Chapter 1076: The Sin Begins with Shakyamuni
Om—the sound was profound, shaking the heavens and piercing the ears, spreading throughout the entire monastery, as if it could make even a demon lost in delusion turn back.
"One Hundred and Eight Arhat Grand Formation, Subdue the Demon!"
A monk shouted, and one hundred and eight elderly monks stepped forward, all sitting cross-legged in the void, chanting true scriptures. Dense runes appeared, pressing down toward Ye Fan.
Though these were scriptures recited aloud, they were as clear and bright as if cast from gleaming gold, each character as tall as a man, drowning Ye Fan.
"Clang!"
Ye Fan swung his fist, each strike landing on an ancient character, producing a series of clanging sounds as he shattered them one by one.
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Demon-Subduing Formation was a matter that had only occurred once in a thousand years. They activated the array patterns engraved in the temple, drew upon the momentum of heaven and earth, and pushed their own cultivation to the limit, devouring the sun and moon.
In this pure Buddhist land, thunder rolled today, primal energy steamed, rays of multicolored light burst forth, and lightning intertwined.
"Comparable to an ancient demon king! Even the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Grand Formation cannot subdue you!"
"Break!"
Ye Fan let out a soft shout and slashed out nine times in succession. This was the embryonic form of the Demon Emperor Nine Slashes. He had not fully grasped all its essence, only understanding the general idea, but when driven by the Battle Saint Art, it stirred up a fierce wind, splitting the sky and shattering the sun, reaching an extreme of power.
"Bam!" "Bam!"
The one hundred and eight elderly monks all retreated, many with blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. Buddhist chants rose and fell, never ceasing.
"So powerful..." The onlookers were shocked.
At the center of the scene, Ye Fan stood alone, his expression calm, showing no sign of disarray, having broken through the demon-subduing formation.
"Please, Uncle-Master, make a move!" The Half-Saint transmitted his voice, shouting toward the rear mountain of the monastery.
Ye Fan frowned. Could the Half-Saint's uncle-master be an ancient Buddha? That would be truly troublesome.
A hoarse Buddhist chant rang out. An elderly monk with wrinkled skin, who had lived for who knows how many years, walked out from the rear mountain, treading through the void.
"Fortunately... it's just a Half-Saint." Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief.
Clearly, this was no ordinary old monk. Though his skin was wrinkled, it was as if cast from gold, emitting a golden radiance.
This was a divine monk who had attained the Arhat Fruit, only half a step away from becoming a Sage. He was a Golden Body Arhat, with the Dharma name Ku Ci.
"This benefactor, the Buddhist Gate has its own rules. You cannot force your way in. Moreover, being suppressed in the pagoda may not be a bad thing for her," said Golden Body Arhat Ku Ci.
"In this world, everything is relative. As you say, this is an internal matter of the Buddhist Gate, but to me, it concerns the life and death of a friend, and is also a great matter of mine. No matter what, I must rescue her." Ye Fan did not back down.
"Boom!"
Ku Ci took a step forward, and the entire ancient monastery trembled. Though his form was withered, it was as if a giant was advancing.
He slowly extended his hand and pressed forward, his entire body flowing with radiance, golden all over, fully displaying the power of the Arhat Fruit.
"Bam."
Ye Fan met the attack. His right fist collided with the old monk's palm and fingers, producing a thunderous roar in the sky and bursting forth with brilliant light.
"Bam."
The old monk retreated several zhang, his arm trembling slightly. Dim light suddenly shot from his dull eyes as he carefully examined Ye Fan.
Ye Fan's heart stirred. There were truly few in this world who could block his physical attack like this. The old monk was extraordinary, his physique far more solid and powerful than his outward appearance suggested.
The assembled monks were horrified! They were extremely shocked.
Ku Ci was an enlightened divine monk who had attained the Arhat Fruit and cultivated the Vajra Indestructible Divine Ability. His physical body's toughness was unmatched in the world, with few to be found.
Yet now, his physical strength was surpassed by this young, black-haired man—this was truly beyond belief.
In this era, Lantuo Monastery had no Sages, but it had two Half-Saints. Especially Ku Ci, whose Vajra Indestructible Divine Ability could one day allow him to become a Buddha on the spot. Today, however, he was slightly inferior—how could this not shock people?
"I think I know your identity. Aside from someone with your physique, no one who hasn't become a Sage can force me back like this," Ku Ci said.
"It's him. Recently, the Eastern Wasteland has been in an uproar, saying that person has returned. It seems the rumors are not false!" His nephew, also a Half-Saint, muttered to himself.
The great battle in the Eastern Wasteland—the Celestial Prince's head had fallen, the Eight Divine Generals were all annihilated, and the Chaos Expansion Great Sage had perished—these events shook the world.
The mysterious human expert who killed the Holy Prince, the Battle Victory Buddha descending Mount Sumeru, and so on—these were undoubtedly the focus of everyone's discussions.
Now, many were saying that the mysterious person might be the Human Sacred Body. The rumors were rampant, and many were seeking confirmation. Even some ancient kings had come out of seclusion, searching for him.
And now, through their exchange, the divine monk of Lantuo Monastery immediately realized that it was undoubtedly the Human Sacred Body. Otherwise, how could he match his Vajra Indestructible Body?
Some other elderly monks also guessed the truth, their expressions changing. This man had dared to kill even the ancient Celestial Prince, and now the world was boiling with talk about him. He was a true and proper baleful star. Now he had broken into the Western Land—was he trying to overturn Lantuo Monastery?
"Benefactor, no matter who you are, if you insist on forcing your way in, I will have no choice but to suppress you!" Ku Ci let out a lion's roar, his appearance solemn and majestic, blocking the path before the nine-story stone pagoda.
"Forgive my offense!" Ye Fan strode forward, Dao patterns interweaving beneath his feet. As he activated the Stride Art, the entire world seemed to freeze.
"Om!"
Ku Ci shouted. A Buddhist sound seemed to come from the dawn of the universe, shaking everyone to their core. Ye Fan, at the center, felt it even more deeply.
It was the supreme Six Syllable True Mantra of Buddhism—the Om Character Buddhist Art!
The Six Syllable True Mantra had long been scattered across the land for many years. No single ancient monastery possessed them all; at most, they had one or two mantras.
Now, only a few ancient sacred temples held them. Lantuo Monastery, Great Thunderclap Monastery, Suspended Temple, and Divine Radiance Monastery were the foundations of the Buddhist Gate, each possessing their own mantras.
And this Om sound had only been passed down from Mount Sumeru in recent years. Counting it up, Lantuo Monastery now possessed two mantras, their foundation and strength truly awe-inspiring.