Chapter 279 - 233 Battle

The monk’s face too showed displeasure, but he said nothing, his attention at the moment focused entirely on the approaching monster.

The monk’s body radiated brilliant Buddha’s Light, and a giant swastika appeared in his hands.

It seemed as if the air around was filled with the sound of Zen chanting.

The Buddha’s Light shone upon the monster, which immediately let out a scream of agony; its body emitted a green mist and began shrinking.

The monster reached out a hand, and with a tug, a stone bench from the courtyard flew over, blocking the Buddha’s Light, seizing the opportunity to flee frantically toward the outskirts of the city.

At this point, how could the monk let such a monster escape? He bellowed, "Evil creature, halt!"

His voice seemed to carry a strange power that charged directly at the monster.

This power contained the Buddhist Sect’s Lion’s Roar Divine Skill, which would implant a seed within the heart of those who heard it, disturbing their thoughts.

However, this Dharma Technique appeared to be ineffective against the monster, and as time passed, its body grew increasingly larger.

In the midst of the chase, the monster had grown as large as a house, seemingly drawing endless power from all directions, continuously enhancing its own strength.

This kind of power was beyond the monk’s comprehension; he could not fathom why such a bizarre creature existed in the world.

That ominous aura lingered around him constantly, letting him know the monster innately harbored hatred for humanity, a true demon that must be eradicated.

Thus, he cried out loudly, and the brilliant Buddha’s Light enveloped the beast, and soon, a colossal Buddha appeared out of nowhere above the city, its body emanating golden Buddha’s Light, inspiring pity in all who looked upon it.

The monster, unwilling to show weakness, continued to grow its own body, and at the same time, a cacophony of noisy voices seemed to emerge from the void.

It was as though countless people were cursing there, their voices growing louder, even drowning out the Buddha’s Zen chanting.

Seeing this, the Buddha spoke with majesty, "Wretched beast, you persist in ignorance."

The golden Buddha extended a palm to subdue the monster.

Yet at this moment, the monster revealed a triumphant, dreadful smile – so hideous that it sent shivers down one’s spine upon hearing it.

Countless tentacles enveloped the Buddha’s palm, and the monster’s repulsive laughter filled the air; by now it bore not the slightest resemblance to a human.

What resembled a heap of rotting flesh lay before them, fetid pus slowly oozing from its body, filling the entire city with a nauseating stench.

At this moment, the monk felt as though countless figures had appeared beside his ear, pointing at his nose and hurling insults to provoke him.

Even his calm mind was affected, rippling with agitation, and the thought of anger arose within him.

Realizing something was amiss, he hastily recited the Buddhist Scriptures, expelling the desires in his heart, his gaze gradually regaining clarity.

But during this time, the monster had grown even more powerful, its size now dwarfing the Buddha, becoming a towering behemoth.

Witnessing this scene, the monk frowned; the monster’s tenacity exceeded his expectations, and he wondered how such a formidable creature had come to exist in this world.

Having no other choice, he took out the Purple Gold Alms Bowl. A beam of golden light shot out from the bowl, striking the monster directly. At the same time, an immense suction force was transmitted, as the monster’s body involuntarily moved towards the bowl, its form continually shrinking in the process.

The monster, sensing that the situation was dire, gritted its teeth and suddenly self-destructed, with its flesh scattering in all directions.

Seeing this, the monk thought to himself that this spelled trouble. He knew the monster was using self-explosion to escape. Without any hesitation, mana surged throughout his body, a vast Buddha’s Light illuminated all around, and those scattering pieces of flesh melted away instantaneously as if ice and snow meeting the scorching sun when they came into contact with the Buddha’s Light.

When Buddha’s Light dissipated, not a trace of the monster could be found in the entire city. However, the monk furrowed his brows.

He could sense that the monster had not died; it seemed to have escaped successfully by seizing the opportunity.

"Such a demon roaming free, one cannot help but wonder if it will bring about a calamity," the monk muttered with deep concern.

"Thank you for saving my life, Master!" Ma Qing rushed forward, kneeling on the ground, his face streaming with tears and snot.

Turning his head, the monk looked at this profligate young man, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes, but he concealed it well.

"Amitabha Buddha, it is our duty to eradicate demons and protect the way; such grand gestures are not necessary," he said.

"What might be a trivial matter for the Master is a life-and-death situation for me," Ma Qing said with a fawning smile.

Today, having witnessed this power far beyond that of mortals, endless greed arose in his heart. He too wished to have the ability to reach the heavens and penetrate the earth as this monk before him. By then, wouldn’t wealth and honor be easily within his grasp?

Thus he made up his mind to keep the monk here, and to persuade him to accept himself as a disciple.

"The benefactor flatters me."

"I hope the Master will leave his name, so I may worship day and night."

"I am Monk Faming, from Mount Ling!"

This monk was none other than Monk Faming, who had once pursued Lin Fang and had past grievances with him.

Since the incident on Zhilei Mountain, he had embarked on the path of cultivation alone, measuring the earth with his feet and spreading the Buddhist Law through his actions.

On this journey, his understanding of the Buddhist Law had deepened, yet his obsession with demon extermination remained unchanged.

"So it’s Master Faming. I implore you to stay here, so that I can offer you the best hospitality," pleaded Ma Qing, still trying to make him stay.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but although that monster has been gravely wounded, it has escaped. I must continue to pursue it to prevent it from harming the mortal world," Faming said softly.

These words scared Ma Qing half to death; the thought of the monster still being alive and possibly watching him from the shadows sent chills down his spine.

"Master, what should we do? If the monster recovers, it will probably come for my life immediately. I beseech you, Mage, have mercy and save me," a terrified Ma Qing pleaded on the ground, incessantly nagging Faming to his annoyance.

And while Faming was entangled by Ma Qing’s pleas, the monster that had escaped after self-destructing now appeared outside the city. It had completely changed its appearance, resembling a massive flesh-spider, looking incredibly ferocious and horrifying.

"Damned monk, daring to ruin my plan; next time, I will make sure you pay," the monster said bitterly, its words filled with hatred.