Chapter 157: Let the Buddhist Sect Come See Me

“Shouldn’t such atrocious acts be first announced to the world so that all parties know the inside story?”

Hearing this, Gu Xuanong thought to himself, “It seems that although Chen Sha is young, he is already a qualified ruler. Not only is his martial arts cultivation astonishing, but his ability to manipulate human nature and the general trend of events is no less than that of an ordinary emperor.

“This is truly a brilliant move.

“Before the battle even begins, he’s driving the Buddhist Sect into the abyss. This way, even if the world is filled with all sorts of discussions, the commoners and martial artists who have a favorable impression of the Buddhist Sect won’t dare to easily voice their support.

“After all, as a major sect for five thousand years, the Buddhist Sect’s ideology has taken root in the hearts of a portion of the people across the Divine Land. The number of households that believe in Buddhism is immeasurable.”

“Sect Leader Chen is truly insightful and experienced.” Gu Xuanong stood with his hands behind his back. “We shall proceed according to Sect Leader Chen’s words. I will immediately have someone draft an imperial edict and broadcast this matter to the world, officially pinning the crime on the Water Moon Temple first…”

Halfway through his sentence, he looked at Chen Sha. He wondered what would come next.

Chen Sha, however, no longer looked at him. He turned around and said, “My visit to the Yuan Country is actually to save someone, so it wouldn’t hurt to give the Water Moon Temple a chance to redeem themselves. Teng Zijing…”

The Great Roc Demon King immediately cupped his hands. “Your subordinate is here.”

Chen Sha ordered, “While Emperor Yuan announces this to the world, you will go to the Water Moon Temple on my behalf and deliver a message.”

The Great Roc Demon King replied, “Please speak, Master.”

Chen Sha said, “Tell them about what happened back then. Say that their past deeds have been exposed, and demand that the Buddhist Sect bring the main culprit to see me themselves.”

The Great Roc Demon King asked woodenly, “And if they refuse?”

Chen Sha sneered coldly, “Then they are refusing the face they are given and not cherishing the chance to live. Since this place of pure cultivation is completely rotten, I don’t think they have any need to exist in this world anymore.”

“Understood!”

After bowing with cupped hands, two wings sprouted from beneath Teng Zijing’s ribs. He soared upwards on the Fuyao, flying in a certain direction within the Yuan Country.

On the city wall.

Everyone who witnessed this scene felt their hearts tense up. In just a few words, the life and death of a great holy land of the Buddhist Sect was decided. Yet, everyone who had witnessed with their own eyes how the seventh-ranked expert in the world was reduced to a mount did not feel for a moment that this young Daoist lacked the ability to back up his words.

The Divine Strategy King and Grand General Xu Bingshu exchanged a glance, the two communicating purely through their eyes. Even a fool could figure out that the Buddhist Sect would never hand over that person from back then. Not to mention that the person who could curse Ancient Bell Spirit must have been at least a Great Innate Level expert even back then. Now, ten or twenty years later, how exalted must this person’s status be within the Buddhist Sect?

Furthermore, the Buddhist Sect had always valued its pristine reputation. Now that the dynasty and Chen Sha were tearing this incredibly dirty and sinful matter right off the Buddhist Sect’s merciful kasaya for all the world to see clearly, no matter who it was, they wouldn’t just stand there and let themselves be covered in filth. They would inevitably deny it and try to explain themselves in every possible way. After all, if they truly had the courage to admit that the Buddhist Sect’s reputation was tarnished, someone wouldn’t have resorted to such underhanded and venomous methods back then.

Therefore, a war between the Daoist Sect and the Buddhist Sect was almost destined to break out. The only unclear variable was just how much profound strength the Buddhist Sect had secretly accumulated over the past thirty years. Could there be a “Nameless Divine Monk” hidden among them capable of contending with Sect Leader Chen?

Only Emperor Yuan Gu Xuanong had some inkling about this. Would the “Drinking Monk”—who had defeated the fourth-ranked expert in the world, Yan Chimei—step forward for the Water Moon Temple this time?

Water Moon Temple.

It was located in Jinling of the Yuan Country. Within the Yuan Country, Jinling had served as the ancient capital for multiple generations. The Yuan Country had a history of five thousand years. During this time, the throne had experienced numerous upheavals. Although moving the capital was not a frequent occurrence, spanning across five thousand years, it had still happened more than a dozen times. Among them, Jinling had become the capital city of the Yuan Country multiple times throughout history.

The Water Moon Temple was the largest nunnery in the world, situated ten miles outside the north gate of Jinling City. This place took it upon itself to extensively study all religious sects in the world, hoping to find the grand avenue to shatter the void. It was also a place for cultivating Buddhist Techniques.

As one of the two great pillars of the Buddhist Sect, just like the major sects of the Daoist Sect, the divine spirit worshipped in the Water Moon Temple held a status in the Buddhist Sect comparable to True Martial, Queen Mother, and other gods.

That was Avalokitesvara.

The so-called “Water Moon” was one of the thousand forms of Avalokitesvara—the Water Moon Guanyin. The Water Moon Temple, which worshipped the Water Moon Guanyin, covered a full thousand acres outside Jinling City. To the local commoners, it was the Buddhist Sect holy land that Buddhist disciples all over the world yearned for the most. To martial artists, it was one of the two top-tier sects of the Buddhist Sect.

Today was the day the current Sect Leader of the Water Moon Temple, Anx Ruyue, was giving a sermon.

Apart from the local commoners, there were also many martial artists who came to listen, hoping to comprehend a martial arts secret manual from the scriptures. This was not an empty rumor, as the Water Moon Temple’s “Three Visions Scripture” truly had such a miraculous effect. The so-called “Three Visions” were: to see heaven and earth, to see all living beings, and to see oneself.

When the Water Moon Temple gave sermons, they only spoke of the realm and the spirit. Although they did not teach Qi Transmission and Guidance, they could still make people see their own “Free Marvelous Appearance” within the Sect Leader’s voice. If one could fully comprehend it, all principles would be understood.

“Avalokitesvara, perceive freedom, perceive that the five aggregates are empty, perceive all suffering and distress…”

“I, Avalokitesvara, perceive freedom. When I see heaven and earth, I see all living beings. When I see all living beings, I see myself. I see that all appearances are not appearances, and I see the Tathagata…”

The voice delivering the sermon was extremely ethereal. When the crowd looked over, they saw a woman in white with uncut hair, wearing a light veil over her head. She simply sat there, yet she seemed to possess the ability and aura to draw everything into an illusion realm of purity. Like truth, like an illusion, she was touching to the extreme.

And beside Anx Ruyue stood an absolutely stunning woman in white. She carried a sword on her back as she listened to the sermon. Her aura was light and agile, like a transcendent being who did not consume the smoke and fire of the mortal realm.

“The one beside Sect Leader Anx must be the next successor of the Water Moon Temple, Ms. Guan Miaoshan, right? She’s truly beautiful beyond description…”

“Shut up! How can you speak like that in a Buddhist Sect holy land…”

However, right at this moment.

WOOOSH!

WOOOSH WOOOSH WOOOSH!

In the sky above the Buddhist Sect holy land, a fierce wind suddenly kicked up, as if a tornado storm had arrived. A powerful pressure descended, forcing the trees within the holy land to bend at their waists. The crowd of incense-burning believers, martial artists, and commoners were all blinded by the blowing wind and sand.

They could only faintly sense that amidst the endless, hurricane-like air currents, a resounding figure swooped down from the high heavens. In front of the watchful crowd, it appeared before the Water Moon Temple’s Sect Leader Anx Ruyue and her successor Guan Miaoshan.

WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Even though the strong air currents obscured people’s vision, the Water Moon Sect Leader preaching on the stage maintained an expression as placid as an ancient well. She simply stopped her sermon and slowly looked at the newcomer.

“So it is Layman Great Roc Demon King gracing the Water Moon Temple.” Anx Ruyue slowly parted her red lips, her voice neither happy nor sad. “Our Buddhist Sect has no past grievances with you, Layman. I wonder why you have come to disturb the peace of our Buddhist Sect?”

The Great Roc Demon King said expressionlessly, “I, Teng Zijing, am merely delivering a message for my Master. Your Water Moon Temple’s past deeds have been exposed. You are given a ten-day limit for the Buddhist Sect to bring the main culprit who cast the ‘Mid-Yin Purification Body Spell’ on Gu Rusu back then, and head to Yuanjing to see him.”

Anx Ruyue’s originally pure and flawless face had looked somewhat bewildered when she heard the word “exposed,” but immediately after, she heard the name Gu Rusu…

Gu Rusu…

Her state of mind visibly froze for a moment. She slowly fixed her gaze on Teng Zijing. “Your Master? Who is he?”

“Dao Yi Chen Sha.”