I Become a Martial Arts God in the Chaotic Demon World
Chapter 392 - 392: 392 Great Compassion Temple

For Han Zheng, choosing whether or not to go to the Great Compassion Temple was actually unnecessary.

Since joining the Demon Cleansing Bureau, which mission he had undertaken that wasn't perilous? Which wasn't challenging?

If he retreated knowing there was danger, or refused to act knowing there were difficulties, he wouldn't have reached his current level of mastery.

Moreover, Yan Xuankong was sentimentally attached to the Southern Mountain, and Han Zheng felt the same way.

Since his transmigration, he had been in the Southern Mountain, where he also had friends; how could he possibly take off like a deserter?

At this moment, Chu Xinghe, seeing Han Zheng standing before the array for quite some time without speaking, asked him somewhat surprised, "Brother Han, have you discerned anything?"

Han Zheng answered in a grave voice, "There's quite a bit that I've figured out. Do you have pen and paper on you?"

Although Han Zheng's Qiankun Bag was not small, he truly didn't carry items like pen and paper with him.

"Of course, I do."

Chu Xinghe had previously been under the command of a Patrol Envoy, and when investigating in secret, he needed to record information at all times, so he nearly always carried pen and paper with him.

Han Zheng took the paper and pen, and quickly briefed Wen Tingyun on the current situation in a concise yet precise manner, telling him not to bother with the demonic chaos in other places, as they were all distractions created by the Black Mountain Demon. They needed to immediately retract all of the Demon Cleansing Bureau's forces to support the Great Compassion Temple.

However, Han Zheng couldn't expose Yan Xuankong, so he could only say that he had heard this news from Bu Tiange.

Bu Tiange had already left the Southern Mountain anyway, so whatever blame there was could directly fall on him.

And Han Zheng felt he was still somewhat doing a good deed.

Bu Tiange, having previously intruded into Refining Blade uninvited, was already a known underling of the Black Mountain Demon, and had long been on the Demon Cleansing Bureau's wanted list.

So now, by giving him a title of someone who had turned the situation around from chaos to order, even though it wasn't enough for a reward, it might at least remove the wanted notice from his head.

"Brother Chu, you and the others must return to the Demon Cleansing Bureau headquarters as quickly as possible, hand over this message to Elders Wen, Xu, and Fang, and tell them they must trust me. I am willing to stake my life on it!"

With a solemn expression, Han Zheng conveyed his assurance. Chu Xinghe, not asking any more questions, gravely nodded, "Rest assured, Brother Han, I will burn my vital energy to burst forth at maximum speed to deliver the message."

Watching Chu Xinghe and the others depart, Han Zheng inquired about the direction from Yan Xuankong and immediately rushed towards the Great Compassion Temple.

In fact, the Great Compassion Temple was considered within the Southern Mountain territory, the most ancient sect with the longest history.

Among the Five Families and Seven Sects, the histories of the others could only be traced back to after the founding of Great Zhou, yet only the Great Compassion Temple had existed in Southern Mountain for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient times of demonic chaos.

At its peak, the Great Compassion Temple even produced a supreme expert at the heavenly realm, making a name for itself in the entire Martial World as a major Buddhist monastery. It also had been invited to preach Buddhist Law to the Great Zhou Royal Family, enjoying unrivaled prestige for a time.

However, not a single sect could maintain its peak forever, and the same applied to the Great Compassion Temple.

The present Great Compassion Temple still stood out among the Five Families and Seven Sects, but compared to its glory days, it had greatly declined.

To maintain his combat strength, Han Zheng didn't use the Blood Shadow Floating Light Technique to travel but instead burned his vital energy, pressing on without rest for a day and a night, finally arriving at the Great Compassion Temple.

After taking an elixir to recover his vital energy, Han Zheng looked toward the mountain gate of the temple and couldn't help but reveal a hint of amazement in his eyes.

The mountain gate of the Great Compassion Temple was the most magnificent and imposing one Han Zheng had ever seen.

What appeared before Han Zheng was a mountain that was only half intact, as if a majestic peak had been forcefully sliced in half, creating an odd sight.

This half-missing mountain was known as Heavenly Break Mountain, said to be the result of a blow from an Ancient Demon God during a battle that sliced it clean through.

The vertical cut face of Heavenly Break Mountain appeared very smooth and flat from a distance, undoubtedly not a natural formation.

The Great Compassion Temple was situated on top of the flat surface of Heavenly Break Mountain, close to the peak.

Huge iron columns were thrust into the mountain face to serve as the foundation, supporting this impressive monastery.

To enter the Great Compassion Temple, ordinary people could only climb upward, following the pathways that had been carved out level by level.

There were also chains hanging down from in front of the temple's gate, which martial artists could use as anchors to rapidly scale the heights.

Han Zheng took a deep breath, took a step forward, and seized the chain. His form swiftly ascended towards the Great Compassion Temple as if climbing a ladder to the heavens.

At this very moment, inside the Grand Hall of the Great Compassion Temple.

Hundreds of disciples of the Great Compassion Temple stood solemnly within the hall.

In the center of the main hall, a Buddha statue was enshrined, but unlike the majestic and dignified golden statues found in other temples, the Buddha statue of the Great Compassion Temple was merely made from ordinary clay and painted. Furthermore, it bore the mottled signs of age, appearing somewhat antiquated and even impoverished.

Around the grand hall were statues of the Eighteen Arhats, Nineteen Garan, Four Heavenly Kings, Twenty-Four Devas, and the Guardians of the Five Directions, among others.

These statues seemed much newer and were decorated with gold leaf, with some even being made of solid gold and colored glaze. This formed a stark contrast with the worn Buddha statue in the center.

Underneath that ancient Buddha statue, Lian Sheng knelt in the center, his face still adorned with a warm and gentle smile.

The heads and elders of the Great Compassion Temple glared at him with rage, some not even bothering to conceal their disgust.

One of the monks, clad in a golden silk robe, with a robust and towering figure, and an imposing face, pointed at Lian Sheng and shouted angrily, "Abbot, how much longer will you tolerate this demon?

Do you know how many people he killed when he left the Great Compassion Temple this time? Just the ones we know of, there were over five hundred!

Moreover, many of them were disciples from renowned families and big sects in the Martial World. Their backing powers have already joined forces to protest against our Great Compassion Temple!

Abbot, if you do not deal with this demon now, are you intending to watch him continue to tarnish the reputation of our Great Compassion Temple?"

The monk who spoke was of high status, none other than Fa Kong, the head of the Arhat Hall of the Great Compassion Temple, and a grandmaster who had condensed a Martial Arts True Pill.

Moreover, the Arhat Hall was the largest and most powerful among all the halls within the Great Compassion Temple.

The other heads of the halls also spoke out, supporting Fa Kong.

In front of Lian Sheng sat an old monk.

This old monk was frail and small, hunchbacked, with unruly eyebrows and a face full of wrinkles, always appearing to bear a look of worry and sorrow.

He wore a patchy red robe that had faded to white with washing, which, compared to Fa Kong's resplendent golden robe, was the polar opposite.

It was much like the dilapidated Buddha statue contrasted against the dazzling golden bodies of the surrounding Arhats.

This old monk was the abbot of the Great Compassion Temple, Master Pu Du.

In reality, the deliberations within the Great Compassion Temple were not only aimed at Lian Sheng but also at Master Pu Du himself.

The Great Compassion Temple had closed itself off from the world for sixty years, which had caused dissatisfaction among many disciples, including the heads of halls.

Now that someone from the Great Compassion Temple had finally left the seclusion, why should it be Lian Sheng, this demon? Why was he the one to represent the Great Compassion Temple in the Martial World?

Additionally, Master Pu Du was strict with the disciples of the Great Compassion Temple, not allowing them to abuse their power recklessly outside, making it so that the number one great sect of Southern Mountain Path hardly had any presence at all. This too was a source of dissatisfaction among many monks.

They were monks, indeed obligated to eschew the Seven Emotions and Six Desires.

But if one wished to promote the Buddhist Law, who would believe in your Buddhism while you're clothed in rags?

Only by creating golden bodies can you show others the solemn and imposing nature of Buddha and make them revere and believe.

Currently, the Great Compassion Temple had no presence in Southern Mountain Path, even forgotten by many in the Martial World as the foremost among the Five Families and Seven Sects. This had long been a cause for the temple's discontent with Master Pu Du.

It could be said that Lian Sheng was merely a catalyst; what they truly wanted to question was Master Pu Du, the abbot himself.

"Sigh."

Master Pu Du let out a sigh, the look of sorrow on his face deepening.

"Lian Sheng, what do you have to say?"

Lian Sheng smiled and said, "I was not killing people, but saving them.

I killed hundreds, but I saved thousands, tens of thousands — this is a great merit.

I do not see what I have done wrong?"