C12 Even the Merciful Buddha Would be Furious!

Chung Tieh's eyes widened in shock as his blade was effortlessly pinched between two fingers. A voice followed, sending a shiver of cold sweat down his spine.

"You, you're awake?"

His voice raspy with disbelief, Chung Tieh's gaze shifted to the owner of those fingers. He had gambled on the young terror being out cold from his injuries, but there he was, grinning back at him...

Lu Chen was the one holding Chung Tieh's weapon at bay. His Spirit Force Fluctuation was at a staggering Grade Seven, an intensity that left onlookers breathless.

Ling Xiangxue, who had surrendered to despair, now opened her eyes at the sound. The sight of the figure before her coaxed a slight, involuntary smile onto her lips.

"I spared you last time out of respect for Buddha's teachings against taking life. But now, you've dared to lay a hand on my woman!"

Lu Chen's right eyebrow quirked upward—a sign that in a past life would have sent acquaintances running for the hills. It meant he was truly enraged.

Chung Tieh realized the gravity of the situation. This kid was even more formidable than he had been three days prior, stopping his mightiest blow with a mere two fingers. It was absurdly powerful. Fleeing seemed the only sensible option.

With that thought, Chung Tieh abandoned his blade and bolted.

"Buddha may be compassionate, but he also embodies the wrathful Vajra!"

Lu Chen's voice haunted Chung Tieh's ears like a specter.

A second later, a golden filament shot through his head.

With a thud, Chung Tieh's body hit the ground. His henchman stood petrified, witnessing the Rank 6 Spirit Disciple slaughtered with ease, as if he were mere cattle.

"Given your limited misdeeds..."

Lu Chen's smile was light, yet it carried an unmistakable chill.

Chung Tieh's cohort, upon hearing these words, saw a glimmer of hope and turned to flee.

"Given your limited misdeeds... end it yourself, with dignity."

In the next instant, Lu Chen's words sealed the man's fate.

"Demon, demon!" Chung Tieh's associate trembled as he turned to flee.

But in the blink of an eye, his own blade slashed across his waist, cleaving his body in two.

"I am no demon, but my past life taught me that a Buddha must not only have compassion for the world but also the fierce resolve of a wrathful deity!" Lu Chen whispered to himself, his words for his ears alone.

Had he not awakened, he would have surely perished by now. His previous leniency had left behind such calamity, much like the time he had mercifully sheltered a brothel girl...

With that thought, Lu Chen let out a soft sigh.

"Can you help me stop the bleeding? My Spirit Force is insufficient to stem the flow!" Ling Xiangxue's voice, now tinged with a careful wariness, broke the silence.

Lu Chen's recent display of ferocity was unsettling. The golden threads that had sprung from his fingertips were one thing, but his ability to manipulate objects from afar was inexplicable to Ling Xiangxue. Such power was a hallmark of those at the Soul Controlling Stage!

"Ah, sure, hahaha!" Lu Chen, losing his solemnity, crouched down to inspect Ling Xiangxue's injury, feigning seriousness as he spoke.

"Miss Ling, it seems I'll need to tear open your clothes to fully assess your wound!"

"Whoosh!" The sound of Ling Xiangxue drawing her sword cut through the air.

"Cough, cough, cough. Here, let me treat your poison and heal your wounds!"

...

The Roaring Forest was vast, with countless natural wonders. At another waterfall, Ling Xiangxue sat cross-legged on a massive boulder, surrounded by three stones and a heap of medicinal herbs. Below her, Lu Chen's Luo Biyi was perched on the rock.

Most of Ling Xiangxue's garments had been removed, leaving her in just her undergarment and skirt. Her pale, delicate skin basked in the sunlight, exuding an unintentional allure.

Lu Chen sat cross-legged beneath a massive rock, directly across from Ling Xiangxue.

"In a moment, I'll extract the Sea Flame from Luo Biyi, then channel it into you to drive out the Three Water Centipede's poison!"

Having said that, Lu Chen arranged three differently colored stones together, formed a hand seal, and pointed skyward.

"Heavenly Flame Incinerating Technique!"

As the words left his mouth, the stones burst into flames. These were Corpse Fire Stones that Lu Chen had gathered, born from the corpse aura surrounding numerous bodies.

The Heavenly Flame Incinerating Technique was a fire-drawing method Lu Chen had used for pill refining in his past life.

Once the Corpse Flame Stones were ablaze, Lu Chen combined numerous herbs and wrapped them with his Spirit Force. Seconds later, the herbs ignited, giving birth to a green flame.

Without a second thought, Lu Chen hurled the green flame at Luo Biyi.

"Ignite, now!"

The green flame enveloped Luo Biyi. Suddenly, Luo Biyi opened her mouth wide, and a blue flame burst forth, attempting to consume the green flame.

"Now is the time for the Gold Chanting Spell!"

Lu Chen's eyes shone brightly as golden threads shot from his hands, seizing the blue flame within Luo Biyi and yanking it out.

"Hahaha, a small flame igniting a larger one. Unrefined flames truly are foolish!"

Flames are ranked, from one to nine, with each level more formidable than the last. The Sea Flame, for instance, is a level three flame, while the Corpse Flame is level two, and a common flame is level one.

In the world of flames, there's a hierarchy; higher-level flames devour their inferiors to grow stronger, and the more advanced the flame, the greater its protective capabilities.

The first two levels lacked such awareness, but by level three, the Sea Flame knew to seek refuge within a shell. Flames of even higher levels possessed intelligence; in his former life, Lu Chen encountered a flame that could take human form, roaming and preying on lesser flames, eventually becoming a formidable force!

"Still, it's merely the Sea Flame. If it were the Ocean Heart Flame or even the slightly lesser Infernal King Flame, that would be far superior!"

Lu Chen felt a twinge of regret, but then he remembered that those flames were not ones to be fooled, not even by the Corpse Flame!

With this realization, Lu Chen's regret dissipated. He deftly flicked his right hand, and the Gold Chanting Spell split the Sea Flame into two, sending them soaring towards Ling Xiangxue.

"Get ready, the Sea Flame's burn is excruciating!"

No sooner had he spoken than Lu Chen directed the twin Sea Flames into Ling Xiangxue's shoulders.

"Mmm~"

A pained moan escaped Ling Xiangxue, her voice so alluring that Lu Chen nearly lost his composure.

"Hold on, I'm going to push the Three Water Centipede Poison to your mouth from both sides. Then, you'll use your Spirit Force to seal all your meridians and stop the poison from reversing its course!"

Ling Xiangxue gave a slight nod, beads of sweat tracing her pale forehead—a testament to the Sea Flame's unbearable burn.

As they conversed, the Sea Flames gradually enveloped Ling Xiangxue's entire body until her complexion darkened, eventually turning a deep purple.

The next second, a centipede-like black liquid burst forth from Ling Xiangxue's forehead.

Once the black liquid was extracted, Ling Xiangxue's body swayed, and she succumbed to unconsciousness.

"Three Water Centipede Poison!"

Lu Chen's eyes sparkled with excitement. With a swift gesture, he retracted the Sea Flame and golden threads swiftly ensnared the black liquid.

In an instant, Lu Chen absorbed the black liquid into his own body.

"The second vein has eluded me for so long. Now, let's see if the Three Water Centipede Poison can use poison to fight poison and break through your barrier!"

Eyes aglow with determination, Lu Chen sat cross-legged. He wouldn't have agreed to detoxify Ling Xiangxue if not for the chance to harness this formidable poison.