Chapter 116: Captives
Chapter 116: The Captive
When it came to preserving his life, Guang Ming had some expertise.
As early as when Guang Hui first encountered Lü Yang, and Lü Yang didn't evade but instead charged forward, Guang Ming had keenly sensed something was amiss.
Unfortunately, the Same-Heart Life-Link Talisman could only be used once within a short period.
Moreover, with Guang Hui—a fellow disciple who knew him inside out—present, there was no chance for him to use the talisman to flee the battlefield.
Thus, when Guang Hui gathered all the Buddhist cultivators to manifest the Dragon-Elephant Vajra, Guang Ming chose not to participate. Instead, under the cover of the Buddhist light, he decisively fled underground, once again using Guang Hui and the others as shields... There was no denying this tactic worked well.
He had almost escaped once more.
However, this time, his escape attempt was keenly noticed by someone who had been observing the battle all along but hadn't found an opportunity to intervene and showcase himself.
Qin Tianhe!
As a True Disciple of the Saint Sect, Qin Tianhe also cultivated a great divine ability. Coupled with the rare treasure, the Void-Piercing Sky-Escape Crow Shuttle, his strength was actually not weak.
After all, he had managed to fight his way out when pursued by Guang Ming and over a dozen other Buddhist cultivators earlier. It was only in comparison to Lü Yang that he seemed weak—a fact Qin Tianhe himself understood well. Thus, he was very proactive, eager to prove his worth to secure his position as a valuable ally.
Before Guang Ming could flee far, Qin Tianhe caught up and dragged him back.
Now, with no other options left, Guang Ming had no choice but to plead for his life: "Don't kill me! I can also serve the de—serve the Saint Sect!"
"You're surrendering?"
Lü Yang raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of surprise. "With True Lords overseeing the battle, you dare surrender?"
This Dao-Seizing War was personally supervised by three True Lords. Though they wouldn't interfere, how could anything happening on the battlefield escape their notice?
Under such circumstances, who would dare surrender?
In the Saint Sect, surrender would mean having one's body used as a Sky Lantern if they survived, or their soul turned into a Soul Lantern if they died.
Reincarnation? Forget about it!
"Esteemed cultivator, you may not know... but our Pure Land has its own rules. It's not the same as your sect."
Guang Ming lowered his voice and spoke cautiously. "For us, surrender isn't a major offense. As long as we survive, we won't be punished."
"Oh?"
Lü Yang's eyebrows lifted slightly before he smirked. "Then, if I were to send you back as a spy to deal with the remaining Buddhist cultivators of the Pure Land, would you still be willing?"
"Uh, well..."
Guang Ming froze at the question, then opened his mouth hesitantly, his voice even quieter: "...The Pure Land would be hard to explain. How about... the Dao Court instead?"
Lü Yang was even more astonished and burst into laughter. "That works too!"
Hearing this, Guang Ming immediately relaxed and hurriedly added, "To be honest, this humble monk has long disliked those Dao Court folks. I'd be honored to serve you!"
Meanwhile, beyond the battlefield's boundary.
The three True Lords exchanged glances. The previously silent True Lord Qingcheng Feixue finally spoke, her voice ringing like silver bells in laughter.
"The Pure Land's Buddhist Sect truly lives up to its reputation!"
"...Demon, don't you dare sow discord!"
Feeling the Dao Court True Lord's piercing gaze beside him, the Pure Land True Lord could only stiffen his expression and transmit a private message: "Fellow Daoist, don't overthink it."
"It's just a temporary expedient!"
"Besides, Guang Ming is merely a pawn. The real leader is Guang Hai—a disciple of Fulong Arhat. He understands the bigger picture and won't act recklessly."
"Hmph... Hard to say."
Faced with the Pure Land True Lord's explanation, the Dao Court True Lord remained unconvinced, clearly not buying the justification.
Because the Pure Land's origins weren't exactly clean.
It was said that the supreme World-Honored One who founded the Pure Land was shameless in his early days, relying on opportunism to ascend to the position of Dao Lord.
And that World-Honored One's methods were no different from the current Saint Sect's!
Even the name wasn't "Deep Joy Pure Land" but "Pure Land Evil Sect"!
It was only after establishing the Deep Joy Nirvana Dao that the World-Honored One chose to whitewash his reputation—and succeeded. Out of respect for the exalted, no one dared speak ill of it.
At this thought, the Dao Court True Lord's heart darkened with unease. Yet, at the same time, he grew immensely curious about Lü Yang, who had suddenly appeared.
What was this person's background?
He had half a mind to calculate Lü Yang's origins, but with True Lord Qingcheng Feixue right there, any attempt would be blocked. Meaningless. So he had no choice but to let it go.
...........
In the end, Lü Yang spared Guang Ming's life.
From him and the Buddhist cultivators absorbed into the Myriad Spirits Banner, Lü Yang learned some troubling news: they were surrounded.
The Pure Land's Eight Divisions of the Buddha and a contingent of the Dao Court's Defenders of the Dao—totaling over a thousand Qi Refining cultivators—had already converged, forming an encirclement with arrays and defenses along the way. All participating Saint Sect disciples had fallen into this trap, their survival space steadily shrinking.
"Arrays..."
As a seventh-grade array master, Lü Yang understood the power of formations all too well. He wasn't afraid of numbers, but too many arrays would be troublesome.
Especially since the Dao Court and Pure Land undoubtedly had cultivators with positional authority among them.
Though none could surpass his own rank, as the saying goes, enough ants can kill an elephant. With the support of numerous arrays, they could still pose a challenge.
Moreover, the two factions likely had stronger trump cards hidden away.
Thus, in the end, Lü Yang accepted Guang Ming's surrender. After planting a monitoring restriction in his Sea of Consciousness, he let him go.
Of course, Lü Yang had considered refining Guang Ming into a Banner Spirit using the Myriad Spirits Banner. However, unless they were like Chen Xin'an or Su Nu—Banner Spirits whose original bodies still existed in the world and whose karma could be exploited—ordinary Banner Spirits' auras differed too much from living cultivators, making it difficult to evade detection by those who were vigilant.
"...Better to be cautious."
By now, Lü Yang had reined in his earlier arrogance. Even if this was just bullying newbies in a beginner's zone, he had to ensure absolute success—no room for failure.
"If we were inside Skeleton Mountain, with the earth meridians' support, no matter how many came, they'd die. But outside, relying solely on Su Nu is a bit taxing. Though if I went all out, with Ancestor Nether Whisper's help, victory would still be assured... but casualties would be inevitable..."
That was the crux of the problem.
Lü Yang wanted to kill ten thousand enemies without losing eight thousand of his own. Especially after realizing how invaluable Ancestor Nether Whisper was as a technical expert—losing even one would sting.
At this thought, Lü Yang silently turned to look at Qin Tianhe beside him.
Though the saying went that war always came with sacrifices, since he didn't want to sacrifice his own, he'd have to find a way to let others take the fall.
"Tianhe, how many people did the Saint Sect send this time?"
Faced with Lü Yang's amiable smile, Qin Tianhe felt no warmth—only a sudden chill running down his spine.
Something's wrong!
But then again, under Lü Yang's gaze, Qin Tianhe reconsidered. So what if it was wrong? As long as Tianhe wasn't harmed, why should he care about anyone else's life or death?
"Including me, seven True Disciples are participating. Aside from them, eleven Qi Refining Perfected disciples with great divine abilities joined, and over a hundred more at late-stage Qi Refining, each with one or two powerful techniques. Though I'm not sure how many are left now."
Qin Tianhe recounted the numbers meticulously.
"Some time has passed since the Dao-Seizing War began. I suspect they've already gathered and moved deeper into the encirclement. If we head that way, we'll likely find them."
"I see."
Lü Yang nodded, his smile widening.
Over a hundred late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, eleven Qi Refining Perfected, and seven True Disciples—this number wasn't inferior to the Dao Court or Pure Land's forces. In fact, it might even surpass them.
This proved that while the Saint Sect had fewer disciples than the Dao Court or Pure Land, those who rose to prominence within the sect were undeniably of high quality.
These were all valuable talents.
Following Qin Tianhe's suggestion, Lü Yang had him pilot the Void-Piercing Sky-Escape Crow Shuttle to scout the area. Before long, an array came into view.
Just as Qin Tianhe had said.
Saint Sect disciples might be wicked, but they were far from weak. Even caught off guard by the joint assault of the Dao Court and Pure Land, they had still organized themselves effectively.