We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

However, the lazy laughter in the mist did not stop; instead, it became even more playful and...enlightened.

"Hehe... That's so sweet, little snake." The phantom's voice carried a strange penetrating power, as if it didn't pass through the air, but resounded directly in the depths of Bai Suzhen's soul. "For your husband, for your child... But have you ever thought that your 'heroic sacrifice' is really... 'good' for them?"

Before Bai Suzhen could refute, the voice cruelly revealed the truth she didn't want to face, like peeling back layers of a cocoon:

"You're dead, your soul scattered, all is over. But what about the monstrous atrocities you committed? The homes destroyed by this massive flood, the innocent lives drowned—who do you think Heaven will hold accountable for this?"

"Your mortal husband, you were husband and wife, and your fates are already intertwined. With such a heavy crime on your head, how can he remain unscathed? At best, he will suffer a life of hardship and illness; at worst... humph, I'm afraid even a peaceful old age will be a luxury for him."

"And your child..." The illusory figure paused slightly, as if admiring the sudden loss of color from Bai Suzhen's face, before continuing slowly, yet with every word piercingly, "He bears the blood of a human and a demon, making him different from ordinary people. Now he must also bear the karmic burden of your killing. Do you think... his future path will be easy? How will the world view him? How will Buddhism treat him? Even... how will Heaven 'favor' him?"

"You think your death is a sacrifice? You're wrong, little snake. Your death is what truly plunges them into an abyss of no return! It will condemn them to eternal damnation for the sins and infamy you left behind!"

These words, like the sharpest ice blade, peeled away layer by layer, revealing the last psychological defense that Bai Suzhen had built with the idea of ​​"sacrificing for love"! Her delicate body trembled violently, as if struck by lightning, and her eyes, which were originally filled with determination, were instantly overwhelmed by boundless fear, regret, and despair!

Yes... how could she not have thought of that!
She's dead, and thus she'll be free from the torment of karmic fire, free from the siege of countless gods and Buddhas. But... what about the official? What about Shilin? They're innocent! Must they truly suffer endless torment and entanglement because of her momentary impulse today?!
No! No way! Absolutely not!
"No...no...please...don't hurt them..." Bai Suzhen completely broke down! She shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls, her voice trembling with sobs, filled with helpless pleading. She wasn't afraid of death, but she was afraid of ruining the lives of the people she loved most because of herself!
"Sister!" Xiaoqing was heartbroken at the sight and, disregarding everything else, hurriedly called out to the illusory figure, "Master! What do you want?! As long as you can protect my sister! Protect my nephew! Tell me! We will pay any price... we will pay any price..." She wanted to say "we are willing to pay any price," but when she remembered her sister's resolute words, she was speechless for a moment.

"Hehe, that's more like it..." The phantom in the mist seemed quite pleased with Bai Suzhen's despair and Xiaoqing's urgency. She snapped her fingers lightly, and the pervasive pink mist seemed to come alive, splitting off a wisp that gently wrapped around Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, making them feel that the burning pain of karma had lessened a bit, as if they had been temporarily isolated from it.

This move not only calmed Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, but also caused the pupils of the Buddhist monks watching from afar to shrink sharply! Such a method could actually directly intervene in the backlash of karma?! The origin and supernatural powers of this fox demon were probably far more terrifying than they had imagined!
“Listen up, little snake.” The phantom’s voice regained some of its languidness, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. “The ‘price’ I want is simple and fair.”

Her gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, carrying a detached and knowing indifference, like looking down upon a chess game:
"You, Bai Suzhen, cannot die."

Upon hearing this, not only Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing were stunned, but even Fahai and the Buddhist monks in the distance were taken aback!
"Demon! Don't even think about bewitching people! Stay here!!!"

A furious and resolute shout suddenly came from below!
It's Fahai!
Although he was seriously injured and surprised by the appearance of the fox demon, he would never allow Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing to be taken away like this! He mustered his last bit of Buddhist energy, and his figure once again transformed into a dim but still resolute golden light, rushing towards Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing!
Meanwhile, in the sky, the Venerable Kurong, Zen Master Fuhu, and other eminent Buddhist monks also realized what was happening! Regardless of the fox demon's origins or purpose, they absolutely could not stand by and watch the culprit behind the flooding of Jinshan Temple escape!
"Set up the formation!"

"Leave them behind!"

In an instant, the sky was filled with a burst of Buddhist light! Countless Buddhist seals, magical artifacts, and supernatural powers poured down upon Bai Suzhen, Xiaoqing, and the pink cloud of smoke like a storm!

The summit of Jinshan is no longer a human realm!
The turbid waves continued to relentlessly devour and wash over the ruins and broken walls of the ancient temple.

The former palaces and pavilions have all turned to dust. Only a few rooftops or giant rocks, which are located at the highest point and are barely protected by the Buddha's light, are faintly visible in the raging floodwaters, like a lone boat on a raging sea.

Above, there were throngs of trembling, pale-faced monks who had survived the ordeal. In their eyes, there was both relief at their survival and boundless fear of the chaotic battle between gods and demons and the earth-shattering scene before them.

The sky, however, presents a completely different scene—a blend of the sacred and the eerie, a coexistence of violence and allure!

The boundless Buddha light, like a tangible golden ocean, filled the entire sky, illuminating the hellish world below with a magnificent glow.

The solitary Zen of Elder Kurong, the Vajra wrath of Zen Master Fuhu, the compassionate purification of the world by Abbess Huixin, the truth of the Lotus Sutra by Master Zhixu… and the vast Buddhist power jointly generated by hundreds of eminent monks, virtuous masters, Dharma protectors, and hermits from all directions, intertwine to form an invisible and intangible yet indestructible net that can suppress all evil spirits in the world!

This net is not merely an aggregation of energy, but also contains the laws and precepts passed down through the Buddhist tradition for thousands of years, carrying the meaning of absolute judgment against those who act against the will of Heaven and indiscriminately kill innocent people!
Its target was firmly locked on the two figures below, half-hidden by the pink mist—Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing!
In contrast, there was a pink haze that kept spreading and diffusing, carrying a strange fragrance and a languid allure.

Amidst the mist and haze, the illusory figure of the Baoqing Workshop owner appeared and disappeared, like a mirage, elusive and hard to grasp.

She didn't seem to be directly involved in the battle, yet she was everywhere interfering with the purification of the Buddha's light and dissipating the awe-inspiring power of the chanting in an incomprehensible way. She even... to some extent, protected the two snake demons who had become the target of everyone's hatred!

Just as Bai Suzhen uttered the words "I agree" with great difficulty, and at the same moment Fahai mustered his last bit of Buddhist energy and launched a desperate charge!

The thunderous strike of Buddhism has finally arrived!

"Demon! Prepare to die!!!"

Zen Master Fuhu was the first to lose his composure!
He dedicated his life to subduing demons and monsters, and now that the culprit was right in front of him, he was further enraged by the seductive voice of the eerie fox demon!
With a deafening roar, he swung his incredibly heavy tin staff, its head inlaid with nine pure gold rings, down at the pink smoke below with the force of a mountain being swung, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air!
This staff strike embodies the power of his lifelong cultivation in subduing tigers and dragons. Even before the staff arrives, the violent, fierce, and terrifying force, powerful enough to smash a small mountain into dust, has already caused the floodwaters below to sink into a huge crater!

The golden ring at the top of the staff rang out with a resounding clang, emitting a soul-stirring Zen sound, attempting to dispel all illusions and evil spells!
"boom!!!"

The staff slammed into the seemingly soft and ethereal pink mist!
However, the expected scene of smoke dissipating or energy bursting did not appear!

The pink mist, as if it were a living thing, did not dissipate the moment the staff touched it. Instead, it was like the most supple and smooth silk, or a bottomless swamp, wrapping, enveloping, absorbing, and dissipating the force layer by layer in an extremely strange way!
Master Fuhu felt as if his earth-shattering blow had struck a giant ball of cotton soaked in water!

Although the force was fierce, it was constantly dissolved, transformed, and deflected by the mist in an inconceivable way that was both gentle and firm!
He even felt that the immense Buddhist power he had poured into his staff was being swallowed and assimilated by the mist in an extremely slow yet unstoppable way!

"What?!" Zen Master Fuhu was shocked!
His tiger-taming power, capable of killing even real tigers and dragons with a single blow, is now utterly helpless against this seemingly harmless wisp of pink smoke?! This fox demon's methods are simply unheard of!

Just as Zen Master Fuhu suffered a setback and was filled with doubt and uncertainty!
"Immeasurable Light! Immeasurable Life! Pure Lotus, open!"

Master Huixin and dozens of nuns behind her simultaneously formed hand seals! The seven-colored lotus beneath their feet suddenly shone brightly! Countless pure white, holy lotus phantoms, exuding a faint sandalwood fragrance, drifted down from them like celestial maidens scattering flowers, covering the pink mist and Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, who were enveloped by it!

This is not an attack, but the purest method of purification and restraint in Buddhism!

Each lotus flower contains the compassionate power of Guanyin Bodhisattva, capable of washing away impurities and purifying demonic energy. It can also transform into invisible shackles, binding and binding the target, making it difficult for them to move and hindering the flow of their demonic power! They attempted to use this method to first trap the two demons and then gradually subdue them!

However, when the pure white lotus rain fell into the pink mist, a strange scene occurred again!
That pink mist seemed to possess a certain alluring quality!
The moment the pure white lotus came into contact with the mist, it seemed to be tinged with color. A faint pink blush appeared on the edges of the petals, and the speed of its rotation slowed down. Some of the lotus phantoms even swayed a few times in the mist before quietly dissipating like a drunken beauty, turning into harmless specks of light!

Its purifying and binding power was largely neutralized by the mist in a way that was almost "tempting" and "assimilating"!

"This...how is this possible?! It can actually defile the pure lotus of Buddhism?!" Abbess Huixin's expression changed slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief! Her Guanyin purification method had an extremely strong restraining effect on all evil spirits and demons, yet it had failed in the face of this strange pink smoke today?!

at the same time!

"All phenomena are empty of inherent existence! Neither arising nor ceasing! Neither defiled nor pure! Neither increasing nor decreasing! Break through—!!!"

Master Zhixu of the Tiantai School also made his move! He did not use any ritual implements, but instead closed his eyes slightly and recited the Heart Sutra mantra! Each character was like a resounding bell, emanating from his mouth and condensing in the air into large, golden "卍" swastikas that shimmered with the light of wisdom!

These hand seals are not physical attacks, but rather swords of Buddhist principles that directly target the soul, illusions, and all forms of deception and inner demons! They are layered upon each other, like rotating prayer wheels, pressing down on the core of the pink mist—the illusory figure of the Baoqing Workshop Master!

They attempted to use the supreme Buddhist principles to see through the truth and falsehood of the matter and to awe the mind!
However! When the golden swastika seal containing the true meaning of "emptiness" collided with the pink mist that seemed to be able to distort reality!

"Hehe..." A clearer and more alluring chuckle came from the depths of the mist.

Those golden seals containing supreme Buddhist principles seemed to enter another dimension the moment they came into contact with the mist! They began to blur, distort, and even... decompose?! It was as if the mist itself represented a more ancient and strange law of "form" or "desire" that was opposite to "emptiness" but not "real"!

While Buddhist teachings can distinguish truth from falsehood, they cannot shake the desires and allure rooted in the very essence of life!
The golden magic seal struggled for a few moments in the mist, then gradually faded away like melting ice and snow, and finally disappeared completely!
"Pfft!" Master Zhixu suddenly opened his eyes, his face turned pale, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth!

He attacked with Buddhist principles, but was instead countered by the opponent's even more peculiar "Tao," causing his mind to be severely shaken! He stared in horror at the cloud of smoke, his heart filled with turbulent waves!

'This...this is absolutely not the way this world should exist! Its root cause...I'm afraid...'

The most mysterious and powerful attack came from Elder Kuru, who always sat cross-legged with his eyes closed!
He made no sound, nor did he emit any light! But at the same time that the other high monks made their moves, his withered fingers gently twirled the Bodhi seed prayer beads in his hand.

In an instant!
An invisible and intangible yet seemingly omnipresent aura of desolation and death, carrying the power to wither and extinguish life in all things, silently seeped into the pink mist, like the most secret curse, directly locking onto the illusory figure at the core of the mist, as well as Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, who were shrouded in the mist!
This is not a physical attack, nor an energy shock, nor a mental intimidation, but a direct attack on the origin of life, on the laws of "prosperity" and "decay"!

Once entangled by this desolate deathly aura, even with extraordinary cultivation, one will feel their vitality being stripped away bit by bit, their lifespan being reduced inch by inch, ultimately leading to silent withering and annihilation! This is precisely the withering and flourishing Zen realm that Elder Kuru Rong comprehended during his three hundred years of seclusion, a realm that even immortals and gods fear!
However! Just as that invisible, desolate deathly aura was about to invade the core of the mist!
"Huh? It's interesting..."

The phantom within the mist let out a soft, slightly surprised exclamation for the first time. Then, the pervasive pink mist abruptly contracted inward, condensing into an enormous, layered flower—the Nine-Tailed Fox Flower—that appeared to be composed of billions of peach petals!
This enchanting flower is a dreamy pinkish-purple color. Deep within its heart, it seems as if nine enormous, furry fox tails, radiating an alluring luster, are gently swaying! Each fox tail appears to be engraved with an ancient and mysterious rune!

The instant that invisible, desolate deathly aura touched the demonic flower, its petals trembled slightly, and the mysterious runes engraved on the fox's tail suddenly lit up! An equally ancient aura, also involving the realm of laws, yet filled with endless vitality, reproduction, lust, and even... reincarnation, suddenly emanated from the demonic flower!

Desolation and prosperity! Death and lust! Annihilation and reincarnation!
Two completely opposite, yet equally fundamental, laws collided and annihilated within this confined space in a silent yet incredibly intense manner!

"Pfft!" Elder Kurong's usually calm face suddenly flushed with an abnormal redness, and his body swayed slightly! Although he did not vomit blood, his fingers, which were twirling the prayer beads, stopped, and his eyes were filled with unprecedented solemnity and... apprehension!
He was defeated! Or rather, his invincible Zen state of flourishing and decay was neutralized by his opponent in a way that was equally fundamental, and even more bizarre!

In that brief moment of clash, the combined attack of the four top Buddhist monks was completely neutralized by the mysterious fox demon in a seemingly effortless yet incredibly dangerous manner! Although the nine-tailed fox flower she had conjured also dissipated, and the mist thinned somewhat, she was clearly not substantially harmed!

This scene completely shocked all the Buddhists present!
They had initially thought that with so many experts gathered and a tight net laid, capturing the two heavily injured and karmic-laden snake demons would be a piece of cake! But they never expected that such a powerful and unpredictable fox demon would suddenly appear! How could she single-handedly withstand the combined might of so many of them?!

Just who is this fox demon?!
Just as the Buddhist monks were shocked, hesitant, and preparing to launch a more powerful combined attack or unleash their most treasured Buddhist artifacts!
The owner of Baoqing Workshop, amidst the pink mist, seemed to have no intention of continuing their entanglement.

"Alright, alright, warm-up over, I'm tired too..." The illusory figure stretched lazily, the movement full of endless allure, causing many monks with slightly weaker willpower to sway their minds once again.

"Little snakes, hold on tight... We should move to another spot..."

The words have not yet been spoken!

The pink mist that had been spreading out and had become somewhat thin suddenly seemed to receive some kind of command, and at an incredible speed, it began to shrink and condense inward!
They were no longer gentle smoke, but transformed into an extremely dense, dazzling pink cocoon of light, seemingly containing a dreamlike world! It completely enveloped Bai Suzhen, Xiaoqing, and the faintly visible fox demon phantom!
"Oh no! She's leaving!"

“Stop her!!!”

Elder Kurong, Zen Master Fuhu, and the others reacted simultaneously, shouting angrily in unison! The sky was filled with Buddhist light once again, and countless Dharma seals, Dharma artifacts, and supernatural powers poured down on the pink cocoon of light like a torrential rain!

however!
Just as those attacks, powerful enough to destroy mountains and rivers, were about to touch the cocoon of light!
A very faint "pop" sound, like a bubble bursting, rang out.

The pink cocoon of light, like an ink droplet dissolving in water, or a phantom that had never existed, appeared before everyone's eyes in a bizarre way that completely disregarded the laws of space—

—Suddenly, completely, and without a sound—vanished!!!

It's as if it never appeared!
All that remained was the raging Buddhist attack, which, having lost its target, bombarded the empty space, creating ripples of energy before finally dissipating helplessly into the air.

The sky regained some clarity, with only the golden Buddha's light still shining down, and below lay a scene of devastation and raging floodwaters.

However, the culprits who caused all this—Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, and that mysterious and terrifyingly powerful fox demon—

—They're all gone!!!

"........."

Dead silence.

An even more utter silence than before.

All the eminent Buddhist monks stood frozen in place, their faces filled with disbelief, frustration, and... deep astonishment and unease.

They gathered such a powerful force and laid an inescapable trap, yet in the end… they could only watch helplessly as their target, right under their noses, was easily escaped by a mysterious entity in a way they couldn't comprehend at all?!

This is absolutely...a complete disgrace!!!
"Amitabha..." Elder Kurong sighed, his withered face filled with helplessness and a deep worry.

"Damn it! How hateful!!!" Zen Master Fuhu trembled with rage, slamming his staff into the air, but only producing a dull thud.

As Master Huixin gazed down at the creatures still struggling in the floodwaters, her eyes were filled with even greater sorrow, but also with a hint of worry for the future.

Master Zhixu frowned, his gaze sweeping over the spot where the fox demon had disappeared, as if he were deducing something, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

Upon witnessing this scene, the severely injured Fahai finally succumbed to his last breath! Unable to hold on any longer, his vision went black, and with a splash, he plummeted straight down from mid-air, sending up a spray of muddy water, before losing consciousness completely…

At the summit of Jinshan, the Buddha's light still shines, the flood still rages, and the wails of the departed seem to linger as well.

But the protagonist who caused all the grudges has disappeared without a trace.

All that remains is this devastated battlefield!
This result is an utter disgrace to Buddhism!
The floodwaters eventually receded.

It wasn't that Bai Suzhen had a change of heart, nor that the evil fox intervened to eliminate it. Rather, with the disappearance of Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, the jade hairpin that had drawn the waters of the Yangtze River lost its demonic power. The water elemental power in the world gradually subsided, and the surging river that had been forcibly pulled up, like a tired giant beast, reluctantly and slowly retreated back to its original course.

However, after the floodwaters receded, what remained was a shocking, devastated landscape, as if ravaged by a giant beast—ruins!
The once bustling Jinshan Temple, with its numerous halls and temples, is now reduced to a few lonely, dilapidated foundations, teetering on the brink of collapse after being submerged in floodwaters, along with a mess of mud, broken wood, shattered tiles, and countless corpses of monks! The iconic Jinshan Pagoda has also collapsed, leaning precariously in the mud like a broken giant, silently recounting the devastation that occurred not long ago.

The villages at the foot of the mountain were even more devastated! Nine out of ten houses were empty, and the ground was littered with ruins! Although the floodwaters had receded, the collapsed houses could not be restored, the drowned lives could not be brought back to life, and the destroyed fields could not be cultivated in the short term. The surviving people had either lost loved ones, destroyed their homes, or contracted the plague (after the flood, plague often followed). They were all emaciated, with empty eyes, like walking corpses, rummaging through the mud for any usable belongings, or... trying to identify the decaying, unrecognizable remains of their relatives.

Cries, wails, coughs, and groans of hunger and disease replaced the sounds of chickens and dogs and the rising smoke from chimneys, enveloping this once rich and beautiful land and lingering there for a long time.

A disgrace to Buddhism, a tragedy for the people!
These eight words, like the heaviest brand, are deeply engraved in the hearts of everyone who has experienced, heard of, or merely gazed upon this ruin.

……

The news spread like wildfire, faster than a flood, throughout Jiangnan, throughout the Song Dynasty, and even to all those in the Three Realms and Six Paths who were watching the affairs of the human world!

Teahouses and taverns in the mortal world, in bustling streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang Prefecture has been flooded!" A peddler who had just fled back from Zhenjiang said to the crowd with lingering fear, his voice still trembling slightly. "The water came straight up from the river! Good heavens, it's like the sky has fallen! The entire temple is submerged! A huge number of monks have died!"

"Flooded? How could Jinshan Temple be flooded? That's the number one temple in Jiangnan! I heard that the abbot, Zen Master Fahai, is incredibly powerful!" A middle-aged man dressed in a long robe, who looked like a schoolteacher, pushed up his reading glasses, his face full of disbelief.

"What nonsense about being all-powerful!" A burly butcher slammed his fist on the table, spitting as he spoke. "My cousin lives at the foot of Jinshan Temple. He told me it was that monk Fahai who caused all this trouble! He insisted that Lady White Snake was some kind of thousand-year-old snake demon and tried to separate the couple! As a result, he angered the snake demon, who then diverted the Yangtze River! He washed Jinshan Temple to smithereens!"

"A snake demon?! Lady White Snake is a snake demon?!" A chorus of exclamations arose from the crowd.

"That's right!" the butcher said smugly, as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret. "Everyone says that Lady White Snake runs a pharmacy in Lin'an City, saving countless lives and healing the wounded. She's much kinder than those monks who only know how to chant sutras and collect incense money! But just because she's a demon, Fahai won't tolerate her! Tell me, what kind of logic is that?!"

"Oh my goodness, that's really... This Zen Master Fahai is far too domineering!"

"Exactly! They're just living their lives peacefully, what did they do to deserve this? Who cares if they're human or demon!"

"I also heard that the floodwaters not only submerged Jinshan Temple, but also the villages at the foot of the mountain! Many people died! What a tragedy!"

"Isn't Buddhism supposed to be about compassion? How could it have caused such a terrible disaster, dragging us ordinary people down with it!"

"I don't think this Buddha is necessarily efficacious! If it were truly efficacious, how could it have caused its own temple to be flooded and so many monks to die?"

"Shh—keep your voice down! Don't say things like that! But... what happened at Jinshan Temple this time is really making me uneasy..."

In an instant, teahouses, taverns, and streets were abuzz with discussion. The once lofty and sacred image of Buddhism in the hearts of the people began to crumble rapidly because of this sudden catastrophe and the rumors that "Fahai was abusing his power and forcing demons to wreak havoc"!
Doubt, dissatisfaction, and even resentment were quietly sown in the hearts of the people.

As a result, the incense offerings at Jinshan Temple, and indeed at Buddhist temples throughout the Jiangnan region, were significantly affected, becoming deserted.

The reputation of Buddhism in the mortal world has almost plummeted to rock bottom!

Deep within the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, an old Taoist priest with white hair, a youthful face, and an air of otherworldly wisdom sat in meditation with his eyes closed. Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly, he made a calculation with his fingers, and then a barely perceptible smile, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude, appeared on his lips.

"Hehe... This time, Buddhism has really lost face. The flood of Jinshan Temple... Tsk tsk tsk, they can't even protect their own temple, how can they talk about saving all sentient beings? Fahai has only himself to blame, he insisted on interfering in other people's marriage, and now he has caused such a disaster. It's really... the cycle of cause and effect, retribution is inevitable."

The young Taoist disciple standing beside him asked curiously, "Grandmaster, are you talking about the Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang? I've heard about it too. It seems they were drowned by two snake demons? And there were heavy casualties?"

"The casualties were more than just heavy?" The old Taoist opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. "It's said that even that scoundrel Fahai was severely injured, and his natal magic treasure, the Purple Gold Bowl, was destroyed! What's even more ridiculous is that the last two snake demons were actually rescued by a mysterious fox demon while surrounded by hundreds of Buddhist monks! It's simply... utterly absurd!"

"What?! Such a thing?!" The young Taoist was dumbfounded. "Wouldn't that mean Buddhism... would lose all face?"

"Hmph! They've always been domineering, thinking they can do whatever they want just because they're powerful. Now that they've suffered such a big setback, it's time to wake them up!" The old Taoist stroked his beard, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Send down the order to closely monitor the situation in Jiangnan, especially the origins of that mysterious fox demon. Also... hmm, send some disciples down the mountain, under the guise of disaster relief, to wander around the vicinity of Jinshan and see if they can... pick up some 'bargains'."

Similar scenarios have also played out in various Taoist sects or immortal sects that claim to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path, such as the Shushan Sword Sect, Qingcheng Mountain, and Longhu Mountain.

Upon learning the news, the elders of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect were both amazed by the ruthlessness of the Buddhist sect's methods, which had driven the demon to desperation, and also developed a great interest in and wariness of the mysterious fox demon who had withstood the combined forces of Buddhism and escaped unscathed. Some hot-blooded young disciples clamored to go and subdue the demon, but the elders sternly stopped them, admonishing them to observe the situation and not to easily get involved in this mess.

The Taoist priests of Qingcheng Mountain, on the other hand, were more inclined to watch the spectacle. They already had rivalries with Buddhism over faith and territory, and seeing Buddhism suffer a significant loss naturally pleased them. Privately, various jokes and sarcastic remarks about "Buddhism being ineffective" and "monks being incompetent" began to circulate among the Taoist temples.

Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain, with a furrowed brow, used talismans to deduce the secrets of heaven.

News travels slower in the demon realm than in the human realm, but the fate of a "great enemy" like Jinshan Temple naturally attracts special attention.

When the news came that "Jinshan Temple was flooded by a thousand-year-old snake demon, Fahai was seriously injured, and the Buddhist sect suffered heavy losses," cheers, some suppressed and some wild, erupted from countless caves and forests!
"That's exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!" A black bear spirit who had cultivated for eight hundred years was raising a huge wine jar and drinking wildly at the moon. "That old bald monk Fahai, how imposing he was when he chased me down back then! Now he's got his comeuppance! Hahahaha!"

"Bai Suzhen? Green Snake? Well done! You've really brought honor to our demon race!" A charming fox spirit, swaying her fluffy tail, her eyes gleaming, exclaimed, "They actually dared to flood Jinshan Temple! What courage! What strength! I admire them! I admire them!"

"The floodwaters have swept through Jinshan Temple... affecting countless innocent people. Such a massacre has already angered the Heavenly Dao! Although the white snake and the green snake have enjoyed their momentary pleasure, I'm afraid... their future is bleak." A thousand-year-old tortoise that had been cultivating in the deep pool slowly opened its turbid eyes and sighed softly.

"Moreover, the Buddhist sect has a profound foundation. Although it suffered heavy losses this time, it will definitely not give up easily! It will probably carry out a more severe and cruel extermination of the demon race next... Alas, the storm is brewing."

In an instant, the demon realm was filled with both triumphant cheers and deep anxieties about the future.

Regardless of what happened to Jinshan Temple, it undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the Buddhist sect's prestige among the demons, and also caused many previously dormant demons to begin to stir...

……

The storm has already begun.

A war of revenge sparked by love, hate, and grudges eventually evolved into a massive event that affected the three realms and had a far-reaching impact.

The reputation of Buddhism has been damaged, while Taoism and other immortal cultivation sects are gloating.

Undercurrents are surging within the demon realm.

After enduring immense suffering, the faith of ordinary people in gods and Buddhas began to waver...

Although the floodwaters of Jinshan have receded, Buddhism continues to live in its shadow. (End of Chapter)