Raise a sword!

Jiang Peng once traveled with the monk Miaoyin and heard Miaoyin talk about various methods of Buddhist cultivation.

What Chen Chi was displaying was the Vajra Dharma Form, a famous technique of Buddhist practitioners.

Of course, this so-called Vajra Dharma Form has no connection with the Dharma Form Realm, the fourth realm of Buddhism, which is comparable to the Nascent Soul Realm.

This Vajra Dharma form is a supernatural power that arises from a Buddhist practitioner's thorough understanding of Buddhist teachings and the true principles of Buddhism, resulting in a form that is born from the mind.

"The Buddha said, 'Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.'"

Chen Chi's voice echoed through the mountains and forests, his simple words carrying a strange and powerful force that moved people's hearts.

He was clearly only at the Foundation Establishment stage, which, according to Buddhist cultivation standards, was merely the Mind Enlightenment stage, yet at this moment he actually displayed a presence akin to the descent of Buddha.

Jiang Peng's expression looked strange.

Facing the majestic and solemn Vajra form, which resembled the Buddha's descent, he felt a sense of awe for no apparent reason. However, this awe stemmed from respect for its power, not from any particular reason.

"Just use your Dharma form to do it, why are you talking about Buddhism?" Jiang Peng asked curiously.

"Buddha guides those with affinity, and I see that you, benefactor, are indeed destined."

"I, Jiang, believe that I have no affinity with Buddhism."

Chen Chi repeated, "Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot."

"This is why I believe I have no affinity with Buddhism." Jiang Peng looked puzzled. "Since you are a fellow Daoist, no, Master, well, how should I address you?"

Before Chen Chi could respond, Jiang Peng continued, "Since you're such a bald monk..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chi subconsciously touched his head, revealing his long, thick hair.

Jiang Peng shook his head and said, "Alright, monk... Monk, you said that laying down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot makes sense at first glance, but there is one thing I don't understand. Please enlighten me, monk."

Chen Chi nodded.

Jiang Peng smiled and said, "An ordinary person who follows the rules all his life, sincerely worships Buddha all his life, and always strives for goodness... There are countless such people among Buddhist believers, yet none of them have become Buddhas."

"But the monk insists that one can become a Buddha by laying down the butcher's knife. Does that mean that to become a Buddha, one must first commit evil deeds and then suddenly repent under the persuasion of Buddhism?"

"If that's the case, then is the saying 'lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha' actually persuading people to repent, or is it encouraging them to do evil?"

Chen Chi clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Attaining Buddhahood depends on personal cultivation... Whether one is a virtuous person throughout their life or a wicked person who repents, whether one can attain Buddhahood depends on their cultivation."

"I understand this principle as well," Jiang Peng nodded in agreement, then added, "but that's precisely the problem."

"Since the saying 'lay down the butcher's knife and instantly become a Buddha' is a lie, and monks often say that monks don't lie... if a monk full of lies comes to persuade me to worship Buddha, tell me, should I believe him or not?"

Chen Chi was stunned again, and even the Buddha's light on his solemn and majestic Vajra image seemed to dim a bit.

"When persuading someone to turn back, it's inevitable to exaggerate a little, but the intention is good."

"Your words and actions don't match your heart." Jiang Peng shook his head slightly. "The monk has broken the precepts."

This is a sophistry learned from the eminent monk Miaoyin of Zhongzhou.

In order to spread Buddhism, Buddhist practitioners have included many incoherent and obviously nonsensical statements in their teachings.

True high-ranking monks, who cultivate their minds and character, would never utter such words.

Miaoyin once said that Buddhism is all about the mind. When you encounter a Buddhist practitioner whose understanding of Buddhism is not profound enough, you can seize on their words and argue with them to dismantle most of their Buddhist teachings.

Chen Chi made no further response, but instead swung his giant hammer and smashed it towards Jiang Peng.

The giant hammer landed in empty space, yet it unleashed a powerful aura. The force transformed into visible fluctuations that almost distorted space, surging towards Jiang Peng wave after wave like a tidal wave.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Jiang Peng was unwilling to confront the situation head-on. A gust of wind rose beneath her feet, and in the next moment, she appeared behind Chen Chi.

He raised his hand and grasped at the air, and the hilt of the Xuanyuan Sword, which resonated with his mind, landed perfectly in his hand.

nail--

The sword tip landed on the back of the Dharma Image's heart, but it only penetrated half an inch into the flesh before being blocked by that powerful body.

Compared to the enormous body of the Dharma Image, a mere half-inch wound is merely a superficial injury.

"Your eloquence is admirable, but unfortunately, your magic sword is still lacking in skill and cannot break through this humble monk's... Ah!"

Chen Chi's calm voice was suddenly replaced by a horrific scream of pain.

But then they saw that the blade of the Xuanyuan Sword in Jiang Peng's hand was covered with grayish-white spiritual fire. The spiritual fire spread out the moment it ignited, and in just a moment, it spread over a large area on Chen Chi's back.

A flash of Buddha's light appeared, and a large chunk of flesh was peeled off Chen Chi's back, revealing a hideous wound.

The next moment, Chen Chi swung his giant hammer and turned around to smash it, but Jiang Peng had already sensed the danger and retreated to the side, so the hammer missed again.

"The eerie spiritual fire is like a maggot clinging to a bone, impossible to extinguish; once it touches you, you must cut off your own flesh to survive."

After Chen Chi unleashed his Dharma form, a hint of anger finally appeared on his solemn face.

"Such ruthless magic is evil and should be eradicated!"

That's what they say, but unfortunately, although the Vajra Dharma Form is terrifyingly powerful, it can never catch up with Jiang Peng's Gale Step in terms of speed.

"You see, this is another reason why I, Jiang, am not destined to be with Buddhism."

Jiang Peng said with a smile.

"There is no such thing as black and white, good and evil in this world, so why should a monk keep talking about good and evil? What caused this battle? It was nothing more than the Chen family coveting the northern foothills."

"The Cangshan Sect entered my Chen Kingdom and slaughtered my Chen Kingdom's people."

"Were the people of Chen slaughtered?"

"It is thanks to the independent cultivators of my Chen Kingdom."

"You mean those wicked and wicked cultivators?"

"He is a cultivator who has robbed others, but he has laid down his butcher's knife..."

At this point, Chen Chi's voice abruptly stopped, and his gaze towards Jiang Peng reflected an extremely complex emotion.

After a few breaths, his Vajra form dissipated, and he returned to his original appearance.

His brows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation with his eyes closed, his face was filled with hatred when he looked at Jiang Peng again.

"I have cultivated both Buddhism and Taoism for a hundred years, yet you, a mere junior, have corrupted my Buddhist heart! Die!"

Chen Chi made a hand seal with one hand, drawing upon the surrounding spiritual energy. The next moment, an extremely powerful pressure descended from him within a hundred-foot radius.

Jiang Peng felt a little uncomfortable under this pressure, but it was only a slight discomfort.

"Fellow Daoist, you are underestimating people a bit. The pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is only effective against junior Qi Refining cultivators, and it is not very useful against cultivators of the same realm."

"I, Jiang, also know such methods, but they are useless to me, so I won't show them off."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chi gave a cold smile.

"Of course, it's not just about intimidation."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint light suddenly flickered between Chen Chi's brows.

The next moment, within the oppressive aura he unleashed, there seemed to be an additional, mysterious power.

"Huh? Is this a soul-binding spell?"

Jiang Peng keenly sensed the change in Chen Chi's oppressive aura.

He felt as if Chen Chi had seen through everything about him in that instant, and at the same time, it seemed that some changes that he could not understand were happening.