Chapter 485: 484. The First Sword of Ascension (Part 1)

Chapter 485: 484. The First Sword of Ascension (Part 1)





"Celestial Master!"

Yue Xi Ling, Yuan Qing Ci, Ji Chuan, Xie Yi Ying, Chen Ning, and others hurriedly approached.

Lei Jun maintained his composure, unperturbed by the situation, and nodded to everyone, "The Pure Sky has reopened, and the former residents of the Celestial Palace have returned to the mortal realm. More storms are yet to come."

As he spoke, he looked into the distance.

In Penglai, at the Sky Observation Platform where the Celestial Palace ruins were located, there was an unusual tremor.

This tremor was not caused by Venerable Radiance but was most likely due to the former residents of the Celestial Palace.

Especially the former Celestial Master of the Talisman Sect, Gaotian Sui.

Although they were not on the same path, Lei Jun would not underestimate him.

The deaths of Yu Shuo and Zhou Tian Daoist might have already been noticed by the other party.

"Whether it's the former residents of the Celestial Palace or the Mortal Dao Kingdom, they should all be consigned to history."

Ji Chuan spoke up, "In the past, I heard Elder Miao Kong of Dragon Temple mention that when the Celestial Master slew Huang Xuanpu of the Mortal Dao Kingdom, he once said that the mortal realm no longer needed the Heavenly Court and the Celestial Emperor. Everyone in our sect deeply agrees with this."

Xie Yi Ying, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.

Yue Xi Ling, Huang Xuanpu's former disciple, spoke briefly but firmly, "As the Celestial Master said, the mortal realm no longer needs the Heavenly Court and the Celestial Emperor."

Lei Jun nodded, "This matter is of great importance. Later, I hope to invite fellow cultivators from various sects to discuss this matter together."

Yuan Qing Ci, the current leader of the Great Ming Shushan Sect, was the first to nod in agreement, "It's most appropriate for the Celestial Master to preside over this matter."

Although the leaders of other Daoist sacred lands were not present, Yue Xi Ling, Ji Chuan, Xie Yi Ying, and Chen Ning were all core figures of their respective lineages, and they all agreed.

While Lei Jun was talking with everyone, he was also observing the scenes in other places and gathering information from various sources to decide on his next move.

...

Previously, when Lei Jun ascended to immortality and entered Penglai, waiting for Venerable Radiance, the Saha world also welcomed an uninvited guest.

Chen Da Dao, a Martial Daoist who had reached the Immortal Realm, was surprised to find that the void of the Saha world was not sealed. Nonetheless, he boldly entered the Saha world.

Upon entering this realm, he took a deep breath.

As a Martial Daoist, he had mastered the art of Qi and Blood Condensation.

Especially since Chen Da Dao was from the Body Cultivation Lineage, all his abilities were concentrated within himself.

Among cultivators of the same level, he was the most capable of enduring the current environment of the mortal realm.

Even so, when he walked in the mortal realm earlier, he could feel that he couldn't completely lock down his Qi flow, and his Immortal Essence Blood Qi was gradually dissipating.

Now that he had entered the Saha world, the unpleasant feeling finally disappeared.

In the Saha world, where the Buddhist aura had already diminished significantly, the Buddhist Dharma aura was now becoming rich again.

After hearing Zhou Tian Daoist briefly mention that the Saha world was occupied by the Daoist Sect, Chen Da Dao almost thought he had come to the wrong place.

He swept his gaze and saw golden light rising from the underground at the Thunder Sound Temple ruins in the distance.

Several figures appeared.

After seeing their appearances clearly, Chen Da Dao's expression became even more peculiar.

There were five people there.

One of them was wearing a red Daoist robe and a Daoist crown, dressed as a Daoist.

However, the other four were all monks.

The central monk, although young, had a dignified bearing and had already manifested the Great Vajra Bodhisattva's Dharma body, with a perfect aura and free-flowing Dharma nature.

Behind this monk was a middle-aged monk in white robes, also a high monk of the Buddhist Vow lineage, who had condensed and manifested the Peacock King Bodhisattva's Dharma body.

As far as Chen Da Dao knew, this was the lineage of the White Lotus Sect.

Recalling something Zhou Tian Daoist had mentioned, Chen Da Dao understood, "So, you're the monk who has a connection with Wu Jian? How did the Buddhist Three Bodies produce a Daoist?"

As Chen Da Dao spoke, he felt something was amiss.

Because, in addition to the White Lotus Saint Master Jing Jiu of the Great Tang, Monk Fa Qing of Dragon Temple, and Wang Guiyuan himself, there were two more figures.

With Monk Fa Qing in the center, the two stood on either side of him.

They were also monks, both with dignified bearings, appearing to be in their forties.

The monk on the left sat on a lotus, radiating brilliant light, while the monk on the right held a medicine gourd.

"In addition to the Three Bodies of the Past, Present, and Future, there are also the Three Bodies of the Horizontal World?"

Chen Da Dao had also interacted with Buddhists before, and he was startled, "What kind of Dharma are you cultivating? Does Wu Jian have this ability too?"

At this moment, with Monk Fa Qing at the center, the four monks formed a "ten" character formation.

Before this, Wang Guiyuan had never revealed such a stance in front of others.

But today's opponent was special, so he had to do this.

As for Wang Guiyuan's mood at this moment...

Helpless.

Utterly helpless.

Oh, the Second Senior Brother really shouldn't have spoken so lightly, as his words always came true, for better or worse.

"It's not that Wu Jian has this ability, but I, the poor monk, do not wish for Wu Jian to descend upon the mortal realm, so I have no choice but to take this action." Standing behind Monk Fa Qing and occupying the position of the Past in the Three Bodies, the White Lotus Saint Master Jing Jiu spoke.

Chen Da Dao burst into laughter, "Since it's such an inconvenience, why don't you give me your Wu Jian? I'd really like to see it in action."

Wang Guiyuan said, "If the benefactor can control it well and prevent Wu Jian from harming the mortal realm and its people, then it's not impossible."

Chen Da Dao stood with his feet apart, smirking, "Monk, there's no need to hide your true intentions. For enemies I can handle myself, I don't need Wu Jian. But if I can't handle them, I'll naturally rely on the power of Wu Jian! Aren't you the same?"

The White Lotus Saint Master Jing Jiu remained calm, his tone peaceful, "I will not allow Wu Jian to harm the mortal realm and its people."

Chen Da Dao waved his hand, "Whether it's good or bad, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Taking over the Saha world and also getting Wu Jian, my luck on this trip back to the Pure Sky is not bad!"

After saying this, he flashed and instantly appeared nearby, "So, where is Wu Jian?"

His speed was so fast that even many cultivators at the Perfect Ninth Heaven Realm couldn't react in time, making it difficult to capture his movements and position.

Chen Da Dao did not choose the weakest among the five, Wang Guiyuan.

Instead, he directly confronted the strongest, Jingjiu, the Saint of the White Lotus.

For him, a Ninth Heaven Realm opponent, be it the Great Vajra Bodhisattva or the Peacock King Bodhisattva, made no difference.

The only effective means this eccentric monk had was to summon the power of Saha in this world.

Was his reliance solely on this, without sealing off Saha?

Or, were there other experts lying in ambush?

As a Martial Immortal expert, Chen Da Dao was highly sensitive to the killing intent and threats directed at him, but he did not detect any other ambushes.

Just as his fist was about to land on Jingjiu, suddenly, rays of Buddha light shone.

These rays of light condensed into a formation, enveloping Wang Guiyuan and the other four in the center, and in an instant, it was as if a lotus bloomed.

Then, the petals tore, the Buddha light flickered, and the formation trembled.

The five formed a formation, barely withstanding Chen Da Dao's punch.

But the Martial Immortal's attack was too powerful, and the White Lotus immediately withered.

Not achieving his goal in one strike, Chen Da Dao slightly raised his eyebrows, "Good."

As he spoke, even more formidable attacks were unleashed in rapid succession, piercing through the formation and tearing it apart.

His speed was too fast, and it was only at this moment that Wang Guiyuan and the others had time to react.

Above them, lotuses continued to bloom, forming a formation.

This time, the Buddha light in the center of the formation did not form a white lotus but transformed into a precious pearl, falling towards Chen Da Dao's head.

Below their feet, lotuses also bloomed, and the Buddha light in the center of the White Lotus condensed and materialized into a treasure bottle, emitting a suction force to restrain Chen Da Dao.

A smile appeared on Chen Da Dao's face.

Although his defense was strong enough to withstand the opponent's attacks head-on, he did not give them any chance to land a blow, even if this was a Ninth Heaven cultivator.

And so, his figure seemed to flicker in place, as if disappearing.

The suction force from the mouth of the treasure bottle below could no longer hold him.

The precious pearl from above also missed its target.

However, Wang Guiyuan did not manage to drive back his opponent.

On the contrary, Chen Da Dao had already appeared behind Jingjiu, the Saint of the White Lotus.

Although the Peacock King Bodhisattva had long since attained enlightenment, at this moment, he was not facing a Ninth Heaven Martial Saint but a Martial Immortal who had opened the Immortal Gate.

With Chen Da Dao's fist, his intent, and his blood essence condensed, the boundary between reality and illusion became blurred, and the Peacock King Bodhisattva had nowhere to escape. Chen Da Dao shattered him with a single punch.

The momentum of his fist did not stop, and it struck Jingjiu himself.

But at this moment, a warning sign flashed in Chen Da Dao's mind.

He quickly retreated.

However, a giant 'swastika' character appeared around Jingjiu, and in an instant, Buddha light soared into the sky, enveloping Wang Guiyuan and Chen Da Dao.

Above them, the Buddha light condensed into a colossal Bodhisattva statue, its face radiating compassion.

Chen Da Dao recognized it as the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva of the Buddhist Sect.

As the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva's shadow appeared, Chen Da Dao felt the weight of his body for the first time.

It was as if he was carrying a heavy burden.

For a Martial Immortal, moving mountains and filling the sea was no challenge, and Chen Da Dao had long since ceased to be bothered by such a task even when he was a Ninth Heaven Martial Saint.

But now, his body seemed to be forcibly bent under the pressure.

It was as if he was bearing the weight of a vast world.

Although it was not as heavy as the entire mortal realm, it was far beyond the capacity of an ordinary immortal realm or a divine realm.

"Is this the power of Saha?" Chen Da Dao realized, as he carried the image of the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva.

Under the influence of Wang Guiyuan, the current Saha, which was still sealed off, did not reveal the endless calamities and destruction within.

Although they were not in the mortal realm, Saha, being one of the Nine Heavens, still had many ordinary people living within, and Wang Guiyuan would not allow Saha to wreak havoc and spread its poison.

By not opening Saha, he was instead pressing the burden of Saha onto Chen Da Dao.

After years of contemplation, with the help of Lei Jun, Xu Yanzhen, and Tang Xiaotang, Wang Guiyuan finally found a way to solve the problem of Saha.

It was a sin, but the fundamental solution was to have someone else bear the burden.

However, Wang Guiyuan was unwilling to harm others, and he also worried that others might not be able to withstand the power of Saha, causing it to descend upon the mortal world.

Fortunately, after years of planning and preparation, with Lei Jun's assistance, he gradually got everything ready.

And now, the scapegoat had delivered himself to their doorstep.

The past life of Wang Guiyuan, Jingjiu, the Saint of the White Lotus, was currently fading away.

But Wang Guiyuan paid no heed, focusing solely on his preparations.

Chen Da Dao suddenly became calm.

He vaguely sensed what his opponent was planning.

However, he had underestimated him.

In the next instant, Chen Da Dao's mortal body began to transform and grow, from the size of an ordinary person to that of a towering giant.

The Martial Immortal power he had attained after opening the Immortal Gate erupted with immense might, as if capable of splitting the sea and the sky.

Although the weight of Saha was heavy, it was not enough to suppress him.

At least, as long as he could break free for a moment, his speed and agility as a Martial Immortal would be more than enough to escape, making it difficult for his opponent's methods to affect him again.

But just as Chen Da Dao broke through the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva's shadow above, a gray mist suddenly spread beneath his feet.

Within the mist, illusory shadows appeared.

The shadows were silent, but a serene and cold river meandered in nine bends, flowing calmly.

Chen Da Dao recognized it as the Yellow Springs, one of the Ten Realms, alongside Saha.

In the Yellow Springs, on the banks of the River of Forgetfulness, stood a black city with the words 'Fengdu' written on it, newly established by Lei Jun, the current ruler of the Yellow Springs.

At this moment, above the black city, a shadow also condensed into a towering deity.

The divine figure and the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha from the Buddha realm stood facing each other, one a deity and the other a Buddha.

In the Buddhist and Daoist traditions, both were known as the rulers of the underworld in ancient legends.

The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha of the Buddhist realm.

The Fengdu Emperor of the Daoist realm.

At this moment in the real Yellow Springs, Lei Jun's numerous talismans shone brightly, combining their power with that of the Yellow Springs, the River of Forgetfulness, and Fengdu.

One of the two talismans Lei Jun had given to Wang Guiyuan in the past was now inheriting and guiding the power of the Yellow Springs, the River of Forgetfulness, and Fengdu, finally manifesting the shadow of the Fengdu Emperor in the Saha world.

In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the extremely ominous second of the Ten Earths was also forming a coordinated response.

Thus, the shadow of the Fengdu Emperor and the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha faced each other, creating immense pressure that surrounded Chen Da Dao.

Chen Da Dao, who had been struggling to break free and avoid Wu Jian, now felt as if another world was pressing down on his shoulders.

Compared to the scorching heat of Wu Jian, this place was icy cold.

However, both were equally lifeless and sinister, containing infinite life and death Yin energy.

The deity and the Buddha, representing two hellish worlds, simultaneously pressed down on Chen Da Dao, instantly subduing him again.

Lei Jun's talismans were rapidly losing their spiritual power.

Wang Guiyuan had not truly opened the gates of Wu Jian, and the Yellow Springs were also far away from here.

Chen Da Dao was pinned down by the shadows of the Fengdu Emperor and the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, but he continued to resist.

As Lei Jun's talismans' spiritual power was exhausted, the power of the Yellow Springs he had summoned from afar dissipated, and Chen Da Dao still had a chance to escape.

But during this time, Wang Guiyuan had already begun his final preparations.

The second talisman Lei Jun had given him in the past also began to glow.

As the light shimmered, the cold and lifeless Yin energy emerged, and a shadow illusion appeared.

The fleeting shadows revealed an endless abyss and dark sea.

This was Luo Yuan, another world among the Ten Earths.

Luo Yuan, along with Wu Jian and the Yellow Springs, were known as the three realms of the underworld.

Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan, the two brothers, had been busy preparing in Luo Yuan for this very moment.

In legends, before the Earthly Realm shattered into the Ten Earths, there existed a Yin underworld that judged life and death and controlled reincarnation.

After the Earthly Realm shattered, this underworld was divided into the Yellow Springs, Wu Jian, and Luo Yuan.

And today, the powers of these three realms had gathered.

It was as if the Yin underworld had reappeared.

The intertwined shadows enveloped Chen Da Dao, trapping him like a cage.

Amidst Chen Da Dao's angry roars of unwillingness, Wang Guiyuan formed hand seals, while the other three monks joined their palms together.

Then, in the sky above the Yin underworld, six shadows of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha appeared simultaneously.

These six shadows descended into the Yin underworld.

The illusory Yin underworld began to warp and twist, gradually transforming into the shape of a precious pearl.

In the Saha world where Wang Guiyuan resided, the already abundant Buddhist spiritual power surged even higher.

Countless Buddhist vows and spiritual power converged upon the pearl.

The pearl gradually disappeared from the Saha world.

Chen Da Dao, along with the pearl, vanished without a trace.

He had not died but had taken Wang Guiyuan's place, shouldering Wu Jian.

Due to the assistance of the Yellow Springs and Luo Yuan, even though Lei Jun's talismans had been completely burned out, the combined power of the three realms had already been established, sealing time and space.

Thus, with the power of the resurrected Yin underworld, they successfully suppressed Chen Da Dao, a powerful martial immortal, temporarily exiling him along with Wu Jian.

Finally, Wang Guiyuan could begin his assault on the Buddhist Golden Body realm.

He had to wait until he achieved the Golden Body before he could retrieve the exiled Wu Jian.

Only through such an extreme method could they cut off Chen Da Dao's hopes of returning, as he was skilled in spatial movement.

This arrangement also prevented experts like Gaotian Sui from finding Chen Da Dao.

Wang Guiyuan himself retained a slim chance of finding Wu Jian again.

He didn't like Wu Jian, but with the situation as it was, he couldn't just let things be.

Even though the current era was stable, Wang Daozhang still felt a lingering sense of unease.

He exhaled a long breath and sat cross-legged in mid-air.

At this moment, two monks from the Three Lifetimes Body, one on each side, sat next to Wang Guiyuan.

The Dharma Qing monk from Tianlong Temple sat behind Wang Guiyuan, occupying the position of the Past Body.

From this day forward, Wang Guiyuan was free from Wu Jian, and his original Past Body, Jing Jiu, also entered extinction.

Dharma Qing transformed into the Past Body.

Wang Guiyuan himself became the Present Body.

In front of him, the position of the Future Body began to form a new shadow, but its features were not yet clear.

Wang Guiyuan closed his eyes, his expression serene.

However, the outside world was not peaceful.

Someone else had arrived in the Saha world.

A woman in a green robe.

Before the end of the Han Dynasty, she was the Saint of the Yin Mountain Cavern, the holy land of Gu magic, and the master of the Shaman Gate, Ran Qiao.

At the same time, she was also the former ruler of Ling Mountain.

Today, she had successfully regained control of Ling Mountain.

Huang Puqi was defeated by her formidable might.

As a powerful Shaman King in the Second Immortal Realm, Ran Qiao vaguely sensed that Huang Puqi's life force had not been completely severed.

However, she had no intention of pursuing this matter further. She left Quan Yuan to guard Ling Mountain and even personally sealed it before rushing to the Saha world.

With the special circumstances in the mortal realm, Ran Qiao wanted to secure several worlds in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Although Chen Da Dao was unaware of it, Ran Qiao had anticipated that he would be the vanguard in the Saha world.

Ran Qiao still needed to visit the Saha world herself to ensure its acquisition.

After that, she would consider whether to provide aid to Great Rectangular, Celestial Realm, and Penglai, depending on the situation.

After continuously traveling in the mortal realm, even a Shaman King like Ran Qiao felt discomfort, and her shamanic power was rapidly depleting.

Just as she was about to enter the Saha world, a sword light suddenly flew from the gate of the Saha world, aiming at Ran Qiao.

Around Ran Qiao, countless Gu insects resembling stars fluttered, helping her defend against the sword attack.

She stared intently, realizing that it wasn't a real flying sword treasure, but a sword light manifested from a cultivator's power.

Yet, this sword light appeared as real as an actual treasure.

Ran Qiao's Gu insects were instantly slashed down in large numbers.

However, as her thoughts shifted, more Gu insects emerged, and they gathered like a starry river descending upon the mortal realm during the day, still dazzling and eye-catching.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end