Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Creak.
The somewhat motteled gate of Sikong Zen Temple was opened slowly.
An old monk in a grey monastic robe, who was at the age of having one foot in the grave, walked out of the gate.
The pot-bellied Sikong One and a little Buddhist novice who was about three or four years old, followed him and stopped at the gate of the Zen Temple.
"Master."
Sikong Two rushed to the old monk, and made a bow to him with both hands folded in front. Then he helped him by his right arm.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the old monk, and had the feeling at the first sight, This is an extremely ordinary old monk, but he is somewhat extraordinary.
Wrinkles covered up the face, neck and wrists of the old monk. And he looked extremely old.
Instead of Holy Qi or Buddha Qi, a sense of antiquity spread from his body, which made him more like a human shaped fossil, which had been dug out from the earth, rather than a living person.
The old monk looked at Earth Blood Saint and spoke with a weak breath. "I have some connections with Zhang Ruochen. I won't stand by and watch you Immortal Vampires take him away."
The peaceful words gave an irresistible might instead.
The blood Qi gus.h.i.+ng out from the earth became several times thicker.
Earth Blood Saint stood at the center of the blood Qi, and said gloomily, "Monk, you have guts to set yourself against the Immortal Vampires. But do you dare to tell us your name?"
The old monk said, "I have chosen to live here, secluded, to get rid of my past and focus on the Way of Buddha only. As my name is a part of the past, I've forgotten it."
"In that case, I'll have you remember your past."
The voice of Earth Blood Saint turned shrill.
Splash.
The blood inscriptions gushed up rapidly, condensing into a hundreds-of-meters-long arm which was as giant as a mountain peak, giving out a suffocating smell.
The blood red arm waved down, and threw a handprint to hit the top of the old monk's head.
The random hit gave a violent quake, which could have scared ordinary monks to lie on the ground.
But the old monk just raised his head and gave a look at it.
With some mysterious power, the blood red arm broke into pieces with a boom. Then it turned into a blood rain to fall from the sky.
A low moan of Earth Blood Saint was heard, as if he had been seriously wounded. And the blood Qi coming from his body became weaker.
"Who are you?"
The voice of Earth Blood Saint was still one of power and might.
But Zhang Ruochen had noticed the fear in it.
Defeating a saint was no big deal. But it was truly remarkable to have frightened him.
The old monk remained calm and peaceful, and said lightly, "I don't want to kill people, so I kept you alive. But a guest of our Sikong Zen Temple has become furious. If she comes out to fight, I'm afraid all of you will die here. I suggest you depart quickly, and stop picking fights."
Earth Blood Saint fell silent and thought to himself. Could there be another powerful figure secluded in the Sikong Zen Temple?
A voice with strong breath was heard in the blood clouds. "Really? As a king, I don't buy it. Should there be such a powerful figure, will she come out and fight with us?"
The old monk made a slight sigh and shook his head.
At the same time, the blood clouds dispersed and an about 300-meter-high altar made of white bones appeared.
Sixteen dragon bones supported the altar from the bottom like sixteen thick columns.
Millions of human skeletons were densely arranged beside them. Zhang Ruochen even found some saint bones s.h.i.+ning blindingly with Holy light.
It was quite a horrific scene like the birth of a deity or a demon. Seeing this, even a saint would be frightened to tremble.
A tall man who was about seven meters tall was seen standing at the foot of the battle flag on the top of the altar. He was in the Hundred Saint Blood Armor. He put his hands behind him, giving out a mighty Qi which seemed to despise the world.
Hundred Saint Blood Armor was the supreme treasure of the Immortal Vampires. If a powerful figure put it on, they could burst out the power of a hundred saints and swipe everything off.
Heaven Blood Saint and Earth Blood Saint both flew to the altar, and bowed to the big man. Then they stepped to the back of him.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the White Bone Altar.
Little by little, Zhang Ruochen felt his breath being suffocated, his body trembling, and eyes filling with blood, as if he had gone to the World of Asura.
The Qi given out by the tall man was so strong that it had affected the mind of Zhang Ruochen.
Not only Zhang Ruochen, but Sikong One, Sikong Two and Sikong Little all became bloodshot in the eyes and spread aggressive Qi, as if they wanted to drink blood.
As for Zhao Yue and Pu Yuelin from the Ministry of War, they both fell on the ground with blood coming out from their mouths, nostrils, eyes and ears.
The old monk looked at them, and found Zhang Ruochen in a little better condition than the other three who were on the brink of collapse.
Fizz.
Golden Sanskrit characters appeared in the void from nowhere, as the old monk moved his lips. The characters formed a round ball, which wrapped up Zhang Ruochen, Sikong One, Sikong Two and Sikong Little.
Then the four were all brought back to reality. Except Zhang Ruochen, the other three all panted hard, sitting on the ground with clothes soaked with sweat.
For goodness sake! Could he be…Blood Emperor Qingtian? No, no, he just called himself a king. He shouldn't be Blood Emperor Qingtian, Zhang Ruochen said to himself.
It was truly unbelievable that there should be another scary figure in the Immortal Vampires other than Blood Emperor Qingtian.
On top of the White Bone Altar, the tall man stared at the old monk. After a while, he laughed, "I've worked out your ident.i.ty."
The old monk wasn't affected by him, folding his palms in the front and praying lightly, "Amitabha."
"800 years ago, the oldest disciple of the Emperor Buddha, one of the Nine Emperors, was t.i.tled Yintuoluo as a Buddhist. Before Yintuoluo took the Emperor Buddha as his master, he was the descendant of the Sikong Family, Sikong Yibai. If I'm right, you are Yintuoluo." The big man spoke confidently.
Zhang Ruochen casted a look at the old monk immediately, feeling shocked and overwhelmed.
The oldest disciple of the Emperor Buddha from 800 years ago?
Sikong One, Sikong Two and Sikong Little were all astonished and looked at the old monk. They found it very hard to believe that their master had been living for so long.
How could a man live such a long life?
But the old monk only gave a smile. "The past is like a dream. The present is like a lightening. The future is like clouds. Because all phenomena are like dreams, illusions. Is it important who I used to be?"
The old monk was answering the tall man on the altar, and at the same time instructing his three disciples.
Now that the tall man had known the ident.i.ty of the old monk, he put on a solemn face. "Is Master Yintuoluo here to hide from Empress Chi Yao? Actually, the Immortal Vampires wants to rescue Pluto to confront Empress Chi Yao, too. Our enemy is the same."
"If the Master is willing to submit to the Immortal Vampires, I, as a king, could propose to the Blood Emperor to appoint you as the Imperial Saint Master of the Immortal Vampires. How does the Master like it?"
The old monk shook his head, and said, "I want nothing to do with the human world. I've devoted myself to wors.h.i.+pping Buddha and cultivating myself. I will not meddle with worldly affairs."
The tall man said coldly, as if he had run out of patience, "But you meddled with worldly affairs when you protected Zhang Ruochen. To tell you the truth, it is inevitable that Pluto should come back. No one can stop it. Even if the Emperor Buddha were still alive, he would also be killed if he attempted to stop it."
Creak.
The gate of Sikong Zen Temple was opened again.
"How dare you! Do you really believe that Immortal Vampires can defy every law and regulation, and the Blood Emperor Qingtian the best in the world?"
The hand that opened the gate was fine and slender, as white as white jade, and flawless.
The hand was dynamic, and was more charming, beautiful and had more lasting appeal than that of the so-called unparalleled beauties.
