Chapter 245

“Since that is the case, I shall gladly accept.”

Fang Qing did not refuse and directly accepted the Ten-Thousand-Year Hollow Azure.

He was still a step away from fully accumulating the pill power required for the early Core Formation stage, and this item was exactly what he needed.

Once he cultivated his technique to completion and combined it with the Profound Star Cascade Pill in his possession, he would be able to break through to the mid-stage Core Formation realm immediately.

By then, exploring secret realms and seeking opportunities would become much safer and more convenient.

‘As expected, he accepts any benefit offered to him.’

A thought stirred in Zhan Hongxiu's heart. Strangely enough, this made her feel more at ease.

After pondering for a moment, she finally spoke.

“Fellow Daoist's swordsmanship is divine. I have one more matter in which I hope to request your assistance.”

“Oh? What matter?”

Fang Qing replied calmly, knowing that the great opportunity revealed by his divination had finally arrived.

“I wish to explore a secret realm ruin.”

Zhan Hongxiu spoke thoughtfully.

“This secret realm lies in the Eastern Sea. I discovered it while traveling during my Foundation Establishment years. The interior is extremely dangerous. Without Core Formation cultivation, one would not dare venture too deeply inside.

“Even now, after reaching Core Formation, I cannot say I have much confidence. But if Fellow Daoist joins me, things will be different.”

“A secret realm?”

Fang Qing did not agree immediately.

“What benefits does it offer?”

“How would I know?”

Zhan Hongxiu shook her head.

“Judging from the outer perimeter alone, it was at least left behind by a Nascent Soul force. There may even be Nascent Soul opportunities hidden within.”

“To be honest, there is something inside that I absolutely must obtain. It is needed to refine my natal treasure, a piece of Azure Emperor Wood.”

“So it is for your natal treasure.”

Fang Qing nodded seriously.

“If a natal treasure begins with sufficiently high quality, it will save a great deal of refinement effort in the future. Such matters cannot be taken lightly.

“If the secret realm truly produces Azure Emperor Wood, then it shall naturally belong to Fellow Daoist.”

“Fellow Daoist agrees?”

Zhan Hongxiu's eyes brightened with delight.

Azure Emperor Wood was indeed one of her goals. According to Senior Turtle's teachings, it was the finest choice among several top-tier treasures best suited to the Tortoise-Crane Longevity Art.

However, her true objective lay elsewhere within the secret realm.

There were signs that it contained spirit pills and spiritual herbs above the fourth rank that greatly nourished the soul.

Ever since Senior Turtle had consumed a portion of his soul origin to save her during their last crisis, he had remained in deep slumber. Zhan Hongxiu had long wanted to repay that kindness.

Unfortunately, such treasures were exceedingly rare. Perhaps only the ruins left behind by a top power such as the Zhoutian Palace might contain one or two.

“I have grown restless after remaining still for so long. I truly wish to test my luck and seek some opportunities.”

Fang Qing nodded.

“However, I plan to cultivate in seclusion for a period before we depart. What does Fellow Daoist think?”

“Of course.”

Zhan Hongxiu nodded repeatedly.

Ever since reaching Core Formation, she had been occupied with either hunting others or being hunted herself. She had not had the opportunity to quietly refine protective treasures, familiarize herself with her true core, or cultivate Core Formation-level spells.

Most importantly, she still needed to advance her natal spirit beast.

If the Longevity Turtle failed to break through to the third rank, then her own Dao path would end there as well.

Inside the cultivation chamber.

Fang Qing opened the jade box containing the Ten-Thousand-Year Hollow Azure.

“I had originally planned to hunt a few third-rank demon beasts instead... but never mind. The effects of this spiritual medicine should surpass ordinary demon cores.”

He picked up a jade knife and sliced off a small piece.

The sky-blue spiritual root melted the moment it entered his mouth.

Instantly, Fang Qing felt as though his entire body had sunk into a warm spring.

Countless streams of warmth gathered within his dantian. The pitch-black true core formed from the Devouring Sea Art seemed to have swallowed a supreme tonic, spinning frantically as its core power steadily increased.

...

The Qi Ingestion world.

Central Plains region.

Violet Garden Sect.

The Buddhist soldiers of the Temple of All Beings Without Form had completely surrounded the mountain gate, yet they remained helpless against the grand array of purple qi.

High above the heavens.

Towering Dharma Bodies gathered one after another.

Dharma King Jiumoluojie stood with his palms pressed together. Three divine powers alternated around his body, causing the surrounding void to dim.

Countless bats gathered around him, beating their wings.

His body was thin and withered, resembling an ancient corpse as he silently gazed toward the Violet Garden Sect's mountain gate.

Purple qi billowed endlessly, transforming into countless auspicious phenomena.

“Ziyuan Spiritual Master... the Four Great Clans have already fallen, and the Three Great Sects stand on the brink of destruction.”

Jiumoluojie's voice was dry and hoarse.

“If Spiritual Master joins the Hidden-Treasury Domain, your status as a Dharma King shall remain secure.

“Otherwise, should both jade and stone perish together, regret will come too late.”

The purple qi swirled silently without giving any response.

If surrender were an option, they would have done so long ago.

Jiumoluojie smiled at himself.

A Purple Mansion treasure resembling a hidden-treasure pearl appeared in his hand as he began chanting Buddhist scriptures.

“The auspicious purple qi symbolizes the harmonious union of yin and yang, the orderly generation of the five elements. Born through mutual interaction, it is tranquil and enduring.

“To break it, one must use [Ji Water].

“When [Ji Water] stirs the winds, the five elements fall into disorder, and yin and yang lose their balance.”

Accompanied by the Buddhist chant, the Heavenly Wind Hidden-Treasure Pearl slowly rose into the air, taking control of the eight winds.

A gentle breeze swept across the battlefield.

At first, it was soft and lingering, but it soon rose into a fierce gale with astonishing momentum.

The hazy purple qi within the grand array was unexpectedly scattered by a single wisp of wind, revealing the true appearance of the Violet Garden Sect's mountain gate.

Streams of light gathered together, forming a human figure.

The figure was that of a man, yet his features were extraordinarily delicate. His face was as smooth as jade, devoid of any beard.

It was none other than the Ziyuan Spiritual Master, Liu Bin!

As he descended, the phantom of a great sun emerged behind him, like the rising dawn. A branch of Fusang tree manifested within the radiance, sending ripples of pink light through the air.

This Liu Bin was astonishingly a [Fang Sun] Great Spiritual Master who had already refined three divine abilities!

"Dharma King, why waste words trying to shake my resolve? Among the three sects under the Blissful Union Sect, Illusory Sound Sect and Vermilion Origin Sect may surrender or flee, but our branch of the Blissful Union lineage has nowhere to go."

Liu Bin's voice was sharp as he shouted, "Since you have borrowed a treasure capable of breaking the purple qi grand array, let us settle this through our abilities!"

"For the sake of seeking the Dao, Great Spiritual Master, you willingly accepted an incomplete dharma body. This old monk admires your determination."

Temple of All Beings Without Form's Dharma King Jiumoluojie pressed his palms together and smiled.

The [Fang Sun] lineage was exceedingly strange.

Once one successfully entered the path and established a Dao Foundation, yin and yang could easily reverse. Men became women, women became men.

One of its branches was even more sinister.

Its practitioners were primarily male, yet from the moment they entered the path, they were required to castrate themselves, becoming neither man nor woman, transcending both genders to attain a so-called celestial body.

Even after advancing to the Purple Mansion realm, although their dharma bodies could freely transform, they would never be able to return to what they had once been.

The Violet Garden Sect inherited precisely this branch of the lineage, maintaining close ties with the Blissful Union Sect that could never be severed.

As for the might of a Purple Mansion Great Spiritual Master, in the present age they possessed the power to determine the outcome of entire battlefields with ease.

This was because late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators possessed three divine abilities!

Three divine abilities formed an extraordinarily stable structure, sufficient to support one's Dao path. Such cultivators attracted the attention of higher Celestial Positions more easily, allowing their original status to ascend.

And the difference of a single rank in status resulted in a vast disparity in power.

This was the true reason why a Purple Mansion Great Spiritual Master could effortlessly kill an early-stage Purple Mansion cultivator.

Of course, success and failure both stemmed from the same cause.

The structure formed by three divine abilities was incomparably stable. Attempting to advance further, refining a fourth divine ability and reaching the threshold of seeking the Golden at Purple Mansion perfection, became unimaginably difficult.

This bottleneck trapped countless Great Spiritual Master for their entire lives.

"Please!"

A simple ancient longsword appeared in Liu Bin's hand.

The sword measured three chi and three cun in length. An ancient beast-shaped guard gripped the base of the blade, and a purple tassel hung from the hilt.

Taking a single step forward, he seemed to chase the sun and moon themselves.

Enhanced by the divine ability "Earth-Skimming Movement," his movement technique became astonishing. He swept past the golden-body dharma forms one after another, bypassed even Dharma King Mo Luoshi's interception, and arrived directly before Jiumoluojie.

Clang!

The ancient sword left its sheath.

At that moment, heaven and earth held only a single sword cry.

Ripples spread outward as seductive melodies filled the air, enough to make listeners flush with heat.

The golden-body dharma forms all froze in place, becoming like clay statues and wooden idols in a temple before crumbling apart one after another into showers of golden dust.

A flame descended from above, majestic and resplendent.

It was the Fusang True Fire burning upon the divine ability "Fusang Branch"!

"Heretical path, how arrogant!"

"Enemy of the Buddha, surrender your head!"

The surrounding Dharma Kings, Dumu, and Duzi all assumed wrathful expressions.

Purple Mansion treasures rained down from all directions: vajras, alms bowls, purification vases, mani pearls, white bone bowls, and more.

Yet a branch large enough to blot out the heavens intercepted every attack.

Even the occasional wound healed almost instantly.

The Ziyuan Spiritual Master truly deserved his reputation as a late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator with three divine abilities.

By himself, he withstood the combined assault of the many monks of the Temple of All Beings Without Form!

He thrust his sword once and immediately returned it to its sheath, standing motionless atop the Fusang Branch.

All the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury monks understood that when he drew his next sword, it would surely be even more devastating than before.

"Homage to the World-Honored Tathagata!"

Jiumoluojie pressed his palms together.

His body began to rot.

One of his eyeballs fell from its socket.

Countless white worm-like creatures crawled and writhed across his flesh. Some parts of his body swelled grotesquely as corpse fluid spilled outward.

This was the [Nu Earth] divine ability, [Aspect of Terror of Death]!

Through the contemplation of corpse meditation, one crossed life and death with a single white bone heart.

Jiumoluojie let out a lion's roar.

Though the Purple Mansion dharma body manifested through corpse contemplation seemed weak and decayed, its aura strangely reached an unimaginable peak.

He shouted:

"[Fang Sun] possesses the three divine abilities 'Earth-Skimming Movement,' 'Bridal Chamber Ripples,' and 'Fusang Branch.' Liu Bin of the heretical path, what divine ability do you seek as your fourth?"

The moment those words rang out, they seemed to invoke some great terror.

Countless horrifying manifestations descended.

Eyes as large as mountains fixed their gaze upon the Ziyuan Great Spiritual Master.

It was as though if he refused to answer, or attempted deception, some dreadful calamity would immediately descend upon him.

"Naturally, it is 'Revering Taiyin'!"

Liu Bin's sword left its sheath once more.

A flash of sword light streaked through the air.

The rising Sun grew even brighter as it swept across Jiumoluojie's dharma body.

The dharma body exploded apart.

Yet it was as though layers of dust had simply been washed away.

A brand-new Jiumoluojie stepped forth from within.

This was the divine ability "Washing Away Mortal Ties"!

At the cost of discarding one mortal body, he had forcibly endured Liu Bin's sword strike.

"'White Bone Contemplation,' 'Washing Away Mortal Ties,' and 'Aspect of Terror of Death'. Truly extraordinary."

Seeing his attack fail, Liu Bin held his sheathed sword and sighed softly.

Then he vanished into the distance.

Now that most of the Three Sects and Four Great Clans had already fallen and the void stood wide open, no one could stop a Purple Mansion Great Spiritual Master from leaving.

Not to mention one who possessed a divine ability specifically suited for movement techniques.

"Today, the Violet Garden Sect shall perish."

The moment Liu Bin departed, the Violet Garden Sect was effectively abandoned to the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain.

Jiumoluojie put away the hidden-treasure pearl and rolled it gently between his fingers as he transmitted a voice filled with Buddhist resonance.

"Kill."

The monk soldiers immediately moved into action.

Although some Violet Garden cultivators still resisted, how could they possibly match the vicious and ruthless Esoteric monks?

Before long, all sounds of battle ceased.

Bats hung beneath the eaves of the Violet Garden Sect's buildings.

Unfamiliar black earth gathered together, forming one grave mound after another.

Thus, a sect guarded by a Purple Mansion Great Spiritual Master was completely buried on this day.

Jiumoluojie remained expressionless as he silently watched the scene unfold.

Thinking back to his earlier question, he mused inwardly:

'Our attack on the Joyous Union Sect was ordered by a Buddhist decree from the Great Snow Mountain.'

'That question just now was specifically requested by Dharma King Pilu.'

'But how could the fourth divine ability of the [Fang Sun] lineage possibly be Revering Taiyin?'

'Could this... be the true reason for attacking the Blissful Union Sect?'