Xuanyi replied with a smile, “I’m just curious about this place.”
Zui Can raised his hand as he said in a sonorous voice, “Amitabha… Don’t you know this place is a forbidden ground?”
“Yes,” Xuanyi said, “However, it seems like you came too late.”
Zui Can looked around. His eyes widened in anger when he saw the earth-shattering change in Grand Mystic Mountain. He looked up at the canopy-like barrier above the only remaining mountain among the nine mountains in Grand Mystic Mountain. The Grand Mystic Hall had disappeared, and the other eight mountains had been flattened.
When Zui Can’s eyes fell on the ball of light on Grand Mystic Mountain, he sensed the surging energy and asked in confusion, “What’s that?”
The light grew brighter and brighter.
Zui Can felt that things were not looking good. He looked like a shooting star as he flew toward the ball of light. With every 300 feet he flew, he would use the law of space to travel faster.
“Keep an eye on them,” Shang Zhang said to Xuanyi as he pushed the two girls to Xuanyi. Then, he flashed and appeared in front of Zui Can, blocking Zui Can’s path. Then, he brought out his huge astrolabe that looked as though it could cover the sky.
Boom!
When Zui Can collided with Shang Zhang’s astrolabe, he was sent flying back. After stabilizing his footing, he glared at Shang Zhang, “Benefactor Shang, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Zui Can, I’m afraid you can’t go near Grand Mystic Mountain now,” Shang Zhang said.
“Are you going to make an enemy out of the Sacred Temple?” Zui Can asked threateningly.
“I don’t dare,” Shang Zhang said as he shook his head, “I repay kindness with kindness, and wickedness with revenge. I owe the person on the mountain a favor so I can’t just stand aside and do nothing.”
These words further confirmed Shang Zhang’s identity.
Although Conch had already suspected this, she still trembled slightly with this confirmation.
Zui Can shook his head and pointed at the Grand Mystic Mountain as he asked, “Do you know what will happen if you make an enemy out of the Sacred Temple?”
Shang Zhang thought about it for a moment before he said, “Please leave for my sake. I’ll go to the Sacred Temple and personally apologize to the Temple Master after this.”
“Do you even have any respect for Great Emperor Ming Xin?” Zui Can asked.
No one knew exactly how powerful Ming Xin was. After all, over the past 100,000 years, no one had managed to challenge him. Those with the intention to rebel could not even defeat his subordinates in the Sacred Temple or the people of the ten halls so how could they even have a chance to fight him?
Just like Xuan Meng Hall’s Wu Zu, who was the only grand shaman in the Great Void, he was dealt with by the Four Supremes of the Sacred Temple. There was no need for Ming Xin to make a move at all.
No one dared to make an enemy out of the Sacred Temple in this world.
Buzz!
The light grew brighter again as the surging energy weakened slightly.
Zui Can said in surprise, “I didn’t expect you to find the treasure hidden in this forbidden ground. Amitabha…”
Following that, energy runes burst forth from Zui Can’s body and shot toward Shang Zhang.
Shang Zhang pushed his hand out, easily deflecting the energy runes. “With your strength, it’s impossible for you to defeat me.”
The Four Supremes of the Sacred Temple were not divine emperors.
Zui Can smiled, “You underestimate me.”
Although Zui Can was not a divine emperor, he had cultivated a powerful divine ability over the past 100,000 years and possessed many treasures.
A wine gourd flew up, and Zui Can raised his head to drink from it.
Xuanyi said, “Be careful. He was a student of Grand Mystic Mountain in the past.”
Shang Zhang replied, “I’ve heard of him a long time ago. Today, I’d like to see how powerful a student of the Unholy One is…”
Whoosh!
Shang Zhang flew out like a golden streak of light toward Zui Can.
The Buddhist beads hanging around Zui Can’s neck began to spin.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The space twisted and rippled as the duo clashed. In just a blink of an eye, they appeared at the foot of Grand Mystic Mountain. They fought at the same frequency as they leaped and flew within a radius of 100 miles. They left destruction in their wake.
Xuanyi, Little Yuan’er, and Conch watched the fight in a daze.
When the battle was at its most intense, Shang Zhang flew back up in the air and said in a deep voice, “Don’t force me.”
Shang Zhang was still measured with his actions. After all, there was the Sacred Temple behind Zui Can, and he still had many people to protect in Shang Zhang Hall. If something happened to Zui Can, Shang Zhang Hall would definitely be implicated.
Zui Can scoffed coldly. “Accept the temple’s punishment.”
Then, after Zui Can joined his palms together, the string of Buddhist beads around his neck flew out. Then, the beads separated, spinning in the air.
“Buddhist relic?” Shang Zhang frowned.
Xuanyi said in a deep voice, “Buddhist relics are properties of the Unholy One. As his student, you learned the way of Buddhism as you cultivated. How dare you use the Unholy One’s relic and act so presumptuously at Grand Mystic Mountain?”
It was fine if Xuanyi did not mention the Unholy One, but as soon as Xuanyi mentioned the Unholy One, Zui Can was enraged. Not only was the Unholy One a taboo in the Great Void, but it was a taboo to him as well.
All the cultivators in the Great Void knew that Zui Can, one of the Four Supremes of the Sacred Temple, was once a student of the Unholy One. The Unholy One not only taught him about the Great Dao, but the Unholy also bestowed him with a Buddhist relic. However, after 100,000 years had passed, Zui Can became a core figure in the Sacred Temple. Hence, many people knew about this matter, but they did not dare to mention it.
“How dare you! Is it wrong for me to protect the balance between heaven and earth and to protect countless lives from suffering? Grand Mystic Mountain defied the heavens, ignoring the lives of all living beings. He had to be killed! Your arrogant words contradict the will of the Sacred Temple. Don’t tell me you also want to make an enemy out of the temple like Shang Zhang?!” Zui Can said in a thunderous voice.
“The Sacred Temple is high and mighty. Who would dare to make an enemy out of it? I’m just trying to reason with you,” Xuanyi said with a shrug.
“It’s useless to talk! We’ll let our fists speak!” Zui Can said. Despite the duo’s words, he knew that they intended to stand against the Sacred Temple today.
The Buddhist beads spun before they glowed green and formed the figure of Buddha behind Zui Can.
“No wonder everyone says Zui Can has high attainments in the Great Dao of Buddhism,” Shang Zhang said, filled with praise.
Xuanyi said disapprovingly, “No matter how powerful he is, that thing is still a gift from someone else…”
These words angered Zui Can once again.
A thunderous noise rang from the Buddha formed by the Buddhist relic before a wheel of light, which was like a sundial, that was as dazzling as the sun appeared at its back.
The needle on the sundial turned clockwise before it suddenly moved anti-clockwise.
However, no one could reverse time. Despite the needle moving anti-clockwise, the Buddhist relic could only stop time for a moment. Its effect spread throughout Grand Mystic Mountain.
…
At this moment, Lu Zhou, who was absorbing the energy from the four power cores, could feel time slowing down to a stop.
The changes in his lotus seat seemed to have stopped while the flashing frequency of the triangles at the bottom of the lotus seat also slowed down greatly.
…
Zui Can spat out a mouthful of wine that turned into a rain of light on everyone’s faces.
Xuanyi struggled with all his might to break free from the constraint of time to raise his hands. He roared as the power of the Dao that he had comprehended all his life surged out of his body. Blue veins could be seen on his forehead as he strained himself.
Even Shang Zhang had a hard time facing the Great Dao from the Buddhist relic. Under such circumstances, he could no longer maintain his guise as an insignificant attendant. He stepped forward and a golden lotus appeared. 36 Birth Charts shone dazzlingly as he raised his hand slowly, dispelling the effect of the Buddhist relic.
At this time, Zui Can began to recite Buddhist scriptures. “Everything is governed by its own laws. Like a dream and a shadow, everything is always changing and inscrutable. However, changes don’t happen at lightning speed. We must view the world as such and not cling to it or bound ourselves to it.”
The rain of light landed on Shang Zhang and Xuanyi’s defenses while most of it flew toward Little Yuan’er and Conch.
“This is bad!”
Xuanyi’s cultivation was weaker than that of Zui Can so he was already having a tough time facing Zui Can’s Buddhist relic.
Shang Zhang frowned. Once again, he exerted his strength as a divine emperor. Golden lotuses bloomed in the sky and filled the sky.
Buzz!
The powerful golden lotuses pushed back against the law of time.
Shang Zhang flashed and appeared in front of Little Yuan’er and Conch. The two girls were completely unable to move under the effect of the law of time. He grabbed each of them in each of his hands before he flew to the distant sky.
The rain of light was like a rainbow as it chased after them.
At this moment, a huge Buddhist bead that was like the sun suddenly shot out. It tore through space with its powerful energy before it hit Shang Zhang.
Shang Zhang grunted in pain. His anger surged, and he no longer restrained his temper and dismissed all thoughts of holding back. “Very well. Since you want to do it this way, I’ll grant you your wish!”
Shang Zhang spread his arms, letting go of Little Yuan’er and Conch. Then, when he joined his palms, a Daoist’s Taiji Seal shrouded the three of them.
Crack!
Little Yuan’er and Conch recovered after a moment.
“Shang Zhang?!”
“It’s you?”
Little Yuan’er and Conch looked at Shang Zhang in surprise when they saw he no longer bothered to maintain his disguise. There was no mistaking the familiar golden energy, the aura, and the posture.
Shang Zhang did not explain nor did he look at the two girls.
At this time, Zui Can asked with a smile, “Do you know why I’m called the Drunken Monk?”
Zui Can raised his right hand and drank from the wine gourd again.
At the same time, the Buddhist beads that formed the Buddha continued to spin in place.
“You’ve been hit by one of the beads from the Buddhist relic. Buddhist relics are sacred relics. Fortunately, Buddha is merciful. I hope you won’t be stubborn and stop making mistakes over and over again. The sea of bitterness is vast. It’s best if you repent.”
“It’s you who should repent!” Xuanyi cried out as he broke free from the shackles of the law of time and shot toward the head of the Buddha like a shooting star.
The Buddha’s eyes opened slightly before green light burst forth. Then, it said in a thunderous voice, “Leave!”
A single world split the sky and struck Xuanyi.
Boom!
Xuanyi felt the vast power and was unable to resist it. He fell down immediately.
Zui Can held a flashing token up in his hand and said, “Shang Zhang, are you sure you want to continue?”
“Great Void Token?” Shang Zhang’s expression changed slightly.
The Four Supreme Beings of the Sacred Temple were not powerful because of their cultivation; they were powerful because of the treasures they possessed.
Zui Can not only possessed the Buddhist relic, but he also possessed the Great Void Token.
What a show of wealth.
It was said that the Great Void Token could control the will of everything within a radius of 10,000 miles. 90,000 years ago, when the Sacred Temple was establishing its position, it had used the Great Void token to suppress the flood dragons that attacked. Until now, no one knew where the token was.
Shang Zhang said, “As expected of the student of the Unholy One…”
Zui Can said in a deep voice, “I’ll give you two choices: surrender and follow me back to the Sacred Temple to be punished or I’ll strip you of your cultivation.”