Chapter 369 - 237: Kill

A Buddhist disciple shouted sternly, "We are disciples of Buddha, ascetic travelers from Mount Ling, exalted above others wherever we go, receiving worship from all living beings."

Yet, the people before them regarded them as criminals, their eyes glittering with greed, viewing them as spoils of war.

This reversal of status, from heaven to earth, filled these proud disciples of the Buddhist Sect with immense rage.

They desperately wanted to demonstrate the might of the Buddhist Sect, to punish this sacrilegious act with endless divine power, but within Dongsheng Shenzhou, they were powerless.

The formidable power they once possessed now felt like stubborn stone; no matter how they tried to wield it, it remained utterly immobile.

Moreover, as time passed, they could distinctly feel their Buddhist Golden Body, cultivated through years of arduous practice, rapidly deteriorating. At this rate, it would not be long before they became mere mortals.

It was as if the whole world was rejecting them, giving them the delusion that they were being targeted.

This feeling of being against the entire world was so terrible that they hesitated to act, placing their hopes on support from Mount Ling.

However, even at this point, support from Mount Ling was still nowhere in sight. Stripped of their mana, they could not perceive messages from thousands of miles away and were instantly filled with fear.

That fear, suppressed by their former power, gave rise to desires that left the disciples of the Buddhist Sect in a state of mental instability.

"By imperial decree, those who resist will be executed without mercy!" a roar came from the army.

The person at the forefront wielded a Treasure Blade, charging with an unstoppable momentum that made it seem as though one could hear the roar of a great army.

Such an aura of ferocity had never been witnessed by the Buddhist practitioners from Luzhou in the North. That land, sparsely populated compared to Dongsheng Shenzhou and historically barren, had seen far lesser scales of war. With the rise of Buddhism governing the land, the frequency and scale of bloodshed had been greatly reduced.

They had never seen such a fierce spirit of slaughter, and it felt as though their wills were being seized.

"This is a land of demons, and you all are Demon Heads!" someone cried out in grief and anger.

A series of blows drove some to complete mental collapse. Like flowers in a greenhouse, although possessing great power, their characters did not match their strength. Thus, when they lost their power, they could not maintain control of their minds, failed to See the Mind and Understand the Nature, and naturally accumulated karmic obstacles. Confused by the mundane world filled with desires and distractions, their characters deteriorated completely.

However, such a sight was gratifying to the soldiers; they became even more ferocious.

"Look, some are going mad," an old soldier said with a laugh.

This was a spectacle they had witnessed countless times; every new soldier would experience this to some degree in their first battle, when facing death and taking life for the first time.

Once they overcame these calamities, they would realize those things that once tormented them were insignificant.

However, those from Mount Ling did not have the chance to experience this realization, as today marked their end.

A pack of soldiers charged into the crowd like wolves and tigers, brandishing their weapons, bringing death to the mortal world.

The Buddhist crowd fought desperately, using the last bit of their Buddhist Golden Body to continuously fend off the soldiers’ attacks.

"Not too shabby. I heard that when they beheaded that Demon Monk, his body emanated golden light, seeming invulnerable to sword or spear. Today, I shall have a look myself!" the General leading the soldiers licked his lips.

It had been a long time since he faced such an opponent. The comfortable life in Chang’an had almost made him forget the days of battle in the Great Desert’s yellow sand.

Sometimes he felt that he was a natural-born killer, only through slaughter and war could he find satisfaction for his soul.

If he was a Treasure Blade, then as a Treasure Blade, he should be taking lives. What was the point of rusting away in the Capital city?

Fortunately, he faced a worthy group of opponents. He silently prayed within his heart, hoping these people wouldn’t die too quickly – he hadn’t had a good, hearty battle in a long time.

With a loud roar, he joined the fray. His Treasure Blade danced through the air, and in an instant, two Buddhist disciples were chopped to the ground.

"Impossible, how could he break through the Buddhist Golden Body?" one of the Buddhist disciples couldn’t believe the scene before him.

Even though it was constantly degrading, the Buddhist Golden Body was still a Buddhist Golden Body; even for a second, it possessed defensive power beyond a mortal’s imagination.

Yet, the person who had burst forth could break through the Golden Body’s defense, felling his brothers – how was this possible?

"Could he also be a practitioner of cultivation?" This thought crossed the minds of many Buddhist disciples in the first instant.

But he looked like an ordinary person, no matter how one saw him.

The General’s face brightened, his cheeks flushed with a hint of scarlet, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Thrilling! Damn thrilling!" he shouted loudly.

A robust surge of vitality emanated from his body, and combined with his strong fighting spirit, it even took the shape of a vivid tiger in the void.

"What is this power?" everyone wondered, puzzled.

Coming from Mount Ling, they had never seen such a mysterious force. They realized since their arrival in the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, everything they had witnessed was beyond their comprehension.

It seemed that even the formidable Buddhist Sect had those who dared to strike. Besides the Buddhist Law and the Mana practiced by the Heavenly Court, there were other strange energies in the world.

A mortal seemed to have unleashed a power capable of slaying divine spirits, one could only wonder what other secrets lay hidden in this land.

While they were stunned, the General relentlessly floored two more people; blood flowed from the wounds, staining the ground with a crimson hue.

"Ah!" Screams began to echo throughout the monastery.

It was only then that the Buddhists realized the grave danger they were in, like fish trapped in a jar, awaiting slaughter.

"Quick, break out!" someone shouted loudly.

Their reluctance to leave was born of the fear that the reinforcements from Mount Ling wouldn’t be able to find them if they did – but now, with their lives at stake, nothing else mattered, fleeing was imperative.

The moment these words were spoken, the people no longer tangled with the soldiers and rushed to break out of the monastery.

"Want to leave? Ask grandpa’s blade first!" the soldiers laughed heartily.

They were seasoned veterans of the battlefield, most adept at team combat. In groups of five, they covered each other’s backs, their movements and tactics highly coordinated. Even with the Buddhists charging with the protection of their Golden Bodies, they couldn’t break through the human wall the soldiers formed.

For the people of the Buddhist Sect, this was undoubtedly a nightmare; no matter how many times they charged, the soldiers always managed to block them.