Chapter 277: Tearing Through the Buddha Hall
"Are you scheming to use the demons' hands to overthrow the Qiandao Palace and seize power for yourself?" Li Hao narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the Buddha Lord as he pieced together the various pieces of information he had gathered. While the demon invasion of the Great Yu Dynasty was a formidable force, it was clear that the Buddha Lord before him had a hand in fanning the flames and exacerbating the situation.
It made sense now why he had used Feng Lao to influence him.
When he was a child, the Buddha Lord had used a mother and her son as pawns in an attempt to control the Shenjiang Fu. Li Hao, being a mere pebble in his path, had caused a slight obstruction, leading to the poisoning and subsequent failure of his plan.
Now, Li Hao had become a formidable obstacle, safeguarding the Great Yu Dynasty. In response, the Buddha Lord sought to drive a wedge between him and the imperial court, with the ultimate goal of usurping the entire Divine Dynasty.
The state religion of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty was the Daoist faith, with the Qiandao Palace and its affiliated temples across the land taking precedence. The Buddhist faith was relegated to a secondary position.
On the surface, it seemed as though they sought no conflict, but in reality, they desired the greatest power of all.
Hearing Li Hao's words, the Buddha Lord smiled but remained silent.
"Get out of my way, bald donkey!"
At that moment, an angry voice rang out from outside.
Immediately afterward, a sharp sword intent emerged, and the figure of Jiangle Chen, the Ninth King, rushed into the Buddha Hall with disheveled hair.
When he saw the Buddha Lord seated on the purple-gold lotus platform, he raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh before turning to Li Hao, "If you need my help, just say the word. I've been wanting to test my skills against him too. Should I go first?"
Upon seeing Jiangle Chen, the Buddha Lord's smile faded slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly. "Who are you to dare intrude upon the Buddha Hall? Are you seeking death?"
A Bodhisattva, face reddened with anger, chased after him. While he could accept being suppressed by Li Hao, a Grand Master of the Taiping Dao Realm, this unknown madman was another matter entirely. Their Buddhist sect had not suffered such humiliation in hundreds of years.
"You chicken neck are not worthy of my sword. Scram!" Jiangle Chen glanced at the Bodhisattva and ignored him, his palm resting on his sword hilt as he stared directly at the Buddha Lord.
"I've long wanted to witness the skills of the second-ranked master in the world. Unfortunately, before I was imprisoned, I didn't even have the qualification to draw my sword in your presence. But now I do!"
"Ninth King, you must consider your identity. If you draw your sword here, it will put His Majesty in a difficult position," the Buddha Lord said in a solemn tone.
Jiangle Chen scoffed, "That's his problem, not mine. I do as I please, and I don't care about this empire!"
The Buddha Lord's eyes flickered, and he remained silent, having long heard about the Ninth King's reputation as a sword madman who had fallen into the demonic path. He had once unleashed a killing spree in the imperial capital, resulting in the deaths of countless civilians who were caught in the crossfire. His actions were unpredictable.
"Why aren't you making a move? What are you waiting for?" Jiangle Chen looked at Li Hao, eager to incite him to take action.
He hadn't come to lend assistance; instead, he seemed to revel in the potential chaos.
Li Hao remained silent, waiting for Feng Lao to arrive. He didn't want to act rashly before confirming Feng Lao's safety, as the other party seemed prepared for their arrival.
Suddenly, Li Hao's expression changed, and he spun around, rushing out of the Buddha Hall.
On a slope of the spiritual mountain, a group of figures approached. They wore luxurious brocade robes and expensive jade ornaments, and among them were men, women, young, and old, chatting and laughing as they walked.
In front of them was Lin Wujing, clutching a bloodstained chain. Dragged along at the end of the chain was a broken, corpse-like figure.
The figure was emaciated, its body glowing with a crimson light. Its eyes were nothing but bloody sockets, and its face was covered in blood, with only a faint breath remaining.
Li Hao's mind felt like it was exploding, and he went blank for a moment.
"General Haotian, is this the little thief? Are you really going to absolve him of his crimes?" Lin Wujing asked loudly upon seeing Li Hao in front of the Buddha Hall.
The men and women chatting behind Lin Wujing stopped their conversations and looked at the young man in front of the Buddha Hall. They knew that they were here to bear witness, and if the young man truly absolved the great thief, they would have to report it to the imperial court.
"So, he's General Haotian. He's so young."
"General Haotian, please reconsider..."
Before the second noble could finish his sentence, his head suddenly exploded, followed by a series of similar explosions! In an instant, the dozens of people who had been chatting and laughing turned into a cloud of blood mist and blood!
The rest didn't even have a chance to speak or react.
One by one, their souls burst out, filled with shock and bewilderment, too stunned to even attempt an escape. But there was no escape, as their souls were snuffed out like fireflies, extinguished in an instant!
It was as if an invisible giant hand had reached out and crushed them.
Lin Wujing, who was pulling the chain, froze, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Li Hao. The blood splattered on him, staining his Buddhist robes and bald head red.
Lin Wujing's soul rushed out, intending to flee and call for help. But the next moment, it, too, was torn apart and crushed!
On that path of green flagstones, only the silhouette of the old man remained.
The two Bodhisattvas at the entrance of the Buddha Hall were stunned, their eyes narrowing in horror as they stared at the departing figure of the young man.
His body was trembling as he walked towards the old man.
With each step, it seemed as if the entire Spirit Mountain sank an inch deeper.
A terrifying aura emanated from him, and the mere oppressive pressure made them feel breathless, their pores constricting and their hearts rising to their throats.
It was like a primeval fierce beast passing by, causing them to hold their breath.
"Feng Lao..."
Li Hao's voice trembled, his throat raspy, and tears of blood instantly welled up in his eyes.
The once carefree Saint of Thieves now lay in such a pitiful state, without even a shred of dignity!
When Li Hao reached Feng Lao, he saw that apart from his eyes, the old man's ears, nose, and mouth seemed to have been destroyed, rendering him unable to speak or hear.
Li Hao's body trembled as he squatted down shakily, picking up the old man and covering him with the clothes he tore off his own body.
"Feng Lao..."
Li Hao's throat felt as if it were clogged with scorching lava, his voice choking.
Feng Lao's body twitched slightly, as if sensing something. He raised his head, wanting to see Li Hao's face, but his eyes were bloody sockets.
He lifted his hand and gently touched Li Hao's cheek, seemingly recognizing the young man's identity through touch.
He paused for a moment, then opened his mouth. Surprisingly, all his teeth had fallen out, and his tongue was missing. The black hole of his mouth seemed to be shouting something at Li Hao.
The shape of his mouth seemed to be forming the words, "Run away..."
Li Hao noticed that Feng Lao's body was covered in wounds, and the blood flowing from these wounds was mixed with a dark purple substance. It was this substance that prevented Feng Lao's wounds from healing and seemed to seal his soul, cutting off all perception of the outside world.
Such cruel methods were rarely seen even in the Punishment Department!
"Candlelight Spirit!"
Li Hao felt his blood rush to his head, his brain about to explode. Yet, his voice was strangely subdued, as if it were gritty and hoarse.
The Candlelight Spirit outside the Buddha Hall swiftly flew to Li Hao's side.
"Xiyuan, take care of Grandpa Feng for me," Li Hao said, his body trembling slightly.
The Crimson Ring, Xiyuan, slid down from Li Hao's wrist. She seemed to know what was about to happen and that she would be a hindrance to Li Hao.
She said worriedly, "Be careful."
Li Hao didn't respond, only slowly standing up.
As he did so, the raging winds throughout the heavens and earth seemed to abruptly calm.
The Candlelight Spirit didn't say another word. He lifted Feng Laobo onto his back, and Xiyuan joined him, flying into the sky beyond Spirit Mountain to avoid being caught in the impending battle.
Li Hao raised his head, the tears of blood in his eyes having stopped. He gazed at the solemn and majestic Buddha Hall.
As he lifted his head, a formidable might suddenly surged forth, rushing straight toward the Buddha Hall!
The two Bodhisattvas at the entrance of the hall narrowed their pupils, their hearts filled with dread. They quickly retreated, their souls trembling with fear, as if facing death itself.
"Buddha Lord!!!"
Li Hao's hair flew wildly as he roared, "Get out here!!!"
The Ninefold Dao Domain instantly erupted, tearing through space at an unimaginable speed, unleashing a devastating attack.
The two Bodhisattvas were in the direct path of this domain, about to be ripped apart. But the next moment, another powerful domain abruptly extended from within the Buddha Hall, colliding with Li Hao's Ninefold Dao Domain.
In the instant of their collision, two different phenomena tore through the void, and under the force of their rules, the ground in front of the Buddha Hall cracked, while the hall itself remained unmoved.
The Ninefold Dao Domain was actually blocked!
But then, the Tenthfold Dao Domain emerged and suppressed everything!
In the Lingyuan Pavilion of the Summer family in Youzhou, Li Hao had absorbed numerous secret manuals and cultivated supreme techniques, allowing him to manifest even more powerful Dao Domains.
Boom!!
The vast power within the Buddha Hall was suddenly overwhelmed as Li Hao took a step forward, causing the thousand-year-old hall to explode!
The majestic Buddha Hall was torn apart, revealing the sacred spirit realm within, shrouded in white mist. The Buddha Lord sat atop a purple-gold lotus platform, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes as he spoke calmly, "It seems you have fallen into the demonic path."