Chapter 116: The Terror of the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner
Chapter 116: The Terror of the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner
"Don't panic! This is just one of their treasures! Even the most powerful artifacts require sufficient true qi to activate. He's still just one person!"
Guanghui, a monk from the Subduing Dragon Temple, was clearly far superior—and far calmer—than Guangming. While Guangming had resorted to deception and fleeing, Guanghui immediately stabilized the situation, rallying the Buddhist Cultivators to form a defensive formation around him.
The next moment, thousands of Soulbound Wraiths surged forward.
"Amida Buddha!"
The lead Buddhist Cultivator roared a thunderous mantra, his golden radiance flaring as he threw a punch that instantly swept away the advancing Wraiths.
But it was futile.
The following wave of Wraiths hesitated not a moment. They devoured the corpses of their fallen kin, growing stronger before charging again.
Boom!
The Soulbound Wraiths didn’t even bother fighting. Upon closing in, they detonated themselves. Explosions of yin malice corroded the golden bodies of the Buddhist Cultivators like venom.
"If I become a Buddha, all beings in my land shall possess true golden bodies. If I fail this vow, I shall not attain supreme enlightenment!"
At the formation’s center, Guanghui poured his true qi into the "True Golden Body Great Spell", amplifying his allies. A vast wave of holy light instantly vaporized the corrosive yin energy.
"Hold the line! These Wraiths aren’t strong!"
Guanghui abandoned all pretense of compassion. His face contorted with ferocity as he rallied morale—not without reason. The Soulbound Wraiths within the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner were numerous but weak. Only eight approached the Refining Qi Perfection tier, and those were vital components of the Yanmo Hall that Lv Yang could never deploy. All current attackers were below Refining Qi Perfection—no match for the Buddhist Cultivators.
But that changed with Status Rank enhancements.
The next moment, a Wraith barely at Refining Qi Mid-Rank lunged at a Buddhist Cultivator at the front line, its aura of death surging.
Pfft!
The Cultivator’s golden body—supposedly unbreakable—suddenly weakened a thousandfold, shattering under the Wraith’s assault!
"Ahhh!"
The Cultivator screamed, pouring his true qi to shake off the Wraith. But a dozen more swarmed him, burying him in moments.
"How?!"
Guanghui nearly ground his teeth to dust. He recognized the truth instantly: the Wraiths’ sudden power came from Status Rank enhancements. Their lower ranks had crippled their own strength.
Yet this realization baffled him.
By the True Monarch’s decree, Foundation Building Realm practitioners shouldn’t be allowed in the Secret Realm! At minimum, none should evade the True Monarch’s divine sight.
Could this fiend not be Foundation Building?
But if that were true… this monster wasn’t even Foundation Building?!
Before he could ponder further, the outer line of Buddhist Cultivators began crumbling, their golden bodies eroded by yin malice.
"Only one option… decapitate the serpent!"
Guanghui raised his gaze to Lv Yang behind the horde of Wraiths, his lips tightening into bitter resolve.
"If I become a Buddha, my land shall hold no hell, no hungry ghosts, no beasts. If I fail this vow, I shall not attain supreme enlightenment!"
"If I become a Buddha, all beings in my land shall possess true golden bodies. If I fail this vow, I shall not attain supreme enlightenment!"
Three great mantras erupted from his mouth. Radiant holy light exploded outward, centering on Guanghui.
Within the light, a temple materialized.
Monks chanted morning sutras inside, their voices like thunderous proclamations. The temple’s plaque bore three bold characters:
Subduing Dragon Temple!
In the next heartbeat, all Buddhist Cultivators dissolved into the holy light. The radiance coalesced into a colossal golden dharma body.
"Vajra Mahagaurava Body!"
This was the ultimate combat technique of the Pure Land sect.
The Pure Land cultivates the "Path of Profound Joy in Quiescence", a path of self-annihilation to realize one’s ephemeral nature—a mere "self" among countless manifestations of the supreme World-Honored One’s salvation.
Thus, the deeper a Cultivator’s understanding of their "true self", the closer they drew to the World-Honored One who forged this path—and the greater their divine abilities grew.
This unique trait allowed Buddhist Cultivators to transcend cultivation barriers when multiple practitioners unified their consciousness into a single "self", channeling higher Status Ranks from the Pure Land.
Higher Status Ranks required greater numbers.
For instance, a Refining Qi-tier Cultivator needed all eight Bodhisattva Disciples united to borrow a single Foundation Building-tier Status Rank. A single Bodhisattva Disciple could only muster a near-Foundational Rank—like the Vajra Guardians—among the highest in the Refining Qi tier.
Now, Guanghui commanded the entire Dragon Assembly—over a hundred Cultivators unified into one "self." Their combined power birthed the peerless Vajra Mahagaurava!
"Demons and specters shall be eradicated!"
With a roar, Guanghui’s Vajra form erupted into wrathful fury, charging into the Wraiths and carving a path toward Lv Yang.
But the next moment, that wrathful visage twisted into unimaginable despair.
From the Wraiths’ center, a grand palace erupted skyward, its aura commanding shadows and mysteries. From it emerged a woman of peerless elegance—
Dharma Protector Su Nu!
Though deprived of Skull Mountain’s land vein power, Su Nu still bore the Foundation Building Status Rank. Guanghui could never hope to rival her.
Boom!
Su Nu’s delicate hand descended in a casual slap. Guanghui’s Vajra Mahagaurava body flew backward, crashing into the dust.
The once-glorious golden body cracked inch by inch. Holy light bled from its wounds, each droplet solidifying into a dead Cultivator frozen in death’s agony. When the blood ceased, the Vajra Mahagaurava crumbled to nothingness.
Guanghui felt as if plunged into an ice abyss.
Even the True Monarch overseeing the battlefield seemed unworthy of reverence. What kind of oversight allowed a Foundation Building fiend into this contest?
Damnation!
Now, he could no longer see Lv Yang. Before his eyes stretched only endless yin malice, swarming Wraiths, and the towering Yanmo Hall.
"Demon! Face me one-on-one if you dare!"
Under the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner, Lv Yang calmly toyed with the Sword Core as Guanghui’s rage echoed. Last stands always ended with such pathetic cries.
Earlier, when Guanghui led his hundred Cultivators in attack, had he sought one-on-one combat? Now he dared demand it?
"I’m facing you one-on-one right now."
You with your army… versus me alone.
In a quarter-hour, the holy light vanished entirely, leaving only corpses.
"Such talent… a waste not to use."
Lv Yang activated the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner. The fallen Buddhist Cultivators rose again—even Guanghui, who’d just roared curses, now bore a face of absolute loyalty.
Behind Lv Yang, Qin Tianhe cheerfully trotted over, clutching a bald head.
"Senior, I caught a runner."
He cautiously eyed the reanimated Cultivators behind Lv Yang, awed yet inwardly marveling:
We’re truly amazing.
"More survivors?"
Lv Yang ignored Qin Tianhe’s thoughts, turning to Guangming, who clutched his head and looked disheveled. Guangming immediately raised his hands.
"Don’t kill me! I have critical intelligence!"
"Senior cultivator, have mercy!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
