Chapter 404: You Keep Talking, I'm Listening

Night deepened gradually, and the pedestrians on the street became much sparser.

Yu Lin felt he had wandered enough, so he turned and headed back toward the shrine at the foot of Mount Fuji.

But behind him, an Xuanhai Dharma Master, who insisted on following, claimed he was "fated to meet him and wishes to hear more lofty discourse."

The two walked forward on the moonlit road, one ahead of the other.

At first, Xuanhai enthusiastically discussed a subtle point from the Mahayana Dao Method with Yu Lin, but as they drew nearer to their destination, his steps slowed and his brows furrowed tighter.

When he finally saw the bright outline of the massive shrine ahead, the color drained from his face, his pupils contracted, as if he had glimpsed the world's most terrifying thing!

He abruptly stopped, almost instinctively reaching out and gripping Yu Lin's sleeve tightly:

"Wait, wait! Benefactor, please stay your steps!"

Yu Lin halted and turned his head toward him:

"Xuanhai Dharma Master, something?"

Xuanhai saw Yu Lin's expression as normal, even a hint of puzzlement, as if he truly knew nothing about the situation ahead, and felt even more anxious.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to steady his mind, and pointed at the shrine ahead:

"You... you don't know what's inside there?!"

"What?"

"Great Demon! A terrifying Great Demon Lord who crossed the sea!"

"Oh? And then?"

"Then? In just a few months, the entire Neihong cultivation world—whether Shinto, Onmyodo, or even branches of our Buddhist Sect—anyone who dared resist or disobey was almost either suppressed or subjugated by him! That wasn't the worst... afterward, he even broke straight into Gaotianyuan!"

"What happened next?"

"No one knows the specifics! No earth‑shaking battle waves were felt, nor any Divine Oracle or news emerged from Gaotianyuan. All that is known is that the day the Great Demon returned, the entrance to Gaotianyuan was forcibly moved here!"

"Since then, Amaterasu and the other great deities of Gaotianyuan have given no clear directives or Divine Miracles! It seems... it seems they have tacitly accepted it all, or..."

Xuanhai fell silent, but the unspoken speculation was already evident.

The gravity on his face seemed almost tangible, his grip on Yu Lin's sleeve tightened, and he urged hastily:

"In short! Benefactor Yu Lin, that place is a dragon‑pool tiger‑den, the Great Demon's lair, absolutely must not be entered!"

"Heed this poor monk's words; we should leave immediately, the farther the better, while that Great Demon may not have noticed us yet..."

Xuanhai's words abruptly halted.

Because he suddenly realized that Yu Lin had not spoken a word, and he himself had not spoken either!

His body suddenly stiffened, his neck creaking like rusted machinery, and he turned his head toward the source of the voice.

There stood a handsome yet slightly sinister Western man, who had somehow appeared beside them.

He was now slightly bent, listening with keen interest, his face bearing a full‑blown, spectator‑like playful grin.

Seeing Xuanhai finally look over, Feimeng blinked and said slowly:

"Esteemed high monk, please continue about that 'sea‑crossing Great Demon'; what else? I'm listening with great interest."

Xuanhai: "………………"

"Benefactor, run! This poor monk will block him! Run quickly!!!"

Xuanhai gritted his teeth, almost roaring, and seized Yu Lin's arm, hurling him with all his might toward the direction behind him, away from the shrine!

Immediately after, he turned sharply toward Feimeng, pressed his palms together at his chest, eyes wide open, and quickly recited a Buddhist mantra.

Buzz!

Brahma Sound reverberates!

In an instant, Golden Light burst from Xuanhai's body, illuminating him like a golden‑bodied Arhat!

Below him, illusory golden lotus platforms layered and blossomed, lifting him several feet off the ground.

Without any hesitation, Xuanhai thrust a palm straight at Feimeng's chest, who wore the playful grin.

"Demon‑subduing!"

With his roar, a massive Buddha palm formed from pure Golden Light, a swastika‑shaped Buddha wheel rotating within, exuding a mighty force that purifies evil and suppresses all, slamming down onto Feimeng's head!

Where the palm swept, even the air emitted a buzzing hum!

Feimeng watched the terrifying golden Buddha palm swing toward him, yet his smile did not waver, not even his gaze shifted.

He casually lifted his right hand, fingers together, and with a light Hand Slash, slashed the whistling Buddha palm in midair!

Swoosh—!

No earth‑shaking collision roar.

The awe‑inspiring golden Buddha palm split cleanly in two, as if hot steel had cut through melted butter!

The Buddha power instantly dispersed, turning into countless Light Dots that vanished.

Xuanhai's pupils contracted sharply, his heart startled.

The Great Demon's power……… is hard to handle!

Feimeng, having split the Buddha palm, shouted at Xuanhai:

"Esteemed high monk, impressive aura."

"But… have you heard of a technique, a palm strike that descends from the heavens?"

A warning bell rang in Xuanhai's mind, yet he gave no reply, simply continuing his own Buddhist practice.

The Golden Light on his body grew ever more dazzling, almost becoming solid golden flames that roared, enveloping him entirely, nearly turning the sky itself to gold!

Yet Feimeng shifted slightly, as if teleporting, and in the next instant appeared in the night sky above Xuanhai, looking down from high above.

"Tathagata Divine Palm!"

Before the words finished, a golden giant palm, ten times larger and a hundred times denser than Xuanhai's earlier Buddha palm, with purer, vaster Golden Light and a clearly solid swastika wheel in its palm, radiating boundless majesty and compassion, slammed down onto Xuanhai!

Xuanhai: "???"

How could he have a Buddhist Sect technique?! And it's the "Tathagata Divine Palm"?!!

What on earth is going on?! Who is this Great Demon… really?!!

Unfortunately, no one can answer his question.

Xuanhai can only grit his teeth and try to tough it out!

Just when Xuanhai, at a hair's breadth, thought he was about to be pulverized by that "Tathagata Divine Palm"—

A figure appeared out of nowhere in front of Xuanhai, perfectly blocking him from the descending golden massive palm.

"Alright, Feimeng, stop messing around."

As those words left his mouth, the golden massive palm and its boundless pressure burst like a popped soap bubble, vanishing instantly without a trace.

The night wind brushed by, as if the world‑shattering scene moments ago had never occurred.

Immediately after, Feimeng's form flashed in the air, drifting lightly to the ground, and answered earnestly:

"Yes, uncle. I was just playing, didn't mean to really hurt him."

When Xuanhai saw the face of the figure blocking him…

"???"

"Yu… Yu Lin benefactor? Uncle? This… this this…"

He extended a trembling finger, pointing at Yu Lin, then at Feimeng standing nearby, hands hanging, obedient as a primary‑school child; his mouth opened and closed several times, but only produced meaningless syllables.

Finally, he slammed his eyes shut, shook his head hard, then opened them again, the scene before him unchanged.

"Poor monk… Poor monk must not have woken up today… or perhaps his cultivation went awry before, and he's gone insane…"

"This must be a dream! Yes, a dream!"