The Bhik?u Mountain temple’s status in the Harmony province was equivalent to the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga’s status in the Green province. As a matter of fact, it was even older than the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, basically the standard example of a ten-millennia-old temple. The temple was littered with pagodas and halls, built on a series of rising and falling mountains.
By “bhik?u”, they referred to buddhist monks. It was a mountain of buddhist monks.
The “Heavenly King” in the Heavenly King’s Formation of Enveloping Earth referred to the Heavenly King of the East who Upheld the Realm, Dh?tarā??ra, a renowned protector within buddhism. The formation was almost impregnable. Tonight, in order to deal with the buddha nemesis, the Monk Kings in the temple had all been mobilised, so no one was worried about suffering from a sneak attack.
Xiao An stood on the top of a mountain, gazing down at the Bhik?u Mountain temple glowing with golden light. She gripped the Immortal Relinquished sword firmly and leapt down.
In the air, she became one with the sword, turning into a twisted streak of light as she plunged straight into the Bhik?u Mountain temple.
There were very few formations in the world that could block the Immortal Relinquished sword’s edge. No matter how impregnable the formation was, it could pierce them as easily as a needle through leather.
However, just entering the formation would place the person in danger for nothing. Destroying the formation from inside was not that easy either. Also, once the controller of the formation returned, the intruder would immediately face dire straits. Even with how much the Soaring Locust King hated the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, he had never launched an attack on Great Buddha mountain.
A golden streak of light leapt out from the horizon. The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple rushed over at full speed, activating the formation from afar. At the same time, he contacted the honoured guests. “The enemy is at the Bhik?u Mountain temple. Please provide reinforcements quickly!”
Immediately, a warning bell rang out in the temple, and a figure of Dh?tarā??ra faded into existence. His face was dignified as he wielded a pipa, staring straight at the streak of light. The pipa twanged.
The streak of light paused, but the Immortal Relinquished sword could not be trapped that easily. It wriggled about like a fish, shooting towards the feet of the Heavenly King. That was the core to the entire formation, located on the largest mountain in the temple where the grand hall sat.
The buddha nemesis is walking right into the net!?
The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple was both surprised and overjoyed. Only when he saw the twisted streak of light vanish into the mountain did he suddenly understand. Oh no, the buddha nemesis is trying to open the demon cavern so that the demonfolk can invade!
The Bhik?u Mountain temple and the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga shared another similarity—they both suppressed a large demon cavern. It was located right beneath their grand hall.
Suddenly, the mountain began to shake violently, like a colossal beast trying to roll over.
All of the wells on the mountain bubbled as several dozen plumes of demon qi gushed out.
The Sword Spirit of Immortal Relinquished said, “How ironic. Back then, you tried everything to stop me from opening the demon cavern! Though, you are indeed the master I’ve been most satisfied with. Apart from your swordsmanship being a little lacking, you even match that old bastard Five Absolutes. The things you do are much more interesting!”
Back then in the Green province, it was exactly the Immortal Relinquished sword that had destroyed the seal and opened the demon cavern!
Xiao An said nothing. She swung her sword again, and another third of all the chains that criss-crossed the area were severed. Even more demon qi gushed out.
“Stop, buddha nemesis!”
The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple’s furious roar rushed into the dark mound like the furious roar of a thousand lions. The demons beginning to stir in the demon cavern were all stunned.
With a jingle, the Soul Stirring Bell on Xiao An’s waist disrupted the lion’s roar. She was unfazed.
With another swing, the chains all collapsed, and the demon cavern was wide open.
The surging demon qi immediately cut off the lion’s roar, gushing out of the accumulating holy light and earth.
The mountain suddenly swelled, becoming covered in cracks of various sizes as it shook violently. Apart from the grand hall at the very top, all of the other halls and buildings had collapsed.
Demon qi rushed out of the cracks and rose into the air, swallowing the grand hall and enveloping the entire Bhik?u Mountain temple.
The figure of Dh?tarā??ra began to flicker as well. After all, it was not the true Heavenly King, merely an image constructed by a formation.
From entering the Bhik?u Mountain temple to opening the demon cavern, it had taken her three seconds at most. It had only taken her three swings of her sword.
And that was under the restraints of the Heavenly King’s Formation of Enveloping Earth. Otherwise, a single swing would have been sufficient!
During the battle on Great Buddha mountain, the Immortal Relinquished sword still did not possess a master. It completely relied on devouring elder Tian to obtain power. Now that it had obtained a swordmaster that could definitely be considered as powerful, and one that had completely comprehended the Sword Collection Manual of Heaven and Earth, its destructive powers became even more terrifying.
The Bhik?u Mountain temple fell into a state of panic. The golden light descended from above, landing in front of the grand hall heavily. The mountain shook; the demon qi dispersed. Even the figure of the Heavenly King consolidated.
The monks seemed to see their saviour. They called out, “Abbot!”
However, the abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple felt like he was standing on a volcanic crater that was about to erupt at any moment. With the slightest of carelessness, demon qi would burst forth, and the entire temple would be reduced to a demonic land. The formation would rupture as well.
He uttered the six-syllabled mantra, “O? ma?i padme hū?! Benevolent by the buddha, purging the demons!”
The towering great buddha sitting within the grand hall stood up slowly. The polished granite tiles under its feet immediately collapsed and sank as golden light layered in its surroundings. It had a halo behind its head, radiating with a sense of righteousness and solemnity. The statues of bodhisattvas and arhats around it all began to move as well, like the place had turned into a land of buddhism.
The Bhik?u Mountain temple was obviously capable of what the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga could do, and it would only be stronger, not weaker.
The great buddha had gathered over ten thousand years of power of belief, making it far stronger than regular great cultivators. In the past, a great buddha had put Xiao An in dire straits. If Li Qingshan had not interfered when it mattered, she almost would have faced the danger of dying. The heritage behind a great buddhist sect could not be underestimated.
Perfect timing. I’ll use the formation to trap you here, and then I’ll destroy you with the great buddha. Let’s see where you run to now, buddha nemesis.
The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple thought like that when the great buddha suddenly stopped. He vaguely heard the sounds of shattering, which brought him great unease.
Behind the great buddha, the Buddha Slaying sword plunged deep into its body. A pure-white hand gripped the shiny hilt and twisted the sword slowly. The cracks spread rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, the cracks ran across the great buddha’s full cheeks, covering its body. Its glow dimmed and receded, turning back into a regular statue and collapsing slowly, scattering across the floor of the grand hall.
The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple’s alarmed and furious gaze met a pair of clear eyes, which flickered with a holy glow, having comprehended a little more.
“Kill the buddha nemesis!”
The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple roared furiously, but the chiming of a bell rose again, nullifying one another.
Several dozen arhats and bodhisattvas lunged towards her at the same time, every single one possessing the strength of a great cultivator. She had already scattered the Skeleton Demons, and the Blood Sea Banner was in no shape for further use. Even with the two swords in hand, she would struggle to fend off a combined attack like this.
Boom!
The grand hall rumbled violently. Fragments of the great buddha shot into the air.
A streak of light twisted and flew out, shooting over the abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple’s head and leaving the grand hall, making its way towards another mountain.
The abbot of the Bhik?u Mountain temple recognised that to be the forest of pagodas with a single glance. He could not help but fly into a rage. “How dare you, buddha nemesis!”
The arhats and bodhisattvas all rushed through the walls in hot pursuit, taking them down in the process. The grand hall became even more unstable.
