12: orchid pho temple

Lanfo Temple.

Outside the main hall, a large incense burner was filled with burning incense, its fragrant smoke wafting in mid-air. Looking around, the area was crowded with pilgrims who had come to worship Buddha.

"This is a peace talisman blessed by our Buddha. Wearing it can cure illnesses. Old Man Chen, take it back for your grandson to wear.

Within three days, he will be able to get out of bed and walk, fully recovering his health," Abbot Huaikong said with a smile, clad in a magnificent kasaya and looking solemn and dignified.

"Thank you, Great Master Huai Kong."

Old Man Chen excitedly kowtowed to the Buddha, expressing endless gratitude before leaving.

In the unseen realm, a wisp of incense smoke emanated from Old Man Chen's body, gathering into the golden alms bowl in the abbot's palm.

Abbot Huaikong glanced at the golden alms bowl with satisfaction, then instructed the monks to look after the main hall and returned to his meditation room.

Inside the meditation room, Abbot Huaikong lifted the bedding on the bed. With a twist of a mechanism, a secret passage appeared. He then transformed into a streak of black wind and darted into it.

Within the underground passage, eerie green hellfire burned all around, leading to a dungeon straight ahead.

The ground was covered in white bones, and a bloody stench permeated the air. Skulls were piled high, and at the very top sat a skeleton draped in a kasaya.

A golden relic was held in the skeleton's mouth, emitting a soft Buddhist glow.

Abbot Huaikong approached. His eyes were fierce, and the next moment, black fur grew on his face, his head swelled, transforming into a giant black bear's head.

It turned out that Abbot Huaikong of Lanfo Temple was actually a Bear Demon who had entered the Dao.

"In ten more years at most, I'll have accumulated enough incense."

"By then, I'll refine this Buddha bone relic, activate the Demon Buddha Bloodline within my body, and the Great Dao will be within reach."

Just then, rustling sounds of terror came from the dungeon.

Under the dim light, a man tightly bound was revealed in a corner of the dungeon.

His mouth was stuffed with burlap, his eyes were terrified, and he could only make faint sounds.

It was the same devotee who had offered incense yesterday.

"Hehehe, are you awake? The taste of this fear is truly more enticing than flesh and blood."

The Bear Demon opened its massive, fanged maw... Outside the temple.

"Lanfo Temple... I didn't expect there to be such a temple in the outer city. However, besides its flourishing incense, there doesn't seem to be anything special about it," Li Jiangchen said.

"The strangeness lies precisely in this incense," Yun Xu said. "Lord Li, don't you think this incense is a bit too prosperous?"

Before Li Jiangchen could speak, Yun Xu continued, "This humble Daoist comes from White Cloud Temple, where we worship the tablet of the White Cloud Dao Lord.

I once heard that some evil gods and perverse cults are adept at using tricks: first, they harm the common people, then they manifest before others, healing and alleviating suffering, all to accumulate incense."

As he spoke, Yun Xu took out a porcelain bottle and poured out two drops of blue liquid. "This is a secret medicine from White Cloud Temple, refined from ox tears mixed with willow leaf juice. Applied to the eyes, it has the effect of dispelling illusions. Lord, you will know once you try it."

Li Jiangchen took it and carefully applied it. He immediately felt a cool sensation penetrate his eyes. Opening them, his brows furrowed instantly.

In his vision, wisps of black Qi floated from the tops of the pilgrims' heads, continuously eroding their vital essence.

"There truly are demons at work."

Li Jiangchen mumbled.

"Pah, this is a pure Buddhist land, where would demons come from? How dare a wild Daoist cause trouble at Lanfo Temple?" A young novice monk heard this, his face flushed with anger, and immediately picked up a broom to drive the two away.

As soon as these words came out, the pilgrims all spoke up to admonish them.

This group of monks and pilgrims were all ordinary people, so Li Jiangchen and the other had no choice but to retreat to the side.

"There's something wrong with Lanfo Temple. But they are all mere mortals, so it's not good to directly use force," Yun Xu sighed.

"Don't worry, just watch my methods." Li Jiangchen snapped his fingers, and the Spirit Fox Illusion Technique was activated in his mind.

A wisp of Peach Blossom Baleful Qi covered the two of them, and immediately their faces and clothes changed, transforming them into traveling merchants.

"What a profound Daoist Magic! This humble Daoist cannot even discern its authenticity," Yun Xu exclaimed.

"Let's go."

This time, the two didn't say much. They spent five copper coins, lit an incense stick, and smoothly entered the main hall.

Inside the hall, a three-zhang golden buddha was enshrined, seated on a lotus golden throne, with hands clasped together and a smiling face.

Below, pilgrims were as numerous as clouds, sitting on prayer mats, worshipping Buddha and chanting scriptures, with the sound of wooden fish filling the air.

However, in the eyes of Li Jiangchen and the other, this golden buddha emitted dense black Qi, constantly drifting down onto the pilgrims on the prayer mats.

The poor pilgrims chanted scriptures and worshipped Buddha, praying for the Buddha's blessing, unaware that they were being contaminated with filth and suffering a loss of vital essence.

"Hmph, beautiful on the outside, but a demon's true form within." Li Jiangchen flicked his finger, and a wisp of Immortal Sword Qi pierced through the Buddha statue's head. Immediately, the gilded layers peeled off, revealing the true form of a green-faced, fanged demon.

Such a terrifying scene immediately startled the pilgrims in the hall, who hastily fled outside.

In the blink of an eye, only Li Jiangchen and the other remained in the hall.

"Disrespecting the Buddha, your crime deserves death!"

The demon Buddha statue let out a sound like a great bell. Its enormous hand slammed down, but the two skillfully avoided it. With a loud boom, the ground trembled, revealing a giant palm print.

The next moment, Li Jiangchen flashed through the air, appearing beside the demon Buddha statue. Immortal Sword Intent condensed on his demon slaying sword, and with one swing, a massive sword light pierced through the temple, shooting into the sky.

Immediately, the demon Buddha statue stopped moving. A thin line extended from its head to its feet, then it shattered into pieces of clay sculpture.

"The Sword Qi is condensed and does not dissipate, possessing the intent of ten thousand years of indestructibility." Yun Xu looked at the Sword Qi remaining on the shattered Buddha statue and exclaimed, "Could it be that Lord Li has opened the Immortal Sword Body?"

"By luck," Li Jiangchen nodded.

As soon as he said this, Yun Xu was speechless.

He recalled how he had opened the Cloud Gathering Dharma Body in a hundred days, already making him a contemporary prodigy of White Cloud Temple.

He never expected Li Jiangchen to open the Immortal Sword Body overnight.

Moreover, he knew that the method for opening it was profound, obscure, and incomplete, making its difficulty far greater than that of the Cloud Gathering Dharma Body.

For a moment, Yun Xu fell into deep self-doubt.

"Daoist priest, this demon Buddha statue is just an inanimate object. The demon's true body must be within this temple.

Please, Daoist priest, use your Daoist Magic to seal the temple." Li Jiangchen spoke, pulling Yun Xu back to reality.

Yun Xu quickly responded, and large swathes of white cloud Qi emanated from his sleeves, forming a Cloud Net Dharma Array that gradually enveloped the entire temple.

Suddenly, his expression changed, and he quickly said, "Not good, something is trying to break through the Dharma Array."

Just then, a voice came from above the temple.

"Hehehe, this old monk painstakingly laid out this plan for ten years, only to have it destroyed in one day. Therefore, I ask the two benefactors to pay with your lives."

Boom—

A giant bear paw descended from the sky, piercing through the temple. A vast force rushed forth, instantly slamming Li Jiangchen into the ground.

"This is bad..."

Yun Xu's face turned ugly, but the next moment, he saw the bear paw being propped up by a hand, revealing Li Jiangchen's figure.

Emerald green Astral Essence surrounded him, like an armored War God.

Clang—

An incomparably massive Sword Qi pierced through the sky, transforming into a crescent moon. The entire temple was cut in half, extending to the horizon as a thin line.

Above the temple, Abbot Huaikong revealed his true demon body, but it was sliced into two pieces, with foulness flowing out.

"How... how is this possible?"

The Bear Demon muttered, its eyes fading into darkness.

Beside him, Yun Xu was already dumbfounded.

An In-Dao Bear Demon, cut down with a single sword?

Is this... still a Xiantian Realm Martial Artist?

Most importantly, just a few days ago, the two of them had teamed up to kill a Wind Demon, and the difference was clearly not that great.

Terrifying speed of progress!

"Congratulations, Lord Li, for slaying the demon and eliminating evil," Yun Xu said bitterly.

Li Jiangchen, however, shook his head slightly: "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

His gaze fell on the panel, which was empty, showing no text or reward for slaying a demon.