Chapter 924: The First Disciple of the Buddha Emperor
“Creak—”
The somewhat mottled gate of the meditation courtyard slowly swung open.
An aged monk, on the verge of death, clad in a simple gray-white monastic robe, stepped out from within the gate.
The potbellied Grand Minister of Works and a small novice monk of three or four years old followed closely behind the old monk, coming to a halt at the courtyard’s entrance.
“Master.”
Second Minister of Works immediately hurried over, respectfully bowing to the old monk before supporting his right arm.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze also fixed on the old monk. His first impression was: “This is an extremely ordinary old monk, yet so ordinary that it feels almost unnatural.”
The old monk’s face, neck, and wrists were covered in dense wrinkles, weathered beyond recognition.
There was no fluctuation of saintly qi or Buddhist power emanating from him, yet he exuded an ancient aura. That ancient aura made him seem less like a living person and more like a human-shaped fossil unearthed from the earth.
The old monk’s eyes turned to Di Xue Sheng, and he said weakly, “Zhang Ruochen has some connection with this humble monk. I will not allow the Undying Blood Clan to take him away.”
It was a very calm statement, yet it carried an unyielding will that could not be defied.
On the ground, the surging blood qi thickened severalfold.
Standing at the center of the dense blood qi, Di Xue Sheng said coldly, “Monk, you have quite the nerve to oppose the Undying Blood Clan. But I wonder, do you dare to state your name?”
The old monk replied, “Since this humble monk has chosen to live in seclusion here, it is to completely forget the past and devote myself to Buddhist cultivation. As for my name, it too belongs to the past, so naturally, it has long been forgotten.”
“In that case, let this saint help you remember.”
Di Xue Sheng’s voice turned sharp.
“Rustle.”
The blood patterns on the ground surged upward rapidly, converging into an arm as massive as a mountain peak, towering hundreds of zhang high and exuding a suffocating aura.
The blood-red arm swung downward, forming a hand seal that struck toward the old monk’s head.
This casual strike felt like the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting apart. An ordinary cultivator would likely have been terrified and prostrate on the ground.
Yet the old monk merely raised his head slowly and glanced upward.
With some mysterious power, a loud bang echoed, and the blood-red arm shattered instantly, scattering into a rain of blood that drifted down from the sky.
In the distance, Di Xue Sheng let out a low, muffled groan, seemingly severely injured, and even the blood qi around him grew much thinner.
“Who exactly are you?”
Di Xue Sheng’s voice remained grand and vigorous.
However, Zhang Ruochen could clearly detect a hint of fear within that voice.
Defeating a saint was not an extraordinary feat. But making a saint feel fear—that was truly remarkable.
The old monk remained as calm as an ancient well, merely saying indifferently, “This humble monk does not wish to kill, so you are still alive. However, there is a guest in Sikong Meditation Courtyard who is already quite angry. If she were to act, you all might die here. This humble monk advises you to retreat quickly and not stir up more trouble.”
Di Xue Sheng fell silent, thinking to himself, How could there be another hidden powerhouse in Sikong Meditation Courtyard?
From within the blood clouds, a deep, heavy voice rang out, “Is that so? This king refuses to believe there is such a formidable figure in this world. Dare to come out and fight?”
The old monk sighed softly and shook his head slightly.
At the same time, the blood clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, revealing a ninety-nine-zhang-tall white bone altar.
At the base of the altar stood sixteen dragon bone pillars, thick and sturdy, supporting the altar’s framework.
Beyond that, millions of human bones were densely arranged. Zhang Ruochen even saw bones emitting dazzling saintly light—bones of saints.
The scene before him was truly awe-inspiring, like a demon god emerging into the world. Even a saint would tremble at the sight.
Atop the altar, beneath a war banner, stood a seven-meter-tall, burly man clad in Hundred Saint Blood Armor, his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a majestic aura that looked down upon the world.
The Hundred Saint Blood Armor was a supreme treasure of the Undying Blood Clan. When worn by a true powerhouse, it could unleash the power of a hundred saints, sweeping through everything in the world.
Tian Xue Sheng and Di Xue Sheng flew to the top of the altar, bowed to the burly man, and then stood behind him.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze fixed on the white bone altar.
Gradually, he found it hard to breathe, and his body began to tremble. His vision turned blood-red, as if he had entered a Shura realm.
This was because the aura emanating from the burly man on the altar was too powerful, affecting Zhang Ruochen’s mind.
Not only Zhang Ruochen, but also Grand Minister of Works, Second Minister of Works, and Xiao Sikong had bloodshot eyes, exuding a murderous aura as if craving bloodshed.
As for Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin from the Ministry of War, they had already collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from their seven orifices.
The old monk observed the state of the four and noticed that only Zhang Ruochen appeared relatively composed, while the other three were on the verge of collapse.
“Hua.”
The old monk’s lips moved slightly, and golden Buddhist characters materialized from the void, forming a sphere that enveloped Zhang Ruochen, Grand Minister of Works, Second Minister of Works, and Xiao Sikong.
In an instant, all four regained their clarity. Aside from Zhang Ruochen, who was in better condition, the other three sat on the ground, gasping heavily, their monastic robes soaked with sweat.
“How terrifying… Could he be the Azure Heaven Blood Emperor? No, he referred to himself as ‘this king,’ so he shouldn’t be the Azure Heaven Blood Emperor,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
Aside from the Azure Heaven Blood Emperor, it was astonishing that the Undying Blood Clan still had such a fearsome figure.
Atop the white bone altar, the burly man stared at the old monk, scrutinizing him intently. After a long moment, he laughed heartily, “This king has deduced your identity.”
The old monk showed no emotional fluctuation, merely pressing his palms together and softly reciting, “Amitabha.”
“Eight hundred years ago, you were the first disciple of one of the Nine Emperors, the Buddha Emperor, with the monastic name Indra. Before Indra became the Buddha Emperor’s disciple, he was a successor of the Sikong family, named Sikong Yibai. If this king is not mistaken, you are Indra,” the burly man stated with certainty.
Zhang Ruochen immediately looked at the old monk, his heart churning like a stormy sea.
Eight hundred years ago? The first disciple of the Buddha Emperor?
Grand Minister of Works, Second Minister of Works, and Xiao Sikong were also astonished, their eyes all fixed on the old monk. They couldn’t believe their master had lived for such a long time.
How could a person live that long?
The old monk, however, smiled faintly, “The past is like a dream, the present like lightning, the future like clouds. All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows. Does it matter who this humble monk was in the past?”
He was responding to the burly man on the altar and also teaching his three disciples.
Having deduced that the old monk was the Buddha Emperor’s first disciple, the burly man’s expression grew serious. He said, “Master Indra has been living in seclusion here, likely to avoid Empress Chi Yao, right? In truth, the Undying Blood Clan wants to rescue the Underworld King, also to oppose Empress Chi Yao. We share a common enemy.”
“If Master is willing to submit to the Undying Blood Clan, this king can petition the Blood Emperor to appoint you as the Supreme Saint Teacher of the Undying Blood Clan. What do you think, Master?”
The old monk shook his head, “This humble monk only wishes to transcend the mundane world, cultivate the body, and honor the Buddha. I will no longer meddle in worldly affairs.”
The burly man’s patience seemed to have worn thin, and his voice grew colder, “Yet, by sheltering Zhang Ruochen, you have already interfered. To be honest, the Underworld King’s return is an unstoppable trend. No one can block it. Even if the Buddha Emperor were still alive, standing in the way of this trend would lead to certain death.”
“Creak.”
The gate of Sikong Meditation Courtyard opened again.
“Such arrogance. Do you truly believe the Undying Blood Clan can act with impunity? Is the Azure Heaven Blood Emperor the strongest under heaven?”
The hand that opened the door was slender and long, like white jade and tender scallions, exuding a flawless beauty.
Even just a hand was more captivating, more beautiful, and more pleasing to the eye than those so-called peerless beauties, filled with a sense of vitality.