Chapter 578 - 377: Mingfo Temple Admits Defeat

Chapter 578: Chapter 377: Mingfo Temple Admits Defeat

Lu Xuan merely tapped the carriage window lightly with his fingertip, and the twelve guardians outside immediately understood.

Cao Er pointed his blade, and the Dongchang formation parted like a tide to reveal the ominous crossbow formation behind.

The tips of the cold iron arrows glowed blue in the sunlight, each one laced with deadly poison.

"Old monk,"

A cold voice came from within the carriage, "do you think my arrows are faster, or do you think you monks will die faster."

In front of the mountain gate, Mr. Beifeng’s crimson cassock moved on its own, flapping without wind.

This highly revered Buddhist leader, at this moment, had unprecedented gravity in his expression.

His deep gaze swept over the ominous formation, his heart as clear as a mirror.

The black official carriage before him represented not only the formidable power of the Dongchang Supervisor but also the majestic imperial authority of the Great Yu Country!

If today the Mingfo Temple dares to resist, it would be an open confrontation against the imperial court.

At that time, it would not just be these tens of thousands of elite soldiers, but the three hundred thousand cavalry stationed outside the capital, the cannons that could bring down city walls, and the martial experts who had pledged their allegiance to the court.

"Amitabha Buddha..."

Realizing the predicament of the Mingfo Temple, Mr. Beifeng sighed deeply, and the Buddha Beads in his hand suddenly burst with blinding golden light.

Mr. Beifeng had to admit that even with his unrivaled martial prowess, he could not bear the label of "rebellion."

The pure land of Buddhism ultimately could not withstand the iron cavalry of the empire.

At this moment, the curtain of the carriage fluttered slightly, and Lu Xuan’s voice cut through the heavy atmosphere once again, tinged with a lazy weariness, as if discussing today’s refreshments.

"That lotus flower..." Every word struck the hearts of the monks like a funeral bell: "Hand it over, and this Supervisor will leave."

The tone was insouciant, yet it made three thousand armor-piercing crossbows simultaneously nock, and seven thousand Brocade Spring Sabers unsheathe half an inch.

The sunlight reflected on the cold blades, making the entire mountain gate appear like an ice cavern.

Under the scorching sun, Mr. Beifeng’s snow-white eyebrows twitched violently, and the shattered Buddha Beads in his hand scattered to the ground with a clatter.

Even the elder monks with white beards hanging to their chests beside him gasped at the same moment.

The high monk in charge of the Treasure Pavilion even staggered, clutching the nearby novice monk for support, his withered fingers digging deeply into the other’s shoulder.

"That lotus flower"

Those four words were like a heavy hammer, shattering the composure the elderly monks maintained.

"That lotus flower..." Mr. Beifeng muttered repeatedly, his cloudy eyes bloodshot, the tranquility cultivated over decades surging with turbulent waves.

The body beneath the cassock trembled slightly, in stark contrast to his previous calm confrontation.

"Supervisor, this is merely a rumor from the martial world, surely you wouldn’t believe such absurd tales."

His calloused palms trembled slightly under the blazing sun, as if trying to grasp at a chance.

"If the Supervisor truly requires it, this humble monk can open up the Buddhist temple, allowing you to take all the treasures from the vault."

"The thousand-year ginseng, the Western Regions Shell Leaf Scripture, and even the gilded Buddha relic that guards the temple...

All I ask is for the Supervisor not to believe rumors and to spare the countless innocent monks of the Mingfo Temple!"

Suddenly, a chill swept through the carriage, quickly condensing into icicles along the edge of the curtain: "Hmm?"

The monosyllabic sound exploded with intense murderous intent, startling the Dongchang agents outside the carriage into feeling an icy chill.

"Your Supervisor does not have much patience to waste with you bald donkeys."

Lu Xuan slowly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, staring directly at Mr. Beifeng in the distance.

"Your Supervisor gives you three breaths to consider."

"Cao Er!"

Cao Er, summoned by his adoptive father, immediately understood, lifting his Brocade Spring Saber towards the sky, the sunlight reflecting off the blade so brightly that it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.

As this cold light sliced through the sky, the hundreds of Dongchang agents lying in wait all bellowed in unison, the hum of drawn bowstrings making the ground tremble.

The black and flying fish-patterned attire wove into a torrent of steel, with a bloodthirsty gleam in every eye.

The rain of arrows was poised to launch, as if waiting for a single command to turn the Buddhist monastery before them into a field of carnage.

The air in front of the mountain gate suddenly twisted and trembled, and under the scorching sun, a dense ice fog appeared.

At the instant when Mr. Beifeng’s gaze met Lu Xuan’s across the distance, his pupils contracted sharply.

Two overwhelming forces collided with a roar, and the resulting shockwave shook the golden lacquer off the sign of the mountain gate’s "Mingfo Zen Temple," startling countless birds from the trees.

"Grandmaster!!!"

The head of the Scripture Pavilion, Master Mingku, was the first to cry out in shock.

He planted his meditation staff heavily on the ground to barely stabilize himself.

Lu Xuan was surrounded by a snow-white energy, transforming into a phantom of wind and frost stretching a hundred feet.

The gilded decoration on the canopy shattered inch by inch in the cold air, and the flying gold flakes suspended in the air, congealing into frost. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Mr. Beifeng, seated on the ground, had his dark red robe fluttering violently.

The golden light bursting from his Buddha Beads clashed fiercely with the cold aura, forming a blinding and dazzling light orb between the two.

At the next moment, Mr. Beifeng’s snow-white long eyebrows moved without any wind, a trace of surprise flashing in his deep eyes.

At the moment of confronting Lu Xuan’s aura, he clearly perceived it.

This notorious Dongchang Chief had stepped into the Grandmaster realm, equal to his own!

This was also the reason Master Mingku lost his composure in public.

The notorious Dongchang Chief in front of him, although his aura had the rawness of someone who had recently made a breakthrough, it hid a sharp edge that made Mr. Beifeng’s heart tremble.

No wonder he’s the renowned Factory Chief, the "Extreme Cold Palm" he displayed was also said to be a long-lost sinister secret in the martial world.

The Cold Ice Gang Essence in his palm surged and wandered flexibly in the void, where it passed, the bluestone ground formed web-like ice patterns, and even the air emitted a teeth-chattering freezing sound.

Even more troublesome was that the Cold Ice Gang Essence could control the temperature within a ten-foot radius at will.

Seeing this, Mr. Beifeng sighed internally.

If the other side harbored retreat, with such an unpredictable Cold Skill, even if he exerted full effort, he might not have absolute confidence to keep him.

Under the blazing sun, Mr. Beifeng’s figure, seated on the ground, seemed to become a stone statue in the glaring sunlight.

He slowly closed his eyes, his calloused fingers powerlessly loosened, and the hundred-year-old Bodhi Buddha Beads that had accompanied him for decades suddenly snapped.

A hundred and eight warm beads fell like teardrops, bouncing and spinning on the scorching bluestone ground, emitting a delicate and crisp "tata" sound.

"Amitabha Buddha..."

The Buddhist name squeezed from Mr. Beifeng’s throat, like a sigh from the depths of time.

The once straight spine suddenly bent, the jagged bones under the robe seemed unable to bear the invisible pressure.

He gazed at the scattered Buddha Beads on the ground, each stained with the years of sandalwood incense.

But now, they were like shattered cause and effect, rolling into the shadow of the armor of the Jinyi Guard.

"All things have cause and effect; Sir Factory Chief being able to visit today must also be guided by my Buddha."

A hot gust of wind lifted a few grains of sand, blurring Mr. Beifeng’s turbid eyes.

Even if the monks of the Mingfo Temple could shield themselves with flesh and blood against this elite force of over ten thousand,

then what next?

The Mingfo Temple would be branded as rebels, and when those three hundred thousand iron cavalry stationed in the capital arrived,

this thousand-year-old ancient monastery would turn to scorched earth in an instant.

More terrifyingly, when a monk’s meditation staff in his hand was stained with blood,

Buddha’s compassion became illusory, and the thousand-year legacy of Buddhist Dharma would be destroyed.

All the concerns in Mr. Beifeng’s heart had already been seen through by Lu Xuan.

This was also why Lu Xuan wanted to temporarily maintain the identity of the Dongchang Chief.

Outside the palace, the Dongchang Chief is the symbol of the supreme imperial power of the Great Yu Empire, representing the will of all the people under the heavens.

This old bald donkey truly understands the skill of "eloquence like a lotus," even his surrender sounded so dignified.

Lu Xuan’s eyes flashed with some surprise — he had expected this old monk to resist to the death, yet had not expected him to be so transparent.

"Sir Factory Chief, please follow me to the Treasure Pavilion, where the Seven Treasure Glazed Lotus is enshrined..."

Before Mr. Beifeng could finish speaking, Lu Xuan’s cold voice cut him off directly.

"No need, I will wait here."

Lu Xuan shut his eyes again, how could he not know the old monk’s thoughts?

If he really followed him into the temple, who knows what kind of Buddhist Grand Array might be waiting for him.

"Do not play tricks, if I don’t see the item within half an hour, I shall turn this thousand-year-old temple to naught."

"You know, I am not fond of jokes!"