I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 974: Chapter 975: Pointing the Sword at Tianxuan Temple!

At the same time.

In the main city of the Thousand Buddha Kingdom, within the Tianxuan Temple.

A group of Buddhist monks furrowed their brows, apparently pondering some difficult problem.

Monk Xuan Bei sat at the end, in what used to be his own monastery before Master Tianxuan had repurposed it into Tianxuan Temple.

“Amitabha, Bodhi Temple has run into trouble, and there is no word from the members of the Heavenly God Sect. Can any wise nephew tell this old monk exactly what has happened?”

Atop a high seat, an emaciated old monk spoke softly, his expression calm yet betraying an underlying anger that was discernible to all.

...

The Bodhi Temple housed their painstakingly cultivated experimental materials, which had always been strictly guarded by the Heavenly God Sect. Now, the silence from the sect meant that these materials had likely been taken by others.

“Amitabha, this disciple has already sent people to uncover the truth. A cultivator named Li Xiaobai has recently risen to prominence in the Earth Spirit Realm, and yesterday he appeared in the Northern Region, where he killed King Weiwu. Today, he showed up in the Western Desert and turned the Bodhi Temple upside down. His approach is fierce, and I’m afraid he won’t be easy to deal with.”

A monk below took out a copy of the Immortal Spirit Daily from his bosom and handed it up.

This was issued early this morning, and the entire paper was full of topics concerning Li Xiaobai, a rising star who had soared from the Earth Spirit Realm to the Central Origin Realm and had now returned with a vengeance.

“Amitabha, so it’s him. This old monk has heard of him. I heard that on that day, King Weiwu let go of a youngster who must be this same person. I never imagined that in such a short time he would cultivate to such an extent. He could actually kill King Weiwu, which means at least he has entered the Earth Immortal Realm. It is understandable that the Heavenly God Sect is no match for him.”

“However, what concerns this old monk the most are the whereabouts of those children. Go and investigate again, we must take those children back! This relates to whether the Buddhist Sect can produce another unparalleled master!”

Monk Tianxuan said coldly.

“Yes!”

The monks responded.

“Master Xuan Bei, what are your thoughts regarding this Li Xiaobai?”

Master Tianxuan looked toward Monk Xuan Bei, who was sitting at the doorframe, and spoke blandly.

“Amitabha, this monk does not know.”

Monk Xuan Bei brought his hands together, chanting the Buddha’s name and staying silent. His heart trembled continuously. That junior from the past had returned, and he had returned with an unparalleled sharp edge sweeping through, successively killing both King Weiwu and the Heavenly God Sect, towering like insurmountable mountains. His realm was no longer something Xuan Bei could gauge.

“This old monk has heard that you’re on good terms with that Li Xiaobai. Tell me, if this old monk were to hang you up outside Tianxuan Temple, do you think he would come to save you?”

Monk Tianxuan continued speaking, with a cold smile on his face.

Xuan Bei shook his head, his expression indifferent as he said, “Amitabha, Master Tianxuan need not go to such lengths. If Li Xiaobai has arrived in the Western Desert, then he would not merely target the Bodhi Temple. If this monk is not mistaken, the young man must already be on his way to Tianxuan Temple.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a cry of alarm came from outside the hall: “Abbot Master, someone has fought their way here!” @@novelbin@@

“What’s happening? Who has fought their way here?”

Master Tianxuan’s eyes suddenly turned fierce. Could it be that Xuan Bei had guessed correctly, and Li Xiaobai had come to kill?

“Reporting to the Abbot Master, the comer is a young man, whose aura is fierce and who is followed by a hundred children. The defensive positions outside Tianxuan Temple have been completely leveled by him. Please make an early decision!”

The reporting sect disciple outside the hall spoke with a tremble in his voice.

“Rubbish, daring to run wild within Tianxuan Temple, he truly doesn’t see this old monk as a threat. If he truly dares to come, this old monk will make him regret it for the rest of his life!”

Monk Tianxuan’s face flashed with a trace of ferocity, and with a tap of his Zen staff, he, along with a group of monks, slowly walked out of the great hall. Merely from the description of the visitors as “Sect Disciples,” he knew it had to be Li Xiaobai.

That he would bring a hundred children directly to him, how little did he regard him?

You should know, he was currently the only Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivator in the Earth Spirit Realm! One could say he was an invincible existence. Yet, under this sky, someone dared to challenge him, truly seeking death.

…

At this moment, outside Tianxuan Temple, dust swirled, and a ferocious and terrifying Steel Behemoth roared forward. A young man in white sat lazily on it with a hundred children, a Huazi dangling from his mouth, smoking it off and on. As the breath of the Huazi entered their bodies, the eyes of the children instantly cleared up, and the side effects of being eroded and assimilated by the Power of Faith disappeared without a trace.

Yet these children were all very young, generally just a bit older than babies, only able to babble and toddle, unable to communicate normally.

This heavy-duty truck was acquired with Immortal Stones and rampaged across the Immortal Spirit Continent without an equal.

The checkpoints set up by the monks in front of the temple were as good as non-existent, demolished in a single encounter.

“Master, we’ve arrived, Tianxuan Temple is right ahead!”

Fu Tiantian parked the truck and said.

“Very well, you siblings look after these children. I will be back shortly.”

Li Xiaobai summoned a golden chariot and drove into Tianxuan Temple.

Now Tianxuan Temple had completely changed its appearance. Not only had its name been altered, but even the statue of the Buddha enshrined within the temple had been removed and replaced with a human figure, emaciated and gaunt, with a plaque beside it bearing the words “Master Tianxuan.”

This old monk also had some interesting plans—coming to the Immortal Spirit Continent to impose his will was not enough, he even erected a statue of himself for worship. He was determined to become a Living Immortal on the Immortal Spirit Continent!

“Are you Li Xiaobai?”

In the courtyard of Tianxuan Temple, which was crowded with people at the moment, over a hundred Buddhist monks were arrayed in battle readiness, warily watching the young man in white who was slowly approaching. It was he who had killed King Weiwu and nearly destroyed the research of their Buddhist Sect by overturning Bodhi Temple.

However, as long as they captured him now and took back the children, all losses could be overlooked.

“The children from Bodhi Temple, where are they now? Hand them over, and this old monk may spare your life.”

Master Tianxuan said faintly, shaking his Zen staff in his hand.

“Those children are just outside the temple. If the Master can defeat me, he will naturally be able to take them back. However, you are not capable of doing so yet.”

Li Xiaobai said indifferently.

“Killing King Weiwu online, destroying our Buddhist Pure Land later, this old monk today will slay demons for the Immortal Spirit Continent, array, form!”

Master Tianxuan wasted no further words. With a gentle tap of his Zen staff, the surrounding monks immediately surged forward, with golden formation patterns swirling under their feet, forming a massive formation intending to trap and kill Li Xiaobai within.

“This is the Eight Treasures Demon Subduing Formation, which requires a total of one hundred and eight monks to deploy. It can trap and kill cultivators of a higher realm. Even if you are a genius, you will not be able to escape from this formation!”

“This old monk will suppress you to warn the world that the Buddhist Sect must not be insulted!”

Monk Tianxuan said indifferently as the monks arranging the formation were all monks from the Central Origin Realm, with cultivation at the Human Immortal Realm, and a few of them even at the Earth Immortal Realm. It was no problem for them to trap and kill a junior.

But Li Xiaobai’s next actions caused a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He saw Li Xiaobai calmly pull out a wisp of black flame, continuously tracing something on the ground.

“What are you doing?”

Monk Tianxuan was somewhat baffled. Shouldn’t a normal person be thinking about breaking out at this time?

“I’ll set up a formation too,”

said Li Xiaobai, as he found the right spot and tossed the Hellfire he held in his hand.

“It’s true that ignorance is without fear, let alone a mere flame, even a Fiery Mountain Eight Treasures Demon Subduing Formation could trap it!”

“Child, you may have had some adventures in the Central Origin Realm, but those are just minor skirmishes among juniors. I am not King Weiwu; you cannot provoke me,”

Monk Tianxuan said coldly.

Turning around, he walked outside the temple. In his view, Li Xiaobai was overly arrogant, actually waiting without the slightest resistance for the Eight Treasures Demon Subduing Formation to take shape. Was this not seeking death?

But the next second, he felt something was off. An icy chill suddenly came from behind him, so piercing that he couldn’t help but shiver uncontrollably.

Turning his head, his face changed instantly. The small black flame from before had suddenly surged upon encountering the wind, instantly spreading out and enveloping the entire Eight Treasures Demon Subduing Formation. The rich golden Buddhist light shattered inch by inch under the devouring black flames, exhausted completely.

The formation could only hold for a moment before rapidly breaking apart and vanishing. The monks, now without protection, came into close contact with the fire. In an instant, they screamed terribly as the Immortal Yuan Power inside them consumed at a terrifying speed. By the time they came to their senses and tried to break out of the fiery encirclement, they found themselves completely surrounded by the dark, ink-like sea.

“What kind of flame is this that can devour Immortal Yuan!”

“The Eight Treasures Demon Subduing Formation is a demon-locking major formation, supposed to suppress all things in the world. How could it be destroyed by these flames in an instant!”

“My Immortal Yuan has been burned to nothing. What is the background of this young man named Li Xiaobai, to have such a heaven-defying Magic Treasure to aid him!”

“Master Tianxuan, save me!”

“Great Master Uncle, save me!”

Within the black flames, the monks’ cries for help were incessant. The consumption of their Immortal Yuan left them without their greatest reliance, turning from hunters with knives in hand to lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

The Hellfire crackled as it burned. The scene gradually quieted down. A few breaths later, the cries for help ceased abruptly.

Watching this scene, Monk Tianxuan’s pupils contracted repeatedly. From these flames, he sensed an extraordinary threat. Although the fire couldn’t take his life, if even a trace touched him, he feared it would be unbearable.

“Boy, release them at once!”

“To kill the monks of the Central Origin Realm in front of this old monk, do you know what kind of sin that is!”

“If the Great Thunderclap Temple of the Buddha Country learns of this, there will be no place for you in heaven or on earth!”

The old Monk’s eyes nearly burst with fury. With a single hand, he formed a Buddhist seal, intending to disperse and subdue the fire before him. But as his Seal Spell entered the black flames, it disappeared without a trace, much like the previous attacks. This eerie flame could devour even the Immortal Yuan Power of a cultivator in the Heavenly Immortal Realm!

“Master, I was merely clearing the field, no need to be so tense. Now that only you and I are left, tell me, how would you like to die?”

Having retracted the Hellfire, Li Xiaobai revealed a set of stark white teeth as he menacingly said.

Above his head, a flash of crimson light, and the Sin Value increased once again.

Monk Tianxuan, seeing the sequence of crimson digits, stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

“Sin Value: Four million five hundred thousand!”

“Four million five hundred thousand Sin Value! Who on earth are you!”

“To have such sin and still be alive until now, you’re certainly not an unknown figure in the Central Origin Realm. I understand now; you must have come down here seeking refuge!”

“You must be wanted by the Enforcement Team from the Central Origin Realm and have chosen to come to the Earth Spirit Realm to lay low, right or not?”

The old monk’s heart was overcome by a storm of shock, being a member of the Buddhist Sect and extremely sensitive to Merit Value and Sin Value. For them, a cultivator’s Sin Value could greatly reflect one’s strength; among one hundred thousand cultivators, scarcely one would be found with a million Sin Value, to say nothing of the cultivator with four and a half million above his head.

This is a true demon, a number that can be achieved only by those who have killed countless others, and moreover, those killed must themselves be of equally sky-high Sin Value.

Isn’t this Li Xiaobai just a lowly follower from the Earth Spirit Realm?

How could there be such an abrupt change?

What exactly is his cultivation level, Earth Immortal or Heavenly Immortal?

“I have come to eradicate corrupt insects. As Disciples of the Buddhist Sect, you are supposed to strictly abide by the religious rules and protect the people, but your current behavior is chilling to the bone. Since the monks from the Central Origin Realm came down to the Lower Realm, the entire Western Desert has been ravaged beyond recognition, wrought with devastation, with people displaced, and living in misery.”

“Even in the Central Origin Realm, I witnessed the formidable power of the Buddhist Sect, capable of converting the masses to their own use with silent and invisible influences. But I never expected the extent of depravity I’ve seen from you, even targeting children!”

“The new method of cultivation is not to be explored in this manner, Master. You have not only donned a false appearance, but you have fallen into demonhood. Go on the road to the Western Paradise and repent your sins before Buddha!”

Li Xiaobai said coldly, the longsword in his hand swept out, unleashing an earth-shattering Sword Intent against the Monk Tianxuan before him; strands of black energy sought to corrode everything.

After the series of shocks, the tidal waves in Monk Tianxuan’s heart could not be calmed for a long time as he stared blankly at the Sword Intent sweeping before him, only reacting after quite a while.

“Demon Subduing Talisman!”

A golden talisman appeared in the void, blocking the path of the Demon-Sealing Sword Intent.

The eerie black aura intertwined and spread, the Buddhist radiance on the golden talisman flared, blocking the Sword Intent.

Seeing this, Monk Tianxuan was actually the one taken aback, his expression gradually taking on an air of excitement.

“Amitabha!”

“You are not of the Heavenly Immortal Realm; you are merely of the Earth Immortal Realm’s cultivation level?”

“A mere Earth Immortal Realm dares to deceive this old monk? I was almost fooled by you!”

Monk Tianxuan was furiously enraged, realizing after the actual fight that the opponent’s cultivation level was not as strong as he had imagined.

Is he really just a junior cultivator? Did he actually have a moment when he thought he encountered a formidable opponent?

“Hehe, sorry about that. I got caught up in the act just now, almost forgetting that I currently have only the strength of the Earth Immortal Realm.” Li Xiaobai said cheerfully.

“Youngster, die!”

The Buddhist aura around Monk Tianxuan surged wildly, a lion of the Buddhist Sect burst forth behind him and soared into the sky, its ferocious fangs snapping viciously towards Li Xiaobai.

[Attribute Points +1,000,000…]

[Attribute Points +1,000,000…]

Li Xiaobai stuffed a handful of Heavenly Fragrance Life-extending Pills into his mouth, his physical body cycling between severe injury and recovery.

Monk Tianxuan, in his furious state, was casting his Cultivation Technique recklessly, intent on completely subduing the detestable youth before him, totally unaware that unbeknownst to him, a crimson sun had slowly begun to rise behind the temple.