Chapter 55

Zhu Ganglie sat solemnly above in the grand hall, his expression calm as he listened to the old Daoist Wu Feng's account.

"Uncle Master, a year ago, a great monk named Fashan brought a group of songstresses to the Zhu Zi Kingdom and paid homage to the emperor. Afterward, they performed the Heavenly Demon Dance, which bewitched the emperor and all the officials in the city.

The emperor specially ordered the construction of a Tianlong Temple for him.

Since then, Fashan has been suppressing our Daoist practitioners. Now, countless ordinary Daoists have been captured to build the Tianlong Temple and carve the Buddha statues. This vast Ziyun Temple is left with only me and my young disciple!"

Wu Feng spoke with a face full of indignation and helplessness, hoping that Zhu Ganglie would take action for him.

"Stand up! What is Fashan's cultivation level? How many levels of Buddhist consciousness has he opened?"

Zhu Ganglie did not say much, just glanced at Wu Feng indifferently and asked.

"Your nephew once competed with him. That monk has opened two levels of consciousness, equivalent to the Manifestation Realm. However, the Heavenly Demon Dance performed by the songstresses around him is very powerful.

That monk claims that the songstresses around him are called Feitian, and the Heavenly Demon Dance was created by the Bodhisattvas to resist the seduction of the Heavenly Demons. Watching it can lead to great wisdom! Therefore, everyone in the Zhu Zi Kingdom is completely immersed in it, unable to extricate themselves.

Tonight, at the Tianlong Temple, that Fashan monk will hold another performance of the Heavenly Demon Dance."

"Hmm, since that's the case, I will investigate and then decide what to do. You all continue to cultivate in the temple for now!"

Zhu Ganglie pondered for a moment, and a plan formed in his mind. This monk is not to be feared, but the so-called Heavenly Demon Dance needs to be investigated thoroughly. He had only recently learned about the existence of the Heavenly Demons from his eldest brother, and he was somewhat wary of them.

As he spoke, Zhu Ganglie got up and left the Ziyun Temple, preparing to investigate the so-called Heavenly Demon Dance.

As he stood up, the Daoist robe made of Betel leaf incense transformed into a long cloak, and Zhu Ganglie became a handsome young gentleman.

This transformation made the young disciple beside him envious, and he looked at his master and asked, "Master, when will I have such abilities?"

Wu Feng affectionately patted the young disciple's head and smiled, "These are the people in the sect who can achieve immortality and have the power to reach the heavens. Your talent is excellent, and you will surely become such a person in the future, but you must cultivate diligently!"

Zhu Ganglie did not know that this transformation would lead to a cause and effect in the future. At this moment, he had already left the Ziyun Temple and arrived at the Tianlong Temple.

The Tianlong Temple was vast, with a Buddha statue about a hundred feet tall standing in the square, surrounded by countless believers bowing.

Zhu Ganglie looked at the Buddha statue indifferently, and a thread of Buddhist power entered it, drawing out a vast amount of incense and wish power.

Zhu Ganglie was pleased and quickly drew them into the Qingyang Ancient Lamp, but he did not overdo it to avoid drawing Fashan's attention.

He stayed below the Buddha statue for half a day. As night fell, a group of soldiers began to clear the area, and a huge stage was set up.

However, when the soldiers arrived, they seemed not to notice Zhu Ganglie, allowing him to stand below the Buddha statue.

As night fell, a faint Buddhist light appeared on the huge Buddha statue, illuminating the entire square and making the statue appear extremely sacred.

Zhu Ganglie looked at it indifferently, revealing a slight sneer. It was amusing that the monk had carved the Six Great Mantras on the back of the Buddha statue.

However, this strange phenomenon made many believers even more devout. As the light shone brightly, the believers became more fervent.

After a while, all the people of the Zhu Zi Kingdom gathered at the Tianlong Temple. The nobles and officials sat below, and Zhu Ganglie also sat down.

After a while, many women with multiple braids, wearing ivory Buddha crowns, adorned with jewelry, and dressed in red silk skirts, golden jackets, cloud shoulders, and sleeveless celestial clothes, as well as sashes and shoes, walked onto the stage.

These women exuded a Buddhist aura and were extremely alluring.

The lead dancer held a bell and a vajra, playing music, while the others held various instruments.

Seeing these instruments, Zhu Ganglie narrowed his eyes, recognizing that they were made from human skulls, emitting a faint evil aura.

As the Feitian danced, a faint Buddhist chant filled the air, captivating the audience.

The chants, combined with the dance, made people gradually fall into a state of excitement, devotion, and even madness.

Zhu Ganglie scanned the surroundings, seeing many people with glazed eyes and frenzied expressions, some even dancing.

Zhu Ganglie sighed lightly, not paying attention, and focused his gaze on the so-called Feitian above. This Heavenly Demon Dance, originally used to praise the Buddha, had been turned by Fashan into a dance to bewitch people's minds.

However, it had no effect on him. Not only was his current cultivation high, but he had also attained one level of Buddhist consciousness.

Moreover, these so-called Feitian were mostly ordinary people with little cultivation, not to be feared.

As Zhu Ganglie observed, the women on the stage all looked at him, and he was the only one among the audience who remained clear-headed.

This made the dance even more alluring, trying to draw Zhu Ganglie's attention and make him join the Tianlong Temple.

"Enough!"

Zhu Ganglie was tired of watching and waved his sleeve, sending a gust of wind that blew the women off the stage.

"Where do these evil outsiders come from, daring to cause trouble in my temple!"

The women did not fly far, and a huge Buddhist light shone, catching them. A young monk in white robes, holding a string of prayer beads and a golden bowl, slowly walked out.

"Are you Fashan? This Zhu Zi Kingdom is under the protection of our Daoist sect. We do not prohibit your Buddhist sect from spreading, so why do you harm our Daoist practitioners?"

Zhu Ganglie scanned the monk and coldly shouted.

"Where do you come from, you Daoist scoundrel? I am the disciple of Master Tianxing, and coming here to spread the teachings is your good fortune. Why don't you quickly join our sect!"

Fashan laughed coldly, and the bowl in his hand emitted a bright Buddhist light, his demeanor arrogant.

However, Zhu Ganglie, hearing Fashan's words, glanced at him coldly. As a true Daoist, even a Bodhisattva from the Buddhist sect could not harm Daoist disciples here.

Even if Fashan was a disciple of a Buddha, he must follow the rules here, let alone just a monk.

Zhu Ganglie did not bother to argue further and flicked his wrist, transforming the Tianxing Sword Pill into a rocket that crashed into the stage.

"How dare you!"

Fashan shouted, throwing his prayer beads, which emitted blinding light.

However, Zhu Ganglie looked at the beads with disdain. They were not even proper magical artifacts, just inscribed with the Six Great Mantras.

The sword pill crashed into the beads, shattering them.

Fashan felt a great pain in his heart and raised his golden bowl, which flew into the air, spinning and emitting a powerful suction force, trying to absorb the Tianxing Sword Pill.

The purple-gold bowl caught Zhu Ganglie's attention. It was powerful, and he flicked his wrist, making his protective Daoist robe transform into a huge river.

With a loud roar, the river surged, icy and cold, and in one swift move, enveloped the golden bowl.

"Return my bowl! This is my master's treasure, and you are courting death!"

Fashan roared, his body trembling, and two circles of Buddhist light appeared behind his head.

One circle of light transformed into a Buddhist spade in his hand, and the other into a treasure pagoda above his head.

At the same time, Fashan jumped onto the head of the Buddha statue.

The huge Buddha statue emitted a powerful faith force, transforming Fashan into a fierce Vajra, making his form grow larger and more imposing.

Seeing Fashan's transformed form, Zhu Ganglie smiled mockingly and made the river surge again, crashing into the huge Buddha statue, shattering it.

The fragments turned into ice blocks, and the river enveloped Fashan, who was sitting on the Buddha's head.

The icy, turbulent river shattered the treasure pagoda and the Buddhist spade in Fashan's hand.

Fashan's form was also crushed and frozen into pieces of ice.

After Zhu Ganglie retracted the river, the ice fell to the ground, turning into a pile of powder.

At the moment of Fashan's destruction, in a deep mountain temple, an old monk's face changed, and he shouted, "My disciple!"