There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 289 Demon

Upon hearing this, An Ning's heart sank, but she remained unyielding: "Sect Leader Chen acts according to his own principles, how can outsiders presume to know? As for the matter of Haiyuan Temple, the truth of the matter has long been judged by public opinion. Master, your biased listening and believing is unbecoming of a high monk!"

In a corner of the hall, several disciples of the Xuanji Chess Academy sat behind a low table, cautiously observing. Among them were Mo Huaiyong's followers, such as Ling Wufeng, who had a cold demeanor and carried a long sword, and a woman with a silver bell on her wrist.

Seeing An Ning so fiercely defending Chen Qing, the others all looked surprised.

"Why is this Fellow Daoist An so... fierce?" Ling Wufeng frowned slightly. "I heard that she comes from the An family in the southern part of Dongling. Although she is born out of wedlock, she is quite favored by her father, which is why she was arranged to train under Lord Su of Nanbin. Besides gaining experience, it is also hoped that she can have a better future. With her status, when facing such a high monk, she should be cautious in her words and deeds and deal with things smoothly. How could she be so ruthless for the sake of Chen Qing?"

The woman who tied the bell rolled her eyes, then suddenly covered her mouth and laughed: "There might even be some affection hidden in this!"

Ling Wufeng glanced at her, shook his head, and said, "At this time, we should prioritize the overall situation, after all, those three monks..."

"Oh?"

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from behind them: "I wonder which temple these monks are from? They've made you all hesitate to act rashly?"

The group was startled and turned around abruptly to see a person standing behind them. He was dressed in a black robe, with a gentle face, but his eyes shone with a divine light!

Ling Wufeng and the others immediately recognized the person!

Chen Qing, the head of Mingxia Mountain!

We didn't even notice when he arrived!

The group's expressions changed slightly. They were a little embarrassed that their private conversation had been overheard, but the words had already been spoken and could not be taken back.

Faced with Chen Qing's questioning and sensing the subtle pressure emanating from him, the group exchanged glances, not daring to speak rashly.

It should be noted that when they first met Chen Qing, he had only just reached the second realm. How much time has passed since then? He has already become beyond their comprehension!
Afterwards, Ling Wufeng composed himself and forced a smile as he introduced, "Sect Leader Chen, these three masters are eminent monks from the Cold Moon Temple, a branch of the Moon Wheel Zen Temple in the Western Wilderness, located in the Eastern Spirit Continent. The Moon Wheel Zen Temple is very powerful in the Western Wilderness, and it is said that it has three Nascent Soul level experts stationed there, one of whom is currently traveling in the Eastern Spirit Continent."

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes, walked over to the group, and casually asked, "What are the Buddhist names of these three people?"

This time, it was the woman who tied the bell who spoke up. Her gaze quickly swept over the three monks, and she whispered, "The younger one with delicate features is Master Shichi, and the one arguing with Senior Sister An is Master Shichen. Both of them are at the sixth level of the Golden Core stage and are quite famous in the Eastern Spirit and South Sea regions. The older one is Master Shiren, a top-tier Golden Core cultivator! I wonder what price the Cangming Water Palace paid to get them all out together!"

"So he was Shi Ren."

Chen Qing nodded slightly, glanced at the old monk, and seeing the latter slightly raise his eyelids, turned to the two distinguished old men in the main seat: "Where are the two hall masters?"

Mentioning their seniors from their own lineage, the group perked up slightly.

Ling Wufeng hurriedly said, "These two are the head and deputy head of the Jingwei Hall of my Xuanji Chess Academy. The one in the black robe is Senior Uncle Yu Jianzi, who wields the Heavenly Mystery Plate; the other one in the azure cloud-patterned robe is Senior Uncle Huan Guangzi, who wields the Earth Pivot Inkstone. Although these two senior uncles are not at the peak of the Golden Core stage, they are blessed by the sect's inherited treasures, and their combat power is in no way inferior to those three high monks!"

Chen Qing followed the direction of the gaze.

Yu Jianzi had a thin face and three long wisps of beard, while Huan Guangzi was slightly plump with a ruddy complexion and a smile on his lips.

Ling Wufeng then added, "Actually, when Uncle Mo heard that Sect Leader Chen was coming to the sect, he was going to come too. However, before he left, the fragment of the star chart that he had been nurturing for many years suddenly started to move, as if it had a connection with a hidden star in the sky. He needed to go into seclusion to study it immediately, so he was unable to come. He specifically instructed me to apologize to Sect Leader Chen if I saw him."

"Oh? The star chart is fluctuating?" Chen Qing's eyes flickered slightly. "It's alright, Fellow Daoist Mo, it's more important to comprehend the secrets of heaven."

On the other side, Shi Chen, confronted by An Ning, flashed a fierce light in his eyes. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he caught sight of Chen Qing in the crowd. His voice rose sharply as he questioned, "Benefactor An, you are so protective of Mingxia Mountain, even going so far as to distort the truth! Could it be that you have some shady connection with that den of iniquity? Or are you yourself colluding with the demonic path?! If so, then let this humble monk capture you and interrogate you thoroughly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his monk's robe, and a beam of moon-white Buddhist light shot out like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for An Ning!

The Buddha's light contained a chilling aura, and wherever it passed, the air froze into droplets of water!
"you!"

An Ning had not expected that the other party would dare to be so unscrupulous on the territory of Xuanji Chess Academy. In a hurry, she tried to activate her protective magic treasure to retreat, but her cultivation was far inferior to Shi Chen's. The moon-white Buddhist light was fast and urgent, and it was about to reach her body!

Right now!

A figure suddenly appeared in front of An Ning!

It was Chen Qing!

When the monk Shichen saw him blocking his way, a flash of ferocity appeared in his eyes, but he pretended not to recognize him and said coldly, "And who are you? Coming here to play the hero? Are you looking for death?"

"If you're going to test me, why beat around the bush?" Chen Qing's expression remained unchanged. "You want to use this to probe my capabilities? I'd like to see what you're capable of, but since we're visiting someone else's territory today, I shouldn't embarrass you. So, I'll offer you a toast."

He raised his hand and made a feint, and the wine cup on the table in front of Ling Wufeng flew into the air, spun in mid-air, and splashed the remaining spiritual wine in the cup forward!
"laugh--"

The crystal-clear wine spilled from the glass and collided with the surging moon-white Buddhist light in mid-air!
"Hmph! Overestimating yourself!" Seeing this, Shi Chen sneered inwardly and fully activated the Frost Moon Demon-Binding Light, "Great Venerable Holy Thought, Frost Moon Demon-Binding!"

In an instant, the moonlight and Buddha's light surged, and the chill increased tenfold!
Within that light, ice crystal lotuses were faintly visible, unleashing their full power to freeze blood and imprison the soul!

"Too much force, you've lost your sense of proportion." Chen Qing chuckled and shook his head in comment. Then, with a thought, the illusory thoughts in his Purple Mansion materialized, and in an instant, he circulated and integrated the essence and mysteries of the lunar phases, such as the stillness of the moon, the purity of the moonlight, and the profundity of the Guanghan Palace, and reflected them in the remaining wine through his gaze!
Instantly, the wine burst forth with a clear, pure, and incomparably bright moonlight! Its refined meaning and profound essence far surpassed the Buddhist moon phase supernatural powers of Shichen!
"Fuck-"

The imposing, pale moonlight was utterly powerless before the lingering moonlight, quickly dimming, disintegrating, melting away like ice and snow, and vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye!

"Plop! Plop!" A few drops of wine fell onto the jade bricks on the ground, making a crisp sound and creating wisps of white mist!

The whole hall was in dead silence!

The fierce look on Shi Chen's face froze instantly.

His "Frosty Moon Binding Demon Light" was a secret technique passed down by the Moon Wheel Zen Temple. It was extremely powerful and best at suppressing, and even Golden Core cultivators of the same level dared not take it head-on. Yet, it was broken by the opponent with a cup of almost mortal leftover wine?! Moreover, it was broken so easily and so thoroughly!
What shocked him even more was that the wine that finally burst forth was actually the purer and more primal power of the moon!

“You…you are Chen Qing?!” Shi Chen stared intently at Chen Qing, as if trying to see through him inside and out.

"Don't you recognize me?" Chen Qing looked up at him. "When I wasn't here, you went to the mountains to threaten my disciples. Now that I'm here, you dare to harm my friends right in front of me. Who gave you the audacity?"

An Ning listened to these words, hesitated, but ultimately said nothing more.

"Amitabha."

At this moment, the old monk Shi Ren, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, looked at Chen Qing with his cloudy eyes: "Benefactor, your murderous intent is burning, your anger is like fire, and you are attached to superficial gains and losses. You have already planted the seeds of evil, which has clouded your mind. The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore. If you continue to be deluded, you may fall into the Avici Hell and be forever damned."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing laughed instead of getting angry, and then said, "My heart is filled with demons? You monk keep talking about being deeply rooted in demonic energy, yet outside my mountain gate, you've laid down those insidious Buddhist auras that erode the earth's veins and destroy people's foundations! How is this any different from the demonic path? I think it's you who are truly deluded by greed, anger, and attachment, falling into the demonic path without realizing it! What you've done is simply demonic!"

"Insolence!" Shichen roared in fury. "You're spreading heresy! Watch me subdue you!"

The moon-white Buddhist light emanating from his body intensified, his hands formed a mudra, and a phantom of the moon wheel appeared behind him, as he prepared to unleash an even stronger divine power!
"If you can't even handle a cup of wine, and you don't leave gracefully, you're just humiliating yourself!" Chen Qing didn't give him another chance and pointed at Shi Chen from afar!
"Shoot-"

A bolt of pitch-black lightning burst forth, so fast it transformed into a single line!
"Crack!"

Shi Chen only heard a faint crackling sound, and then, driven by a deadly warning, he suddenly flashed, but it was too late. The newly formed moon wheel phantom did not have time to manifest before it was pierced by the lightning and collapsed with a bang!
"puff!"

He groaned, his Buddhist light dimmed, and he staggered backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He felt his Buddhist power draining away and a calamity about to befall him, which filled him with fear!

"laugh!"

Chen Qing gave Shi Chen no chance to catch his breath. The dark lightning flashed in the air and locked onto the weakened Shi Chen once again, crashing down with a deafening roar!

"Oh!"

Lightning exploded, and electric snakes danced wildly!
The protective Buddhist light that Shi Chen had hastily gathered shattered instantly, and he spat out blood, his body charred black as he flew backward and crashed heavily into a palace pillar!
"Ugh!"

He let out a miserable howl, his eyes filled with horror and resentment. He mustered his Buddhist energy and transformed into a dim Buddhist light, desperately retreating backward, wanting only to get away from the deadly lightning!

"Want to go?"

Chen Qing's mind stirred again, and the lightning made a nimble turn in the air, ready to pursue once more!

"Amitabha!"

At that moment, the old monk Shiren finally made a move!

He uttered a Buddhist chant in a low voice, raised his hand, and flicked his finger!
"Om-"

A bronze-colored barrier of Buddhist light suddenly appeared, standing between the release of anger and the pursuing lightning!
"boom!"

The lightning struck the barrier with a dull thud, causing it to tremble violently and ripple across its surface before shattering instantly!
Shi Renze swayed almost imperceptibly, his cloudy eyes flashing with a sharp light as he stared intently at Chen Qing: "Benefactor Chen! Show mercy when you can! Even if Junior Brother Shi Chen has made a mistake, he has already been punished! Do you really intend to do something so ruthless and annihilate us at the Xuanji Chess Academy, and completely break ties with my Moon Wheel Zen Temple?!"

The roar was so powerful that it caused the sacred spring inside the hall to ripple!
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing laughed and said, "I, Chen, have always been clear about my gratitude and grudges! If someone treats me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect! If someone offends me, I will repay them a hundredfold! Besides, you don't need to speak so righteously. I still have a score to settle with you, old monk!"

"Very well, very well!" Shi Ren's face was icy. "As expected, the demonic roots are deeply ingrained! It's too late to reverse the situation!"

"Please stop, everyone!"

Upon arriving in a hurry, Su Zhijin, seeing the situation, worried that Chen Qing would be at a disadvantage, and quickly stepped forward to stand between the two sides: "Today, I, Su, hosted this banquet to resolve the conflict. You are all highly accomplished individuals, why must you resort to violence over a mere verbal dispute? I urge you all to take a step back..."

“Lord Su, this matter is no longer something you can interfere with.”

The old monk Shiren slowly rose to his feet.

"This person has already fallen into demonic possession! That lightning bolt just now contained malevolent energy, and it was definitely not a righteous method! He relied on this demonic means to become powerful, and his mind has long been corrupted by power without him even realizing it! If left unchecked, it will surely become a monstrous disaster and bring calamity to all living beings!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward, and the Buddhist light around him changed from gentle to sharp, like needles and thorns. He said, "To prevent the suffering of all living beings, I must take drastic measures today to force out the demonic nature within him and make him reveal his true form, so that the world can see his true colors!"

As he spoke, Shi Ren raised his withered hand, spread his five fingers, and pressed it lightly towards Chen Qing!
"Conquer the devil!"

A vast and powerful Buddhist force, far more refined and immeasurable than that of Shi Chen, carrying the meaning of Nirvana, transformed into the swastika symbol, pressing down on Chen Qing like an invisible mountain!

(End of this chapter)