"Amitabha..."
The old monk standing to Xu Taiping's left suddenly pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist invocation. Then, in an instant, his kindly face twisted into the ferocious visage of an evil ghost asura, and he roared:
"You vile creatures, how dare you run wild in this pure sanctuary of Buddhism!"
No sooner had he spoken than golden light rings thundered from his mouth, blasting all the demonic beasts on that side into flying ash.
At the same time, the other old monks also began to act.
In mere moments, as one great Buddhist divine ability after another unfolded, the demonic creatures trying to attack Xu Taiping and the Buddha Child were all subdued by them.
"Lord Heavenly Dharma Protector, are you and the Buddha Child unharmed?"
Just then, the deathly pale Abbot Huiming came jogging up to Xu Taiping and asked with worry written all over his face.
Xu Taiping glanced at the somewhat frightened couple behind him, who were staring blankly at the monks before them, before answering:
"Unharmed."
Abbot Huiming immediately let out a long sigh of relief.
"Ahem, Junior Brother Huiming, could this... could this be Lord Heavenly Dharma Protector?"
At that moment, the long-faced old monk among the four old monks suddenly asked Huiming, stumbling over his words.
"Indeed."
Huiming nodded with a smile.
Since Xu Taiping had already removed his armor and was dressed very plainly, the monks had not initially realized that he was the Heavenly Dharma Protector.
"Guangze, abbot of Prajna Temple, pays his respects to Lord Heavenly Dharma Protector, the Evil-Delivering Asura!"
"Hongci, abbot of Brahma Sound Temple, pays his respects to Lord Heavenly Dharma Protector, the Evil-Delivering Asura!"
"Zhiqing, abbot of Mercy Relief Temple, pays his respects to Lord Heavenly Dharma Protector, the Evil-Delivering Asura!"
"Qingde, abbot of