Chapter 130: The Heart of Buddha and Asia

The young monk was fleeing in a panic. If he did not shake off his pursuers to properly tend to his wounds, he would surely meet his end in this desolate place.

Suddenly, a youth exuding an eerie aura appeared before him. Though he was only at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he felt like a volcano on the verge of eruption; his presence was so overwhelming that it evoked a sense of helpless frustration. The youth watched him with a look that was neither quite a smile nor a sneer.

The young monk skidded to a halt and asked, "Fellow Daoist, why do you block my path? There are those who seek my life; if I do not flee now, it will be too late."

Ge Qian smiled faintly and replied, "I am here to help you deal with those flies. Do not misunderstand, Master."

"You and I have never met," the young monk said, his expression guarded. "Why would you help me?"

"Buddhism and Taoism share the same roots; there is no distinction between us. We both pursue the path of immortality, so why not lend a hand when someone is in distress? Besides, you do not appear to be from the Zhao Kingdom. You seem to have come from elsewhere, do you not?" Ge Qian asked calmly.

"How did you know?" the young monk asked in surprise.

"In this country, the only Buddhist sect is the Xiuyuan Temple. There are no branches elsewhere. I have dealt with them before, and in a person of your age, I have never heard of anyone like you," Ge Qian explained.

The young monk’s handsome face turned thoughtful before he replied, "I am indeed not a follower of Buddhism from this land. I come from the Tianzhu Kingdom. I do not yet have a formal dharma name; you may call me Fo Yaxin. If you help me overcome this crisis, I shall surely reward you handsomely."

Ge Qian said decisively, "Very well. There are four of them. I will handle two, and you will delay the remaining two. Once I have finished with my pair, I will come to deal with yours. Do you understand?"

Fo Yaxin nodded. "That is the only way."

Just then, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Confucian Sect caught up. The burly man in the lead pointed at Ge Qian and said, "Which path are you from, fellow Daoist? I advise you not to meddle in this muddy water. Get lost, or I shall deal with you as well!"

Ge Qian smiled slightly. "I am determined to wade through this mire. Let me tell you, I am Wang Meng, cousin to Liu Xixi of the Beast Taming Sect. If you are wise, leave now, or I will let you see the power of the Beast Taming Sect!"

The man paused, then burst into laughter. "Did you hear that, brothers? He claims to be the cousin of Liu Xixi of the Beast Taming Sect! Well, do not blame us for being impolite. Your cousin caused quite a stir at the small arena and killed every disciple of our Confucian Sect. How convenient that you have delivered yourself to us; I shall take this chance to avenge my fallen brothers!"

A short, middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator nearby added, "We might not have had much use for a monk’s treasures, but now that you, a short-lived fool, have arrived to bring us more, don't waste time talking, brothers—kill him!"

The four attacked simultaneously, launching four seven-foot-long high-grade magic artifact judge's pens. They whistled through the air with terrifying speed.

Fo Yaxin’s frame suddenly surged, his bones cracking loudly as his fists erupted with radiant Buddhist light. He struck out with both hands, meeting the two judge's pens head-on. That he could contend with high-grade magic artifacts was a testament to the immense strength of his physical body.

Ge Qian’s mind stirred, and a beautiful, flaming-red female vengeful spirit appeared in the air. With a flick of his magic gourd, a surge of black yin energy swept out, pulling the pens into the gourd.

The short cultivator, linked to his pen by spirit, spat out a mouthful of blood. Filled with shock, rage, and overwhelming fear, he turned to flee.

"Go!" Red Plum commanded, pointing at the gourd.

The gourd flashed and appeared above the short man’s head, instantly swallowing him in a mist of demonic energy. "No! Have mercy, Brother—" With a shrill, piercing scream, he was reduced to a mist of blood and drawn into the gourd.

Ge Qian’s sword energy was fully occupied suppressing the shards of baleful qi, leaving him unable to use it for combat. However, a flash of lightning surged from between his brows, and an invisible ripple expanded outward.

The burly leader, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, felt his primordial spirit shatter instantly. He fell backward, his judge's pen flying toward Ge Qian, who reached out and caught it.

It was his first time using the "Infinite Tribulation Wave," and he was surprised by its immense power; it had destroyed his opponent's spirit directly.

Fo Yaxin moved with agility, his mana surging and his fists whistling as he fought the two remaining Confucian Sect cultivators to a stalemate. Had he not been severely wounded, he might have finished them already. Ge Qian, unhurried, collected the two storage bags and said to Red Plum, "Let us divide the remaining two."

Red Plum smiled sweetly and urged the gourd toward the next cultivator.

Fo Yaxin was secretly astonished. Who was this person? He possessed such a formidable vengeful spirit, and without even seeing him move, the leader of the Confucian Sect had already met his end. The remaining two were even less of a threat. A smile appeared on his face as he unleashed his "White Dragon Emerges from the Water," turning his fists into claws and striking toward the heart of a plump, pale-faced cultivator.

The plump cultivator was a veteran of many battles. He abandoned his judge's pen, blocked the blow with a glowing talismanic shield, and slapped an earth-escape talisman onto his own body, vanishing into a flash of light.

Fo Yaxin’s Buddhist claw pierced the shield, but he struck nothing but air. Frustrated, he shattered the shield into countless flying fragments with a swing of his arm.

Ge Qian’s eyes sharpened. He could not let this man escape, or it would be dangerous to remain in the territory of the Confucian Sect. He quickly formed a seal, casting "Fate Bound by Three Lives" to lock onto the plump cultivator’s scent, then executed the "Stealing the Beam and Replacing the Column" technique. The judge's pen in his hand vanished.

Four miles away, the plump cultivator emerged from the earth, muttering, "Safe at last. Beast Taming Sect, just you wait! In the land of the Confucian Sect, I will make sure you cannot take a single step!"

Hardly had the words left his lips when a judge's pen pierced the air, striking his consciousness and shattering his primordial spirit. "Impossible!" he gasped, falling backward with a look of utter disbelief. The storage bag at his waist vanished, appearing instantly in Ge Qian’s hand.

Fo Yaxin’s mouth hung open, unable to speak for a long time. He felt a deep sense of wariness toward Ge Qian. To be able to strike down an enemy and seize their belongings even after they had fled—what kind of Daoist art was this? It seemed this Zhao Kingdom was truly filled with hidden talents; he must not underestimate anyone.

At that moment, a scream echoed out. Red Plum had cleanly finished off her opponent, turning back into a wisp of vengeful energy that wrapped around the gourd and vanished into Ge Qian’s sleeve.

Fo Yaxin finally regained his composure. "Fellow Daoist, your methods are heaven-defying. I am utterly impressed. I hope you will offer me guidance on the path of cultivation in the future."

Ge Qian tucked away the four storage bags and smiled faintly. "A mere trick, not worth mentioning. Your body-refining technique, however, is formidable indeed. I am quite envious of it."

Fo Yaxin nodded. "This is the 'Great Peacock Pluto Sutra,' the secret technique of Hongfa Temple. It can only be practiced by disciples of our temple. I hope you will not take offense; the temple rules cannot be broken."

Ge Qian waved his hand. "I was merely curious; I had no intention of prying into your sect’s techniques. By the way, with your strength, how did you end up in such a state?"

"It is shameful to speak of it. I was traveling through various countries and, while passing through this area, discovered the presence of a Poison Demon. I joined forces with four cultivators from the Confucian Sect who were out on a mission, agreeing to slay the demon and rid the people of this scourge. Who knew they would be so cowardly? The moment they saw the demon, they were terrified by its ferocity. They left me to fight it for three days and three nights alone. Although I wounded it severely, I ended up in this state, and the demon escaped. Afterward, they had the shamelessness to turn around and rob me."