Chapter 428: Crossing Buddha into Demon

Qiao Ling listened, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

“A fine act of stealing faith.”

Qiao Ling raised his hand, a thread of pure magic power flowed into Bai Su’s body; the burns on her arm healed at a visible rate, and her pale complexion regained its rosy hue.

Bai Su felt her injuries mended in an instant and bowed again: “Thank you, Elder!”

“Your gratitude came too late—it became a curse,” Qiao Ling stood with his hands behind his back. “But you did nothing wrong; the fault lies in the rules here.”

Bai Su looked up, worried, at Qiao Ling.

“Elder, Dabeisi has hundreds of monks, and its abbot is a Celestial Immortal. You’ve killed one of their own—they will never let this go. Please leave quickly. This little demon will stay and take full responsibility.”

“Leave?”

Qiao Ling slowly shook his head.

“I was hoping to have a proper discussion with the Buddhist sect. I’ll wait here for them,” Qiao Ling said casually. “Return and rest. Tell the villagers to keep their doors shut tonight.”

Bai Su opened her mouth to plead again, but Qiao Ling swept his sleeve—gentle force sent her straight out of the bamboo grove.

The bamboo grove fell silent again.

Qiao Ling sat back on the green stone, propping his chin on one hand; a faint True Demon mark flickered dimly on his forehead.

Deep night settled; the night wind stirred through the bamboo, leaves rustling softly.

Qiao Ling sat upon the green stone when suddenly, celestial chants echoed from the heavens.

Golden light flooded the sky, tearing through the darkness and illuminating the grove above.

Hundreds of monks in yellow robes stepped upon auspicious clouds, forming a Luo Han formation that encircled the entire bamboo grove.

Kongji, the abbot of Dabeisi, stood at the center of the formation. He wore a kasaya, held a staff, and radiated the vast magic power of a Celestial Immortal at the early stage.

Kongji lowered his gaze, piercing through the bamboo to lock onto Qiao Ling on the green stone.

His spiritual sense swept over the man—no trace of magic power could be detected.

He frowned slightly, then relaxed. This was Xi Niuhe Zhou, the Buddhist sect’s territory.

No matter who this man was, he could not stir up trouble.

In the village below the mountain, villagers peered through door cracks at the terrifying array of celestial Buddhas in the night sky, their limbs turning icy with fear.

Bai Ling crouched in a corner of the firewood shed, biting her lip until it bled.

She knew Dabeisi had sent everyone—this white-robed elder would surely meet his doom.

Above the bamboo grove, Abbot Kongji’s voice boomed like a temple bell, his magic power carrying it across a hundred li.

“You aid demons and kill our Buddhist disciples,” Kongji’s eyes were cold as he declared judgment outright. “Today, I shall liberate you, lest you fall into the path of demons!”

Kongji swept his hand across his waist and summoned the Dabeisi’s sacred treasure—the Vajra Pestle of Subduing Demons.

The pestle surged with wind, instantly growing to a hundred zhang in size; golden light swirled as it descended with crushing, unstoppable pressure toward Qiao Ling.

As the Vajra Pestle crushed down, the ground around the green stone cracked in fragments, stones and earth exploding outward.

Qiao Ling sat unmoved; an invisible, formless Great Freedom demonic aura spilled from his body.

The aura coalesced above his head into a tiny, phantom black lotus, no larger than a palm, floating gently upward.

BOOM!

The hundred-zhang pestle struck the phantom black lotus—and halted three chi above Qiao Ling’s head, unable to press down an inch.

That seemingly fragile black lotus bore the full force of the divine treasure without yielding.

Kongji’s face turned ashen; he rapidly formed hand seals, pouring all his magic power into the pestle.

Qiao Ling flipped his wrist and lifted his folding fan upward.

The phantom black lotus exploded violently; Great Freedom demonic energy surged upward, instantly engulfing the entire pestle.

The golden Buddhist light on the pestle shattered completely; countless cracks spread across its surface. The divine treasure let out a mournful cry and flew back into the air.

Kongji’s chest was struck as if by a hammer—he spat a gout of blood that stained his kasaya red.

He swayed, nearly falling from his auspicious cloud.

“How is this possible!” Kongji cried out in shock.

This was a sacred Buddhist relic he had begged from the Vajra Guardian—how could it be destroyed so easily?

At last, he understood: this white-robed scholar was no being he could ever challenge.

Fear flashed in Kongji’s eyes; he clasped his hands together and chanted a true sutra.

The accumulated incense and devotional power of Dabeisi crossed the void, forming a thick layer of golden light that strengthened him.

But his intent was not to fight Qiao Ling again—he planned to use the devotional power to escape.

Qiao Ling rose to his feet, gently tapping his palm with his folding fan.

On his forehead, a jet-black True Demon mark glowed.

“Since you’ve come, listen to my words.”

The moment Qiao Ling spoke, Great Freedom demonic energy instantly sealed heaven and earth, surging toward the fleeing Kongji.

The incense and devotional power surrounding Kongji, as if facing a primordial enemy, dissolved within moments.

Kongji’s body was locked midair, frozen in his escape posture, utterly motionless.

The hundreds of monks encircling the grove were likewise frozen in place, their eyes filled with terror.

Qiao Ling walked through the air, his white robes whiter than snow. He stepped forward until he stood before Kongji.

Kongji’s eyes widened, sweat trickling down his forehead.

Qiao Ling’s voice was calm, yet the Great Freedom demonic sound exploded in Kongji’s ears like thunder.

“The Buddha teaches all beings are equal, yet you divide them into ranks. Those who pay incense offerings are virtuous believers; those who cannot pay are ignorant mortals.”

The demonic sound pierced straight into Kongji’s primordial spirit; his golden Buddhist body within his mind began to tremble violently.

“Your so-called subduing of demons is merely an excuse to eliminate dissent. A demon who obeys you and serves you is a guardian beast; a demon who protects mortals is an evil heretic.” Qiao Ling tapped his fan against Kongji’s chest. “Is this your compassion? Is this your Buddhist doctrine?”

Kongji gasped for breath, eyes bloodshot; he wanted to refute, but before the Great Freedom demonic sound, he could not speak.

Uncontrollable images flashed through his mind: the temple forcing villagers to pay tribute, suppressing dissent, plundering the people’s wealth.

All the acts he had long disguised as “spreading the Dharma” were now stripped bare.

“My Great Freedom Demon Dao seeks no incense, sets no thresholds—only seeks the true heart, shattering all chains.” Qiao Ling retracted his fan, his voice striking the soul. “You spent your life cultivating Buddhism—what did you become? A coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong. A greedy, insatiable man. Your Buddha cannot save you. Better to join my Demon Dao.”

At these words, the golden Buddhist body Kongji had cultivated for a thousand years cracked open a fissure.

The collapse of faith often happens in an instant; Qiao Ling raised his hand and pressed his index finger to Kongji’s forehead.

Great Freedom demonic energy surged through his fingertip; golden Buddhist light and black demonic energy clashed violently within Kongji’s body.

Moments later, the Buddhist light shattered completely, fully assimilated by the Great Freedom demonic energy.

Qiao Ling withdrew his demonic seal.

Now, all of Kongji’s Buddhist magic power had been transformed into Great Freedom demonic energy.

Kongji descended from midair, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Qiao Ling.

“Disciple Kongji spent half his life in ignorance. Today, I have heard the truth.” Kongji’s voice was clear. “I vow to submit to the Great Freedom Heavenly Sovereign—through death, I will never regret it!”