Chapter 281: Dharma Body Reveals Its Wonders, Seven Killings in Power
Chapter 281: Dharma Body Reveals Its Wonders, Seven Killings Take Command
"[Imperial Decree to Move Mountains Righteous Method]!"
Lü Yang struck with full force from the outset. Holding [Tribulation Wave] and empowered by divine wonders, he seamlessly executed the three-step sequence: hand seals, incantation, and pointing at the profound.
This move had been long planned.
He deliberately used a dazzling display of sword light and dharma body to obscure Vimalakirti Venerable's vision. By the time the venerable broke through the layers of obstruction and finally caught sight of Lü Yang, he simultaneously witnessed Lü Yang's [hand seals], heard his [incantation], and faced the unavoidable [pointing at the profound].
"Whoosh—!"
In the next instant, Vimalakirti Venerable was struck by Lü Yang's fully charged [Imperial Decree to Move Mountains Righteous Method], causing endless mud to gush from his seven orifices.
"Amitabha!"
Having suffered a major setback right from the start, Vimalakirti Venerable halted his ascent, recited the Buddha's name, and then exhaled a brilliant blaze of Buddhist light.
The flames spread across his entire body, attempting to dissolve the mud.
Yet Lü Yang would never give him such an opportunity. Almost simultaneously with Vimalakirti Venerable's attempt to dispel the spell, Lü Yang's figure vanished from his original position.
Seeing this, Vimalakirti Venerable swiftly slapped his forehead.
In the next moment, Buddhist light erupted, and a staff materialized before him, blocking the blade of [Tribulation Wave] at the critical instant.
"Clang—!"
Sparks flew instantly, the metallic clash piercing through clouds and splitting stones. Even though the sword's edge was intercepted, its sharp qi still sent stabbing pain throughout Vimalakirti Venerable's body.
Enraged in an instant, Vimalakirti Venerable bellowed:
"Demon! How dare you act so insolently?"
With this furious roar, Vimalakirti Venerable's figure abruptly expanded. Layers of Buddhist light radiated behind him, revealing vast stretches of the Pure Land, where countless meditation groves stood tall.
Then, countless golden beams shot forth from the Pure Land, coating Vimalakirti Venerable like liquid gold, turning his form into a towering, majestic golden statue that reached the heavens.
[Golden Chestnut Tathagata Dharma Body]!
The moment Vimalakirti Venerable unveiled this technique, Lü Yang narrowed his eyes, sensing an eerily familiar aura from the colossal golden figure.
'Same as me... harvesting qi from the [Ten Thousand Martial World]?'
Lü Yang suddenly recalled that the [Ten Thousand Martial World] wasn't solely the Saint Sect's territory. True Person Miaoyin had once mentioned that the Pure Land also had interests there.
Though his thoughts raced, Lü Yang did not yield an inch.
Confident in his extraordinary gains from the [Ten Thousand Martial World], he believed even a Grand True Person might not surpass him. If it came to a contest of dharma bodies, victory was still uncertain!
"Boom!"
The next moment, the two dharma bodies collided like crumbling mountains and raging seas—one unleashing swirling dark flames, the other scattering golden light—creating a deafening roar that split the sky.
This sight left Vimalakirti Venerable grim-faced. He had clearly not anticipated Lü Yang's dharma body to be so ferocious. Yet, as a venerable of the Pure Land and a Grand True Person, how could he concede defeat to a mere junior? He immediately matched Lü Yang blow for blow.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each collision resounded like a thousand thunderclaps. Lü Yang merged with his dharma body, his innate divine ability synergizing with its divine wonders. Suddenly, a resonant Dao voice erupted from his lips:
"Break! Shatter! Split! Destroy! Die!"
With each Dao shout, Lü Yang drove his dharma body to deliver a full-force punch, while a dazzling brilliance of divine ability enveloped him.
[Kill in Power]!
Seven Killings take command—unrestrained, they bring calamity. The effect of this innate divine ability was simple: it inflicted [misfortune] upon all who harbored hostility toward Lü Yang.
Such [misfortune] could be a minor misstep in battle or a momentary qi deviation leading to demonic possession. The greater the disparity in cultivation between the parties, the more devastating the [misfortune]. Strictly speaking, this was a simplified version of the Heavenly Dao's killing intent—capable of slaying without a trace!
In the next instant, Vimalakirti Venerable's movements abruptly froze.
If [Clarify Right and Wrong] and [Qian Tian] alone couldn't shake his golden body, then [Kill in Power] was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Suddenly, he felt his qi flow disrupted.
Flaws and hidden dangers previously unnoticed in his once-flawless dharma body abruptly surfaced.
Even the lingering injuries from his previous death at Hong Ju's hands—never fully healed despite reshaping his physical form—now erupted, triggering a violent chain reaction. In an instant, his previously manageable condition teetered on the brink of collapse. Before he could adjust, Lü Yang struck with full force!
"Boom!"
With a final deafening blast, the golden Buddhist light was shattered into countless fragments, scattering like golden rain—whether it was light or blood, none could tell.
[Golden Chestnut Tathagata Dharma Body]—broken!
'Perfect timing!'
Lü Yang staggered back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The toll on him was no small matter—his manifested dharma body was now riddled with fine cracks.
Yet, for him at this moment, these injuries were precisely what he needed!
Empowered by the divine wonders of his [Dharma Body], the more severe his wounds, the stronger his divine abilities and magic power became. Now, surging with unprecedented intensity, he was even mightier than at the start!
"Huu—" Lü Yang inhaled deeply.
Simultaneously, his [Qian Tian Omniscient Manifestation Dharma Body] behind him also drew breath, unleashing an invisible suction force upon Vimalakirti Venerable once more.
[Omniscient Grasp]!
This divine wonder of the dharma body specialized in suppressing Buddhist cultivators. Already unstable in soul due to his prior death, Vimalakirti Venerable now felt the heavens and earth spinning around him.
'Not good!'
Only at this moment did a chill seep into Vimalakirti Venerable's heart.
He realized that despite the fierce battle between him and Lü Yang reaching this point, neither the Dao Court nor the Sword Pavilion had reacted—no one had come to his aid.
'This junior planned this all along! He came prepared!'
Just as Vimalakirti Venerable surmised, Lü Yang's decision to engage him in battle was no impulsive act but a calculated move after weighing the pros and cons.
After all, having successfully broken through and now posing as a Grand True Person, Lü Yang had demonstrated sufficient "value" to regain the attention of the Saint Sect's True Lords.
Moreover, while both faced severed Dao paths, the gap between an ordinary True Person and a Grand True Person was vast. Even in the eyes of True Lords, a Grand True Person was noteworthy—and a severed Dao path? For a Grand True Person, it could even be an advantage, making them more appealing to True Lords.
With the Saint Sect's backing, many things became easier.
Having previously endured encirclement and assassination attempts, Lü Yang's resurgence meant that neither side wished to escalate hostilities further. Thus, a tacit understanding of compensation was necessary.
And Lü Yang had proposed his form of compensation through action.
He wanted to kill Vimalakirti!
Under these circumstances, even the Pure Land wouldn't attempt to stop Lü Yang, for in the eyes of most, this was merely a minor indulgence on his part.
You want to kill Vimalakirti? Can you even do it?
Nonsense—how could a Grand True Person die so easily? Especially one from the Pure Land. At worst, he'd lose his physical form and be reborn anew.
To the True Lords above and other Grand True Persons, Lü Yang stood no chance of killing Vimalakirti. Thus, they saw no need to intervene, content to let this "compensation" placate Lü Yang while saving resources. As for Vimalakirti? Well, he'd just have to endure hardship.
After all, Buddhist cultivators were tough-skinned.
Could he really be killed?
At this moment, only Vimalakirti Venerable, facing Lü Yang directly, could truly comprehend the immense pressure this junior was exerting upon him.
'He wants to kill me... Can he kill me?'
Vimalakirti Venerable didn't know the specifics, but his Grand True Person instincts screamed warnings—Lü Yang still had formidable techniques yet to unleash.
'That spiritual sword!'
The image of Lü Yang's sword splitting the sea and sky flashed through his mind. At the time, that strike had been insignificant to him—but now, it might be a different story!