An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 213 The Road of Giants
Originally, no one took this farce seriously, because in their minds, Buddhist elders were invincible. Even martial artists who had cultivated their skills to the extreme could only harm the elders by sneaking up on them.

Once the opponent is on guard, killing an elder would require hundreds of well-trained and well-equipped martial arts masters to fight relentlessly, regardless of casualties, or the use of specialized heavy weapons.

But what's going on now? The mysterious person in front of us just gave a light squeeze and beat the elder like this?
At this moment, Chu Xiu's large hand contracted further, and the pagoda, which was already struggling to hold on, became even more precarious.

Feeling the terrifying force, like a thousand tons of force, coming from above, the Third Elder's expression became even more horrified.

He had only ever seen this kind of power in the reincarnated holy monk who ruled the entire Buddhist sect! He was certain that his pagoda wouldn't last much longer!
With this thought in mind, the Third Elder felt an even greater fear. For the first time in three hundred years, he felt the shadow of death. He shouted hysterically, "Liang Zhan! Quickly, have all your soldiers attack! Bring all the heavy weapons from the camp! No matter what this guy's background is, his Buddhist power is definitely limited and he can't withstand many attacks!"

"Once his Buddhist power is exhausted, he will be just like you and me, made of flesh and blood, and a small knife could kill him!"

"Save me, and I'll give you anything you want! Energy relics, Vajra Cannons—you name it, I'll give you as many as you need!"

At this point, the Third Elder was terrified and no longer cared about maintaining the sanctity of Buddhism. He directly admitted that he was just a mortal and recklessly ordered Liang Zhan to launch an attack.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Dozens of guards had heard the commotion in the command room and rushed over immediately.

These guards were all well-trained martial arts masters, the weakest of whom were at the peak of the warrior rank. They were equipped with the most advanced equipment, including heavy armor made of black iron, large-caliber explosive guns, heavy crossbows made of high-level hungry ghost tendons that could unleash a power of a thousand pounds, and one of them even carried a powerful Vajra hand cannon.

Upon arriving, they nervously pointed their weapons at Chu Xiu, awaiting Liang Zhan's command.

This made the Third Elder's face light up with joy. If these guards launched an attack with their weapons at the same time, even the Buddhist elders' defenses would not last long. In particular, the Buddhist Vajra Hand Cannon, which was specially made, was extremely powerful and was a heavy weapon specifically designed to deal with large evil spirits.

Surrounded by a group of guards, even if the mysterious man in front of him could hold off the attack, he would have to divert his magic power to defend himself, giving him the opportunity to escape.

Thinking of this, the Third Elder urged Liang Zhan even more anxiously.

However, Liang Zhan simply stood there hesitantly, without issuing any further orders to attack.

With Liang Zhan's discerning eye, he could naturally sense the terror of Chu Xiu and wouldn't believe the Third Elder's nonsense about wanting to kill Chu Xiu with human lives.

Even if the opponent is out of power, won't he just run away? He can replenish his strength and come back to fight. Your elder might escape, but what about the rest of you?
The idea of ​​overwhelming a master with sheer numbers usually only exists in novels.

However, the consequences of making him disobey the orders of the Buddhist elders would be unbearable.

In his mind, Buddhism was an inviolable symbol. Even though Liang Zhan had some strength to resist, he only dared to let his subordinates do some sneaky things to gain benefits, and never thought of confronting this behemoth head-on.

The others in the room, though not all aware of the current situation, were also sweating profusely under the oppressive aura of Chu Xiu, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Kaka."

At this moment, the pagoda above the Third Elder's head compressed further, as if it were about to collapse at any moment. This made him unable to suppress his fear any longer, and he screamed loudly:

"Liang Zhan! Are you fucking insane? Why aren't you making a move? Do you want your whole family to be devoured by the Heavenly Dragon?"

Upon hearing the words "Tianlong," Liang Zhan's expression changed slightly. Then, he gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind. With a swift movement, he drew his long sword like a cannonball and slashed at Chu Xiu, who was standing in place!

At the same time, Liang Zhan's personal guards reacted quickly, raising their large-caliber explosive pistols and unleashing a hail of bullets at Chu Xiu.

"Did you still give in?" Chu Xiu asked, somewhat disappointed.

However, he knew that Liang Zhan in front of him was not a cowardly, weak, or law-abiding person. The fact that the other party stood against him after witnessing his strength could only mean that the "Heavenly Dragon" mentioned by the Buddhist elder probably really did possess immense power.

"The Buddhist sect has been able to rule for hundreds of years, so it must have its trump cards. I cannot underestimate it too much."

"Moreover, this trial is called the Eight Heavenly Dragons. I wonder if these so-called Heavenly Dragons are related to the dragons in the Eight Heavenly Dragons. If they are related, their power is probably quite astonishing."

Thinking to himself, Chu Xiu flicked his finger, his index finger touching the heavy sword that was being slashed by Liang Zhan with his true power. With a loud bang, the heavy sword, forged from hundreds of times the steel, began to vibrate like waves. Under this incredible force, Liang Zhan could no longer hold on to it, and the long sword flew out of his hand, its momentum undiminished as it sank straight into the wall.

This astonishing scene left Liang Zhan completely stunned, staring in disbelief at the gaping wound on his hand caused by the immense force.

He knew Chu Xiu was strong, but he never imagined he was this strong. His full-force strike was sent flying by Chu Xiu's finger!

Even the Third Elder gaped in astonishment once again.

Although he looked down on Liang Zhan, it was due to the difference in their status. Objectively speaking, he had to admit that Liang Zhan was the most talented person in the shelter in recent years, and had cultivated his martial arts to a superb level. With the Hundred-Forged Blade in his hand, even he had to be careful.

If he were to study Buddhist scriptures, I might not be a match for him.

But such a vicious slash was actually blocked by the opponent's finger?

He even suspected that Liang Zhan was cooperating with the other party in an act, and that this strange, mysterious person was someone Liang Zhan had invited to help him deal with him.

However, what happened next completely overturned his idea.

Along with Liang Zhan, his personal guards also joined the attack.

However, those explosive shells that could penetrate steel plates exploded into countless shrapnel fragments the moment they hit Chu Xiu, causing him absolutely no harm!

To withstand steel bullets with one's bare body?
The Third Elder was completely stunned by what he saw. While their Buddhist lineage did possess some similar indestructible techniques, none could replicate Chu Xiu's flawless execution without leaving any trace of magic.
It was as if he had actually taken the hit with his own body.

But the Third Elder naturally knew this was impossible; no one could possibly cultivate their body to such a level! Not even those martial artists who had cultivated their martial arts to the pinnacle! This must be some kind of special magic!

Since it is a spell, it will gradually weaken after being continuously consumed, at which point all that is needed is to deliver a fatal blow.

He shifted his gaze to the doorway, where a burly bodyguard, known for his strength, was gripping a large gun with cannon holes as thick as an adult's forearm with both hands.

Vajra Hand Cannon.

This is a weapon specially made by the Buddhist community, powered by energy relics, capable of unleashing tremendous power.

The Third Elder was confident that this shot would definitely break through Chu Xiu's defenses!
"boom!"

Under his expectant gaze, as the guard pulled the trigger, a deafening roar immediately exploded in the arena! The Vajra Hand Cannon spewed out intense flames, and the seventeen fluorite stones embedded in the hand cannon burst out with violent energy fluctuations, accelerating the specially made five-kilogram bullet to a speed of over a thousand meters per second in an instant!
"Oh?"

This astonishing power even made Chu Xiu raise an eyebrow in surprise.

It's important to know that tank shells typically weigh only a dozen kilograms, including the explosive charge, casing, and so on. The actual armor-piercing projectile weighs only a few kilograms.

In other words, the technology in this world has enabled a hand cannon, about the length of a forearm, to unleash power approaching that of a tank shell!
Although there is still a gap, it is still quite remarkable.

Unfortunately, even so, in front of Chu Xiu, they were still like toys.

With a gentle grab, Chu Xiu firmly grasped the bullet that was moving at a speed of over a thousand meters per second. The bullet spun rapidly in Chu Xiu's hand, and the entire bullet was instantly turned red-hot due to the enormous heat generated by friction!

However, Chu Xiu's palm remained motionless, like an impregnable city wall.

This miraculous scene left everyone staring in disbelief.

It's already unbelievable enough that he could withstand the attacks of the beam slash and the bomb gun, but what kind of manipulation is it to grab the shell with one hand?
Is this even something a human could do?!

Everyone stood frozen in place, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Who, who exactly are you?" The Third Elder's trembling voice rang out in the arena.

“I’ve already said,” Chu Xiu said calmly, “according to your worldview, I should be considered the Buddha in your minds.” His words fell so softly that a pin drop could be heard.

Previously, everyone thought it was just a pipe dream and a joke, but now, looking at the cannonball still spinning in Chu Xiu's palm and at Chu Xiu's calm expression, they couldn't help but waver.

Who else but the legendary gods could possess such divine power?

Could this person really be the Buddha?

"collapse!"

Just then, the pagoda finally gave way and collapsed completely. Amidst screams, the Third Elder was covered in blood and collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud.

"Are you still going to fight me?" Chu Xiu asked calmly, looking at everyone.

The scene was deathly silent, with only the sound of people nervously swallowing their saliva.

This absolute power disparity is enough to extinguish anyone's will to resist.

However, Chu Xiu noticed that even at this moment, most people still looked at Liang Zhan, which showed that this general was indeed very popular.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Liang Zhan took a deep breath and then slowly knelt down.

"Your Excellency possesses such divine power, you must undoubtedly be a holy monk of Buddhism. I was blind and ignorant, please punish me!"

Chu Xiu glanced at him but remained silent, which relieved Liang Zhan. He continued, "I have no objection to whatever punishment you wish to give me, but there may be some misunderstanding."

As he spoke, he pointed to the dying Third Elder and said, "This lord is also a Buddhist elder, his identity is certain and his status is high. If anything happens to him, I'm afraid even that reincarnated holy monk will be alarmed. If a celestial dragon were to descend to earth, it would be difficult to control the situation."

"Moreover, this elder is in charge of the Vajra Institute, and news has been gathered at the front lines that a large number of hungry ghosts have gathered. At this critical moment, the Vajra Institute's weapon support is needed. In this time of crisis, the two of you should clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible and join forces to fight the enemy."

As Liang Zhan finished speaking, Chu Xiu chuckled, thinking to himself that this man was indeed no fool for being able to command an army.

He must have realized that Chu Xiu had no hostility towards the group, which is why he used these words to try and ease the situation.

Chu Xiu did not continue to attack. He did not intend to take the Third Elder's life. Otherwise, if he had truly used his strength, he would have killed him in one move. How could he have let him hold on for so long?
He wasn't so desperate as to threaten to kill anyone who spoke disrespectfully to him. His decisive action was simply to establish his authority as quickly as possible and, incidentally, to gain an understanding of the personalities of the people in the area.

Furthermore, he needed the Buddhist community to help him gather and properly settle the people. Demonstrating his strength was one aspect, but directly killing the other side's important figures would change the nature of the situation.

Ignoring Liang Zhan, Chu Xiu reached out and grabbed the Third Elder, pulling him close. He said, "General Liang, send someone immediately to escort this elder back to the main city as quickly as possible."

Then, he looked down at the Third Elder: "You can truthfully report what happened here to the leader of the Buddhist sect, and tell him that if he wants to continue to maintain his rule, he should immediately summon all the people to the main city and mobilize them. I will explain the reasons to him personally later. But if he wants to resist to the end, I don't mind spending some time carrying out a great purge."

As he spoke, he looked with slight disdain at the Third Elder, whose bones were almost completely broken and who was barely clinging to life, and then tossed him to the ground.

He had no goodwill toward the Buddhist community in this world. According to the information recorded in the book, it was no exaggeration to say that these bald monks were utterly wicked. It could be said that killing all the top-ranking bald monks would not be unjust. That is why Chu Xiu was so ruthless.

Liang Zhan quickly called for help to send the Third Elder back.

Then, Chu Xiu grabbed them with the same force, and the senior generals in the room were lifted up by a tremendous force. At the same time, the flying corpse appeared and held them securely on its back.

Upon seeing this ferocious and enormous monster, the respect on everyone's faces deepened.

"Give me directions, take me to the front lines."

"Yes."

This time, Liang Zhan did not hesitate. He walked to the neck of the flying corpse to lead the way. Soon, with the flying corpse moving rapidly, the group rushed out of the military camp, which was full of complicated passageways, and flew out along a passage with steel walls on both sides.

The passage was very wide, about forty or fifty meters wide, and to Chu Xiu's surprise, it was also thirty or forty meters high.

"Why would such a huge passage be built in this shelter? If the width is for transporting large amounts of supplies quickly, what's the purpose of the height? Could it possibly be used to transport a battleship in?"

Chu Xiu thought to himself with some confusion.

Liang Zhan seemed to realize that Chu Xiu didn't know much about this place, and explained in a timely manner: "There is only one passage leading out of the military camp, which we call the 'Giant's Road.' If you walk along this passage for about thirty or forty miles, you will reach the end, where there is a more complex and spacious space that we call the 'Paradise Lost'."

"There are hundreds of passages extending outwards in Paradise Lost. We have not yet figured out where these passages lead. All we know is that the hungry ghosts use these passages to launch their attacks on us."

"We set up numerous defensive lines along the Giant's Road, and every day at least three hundred reconnaissance teams went to explore the passages in Paradise Lost and set up surveillance cameras to monitor the actions of the hungry ghosts."

Chu Xiu nodded and directly asked his question: "Why is this road built so high?"

After saying that, Liang Zhan paused for a moment, and said hesitantly, "I have never thought about this question before. However, the entire paradise was created by the Buddha, and it is difficult for us mortals to fathom his thoughts."

These words made Chu Xiu realize that the people here probably did not know that the place where they lived was built by humans just like them. After all, the Buddhist sects always claimed that this place was created by the Buddha with his immense power.

and many more.

Chu Xiu glanced around, and questions arose in his mind once again.

Was this place truly created by humankind?
This enormous passage would be difficult to build even with modern industrial capabilities, especially given its length of thirty to forty miles. Chu Xiu couldn't fathom the necessity of building such a massive passage.

While Chu Xiu was pondering, Liang Zhan spoke up again to tell him about his recent situation: "In the past few days, the surveillance cameras we set up in various passages have detected a large number of hungry ghost activities. After analyzing the overall situation, we found that an extremely large tide of hungry ghosts is heading towards our defense line."

"Although the vast and empty landscape of the Giant's Road is particularly suitable for us to snipe these hungry ghosts, the prerequisite is that we have enough ammunition. Of the eighteen Vajra Cannons currently deployed in the Giant's Road, three are under repair, five are paralyzed due to the lack of spare parts, and only ten are usable."

"And we only have less than two hundred rounds of ammunition left, and ammunition for other weapons is also in short supply. If we were to engage our soldiers in hand-to-hand combat, we would certainly be unable to stop such a large number of hungry ghosts."

"Although we promptly sought help from the main city, it is clear that the Buddhist sect does not trust us. This time, the Third Elder has returned defeated. We do not know if he will be able to bring us the resources we need."

"My lord, although your supernatural powers are amazing, you should rely on us when facing the tide of hungry ghosts. There is no need for you to take the risk yourself."

Liang Zhan spoke in a somewhat ingratiating manner, while secretly glancing at Chu Xiu's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Chu Xiu also knew what the general was thinking.

He wanted to explain things to the Buddhist monks and get the ammunition he needed.

After all, in his view, he was just a stronger Buddhist elder. Although he had displayed amazing supernatural powers, he still needed to rely on his soldiers to deal with the tide of hungry ghosts.

Humans can only store a limited amount of magical power, and in terms of large-scale destruction, they are far inferior to the Vajra Cannon and a host of modern weapons specifically designed for this purpose.

This is why Buddhist elders never go to the front lines. Once surrounded by hungry ghosts, no matter how strong you are, you will be nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter once your magic power is exhausted.

"You don't need to worry about this."

Chu Xiu spoke slowly. He had a good impression of this general and didn't mind giving him some reassurance.

"You and your soldiers don't need to risk fighting; you just need to prepare support from the rear."

"I will deal with all these hungry ghosts by myself."

(End of this chapter)