Chapter 139: The World Rises Against Buddhism

"Old Yue, this is a message via carrier pigeon from Shaolin. Linghu Chong's business has been exposed... My, the wording is quite stern. They want us to go and provide an explanation, escort Linghu Chong back to Huashan, and resolve the matter of the underworld heroes besieging Shaolin." Inside the Hall of Righteousness at Huashan, Yang Xin brandished the slip of paper in his hand.

"Arrogance and prejudice are original sins. In the chaotic landscape of today's martial arts world, Shaolin still thinks of itself as the leader of the pugilistic world, still thinking they can use us as their blade?" Yang Xin scoffed disdainfully and passed the note to Yue Buqun.

Present in the Hall of Righteousness at this moment were not only Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze, but also Zuo Lengchan and the original Thirteen Taibao of Mount Song. Mo Da of Mount Heng, Liu Zhengfeng, and Qu Yang had all been summoned back by Yang Xin; even Dongfang Bubai had been called over.

It must be said that when Qu Yang saw Dongfang Bubai at Huashan, his face turned green and his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. Fortunately, Dongfang Bubai was so enamored with the novel life at the Immortal Huashan Sect that he ignored Qu Yang entirely. Qu Yang, only too happy to be ignored, hid behind Liu Zhengfeng, keeping his head down and playing the part of a transparent person.

Yang Xin handed the Shaolin pigeon message to Yue Buqun, who took it without even glancing at it and passed it to Zuo Lengchan. Zuo Lengchan took a cursory look and passed it to Mo Da, who, after reading it, passed it to Dongfang Bubai. Dongfang Bubai didn't even bother to look, waving his hand to signal the note back to Yang Xin.

With a flick of his fingers, Yang Xin reduced the paper to fine dust, which dissipated into the air.

"Does Martial Uncle intend to make a trip to Shaolin?" Yue Buqun asked.

"Of course. Not just me, but all of us. When Buddhism is flourishing, they hoard incense; when the world is in chaos, they seal their temples. Such a disgusting foreign sect should not exist in this realm."

"Is Martial Uncle planning to carry out a purge of Buddhism, like the three historical suppressions?" Yue Buqun inquired again.

Yang Xin nodded calmly.

"In our Huashan, the blood from the conflict between the Sword and Qi factions hasn't even dried after twenty years. It is time to pay Shaolin a visit," Yue Buqun said, gently stroking the long sword in his hand. His flat tone revealed a sliver of ruthlessness.

"Used as a blade for decades, my whole life played in the palms of others—it is indeed time to go to Shaolin and demand an explanation. Do they really think this blade of mine is dull?" Zuo Lengchan said coldly. His eyes revealed infinite murderous intent, and the scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun wildly, showing faint signs of breaking through to the next level.

Zuo Lengchan was indeed a formidable overlord; he had easily discovered the method to rapidly upgrade the Sharingan: watching movies—every kind of film filled with love, hate, and vendettas—then projecting himself into the stories, and constantly self-hypnotizing. As a result, Zuo Lengchan, his Thirteen Taibao, and his disciples had all awakened their eyes.

The Five Mountain Sword Sects were used as a blade by Shaolin, but was the Sun Moon Holy Sect not the same?

Dongfang Bubai waved his hand, indifferent, and said, "Though I am the sect leader, I entrusted the sect's affairs to others long ago. I have not held power for many years. However, this trip to Huashan has not only fulfilled my wishes but also allowed me to experience such a novel life. I think I have fallen in love with this existence. Sect Leader Yue, would you mind if the Immortal Huashan Sect added an elder?"

Yue Buqun gasped. He never expected that Dongfang Bubai, instead of staying securely on Black Wood Cliff, would run to Huashan to join the Immortal Huashan Sect. This was something unthinkable and impossible in the past, yet it was happening right before his eyes.

Yue Buqun looked at Yang Xin unobtrusively. Seeing Yang Xin nod slightly, Yue Buqun quickly said, "For Lord Dongfang to be willing to lower his status is a great honor; I would naturally have no reason to refuse."

"Since I am an elder, when the sect has business, I should naturally contribute. As for Mount Shaoshi, I—no, this Elder—will accompany you all. It will be a good chance to witness the methods of the immortals," Dongfang Bubai said with a smile.

"How can the Mount Heng lineage be absent from a trip to Shaolin? I will immediately send Liu Zhengfeng to Mount Shaoshi to construct spatial nodes so that Martial Uncle and all the martial brothers can travel," Mo Da hurriedly added.

"No rush, no rush. Allow me to make some arrangements." Yang Xin snapped his fingers, and two crows appeared out of thin air. They nodded at Yang Xin, let out a strange cry, and flew off into the distance.

"What is this, Martial Uncle?" Yue Buqun asked.

"Just sending word to the Human Emperor in the capital and Lin Zhennan in Fuzhou."

"The Human Emperor in the capital and Lin Zhennan in Fuzhou?" Yue Buqun's eyes gleamed as if he had realized something.

"I intend to mobilize the whole world to purge Buddhism! Old Yue, you guessed correctly. With such a flourishing martial world and such massive interests, how could the Human Emperor in the Forbidden City be left out? As for Lin Zhennan, the eyes and ears of the Fuwei Security Bureau are everywhere. During this time, I believe Lin Zhennan has already linked up all those in the martial world who are practicing the Evil-Ward Sword Manual."

Everyone suddenly realized the truth. The Human Emperor in the Forbidden City went without saying, and they didn't understand the complexities there, but speaking only of the martial world, it was no wonder those who practiced the Evil-Ward Sword Manual had calmed down significantly after the initial chaos. It turned out Yang Xin had long ago dispatched Lin Zhennan to coordinate them.

Everyone was filled with sincere admiration for Yang Xin's ingenuity in using people. Letting Lin Zhennan organize those who practiced the Evil-Ward Sword Manual was extremely appropriate, as Lin Zhennan had a natural advantage.

Regardless, the Evil-Ward Sword Manual belonged to the Lin family, and it was the Lin family that distributed it to everyone. If they couldn't call him "Master," calling him "Half-Master" was not an exaggeration. Furthermore, Lin Zhennan's son, Lin Pingzhi, was a direct disciple of the Huashan Hall of the Immortal Huashan Sect. This invisibly created a layer of protection for Lin Zhennan; if they wanted to obtain the Spring of Female-Infant Water, they had to obey.

Just as everyone was pondering, Yang Xin held his index and middle fingers together and tapped the foreheads of Yue Buqun, Zuo Lengchan, and Mo Da.

"What is this, Martial Uncle?" the three asked simultaneously.

"The Peacock Mystic Method. Although its offensive power is somewhat lackluster, its ability to manifest chakra wings for flight is unique. With the Peacock Mystic Method, our Immortal Huashan Sect will make its debut in the martial world with a breathtaking display." After saying this, Yang Xin summoned all the direct disciples of the sect. Time was tight, and he didn't have time to let them cultivate from scratch, so he simply chose to force their growth.

At the summit of Huashan, Yang Xin gathered sand into clouds. The members of the Immortal Huashan Sect stepped onto the clouds, and Yang Xin led them, flying on sand from west to east, marching toward Shaolin.

In Shuntian Prefecture, within the Forbidden City, the Human Emperor of the Great Ming Human Empire issued a decree. The riders of the Northern Secret Service rode out, dressed in flying-fish robes, waist-draped with embroidered spring swords, mounted on tall horses. With murderous intent, they marched from north to south, their blades pointing directly at Shaolin.

In Fuzhou City, at the headquarters of the Fuwei Security Bureau, thousands of people practicing the Evil-Ward Sword Manual gathered. They donned the uniforms of guards and scouts, shouting, "My Martial Might Soars," and flying the banners of the Fuwei Security Bureau, they raced toward Shaolin.

At Wuba Ridge, the underworld heroes began calling their friends and allies. Many in the Sun Moon Holy Sect suffered from the Three-Corpse Brain-Eating Pill. With Dongfang Bubai's intentional indulgence, members of the sect gathered from all over, growing from a thousand to nearly ten thousand. Under the banner of Linghu Chong, they spontaneously formed the Five Elements Flags—Sharp Metal, Giant Wood, Raging Water, Blazing Fire, and Thick Earth—marching from east to west, surging toward Shaolin.

In the tenth year of the Xuande reign of the Great Ming Dynasty, the martial world trembled as the whole world rose to purge Buddhism.