Chapter 375: A New Joy

Chapter 375: A New Joy

Canglang Yan was located on the southern coast of Fan Renjian. It formed a unique terrain that extended outwards, with towering cliffs and rocks overlooking the sea.

Below the cliffs, the waves crashed relentlessly.

This place was desolate and rarely visited due to the hidden underwater currents that often caused shipwrecks.

From a distance, Lei Jun gazed towards the direction of Canglang Yan.

High in the sky, the Grand Zhou Heaven Law Mirror emitted a radiant glow that converged and swept across the area surrounding Canglang Yan.

As the mirror's light reflected, Lei Jun's eyes, enhanced by the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu, shone with a subtle brilliance.

What appeared to be a normal seaside landscape with cliffs to outsiders was, in fact, a very different scene to Lei Jun's discerning eyes.

Beneath the cliffs, a massive black lotus seemed to be blooming at the bottom of the sea, covering a vast area.

The already turbulent waters became wilder as they came into contact with the black lotus, their currents clashing and creating even more unrest.

The Dharma teachings of Da Kong Temple were known for their destructive nature, possessing an extremely aggressive offensive capability.

Even when used for defense, they exuded a formidable attacking posture.

Rare were the esoteric teachings like the Diantou Round Mirror Intellect Array that remained relatively concealed.

The Diantou Array appeared calm before activation, but it was inherently impossible to hide within it. Both before and after activation, it embodied the true meaning of annihilation.

Currently, the black lotus struggled to conceal its inner tranquility while its outer restlessness was evident.

The monks of Da Kong Temple were well-versed in the topography of the southern coast and had specifically chosen this secluded spot to maximize the concealment of their traces.

However, as Lei Jun's cultivation deepened, the mysteries of the Grand Zhou Heaven Law Mirror and the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu also unfolded, allowing him to perceive the existence of the gigantic black lotus despite the distance and the waters between them.

This black lotus was surprisingly intricate, appearing wild yet containing subtle intricacies... A faint thought crossed Lei Jun's mind.

First, he used the Grand Zhou Heaven Law Mirror to scan the surroundings, finding no other anomalies or signs of anyone approaching. Then, his figure descended from the cliffs of Canglang Yan, landing in the sea.

Silently, a massive opaque black sphere unfolded, its surface shimmering with a tranquil cosmic radiance. Various astral bodies moved within, each following its unique laws and trajectories, resembling a miniature universe.

This small universe directly enveloped the enormous black lotus, capturing it within.

The black lotus, which had been subtly trembling, now entered a more vigorous state of blooming.

As the black lotus blossomed, waves of black ripples radiated from its center, spreading outwards into the surrounding cosmic abyss, shaking the very foundations of this small universe.

Soon, a black figure of a Buddha emerged and seated itself at the heart of the black lotus.

With the black Buddha's appearance, the ripples that spread outwards took on an even more formidable destructive force.

Even the surrounding cosmic void seemed to be affected, as signs of rupturing and folding appeared around the black lotus.

But then, a thunderous black dragon appeared, accompanied by a tidal wave of pitch-black lightning that submerged the gigantic black lotus.

Influenced by this, the black Buddha figure seemed to shake, almost detaching from the black lotus.

The black Buddha opened its eyes, its gaze icy cold, a mix of calmness and madness within. It was a contradictory sight.

As the Buddha's eyes opened, the black lotus showed signs of stabilizing once again.

However, like astral bodies shifting in the distant cosmic expanse, a fierce tiger's roar reverberated, and a majestic mountain-like tiger of crimson flame descended from the heavens, pouncing directly towards the black Buddha's head.

The black Buddha raised its hand, palm facing upwards, halting the descent of the fiery tiger.

As the black ripples pulsated outwards, the massive tiger's body trembled, its crimson flame flickering erratically.

"Lei Jun of Longhu Mountain!" The black Buddha's voice resonated like a tolling bell.

The ripples spreading from its center grew more intense.

He had never interacted directly with Lei Jun.

However, in the current Daoist circle of the Great Tang, there was hardly anyone unaware of the prowess and reputation of Lei Jun, the contemporary Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain.

The appearance of such formidable Heavenly True Fire and the formidable Xuan Xiao Celestial Lightning together was as distinctive as a signature.

In the starlit cosmos, Lei Jun's towering figure emerged.

He gazed calmly at the black Buddha, "Yuan Mie of Da Kong Temple."

As he spoke, the Yang Huo Tiger, condensed from the Heavenly True Fire, blazed more fiercely, its body now resembling a grand sun, with tongues of fire lashing out from its edges.

The already mountain-like tiger transformed, becoming even larger.

In an instant, intertwining gold and crimson, it resembled a true sun, pressing down on the black Buddha's head.

Simultaneously, a black sea of lightning surged, submerging the black lotus beneath the black Buddha's feet.

"Seize!"

The black Buddha, the embodiment of Da Kong Temple's Abbot Yuan Mie, bellowed, his voice like a chant that drove one to the brink of madness.

Suddenly, black malevolent flames appeared on the black Buddha's body, carrying an eerie contradictory nature wherever they touched.

These malevolent flames induced contradictions and disharmony in all they contacted, their influence pervasive yet subtle and intricate. Their outer manifestation was one of wild destruction and violence.

Although Lei Jun's descending Heavenly Fire Ancestor figure wasn't annihilated, it was still pushed away by Yuan Mie's bizarre and overpowering means, unable to descend for the moment.

Facing the surging black sea of lightning below, the black Buddha stomped, and black malevolent waters surged to counter the advancing lightning.

The oppressive lightning couldn't continue upwards.

However, the black lotus beneath the black Buddha's feet was now completely submerged.

A few other figures clad in black monastic robes, disciples of Da Kong Temple, hastily took to the skies, fleeing this place.

But then, in the cosmic void, purple lightning crackled, and verdant green flames sprouted from afar.

In the distant starry expanse, apart from the crimson Heavenly True Fire, there was also the emerald green Nine Abyss True Fire flowing towards this location.

Within the brilliant yellow expanse of the Primordial Magnetic Sea, a profusion of purple electricity converged and took the form of a colossal male dragon, its head emerging forward.

Where the purple lightning met the verdant green flames, they instantly engulfed the disciples of the Great Temple.

The dark Buddha, which was the incarnation of Yuan Mie, brought his palms together and then apart, forming a reverent gesture as he held them close to his chest.

However, the dark Yin Dragon below had already swept away the massive black lotus.

At the same time, the purple Yang Dragon and the verdant green Yin Fire Tiger intersected in mid-air, and with the harmony of opposites, a purple and green Harmony Diagram manifested.

The roar of thunder, the dance of flames, at this moment joined the dragon's roar and the tiger's roar.

As the purple and green Harmony Diagram rotated, the formidable radiance of the dragon and tiger's combined attack shone upon the dark Buddha.

A faint aura enveloped the seemingly sinister dark Buddha, and strangely, it exuded a sense of solemn dignity.

But upon closer inspection, it was filled with contradictions, driving one to the brink of madness.

The dazzling radiance of the dragon and tiger's combined attack shone upon the dark Buddha, and for a moment, even this bizarre Buddhist light was blocked.

If one were to delve into the details, the celestial radiance born from the fusion of heavenly fire and thunder was constantly destroying the peculiar Buddhist light.

However, conversely, the peculiar Buddhist light possessed formidable destructive power, likewise shattering the radiance formed by the fusion of heavenly fire and thunder.

Both sides were locked in a mutual state of destruction.

The brilliant radiance of the dragon and tiger's combined attack was unable to directly assault Yuan Mie for the time being.

The power of destruction that permeated Yuan Mie's being was also unable to manifest, confined to a small area.

Compared to Lei Jun, Yuan Mie was relatively unfamiliar with the heritage of the Great Temple.

He had heard that in the Great Temple, the Nine Heavens realm was not referred to as the Divine Realm as in other orthodox Buddhist sects and the White Lotus Sect.

In the Great Temple, the Nine Heavens realm was known as the Great Annihilation Realm.

The realm below it, the Eight Heavens, was called the Void Realm.

At present, Abbot Yuan Mie had attained a cultivation where he could manipulate the four elements in disharmony and contradiction, thus manifesting the state of annihilation of all things.

Lei Jun stood on the black lotus, observing with interest the black-robed figure before him.

But his hands were not idle.

The dark Yin Dragon and the scarlet Yang Fire Tiger merged once more.

And so, in the cosmic void, in addition to the purple and green Harmony Diagram, a new black and red Harmony Diagram emerged.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Mie brought his palms together in front of his dark Buddha incarnation. Then, with a swift motion, he opened his palms outward.

Accompanying this action, streaks of white light appeared on the surface of the dark Buddha.

From within, the dark Buddha's body began to crack, revealing flickering streaks of white light.

As white light shone, the surrounding profound yellow void seemed to transform into a flat scroll, with cracks of flickering white light appearing as if it were about to tear.

Indeed, the heritage of the Great Temple was renowned for its destructive power, and with this single move, Yuan Mie, who had attained the Eight Heavens Perfection realm, displayed attack and destructive power almost comparable to some cultivators of the Nine Heavens realm.

However, at this moment, as the black and red Harmony Diagram rotated, another brilliant radiance burst forth, striking the dark Buddha.

Under the brilliant radiance, among the numerous flickering cracks of white light, the white light faded, leaving only the silent cracks.

The profound yellow void of the universe returned to its original state.

Only the dark Buddha itself, under the illumination of the intersecting brilliant lights, silently shattered and then turned to ash.

A young monk clad in black robes appeared, his features handsome yet his gaze proud. He was none other than Yuan Mie, the current abbot of the Great Temple.

After the dark Buddha shattered, Yuan Mie himself was enveloped by the intersecting brilliant lights of the two Harmony Diagrams.

However, it was at this instant that Yuan Mie raised his hand, pointing one last finger at Lei Jun.

Dark energy condensed from his body, transforming into a sharp line that pierced through the vast void, aiming straight at Lei Jun's face.

The power of the Great Temple's dharma was adept at destruction, integrating offense and defense, but their true specialty remained their attacking and destructive capabilities.

Lei Jun's attention turned to the black lotus at that moment.

At the center of the lotus, something remained, emitting a faint white light that seemed to tear through the void.

Through that white light, Lei Jun sensed that it was not connected to Yuan Mie but rather to someone else.

A distinct will, unlike anything from this world, was being expressed.

As far as Lei Jun knew, the Dark Temple tradition rarely created sacred statues or engaged in worship.

However, within the white light at the center of the black lotus, a faint and illusory silhouette of a sage seemed to appear and disappear. With his current insight and discernment, Lei Jun quickly understood the general idea.

This white light was indeed foreign to the Great Realm, and it subtly established a connection with another world.

Yuan Mie could communicate with others through this white light, but doing so was extremely difficult.

Recalling what Kang Ming had said about the Ancient Kingdom, Lei Jun speculated that Yuan Mie might also have established a connection with the Ancient Kingdom.

While the Dark Temple was not a prominent school there, it was still much more prosperous than its counterpart in the Great Realm.

As Yuan Mie died, the white light at the center of the black lotus intensified.

Even across the void separating the Ancient Kingdom and the Great Realm, such a keen sense of awareness... Lei Jun wondered.

The potential hidden dangers mentioned in the upper-middle sign seemed to be related to this.

As Lei Jun pondered, he calmly wiped away the traces with the power of the dark side of the Celestial Tome.

The remnants of the Dark Temple's power were difficult to erase, and their residual force even counterattacked the dark side of the Celestial Tome.

However, Lei Jun's cultivation had also improved over the years, successfully suppressing the Dark Temple's power and sealing away the white light.

A cold, low chant reached his ears, then faded and disappeared.

After dealing with Yuan Mie and the other Dark Temple monks, Lei Jun put away the universe of his Spirit Court, which had been superimposed over the real world.

All that remained in the original location was the enormous black lotus.

This black lotus was quite unique; it was not a manifestation of Yuan Mie's power, nor did it resemble the Nine Lotus Treasure Platform, a prized possession of the White Lotus Sect.

There had been a ritual array running on the black lotus, which Lei Jun observed to be simultaneously connecting with both the Great Realm and the Mystic Sea.

The array would assist the Mystic Sea's inhabitants in further disturbing the geography of the Great Realm.

However, it was not solely for the benefit of the Mystic Sea's inhabitants.

More likely, it was to take advantage of the situation to further tear open the gateway to the Mystic Sea in the South.

Or perhaps, to tear open even more gateways along the southern coast.

Indeed, for Yuan Mie and the Dark Temple, there were no true allies.

Previously, the Great Realm's noble families had been like this, and now, the Mystic Sea's inhabitants were the same.

The Mystic Sea's inhabitants who had long resided in the Mystic Sea were familiar with its environment, but the Great Realm cultivators entering it had to endure harsh conditions, and this influence would undoubtedly put them at a disadvantage.

It seemed that this was the reason why taking the direct route into the Mystic Sea without addressing the situation at the Mystic Shore would have added complications, as mentioned in the upper-middle sign.

From Lei Jun's current perspective, there shouldn't be any major issues.

However, it might affect other Great Realm cultivators and subsequently impact his plans.

Lei Jun did not completely terminate the ritual array but instead used his power to condense a Celestial diagram to seal it.

Then, without destroying it, he left the massive black lotus where it was, at the bottom of the sea below the Mystic Shore.

He carefully inspected the black lotus, and after confirming that there were no other abnormalities or presences nearby, he departed.

On his way, he examined some of Yuan Mie's personal collection.

Due to the unique power and intent of the Dark Temple tradition, they rarely refined sacred artifacts.

Yuan Mie did not leave behind many possessions.

Aside from the enormous black lotus left at the bottom of the sea, two items particularly drew Lei Jun's attention.

One of them seemed to fluctuate between substance and void, constantly shifting between the two states and exuding a wondrous spiritual energy. It appeared to be a primordial treasure.

Lei Jun's heart stirred, and a name flashed through his mind:

Void Breaker's Stone of Origin.

"Oh?" Lei Jun's eyes lit up.

He recalled that this was exactly what Sophia had been searching for.

It was one of the treasures she needed to elevate her Pure Yang Body to the level of the Grand Daoed Primal Body.

Tang Xiaotang didn't have such convenience, but at the moment, she could experience a new kind of happiness from another aspect.

Aside from the stone that shatters illusions and returns to the origin, another item that caught Lei Jun's attention was a black bowl.

This bowl emanated a very peculiar aura.

After a brief examination, Lei Jun channeled his spiritual energy into the black bowl, which then cultivated and transformed into a sinister aura.

His speculation proven, Lei Jun understood the situation.

No wonder Da Kong Temple could attract some powerful demons.

There was a mutually beneficial transactional relationship between the two parties.

Da Kong Temple aided the demons in their cultivation, and in return, they borrowed the demons' power.

Because of the bowl's unique purpose, there was no need to worry about it being taken by force.

"Clever," Lei Jun said, holding the bowl and nodding slightly.

He raised his other hand and, with a swift motion, sliced the black bowl in half, causing it to turn to ashes.

After inspecting the other items left by Yuan Mie, Lei Jun kept them and continued on his journey.

He passed through the layers of black mist via the void portals and entered the Earthly Sea.

As he traveled within the Earthly Sea, Lei Jun's appearance seemed fairly normal.

However, he did not directly join the battle between the Nine Li people.

After another exchange of messages with Tang Xiaotang, Lei Jun adapted to and observed his surroundings within the Earthly Sea.

He eventually stopped in the Jiazuo Mountain area, one of the Five Peaks and Seven Abyss regions of the Earthly Sea, and proceeded to set up a ritual platform.

The ritual implements prepared by Yuan Mie earlier were now rearranged by Lei Jun, but they had completely transformed.

After Lei Jun's modifications, the function of the ritual implements had changed entirely.

Lei, the Celestial Master, walked around the ritual platform, his feet stepping on the Heavenly Steps.

As the black and white energies intertwined, the ritual platform formed a Yin-Yang Tai Chi diagram, from which countless stars rose.

Scattered like stars, they vaguely formed a kind of formation.

Within the formation, the stars corresponded with the human realm outside the Earthly Sea.

Chu Kun and Zhang Mu, who had stayed in the human realm outside the Earthly Sea earlier, suddenly saw the numerous spots they had set up with Lei Jun glowing, like new stars.

Zhang Mu observed for a while and, upon hearing the commotion within the Earthly Sea, gradually understood, "The Celestial Master is also setting up a ritual platform and performing rituals within the Earthly Sea, with the ritual implements inside and outside the Earthly Sea working together and resonating with each other."

Chu Kun nodded slightly, gazing into the distance toward the direction of the void portal.

With the ritual implements inside and outside the Earthly Sea working in tandem, the phenomenon of human realm spiritual energy being sucked into the Earthly Sea completely disappeared.

Soon after, in the area east of Jiazuo Mountain in the Earthly Sea, others arrived.

From a distance, Lei Jun saw three groups approaching.

Even before they reached Lei Jun's location at Jiazuo Mountain, these groups had already engaged in battle with each other.

One group consisted of monastic soldiers from the Grand Tang's Divine Strategy Army, most of whom were unfamiliar to Lei Jun. The only one who seemed to be their leader, a middle-aged armored general, was someone Lei Jun recalled meeting during his travels in the imperial capital of Luoyang.

If he remembered correctly, his name was Shen Guangjie, from the Shen clan.

The Shen family was one of the meritorious aristocratic families of the Grand Tang Dynasty during its founding, similar to the Shangguan and Lu clans. Although not as powerful as the Shangguan and Lu clans, they were still quite influential.

The other group was from the Nanhuang Witch Clan of the Grand Tang human realm.

Their leader was Elder Tian Cheng of Yanshan Cave, a sacred site of the Gu (parasitic insect) technique lineage of the Witch Clan.

She led a group of Yanshan Cave disciples, independent of Shen Guangjie's Grand Tang Divine Strategy Army soldiers.

However, at the moment, they joined forces to fight against the third group, which consisted of the Nine Li people.

Their leader was also an Eighth Heaven realm Grand Shaman, just like Tian Cheng.

However, his minor realm was slightly higher than Tian Cheng's, and as a member of the Nine Li people, although he cultivated the incantation lineage, his physical strength far surpassed Tian Cheng's.

This Nine Li Grand Shaman performed the Half-Ghost Descent technique, causing a large amount of black mud to appear on his body.

As the black mud adhered to him, countless large and small ghost faces emerged from it, covering his entire body.

Empowered by this, the physical strength of this incantation lineage Nine Li Grand Shaman increased significantly.

It was entirely different from the Grand Ghost Descent and Small Ghost Descent techniques of the Reincarnation Abyss, the sacred site of the incantation lineage of the Witch Clan in the Grand Tang human realm.

Tian Cheng released countless parasitic insects, spreading them like a sea of flowers, but they were completely ignored by the opponent, who used the Half-Ghost Descent to resist her attack.

Countless parasitic insects landed on the Nine Li Grand Shaman, only to be devoured by the ghost faces that appeared on the black mud covering his body.

Although the ghost faces disappeared as a result, the black mud undulated and flowed, quickly producing new ghost faces.

The Nine Li Grand Shaman wanted to approach Jiazuo Mountain but was blocked by Tian Cheng and the others.

His figure rushed forward, and the black mud covering his body not only failed to slow him down but also made his charge extremely fast and fierce.

Because he devoured countless parasitic insects with the ghost faces, reducing the pressure on the other Nine Li people, a large number of them pressed forward together.

As the Nine Li Grand Shaman approached, his long sword, also enveloped in black mud, slashed towards Tian Cheng.

However, Tian Cheng's figure suddenly disappeared from her original position.

Invisible Gu... The Nine Li Grand Shaman immediately made a judgment.

"Retreat!" he commanded, searching for Tian Cheng's whereabouts while ordering the other Nine Li people to fall back.

The other Yanshan Cave disciples who had been surrounding Tian Cheng earlier had already scattered beforehand.

But it was too late for the Nine Li people to retreat.

Countless black strands, resembling both hair and ropes, burst forth from the spot where Tian Cheng had been standing.

The black strands pierced, entangled, and strangled, covering a large area in an instant.

That area soon became a river of blood, with the bodies of the Nine Li people slaughtered by the green silk threads.

This technique was called the Green Silk Gu, one of Tian Chengzhen's innate Gu worms, which she cultivated after reaching the Upper Three Heavens realm.

Lei Jun, watching from a distance at Jiazuo Mountain, felt that the scene resembled the havoc wreaked by Haiwangju's clones in the north years ago.

Although Tian Chengzhen had been delayed in her cultivation progress due to her injuries, she hadn't held back when she did make her move, resulting in a large-scale slaughter.

"Oh?"

Lei Jun's eyes narrowed as he observed the distant battle, and suddenly, his sleeve twitched.

A black spot appeared on his sleeve, quickly spreading and transforming into a ghostly face.

It was the Ghost-face Descent, a technique from the Cursing lineage of the Witch Clan.

As soon as the ghostly face appeared, a purple thunder dragon roared into existence, illuminating the dim world with its flashing purple electricity.

The Nine Heavenly Thunder Dragon, an embodiment of the Nine Heavenly Thunder, let out a dragon's roar as it flashed and weaved around Lei Jun, protecting him from the ghostly face's approach.

But the ghostly face, transformed by the black mist, did not immediately dissipate. Instead, it displayed resilience, hovering in the air with a supple and pliable demeanor.

At that moment, the Eighth Heaven Grand Shaman, who had been slashing the green silk threads with his sword, vanished from his original position.

Invisible Gu... The Grand Shaman immediately realized what had happened and commanded, "Retreat!"

While searching for the Elder's location, countless black strands, resembling hair and ropes, burst forth from the spot where the Elder had been standing, entangling and strangling everything in their path.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end