https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-282-281-Is-the-Heavenly-Master-s-Robe-Here-Part-1-/12587179/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-284-A-Gift-for-the-White-Moonlight-Part-2-/12587181/
Chapter 282: 281. Is the Heavenly Master's Robe Here? (Part 2)
Chapter 282: 281. Is the Heavenly Master's Robe Here? (Part 2)
Longjia Shangren led a few other monks along the Yujiang River basin, searching for Tian Linlong and the Blood River Sect disciples.
As he walked, Longjia Shangren formed hand seals in front of his chest, enhancing his spiritual senses and staying alert for any movements in the surroundings.
Instead of an enemy attack, he sensed an approaching spiritual energy that piqued his curiosity.
As a native elder of the Vajra Temple, his experience and knowledge were extensive, and he was well-informed about the situation within and outside the Tang Dynasty.
In the past, he had even seen the former Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng, wearing the Celestial Master's Robe.
And now, Longjia Shangren distinctly felt the presence of the Nine Lights of the Cavernous Abyss.
The Celestial Master's Robe was here?
Longjia Shangren halted and turned back.
He recalled that earlier, they had followed the river downstream and encountered a branch in the current, forming a large lake amidst the mountains.
As the aura of the Nine Lights of the Cavernous Abyss flowed, instead of continuing along the main vein of the Yujiang River, it veered into the tributary waterway, seemingly entering that lake.
Then, the aura gradually faded.
"Is it appearing and disappearing due to the changes in the earth vein spiritual energy, only to sink back into hiding?" Longjia Shangren wondered.
He made a swift decision and led his group back, heading upstream towards the lake.
Although the Dao and the Buddha followed different paths, such a valuable treasure had significance in many aspects.
Especially considering the potential entanglements between the Western Regions Buddhists and the Daoist Sect of the Tang Dynasty in the future.
While it was crucial to minimize making enemies at the moment, as long as they kept a low profile, obtaining the Celestial Master's Robe would be a significant gain.
It would also weaken the Celestial Master's Mansion.
They could keep it in their collection for now and decide on the specific disposition later.
But if they let this opportunity pass, it was uncertain if there would be another chance.
"Unbelievable! Who would have thought that after missing the chance with the Celestial Master's Seal, we would have the opportunity to obtain the Celestial Master's Robe today?" Longjia Shangren's heart was filled with mixed emotions as he recalled the past.
Just then, he collided head-on with Gao YuYang, a senior elder of the Human Dao Nation.
In the lake nestled among the mountains, a massive whirlpool had formed, sweeping across the surroundings.
However, at the bottom of the whirlpool, the Nine Lights of the Cavernous Abyss were clearly visible.
The vortex, intertwined with the spiritual energy of the Nine Lights, presented an extremely dangerous situation.
Regardless of their affiliation, whether from the Western Regions Buddhists or the Human Dao Nation, the mid-tier cultivators stood at the shore, their gazes fixed on the lake, as their senior elders ventured underwater.
Soon, a clash ensued between the two groups.
However, both sides maintained a degree of restraint and caution.
Although the thought of eliminating witnesses to keep the existence of the Celestial Master's Robe a secret crossed their minds, they hesitated due to the bigger picture.
Their deep-rooted opposition in intentions and demands might lead to this restraint, but it also made it challenging for them to negotiate and find common ground.
In contrast, the Nine Lights of the Cavernous Abyss waited for no one, slowly sinking towards the lake bed and into the soil and rocks.
Longjia Shangren's eyes hardened with determination. With one hand, he formed a hand seal in front of his chest, while the other hand reached up towards the sky.
There, a treasure mirror hung high, with no sign of Gao YuYang himself.
In truth, Gao YuYang, a veteran of the Artificing Sect and a cultivator at the Seventh Tier of the Heaven Realm, had integrated his soul with his natal treasure, the Bright Mirror, enhancing its power even further. This posed a significant challenge for Longjia Shangren.
Longjia Shangren struck out with his palm, hoping to deflect the Bright Mirror.
Simultaneously, he dove underwater, intending to seize the opportunity to retrieve the Celestial Master's Robe.
Unexpectedly, Longjia Shangren's palm struck the mirror's surface with a loud "pa" sound!
The Buddhist hand seal lineage emphasized both the physical body and spiritual cultivation.
Empowered by the hand seal, Longjia Shangren's palm strike directly cracked the surface of the Bright Mirror.
A large handprint appeared on the mirror's surface, causing its radiance to dim.
On the shore, several members of the Human Dao Nation were facing off against the Western Regions Buddhist disciples across the turbulent waters, unable to see the details clearly. However, when they all saw the black handprint on the Bright Mirror, their faces paled in shock.
The Western Regions Buddhist disciples were equally startled, but they quickly regained their composure under the influence of their senior elders, their gazes turning resolute. They began to disperse and move closer to the Human Dao Nation cultivators.
The only one who felt sheer astonishment was Longjia Shangren himself.
He never expected his palm strike to be effective.
Rather than attributing the success to his own strength, it seemed that Gao YuYang's movements had suddenly slowed down.
Longjia Shangren even sensed that the Bright Mirror had become extremely fragile at that moment, resulting in it shattering under his palm strike.
Gao YuYang had suffered a severe injury from that single strike!
However, Longjia Shangren's intuition told him that something was amiss.
... And Gao YuYang, the one who bore the brunt of the strike, knew exactly what was wrong.
In that fleeting moment, his body seemed to be immobilized by an invisible force, freezing him in place.
At the same time, an extremely malicious force assaulted his body, hindering the manifestation of his spiritual energy and supernatural powers.
But it wasn't a Buddhist hand seal lineage technique.
It resembled a move by a Daoist...
Gao YuYang sensed the presence of a hidden manipulator, but before he could react further, his soul, which was fused with the Bright Mirror, trembled violently.
Another heavy blow struck, causing the already cracked Bright Mirror to shatter completely!
Gao YuYang's celestial soul spilled out, appearing weak and ethereal.
Before he could react, the swirling spiritual energy in the vortex seemed to intensify, like a meat grinder, pulverizing his soul into nothingness.
The Human Dao Nation cultivators on the shore were shocked and furious.
Although their hearts seethed with anger, seeing their senior elder at the mid-tier of the Heaven Realm perish, they could only flee from the lake.
The lake's spiritual energy was chaotic, severely impairing their senses.
The Western Regions Buddhist disciples on the shore were equally clueless about the underwater situation.
However, the handprint on the Bright Mirror and Gao YuYang's death were clear for all to see.
At this point, they abandoned restraint and gave chase to the Human Dao Nation cultivators.
Before they could take two steps, a voice rang out from the water, "Hold on!"
Witnessing Gao YuYang's mysterious death, Longjia Shangren's heart was filled with unease.
He even stopped his attempt to retrieve the Celestial Master's Robe.
Longjia Shangren protected himself while observing his surroundings.
With Gao YuYang's death, a faint figure appeared on the lakeshore, barely perceptible to Longjia Shangren.
The mid-tier cultivators of the Western Regions Buddhists on the shore were oblivious to this presence until a sword light suddenly pierced through the sky and plunged into the lake.
Longjia Shangren's hairs stood on end, and he tried to dodge. However, an invisible force also immobilized him, keeping him in place.
Startled, he unleashed his full power, causing the lake water around him to surge and ripple with faint Buddhist light that twisted eerily.
Sword light flashed, and blood splattered.
Although the old monk had tried to move away from his vital spots, the swift sword light still slashed through his flesh and blood.
A second sword light flew towards him, and Longjia Shangren had nowhere to dodge. His head was directly sliced off.
In an instant, the situation turned dire, leaving the Western Regions Buddhist disciples, who had been brimming with righteous indignation, stunned and unable to react.
It was only when a figure appeared in the distance and drew closer that they snapped back to their senses.
Was it a sword-wielding expert from the Human Dao Nation coming to their aid?
Facing such a formidable opponent, the Western Regions Buddhist disciples had no thoughts of resistance, and with the grief of Longjia Shangren's death weighing on their minds, they could only choose to retreat as quickly as possible.
Reporting the incident and Longjia Shangren's fate to their senior disciples was the most important task at hand.
Fortunately, their opponent did not seem to be pursuing them.
Some of the bolder Buddhist disciples dared to stop and turn back.
In the distance, they saw the Nine Lights of the Cavernous Abyss rising slowly above the mountains and the lake, only to gradually fade away.
It seemed that the Human Dao Nation expert was busy retrieving the Heavenly Master's Robe and had no intention of giving chase.
"May the Buddha show mercy," one of the disciples murmured, his heart heavy with grief for Longjia Shangren. The Western Regions Buddhist disciples dared not linger and quickly turned to leave.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the lake, they paused to contact Jiasheng Shangren and the other senior disciples, reporting the incident and Longjia Shangren's tragic fate.
On the other side, the Human Dao Nation cultivators fled, and one of them also looked back. He saw the Nine Lights of the Cavernous Abyss shrouded in mist, and his heart bled at the sight of the colorful cloud-like robe.
To think that the precious Heavenly Master's Robe had fallen into the hands of the Western Regions monks...
And Elder Gao had also been killed.
This matter could not be left unresolved!
"Quick, send a message with a flying sword to report to the sect leader!"
At present, the Human Dao Nation faced suppression from multiple forces united under the Tang imperial family, limiting their ability to respond strongly. In a short period, they would struggle to make their voices heard.
Jiasheng Shangren, the representative of the Western Regions Buddhists in the Southern Wasteland, felt a surge of anger.
Due to various reasons, they had adopted a low-key approach in the human realm, minimizing conflicts and biding their time.
When Sangjie Shangren was beaten by Tang Xiatang, the Western Regions Buddhists chose to endure and downplay the incident.
Now, Sangjie Shangren had been killed by Wei Ancheng.
Soon after, Longjia Shangren also fell to the hands of the Human Dao Nation cultivators.
Was it so easy to trample on them as if they were pushovers?
As a ninth-tier Buddhist master, Jiasheng Shangren had cultivated his mind for many years. Although anger arose within him, he quickly calmed his mind once again.
However, this did not stop him from spreading the news of the Heavenly Master's Robe falling into the hands of the Human Dao Nation, while also urgently contacting the Tang imperial family and Yuan Mobai, the current representative of the Heavenly Master's Mansion in the Southern Wasteland, to discuss the matter.
Jiasheng Shangren rushed to the Yujiang River basin, only to find the place in disarray, with no trace of Longjia Shangren's remains.
Lei Jun had already left the area.
After finding a relatively safe and hidden place, he contacted his master, Yuan Mobai, and exchanged a few words.
Yuan Mobai feigned ignorance about the situation, but upon hearing the news of the Heavenly Master's Robe, he showed great interest and immediately made his way to the Yujiang River basin.
Neither he nor Jiasheng Shangren found any clues.
For a moment, both sides directed their suspicions towards the Human Dao Nation, sharing a sense of outrage.
However, a different narrative soon began to circulate in the Southern Wasteland:
The Western Regions Buddhists were crying thief, framing the Human Dao Nation for stealing the Heavenly Master's Robe.
Elder Gao Yuyang of the Shushan Sect had also lost his life in the process.
As for Longjia Shangren, he was merely pretending to be dead, lying low and keeping out of sight!
However, their current circumstances limited their ability to spread their version of events, and their voices were not as loud as those of the Western Regions Buddhists.
But from that point on, whenever Jiasheng Shangren and the other Western Regions Buddhists encountered Yuan Mobai, they felt that his gaze held a hint of strangeness.
Upon closer inspection, the purple-robed youth still maintained his usual gentle and polite demeanor.
"I naturally do not believe the words of those who have betrayed our Daoist sect," Yuan Mobai said sincerely, his tone earnest, almost pleading. "All of you are upright and honorable. If you capture the Human Dao Nation cultivators and learn of the whereabouts of the Heavenly Master's Robe, please do not hesitate to inform us. Our sect will be forever grateful and will certainly reward you handsomely."
Jiasheng Shangren replied, "Your words are too kind, Elder Yuan. The Human Dao Nation are heretics and deviants. By temporarily holding onto our Daoist sect's treasure, they are only sowing bitter fruits for themselves. We will definitely assist your sect in retrieving the treasure."
Yuan Mobai asked, "What of Longjia Shangren...?"
Jiasheng Shangren's expression darkened as he replied, "Longjia, my junior disciple, fell victim to the heretics."
"Indeed, I deeply regret his passing as well," Yuan Mobai agreed.
The Vajra Sect Master standing opposite to him felt a rare sense of frustration.
If only Longjia Shangren had managed to bring back the Heavenly Master's Robe. Then, everything would have been easier to explain.
Jiasheng Shangren had the patience to engage in verbal sparring and outwit his opponents.
However, the current problem was that the robe was nowhere to be found, and their fellow disciple had perished.
On top of that, they were being blamed for something they didn't do!
Those damned traitors, Fu Dongsen, Wei Qi Yue, Hong Jie, Rong Guangchen, Gu Han, and the rest of the Human Dao Nation! You will pay for this!
Shangguan Yunbo and Prince Xiang Zhang Luo also arrived to mediate between the Heavenly Master's Mansion and the Western Regions Buddhists, and for the time being, the blame was directed solely at the Human Dao Nation.
Yuan Mobai maintained a calm and collected demeanor, neither rushing nor showing anger.
Everyone was relieved that the representative of the Heavenly Master's Mansion in the Southern Wasteland was him and not Xu Yuanzhen or Tang Xiatang...
However, Shangguan Yunbo and Zhang Luo could sense that Yuan Mobai still held some suspicions towards the Western Regions Buddhists and had not truly let go of his guard.
They could only continue mediating on the surface while sighing inwardly.
In truth, even Shangguan Yunbo, Zhang Luo, and the others were uncertain whether the Heavenly Master's Robe was with the Western Regions Buddhists or the Human Dao Nation. For the time being, they had to maintain stability.
While Yuan Mobai appeared amicable on the surface, his true thoughts and emotions remained unchanged when he was alone.
When communicating with Lei Jun, he cautioned, "This trip might be a bit risky."
Lei Jun acknowledged, "Master, your disciple understands."
Fortunately, he had the light sphere in his mind, and if it warned him of any danger, he would immediately retreat.
Hmm, in addition to their original plan involving the White Lotus Sect, they now had to deal with the Blood River Sect and the Human Dao Nation. As for the Jiuli, there didn't seem to be a suitable opportunity yet... Lei Jun thought to himself.
It seemed that he had stumbled upon a golden opportunity.
Who could blame him for loving deeply? Even if the Western Regions Buddhists were to make enemies of the entire world, I would still stand by them.
Hmm? You don't intend to make enemies of the entire world?
Well, that's because you have me.
PS: 7k5 chapters
(End of Chapter)
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