Daqin Zhentiansi

"Be on guard! Void fiends are attacking!"

Before the words were finished, the light and shadow ahead distorted, and dozens of ferocious demons, their bodies flowing with viscous shadows and a putrid aura, appeared out of thin air like hyenas that had smelled blood. Their sharp claws and fangs gleamed coldly as they rushed straight at the convoy!

The foul and filthy mental fluctuations are enough to drive those with weak wills mad instantly.

"Where are you!"

A steady voice echoed through the void.

"Roar--!"

The response was a unified, earth-shaking roar!

Hundreds of ferocious war beast spirits, formed from pure blood and metallic malevolent energy, appeared out of thin air.

The Golden Roc spreads its wings, blotting out the sky and tearing through the shadows with thunder; the Black Tortoise guards the four corners of the world with its radiant light; the White Tiger roars with chilling ferocity…

In an instant, the sounds of metal clashing, dragon roars and roc howls mingled with the mournful wails of demons!
The Dragon Riders moved with lightning speed and coordinated perfectly.

A flash of light, carrying flames that extinguish filth, cleaved the demons in two.

The giant shield slammed in, and the shockwave swept away the evil forces.

With a volley of crossbow bolts, arrows gleaming with anti-magic runes rained down like a storm.

Their attacks are precise, efficient, and ruthless. Every strike seems to have been calculated countless times, with no superfluous fancy moves, only the purest destructive power.

Inside the carriage, Ji Yuntang, Sun Ming, and some scholars, merchants, and high monks near the windows watched the battle that unfolded in a flash through the specially made windows, and all of them showed shock and amazement.

Those terrifying demons were slaughtered as easily as cutting melons and vegetables before this legendary Qin Dragon Guard, their filthy demonic blood splattering onto their gleaming armor and quickly evaporating.

Sun Ming had long forgotten the flattery he used to say, leaving only instinctive reverence.

Several eminent Mahayana Buddhist monks were astonished. It was truly rare for such pure military aura to be condensed in this way!
Beside the convoy stood three thousand of Qingyang Marquis's personal guards, silently watching the one-sided slaughter, their eyes sharp as eagles.

Many people even had a subtle, almost imperceptible smile playing on their lips—not mockery, but a calm confidence born from careful observation and comparison.

They could see clearly that the Dragon Cavalry were indeed elite and powerful, worthy of their legendary name, but when it came to the pure burst of individual combat strength, the ferocious concentration of battle aura, and the invincible aura honed in the crucible of mountains of corpses and seas of blood...

These fierce guards, who had also undergone the extreme training of Marquis Qingyang and whose ultimate goal was to become the Xuanwu Emperor, were filled with unwavering determination.

The Dragon Riders are strong, but we can be even stronger!

This silent thought flowed among the three thousand guards, forming a majestic and imposing aura.

In a short while, the harassing demons were completely wiped out, and the void passage returned to tranquility.

The convoy continued its journey, and soon, light gathered ahead, revealing the exit in sight, with a gentle and peaceful Buddhist light faintly shining through.

Finally, after traversing the vast void, the massive convoy, accompanied by spatial fluctuations, smoothly drove out of the teleportation array and landed steadily on the land of Liangzhou.

Before us lies the vast and solemn "Wanfoping".

A vast plaza, paved with pristine white Buddha bone stone, stretches as far as the eye can see, at the far end of which stands the magnificent Lotus Reception Hall, shrouded in Buddha's light.

As soon as the convoy came to a stop and before it could even settle down, a vast expanse of golden Buddhist light, imbued with a sacred aura, descended from the sky like mercury spilling onto the ground, instantly enveloping the entire convoy!

The Buddha's light was gentle and soothing, accompanied by chanting, and it subtly exuded a powerful purifying and calming force, as if to sweep away the dust of the journey and cleanse the demonic energy of the void.

A high-ranking monk, dressed in a golden robe, holding a nine-ringed staff, and with a rosy complexion like an infant, stood on the high steps at the end of the square.

With one hand raised in front of his chest, his voice was loud and clear, reaching everyone's ears: "Amitabha, Liangzhou Pudu Miaozhi, by imperial decree, receives the Qin envoy."

"The Buddha's light shines everywhere, cleansing the mortal world, sweeping away the disturbances of external demons, and restoring the pure bodies of all beings. Please, Your Excellency, do not resist."

Buddha's light shines everywhere?

To cleanse oneself of worldly dust?

The merchants' faces showed excitement and piety.

But beneath this peaceful appearance, the overwhelming and unstoppable fluctuations of Buddhist energy, like an invisible hammer, pressed down forcefully along with the Buddhist light!

Around the plaza, seven or eight powerful auras, some visible and some hidden, began to fluctuate quietly, clearly belonging to Buddhist masters lurking in the shadows.

This seemingly polite gesture is actually a blatant attempt to intimidate you!
The mission's arrogance must be suppressed immediately, and it must be declared who the true master of this place is.

Sun Ming's face turned pale, and he felt as if he could hardly breathe.

Ji Yuntang frowned slightly, his body instinctively circulating a protective aura.

Golden light flashed in Ding Yuan's eyes as he also activated his Buddhist power. However, having just experienced a shock to his Dao heart, he was now facing the pressure of a Grandmaster of the same level from the fundamental source of Buddhism, and his Buddhist essence was somewhat unstable.

Just as the immense Buddhist light was about to engulf the entire caravan, even the strange beasts pulling the carts began to stir restlessly—

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Yuan's eyes, and he let out a barely audible snort: "Hmph!"

Chen Wu, the commander of the personal guards who was protecting the delegation at the forefront, did not even make a gesture of asking for instructions, as if he had already understood the commander's thoughts!
He took a sudden step forward, a step that seemed to incorporate all his strength and the aura of all his guards!
"Yu!"

Chen Wu's words thundered like spring thunder!

The sound was like a thunderclap, instantly suppressing the chanting!
"Roar--!!!"

The entire 3,000 silent guards of the Marquis of Qingyang moved in perfect unison, as if they were one person!

The halberds slammed heavily into the ground in unison, producing a thunderous roar!

The eyes beneath the helmet instantly transformed into a fierce, beast-like glint!

Three thousand strands of primordial evil energy, condensed to their ultimate form, soared into the sky!

Like three thousand red-hot iron bars thrown into a boiling oil pot!
Thick, bloodthirsty aura, intense, wild, and utterly domineering!
Before everyone's horrified eyes, the three thousand streams of soaring evil energy did not disperse, but instead gathered in the sky with a chillingly powerful control!

"Buzz--!"

A roar that shook the heavens and earth and suppressed the primordial chaos resounded!

The malevolent energy surged and condensed wildly, transforming in an instant into an enormous phantom of the Xuanwu divine beast!

The black carapace is crisscrossed with grooves, ancient and desolate runes are faintly visible, the tortoise head is ferocious and angry, and the black snake wrapped around it is flicking its scarlet tongue, carrying the terrifying pressure of the primordial era!
This martial spirit beast is so real that its aura is so powerful and its killing power is so fierce and ruthless that it completely exceeds imagination!
The moment the Xuanwu Emperor's image was formed, those cold, vertical pupils suddenly looked at the golden Buddhist light that enveloped it, as if looking at a kind of blasphemous dust!

"Boom——!!!"

The Xuanwu Emperor made no extra movements; his massive body simply sank downwards!
势！
Unparalleled momentum!

That was the military might of thousands of troops trampling mountains and rivers!
That is the indomitable aura that survives countless battles in the blood-fire purgatory!
That was the "momentum" that embodied the true meaning of the "Immovable Xuanwu Emperor"—an unstoppable force that suppressed everything!
Like an ancient divine mountain collapsing and the Milky Way pouring down!
The gentle, seemingly indestructible golden Buddhist light and clouds couldn't even withstand a single breath under the bombardment of this pure, violent, and unreasonable martial arts force!
"Snap... Pfft!"

The sound of shattering was clearly audible!
The "peaceful" Buddhist light that filled the sky shattered like fragile glass being struck by a giant hammer!
It shattered into billions of golden fragments, drifting away and disappearing without a trace!

"Uh!"

"Well……"

At the high steps at the end of the square, the rosy glow on Grandmaster Miaozhi's face vanished instantly, leaving it as pale as gold paper, and he let out a muffled groan. He was struck as if by a heavy blow; his arm holding the staff trembled violently, and his feet involuntarily staggered back three large steps, each step leaving clear cracks in the hard Buddha bone stone!
His chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that he had suffered a severe backlash.

From the surrounding shadows came several suppressed groans and cries of alarm!

Those seven or eight powerful auras instantly became disordered and dimmed, quickly receding and sinking into the ground or palace like startled rabbits, never daring to reveal themselves again.

There was a deathly silence over Wanfoping.

All the Liangzhou monks present, regardless of their status, froze their composure, arrogance, and condescension, their expressions turning into boundless shock and horror!

They stared in disbelief at the towering, imposing Xuanwu Emperor statue, and below it, the three thousand silent Qingyang Marquis guards, who seemed to have done nothing of importance!
One person, one step; three thousand people, one combined attack!

The intimidation tactics meticulously prepared by the Liangzhou Buddhist sect, along with the subtle pressure exerted by a grandmaster and several top experts, were instantly shattered!
This is... the power and prestige of the Qingyang Marquis's personal guards of the Great Qin?
Sun Ming's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit a duck egg. His eyes were fixed on the still-lingering terrifying phantom of the Emperor's Image, before he turned with difficulty to Zhang Yuan, whose face remained calm as still water.

Ji Yuntang's eyes gleamed, and for the first time, his face revealed an undisguised complex expression of extreme admiration.

He glanced at Zhang Yuan's towering profile, then at the menacing Xuanwu Emperor's countenance. The thought that "the two of them would take Liangzhou" no longer seemed arrogant... but rather the beginning of a profound and terrifying plan.

Ding Yuan gazed at the silent, abyss-like backs of the three thousand personal guards under the Emperor's command, feeling the pure power that terrified even him.

Recalling the unfathomable pressure of his master Zhang Yuan, the last trace of doubt in his eyes vanished completely, leaving only a firm resolve like that of a devotee.

------------------

The welcoming retreat in a corner of Wanfoping is named "Jingxin Zen Temple," which should be a place of tranquility.

However, five days later, the Buddhist community of Liangzhou seemed to have forgotten the existence of the mission.

Apart from the daily vegetarian meals, no other high-ranking monks appeared.

The so-called "negotiations" have come to nothing.

The Buddhist community left them stranded here.

Sun Ming, an assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in front of Ji Yuntang and Zhang Yuan's meditation room. Finally, he couldn't help but push the door open and barge in.

"Lord Marquis! Lord Ji!" Sun Ming's voice was filled with barely suppressed anxiety. "This...it's been five days! Do the people of Liangzhou think we're just decorations?"

“That monk Miaozhi has disappeared since Wanfoping. The gates of all the temples are tightly closed. Not to mention discussing Buddhism, not even a senior monk in charge will come!”

"If this continues, we'll not only fail to fulfill the important task entrusted to us by His Majesty, but we'll also lose all face!"

Gritting his teeth, Sun Ming suppressed his anger: "The accompanying monks were restless, and the scholars were also agitated, all feeling that they had been made a fool of!"

"Even... even the rare treasures from the East Sea brought by those merchant caravans are going unsold! If this continues, morale will plummet!"

The morale of the people is low.

The Buddhist sect simply left the people from the Qin Dynasty standing there.

Inside the hall.

Ji Yuntang sat at his desk, holding a paintbrush as fine as a hair, intently sketching the vigorous texture of an ancient cypress tree outside the window on a plain silk, as if Sun Ming's anxiety was just a wisp of breeze blowing through the window frame.

He didn't even raise his head, his expression calm and unwavering.

Zhang Yuan stood on the other side of the room, his gaze passing through the window and landing on the open space in the courtyard outside.

Chen Wu was leading ten personal guards in a drill of an extremely simple yet powerful combined attack formation.

There was no earth-shattering noise, only the low, muffled thuds of bones colliding, the rhythmic stomping of footsteps, and short, sharp commands.

Every coordination and every turn exudes a seamless understanding and suppressed explosive power.

He was honing this ever-sharpening spear, seemingly oblivious to the predicament before him.

Seeing the two leaders so "calm," Sun Ming became even more anxious: "Lord Marquis! Scholar Ji! You two should make a decision! If we keep waiting like this..."

Zhang Yuan finally turned his head and glanced at Sun Ming. His calm gaze made Sun Ming's remaining words get stuck in his throat.

“They’re not coming,” Zhang Yuan said calmly, as if stating a simple fact. “You’re not going to die, can’t you just walk out?”

These words struck Sun Ming like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen in shock!
Go out?
go out!
Sun Ming was stunned for a long time, and the anxiety on his face was instantly replaced by a sense of sudden realization and absurdity.

Yes!

They are not prisoners!

This is a permitted area!
The Ministry of Rites... When did the Ministry of Rites become so timid and hesitant, just waiting for others to give them opportunities?
Ji Yuntang paused slightly with his brush, a faint smile seemed to flicker across his lips, before he returned to his painting of pine and cypress trees.

The news spread like a pebble thrown into a still lake, quickly creating ripples among the long-suppressed members of the mission.

The next morning.

The Confucian scholars and monks, who had been suppressed for so long, seemed to have found their backbone. With complex and excited feelings, they walked out of the somewhat stifling gate of the Jingxin Zen Temple.

On Jinlian Street, the most bustling street outside Wanfoping, several distinguished scholars set up a table outside a crowded teahouse.

They did not engage in grand pronouncements.

Instead, they unfolded the exquisitely copied booklets from the Wenyuan Pavilion and began to read aloud the classic passages that had been meticulously crafted by countless great scholars during the debates at the Guangji Hall, directly pointing out the contradictions and limitations in Buddhist scriptures.

In particular, there is the debate about the illusion of reincarnation, the escapism of the world for self-cultivation, and the engagement with the world to help the people.

Huijue was a young monk who had just finished his morning prayers at the nearby Pudu Temple and was about to go to the tea stall for a bowl of coarse tea.

As I passed by, I happened to hear the clear voice of a young Confucian scholar, Lin Zhiyuan, a student of Wang Shouyuan, the principal of the Ministry of Rites: "...An ancient sage said, 'If I don't go to hell, who will?' This is the true spirit of Mahayana Buddhism!"

“However, some scriptures today frequently mention ‘the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,’ teaching people to renounce this land and seek only personal liberation, chanting ‘rebirth in the next life’ all day long. Isn’t this contrary to the Bodhisattva’s original vow to ‘liberate all sentient beings’?”

"To disregard the suffering of all beings and only care about one's own salvation—this is still a manifestation of Hinayana Buddhism! It is not the true intention of the Buddha!"

"On the other hand, we Confucian scholars 'establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the lost learning of the past sages, and create peace for all generations.' We practice the great way in the mortal world, relieve suffering and solve problems. This heart of 'entering the world to help the masses' is the true and smooth road to the 'other shore'!"

"The true essence of Buddhism should be revealed here, not suspended in an empty castle in the air..."

These words, full of quotations and profound wisdom, directly addressed certain malpractices prevalent in Liangzhou's Buddhist community.

The monk Huijue was suddenly jolted!
He diligently practiced the Pure Land Dharma, sincerely reciting Amitabha Buddha's name ten thousand times every day in hopes of being reborn in the Pure Land.

He has always firmly believed that this is the right path, and that all other methods are heretical and deviant.

However, at this moment, this Confucian scholar, citing classical texts, explained the difference between "Mahayana universal salvation" and "Hinayana self-salvation" so thoroughly that he even categorized his most devout "Buddha-recitation practice" as "Hinayana self-salvation" or even "avoiding the world and disregarding the common people"...

"No! Impossible! That's not how it is!" Huijue roared, his face turning ashen, veins bulging on his forehead.

He felt as if the scriptures and verses he held in high esteem had come alive, clashing and tearing at each other!

The unwavering belief that "as long as one recites the Buddha's name well, one can be reborn in the Pure Land" collapsed under the dual impact of "self-liberation at the expense of all sentient beings" and "the true Buddha's intention is to enter the world and relieve suffering!" (End of Chapter)