The disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace and the monks of Sanhua Temple simultaneously turned their heads towards the open doors of the Pagoda of Buddha.

“What goes in must come out!” Vajra Du Nan calmly stated. The fiery halo behind his head burned intensely, emanating scorching heat that made those around him feel as if they were in the midst of a sweltering summer.

This was Sanhua Temple’s territory, and the Pagoda of Buddha was a Buddhist treasure. Even if someone managed to steal the dragon essence, they would eventually have to come out. Snatching the dragon essence right under the noses of the Buddhist sect wouldn’t be so simple.

Although Vajra Du Nan hadn’t anticipated the dragon essence being stolen before, even if such a situation arose, he didn’t believe it could leave the Pagoda of Buddha or Sanhua Temple under his watch.

“Amitabha!” The abbot of Sanhua Temple, having witnessed the death of his beloved disciple and successor, was overwhelmed with grief. He said, “The Pagoda of Buddha opens once every sixty years, for twelve hours each time. When the time is up, the gates will close automatically. Vajra Du Nan, why not let those inside remain there forever and face the consequences of their evil deeds?”

Ilbu, wearing a hood that revealed only half of his face, smiled and said, “That’s not a bad idea…”

Jingxin nodded.

Those of the third-grade cultivation realm couldn’t enter the Pagoda of Buddha, but first-grade Bodhisattvas could. There was no need to wait sixty years; once the tension in Alanda subsided, a Bodhisattva would come to retrieve the dragon essence.

Unfortunately, by then, whether the dragon essence would still be given to him was uncertain. The Buddhist sect hadn’t lost the dragon essence, but he had indeed lost a great opportunity. Thinking of this, Jingxin couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

“Amitabha!” He immediately began chanting the Buddha’s name softly, expelling the emotion.

Zen masters cultivated the mind, following the path of idealism, unlike warrior monks who drank alcohol, ate meat, and killed without restraint.

“This doesn’t look good,” Li Lingsu hissed, analyzing the situation. “With a Vajra and a Spiritual Wisdom Master guarding the pagoda entrance, anyone trying to provide support from the outside would have to defeat them first.”

But even with a sorcerer’s bag of tricks, it would be impossible to shake a Dharma-protecting Vajra, let alone a Spiritual Wisdom Master as well.

Mu Nanzhi frowned deeply, her arms unconsciously tightening around the small white fox she was holding.

“Pulse…” At this moment, Sun Xuanji uttered another word. Then, he lightly tapped his foot, and the array patterns engraved on the battery platform lit up one by one.

Sell? What was he going to sell?

Li Lingsu couldn’t understand at all. Before he could think it through, he saw the cannonballs in the basket rise and complete the loading process.

Immediately after, with a series of “boom boom boom” sounds, fifteen cannons simultaneously recoiled, their barrels shooting out cannonballs one after another.

The sound of the bed crossbow’s bowstring vibrating followed in sync, as arrow after arrow, as thick as bowls and as tall as a person, shot out fiercely.

Vajra Du Nan flashed to block the pagoda entrance, raising both hands and pushing forcefully towards the sky.

He pushed out an invisible wall of energy, like a wave, causing the bed crossbow arrows to break in mid-air and the cannonballs to explode before reaching their target.

Bursts of fire bloomed in the air, like dazzling fireworks.

Boom boom boom!

The second wave of attacks followed closely, but the target was no longer Vajra Du Nan and the others. The battery platform had somehow appeared behind the pagoda, raining down firepower.

Mu Nanzhi stood at the edge of the battery platform, watching as the cannonballs bombarded the Pagoda of Buddha, causing the walls to crack and the plaster to fall off in chunks, revealing the dark golden pagoda body underneath.

Before long, the Pagoda of Buddha became mottled, with irregular patches of dark gold and white walls intertwined.

The white walls and black tiles were merely a disguise; the Pagoda of Buddha itself was a magical treasure, nurtured by first-grade Bodhisattvas for countless years.

Such intense firepower couldn’t even shake it a bit… Just as Li Lingsu was feeling amazed, his vision blurred as the battery platform teleported again.

In the void where the battery platform had been, Ilbu’s figure suddenly appeared. Sun Xuanji had sensed the danger in advance and avoided the Spiritual Wisdom Master’s pounce.

The two chased each other in the air, but Sun Xuanji ignored Ilbu, persistently firing downwards.

He was forcing Vajra Du Nan to take action.

The Eastern sisters and the Sanhua Temple monks once again fled into the first level of the Pagoda of Buddha. Compared to Xu Qi’an’s cannon output inside the pagoda, Sun Xuanji’s cannons were several times more powerful.

Even fourth-grade warrior monks dared not easily withstand it.

Vajra Du Nan stood motionless in front of the pagoda, his Vajra divine skill protecting his body. The power of the cannons posed no threat to him.

“If Sanhua Temple is destroyed, so be it. We can always rebuild. I want to see just how many cannonballs and arrows you have,” Vajra Du Nan’s voice resonated.

“Curse Killing Technique!”

After missing his target again, Ilbu chose to use the signature move of witches.

But the Curse Killing Technique failed to work. Without a medium, casting the Curse Killing Technique from a distance lacked the strength to break through the array’s protection and affect Sun Xuanji.

Instead, Ilbu took a direct hit from a cannon and was sent flying back, looking somewhat disheveled.

Li Lingsu couldn’t feel happy at all. His discerning eye was still sharp; at first glance, Sun Xuanji seemed to have the upper hand effortlessly, but in reality, the Buddhist sect hadn’t budged an inch.

…

“The fighting has started outside.”

“The sorcerer from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau is providing support for us. Should we try to break out?”

“Are you seeking death? Can’t you see the Dharma-protecting Vajra guarding the entrance?”

“Now we can only pin our hopes on that second disciple of the Director.”

The martial artists from Leizhou had a clear understanding of their predicament. Snatching the treasure and repelling the Buddhist sect didn’t mean the matter was over. The key was to safely leave the Pagoda of Buddha. Fortunately, while the opponent had third-grade experts, so did their side. The sorcerer from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was handling two opponents with ease, truly impressive.

At the window on the south side, Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu gathered. The Pacification Commissioner, leaning on his long spear, looked back at the distant blue-robed Xu Qian and said in a low voice:

“It seems we can’t get out now?”

Tang Yuanwu’s expression was solemn, his brows furrowed: “The Pagoda of Buddha only opens for twelve hours. If we can’t leave before then, we’ll be trapped to death in here.”

Yuan Yi added, “Sun Xuanji can’t defeat two third-grade cultivators, especially with a Dharma-protecting Vajra. We can’t pin our hopes on him.”

Li Shaoyun clicked his tongue, frowning with a bitter expression: “That old monk seemed quite easy-going. Why don’t we try to plead with him to let us out?”

The Commander glanced at the Tower Spirit who was sitting cross-legged with closed eyes, shaking his head as he said:

“He won’t even help the Buddhist monks, why would he help us?”

“It doesn’t cost anything to try,” Li Shaoyun said, shouldering his spear as he walked over. He put his palms together in a seemingly proper manner and said, “Master, please let us out.”

The old monk lowered his gaze and smiled: “The path lies beneath the benefactor’s feet. You are free to leave.”

… Li Shaoyun’s eyes flickered for a moment, and he suddenly fell to his knees, putting his palms together with a surge of sorrow: “Master, I have a ninety-year-old mother at home and young children crying for food. For the sake of the large family I have to support, please, I beg you to send us out.”

The old monk seemed slightly moved and asked, “How old are you, benefactor?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No, no, my Li family has only one child per generation.”

The old monk said, “So your mother gave birth to you at sixty-five?”

… Li Shaoyun’s face suddenly froze, and his voice caught in his throat. He opened his mouth, trying to find a suitable explanation for himself, but was at a loss for words.

He thought to himself, “Damn it, this Tower Spirit can even do math?”

Li Shaoyun walked away, cursing under his breath.

He returned to Yuan Yi and Tang Yuanwu’s side, his face grave: “This is not good. Not only is this old monk iron-hearted, but he also has an uncanny ability to do calculations.”

The leader of the Double Sword Sect and the Commander looked at him expressionlessly.

“I seem to see the words ‘uncouth martial artist’ in your eyes,” Li Shaoyun said, displeased.

“No, we don’t.”

“We don’t think martial artists are uncouth.”

“I feel like you’re mocking me… What should we do now?” Li Shaoyun asked helplessly.

The leader of the Double Sword Sect didn’t speak, while Yuan Yi turned his head to look at Xu Qian.

“We can only rely on him now.”

…

“Now is the best opportunity to unseal Shengshu’s arm. Releasing this arm will not only piece together Shengshu’s soul but also borrow the power of the severed arm to resolve the current predicament,” Xu Qi’an said slowly as he approached Shengshu’s severed arm. Throughout this process, he constantly monitored the Tower Spirit’s reaction, probing the other’s bottom line.

Surprisingly, the Tower Spirit, the old monk, kept his palms together and eyes lowered, paying no attention to anyone in the tower, including Xu Qi’an.

Xu Qi’an stopped three zhang away, examining Shengshu’s severed arm. It was a left arm, dark blue, with knotted muscles, smooth lines, and perfect proportions. Rather than just an arm, it looked more like a work of art.

It was bound by nine dark golden chains, each as thick as a finger. The other ends of the chains were embedded in the ground, walls, and pillars.

“Let’s try to awaken it first…”

Xu Qi’an glanced sideways at the Tower Spirit, the old monk, and seeing that he was still so nonchalant, his heart leaped with joy. He lightly tapped the fragment of the Book of Earth, taking out the anklet that his sister-in-law Bai Ji had sent from afar.

Ding ding ding!

He gently shook the anklet, and the bells made a crisp sound.

As the bells continued to ring, after about ten seconds, Xu Qi’an saw the index finger of the severed arm twitch.

This scene gave him the feeling of watching a horror movie.

With the crisp sound of the bells, the fingers moved more and more vigorously. The arm had completely come to life. Using its fingers as feet, the severed arm crawled quickly, but it was tightly bound by the chains. It thrashed left and right, causing the chains to become taut.

Xu Qi’an gripped the anklet, his expression stiff as he slowly backed away.

His face looked extremely unpleasant, as he sensed a strong malevolence from this severed arm, no less than the malice of the Earth Sect’s leader.

It was well known that Shengshu was no saint. Whether it was the eerie behavior displayed when possessing Henghui, or the occasional glimpses of madness, everything told Xu Qi’an that Shengshu was a dangerous character.

But the right arm beneath Sangbo was mostly benevolent, while this left arm sealed in Leizhou belonged to the “evil” camp, starkly different from the friendly right arm.

“My cultivation is sealed now, and Shengshu (right) is sleeping, lacking the ability to respond to risks…”

Xu Qi’an’s heart slowly sank to the bottom.

“Damn it, this kind of remnant can’t be released. I dare say, that once this severed arm is freed, it will immediately turn on me. Moreover, for the outside world, it would undoubtedly be a massive disaster. It would devour life and seize essence blood without restraint…”

He gripped the anklet tightly, feeling dejected, angry, and helpless – emotions that had become quite rare for him these days.

“Amitabha!”

The Tower Spirit, the old monk, appeared by his side at some point, smiling with palms together:

“Good and evil often lie in a single thought.”

Xu Qi’an was startled by his sudden conversation, stepping back two paces.

He was indeed paying attention to me, or more accurately, to Shengshu… Xu Qi’an discreetly hid the anklet and carefully said:

“This severed arm is filled with malice. Who exactly is its owner?”

The Tower Spirit monk solemnly said: “An extreme person, with both good and evil at their extremes.”

“The second-grade Nalan Yushi is suppressed on the second floor, yet this severed arm is suppressed on the third floor. It seems its owner must be an extremely terrifying figure. If it breaks free, what consequences would it bring?”

Xu Qi’an probed for information about Shengshu while desperately thinking of an escape plan.

The Tower Spirit monk’s smile faded, his face full of gravity: “The destruction of all living things!”

“…”

Originally in his plan, Shengshu’s severed arm was the ace up his sleeve for escaping the Pagoda of Buddha.

If the right hand was so powerful, the left hand shouldn’t be much different. But then again, it might not be the case. After all, monks are single, and single men’s Qilin Arms are usually the right hand.

But even if the left hand was slightly inferior, it shouldn’t be by much. It should be more than enough to deal with the third-grade Vajra outside.

However, man proposes, but God disposes. The severed arm suppressed in the Pagoda of Buddha was Shengshu’s evil thoughts.

“It must be very difficult to undo its seal, right?” Xu Qi’an concealed his emotions and probed.

The Tower Spirit monk glanced at him and said:

“Five hundred years ago, the Director and the Buddhist sect used this pagoda as a carrier to set up an array to seal the evil thing.

“The Pagoda of Buddha is the magical treasure of Bodhisattva Faji. The first level has the precept of ‘no killing’. Any cultivator below the third grade, once inside, cannot engage in violence.

“The second level has thirty-six Vajra Dharma images, called ‘Prison Suppression’, which can subdue second-grade experts. When fighting enemies, the owner of the treasure can mobilize the power of Prison Suppression to suppress the enemy.

“The two golden bodies on the third floor are the Great Wisdom Dharma image and the Medicine Buddha image cultivated by Bodhisattva Faji, possessing seventy percent of the power of the original Dharma images. They can enlighten wisdom and save people, but cannot fight enemies.”

Enlighten wisdom? My little Lingyin needs that… Xu Qi’an thought of his young sister with her hair in buns.

If the Great Wisdom Dharma image could be used to enlighten Lingyin’s wisdom, the silly child would evolve from a poor student who only knew “At the beginning of man, what is innately good” to a top student who could recite the Three Character Classic backward and forward.

It can suppress, control, save people, and enlighten wisdom. This Pagoda of Buddha is too powerful. As expected of a magical treasure refined by a first-grade Bodhisattva.

No wonder the Buddhist sect chose to use it to suppress Shengshu. It’s because of its high status and strong effects.

If I had such a powerful magical treasure, killing Emperor Yuan Jing back then wouldn’t have been so difficult, and confronting Xu Pingfeng wouldn’t have been so embarrassing.

As his thoughts wandered, the Tower Spirit monk asked again: “You can break the Director’s seal, yet you can’t break my seal.”

He knows he knows everything… Xu Qi’an’s face froze again.

Just as Xu Qi’an was thinking about how to respond, the old monk put his palms together and said gently:

“Buddha says, saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. This poor monk is willing to give the benefactor a chance, allowing you to break the seal and release it.”

Xu Qi’an was stunned.

Seeing his face full of doubt and confusion, the old monk said with palms together:

“A monk does not speak falsehoods.”

Xu Qi’an still didn’t believe it: “You agree to let me release it?”

The Tower Spirit monk smiled and nodded.

Xu Qi’an turned his head to look at the left arm emanating malice and constantly crashing against the seal.

No matter what, release Shengshu first and fight our way out of Sanhua Temple. The dragon essence is crucial and can’t fall into the hands of the Buddhist sect…

No, I can’t control Shengshu’s severed arm now. Once it’s released, it will surely go out of control. By then, who knows how many people in Leizhou will die…

These two thoughts, like two little people, clashed and fought fiercely in his mind.

Xu Qi’an’s grip on the anklet tightened and loosened, then tightened again, repeating several times. Finally, he said in a low voice:

“Forget it.”

The Tower Spirit monk showed a gratified smile: “Good and evil lie in a single thought. Benefactor, you have passed the test. From today on, you are the master of the Pagoda of Buddha.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a gentle beckoning motion. A faint golden light flew out from Xu Qi’an’s bosom.