The young monk's gaze swept past the faceless Buddha statue with its head bowed as if in deep thought, then past Yuan Kong, who sat cross-legged as if in meditation.
He remained unmoved by Xu Jin's furious rebuke, though he also knew this battle was unavoidable.
A gentle smile on his face, a phantom Buddha Realm materialized behind him, blotting out the sky—far vaster than this small Righteous Sound Dharma Temple.
The young monk spoke up: "Let us not involve others in our contest."
"The living beings here cannot withstand our clash. Widespread devastation would be a sin."
His words sounded like a negotiation, but the Buddha Realm behind the young monk was already crashing down toward Xu Jin.
Xu Jin's expression remained calm. A cold light simply flashed past, slicing the incoming Buddha Realm away. The massive aftershock nearly leveled the Righteous Sound Dharma Temple in an instant.
But the Great Hero Treasure Hall, protected by Xu Jin's power, remained unscathed.
The young monk's eyes narrowed rapidly, and the smile on his face seemed to stiffen.
A longsword hovered before Xu Jin.
"Do you think I care about this monk's life?" Xu Jin reached out and grasped the hilt, his gaze locked on the young monk.
"You want to protect this faceless Buddha, but I don't necessarily have to protect this monk."
The Xuanqing Heavenly Sect had once monopolized a spiritual vein and shattered the Eastern Divine Continent—that was something they'd already done.
How could they possibly hold back now for the sake of a single Child of Buddha?
Some things allowed no room for sentimentality, no room for hesitation.
Between the living beings of the world and one Child of Buddha, Xu Jin knew the choice. If it were his own life on the line today, the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect would know the choice even more clearly.
The infamy—Xu Jin and the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect could shoulder it all.
No need to justify anything. At least, when questioned, his conscience would be clear.
Xu Jin's eyes gleamed with cold resolve, his stance allowing no retreat whatsoever. "Either—let him see what's below, or—you all die, and I'll go see for myself what's down there!"
The smile completely vanished from the young monk's face. His Buddha Realm dissolved into points of light that swirled around him, transforming in an instant into a magnificent dharma staff. Nine dragons served the Buddha—truly a weapon of unrivaled splendor.
The Nine Dragon Dharma Staff swayed lightly, yet its sound boomed like a great bell, rippling outward in all directions.
The young monk raised his staff, pointing it directly at Xu Jin, his tone grave and solemn:
"Do not think that some disguise technique, hiding your face and form, means you truly cannot be recognized."
"The Buddhist Sect's arts of piercing through illusions are second to none. Core disciple of the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect, Xu Jin—are you truly determined to persist in your delusion today?"
Xu Jin's expression showed no retreat.
"Whether I am Xu Jin or not is not for you to decide. I dare to own the name—you Buddhists may not dare to accept it."
The young monk said no more. He simply raised his dharma staff and brought it crashing down toward Xu Jin.
Above in the sky, a blinding golden fist of light tore through the clouds, turning the entire Righteous Sound Dharma Temple as bright as day, and plummeted downward.
The motion seemed slow, but in reality it arrived in an instant.
Xu Jin didn't hesitate either. He drew his sword in a flash, his body unmoving, yet a sword light that chilled the heavens shot straight up into the sky.
Without any move to protect Yuan Kong, that cold sword light surged directly toward the young monk.
The might was tremendous. The aftershock alone reduced the entire Righteous Sound Dharma Temple to rubble.
The message was clear.
Kill Yuan Kong if you want—today, I fight to the death.
Seeing Xu Jin's absolute resolve, a glint of helplessness finally showed in the young monk's eyes. He hurled the Nine Dragon Dharma Staff forward.
Xu Jin ignored the staff, his longsword carrying terrifying power already reaching the young monk.
The Xuanqing Heavenly Sect's divine abilities made no attempt to conceal themselves. Today, success was the only acceptable outcome.
Such a surprise attack offered only one chance. If the Buddhist Sect gave people chances every day, it should have been destroyed long ago.
Cold light pierced the heavens, frozen like frost.
The young monk's fair face instantly turned pure gold. Facing that terrifying sword strike—having already thrown his dharma staff—he had no choice but to catch it with his hand.
After all, trying to catch this sword with his head would genuinely be fatal.
Choosing between a hand and a head—the young monk knew the difference well.
BOOM!
A burst of blinding radiance flashed past. Spiritual power detonated in countless points of light.
The young monk's figure was sent flying by a single sword strike, tumbling through the air several times.
He righted himself midair, but when he stabilized, his left arm hung empty, and his magnificent golden monastic robe was in tatters.
Xu Jin didn't pursue. Instead, he glanced sideways at the Great Hero Treasure Hall of the Righteous Sound Dharma Temple.
The Nine Dragon Dharma Staff the young monk had thrown had embedded itself in the main hall. The Nine Dragon Array now pulsed with golden light, and the entire Great Hero Treasure Hall was shielded by a thick layer of golden spiritual power.
Otherwise, from the aftershock of their clash alone, the Great Hero Treasure Hall would have been leveled too.
The young monk stood high in the air.
"Benefactor, the Buddhas are on their way—no more than moments from here. As long as I stand, you will not hear that Child of Buddha speak."
"Why not retreat? Better one less trouble than one more."
Xu Jin's expression was mocking.
"What is the Buddhist Sect hiding that's so shameful you can't show it to anyone? You think Buddhas can suppress me?"
The young monk performed a Buddhist salute with his right hand alone before his chest, then retorted:
"The Buddhist Sect hides nothing. It's your Xuanqing Heavenly Sect that's hiding something."
"You think the people outside can hold back the Buddhas for you? Then you vastly underestimate the Buddhist Sect."
The young monk paused, then suddenly shouted: "All Buddhas, come to this place through me!"
As the words fell, the Buddha Realm materialized behind the young monk once more.
Xu Jin reacted swiftly. Whatever strange trick this monk still had up his sleeve, the correct choice was clearly to give him another sword strike first—stop him from using any strange tricks at all.
Under the moonlight, within the golden radiance.
A silent sword cleaved through space, extinguishing sound, its aftershock snuffing out everything in its path.
The Buddha Realm behind the young monk blazed with dazzling light. A somewhat plump hand extended from within the Buddha Realm, pinching the blade of Xu Jin's sword as casually as plucking a flower.
Along with the plump hand came a wave of pure, high-tier cultivator's crushing presence.
"Weapons are violent things. Benefactor, you have already set foot upon the road to the Unending Hell."
A soft, compassionate voice—seemingly offering genuine counsel—resounded from the Buddha Realm behind the young monk.
"Lay down the butcher's blade. Not to seek Buddhahood, but for the peace within your own heart."
These words no longer came from the Buddha Realm behind him, but from the young monk himself.
The young monk raised his gaze, his entire eyes becoming devoid of joy or sorrow. His severed left arm had been reconstituted from the Buddha Realm behind him. The somewhat translucent golden left arm and the pure golden right arm pressed together in a Buddhist salute.
The Buddha Realm behind him dissipated, yet that oppressive presence grew even more tangible.
The young monk's voice reverberated in layered Buddhist tones. With every sentence he spoke, golden lotuses bloomed on either side of him.
This was the golden lotus speech that only a Mahayana Buddha could possess.
Xu Jin raised his hand and recalled his spirit treasure longsword.
The young monk lifted his gaze, and that gentle smile returned to his face:
"Benefactor, shall it be submission... or execution?"
Xu Jin took a shallow breath, his gaze piercing forward. For some reason, he felt he must have learned this from Chu Xingchen:
"Next time you fart, don't use your mouth. Today, let's see who executes whom."
——————
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