The Flowerless Child raised his hands and said, "Sister, spare my life. Shall I leave now? Look, we haven't caused any damage, have we?"

I coughed up a mouthful of blood and spat it on the paper.

The Flowerless Child's face turned pale. "I didn't mean it. If I had known how powerful you were, even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare touch you."

As she spoke, she subtly moved her fingers, sending a distress signal.

Oh, she's signaling for help.

I was still wondering how Flowerless Child dared to make a move against the Buddhist disciple.

Sure enough, there was someone behind her.

I kicked Flowerless Child down, summoned my bone sword, and with two swishes, it flew back and hung in front of me. The tip of the sword lowered, and two drops of blood fell on Flowerless Child's face at my feet.

Flowerless Child screamed, "Master! Help..."

Crack.

The sword struck.

They were causing trouble in the mortal realm, and I killed them. It can be considered a meritorious deed to eliminate harm for the people.

Just as Flowerless Child lost her head, her audacious master, who wanted to seize the Buddhist disciple's physical body, arrived.

"Yan Gui? You dare to ruin my plan!"

I heard his voice before seeing him.

However, the sound of the Sanskrit mantra was nauseating.

I endured the discomfort and kicked the unconscious Cui Hao behind me into the house. Thirty-six layers of restrictions were activated to ensure that the room couldn't be breached or exited.

The newcomer was someone familiar.

"Venerable Dance, you must distinguish who is responsible for what. Don't wrong others casually."

I chanted the Clear Sound Mantra in my heart, focusing my attention on the man who stepped out of the void. He held a lotus flower in his hand and wore feathered robes with bare feet.

Venerable Dance, the second most prominent figure by Buddha's side three hundred years ago, was Cui Hao's senior brother. He had a handsome appearance and exceptional talent. If it weren't for Cui Hao's rebellion three hundred years ago, whether he could successfully obtain Buddha's legacy upon returning to the Western Heaven would still depend on his abilities.

In general, he was both attractive and formidable, not to be trifled with.

"Venerable Dance, do you know that the trials and tribulations of the Buddhist disciple in the mortal realm are given by Buddha?"

"So what?" The lotus flower in Venerable Dance's hand turned into a flying sword and pierced into the room behind me.

Buzz.

Fortunately, the restrictions given by Buddha were reliable; otherwise, if I had to withstand such a great force on my own, I would have suffered a great loss.

Venerable Dance failed with one strike and instantly turned his attention to me.

With each thrust of the lotus flower sword, countless lotus flowers burst into bloom like fireworks and then disintegrated.

I was fully focused.

I heard that Venerable Dance was once the most promising disciple under Buddha, with the prospect of inheriting the orthodox teachings of the Western Heaven. That was until the appearance of the Buddhist disciple, Cui Hao.

Cui Hao's original form was a mountain tiger, but the mountain tiger had compassion and protected the people living in seclusion in the mountains from oppressive taxes.

Impressed by its benevolence, Buddha took it to the Western Heaven and allowed it to listen to the Zen teachings at his side.

Later on, the mountain tiger achieved enlightenment and entered Buddhism. Buddha treated him well, personally giving him the name Hao and promising him the utmost beauty of the Heavenly Realm. Even the former favorite disciple, Venerable Dance, could only take second place.

As a result, there were rumors in the Western Heaven that Buddha intended to groom the mountain tiger as the new master of the Western Heaven.

And so, the mountain tiger acquired another name—"Buddhist Disciple."

Given this past history, the relationship between Venerable Dance and Cui Hao was extraordinary.

Venerable Dance had a Buddha's face but a snake's heart, every move aimed at taking my life.

I evaded a sword strike aimed at my throat with the lotus flowersword, then counterattacked with a swift kick to Venerable Dance's chest. He staggered back, his robes fluttering in the air.

"You underestimate me, Venerable Dance," I said, my voice calm and composed. "I have been trained by Buddha himself, and I am not so easily defeated."

Venerable Dance's eyes narrowed, and he unleashed a barrage of attacks. Each strike was accompanied by the blossoming and disintegration of lotus flowers, creating a mesmerizing display of light and petals.

I focused my energy and employed the techniques taught to me by Buddha. With precise movements and impeccable timing, I deflected Venerable Dance's strikes and countered with my own.

Our battle raged on, the clash of our weapons echoing through the air. The power of our attacks shook the surroundings, causing the earth to tremble and the sky to darken.

As we fought, I realized that Venerable Dance was not fighting to kill me but rather to subdue me. He wanted to capture me and bring me back to the Western Heaven, where he could control and manipulate me.

I couldn't allow that to happen.

With renewed determination, I tapped into my inner strength and unleashed a wave of energy that sent Venerable Dance flying backward. He crashed into a nearby tree, the impact shattering its trunk.

Before he could recover, I closed the distance between us and pressed my bone sword against his throat.

"It's over, Venerable Dance," I said, my voice filled with resolve. "You will not take me back to the Western Heaven."

Venerable Dance's eyes burned with anger and frustration. He knew he had been defeated.

"You may have won this battle," he said through gritted teeth, "but the Western Heaven will not rest until it has you."

I remained steadfast, my grip on the sword unwavering.

"I am here to fulfill my mission in the mortal realm," I declared. "I will not be swayed by the desires of the Western Heaven."

With that, I withdrew my sword and stepped back, allowing Venerable Dance to rise to his feet.

He glared at me for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the distance.

I knew that this encounter was just a glimpse of the challenges I would face on my path as the Buddhist disciple. But I was determined to stay true to my purpose and protect the people of the mortal realm from the forces that sought to harm them.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I continued on my journey, ready to face whatever trials awaited me.