The sun blazed overhead.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering across the mountain forest like pillars of light and creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere.

To be in its midst was to feel a sense of peace and tranquility.

Even the turmoil in one’s heart seemed to fade away unknowingly.

A Monk, clad in a Kasaya with prayer beads hung around his neck, pressed his palms together. He smiled and bowed to Zhu Ju.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

"Donor Zhu, I’ve long heard of your reputation."

"You are..." His path blocked, Zhu Ju had no choice but to stop and size up the newcomer:

"Yuanye?"

Yuanye, the Abbot of Bamboo Mountain Temple!

"That is I," Yuanye said with a faint smile and a nod, his demeanor as warm and friendly as a neighborhood elder.

"General Wan requests your presence."

"Not interested," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.

"Is that so?" Yuanye glanced past Zhu Ju’s shoulder.

"You’re interested enough to meet with the Situ Family, yet you have no interest in meeting General Wan. Are you not being a bit biased?"

"I have business to discuss with the Situ Family."

"What business?"

"You are a man of the cloth, Master. Why concern yourself with such worldly affairs?" Zhu Ju shrugged and started walking forward again.

"Kindly step aside."

"Amitabha Buddha." Yuanye sighed softly.

"Do you recall your courtyard guard, Tang Yan, and your steward, Yangg Qiu? And the Magician Feng Hongda, who once worked for you?"

"Lady Tian, who sells pastries on the street?"

Hmm?

Zhu Ju’s expression gradually darkened.

"What do you mean?"

"If you accompany this humble monk to see General Wan, they will be fine." Yuanye’s smile never wavered.

"But if you don’t, I can’t guarantee their safety."

He had clearly investigated those close to Zhu Ju beforehand, even down to knowing his fondness for street pastries.

"Monk..." Zhu Ju began to speak.

"Has anyone ever told you you’re disgusting?"

"Amitabha Buddha." Yuanye chanted the name, his face a mask of compassion, just as it had been when he deceived Kongjue all those years ago.

"My Buddha is merciful."

"I simply do not wish to see people die needlessly because of you, Donor. That is a sin worthy of the deepest, frozen Hells."

"Hiding a Demon’s heart, yet putting on the airs of a Saint." Zhu Ju’s eyes filled with disgust, as if he were looking at some misshapen monstrosity.

"Monk, if you think you can threaten me with this, you’ve picked the wrong person."

"I don’t care whether other people live or die. But when this affair leaves me in a sour mood, I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to seek retribution from the General’s Mansion."

"Now get lost!"

"Amitabha Buddha." The smile on Yuanye’s face slowly faded.

He had never met anyone like Zhu Ju before. He was like a rock in a mud pit—completely impervious to persuasion or threats.

He couldn’t be called a bad person.

But he was definitely no saint.

’In that case...’

"The strategists have a saying: first, diplomacy; then, war."

Yuanye straightened his back and spoke slowly.

"There’s also a common saying for those who refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Since you’re unwilling to come of your own accord, you cannot blame this humble monk for using force."

"Om-A-Ba-Zhe-La-Hong..."

He chanted the mantra, his voice suddenly fast, then slow, its rhythm bizarre and twisted. Sound waves rapidly swept through the area.

A fierce wind suddenly tore through the dense forest. Birds cried out unnaturally, insects scrambled in a panic, and even the lifeless fallen leaves trembled violently.

RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...

Leaves danced wildly in the air.

"He-Li-Jia-La-She-Po-Fu..."

Though the sun blazed high in the sky, the dense forest seemed to be enveloped by night, and countless phantoms began to drift between the trees.

Horror!

Gloom!

...

THUD!

THUMP...

One by one, birds fell from the branches—their bodies stiff, their eyes bloodshot, completely lifeless.

The ground writhed.

Countless insects burrowed out from underground, twisting their bodies so frantically that they contorted themselves to death.

In the blink of an eye,

the dense forest had become an Asura Purgatory.

"Be careful!"

Hundreds of yards away,

a middle-aged man with a Sword Box on his back wore a grave expression.

"It’s the Life-Taking Mantra!"

"That old Monk’s Magical Power is profound. We’re being affected even from this distance. If he were to have a fortuitous encounter, he might even become a True Man or a Bodhisattva."

Beside him, Situ Kongli gritted her teeth. Her head was spinning, and she had to quickly circulate her Heart Method to stabilize the restless Qi Blood within her.

"Elder Xie,"

Situ Kongli said,

"Will Young Master Zhu be alright? His ability to find so many Iron Evil Stones is very useful to us."

"Well..." Elder Xie hesitated.

"I do not know."

"However, based on the rumors, his power is not to be underestimated. He shouldn’t fall so easily."

"Then we’ll wait," Situ Kongli said, her eyes narrowing.

"It’s better if he suffers a bit first. It will be more meaningful if you step in to help him at his most perilous moment, Elder."

"Mm." Elder Xie nodded slowly.

"He’s making his move."

"The man truly is extraordinary!"

...

The sound waves pulsed.

For a moment, Zhu Ju felt his temples throb wildly as all sorts of illusions appeared before his eyes.

Lay down your butcher’s knife and become a Buddha.

Lay down your butcher’s knife and become a Buddha.

Lay down your butcher’s knife and become a Buddha...

It was as if countless pale arms were reaching out from the void, dragging his body down into an endless darkness.

"HUM!"

Inner Binding Lion Seal!

Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds!

A vast sound wave exploded in his Sea of Consciousness, instantly suppressing the distracting thoughts.

Furthermore, the Purifying Heart Bodhi sent a cooling sensation through him, creating an invisible barrier that drastically reduced the power of the Life-Taking Mantra.

His vision cleared.

Eh?

Yuanye’s eyes widened in surprise.

The Life-Taking Mantra was a Divine Technique he had cultivated for decades. Even a Great Mage could fall for its trap if they were careless.

’This Zhu Ju’s Divine Soul is strong, but he’s clearly no Great Mage. How did he recover so quickly?’

As the thought flashed through his mind, he continued to chant the Life-Taking Mantra while silently closing the distance.

WHOOSH...

Vajra Seal!

The illusion of an incomparably fierce Buddhist Vajra appeared behind him. It formed a seal with one hand and struck forward.

The Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy from a ten-foot radius converged in its palm.

BOOM!

Powerful Qi surged.

A layer of Protective Gang Force, nearly invisible to the naked eye, appeared before Zhu Ju as his skin took on a metallic sheen.

Earth Evil True Body!

’How is this possible?’

This scene not only disturbed Yuanye’s Zen Heart but also made the eyes of the man watching from afar constrict.

’To withstand a Great Mage’s attack without a scratch... just how tough is his Physical Body?’

’Could it be...’

’that he’s already a True Man?’

"Jia-Duo-Pi-She-Ti..."

Yuanye shouted, pushing his Life-Taking Mantra to its absolute limit as he thrust another palm forward.

PENG!

Thousand-Handed Seal!

This palm strike looked ordinary, but it concealed thousands of strands of Powerful Qi. Like steel wires seeking out fissures, they fiercely pierced through the Protective Gang Force.

BOOM!

The Protective Gang Force finally gave way and shattered. The remaining Powerful Qi struck Zhu Ju, forcing him back two steps.

"Not a bad Palm Technique."

Zhu Ju casually brushed the dust off his clothes and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Now it’s your turn to take a palm strike from me!"

Five Elements Palm!

The Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy converged toward his hand as if drawn into a funnel, and Five Elements Evil Qi erupted from his palm.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

Yuanye’s expression grew solemn, and his Palm Technique shifted.

Tathagata Divine Palm!

In terms of controlling Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, Yuanye, at the Great Mage Realm, far surpassed Zhu Ju, who was only a Mage.

An illusion of a Buddha dozens of feet tall seemed to materialize in the air, its giant hand striking down toward the figure below.

BOOM!

A deafening roar erupted.

Zhu Ju stood his ground, firm and unmoving. Yuanye’s face, however, contorted in shock as his figure blurred in a hasty retreat.

But,

he was still a step too slow.

CRACK!

The sound of bone snapping echoed. Yuanye’s arm bone had been shattered, and blood-soaked shards tore through his skin and flesh, jutting out into the open.

"AHH!"

The excruciating pain made it impossible for Yuanye to maintain his dignified High Monk facade. His face twisted into a demonic snarl as he shrieked,

"You abomination!"

"How dare you injure me!"

He lunged forward, waving his arms, and a thousand phantom limbs suddenly swarmed toward Zhu Ju.

"Hmph!"

Zhu Ju snorted, striking out with a flurry of palm blows.

In his view, without resorting to Magic, Yuanye’s Physical Body was only on par with a Qi Refiner who had just entered the Innate Realm.

Even by using his powerful Divine Soul Power to enhance his Palm Force, he could at most reach the level of a Two Acupoints Innate expert.

It was nowhere near enough to threaten him.

As for his Magic...

it used to be a problem. Take the Life-Taking Mantra, for example; an ordinary Middle-Stage Innate Cultivator would not necessarily be able to withstand it.

But since Zhu Ju possessed the Purifying Heart Bodhi and the Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds, such Divine Soul Secret Techniques were equally incapable of harming him.

His Physical Body was no match, and his Magic was ineffective. What did Zhu Ju have to fear?

"A Great Mage?"

"I’d like to see what other tricks a Great Mage has up his sleeve."

SHIING!

The long saber left its sheath.

Ghost God Limit, First Limit—Thousand Mountains Locking Mist!

Streaks of saber light materialized from thin air, instantly enveloping the area and shredding the swarm of attacking arms to pieces.

WHOOSH...

The afterimages in the field converged, revealing Yuanye, who was retreating in a mad scramble.

His arm,

was completely unharmed!

"Hmm?"

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’So, a so-called Great Mage is someone whose Visualization Object can leave the Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, merge with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, and manifest externally.’

He finally understood what Great Mages in this world were all about.

The Visualization Technique!

The foundation of it all was the Visualization Technique, or more precisely, the Visualization Image.

Magicians condense Profound Light, Mages break open their Ancestral Acupoint, and a Great Mage condenses an illusory form of their Visualization Image within that Acupoint.

As for a True Man...

that Realm must also be related to the Cultivator’s Visualization Object.

"That’s right!"

Yuanye snorted coldly.

"The Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy is infinite. Your Physical Body may be strong, but you will eventually run out of stamina."

"Abomination!"

"You stand before a true Buddha, yet you do not kneel!"

BOOM!

An immense wave of Divine Soul Power surged from his Sea of Consciousness, forming into a Thousand-Handed Buddha dozens of feet tall, which glared down with furious eyes.

The Visualization Technique Yuanye cultivated was precisely the Thousand-Handed Buddha Visualization Image.

And now,

the Buddha had manifested in the world!

Tathagata Divine Palm—Thousand-Handed Form!

A sky-blotting torrent of palm shadows rained down, each strike possessing power comparable to that of an Innate Qi Refiner.

Even with Zhu Ju’s powerful Physical Body, it was becoming difficult to withstand.

Five Elements Palm, Ghost God Limit...

He switched between palm and saber techniques, steadily defending a ten-foot radius against the Thousand-Handed Buddha’s assault.

But just as Yuanye had said, the Dharma Manifestation could draw upon the endless Power of Heaven and Earth, whereas he could not maintain such high-intensity attacks for long.

PENG!

A blast of Powerful Qi erupted.

Zhu Ju was suddenly forced back a step. He gripped the hilt of his saber with one hand, a Spiritual Light flashing in his eyes as his Sword Intent flared to life.

Third Limit—Broken Moon Knocking!

A phantom arc of moonlight sliced through the air. The Thousand-Handed Buddha froze, and a crack appeared on its forehead.

SHHNNK!

The Buddha’s illusion was cleaved in two.

This strike

sliced through both Divine Soul and Physical Body.

It could cut down even a Four Acupoints Innate master; a Great Mage was no exception.

"AHH!"

Yuanye let out a hoarse scream, clutching his forehead. His Divine Soul Power trembled violently before erupting outwards.

BOOM!

Countless arms shot out from between his eyebrows, grasping for Zhu Ju.

They were like frenzied tentacles—bizarre, twisted, and terrifying, yet astonishingly powerful.

SWISH!

Five points of brilliant light suddenly appeared.

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword!

Zhu Ju took a step back, his eyes narrowed to slits. He channeled his Five Elements Sword Technique at full power, sending it to shred the oncoming arms.

Celestial Escape Sword Ring!

Flowing Fire Melting Gold!

...

The sword lights crisscrossed, forming a massive, razor-sharp net. Wherever it passed, phantom ’limbs’ were sent flying.

"Die!"

He guided them with his Sword Formulas.

The five points of light merged into a single line and streaked past Yuanye’s body, over ten meters away.

PFFT!

Yuanye’s body stiffened. A thin line of blood appeared on his forehead, then split wide open.

His body was split in two.

SHING!

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword returned to his waist.

In the distance,

Situ Kongli’s jaw hung open, her face a mask of utter disbelief.

Meanwhile, Elder Xie’s eyes shot wide open, as if he had just discovered a priceless, peerless treasure.

"The Divine Soul Sword Control True Technique!"

"Someone actually managed to comprehend these Sword Formulas from the Ten Thousand Swords Map?"

"You two." Zhu Ju turned and looked in their direction.

"You can come out now, can’t you?"

Situ Kongli and Elder Xie looked at each other, both with wry smiles, and stepped out from their hiding place.

Yuanye, a master at the Great Mage Realm, had just gone all out, yet he had failed to harm Zhu Ju in the slightest.

In fact,

it was unclear if Zhu Ju had even used his full strength.

The moment his Flying Sword appeared,

the Great Mage was dead!

Such a method was truly terrifying. Their previous plan to swoop in and save the day had become a complete joke.