At the heart of Mount Xu, within the vast halls of the Buddhist monastery, a solemn atmosphere loomed.
The assembled disciples stood in silence, their expressions grave.
A single piece of news had shaken them to the core—
Phaseless Demon Monk had fallen.
Despite his infamous reputation as a wayward demon monk, one who defied Buddhist principles and acted on his whims, he was still a disciple of Mount Xu.
And now—he was dead.
It was not just a loss of life.
It was a loss of face.
As the most revered holy land of Buddhism, Mount Xu held its reputation above all else.
This insult—this disgrace—
Could not be tolerated.
---
Angry voices echoed through the temple.
"Lord Buddha, Phaseless Demon Monk was slain—this cannot be unrelated to those rival sects!"
"We cannot let this crime go unpunished!"
"Please, Lord Buddha, deliver justice for Phaseless Demon!"
The monks' appeals surged like waves.
Mount Xu's influence spanned the entire Azure Continent.
Although open conflict between peak forces had been avoided for years, countless hidden struggles took place in the shadows.
But Phaseless Demon Monk—an Eminence, a warrior of the second rank—was one of their most formidable martial powers.
To have someone of his status be killed—
This was no small matter.
Mount Xu would not stand idle.
---
Atop the grand dais, the Lord Buddha sat in tranquil meditation, his golden radiance illuminating the temple.
His voice, layered with an ethereal Sanskrit hum, resonated through the air.
"Venerable Buddha, will you handle this matter?"
All eyes turned toward the end of the hall—
Where a lone black-robed monk stood.
His expression was cold, his aura hidden—as though he were an empty void.
Yet beneath this silence lay a force as vast as the endless cosmos.
Venerable Buddha.
A name that once inspired terror across the Azure Continent.
Before embracing Buddhism, he had been a warrior of unparalleled ruthlessness.
Single-handedly, he had annihilated entire sects, his victims too afraid to even curse his name.
And in the end, it was the Lord Buddha himself who intervened—leading him to the Buddhist path and bringing him to Mount Xu.
It was also he who trained Phaseless Demon.
Though he had taken the vows of a monk, his ferocity remained unchanged.
If there was one truth about Venerable Buddha, it was this—
He never forgave a slight against his own.
His gaze lifted, and for a fleeting moment, a sea of blood seemed to swirl within his dark eyes.
"As the Lord Buddha commands."
His tone was calm. Yet those who heard it felt a chill crawl down their spines.
The black-robed monk bowed slightly.
A storm was coming.
---
The Lord Buddha closed his eyes.
The air around him shimmered, as though a great river had begun to flow through the void.
> A river of time itself.
A divine power—one that only the most enlightened beings dared to glimpse—unfurled before him.
From within its currents, he searched—
Following the traces of Phaseless Demon's soul, peering into the final moments before his death.
---
> "Shadow Kill List… Nine Stars Mountain Range… Star Empire… Nine Stars City…"
The Lord Buddha's vision moved swiftly, tracing Phaseless Demon Monk's path.
Until—
His sight reached Nine Stars City.
And then—
Nothing.
Absolute nothingness.
A void.
It was as if all causality tied to the city had been erased, leaving no trace of what had transpired there.
A spark of interest flickered in the Lord Buddha's eyes.
How long had it been since he last encountered something so… peculiar?
Something beyond even his perception?
He slowly exhaled, his golden radiance dimming as the river of time vanished.
"Interesting… truly interesting."
His eyes opened, calm yet unreadable.
"Star Empire. Nine Stars City."
A name spoken with intent.
The assembled monks shivered, feeling an unspoken decree take shape.
The wrath of Mount Xu had found its target.
---
Venerable Buddha gave a slight nod.
"Understood."
The surrounding disciples showed no hesitation.
To them, this was justice.
To reclaim Mount Xu's dignity, they would burn a city to the ground without a second thought.
The death of thousands? Tens of thousands?
It did not matter.
All beings were but ants beneath the gaze of the Buddha.
A chilling thought settled over the monastery—
What awaited Nine Stars City was not mere vengeance…
But judgment.
Buddha… Buddha…