Chapter 404: with translation of chapter title

This commotion, this scene…… feels familiar.

When large flocks of birds gathered from all directions, I actually wasn't as panicked.

The maneuver Xiao Shaemi activated this time was the Mana of the Phoenix Formation on the Heavenly Pearl, drawing in vast flocks of birds—just like the activation maneuver of the Phoenix Formation at the bottom of Zhu Pan River back then.

We've long grown accustomed to it.

Nothing more than Mount Song being larger, with more numerous and varied bird flocks.

But we have experience dealing with it; it's just a bit of trouble.

But before we could act, the sound of the track gears turning rang out again, the iron chains taut, the bronze tongue swaying, dong……

The ancient, resonant bronze bell tolled again, its sound waves rippling outward; the birds suddenly lost their sense of direction, the previously orderly flocks charging at us now flailing about like headless flies, countless casualties.

I stared in shock at Empty Silence Abbott.

From beginning to end, he made hardly any move, yet it seemed every ounce of Xiao Shaemi's strength was under his control.

Xiao Shaemi struck; he countered.

Back and forth, Xiao Shaemi gained not the slightest advantage over Empty Silence Abbott.

Such a rich bronze bell sound, without powerful Mana backing it, could never produce such shocking power; Empty Silence Abbott came prepared.

Fortunately, he reined in at the brink and did not stand opposed to us.

Otherwise today, if Empty Silence Abbott and Xiao Shaemi joined forces, we would die miserably.

Yeah, if he truly stood against us, how could Dahui Chan Master have bothered to win him over in the first place?

Even if it came to mutual destruction, they wouldn't hand the Great Dharma King Temple over to Empty Silence Abbott, would they?

Whether in Buddhist heart or ability, Empty Silence Abbott has certainly passed the test; only then could he assume and steady the abbot's seat.

Moreover, with time flowing and years of precipitation, Empty Silence Abbott is far stronger and more mature than when he was first won over.

But the problem is, if his stance is truly clear, how could he tolerate Xiao Shaemi's existence?

Does he truly fail to see Xiao Shaemi's nature, naively hoping to reform him and pull him back from the brink?

No, I don't think so.

On the contrary, I believe Empty Silence Abbott is allowing Xiao Shaemi to lurk beside him.

Because he himself came up this very path.

He was won over, and now he has a Xiao Shaemi at his side.

If Xiao Shaemi were killed, would Mount Song be at peace?

No, there would still be another Empty Silence, then another Heart Lamp.

One Empty Silence can be won over, one Heart Lamp can be slaughtered, but what if tens or hundreds piled up?

Among them, the strongest will emerge, and he is the one truly chosen by the Dharma Bird.

Thinking of this, my heart inexplicably gave a thump; the strongest…

Xiao Shaemi smiled again.

But this time his laugh was manic, tinged with the tragic despair of being at the end of the road.

He said: "I lost."

After a pause, he gazed deeply at Empty Silence Abbott and repeated: "Empty Silence, I lost, heart and soul convinced."

I instinctively glanced at Liu Junyan, noticing her brows furrowed just like mine.

An ominous premonition welled up in my heart.

I saw Liu Junyan step forward two paces, then silently retreat back.

In that advance and retreat, Xiao Shaemi blew the Heavenly Pearl again.

This time the melody was short and forceful, carrying a resolute spirit of sacrificing oneself generously.

In the night sky, a blue-gray hawk circled in.

Xiao Shaemi spread his arms, face up to the sky; the giant beast, already on its last breath, painfully crawled toward him inch by inch, dragging a long trail of blood behind.

When dozens of blue-gray hawks tucked their wings and swooped down like arrows from a bow, the beast lay at Xiao Shaemi's feet.

Empty Silence Abbott's face changed instantly; he whipped around to look at Liu Junyan.

Meanwhile, Liu Junyan had already rushed toward the Revolving Wheel Tower.

The smell of blood accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing reached my ears, and a warm large hand covered my eyes.

Even so, I knew what was happening below… what we had experienced was only that one time in Wufu Town, far less impactful than this.

Xiao Shaemi uttered no scream, nor did the beast.

In the blink of an eye, behind the four-legged bronze cauldron only two skeletons remained.

Empty Silence Abbott kept turning his prayer beads, chanting sutras, while Liu Junyan pulled me and whispered: "Go, quick."

The blue-gray hawk cried, circling above the Revolving Wheel Tower.

Dozens of blue-gray hawks arranged in a strange Formation Array, pressing down bit by bit around the tower toward the lower levels.

The ground beneath us shook.

Liu Junyan grabbed my waist and leapt with me, landing steadily.

Below, Empty Silence Abbott continued devoutly chanting sutras and praying, delivering the souls of the dead.

He stood firm there, without the slightest sway.

The four-legged bronze cauldron, the pine trees, even that bronze bell—none of them trembled…

So it wasn't the ground shaking; it was the second story of the tower itself swaying.

Liu Junyan said nothing, merely pulling my hand as we ran toward the hidden door.

He was slightly ahead, I a bit behind.

It was just that slight difference that let me witness an astonishing sight—a Copper Coin Person being dragged away in the opposite direction.

"Āyàn!"

I opened my mouth to warn him, but suddenly a twisting pain came from my lower abdomen; I clearly felt as if something were about to be torn out of my body.

Liu Junyan's foot paused, he turned back to look at me, and a soul was pulled from the dark gate by an invisible force……it was the Reincarnated Spirit Child!

As Liu Junyan braced one hand against my lower back, the Reincarnated Spirit Child's soul had already been dragged up to the second level of the Turning Wheel Tower.

And the Copper Coin Person had already completely separated from Liu Junyan's body……

I instinctively said, "Āyàn, we can't get away."

Liu Junyan turned his head to look at the Empty Silence Abbott.

Empty Silence Abbott intoned Amitabha: "The heart lamp offers itself as sacrifice, offering flesh and blood to the Buddha, the Three Buddhas appear together; this time I fear truly……powerless to turn the tide, unless……"

The Empty Silence Abbott wanted to speak but held back, raised his eyes to look at me, his gaze lowered, and then glanced at my abdomen.

I suddenly understood.

The formation array set up by the azure hawks around the Turning Wheel Tower is a kind of sacrifice; the little novice monk intends to gather the Three Buddhas through this brutal and evil means.

And the Three Buddhas are respectively the Reincarnated Spirit Child, the Copper Coin Person, and the little guy in my belly.

The only way now to stop all this from happening is to go turn the sutra wheel before the little guy in my belly is condensed away.

If, as the little novice monk previously said, if we can turn out the "Great Perfection", then all these sins will be completely cleansed, the sacrificial formation will collapse on its own, and the crisis will be resolved.

But this turn has two possible outcomes.

One is, if we fail to turn the "Great Perfection", either the little guy in my belly lacks sufficient mana, or it is not the "Dharma Body Buddha" that the little novice monk spoke of.

The other is successfully turning out the "Great Perfection".

At the same time the crisis is resolved, the little guy's identity is also determined; it will have nowhere to hide……