I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Elder Jinchi turned his gaze to his second disciple, Guangzhi, who was standing silently to the side.

He cried out.

"Guangzhi! Guangzhi, save me! You are always resourceful, quickly think of a good plan to save this crisis. Do you really want me to just watch them leave and suffer the punishment of the Bodhisattva?"

His second disciple was known for his quick wit, and in his desperation, Elder Jinchi had no choice but to resort to any remedy he could find.

Guangzhi squinted, his fingers twirling the prayer beads, looking shrewd and calculating, yet unable to figure it out.

He remained silent for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and then slowly spoke.

"Master, please calm down. Senior Brother's method is indeed too reckless, contrary to the Buddha's compassion, and not in accordance with the Bodhisattva's original intention. I do have a plan, which may not be perfect, but it may be worth a try, so as not to fail the Bodhisattva's trust."

"Oh, why don't you tell me about it!"

Elder Jinchi urged anxiously.

"Master, the core of the Bodhisattva's decree is to leave one of us behind. Since we cannot win the bet fairly in the competition, perhaps... we could secretly 'invite' one of us to stay."

Guangzhi's words were quite meaningful.

The old abbot's eyes lit up, as if he had also thought of something.

"Oh, you mean?"

A knowing smile appeared on Guangzhi's lips.

"I observed that the Black Bear Daoist of Black Wind Cave is a close friend of yours, Master. They often visit each other to drink tea and discuss Zen. He has great supernatural powers, has been a vegetarian for many years, and has a gentle temperament. He is not a bloodthirsty and cruel demon."

Elder Jinchi hesitated and shook his head.

"You mean, ask him to fight? I also considered asking that black bear for help, but the Bodhisattva said that one must not bully the weak! Fellow Daoist Black Bear has cultivated for a thousand years, which might go against the Bodhisattva's wishes!"

Guangzhi chuckled, and one brilliant idea after another popped into his head.

"It's alright, Fellow Daoist Black Bear, there's no need for you to appear in the duel!"

"We only need to ask Fellow Daoist Black Bear to sneak into the Zen temple at night when no one is around, invite any distinguished guest to stay in his cave for a few days, treat him to good food and drink, and never harm his life in the slightest. As long as the person is in his cave, Ning Chen and the others will not be able to find him and will naturally be unable to continue their westward journey."

"If we wait too long, they will inevitably set off first. In this way, although we lost the bet, we have also left one person behind, which can be considered as fulfilling the Bodhisattva's request."

"After they have gone far away, we will quietly send them back to the Zen temple at the foot of the mountain, without anyone knowing. If the Bodhisattva asks, we will only say that we have left one person behind. As for how we left him behind, I think the Bodhisattva will not investigate the process."

As Elder Jinchi listened, his furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

He stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

"Hmm, this plan is brilliant! Brilliant, Guangzhi! That Fellow Daoist Black Bear is indeed an honest and kind person, and he values ​​friendship. Inviting him to invite a guest to stay at his cave for a while will surely not be difficult. Alright, let's do it this way!"

A great weight seemed to have been lifted from his heart, and he turned to Guangmou, his tone softening.

"Guangmou, quickly burn incense and invite Fellow Daoist Black Bear to come and see me! Tell him that this old monk has an important matter to ask of you, concerning the decree of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and begs him to help me out of our century-long friendship of discussing the Dao!"

He added.

"Guangzhi, go and invite that Benefactor Ning over for a chat. I have some doubts about the Zen discussion during the day, and I would like to ask Benefactor Ning to enlighten me and impart his knowledge!"

With broad vision and wisdom, he immediately responded and hurriedly pushed open the door to leave.

About half an hour later, a black wind carrying sand and dust flew over the Zen temple, and a faint demonic aura spread out.

Soon, the Black Bear Spirit arrived as invited. His burly and powerful body landed lightly and silently, revealing his extraordinary cultivation.

"What brings you here?"

Guangzhi was already waiting outside the meditation room, and he whispered his plan to the black bear in detail.

The black bear spirit stood upright, resembling a human, and was over five zhang tall, blocking the moonlight and appearing terrifying and fierce!

He grumbled and bowed his bear paw.

"The abbot wants me to invite a guest to stay at his cave for a few days? That's easy! I'm usually very grateful for the abbot's hospitality, our tea and Zen discussions, so this little favor is no problem for me. It's just inviting someone, leave it to me!"

Having made up his mind, the black bear spirit didn't delay any longer. He rode a black demonic cloud and silently drifted towards the area where Ning Chen and the others were staying.

His enormous figure hovered above the roof, his copper bell-like eyes peering through the cracks in the windows one by one.

Most of these rooms were pitch black.

The black bear scrutinized the bear closely.

"Hmm, this one won't do. She's a female, with big breasts and a big butt. I'm afraid the younger ones might take a liking to her and tarnish her purity..."

"These few won't do either. They're too thin. If they go to the cave, get frightened, and then die there, it'll be hard to explain!"

After looking at several places, the Black Bear Spirit didn't choose any of them.

Only one room was lit by a faint candlelight.

The black bear spirit moved closer, and in the candlelight, his shiny bald head stood out conspicuously.

Inside the room was none other than Lao Luo, who was holding the brocade cassock that had fallen from the sky, looking at it from left to right.

Luo fantasized about wearing this cassock tomorrow, beating a bunch of bald monks until their heads were covered in bumps, and then kneeling down and singing: "I have been conquered by you."

The black bear spirit saw it clearly and secretly decided on the candidate.

"Not bad, not bad, this is the bald guy. He looks quite sturdy, full of energy, and can withstand the mountain winds in my cave. Besides, his golden robe is quite beautiful. Why don't we take him and the robe together, Old Bear!"

Having made up his mind, the black bear swayed and transformed into a streak of black light, silently passing through the window crack.

Luo Zhantian, who was inside the room, suddenly felt everything go black and was hit by a foul stench. He was terrified and didn't even have time to scream.

A large, furry hand had quietly covered his mouth and nose, while another bear arm, like an iron hoop, tightened around his waist!

Before Lao Luo could utter a sound, he felt his body lighten, and he was swept away by an irresistible force, instantly flying out of the window!

In the night sky, a dark cloud rolled in, swift as lightning, carrying the struggling Luo Zhantian rapidly towards Black Wind Mountain.

Inside the Zen temple, all was quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.

Only Elder Jinchi remained in his meditation room, listening to the distant sound of the demonic wind. He clasped his hands together and whispered a phrase to the void.

"Amitabha Buddha, may this method be feasible and not fail the Bodhisattva's trust."

As Guangzhi's footsteps approached, Jinchi immediately put on a smile.

"Young friend Ning, come, come... This old monk has been waiting for you for a long time."

......

The mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the faint sound of monks chanting their morning prayers could be heard. The Guanyin Temple, which should have been peaceful and serene, was shattered by a scream.

"Brother Ning, something's wrong! Teacher Luo has disappeared!"

Tang Hao called out anxiously. The door to Lao Luo's room was ajar. Looking inside, the room was empty, and even the cassock had vanished without a trace.

Sun Rongrong, Wu Dajin, Chen Feng and others gathered around upon hearing the noise, their faces ashen.

"Teacher Luo!"

"The cassock is gone too!"

"Oh no! Everything was fine last night..."

"It must be those bald monks, afraid of losing to Teacher Luo in today's magic duel, so they made their move last night!"

Anxiety quickly spread among the crowd.

Ning Chen had just returned from gathering Qi to cultivate in the clouds. He understood that this was a tribulation he was destined to face, and he also had a rough idea of ​​who had kidnapped Lao Luo.

He said lightly.

"It's alright, let's go find Elder Jinchi and get to the bottom of this! If he refuses to hand over the person, then I will naturally seek justice!"