The young monk looked at Chu Xingchen with deep, thoughtful eyes.
The Faceless Great Buddha had been suppressed for a thousand years, yet it hadn't truly been suppressed for a thousand years. In the current cultivation world, there was no such thing as a Soul Devouring Pill. If there were, the Buddhist Sect would have known about it long ago.
Clearly, this was just some unknown method being used to bluff people.
But truth be told, seeing the Faceless Great Buddha fall momentarily silent, appearing somewhat uncertain and alarmed, it might actually have been fooled.
Looking at this kid's righteous demeanor—he might as well have had "justice" written across his face. Standing tall as the very embodiment of righteousness, yet before even two sentences were exchanged, he was already laying traps for people.
When this person grew stronger in the future, he would undoubtedly be even more troublesome than Bai Xuanling. What was more frightening than a ruthless person was a ruthless person who used their brain to scheme against others.
The lower limits of such a person were probably extremely low as well.
However, even though he understood the situation, the young monk didn't say much.
At the very least, the current direction of events was favorable. Chu Xingchen didn't trust the Faceless Great Buddha. Whether the Buddhist disciple lived or died was no longer important to him.
What mattered was that this Great Buddha remained here today.
The Faceless Great Buddha remained motionless, only facing Chu Xingchen directly.
It was clearly making a choice, and an extremely reluctant one at that.
Chu Xingchen naturally noticed this. The Faceless Great Buddha was willing to gamble its life for this one opportunity.
A thousand years of suppression... was probably no comfortable retirement with meals, lodging, and conversation.
It was more likely an endless tour of sitting on tiger benches for rest and practicing with saltwater-soaked whips in dark rooms.
The negotiation had already begun. Whoever couldn't hold out first would fall into the weaker position.
Since that was the case...
Chu Xingchen immediately produced another Ten-Complete Great Tonic Pill—Ultimate Version—from his spatial ring. He flipped his hand to stuff it into Yuan Kong's belly.
Raising the stakes!
Let's see who's more ruthless! It wasn't Chu Xingchen who'd be in pain, after all.
Besides, the Faceless Great Buddha didn't know that pills couldn't actually kill someone.
Moreover, Yuan Kong had already undergone pill tempering. He definitely had more resistance than the Great Buddha across from him.
"Your cultivation is quite high, I didn't expect you to endure so well. My time is precious, so I'll give you some extras for free."
Chu Xingchen looked utterly indifferent. He then took out yet another Ten-Complete Great Tonic Pill—Ultimate Modification Bad-Taste Edition—from his spatial ring, casually stuffing it into Yuan Kong's mouth.
His expression was as calm as drifting clouds.
"Today the Buddhist disciple and Buddha depart together as a package deal. Those present can consider themselves fortunate witnesses."
The Faceless Great Buddha fell silent for a moment. Its voice suddenly trembled—perhaps because it too couldn't withstand Chu Xingchen's pill torture method.
"I bear no grudge against anyone here. I only seek to escape this sea of suffering, and I have no intention of harming anyone."
"This child's heart is pure, and I don't wish to harm him either. Sever my chains, and I'll release this child immediately."
Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Promises that cost nothing but breath? Oaths backed by nothing but ghosts?"
"If your word were worth anything, you wouldn't have been suppressed here by your own Buddhist Sect for a thousand years. If you don't take the antidote for this Soul Devouring Pill within three quarter-hours, it becomes ineffective."
"Even with your high cultivation, you wouldn't dare endure it for a full shichen."
"This Buddhist disciple has consumed three pills at once... I have no idea how long he can last. If all you have are these useless statements, I think you'd better stop talking."
"Just ride the crane westward together with this Buddhist disciple."
Xu Jin had been listening for a while. Putting everything else aside, the one benefit of being Chu Xingchen's teammate was that he would never lose a war of words.
Although no fight had broken out, his mood had improved considerably.
After all, once Chu Xingchen arrived, it was obvious that control of the situation had fallen into their hands.
The interfering Buddhist Sect member stood meekly to the side. The Faceless Great Buddha, who had previously been impervious to persuasion and even made threats, was now starting to soften.
In the past, he hadn't liked hearing Chu Xingchen speak—only because he stood on the opposing side.
Now, as a teammate, he only felt that Chu Xingchen's words weren't dense enough. Even Chu Xingchen's voice seemed more pleasant, and his speech came in one satisfying barrage after another.
The Faceless Great Buddha remained silent for a moment, but didn't dare stay silent for too long.
"I can first send this Buddhist disciple's divine consciousness back. But my divine consciousness will follow along with him."
"You only need to sever my chains for me, and I'll release him completely."
Chu Xingchen instantly scoffed.
"What kind of plan is this? You take the hostage somewhere else to die?"
The Faceless Great Buddha's face turned squarely toward Chu Xingchen.
"Then what do you consider to be sincerity?"
Chu Xingchen's smile grew slightly warmer at these words.
"You've been suppressed for a thousand years. Your brain isn't working so well anymore."
"Haven't you realized that among everyone here, you're the least qualified to negotiate terms?"
"You still haven't read the situation? Look at the Buddhist Buddha standing at the entrance—he personally said he'd kill this Buddhist disciple."
"Clearly, this disciple isn't wanted by the Buddhist Sect."
"My brother here and I are from the Mystic Sect. Do you think we'd treasure a Buddhist disciple that even the Buddhist Sect doesn't want?"
"At most, this disciple knows some Buddhist Sect matters that might be of some use to us."
"But these uses... are more along the lines of 'nice to have, fine without.'"
"If you release this Buddhist disciple, I might not stop you. But if you kill him, the ones coming for you won't just be the Buddhist Buddha at the entrance."
"You think the fighting here reached this level and the Buddhist Sect only sent a single Buddha to descend? Was it your good luck today?"
"Did all the Buddhist cultivators suffer qi deviation? Naturally, it's because our Mystic Sect cultivators have intercepted the Buddhist reinforcements."
"All I need is to send word, and at least one Tribulation Crossing cultivator from both the Mystic Sect and Buddhist Sect will arrive here."
"Let alone you having been suppressed for a thousand years—even at your peak, could you truly withstand the combined assault of two Tribulation Crossing cultivators?"
"All of us here have an escape route. After all, if anyone truly dies, it would only be this Buddhist disciple."
"Only you—when you die, you die yourself."
"What you should do isn't vainly attempting to negotiate with me. That will only make me annoyed... and want to slaughter you."
"The only thing you can and should do is—beg me!"
"Beg me to spare your life. Beg me to show mercy."
When Chu Xingchen finished speaking, the scene fell into dead silence.
Even the young monk standing by the door fell silent. Truthfully, it was indeed so—only, the Faceless Great Buddha's situation might not truly be that dire.
But... it certainly wasn't any better than what Chu Xingchen had described.
It was merely that these points required Chu Xingchen to be resolute. Determined to kill the Great Buddha first, even willing to join forces with the Buddhist Sect if necessary.
He had that capability. This counted as a verbal escalation of stakes.
However formidable the rhetoric, would this evil Buddha truly place its own life upon another's mercy?
The young monk waited quietly. Whether for Bai Xuanling to hold out, for Buddhist reinforcements to arrive, or for the Buddhist disciple to die and Chu Xingchen to draw his sword alongside him.
In any scenario, the current direction was trending toward what he desired. This evil Buddha could not escape from this place.
Even if it had to die, it would die here.
The young monk lifted his gaze, about to see what this evil Buddha intended to say.
Suddenly, he saw the surrounding karmic power gradually subside. The Buddhist realm behind the evil Buddha began to slowly dissolve into dust and scatter.
A faint voice also emerged from the Faceless Great Buddha.
"I beg you... help me leave..."
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