Chapter 420
Chapter 420
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Bargain in the Netherworld
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To be fair, Soaring Empyrean was just a tiny bit startled.
But that tiny bit didn't show on his face, and he quickly composed himself. With his vast experience, he naturally recognized what this specter was.
Soaring Empyrean narrowed his eyes slightly, staring fixedly at the elderly soul bathed in rippling Buddhist radiance before him. This soul itself was definitely not the "Guang Ming" its speaker claimed—instead, someone had cleverly borrowed the soul's form to converse from the living world with him, trapped in the Netherworld.
And from what he knew,
only two kinds of people under heaven could pull this off. One was naturally the Pure Land World-Honored One, and the other was a Buddha's Son granted authority by the World-Honored One himself.
'But the World-Honored One couldn't possibly take an interest in me.'
Soaring Empyrean was absolutely certain of that. He knew full well that at the Nascent Soul level, the only things that could draw a Dao Lord's personal intervention were matters tied to the heavens and earth.
What he sought was the Netherworld.
So strictly speaking, he had no fundamental conflict with any of the four Dao Lords. As long as he didn't cross their red lines, none would lift a finger against him.
In that case—
'The World-Honored One's sent down another Buddha's Son to rub elbows with the rabble below?'
Soaring Empyrean wasn't surprised at all. It had happened before—old history. And this time, the opportunity was even better than last.
The last time the World-Honored One dispatched a Buddha's Son, the various True Lords were still active in the world. Out of deference to the World-Honored One, they hadn't obstructed too much, but they weren't without their tricks. Otherwise, that Buddha's Son wouldn't have lost his head to Perfected Being Demon-Quelling's three swords. This time, even those True Lords had vanished into seclusion.
'Does that mean this Buddha's Son isn't invincible yet?'
Soaring Empyrean was still mulling this over when ripples of Buddhist light stirred across the elderly soul, linking Guang Ming Buddha's Son's consciousness from the distant living world.
Such was the marvel of the Telepathy of Others' Minds.
Turning "his mind" into "my mind."
Soon, Guang Ming Buddha's Son's voice echoed faintly.
"Forced into hibernation for nearly thirty years—does Senior wish to break free at last?"
"Oh? And you intend to help me escape?"
Guang Ming Buddha's Son nodded.
"Precisely."
"Heh."
At Guang Ming Buddha's Son's firm affirmation, Soaring Empyrean chuckled aloud. At his level, few secrets remained in this heaven and earth.
And things like Buddha's Sons? In his eyes, they couldn't be equated with the World-Honored One. Superficially similar, but worlds apart inside. If the World-Honored One had said it, he'd believe without question. But a Buddha's Son? That warranted a big question mark.
"Senior doubts me?" Guang Ming Buddha's Son's brows furrowed slightly.
"Let's hear it."
Soaring Empyrean didn't dismiss it outright but motioned for him to continue.
"How exactly do you plan to help me escape? And why help me at all?"
"Amitabha."
Guang Ming Buddha's Son first intoned a Buddha's name, then spoke gravely.
"I seek to manifest the [Earthly Buddha Realm], but three disciples remain unaligned."
"One is an immortal spirit, hiding in the lands of Jiangnan."
Before Guang Ming Buddha's Son could finish, Soaring Empyrean burst into laughter.
Jiangnan? No need for details—he knew exactly what was up.
"So the Buddha's Son's been stonewalled again by that old softie from Sword Pavilion?"
". . . Senior sees clearly."
Facing Soaring Empyrean's pointed mockery, Guang Ming Buddha's Son's tone stayed even.
"This monk asks Senior to act and aid in removing Demon-Quelling."
To him, manifesting the [Earthly Buddha Realm] required four disciples from Jiangnan, Jiangbei, Jiangdong, and overseas. Only Jiangdong's Prince Who Pacifies the South, Wu Tai'an, had taken his place so far. Jiangbei and overseas had failed twice, the overseas clash even destroying one of his vital avatars.
Now Lu Yang and Xiang Ye had holed up in the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.
That left only Jiangnan as a viable target—and Perfected Being Demon-Quelling flatly forbade him from setting foot there uninvited.
How was he supposed to proceed?
'At minimum, I need two more disciples to commence the [Earthly Buddha Realm] ritual. Then every perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator in the world will have no choice but to emerge.'
The great era was already half over.
As for Seeking Gold, those who needed to prepare had prepared; those who wanted to, were ready. The world was a powder keg.
Needing only a spark.
'Let Demon-Quelling Perfected's death be that spark for this great age!'
Gazing at Guang Ming Buddha's Son, Soaring Empyrean kept his expression neutral, secretly divining for a moment before shaking his head.
"What good does removing Demon-Quelling do me?"
"[White Wax Gold]!"
Guang Ming Buddha's Son's next words had Soaring Empyrean sitting bolt upright. Like [Covered Lamp Fire], [White Wax Gold] was a fruit position containing Chen soil.
In other words, his rightful claim.
Seeing this, Guang Ming Buddha's Son grew even more confident and smiled.
"Does Senior know of Sword Pavilion's three inherited dao titles: Demon-Quelling, Yet Evil, and Subduing Yao?"
"Demon-Quelling needs no explanation. But the other two—Subduing Yao Perfected lingers at late Foundation Establishment. Only Yet Evil Perfected has reached the perfected stage. He keeps to the shadows, his fame eclipsed by Demon-Quelling, so few even know what fruit position he pursues."
"He pursues [White Wax Gold]?"
Guang Ming Buddha's Son nodded.
"This monk has a way to make Yet Evil Perfected offer himself up to Senior voluntarily, dragging [White Wax Gold] into the Netherworld."
"Plus, the Dao Tribulation born from his failed Seeking Gold will be yours to command."
"It won't free Senior completely, but using a Dao Tribulation body to meddle in the living world should be trivial for you, no?"
Of course not trivial!
Though Chongguang boasted of forging a sixty-year era of great strife, Golden Core True Lords weren't all equal—especially late Golden Core heavyweights like him.
An average True Lord might need the full sixty years to reemerge, but he needed at most forty. And meddling via a Dao Tribulation avatar? He could do that now. Guang Ming Buddha's Son's offer genuinely tempted him.
". . . How do you plan to make it happen?"
Guang Ming Buddha's Son pressed his palms together.
"Yet Evil Perfected's path was severed by Senior's presence, forcing him down another road. This monk simply lent a hand."
"Oh? How so?"
"This monk informed him of Innate True Person Mu Changsheng's current whereabouts."
Guang Ming Buddha's Son smiled faintly. Mu Changsheng's plight might fool the world, but it was no secret to the World-Honored One, a fellow Dao Lord.
Thus, he knew.
"Not long ago, Yet Evil dispatched the reincarnated soul of a long-dead old Foundation Establishment True Person, seeking the method of consciousness separation from Mu Changsheng's lips."
What sort of figure was Soaring Empyrean? The words barely left Guang Ming Buddha's Son's mouth before he'd divined the full scheme:
'Primal Saint Sect's technique-refining secret realm—the only covert entry is via the Netherworld. And traversing the Netherworld means passing right under my nose!'
The method of consciousness separation?
If Soaring Empyrean located that old Foundation Establishment True Person's soul and tampered with it, he could twist it anytime into a secret art triggering fruit position collapse!
As for whatever schemes Guang Ming Buddha's Son harbored in the mix, he couldn't care less. Long as [White Wax Gold] ended up in the Netherworld, he'd come out ahead no matter what.
But—
"You're truly set on killing Demon-Quelling?"
Soaring Empyrean eyed Guang Ming Buddha's Son. Demon-Quelling was Sword Pavilion's darling, tied to the [Sword Dao Fruit Position]. Never mind if the Buddha's Son could even do it—
Did he dare?
"Killing him outright? Impossible."
Guang Ming Buddha's Son shook his head.
"But if we make him offer sacrifice—dying in the act of proving his [Sword Dao Fruit Position]—that's fine. The effect's the same either way."