The Fleeting Buddha Form

Wanfo Temple.

The elderly monk's reply was resounding, but sometimes, a louder voice doesn't signify truth—rather, the more forceful the response, the more likely it conceals deception.

A booming tone can mask one's unease.

Chu Xingchen had no intention of pressing further. Matters still needed to be handled one step at a time.

Xu Jin's plan remained highly valuable for reference. The old monk's words might not be trustworthy, but the final destination of the faith energy and how it was managed couldn't be falsified.

Besides, some things were better handled alone.

Chu Xingchen cast a glance at Xu Jin, transmitting his voice through spiritual energy:

"Withdraw as soon as the task is done."

Xu Jin gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Chu Xingchen then turned his gaze back to the elderly monk and said,

"Whether it's true or not, you know it, and so do I. This visit is merely a message. If we can catch you, our Divine Sect can catch others elsewhere. Take this news back to those golden-shining Buddhas of yours."

"Our Divine Sect demands a share. Otherwise, prepare to join us in the shadows."

With that, he unleashed the full power of the Baiqing Great Art.

The elderly monk's eyes widened abruptly before he collapsed, his face drained of color.

Yet, the moment the monk fell, the golden Buddha statue seemed to sense something—its lowered gaze shifted sideways.

Chu Xingchen's expression hardened instantly. Just as he was about to summon Wanbian, a flash of cold light streaked past him, slicing through the golden Buddha's eyes.

"An Instant Buddha Avatar—the bald donkey already called for reinforcements. Move, now!" Xu Jin's voice turned grave.

The golden radiance from the statue had initially seemed like a scare tactic, but the monk hadn't hesitated—without even assessing their strength or numbers, he had immediately summoned aid.

Truly, when it came to caution, the Eighteen Immortal Sects of Zhongzhou were cut from the same cloth—never taking risks.

Their future investigations would require extreme care.

But in the next moment, the great Buddha surged with absorbed faith energy, its golden light blazing forth.

The statue's mouth remained closed, yet a voice, solemn and commanding, resonated:

"The sea of suffering has no shore—repent and turn back."

Buddhist radiance rippled through the hall, transforming the surroundings into a churning ocean as space itself trembled.

Xu Jin's expression darkened. He transmitted urgently,

"Take Lizhi and go. I'll cover the retreat—but my identity here may no longer stay hidden."

The Instant Buddha Avatar was a divine ability only possessed by high-ranking Buddhist cultivators. While Xu Jin could handle it, victory didn't mean he could continue operating unnoticed in the Western Oxen Continent.

This would inevitably alert their enemies, making Xu Jin a marked man under the Buddhist sects' scrutiny.

Yet the Buddhists' extreme vigilance only confirmed their involvement in something significant.

Regardless, one of their identities had to remain intact. With time pressing, Xu Jin had no choice but to step forward—better one exposed than both.

Chu Xingchen channeled spiritual energy to lift Lizhi, then flung her toward Xu Jin.

"I have means to escape undetected. You take her first."

Without hesitation, Xu Jin caught Lizhi and transformed into a streak of light, disregarding the distorted space and Buddhist radiance as he sped away.

"Greed and obsession only lead to self-destruction."

The golden Buddha's voice boomed, its sacred tones reverberating as faith energy and golden light surged toward Xu Jin, attempting to ensnare them both.

Layer after layer of illusions shattered under the Buddha's radiance.

Chu Xingchen acted swiftly, retrieving a long-unused monkey mask from his spatial ring.

A surge of bloody energy erupted, clashing with the golden light to buy Xu Jin enough time to escape with Lizhi.

Xu Jin didn't look back, but his spiritual sense swept over the overwhelming bloody energy behind him. He could only marvel—what an incredible illusion technique.

Not a single trace of artifice could be detected; the blood energy felt so real it was indistinguishable from truth.

No wonder Chu Xingchen claimed he could escape unnoticed—this skill was undeniably formidable.

Realizing Xu Jin was beyond reach, the golden Buddha's gaze—now healed from the sword slash—locked onto Chu Xingchen.

Its voice rang like a tolling bell, carrying inherent authority:

"A bloodsucking insect dares approach the Thunderclap Monastery?!"

Dharma soundwaves shook the surroundings, tearing through the illusions.

Chu Xingchen didn't resist, withdrawing his technique. His eyes gleamed crimson as he grinned at the golden statue.

"Bloodsucking insects? Aren't those seated in the Thunderclap Monastery the same?"

The Buddha's radiance intensified, a phantom Buddhist paradise manifesting behind it.

"Filthy creature, defiling the sacred path! Submit now, repent, and seek enlightenment!"

In an instant, the gates of the Buddhist paradise swung open. Countless graceful, multi-posed hands stretched forth—hundreds, thousands—reaching to seize Chu Xingchen.

Their movements seemed slow, yet they arrived before him in a flash.

"I see your Buddhist order as nothing but a farce of clowns, drowning in delusion."

Wanbian in Chu Xingchen's grip morphed into a ghastly greatblade. Facing the sea of hands, he simply raised the weapon and slashed down without hesitation.

Blood energy detonated, pure killing intent fused with crimson Dao resonance, cleaving toward the myriad Buddha hands.

The hands pressed down relentlessly, momentarily suppressing the spreading blood energy.

Yet the Buddha's expression remained stern, more hands emerging endlessly from the paradise behind it.

"You want my submission? Tell your Buddha to vacate his seat—let our Divine Sect take it, and we'll show you what true integrity looks like!"

Chu Xingchen's voice echoed from within the swarm of hands before the blood energy erupted like a flood, devouring the Buddha hands one by one before surging toward the golden statue itself.

The shockwaves of their clash should have flattened the temple, but the incoming faith energy neutralized the destruction.

Clearly, Wanfo Temple held immense importance to the Buddhists—not only guarded by a Nascent Soul cultivator but also protected by an Instant Buddha Avatar at great cost.

"Wretched beast, you overstep!"

The Buddha's voice boomed like thunder, repelling the frenzied blood energy.

Chu Xingchen remained calm, deliberately restraining his cultivation to avoid revealing anything suspicious.

The Buddhist sects didn't hold their position in Zhongzhou without reason—their methods and cunning were unparalleled.

Displaying strength beyond what a demonic cultivator should possess would only invite deeper scrutiny.

Seeing the moment ripe, Chu Xingchen infused Wanbian with a scarlet glow, blood mist billowing around him.

The golden Buddha hesitated no longer—its phantom paradise surged forward, hurling itself at Chu Xingchen with full force.

"Beast! Submit to judgment!"

The paradise descended, Buddhist radiance erupting, golden light blotting out the sky.

The night turned bright as day under the glow.

Outside Wanfo Temple, countless devotees prostrated themselves in fervor, chanting scriptures with zeal.

Faith energy surged wildly toward the temple.

Then—silence.

The radiance faded.

The golden Buddha statue gazed upon the empty hall, its indifferent and merciless eyes sweeping over the unconscious elderly monk.

It paid no further heed.

Slowly, the golden Buddha statue returned to its original posture, as if in an instant, it was once more just a statue of gilded divinity.

Its expression remained cold and detached, looking upon all as mere ants.