Chapter 1689 : Buddha's Demise

However, the ancient temple now lay in ruins. The main hall was nothing but crumbling walls and shattered pillars, the surrounding mountains had been blasted into sinking valleys, and even the Bodhi tree before the temple had been split in 2. Only beneath the broken plaque could 1 barely make out the characters: "Wenxin Ancient Temple." Eldrin stood beside the ruins of Wenxin Ancient Temple, his expression dark as still water, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes. "Show yourself." "So the renowned Daoist of the Returning Abyss has arrived. This old monk failed to greet you properly—my apologies," an elderly monk emerged from a shadowed corner, his face etched with sorrow as he regarded Eldrin. Eldrin remained calm, his tone indifferent as he spoke, "You know me?" "Naturally. Young friend, you swept through the 6 Western Heavens, defeating the twin imperial sons of Taicang in a joint assault. How could this old monk not have heard of such feats?" The elder monk replied, his expression grave. Eldrin gave a slight nod and continued, "Are you the Bodhisattva Wenxin?" "Indeed." Upon hearing this, Eldrin pressed further, "I heard you once saved Xianzhu. Why betray him this time?" The Bodhisattva Wenxin’s face shifted through a range of emotions. This time, he had known all along that Chen Xianzhu could not be protected, yet he had not warned him in advance. Instead, he had allowed him to remain at Wenxin Temple, leading to his ambush. This was a thorn in his conscience, and he had never expected Eldrin to confront him with it directly. With this thought, the Bodhisattva Wenxin asked, "What is your relationship with Xianzhu?" "I am his father." *Boom—* The Bodhisattva Wenxin felt the blood drain from his face, a dizzying sensation washing over him as if the ground had given way beneath his feet. After a moment, he let out a bitter laugh. "He has offended too many people. The Tianxuan Ancient Sect and the 3 great Buddhist sects all sought to eliminate him." "The 3 great Buddhist sects are all Buddhist paradises, and the Tianxuan Ancient Sect is a Great Luo Ancient Sect. Had this old monk refused, Wenxin Ancient Temple would have been wiped from existence." "I understand." Eldrin nodded, offering no further comment. Wenxin Ancient Temple had only 1 Celestial Immortal powerhouse—the Bodhisattva Wenxin himself—and he was merely at the second level of the Celestial Immortal realm. Under those circumstances, even his full strength would not have been enough to protect Chen Xianzhu. With this thought, Eldrin rose to his feet, his expression unreadable. "For the sake of the life you once saved, I will not hold you accountable today." "Let the karma between you and him end here." With those words, Eldrin shot through the skies, arriving outside the Blood Dragon Ancient Temple. The Blood Dragon Ancient Temple was 1 of the 4 great Buddhist Pure Lands in the Desert Sky Sand Domain. This lineage practiced the Blood Dragon Secret Art, said to require feeding human blood to 1’s life-bound blood dragon to achieve enlightenment. Such a method seemed no different from demonic cultivation, yet because this lineage did not refine baleful energy and instead cultivated Buddhist dharma, it was still classified as a Buddhist sect. This kind of Buddhism was a far cry from the serene and spiritual temples of the lower realm, like the Western Pole’s Tranquil Spirit Temple. Yet, within the Buddhist sects, it was not an isolated case. In Eldrin’s previous life, Buddhism had not originally forbidden marriage, drinking alcohol, eating meat, or even crafting drums from the skins of young girls. Many temples did not engage in productive labor, instead seizing farmland and oppressing men and women. It was only after several Martial Emperors suppressed Buddhism, with some even decreeing that monks must abstain from alcohol, meat, and marriage, that Buddhism gradually transformed into the tradition later generations recognized. In this realm, Buddhism lacked a Dao Ancestor or Immortal Sage to oversee it. Although many Great Luo Ancient Buddhas had emerged, they had fragmented Buddhism into different factions. There were virtuous Bodhisattvas like Manjushri, but also blood-soaked Ancient Buddhas like the Blood Sea Ancient Buddha, and even lustful ones who attained enlightenment through desire, like the Joy Buddha. Under the teachings of these Great Luo Buddhist traditions, different factions of Buddhism emerged. The Violet Realm’s Tranquil Spirit Temple inherited the lineage of Manjushri Bodhisattva, emphasizing virtue, wisdom, and self-cultivation—truly enlightened and refined individuals. The Blood Dragon Ancient Temple, on the other hand, inherited part of the Blood Sea Ancient Buddha’s teachings. Their methods bordered on demonic, yet they were even more sophisticated than demonic cultivators. They raised followers like livestock, draining their blood for cultivation, all while luring them with promises of unity with the Buddha and rebirth in the Western Paradise, coaxing them to sacrifice their flesh and souls. By doing so, they bore only minimal karmic backlash, ensuring their karmic debt never exceeded their merit, thus avoiding classification as a demonic sect. The Blood Dragon Ancient Temple had 3 Celestial Immortal powerhouses, 1 of whom had reached the mid-Celestial Immortal realm, making it the most powerful force in the Desert Sky Sand Domain. "The Blood Dragon Ancient Temple cultivates with human blood—how is this any different from demonic practices?" *Hmph—* Eldrin let out a cold laugh, his eyes blazing with overwhelming killing intent. Without hesitation, he swung his Chaos Heavenly Halberd, smashing through the vast mountain range and tearing the massive Blood Dragon Ancient Temple apart. A wave of killing intent swept across the heavens. *Boom—* Amid the deafening roar, several figures emerged from the ruins of the Blood Dragon Ancient Temple. At their forefront was a man with a compassionate expression—the same Buddha who had once stood alongside Chen Xiandao. He looked at Eldrin and spoke with a kindly demeanor, "Who are you, benefactor, and why do you cause trouble at our Blood Dragon Ancient Temple?" "Your executioner!" Eldrin’s killing intent engulfed the heavens. With a single swing of his Chaos Heavenly Halberd, he shattered everything in his path, reducing the Blood Dragon Ancient Temple to rubble. Yet his wrath remained unquenched, as he struck the Buddha, sending him flying, blood spraying from his mouth. Seeing Eldrin’s overwhelming power, the Buddha hastily activated a string of prayer beads to protect himself, then exclaimed in shock and fury, "Who are you, sir? I have no grievance with you. Why not seek peace instead?" "Take your questions to hell." Eldrin raised his palm, sealing the heavens as he prepared to crush the Buddha completely. Unable to match his power, the Buddha desperately summoned a blood dragon to shield himself, his face contorted in rage. "Do you truly believe I am an easy target?" *Clang—* Eldrin offered no reply, only unleashing a torrent of sword energy that swept across the starry sky. The Taiji Empyrean Void Sword Qi surged in all directions, slashing straight toward the Buddha. The Buddha defended with all his might, but as a mere first-level Celestial Immortal, how could he withstand Eldrin in his fury? In less than a 100 exchanges, his physical body was utterly annihilated, and his primordial spirit was suppressed by Eldrin’s palm. Facing death, the Buddha felt sheer terror and begged for mercy, "Spare me, Daoist! This humble monk does not know how I have offended you." "If you let me live, I am willing to offer generous compensation." As he spoke, the Buddha drew a wisp of Primordial Qi from his sleeve. "I offer this in exchange for my life." "Primordial Qi?" Eldrin’s gaze grew even colder as he finally asked, "Where did you obtain this?" "From the Tianxuan Ancient Sect. They gave it to me in exchange for my help in ambushing the ‘Great Thunderclap Tathagata.’" "So it is true!" Eldrin’s eyes blazed with killing intent. In an instant, he raised his palm and obliterated the Buddha’s primordial spirit. Almost simultaneously, Lyra, Qing Ji, and the others arrived. Lyra looked at Eldrin and said, "The 3 great Buddhist sects are not a threat, but the Tianxuan Ancient Sect cannot be underestimated." Lila, her face filled with worry, clutched Eldrin’s sleeve and sobbed, "Husband, you must find Xianzhu." Eldrin said nothing more, his gaze fixed deep into the void. "This debt—we will settle it, 1 by 1."