Chapter 536: Double-Faced Buddha!

Six monks followed behind Tang Luo, their faces dark and somewhat gloomy.

Their eyes involuntarily turned toward Tang Luo, then quickly withdrew.

For a moment, the old monk even suspected that the other party had detained them, letting others deal with the two venerables.

This situation is not impossible.

The old monk need not belittle himself; with his cultivation, in the Sea and Mountain Realm, he is naturally insignificant.

But now the situation is different; here, he can be considered the second strongest—of course, the strongest are Ananda and Kasyapa.

He is someone capable of influencing the battle situation.

To separate and defeat them individually—this move is not impossible.

But if one were to do that, killing him directly would seem easier.

Even if the old monk were arrogant, he does not think he could match the Fighting Victory Buddha who appears unharmed.

The correct choice is absolutely not to detain him and deal with Ananda and Kasyapa.

It is like the story of Tian Ji's horse racing: using a superior horse to hold back a medium horse, letting the other medium-low horses face the opponent's superior horse?

This is not a good plan.

However, the old monk's vigilance toward Tang Luo has reached its peak; he is ready to act at any moment, and his steps have begun to slow.

Tang Luo seems unaware, instead quickening his pace, opening the distance with a single leap.

"Master, what happened?"

Ao Yulie and Zhu Bajie asked Tang Luo.

Zhu Bajie continued to secretly observe the four pilgrims, while Ao Yulie waited for the monsters behind the Red Lotus Society to appear.

"Ananda is in trouble." Tang Luo said, "It could be the Red Lotus Society's doing, or it could be a feint; you two, keep watch over there."

"Alright." The two agreed, focusing on the immediate matter.

Tang Luo's side does not need them to worry.

Soon, Tang Luo arrived at the scene: "Not all are 'obsidian bombs'."

He muttered softly.

On the ground, scorching heat distorted the air, as if entering the Flaming Mountains; the surface had turned into a expanse of crimson red, like a branding iron.

At the center of one area, molten magma continuously surged, like a spring gushing out, forming fire pillars.

Red raindrops formed in midair, continuously falling.

At the center of the magma, there is a small patch of "pure land," only one square in size.

In the middle of the pure land, a person stands.

A very special person.

His body is covered with a layer of faint golden light; behind his head is a circular halo, within which float several beads, the topmost one as large as a human head.

Exposed on his upper body are red muscle textures, appearing at first glance as if the outer skin had been torn open.

But upon closer inspection, one finds this is not "flesh and blood," but some special material that cannot be named, faintly emitting a metallic luster.

It gives a feeling of heaviness, indestructible yet unstoppable.

On his face, the left half is covered with a golden mask, shaped like a skull, with the entire eyeball fully exposed and rotating.

Half a golden skull face, cold and grim!

The other half of the face also seems frozen, emitting a sense of deathly stillness.

"... Venerable." The old monk spoke.

"Stay calm! Ananda!"

A voice that sounds quite broad and generous rang out.

The bald half-robot standing on the sole pure land in the magma suddenly turned his head, a full one hundred eighty degrees.

At the back of his head, it is not the back of the head, but another face.

This face looks slightly plump, with prominent earlobes, a sign of good fortune.

But a head with two faces, front and back, suddenly turning one hundred eighty degrees—no matter how plump and fortunate the appearance, it becomes strange.

"Kill..."

The half-golden skull face at the back opened its mouth and uttered a single word.

Accompanying it was a bloody aura, almost turning into a sea of blood rushing forward.

"I say, stay calm!"

The plump face did not chant sutras; doing so would only provoke Ananda's demonic nature, so he chose to shout loudly instead.

The prayer beads floating at the "back of the head" trembled slightly, barely suppressing that overwhelming, terrifying killing intent.

Kasyapa and Ananda!

One Buddha, one demon—Double-Faced Buddha!

No wonder the old monk showed great resistance to Tang Luo's arrival, not only because he guarded against Tang Luo, this demon monk, causing trouble.

But also because of the current state of Ananda and Kasyapa.

"I blew myself up?" Tang Luo looked at the old monk and asked.

No need to inquire; just one glance, and one can guess Ananda and Kasyapa's current situation.

Ananda is abnormal, that is, what Buddhism commonly calls "possessed by demons," and unlike Dizang, who retained rationality in his possession.

What Ananda displayed earlier had a clear sense of chaos.

If Dizang is considered lawful evil, then Ananda is chaotic evil.

As for Kasyapa, he is normal; he and Ananda coexist in this way, suppressing Ananda, preventing him from going completely mad, from falling entirely into the "Avici Hell," forever sinking.

The two maintain a kind of balance.

The old monk's mouth twitched, and he did not answer. Of course it wasn't "I blew myself up"; even if Venerable Ananda had fallen into demonhood, he at least maintained that bottom line.

This matter was absolutely the work of the Red Lotus Society!

Fortunately, Venerable Mahakashyapa's strength was extraordinary; he still suppressed Venerable Ananda and did not let him go berserk.

However, this time...

Don't look at how the Two-Faced Buddha still has arms and legs right now, with golden light and prayer beads atop his head; the killing intent in that instant just now was also stern and awe-inspiring.

But in reality, his injuries were not light.

Revealing themselves, the true form of the Two-Faced Buddha, was already their "final form."

Normally they do not appear before others in this arguably terrifying appearance.

Even the old monk only knew of Ananda and Mahakashyapa's situation; today was the first time he had seen it.

"Holy Monk." Mahakashyapa looked at Tang Luo. "So that's how it is..."

He thought of many things at once.

"It's you! The ones behind the Red Lotus Society are you and this family fire!" Mahakashyapa's attitude was gentle; Ananda was different.

That head suddenly twisted ninety degrees; the front half was Mahakashyapa, the other half Ananda.

The half belonging to Ananda lashed out at Tang Luo and Nezha.

Although Ananda was chaotic and violent, he was not stupid; he also thought of many things at once, and thought wrongly.

He regarded Tang Luo and Nezha as the masterminds behind the Red Lotus Society.

"Overthinking it; this young master has nothing to do with the Red Lotus Society." Nezha said, knowing what this guy was thinking.

"I only just arrived in this world; seeing you guys was no easy feat. Mahakashyapa, can you make this idiot shut up?" Tang Luo said. "Otherwise, with someone interrupting, conversation will be very difficult."

"Ananda, why don't you rest for a bit?" Mahakashyapa said.

"You're driving me away? You actually dare drive me away!" Ananda flew into a rage.

The demon-possessed him was simply a powder keg; only the bottom line of "won't blow myself up" remained.

Falling out with Mahakashyapa was actually a daily routine.

"I said, rest for a bit!" Mahakashyapa's voice suddenly rose sharply; his head began to twist with difficulty.

Tang Luo and the others could almost hear that kind of difficult "creak" sound; it wasn't wood making it.

It was the sound of metal being stretched to its limit.

A full minute later, Mahakashyapa finally suppressed the raging Ananda; his face faced Tang Luo and the others, pale as gold paper, the consumption obviously enormous.

"You can't hold on much longer like this." Nezha said, eyes narrowing, his words pointed.

"I know..." Mahakashyapa said. "Can you let me out first?"

He no longer even had the strength to walk across the magma, or perhaps he was only pretending not to.

The old monk immediately cast a spell, forming an invisible bridge, letting Mahakashyapa walk over.

"The Mountains and Seas World has shattered." Tang Luo cut straight to the point.

Mahakashyapa's expression did not change: "The Mountains and Seas World has indeed shattered."

This point, everyone could guess to some extent.

"Where is the Buddha?" Tang Luo asked. "You two were by his side at that time; why did the Mountains and Seas World shatter?"

Ananda and Mahakashyapa served by the Buddha's side much of the time.

Mahakashyapa shook his head: "When the great upheaval occurred, the two of us were not by the Master's side, but not too far either; we were sheltered a bit by the Master, otherwise..."

Otherwise, Tang Luo would not have been able to see them.

"Holy Monk, you wouldn't suspect this has something to do with the Master, would you?" Mahakashyapa looked at Tang Luo and asked.

Tang Luo's second question vaguely carried that meaning.

"If the shattering of the Mountains and Seas World was someone's doing, then among the Three Pure Ones, Maitreya, Tathagata, and Burning Lamp — besides these six, who else could accomplish this?" Tang Luo was not polite.

"Absolutely impossible!"

Mahakashyapa declared categorically, "First, not to mention that even the Master cannot shatter the Mountains and Seas World; even if he could, why would he?"

"Naturally, for the Other Shore transcendence." Tang Luo said. "One person can't do it; but the six of them joining hands — could they not do it?"

"... Im-pos-si-ble! The Master also suffered severe injuries at that time..." Mahakashyapa's head began to twitch and rotate eerily.

This was a sign he could no longer suppress Ananda.

The old monk's worry was not wrong; the three met, spoke only a few sentences, and it became sword-drawn and bow-bent.

Once Mahakashyapa cannot suppress Ananda, it will be a dragon-tiger struggle.

"Forget it; this is built on the premise that the shattering was man-made. If it was man-made, at least one or two of the six cannot escape responsibility." Tang Luo said.

"The shattering of the Mountains and Seas World is bizarre; we must find the Master." Mahakashyapa said.

"Do you have any news?" Tang Luo asked.

Mahakashyapa was just about to say something when Nezha's and Tang Luo's expressions suddenly froze.

Howling gales swept in from afar, instantly arriving, engulfing them; the sweeping force not only made people lose control of their bodies, sending them flying chaotically into the air, but also carried rolling high heat.

This was burning wind!

"Samadhi True Fire!"

"Banana Leaf Fan?"

Nezha's cry of surprise and Tang Luo's puzzled voice faded into the distance.

The scorching gale descended, separating everyone, blowing them in all directions.

Most people could not resist; Tang Luo thought for a moment, then did not resist.

"Master, we caught a Red Lotus Society demoness." Tang Luo was still "drifting with the wind" when Pigsy's voice came through. "From their description, their boss sounds like Red Boy?"

"You're a bit late with the news." Tang Luo said. "Not just Red Boy; probably Madam Cow too. I got fanned away by the Banana Leaf Fan."

"What!"

These words were addressed to Ao Yulie and Zhu Bajie, and the two spoke in unison.

"Could it be, Guanyin Bodhisattva in this world..." Ao Yulie said.

"How could that be? If it really were the Bodhisattva, would Master still be fanned by the Banana Leaf Fan?" Zhu Bajie said, "Shancai has family-visit leave..."