Chapter 284
Chapter 284
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Slaying Vimalakirti
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At this moment, within the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Not far from the battlefield between Lu Yang and Vimalakirti Venerable One, the Great Perfected Beings from the Dao Court, Sword Pavilion, and Primal Saint Sect were locked in confrontation with one another.
To be precise, it was the Great Perfected Being from the Primal Saint Sect standing alone against those from the Sword Pavilion and Dao Court.
That said, the atmosphere among the three sides wasn't actually all that tense. None of them had any intention of fighting to the death for someone else's sake.
There was even a hint of spectating the show about it.
"Friend Ye, between that Yuantu and Vimalakirti clashing, who do you think wins? The commotion's gotten way too big. Looks like at least one of them's gotta die."
The Great Perfected Being who'd come from the Dao Court was a second-rank official named Chen Ruzhen—the very Capital Heaven Minister of Military Affairs who'd previously met Suo Huan on the Dao Court's behalf.
The Great Perfected Being from the Sword Pavilion, meanwhile, was Ye Shaoying, the current head of the Ye family.
Ye Guyue was his daughter.
Objectively speaking, that made him the one who wanted to kill Lu Yang the most right now. Unfortunately, the Great Perfected Being from the Primal Saint Sect directly ahead had blocked his path.
".Hmph!"
After a moment's thought, Ye Shaoying sneered.
"Fellow Daoist Vimalakirti has been on the path for many years. Even injured, how could that fiend—who just broke through—possibly be his match?"
This wasn't mere bluster; it was a conclusion reached through analysis. False attainment was still false attainment. Even reaching the level of a Great Perfected Being, it was fundamentally a cut below. In a real fight, defeat and death were inevitable. Even if Vimalakirti Venerable One wasn't at his best, there was no reason he'd let a junior cut him down on the battlefield.
"Fellow Daoist, you couldn't be more wrong."
Before Ye Shaoying could finish, the Great Perfected Being from the Primal Saint Sect opposite him let out a hearty laugh.
"You should know—things like this have happened before!"
".Nonsense!"
Ye Shaoying knew exactly what the other meant: back when Chongguang had reached the peak of mid-Foundation Establishment, he'd falsely attained the rank of Great Perfected Being and slain foes on the battlefield.
But who was Chongguang?
The reincarnation of a natural immortal spirit, backed by a True Lord—no origins like that in the Sword Pavilion wouldn't be a disciple slated for special nurturing. What right did Lu Yang have to compare?
Yet right then.
"Boom!"
A massive rumble echoed from the distant battlefield. Spiritual tides surged wildly, rippling out to both the Foundation Establishment Realm and the present world at once. The previously chaotic heavenly secrets gradually clarified.
The three Great Perfected Beings immediately peered over.
First to meet their eyes was Lu Yang, trapped within the Immaculate Pure Land Temple—bloodied all over, his aura faint as a thread, the very picture of someone on death's door.
Ye Shaoying's face lit up with delight at the sight.
"As expected, Fellow Daoist Vimalakirti emerged victorious!"
Over on the other side, Chen Ruzhen of the Dao Court also beamed. If Lu Yang was truly beaten, didn't that mean the Dao Court's objective this time might yet succeed?
At the same time, the Primal Saint Sect's Great Perfected Being's expression darkened.
He was Jun Tong, a Great Perfected Being under the Painted Silk Variegated Gauze True Lord. And since the Painted Silk Variegated Gauze True Lord had long been on good terms with the Clear Serenity Flying Snow True Lord, he'd actually taken a liking to Lu Yang. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stepped up to block the Sword Pavilion and Dao Court on his behalf.
But the situation now looked grim.
'In the end, he's young—too arrogant right after breaking through. Vimalakirti's a Great Perfected Being after all. Escaping alive would be fortunate enough. How easy could it be to kill him?'
With that thought, Jun Tong sighed inwardly.
'Still... I can't let him enter the Pure Land!'
A mere ordinary True Person and a Great Perfected Being were leagues apart in significance. Jun Tong had already resolved himself: at the crucial moment, he'd strike directly and finish Lu Yang off.
'That way, at least I can send his soul off to reincarnate. Such talent—even in our Primal Saint Sect, only Chongguang could match it in the last millennium. His path was severed, that's all, leading to this sorry end. If I let him cycle through five lives and start anew, he might still turn into a fine asset.'
That decided, Jun Tong moved to act.
But the next instant, he halted abruptly. He stared dead at the Immaculate Pure Land Temple enclosing Lu Yang, brows furrowing.
'Where's Vimalakirti?'
Meanwhile, Ye Shaoying and Chen Ruzhen sensed something off too. They scanned about but spotted no trace of Vimalakirti in either the present world or Foundation Establishment Realm.
Where had he died off to? Right then, Lu Yang's true body suddenly opened its eyes. He rose slowly. And with that motion, a shocking sight unfolded.
The Immaculate Pure Land Temple—collapsed!
Boundless Buddha light, throngs of mage-monks: in that instant, they crumpled like soft tofu, unable to withstand Lu Yang's aura. They shattered inch by inch!
In a flash, Ye Shaoying's face froze.
'Impossible!'
The Immaculate Pure Land Temple was Vimalakirti's core Dao foundation. Its collapse—didn't that mean he was dead? Slain for real by Lu Yang?
Chen Ruzhen from the Dao Court looked outright horrified. He silently fell back behind Ye Shaoying. After all, everyone knew Dao Court cultivators had the weakest battle prowess. If Lu Yang could kill Vimalakirti Venerable One, odds were eight or nine out of ten he'd kill him too. How could he not fear?
But soon enough, the pair composed themselves.
Ye Shaoying even shook his head.
"Fellow Daoist Vimalakirti was injured, after all. Defeat this time, sure—but once he recovers, it might not go the same way."
"Recovers?"
Just then, a clear laugh rang out. Lu Yang opened his eyes and beckoned. Calamity Wave streaked over from the present world.
"You gentlemen shouldn't overthink it."
"From this day forth, there is no more Vimalakirti!"
Lu Yang's voice boomed forth, echoing alone for the moment. The others' faces shifted subtly. Instinctively, they began divining.
Soon, Ye Shaoying's eyes widened in shock.
"No karma... how can there be no karma!?"
Pure Land Venerables didn't enter reincarnation upon death. Instead, pulled by karma back to the Pure Land—immensely hard to kill. Yet now, Vimalakirti's karma was gone!
Yuantu!
Calamity Wave's fifth marvel: this sword slays and severs all karma. Impossible to divine. The victim becomes utterly causeless, fruitless.
Not even the Pure Land could retrieve him!
The sole end: soulfly, poof—utter dispersal!
Such a victory—who cared how gravely Lu Yang was wounded, how near death? Without True Lords stirring, he was now among heaven and earth's premier wielders of great divine abilities!
Heaven and earth would forever bear his name!
Right then, dazzling golden radiance erupted from the west, as if at last sensing wrongness. An intangible gaze swept in too.
In a blink, heaven, earth, all things plunged into hush. Myriad glories ground to halt. Only that formless gaze appraised all, fury dawning at last—fixing dead on Lu Yang. In moments, it crushed his sinews, snapped his bones.
Yet even so, Lu Yang lifted his head.
Braving that vast pressure, he stood proud.
"What can you do to me?"
Boom!
Thunder crashed. The gaze's pressure spiked countlessfold. But at the critical juncture, another vast force barred it—dissipating into nothing.
Two colossal divine senses wove through the void.
"Fellow Daoist, chess is each to their skill. Overturning the board on losing a piece? Hardly magnanimous."
"Amitabha..."
The Primal Saint Sect had intervened!
Lu Yang knew not who, but regardless: falsely attaining Great Perfected Being, array-slaying Vimalakirti—that alone merited a Primal Saint Sect True Lord stepping in personally to shield him!
What's more, for all the True Lords now, there loomed something far weightier.
This instant, all sensed it at once—including Lu Yang. Heads lifted, eyes toward the Foundation Establishment Realm. Toward that one fruit position star.
Long Flowing Water.
This was normal, ordinarily.
Yet this moment, who knew why—that fruit position, once hung unreachable in the vaulted sky, untouchable, unattainable—suddenly changed.
It began to fall!