"Hehe, so much blood and flesh, just enough to satisfy my hunger." The dragon laughed, its eyes shining.
There are several thousand humans within its line of sight alone, not to mention the many people in the neighboring village.
Having enjoyed this offering, even if I were punished with a hundred years of solitary confinement, I would be willing...
The dragon opened its massive mouth, its magical power spreading out, unleashing a minor supernatural ability to devour thousands of humans, including many martial artists.
"Mother..." Many children became frightened and couldn't help but cry out, repeatedly calling for their mother.
Their mothers held their children, their faces ashen and their breaths weak; only their wide, fear-filled eyes seemed to prove they were alive.
"Ah!!!" Zhu Waijing roared, trying his best, but still couldn't break free from the dragon's restraints. He was like an insect or bird trapped in amber, so powerless.
The dragon swallowed thousands of people, a look of pleasure appearing in its eyes.
Considering that this mighty demon of the Dharma Body Realm, after joining the Cold Cicada Temple, could only occasionally come out to feast, and could only enjoy the company of a few thousand people at a time, at most a few thousand. Compared with the other great demons, it was truly miserable.
"Stop crying. It's your honor to be able to offer sacrifices to my stomach. You should be happy," the dragon sneered.
The crying grew louder and louder.
The dragon, annoyed by the noise, let out a roar that shook the crowd, silencing everyone instantly.
Only then did it nod in satisfaction and begin to enjoy its blood meal.
Sizzle~~
Just then, the void cracked open, and a figure walked out. Upon seeing the scene on both sides of the river, he was furious.
Buzz...
An incredibly terrifying aura rose up and enveloped the dragon in an instant.
The dragon's body stiffened for a moment; it sensed a deadly threat emanating from this person.
"Who are you? I am the mount of the Great Wise Monk of Hanchan Temple. I have been ordered to come here to carry out a mission. All irrelevant people, leave!" the dragon shouted, trying to intimidate people with its power.
"Hanchan Temple?" Cao Ya's eyes turned icy. Was there another demon behind this evil dragon?
He decided to get to the bottom of it.
Killing this dragon alone is not enough, far from enough!
The dragon's eyes darted around, sensing that the newcomer seemed unfamiliar with Hanchan Temple and harbored deep killing intent towards it. Its heart skipped a beat, and it hurriedly called out:
"I am the mount of the Great Wise Monk. I took advantage of his inattention and sneaked out of the temple to descend to the mortal realm and harm a few people. If I have done anything wrong, the high-ranking monks of Hanchan Temple will punish me. There is no need for you to overstep your bounds. Do you perhaps want to offend Hanchan Temple?"
“The Great Wise Monk is one of the four great monks of the real world and a disciple of Maitreya Buddha. I am his mount, and I have followed the monk for over a thousand years. I have made great contributions and endured many hardships. If you want to kill me, think carefully about the consequences.”
"I can see that you are also a Buddhist, so you should know the power of Maitreya Buddha."
Jiaolong's words were laced with barbs and threats, putting Cao Ya at risk.
In the past, once these words were uttered, even the most aggressive Dharmakaya would have to swallow its anger and release it with a resentful expression.
Cao Ya suddenly realized that this had happened in the original timeline.
In a moment of anger, I forgot about it.
Now that he had figured out who was behind the dragon, Cao Ya was too lazy to waste any more words with it. He raised his hand and was about to kill the dragon.
"Junior brother, hold your hand."
A voice came from the depths of nothingness, and a white lotus flower appeared, slowly blooming and transforming into a lotus platform. On it stood a young novice monk with red lips and white teeth, but a powerful aura; he was actually a Dharma body of an Earth Immortal.
Upon appearing, the young novice monk bowed to Cao Ya with his hands clasped together and smiled slightly:
"Junior brother, may I ask your Dharma name? From which Bodhisattva or Arhat did you receive your lineage?"
Upon seeing the young novice monk, the dragon felt as if it had met a long-lost relative and immediately burst into tears, saying:
"Senior brother, save me! This evil monk wants to kill me and ruins our Cold Cicada Temple's grand plan!"
The young novice monk feigned anger, glaring at the dragon and shouting:
"You wicked beast! Look at the mess you've made! You've turned this once bustling world into a waterlogged wasteland. Even if my junior brother wants to let you go, I will not forgive you for such a sin."
Cao Ya watched the Hanchan Temple monks and their mounts perform with an icy expression, his killing intent growing stronger.
The young novice seemed to sense Cao Ya's murderous intent and muttered to himself, "This junior brother has a strong aura and is not easy to deal with. I'm not confident either."
Where in the real world did such an amazing person suddenly appear...?
Hmm, this humble monk needs to think of a way to fool him...
Anyway, we come from Hanchan Temple, have the wise monk as our backer, and it's also the sacred site of Maitreya Buddha. No matter who it is, they all have to give us some face...
Offending Maitreya Buddha is no laughing matter.
If I offer him a way out, save face, and apologize first, the monk will surely forgive and forget...
The young novice monk, however, was thinking about how to manipulate Cao Ya and take the dragon away.
As for the people who suffered because of the dragon, he didn't care about them at all.
Even if there are people around who are terrified.
"Enough, enough." The young novice suddenly sighed, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and said to Cao Ya, "Junior brother, this dragon's mistake is understandable."
"It was originally a demon king who wreaked havoc in the area, but fortunately it was subdued by the wise monks of our temple and taken as their mounts. We want it to convert to Buddhism so that it will no longer harm the people of the region."
"However, this dragon demon king was born and remained wild and untamed. From time to time, it would sneak out and wreak havoc on the area, harming the people."
"Regarding this matter, this humble monk also feels deeply guilty. I will report back to the abbot and gather my fellow disciples to hold a hundred-day water and land ritual here to deliver the souls of those who died unjustly, so that they may ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss as soon as possible and be freed from the suffering of lingering in the mortal world."
"As for this dragon, I will take it back to the mountain gate and discipline it strictly so that it will never dare to do evil again and come down the mountain to harm the local people."
"Junior brother, what do you think of this method?"
After the young novice finished speaking, he murmured "Amitabha" again.
Beside him, the dragon also appeared to be filled with remorse.
But deep down, it was mocking the monk, who was as arrogant as he was just now, and as humble as he was now!
You dare offend Hanchan Temple? After returning to the mountain, I will definitely exaggerate your crimes before the Great Wise Monk and have him personally capture and kill you... Only in this way can I quell the hatred in my heart...
The dragon thought angrily.
"So you mean this dragon has harmed hundreds of thousands of people without any consequences, and all you need to do is bring it back to Hanchan Temple and discipline it strictly?" Cao Ya asked expressionlessly.
He had already calmed the turbulent river; the waters receded, revealing fertile fields and land, but all kinds of crops were destroyed. The people looked on, wanting to cry but having no tears.
"This humble monk will also perform a hundred-day Buddhist and Taoist ritual to help the souls of the deceased find peace," the young novice monk added.
He also surveyed the disaster-stricken towns and villages along both banks of the river, sighed, and solemnly said:
"This humble monk also did not wish to see this happen, but things have already come to this point, and saying anything more will not help."
“Killing the dragon would only add to the bloodshed. For the sake of a group of dead, a vibrant life would be lost. So, junior brother, why bother? It would be better to spare this beast's life and let it spend the rest of its days in repentance.”
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