Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 301 Fang Sheng, Tong Xuan!

The eighteen innate martial monks didn't even last the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before they all collapsed in pools of blood.

The dark red demonic armor greedily absorbed the blood, and the aura around the Soul Slaughtering Dharma King became increasingly violent. His two-meter-tall figure rampaged across the square, and wherever he passed, the Acquired Warrior Monks screamed in agony, unable to mount any effective resistance and becoming lambs to the slaughter.

"Fellow martial artists! The demonic cultists are extremely cruel. If we allow them to run rampant, there will never be peace in the martial world again! Please lend a hand and join us in vanquishing this demon!"

Yuanjue, holding his staff, desperately blocked a wisp of demonic energy emanating from the Soul-Slaying Dharma King. The copper rings on his staff jingled. His shoulder was scorched black by the demonic energy, yet he still cried out for help.

Yuanmie gripped the Vajra pestle tightly with both hands, protecting Xuanhe and Fayuan. His face was flushed, and he pushed his inner strength to the limit, forming a thin barrier of golden inner energy around his body to resist the demonic energy that was spreading in all directions.
"Lord Shen! Lord Wei! The Demonic Sect is a wanted criminal by the imperial court, slaughtering Buddhist disciples, which is tantamount to treason! We implore you two to send troops and join forces to eliminate the demons!"

Xuanhe, having lost both arms and barely breathing, leaned against Yuanmie's back and spoke with difficulty: "This old monk is willing to swear on the century-old foundation of the three Buddhist sects that if we can eliminate the demon today, the Buddha's relic will be at the disposal of the imperial court, and the disciples of the three sects are also willing to await the imperial court's orders!"

However, they were met with silence and the sound of footsteps echoing in the distance.

The martial arts practitioners present had come for the relic, but now that it was in the control of the Soul-Slaying Dharma King, and the power of the demonic armor was so terrifying, no one was willing to risk their lives for Buddhism.

Everyone followed the example of those who had left before, some feigning regret, others remaining silent, and led their disciples down the mountain quickly, fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be targeted by the Soul-Slaying Dharma King.

In the blink of an eye, the once bustling square was now empty except for the remaining Buddhist disciples, the Imperial Guards, the Eastern Depot agents, and Chen Zhan and Han Tiange, who had been standing in the corner the whole time.

Han Tiange watched the crowd retreating and was extremely anxious. Once the Dragon-Snake Demon Armor started slaughtering, it could replenish its strength from the blood rain, and no one could say for sure how much power was in the Buddha Relic.

Her palms were sweating, and her desire to retreat grew stronger. Even if these people risked their lives to keep the Soul-Slaying Dharma King, the relic might be ruined by the Soul-Slaying Dharma King.

However, Chen Zhan remained as steady as a mountain. His gaze fell on Shen Tong and Wei Chao, the head of the Eastern Depot. His eyes behind the mask held an unreadable meaning, and he showed no sign of leaving.

Shen Tong and Wei Chao were on pins and needles at this moment.

As members of the imperial court, if they were to stand idly by and watch the demonic cultists slaughter Buddhist monks and run rampant, they would certainly be unable to explain themselves to their superiors upon returning to the capital.

However, if he were to give the order to attack, the Soul-Slaying Dharma King could easily slaughter even eighteen innate martial monks, and his subordinates, the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Eastern Depot agents, would probably only be doomed.

They were all his subordinates who had been with him for many years; who would want to make a pointless sacrifice?

"Lord Wei, what do you think of this matter?" Shen Tong quietly approached Wei Chao and asked in a low voice.

Wei Chao, slightly overweight, always wore a sinister smile, but now his brows were furrowed and his eyes were grave: "Lord Shen, this little devil is too ferocious. Fighting him head-on would be a losing proposition. Our men are not here to die."

"But we can't back out."

Shen Tong looked troubled. "This matter has caused such a big commotion. Guangyuan Temple is near the capital. If word gets out that the court is afraid of the Demonic Sect, how will it save face?"

Wei Chao's eyes darted around, his gaze sweeping over the remaining Buddhist martial monks in the square, and he said in a sinister tone:
"Aren't there still people in Buddhism? Yuanjue and Yuanmie are also at the mid-stage of the Innate Realm. Let them hold the line for now. Our people will set up defenses around the area to block that demon's retreat. Once he's tired of killing, or the Buddhist disciples have exhausted his strength, we'll seize the opportunity to strike."

When Yuanjue and Yuanmie saw that the imperial forces had not made a move, but only surrounded them without attacking, their hearts sank.

They looked at the disciples who were falling one after another around them, and then at the Soul Slaughtering Dharma King who was still slaughtering in the distance. Their eyes were filled with despair.

"Junior Brother Yuanmie, protect Senior Uncles Xuanhe and Fayuan and get out of here first!" Yuanjue gritted his teeth, straightened his staff, and was about to rush towards the Soul-Slaying Dharma King.

Just as the two were arguing.

The Soul-Slaying Dharma King seemed to have finally grown tired of killing the acquired disciples. His gaze turned to Yuanjue and Yuanmie. The black and red demonic armor surged with turbulent energy, carrying a strong smell of blood.

"Buddhist monks, you've all delivered yourselves to my doorstep, just in time to perfect my demonic armor!" The Soul-Slaying Dharma King's voice was hoarse and grating, like metal scraping against metal. With each step he took, the bluestone paving stones beneath his feet shattered, leaving deep footprints.

Han Tiange whispered again, "If we don't leave now, it will be too late! His demonic armor has absorbed so much blood, it's getting stronger and stronger!"

Chen Zhan remained standing, his gaze piercing through the black and red aura of the demonic armor, and said calmly, "What's the rush? There are people who are more anxious than us."

His gaze fell once more on the half-collapsed Mahavira Hall. The figure of the monk Xuan Kong had disappeared into the ruins, leaving only a trail of blood extending into the depths of the hall.

Xuan Kong entered the half-collapsed Mahavira Hall and walked to the collapsed Buddha statue.

He swept away a pile of ruins, activated a mechanism, and a bottomless hole appeared on the ground. Xuan Kong entered it.

outside the temple.

The moment Yuanjue's staff was extended half a foot, the figure of the Soul-Slaying Dharma King approached like a ghost.

The black and red demonic armor, accompanied by a foul wind, unleashed a seemingly slow palm strike, yet it carried an overwhelming and unstoppable force.

Yuanjue felt a terrifying force crashing into him, and the tin staff in his hand snapped in two, sending wood chips flying.

He activated his internal energy to protect himself, but found that the claw on the demonic armor completely ignored his internal energy barrier; his internal energy and body were as fragile as tofu.

"Pfft-"

The Soul-Slaying Dharma King's five fingers, like steel claws, easily pierced through Yuanjue's monk's robe and chest, and pulled out the still-beating heart.

The surging black and red energy on the surface of the demonic armor instantly enveloped the heart. The intense heat made the heart hiss, and the blood evaporated into white mist, which was completely absorbed by the demonic armor.

Yuanjue's eyes were wide open, his life force rapidly fading away, and his body slumped down, dying with his eyes wide open.

"Brother!"

Yuan Mie's eyes were bloodshot, but he was held back by several newly trained martial monks.

Yuanjue tried to hold off the Soul-Slaying Dharma King, but he died too quickly. They protected the dying Xuanhe and Fayuan, and after only a few steps back, they were locked onto by the Soul-Slaying Dharma King's gaze.

Meeting their cold, bloodthirsty gaze sent chills down their spines, causing them to pause in their tracks.

Seeing this, the martial arts practitioners in the square were terrified and retreated even more hastily, fearing that they would be targeted by this demonic figure. The Jinyiwei and Dongchang officers, following Wei Chao's orders, formed an encirclement, but none of them dared to take a single step forward. They simply stared intently at the Soul-Slaying Dharma King, their expressions extremely solemn.

Just then, a muffled "boom" suddenly came from inside the half-collapsed Mahavira Hall.

This was not a ground tremor, but a heart-wrenching sensation.

"dong dong dong~"

"dong dong dong~"

Everyone present felt their hearts pounding uncontrollably; the thumping sounds of their hearts mingled together, drowning out the screams and footsteps in the square.

Han Tiange's face paled, and she subconsciously pressed her hand to her chest, looking at Chen Zhan with surprise and doubt in her eyes: "What is this?"

A knowing glint flashed in Chen Zhan's eyes as he slowly said, "They've arrived."

The Soul-Slaying Dharma King also sensed this abnormality, and his slaughtering actions suddenly stopped.

He turned to look at the ruins of the Great Buddha Hall. The black and red demonic armor surged violently, clearly also startled by this unknown aura.

"Interesting!" The hoarse voice carried a hint of wariness. The aura emanating from the hall was complex and immense, enough to threaten him.

Amidst the ruins, a yellow figure slowly emerged.

He was bald, wearing faded old monk's robes with a few specks of dust on them, and his long beard, almost white, hung down to his chest.

His eyes were closed, his face was calm and expressionless, and his steps were slow but steady. With each step, the wildly beating hearts around him calmed down a little.

Behind him, the monk Xuan Kong staggered out, his only remaining left arm hanging limply, the blood on his body already congealed, and his aura extremely weak.

"That is……"

As the old monk appeared and stood still, the frantic beating of everyone's hearts ceased.

The few surviving old monks in the square suddenly widened their eyes, their voices trembling with disbelief, ecstasy, and awe.

"Is it Master Fang Sheng???"

"How can it be???"

Fang Sheng served as the abbot of Guangyuan Temple for about ninety years. After serving as abbot for several decades, he passed the position to Xuan Kong. Although a long time has passed, some of the young monks who entered the temple back then are still alive. They have now become old monks and still remember what Fang Sheng looked like.

Fayuan and Xuanhe also looked over. The two were on the verge of death, but when they heard Fang Sheng's name, they still tried their best to look over.

According to seniority, Fang Sheng was their senior uncle, and they were five or six years apart in age. They had met Fang Sheng when they were young, but they never expected that he was still alive.

"It really is Master Fang Sheng! It's the Shaolin Master Fang Sheng from a hundred years ago!"

"but"

"How could Master Fang Sheng still be alive!"

"Fang Sheng was already a renowned master during the Zhengde era, the second-best master in Shaolin, and the junior brother of Master Fang Zheng."

"He was already in his forties at the time, and nearly a century had passed since then."

"Even a master of innate cultivation only has a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years!"

"Could it be...?!"

"Master Fang Sheng, you've broken through to the Profound Realm?"

The conversation among the old monks reached the entire hall, causing an uproar.

Master Fang Sheng?

The former abbot of Guangyuan Temple who assisted Master Fangzheng in suppressing the Demonic Sect a hundred years ago and then went into seclusion? Everyone thought he had long since passed away, but unexpectedly he is still alive!

Master Fangzheng didn't even reach the Profound Realm!
Fang Sheng, as his junior brother, had already reached the peak of the Innate Realm back then, and now a hundred years have passed.
Since he didn't die of old age, he must have made some breakthrough!

Shen Tong and Wei Chao exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

They never expected that Guangyuan Temple would harbor such a living fossil-like figure.

The Soul-Slaying Dharma King frowned, and the energy flowing from his black and red demonic armor grew increasingly violent: "An old thing from a hundred years ago? Not quite dead yet?"

Master Fang Sheng seemed not to have heard his provocation. His eyes remained closed, and he continued walking slowly to the center of the square.

He was surrounded by a gentle and peaceful aura, his inner strength transformed into true energy, filling the area.

The Buddhist true energy and the bloody demonic flames of the Soul-Slaying Dharma King formed a stark contrast. Wherever they passed, the bloody smell in the air gradually dissipated, bringing peace to people's minds.

All the Buddhist disciples present bowed their heads and kowtowed.

"Grandmaster Uncle, Grandmaster Uncle."

The Shaolin Temple has a relatively slow turnover rate because monks generally live a long time. Even so, there are already three or four generations of monks present.

Fang Sheng is of a very high generation; he has served as emperor for four emperors of the Ming Dynasty.
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P.S.: (The earlier dates were wrong. It should have been the Zhengde era, but I wrote the Xuande era. Xuande was two hundred years ago. It was a typo. I don't know if anyone noticed, hahaha.)
(End of this chapter)