Feng Zikang allowed himself a faint smile. "I am Feng Zikang, a disciple of the Bamboo Grove of the Military School of Longhu Mountain.

Are you telling me, Master, that you do not know this?" He had instantly pierced the Venerable Kong Chan's weakness. Such breadth of knowledge and precision of analysis were far beyond what a mere disciple at the Qi Condensation stage should possess!

Venerable Kong Chan’s gaze flickered restlessly. After a long moment, he said in a deep voice, "Since you understand, you must also know that the Vajra Sarira is something this Buddha is determined to obtain.

Do you truly believe this Buddha wouldn't dare kill you?" This boy, Feng Zikang, was clearly not simple. Venerable Kong Chan was already entertaining thoughts of silencing him permanently.

No matter how formidable you are, if your cultivation falls short, it is all for naught. In a place without witnesses, let alone a disciple of the Longhu Mountain Military School, even a more important figure would simply be killed if their power was insufficient!

The path of cultivation ultimately speaks through one's actual power! "Master, if I am not mistaken, while your Blood-Sucking Sarira is potent, in a real fight, I fear you might even be inferior to that little girl, Jasmine, right?" Feng Zikang gave a cold laugh, clearly not taking him seriously, and continued speaking at his own pace.

"Courting death!" Venerable Kong Chan erupted in rage. He tapped his finger lightly, sending three Sarira imbued with dark energy hurtling toward Feng Zikang's face.

Feng Zikang did not meet the attack head-on; instead, he leaped aside, evading them. "These Blood-Sucking Sarira consume one's vital essence.

You didn't account for this when you fused them with your Demonic Arts, did you?" Feng Zikang spoke coldly, a mocking smile playing on his lips. Venerable Kong Chan’s expression shifted again.

"Junior, just who are you?" "Who I am is not important." Feng Zikang calmly grasped his iron sword and stood still. "You only need to know that I am the one who will kill you.

That is sufficient." Venerable Kong Chan roared with laughter, as if he had just heard the greatest joke. "Junior, you jest!

You, a mere Qi Condensation disciple, intend to kill me?" He straightened his stooped frame, his eyes blazing. Behind him, the five primordial energies converged, revealing the full might of his Foundation Establishment cultivation.

"Junior, you spoke correctly. I, the Buddha, have injured my foundation.

Dealing with these foolish puppets is one thing, but if we were to truly fight, I might indeed not be a match for that little girl." "However, killing you... is as easy as slaughtering a chicken!" He beckoned with a finger, and the three Sarira suddenly veered, spitting out a sky full of golden light and black mist that enveloped Feng Zikang.

"Transform!" Venerable Kong Chan shouted, letting out a sinister cackle. "Succumb obediently and turn into black water!

Whatever I desire, I shall certainly find upon your person!" The golden light intensified, the black mist thickened. Feng Zikang, trapped within, remained utterly silent, showing no reaction.

Venerable Kong Chan sneered; a mere Qi Condensation cultivator putting up a pretense. Under this full-power strike, he must have already vanished without a trace of resistance!

"May I ask what the Master is laughing about?" A leisurely voice drifted from behind him. Venerable Kong Chan started in shock.

When he turned, he saw Feng Zikang standing calmly in the air, his iron sword resting on his back, watching him with sarcasm. "You..." "Although the Blood-Sucking Sarira are formidable, if you miss the initial strike, you have no follow-up.

Master, you have sacrificed quite a bit for the puppets in this courtyard!" The puppets in the courtyard were, after all, just controlled dummies, usually employed for menial tasks. While their innate divine abilities were strong, they were not geared for combat.

When an attack came, they would simply endure it. If their power surpassed the attacker, there would be no issue.

But techniques specifically designed to counter such puppets—slow to deploy but devastating in power, refined through years of cultivation—would naturally cause them to suffer. However, using such a technique against a person, especially Feng Zikang, who was agile and employed the Divine Art of Thousand-Mile Transit, meant that even if his speed was slightly inferior to a Foundation Establishment master, combined with the Art of Shadow Vanishing, evasion was not a problem.

Venerable Kong Chan was furious. He had merely shot those three Sarira casually, as if swatting a fly, expecting no resistance from a Qi Condensation disciple.

Unexpectedly, not only had he evaded them, but he was now being mocked! This stoked his rage further.

"Are you mocking me, assuming I possess no other divine abilities?" He clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist phrase. A puff of black smoke rose, and within the smoke appeared over a dozen monk soldiers, clad in Zen armor, wearing bamboo hats, with bulging muscles and fierce appearances.

The leader shouted, and they charged toward Feng Zikang. "Oh?

These are the famous Monk Soldiers of Buddhism? I didn't expect that you, exiled to the outer regions, would possess such an ability.

Excellent!" One person's abilities are limited; a group fight is the true way. Across the myriad sects, there are abilities to summon troops to fight for oneself.

The Art of Armament among the Military School is a superior technique, but the most renowned belong to the Buddhist and Daoist sects. Buddhism summons Monk Soldiers—their divine abilities are vast, impervious to most evils, protected by divine spirits and Buddhas, fierce and sharp, often more powerful than Buddhist cultivators who neglect personal cultivation.

The Daoist sect is even more formidable, capable of summoning Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, whose might is irresistible to mortals. Feng Zikang had not yet reached Foundation Establishment and had not learned the method for summoning Armaments.

He had long been keen to observe various methods of warfare for reference and verification, never expecting to witness the direct summoning technique of the Buddhist lineage here. However, these Monk Soldiers looked fierce and were completely black, suggesting this divine ability had also been modified by Venerable Kong Chan.

"Heh heh! The boy does have some discernment.

These are the Guardian Monk Soldiers of the Golden Pavilion Temple on Dongli Island, summoned using the ashes of the Seven Great Ancestors. Their power is incomparable to the Monk Soldiers passed down by the peripheral branches of Central Plains Buddhism.

Today, dying at their hands is an honor for you!" Venerable Kong Chan shrieked, his tone implying he considered himself the true orthodox line of Buddhism, viewing the five major schools of the Central Plains as mere offshoots. Feng Zikang coldly scoffed.

"That remains to be seen! Even if you have Monk Soldiers, you may not have the advantage!" "Long Que, emerge!" The Mechanical Beast, Long Que, let out a mighty roar and descended from thin air.

Wielding its sharp claws, it swept away the foremost, fiercest Monk Soldiers. "A Mohist Mechanical Beast!" Venerable Kong Chan was shocked.

He waved his hand, commanding the Monk Soldiers to form ranks and engage Long Que. "Are you a Mohist?

No! You are merely at the Qi Condensation stage.

Even if you were from the Mohist school, how could you command a Mechanical Beast?" Commanding a Mechanical Beast requires the cultivator's power to be strong enough to match the Beast, enabling its use. Even for a Spirit-Aligned Mechanical Beast, a Qi Condensation cultivator using their own vital blood could only sustain it for a short time, let alone command it as effortlessly as Feng Zikang!

How could Venerable Kong Chan know the peculiar origin of this Mechanical Beast? Long Que already possessed its own will.

Feng Zikang was not commanding it through direct activation but by holding the Dragon Soul of Long Que, making it willingly serve him. This was unprecedented in the thousand-year history of the Mohist school; even the Mohist patriarchs could only stare in dumbfounded confusion as to the reason, let alone a mere monk like him!

"Junior, you think you can challenge this Buddha with just one Mechanical Beast?" Venerable Kong Chan's heart tightened initially, but he could see that although the Mechanical Beast was quite powerful, surrounded by over a dozen Monk Soldiers, it could only struggle left and right, unable to break out. Furthermore, Feng Zikang himself was still at the Qi Condensation stage, not hiding his true strength.

"Don't flatter yourself! What use is a mere Mechanical Beast?

This Buddha will show you what the vastness of heaven and earth truly means!" Venerable Kong Chan shouted fiercely, chanting an incantation. He plucked the prayer beads from his chest and threw them out.

Golden light flared as the beads transformed into a net of pearls, descending to cover Feng Zikang's head. "Arhat Demon-Subduing Great Divine Art!

Demons, monsters, and wicked spirits, quickly yield!" His own demonic aura was overwhelming; it seemed odd for him to be subduing demons, but at least this divine ability was not entirely misplaced, as Feng Zikang was also in a state of Heavenly Demon Incarnation—a lucky coincidence. Seeing the pearl net radiating intense light, Feng Zikang’s expression darkened.

He exhaled sharply, raising his sword, unleashing thousands of streaks of white sword light that shot into the sky, locking in combat with the pearl net. The Star Extinction Sword Art divine ability was sharp to the extreme.

The prayer beads, imbued with the Arhat Demon-Subduing Great Divine Art, could not suppress it for a moment and were blocked by the white sword light, resulting in a stalemate in mid-air. Venerable Kong Chan’s first two attacks failed, causing his expression to change slightly; he realized this Qi Condensation disciple’s strength far exceeded his expectations!

"So what if he exceeds expectations? He is, after all, only a Qi Condensation disciple!" Venerable Kong Chan gritted his teeth, tore off his kasaya, and threw it into the air.

A red cloud spun rapidly, growing larger and larger. "Can't win, so you take off your clothes?

You people from beyond the passes truly have a wild temper," Feng Zikang shook his head, feigning a sigh. However, the monk's endless stream of divine abilities indeed showed some skill, further solidifying his understanding that duels involving masters above Foundation Establishment relied primarily on divine arts.

The kasaya transformed into a crimson cloud, accompanied by rolling wind and thunder, possessing a certain grandeur. Venerable Kong Chan stood bare-chested, revealing his emaciated, skeletal ribs.

Feng Zikang ignored the red cloud above and merely shook his head at the monk's physique with apparent disappointment. Venerable Kong Chan was enraged to the point of internal combustion.

He maneuvered his fingers, and the red cloud formed by the kasaya descended, aiming to envelop Feng Zikang. "A mere Dao, yet you walk the true path!" Feng Zikang relaxed his hand, and a silver thread flew out.

With a puchi sound, the red cloud was pierced through, instantly deflating like a punctured balloon, reverting to its original form and softly drifting to the ground. Feng Zikang beckoned, recalling the silver light—it was the Heart-Piercing Nail, a sharp implement gifted by Elder Yun.

This thing had no other practical use but puncturing holes, making it perfectly suited for this moment. He had long seen that the divine ability manifested by the kasaya, though powerful, was highly susceptible to punctures.

Once pierced, the spell would naturally break. Venerable Kong Chan did not realize Feng Zikang had used a magical artifact; his heart tensed.

Three consecutive failed attacks left him dispirited. Even though he possessed myriad other divine abilities, he found himself temporarily unable to deploy them.

"Heh heh, it is impolite not to reciprocate. Master, accept this strike from my sword!" Seeing the monk’s momentum falter, Feng Zikang knew it was time to strike.

His iron sword transformed into streaks of light that continued to entangle with Venerable Kong Chan's orbiting prayer beads—the apparent sword strike was merely a feint. With a thought, four Divine Demons descended from the heavens, surrounding Venerable Kong Chan completely.

The hairless giant beast among them was still lamenting its lost black fur. "Di...

Divine Demons!" Venerable Kong Chan was utterly terrified, completely bewildered as to how this youth could summon several Divine Demons. The people of the Eastern Isles, who were the most superstitious, considered even the Buddhas merely powerful Divine Demons in their hearts.

How could he not be frightened to see this youth commanding such entities? Feng Zikang ignored his terror and merely made a subtle gesture.

"Tear him apart!" The four Divine Demons, ferocious as hungry wolves, obeyed instantly and lunged viciously at the semi-nude, frail old monk. Venerable Kong Chan let out a mournful cry as he was intercepted midsection by a claw from the heartbroken, hairless giant beast, slamming him outward.

Immediately, the sinister Dark Demon King drove a knee into his lower abdomen. The Vajra seized one of his legs, flipped him over, and smashed him heavily onto the ground, kicking up dust.

At that moment, the Pagoda of the Heavenly King was summoned and crashed down with a deafening sound onto the bald head of the monk! "Is...

is that it?" Huo Zhongguang materialized alongside the four Divine Demons. Standing beside Feng Zikang, he watched in stunned silence as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment master was brutally subdued without the slightest chance to fight back.

Every time he emerged, he witnessed his junior brother becoming even more terrifying. This—this world was truly too dangerous!

Huo Zhongguang began seriously considering the question of whether he should seize a new body for rebirth. Perhaps staying hidden in the Four Symbols Divine Demon Prison for a lifetime might be safer...

"How could it end so quickly?" Feng Zikang smiled lightly, unconcerned. He guided the sword light, which was still resisting the floating prayer beads, while Long Que held its own against the Monk Soldiers without losing ground.

Venerable Kong Chan had been caught completely off guard earlier, and the vicious fighting style and momentum of the Divine Demons had unnerved him, leading to the initial setback. However, he was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator; he wouldn't perish that easily...

"Roar!" A mighty roar echoed from beneath the pagoda. The giant pagoda, which had transformed, shook violently.

The Heavenly King was alarmed, fearing damage to his treasure, and quickly retracted the pagoda. At that moment, Venerable Kong Chan’s lean upper body suddenly swelled with muscle, radiating boundless power!

"So... so powerful..." The pressure emanating from the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was so intense it made even Huo Zhongguang, a former Foundation Establishment cultivator, feel his spirit waver.

"Roar!" Venerable Kong Chan sprang up, sitting cross-legged in the air. His body was pitch black, his eyes sharp as lightning, and he emitted beast-like roars from his mouth.

"Incarnation of the Dark Arhat Divine Art?" Huo Zhongguang exclaimed in shock. Feng Zikang did not recognize this technique, but Huo Zhongguang recognized it instantly from the Secret Scrolls of the Ten Directions Demonic Rebirth.

Transforming into the Dark Arhat, his Buddhist radiance turned entirely into dark energy, granting him immense strength. He almost pushed over the Heavenly King's Pagoda!

"Junior Brother, be extremely careful!" Feng Zikang coldly smiled. "What use is brute force alone?

Senior Brother Huo, watch me slay him!" At this moment, the divine light of the prayer beads weakened, their string severed by Feng Zikang's myriad sword rays, scattering everywhere. Feng Zikang retracted his sword light, stood holding his blade, and stared fixedly at the Four Symbols Divine Demons, as a new light began to glow at the tip of his sword.

"North Star!" The sword light shot out like a bolt of silk, cleaving directly toward the head of the Dark Arhat!