Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

At Mount Daguangming, within the Honored Buddha Hall, the Buddha Head Xuan Ku smiled faintly as he held up a flower.

The heads of various halls sat on either side, all looking contentedly at the young and elegant monk in the center of the hall.

At this moment, Shen Hui's Buddha light was restrained, and his cultivation aura reached the ninth level of the True Person Realm.

"Shen Hui, I had originally intended to bestow the Buddha bone relics upon you to strengthen your foundation and help you break through to the next realm and certify the fruit of Arhat once you had diligently cultivated into the ninth level of the True Person Realm by yourself,"

"However, that Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain has now challenged you to a duel, and I cannot do this anymore."

"This time as you refine the Buddha bone relics, have you had any new insights? What are your thoughts and strategies regarding the upcoming debate with the Daoist?"

"Master, thanks to the generous love of all my uncles and senior monks, with the help of the Buddha bone relics, I have also realized one more seed of supernatural ability during this retreat. My cultivation has been progressing day by day. In this upcoming contest, Shen Hui dares not speak rashly of certain victory, but I will not be defeated!"

Shen Hui spoke with an even tone, neither hasty nor slow, yet his words inadvertently revealed immense self-confidence.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of an old acquaintance.

A Daoist named Yi Chengzi, who came from a fallen small temple but nonetheless put immense pressure on him.

"What a pity, Yi Chengzi. If you had been born in Dragon Tiger Mountain, you would definitely have been the rival of my lifetime. It's unfortunate that without a wise mentor or resources, you are now behind Shen Hui who has taken a shortcut," he thought.

Thinking about his agreement with Yi Chengzi one year from now, Shen Hui couldn't help but heave a deep sigh. The Buddha said that all beings are equal, but when have the many beings in this world ever truly experienced equality?

"Shen Hui, you were born with an innate intelligence and profound Buddha-nature. Don't be concerned about temporary gains and losses; just do your best in the contest. Do not use any secret techniques that greatly damage your foundation just to fight for a moment's pride."

"If you win, rejoice; if you lose, accept it cheerfully." Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Your path in Buddhism is long. The union of the three realms is the will of heaven. In such a splendid era, the one who laughs last is the real winner. You must stay true to your heart."

Surrounded by the approving nods of the heads of halls, the Buddha Head Xuan Ku suddenly spoke out to admonish, his eyes twinkling with the light of wisdom.

"I will heed the Master's teachings."

"Oh? I did not expect such distinguished guests to visit. The day of the contest is near. Shen Hui, you should prepare well and then follow your uncle monks on the Buddha boat to go there."

Suddenly, the Buddha Head's expression changed, and he dismissed everyone from the great hall.

In the large Honored Buddha Hall now emptied of people, only the whispers of chanting echoed, persisting for a long time.

Clear footsteps entered the hall, creating miraculous phenomena. The giant bell suspended high in the Buddha Hall seemed to resonate as if struck by unseen hands.

Accompanied by the solemn and awe-inspiring sound of the bell, a tall monk draped in a fiery red kasaya arrived before Xuan Ku.

This person was extremely robust, resembling a Buddhist stupa.

"The Evilslaying Monk Jue Xin from Great Weide Heavenly Dragon Temple, greets the Buddha Head!" The tall monk bowed deeply towards Xuan Ku.

"An Arhat does not visit the Three Jewels Hall without reason. May I ask what brings the great master to Mount Daguangming today?" Xuan Ku's face remained calm as he twisted the Buddha beads in his hand, his eyes as still as a deep pool.

"The Evilslaying Monk visits today on behalf of our Buddhist community, seeking to borrow the heavenly eye relic of Mount Daguangming."

"For what purpose do you wish to borrow the relic?"

"To seek someone out, to slay evil."

"Whom do you seek to kill?"

"The number one young person of the Dao Sect, from Hidden Dragon Temple, Yi Chengzi."

"What has this person done to deserve such a fate?"

"This person has been excessively murderous, flaunting his killings in the Jiangnan Circuit, annihilating the Baihuo Dao, suppressing the Minghuo Sect, colluding with the Town Peace Office, destroying our Buddha Gate's ancient Han Shan Temple, and there are rumors that he has killed to seize treasures, bullying men and overpowering women—there are too many crimes to put on paper."

The Buddha Head remained silent and did not respond; the air in the great hall became suddenly still.

After a while, the Evilslaying Monk spoke again, breaking the silence:

"Buddha Head, with the union of the three lands imminent, Eastern Continent and Western Continent are both on high alert, and we need to gather our strengths quickly, consuming and breaking down the Dao Sect to be prepared for the future."

"We cannot have another Zhang Ji Shi from the Dao Sect."

"This person's cultivation advances at an astonishing rate. He is now comparable to a near True Monarch, which is truly alarming."

"Moreover, there is already talk at Dragon Tiger Mountain of the Heavenly Master wishing to take Yi Chengzi as a disciple. If it weren't for the strenuous opposition from the lineage of True Monarch Yuan Hong, this matter might have already come to pass. Buddha Head, delay may breed trouble."

Xuan Ku continued to swirl his prayer beads, finally speaking out, "After all, this person has only become an unconventional Dao cultivator. His future path is fraught with peril, and he lacks the support to sustain him; why make much of it?"

"Buddha Head, ten thousand years ago, the Marshal also became an unconventional Dao cultivator. This person's progression in cultivation is too shockingly unconventional. Given time, I fear the Dao Sect will produce another figure to rival the Marshal. For the sake of our Buddhist community's grand scheme, this is the best opportunity."

"If this person gains backing, it will become nearly impossible to take action against him later on."

"The world will soon undergo a great change, and only by uniting as one can our Buddhist sects save the common folk. If the Daoist sect produces another astonishing figure who hampers our efforts, we'll miss this once-in-a-millennium opportunity to completely subdue the Daoist sect."

Xuan Ku sighed once more, his face showing a pained expression, "What do you think the True Monarch Heavenly Dragon said about this matter?"

The True Monarch Heavenly Dragon is the current presiding monk of the Great Weide Heavenly Dragon Temple. This person is exceptionally talented, having reached the intermediate stage of interruption of the Dao in just four hundred years, and with his adept social maneuvering, he has always promoted the unity of the Buddhist sects, aspiring to establish a Buddha Kingdom on earth and reshape the cosmos. His ideas are enormously popular among the many monasteries and temples.

Jue Xin bowed once again before speaking in a solemn voice:

"Back to Buddhaship, the True Monarch said,"

[Boundless green mountains hide the Way,]

[Great sands bury the royal courts deep,]

[Buddhism, by nature, leads the sects,]

[How can others sit in equal name?]

"Buddhaship, on this matter, we at the Great Weide Heavenly Dragon Temple harbor no selfish desires."

"Killing to protect life, if in the future the Daoist and Buddhist sects clash continuously, it will only bring more suffering to the common folk. As for the sins of this, Jue Xin is willing to bear them alone."

"This person is extremely cunning, and with a mystical artifact interfering with divination, his whereabouts are unpredictable. This is why I am asking to borrow the Buddha Beads from Buddhaship."

"I know Buddhaship is compassionate. I can assure you, if this person is willing to submit, I can bring him back to the Great Weide Heavenly Dragon Temple for purification. And, even if he stubbornly resists, I will try my best not to harm his life."

Having said this, Xuan Ku had no reason to refuse; he knew that the other temples had likely already consented. If he were to refuse now, he would isolate himself from his peers.

He had experienced firsthand the powerful methods of the True Monarch Heavenly Dragon.

"So be it. Since the decision of the Arhat is made, you go and pass my decree to the head of the Discipline Institute to take the Buddha Beads," Xuan Ku relented.

Achieving his goal, the Evilslaying Monk couldn't help but show a faint smile. He recited a Buddhist chant and then left the great hall.

The doors of the Grand Buddha Hall slowly closed.

The hall fell quiet, with only the continuous murmuring of sutra chanting echoing within.

"True Monarch Heavenly Dragon."

A certain inexplicable look flashed in Buddhaship Xuan Ku's eyes, he murmured softly, and then slowly closed his eyes.

Inside the temple at this moment.

The golden bodies of the gods and Buddhas were still resplendent, and the ancient temples continued their solemn and stately chanting.

...

...

Five days later.

The capital.

In a tranquil place suspended in the sky, within the secluded Qinglan Residence, a silver-haired man stood next to the railing, gazing off into the distance.

His features were striking, with clear, sharp lines, in the prime of his life, and his deep eyes possessed a distant clarity as his chin lifted in a determined and graceful arc. Though he was merely wearing a simple white robe, he could not conceal the compelling nobility about him.

More unforgettable than his remarkable appearance were his eyes—deep, bright, and always sparkling with the light of wisdom.

This man was Yan Jiexi, the current Family Head of the Yan Family of the capital.

Yan Family Head leaned on the railing, standing there with a natural aura of sharpness, like an arrow just released from the bow.

On the balcony of this Qinglan Residence, another man sat with a red imprint like a fingertip on his forehead, with a broad face and large ears, and an appearance of constant amiability, almost as if he were always smiling. His build was somewhat portly, and right now, he was staring intently at the chessboard in front of him, unable to decide where to place his piece made of fine white jade.

True Monarch Sanmu wiped the chessboard helplessly, "No more, this game ends in a draw. I say, Old Yan, you really have some clever tactics, to have connected with the Great Weide Heavenly Dragon Temple and asked that grand monk to serve as your blade. I'm impressed, truly impressed!"

Yan Family Head didn't turn around, but continued to look into the distance, his voice coming through magnetically, "As long as one is human, one has flaws. With flaws, we can resolve him."

"Uniting the Dao to control Buddhism, uniting Buddhism to control Dao, isn't this how Da Yue has been doing things for these years?"

"If they want a pretext, I'll give them one, a reason, I'll give them one."

"I'm just adept in understanding human nature and leading by taking advantage of the situation."

"Piao Xue doesn't want me to personally act against Yi Chengzi, it's not my fault if the Buddhist sect takes action."

Suddenly, Yan Family Head turned his head, gave a light laugh towards True Monarch Sanmu, a hint of arrogance and pride twinkling in his eyes.