Ye Fan passed through layer after layer of Buddhist courtyards, forced his way into the heart of the Nalanda Temple, and came before a nine-story Buddhist pagoda. It was built of stone, each story only one zhang in height — not what one would call imposing.

The nine-story body of the pagoda was engraved from top to bottom with Buddhist stories, depicting the dharma forms of various ancient Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. These forms radiated ripples and radiant light, as though standing fixed in eternity.

It did not soar into the clouds. At nine zhang in height, it was modest — yet it gave one a peculiar feeling, as though it had stood since the beginning of time.

The ground of the Buddhist holy place trembled. The elderly monk who came rushing in was thin and withered, yet full of vitality, his two eyes blazing like a pair of golden lanterns. He struck once more.

Ye Fan looked back. Two brilliant beams of light shot from his gaze, and in a backhanded motion he clashed — boom — palm against palm.

Step, step, step…

The elderly monk retreated more than ten paces in succession. His arms went numb, his tiger’s mouth welled with blood, his entire body nearly convulsing. He was naturally astonished — what manner of formidable physical body was this, to send him back like that?

“Who are you, to desecrate the sacred grounds of the Nalanda Temple?” A crowd of monks arrived, and still more powerful figures came flying in, sealing this place off completely, surrounding it so tightly that not even water could leak through.

Overhead, an ocean of pure spiritual force emitted a sacred brilliance, enveloping the entire heaven and earth — as though it could descend at any moment.

Several hundred elderly monks let out the lion’s roar in unison. This was a demon-subduing divine technique. An ordinary great demon or demon king would have collapsed on the ground by now, their soul shattered.

As a human sacred body, Ye Fan possessed a divine shell — impervious to blade and weapon, his flesh and blood like divine gold, shielding the primordial spirit within. Not a fraction of him could be moved.

Beneath the rolling waves of Buddhist sound, he stood still as a boulder, immovable. Black hair loose, he faced the gathering of divine monks alone, and opened his mouth to inquire calmly: “I want to know — what wrong has Miaoyi committed? Why has she been suppressed here?”

The nine-story pagoda was no ordinary thing. Even he had not dared act rashly before it. This was unquestionably a stone pagoda built by an ancient Sage — exceedingly difficult to break open.

“This is an internal matter of our Buddhist faith — it has nothing to do with you!” The young formidable head monk let out another lion’s roar.

“She is my friend. Her affairs are my affairs. Whatever has happened, I will intervene and take it upon myself.” Ye Fan said, his gaze opening and closing with flashes of sharp light.

Furthermore, he employed the Dao-Roar Technique — covertly harmonizing with the Great Dao of heaven and earth — suppressing all manner of Buddhist sound.

“She is the successor of a demon. Now that her true nature has been exposed, she is naturally to be suppressed. Regardless of who you are, you have no right to interfere in our Buddhist internal affairs.” The thin, withered elderly monk who had reached the half-Sage realm spoke.

“She has devoted herself sincerely to the Buddhist faith — why has she become the successor of a demon?” Ye Fan was puzzled.

“She possesses the Heart Lamp of Shakyamuni and has received part of his transmission. Shakyamuni stands in opposition to the Buddha — he is the greatest demon in the world!” A young monk said.

Ye Fan was stunned for a moment. The Buddhist Heart Lamp — could this be the ancient green-flamed lamp he had brought back from the ancient star of Mars? Fourteen years ago, he had given it to An Miaoyi.

“Out of consideration for her reverence toward Amitabha, though she possesses the demon’s Heart Lamp, she has only been suppressed within the Nine-Story Buddhist Pagoda. After a hundred years, she may be released.” The half-Sage elderly monk said.

Shakyamuni — for two thousand years he has kept the Western Desert in a state of constant vigilance. Clearly he is of unfathomable depth… Ye Fan mused inwardly.

Since this matter had been set in motion by him, he was naturally the one who had to take it on. He swept his gaze across the assembled monks and said, “If we trace it back to its source, then I am a demon as well — for it was I who gave her the green lamp.”

“What — are you one of Shakyamuni’s Ten Great Disciples?!” An elderly monk thundered.

In those days, Shakyamuni had stood alone against all the monks of the Western Desert, ascending Mount Sumeru single-handedly, and then departing with composure — no one had been able to stop him. Every Buddhist devotee had been deeply unsettled.

“No. I am merely an ordinary cultivator who came upon the green lamp by chance. A lamp is just a lamp — how can it determine a person’s identity? As you have said yourselves, An Miaoyi reveres Amitabha with all due respect. I ask each of the Venerable Masters to release her.” Ye Fan said.

“Her reverence toward Amitabha is one matter. Cultivating the way of the demon is another. To act as she has done and yet merely be suppressed here — the punishment has already been lenient.” The people of the Nalanda Temple replied.

“Since the Venerable Masters have reached a verdict that cannot be reconsidered, it seems there is nothing more for me to say — I can only offend the esteemed monks!” Ye Fan stepped forward with purpose, approaching the nine-story pagoda.

“Amitabha!” A Buddhist invocation rang out. The half-Sage divine monk’s face was full of solemn dignity as he planted himself before the nine-story stone pagoda. “This pure land of the Buddhist faith will not suffer your rampage.”

Boom!

Ye Fan said nothing. With one fist he struck directly at the stone pagoda, covertly harmonizing with the true meaning of the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist — a blow worthy of shaking the heavens and moving the spirits of the underworld.

The entire stone pagoda shuddered and swayed — yet the stone door could not be forced open. Streams of sacred light spilled outward, sealing this place with extraordinary firmness.

The stone pagoda was a Sage-tier sacred weapon!

Dong…

A great bell rang slowly, deafening, reverberating across the entire temple — as though capable of calling a wandering demon back to the right path.

“One Hundred and Eight Arhats Formation — Subdue the Demon!”

A monk shouted. One hundred and eight elderly monks stepped forward, all taking lotus positions in the air. Lips reciting sutras, densely woven talisman script appeared and pressed down toward Ye Fan.

Though it was recited from the mouth, it was as though cast from shining gold — lucid and translucent — every character standing as tall as a person, burying Ye Fan beneath them.

Dong!

Ye Fan swung his fists. Each strike landed on an ancient character, sending out ring after ring of clashing sound — shattering them one by one.

The One Hundred and Eight Arhats Demon-Subduing Formation — an event seen only once in a thousand years. Drawing upon the formation inscriptions carved throughout the temple, they channeled the momentum of heaven and earth and pushed their own cultivation to its utmost — swallowing the sun and moon in a single breath.

Within this pure Buddhist land, on this day, thunder rolled, primal energy steamed, colored light shone in ten thousand streams, and lightning wove and crossed.

“To rival an ancient demon king — even the One Hundred and Eight Arhats Formation cannot subdue you!”

“Break!”

Ye Fan let out a single quiet shout and unleashed nine consecutive slashes — the embryonic form of the Demon Emperor’s Nine Slashes. He had not mastered its full import, only grasped a rough outline. But driven by the Battle Saint Art, it was a hurricane rending the sky and shattering the sun — ferocious to the extreme.

Boom, boom…

All one hundred and eight elderly monks were sent retreating. Many had blood at the corners of their mouths. Buddhist invocations rose up one after another without end.

“Such power…” The onlookers were shaken.

At the center of the scene, Ye Fan stood alone. His bearing was composed — not a trace of dishevelment. He had broken through the demon-subduing formation.

“Please ask Ancestral Teacher to act!” The half-Sage transmitted his voice, crying out toward the rear mountain of the temple.

Ye Fan’s brow furrowed. If the half-Sage’s ancestral teacher had reached such a level — could it be an ancient Buddha? This could be quite troublesome.

A Buddhist invocation rang out like an aged dragon’s cry, and an elderly monk of unimaginable age — his skin deeply furrowed — walked out from the rear mountain, treading through empty air as he approached.

“Fortunately… he is a half-Sage.” Ye Fan let out a breath of relief.

This was clearly no ordinary elderly monk. Though his skin was furrowed and aged, it was as though cast from gold — radiating a golden brilliance.

This was a divine monk who had attained the Arhat’s Fruition — only half a step away from sagehood. He was a Golden Body Arhat, his dharma title Ku Ci.

“Lay Patron, our Buddhist faith has its own rules, and you cannot force your way through. Furthermore, being suppressed within the pagoda may not necessarily be a bad thing for her.” The Golden Body Arhat Ku Ci said.

“In this world, all things are relative. As you say, this may be an internal matter of the Buddhist faith — but to me, it is a matter of a friend’s life, and thus a matter of the utmost importance to me. Whatever it takes, I will see her freed.” Ye Fan did not back down.

Boom!

Ku Ci took one step forward, and the entire ancient temple shuddered. Though his frame was emaciated, it was as though a giant were bearing down.

He slowly extended his hand and pressed forward — the light flowing across his body, his entire being golden yellow, the power of his Arhat’s Fruition fully displayed.

Boom!

Ye Fan met the blow. His right fist collided with the elderly monk’s palm, and the sky above erupted with a thunderous crack as a brilliant radiance burst forth.

Boom!

The elderly monk was pushed back several zhang, his arm trembling faintly. A flash of divine light shot from his previously dim eyes as he studied Ye Fan with intense attention.

Ye Fan’s heart stirred. There were truly very few people in this age who could withstand his physical attacks like this. The elderly monk was extraordinary — his body far more solid and formidable than his outward appearance suggested.

The assembled monks were aghast. They were deeply shocked.

Ku Ci was an enlightened divine monk who had attained the Arhat’s Fruition and achieved the Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique. The solidity of his physical body had few rivals in the world.

And yet, his physical strength had just been surpassed by this young black-haired man — something utterly inconceivable.

In this era, the Nalanda Temple had no Sage, but it possessed two half-Sages. Among them, Ku Ci especially — his Indestructible Vajra Divine Technique could one day allow him to attain Buddhahood on the spot. And yet today he had fallen slightly short — how could this not astonish them?

“I believe I know your identity now. Aside from someone of your constitution, no one below the Sage realm could push me back like this.” Ku Ci said.

“It’s him… In recent days the Eastern Desolation has been in uproar — everyone says that person has returned. It appears the rumors are true!” His nephew who had equally attained the half-Sage realm muttered.

The great battle of the Eastern Desolation — the Heavenly Emperor’s Son had lost his head, the Eight Divine Generals had been annihilated, the Kunzhou Great Sage had fallen. These events had shaken all under heaven.

The mysterious powerful human being who had cut down the Heavenly Emperor’s Son and the Battle Victorious Buddha descending Mount Sumeru — these were undoubtedly the focal points of everyone’s discussion.

Now many were saying that the mysterious figure might be the Human Sacred Body — speculation was rampant, and not a few ancient kings had emerged from seclusion in search of him.

Now, the divine monks of the Nalanda Temple, through this exchange of blows, immediately concluded it was unquestionably the Human Sacred Body — for how else could anyone withstand the Indestructible Vajra Body?

Some of the other elderly monks had guessed as well. All of their expressions changed at once. This was a figure who had dared to execute even the Heavenly Emperor’s Son of the ancient clans — now all under heaven was in uproar speaking of him. A true baleful star incarnate. And now he had come to the western lands — was he trying to overturn the Nalanda Temple?

“Lay Patron — whoever you may be, if you insist on forcing your way through, I will have no choice but to subdue you!” Ku Ci let out a lion’s roar, his visage one of solemn saintly dignity as he planted himself before the nine-story stone pagoda.

“Forgive my offense!” Ye Fan strode forward with great steps. The Dao inscriptions beneath his feet wove and intertwined. Once the Traveling Character Technique activated, the entire heaven and earth seemed to freeze.

“Om!”

Ku Ci let out a great shout — a single Buddhist syllable as though arriving from the moment the universe first opened, shaking every single person present to their core. Ye Fan, standing at the epicenter, felt it most profoundly of all.

It was one of the six sacred syllables of Buddhism at their highest — the “Om” syllable divine technique!

The six sacred syllables had long been scattered across many places and many years. Not a single ancient temple possessed the complete set — at most one or two syllables at a time.

Only a few ancient sacred temples currently held any. The Nalanda Temple, the Great Thunder Sound Temple, the Hanging Temple, and the Shenhia Temple were the foundations of the Buddhist faith, each holding one of the sacred syllables.

As for this “Om” syllable, it had been transmitted down from Mount Sumeru in recent years — meaning the Nalanda Temple now commanded two of the sacred syllables. The depth of its power was enough to inspire deep trepidation in all.