Chapter 9

Lying on his knees, Xiao Yao felt the strong, fishy stench of the giant beast's breath assault his senses. Anxiety and fear gripped him—'damn it, he had just started a new life, and now it was about to end'.

Beside him, the penguin was also forced to its knees, trembling. Tiny tears welled up in the corners of its eyes, as if it were on the verge of crying.

But the beast looked at them with slight surprise. With his peak Soul Forging cultivation, even beginner-level Soul Forging cultivators wouldn't have been able to withstand his pressure. They would have collapsed completely, while those in the Physical Gate realm would be coughing up blood, gravely injured.

Yet these two? They were only on their knees. Aside from being unable to move, they seemed relatively unharmed.

His cruel eyes showed a slight hesitation, a trace of doubt flickering within them. Could these two really have some extraordinary background? If they did, killing them might bring trouble upon him.

And the fact that this "hairless bird" had managed to steal his precious treasure right under his nose—without him even realizing—only added to the suspicion that it was anything but ordinary.

But then again, if they truly had such a background, wouldn't someone have intervened by now? If they had protectors, they would have already taken action.

Yet, the moment he recalled his precious spiritual fruit—the one he had guarded for centuries in hopes of stepping into the Extraordinary Stage—being stolen and eaten by them, his rage flared uncontrollably once more. It wasn't just about the fruit; it was about his path to cultivation being severed. An act severe enough to turn even the closest of friends and family against each other.

'Hell, even if they had extraordinary backgrounds, it wouldn't matter. At worst, I would simply flee after killing them and lay low for a while.'

With that thought, he opened his massive jaws wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, and lunged forward, intending to devour them in one bite.

"HOW DARE YOU, EVIL MONSTER!"

A thunderous voice erupted, carrying both majesty and righteousness. The very sound seemed imbued with a mysterious power, forcing the massive beast to halt mid-attack. In the next instant, it was sent hurtling backward, crashing dozens of meters away. Blood trickled from its mouth and nose as it now lay down.

At the same time, Xiao Yao and the penguin felt the suffocating pressure on them vanish, their bodies finally freed from its grip.

Their eyes instinctively turned toward the source of the voice, only to be momentarily blinded by a dazzling light.

No… it wasn't light—it was a shiny, bald head.

As the figure drew closer, their vision cleared, revealing a middle-aged man clad in a monk's cassock. Nine distinct dots adorned his smooth head, and in his hands, he carried a prayer bead string in one and a Zen staff in the other.

"Amitabha," he chanted softly, his calm gaze sweeping over Xiao Yao and the little penguin—who, at that moment, looked as if he had just been granted a second life.

He showed a kind smile and said, "Don't worry, donor. This evil monster dares to cause trouble and harm innocents—let this monk take care of him."

"Y-You bald donkey, don't spew nonsense!" a familiar voice growled.

Turning toward the source, Xiao Yao saw the massive beast struggling to stand. Though shaky, it had managed to rise, blood still dripping from its mouth and nose.

"Hmph! How dare you address this monk with such vile words, you wicked beast!" the monk bellowed, his voice carrying righteous fury.

"Where was I wrong? What did I do wrong? They were the ones who stole my most important treasure! It is only natural that I hunt them down. If they had escaped, I would have let it be—but why do you interfere?" the monster growled, its voice low, filled with both anger and hatred.

The monk first glanced at the frail-looking Xiao Yao and the chubby little penguin, then at the towering beast, whose body exuded a sinister black mist.

The contrast was stark. A weak human and a small beast stealing from such a powerful monster? It sounded like a ridiculous story, one so absurd that even mortal writers wouldn't dare to write it.

"How dare you twist the truth and attempt to mislead this monk!" the monk roared in fury as a golden radiance erupted from his body.

"You—!" The monster instinctively prepared to resist, but the moment the sacred light enveloped him, its strength began to wane, and a searing pain spread across its body as if it were being burned alive.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yao and the little penguin remained completely unharmed. In fact, the exhaustion from their frantic escape had vanished entirely, leaving them feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Seeing this, the monk nodded in satisfaction. Under the illumination of Buddha's light, the innocent would feel warmth and relief, while those tainted by sin would experience agony and weakness.

Thinking so, a stern look flashed in his eyes.

"Amitabha, let me kindly send you to reincarnation so that you may atone for all the sins of this life in the next," the monk declared, his voice solemn as he gazed upon the howling beast.

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

As these words fell, countless mystical symbols appeared behind the monk, surging forward like a tidal wave. They imprinted themselves onto the beast's body, causing it to tremble violently as its form began to disintegrate, piece by piece.

And within moments, the beast's body completely vanished, leaving behind only a small pile of ashes.

The monk took a few steps forward, stopping before the residual ashes.

"Amitabha."

He pressed his palms together and began chanting solemnly, his voice carrying a deep compassion.

"Avalokiteśvara bodhisattvo gambhīrāṃ prajñāpāramitā caryāṃ caramāṇo…"

As his chant echoed through the forest, a faint golden glow emanated from his body, gently dispersing the lingering traces of resentment in the air.

Xiao Yao and the penguin watched the entire scene, their mouths hanging open in shock.

For the monk to defeat such a monstrous beast so effortlessly, he was undoubtedly far stronger than it.

As for the beast itself, it was most likely in the Soul Refining realm—evident from how its mere aura was enough to suppress them. A powerful trait that comes when one reaches the Soul Refining realm, strengthening their soul.

That meant the monk was at least at the Extraordinary realm, the realm that divides common immortals from real powerhouses.

The fact that not a single one existed in the Yan Kingdom, which was about twice the size of Russia in his previous life, showed just how rare and powerful they were.

The monk turned back after finishing chanting the sutra, his eyes full of kindness as he said, "Amitabha, the two donors were fortunate that I happened to pass by. Otherwise, you both might have ended up as a snack for that evil beast."

"Thank you, senior monk," Xiao Yao bowed slightly in gratitude.

The penguin, glancing at Xiao Yao, quickly followed suit, lowering its head in an awkward but sincere attempt at a bow.

"Haha, no need, no need," the monk chuckled.

"Isn't it said that saving one life is greater than building a grand glazed pagoda?" he added with a warm smile.

"Yes, Master Monk," Xiao Yao nodded seriously, not daring to mention the beast that had just been beaten—or rather, reduced to nothingness.