Chapter 93: Amitabha Buddha
Sizzle—
Huang Zonghan’s body was riddled with holes, plummeting toward the ground.
Boom!
He landed at the edge of the cliff, tumbling several times before coming to rest against the stone wall at its base, blocked from rolling further.
Seeing Huang Zonghan lying motionless upon the earth, Chu Tianfeng exhaled long and deeply, finally showing himself at the cliff’s rim.
A fierce battle!
It had been nothing less than a brutal confrontation.
Though unscathed, Chu Tianfeng had consumed nearly all his true energy from prolonged use of the invisibility technique. He was almost depleted.
With a whistle, Xiya appeared, drifting gently to Huang Zonghan’s side and pouncing upon him.
Once Xiya was finished absorbing, Chu Tianfeng returned to Qian Sifang and the others, gathering the four corpses, burning them to ashes in one blazing fire.
Then, he sat cross-legged on the spot, pulling out a spirit stone to restore his true energy.
Yet barely ten minutes into his cultivation, footsteps echoed from the distance.
“Hurry, leave—” Xiya’s urgent voice sounded in his mind.
Xiya’s cultivation was higher than his, her spiritual sense far stronger. Naturally, Chu Tianfeng trusted her.
He immediately put away the spirit stone and leaped down the cliff.
Descending slowly for dozens of meters, Chu Tianfeng finally grabbed a protruding rock and steadied himself.
Moments later, the newcomers arrived.
“Amitabha. I am Wuyin from Wuxin Academy. May I ask which benefactor graces our land? Please show yourself.”
Wuyin’s voice boomed like a bell, indicating profound cultivation.
That voice could be heard for miles, yet he dared call himself ‘Wuyin’—Silent? Chu Tianfeng couldn’t help but silently mock.
“He should be late Yuan Tian stage, but this old monk’s spiritual sense is rather weak—he can’t find us,” Xiya whispered.
Chu Tianfeng was frustrated. Even weak, the monk was far stronger than himself.
He knew Wuyin was the figure who had held sway at the auction days ago.
Wuyin’s spiritual sense could reach a hundred meters at least, whereas Chu Tianfeng, after breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, could barely extend his sense thirty meters.
“Amitabha!” Wuyin called repeatedly, but receiving no answer, he released his spiritual sense, probing the surroundings.
Chu Tianfeng pressed against the rock wall, unmoving.
A long while passed. Wuyin once again intoned the Buddha’s name.
“Don’t go up tonight,” Xiya whispered again. “The old monk will sit here reciting sutras for the departed. We must leave this place.”
“Alright!” Chu Tianfeng was exhausted and dared not linger.
Wuyin’s cultivation was far beyond his own; even at full strength, he would never dare challenge him.
He continued to drift downward, all the way to the base of the cliff.
There, Xiya protected him as he sat cross-legged, took out a spirit stone, and resumed cultivation.
Half an hour later, Chu Tianfeng whistled and sprang up.
“Do you have a death wish? Hurry, run!” Xiya exclaimed, urging him on.
Chu Tianfeng laughed, and man and ghost sped away like the wind.
——————
On a dark, rugged stone, several shadowy figures sat cross-legged.
It was the small team formed by the three ancient martial families: the Dragon, Wang, and Phoenix clans.
Nine in total, three from each family. The Dragon and Wang families each sent an elder and two youths; the Phoenix family sent an elder, a middle-aged man, and a young woman.
They had just finished dinner and were chatting in small groups.
Naturally, the young clustered together, the elders likewise.
Long Yue and Long Fei, siblings; Wang Lianchang and another Wang clansman; and Feng Mingxue sat together.
“Mingxue, I sincerely wish to give you this necklace. There’s no ulterior motive,” Wang Lianchang looked earnestly at Feng Mingxue.
Feng Mingxue was about to reply—
Urgh—
Long Fei, beside them, clutched his chest, feigning nausea.
“Stop acting crazy, this is between Mingxue and me, none of your business.” Wang Lianchang turned, casting a disdainful glance at Long Fei.
Long Fei kept his hand on his chest, lips curling with contempt. “I just can’t stand you, so what? Not happy?”
“Hmph!” Wang Lianchang snorted and turned to Feng Mingxue. “Mingxue, I bought that necklace for you—why won’t you accept it?”
Urgh—
Long Fei retched again.
“So disgusting!” Feng Mingxue glared at Long Fei, then turned back to Wang Lianchang. “I never said I wouldn’t accept it. My mother won’t let me.”
“Mingxue, once we come out of Peach Blossom Valley’s secret realm, I’ll go to the Phoenix clan to propose,” Wang Lianchang reached for her hand, grasping it gently.
Urgh—
Long Fei continued to feign vomiting.
Now it was Long Yue’s turn to intervene. She slapped Long Fei. “Go away! Can’t you see everyone’s fed up with you?”
Long Fei nearly toppled over, but reacted quickly and steadied himself with his hand.
Long Yue looked at Wang Lianchang across from her, asking in a low voice, “Why didn’t your brother come this time?”
“Oh, he heard you broke through to late Huajin stage, so he’s gone into seclusion to cultivate too,” Wang Lianchang’s lips showed a hint of pride.
“Your brother’s always been exceptionally talented—he’s sure to succeed,” Long Yue said, her face full of longing.
On the other side, Long Yuanhua, the Wang clan elder, the Phoenix clan elder, and Feng Piaopiao sat together, discussing Yao Lingjiu.
“Brother Yuanhua, let’s speak plainly—can you swear that Yao Lingjiu isn’t from your Dragon clan? Can you say he has nothing to do with you?” The Wang elder sounded irritated, his voice rising.
Even the younger group, Long Fei and the others, were drawn by the volume.
“Brother Tian, to be honest, he really isn’t one of ours,” Long Yuanhua replied calmly. “He’s just a friend Long Fei met in Hang City—a mere acquaintance.”
This was essentially true; Chu Tianfeng was not of the Dragon clan and had indeed met Long Fei in Hang City.
“Brother Yuanhua, you’re getting better at lying. If he’s merely an acquaintance, would he give you the vital energy stone?” The Wang elder snorted coldly.
The vital energy stone wasn’t a top treasure, but it was still precious. Chu Tianfeng fought everyone for it except the Dragon clan. If they were mere acquaintances, the Wang elder couldn’t believe it.
“If he doesn’t fight me, what can I do?” Long Yuanhua spread his hands. “I can hardly deliver the stone to him and beg him to snatch it.”
Chu Tianfeng’s refusal to contest the Dragon clan was both a blessing and a curse. They could secure a set of stones for the family, but other sects would surely suspect collusion, leading to future distrust.
But there was nothing to be done; as he said, he couldn’t beg Chu Tianfeng to fight him.
The Phoenix clan elder, sensing tension, mediated, “Brother Tian, calm yourself. Brother Yuanhua’s explanation is reasonable. Yao Lingjiu approached Long Fei, likely with ulterior motives, trying to sow discord among our three families.”
If Chu Tianfeng knew this old lady had such an opinion of him, he would surely cough up blood in outrage.
“May I ask where Long Fei first met him?” Feng Piaopiao interjected.
Long Yuanhua hesitated, stroking his beard. “Family shame shouldn’t be aired, but I’m embarrassed to say. My Little Fei has never liked martial arts and often sneaks out to play. Last time, he went to Thousand Bird Lake, clashing with the Salt Guild. Yao Lingjiu rescued him, and that’s how they met.”
He omitted the details of the rescue, and subsequent retaliation against the Salt Guild’s Wushi branch. He knew that if he revealed too much, they would likely deduce Chu Tianfeng’s true identity—bad for both Chu Tianfeng and Long Fei.
Feng Piaopiao sensed Long Yuanhua was hiding something, but since he wouldn’t say, she didn’t press. After a moment, she asked nonchalantly, “Do you know what Yao Lingjiu’s real name is?”
“He said his name is Lin Feng,” Long Yuanhua replied truthfully.
The Dragon clan had analyzed it—the name was likely false, so sharing it wouldn’t matter.
“Lin Feng? Lin Feng?” Feng Piaopiao was puzzled, and asked again, “What’s his cultivation?”
“He claims to be late Huajin stage,” Long Yuanhua didn’t hide it.
Chu Tianfeng disguised as middle-aged and late Huajin stage was plausible; Long Yuanhua didn’t trouble himself with the real age.
Feng Piaopiao was even more puzzled, wanting to ask further, but the Phoenix clan elder interrupted, “Wait, I think I hear screams.”
Long Yuanhua’s expression grew grave. “Yes, I heard it too.”
“What are we waiting for?” The Wang elder stood. “Let’s go see.”
Feng Piaopiao looked at the Phoenix elder. “Aunt Xiu, shall we…”
“Let’s go, we’ll check as well,” the Phoenix elder stood.
Everyone quickly packed up and followed the sound.
Soon, they reached a mountainside.
Suddenly, a Buddha’s name echoed from the night sky.
“Who is that? The voice carries so far!” Feng Piaopiao’s face showed fear.
“It sounds like Master Wuyin—he may have discovered something,” Long Yuanhua replied.
“Indeed, only Master Wuyin possesses such power,” nodded the Phoenix elder.
The Wang elder grew more excited. “Let’s hurry—maybe we’ll witness a duel between contemporary Yuan Tian experts!”
“Wow!” Long Fei at the back of the group was even more animated. “Let’s hope they fight slowly—I worked hard to climb up here!”
Another ten minutes later, they arrived at the edge of a cliff.
Under faint starlight, a figure sat cross-legged at the rim, a gleaming bald head unmistakably that of a monk.
No doubt, this was Master Wuyin.
They heard him muttering, and upon careful listening, it was the Rebirth Sutra.
Sensing something amiss, the group dared not disturb him, and all sat cross-legged in silence.
“Amitabha!” After a while, Master Wuyin finished reciting the sutra and raised his head, loudly proclaiming the Buddha’s name.
Everyone stood, palms pressed together in greeting.
“Master, may I ask—” Long Yuanhua tried to inquire about the situation.
“I am here to deliver souls; please return, benefactors,” Master Wuyin waved, cutting him off, then intoned another Buddha’s name. “Amitabha!”
No one dared ask further, swallowing their questions and leaving with heavy hearts.