Ran Deng stepped out of the great tent, cupped his hands and bowed to the assembled Buddhist disciples, his expression deliberately affable:
"Many thanks to all you fellow Daoists of Buddhism for sparing no hardship and traveling so far to aid Xiqi. This poor daoist is endlessly grateful."
Seeing this, the Buddhist disciples hurriedly bowed in unison with palms pressed together, their tone humble:
"We pay our respects to Exalted Immortal Ran Deng. Exalted Immortal praises us far too highly. Our cultivation is meager, and we fear we may find it hard to shoulder any great responsibility. If Exalted Immortal has any instructions, we shall naturally do our utmost to serve."
The words sounded modest and courteous, but to the ears of the Chan Sect immortals who arrived afterward, they were full of mockery.
The Chan Sect disciples stood to the side, contempt on their faces and disdain filling their eyes, not placing the Buddhist disciples in their regard at all.
Guang Chengzi could not hold back the disdain in his heart and spoke directly, his tone thick with ridicule:
"You make it sound so grand and righteous, but in truth, what can you lot of bald Buddhist donkeys even do?
Your cultivation is merely ordinary, and not a single one of you is a Quasi-Saint. I fear that once you enter the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, you will only be throwing your lives away for nothing!"
There was not the slightest concealment in his words, and the Buddhist disciples' expressions froze on the spot, the atmosphere instantly turning awkward.
The Buddhists had long been mentally prepared for such contempt and mockery, and not one of them showed the slightest panic.
The eminent Buddhist monk at their head remained calm. He pressed his palms together slightly toward Guang Chengzi