The mountain was veiled in hazy moonlight, the night silent and still.

Qin Heng sat cross-legged on the high platform before the Golden Buddha Temple's gate, An Yue standing vigilantly by his side. Her expression was cold, her eyes filled with a murderous aura; anyone who dared approach would feel a bone-chilling wind.

Even Little Zhang from the Gophers Sect stood quite far off. It wasn't out of fear, but because his cultivation and strength were too low; he simply couldn't withstand the icy aura emanating from An Yue.

A single level higher in martial arts can be greater than heaven! If the disparity was too great, one simply couldn't withstand even the outwardly manifested aura.

The people around were all holding their breath in rapt attention, some looking up at the moon, others staring at Qin Heng as he sat cross-legged.

The time was fast approaching. Once midnight struck, it would be the day Qin Xuantian had proclaimed—the day the Golden Buddha Temple would be utterly annihilated!

How would he do it? Charge in alone, or did he have another stratagem?

Many wondered just how powerful this Qin Xuantian truly was. After all, most had never actually seen Qin Heng in action. Their impression of him was still confined to legends—tales of him killing the Nanyang Divine Dragon with a single palm or causing the Huangpu River to reverse its flow. Without witnessing such feats firsthand, they were hard to believe.

CREEEAAAK...

Under the moonlit, extremely dense mist, Qin Heng slowly opened his eyes. Simultaneously, the great gates of the Golden Buddha Temple swung open.

Kong He, an old Monk in a yellow robe and kasaya, emerged, followed by four or five burly, middle-aged Monks. Each bore a fierce countenance, their combined auras flaring like a beacon fire, piercing the clouds above.

"Amitabha. Benefactor, you call yourself Xuantian, so you must be a cultivator from a Taoist sect. Since ancient times, Buddhism and Taoism have stemmed from the same roots. Why then, Benefactor, do you come to our temple gates to wreak havoc?" Kong He brought his palms together. His face showed compassion, and his voice, sonorous as a great bell, spread far and wide.

The onlookers were also discussing this animatedly, though few understood the situation. Most had only heard that Qin Xuantian intended to destroy the Golden Buddha Temple and had come merely to watch the battle. As for the reasons, hardly anyone knew.

"Yes! Why does Qin Xuantian want to destroy the Golden Buddha Temple?"

"The Golden Buddha Temple has a decent reputation, doesn't it? They haven't committed any atrocities. Why would Qin Xuantian do this?"

"This is too tyrannical! Does he truly believe he's invincible, that he can casually annihilate a reclusive sect with a thousand-year heritage?"

Some people began to voice their opinions. Many were dissatisfied, apparently disapproving of Qin Heng's tyranny and his bullying of the Golden Buddha Temple.

Kong He smiled faintly; this was precisely the effect he desired—to cast the Golden Buddha Temple in an innocent light, allowing Qin Xuantian to be condemned by the populace, clearly demarcating the two sides. Qin Xuantian, with his formidable martial arts, was the villain oppressing the Golden Buddha Temple, while the temple was merely forced to defend itself! By first establishing this image in people's minds, the Golden Buddha Temple's reputation would not be damaged after the battle. Instead, its fame might even grow, allowing it to recapture some of its former glory. With Huangfu Taiyi taking action, Qin Xuantian was doomed. There was no need to worry about the aftermath. This was a perfect opportunity to sculpt a more righteous and grand image for the Golden Buddha Temple.

If you try to defend yourself by mentioning Xuancheng and Xuanwang's attack, I have ways to twist your words into slander against the Golden Buddha Temple, making the world despise you even more! Kong He's face was compassionate, but inwardly he sneered.

The surrounding discussions grew louder, instigated by many sycophants of the Golden Buddha Temple. It wouldn't be long before Qin Heng was painted as a Great Demon—unpardonably wicked and a power-abusing tyrant.

"Old Monk, such despicable tricks are useless against me," Qin Heng said, his expression unchanged. He glanced at the crowd and stated calmly, "An Yue, kill everyone who participated in those discussions and spoke disrespectfully of me."

He couldn't be bothered to explain; these ant-like beings weren't worthy of an explanation from him.

Kill them all?!

His words plunged the crowd into a deathly silence. Those who had been engaged in heated discussions suddenly gaped, as if their throats were stuffed with feathers, struck dumb!

Qin Xuantian's opening remark wasn't a justification, but an order to kill them all!

So arrogant! So insane! This was an earth-shattering declaration!

"Benefactor! Do you truly intend to commit such demonic acts?" Kong He was inwardly ecstatic; Qin Xuantian's actions perfectly fit the label of a demon. Outwardly, however, he feigned anger. "Are you not afraid of divine retribution?"

"Qin Xuantian! The righteous fear no slander. If your conscience is clear, why fear our discussion?"

"Exactly! Besides, we were merely discussing. We didn't conclude that you are an evil demon. Why are you reacting so strongly?"

"There are several hundred of us here, with at least a hundred participating in the discussion, hailing from various major Martial Dao forces. Do you dare kill us? Do you wish to make an enemy of the entire world?"

The hundred or so people who had been involved in the discussion were now incandescent with rage, pointing at Qin Heng and shouting.

"A bunch of ants," Qin Heng said, not even deigning to look at them, his expression indifferent like a Heavenly God gazing down from above. "Insignificant specks of dust, daring to criticize me? This is a capital offense."

AH! AHHHH!!

Screams erupted. In the dark of night, An Yue moved like a phantom. She wove through the crowd effortlessly. Wherever she passed, blood sprayed, and bodies fell. The ground ran red, pooling with blood. Its thick, metallic stench instantly permeated the air before the Golden Buddha Temple's gates.

「In an instant.」

One hundred and thirty-five people—all who had just participated in the discussion and spoken disrespectfully of Qin Heng—lay dead. Among them was even a Grandmaster! In An Yue's hands, they were dispatched as easily as cutting vegetables.

HISS!

The remaining onlookers gasped, their hearts trembling. They stared in terror at the delicate, beautiful figure under the moonlight.

So terrifying! So horrifying!

"You! You! Qin Xuantian, you are truly audacious! Sakyamuni will punish you!" Kong He feigned fury. His Internal Force surged, and streams of golden light erupted from his body, making him resemble a golden Buddha. Majestic and pure, indestructible as a Vajra! The Vajra Buddha Body Divine Skill! This was the Golden Buddha Temple's supreme martial art!

"Sakyamuni?" Qin Heng sneered. "Sakyamuni himself would have to kneel respectfully before me and call himself a Disciple. What courage would he have to punish me? Old Monk, you have no idea what kind of existence I am. The Golden Buddha Temple will be annihilated today, starting with you!"

"Qin Xuantian, you dare insult the Buddha?!" Kong He, truly enraged this time, leaped into the air. His entire body, enveloped in golden light, tore through the night sky. "Die!!"

Like a sharp sword, he crossed several hundred meters in an instant, striking at Qin Heng!

BOOM!

Instantly, the wind surged and clouds churned with deafening rumbles. Kong He was, after all, a peak Grandmaster. His punch carried immense power, truly as if an enraged Buddha was delivering punishment to exorcise a demon! The terrified onlookers couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at this sight. It was so powerful—Qin Xuantian might not withstand such an attack! However, not a single person dared to speak. Over a hundred corpses still lay on the ground; their blood and lives were a grim warning!

HUM! HUM! HUM!

The void shrieked as the force of Kong He's fist surged! Amidst the intersecting rays of Buddhist light, Buddhist Zen Chants echoed, as if the Pure Land itself had descended, intent on utterly eradicating Qin Heng!

Yet Qin Heng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression serene. He simply extended his right arm and gently slapped it against the Buddhist light.

BOOM!

The earth trembled as if struck by an earthquake, and waves of energy rolled out. Trees within several hundred meters were pulverized. The terrifying force swept out, erasing the Buddhist Zen Chants and shattering the Buddhist light! The imposing Kong He was sent flying backward!

CRASH!

He smashed through the Golden Buddha Temple's gate and was buried under a pile of bricks and rubble, his fate unknown!

Qin Heng, hands clasped behind his back, sneered, "The might of an ant, yet you dream of overturning the heavens?"

"Hahaha! Well said, 'the might of an ant'!" Suddenly, a clear, resonant laugh echoed. A young man in a yellow tracksuit slowly walked out from the Golden Buddha Temple. He carried himself with an air of arrogance, a look of disdain for the world in his eyes, exuding an immense nobility. His eyes, a startling gold, radiated light, making him seem like a sun suddenly appearing in the dark night, illuminating everything around him. "I am Huangfu Taiyi, the First Divine Son of the Sun Temple. Qin Xuantian, you are worthy of dying by my hand! Kneel and accept your death!"

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