His words resonated deeply, and the kneeling sounds in the square gradually ceased. Many believers raised their heads, their eyes filled with confusion and contemplation—they had never imagined that the daily act of worship might not be the true meaning of "sincerity."
Pushan Ancient Buddha's expression finally changed, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "Sharp-tongued! Sophistry! How dare you, an outsider, interfere in Buddhist affairs?"
He found himself speechless, stumped by the scholar's words. The scholar's "sincerity" spoke directly of his heart and the common people, while the scholar's "sincerity" focused on formalities and rules, making the Buddhist sect seem petty in comparison.
Pushan Ancient Buddha took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said in a deep voice to the crowd in the square: "You may all go down the mountain. The mountain gate is closed today and you may enter again in three days."
Everyone was taken aback. Though puzzled, they dared not disobey the ancient Buddha's will and rose to their feet, reluctantly heading down the mountain. A moment later, only Su She, the ancient Buddha Pushan, and a few high-level Buddhist cultivators could be vaguely seen behind the mountain gate remained on the vast plaza.
With no outsiders around, the peaceful expression on Pushan Ancient Buddha's face vanished completely, replaced by a chilling killing intent in his eyes: "You scholar, you are quite audacious. The affairs of the Southern Region are nothing but matters of mortal life and death, what do they have to do with Buddhism? Why do you insist on meddling in other people's business, on trespassing on my Ten Thousand Buddha Mountain, and exposing the shortcomings of my Buddhist sect?"
He finally stopped hiding it—the so-called "lack of sincerity" was just an excuse. What really made him want to kill was that Su She exposed the hypocrisy of Buddhism and that he might expose the indifference of Buddhism to the public.
Seeing the murderous intent in his eyes, Su She's last hope for Buddhism was completely extinguished.
He gripped the Tao Te Ching tightly in his arms, his blue robe fluttering in the mountain wind.
"Ordinary lives are also lives." Su She's voice was cold, yet it carried an unwavering determination. "What I'm concerned with is not trivial matters, but justice, the human heart, and the principles within my heart."
"As for venturing into the mountains..." He looked up at the gate of the Great Thunder Temple, "I want to see whether what lies behind this gate is compassion or a quagmire of filth."
Pushan Ancient Buddha laughed in fury: "Fine! What a fair argument! What a principle! Today, I will show you that in my sacred Buddhist land, your principle is worthless!"
Before he finished speaking, his moon-white kasaya fluttered without wind, and a terrifying pressure far exceeding that of the Eighteen Arhats suddenly erupted, enveloping the entire square.
Behind the mountain gate of the Great Thunderclap Temple, a beam of Buddha light shot into the sky, clearly indicating that this third-rank ancient Buddha was about to get serious.
Su She straightened his back, facing the oppressive aura, and slowly opened the "Tao Te Ching" in his hand.
The blue robes and the Buddha's light, the Confucian and Taoist paths and the Buddhist path, are finally about to collide directly in the square atop Wanfo Mountain.
Pu Shan Ancient Buddha was provoked to kill by Su She's words. His moon-white kasaya suddenly swelled up, and golden light burst forth from his pores, condensing behind him into a Buddhist golden body that was ten feet tall. The golden body's face was exactly the same as that of the ancient Buddha, with slightly closed eyes, his left hand forming a mudra, and his right hand holding a purple-gold vajra. The Buddha's light was like a blazing sun hanging in the sky, illuminating the entire square as if it were daytime.
"You brat, how dare you insult Buddhism! Today I will let you taste the power of the Buddha's golden body!" The voice of the Ancient Buddha of Universal Benevolence emanated from the golden body, carrying with it a majestic heavenly might.
Su She looked at the imposing golden statue, his expression unchanged. He simply opened the Tao Te Ching again, ran his fingertips across the pages, and uttered softly, "Soldiers."
This time, what emerged from the azure light was not the eighteen soldiers, but a figure clad in black armor and wielding a long halberd—the aura of the soldiers was several times stronger than before, faintly reaching the level of the early stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, clearly indicating that Su She had gathered more Confucian and Taoist righteous energy.
"kill!"
With a roar, the armored soldier cleaved through the sky with his halberd, carrying the awe-inspiring aura of "protecting all living beings," and thrust it straight at the chest of the Buddha's golden body!
"clang!"
The vajra and the halberd collided, producing a deafening metallic clang. Golden and blue light exploded, forming a ring of air waves that shook the stone Buddhas at the edge of the square, causing them to shed dust.
The Buddha and Taoist golden bodies unleashed their immense power, pressing down with their vajras in an attempt to crush the halberd; however, the Xuanjia soldiers did not retreat at all, their halberds shimmering with azure light, stubbornly withstanding the attack.
"retreat!"
The two exerted their strength simultaneously, and both the golden body and the armored soldier retreated two steps, leaving two deep grooves in the bluestone ground of the square.
They were evenly matched!
A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Buddha of Universal Goodness—his golden body of Buddha and Tao could withstand even the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, yet it was forced to a draw by the soldiers and armor summoned by a scholar.
Just then, steady footsteps came from afar, each step resounding as if treading on the hearts of everyone present.
Pushan Ancient Buddha's expression changed, and he quickly suppressed his killing intent, bowing respectfully towards the direction of the footsteps: "Greetings, True Buddha Xuanzhen!"
Su She turned his head and saw an old man in a dark gold kasaya walking slowly towards him. His face was withered, but his eyes were bright. His aura was faint but powerful, a hundred times stronger than that of the Ancient Buddha Pu Shan, and he faintly exuded the power of "seeking the Dao" - he was Xuanzhen, the second-class True Buddha of Buddhism! (Above the Tribulation Transcending Realm is the Dao Seeking Realm)
“Half-step into the Dao…” Su She’s heart skipped a beat. Above the Tribulation Transcending Realm is the Dao Inquiry Realm, and this Xuanzhen True Buddha has already touched that threshold.
Xuanzhen True Buddha didn't even glance at Pushan Ancient Buddha. His gaze fell on Su She, his eyes as cold as iron. Without uttering a single word, he raised his hand and struck out with a palm!
This seemingly ordinary palm strike contained the artistic conception of "ten thousand Buddhas paying homage to the ancestral temple." Countless tiny Buddha shadows floated in the palm wind, carrying an overbearing attitude of "those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish," pressing directly on Su She's face!
"Good timing!"
Instead of retreating, Su She advanced, the pages of the Tao Te Ching flying, a surge of blue light erupting. He no longer relied on weapons and armor, but took matters into his own hands, forming a hand seal with both palms, gathering the righteous energy of Confucianism and Taoism in his palms, and pushing against Xuanzhen's Buddha palm!
"Bang!"
As their palms collided, the azure light and the Buddhist light clashed violently. Su She's figure swayed slightly, and Xuanzhen True Buddha was also shaken and forced to take a half step back.
"Hmm?" Xuanzhen Zhenfo's eyes flashed with surprise. His palm strike was enough to severely injure a late-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivator, yet this scholar was able to withstand it head-on?
Upon seeing this, the ancient Buddha of Universal Benevolence moved once more, and the Vajra Pestle, accompanied by the sound of wind being cut, smashed towards Su She from the side!
One true Buddha and one ancient Buddha, one facing forward and one from the side, both launching attacks simultaneously!
Su She remained completely composed. With his left hand, he channeled the Xuanjia armor to meet the golden body, while his right hand once again gathered righteous energy to engage in a fierce battle with the Xuanzhen True Buddha. His footwork was agile, as if he were strolling leisurely, and he handled the attack from the two masters with ease. Although he was fighting two against one, he was not at a disadvantage at all!
"This...how is this possible?" A storm raged in the heart of the Ancient Buddha Pushan. He and Xuanzhen, working together, couldn't even defeat a mere scholar? Just who was this scholar, and how could he possess such profound hidden strength?
Xuanzhen Zhenfo's expression grew increasingly solemn. He could sense that Su She's righteous energy, though seemingly gentle, was incredibly resilient, like water flowing through stone. No matter how violent Su She's Buddhist power was, it could be skillfully neutralized. This resilience was even more unsettling than a direct confrontation.
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Thank you all for your support and love. I saw that many of you have clicked the "urging update" button before, and I will write as soon as possible. Please give me a five-star review, likes, and gifts. I am very grateful to Huangtiandi Shihao2 for the two flowers, Liguang Bairen for the bubble tea, and Lindong Panyanggui for the bubble tea. Thank you all for your love.
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