novelapdf Chapter 302 Kill the demon monk and flatten the temple
Chapter 302 Kill the demon monk and flatten the temple
Chapter 302 Slaying the Demonic Monk, Flattening the Temple (Two Chapters Combined)
Jingtan Temple is located on a low hillside south of Hailing Prefecture.
Although it is called a hillside, it is actually just a small, slightly raised area at the end of the flat land. It is located in a somewhat remote place, but the temple is quite large in scale.
There are ninety-nine stone steps leading to the temple gate.
It is said that each level was carved by hand by successive abbots.
The current Jingtan Shengfo was originally a monk from elsewhere. After being taken in, he gradually gained power and drove away the original core monks of the temple.
Ultimately, they forced the original abbot to pass away and took his place.
And it is affiliated with the Lapis Lazuli Zen School.
Jiang Mu stood with his hands behind his back on a high slope outside the mountain gate, gazing into the distance.
Although the temple is in a remote location, pilgrims come to burn incense and worship Buddha in an endless stream, like a swarm of ants.
There are countless fanatical believers who kowtow every three steps and kneel every five steps.
The temple was enveloped in a layer of blue incense smoke, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.
Jiang Mu wasn't too worried about Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er's safety at the moment.
As long as those two girls stay obediently inside the defensive barrier of the [Black-awning Treasure Ship] and don't come out, with that bald monk's cultivation level, even if he breaks his teeth, he absolutely won't be able to crack the turtle shell left behind by that thirteenth-realm expert.
What he needs to do now is to clear this place away.
Jiang Mu took out the bronze Buddha lamp.
With a thought, a wisp of pure demonic energy was injected into it.
In an instant, the golden flame on the wick, the size of a soybean, suddenly swelled up.
An invisible wisp of incense smoke emanated from the Buddha lamp, transforming into wisps of smoke that spread in one direction.
A moment later.
There was a rustling sound in the old forest behind Jiang Mu, as if something was moving along the ground.
The soil on the ground arched up in a winding ridge.
Immediately afterwards, with a muffled "boom", a giant tree as thick as three people could hug burst out of the ground!
The giant tree is lush and full of life.
As the branches and leaves contracted and the trunk shortened, it transformed in just a few breaths into a voluptuous woman in a black dress.
"Mengnu greets her master."
Si Rumeng knelt down to pay her respects, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders, exuding a captivating charm.
Get up.
Jiang Mu raised her hand.
After the woman stood up, he reached out and lifted Si Rumeng's delicate chin, looking her over from side to side. He said with a half-smile, "You look quite well. Your waistline is a bit rounder, you seem to have gained quite a bit of weight? It seems you've been living a comfortable life away from my control lately, Mengnu. You seem to be in a good mood, and you're eating quite heartily?"
Si Rumeng's cheeks flushed, and she looked somewhat embarrassed and apprehensive.
She quickly lowered her head and said in a sweet voice, "Master, you are joking. Mengnu's life belongs to you. These days, Mengnu has been thinking of your face every moment. I am so worried about you that I can't eat anything."
"It was only thanks to the incense and prayers left by our master that we were able to barely recover some of our strength."
The conversation was only halfway through.
Si Rumeng's previously lowered eyes suddenly widened, and her pupils contracted.
Seven Realms!?
Sensing the powerful aura emanating from Jiang Mu, Si Rumeng gasped, her face filled with disbelief.
She clearly remembered that when this man left Yancheng, he was only at the fifth realm.
It hasn't been that long.
He actually crossed two major realms directly?
This speed of cultivation can no longer be described as "a prodigy".
At least Tianjiao is still human, but this thing isn't human at all.
Jiang Mu ignored her shock, released her hand, and asked calmly, "How's the investigation going, I asked you to investigate the Red Umbrella Sect, especially the whereabouts of that woman named Nan Zhi?"
"This—this—"
Si Rumeng's eyes flickered slightly.
Jiang Mu scoffed, "You're stammering, so it seems you're completely ignoring my instructions and don't take them seriously at all, right?"
"Mengnu wouldn't dare!"
Si Rumeng was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and hurriedly explained, "Mengnu has indeed found some clues, but Nan Zhi is cunning by nature, and Mengnu has not yet been able to completely determine her exact hiding place."
However, Mengnu discovered an important piece of information during her investigation.
My lord, the nephew of the prefect of Huzhou City, where you are located, is actually a core member of the Red Umbrella Sect, which is being secretly developed.
.
"The prefect's nephew?"
Jiang Mu frowned slightly, quickly recalling past grievances in her mind.
The image of that纨绔公子 (playboy) Zhao Gongzi, with whom he had clashed on the main street of Huzhou City, immediately flashed into his mind.
At that time, that guy was hanging out with Ruyan, the girlfriend of his subordinate Zhang Da.
And that Ruyan was later confirmed to be under Nan's control.
"I should have guessed that the kid surnamed Zhao was colluding with the Red Umbrella Cult. It's my fault for being so focused on dealing with the mole that I overlooked this little bastard."
Jiang Mu muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Not only that."
To redeem herself, Si Rumeng quickly continued to reveal more, "Mengnu also intercepted top-secret information about the Red Umbrella Sect's internal movements. They are currently secretly mobilizing troops, preparing to attack Fazhou City!"
"Yunzhou City?"
Jiang Mu's gaze sharpened, and he asked in surprise, "Are you sure? Shouldn't it be Huzhou City? When I was in Yan City, the main force of the Red Umbrella Sect had already begun to lay out plans for the Demon Slaying Division in Huzhou City."
"Absolutely true!"
Si Rumeng said firmly, "It is indeed Fazhou City. Mengnu has verified this information repeatedly, and it cannot be false."
Jiang Mu's gaze flickered.
This is a bit interesting.
Previously, when he was in Huzhou City, the Red Umbrella Sect had already launched a deadly attack on the Demon Slayer Division of Huzhou City in Shuji Village.
Black smoke blocked the village and tiger vanguard sacrificed blood, making such a big show of it.
It looks like they're going to attack Huzhou City to the death.
But now Si Rumeng says the target is Fazhou. Either the Red Umbrella Sect is setting up two battlefronts at the same time, or after he left Huzhou City, their main attack direction quietly changed.
Regardless of the possibility, I must remind Aunt Shui when I get back.
He suppressed these thoughts and turned his gaze back to Si Rumeng's face.
Si Rumeng felt a little intimidated by his gaze and tentatively asked, "Master, you're so busy with official duties, why did you suddenly come to this remote Hailing Prefecture?"
When she received the Buddha lamp's signal, she thought she was hallucinating.
How could Jiang Mu possibly be here from this distance?
Unexpectedly, they actually came.
What bad luck!
Jiang Mu said calmly, "Is that even a question? I'm here to help you, of course."
"help me?"
Si Rumeng was stunned.
Jiang Mu snorted coldly and said irritably, "I promised last time that I would help you find the heartless man who killed your sister, so of course I won't go back on my word."
After returning, I used the Demon Slayer Bureau's intelligence network to secretly investigate for you. This time, I even put aside my official duties and personally came to Hailing Prefecture to investigate for you.
Otherwise, why do you think I would leave such a mess in Huzhou City to come all this way?
"ah----"
Si Rumeng's red lips parted slightly, but she couldn't speak for a long time.
Back outside Yancheng, Jiang Mu did indeed say he would help her investigate her sister's affairs.
But she never took it to heart.
The head of the Demon Slayer Division took her life as a tree demon and made her his henchman.
How could I possibly avenge a demon? Verbal promises are nothing but empty words.
But to her utter surprise, this man not only remembered it, but actually traveled thousands of miles to investigate.
For a moment, Si Rumeng's heart was filled with mixed feelings.
There was gratitude, a vague and inexplicable flutter of emotion, and a sense of guilt.
This man takes her affairs to heart, but she, on the other hand, lets him search the whole world for her while she slacks off without a care in the world.
I'm so damn stupid.
"Master—have you found out who that heartless man is?"
Si Rumeng looked on with anticipation.
"Regarding your sister's case, things have indeed made some progress. However, there are some twists and turns, which I will explain to you in detail another time."
Jiang Mu timely changed the subject, pointing to the bustling temple ahead, "I have more pressing matters to attend to. Since you've been in Hailing Prefecture for some time, do you know anything about this Jingtan Temple?"
"I know a little about it."
Si Rumeng composed herself, her expression turning solemn, and replied, "Jingtan Temple is the foremost sect in Hailing Prefecture. It is extremely popular and powerful. Its abbot is named Jingtan Holy Buddha, and he enjoys immense prestige among the local believers."
Moreover, this monk's cultivation is quite profound; he is a powerful being at the ninth realm.
"very good."
Jiang Mu's eyes turned cold. "My two ordinary friends have been kidnapped by that bald monk and taken to the temple. Since you're here, come with me and smash up this monk's temple."
Si Rumeng frowned slightly, her face showing difficulty, and said, "Master, Mengmengnu's current cultivation level is limited, and she can only exert herself to around the seventh level. Facing a Buddhist monk of the ninth realm, I'm afraid—"
"No need to suppress it anymore, release your true cultivation level."
Jiang Mu interrupted her, "Go ahead and kill with peace of mind. With me by your side protecting you with the Buddha lamp, even if you unleash your full power, your soul will never suffer a backlash and dissipate."
The beautiful tree spirit in front of me is a tenth-level demon king!
Even though his strength was limited by old injuries, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.
If we were to break the seal and unleash our full power, it would be a sure thing to crush a ninth-realm lewd monk who only knows how to replenish his yang energy through yin-yang cultivation.
Si Rumeng looked at the Buddhist lamp in Jiang Mu's hand, gritted her teeth, and said, "Yes, Mengnu obeys."
Jiang Mu lifted the Buddha lamp and activated its spiritual power.
Illuminated and guided by the golden Buddhist fire, Si Rumeng's voluptuous and beautiful body transformed into a wisp of green light.
The stream of light circled once in the air and then attached itself to Jiang Mu's right arm.
Jingtan Temple is a secluded, forbidden area on the back mountain.
The [Black-awning Treasure Ship] was currently stationary in the center of a huge rune array plate with a diameter of ten zhang.
Hundreds of monks sat around the treasure ship.
Each monk had a scripture book spread out on his lap, chanting incantations.
As the scriptures were uttered from their mouths, each syllable would condense into a fist-sized Sanskrit symbol in the air.
Then, like raindrops, they rained down on the treasure ship's barrier.
The light symbol shattered, splashing up tiny ripples that couldn't shake it in the slightest.
Surrounding these monks, hundreds of ordinary believers knelt in a dense crowd. They kowtowed repeatedly towards the direction of the treasure ship, some even bleeding without realizing it.
Chu Lingzhu yawned and shouted at the Pure Layer Holy Buddha in the distance, "Hey, why are you so stubborn, you bald monk? I've told you eight hundred times, you can't break this magic weapon."
You'd better run away quickly. Once my boss comes looking for you, you won't even have a chance to escape. Why won't you listen to advice?
The Holy Buddha Jingtan sat serenely on a lotus platform surrounded by monks.
With hands forming a mudra, his appearance is solemn and dignified.
He stared coldly at the treasure ship's barrier, his once handsome face now slightly distorted, a layer of gloom seeping out from beneath his compassion.
What kind of magical artifact is this?
He, a dignified ninth realm cultivator, along with this grand formation of hundreds of monks, has spent so much time, yet he still can't even crack a single fissure.
Jingtan Shengfo was extremely frustrated.
After all, the two were born with extraordinary spiritual bones, and the delicious meat was right in front of them, but they could only look at it.
As for Chu Lingzhu's warning, he completely ignored it.
Jiang Mu, the pride of Daqing, had already learned from Ye Zhifei that the other party was a seventh-realm expert.
While they certainly have some remarkable methods, so what?
In this Hailing Prefecture, he is the only ruler!
Even if that kid really dares to come knocking, what trouble could he possibly cause in the face of my absolute suppression at the ninth realm?
He's determined to have those two girls today.
"Are all of you brainless idiots?"
Seeing that the monk ignored her, Chu Lingzhu angrily cursed at the fervently kowtowing crowd below, "That bald monk is clearly a lustful swindler, a demonic monk! Have you all lost your minds? How can you worship him so much?"
An old woman in plain clothes looked up at the treasure ship with her face streaked with tears and shouted, "My dear girl, the Holy Buddha has made you Bodhisattvas. That is a blessing earned over many lifetimes. Why are you so stubborn?"
Chu Lingzhu jumped up from the ship's side in anger, yelling, "You're the ones who've been brainwashed! This kind of fake monk will be struck by lightning sooner or later, and you'll all suffer because of him!"
"Amitabha."
With his hands clasped together, the Holy Buddha Jingtan spoke in a clear and ethereal voice, “All people in the world are deluded by the poisons of the five aggregates, sinking into the sea of desire without realizing it. The two female benefactors are originally born Buddhas, but because their eyes are blinded by the demonic obstacles of greed, anger, and ignorance, they speak wildly.”
Our Buddha is compassionate and cannot bear to see them fall into the demonic path.
If one can enter my pure land of monks, wash away all worldly impurities, one can attain the Bodhisattva stage, escape the cycle of rebirth, and ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The believers below, hearing the Buddha speak, kowtowed even more vigorously.
"May the Holy Buddha have mercy!"
"Two bodhisattvas, please stop being so deluded. This is an immense Buddhist opportunity!"
Looking at this group of incurable fanatics, Chu Lingzhu's face turned pale with anger.
Just then, a voice drifted over: "If that's the case, does that mean I can just become the Buddha?"
The room fell silent.
The sound of the wooden fish stopped, and the chanting ceased.
Hundreds of monks and believers all turned their heads to look.
At the entrance to the forbidden area, a young man stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze.
"Boss!"
Chu Lingzhu's previously puffed-up face immediately blossomed into a bright smile, and she excitedly waved her arms.
Lan Rou'er, who was standing next to her, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
When the Pure Buddha Jingtan in mid-air saw Jiang Mu appear so quickly, his pupils contracted.
But he maintained his kind and gentle demeanor, smiling slightly as he said, "Esteemed benefactor, you are filled with malevolence and have a heavy heart for killing. You have no affinity whatsoever with my sacred Buddhist sanctuary. This humble monk is here to guide the Bodhisattvas. I urge you to leave this place immediately, lest you bring trouble upon yourself."
"Walk!"
"When leaving the holy site, do not disturb the holy Buddha!"
The monks stood up, brandishing their staffs, and glared angrily at Jiang Mu.
The kneeling believers also joined in, shouting to drive them away.
The crowd was outraged: "Get out!"
"Demons, get out!"
Seeing that Jiang Mu was standing still, the two burly monks on the far side roared and swung their thick clubs at him.
Jiang Mu's eyes were indifferent.
"Whoosh!"
Two dark red, crescent-shaped blade beams shot out from his body.
The blade's energy swept past silently.
The two monks remained in their forward-charging stance when a thin red line suddenly appeared on their necks.
next second.
Two bald heads slid off his neck.
The headless corpse lunged forward two steps before collapsing to the ground, blood gushing from its cavity.
The entire room fell silent.
The previously deafening roar of shooing them away seemed to have been chopped off in their throats.
Everyone was stunned.
Looking at the corpse on the ground, the Holy Buddha Jingtan sighed softly, his face full of compassion: "You should not have committed such a heinous act in this Buddhist sanctuary. A single thought of anger opens a million doors of obstacles. You have already fallen into demonic possession."
Jiang Mu ignored the babbling of the evil monk.
He glanced at the horrified crowd of believers around him and said calmly, "I will count to three. Anyone still here after the count will be sent to see Buddha for free."
'
""
The cold countdown echoed in the mountain wind.
Someone in the crowd stirred uneasily, like the surface of water ruffled by the wind.
But it quickly stabilized again.
With a holy Buddha present, what is there to be afraid of?
"two.
""
Jiang Mu's gaze was like the scythe of death, scraping across everyone's face.
A young couple on the edge of the crowd were the first to give in.
The woman clung desperately to the man's sleeve, and the man bent down to pick up the child. The family of three stumbled through the crowd and ran wildly down the mountain.
Immediately afterwards, seven or eight more people followed suit, scrambling and crawling as they fled.
But the vast majority of the remaining people remained kneeling in place.
Although there was fear in their eyes, there was more of the paranoia and ruthlessness left by long-term brainwashing.
They truly believe they are protecting the faith and accumulating merit.
They are protecting the Bodhisattva.
With a holy Buddha presiding over it, this evil demon will surely be punished by heaven!
"It's almost time."
Jiang Mu looked at the stubborn, fanatical believers on the ground, sighed, and walked step by step toward the Pure Lotus Buddha in mid-air.
"Since you're in such a hurry to go to the Pure Land, I'll grant your wish."
As Jiang Mu took a step forward, the air around him suddenly rippled, and countless dark red blade energies bloomed simultaneously from his body.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"
The blade energy, like a sea of blooming spider lilies, swept outwards in all directions from him as the center.
Each stroke grazed a person's neck.
The sounds of flesh and bone being cut overlapped, one sound barely catching up with the next.
The moment he started killing, Chu Lingzhu pressed Lan Rou'er's head into her chest, covering it completely so she wouldn't see.
Warm blood splattered everywhere, staining the scriptures dark red.
midair.
The Holy Buddha Jingtan remained seated on the golden lotus.
With a faint smile on his face, he watched helplessly as Jiang Mu slaughtered the believers and disciples who had been worshipping him below, like mowing grass.
There was not a trace of emotion in his eyes.
It was as if those lives that were chopped up were nothing more than a few ants that had been accidentally stepped on and killed, not worth mourning.
The massacre ended quickly.
A thin layer of blood had accumulated, flowing down the cracks and forming several thin streams that filled the grooves of the scriptures with dark red Sanskrit characters.
Jingtan Shengfo's smile remained as warm as a spring breeze: "Hall Master Jiang has vented his anger and killed people, so it's time to stop, isn't it?"
"Using the worthless lives of so many ants to exchange for two maids, isn't that a very good deal for Master Jiang?"
Deep down, he didn't want to become mortal enemies with Jiang Mu.
After all, the other party was a prodigy valued by the Demon Slayer Division, and he was afraid of trouble, so it would be best if some people died so that the other party could vent his anger.
Jiang Mu looked up at him: "One more life is needed for this deal to be worthwhile."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Jingtan Shengfo's face finally faded.
He slowly smoothed out the folds of his robe, stood up from the lotus platform, and sighed in bewilderment, "Master Jiang, why bother?"
The people are grateful to me, the Demon Slayer Bureau relies on me, the imperial court recognizes me, and even the Liuli Zen Heart Sect bestows a title upon me.
"This humble monk has only ever sought to enlighten and guide sentient beings; I have never done anything that would harm heaven or reason. Yet you insist on opposing this humble monk and opposing the Buddha?"
"I have no problem with Buddha."
Jiang Mu's voice was icy, "The ones I have a problem with are you beasts in cassocks! No matter how many scriptures you've read, or how white your cassocks are, you're still rotten to the core."
Jingtan remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "Since Hall Master Jiang is so unyielding, then this humble monk has no choice but to be impolite."
He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and then pressed down!
"Buzz"
The sky suddenly darkened in one area.
The clouds were swirled into a vortex by a giant hand, and a huge golden Buddha's palm descended from the sky, pressing down on Jiang Mu.
The palm lines are clear and crisscrossed like fields.
When the five fingers were spread out, they covered half of the back mountain, and the Buddha's light shone brightly like the sun falling to earth.
Before the palm strike even landed, the ground was already cracked inch by inch.
Suddenly, a slender and voluptuous figure in a black dress appeared in front of Jiang Mu.
She looked up at the colossal hand that blotted out the sky, a cold sneer curling at the corner of her lips, and then gently reached out and grabbed at the void.
A gigantic, ancient tree phantom rose from the ground behind her.
The tree canopy spread out like dark clouds, its branches twisted like dragon bones, and thousands of branches were twisted into a giant sword that pierced towards the golden Buddha's palm.
A loud "boom" resounded.
It pierced right through the giant golden hand, turning it into a shower of golden light.
"What?"
Jingtan the Holy Buddha was stunned.
His divine sense swept over the overwhelming demonic aura surrounding Si Rumeng, and his expression changed drastically as he exclaimed in shock, "A tenth-tier demon king?!"
escape!
He instinctively crushed a rosary bead on his wrist.
Golden light enveloped his figure, and he was about to escape the light and fly out of the temple.
"Want to leave now? Too late!"
Si Rumeng gave a sharp shout and swung her jade arm upwards.
Countless black vines, as thick as water vats, burst from the ground, intertwining and entwining in the sky, enclosing the back mountain in a hemispherical cage.
Not even a ray of sunlight could penetrate between the tree trunks.
Like an overturned birdcage.
Jingtan Shengfo crashed into the vines and was bounced back by a tremendous force.
He glared at Jiang Mu below, his voice filled with shock and rage, and roared, "Jiang Mu, as the head of the Demon-Slaying Division of Daqing, you actually colluded with demons! Aren't you afraid the imperial court will exterminate your entire family?!"
"So what?"
Jiang Mu shrugged indifferently.
Then, he teleported through the barrier of the awning ship and stood beside Chu Lingzhu and the other two women.
Through the light barrier, he said to Si Rumeng, "Fight freely, but remember to hold on to your last breath."
Si Rumeng waved her arms.
The ground beneath their feet cracked open, and two massive, dark blue vines, each requiring several people to encircle, roared like two raging dragons as they snarled and lashed out at the Pure Buddha Jingtan in mid-air.
The protective Buddha light was hastily unleashed by the pure layer.
As a result, he only lasted for two breaths before being sent flying backward.
Before he could even catch his breath, two more vines came crashing down from above. He dodged them with a clumsy somersault, but the spot where he had landed was now riddled with a three-foot-deep crater.
But as soon as they stood firm, several more vines lashed out.
"Pfft!"
Jingtan Saint Buddha was unable to dodge one of the stingers, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he fell from mid-air, crashing into the ground and creating a large crater, raising clouds of dust.
"Cough cough————"
Jingtan Holy Buddha struggled to climb out of the pit.
His magnificent robe was now tattered, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He stared coldly at Si Rumeng and said in a chilling voice, "You monster, you forced me to do this!"
He knew that if he didn't risk his life today, he would surely die here.
"True Buddha Mantra!"
The Holy Buddha Jingtan formed a mudra with both hands.
As he formed the hand seal, his aura began to weaken.
His handsome face withered rapidly in just a few breaths, and dark brown age spots appeared on his cheekbones and temples.
The eyebrows changed from jet black to mottled white, and then to withered white.
His back was hunched over, and his shoulders were hunched over, like a withered tree that had been drained of its moisture.
Behind him, a hundred-foot-tall golden Buddha rose from the ground.
The Buddha statue is entirely made of pure gold, with halos of merit floating behind its head. It has three heads and six arms, with each of its six hands forming a different mudra. There is a half-closed vertical eye between its eyebrows, radiating a grand and oppressive aura.
at the same time.
A faint phantom image of a fierce tiger appeared around the monk Jingtan.
Its tail curled back like a raging flame, its body coiled around the Buddha's shoulder, its eyes wide open, and its fangs exposed.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Mu, sitting inside the treasure ship, murmured, "So it's the [Tail Fire Tiger]."
Tail Fire Tiger is the sixth of the seven White Tiger constellations in the Twenty-Eight Mansions.
It governs warfare and is in charge of battle formations.
Clearly, this monk was so desperate that he even unleashed his own star-level essence.
The spiritual power gained from burning star points is used to activate this Buddhist secret technique.
This fighting style means that even if you win, your star level is useless; if you lose, you're dead. It truly means you're at your wit's end.
"Demons run rampant; Buddhism must be punished!"
The hundred-foot-tall golden Buddha phantom slowly opened its eyes, uttering a grand Buddhist chant like the sound of a great bell.
The tremor caused the surrounding vines to shake violently.
Immediately afterwards, the swastika symbol on the Buddha's forehead suddenly lit up.
A beam of golden light imbued with Buddhist power shot out, shining directly towards Si Rumeng on the ground.
Si Rumeng's expression changed drastically.
She formed a hand seal, and thousands of emerald green leaves appeared out of thin air in front of her, piling up into a thick wall of leaves.
When the Buddha's light struck the leaf wall, the outermost layer of leaves turned to ashes, then the second layer, the third layer—
The leaf wall is rapidly dissolving.
She is a demon.
Gan Jie's cultivation level is a whole realm higher than Jing Tan's, but Buddhist magic has a natural ability to restrain demonic energy.
Moreover, her soul already harbored hidden dangers and was extremely unstable.
A maniacal gleam of pleasure flickered in the cloudy old eyes of the Holy Buddha Jingtan: "So what if you're at the tenth level? Before the Buddha's light, you're nothing but a pile of dry wood waiting to be burned. Today, this humble monk will act on behalf of Heaven, first burning you, you fiend, and then dealing with that scoundrel who colluded with demons!"
Jiang Mu frowned.
This monk can actually summon orthodox Buddhist magic; that's quite impressive.
Si Rumeng's leaf wall is about to give way.
The edges of the innermost leaves began to curl and turn black, and even the hem of her skirt was scorched by the Buddha's light.
She gritted her teeth and held on tightly.
But the restraining power contained within the Buddha's light was slowly seeping into the depths of her soul.
"ah!!"
Si Rumeng let out a shrill scream, her body trembling violently under the scorching light of the Buddha, and even black smoke rising from her skin.
"Whoosh!"
At this moment, Jiang Mu suddenly disappeared from the treasure ship.
In an instant, he appeared directly in front of Si Rumeng.
He pulled the agonizing woman in the black dress into his arms, turned his back to the blinding light of the Buddha, and whispered, "Protect me!"
Si Rumeng raised her sweaty face, completely bewildered, but still instinctively obeyed Jiang Mu's command.
She endured the burning pain in her soul and released all the remaining demonic power in her body, transforming it into a thick layer of cyan light cocoon, which enveloped Jiang Mu and served as his human shield.
At that very moment, Jiang Mu's mind stirred.
He then brought out the [Buddhaless Relic] that the old monk's remnant soul had forced upon him in the secret realm of Changsheng Temple.
"Buzz—"
A soft, radiant light emanated from Jiang Mu's chest.
Unlike the fierce and dazzling golden light of Jingtan, this Buddha light was as gentle as a full moon veiled by clouds, exuding a supreme Zen meaning that can encompass all things and save all sentient beings.
The soft light spread out in front of him, colliding with Jingtan's Buddha light.
The domineering Buddhist light that had originally carried a murderous aura instantly melted away.
"What?!"
Jingtan Shengfo's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
He stared in horror at the soft light surrounding Jiang Mu, feeling the Buddhist aura that was a hundred times purer than anything he had cultivated in his entire life. His wrinkled face was filled with shock and despair: "This—how can this kid have the true Dharma within him?"
"This is impossible!!"
As the Buddha's light subsided, Si Rumeng, who was being held in Jiang Mu's arms, was immediately freed from the torment of being roasted on a fire.
"You bald-headed monk!"
The terror of surviving the ordeal transformed into a raging fury.
The suppressed demonic power within her body was re-infused into every meridian. She pressed her five fingers down and then pulled them up sharply!
"Boom—"
'
The ground collapsed completely, and hundreds of thick vines, as thick as palace pillars, roared and twisted towards the Holy Buddha Jingtan, like raging pythons bursting out of hell.
The Holy Buddha Jingtan was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He desperately pulled out the last few golden talismans from his sleeve and threw them out.
However, faced with the absolute, enraged power of a tenth-tier demon, those talismans didn't even last a moment before being pulverized by the tree vines.
In the next instant, several vines, like pythons strangling their prey, wrapped around the hands, feet, and neck of the Holy Buddha Jingtan.
They pulled him down from mid-air.
With a loud bang, the Pure Buddha was smashed to the ground, creating a large crater.
Before he could even scream, more vines rained down on him like a storm!
"Snapped!"
"Snapped!"
"Snapped!"
The rattan whip, accompanied by sonic booms, lashed at the monk's body again and again.
The skin and flesh were torn and rolled up, and the monk's robe was ripped apart.
Each lash sent up a cloud of blood mist.
The protective spiritual power of the peak ninth realm was shattered inch by inch under Si Rumeng's furious lashes.
The monk was whipped and rolled around in agony in a pool of blood.
"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! This humble monk admits defeat—female bodhisattva, spare my life! Hall Master Jiang, spare my life!"
Jingtan pleaded earnestly.
"alright."
Seeing that the time was right, Jiang Mu spoke up.
Si Rumeng's vines paused in mid-air for a moment, then reluctantly lashed out twice more before slowly retracting into her sleeve.
She respectfully stepped aside, turned to look at Jiang Mu, and only then did she notice that the man's face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color.
A trace of bright red blood still clung to the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, even with her protection, he was far from unharmed after withstanding that pure Buddhist light that was like a bolt of lightning.
Si Rumeng's heart skipped a beat.
Recalling the moment when life and death hung in the balance, this man appeared as if by divine intervention, shielding her with his own body.
Her heart seemed to be scratched by something.
For a moment, the beautiful woman's gaze toward Jiang Mu became complicated. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.
"Boss!"
Chu Lingzhu jumped out of the treasure ship's cabin.
Seeing Jiang Mu's frighteningly pale face, the girl almost lost her mind.
She rushed forward and grabbed his arm, asking anxiously, "Are you alright, boss?"
"fine."
Jiang Mu waved his hand and pushed her away.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and walked up to Abbot Jingtan.
The once-respected, radiant Buddha with his red lips, white teeth, and flowing robes is now prostrate on the ground, his bald head covered in blood, mud, and fallen leaves.
The fingers of one hand were twisted and deformed by the vines.
With its other hand, it was still futilely clawing at the ground, trying to crawl forward, like a stray dog.
Jiang Mu's boots came into his view, and he trembled. He struggled to lift his face, his face covered with age spots and tears streaming down his face: "Master Jiang, spare me! I was wrong, this humble monk really knows he was wrong, please forgive me."
I have many beautiful girls in my temple, I'll give them all to you!
There's also a lot of money I've plundered; if you spare my life, it's all yours—"
Jiang Mu lifted her foot and stepped on his bald head, pressing him into the mud and grinding him down. Her tone was indifferent: "I was going to ask you something, but looking at you like this, it's a waste of breath. Remember to choose the animal realm in your next life; it's more suitable for you than being human."
Feeling the force coming from above his head, Abbot Jingceng realized that death was imminent.
Terrified, he screamed hysterically, "Jiang Mu, you dare kill me?!"
I am the Buddha of Hailing Prefecture! I am a member of the Liuli Chanxin Sect!
If you kill me, all the people in this city whom I have enlightened will devour you alive! You cannot kill me—”
"puff!"
Jiang Mu exerted force with her feet.
His bald head exploded like a ripe watermelon.
Red and white sprays radiated out, staining a small patch of the ground red.
Jiang Mu rubbed the soles of his boots on the grass with disgust, then squatted down and began to touch the corpse as usual.
After searching around, they only found a few talismans.
It seems he's hidden away all the good stuff.
At the same time, Jiang Mu also failed to find the Star Core in his dantian.
Because the Nine Realms Venerables are different from the Eight Realms.
Once a cultivator has collected all the Star Cores of the same system and successfully fused them to attain the Ninth Realm Star Position, those Star Cores will completely merge with their own Great Dao and Divine Soul.
Therefore, after a Ninth Realm expert is killed, no Star Core can be retrieved from their body.
It will only feed the stars back into the heavens and the sea of stars.
"Let's go see how much treasure this bald thief has hidden in his place."
Jiang Mu said coldly, "While you're at it, completely level this filthy temple. Also, there's someone else who should be held accountable."
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