The Qixia Taoist Temple was not large in scope. The deities it enshrined were two bronze statues. The two hundred-foot-tall Divine Manifestations Chen Shi had just seen were precisely the Divine Manifestations ford when the extraordinary power within the bronze statues, nurtured by prolonged worship and increasingly abundant incense offerings, coalesced.
Chen Shi entered the main hall, lit incense for the two bronze statues, and bowed in respect. Seeing that the statues accepted his incense offerings, he felt at ease.
He was a country boy and generally respected the opinions of the Godmothers.
Of course, if these two Godmothers didn't know what was good for them, Chen Shi wouldn't mind taking them into his small temple and asking Stone Ji Your Ladyship to properly discipline them.
There was a strange aura within the Qixia Taoist Temple, ancient and heavy. The sa aura emanated from the two bronze statues.
Yu Lingzi said, "The original site of the Qixia Taoist Temple was an ancient ruin. Many of its halls were built upon the foundations of these ruins. The statues might be relics from the True King's Era, or they could be prehistoric remnants."
Chen Shi asked, "You are the Daoist Son of the Daoist sect. Do you recognize these statues?"
Actually, in the countryside, there were many similar things of unknown origin and age.
So were stone statues, so were bronze statues, and there were also wooden carvings of gods and demons, stone pagodas, bronze bell towers, ancient wells, or stone tablets. Many villages worshipped Godmothers that were precisely these kinds of objects, not necessarily just trees.
These things were either remnants or objects left from the True King's Era. After receiving worship from the villagers over ti, they gradually developed spirituality, could gather the energy of incense offerings to transform into extraordinary power, and thus beco the Godmothers protecting their respective areas.
Yu Lingzi said, "My Daoist sect's records concerning the various Daoist deities have been mostly lost, with only scattered texts remaining. Many of the texts about the Daoist deities are gone. I heard from my elders that when the first wave of Daoists landed on the Western Ox New Continent, they brought many 'troops and horses,' but those also disappeared later."
Chen Shi was puzzled. "Troops and horses?"
Yu Lingzi explained, "They are the troops and horses raised by the founding patriarchs of our Daoist sect. Having received incense offerings for a long ti and passed down to the present, they possess divine power."
Chen Shi suddenly understood. It was similar to how Granny Sha raised the Five Ghost Kings.
The Five Ghost Kings weren't particularly powerful, but if Granny Sha were to pass away and leave the Five Ghost Kings to her descendants, with the incense offerings continuing uninterrupted and passed down through generations, after thousands of years of worship, the strength of the Five Ghost Kings would likely also rise to the level of gods and demons.
This was the origin of the Patriarch's Troops and Horses.
Tai Hua Qing Palace must have brought many Patriarch's Troops and Horses from the Divine Continent to guard Tai Hua Qing Palace and suppress the evil spirits and demons of the Western Ox New Continent.
But why did these Patriarch's Troops and Horses disappear?
Why didn't even Tai Hua Qing Palace have records explaining the reason for their disappearance?
Yu Lingzi led him to et Fan Kongliu and the others, saying, "Yesterday, I discussed this matter with three of my martial uncles. They said that back then, your grandfather ca to Tai Hua Qing Palace, read through these texts, and said he wanted to find these vanished deities to reorganize the Luo Heaven Sacrificial Rite, the Grand Cosmic Sacrificial Rite, and the Universal Sacrificial Rite. It's unknown whether he succeeded later."
Thinking of the Luo Heaven Sacrificial Rite his grandfather had passed down to him, Chen Shi said, "Grandfather was halfway to success, but then he was delayed by my situation."
Yu Lingzi asked, puzzled, "Your situation?"
"I died," Chen Shi stated.
Only then did Yu Lingzi rember that Chen Shi was the Child Prodigy, who had his Innate Dao Embryo cut out and died tragically after the county-level imperial examination.
Chen Yindu had been exploring the secret of the True King's Era's end and the decline of the deities. Upon hearing the news, he ca and went mad. After the massacre in the Western Capital, he had been trying to resurrect Chen Shi, ultimately exhausting his lifespan and dying of old age in Huangpo Village.
The two arrived at the backyard of the Qixia Taoist Temple. Chen Shi looked up and saw a white jade pathway rising from the ground, extending into the air.
The white jade pathway was only about ten ters long and less than half a ter wide, hanging in the air with no visible support.
Yet this small white jade pathway actually supported a palace hall, which stood firm and unmoving.
The white jade pathway gave off an incredibly ancient feeling.
When Chen Shi stepped onto this pathway, he felt as if what lay before him wasn't a palace, but a passage to another mysterious space.
"This white jade pathway is likely a prehistoric relic. It's said that when the Western Capital was first established, every night, a white-clad fairy maiden would appear at the other end of the pathway, reaching out to the mortal world as if to take soone to ascend and beco an immortal."
Yu Lingzi continued, "Many people in the Western Capital were tempted by this fairy maiden. They ascended the pathway, stood at its end, grasped the white-clad fairy maiden's hand, and then disappeared. There are rumors that the woman wasn't a proper immortal but a Ghost Immortal. Those she took didn't beco immortals; she ate them, and they turned into ghosts."
Chen Shi listened intently. "And then?"
Before Yu Lingzi could speak, a deep, resonant voice ca from above: "Later, too many people went missing. The Cabinet's Chief Grand Secretary ordered the construction of this Moon-Embracing Hall to suppress the white jade pathway. After that, the incident of the white-clad Ghost Immortal ceased. This humble monk chose to reside in the Moon-Embracing Hall, hoping that when night falls, I might catch a glimpse of this female immortal. Unfortunately, I have yet to fulfill this wish."
Chen Shi looked up and saw a white-clad monk standing at the entrance of the Moon-Embracing Hall, smiling as he looked down at them.
He was Fan Kongliu from the Water Moon Holy Land, known for his romantic reputation. Rumors said he had affairs with many won in the Western Capital, yet his Buddhist teachings were profound, and his cultivation was formidable.
Fan Kongliu wore white monastic robes. His head was smoothly shaven, his skin fair, his nose bridge handso, and his features regular, possessing a man's firmness with a touch of allure. He walked barefoot to them, placed one hand in a gesture of greeting, and said, "Fan Kongliu pays his respects to Benefactor Chen."
Chen Shi walked forward and entered the Moon-Embracing Hall.
Fan Kongliu gazed at Chen Shi and said, "Yu Lingzi is warm-hearted and always restless. Yesterday, upon hearing about Shen Hongniang's incident, he rushed out in a flurry to find you. I heard that you injured Yu Lingzi because of this. Benefactor Chen, today this humble monk wishes to seek justice on Yu Lingzi's behalf!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Lingzi's chest filled with anger. He desperately wanted to retort that it was Fan Kongliu who had incited him to find Chen Shi, but the words wouldn't co out. The more he held back, the angrier he beca.
Chen Shi inquired, "Fan Kongliu, what cultivation technique do you practice?"
Fan Kongliu smiled slightly. "This humble monk is fortunate to have earned my teacher's esteem. He bestowed upon the 'Buddha's Crown Supre Victory Dharani Sutra,' which I have cultivated to this day."
Chen Shi thought for a mont. "This technique contains the World-Honored One's Golden Body. How is your cultivation of it? How does the World-Honored One's Golden Body compare to the Bodhi Golden Body and the Golden Body from the Great Bao Guo Temple?"
Fan Kongliu's expression turned solemn. "In terms of Golden Body achievent, there is no difference. However, the Golden Body of the Great Bao Guo Temple originates from a Golden Body Bodhisattva. The Golden Body of my Water Moon Holy Land originates from Sakyamuni, the World-Honored One. In our Buddhist scripture, the 'Pointing at the Moon Record,' it is said that the Boundless Body Bodhisattva saw the World-Honored One's Golden Body and broke off a bamboo pole about sixteen feet long, intending to asure the World-Honored One's sixteen-foot golden body. The Boundless Body Bodhisattva asured sixteen feet, then another sixteen feet, and kept asuring, from the realm of desire all the way to the Brahma Heaven, yet still could not see the top of the World-Honored One's head."
He smiled slightly. "How could the sixteen-foot golden body be only sixteen feet? How can a Bodhisattva's Golden Body be ntioned in the sa breath as the World-Honored One's Golden Body?"
Yu Lingzi listened, baffled, thinking, "Isn't Master Chen here to reason? Why is he discussing Golden Bodies?"
Chen Shi said, "I'll give you the chance to activate the World-Honored One's Golden Body. When I attack, I'm quite fast. Many people often don't have ti to prepare before I kill them."
A look of confusion appeared on Fan Kongliu's face as he glanced at Yu Lingzi. "Yu Lingzi, what's going on?"
As he asked, he simultaneously activated the World-Honored One's Golden Body.
The so-called World-Honored One's Golden Body is also a sixteen-foot golden body, about sixteen feet tall. But when activated, it is enveloped by an external Nascent Soul or Primordial Spirit force field. The closer one gets to the golden body, the larger the golden body appears. If one penetrates the force field and cos right before it, the World-Honored One's Golden Body becos as vast as Mount Suru, giving an overwhelming sense of invincibility!
What's even more terrifying is that the World-Honored One's Golden Body doesn't actually grow larger; it remains sixteen feet. Therefore, its reaction speed remains extrely fast.
When a monk who has cultivated the World-Honored One's Golden Body faces an enemy, the opponent only sees an imnsely majestic giant Buddha descending with unimaginable speed, and in the next mont, they are smashed to pieces!
The sixteen-foot golden body is the result of countless experiences gained by Buddhist masters through combat.
They discovered in battle that at a height of sixteen feet, one has the advantage of height from a larger stature while also maintaining agile reflexes. If shorter, the height advantage is less pronounced; if taller, the limbs beco less coordinated.
As Fan Kongliu's World-Honored One's Golden Body manifested, his body rapidly swelled, becoming tall and slender, his skin turning golden with light shining through from beneath.
His Primordial Spirit force field was filled with radiant light. With a compassionate expression, his gaze still fell on Yu Lingzi: "Yu Lingzi, what is the aning of this? Did you bring Chen Shi here to deal with ? Today, you must give an explanation!"
Yu Lingzi felt a pang of guilt and was about to speak when suddenly Chen Shi let out a furious roar.
"Explain your grandmother!"
A thunderous boom echoed through the Moon-Embracing Hall. Yu Lingzi felt the thunderclap explode right by his ear, temporarily deafening him to all other sounds.
He felt as if all the air in the Moon-Embracing Hall was suddenly expelled, the space becoming unstable and wavering.
Chen Shi's fist blasted through Fan Kongliu's Primordial Spirit force field. The force of the punch surged, the endpoint of the thunderous sound being Fan Kongliu's abdon. Fan Kongliu's palm ford a Buddha seal, slamming downward. However, as Chen Shi threw this punch, the vertebrae along his back suddenly bulged, causing Fan Kongliu's Buddha seal to miss its mark!
Fan Kongliu's body was sent flying backward, crashing into a bronze pillar as thick as a bucket, toppling it, before his body slamd heavily against the wall!
Chen Shi followed like a shadow, flying up with a kick that struck the golden-bodied monk right between the legs. Even with a Diamond Indestructible Body, he was kicked into a grimace of pain!
This leg strike was imnsely heavy, causing the wall behind Fan Kongliu to bulge outward significantly.
Chen Shi's hands shot out like blades, stabbing into the vital points at his waist beneath the ribs on both sides.
This was the location of the two kidneys. Being stabbed here would cause unimaginable agony, and if the kidneys were ruptured, it could be life-threatening.
Fan Kongliu's face contorted in pain so severe he nearly knelt. The force of the stabbing blows traveled down his legs, piercing through the floor. The entire Moon-Embracing Hall was knocked askew!
Realizing the critical danger, Fan Kongliu gritted his teeth against the pain, hurriedly pulled his legs free, and struggled to steady himself, chanting a true mantra.
The World-Honored One's Golden Body was also a cultivation technique. When operating it, one had to coordinate with an eighteen-word true mantra, which was simultaneously a type of hand seal. Before he could utter the first syllable of the true mantra, Chen Shi's fist had already smashed into his throat bone.
One strike.
His throat bone was shattered.
Chen Shi's knee crashed into his chin. Fan Kongliu felt as if his Heavenly Aperture was about to be blown off. His head snapped backward, and then his neck was swept by another of Chen Shi's chopping thighs!
"Thud!"
A dull impact sounded. Fan Kongliu smashed into the opposite wall. The entire Moon-Embracing Hall shook violently, cracks spreading densely across the surrounding walls.
Fan Kongliu lay on the ground, trying to get up. Then Chen Shi stepped on the back of his hand, pinning him face-down on the floor.
"The World-Honored One's Golden Body is indeed not bad, a fine product among second-rate techniques. You've taken so many of my attacks and still haven't been killed by . That's quite impressive."
Chen Shi grabbed one of his fingers with both hands, yanked it backward forcefully. Fan Kongliu let out a scream as his finger snapped with a crisp crack.
Chen Shi grabbed another finger and forcefully bent it again. Another crack sounded as this finger was also broken.
Yu Lingzi watched, his heart pounding with fear, finally realizing just how much Chen Shi had held back yesterday when facing him.
Without a word, Chen Shi broke all five fingers on that hand. He then moved his foot, stepping over the convulsing Fan Kongliu and onto the back of his other hand.
"Now we can reason."
He gripped one of Fan Kongliu's fingers with both hands, paused, and asked, "Yesterday, was it you who incited Yu Lingzi to block at the Guangji Treasury?"
Cold sweat beaded on Fan Kongliu's forehead. He hissed through gritted teeth, "Benefactor Chen, why do you say that? Martial Brother Yu Lingzi, did this humble monk say even half a sentence yesterday telling you to seek out Benefactor Chen?"
Yu Lingzi hesitated for a mont, then shook his head. "You didn't say it. But your implication was..."
Fan Kongliu gritted his teeth. "But this humble monk did not say it with my own mouth! Benefactor Chen, you see..."
"CRACK!"
Chen Shi ruthlessly broke that finger, then grabbed another one. "I also heard you've been involved in improper relationships with many won."
Tears stread down Fan Kongliu's face from the pain. He cried out, "This humble monk was doing it for the good of those female benefactors! Benefactor Chen, you do not understand my Buddhist sect. In our sect, there is the concept of 'bodily almsgiving.' There are Bodhisattvas who transform into won, giving their bodies to others. After engaging in intercourse, that person will sever all worldly desires, henceforth having no interest whatsoever in love and affection, and can only take refuge in Buddhism. The path I follow is the Bodhisattva path, giving my body to those won to help them sever their burning desires! What fault is there in that?"
"CRACK!"
Chen Shi broke this finger as well. "So, Shen Hongniang arranged quite a few connections for you. That's why you incited Yu Lingzi to test my strength! Am I right?"
"This humble monk..."
Fan Kongliu's eyes widened, his pupils darting frantically. He had denied twice just now and had two fingers broken. Clearly, if he denied again, Chen Shi would retaliate!
"That's right, this humble monk did think that way. Shen Hongniang acted as a matchmaker for , allowing this humble monk to gain the devotion of many female benefactors. But having such matters controlled by Shen Hongniang made this humble monk uneasy! What if she exposed it? It would disgrace the Buddhist sect! The Young Master used your hand to eliminate Shen Hongniang, so I needed to return the favor. I just didn't know your cultivation strength and didn't want to clash with you directly."
He laid out the whole story clearly. "Yu Lingzi has a simple nature, so I just made a few provocative remarks yesterday. But this matter doesn't only involve ; there are others, other people!"
"CRACK!"
Chen Shi broke the third finger, causing Fan Kongliu excruciating pain that made him wish for death. Then he released his foot and stepped over Fan Kongliu's sixteen-foot golden body.
Fan Kongliu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Chen Shi's voice ca: "Yu Lingzi, it's your turn."
Burning with rage, Yu Lingzi stepped forward, planted his foot on Fan Kongliu's hand, grabbed his two remaining intact fingers with both hands, and imitating Chen Shi, exerted force with a sudden jerk!
"CRACK! CRACK!"
Two crisp snaps sounded. Fan Kongliu passed out from the pain.
"Have you vented your anger? Do you still want to fight?"
Chen Shi asked with concern. "The Western Capital is good in every way, except for one thing: you can't just kill people casually. Otherwise, we could right here send this lecherous monk to the Pure Land for so fun."
Yu Lingzi was startled and quickly shook his head. "I've already vented my anger. No more fighting!"
Chen Shi seed rather regretful. He walked toward the hall's exit, saying, "Fan Kongliu's matter is settled. Now we should go find Li Tianqian, Ma Xueqing, and the others."
Before his words faded, the Moon-Embracing Hall began to sway unsteadily. The two hurriedly rushed out, just reaching the white jade pathway when, behind them, the Moon-Embracing Hall collapsed with a thunderous crash!
The receptionist of the Qixia Taoist Temple hurriedly ran over, but with just one glance from Black Pot, the receptionist felt that this matter wasn't really a big deal.
Chen Shi looked toward the end of the white jade pathway, a look of anticipation on his face. "Tonight, we might get to see that white-clad fairy maiden... Yu Lingzi, hurry up, let's go find the others!"
Yu Lingzi exclaid in surprise, "You're still going to beat them up?"
Chen Shi descended the white jade pathway, saying leisurely, "To convince people with reason, if you don't beat them up first, how will they be willing to submit?"
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