Shi Chan followed at the very back of the retreating righteous disciples. After the group of righteous people flew away from the mine for about a thousand feet, each sect began to change their routes and fly back to their own sects to report the casualties and rest before setting off for the location where the extraordinary treasure was born.
A large patch of multicolored light in the sky separated and flew in all directions, as if a huge seven-colored flower had bloomed in the sky, which was exceptionally dazzling.
Suddenly, a golden light descended from the sky and landed on a large field on the ground.
The vast field was covered in lush green grass, dotted with beautiful wildflowers that emitted a pleasant fragrance. In the distance, several children could be seen herding cattle, some singing loudly, their clear and melodious voices carrying far and wide.
The golden light fell on the plain, revealing Shi Ning's figure.
At that time, Shi Ning's monk's robe was stained with blood, and it was torn in many places. He had many wounds on his body. His face was dark with anger, and he stood silently on a low hill.
Before long, beams of golden light fell to the ground. When the light dissipated, more than twenty gray-robed monks appeared in the spot, and Shi Chan was among them.
Shi Ning stared coldly at Shi Chan and said in a deep voice, "Shi Chan, stay here. The rest of you, go back to the mountain first."
The twenty-odd monks looked at each other in silence for a while, then responded in a jumbled "Yes," and flew away into the distance one after another.
Zen Master stood with his hands clasped together, head bowed, and remained silent.
Looking at the bloodstains on Shi Chan's grey monk's robes, Shi Ning's expression darkened. He asked in a deep voice, "How is the injury on your shoulder?"
Without looking up, Shi Chan replied in a low voice, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. My injuries are nothing to worry about."
"You're alright?" Shi Ning's face darkened, and he said sternly, "For that fox demon, you disregarded your own safety and almost lost your life!"
Shi Chan trembled and knelt on the ground with a thud. His face was ashen, and he said in a low voice, "Brother, please calm down. Shi Chan knows he was wrong."
Shi Ning's chest heaved violently as he gasped angrily. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "That fox demon will destroy you sooner or later!"
Over the past decade, Liuli has frequently appeared alongside Li Molin at the sites where divine artifacts were created. Therefore, even though she still doesn't exude any demonic aura, many righteous disciples have come to recognize her. Although Shi Ning is still unsure whether she is a demon or a monster, based on Yuanjue and Huiyan's speculations, he's convinced Liuli is likely a fox demon. In his mind, Liuli is probably just an ordinary fox who has cultivated into a demon; he hasn't considered the deeper implications, nor has he considered that she might be a nine-tailed fox. After all, nine-tailed foxes haven't appeared in the mortal world for far too long, and Buddhist disciples prefer to believe that the nine-tailed fox clan has been wiped out and will never appear again.
Zen Master bowed his head deeply, looking bewildered.
Shi Ning took a deep breath, put his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to chant the scriptures in a low voice. He chanted them repeatedly for a quarter of an hour, and finally calmed his angry mood a little.
He opened his eyes, looked down at Shi Chan, and said in a softer voice, "Shi Chan, get up."
"Yes." Shi Chan looked up at him nervously, then slowly straightened up.
Shi Ning looked directly at Shi Chan and said gently, "Shi Chan, you were brought into this world by your senior brother. I have watched you grow and your cultivation deepen day by day. You have deep wisdom and are the most suitable person to practice Buddhism. Master said that you are destined to be a disciple of my Buddhist sect and will definitely enter my Buddhist sect. Shi Chan, I really don't want to see you ruined by a fox demon and have your cultivation ruined."
Shi Chan felt uneasy and remained silent, waiting for Shi Ning to continue.
Shi Ning paused for a moment, his expression turning solemn, and said earnestly, "Shi Chan, if you still remember the kindness of your master and senior brother in raising you, then do something for your senior brother, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Chan quickly bowed his head and replied, "Yes, please speak, senior brother."
Shi Ning's eyes turned slightly cold as he said, word by word, "Kill that fox demon!"
Shi Chan's body trembled, and his expression changed.
Shi Ning stared at Shi Chan, carefully observing every expression on his face. His voice turned cold as he continued, "I want you, brother, to kill her with your own hands!"
“Senior brother…” Shi Chan’s face was pale and grim.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha!" Shi Ning chanted the Buddha's name. He closed his eyes, put his hands together, and said coldly, "Shi Chan, believe me. If you can kill her with your own hands, you will surely be able to understand the Buddha's teachings and take your cultivation a step further."
Shi Chan remained silent, his eyes wide open. His deep black eyes had lost their usual tranquility and were now filled with fear and helplessness.
--
In the plateau region southwest of the Central Plains, among the continuous mountain ranges, stands the world's highest peak, named Tongtian Mountain. Tongtian Mountain is over two thousand zhang high, and its summit is surrounded by white clouds, making it appear to pierce the clouds. Just as its name suggests, it seems that climbing to the top would allow one to ascend directly to the heavens.
From a distance, Tongtian Mountain appears as a pure white snow mountain. The melting snow flows to the lower-lying south side, forming Prajna Lake, and then flows to the north side, gradually eroding the land over time to form a large swamp.
This swamp stretches for over a thousand miles, covered with vast expanses of lush greenery, a unique feature of swamps. Among the plants growing are beautiful water lilies in the puddles, and aquatic grasses, reeds, and other vegetation growing around the puddles.
Although the swamp was lush with vegetation and verdant greenery, the land was muddy and murky, with bubbles rising from the grayish-green mud every now and then, and a smell of rotting branches and leaves permeated the air.
The swamp was muddy and difficult to traverse, let alone habitable, so the place was deserted and desolate.
Almost simultaneously, both the righteous and the demonic factions received signs that a treasure might be emerging in the swamp, so they gathered their forces and hurriedly arrived at the location.
Li Molin and Liuli led over a hundred demons into the swamp, cautiously moving forward and carefully searching for traces of the treasure.
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