Page 1128

As expected, they were waiting for me...

Ever since the betrayal of the Gate Deity was confirmed, he knew it would end up like this...

"The masters look rather different from what I imagined," Shen San turned back to glance at the two radiant golden Buddhas.

The so-called Buddha seemed more like oversized humans, possessing no features of demons.

Draped in kasayas, their flesh shone like polished Bai Yu, and their faces were stunningly handsome, almost as if carved with delicate precision.

Accompanied by gentle smiles and the soft Buddha Light, their appearance—no matter how one looked—was far from resembling that of man-eating demons!

"The donor is clinging to appearances..." One of the Buddhas smiled faintly, "Even though you walk the crooked path to hold mastery over Yin Yang, you should know that flesh is but flesh. The foundation of all beings lies in their spirit..."

"Hmm... makes sense..." Shen San nodded. "I’m quite curious, though. Beneath this beautiful casing, what does the master’s Spiritual Body look like?"

"I’m afraid you’ll never get to see it..." The two Buddhas shook their heads, and in an instant, divine light erupted, locking the surrounding space tightly. The elements at the city gate were compressed to their limits, giving the impression that the space was about to explode in the next breath.

"King-level..." Shen San’s gaze turned icy. Their first move was decisive King-level power, without hesitation...

But it made sense. They had plotted to ambush him from the start. His death would make conquering the Hell Ruler’s domain at least twice as effortless!

Moreover, his abilities in Hell were comparable to King-level force, possibly even more troublesome than that. If they could eliminate him outside, there was no way they would let the opportunity slip.

They had been waiting for him. They knew he wouldn’t be able to resist stepping out.

Naturally, the longer they waited, the greater the risk.

If he showed himself, they would strike with full force to kill him, leaving no room for survival.

They knew that someone daring enough to step out must have something up their sleeve.

"Donor!" The Buddha who had remained silent suddenly boomed, "Forgive us!"

With that, he pressed down with his palm, and from nowhere, a colossal hand materialized in the sky, covering the entire city gate. Encountering the Barrier, however, the massive hand was not hindered in the slightest. Its terrifying power seemed capable of obliterating the gate entirely.

Shen San remained motionless, coldly watching the other party as though he had given up resistance.

But the Buddha who had yet to make a move felt something amiss.

He saw it clearly. Even as their combined King-level powers were unleashed, even with death imminent, Shen San’s expression remained calm. And not just his expression—his spiritual waves did too.

A man’s expression can be forcibly controlled with willpower, but spiritual waves cannot. It’s a reflex, especially under fatal threat. While muscles might obey mental suppression, spiritual waves cannot be subdued by sheer determination.

Is this man already dead inside or...?

No way!

A terrifying sense of unease surged forth, transforming into a chilling feeling that spread throughout his body. He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to flee!

What is going on?

The Buddha scrutinized Shen San, then scanned the surroundings. He confirmed there were no other formidable opponents and was certain that the only one who might pose a threat, Tian Heng, had been blocked outside the Formation. Shen San should not have any means of endangering them.

Why, then, did he have this feeling?

Yet dismissing it as an illusion seemed unlikely. Buddhas of the Buddha Kingdom possessed extraordinary foresight, capable of sensing dire occurrences beforehand. This unique Divine Skill was the reason they had survived and prospered amidst powerful factions back in the day.

If he were facing the Taoist Sect or Heaven’s Court, this instinct might have driven him to flee without hesitation.

But this time... he hesitated.

He couldn’t convince himself that this insignificant human could do anything to him.

But in that fleeting moment of hesitation, he forfeited his last chance...

BANG!!

The massive Buddha hand didn’t crush Shen San into flesh and blood but instead halted at the Barrier, blocked firmly from penetrating further!

"Hmm?" The Buddha froze, and then blinding flames ignited between his fingers, spreading rapidly!

Flaming Sun Array?

The Buddha’s expression turned incredulous, and without hesitation, he severed his own hand. As the severed palm fell to the ground, the fire capable of burning a Buddha’s flesh instantly merged into the city gate, enveloping both Buddhas inside!

"You..." Both Buddhas were stunned, unable to comprehend how Shen San had managed to implement this.

The Gate Deity controlled the Array; how could the flames end up burning his hand?

"I must apologize..." Shen San smirked. "You picked the wrong person to corrupt..."

"Impossible!!"

Both Buddhas instinctively rejected the conclusion.

The Gate Deity of Nanyang was a hundred-year-old tree demon.

Initially unremarkable, it was discovered and consecrated by Chen Qing as the Gate Deity of Nanyang City.

Yet in truth, its previous life was a King-level Great Demon.

The reason Chen Qing had discerned its Destiny was purely due to its former existence.

Such demons, whose past lives bore the Buddha Fruit, were absolutely incapable of betraying them.

Thanks to Heart-to-Heart Sensing, they could constantly examine its Power of Faith. If it didn’t truly believe, they would have detected it. No one could deceive a Buddha.

And yet...

As they ruminated, the Great Formation outside the city had already extinguished. The surging army rushed into Nanyang City like beasts, firmly encircling the two Buddhas.

The overwhelming blood energy was nearly fiercer than the Flaming Sun Array, while the Gate God’s Guard, who had been fiercely battling the Western Sea Army moments ago, now joined forces to trap the Buddhas.

The two Buddhas were momentarily bewildered. Weren’t these two sides locked in brutal combat just earlier...

How had they reconciled and allied so quickly?

What’s happening?

"You... what did you do?" The two Buddhas growled in anger and disbelief, locking their puzzled gazes on Shen San.

These sudden changes were undoubtedly his doing.

The Gate Deity had wholeheartedly defected to them; it couldn’t be wrong. Nor could it be a setup. Why, then, had it defected again for no apparent reason?

Hadn’t their King-level power already enforced the Technique and established the pact. There was absolutely no need for the Gate Deity to reconsider.

What’s the motive?

"Can’t figure it out?" Shen San smiled faintly.

"Can’t figure it out..." Both Buddhas wore grim expressions, and the leading one presented a ceremonial Buddhist gesture. "Might the donor explain how this was accomplished?"

The two brothers had believed their strategy flawless, forcing Shen San into a corner—using Nanyang City to exhaust the Western Sea Army, then seizing the opportunity to annihilate Shen San and gain total control over Nanyang. It all seemed effortless.

And yet, within moments, it was Shen San forcing them into a deadlock!

Despite wielding full King-level power, the encircling military arrays left them keenly aware of the immense difficulty in escaping today.

"If you can’t make sense of it, I certainly won’t enlighten you..." Shen San chuckled.

The Gate Deity was, of course, no stooge.

After all, no one had expected this; and Chen Qing had said that Buddhas possessed the ability to sense faith.

Whoever defected to them, if insincere, would instantly be detected.

The Gate Deity, Qian Liu, had loyally submitted, meaning it wasn’t pretending.

As for the sudden reversal...

"You’ve slept too long and grown far too arrogant..." Shen San sneered. "Neglecting something as basic as information gathering shows you truly disdain humanity..."