The young monk, Jingshan, stumbled back three steps. He stared at his fists in disbelief, then at Li Chang’an, whose robes hadn’t even rustled. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
’Why? Why did my strongest attack hit him and just... vanish, like mud sinking into the sea? It didn’t do a single thing!’
"Holy shit, is that Saint Monk holding back, or are my eyes deceiving me?"
"After that many punches, even if the Crown Prince Dayan had a body of steel, he should’ve been beaten into a pulp by now, right? How has he not moved a single step?"
The surrounding Jianghu people were equally dumbfounded.
They clearly couldn’t fathom how something so absurd could happen.
Of course, with so many people watching, there were bound to be some with discerning eyes. Seeing Li Chang’an stand completely still, one of them couldn’t help but exclaim, "True Essence Protection... Don’t tell me... Don’t tell me Crown Prince Dayan is a Grandmaster?"
"Impossible! The Crown Prince Dayan is only ten years old! Since when was the Grandmaster Realm so easy to reach?"
"Exactly. As far as I know, even the Cyan Yang Daoist, hailed three hundred years ago as a once-in-a-generation talent, was nearly fifty when he became a Grandmaster..."
Outside Buddha Light Temple, the crowd of Jianghu people erupted into a flurry of hushed, urgent discussions.
Limited by their own strength and insight, the crowd from the Jianghu couldn’t be certain how Li Chang’an had remained completely motionless under the young monk’s furious assault.
However, as fellow Grandmasters, Elder Monk Huixuan and the current Patriarch of the Li Family understood perfectly. And for that very reason, they both wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost. A chilling sensation washed over them, as if a basin of icy water had been dumped on them in the dead of winter, the cold seeping through their skin and into the marrow of their bones.
This bone-deep chill solidified into a fear so profound that, for a moment, it robbed them of their ability to speak.
...
In the center of the courtyard, Li Chang’an watched the young monk, whose face was a mask of shock and doubt. Li Chang’an’s own expression was impassive, betraying neither joy nor sorrow.
Under his gaze, the young monk’s expression turned grim. He gritted his teeth. "Why? How is this possible? Are you wearing some kind of Defensive Magical Artifact?"
He simply couldn’t make sense of what had happened.
So, when he finally regained his wits, he subconsciously attributed the terrifying defense Li Chang’an had just displayed to some Defensive Magical Artifact.
Li Chang’an had no interest in wasting any more words with him. "A rare treasure, a Cultivation Technique, or your life," he said again. "Choose quickly. If you don’t, I’ll choose for you!"
Seeing himself completely ignored, the indifference in Li Chang’an’s eyes was that of a giant looking down upon a tiny ant.
The young monk was highly revered throughout the entire Buddhist Sect. When had he ever suffered such contempt from an outsider?
He let out a furious roar and shouted, "Arhat Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle!"
As his voice faded,
a Magical Artifact radiating a brilliant Buddhist light shot forth from the depths of the Buddhist Sect. It streaked across the sky like a meteor and landed in the young monk’s hand.
The moment they saw the golden Magical Artifact, the already boisterous crowd erupted into another uproar.
"Holy crap, the Arhat Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle! Legend says it’s the Treasure Pestle that Buddha himself left behind when he journeyed west to vanquish demons..."
"Buddha Light Temple possesses even this supreme treasure of the Buddhist Sect?!"
"You wouldn’t know, but I heard that Treasure Pestle was bestowed upon Buddha Light Temple by the Buddhist Court to serve as its guardian treasure. From now on, Buddha Light Temple is set to become the first bastion for the Buddhist Sect’s mission to spread its teachings in the Central Plains!"
"I can’t believe that young monk can summon the Demon-Slaying Treasure Pestle directly. His understanding of the Buddhist Dharma must be incredibly profound!"
"But isn’t the Buddhist Sect cheating? Crown Prince Dayan doesn’t even have a Treasure Artifact!"
Amidst the excitement, many of the Jianghu people began to think the Buddhist Sect was playing dirty. After all, no matter how arrogant Li Chang’an was, he wasn’t holding any Weapon.
Yet that young monk of the Buddhist Sect had directly summoned a Grandmaster’s Magical Artifact. He had thrown all face away.
The young monk in the center of the courtyard clearly saw nothing wrong with his actions. Gripping the Demon-Subduing Pestle, his confidence surged. He roared like an Asura, "I’d like to see which is stronger—your Defensive Magical Artifact, or the Demon-Subduing Pestle in my hands!"
Before the words left his mouth, he leaped into the air. The Demon-Subduing Pestle in his hand instantly erupted with a brilliant Buddhist light as he brought it crashing down on Li Chang’an.
Just as everyone thought Li Chang’an was doomed,
the impassive Li Chang’an’s expression finally shifted. With a faint smile, he reached out and effortlessly snatched the Demon-Subduing Pestle from the young monk’s grasp. He examined it for a moment, then chuckled. "Not bad. This is a fine treasure. It’s worth your life. Now, scram!"
As he spoke, he casually swatted the young monk, sending him flying as if he were batting away a mosquito.
The young monk collapsed to the ground, vomiting blood, his face a mask of utter bewilderment.
Clearly, even now, he had no idea what he was up against. He couldn’t dare to imagine that the power Li Chang’an had just displayed... wasn’t from some external force or Magical Artifact, but a part of his own inherent strength!
Staring in horror at the dumbfounding scene before them, the thousand-plus Jianghu Martial Artists surrounding Buddha Light Temple fell into a sudden, dead silence.
Everyone was so stunned that the once-heated discussions died down completely.
Li Chang’an tossed the Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle he had just acquired into a treasure chest behind him. He then turned back to face Li Sheng and Elder Monk Huixuan at the temple gate and said coolly, "Would you two masters like to come at me together?"
Seeing his disciple beaten to the point of vomiting blood and the guardian treasure of Buddha Light Temple confiscated, Elder Monk Huixuan’s expression finally turned grave.
Although he refused to believe it,
the signs were undeniable: the Crown Prince Dayan before him... was very likely a true Grandmaster!
’In other words,’ he thought, ’I, an old man who has lived for nearly two hundred years, am now in the same Realm as a ten-year-old child...’
’If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes...’
’...Elder Monk Huixuan wouldn’t have dared to imagine such a thing, not even in his wildest dreams.’
’Even if Buddha himself were to be reincarnated with all his memories, he couldn’t possibly reach the Grandmaster Realm at this age, could he?’
’Could this young man’s origins be even more extraordinary than Buddha’s?’
A storm of emotions brewed in Hui Xuan’s eyes as he stared at Li Chang’an. His gaze shifted constantly—one moment filled with killing intent, the next as if he were looking at a priceless, one-of-a-kind treasure, and the next filled with apprehension and dread.
One could only imagine the complexity of the emotions warring within him.
However, regardless of his thoughts, the honor of the Buddhist Sect and its Magical Artifact could not be lost. He pressed his palms together in a bow. "Crown Prince, my unworthy disciple was too impulsive just now. I apologize to you on his behalf. The Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle is a supreme treasure of our Buddhist Sect. I implore you, Your Highness, on account of the Buddhist Sect, to please return the Treasure Pestle!"
Li Chang’an raised an eyebrow. His mood, which had been perfectly stable until now, began to shift.
But now, he couldn’t help but let out a humorless laugh. "Heh, that’s an interesting thing to say. When your disciple was trying to smash this Crown Prince’s skull with the Demon-Subduing Pestle, you stood by and did nothing to stop him. Now that I’ve taken it, you step forward to demand it back? How shameless can your Buddhist Sect be? You think this Crown Prince has to give you face?"
He paused, his tone turning frigid. "I’ve long heard that the Buddhist Sect is shameless and twists right and wrong, but I never thought I’d get to see it firsthand. You’ve truly opened this Crown Prince’s eyes today!"
His words were incredibly cutting.
They utterly trampled upon the lofty image the Buddhist Sect worked so hard to promote.
Since this was still the Buddhist Sect’s territory, the surrounding Jianghu people didn’t dare voice their agreement, but inwardly, they were applauding wildly.
Seeing that he had no intention of returning the Demon-Slaying Treasure Pestle,
Monk Hui Xuan’s mouth twitched. He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to lash out. "If Your Highness desires compensation, the Buddhist Sect can offer other treasures in its place. However, the Demon-Subduing Pestle is fundamental to our sect. I cannot allow it to be lost!"
Hearing him make such a definitive statement, Li Chang’an’s lips curled into a cold smirk. "Oh? This Crown Prince wants your Buddhist Sect’s Bodhi Fruit. If you can bring it to me, I will return the Demon-Subduing Pestle immediately!"
Hearing the two words "Bodhi Fruit" again,
Hui Xuan’s face fell completely, his voice turning icy. "Benefactor, the sea of bitterness is boundless; it is not too late to turn back. Do not make things difficult for me!"
Clearly, Li Chang’an’s refusal to do things the easy way had thoroughly enraged him. His words were no different from a blatant threat.
The surrounding Jianghu Martial Artists inwardly cursed the Buddhist Sect’s shamelessness while silently taking a few steps back. They were afraid that if they kept watching the show, they might end up splattered with blood.
Li Chang’an had come here today to cause trouble, so he wasn’t about to back down. He grinned, flashing a set of pearly white teeth. "I’m not making things difficult for you," he chuckled. "If you want the Demon-Subduing Pestle, you’re welcome to come and take it yourself..."
Arrogant. Unbridled...
Utterly domineering!
This was the impression Li Chang’an gave everyone, but now, no one dared to think he was just being reckless.
Even so,
publicly provoking a Grandmaster still made many people’s eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
The old monk’s chest heaved, his breathing visibly heavier.
But before he could speak, Li Sheng, who had been silently observing from the side, was the first to speak. His voice dripped with killing intent. "You little bastard, you still have a blood feud with the Li Family to settle. Since you’re in such a hurry to die, I’ll grant you your wish right now!"
"It is indeed time for a reckoning!" Li Chang’an accepted all comers. He glanced at Hui Xuan. "Don’t say I’m bullying you. That old bald monk over there can join in too. I’m in a hurry!"
As his voice fell, he stopped concealing his aura.
He unleashed the power of a late-stage Grandmaster, his Nine Heavens Chaos Technique operating at full force. He became like a walking Black Hole, and the surrounding Martial Artists could clearly feel the ambient Energy of the world flowing endlessly toward him.
Li Chang’an shot forward like a cannonball. Li Sheng had only taken a few steps before Li Chang’an, moving with impossible speed, was already upon him. He thrust out his palm with a low roar, "Infinite Heaven and Earth Palm!"
The palm of his right hand swirled with a hazy, chaotic light. Tumultuous Energy, seeming on the verge of exploding, surged violently toward Li Sheng’s chest.
Feeling the terrifying power contained within Li Chang’an’s palm,
Li Sheng’s eyes widened in fury and terror, his very soul seeming to flee his body.
Although he had sensed something was wrong with Li Chang’an and had prepared himself for a fight, he had never imagined his opponent’s strength had reached such a terrifying level.
A single palm strike, and it was enough to make a Grandmaster like him feel the chill of death!
...