The greatest regret in Arhat Du E’s life was not taking Xu Qi An back to the Western Regions that day. Although Xu Qi An’s theories about Mahayana Buddhism had enlightened Du E, pouring wisdom into him like sweet dew and elevating his realm from self-enlightenment to enlightening all beings, and although Arhat Du E had called Xu Qi An the Child of Buddha, he still hadn’t valued him enough.

Thus, faced with opposition from the Imperial Overseer and the Great Feng Dynasty court, and after Xu Qi An clearly stated his unwillingness to join the Buddhist path, Du E abandoned thoughts of taking him as a disciple and hurriedly returned to the Western Regions to lay the foundation for Mahayana Buddhism. Even though he later gained the approval of Bodhisattva Guangxian and Bodhisattva Liuli, sending the latter personally to Great Feng to recruit Xu Qi An, by then, Xu Qi An was no longer the same person.

After the turmoil in the capital, while Xu Qi An was traveling the jianghu collecting dragon qi, the Buddhist sect sent Dharma Protector Vajra and Arhat Du Qing to capture him in the Central Plains. Their attempt not only failed but backfired. Since then, the Buddhist sect has quieted down. Even advocates of Mahayana Buddhism like Guangxian and Du E no longer mentioned the matter.

Arhat Du E often thought that if he had brought Xu Qi An back to Buddhism that day, Mahayana Buddhism would now be flourishing throughout the Western Regions. Buddhist ideology and teachings would have spread across the Nine Provinces. Moreover… Arhat Du E gazed at the suddenly emboldened demon race and at the young man who had fashioned flames into robes. The Central Plains wouldn’t have Officer Xu, but the Western Regions would have had a Buddha’s Child of unparalleled talent.

“This is the best chance to seal Asura, but sealing a top-tier expert requires time. Before that, I’ll be affected by the ‘Sleep Curse’ and become a drowsy fish…” Xu Qi An sighed regretfully as he looked at the two human heads and panda heads lined up in the distance. Whether beheaded or dismembered, these were minor injuries for supernatural beings and martial artists of the Transcendent realm.

Asura and Du E wanted to pick the easy target first by sealing a Demon King, but they had fallen right into the demon race’s trap. After the Bear King deployed his domain, all beings within it would fall into slumber. Though Asura was a top Buddhist expert who could maintain slight consciousness despite barely being able to keep his eyes open, he lacked the strength to reattach his head to his neck. For Xu Qi An’s side, using a Third-Rank Demon King to tie up both a Second-Rank and Third-Rank expert was an absolute win.

Without needing to exchange glances, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox and Xu Qi An launched simultaneous attacks. One plunged like a comet, charging at the meditation formation composed of one hundred and eight monks. The other soared upward, the Imperial Sword bursting with dazzling light like a blazing sun rapidly ascending.

Both were blocked by a pale golden light screen. The one hundred and eight monks sat cross-legged in mid-air, like a still painting, not moving an inch. Even the corners of their kasayas remained motionless.

The fox-eared demoness with frost-white hair continuously pounded the light screen with her fists, her nine tails extending behind her like tentacles, striking forcefully. Xu Qi An’s muscles bulged as he transformed into an eight-chi-tall “giant.” Enhanced by the power of the Strength Gu, he hacked at the light screen with his sword.

The attacks of demons and martial artists were just that straightforward, but within those simple fists, feet, and blades lay violence that could easily destroy the physical bodies of other supernatural systems. Under the violent attacks of two transcendent experts, the light screen formed by the monks finally showed obvious fluctuations. The one hundred and eight monks frowned in unison, seemingly taking damage.

Seeing this, Arhat Du E pressed his palms together and chanted the Buddha’s name: “Lay down your blade.”

Under the pressure of his rank, Xu Qi An’s hand loosened, almost losing grip on the Imperial Sword as his heart filled with extreme disgust for weapons. Du E immediately turned toward the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, who perfectly embodied both violence and beauty. His hands formed seals rapidly as he shouted: “Suppress!”

The seven-colored wheel behind his head suddenly brightened. The Nine-Tailed Fox’s tails were violently forced back, scattering in all directions. Her body, like porcelain, became covered in cracks, blood staining her fair skin. Du E had shown “favoritism” – he used precepts against Xu Qi An to wear down his fighting spirit, while against the Nine-Tailed Fox, he unleashed the might of the Demon-Slaying Position, directly breaking through this Wan Yao Kingdom princess’s supposedly indestructible physical form.

In just an instant, the crack-like wounds fully healed. The next moment, spider web-like wounds once again split open across the Nine-Tailed Fox’s skin. This cycle repeated five times before the power of the Demon-Slaying Position was finally exhausted. Among Buddhism’s three major positions, the Demon-Slaying Position was known for its killing power. It would lock onto enemies and persist until either they died or its power was depleted. Not only could it break through the physical defense of martial artists of the same rank, but it could also continuously wear down their qi blood and vitality.

Xu Qi An and the Nine-Tailed Fox immediately launched a second wave of attacks, attempting to break through the meditation formation with brute force, but were once again thwarted by Du E. The Nine-Tailed Fox’s wounds continued their cycle of healing and reopening.

“Buddhist meditation techniques are a simplified version of the ‘Immovable Wisdom King Dharma Mark,’ emphasizing stillness. In meditation, there is no self and no other, becoming one with heaven and earth,” the Nine-Tailed Fox transmitted. “They can go without food, drink, or sleep, and fear neither external evil nor enemy attacks. With Du E, a Second-Rank Arhat, leading these one hundred and eight monks in formation, even if they don’t resist, it will take considerable effort for us to break through.”

So the upgraded version of meditation techniques was the “Immovable Wisdom King Dharma Mark,” a defensive ultimate skill different from the Vajra Dharma Mark… Xu Qi An frowned, inexplicably thinking of Bodhisattva Jialuo Tree from Cloud Province. That powerhouse had mastered both the “Immovable Wisdom King Dharma Mark” and “Invincible Vajra Dharma Mark,” stacking defenses to the point of despair. He wondered if even the Imperial Overseer could harm him.

“Indeed troublesome. Does Your Highness have any ideas?” Xu Qi An transmitted back. The saying goes that your enemies know you best. Applied to Buddhism, this meant the Southern Demons understood the baldies best. He believed the Nine-Tailed Fox must have a way to deal with this.

The Nine-Tailed Fox smiled and said, “I mentioned earlier that Buddhist meditation emphasizes ‘stillness.’ When Arhat Du E attacks us, he naturally breaks from his meditative state. That’s when the formation is weakest. Though my power alone can’t break through a formation led by a Second-Rank Arhat, breaking through one formed by one hundred and eight monks is no problem.”

With my power, I could also break the formation, but when Du E attacks, one of us is affected by the precepts while the other is under attack from the Demon-Slaying Position, leaving no chance to break the formation… unless I could block the effects of the precepts. However, that’s impossible – neither Daoist Golden Core nor Righteous Qi could withstand a Second-Rank Arhat’s precepts unless Zhao Shou or a Daoist Yangsheng expert were here…

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Xu Qi An had a sudden inspiration. A dark golden pagoda floated out from his bosom and hovered above his head. At its peak appeared a Dharma Mark of a smiling Buddha making the flower-holding gesture, with a wheel of wisdom behind his head.

“The Floating Pagoda!” Du E sensed this Buddhist treasure and looked over with furrowed brows.

Xu Qi An shouted, “Arhat Du E, this demoness leads demon troops to slaughter Buddhist disciples and attack Buddhist cities, constantly plotting to restore her kingdom. As long as she lives, the Southern Border will never know peace. As long as she lives, the demon race will never be content. Quick, kill her!”

Atop the Floating Pagoda, the wheel of wisdom behind the Great Wisdom Dharma Mark began spinning in reverse.

After hearing these words, Du E was as if suddenly enlightened, his hatred for the Nine-Tailed Fox reaching its peak. He saw her as a deadly threat to the demon race, an enemy who must be killed at all costs. He immediately pressed his palms together and invoked his precepts: “Let compassion fill your heart!”

These simple words dissolved the killing intent and ferocity of the beautiful demoness, her exquisite face showing momentary confusion.

Seizing the opportunity, Du E’s wisdom wheel behind his head blazed with unprecedented radiance. He raised his palm and brought it down hard.

In the night sky, a Buddha’s palm dozens of zhang long materialized, its brilliant golden light illuminating the walls below.

Still, in her confused state, the Nine-Tailed Fox felt no desire to resist, instead embracing death with compassion in her heart.

Boom!

She was violently slammed down from the sky by the Buddha’s palm, crushed against the hard rock, the impact making Wan Yao Mountain quake like an earthquake.

Seizing his chance, Xu Qi An collapsed all his qi mechanisms, suppressed all emotions, and turned his dantian into a black hole, devouring his body’s energy.

A sword light thin as a thread but bright as day rose again, carrying the mighty power to cleave all things. From bottom to top, it split apart the formation that now had only one hundred and eight monks remaining without the Second Rank Arhat’s leadership.

The golden light covering the monks’ bodies dispersed, scattering in all directions like sparkles. The one hundred and eight monks fell like rain.

The formation was broken!

Having stolen the spotlight, Xu Qi An considered repeating his previous move of fashioning flames into robes, but thought better of it. Special effects shouldn’t be repeated, or it would seem like running out of tricks… he sighed inwardly, not having thought of a new set of special effects yet.

On one section of the wall, Night Ji had slaughtered all the surrounding guards and warrior monks, her claws covered in fresh blood. Sensing the formation’s destruction, she suddenly turned back to see Xu Qi An standing in mid-air with his sword.

“Hmph!” A cold snort came from beside her as Clear Ji, holding a green sword, looked at Night Ji with disdain. “You broke our sisterly pact by secretly falling in love with a human man.”

Night Ji smiled enchantingly. “Pact? Do you have it in writing? Yes, I fell in love with a human man. What about it? Are you jealous? Jealous that my man is a hero who stands tall and mighty?”

Clear Ji watched her proud and pleased expression and spat, “Hah! A philanderer who falls for every woman he meets – how could that make me jealous?”

Both wore light veils and had almost identical fox-like eyes as if cut from the same mold. Their figures were shapely, and though their temperaments differed, both were exceptionally beautiful women.

Night Ji laughed. She wouldn’t tell this cooking-obsessed woman that chicken essence was Xu Qi An’s invention. Although Her Highness had said that if all nine sisters fell in love with him, Xu Qi An would become the Wan Yao Kingdom’s consort, who cared about him becoming consort?

Meanwhile, the Nine-Tailed Fox rose into the air, her silver hair stained with thick blood, one fox ear drooping, looking extremely disheveled. Her nine tails swept, chopped, and coiled, killing the falling monks on the spot.

“You despicable man!” she transmitted through gritted teeth.

Your Highness, let me explain… Xu Qi An smiled and transmitted back: “Between us, who has more ability to break the meditation formation? Although the Great Wisdom Dharma Mark’s reverse-spinning wheel can reverse the wisdom of those gazed upon by the Dharma Mark, Du E is still an Arhat after all. If we forced him to ignore you and deal with me instead, and he happened to notice something amiss and break free from the wisdom reversal’s influence, we would have lost more than we gained.”

The Great Wisdom Dharma Mark was left behind by Bodhisattva Fa Ji, one of the Floating Pagoda’s strongest abilities. Though certainly not as powerful as the original, it could still briefly affect a Second-Rank Arhat.

As he spoke, Xu Qi An controlled the Floating Pagoda to manifest the “Medicine Master Dharma Mark.” The jade bottle sprinkled fragments of light, helping the Nine-Tailed Fox remove the Demon-Slaying Position’s power.

Receiving this nourishment, the Nine-Tailed Fox became radiant again. Her aura hadn’t declined, showing her profound foundation and exceptional endurance. As a demon, she was certainly qualified.

Arhat Du E sat cross-legged in mid-air, looking at the dead monks with compassion as he softly chanted Buddha’s name: “Please, Bodhisattva, save the lives of our Buddhist disciples.”

As his words fell, he crushed a prayer bead hanging around his neck.

Golden light like fireflies stretched across the sky, condensing into a young monk wearing a red and yellow kasaya. He looked not yet of age, his face still childish. His gaze was compassionate and pitying as if he loved everything in the world.

“Amitabha!” The young monk pressed his palms together and bowed his head, chanting Buddha’s name.

A huge Buddhist implement formed behind him – a wheel forged of gold with the character “卍” at its center and “Heaven, Human, Asura, Beast, Hungry Ghost, Hell” inscribed around its edge. The wheel was as large as a water wheel, made of gold with a heavy metallic presence.

The wheel slowly began to turn.

A scene that defied common sense unfolded – the one hundred and eight monks just killed by the Nine-Tailed Fox opened their eyes and sat up in confusion. On the battlements and below the walls, the strewn corpses sat up one after another, looking around in bewilderment.

All these beings who had died in battle, both human and demon, were resurrected. However, those whose souls had been scattered were not among the resurrected.

“The Great Reincarnation Dharma Mark…” Xu Qi An heard the Nine-Tailed Fox say gravely.