National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 270 - 269: The End and Stillness of All Things

"Everyone, sit cross-legged. We’ll seal this giant lizard first and worry about the rest later.

Nothing in this world is immortal and indestructible before the Buddhist Sect—

not even an Evil Spirit!"

At that moment, a glint of killing intent appeared in the eyes of the usually kind-faced Abbot Tonghua.

His original plan had been to use this moment of chaos,

when the people of the White Elephant Empire were on the verge of utter despair, to display the divine might of the Buddhist Sect.

He would then save the people of the White Elephant Empire from the rampaging Evil Spirits,

thereby instilling in their hearts an image of the Buddhist Sect’s peerless power.

That was why he had attacked without holding anything back,

intending to instantly kill the massive, burly, yet utterly rotten lizard.

He hadn’t expected, however, that while it died in an instant, it also revived just as quickly.

When the burly lizard stood up again, its aura was even more savage than before.

Abbot Tonghua had now noticed the citizens of the White Elephant Empire watching from the surrounding buildings, hiding in alleys, or glancing back constantly even as they fled.

This demonstration of the Buddhist Sect’s divine might before the people could not be delayed.

Abbot Tonghua immediately changed his strategy. ’Seal it first,’ he thought. ’There will be plenty of time to find another way to destroy this giant lizard later. There’s no need to rush.’_

As the giant lizard charged ferociously toward them,

Abbot Tonghua could smell the thick stench of decay drifting through the air.

But Abbot Tonghua’s expression remained unchanged. To the utter astonishment of the onlookers, he simply sat down cross-legged on the spot and closed his eyes.

The monks accompanying him moved to his side one by one,

forming a circle around Abbot Tonghua. They too sat cross-legged, brought their palms together, and closed their eyes in unison, perfectly mirroring their abbot.

"What are those monks doing? Are they trying to get themselves killed?"

"All that studying of the Buddhist Dharma must have made them stupid. They’re just serving themselves up to that monster."

"Didn’t you see how that monk attacked just now?

Does he look like a fool?

Could any of you have pulled off that instant-kill attack that just sliced the monster in two?

If you’re not even a match for them, doesn’t that make you even dumber than a fool?"

Some people didn’t understand Abbot Tonghua’s actions, but many others placed great hope in him.

"All is subject to destiny. As connections rise, so they fall; as they are born, so they end. All things are but a confluence of cause and condition."

"All conditioned things are impermanent, subject to birth and death. When birth and death are extinguished, serene extinction is bliss. This is the profound meaning of the Buddhist Scriptures."

"The Buddha said: All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow. Like a dewdrop or a flash of lightning. Thus should you view them."

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, the monks, clad in their kasaya robes, sat with peaceful and solemn expressions, their eyes gently closed.

Only the scriptures, flowing from their lips like a ceaseless stream, could be heard.

Though each monk chanted a different scripture, the verses miraculously intertwined, creating a harmony and resonance that inspired awe.

As their chanting echoed, a faint golden light gradually began to envelop their bodies.

This golden light was far from static; it moved through the air as if it were alive.

At times, it converged into dazzling beams, like golden arrows.

At others, it dispersed into a hazy, ethereal mist, like a dream-woven veil.

Finally, the golden light transformed into countless tiny Runes that flickered with a mysterious, intertwined light of deep blue and gold, like brilliant stars in the night sky.

The Runes slowly converged in midair, forming a vast torrent of fireflies.

It flowed at a steady, unhurried pace, yet it carried an irresistible power as it surged toward the enormous, ferocious, rotting lizard nearby.

The lizard’s scales glinted with an ominous, dark green luster in the sun, like the armor of a Demon from Hell.

Its massive body twisted in fury, and each heaving breath released a nauseatingly foul stench—the smell of death itself saturating the air.

The moment that torrent of fireflies touched the lizard, time seemed to stand still.

Like living sprites, the Runes swiftly and precisely attached themselves to every inch of the lizard’s skin, draping the behemoth in invisible shackles.

As the Runes sank in, the lizard’s once-powerful strides began to falter. Its movements slowed, until at last, it could barely move at all.

Its eyes flashed with defiance and fear, and it let out a deafening roar.

The sound was so powerful it seemed to pierce the heavens,

and even the teetering buildings nearby trembled before the mysterious force.

"Halt!"

Abbot Tonghua slowly raised his right hand. His fingers curled slightly, tracing an ancient and mysterious pattern in the air.

Each movement seemed to contain the profound mysteries and power of the universe, as if the dance of his fingers could control the fate of all creation.

With a sudden wave of his hand, a fine crack tore through the air.

Immediately following, a distinct, golden runic character condensed into form, hovering in midair.

This character was the word for "Halt" in the language of the Ancient White Elephant Empire.

It signified the cessation and stillness of all things.

It radiated a dazzling light—not a blinding glare, but a radiance of ultimate purity, one that could penetrate the heart and gaze directly into the soul’s depths.

Mixed within this light was the low, sonorous chanting of countless monks, their voices weaving together into a sound like heavenly music, both vast and ethereal.

The sound seemed to emanate from a distant celestial shore, causing all who heard it to become lost in its depths, forgetting the troubles and clamor of the Mortal World.

The people of the White Elephant Empire, who had been watching from a distance, were now struck with awe by this sudden display of majesty.

They fell to their knees in droves, pressing their palms together and touching their foreheads to the cold ground.

Their faces were etched with an expression of indescribable shock and reverence.

In their eyes, the golden runic character was not merely a symbol of power but the very incarnation of a deity.

It was as if one of the Deities from the Nine Heavens had truly descended upon the Mortal World to receive the worship and reverence of all.

The golden character drifted slowly downward, finally coming to rest upon the rotting lizard’s massive head.

In that instant, an unprecedented burst of golden light erupted from the Rune’s center, flooding the lizard’s entire body like a tidal wave.

The golden light held a power of purification and solace that gradually smoothed the lizard’s ferocious, terrifying features into an expression of peace.

Under the light’s influence, its massive body slowly went limp, finally collapsing silently to the ground, its eyes shut tight.

The entire street was steeped in an atmosphere of solemn peace.

Time itself seemed to freeze, leaving only the mysterious golden light to flicker faintly in the air.

...

「Great Xia Empire.」

"Mr. Chu, there’s a new development in the White Elephant Empire."

Liu Yuzhu said as she walked in from outside the office, her expression grave.