Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1485 Empty Seat (1+12) (Bonus Chapter 47113 for Hidden Dragon)

Lotus Temple.

The magnificent temple stands on the earth, surrounded by incense smoke. In the center, the milk pool ripples with light. A young monk stands by the pool with his hands behind his back, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

He waited by the pool for a long time before finally seeing his senior brother materialize. His new physical form already possessed a certain imposing presence. The senior brother smiled, patted his shoulder, and said:

"Junior brother... what's wrong?"

Mingzang's words made Minghui raise her eyebrows. The monk paused, then suddenly said:

"Senior brother, are you going to do something within your capabilities?"

These words struck Mingzang like a heavy hammer, causing him to jump up from the spot, exclaiming in shock:

"Junior brother! You can't say such things! Liangli... Although Liangli has been in seclusion for many years, he hasn't perished yet. Even if something happens to him, Master should take over... You absolutely mustn't have any other thoughts!"

Minghui was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what she meant and laughed:
"Emptiness has no measure of power."

Mingzang hesitated, his expression turning somber and difficult to decipher.

Which Mahayana monk wouldn't be willing to do what he's capable of, claiming a place to live and spreading the doctrines he believes in? Back then, Jinlian used this as a promise to him, which greatly moved Mingzang. Now, it still holds true, silencing the monk.

He knew this junior brother always had a way with his hands, and he wasn't just talking. After a moment of silence, he heard Minghui whisper:
"The legacy of emptiness... although it's in the hands of the King of Wei, my junior brother has a way to obtain it. Right now, it's simply a matter of killing Zhe Lu..."

Mingzang hesitated and shook his head, saying:

“I understand… but how can we kill Zhelu now that he’s right under the Peacock’s nose?”

Minghui sneered and said:

"Senior brother, why do you think I reconciled with Renshijia back then? It was just to do him a favor, and I was just waiting for this day... Zhelu... He will bring me to the south... to the King of Wei... I'm ready too..."

Mingzang's gaze shifted slightly; how could he not understand his meaning? His voice lowered a few decibels as he exclaimed in alarm:

"How dare you!"

"Senior brother!"

Minghui's gaze was fixed on him as she said:
"Senior brother, can't you see it? The King of Wei is determined to take the Central Plains. We have already been hated by the Buddhists. If we don't find some backers soon, how will we live in Wei territory in the future!"

Mingzang was even more incredulous upon hearing his meaning. He paced around several times with his hands behind his back, saying:

"Which backer did you find? Li Ximing? Or Li Jiangqian!"

Amidst his stunned gaze, his junior brother's eyes flickered slightly as he said:

"There's no need for you to concern yourself with that, Senior Brother... In short... it's all too late. This Boundless Power... you have to accept it whether you like it or not!"

Hearing his last sentence, Mingzang's heart pounded, and for some reason, he felt a surge of joy. However, he maintained a stern expression, stamped his foot, and said:

"Mingmeng! You get out here too!"

Before long, the monk arrived in a hurry. After listening for a while, his face showed great shock, but also a hint of joy. He said:

Congratulations, senior brother!

Mingzang was speechless for a moment, and could only turn around and scold Minghui:

"You...you did something so big, and you didn't even tell us! If word gets back to Big Sheep Mountain, how are we supposed to face them!"

Minghui smiled without saying a word, while Mingmeng's gaze was intense as he said:
"No need to worry! In the past, we had no way to get close to Mingyang, but now the Peacock's power is extremely strong, and all the paths are wary of Him. They are even more afraid that Kongwu will be merged into his hands. By causing this chaos and freeing Kongwu, even the Dharma Realm, which is on the same side as the Great Desire Path, will secretly breathe a sigh of relief!"

"Senior brother! This is a once-in-a-century opportunity!"

Mingzang's mouth went dry from his words, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment. He walked around the milk pool with his hands behind his back and said:
"Master...Master is at a critical moment again..."

Minghui hurried downstairs, listened to the monks' report, and smiled:

"News has arrived from the north! They say that Rinchen Kagyu is coming to visit, hoping we can contribute to the great battle..."

Ming Zangdao knew that the matter was already 80% complete, and with a long sigh, he said:
"You...you people...ah! How am I supposed to face this?!"

So he turned around, his expression unchanged, and said:
“What’s so magical about this Zhelu? Although King Wei is powerful, we should keep an eye on things and make sure we kill him in one go. If anything goes wrong, you and I will have to take action ourselves.”

Minghui and Mingmeng exchanged a glance, laughed heartily, and said:
"My fellow disciples naturally understand that if we let him escape alive, it will likely cause endless harm!"

……

The land is vast and the mountains stand tall. To the west of Taihang Mountain and north of Liangchuan, there are several small peaks. In the past, there were only small palaces and temples, but now there are grand halls and pavilions. A red-skinned monk walks out from above.

Surrounded by fierce tigers, the monk, with his enormous body and imposing presence, descended on a cloud. Upon seeing the young monk, he immediately bowed obsequiously and said:

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

This young monk, naturally a new generation of the Void Path, Maha Void, faced with Chiluo, who could never recover, merely raised his chin slightly and said:
"Hmm... I heard that Senior Renshijia came to visit. I said that you had just crossed a few territories and brought some good supplies to entertain him."

Chi Luo felt a chill in his heart—facing a power that disliked him, he was naturally stripped bare. The plundering of territory had been going on for ages, and he had been exploited time and again. But today, he only sneered inwardly, while remaining respectful on the surface. He took the things and followed Xu Wang into the main hall.

Sure enough, above, a thousand eyes shone brightly, and the old man Zhelu sat there with a humble smile on his face, while Renshijia beside him looked up, displaying a somewhat arrogant attitude.

Zhelu was already of lower status than him, and now that he was eager to show off, Renshijia became even more arrogant. When the man entered, he made a brief eye contact with the red-skinned monk, and the unspoken message was clear.

Chi Luo's heart stirred slightly, and he presented the supplies. Ren Shijia glanced at him, waved his hand impatiently, and said:
"You serve here, everyone else get out of here!"

The group of vain followers, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, dispersed in a flurry. Zhe Lu, seeing that he had overstepped his bounds, changed color slightly, but being dependent on others, he could only lower his head and smile obsequiously, saying:
"Fellow Daoist, this time you've come..."

Renshijia showed no mercy, saying:
“All the esteemed sages in our community are concerned for you, fearing that you may not exert yourself fully, so they have specially sent me here to oversee things!”

Zhe Lu's expression changed slightly as he said:
"Where is this humble monk to be assigned?"

Renshijia sneered:

"I don't need you anywhere else. Just come with me. I'll stay in the temple for a few days. I'm heading to Shanle Road. If you know what's good for you, come with me and apologize to Shanle for what happened!"

So he got up and left in a huff. Zhe Lu was also just trying to keep up with his own strength. He had been humiliated like this. Although he was expressionless, once Ren Shi Jia left and the palace door closed, his thousand eyes finally shot out a poisonous light, which was extremely cold!

"You barbarian, how dare you treat me like cattle and sheep!"

Zhelu held him in utter contempt, especially at the thought of him fawning over the Lotus Temple. His hatred intensified, his gaze sharpened, and with a cold laugh, he finally heard Chilu timidly raise his eyelids and whisper:

"According to my ability... I think it's best to go..."

Zhe Lu was taken aback when he suddenly spoke, and the light in his eyes turned fierce:

"You have quite the nerve!"

Chi Luo knelt down as if struck by lightning. He was a veteran in the Buddhist world, and upon hearing those five words, he knew the old man hesitated, simply unable to bring himself to do it. He wept and said:

"I am truly thinking of you, sir. The matter of Mingyang involves life and death; how can it be decided lightly? Can Luoxia really succeed? That... that White Qilin has surprised us several times already? Da Yu only has Que Liyu in Luoxia; if something really happens, he can just retreat..."

"But what about you, sir? Bai Qilin hates Kong Wudao to the core. If things change, Xu Wang might even help Li overthrow Qingchi's past connections, but what chance do you and I have...?"

He broke down in tears, and Zhe Lu's expression changed slightly, his coldness softening considerably. He said softly:
"How could I not know? But wouldn't it be much safer to hide in Luoyang, then in Liangchuan Mountain?!"

Chi Luo Dao:
"My lord, can't you see it yet? Qilin's military tactics are all about surprise. In the Battle of Juancheng, he first broke through Jiaoshan, and of the three passes and one mountain, he first fell on Tanshan. A net of heaven and earth has been laid in Luoxia, and he may not even go there! My lord, you are only a step away from Liangchuan Mountain. Have you thought it through?"

Chi Luo had long known that the King of Wei would move his troops, and now he spoke with great confidence and authority. Zhe Lu's expression changed immediately, clearly struck by his words. Chi Luo then repeated what Ming Hui had told him, and continued:

"How did this Lord Renshijia regain his position back then? He relied on resolving the gap between Great Desire and Good Joy. The Central Plains was in constant turmoil. If one could get the help of the Way of Good Joy, even Lord Que Liyu would breathe a sigh of relief. Renshijia saw this and therefore promoted the Way of Good Joy... But looking at it from the other side... isn't it the same?"

He said:

"When King Wei fought the great battle at Chuncheng, Shanle Dao secretly helped him repeatedly and stood by without intervening, which means there was a deal involved. No matter who King Wei attacks... he won't attack Shanle Dao, who has always been biased... If you go, sir, at least you can get through this period!"

He lowered his head and said furtively:

"Who knows... this Lord Renshijia is also avoiding the Qilin like the plague, which is why he's hiding in Shanledao at this time! His Dharma body was shattered back then! No matter what, he won't harm himself... following him is definitely the right thing to do!"

If the preceding situational analysis left this man uncertain and unsure, the last paragraph struck a chord with him. Zhe Lu nodded, thinking to himself:
"That's absolutely right! As long as we can get through this period and the Qilin is surrounded, things will be much safer afterwards!"

Chi Luo wept bitterly and said:

"My only request is that you take me with you, sir, to resolve this crisis!"

Zhelu knew, of course, that this matter couldn't be made too obvious. He couldn't take many people with him, at most one person to accompany him. He raised his eyebrows, a rare hint of amiability in his expression, and sighed:

"Don't worry! If I can bring others, I will definitely bring you. Even if I can't bring you, I have a way to protect you..."

Chi Luo kowtowed repeatedly, expressing his gratitude profusely, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. After waiting for a while in the main hall, he indeed saw the young monk hurrying towards the main hall.

Chi Luo sneered inwardly as he left, while Xu Wang went up to the hall and immediately saw his own Liang Li's hurried and flustered appearance, exclaiming in surprise:
"This is!"

Zhelu whispered:
"Let's go! Don't alert anyone, come with me to Lotus Temple!"

"This is…"

Zhe Lu recounted those words one by one, and Xu Wang's brows furrowed more and more as he listened, until he heard his own strength say:

“Rinchen himself is feeling guilty and hiding away, which means there must be a great calamity behind him that we don’t know about. He couldn’t possibly have harmed himself, could he?”

Upon hearing this, Xu Wang found it reasonable and nodded in agreement, while Zhe Lu sneered:
“This Chi Luo is quite quick-witted. He couldn’t stand him before, so it seems he was never truly loyal. He was just sent out on some pretext. Whether he lives or dies is up to him.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Wang felt a secret sense of satisfaction. While supporting his own hand, he said:

"Judging from this, Lord Renshijia seems cold on the outside but kind on the inside. We should thank him."

Zhe Lu paused for a moment, then understood the key point, nodded secretly, and said:

“You’re right. If he really did go there to avoid the Qilin’s sharp edge, then our thanks are enough; he’ll understand!”

Having grasped the key point, he waited outside the temple for three days, finally seeing that Rinchen Rinpoche had finished expounding the Dharma to the many monks. He casually stepped out and politely said:
"please!"

This single word filled Ren Shijia with joy, yet he frowned as he looked at Xu Wang beside him and said:

What is he doing?

Xu Wang answered respectfully, went to fetch Ren Shi Jia, and said that he wished to go with his master. Perhaps satisfied with his attitude, and considering his promising future, Ren Shi Jia reluctantly nodded and said:

"You're quite clever."

The master and disciple exchanged a glance, already understanding each other. Zhe Lu smiled and said:
"Your intentions are profound; I am extremely grateful!"

The three of them rode the wind southwards, chatting as they went. They soon stopped in the territory of Shanle Road, where they saw the monk Mingzang already waiting, also riding the wind. Zhelu quickly bowed and said:

"Fellow Daoist Mingzang!"

Mingzang seemed reluctant, giving him a cold look, and said indifferently:

"Your Excellency truly values ​​you highly."

Hearing Renshijia repeatedly mention remembering the peacock's kindness, Zhelu finally believed that the other party was indeed trying to save his life, and laughed.

"A way out is hard to find. Since I've offended Mingyang, I should naturally avoid him..."

Upon hearing this, Renshijia and Mingzang both smiled enigmatically, leading him back. Xuwang, however, felt his heart pounding, his mind blank, and his heart growing colder. He thought to himself:

"That's strange..."

This finally made him shift his gaze from the monks in front of him to the land rushing past his eyes. Before he knew it, a person was standing on the barren mountain ridge in the distance.

He stood on a low hill, shorter than the other Mahayana monks, looking like a mere mortal, gazing up at the sky, his golden pupils silently meeting the gaze of the illusory.

The scenery around him flashed by, and as he moved at high speed, the man's face became clearer and clearer. His delusional heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, causing waves of pain to throb within him...

Even though the person's figure had already come into view, his spiritual sense still did not detect anything.

'Taiyin...methods...'

The pale-faced man moved his lips weakly:
"Master...Master..."

But it seemed he didn't need to remind him. Zhe Lu's back was already straight, and he stood blankly in the sky. He was too familiar with that face and figure, which shattered all the plans in his mind.

'run!'

The thought flashed through his mind, but Zhe Lu knew that this person was no longer someone he could escape by simply running away. He forced himself to calm down and almost blurted out:

"With our concerted efforts, there is a great chance of survival!"

What he said was certainly correct. Those present were all sixth-generation Mahayana practitioners, either possessing the ability or being highly virtuous with top-tier lineages. With the three of them working together, and given that this place was deep in the north, delaying them for a while would not be a problem at all!
But when he turned around, there was no one on either side.

Mingzang ran eastward, holding the golden candle in his hand, not daring to look back. Renshijia was even more agile, galloping ahead of everyone else, already becoming a small golden dot in the north.

In that instant, the bone-chilling cold finally engulfed him, and the world before Zhe Lu sank into endless darkness. The enormous setting sun lay prostrate on the horizon, his black robes fluttering, and the young man had already raised his halberd, coldly staring at him.

The thousand eyes on Zhelu blinked, and ten thousand rays of pink light pierced through.

The man in black simply stepped forward, the golden patterns on his face suddenly shining brightly, and a brilliant light surrounded him, as the auras of "Jun Daowei" and "Di Guanyuan" were simultaneously activated!
Zhelu is no match for him now, but Li Zhouwei is not underestimating his opponent. Que Liyu and the group of Maha from the Great Mu Dharma Realm are in Luoxia and will not be long before they arrive. At this moment, he is going all out to kill the enemy!
In Zhelu's vision, his thousand beams of ethereal light, honed through a century of hard work and invincible, could only pass through the radiance of the opponent's body, weakened layer by layer, and when they struck that terrifying Dharma body, they failed to cause the slightest ripple.

'It truly is... the body of a Qilin!'

This thought briefly crossed his mind. Zhe Lu felt as if his Three-Report Worldly Lotus had collided with some ferocious beast, emitting a terrified cry. Meanwhile, the black-robed True Man had already easily released his halberd, turned around gracefully, and crossed the oncoming golden mountain, striking the head covered with countless eyes with a palm strike.

"Boom!"

Spiderweb-like cracks appeared almost instantly, followed by shattered gold sand and glass. This powerful palm strike had already pierced through the forehead of this man of boundless power.

Zhe Lu felt a chaotic purple flame before his eyes, and pain and a sense of impending doom spread before him. In the dim light, it seemed that three beams of light struck his body at the same time, while golden light swirled around him, shaking his mind. The golden flames traveled along his body, locking Zhe Lu firmly in place. In the next instant, another hand had already grabbed his shoulder.

His massive, mountain-like body was suddenly lifted up, tumbling and falling through the air. As he fell, it was as if he had crashed into an endless palace. With a deafening roar, the "Emperor's Observation" enveloped the surrounding area!
"Boom!"

A radiant heavenly gate appeared above his head without warning. The brilliant light that Zhelu had just unleashed struck the heavenly gate and vanished like drifting clouds in an instant.

Beneath this heavenly gate, even the mighty Green Water Dragon could hardly escape, let alone Maha, who arrived hastily and unprepared. Rolling flames surged forth, and the enormous body emitted mournful cries, leaving Zhelu with only deathly silence in his heart.

Zhelu was ultimately a Maha. Faced with this being—a terrifying being that suppressed him in every way, from his physical body to his magic—he didn't even have any supernatural abilities to maneuver around. In just a moment, death was already before him.

'These flames are already incredibly powerful; I still couldn't escape. And then there's that Huayang King's Axe. With his current strength, if he wields it, I'll surely be obliterated!'

He slowly raised his head, looking into the calm golden eyes in the sky. The other party had suppressed him beneath the Heavenly Gate, as if looking at an ant. Suddenly, this Maha understood. His voice trembled, and he whispered:
"It is Mingzang..."

But the person in front of him paid no attention. He simply raised his hand and drew the black axe from his waist. The thick brown-gold light shone on the ground, shimmering with a halo.

……

A piercing roar exploded in his ears. Mingzang had been fleeing all the way and had long forgotten about watching from the sidelines. After crossing many mountains and forests, he dared to look back only when he saw his own temple getting closer.

Between heaven and earth, crystal sands fell in abundance, and pink light swept across the sky. The radiance of the earth flickered in the sky, splashing down streaks of brilliant light, and faint sounds of weeping and lamentation could be heard.

He failed due to his limited abilities.

Mingzang, before he even reached the Lotus Temple, was met with the rustling of glass and golden sand, which swept across the sky with an ironic speed, practically right before his eyes.

Mingzang slowly lowered his head, looked at his palms, and found that they were trembling slightly. Even though this was a conspiracy between him and his fellow disciples, the terrifying figure of the Qilin was like a sharp knife flashing before his eyes.

He walked forward dejectedly and landed in front of the magnificent hall. He practically shuffled inside. His two junior brothers were already sitting at the table, with wine and meat laid out, seemingly waiting for him to celebrate his victory.

But as the three looked at each other, silence fell between them.

Even the most triumphant Minghui had no heart for laughter at this moment. He gripped the wine glass tightly and murmured:
"How long has this been?"

"Ten moves... or twenty moves..."

Ming Meng's gaze was unfocused, and he said in a low voice:

"Back then... if Kong Shu had made a move against the encirclement of the Great Desire Path members, he wouldn't have been injured... nor would he have needed to intervene..."

Kong Shu can be considered the foremost Buddhist and Taoist master of this generation, but he is now clearly inferior to Bai Qilin, while this King Wei is only a master of the Four Divine Powers!

Having personally escaped, Mingzang was deeply moved. His face turned pale, and he said:

"We were all wrong. This white Qilin is far more powerful than we thought. The peacock carp is no match for him... I also doubt... that even if he went to Luoxia head-on, they might not be able to contain him..."

Minghui remained silent for a long while, then said:
"It's a good thing for us in the end... We've already pledged our allegiance, and this light... will ultimately not burn us."

Neither of them answered him. After a long while, Ming Meng finally looked up and said:

"not necessarily."

"What happened to him one day... that he killed us like chickens? Senior brother, I see it clearly now. Be extremely careful... be extremely careful..."

Ming Zang only said:

"I understand that things have come to this point, so what's the use of saying more? Let's first establish the lineage of emptiness, deal with that group of Maha on the mountain, and then talk. Right now, Mingyang is the most dangerous one!"

Minghui, however, had calmed down, smiled, shook her head, and said:
"Senior brother is overthinking it... Mount Dayang must be in complete chaos right now, they don't have time to care about us!"