Chapter 567

Chapter 567: The Victorious Buddha in Battle

Amidst a shower of flowers, eight water mirrors gradually ascended around the giant Buddha at Ling Mountain Temple.

These water mirrors radiated boundless Buddhist light, projecting the spectacle of the Spirit Mountain Conference for miles, allowing all devotees present to witness the event with clarity.

Thousands of devotees knelt in unison, prostrating themselves fully as they fervently chanted the Buddha’s name, their faces alight with pious zeal.

The chants surged like a tidal wave into Ling Mountain Temple, intensifying the radiant glow of the central Buddha!

At that moment, sunlight bathed Mount Ling behind Ling Mountain Temple, casting a golden brilliance that illuminated the earth.

This breathtaking scene left many attending practitioners awestruck.

Though they had come prepared, representing their sect for the first time at Ling Mountain, the miraculous sight still overwhelmed their senses.

Thankfully, the observation area was shielded by formations; otherwise, some might have been compelled to convert to Buddhism on the spot.

That would have been a true spectacle.

Suddenly, a Lian Tai rose before the giant Buddha, its petals as white as jade, glowing lightly.

A monk appeared gracefully upon the Lian Tai.

“This is Abbot Fa Xin of Ling Mountain Temple…”

Xu Yingyi, seated beside Wang Chen, spoke in a hushed tone, his expression grave: “The Eminent Monk!”

Xu Yingyi’s voice was barely audible, but as soon as he finished, the monk on the Lian Tai turned his gaze toward them, a faint smile flickering in his slender eyes.

This great monk appeared to be in his twenties or thirties, with strikingly handsome features. Clad in a flowing white robe, he exuded an air of effortless grace.

Xu Yingyi was startled by the monk’s gaze and immediately fell silent.

Wang Chen’s heart also skipped a beat.

But Fa Xin soon turned away and began to speak: “All forms are illusory; if you perceive forms as non-forms…”

His voice was serene and clear, reaching every ear with perfect clarity.

It pierced the soul!

Within and beyond Ling Mountain Temple, whether monks or devotees of the Western Buddhist Sect, all wore expressions of rapturous devotion.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

Yet, after only a brief moment of teaching, the great monk lightly tapped the wooden bell before him and raised his palm in a gesture of respect to the monks below the Lian Tai.

All the monks bowed in unison.

Fa Xin waved his robe sleeve, and his figure gradually faded from the Lian Tai until he vanished entirely.

The sight was awe-inspiring.

Wang Chen, observing this, understood clearly in his heart — external manifestation!

Next, great monks from various temples of the Western Buddhist Sect took turns ascending the Lian Tai to expound teachings, debate doctrines, and explore Zen insights.

Wang Chen noticed that their speaking times were nearly identical, as if strictly regulated.

Though it seemed each monk spoke freely, he sensed an undercurrent of tension.

It was said that the Western Buddhist Sect harbored many factions, locked in a thousand-year struggle, only uniting tightly to oppose the Daoist sect.

But it was impossible for all the monks to unite as one.

Through this Spirit Mountain Conference, Wang Chen caught a glimpse of the true essence of the Western Buddhist Sect.

Even if what he saw was merely the tip of the iceberg.

The teachings continued from morning until noon before finally pausing to allow everyone time to adjust and rest.

However, no one expected that when the last great monk finished speaking and stepped down from the Lian Tai, a tall and robust monk leaped up, wielding a crescent shovel.

“Hey!”

The monk’s eyes gleamed with malice as he bellowed toward the observation area, “Wang Chen of the West Sea Sect, do you dare to come up and face me in battle?”

The cultivators froze in unison.

At such a significant event as the Spirit Mountain Conference, this monk dared to disregard the sect rules and leap onto the Lian Tai to challenge Wang Chen directly.

He truly had the courage of a bear!

And he was challenging none other than the chief representative, Wang Chen!

“Brother Wang, this newcomer means trouble!”

Xu Yingyi, standing nearby, warned in a deep voice, “Do not fall for his provocation!”

Xu Yingyi feared that Wang Chen, being young and impulsive, might take the bait and engage in the duel. Winning could lead to complications, and losing would bring disgrace to the West Sea Sect and the Daoist path.

“Zhi Hai, have you lost your mind?”

A middle-aged monk below the Lian Tai turned red with anger, shouting at the tall monk, “Get down at once!”

“Wang Chen, are you afraid?”

Zhi Hai completely ignored him, his gaze fixed on the observation area: “When you forced my Master Xu Wen to his death a few days ago, weren’t you so bold? Why are you silent now?”

He was indeed a disciple of Xu Wen, the abbot of Xuan Yuan Temple.

Now, Wang Chen could no longer avoid the confrontation.

Whether Zhi Hai was acting on someone’s orders or was simply consumed by a desire for revenge, Wang Chen could not shrink back or make excuses to avoid the battle.

Otherwise, he would lose more than just his own dignity.

Ignoring Xu Yingyi’s attempts to stop him, Wang Chen rose to his full height and declared loudly, “If you seek a fight, then let us fight!”

Seeing Wang Chen step forward, a vicious glint appeared in Zhi Hai’s eyes: “Come up!”

Xu Yingyi stamped his foot, his face drenched in sweat: “Brother Wang, there’s something peculiar about that Lian Tai! You’ll suffer greatly if you go up!”

Ling Mountain Temple was a sacred Buddhist site, and the Lian Tai occupied by Zhi Hai was a Buddhist treasure. Though he couldn’t control it, he could draw upon its essence to enhance his own strength.

In contrast, any Daoist techniques or artifacts used on the Lian Tai would be significantly weakened!

With this imbalance, even if Zhi Hai’s cultivation level was similar to Wang Chen’s, or even slightly inferior, he would still hold the advantage.

This was his home ground!

What good could possibly come of Wang Chen stepping up?

But Xu Yingyi couldn’t stop him in time, for Wang Chen had already leaped through the air and landed steadily on the Lian Tai, facing Zhi Hai.

The Lian Tai had a diameter of about five zhang, which was quite large in area, but for cultivators, the space available to maneuver and cast spells was extremely limited.

All the monks present watched coldly, and no one uttered a word to intervene.

It seemed they had tacitly accepted the reality of the two engaging in combat.

“Wang Chen!”

From a distance of several steps, Zhi Hai raised the gleaming crescent shovel in his hand and said with venom, “Let me make this clear: I am Zhi Hai, a disciple of Abbot Xu Wen of Xuan Yuan Temple. Today, we will not rest until one of us is dead!”

“Today, you will die…”

Wang Chen reached out and instantly grasped a metallic long staff.

Standing on the Lian Tai, he could feel the influence and repulsion of the surrounding space.

Just as Xu Yingyi had warned, there was indeed something extraordinary about the Lian Tai beneath his feet!

But Wang Chen paid it no mind.

Unless the Buddhist sect shamelessly sent a Golden Core Zen master, he feared no monk of any level.

Even if the opponent was the most formidable warrior monk.

Staring at his adversary, Wang Chen tightened his grip on the Concealed Dragon Stick.

Today, he would embody the Victorious Buddha in Battle!

“I live!”

As soon as he spoke, Wang Chen suddenly swung the long staff in his hand.

The Concealed Dragon Stick tore through the air, instantly expanding to dozens of times its size, generating a thunderous force as it smashed down toward Zhi Hai.

With the power of that strike, it could shatter mountains and topple peaks!