「Within the Foundation Establishnt Realm.」
Not far from the battlefield where Lü Yang and Venerable Weimotuo had fought, the Great Truen of the Dao Court, Sword Pavilion, and Stain Sect were locked in a standoff.
More accurately, the Great Trueman from the Stain Sect was single-handedly facing down his counterparts from the Sword Pavilion and the Dao Court.
Despite this, the atmosphere between the three factions wasn’t nearly as tense as one might expect. No one was willing to fight to the death for soone else’s sake. In fact, they seed more interested in enjoying the show.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, who do you think will win between Yuan Tu and Vimalakirti? This commotion is a bit much. I’d say at least one of them is going to die."
The Great Trueman from the Dao Court was a Second-Grade Official nad Chen Ruzhen. He was the very sa Minister of the Imperial Army who had previously t with Suo Huan on the Dao Court’s behalf.
As for the Great Trueman from the Sword Pavilion, he was the current Patriarch of the Ye Family, Ye Shaoying.
Ye Guyue was his daughter.
Frankly, this made him the one person here who most wanted Lü Yang dead. Unfortunately, the Great Trueman from the Stain Sect stood directly in his way, blocking his path.
"...Hmph!"
After a mont of thought, Ye Shaoying sneered. "Fellow Daoist Vimalakirti has walked the path for many years. Even injured, how could that Demon, who has just broken through, possibly be his match?"
This wasn’t just him speaking out of anger; it was a conclusion based on analysis. Fake Holding was, after all, still just "fake." Even with the Realm of a Great Trueman, one was ultimately a step below. In a true battle, such a person was dood to fall. Even if Venerable Weimotuo was in poor condition, there was no reason for him to be slain in the field by a junior.
"I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Fellow Daoist."
Before Ye Shaoying had even finished speaking, the Great Trueman from the Stain Sect let out a hearty laugh. "You should know, such things have happened before!"
"...Absurd!"
Ye Shaoying naturally knew what he was referring to. It was the ti Minor tal, at Mid-stage Foundation Establishnt Perfection, had also used Fake Holding to assu the station of a Great Trueman and slay his enemies in battle.
But who was Minor tal?
He was the reincarnation of an Innate Immortal Spirit, with a Perfected Lord for a backer. With a pedigree like that, he would have been a top priority for cultivation even in the Sword Pavilion. What right did Lü Yang have to be compared to him?
However, just then...
"BOOM!"
A trendous roar echoed from the distant battlefield. A Spirit Tide surged, roiling through both the Foundation Establishnt Realm and the current world simultaneously. The previously chaotic Karma Links gradually grew clearer.
The three Great Truen imdiately cast their gazes toward the source.
The first thing they saw was Lü Yang, trapped within the Pure Land Temple. He was drenched in blood, his breathing as faint as a silken thread. He looked to be on the verge of death.
A look of delight instantly crossed Ye Shaoying’s face. "As expected! Fellow Daoist Vimalakirti has won!"
Nearby, Chen Ruzhen from the Dao Court also looked pleased. ’If Lü Yang has truly been defeated,’ he thought, ’does this an the Dao Court’s objective might yet be within reach?’
anwhile, the expression of the Great Trueman from the Stain Sect darkened.
His na was Jun Tong, a Great Trueman serving under True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo. And because True Monarch Zeng Cai Qiluo had always been on good terms with World Purger Fei Xue, he actually held a high opinion of Lü Yang. He wouldn’t have stepped in to block the Sword Pavilion and the Dao Court otherwise.
But now, the situation was clearly dire.
’He’s just a young man, after all. Too arrogant after his breakthrough... Vimalakirti is a Great Trueman. Lü Yang would have been lucky to escape with his life, so how could he possibly think of killing him?’
At this thought, Jun Tong couldn’t help but sigh.
’But... I cannot allow him to be taken to the Pure Land!’
The weight of an ordinary Perfected Person versus a Great Trueman was entirely different. Jun Tong had already made his decision. At the critical mont, he would strike and kill Lü Yang himself.
’This way, I can at least send his Soul to be reincarnated. His talent is so high that in the last thousand years of our Stain Sect, only Minor tal could compare. It was only because his Dao path was severed that he t such an end. If I let him pass through five reincarnations and begin anew, he might yet beco a useful asset...’
With this in mind, Jun Tong prepared to act.
The next second, however, he froze, his gaze fixed on the Pure Land Temple enveloping Lü Yang. His brow furrowed.
’Where is Vimalakirti?’
At the sa ti, Ye Shaoying and Chen Ruzhen also realized sothing was wrong. They scanned their surroundings, but Vimalakirti was nowhere to be seen, neither in the current world nor the Foundation Establishnt Realm.
Where could he have gone?
Just then, Lü Yang’s body opened its eyes and slowly rose to its feet. As he moved, an astonishing scene unfolded.
The Pure Land Temple—collapsed!
The boundless Buddha Light, the Mages, the monastics—at that mont, it was as if they were made of tofu. Unable to withstand Lü Yang’s Qi trace, they crumbled and disintegrated inch by inch!
In an instant, Ye Shaoying’s expression froze.
’How is this possible!’
’The Pure Land Temple was the very root of Vimalakirti’s Dao Foundation. For it to collapse... doesn’t that an he’s already dead? Was he really slain by Lü Yang?’
Nearby, Chen Ruzhen of the Dao Court was even more horrified. He silently backed away until he was behind Ye Shaoying. It was a well-known fact that Dao Court Cultivators were the weakest in a direct confrontation. If Lü Yang could kill Venerable Weimotuo, he could almost certainly kill him as well. How could he not be terrified?
Soon, however, both n regained their composure.
Ye Shaoying even shook his head, saying, "Fellow Daoist Vimalakirti was injured, after all. He may have been defeated this ti, but once he has recovered, the outco of a future battle might be quite different."
"Recover?"
Just then, a clear laugh rang out. Lü Yang opened his eyes and beckoned with his hand. The Tribulation Wave flew toward him from the current world.
"You all should stop overthinking things."
"From this day forward, Vimalakirti is no more!"
Lü Yang’s voice bood, echoing through the silence. The others’ expressions changed slightly as they subconsciously began to perform divinatory calculations.
Soon, a look of shock appeared on Ye Shaoying’s face.
"No karmic links... How can there be no karmic links?!"
When a Venerable of the Pure Land dies, they don’t enter the cycle of reincarnation. Instead, their karmic links guide them back to the Pure Land, making them notoriously difficult to kill... But now, Vimalakirti’s karmic links had been completely extinguished!
Yuan Tu!
The fifth Divine Effect of the Tribulation Wave. This sword-art slays its victims by severing all their karmic links. Not only does this make them impossible to trace through divination, but the victim is reduced to a being without cause or effect.
Even the Pure Land cannot guide them back!
The only outco is the complete and utter annihilation of the Soul!
With a victory like this, what did it matter how gravely injured Lü Yang was, or how close to death he seed? So long as no Perfected Lord intervened, he was now one of the preeminent Great Divine Power Users in all of Heaven and Earth!
From this day on, Heaven and Earth would rember his na.
Just then, a brilliant golden light blazed in the west. Sothing had clearly noticed the discrepancy, and an invisible gaze swept across the area.
In an instant, everything in Heaven and Earth seed to fall silent. All the brilliant, flowing colors of the realm ceased their motion, leaving only that invisible gaze to scrutinize the world. Gradually, that gaze filled with rage. It fixed upon Lü Yang, and in a flash, its pressure bore down on him, snapping his bones and tearing his sinews.
And yet, Lü Yang still raised his head.
He stood tall, defiant against the imnse pressure.
"What can you do to ?"
BOOM!
Thunder cracked. The pressure from the gaze intensified countlessfold, but at the critical mont, another Mighty Power intervened, deflecting it and causing it to dissipate into nothing.
Two vast spiritual perceptions intertwined in the void.
"Fellow Daoist, a ga of chess is won by skill. To flip the board after losing a piece is hardly befitting of your stature."
"Amitabha..."
The Stain Sect had made its move!
Lü Yang didn’t know who had intervened, but it didn’t matter. By using Fake Holding to reach the Great Trueman realm and slaying Vimalakirti in battle, he had proven himself worthy enough for a Perfected Lord of the Stain Sect to personally step forward and protect him!
Besides, for all the Perfected Lords, another, even more important matter was now at hand.
At that mont, everyone, including Lü Yang, suddenly felt a strange premonition. They all raised their heads, their gazes turning toward the sky of the Foundation Establishnt Realm, toward a specific Fruit Position Star.
The Fruit of Long-Flow Water.
This in itself was not unusual.
Yet now, for so unknown reason, the Fruit that had hung high in the firmant—untouchable, unreachable—suddenly began to change.
It was beginning to fall!
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