A master of comedy!

As figures surged forward one after another, the monks of the Jing and Hui generations, chanting slogans of not becoming Buddhas, relentlessly charged towards the demonic dragon.

The Buddha statue was shattered and crumbled in the battle, its soul scattered by demonic energy and turned to ashes by lightning.

The scale of this sacrifice was even greater than that of the past, when only the physical body was destroyed; this time, it was the soul.

The eminent monks of the Ci generation had tears in their eyes, but did not offer any assistance.

It's not that he's cold-blooded, but rather that he's accumulating magical power and brewing some kind of scheme.

A moment later, a dazzling Buddhist light suddenly emanated from their bodies. The soul of the Compassionate Abbot was the first to float up, sit cross-legged, and a phantom of a divine deer appeared beneath his feet.

His soul seemed to be plated with a layer of gold, sitting upright on a divine deer, seemingly lost in thought, calm and self-admiring.

The Arhat Sitting on a Deer among the Eighteen Arhats.

Cikun followed suit and floated up, raising his hands in celebration, appearing overjoyed, his Zen-like demeanor profound, thus becoming the Joyful Arhat.

Another old monk floated up, holding his alms bowl towards the sky; this was the Alms Bowl-Holding Arhat.

Then the fourth, fifth, sixth...

This sacred scene was like the Eighteen Arhats returning to their places, descending to earth to subdue the demon dragon, with brilliant Buddhist light illuminating half the sky.

Arhat Holding a Pagoda, Seated Arhat, Arhat Crossing the River, Arhat Riding an Elephant, Laughing Lion Arhat...

Auspicious clouds filled the sky, and countless rays of light shone down. A series of Buddhist chants descended, yet even Zhou Sheng's divine eyes could not detect any flaws.

It was as if they were truly legendary Arhats, here to help him vanquish demons and monsters.

However, there were only seventeen monks of the Ci generation. After the last monk transformed into the Tiger-Taming Arhat, the Dragon-Subduing Arhat was still missing.

Jianglong, the most widely known of the eighteen Arhats, should have been the most important one in this Arhat formation, but it seems that they deliberately left him out.

It's like waiting for someone.

Just as Hongxian and the others were having some doubts, a figure slowly emerged, gradually becoming solid from nothingness, with eyes like lightning and a heavenly dragon wrapped around its body.

"The Arhat who subdued the dragon has returned to his place."

The man spoke slowly, his voice unusually young, but his skin shone with a glassy luster, and his eyes were clear as water, without a trace of impurity.

At this moment, even Jinse showed a look of shock.

"He, he is..."

"Is it that... the little monk who delivered the theater invitations!?"

Hongxian rubbed her eyes, as if wondering if she had seen wrong.

"It's him."

Zhou Sheng's voice was very certain, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

This is why all the monks of Yaofo Temple gave up going to the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli. Besides their own good intentions, the main reason was that after the "door" opened, an old friend walked out.

The messenger, Hui Nian, actually stepped out from the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli.

He gave up the pure light, immeasurable life, and great freedom that he had already obtained, choosing to return to the human world and risk his soul being scattered to subdue the dragon.

The child they raised together, the little novice monk they taught Buddhist scriptures together, has now grown into a true monk.

Upon seeing Huinian, all the monks of Yaofo Temple were deeply moved, and even those who were most determined to become Buddhas felt ashamed.

"It seems that his soul being drawn to the Reclining Buddha Temple was not just a coincidence..."

Looking at Huinian's young and handsome face, Zhou Sheng recalled the scene in the Wofo Temple where he was reduced to ashes after drinking the Buddha's porridge.

It wasn't that he vanished into thin air, but rather that some unseen force guided him to the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli.

They also happened to send out invitations for the play.

Everything was such a coincidence.

When Zhou Sheng recalled the reclining Buddha at the Wofo Temple, a sense of awe welled up in his heart. The Buddha, lying on his side with a slight smile, seemed to be more than just a statue.

The gods and Buddhas have long since ceased to respond to human affairs, but have they truly ceased to exist? Now he is certain that the gods and Buddhas still exist!

However, their methods of intervening in human affairs have become more subtle and complex, often making them elusive and even easily overlooked when they are right in front of us.

"You fiend, you have harmed countless people, yet you still dare to dream of becoming a true dragon?"

"Hurry up and die!!"

The Arhat holding the Pagoda threw the seven-story pagoda in his hand, which instantly grew to several meters high and crashed heavily onto the head of the demon, making it dizzy.

The Arhat holding the alms bowl turned it upside down, and a seven-colored light shone out, burning through the dragon's waist and abdomen.

The Arhat Crossing the River cuts through the waves to create land; the Banana Leaf Arhat stirs up a whirlwind; the Cloth Bag Arhat blots out the sky; the Tiger-Taming Arhat releases the Tiger God…

The eighteen Arhats each displayed their supernatural powers, all striking the demonic dragon, causing it to roar and scream in agony.

Its massive body writhed on the ground like a rolling mountain of knives, and soon it was a bloody mess.

"Amazing!"

Red Line's eyes sparkled, as if she wished she could take his place.

The others in Zhou's troupe also showed excitement, believing that the demonic dragon was bound to be defeated. Only the intelligent and kind-hearted Jinse noticed that Zhou Sheng's expression was very solemn.

"Could it be that even the Eighteen Arhats cannot defeat this demonic dragon?"

Zhou Sheng shook his head, quickly recovering his magical power as he said, "The Eighteen Arhats can naturally win, but unfortunately... their time is limited."

The price of using only the soul to perform the Arhat Formation, without the physical body, is far too high.

You must understand that their existence is protected by the magical power they have cultivated over many years. However, the consumption of the Arhat Formation is extremely astonishing. If this continues, once their magical power is exhausted, their souls will be scattered.

And indeed, things turned out just as he had imagined.

At first, the eighteen Arhats were unstoppable, defeating the demon dragon one after another. However, as time went by, the speed at which each Arhat attacked became slower and slower.

The dragon has begun to fight back, and can even smash pagodas and alms bowls with its horns.

"Boss—"

Hongxian looked anxious and was about to speak when Jinse covered her mouth.

"Don't disturb him, he's waiting for an opportunity."

Jinse looked at Zhou Sheng, who had not yet joined the battle but was instead sitting cross-legged to recover his mana and injuries, her eyes flashing.

From the beginning until now, whether it was the resurrection of the demonic dragon or the appearance of Hui Nian, the troupe leader did not show any surprise, as if everything was within his expectations.

Recalling Zhou Sheng's uncanny foresight on the night he killed the general, she felt reassured, knowing that the troupe leader must have a plan.

"Jinse understands me best."

Zhou Sheng finally opened his eyes slowly. The wound on his chest had mostly healed, and his magic power had recovered to 60%.

That should be enough.

Just then, seeing the eighteen Arhats growing weaker, a greedy glint flashed in the demonic dragon's eyes. It once again unleashed its gluttonous divine power, its mouth transforming into a black hole, actually attempting to swallow all eighteen Arhats whole.

It's now!

Zhou Sheng's eyes flashed like thunder in an instant, and he drew his Breaking the Precepts Blade with a sudden burst of light. The crisp sound of the blade seemed to shatter a glacier that had been silent for thousands of years.

The crimson blade light shone like a great sun blazing across the sky.

"cut!!"

His tongue, with its extraordinary power, uttered a single word that resounded throughout heaven and earth.

However, this strike did not kill the demonic dragon; instead, both the man and the sword were swallowed into the black hole and vanished instantly.

...(End of this chapter)