Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 578 Breaking the Buddha and Capturing the Master in the Shallows, Slaying the Witch Lord in the Heart of the Lake

In fact, at this point, whether the Yunze Witch Lord Palace is defeated or not has never been a question worth discussing.

Although Master Huang Mijia was indeed proficient in Tantric Buddhism in the eyes of the Grand Master Kang, his disciples had all perished and scattered. Even though he could use the terrain to cause the Yingshan Army to suffer a minor setback in Moyun Marsh, he could not withstand the overwhelming power before him for long.

It is true that the methods that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace had painstakingly built up over generations caused the Yingshan Army to suffer heavy losses, but Fei Nanying was a skilled commander and showed no mercy at this time. He did not care about the deaths or injuries of any of the Fei family members, regardless of whether they were legitimate or illegitimate.

Ying Shan's army advanced relentlessly, and Huang Mijia was no match for the combined forces of Ying Shan and Fei Donggu, one of the most prominent elders of the Fei family. Therefore, after several defeats, Huang Mijia became even more cautious.

Strangely enough, even though countless messages were sent from Moyunze to various places every day, the two Golden Core cultivators of the Fei family never intercepted them. However, the reinforcements that Master Huang Mijia was waiting for were nowhere to be seen. No one knew what had happened in between.

Given the current state of the war, anyone would think that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace is on the verge of collapse. However, the Hongfen Temple and Qianfo Forest, two forces that even Fei Nanying might be wary of, remain stationed in Sizhou without making a move.

This attitude may foreshadow the future fate of Master Huang Mijia and the Yunze Witchcraft Temple that ran rampant in Huangpi Road.

"In perilous and isolated"—these eight words sounded casual, but for the remaining disciples of the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace, they felt almost as if more than ten Golden Core cultivators had been added to the Yingshan Army.

With the situation looking so good, the Fei family members have gradually given up any thoughts of self-preservation they had recently, and now they only hope to make meritorious contributions on the battlefield and bring glory to their respective branches.

With the ebb and flow of power, the situation that Yunze Witch Lord Palace could barely maintain suddenly deteriorated. Even though Master Huang Mijia used all his methods and even rewarded his personal concubines one by one, he did not feel that the morale of his disciples was boosted.

In this perilous situation, when Kang Dabao led his newly reorganized group of cultivators to Moyunze, he immediately tolled another death knell for the Yunze Witch Lord Palace.

At this crucial moment, before setting off, Master Kang received a handwritten letter from Ga Da of Benying Temple while at Yangmingshan. It recorded many flaws in Huang Mi's Great Seal practice. The accumulated knowledge of Benying Temple, the ancestral home of Tantric Buddhism, should not be underestimated. The shortcomings pointed out by Ga Da in his letter were perhaps even clearer than Huang Mi himself.

Having already incurred a personal debt of gratitude, Kang Dabao naturally wouldn't keep anything to himself. He immediately explained the letter to Fei Donggu and Fei Nanying. The two Feis then challenged Huang Mi to a duel in front of the enemy lines, but in the end, Huang Mi suffered a crushing defeat, and the battle formation of the monks collapsed without a fight.

Just as Fei's Yingshan Army had entered the central lake and stood in front of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace's grand formation, and it was almost certain that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace's thousand-year-old heritage was about to be severed, the Hongfen Temple and Qianfo Forest families, who were originally stationed in Sizhou, also began to move under the leadership of their respective leaders.

Something unusual must be going on. However, Kang Dabao was not surprised for long after hearing the news. He learned from Fei Nanyi why the two families had turned from friends to enemies.

"The Master of Zhaixing Tower fought against the two True Immortals, Jiangxue and Yueyin, in Fenglin. In this battle, Jiangxue spread mist containing needles, while Yueyin drew energy into blades, and they attacked together. The Master of Zhaixing Tower took out a magic weapon from his sleeve, a silver chain that suddenly unfolded, breaking through the mist and swirling in the wind; he threw a star core pearl, and the pearl's light burst forth."

Before a cup of tea could be brewed, Master Jiangxue's protective amulet was torn to pieces, barely saving his life; Master Yueyin was also startled and fled in a disheveled state, while only the Master of Zhaixing Tower remained untouched by dust and with a calm expression.

After this battle, without even a fight from the disciples of the Hehuan and Wumu sects, and with only the disciples of the Zhaixing Tower emerging, the Immortal Dynasty's morale was completely shattered.

"It seems that even the 'Crimson Snow Immortal,' whom my martial uncle mentioned, who felt ashamed and then worked hard, and went into seclusion to cultivate, hasn't achieved anything remarkable."

Kang Dabao had never imagined that his two masters were so useless, but he dared not voice his dissatisfaction to outsiders and had to keep it to himself.

Regardless of the circumstances, Master Kang now understands why the Red Powder Temple and Thousand Buddha Forest have made their moves.

The dignified Nascent Soul cultivator is indeed extraordinary. Although Bai Canhong rarely appears, his mere presence is enough to render the efforts of Headmaster Kang and Erfei futile.

Once the news of the crushing defeat of the two True Immortals, Jiang Xue and Yue Yin, was released, the morale of the Chongming Alliance and Yingshan Army, which had been severely damaged by the deaths of the remnants of the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace, was suddenly restored by more than half.

Correspondingly, the Chongming Alliance and Yingshan Army experienced slight disarray in their formations.

The spirit boats on the lake had already formed an attack formation, and the soldiers of Yingshan Army at the bow held long spears with lingering spiritual energy at the tips. However, upon hearing about the movements of Hongfen Temple and Qianfo Forest, many of them subconsciously tightened their grip on their spears.

Everyone knows that although these two sects are not Nascent Soul sects, they can still extract blood and sweat from cultivators in several states, which means they each have their own trump cards.

The "bewitching mist" of the Red Powder Temple can confuse people's minds, and the "immovable Buddha Formation" of the Thousand Buddha Forest can even make cultivators avoid its sharp edge.

Now, thanks to Bai Canhong's extraordinary intervention to save Yunze Wuzun Temple, it is tantamount to extending the life of Huang Mijia, who was already barely clinging to life.

Kang Dabao stood on a Fei family warship. Under normal circumstances, he might have been in the mood to calculate when Chongming Sect would produce a talent who could also refine a warship that could rival a fake pill.

But at this moment, he rarely had such thoughts. His ten short, thick fingers were caressing the handle of the Jade Palace Halberd. The chill of the halberd spread through his palm, but he could not suppress the depression in his heart.

"Just when things were finally about to reach a conclusion, another problem arose!"

He looked up into the depths of Moyunze, where the miasma was thicker than usual, and the spire of the pagoda could be faintly seen in the miasma. It seemed that Master Huang Mijia had also received the news and was still fighting like a cornered beast, making a desperate last stand.

"Master, Elder Fei requests your presence for a meeting." Jin Shilun strode out of the cabin, his armor still damp with the mist from the central lake. "Elder Fei's expression is not good; he seems to be angry about the two factions turning against each other."

"It's not just two mere Golden Core sects rebelling; what happened to Yuejian Mountain behind them that's so deadly."

Kang Dabao nodded and followed Jin Shilun into the cabin. Inside, the spiritual lamps were always lit, illuminating the cabin as if it were daytime.

Fei Nanying was deep in thought, staring at the map, a rare look of anxiety showing between his brows; Fei Donggu did not show the grim expression that Jin Shilun had described, but simply sat to the side, eyes closed and silent.

"You're too slow, sit down." Fei Nanying raised his eyes, gestured with his hand towards the high seat, and then pointed to the locations of Hongfen Temple and Qianfo Forest on the map:
Fei Nanying pointed to the dense humus forest markings on the southwest bank of the map, his fingertip pressing a shallow mark into the silk cloth:
"The southwest bank is mostly silted up, and a row of golden reeds can hide the fog. If the enchanting fog of the Red Powder Temple spreads out inside, our army will hardly be able to see clearly, or we may be ambushed."

A certain contingent of the Yingshan Army was sent to defend the area, carrying Qingling Stones to form a Cleansing Spirit Array. The Archery Battalion was also instructed to prepare "Mist-Breaking Arrows," ensuring their fog array would be rendered ineffective.

He then pointed to the shallows on the northeast bank, where several horizontal lines were drawn, representing the terrain where the Thousand Buddha Forest Buddhist formations were most likely to take root:

"Elder Lao Donggu led another group to the northeast bank. The Immovable Buddha Formation of Thousand Buddha Forest needs to rely on the earth veins to exert its power. The earth veins in the shallows are scattered. Elder Lao needs to have his men wield golden hoes to sever the earth energy and cut off their earth vein connections."

Then, using the 'Thunderous Roar of Annihilation' borrowed from Gada, they smashed their Buddhist banners, and the great formation collapsed on its own.

Despite being an elder, Fei Donggu showed no dissatisfaction with Fei Nanying's assignment; in fact, he responded quite easily.
"Don't worry, there's no need for such trouble. If that monk Shexin from Qianfolin dares to come, I'll send his withered bones into the Great Snow Mountain Pagoda to receive some incense offerings. This will fulfill the nonsense of karma that these Buddhist monks often talk about."

As Fei Donggu finished speaking, he rose from his seat. His black brocade robe swept across the spiritual lamp on the table, causing the lamp flame to splash half an inch, but it was steadily supported by the spiritual power around him.

"I'm mustering my troops now," he said with a wave of his hand, his voice firm and resolute. "And bring along the Thunderclap Pestle of Annihilation given to me by the monk Gadana. This time, I'll show those bald thieves of Thousand Buddha Forest what it means to kill a Buddha if they stand in my way!"

When Kang Dabao heard this, he knew what to do immediately after hearing Er Fei's instructions. So he stood up and said, "Rest assured, Elders, the Chongming Alliance will definitely build a strong defense and will not give the Wuzun Palace any chance to breathe."

Fei Nanying nodded upon hearing this, his fingertip landing on a corner of the map: "If things aren't going well on Elder Donggu's side, send three Crimson Flame Talismans as a signal, and I'll send someone to assist him; Da Bao, if you see any unusual activity from that Huang Mi fellow, you can also send a message. The enemy we face is nothing more than a clown like Momo, and that doesn't change the fact that we already have the upper hand."

At this point, Fei Nanying turned his gaze to Sect Leader Kang, and spoke again with a slightly heavier tone, which had a hint of earnestness: "We cannot control the outcome of a battle between real people, but we cannot be careless in the slightest when it comes to things we can do."

The latter's expression immediately hardened, and he hurriedly bowed and replied, "I understand!"

After discussing military matters for a while, the three did not immediately part ways, as each had important matters to attend to and could not stay any longer.

Under Fei Nanying's leadership, the preparations took only ten days. During this time, the attacks outside the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace continued unabated, causing the great formation to teeter on the brink of collapse. It was only through Huang Mijia's full efforts that outsiders were able to be delayed in coming to the rescue.

Once Kang Dabao sensed that Hongfen Temple and Qianfolin were attacking together, the Chongming Alliance cultivators immediately took over the Yingshan Army's positions, while the Fei family disciples had already split into two groups.

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On the shallows, Feinwen rode a second-tier spirit steed, its hooves, as thick as bowls, treading through the wet mud. The black mud that splashed up was still mixed with the seeds of voodoo grass left behind by the Witch Lord's Temple, and it smelled terrible.

"Go!" he shouted the order, and the cultivators holding golden hoes immediately formed several rows and bent down to dig into the shallows. This specially made magical artifact was tempered with pure spirit sand, a superior material that could restrain Buddhist cultivators. In no time, it had forcefully severed the crisscrossing veins beneath the shallows.

The Thousand Buddha Forest team arrived earlier than the Fei family had anticipated, and they made no attempt to conceal themselves. However, they were quickly detected by Fei Donggu, who was hiding in the clouds, using his divine sense.

"Boom!" A muffled sound came from afar, and the Thousand Buddha Forest team had arrived.

Unlike Huang Mijia, who received the Tantric lineage, Qianfolin inherited the relatively prosperous Mahayana lineage of the Davidic dynasty, and its ancestral temple was also the original Buddhist sect of the capital region.

Therefore, although Abbot Shexin and Abbot Huangmi of Qianfolin worshipped the same Buddha, they were originally at odds.

In terms of their relationship, the two Buddhist sects located on Huangpi Road are probably closer to the unorthodox sect, Hongfen Temple.

The monks from the Thousand Buddha Forest who fell into Fei Donggu's consciousness were dressed in ochre robes. A thousand elite warriors at the front carried a ten-foot-tall golden Buddhist banner, engraved with the image of Acala, whose eyes were wide open and exuded an aura of authority.

As they got closer, golden Buddhist light spilled out from the top of the pillar and spread along the unbroken earth veins to the shallows.

Master Shexin walked at the front, turning his prayer beads as he chanted, "It seems that Benefactor Fei has come prepared, intending to be an enemy of Buddhism?"

Fei Donggu reined in his horse and sneered, "To be an enemy of Buddhism? You mere Shexin dare to say such a thing?! I'll use you as an example to tell those ascetic monks of the Central Plains Buddhist sect this time, and see if they'll keep your thieving monk's ordination certificate, and see if you, Shexin, can still protect your family's wild fox Zen lineage!! Enough with these formalities, I, Fei Donggu, hold a title and rank, and I don't need to exchange even a moment's pleasantries with you lowly tyrants!"

After Fei Donggu finished speaking, he ignored Shexinjia's ugly expression and simply waved his hand. A Thunderclap Pestle, which was ten feet tall, appeared. The golden body of the pestle gleamed with a cold light, and it was wrapped with the "Seven Absolute Talismans for Breaking the Law" that Fei family talisman masters had crafted.

The Fei family of Yingzhou has been established for thousands of years and has produced many notable figures who have served two dynasties.

These three-tiered talisman inheritances were originally developed by a Golden Core talisman master of the Fei family a thousand years ago and were kept by the Fei family of Yingzhou. However, because they were quite ingenious and really useful, they were later even included in the archives of the Kuang family clan.

The "Seven Absolute Talismans for Breaking the Law" are divided into seven parts: the first is the Order of Burning the Image, which burns the golden body of the cultivator of merit; the second is the Order of Revealing Truth, which locks the mouth of the cultivator of true words; the third is the Blade of No Form, which breaks the empty state of the cultivator of Zen mind.

The fourth is the Sea of ​​Suffering, which makes it difficult for practitioners to save themselves; the fifth is the Rebellion of Weituo, which destroys the supernatural powers of practitioners who protect the Dharma; the sixth is the Seal of the End of Life, which transforms practitioners' understanding of the Buddha's voice and allows them to resolve themselves; the seventh is the Talisman of Karmic Fire, which summons demons from the mind of practitioners that damage their path.

The combination of the seven elements is indeed infinitely wondrous. The talisman paper fluttered in the wind, and the golden light it emitted subtly repelled the Buddhist light emanating from the Thousand Buddha Forest's Buddhist banners.

Although Master Shexin came from a humble background and was used to ruling the country in Huangpi Road, it did not mean that he was unaware of the infamous broken Buddhist talisman.

He assumed that with the Fei family facing internal and external troubles over the years, and many not yet producing third-tier talisman masters, they wouldn't possess such a spiritual talisman. Unexpectedly, Fei Donggu immediately unleashed the Seven Deadly Talismans of Breaking the Law upon their first meeting, clearly confident in his abilities.
As a result, Master Shexin's expression suddenly turned ugly.

The fingers of the monk Shexinjia gripping the prayer beads turned white, and his knuckles cracked from the force.

The warrior monks behind him also sensed something was wrong. The golden light on the Buddhist banner gradually dimmed, and many of them broke out in a cold sweat. The golden light of the Seven Deadly Talismans of Breaking the Law pierced their Zen hearts like needles, even making their mantras become hesitant.

"Form the 'Immovable Buddha Formation'!" Master Shexin commanded forcefully, his voice devoid of any composure. "Use your golden body of merit to withstand it!"

The warrior monks of Thousand Buddha Forest sat cross-legged, their hands forming a mudra in front of their chests. Golden light emanating from their brows converged into a ten-foot-wide Buddhist shield, upon which the phantom of "Immovable King" appeared, attempting to block the suppression of the Seven Absolute Talismans that Break the Law.

Within the golden light emanating from the talisman, a dark red flame suddenly shot out—the "Burning Image Order"—this flame did not burn clothes or flesh, but specifically devoured the golden body of the Buddhist monks. The illusory image of the King of Light on the Buddha shield was instantly burned and distorted, and the warrior monks let out a painful groan, with blood spilling from the corners of many of their mouths.

"Fei Donggu! How dare you use such a treacherous and evil talisman!" Master Shexin was both anxious and furious. He suddenly threw out his prayer beads, and more than a dozen beads turned into golden bullets that shot towards Fei Donggu.

These prayer beads are the condensation of his merits from thirty years of arduous cultivation; even ordinary Golden Core cultivators would not dare to accept them.

However, Fei Donggu was prepared. He raised his hand and created a spiritual energy barrier. The barrier was also imprinted with the patterns of the Seven Absolute Talismans for Breaking the Law. When the Buddhist beads hit the barrier, they were instantly dissolved by the "Endless Seal" without leaving a sound.

"A sinister talisman?" Fei Donggu sneered, and with a wave of his hand, the soldiers of Yingshan Army stepped forward carrying the Thunderclap Pestle of Annihilation. The spiritual patterns on the pestles suddenly lit up:

"This is nothing compared to the methods of the Fei family, but it's perfect for dealing with you, you thieving monk who aids the Tantric sect! Unleash your power!"

The Thunderclap Pestle, carrying the golden light of the Seven Absolute Talismans of Breaking the Law, slammed into the Buddhist formation. With a loud "bang," the Buddhist shield instantly cracked with spiderweb-like fine lines, and the phantom of the "Formless Blade" shot out from the talisman, piercing straight into the Zen minds of the warrior monks.

The dozen or so monks from the Thousand Buddha Forest in the front row groaned as their meditation was shattered and their spiritual energy became chaotic. They fell to the ground from their cross-legged positions, and the blood flowing from the corners of their mouths had a faint golden tinge.

"How could the Golden Body of Merit of the Foundation Establishment Realm possibly withstand this?!"

Seeing the situation was dire, Master Shexin knew that continuing would only lead to total annihilation. But the order to kill had already been given by the one from Yuejian Mountain, and there was no way to change it. He could not retreat even a step! He suddenly pulled out a wooden fish from his robes and smashed it hard on the ground.

The moment the wooden fish shattered, a golden Buddhist light shot into the sky. Master Shexin felt his body go limp, and even his cultivation, which had just reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm, almost dropped.

Although the Buddhist light surrounding Master Shexin surged like the blazing sun, it couldn't conceal the fragility of his aura. His lifespan of half a century was being drained like silk being pulled from a cocoon; his late-stage Golden Core spiritual power, surging under the "Self-Sacrifice Mantra," was like a rootless duckweed, each activation accompanied by excruciating pain as if his internal organs were being ripped apart. He reached out and grabbed two fallen warrior monks, enveloping them in Buddhist light as they rushed towards the outer edge of the shallows, his roar filled with a desperate madness: "Follow me! If we can't break through, if we can't save that lecherous monk Huangmi, our Thousand Buddha Forest will still be doomed!"

Swept up by this momentum, the warrior monks scrambled to their feet and followed behind, wielding the broken pieces of the Buddhist banner as weapons. Golden fragments of Buddhist light scattered on the wet mud were instantly stained black and gray by the voodoo seeds scattered all over the ground.

Fei Donggulema stood at the front of the formation, coldly watching this desperate struggle, and pointed: "Shooting Battalion, aim at the place where the Buddha's light is strongest, that's his weak point!"

The crossbowmen of the Shooting Camp immediately adjusted their angles, and the clear spirit sand on the Mist-Piercing Arrows glowed with a bluish light.

"Fire!" With a command from Feinwen, dozens of crossbow bolts shot through the air, carrying the karmic fire scrolls that were about to ignite in the wind. The dark red flames followed the Buddha's light and wrapped around the robe of the monk Shexin.

With a "poof," the flames pierced through the Buddha's light and licked his chest.

The "Karmic Fire Call" specifically summons inner demons. The monk Shexin was already mentally disturbed by the Self-Sacrifice Mantra. Now, when the Karmic Fire was ignited, a vision appeared before his eyes of the Thousand Buddha Forest being held accountable by the original Buddhist sect and its incense being cut off.

"Buddha's enemy!" Shexinjia cried out in agony, his spiritual energy instantly becoming chaotic, and the Buddhist light around him dimming abruptly. Fei Donggu seized the opportunity, his long sword magic weapon sweeping across, aiming straight for his neck.

Shexin Jiashi instinctively raised his arm to block, but the golden robe was cleaved open by the blade, and a deep, bone-revealing wound instantly appeared on his arm, spurting out golden blood.

"Fei Donggu Wo." He wanted to say something more, but was struck in the chest by the Thunderous Roar of Annihilation. With a "crack," the sound of his ribs breaking was clearly audible. He fell into the wet mud like a kite with a broken string, and the Buddha light completely dissipated.

But among the seasoned monks, how many are truly virtuous? Even if Monk Shexin were momentarily caught off guard and suffered a great loss, his life would still be safe. And the other monks at Thousand Buddha Forest, though even more terrified upon seeing this, how could they not offer their help?!

As soon as the monk Shexin crashed into the mud, the other four monks from Qianfolin rushed up with red eyes.

These four individuals were all at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, each wielding a magical artifact, and their robes were embroidered with different Buddhist patterns.

The leading monastic master held a nine-ringed staff, the shaft of which was wrapped with dark red scripture rope;

The second-ranking monk, Huineng, carried a black pottery poison bowl, with a pale green poisonous mist floating around its rim.

The third monk, Fakong, held eighteen bone prayer beads, each engraved with a hideous demon face.
The last master, Yuantong, held up a bronze Dharma wheel with seven sharp iron teeth embedded in its rim.

"You evil cultivator who injured my abbot, take his life!" Master Chijie roared, slamming his nine-ringed staff into the wet mud. With a crisp clang, three golden rays of Buddhist light shot out from the staff rings, rushing straight towards the elite troops of Yingshan Army.

The Buddha's light struck the shield wall, slicing off a layer of lives.

Standing at the front of the formation, Feinwen reined in his horse without retreating. He had risked his life for his future, and even with the master in front of him, there was not a trace of fear on his face.

He summoned only four magical weapons behind him—a sword, a hammer, a mace, and a spear—closing them all in front of him as he shouted, "You four mere early-stage Golden Core monks dare to be so insolent in front of my Ying Shan Army!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Fei family cultivators hidden in the earth's veins began to move.

The Pure Spirit Sand spread along the muddy ground, and the blue light it emitted completely severed the spiritual energy of the earth veins beneath the feet of the four monks. Although the earth veins had been severed before, they were not completely sealed off. Now, with this final blow, the Buddhist light surrounding the four monks dimmed slightly.

Upon seeing this, Master Huineng tilted the black pottery poison bowl forward, and a pale green poisonous mist surged forth like a tide. Wherever it passed, the seeds of voodoo grass in the wet mud grew wildly and wrapped around Ying Shanjun's ankles.

Although Qianfolin is a branch of the Manifest Sect, it has settled in a place like Huangpi Road, and many of its disciples practice unorthodox methods.

"This is 'Corrupting Heart Mist,' which is most suitable for the cultivation of evil people, so be careful."

No sooner had Fei Donggu’s warning fallen than over a hundred more soldiers in Yingshan’s army lost their lives.

At the same time, the cultivators of the Shooting Sound Camp flicked their fingers, and the Mist-Piercing Arrow, carrying the Clear Spirit Sand, shot through the air. The green sand collided with the poisonous mist, making a "sizzling" sound, and the poisonous mist was instantly diluted into light smoke, which dissipated in the wind.

But Master Huineng had a backup plan. Countless poison needles suddenly flew out of the poison bowl, their bodies wrapped in green mist, and pierced straight at the monks of the Shooting Camp.

"Shield formation!" Fein shouted, and the front-line Ying Shan Army cultivators immediately raised their shields to protect each other. The poison needles struck the shields, but "poof" they pierced through the shield surface.

These poison needles were actually made by mixing spirit gold with witchcraft poison, and ordinary spiritual weapons could not stop them at all. The first battalion of Ying Shan army cultivators could not dodge in time, and half of the soldiers, including the fake Danbai general, immediately lost their lives to the poison needles.

"How dare you!" Fei Donggu roared, spurring his horse forward. His longsword flashed with a silver light, aiming straight at Huineng Jiashi's poison bowl.

Huineng, the monk, hurriedly raised his alms bowl to defend himself. With a clang, the poisoned bowl was chipped open, and a pale green poisonous mist leaked out, splashing onto his own monk's robe and even corroding the fabric with small holes.

He was so frightened that he quickly stepped back, making room for others to come to his rescue.

Seeing Huineng in danger, Master Fakong threw his bone prayer beads into the air. The eighteen beads transformed into eighteen black shadows, which then condensed into eighteen petite Buddha figures. Each Buddha figure held a small knife and pounced on the Yingshan Army cultivators behind Fei Donggu.

"It's the 'Ghost Shadow Rosary,' which devours living souls!" Fei Donggu recognized the evil technique and sneered. The high-ranking cultivators of Thousand Buddha Forest verbally expressed their deep hatred for Master Huang Mijia, yet they themselves were also wielding their own esoteric evil arts—truly laughable!

He swung his sword backhand, and a silver light swept across, shattering half of the Buddha images. However, the remaining Buddha images had already pounced on a fake cultivator from Yingshan Army and instantly burrowed into his brow.

Ordinary alchemists could not withstand such a technique; they would die on the spot without a sound.

The Buddha's shadow remained arrogant, and just as another Pill Master was about to perish, Fei Donggu reached out to save him. A flash of blade easily sliced ​​the Buddha's shadow away. The Pill Master, terrified, broke out in a cold sweat and was about to kneel in gratitude when Fei Donggu shouted, "Go fight! I'll have plenty of time to be kowtowed to by you in the future!"

Seeing his three companions suffer setbacks one after another, Master Yuantong's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. He threw the bronze Dharma wheel into the air, and the Dharma wheel spun rapidly, shooting out seven golden light blades that pierced straight at Fei Donggu's vital points.

This is the "Seven Tribulations Dharma Wheel" of Thousand Buddha Forest, extremely sharp, enough to contend with some mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Fei Donggu neither dodged nor evaded, but instead wielded his long sword in a circular motion, deflecting all seven light blades. However, the impact of the exploding light blades still caused his blood to surge.

“The cultivators from the capital are different,” Master Yuantong was startled. Just as he was about to withdraw his Dharma wheel, he saw Fei Donggu leap up and slash his long sword straight at his head.

Master Yuantong hurriedly raised his Dharma wheel to defend himself. With a "crack," the bronze Dharma wheel was split in two. The force of the blade did not diminish, and it actually cleaved a deep wound on his shoulder, exposing the bone, and golden blood spurted out.

"Join forces to set up the 'Four Symbols Buddha Formation'!" Seeing that the situation was not good, Master Chijie pulled Master Shexin back to his side before giving the order in a stern voice.

The four monks, each having suffered a defeat and bearing injuries, moved with remarkable speed, each taking their designated positions. Having supported each other for centuries, the four monks possessed an unspoken understanding, and in a short time, their formation was complete.

Seeing that the monks were in the east, Huineng in the south, Fakong in the west, and Yuantong in the north, their bodies were surrounded by intertwined Buddhist light, which actually formed a square Buddhist array.

"These petty tricks from a small place are laughable!" Fei Donggu sneered, taking out another complete "Seven Absolute Talismans for Breaking the Law" from his storage bag. When he injected spiritual power into it, the talisman emitted a seven-colored light.

As soon as the four monks took their positions, the spiritual light of the Buddhist formation ceased to be chaotic and instead exuded the solemnity of Mahayana Buddhism.

The nine-ringed staff in the hands of the monk trembled slightly, and a phantom of the Medicine Buddha, about a foot tall, materialized at the top of the staff. The Buddha's body was tinged with pale gold, and his palm held a glass pearl. The golden light that the pearl shone down seemed to dispel the pure spirit sand in front of the Yingshan army.
Huineng's black pottery poison bowl also changed its appearance. The poisonous mist faded away from the edge of the bowl, revealing the "Amitabha" sutra pattern engraved inside. A golden lotus platform rose from the mouth of the bowl, with tiny Buddhist characters on the lotus petals, as if to attract the minds of the Yingshan Army cultivators.

The bone rosary of Master Fakong no longer showed a ghostly face, but instead transformed into miniature Manjushri wisdom swords, with the mantra "Prajnaparamita" engraved on the blades, hanging in front of the formation and gleaming with a cold light.

Master Yuantong's bronze Dharma wheel split into six petals, each reflecting the phantom image of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's six-tusked elephant. The golden light curling from the elephant's trunk seemed to attempt to reconnect the severed earth veins.

"It's actually the 'Four Saints Buddha Formation' of the Manifest Sect! Interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in Fei Donggu's eyes. This formation requires the merits of four monks as a guide, and borrows the power of the four great bodhisattvas: Bhaisajyaguru, Amitabha, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra.

Even though the four monks' cultivation was meager, making it difficult for ordinary Golden Core cultivators to break through, these four monks from Thousand Buddha Forest actually used unorthodox methods such as witchcraft and bone prayer beads to activate it, having long lost the true essence of the exoteric sect, and the spiritual light of the Buddhist array was mixed with darkness and turbidity.

"Recite the mantra, urge the formation!" the monk of the precepts roared, taking the lead in reciting the mantra of the Medicine Buddha Sutra. The other three monks followed closely behind, and the sounds of the Amitabha Sutra, the Fundamental Ritual of Manjushri, and the Vows of Samantabhadra mingled together.

The four phantom images of the four saints in the Buddhist formation instantly grew to a height of ten feet. The Medicine Buddha's glazed pearl shot out rays of golden light, which smashed directly into the shield wall of the Yingshan Army. The Amitabha lotus platform floated towards the Shooting Camp. When the lotus petals fell, they turned into tiny golden Sanskrit characters, which stuck to the crossbowmen's clothes, as if to disturb their minds.

"Spread the Pure Spirit Sand into the formation!" Fei Donggu shouted the order. Fei Enwen immediately led the Golden Hoe Hands to crush the remaining Pure Spirit Stones. The green sand drifted towards the Buddhist formation like mist, and when it touched the phantoms of the Four Saints, the golden light immediately dimmed.

The Qingling Sand was inherently effective against the methods of the cultivators. When the illusory image of the Medicine Buddha was enveloped by the Qingling Sand, it cracked with a "crack". The Sanskrit characters on the Amitabha lotus petals were also dissolved by the Qingling Sand. The crossbowmen shook their heads, and their minds instantly became clear.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Master Fakong activated the Manjushri Wisdom Sword, and dozens of small swords transformed into a rain of swords, which pierced straight at Feidonggu.

Fei Donggu swung his sword to parry, shattering most of the rain of swords, but a few still grazed the hem of his robe, leaving shallow scratches on his armor.

Fei Donggu threw the complete "Seven Absolute Talismans for Breaking the Law" in his hand toward the core of the formation. The "Karmic Fire Talisman" in the talisman was the first to ignite, and dark red flames followed the spiritual light of the Buddhist formation and wrapped around the four monks.

The Manifestation of Buddhism's array is driven by merit, and the karmic fire devours merit. The four monks' faces turned deathly pale, and the phantom images of Medicine Buddha and Amitabha began to become transparent.

"Sever your true words!" Fei Donggu shouted again, and the golden sound resounded in the Yingshan army formation, causing the four monks' true words to pause slightly. The blue light from the exploding talisman paper was like a lock, which actually cut off the sound of the four monks' scriptures.

As soon as the mantra stopped, the spiritual light of the Buddhist array dimmed abruptly, the Manjushri Wisdom Sword shattered completely, and the phantom of Samantabhadra's six-tusked elephant also fell to the ground, turning into specks of golden light and dissipating.

"Impossible!" The precept-holding monk's eyes widened in fury. He wanted to urge on the merits again, but he felt a sharp pain in his dantian. This was because the karmic fire had spread along the Buddhist array and burned his golden core.

Fei Donggu seized the opportunity and used his long sword magic weapon to strike the monk's staff. With a "clang", the staff magic weapon, which had smashed countless cultivators' heads, was split in two, and the phantom of the Medicine Buddha completely dissipated.

Huineng tried to raise his alms bowl to defend himself, but was struck on the wrist by the golden hoe thrown by Fei Enwen. The poisoned alms bowl fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

When Fakong and Yuantong saw the formation break, they turned to run, but were blocked by the high-level crossbow bolts surging from the Shooting Sound Camp, and fell to their knees in the wet mud with a "plop".

Golden blood seeped down his trouser leg into the mud, only to bubble up with black foam.

While the four gatha masters were trapped, the warrior monks of Thousand Buddha Forest had long lost their former ferocity.

Several loyal followers were still clutching the broken pieces of the Buddhist banner, wanting to rush up to save the monk. But after taking only two steps, they were swept by the blue light of the Qingling Sand, and the Buddhist light around them instantly dissipated. Their legs went weak and they fell into the mud.
Many disciples looked at the corpses of their companions on the ground, the broken prayer beads and the Buddhist banner, and clasped their hands together, murmuring "Amitabha," but no longer had the strength to lift the ritual implements.

One young novice monk even threw down his staff, covered his head, and huddled behind the reeds, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. They were originally disciples of the exoteric school, who started their cultivation through merit. Now, seeing the monks use unorthodox methods that were not usually seen in public, yet they were defeated so miserably, they had long lost their will to fight.

When Fei Enwen and Fei Zhongyun led their men to surround and block them, most of these warrior monks gave up resistance.

Some knelt down and surrendered immediately, while others stared blankly in the direction of Thousand Buddha Forest, as if they could not believe that their sect had come to such a state.

When the Ying Shan army cultivators used the spirit-binding ropes to tie them up, many of them subconsciously pulled their monk robes tighter, as if trying to cover up the mud and bloodstains on their clothes.

At this moment, they began to feign the sorrowful appearance that disciples of the Manifest Sect should have, as if they had suddenly forgotten the ferocity they had displayed during their earlier charge.

The four monks were bound by the Ying Shan army cultivators with spirit-binding ropes. As they struggled, the Buddhist light gradually weakened, and Master Shexin also fell into the hands of the Fei family disciples.

Fei Donggu stepped forward, kicked the fragments of the monk's staff, and sneered, "I thought your Buddhist formation was so powerful, but it's still just a wild fox's art. If my ancestor Tianqin were here, he could probably take your lives with a single breath!"

He sheathed his sword, gazed at the gradually calming embers of the Buddhist formation in the distance, and called out loudly:
"Don't chase after those worthless thieves. Come with me to see what kind of wild monks those at the Red Powder Temple are. If I had known that the Thousand Buddha Forest was so weak, why would Nan Ying have specifically asked me to be careful?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, thunderous cheers erupted from Fei Nanying's direction.

However, just as the old cultivator was both surprised and delighted, he heard shouts coming from the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace sect, which was surrounded by the Chongming Alliance, at the bottom of the central lake.

Not long after this call, Duan Anle arrived riding a golden owl to report: "Reporting to the senior, the great formation of the Yunze Witch Lord Hall has been broken, and my master has killed Huang Mi in the formation. We urgently need the elder to go and take charge of the overall situation."

"Slay Huang Mi." Having fought Huang Mi Gashi several times, Fei Donggu knew how great the difference was between the two, both being late-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Even though Huang Mi had fought several battles with Erfei and was seriously injured, it was still quite shocking that he was killed on the spot by Kang Dabao's early-stage upper-level cultivation. Fei Donggu couldn't help but be secretly alarmed.

Fei Donggu, who had just become arrogant, immediately calmed down. He couldn't tell whether he was surprised or happy. Without saying anything to Duan Anle, he gathered the five gaiters and headed towards the bottom of the central lake.

(End of this chapter)