Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 319, Chapter 328: Maitreya, the Great Buddha

"Was this extraordinary phenomenon, which was attributed to Heaven, ending a little too quickly?"

"It's not that the place where a grandmaster dies is enough to give birth to a treasure land."

Kang Junli spoke in a low voice, but was stopped by Li Siyuan's stern gaze.

"Perhaps it's because Taiyi Zhenren has only recently broken through, and the continuous battles have depleted his essence, making it insufficient to elevate the spiritual energy of this place to a higher level."

Li Yisheng seemed lost in thought, but he hadn't considered the possibility that Taiyi Zhenren was still alive.

The cultivation of a Grandmaster involves manifesting one's inner vision outward, truly allowing one to control a small world.

It is impossible for the inner world to dissolve and return to the heavens unless one is about to pass away.

Upon seeing Li Cunxiao and Yan Daotong emerge together, everyone, regardless of their true intentions, gathered around them.

"Alas, what a pity for him. My deepest condolences to the thirteenth prince."

"A grandmaster, his life and his teachings have vanished; how lamentable."

"Thirteenth Brother, please accept my condolences."

"."

After the group of bodyguards finished speaking, Li Yisheng finally spoke, his expression sincere:

"Cunxiao, I deeply regret the death of your master. If it weren't for that beast Zhu Quanzhong's perverse actions and cruelty..."

Upon hearing the other person speak, Li Cunxiao couldn't help but clench his fists, close his eyes to the sky, and squeeze out two lines of clear tears from the corners of his eyes, unwilling to let the other person see his eyes.

He preferred to trust his senior martial brother Yan Daotong rather than a warlord who had risen from the ranks of a regional warlord.

With the tragedy of Taiyi Zhenren before him, if it weren't for the Vajra Pestle, a rare treasure, his master, who had been so kind to him, would have almost been destroyed. This was something he could not tolerate under any circumstances.

Yan Daotong implied that Li Yisheng was not a good person, and considering what had just happened, it would be a lie to say that he had no doubts at all.

To show hostility in front of a grandmaster is simply asking for trouble.

After this battle, Li Cunxiao realized that if he wanted to become a Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster as quickly as possible, the battlefield with its millions of dead and overwhelming resentment was the most suitable place for him.

Even if swords and spears are indiscriminate on the battlefield, and risks must be taken, it is necessary to do so, because in chaotic times, the struggle is inevitable.

Compete with others, compete with yourself, and compete with time!

Therefore, he had to stay in the Hedong army so that Li Yisheng and others wouldn't notice anything unusual about him.

“The Prince of Jin’s assistance is already a great help, and I am deeply grateful.”

Yan Daotong promptly took over the conversation, diverting attention.

Looking around at the devastation, his expression was one of melancholy, not feigned.
"After this battle, the mountain gate is shattered, and most of the disciples have been killed or injured. There is no point in staying here."

"In times of chaos, one should retreat into seclusion. This humble Taoist priest must move west to preserve the lineage of Taoism. Let the affairs of this world be governed by outstanding figures like the Prince of Jin."

"Is Master Yan leaving?"

Li Yisheng appeared to be frowning, but inwardly he felt relieved.

He only wanted the influence of Louguandao in the capital region and the imperial court; he didn't really want to find a national advisor to restrain him.

Li Cunxiao was a top disciple of Taiyi Zhenren, possessing superb alchemy skills. His wife was the daughter of the Duke of Yue. These identities were enough for him to use to win over the forces in the capital.

At this moment, Yan Daotong took the initiative to leave, which suited him perfectly.

"Where does the Master intend to migrate westward to?"

Li Siyuan followed closely behind, his demeanor respectful, but he seemed somewhat nervous.

"More than a thousand years ago, my founder, Guan Yinzi, came from outside the pass. Now, he will naturally go west to Lintao, and perhaps he will settle in Gansu and Jiangsu provinces."

Upon hearing Yan Daotong's words, Li Cunxiao clearly felt that both Li Yisheng and the other twelve bodyguards relaxed noticeably.

The reason is simple: there's more than one place to go in western Gyeonggi Province.
The southwest is Jiannan Circuit, where Sichuan is prosperous, but the terrain is mountainous and prone to separatism. The current Jiedushi of Jiannan Xichuan, Wang Jian, is only a Grandmaster, and there are no Grandmasters in the Daoist Qingcheng Mountain.

If Yan Daotong were to enter Sichuan, the ruling power might change hands in an instant. Once Li Yisheng takes control of the capital, he will find himself in trouble with powerful figures in the provinces.

The northwest is Guannei Road, which is close to the capital. It is currently ruled by Li Zhengchen, an ally of Li Yisheng. In recent years, the Li clan of Longxi has also gradually moved here.

As for Lintao and the other two prefectures, they are the western border of Guannei Road. Going west from Lintao leads to Longyou.

The Longyou region is thousands of miles away from the capital, and the land is mostly windy and sandy, with insufficient food to support a large army.

In addition, with war raging everywhere, Gansu and Gansu are truly far from the reach of the emperor.

But Li Yisheng didn't care. As the saying goes, "two tigers cannot share one mountain." As long as Yan Daotong could stay away from his base camp and they could live in peace for the next twenty or thirty years, everything would be fine.

In a sense, with a grandmaster away, holding back his attacks, he had to pay even more attention to Li Cunxiao, who remained under his command.

Even if there is internal factional infighting later, Li Yisheng must first ensure that Li Cunxiao is safe and sound, so as not to attract the backers of the other party.

“Monks are not bound by worldly etiquette. I am about to leave, but before I go, I would like to ask you to take good care of my nephew.”

“Cunxiao,” Yan Daotong turned around.

"Of the remaining four hundred soldiers, your senior master will leave half to you. You already know how to train them and their formations."

"From now on, everything will depend on you."

When he said "rely on yourself," Yan Daotong squeezed Li Cunxiao's shoulder tightly and gave him a look that only the two of them understood.

Li Cunxiao knew that this was ironic. Just now, in the other party's Taoist temple, the old Taoist priest had given him a token for communication, just in case.

This was both an entrustment for him to take care of himself and an entrustment for him to take good care of Taiyi.

"Uncle-Master, I understand."

Li Cunxiao felt a warmth in his heart and bowed solemnly.

Seeing this scene, Li Yisheng seemed quite moved:
“Master Yan, don’t underestimate me. Although I come from a military background and am illiterate, I understand the meaning of spending a thousand pieces of gold to buy a horse’s bones.”

"Even if we set aside personal feelings, we absolutely cannot be stingy for the sake of the thirteenth prince's skills, lest we become a laughing stock."

After feigning hesitation for a moment, he clapped his hands and said:
"In that case, since Cunxiao is now the thirteenth bodyguard under my command, he should also lead an army on his own."

"Then I'll allocate another 1,800 from my Flying Cavalry to make it a round number for you, how about that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all twelve bodyguards showed a strange expression.

"Godfather, isn't this inappropriate?"

"It's certain that the thirteenth prince will be able to stand on his own in the future, but right now..."

"Leading the army is my duty, but I'm merely assigning cavalry from my adoptive father's camp."

Watching these soldiers chattering away, Li Cunxiao could almost smell the strong scent of jealousy. It seemed as if he had really gotten a great deal, making everyone envious.

But looking at Li Yisheng's sincere face, he could only sneer in his heart.

The Qin army system consisted of five men forming a squad, headed by a squad leader; two squads formed a gang, headed by a gang leader.

Five groups of fifty men form a squad, headed by a squad leader; four squads of two hundred men form a battalion, headed by a colonel; five battalions of one thousand men form a wing; two wings of two thousand men form a district, headed by a commander.

Five cities with ten thousand men each formed an army, and a general was appointed for each army.

However, the five regional military governors were arrogant and boastful, so they gradually turned their capitals into armies. For example, Zhu Quanzhong's two sons each led the Red Crow Army and the Crane Control Army, which were actually less than 10,000 men each in their respective capitals.

However, Li Cunxiao's disapproval was not due to this boastful habit, but because Li Yisheng's actions had ulterior motives.

Yan Daotong left him with only two hundred soldiers. As fellow disciples, he could have easily commanded them and ensured their absolute loyalty.

But Li Yisheng's sudden influx of 1,800 men diluted his core forces to a mere morsel, and these men were all elite cavalry, the personal guards of the Prince of Jin. Thus, once he gained Li Yisheng's trust, he could command this renowned and powerful army with overwhelming force.

But what if one day the other side tries to control them? Will these flying cavalry listen to them or to Li Yisheng?
It’s so hard to guess.

“Your Majesty’s kindness moves me to tears. But the Flying Cavalry are Your Majesty’s personal guards. Neither the Grand Protector nor the Third Protector have ever received such an honor. How can I accept it?”

As Li Cunxiao spoke, he secretly observed the expressions of the crowd, and sure enough, the subtle hostility had dissipated considerably.

As for Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu, their expressions became more serious, clearly indicating that his response had raised their opinion of him even higher.

As for Yan Daotong, he was completely relieved.

"With such a cautious mind and such high talent, I'm afraid even I will have to look up to this child's future achievements."

Holding a whisk, Yan Daotong bowed with one hand and used the Two-Element Banner to take away half of the remaining Louguan Daoist disciples. Then, he transformed into a stream of light and quickly disappeared into the sky.

Only after his figure completely disappeared did Li Yisheng finally release his grip on the pagoda.

To ordinary people, these two grandmasters are practically gods.

Any friction that just occurred, or the aftermath of a major battle, would bring devastating disaster to this place.

It's true that the strong can suppress everything, but I've never heard of a Grandmaster ruling the world just by sitting in a chair. To maintain local rule, you still need an army.

The troops that Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu brought this time were the elite of the elite from Hedong.

Among them were even a thousand people, all at the Yellow Court Realm, forming an army led by a Grandmaster, capable of withstanding even a single blow from a Dharma Image.

It would be heartbreaking if Yan Daotong were to suffer a loss simply because of his treatment of Li Cunxiao.

"Hahaha, Thirteenth Brother, you're being too polite. You should call me Third Brother."

As soon as Yan Daotong left, Li Cunxu and the others' expressions immediately came to life.

"Father's flying cavalry is fierce and brave, but also very arrogant. It is indeed not easy to control them, but we can't let you be a general without any troops."

"I do have some thoughts on this."

Li Cunxiao readily changed his form of address and turned to look at Li Yisheng:

"But before that, shouldn't Your Majesty first take a look at the people of Huayin?"

When these words came out, everyone was stunned.

If Li Cunxiao hadn't reminded them, they would have almost forgotten that before leaving, the Mingzun had given Huayin County a big surprise.

However, with the presence of two Buddhist masters, Qici and Zhiheng, and the subtle exchange between two grandmasters, Li Yisheng and Yan Daotong, the focus shifted entirely.

Upon being reminded, Li Yisheng waved his hand, gathering the flowing clouds. In a moment, he led the Thirteen Protectors to the top of Huayin City, where they saw the two Dharma images of Yamantaka and Peacock King suppressing them.

In the center of the Dharma image, a huge patched bag opened its mouth, sucking out all the crimson-black energy from the city.

Even though they were all seasoned generals who had fought countless battles and had beheaded hundreds or even thousands of people, the sight of that ominous, dark red aura made these bodyguards feel as if they had thorns in their backs, and their hearts trembled with fear.

"What a foul and malevolent aura! It's so thick and abundant, it must have taken the killing of hundreds of thousands of people to produce it."

"So many? I think there are still quite a few people left in Huayin County. Moreover, this malevolent aura doesn't seem like human energy, but rather like the energy of the earth's veins."

"You mean, the earth's veins in Huayin City have been contaminated by the berserk poison?"

"Damn it, that Zhu traitor is really despicable! If such a demon city is left here, it will produce a continuous stream of demon humans, and no one within a hundred miles will be able to migrate here to farm."

"Why make it so complicated? Just to be on the safe side, let's just slaughter everyone here."

"Ahem," Li Yisheng coughed lightly, and the Taibao who were discussing the massacre of the city immediately fell silent.

But in Li Cunxiao's heart, he was already disappointed in these people.

The warlords of the regional military governors were bloodthirsty and tyrannical. Those under the command of the King of Liang and the King of Jin were all birds of a feather.

However, the Hedong side had the assistance of the Yuhua Temple, unlike the Ming Cult and other demonic sects, which had shallow foundations and were therefore eager for quick success and instant benefits, causing many shocking things.

Before long, changes occurred again in Huayin City.

Seeing that a large amount of malevolent energy was being absorbed by the leopard skin pouch, the Golden Peacock King, beneath the jade-white body of the Bright King, lowered its head and cried out, its thousands of tail feathers like thousands of pupils, radiating seven-colored light.

Where the light shone, screams erupted throughout Huayin City, before silence returned.

Within the form of Yamantaka, Ksitigarbha appears, gazing at the terrifying amount of malevolent energy within the leopard skin pouch, seemingly having made a certain decision.

A pair of chubby hands patted her belly, causing the skin and flesh to ripple like waves, then gently peeled it off—

A leather scroll, hundreds of meters long, suddenly unfurled in the air!

"what?!"

Li Cunxiao's mouth was so big that he could fit a fist inside. He saw with his own eyes that Qici, after removing the scroll, was like taking off a layer of skin, instantly transforming from a lovable fat monk into a handsome, tall, and thin monk.

No, where is my master?
Who are you, handsome guy?
"The remains left behind by a grandmaster after his death? And there's more than one?"

Li Yisheng appeared even more surprised, and secretly observed Li Cunxiao's expression. Seeing that he did not seem to be faking it, he immediately had many plans in mind.

Regardless of what others thought, once the scroll was unfurled, all the malevolent energy within the leopard-skin pouch poured out without a single drop leaking out.

The tall and thin Qici formed a mudra with his hands, and the scroll suddenly closed in the middle. After a twisting motion that seemed like a counterattack, it gradually transformed into a seated Buddha statue that was a hundred meters tall.

The Golden Peacock King used his back to support the Buddha statue and moved it outside Huayin City. After a cloud of dust filled the sky, the Buddha statue was stuck in the mountains, as if it were naturally formed, without any signs of being created later.

“This was originally left by our ancestors to repair damaged spiritual treasures. Master, I am unfilial, but without this, the lives of this city cannot be saved.”

"If you are watching from heaven, please show some understanding to your disciple."

Beside the Buddha's large feet, Qici was chanting incantations.

But when he turned around and saw Li Cunxiao and the others approaching, a look of melancholy appeared on his face.

"Cunxiao, that old man with the ox-nose."

"Master, please stop talking."

Li Cunxiao stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

Having just experienced the "departure" of one of his masters, seeing the senior monk and the thin monk safe and sound, he suddenly felt a sense of relief.

However, with so many people around, it wasn't the right time to reveal the inside story, so he could only change the subject for now.

"Alas," Qi Ci was unaware that Taiyi was not dead. At this moment, he was filled with mixed feelings. He assumed that his disciple was also suffering, so he kept quiet about it.

Li Yisheng frowned almost imperceptibly as he looked at the enormous Buddha statue, glancing at Zhiheng:

"Master, what's going on?"

"As Your Majesty can see, the demonic sect has poisoned the well with a mad drug, and the entire city is poisoned. Furthermore, the Mingzun has corrupted the earth's veins with evil energy. If this is not dealt with, the people here will be consumed by inner demons and turn into bloodthirsty beasts."

"Fortunately, Brother Qici was compassionate and gave up his master's remains to help me seal the filth in the stone statue."

"There is no immediate risk, but in order to prevent the evil energy from erupting and harming living beings in the future, the two of us will have to stay here for half a year to purify the evil energy."

Zhiheng answered without hesitation, but Li Siyuan, standing to the side, frowned upon hearing this:
"Six months? Zhu will be unwilling to give up after returning, and will definitely gather a large army to come again."

"If the monk makes a rash decision and is unable to accompany the army, what will happen if there is no one to treat the dead and wounded in the army?"

"What else can I do? Does the Grand Protector expect me to just stand by and watch this place turn into a living hell?"

Zhiheng had a gentle face, but his words were extremely firm. Li Cunxiao was moved by this and thought to himself that this high monk from Yuhua Temple was quite compassionate. He wondered if it was just an act or if this was his true nature.

but
Li Cunxiao took a few steps and stroked the Buddha's toenails. Beneath the hard stone surface, a dark, raging torrent seemed to be hidden.

The whereabouts of the Haotian Spirit Image and the Three Altars Sea Assembly True Scripture are likely to be here.
(End of this chapter)