Chapter 1469: The Third Round
“Even without the Earthly Essence Stone’s indestructible effects, the Great Sage Equalling Heavens still triumphs over all the Grand Heavenly Realm experts, even including those of yore.” Yan Zhaoge shook his head, “If you, Senior Gao, and the Exalted Lunar Luminary befitted his requirements and inherited his Golden Body, the three of you might even pass the Origin Heavenly Tribulation instantly.”
The Great Sage’s inheritance would bring about such colossal benefits. How could he just give it off to some random monkeys?
He could discard consideration for the worst possible outcome if he were to aid the Great Sage.
However, if benefits were included within, how could he just freely give it away?
Feng Yunsheng clasped her hands towards Xu Fei and said, “Congratulations, senior apprentice-brother Xu.”
“For now, the feelings of cautiousness overwhelms my feelings of happiness.” Xu Fei frankly said, “I have ascended far too quickly. If I don’t stabilize my foundations, these increments will turn out to be otiose.”
Feng Yunsheng said, “I understand that feeling.”
“Or, should I say, you’re my model?” Xu Fei said, “Advancing step by step is the way to go. Only, even if I want to, time might not allow it, especially with how things are now.”
Yan Zhaoge waved his hand, “Pressure translates into motivation. Sometimes, you’ll be caught up in situations where you have no choice but to advance. When that time comes, you’ll have to push forward no matter what.”
He smiled and said, “It’s not just limited to Pan-Pan and you. Even my North Ocean Clone is in the same situation. Feng Yunsheng could only reach this state because she spent the previous twenty years on her cultivation.”
“Let us return to the Awakened Sky Cosmos with haste.” Feng Yunsheng said, “Hopefully, the others had returned safely.”
As the group conversed with each other, they disappeared by the boundless void.
At the same time, the transformation which happened in the Blessed Lands of the White Lotus had gained traction from various forces.
It wasn’t limited to the Blessed Lands of the White Lotus. Other places were also in a mild commotion.
In the Western Pure Lands, within a Land of Buddhism, myriads of lamps were set alight, with a green lotus blooming within.
Atop the lotus sat a blue Buddha. His right hand formed a Vitarka hand sign, while his left hand formed a Dhyana hand sign [1]. He closed his eyes, his intelligence in a state of enlightenment.
When the Great Sage Equalling Heavens escaped from the seal, this Buddha opened his eyes.
When Yan Zhaoge and the others broke through the outer layer of the seal and left the Obscured Way World using the Golden Body of the Great Sage, the Buddha slowly shut his eyes once again.
Within the Land of Buddhism, a long sigh resounded.
After a short while, another green lotus flew into this Land of Buddhism and descended in front of the blue Buddha.
Another Buddha sat atop the green lotus. He had twenty heads and eighteen arms.
However, four of his forearms were gone right now, as if they were cut off by someone else.
Moreover, a substantial chasm-like wound spanned across his chest, making it seem tragically horrifying.
Premonitions of Doomsday’s descent were leaking from this wound. He seemed begrimed with his incapacitated look as if he had undergone the corrosion of nature.
However, the Buddha kept his calm composure. He saluted to the owner of this Land of Buddhism – the blue Buddha, and said, “Master.”
“To think thou wouldst be harmed to this degree.” The blue Buddha opened his eyes again and stared at the horrifying wounds by the chest and arms, “It doth not seem like the maiden had achieved the Grand Heavenly Realm. Perchance, the Immortal Extermination Formation promulgated its return?”
The twenty-headed Buddha answered, “Indeed, it is the Immortal Extermination Formation. There’s also the bona fide Immortal Slaughtering Sword.”
He was the Victorious Fighting Buddha, the one which the Immortal Extermination Formation had deeply wounded.
Without a doubt, the blue Buddha he referred to as “master” was the Mythical Mountain Arhat of the past – the monk Sanzang, currently known as the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit.
“A mere Immortal Slaughtering Sword and an Immortal Exterminating Formation without the administration of a Prime Clear Grand Heavenly Realm sword cultivator suffice it harming thee to this degree. How bewildering.” The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit sighed. Then, he extended his palm and placed it on the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s head.
Crystalline Buddha lights descended, reducing the number of wounds on the Victorious Fighting Buddha.
The Victorious Fighting Buddha said, “If they amassed the four swords, mayhaps I will be rendered inadequate to escape.”
“Convalescing from thy wounds won’t be an easy feat. I’m merely capable of easing your wounds.” The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit said, “Go find Namo Amitabha later.”
“I shall do so at a later time.” The Victorious Fighting Buddha answered, “I set foot here for a disparate matter, master. Thou hath surely sensed it, right?”
The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit nodded, “Ultimately, he managed to abscond from the Five Elements Mountain. As for how the liberation transpired, I can’t be too sure. Go ask the Amitabha Buddha.”
“The feeling of bizarreness overwhelms me…” the Victorious Fighting Buddha muttered.
He turned his head to look at the Buddha of Sandalwood Meri, “Mayhaps, someone broke through the seal thou placed?”
“It was broken through. Only, it occurred after he left the Five Elements Mountain.” The Buddha of Sandalwood Meri said, “The one who broke through my seal wasn’t him.”
The Victorious Fighting Buddha contemplated for a while and said, “The person of aid would surely be bestowed with the monkey’s return of the favor.”
The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit smiled slightly, “Speaking of it, after I heeded my master – the Gautama Buddha’s decree, and ushered thee away from the Five Elements Mountains, thy cultivation of yore was similar to that monkey.”
“Some distinguished individual must be backing him.” The Victorious Fighting Buddha said, “Perchance the Elder Lord, or…”
He lowered his head and looked at the wound which stretched across his chest.
“Meet the Amitabha,” said the Buddha of Sandalwood Meri calmly.
The Victorious Fighting Buddha pressed his hands together and left, leaving the green lotus behind. The Buddha of Sandalwood Meri sat within and didn’t budge an inch. After a long while, he finally closed his eyes.
A sigh resounded in thin air.
During the previous battle, the Victorious Fighting Buddha had managed to destroy the Immortal Extermination Formation. However, due to this, he was forced into retreat.
On the other side, the Earth Devil was sent into perishment once again. Then, Yan Zhaoge took every moment to deal with Xu Fei, Chen Qianhua, and Shi Jun’s matters.
Meanwhile, the battle between each forces’ experts was still going on incessantly by the void’s boundless outskirts.
The group of Devils had already left the Nine Underworlds. While the other forces were still secretly plotting against each other, they continued besieging the Nine Underworld Infernal Devils, preventing as many of them from returning to the Nine Underworlds.
Upon sensing the Earth Devil’s success, the Nine Underworlds experts’ spirits were uplifted. However, immediately after, the Earth Devil had perished once again, causing their uplifted spirit to spiral down into a chasm.
They only egressed from the Nine Underworlds this time, after orchestrating a grand scheme. However, their efforts were met with disappointment. Not only were their efforts to no avail, they even suffered from enormous casualties and lost a considerable amount of troops.
Now that the Water Devil and the Earth Devil had perished, the group of Devils naturally planned to retreat to the Nine Underworlds.
However, the experts of Daoism, Buddhism, and the Demon Race were on their tails, preventing them from escaping.
“Our losses during the first two battles weren’t for no reason.” The Primordial Heart Devil sighed, “We regarded ourselves too highly.”
“The first two battles?” The Shadow Devil noticed the way he phrased his sentence.
The Primordial Heart Devil replied, “Yes. We lost during the first two rounds. Now, we shall see how the third round turns out.”
“The third round? From where?” asked the Shadow Devil.
“I don’t know its exact location.” The Primordial Heart Devil answered, “The Devil of Aged Metal is responsible for it. We just have to lure the attention away from him.”
The old man smiled, “Perhaps, our win would be secured much easier that way. Sometimes, you lose some, but you gain something else in return. This might be our very last glimmer of hope.”
[1] https://www.thespruce.com/buddha-hand-gestures-1275278