Accidentally invincible!

In a place where Buddhist chants echoed, and the Buddha's light illuminated the world, it was a place of sanctity and reverence.

The Great Thunder Heavenly Dragon Treasure Temple.

The Enlightenment Buddha Hall.

A handsome monk dressed in white sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, softly reciting Buddhist scriptures. Though his voice was gentle, each word transformed into a lotus, embodying the highest sound of the Buddhist path.

Beside this handsome monk was a spider with a human face, its eyes blankly staring at him.

Perhaps the spider-woman felt uncomfortable.

She transformed into an enchanting woman, barefoot, her skin snow-white. She tiptoed over to the monk's side and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

"When reciting scriptures and meditating on the Buddha, you must not lose focus. I have told you so many times, yet why is your resolve still so lacking?" Yun Shouzuo spoke gently. Over the course of a year, he believed he had overcome the tribulation and guided her into the Buddhist fold.

Though it could not be revealed to the outside world.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to sense the demonic aura from her; the faint remnants were merely inherent to her nature.

"I like being close to you," Zhu Hong said, a look of contentment appearing on her face.

She enjoyed being near him. When she was by his side, she felt at peace.

Yun Shouzuo gently shook his head but allowed her to stay.

Bam!

At that moment.

The doors of the Enlightenment Buddha Hall were pushed open.

Yun Shouzuo remained expressionless, but his Buddha's Heart trembled slightly as he looked up to see the abbot and the heads of each hall entering in anger.

When they saw the demoness leaning against Yun Shouzuo, even their steadfast Buddha Hearts burned with fury.

"What are you doing? Why have you brought a female demon into the Sacred Land of the Buddhist fold? Do you have any idea what a desecration this is?"

The abbot glared and rebuked angrily, his heart heavy with sorrow. Yun Shouzuo was the disciple he had the most hope for, and he was destined to be the future abbot of the Great Thunder Heavenly Dragon Treasure Temple.

But look at the situation now.

He had brought a female demon back and even engaged in such unseemly and shameful behavior.

If the outside world found out.

What face would they have left?

Yun Shouzuo stood up, pressed his palms together in reverence, and said, "Abbot, fellow brothers, please listen to me. Indeed, she is a demon, but she is now under the Buddhist fold, listening to the scriptures, and no longer the demon everyone speaks of."

"Silence!" the abbot shouted sternly.

Among the other hall heads, some were heartbroken, while others gloated at his misfortune.

What could the Buddhist fold do?

Even immortals harbored desires, let alone practitioners who had not yet ascended.

"Let me ask you: what is the first doctrine of the Buddhist sect?" the abbot asked.

Yun Shouzuo replied, "To slay demons and exorcise evil; when encountering demons, one must kill them."

"Then why are you acting this way now?" The abbot's grief was palpable, as if the disciple he had hoped for the most had committed a deed so atrocious it defied heaven's will, breaking his heart completely.

Originally.

With his temperament, the abbot would not be so moved, but this was his most distinguished disciple, and his Buddha's Heart could not remain at peace.

Yun Shouzuo pressed his palms together once again and said, "Abbot, all beings in the world possess a spirit. I too once believed that all demons were inherently malevolent, but during a tribulation I faced, I did not slay the demon who appeared before me. Over the course of a year, I came to understand: all beings hold a Buddha-nature, and one must possess a heart of tolerance."

"I fervently ask the abbot to give her a chance."

At that moment.

Another hall head spoke, "Abbot, Brother Yun must have been bewitched by the demon. Should his words spread, the Great Thunder Heavenly Dragon Treasure Temple will become a laughingstock. Perhaps only by slaying this female demon can we save him."

"But I think Brother Yun's words carry reasoning—all beings possess a Buddha-nature."

"No, clearly he has been bewitched by the female demon. How can we stand idly by?"

"This matter requires the abbot's personal judgment."

The hall heads were divided—some agreed with Yun Shouzuo, but others disagreed. The reason was simple: Yun Shouzuo's presence exerted pressure on them, making it impossible for them to surpass him.

Zhu Hong, trembling with fear, hid behind Yun Shouzuo.

To her, the Buddha light emanating from these monks was terrifying, like being surrounded by flames that could turn her to ashes in an instant.

The abbot saw all of this.

He could not allow such an incident to transpire, not even for his most exceptional disciple.

"Kill her, and let this matter be as if it never happened. You, as a disciple of the Buddhist fold, should know that some things are not as simple as you think. The reputation of the Great Thunder Heavenly Dragon Treasure Temple cannot be ruined by a female demon."

"Do you understand?"

The abbot's expression was grave, as he enunciated each word with weight before flicking his robe, a flash of golden light glinting past.

Clang!

A golden Nine-Ringed Staff pierced into the ground, emanating a powerful Buddha light.

Yun Shouzuo looked at the Nine-Ringed Staff, unmoving, lost in thought. He had never expected things to come to this.

One of the hall heads stepped forward, palms pressed together, and said, "Abbot, Brother Yun's words are not without merit. If we can bring demons into the Buddhist fold, it only proves the unparalleled might of our Buddha Dharma at the Great Thunder Heavenly Dragon Treasure Temple—what others cannot accomplish, we surely can."

"I hope the abbot will consider this."

His words garnered the support of some hall heads.

A slightly plump hall head with a kindly appearance, though his eyes remained perpetually narrowed, said, "Female demon, my junior brother is a revered monk of the Great Thunder Heavenly Dragon Treasure Temple; in the future, he could very well become the abbot. Should he ascend, he will surely hold a position of prominence in the Buddhist fold of the Immortal Realm. By staying by his side, you will only doom him to eternal ruin."

"Even if we tolerate you today, in the future, my junior brother will be shamed by the entire world, with nowhere to seek refuge."

"If you truly care for him, you should not remain."

Zhu Hong's expression remained fearful as she alternated her gaze between the monks and the man shielding her.

At this moment.

Yun Shouzuo said, "Senior Brother, I harbor no desire to contend for the position of abbot—why do you press me so harshly? She is a demon who has already entered the Buddhist fold, and as the head of the Buddha Dharma Hall, can you not tolerate her?"

"Hmph. Junior Brother Yun, what do you mean by this? Are you implying that refusing to tolerate the demon you harbor reflects a lack of compassion?" the plump monk retorted angrily.

Yun Shouzuo responded, "Senior Brother, that was not my intent."

Zhu Hong knelt before Yun Shouzuo and lowered her head. "There is no need to argue for my sake—this past year has been enough for me. But I only hope to die by your hand."

"This is the Kasaya I wove for you; I hope you will keep it."

She then took out a red Kasaya, embroidered with a little smiling spider.

The plump monk said, "A revered monk of the Buddhist fold, the exalted senior brother in the disciples' hearts—yet he is enthralled by a demon. What a laughingstock."

Yun Shouzuo raised his hand. With a hum, the Nine-Ringed Staff entered his grasp. His eyes widened, yet he did not take the Kasaya. His once-steadfast Buddha's Heart now wavered, and the hands gripping the Nine-Ringed Staff trembled.

He raised his head to look at the abbot and the gathered brothers.

Some lowered their eyes and chanted sutras; others silently awaited his decision.

Finally, he looked to the abbot.

This was the man Yun Shouzuo respected most.

From the abbot's gaze alone, he understood the verdict.

"Ah!"

Raising the Nine-Ringed Staff high, Yun Shouzuo prepared to strike Zhu Hong down. Yet at the last moment, just as the staff was about to land, he faltered and cast it aside.

"Abbot, may I plead for her life? Let her leave, and I will willingly undergo a century of meditation in solitude to temper my Buddha's Heart," he said.

The abbot, understanding the disciple's nature, was just about to agree when the plump hall head interjected.

"Junior Brother, this cannot be allowed! If left unresolved, the imperfection in your Buddha's Heart will become a latent danger in the future, an irreparable crack that will hinder your tribulations."

"Abbot, we cannot allow a Heart Demon to reside within him—it would spell disaster during his future tribulations."

Others nodded in agreement with the plump monk.

"Senior Brother is correct."

"Junior Brother, do not act recklessly. What is this demon that she could enthrall you to such a degree?"

The abbot sighed softly; though he wished to agree to let her go, the other disciples' points were valid. Only by slaying the demon could they eliminate future troubles completely.

Zhu Hong, unwilling to see him struggle, whispered, "I'll willingly meet my fate. Don't let this pain you."

Once, Yun Shouzuo had been certain he would never falter to a demon, but at this moment, he realized—to his core—that he had already lost, utterly and completely.

He had always believed his Buddha's Heart to be unshakable.

But now, he saw clearly how deeply he had fallen without even knowing it.

"I accept my error," Yun Shouzuo recited, pressing his palms together, "and I am willing to trade a thousand years of cultivation for her survival. From now on, I will live by the light of the green lamp and the Ancient Buddha, dedicating my life to redeveloping my Buddhist path, free from distraction. Might this be permissible?"

The abbot, his visage seeming to age visibly, responded, "So be it."

Yun Shouzuo smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Abbot, for granting me this opportunity."

"Leave now. Cross my path again, and you shall be destroyed."

Zhu Hong looked up, her tear-filled eyes blurry as she extended the red Kasaya toward him. Her voice was soft as she said, "This is for you."

Yun Shouzuo remained stoic, waving his hand gently. The Kasaya disintegrated into fragments, scattering on the ground. "I don't need it. Leave. From this moment on, there is nothing between us. To me, you are merely a demon to be eradicated upon encounter."

Zhu Hong stared at the scattered fragments on the ground, stunned for a long time.

"You may forget me, but I will never forget you. For me, I would rather you remember me for eternity."

As her words fell silent.

Zhu Hong severed her spiritual essence. Her true form appeared before disintegrating into ashes, drifting into the air.

Yun Shouzuo's lips parted slightly, his eyes vacant. As the drifting ashes rose into the sky, seeming to vanish entirely, he reached out to grasp them, but all he caught was emptiness.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother, on ridding yourself of the Heart Demon," the plump monk said, palms pressed together.

"Sigh!"

The abbot sighed; with this, the matter had come to an end.

"It's over," came the murmurs among the monks. At first, they thought little of it, but gradually, they sensed that something was amiss.

An unsettling aura began to emanate from Yun Shouzuo.

Yun Shouzuo tilted his head upward, dazed, staring at the ceiling adorned with images of immortals and Buddhas.

The fragments of red Kasaya on the ground began to stir, as if reconstructing themselves, gradually dyeing his white Kasaya red.

"No, something's wrong—Senior Brother is succumbing to a Heart Demon; he's falling into darkness!" someone exclaimed in alarm.

The abbot acted instantly, summoning golden lotuses imbued with the power of the Buddhist fold to envelop Yun Shouzuo. The sound of sacred chants reverberated, rumbling like thunder. Within this sanctified space, no Heart Demon should be able to endure.

But now, these golden lotuses had no effect on Yun Shouzuo.

"Why must I be bound by the rules of the Buddhist fold?"

"With my cultivation, I could have taken her away—who could have stopped me?"

The abbot, sensing disaster approaching, realized this calamity extended far beyond just Yun Shouzuo. Even the Heavenly Dao pulled at the threads of their fates…

"Awaken!" The abbot unleashed overwhelming Buddha Power, attempting to pull him back from the grip of his Heart Demon.

But…

Yun Shouzuo struck with his palm, releasing a terrifying force that shattered the Enlightenment Buddha Hall. The surrounding monks were thrown back in an instant.