Chapter 454: 453. A Place More Familiar Than Home

Chapter 454: 453. A Place More Familiar Than Home

"Mount Sumeru and Sappho?" Tang Xiaotang's eyebrows furrowed.

Lei Jun replied, "While I can't be absolutely certain, it's most likely one of the two."

"Of course, they won't readily admit it if we ask them," Tang Xiaotang said eagerly. "If not, just like Kunlun, we can break in directly!"

Lei Jun said, "The situation with Kunlun and Zhou Tian Daoist was somewhat special."

Zhou Tian Daoist had deep connections with the ancient Talisman School's inheritance and the former members of the Immortal Palace.

Not to mention other factors, Lei Jun's Seal of Heaven had knocked him out with a single blow during that battle.

After the battle, Xu Yuanzhen's Dust Sword disappeared, but Lei Jun's Seal of Heaven remained.

However, using the same method on Wise Wisdom Venerable and Venerable Puguang might not yield the same results.

Strictly speaking, Kunlun wasn't entirely under Zhou Tian Daoist's control at the time.

Not only did Kunwu Sect's Zhao Chanyang return after ascending to immortality, but even before his departure, when he left Kunlun for secluded cultivation in the Beyond-Void Space, Zhou Tian Daoist couldn't fully control all of Kunlun.

Although Bai Mei left Kunlun's Great Crimson Sky without leaving behind even a speck of alchemy furnace ash for future generations, her intangible influence on Kunlun was deeper than anyone had anticipated.

To be precise, it was no longer appropriate to say that she still had any influence over Kunlun.

This situation perfectly exemplified the old saying:

Incompetent in success, competent in failure.

The Founding Patriarch of the Shushan Sect himself couldn't claim to have occupied Kunlun, but if others had such intentions, it would depend on her mood.

Unlike Zhou Tian Daoist in Kunlun, Wise Wisdom Venerable and Venerable Puguang, by residing in Mount Sumeru and Sappho respectively, had established an absolute home-field advantage with their immortal powers.

Moreover, with Zhou Tian Daoist's previous experience as a warning, Wise Wisdom Venerable would naturally be more cautious and vigilant.

Lei Jun said, "Little Senior Sister, the situation in Mount Sumeru is completely different now compared to when we first entered."

Tang Xiaotang said, "We are also completely different from before."

Lei Jun nodded, "That's true. Especially since His Majesty Tang has already achieved enlightenment, and Senior Sister and you have ascended the Bridge of Understanding."

"However, compared to the past, Mount Sumeru might also have external support now. The situation with Golden Khan Ang Qinfu and the Kunpeng Demon Sage in the Return Abyss is unclear, and we have limited intelligence at the moment."

Ang Qinfu was forced to enter deep slumber in the Beyond-Void Space, making communication with the mortal world inconvenient.

This doesn't mean that the Golden Khanate in the Remnants of Great Song couldn't contact him, but there's a great deal of uncertainty involved.

If it weren't for this, the Wolf Khan Kingdom and the Remnants of Great Song wouldn't be suppressed by the Golden Khanate alone.

"If they are truly working together so closely, why didn't they attack us or Sappho first?" Tang Xiaotang asked after some thought.

Lei Jun explained, "Wise Wisdom Venerable and the Kunpeng Demon Sage wouldn't easily leave Mount Sumeru and the Return Abyss to launch an offensive. They would also be concerned about their own territories, and there might be other reservations that prevent them from committing fully.

If they are defending their homes, they might be more inclined to think of the saying, 'When one's neighbor's house is on fire, one's own house will also be affected.'"

He spread his palms, "Of course, if Mount Sumeru is attacked, it's not certain that Golden Khan Ang Qinfu and the Kunpeng Demon Sage will personally come to their aid.

But if we do take action, we should certainly consider these factors."

"Your words sound similar to Senior Brother Wang's!" Tang Xiaotang puffed out her cheeks.

Lei Jun said, "I don't disagree with Senior Brother Wang's views, but I don't have his profound cultivation level.

Even if our entire Shushan Sect were to join forces with the entire Tang Dynasty's cultivation world, it would still be a formidable force.

However, firstly, we need to be vigilant about potential internal threats and prevent others from taking advantage, and secondly, the outcome of such a large-scale battle is hard to predict at this time.

If, in addition to His Majesty Tang, Senior Sister and you can also reach the immortal realm, then it would be a different story.

The situation in Sappho is similar."

Venerable Puguang didn't seem to have as many allies as Wise Wisdom Venerable.

However, the situation in Sappho was somewhat special.

In Buddhist teachings, the world of Sappho, also known as the World of Endurance, symbolizes the place where sentient beings reside amidst the ten evils, refusing to leave, thus becoming a world of five impurities. It stands in opposition to the Pure Land, but the Buddha uses great wisdom, great compassion, and great courage to teach and transform within it.

One of the worlds in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths has been under the control of the Buddhist Sect for many years, known as Sappho. Over the years, Buddhist disciples have been cultivating in accordance with the wondrous teachings of the Buddha, creating a pure land within, expelling the evil, and forming a separate existence called the Land of Endurance, which isolates Sappho from the Nine Heavens.

Sappho is one of the Nine Heavens, not a world of endless calamities like the Yellow Spring. However, the more the Pure Land and the evil lands are separated and opposed, the stronger the Land of Endurance becomes.

Therefore, although Sappho is connected to the mortal world through a void portal, with Venerable Puguang's determination, the accumulated power of the Land of Endurance over thousands of years has made it almost impenetrable. It can be considered the most sealed-off place, making it difficult for even those in the immortal realm to enter alone, let alone mortals. It would require the combined efforts of multiple people to attempt it.

"If it weren't for this, during the Penglai Incident, when Yan Keji's identity was revealed, Senior Sister would have taken the opportunity to enter Sappho."

Lei Jun said, "In recent years, she has been studying and contemplating, but most of her time and energy were focused on Kunlun and Zhou Tian Daoist.

After resolving the issues with Kunlun and Zhou Tian Daoist, she has likely resumed her research on Venerable Puguang and Sappho."

Tang Xiaotang's eyes shone with determination, "In any case, once I achieve enlightenment and become an immortal, our problems will be solved, right?"

Lei Jun calmly replied, "Of course."

Tang Xiaotang rubbed her palms excitedly, "Excellent!"

Lei Jun reminded her, "Don't forget that Junior Nephew Hua Rong is about to receive his ordination soon!"

Tang Xiaotang waved her hand casually.

Lei Jun smiled and shook his head.

He remained in Penglai, silently accumulating his Seven Pure Qis while observing the four directions through the Jade Purity Heaven Wheel Mirror.

At the same time, he contemplated the mysteries of the Great Vehicle Dao Scenery and the Vajra Realm, attempting to find a way around the obstruction of the Great Jin Mountain River Map and determine the location of the Jade Purity Mirrored Heaven.

…………………

Mount Sumeru.

The masters of the Treasure Division, Vaddatha, and the master of the Karma Division, Jatarupa, both sat at the foot of Mount Sumeru, their gazes fixed on the east.

There, a faint blue Buddha light rippled.

One of the five divisions of the Vajra Realm on Mount Sumeru, the Blissful Land of the Vajra Division, had been rebuilt.

However, it was far from its former glory.

"With the Venerable's emergence from seclusion and the reestablishment of the Vajra Perfection Bodhimata Chart by the Buddha Division, the Blissful Land has finally reappeared," Vaddatha, the master of the Treasure Division, sighed softly.

"It's a pity that the Akshobhya Elephant Seat and the Five Pronged Vajra still haven't been recast and consecrated in time."

Jatarupa, the master of the Karma Division, shook his head. "To recreate such precious Buddha treasures, we need not only the Venerable's divine abilities but also other heavenly treasures. It's not something that can be rushed."

As they spoke, a hint of darkness clouded their expressions.

It wasn't just the Akshobhya Elephant Seat and the Five Pronged Vajra of the Vajra Division that were missing. After the loss of the Lotus Division's master, Zongga, the Amithabha Peacock Seat and the Single Pronged Vajra had also disappeared from Mount Sumeru.

Fortunately, the Dharma Perfection Bodhimata Chart of the Lotus Division was still present on Mount Sumeru.

With the Central Buddha Eye and the Four Great Bodhimata Charts in the Five Buddha Land Purelands, the foundations of the five divisions in the Vajra Realm of Mount Sumeru remained relatively stable, ensuring the continuity of their lineage.

The Lotus Division was fine, but the casualties in the Vajra Division years ago had been severe.

From top to bottom, it had been almost completely emptied.

"It's been about twenty years since then," Jatarupa sighed. "But it's still not enough."

Even with the Wise Wisdom Venerable's emergence from seclusion, it would take a while for the Vajra Division to regain its former glory.

They had to start almost from scratch.

Although the empowerment ritual of the Mount Sumeru Buddhist Sect was profound, it couldn't create something out of nothing.

After twenty years of recovery, the Vajra Division had only managed to cultivate a group of lower-level Buddhist disciples, with few high-level experts.

"If only Luo Chi had managed to avoid that calamity back then..." Vaddatha shook his head slightly.

Jatarupa remained silent, knowing that any words would only rub salt in his companion's wounds.

When the disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion invaded Mount Sumeru, it was Vaddatha who had been left in charge of the mountain.

Unfortunately, he had been preoccupied with stabilizing the Mount Sumeru seal, arriving just a step too late.

That one step had resulted in the near-total annihilation of the Blissful Land of the Vajra Division.

Luo Chi, a direct disciple of the Vajra Division's master Galodo, had been an outstanding young successor of the Vajra Division on Mount Sumeru, despite only having the cultivation of the Eighth Heaven.

If he hadn't perished in that battle, he would have undoubtedly achieved the Dharmakaya and ascended to the Ninth Heaven by now.

With him leading the way, even if the Vajra Division had to rebuild from scratch, the situation would be much better than it was now.

But Vaddatha didn't say more, knowing that if Luo Chi had survived that ordeal, it meant the situation hadn't been dire enough to nearly wipe out the Vajra Division.

As they spoke, a figure approached on foot from the distance.

This person had a dignified appearance, with a youthful face, and was none other than Vimoksha, the master of the Mount Sumeru Lotus Division.

Vaddatha and Jatarupa both clasped their hands in greeting, "Senior Brother."

After returning the greeting, Vimoksha asked, "Have we received a response from the Golden Khan?"

Vaddatha shook his head, "Not yet, but Haseon and the others have already begun preparations for the western expedition with the Golden Khanate."

Jatarupa nodded, "I'll go see the Venerable."

…………………

The Great Song Dynasty World.

Capital of the Golden Khanate.

Inside a palace with distinct Han-style architecture, a group of people gathered.

Leading them were three individuals, two of whom were tall and robust, with youthful features.

One wore luxurious clothing, his vitality as vigorous as the blazing sun.

The other donned monastic robes, lined with crimson, and although he had the distinct features of an exotic tribe like the other Golden Khanate nobles present, his appearance was dignified and compassionate.

The first was Ars Lang, the eldest son of Golden Khan Ang Qinfu and a martial saint of the exotic tribes.

The second was Haseon, who, despite being from an exotic tribe, had devoted himself to the Mount Sumeru Buddhist Sect and succeeded Zongga as the master of the Lotus Division.

However, at this moment, they, along with the others, were facing a woman.

She was tall, not inferior to Ars Lang, and her vitality was even more fiery and intense.

She was Harita, the second strongest in the Golden Khanate after Golden Khan Ang Qinfu had opened the Immortal Gate and left the mortal world.

Facing Ars Lang, her attitude and tone were as usual, "This time, during the western expedition, Alata will accompany us. As for the Capital, it's up to you and the others."

Ars Lang nodded, "Good."

Alata, the former mount of Golden Khan Ang Qinfu, was an extremely ferocious tiger demon, comparable to a human expert at the Fifth Level of the Ninth Heaven.

Strictly speaking, if not limited to the human race, Alata was the second strongest in the Golden Khanate.

Golden Khan Ang Qinfu had broken through the Ninth Heaven and attained the position of Martial Immortal due to his unique understanding of the art of riding and martial arts, which had also greatly benefited Alata.

Over the years, Alata had remained secluded in the Capital, further advancing his cultivation.

However, this western expedition held great significance for the Golden Khanate.

Alata had agreed to come out of seclusion and join Harita and Haseon on this expedition.

Their target was the Wolf Khan Kingdom.

As a powerful demon, Alata was eager for battle.

"After you achieve results in the west, we will begin in the south," Ars Lang said.

Harita and the new master of the Lotus Division, Haseon, responded, "Exactly."

They led a large number of experts from the Golden Khanate and the Mount Sumeru Lotus Division out of the Capital.

Accompanying them was a roar that shook the heavens and the earth, a tiger's roar that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard it.

Harita and Haseon looked up at the vast blue sky, hoping to receive a response from the Great Khan as soon as possible during this expedition.

Before this, the Golden Khanate and the Wolf Khan Kingdom had clashed numerous times.

But this time, the Wolf Khan Kingdom felt an even greater pressure.

Because of this, the Tiger Demon Alata, who had once cultivated alongside Golden Khan Ang Qinfu, finally officially joined the battle.

The entire Wolf Khan Kingdom clearly felt that their opponent's strength had significantly improved compared to the past.

As a result, aside from Wolf Khan Zhuorilige, the Wolf Khan Kingdom had no one capable of opposing them.

And just as Zhuorilige was hesitant to engage due to the uncertain situation with Ang Qinfu, Alata emerged.

Upon Alata's appearance, the Wolf Khan Kingdom's forces scattered and retreated.

Taking advantage of the victory, Harita, the Lotus Division Master of Summi, and others pursued them, heading further west and far beyond the desert.

News of this reached the remnants of the Great Song, causing a stir.

The remnants of the Great Song were pleased to see the infighting among the foreign tribes.

However, Alata's emergence from the capital of the Golden Khanate also made high-ranking individuals like Zhu Junjie uneasy.

"The Khan Ang Qinfu might have big plans in mind, and we must not take this lightly," Zhu Junjie warned the others.

A middle-aged Taoist wearing a black and white robe, dressed in the traditional style of the Pure Yang Palace, asked in a soft voice, "After the destruction of the Yuluo Valley in the Jingxiang region, has the Earth Sea ever reappeared?"

Zhu Junjie shook his head, "I went to check recently, and I haven't seen the Void Gate reopen. Not only is the Earth Sea not there, but Kongsang and Yellow Spring have also not returned to the mortal realm."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions became even more solemn.

Zhu Junjie then asked the Pure Yang Palace elder, "Is it possible to contact Elder Zheng from your sect at the moment?"

The elder sighed, "Elder Zheng left a message saying he was going into seclusion, but no one knows where he is, and we can't contact him either."

Everyone's mood became even heavier.

...

Lei Jun was at the Penglai Monastery's Sky Observing Platform, observing the four directions of the world through the Jade Purity Heaven Wheel Mirror.

Seeing the Tiger Demon Alata emerge from the capital of the Golden Khanate and drive the people of the Wolf Khan Kingdom westward, Lei Jun seemed deep in thought.

After a while, he calmed his mind and continued his cultivation.

The seven pure breaths of Haoling continued to accumulate, but instead of feeling increasingly profound, they became increasingly sharp.

Accompanying this process, Lei Jun's cultivation in the fourth level of the Ninth Heaven progressed steadily.

One day, his junior brother Chu Kun came to see him, "Senior Brother, there's something I want to tell you."

Lei Jun asked, "What is it?"

"I want to invite you to a place..."

Chu Kun spoke in a deep voice, "...a world outside the mortal realm!"

Lei Jun was neither surprised nor refused. He looked at Chu Kun and said, "If you feel it's necessary, we can go anytime. Does Master know about this?"

Chu Kun nodded, "Master knows. He said he would stay to guard the mountain gate and instructed me to come and see you and Senior Sister Tang. But for now, I can only take one person with me to that place."

Lei Jun asked, "Grand Rectum? Continuous Mountains? Blue Heaven? Dark Margin?"

Most of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had already appeared in the mortal realm.

The Azure Abyss, Summi, Sappho, Kunlun, Penglai, Datong, Guizang, Spirit Mountain, and Blue Heaven were collectively known as the Nine Heavens.

Dark Margin, Earth Sea, Yellow Spring, Wu Jian, Luo Yuan, Kongsang, Continuous Mountains, Return Abyss, Great Wilderness, and Grand Rectum were known as the Ten Earths.

Among them, Penglai, Datong, Guizang, and Yellow Spring could be said to be completely under the control of the Great Tang's cultivation world.

Kunlun, Wu Jian, Luo Yuan, and Earth Sea were also places that Lei Jun and others had encountered.

The Azure Abyss, Summi, Sappho, Return Abyss, and Kongsang were known to be occupied by high-level cultivators from the Ninth Heaven.

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Spirit Mountain Witch Sect, which had always been in opposition to the Sappho Buddhist Sect, might also have a Witch King in the Immortal Realm.

The Great Wilderness was the homeland of the foreign tribes in the Great Song's mortal realm. The reason Golden Khan Ang Qinfu chose to enter suspended animation in the void instead of returning to the Great Wilderness was likely because it had truly become a desolate wasteland, at least for the time being.

With this calculation, the place that Chu Kun wanted to invite Lei Jun to visit could only be one of the four places: Grand Rectum, Continuous Mountains, Blue Heaven, or Dark Margin.

Of course, it couldn't be completely ruled out that it might be somewhere else.

"Although I'm more familiar with that place than my family's ancestral land, to be honest, I still can't determine exactly where it is."

In a world that has its own currents

I feel like it's one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, but when I compare it to the records in the sect's ancient books, it doesn't match any of the known worlds."

Lei Jun patted his shoulder, "Junior Brother, you're indeed an onion, and Senior Brother will be very pleased to know this."

"I still can't compare to Senior Brother."

After a moment of humility, Chu Kun continued, "About ten years ago, that world started to change, and the changes became more apparent in recent years. It's not a disadvantageous change for me, but since I don't understand the situation, I always feel a bit uneasy."

Since the matter had been brought up, Lei Jun decided to ask, "Is that the reason why you suddenly appeared in the Ming Dynasty's mortal realm?"

Chu Kun smiled bitterly, "It was just a coincidence, and I corrected it later, but who knows if there will be other new situations in the future?"

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly, "This is indeed very interesting. Let's go and take a look."

He made some preparations and then signaled Chu Kun to begin.

Chu Kun raised both hands simultaneously, pointing one hand's fingers at Lei Jun's forehead and the other hand to his own forehead, and then lightly tapped it.

Lei Jun immediately felt the light in front of him flicker, and an invisible force tried to move him through the void.

The preparations he had made earlier came in handy at this moment.

Far away in the Yu Yu Heaven Palace on Kunlun Mountain, Xu Yuanzhen, seated in meditation, watched with interest as the stone knife floating in front of her trembled and glowed!

She casually waved the Heaven-Viewing and Earth-Listening Talisman, sending a message to Lei Jun:

"Grand Rectum."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end