Chapter 442
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Jiangxi, Pure Land
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Jiangxi, Pure Land.
Buddhist light filled the skies as the majestic [Victorious Will Generating Brilliance Dharani Heaven Worldly Manifestation] rose from the earth. Its hands pressed together in prayer, its chanting echoing across half of Jiangxi.
Behind this dharma image stood its two repositioned disciples—Dao Court's Prince Who Pacifies the South, Wu Tai'an, and Perfected Being Quexie. Both unleashed their qi machines. Perfected Being Quexie pointed toward the [White Wax Gold] fruit position, while Prince Who Pacifies the South Wu Tai'an aimed at the [Mountain Head Fire] fruit position.
High in the firmament, stars emerged.
That said, there was no real need for Perfected Being Quexie or Wu Tai'an to fully claim the gold. Simply manifesting the fruit positions would count as success.
‘Once the fruit positions manifest, they can be drawn into the [Buddha Realm].’
‘Then, if I can prove the [City Head Earth], I’ll seize control of the [Buddha Realm] and indirectly manipulate all the other fruit positions that fall within it.’
Unfortunately, these were not the old days.
In the past, Pure Land had locked down [City Head Earth] with the unified will of millions, making it provable only by their Shakyamuni cultivators to ensure the [Buddha Realm] could never fall into outsiders’ hands.
But now, if Pure Land failed to claim [City Head Earth] the instant the [Buddha Realm] formed—and instead allowed someone from one of the other four fruit positions to succeed—the interloper could immediately leverage True Lord might to turn the tables. Pure Land’s [Ground Buddha Realm] would end up a mere wedding dress for the victor!
What was this?
In Jiangxi, Lu Yang—witnessing the scene through his sword dao clone—gained sudden clarity.
‘This is an opportunity! A chance to ascend straight to the heavens! The [Buddha Realm] seeks five-element completion, plus one supreme fruit position. That’s a setup only the [Soaring Empyrean] possesses!’
In other words, whoever ultimately controlled the [Ground Buddha Realm]...
...would have a shot at becoming the next [Soaring Empyrean]!
“Boom!”
At that moment, a thunderous roar shook the air. Two more qi machines soared skyward, igniting a blaze of heavenly light and conjuring visions of two fruit position stars.
[Pomegranate Wood]!
[Spring Water]!
In Jiangnan lands, the earth split open. Surging earth vein qi gathered around a stone figure striding forth—none other than Lu Yang’s former immortal spirit body!
Meanwhile, another figure emerged from the Sword Pavilion.
Xiang Ye.
This sole surviving perfected Foundation Establishment great cultivator of the Holy Sect had clearly reaped massive gains in the Sword Pavilion. The [Spring Water] fruit position’s light and shadow manifested because of him.
Both bore Buddha affinities. Lu Yang had pierced the truth of the [Ground Buddha Realm] opportunity; with their cultivations, they couldn’t possibly fail to divine its flow. No longer resisting, they even stepped forward proactively, eager to forge the [Ground Buddha Realm] and vie for that heaven-ascending prize!
In this instant, every side stood ready.
Pure Land had taken a heavy blow but still held cards up its sleeve. After all, they’d bound [City Head Earth] for so long—they had contingencies.
Xiang Ye harbored his own schemes.
The immortal spirit Shangzhang went without saying. Backed by the Heavenly Duke, it now basked in surging fate, its qi machine climbing faster than anyone else’s.
“At a time like this... an immortal spirit emerges!”
The world quaked with chatter.
Many Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings fixed their eyes on the immortal spirit Shangzhang. After all, a flawless immortal spirit had existed only in legends.
Perfected Beings from every power knew the taboos of immortal spirits, once they reached a certain level.
This contest for True Lord status should have pitted the four factions’ perfected Foundation Establishment experts against one another. Yet now a heaven-forged, earth-nurtured great perfection immortal spirit had joined—with the luxury of waiting at ease.
Would it steal the prize?
That thought gripped many Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings.
Even the immortal spirit Shangzhang couldn’t help pondering it.
After all, aside from itself, what were the other four? Mere dregs? Pure Land’s [Victorious Will Generating Brilliance Dharani Heaven Worldly Manifestation] had lost Guang Ming as its anchor, slashing its power. Perfected Being Quexie was half-dead already. Xiang Ye bore old wounds from endless battle. Wu Tai'an hailed from Dao Court—
“In this fight, the edge is mine!”
The immortal spirit Shangzhang roared in triumphant glee and surged forth on an escaping light toward Pure Land. But in the next breath, its vision plunged into darkness.
“...Eh?”
It was a hand.
A slender, plump palm materialized from nowhere, blocking its path. It loomed across heaven and earth, draping deep shadow over the immortal spirit.
“Who!?”
The immortal spirit Shangzhang instinctively unleashed its qi machine. Five divine abilities bloomed in sequence, whipping up a spiritual tide spanning ten thousand li in an instant.
Yet that colossal tide—the earth, water, wind, and fire born of clashing qi, the thunderous blasts—all vanished into the slender palm. Boiling spiritual flames scorched it without piercing skin or flesh. The hand simply curled its fingers shut at leisure.
‘Impossible... how...!’
This wasn’t Foundation Establishment!
The immortal spirit Shangzhang knew its own power well. No Foundation Establishment Perfected Being under heaven could counter its divine abilities like this!
Not even Perfected Being Demon-Quelling—at least he’d need to draw his sword!
But this palm wielded no arts or spells. It simply manifested raw, then reached out to seize.
Only someone who...
‘A True Lord? Impossible!’
The immortal spirit Shangzhang gazed skyward. [Wall Soil] still radiated heavenly light, growing ever brighter—but not yet enough to support a True Lord’s descent.
Where had a True Lord come from!?
‘Heavenly Duke... Heavenly Duke, save me!’
The immortal spirit Shangzhang cried out in desperation. But the warm concern from the Heavenly Duke it once felt vanished without trace.
In the next instant, its newborn ambitions and boundless aspirations shattered like illusory bubbles. The descending hand seized it outright. The world spun wildly. When it looked up again, a painfully familiar face stared back.
“...You!?”
The immortal spirit Shangzhang froze. Lu Yang hid no longer. His qi machine erupted as he gazed down with a mocking smile tugging his lips.
“Finally, this day arrives.”
Decades ago, he’d been the immortal spirit Shangzhang’s toy, denied even the mercy of suicide. Now, the tables had turned completely.
With a thought, a pitch-black hall dropped into Lu Yang’s palm—the [Yama Demon Hall], shrunken countlessfold. But now it brimmed with thick incense fire qi, a blazing golden essence burning within, steadily elevating Lu Yang’s status.
[Yama Demon Hall]!
“How...”
Across the way, [Soaring Empyrean]—possessing the Yun family elder—lost all composure for the first time. He gaped, eyes locked on the serene Lu Yang.
“Nothing impossible about it.”
Lu Yang smirked faintly and casually flung the immortal spirit Shangzhang into the [Yama Demon Hall]. A talent activated on the spirit simultaneously.
[Cuckoo Occupying the Magpie’s Nest]!
‘Everything that was once mine... time to take it back!’
The immortal spirit’s fleshly body, soul, and [Pomegranate Wood] divine abilities—all reclaimed by Lu Yang under the talent’s power!
Through it all, his qi machine surged fiercer still.
Until at last, it shattered an invisible threshold outright.
“Boom!”
Lu Yang’s eyes snapped open.
At some point, they’d turned gold—as if twin candle flames had ignited deep within, transforming the world he saw.
[Covered Lamp Fire], illuminating what sun and moon overlook, brightening heaven and earth before dawn breaks.
The next instant, Lu Yang bowed his head toward [Soaring Empyrean].
“Fellow Daoist, where might you be headed?”
“...”
[Soaring Empyrean] went silent.
He seemed tempted to hide via [Knowledge-View Barrier] once more. But this time, the infallible barrier failed outright before Lu Yang’s gaze.
The outcome proclaimed an irrefutable truth:
‘In today’s world, with True Lords in hiding... this man can’t be stopped!’