My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

In the sky, the enormous phantom of the Bodhisattva still perched high above, deep within the golden auspicious clouds.

The grand chanting of Buddhist hymns washed over every corner of this ancient border city like a tsunami.

The entire city's inhabitants knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to even lift their heads.

In their eyes, this was the true Buddha descending to earth, an inviolable divine authority.

At the edge of the ruins, the abbot, who looked like a dried-up corpse, was staring intently at Li Chen with a pair of venomous eyes.

Although he had exhausted his lifespan, his face, which resembled withered tree bark, was filled with a morbid fanaticism and pride.

"Mortal ants..."

From the abbot's slurred throat, a harsh, hoarse laugh escaped.

"Before the Buddha's image, your meager cultivation is but a firefly's light."

"You have ruined the century-old foundation of my Compassion Temple. Today, the Bodhisattva will surely tear you apart and skin you alive!"

"Your soul will be banished to the deepest hell, to suffer the torment of ten thousand fires burning your heart!"

Faced with the deafening chanting and the abbot's vicious curse.

Li Chen didn't even frown.

He stood there, his blue robes fluttering in the wind.

Those deep eyes reflected the golden light that filled the sky, yet there was no trace of reverence in them.

There was only deep disdain and mockery.

"A mere projection of a separate body."

Li Chen's voice wasn't loud, but in an instant, it pierced through the overwhelming chanting.

It resonated clearly in the ears of everyone in the city.

"How dare you act like a big shot in front of me?"

These words were spoken.

The enormous phantom of the Bodhisattva in the sky, with its half-closed and half-open eyes, suddenly opened completely.

Two golden flames, almost tangible, seemed poised to set the entire ancient city ablaze.

"presumptuous!"

A tremendous sound, carrying a terrifying pressure that could shatter the void, crashed down.

"Ignorant child, how dare you disrespect the true Buddha!"

"Today, I will grant you annihilation, body and soul!"

This was accompanied by an angry shout.

The illusory image of the Bodhisattva slowly raised its enormous golden right hand, which was as large as a mountain.

The five fingers came together, forming a gigantic Buddhist seal that blotted out the sky.

With terrifying, devastating force, it slammed down on Li Chen below!

The giant hand had not yet landed.

The remaining ruins below had already crumbled inch by inch under this terrifying pressure.

The air crackled under the strain.

The space within a radius of a thousand feet seemed to be completely locked down by this palm strike.

Sizi, who was hiding behind Li Chen, was so strong that he could barely open his eyes.

The little girl hugged the chubby boy tightly in her arms.

"Sixteenth Brother! That big golden doll is hitting someone!"

"The ox shouted angrily."

The black and white tabby cat in her arms yawned with obvious dissatisfaction.

Fatty squinted his amber cat eyes and glanced at the giant golden hand pressing down on his head.

Instead of being afraid, it lazily stretched out its furry paws and washed its face.

It's as if even if the sky were to fall, nothing would be as important as washing your face.

After all, with this malevolent vice-leader in front of them, this guardian beast of the sect was too lazy to waste its energy.

"A clay and wood sculpture that survives by absorbing the lifespan of children."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Chen's lips.

"Does he even deserve to call himself a true Buddha?"

Facing the giant golden hand that was about to smash down on their heads.

Li Chen did not draw his sword.

He simply raised his right hand slowly.

At this moment, his peak Nascent Soul stage cultivation was no longer being held back.

The profound and majestic purple-gold true essence of the Tang Dynasty was like a volcano suppressed for millions of years.

It exploded in Li Chen's palm!

"Smash it for me!"

With a low shout from Li Chen.

He clenched his long, slender hand towards the sky.

"BOOM—!!!"

Suddenly, a terrifying roar, seemingly capable of tearing the heavens apart, resounded throughout the world.

Amidst the horrified gazes of the entire city's inhabitants and the abbot himself.

Above the ruins.

Endless purple-gold light converged wildly, instantly condensing into a colossal hand several times larger than the Buddha's hand!

This giant, purplish-gold hand has ancient and mysterious runes flowing across its surface.

It exudes an aura of supreme dominance, befitting an emperor who rules over all living beings.

It charged straight upwards, crashing headlong into the golden Buddha seal that was pressing down on it.

"Bang!"

Two enormous creatures collided in mid-air without any fancy moves.

A terrifying shockwave, visible to the naked eye, spread in all directions like a tsunami.

It instantly tore the thick, golden auspicious clouds in the sky to shreds.

It wasn't as evenly matched as I'd imagined.

There was no stalemate.

The colossal hand formed from the essence of purple-gold touched the golden Buddhist seal the instant it reached the ground.

It's like a hammer hitting a fragile piece of tofu.

There was a crisp "snap" sound.

The golden giant hand that the Bodhisattva phantom was so proud of was crushed by the purple-gold giant hand!

It transformed into countless golden specks of light scattered across the sky.

"No! This is impossible!"

The Bodhisattva's illusory face, which had been so high and mighty, finally revealed a hint of unconcealed terror.

He couldn't believe it.

Even if he were just a projection of the Venerable One of the Little Thunderclap Temple, he would never be able to contend with a mere mortal from the lower realm!

But the power contained within this young man in blue robes was so domineering!

"Since you're already down here, don't go back."

Li Chen's eyes were cold, and his tone was chilling and unquestionable.

His raised right hand suddenly clenched in mid-air.

The colossal, purple-gold hand, after crushing the Buddha's seal, continued its relentless advance.

He grabbed the enormous phantom of the Bodhisattva by the neck!

"How dare you, you brat!"

The illusory image of the Bodhisattva let out a roar of extreme anger.

He struggled desperately, and his whole body burst forth with dazzling Buddhist light.

It tried to break free from that giant purple-gold hand.

"I am a Bodhisattva under the seat of the Thunderclap Monastery in the Western Paradise!"

"You dare to harm my Dharma image, you will surely be punished by Heaven!"

"Our Buddhist army, with its vast forces, will surely crush your world and reduce you to ashes..."

The threat of the phantom still lingered in the sky.

Li Chen was too lazy to listen to his nonsense anymore.

"Noisy."

Li Chen suddenly exerted force with his five fingers.

Give it a good squeeze!

The colossal, purple-gold hand tightened abruptly with his movement.

"Bang—!!!"

A crisp, loud sound, like glass shattering, rang out.

That arrogant and domineering phantom of a Bodhisattva, worshipped by the entire city.

He didn't even have time to let out a complete scream.

It was then forcibly crushed into countless golden fragments in Li Chen's palm!

The enormous Dharma image collapsed instantly.

The golden light, having lost its source, resembled a magnificent golden meteor shower.

It fell down from the sky in a flurry.

It landed on the ruins, it landed on the street.

Finally, it completely turned into nothingness and dust.