So it turns out I'm the demon!

"Oh, getting angry?"

Jiang Mu chuckled.

The sword energy surged from his body, swirling and roaring like a tornado.

Each blade of energy was as thin as a willow leaf.

Dark red patterns, a blend of blood river truth and demonic energy, flowed along the edges.

The moment the flying golden lotus blade touched the crimson storm, it was shredded into golden dust as if it had hit a meat grinder.

Fragments of gold, stardust of red.

It exploded in the air, creating a dazzling display of light and electricity.

"That's impossible!"

Master Miaofa was greatly alarmed.

When they fought in Xiyun Town, Jiang Mu was clearly just a sixth or seventh realm cultivator who relied on magic weapons to show off his power.

How come in just a few months, the protective blade aura that the other party casually released already possesses terrifying strength that is completely comparable to her peak eighth rank? "Old nun, times have changed."

Jiang Mu formed his five fingers into a claw and pressed down from a distance.

【Qianjinshan】!

In the void, a miniature, majestic golden mountain, radiant with golden light, materialized out of thin air and crashed down upon Master Miaofa with an overwhelming force. Master Miaofa had no way to dodge; he could only grit his teeth, raise his hands to the sky, and desperately try to withstand this immense power.

"Crack..."

Under the crushing weight of the golden mountain, her Buddha-spirit body began to flicker, her arms becoming increasingly ethereal, almost as if she were being smashed into the ground.

"Damn it. How can this kid's strength be so terrifying!"

Master Miaofa had unspeakable suffering.

She knew she had met her match today; if she continued fighting, she wouldn't even be able to protect this last vestige of Buddhist spirit.

"Walk!"

Without hesitation, she risked damage to her soul and immediately detonated the golden lotus base beneath her feet.

Jinshan was overturned.

Using the recoil from the explosion, Master Miaofa transformed into a golden ray of light and attempted to escape.

"Trying to run now? Too late!"

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.

With a flick of his wrist, the Soul-Locking Coffin Nail, burning with ghostly flames, flew out of his hand.

"what!"

Accompanied by screams, the coffin nails, which are specifically designed to destroy the soul, pierced directly through the shoulders and dantian of the illusory figure of Master Miaofa.

The golden light that was trying to escape was pinned down from mid-air.

The old nun's spirit was nailed to the ground.

At first glance, it looks like a butterfly pinned to a specimen needle. No matter how much it struggles, it cannot break free.

Zhao Yuanyuan, who was standing next to her, collapsed to the ground, completely stunned.

Her revered master, so high and mighty in her heart, was so easily suppressed by this man before her, as if swatting a fly. He didn't even have the power to fight back!

Her proud Daoist heart, which was originally built on the halo of the Living Bodhisattva, is now collapsing inch by inch with the miserable screams of Master Miaofa.

Jiang Mu walked up to the old nun, looked at her coldly, and stared at her as if she were trash:

"There aren't many people in this world who can disgust me, but you, this old nun who spouts nothing but benevolence and morality, are barely one of them."

"Jiang Mu! You dare kill me?!"

Master Miaofa roared, his outwardly fierce but inwardly weak voice distorting his illusory old face like a demon.

"If you dare to kill me, the sect leader of my Liuli Chanxin Sect will surely sense it. As soon as this wisp of my Buddhist spirit dissipates, the Buddha Mother will descend upon this place through the 'Bodhi Seed' within my body."

"At that time, even if you had ten wings, you wouldn't be able to escape!"

Upon hearing this threat, Jiang Mu recalled something Shui Miaozheng had mentioned before.

The Liuli Chanxin sect cultivates the principle of "knowing oneself, and seeing all people as oneself."

Its principal Buddha Mother can plant the seed of Bodhi in the souls of all core disciples.

Once a disciple is killed, the Buddha Mother can disregard spatial distance and descend into a Dharma body using the coordinates of that Dao Seed.

However, Jiang Mu did not think so.

If he were in the middle of nowhere, he might have to be a little more cautious.

But this is France.

Moreover, the city is now teeming with hidden talents and experts from all walks of life. Even if the Buddha Mother possesses extraordinary cultivation, she wouldn't go on a killing spree for a mere Buddha spirit. "Is that so? Then I'd really like to see if your sect leader has the guts to act so presumptuously."

Before he could finish speaking, under Master Miaofa's horrified gaze, Jiang Mu raised his foot and stomped down decisively.

"Bang!"

It felt like stepping on a watermelon and smashing it.

Master Miaofa's head was crushed to pieces and then dissipated into the air.

With the death of Master Miaofa, the golden Buddhist light surrounding Hua Niang lost its source and dissipated.

Having regained her freedom, Hua Niang's resentment resurfaced.

Jiang Mu spoke softly:

"If you're going to kill me, then kill me quickly. Don't dawdle. Otherwise, if that Buddha Mother really descends later, I might not be able to protect you."

Hua Niang turned her head and stared at Zhao Haiqian.

When Zhao Haiqian saw Master Miaofa display his divine power, a glimmer of hope for surviving the ordeal was rekindled in his heart.

They had even already planned it out in their minds.

Once the old nun has dealt with Hua Niang, he will personally step forward and stomp on her a few times, completely shattering that vile woman's soul.

May she never be reincarnated!

However, that glimmer of hope was crushed to pieces by Jiang Mu.

Sensing the overwhelming hatred of the Flower Maiden, he was terrified, his face streaked with tears and snot, and he pleaded bitterly:

"Hua Niang, please spare my life for the sake of our past marriage. I was truly forced into this situation back then. In my heart... I have always truly loved you."

"puff!"

Hua Niang brought her five fingers together to form a cone and pierced straight into the center of Zhao Haiqian's forehead.

Immediately afterwards, she let out a shriek and exerted force in her arm.

Zhao Haiqian's head exploded on the spot, splattering red and white matter all over the wall.

Jiang Mu looked at Zhao Yuanyuan, who was slumped on the ground, her face as pale as paper.

This young lady, who had previously been so compassionate and talked about letting go, was now trembling violently, her teeth chattering, and she couldn't even stand up. Jiang Mu said calmly, "Do you want to live?"

Zhao Yuanyuan trembled all over, as if grasping at the last straw. She knelt on the ground and kowtowed tremblingly, forcing out a stiff smile that looked more like a grimace:

"Please...please, senior, have mercy and spare my life..."

Seeing her fawning and groveling, a hint of disappointment flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.

"What a pity. If you had any backbone, even if you had just cursed at me a couple of times, I might have thought more highly of you and let her spare your life. But now it seems that your so-called Buddhist heart is just a cheap coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanyuan's face was filled with despair.

"Your whole family are no good!"

Having avenged her great grudge, Hua Niang was already bloodthirsty and opened her sharp claws to grab Zhao Yuanyuan's throat.

Just as the claws were about to touch Zhao Yuanyuan, a dazzling Buddhist light suddenly emanated from the young lady of the Zhao family.

This radiance of Buddha's light was completely different from that of Master Miaofa before.

It carried no murderous intent, yet exuded a powerful pressure that rendered one unable to muster any will to resist.

Jiang Mu's expression changed slightly, and he grabbed Hua Niang and flung her away.

At the same time, he clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and the power of the Eight Realms surged wildly, condensing into a dark red blade wall several feet thick, which slashed down towards Zhao Yuanyuan's head.

"boom!"

The crimson blade energy struck the golden Buddhist light, producing a deafening roar like a great bell.

The blade's energy shattered!

A counterforce surged forth like a tide.

Jiang Mu let out a muffled groan and flew backward, only managing to regain his footing after being thrown several meters away.

He rubbed his numb wrist, his expression turning serious. Looking at the drastically changed "Zhao Yuanyuan" before him, he murmured:

"They actually managed to lure it out; they were pretty quick."

"Amitabha."

Zhao Yuanyuan clasped her hands together, her eyes slightly closed, and a golden lotus mark shimmered between her brows.

The voice was ethereal and compassionate, like a chant falling from the heavens.

The moment that voice entered his ears, his mind cleared instantly, and a feeling of reverence, a desire to prostrate himself in worship, arose in his heart. "The Buddha Mother, right?"

Jiang Mu narrowed her eyes and stared at her coldly.

The Buddha Mother slowly opened her eyes.

His eyes seemed to contain the Zen-like wisdom of the vast world and the emptiness of all phenomena.

She looked at Jiang Mu with a smile:

"You possess the most precious treasures of Buddhism and have a deep affinity with Buddhism. Why not set aside the worldly affairs of war and bloodshed and enter our Buddhist community to cultivate the Dharma? With your talent, if you can devote yourself to cultivation, you may very well attain the Bodhi fruit in the future and create a pure land for others."

Jiang Mu sneered and crossed her arms:

"I've heard that your Liuli Chanxin Sect is all female monks, and it's quite popular. However, I'm not interested in chanting scriptures. If everyone in your sect is willing to practice the dual cultivation path with me, I might reluctantly consider it."

Despite Jiang Mu's teasing, the Buddha Mother showed no anger; instead, her smile deepened.

"All things in the world are expedient means. If you have Buddha in your heart, then the appearance of a man or a woman is just a superficial appearance."

Joyful meditation is also meditation, and the practice of dual practice is also practice.

When you truly understand the mystery of the emptiness and illusion of form and the unity of Dharma nature, you will know that I am always before the Buddha, and you are never far from the Buddha either.

When the time is right, everything will be easy to discuss; if you wish to cultivate, you can.

Jiang Mu's eye twitched, and she cursed inwardly that this old nun's skin was thicker than a city wall.

He was too lazy to continue the conversation and said coldly:

"I wonder what the Buddha Mother's purpose is in descending from so far away in this Dharma body? Do you perhaps intend to personally kill me to avenge your disciple?" The Buddha Mother gently shook her head, her countenance dignified.

"I have always disliked killing. As for the death of Miaofa, it was because she had too deep an attachment and sowed evil seeds, which led to this evil result. The Buddha has a thousand faces and the mind has a thousand forms."

Within my Lapis Lazuli Zen School, not everyone is blinded by greed, anger, and ignorance, a hypocrite and prejudiced individual. Benefactor Jiang, please do not let a single leaf obscure your true vision and cause you to misunderstand the true meaning of our school.

Jiang Mu sneered inwardly, not even believing the punctuation marks.

"So, what exactly do you want to do after going through all this trouble?"

The Buddha Mother looked at him, her gaze profound:

"This humble monk has appeared here only to try and invite Benefactor Jiang. If you have the time in the future, would you be willing to visit my Liuli Chanxin Sect?" "Hehe,"

Jiang Mu scoffed, "Could it be that they've taken a liking to my potential and are planning to trick me into joining their temple, then force me to become a nun?" The Buddha Mother smiled and shook her head.

"Benefactor Jiang is indeed deeply wise, unparalleled throughout history. This humble monk invited you here simply to ask you to look at something."

What it is, you will know when you arrive. If you are unwilling, this humble monk will not force you.

"This humble monk will be at the sect ready to await your arrival at any time."

After saying that, before Jiang Mu could ask any more questions, the golden light around Zhao Yuanyuan slowly faded away.

Zhao Yuanyuan's body lost its support and collapsed to the ground, her face still showing a trace of confusion, but she had already stopped breathing.

Jiang Mu frowned, somewhat surprised.

That old hag, she really did leave so easily?

Didn't they even utter a harsh word?

It seems that even a peerless expert at the thirteenth realm wouldn't dare to be too presumptuous within the city of Daqing.

at the same time.

Outside the Zhao residence, on the roof of a pavilion.

The night wind whistled, fluttering the woman's clothes.

Bai Xiang stood proudly with her hands behind her back. Her plain white dress fluttered in the moonlight, and although there was no trace of spiritual energy around her, she exuded an unparalleled majesty that surpassed all living beings.

A beam of Buddha's light descended from the sky and landed on the rooftop a few steps away from her.

As the Buddha's light faded, the true form of the Buddha Mother slowly emerged from the halo.

Unlike when she spoke through Zhao Yuanyuan's body, she was now enveloped in a faint halo, her face appearing and disappearing within the halo, only a vague outline visible.

His features were exquisite and refined, and his appearance was dignified and solemn.

"Why did you suddenly become a coward?"

Bai Xiang smiled faintly, her red lips curling into a mocking smile, "I was originally planning to have a proper fight with you here."

The Buddha Mother clasped her hands together and bowed slightly.

"Your Highness's divine might is awe-inspiring. How dare this humble monk, with his meager cultivation, presume to presume before the [Harem] Star Position? Just now, I merely used a wisp of divine sense to probe and saw Your Highness here to protect the path. This humble monk naturally knew better than to back down."

A hint of frost flashed in Bai Xiang's eyes as she coldly warned:

"Jiang Mu is my prey. I don't want anyone coveting him. Can you do that?"

The Buddha Mother remained silent.

She could see that Jiang Mu had extraordinary luck and planned to make a move to recruit him in advance.

Unexpectedly, this coveted prize had already been seized by the princess of the Mirror Kingdom.

It seems that my plans were ultimately too optimistic.

"cannot?"

Seeing that the Buddha Mother did not answer, the air around Bai Xiang dropped to freezing point.

Without a sound, dark cracks appeared out of thin air in the void surrounding the Buddha Mother.

Like countless gaping maws from an abyss, ready to tear their prey to shreds at any moment.

The Buddha Mother spoke serenely:

"A monk is detached from worldly karma and does not take what others desire. Since Your Highness has already placed him under your protection, this humble monk will naturally not interfere further. Please rest assured, Your Highness."

You had better keep your word.

Bai Xiang snorted coldly and casually flicked her slender, jade-like fingers.

"Pop!"

The air vibrated.

The Buddha Mother's figure swayed slightly, creating fine ripples that almost dispersed.

The Buddha Mother didn't try to get revenge on the woman for her show of force.

After all, few in the world dared to defy the wrath of a thirteenth-realm powerhouse who held the title of "Harem." Making a mortal enemy of Bai Xiang now would be extremely unwise.

As for whether Jiang Mu will become a piece on her chessboard in the future, we still need to wait for the right opportunity to prove ourselves.

"May Your Highness's wish be fulfilled."

The Buddha Mother murmured a Buddhist chant, and her figure gradually faded into the night, dissipating into specks of Buddhist light.

Only after confirming that the other party had really left did Bai Xiang breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Although this Buddha Mother is at the same thirteenth realm as her, she is in the process of rising and her foundation is solid.

His victory in the contest for the star position against Shangguan Luoxue demonstrates his formidable strength.

If they had actually broken off relations and started fighting, her current situation would have been very difficult to handle.

Fortunately, his reputation still held sway, and the other party was a cautious person who dared not take any risks.

Bai Xiang glanced in the direction of Jiang Mu in the Zhao family courtyard, pursed her red lips, and muttered under her breath:

"That brat, he manages to provoke a bunch of powerful figures wherever he goes. Without me covering for him in the shadows, he'd probably be eaten alive long ago. I really owe him a debt."

I have to get that kid to write me a few more bad poems later, otherwise it'll be a huge loss.

She shook her head with a slight headache, flicked her sleeves, and gracefully departed.