression instantly turned grave. Just as he prepared to summon the Myriad Forms, a cold light flashed at his side, cutting across the golden Buddha's eyes.
"Momentary Buddha Body—that bald donkey called for help long ago. Flee quickly."
Xu Jin's expression became extremely serious.
He had thought the golden Buddha's light was merely the aged monk's attempt at intimidation. Unexpectedly, that bald donkey hadn't hesitated at all—he had summoned help without even seeing them, without knowing their cultivation level or circumstances.
Truly, when it came to caution and prudence, the eighteen Immortal Sects of Central State were of one lineage—never taking risks.
The pursuit that would follow would likely require extreme caution as well.
However, in the next moment, that great Buddha drew upon surging wish power, and golden Buddha light blazed forth.
The golden Buddha statue's voice, though its mouth remained closed, resonated with immense authority:
"The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back and find the shore."
Buddha light rippled through the hall like waves, as if transforming the surroundings into a vast ocean, space itself undulating.
Xu Jin's expression grew extremely heavy as he transmitted sternly:
"Take Litchi and go first. I'll cover the rear. But my identity going forward—I'm afraid I won't be able to conceal it."
The Momentary Buddha Body was a divine ability possessed only by great Buddhist cultivators. Though it didn't possess their full power, Xu Jin could naturally defeat it.
But being able to defeat it didn't mean he could still conceal his identity while traveling through Western Ox Continent.
Such an encounter would certainly alert the enemy. From now on, Xu Jin would likely be actively targeted by the Buddhist sects in Western Ox Continent.
However, given how vigilant the Buddhists were, something was undoubtedly amiss.
Regardless, both he and Chu Xingchen needed to preserve at least one identity. In this urgent moment, Xu Jin could only step forward, lest both of them be exposed.
Chu Xingchen used spiritual power to control Litchi, then flung her toward Xu Jin:
"I have means to conceal my escape. Take her and go first."
Xu Jin didn't hesitate. He seized Litchi and transformed into a rainbow light, ignoring the undulating space and Buddha light, attempting to flee at maximum speed.
"Human hearts harbor greed and desire; ultimately, they bring ruin upon themselves."
The great golden Buddha's authoritative voice resonated as Buddhist sound reverberated. Wish power intertwined with Buddha light, assaulting the retreating Xu Jin, attempting to keep both of them there.
Layer after layer of illusions was broken open by this Buddha light.
Chu Xingchen didn't hesitate. He retrieved the monkey mask he hadn't worn in a long time from his spatial ring.
Immediately, blood qi surged forth, instantly striking toward the Buddha light attempting to block Xu Jin. Their intersection lasted but a moment, yet it was enough to buy Xu Jin time to escape with Litchi.
Xu Jin didn't look back. His divine sense merely swept across the overwhelming blood qi behind him—he could only sigh in admiration. What a formidable illusion technique.
Without detecting any trickery, that blood qi was so real he couldn't distinguish truth from falsehood.
No wonder Chu Xingchen claimed to have means of concealed escape. This technique was truly impressive.
The great golden Buddha, knowing it could no longer stop Xu Jin, watched as the eyes Xu Jin had cut open gradually recovered. Its gaze then turned toward Chu Xingchen.
Its voice was like a great bell, its tone imposing without anger:
"Blood-sucking mosquitoes, daring to approach the Thunder Sound Dharma Temple?!"
Buddhist sound reverberated, forcefully dispersing the surrounding illusions.
Chu Xingchen didn't continue to struggle. He withdrew his illusion technique, his eyes turning crimson as he faced that golden great Buddha, grinning:
"Blood-sucking mosquitoes? Do those seated in the Thunder Sound Dharma Temple not also consist of blood-sucking mosquitoes?"
The golden Buddha statue's body flickered with Buddha light. Behind it, a Buddhist realm seemed to materialize as it spoke sternly:
"Blood qi mosquitoes, recklessly defiling the Buddhist gate. Surrender quickly and cultivate proper enlightenment."
In an instant, the gates of the Buddhist realm behind the golden Buddha burst open. Countless Buddha hands of various elegant postures extended—hundreds, thousands of them—reaching toward Chu Xingchen.
The movements appeared slow, but in mere moments, they had arrived before him.
"I see the Buddhist sect as nothing but clownish theatrics, their halls filled with obsession."
Chu Xingchen's Myriad Forms had transformed into a ghost-head broadsword. Facing the overwhelming Buddha hands descending upon him, he simply raised his blade and struck without hesitation.
Blood qi exploded forth. The purest killing intent, intertwined with crimson dao resonance, slashed directly at those thousands of Buddha hands.
The myriad Buddha hands pressed down mightily. For a moment, it seemed they had suppressed the blood qi flooding the surroundings.
Yet the Buddha statue's expression remained solemn. From the Buddhist realm shadow behind it, even more Buddha hands continued extending and pressing down.
"Want me to surrender? Why not have that Buddha Lord yield his seat and let my Divine Sect sit there instead? Then you'll understand what it means to be consistent inside and out!"
Chu Xingchen's voice first emerged from within the thousands of Buddha hands, followed by blood qi surging forth like a flood.
Bit by bit, it devoured and drowned the Buddha hands, then surged back along with them toward the golden Buddha statue.
The residual shockwaves that should have leveled this place were neutralized by the wish power surging from all directions.
Clearly, this Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was extremely important to the Buddhist sect.
Besides having Nascent Soul cultivators stationed here, they had even established a Momentary Buddha Body at great cost.
"Wretched beast, how dare you!"
The golden Buddha statue's Buddhist sound rang out like a great bell, shaking loose the extremely violent blood qi.
Chu Xingchen's expression remained calm as he continued suppressing his cultivation, lest this golden Buddha statue detect anything amiss.
Since the Buddhist sect could maintain its position in Central State, it naturally possessed many methods and schemes.
If he revealed cultivation far beyond what an evil cultivator should possess at this moment, he would likely face deeper investigation.
Seeing the timing was right, Chu Xingchen transformed the Myriad Forms in his hand into a crimson blade, blood qi swirling around it.
The golden Buddha statue no longer hesitated. Its Buddhist realm instantly pressed forward, unreservedly smashing toward Chu Xingchen.
"Wretched beast! Submit to judgment!"
The Buddhist realm crashed down. Buddha light rippled, golden radiance piercing the sky.
The Buddha light blazed so brilliantly it illuminated the dark night as bright as day.
Outside the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, countless believers witnessing this scene prostrated themselves in fervent devotion, desperately chanting Buddhist scriptures.
Wish power surged even more violently, flooding madly toward the temple.
The Buddha light settled.
The golden Buddha statue gazed at the empty hall, its indifferent eyes lightly sweeping over the unconscious aged monk.
It paid him no further heed.
The golden Buddha statue's movements gradually stilled. In moments, it became merely a golden Buddha statue once more.
Its expression indifferent, viewing all as ants.
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