Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 177 The Great Buddha
Monkey Lao Biao left Emei Yixiantian with Tuan Tuan. Monkey Lao Biao liked to make many friends, after all, he wanted to start a business.

Shen Anzhi from Sanqing Mountain, Zi Lingxuan from Emei Mountain, and Ge Wensong from Huangshan Mountain embarked on a journey to the Giant Buddha together because of this opportunity. For Zi Lingxuan, it was a routine task, but for Anzhi and Wensong, it was a challenge.

The three of them walked along the winding mountain path and unknowingly arrived at a riverbank with a rather spectacular view.

The river water is crystal clear, shimmering in the sunlight. The water flows gently, and lush aquatic plants grow on both banks, swaying gently with the current.

On the opposite bank of the river, a solemn and majestic Buddha stands tall, soaring into the clouds as if it were about to break through the clouds and reach the sky. The Buddha's face is compassionate and peaceful, with its eyes lowered, as if it is quietly looking down on all things in the world.

The Buddha's body is carved from a giant stone, and every texture showcases the craftsmen's exquisite skills and devout dedication. Time has left its mottled marks on it.

"Wow, it's magnificent." Anzhi couldn't help but stop and look up at the Buddha. A sense of awe welled up in his heart, and the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva that he had met by the river when he first entered the bamboo forest came to mind.

Ge Wensong stood aside, equally stunned by the giant Buddha before him. He opened his mouth slightly, and after a long while, he came to his senses and softly exclaimed, "Sister Lingxuan, will this... will this giant Buddha come to life?"

Seeing that the two were very surprised, Zi Lingxuan stepped forward, put her hands together, and bowed devoutly to the Buddha, silently praying that the Qiang-Ge war sweeping across the Sichuan Basin would end soon and bring peace back to the world.

Just as Zi Lingxuan was praying for the common people, the sharp-eyed Anzhi suddenly exclaimed, "Look, there seems to be something glowing at the foot of the Buddha. Sister Lingxuan, could this be a elixir?"

Upon hearing this, the two quickly looked in the direction she pointed, and saw a strange light faintly shining from a crevice near the edge of the rock at the broad feet of the Buddha.

Zi Lingxuan nodded excitedly: "Yes, yes, that's it."

According to Zi Lingxuan's description, the Buddha is located at the confluence of three rivers. Five kinds of medicinal herbs grow year-round at the foot of the Buddha near the river: Dendrobium, Paris polyphylla, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Atractylodes macrocephala. Each of these plants is a top-grade herb, and after being refined and processed, they become the best medicines for saving lives.

Because these medicinal herbs only grow at the foot of the Buddha and are very spiritual, they are difficult to collect. In the past, Zi Lingxuan would occasionally come to collect them, but with the outbreak of the Qiang-Ge War, Emei disciples are currently having occasional clashes with demon soldiers at the front, resulting in some casualties. In the past month, Zi Lingxuan has come to collect them three times.

Gathering these medicinal herbs is no easy task, especially for one person, because the Buddha will revive and protect itself if it senses someone gathering herbs. But now that there are three people, Zi Lingxuan feels that it won't be difficult at all.

While Zi Lingxuan was still introducing herself, Ge Wensong had already climbed the steps.

Beneath the Buddha's toes, an unidentified herb shimmered with golden light. The plant was not particularly tall, yet it exuded a unique spiritual charm. Its leaves were a deep emerald green, with clearly defined veins on each leaf. Under the sunlight, it seemed as if wisps of spiritual energy flowed within them.

At the top of the plant grows a fruit the size of a thumb, radiating a soft halo of red, blue, and purple hues, creating a dreamlike effect.

Ge Wensong exclaimed in surprise, "It is indeed rare, but I don't know what it is used for, or how to harvest it?"

An Zhi frowned slightly, his mind immediately recalling his experience of capturing a thousand-year-old bamboo worm alive in the bamboo forest. He said cautiously, "This spiritual herb grows at the foot of the Buddha statue, so it must be a spiritual object. We can't act rashly. We need to figure out its origin and properties before making any plans." Zi Lingxuan shook her head and said directly, "Hehe, it's not that complicated. In a moment, one person can hold the Buddha statue back while the other two collect the herbs. It won't be too complicated."

Ge Wensong and Anzhi exchanged glances, their eyes revealing disbelief. So this was the reason Zi Lingxuan had invited them to collect medicinal herbs. Anzhi nodded in agreement.

The three of them stood at the foot of the Buddha statue and turned to look at the surging river beside them.

Suddenly, Zi Lingxuan concentrated her spiritual power into the Emei Sword and immediately threw it out, forcibly trying to awaken the Buddha that had been quietly standing and protecting the area. The Emei Sword flew towards the Buddha's arm with a "whoosh".

In an instant, a powerful pressure, seemingly from ancient times, emanated from the Buddha, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly, becoming so heavy that it was hard to breathe. The Buddha slowly opened its eyes, which had been closed for a long time, and lightning seemed to flash in them, filled with anger at being disturbed.

Seeing this, Ge Wensong and An Zhi were at a loss, while only Zi Lingxuan was still dodging and jumping around at the foot of the Buddha.

"Anzhi, distract her, let's gather herbs." Zi Lingxuan said and jumped onto the river.

"Ah, oh oh oh oh." At the critical moment, An Zhi did not hesitate at all. She rushed forward like lightning. Her hands quickly formed hand seals, and she chanted incantations. Streams of spiritual power gushed out from her palms, instantly transforming into a dazzling and attractive light and shadow scene. There were agile spirit butterflies fluttering and bright light ribbons winding and swirling, drifting in the opposite direction from Zi Lingxuan and Ge Wensong.

As expected, the Buddha's gaze was drawn to An Zhi. It slowly turned its massive body and moved toward An Zhi. With each step it took, the ground shook violently, dust flew up, and the river surface churned.

Anzhi dared not slacken in the slightest. While casting spells to maintain those lights and shadows, he ran towards the distance, shouting loudly and doing his best to keep the Buddha's attention firmly locked on him.

Meanwhile, seeing that the Buddha had moved away, Zi Lingxuan quickly came to her senses. She gave Ge Wensong a wink, and the two understood each other perfectly. Taking advantage of the Buddha's attention being diverted by An Zhi, they hurriedly ran towards the location of the spiritual herbs. Ge Wensong, in particular, kept looking up, afraid that the Buddha would crush him into a pulp.

For safety's sake, Ge Wensong first cautiously set up a barrier around the area to conceal his presence, in order to prevent any unexpected incidents from causing unnecessary trouble during the collection process.

Zi Lingxuan carefully took out her specially made herb-gathering tools and tiptoed closer to the medicinal herbs. Her eyes were full of tension and anticipation. She held her breath, slowly reached out her hand, and began to gather the herbs with gentle movements.

"Wow, what kind of medicine is this? It's so big!"

"This is Paris polyphylla. Paris polyphylla has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain, cooling the liver and calming the nerves."

"And also, what's this...what's this?"

"This is Chuanxiong, which is used to invigorate blood circulation, promote qi circulation, dispel wind, and relieve pain."

……