The abbot was greatly alerted to the sudden intrusion, but upon seeing Ji Xiang shatter the two Guardian King mirrors with a wave of his hand, his expression changed drastically. Filled with terror, he sternly rebuked:
"Who dares trespass into this Honno-ji Temple!"
This temple was no ordinary place. It was where the Sixth Heavenly Demon King, Oda Nobunaga, was killed. His lingering resentment meant that eminent monks had to chant scriptures day and night. Toyotomi Hideyoshi's stated intention was to cleanse Nobunaga's resentment and guide his vengeful spirit, but his words held a deeper meaning. The abbot, however, was unaware of Hideyoshi's true intentions and merely followed his orders to perform rituals for Nobunaga daily.
Concurrently, the Three Treasures of the Heavenly Demon left behind by Nobunaga were sealed here. Such important items could not fall into the hands of others. Honno-ji Temple was heavily guarded, its Buddhist might profound. Ordinary people entering the temple would feel a sense of reverence and dare not act rashly. Furthermore, no samurai or daimyo was permitted, nor could they, step into Honno-ji Temple without Toyotomi Hideyoshi's permission!
And now, someone had suddenly appeared here!
This was naturally astonishing. The old abbot had no time to ponder how Ji Xiang had entered, as Ji Xiang had displayed immense hostility from the moment they met, destroying the Guardian King mirrors that dispelled demons. This was enough to prove that the other party was not here to worship or converse, but to cause chaos!
"Buddha's Seal...!"
Before the abbot could unleash his Buddhist dharma, he was struck by a golden-white shakujo. The blow broke over a dozen of his ribs, sending him crashing to the side with a thunderous sound, toppling the Buddhist statues. The abbot spat blood from all seven orifices from the impact, and his expression instantly changed upon seeing the golden-white shakujo.
As Honno-ji Temple, a prominent Buddhist site in Japan, its lineage originated from the Lotus Sutra sect. How could a descendant of such ancient origins not recognize the origin of this golden-white shakujo!
"Isn't this... the White Bronze Four Truths Shakujo of the Eight Hundred Bikshuni!"
Ji Xiang looked at the old abbot lying on the ground and heard him utter the name of the Buddhist artifact in disbelief. He replied with a hint of amusement, "As expected of an eminent monk, you can still recognize the origin of this Buddhist artifact. It seems you have seen it before."
"Do not worry, I am not here to kill anyone, merely to borrow some incense here."
Ji Xiang had not used his full strength in the previous blow, and striking a Buddhist disciple with a Buddhist artifact would not cause fatal injuries. After all, Ji Xiang did not consider himself one to kill indiscriminately. He was merely borrowing something this time; how could he resort to violence against the host?
The old abbot wiped the blood from his face and staggered to his feet. Many of his bones were broken, but it was not a hindrance to him. After all, he was a cultivator, not a mortal. Breaking a dozen bones, even if his internal organs were ruptured, could be healed with dharma as long as his spiritual power remained. Moreover, there was the Nascent Soul; even if his physical body turned to ashes, as long as the Nascent Soul remained intact, he was essentially unharmed.
However, his inner terror grew stronger, for the other party was using a Buddhist artifact, and he himself cultivated Buddhist dharma. The Lotus Sutra sect was not a minor Buddhist school. In the Central Plains, the Lotus Sutra sect was the Tiantai Sect, one of the Eight Great Buddhist Sects. The name "Lotus Sutra" was merely its designation in Japan, originating from the Central Plains in the early Sui Dynasty.
"To use a Buddhist artifact without harming my life, yet to cripple my physical body with a casual strike. How easily was my Vajra body damaged? What is this person's origin..."
"Could it be..."
Great fear gradually arose in the old abbot's heart. He had a vague guess about the other party's origin, and his complexion turned three parts paler. He uttered "Amitabha Buddha," though his Japanese sounded somewhat strange...
He revealed Ji Xiang's identity: "Your Excellency must be the Heavenly Demon that the Grand Minister is searching for!"
Seeing Ji Xiang not respond but instead search the Buddhist statues, the old abbot knew he was no match for the demon before him. At the same time, he inwardly lamented. The last demon to arrive here was Oda Nobunaga, which ultimately dragged the temple into war. This time, it was even more formidable, a true otherworldly Heavenly Demon crossing the seas!
Did the name Honno-ji Temple hold some attraction for demons! It was supposed to be a solemn Pure Land of Buddhism, yet it had become this mess.
"My temple's incense is not strong, you will find nothing even if you search!"
The old abbot cursed inwardly as he watched Ji Xiang rummaging through the Buddhist statues. Was this great demon disrespecting the statues, slapping Buddhism in the face? But it was happening now. Comparing the difference in strength, the old abbot wisely chose to swallow his pride!
This was the compassion of my Buddha, not to contend with the demon. These gilded statues were merely clay and iron; letting him touch them would not cause any harm...
"Do you know this is Honno-ji Temple? It was here that the Sixth Heavenly Demon King, Oda Nobunaga, died. After the incident, this temple was sealed by the current Grand Minister, allowing our Buddhist sect to operate it, receiving the nation's incense. Commoners could only offer incense at outer temples and were absolutely forbidden from entering this inner temple. Therefore, this inner temple has very little incense."
"However, even the outer temple's incense is not very abundant..."
Ji Xiang turned and glanced at him. Their eyes met, and Ji Xiang turned back to continue touching the statues. He said,
"Incense is not strong? That may not be the case. I see the incense here is quite abundant."
From the moment he entered Honno-ji Temple, the two Guardian King statues were extraordinary. As the lord of incense, what Ji Xiang sensed upon entering, besides the profound Buddhist nature, was the surging incense hidden within the temple.
There were indeed not many people offering incense.
But as the old abbot said, this was territory sealed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ji Xiang had already sensed that these Buddhist statues were merely a cover. The true objects of national worship were sealed deep within these statues!
"Here!"
Ji Xiang touched a statue and felt waves of resentment upon contact. However, the outer gilded statues absorbed all this resentment, connecting it to the national destiny.
"This is also the work of the Shinto path. Then this statue is..."
Ji Xiang raised his hand to draw his sword. The Great Dao of the Sword flashed, but he did not strike. Instead, he smashed it against the statue!
With a bang, the statue exploded, scattering rotten blood like a fountain throughout the temple. Then, severed limbs fell out from within. Although rotten, they seemed alive, with arms moving and bones and muscles wriggling like worms.
The old abbot was startled. The rotten blood and flesh suddenly began to reassemble, then swell and grow!
Finally, they filled the entire inner temple hall, forming a mountain of rotten flesh on the Buddhist hall's pure land. Within the flesh mountain were fragments of charred armor.
"Hungry!"
The mountain of rotten flesh, clad in charred samurai armor, let out a desire for flesh and blood, expressing its hunger in a loud, hoarse voice!
"Ghoul! It's a ghoul!"
The old abbot's expression changed drastically. However, after a moment of shock, he noticed Ji Xiang's lack of reaction and, for some reason, felt a bit more at ease.
Damn, so what if it's a ghoul?
Is it more powerful than a Heavenly Demon!
Thinking this, he immediately stopped panicking. Although the Heavenly Demon had found a monstrous ghoul while searching for incense, this thing would likely only be torn apart by this Heavenly Demon.
The ghoul roared for a while, then suddenly realized no one was running away. Both the blood-faced old monk and the black-robed Taoist in front of him were staring at it with expressions of utter disdain.
"Furthermore, Bhikshus, knowing the karma and its retribution, observe the myriad kinds of hungry ghosts."
"Through their hearing wisdom, they briefly observe thirty-six kinds of hungry ghosts."
"All hungry ghosts are born in such places due to the causes and conditions of stinginess, greed, jealousy, and envy."
The old abbot watched the ghoul mutter to itself. The samurai ghoul was enraged, but the two ordinary blood meals before it showed no fear.
It wanted to... eat them. This was what it was supposed to do!
"Wait a moment, do you only remember to eat people?"
"Do you remember... who you are?"
In Ji Xiang's eyes, texts seemed to float as he asked this question. The ghoul, still possessing a trace of confused consciousness, was stunned by Ji Xiang's question and actually stopped its frenzied movements. It seemed to recall something, and the rotten flesh on its body trembled and gradually furrowed.
"It is I... I am... who?"
"Eh... Nobunaga..."
"That is my name."
The ghoul called itself Nobunaga, but Ji Xiang shook his head and then sighed:
"How many years has it been? The methods of the Shinto path are truly formidable. Living beings become vengeful spirits, and the dead become walking corpses. Is life and death so easily manipulated? Even the great figures in the Inner Mountains and Rivers pay a huge price to reverse life and death, yin and yang. In this land, although you have not become immortals, is the manipulation of yin and yang so easy?"
"The incense offerings made you transform into a ghoul, and the chanting of Buddhist scriptures made you lose your mind? After shattering your gilded statue, the great Shinto god sealed beneath Honno-ji Temple will also emerge, won't it?"
"Nourished by the incense offerings of the national destiny, through you as a medium, created from Oda Nobunaga's corpse, an inconceivable being. The Sixth Heavenly Demon King, also known as Pāpīyas, Māra, or the Heavenly Being Who Delights in Others' Creations, is the legendary enemy of Buddha."
"However, a mere mortal cannot bear the demonic title of Pāpīyas, so what is nurtured is destined not to become Pāpīyas."
"Just an ordinary demon god."
Ji Xiang extended his left hand towards the ghoul before him.
"Although my dharma power is almost depleted, I do not need to use my own dharma power for this move."
"Akechi Mitsuhide, what is this?"
As soon as the first four characters were spoken, the samurai ghoul's spirit seemed to tremble. But before it could regain its senses, in the next moment, a giant, blue-faced, fanged demonic face suddenly appeared in Ji Xiang's left hand!
Instantly, it covered the entire hall!
The demonic face laughed, emitting a chilling sound. It opened its maw, and a surging demonic energy and scorching heat emanated from it. The phantom demonic face bit the samurai ghoul, twisting its entire body and directly devouring it into the void!
Ji Xiang clenched his five fingers, and the demonic face disappeared. Immediately, a large amount of Jambunada gold flowed from his fingers!
At the same time, the sounds from hell seemed to echo again. This time, it was not only the voice of the Peacock King of Brightness, but also other ghost kings...
"Here, take some of this."
Ji Xiang scattered a large handful of Jambunada gold to the old abbot. The latter was still bewildered, but soon he was utterly shocked to discover that this golden sand resonated greatly with his own Buddhist nature. He did not know what these things were, but they would undoubtedly greatly aid his cultivation.
"This humble monk dares to ask the Great Demon, what is this?"
The old abbot asked with some difficulty:
"This good thing appears to be extremely valuable, and you are a Heavenly Demon descended to the mortal realm. Forgive my bluntness, but trading with a demon may lead to unfortunate consequences."
Ji Xiang replied indifferently, "Unfortunate things will indeed happen. However, I believe this handful of Jambunada gold should be enough to compensate for your subsequent great losses."
"What, this this this this, this is Jambunada gold!"
The old abbot was greatly startled. The great demon before him spoke words that shocked the heavens. He was momentarily unsure if the other party was deceiving him!
Although his expression was suspicious, he thought that even if this was not true Jambunada gold, it was undoubtedly a supreme divine treasure. He remembered that this gold had not been there before; it had flowed from the other party's palm!
"May I ask the Great Demon, where does this gold come from?"
"Abyss Hell."
At this, the old abbot fell silent.
Ji Xiang thought he did not understand, so he explained simply, "My left hand can open the gates to Abyss Hell. This is the power of the Vajra King... but you do not worship him here, so there is no need to understand too much."
"This Jambunada gold was painstakingly collected by the hungry ghosts of Abyss Hell, who worked overtime day and night,淘ing it from the Jambunada River with their own hands. It is absolutely genuine. Smell it if you don't believe me; it still carries the stench of the hungry ghosts' hands."
The old abbot was utterly shocked.
Your words make it sound as if Abyss Hell is your home, and the hungry ghosts are your laborers. You are even more formidable than Pāpīyas!
But suddenly, the ground shook violently, and he remembered the ghoul being taken away. He quickly said, "The Great Demon just mentioned, that ghoul's name was...?!"
"Akechi Mitsuhide. Aren't you the abbot of Honno-ji Temple? You don't recognize Akechi Mitsuhide?"
Ji Xiang waved his hand, "Alright, he is not important. He is already a walking corpse. If he was refined into a ghoul, he was merely a medium. Now that this medium has disappeared, what is being nurtured beneath Honno-ji Temple will emerge."
"It's like moving a stone that blocks a stream... Look!"
A massive demonic energy surged into the sky!
All the surrounding Buddhist statues shattered, turning into dust. Ji Xiang's body also manifested true demonic energy. Although the demonic energy was weak, the demonic energy surging from underground could not contaminate Ji Xiang's本体.
However, the Buddhist disciples in Honno-ji Temple were not so fortunate!
Upon contact with this demonic energy, these individuals with insufficient cultivation, left to guard the premises, were directly possessed, transforming into various twisted monsters with fleshy wings, fangs, sharp iron claws, and emitting disgusting, yaksha-like screeches.
Even the old abbot could not resist. Demonic energy surged through his body, but thanks to his years of cultivation, he could still endure it. Only one eye turned into a demonic eye, rotating menacingly, and his expression changed greatly at this moment.
The Heavenly Demon descended and released the Earth Demon!
Speaking of which, beneath Honno-ji Temple, did the Grand Minister use the corpses of Akechi Mitsuhide and Toyotomi Hideyoshi to create such a thing!
What was this demon god meant for! How could the Dharma of my Buddha be so defiled? If that were the case, the true great demon was not outside, but within this country. What was the death of the Eight Hundred Bikshuni for? They did not kill the Heavenly Demon but were harmed by the Heavenly Demon, and now the demon was to wreak havoc upon the world...
"Ksitigarbha, please lend me some assistance."
"My Buddha is merciful."
Just as the old abbot was losing hope and preparing to accept his fate, not far in front of him, the "Heavenly Demon" he saw actually emitted Ksitigarbha's Buddhist light!
And then, what made him even more terrified, perplexed, and uncertain happened again. He saw two Buddhist dharmas manifest in the Heavenly Demon's hands. As Buddhist incantations were chanted, two phantom Great Buddhas appeared on his body!
However, it seemed due to insufficient dharma power, these two Buddha forms were very faint, appearing as if they could collapse at any moment. Yet, even so, they almost made the old abbot's jaw drop.
Wasn't he said to be a Heavenly Demon?
The demonic energy he had sensed earlier was not false; it was absolutely pure demonic energy, at most lacking that sense of filth, but he believed this was due to the difference between the Heavenly Demon and the filthy demons of the earth, with no fundamental difference.
But now, as the situation reversed, the demonic energy vanished in an instant as if it had never appeared, followed by the manifestation of pure Buddhist dharma?!
"Demon God?"
"Demon Buddha?"
The demon god nurtured beneath Honno-ji Temple, the Demon Buddha who crossed the sea from the Ming Dynasty?
Alright! A Demon Buddha is also a Buddha! m..oΓg
But Ji Xiang did not care about that demonic energy.
Because along with that demonic energy, a vast amount of incense power also surged from underground!
Within the Inner Scene Divine Tablet, text appeared:
[Conquering Heavenly Demon King (Oda Nobunaga's Corpse): The heavens have nine layers, I can conquer six layers!]
[Nourished himself with the incense of a thousand monks from Mount Hiei, his corpse remains incorruptible after death!]
"In other words, this demon god's corpse is a pile of incense."
"Then I will not be polite."
Looking at the surging demonic energy that was gradually emerging and becoming more distorted, Ji Xiang reached into his sleeve and, as if performing a sleeve-concealing technique, pulled out a Gatling cannon.
"I have no dharma power now, so I can only use a machine gun."
With that, the Gatling cannon roared and fired continuously at the large pit from which the demonic energy was emerging. In an instant, the surging demonic energy was scattered in all directions by the impact!