Returning from the Immortal World

“The Joyous Sect has paid a terrible price for all that with nearly all the lives of our disciples then!” Dragon Vanquisher Sage indignantly shouted. “I ran away and never dared to return to China. Not even an inch to step on the mainland and never harmed any Chinese, either. Is all that not enough for you?”

Blackface Buddha, Jade Buddha, and the rest looked at each other with pensive looks. They were not psycho mass murderer, to begin with. Even Blackface Buddha who had killed countless people and acted as the leader of Buddhist Sect’s Discipline and Punishment Hall still had pity and mercy due to the Buddhism teaching.

To either Daoist or Buddhist cultivators, killings were just a solution to solve some risk factors they faced. What they cared about was the lives of Chinese people. They may have the same respect for the lives of these Japanese, but it wasn’t as special as the former.

Back in the past in that turbulent and tumultuous dark times, each and every one of them left the sect and launched a crazy massacre against those Japanese who invaded China, and thus, the cause of the deep loathing toward this country. Still, they also had a conscience and were well aware of this matter as was Dragon Vanquisher Sage.

Therefore, hesitation struck the hearts of Buddhist experts at this moment.

Whoosh…

A figure flickered and approached lightning-fast from afar. When the person appeared in front of Blackface Buddha’s 18 Eminent Monks, all the monks respectfully saluted him.

Dragon Vanquisher Sage was stunned. He knew the identity of Blackface Buddha and his team. Hence, he really couldn’t understand why they bowed to this young man despite being a few centuries older. Further… why did they act so respectful to him?

Who is he? What abilities does he have to make the 18 Eminent Monks of the Buddhist Sect respect him that much?

Tang Xiu smilingly nodded to Blackface Buddha and Jade Buddha’s team with his arms crossed behind his back. Then, he slowly turned around to face Dragon Vanquisher Sage and smilingly said, “You’re Dragon Vanquisher Sage, the Master of the Joyous Palace?”

“I am!” replied Dragon Vanquisher Sage with a solemn face.

“I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I’m the one responsible for laying out this array.” Tang Xiu slightly smiled and said, “Even you must have guessed that I’m the Master behind Kuwako Yamamoto.”

“That’s right. I already guessed all that.” Dragon Vanquisher Sage nodded. “Also, I’m sure you’re also the one who pulled the strings for the battle between the Joyous Palace and the Gene Camp. It can be said that I and General Fukuda have fallen to your machination. Am I correct?”

“I admit that it was mainly my machination that led both parties to this situation.” Tang Xiu nodded.

“Why?” asked Dragon Venerable Sage in a heavy voice while suppressing his anger inwardly.

“Why?” Tang Xiu slightly smiled and explained, “So that my people can completely control Japan, of course! Be it the Joyous Palace or the Gene Camp, they are just unexpected factors in my plan, that made it more difficult for Kuwako Yamamoto to control the whole of Japan in a short time.”

Looking at Tang Xiu incredulously, Dragon Vanquisher Sage blurted out stupidly, “You’re a cultivator from China… yet you headed to Japan to grab a territory? You… you’re…”

“Heh, cultivation resources on Earth are so very limited.” Tang Xiu sneered. “I’ll take possession of Japan or anywhere else in the world as long as the place has cultivation resources. It’s just the way the cultivation path is, for we are always struggling and fighting against the sky, earth and man.”

Dragon Vanquisher Sage fell into silence. He could understand Tang Xiu’s reasoning. Wasn’t the chief reason why he occupied Japan before and then developed his force here in secret also because of cultivation resources?

Tang Xiu slowly turned around and looked at Blackface Buddha and Jade Buddha and inquisitively asked, “I noticed your hesitation, two Masters. Is your resolution weakening or what?”

Blackface Buddha exchanged glances with Jade Buddha and the latter wryly smiled, shook his head and sighed. “It is as you said. Dragon Vanquisher Sage may be a renegade of my Buddhist Sect and he’s also committed heinous sins. But he has never stepped on the mainland over the years, nor has he harmed any Chinese person or the Buddhist Sect. So…”

Tang Xiu raised his hand to interrupt him and noddingly said, “I do approve the wisdom of Buddhist way that those who repent and reform can become a Buddha immediately. He did get his punishment and paid the price for his past sins. But now I ask you, can you spare him if he’s willing to put down the butcher knife?”

“This…” Blackface Buddha and Jade Buddha looked at each other with hesitant looks.

Dragon Vanquisher Sage’s eyes shone and he spoke to Tang Xiu while cupping his fists, “What’s your honorable name, Sir?”

“Tang Xiu,” answered Tang Xiu.

Having said that, he took out half a pack of cigarettes from the interspatial ring, took a lighter and lit it up, and drew the smoke twice. Then, he slowly said, “You should know the consequences since my Daoist school and the Buddhist Sect are cooperating, Dragon Vanquisher Sage. The array I arranged here is absorbing the world and spiritual energy of this land, using the blood and souls it has absorbed and devoured to finally form a terrifyingly fearsome killing array. Even without the assistance of these Masters, I can still kill all of you inside this array with my own power.

“But you can still preserve your life, however. You only need to submit, repent and reform yourself and I can give you my guarantee on that.”

“Preserving his life is fine, Sect Master Tang. But the Joyous Palace must cease to exist!” Blackface Buddha suddenly interjected. “The Buddhist Sect will never allow any teaching of this cultivation technique to spread further. Also, he can be forgiven for his capital crime, but he cannot escape his current ones. He must return to the Buddhist Sect with us and accept 100 years of imprisonment.”

Dragon Vanquisher Sage kept silent, but the struggles in his heart never stopped.

Exacting revenge was something he had been wishing for all these years and the thought hounded him countless times. Forcing him to submit without a fight was something nearly impossible for him. Yet, he was now facing such a situation. Could there be some other people brought by the Buddhist Sect nearby now? Further, he was confident that he could protect himself even though that Tang Xiu had arranged this array. But then again, Blackface Buddha addressed him as Sect Master Tang, meaning that he was a Sect Master of a Daoist sect. Did he also bring other cultivators and experts here, and if he did, how many of them were nearby?

A subtle light suddenly flashed in his eyes as he said in a deep voice, “I have no problem with surrendering myself or facing the wall for 100 years for my punishment. But I have a request. I’ll immediately tell everyone else to submit should you comply with my request.”

“You think you still can demand anything, Dragon Vanquisher?” Blackface Buddha yelled. “What leverage do you think you have?”

Killing intent surged in Tang Xiu’s heart since he could faintly guess the monk’s demand. However, he still asked with indifference, “Speak your request.”

Dragon Vanquisher Sage slowly said, “Joyous Palace Saintess has gone missing. I raised her, and you can say she’s my closest relative. If you can find her and bring her to China’s Buddhist Sect to face the wall for 100 years with me, I’ll agree to your demand. Else, the battle is inevitable and, if worse comes to worst, I guarantee that you’ll pay a terrible price if you want to kill me.”

Sure enough.

Tang Xiu’s eyes flickered and he could sense the monk’s unwillingness. After all, how could he be willing to be imprisoned for a century after living so freely for so many years? Not to mention the Joyous Palace Saintess—Gong Wan’er was also a woman he had set as his furnace. It was very likely that his cultivation would soar once he had devoured her. At that time, this monk would likely be on par with him in power, if not slightly weaker, and nobody in the Buddhist Sect would be able to control him anymore.

Even the likelihood of him becoming a huge disaster for the Buddhist Sect at that time was high, which would lead to a massacre in the sect.

Tang Xiu then turned to look at the 18 Eminent Monks and slowly spoke, “All Masters, those who repent and redeem themselves may be able to ascend and reach Buddhahood, but those who do so while retaining their evil and vicious intentions would make them aim their butcher knives to Buddha’s neck. Evil is too strong in his heart and the hatred he has toward the Buddhist Sect has reached the extreme. Just forget your intention for him and let ashes turn to ashes and return it to the Earth. It’s the best home for him!”

Blackface Buddha shot a surprised look at Tang Xiu and asked with a confused face, “What do you mean by that, Sect Master Tang?”

“The Joyous Palace Saintess he just mentioned is a woman he fostered to be a woman furnace for himself. Once he devours her, he’ll plunder all the energy in her body completely to enhance his power. All Masters must be aware of the extent of his power if that happens. By that time, how many people in the entire Buddhist Sect can control him? Who can guarantee that he won’t start a massacre there to avenge his martial brothers?”

Blackface Buddha’s vision condensed and the killing intent in his eyes reappeared.

“Sect Master Tang is right. Dragon Vanquisher definitely has this evil intention when he stated his condition.” Jade Buddha nodded and slowly said, “I originally thought that he could sincerely repent, but to think that he has his own scheme is unthinkable. Using a woman as a furnace for his own cultivation is simply madness. It seems that every disciple of the Joyous Sect has truly fallen into a demonic path and is already unsavable. Then this monk shall be the one to purge the scourge from this world.”

The monk then took off a dazzling golden diamond bangle from his wrist. Along with his sutra chanting, the diamond bangle grew larger and turned into a grinding plate shrouded by a burning flame in just a few breaths while Jade Buddha’s aura suddenly burst out. In but a moment, the diamond bangle then crushed down on Dragon Vanquisher Sage and bombarded him.

“Shit! It’s the Buddhist Sect’s supreme treasure—Diamond Bangle?!! Jade Buddha! Did you choose to perish together with Palace Master? Then don’t blame me for being ruthless! All Joyous Palace members, heed my order and decimate them! I’ll undo the seal on you and bestow you a lot of cultivation resources as long as you can kill all these enemies!” Dragon Vanquisher Sage roared and threw the staff in his hand to clash with the crushing diamond bangle.

BOOM…

The violent energy blasted out around and Dragon Vanquisher Sage felt his arms going numb and a trace of blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth once again. His body was plunged backward instantly, but the diamond bangle itself was also sent flying tens of meters away.

Jade Buddha’s body trembled and a look of incredulity appeared on his face. He realized he was much weaker than Dragon Vanquisher Sage from the instant clash just now. He knew that he could’ve been seriously injured had Dragon Vanquisher Sage not been severely injured already. He quickly shouted, “Martial Brothers, this man has already fallen deep into the demonic path and is much stronger than before. We must work together to kill them and completely eliminate these hidden dangers!”