Xituo Commandery.
White Bone Dao, Wusheng Temple.
The temple’s incense offerings had grown even more prosperous of late. The rich scent of burning ghee lingered in the air year round.
From a perspective invisible to ordinary mortals, the temple glowed with multicolored auspicious light. Its outer form was perfectly round while the interior remained square, with Vajra protectors patrolling its periter. This was the grand ritual array known as the Great Majestic Virtue Vajra Wheel of Ti Mandala.
A mandala was a sacred Daoist field.
This Great Majestic Virtue Vajra Wheel of Ti Mandala served as the Formless Temple’s protective grand array.
Main hall of the Formless Temple.
Beneath the dual statues of the Charnel Grounds Lord in his white bone form, Guru Sangji sat in full lotus position. A trace of worry creased his brows. “How many years has it been? Still no sign of that outer path heretic.”
“Those two fools, Miaofeng and Qingjing, actually got involved in matters concerning the demonic path and the demon race, wasting such a golden opportunity. Now that heretic has gone into hiding, and it seems a Purple Mansion expert is shielding him. Even when I perford the fire offering ritual, I could not locate any trace.”
Without subjugating the heretic, he could not perfect his fate and advance to Dharma King.
With the major changes unfolding in the northern regions of Ancient Shu, Sangji grew increasingly anxious.
He knew full well that although the various temples of the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain supported the eastward migration of esoteric monks, the Dharma Kings themselves were unwilling to co in person and instead sent their disciples.
Among all those disciples, Sangji was the one with the highest chance of advancing to Dharma King.
Once he succeeded, he would take charge of all Buddhist affairs in Ancient Shu, wielding trendous authority.
Yet he remained stuck at this very step!
If another Guru seized this opportunity of the esoteric monks’ eastward migration and attained Dharma King first… then he… he…
Sangji’s thoughts churned endlessly. In the end he decided to wait one more year.
If there was still no result after a year, he would have no choice but to admit defeat and seek help from the Dharma Kings of the All Beings Formless Temple.
At that point the Dharma Kings in the temple would probably view him as incompetent. Even if he later attained Dharma King, he would forever be one step beneath the others.
Just as Sangji’s thoughts swirled, the fire basin before him suddenly erupted with a three-foot-long tongue of fla. Within it, the faint silhouette of a young man in blue robes could be seen.
“Hmm? What audacity from this outer path heretic, daring to hide in Xituo Commandery right under this Buddha’s nose?”
Sangji shouted loudly and imdiately turned into a streak of escape light, departing the Formless Temple.
He did not dare venture deep into Ancient Shu, but Xituo Commandery had essentially beco territory of the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain, so he could act with far fewer reservations.
As long as no Purple Mansion expert appeared, no one could take down this Buddha!
Thinking that the great opportunity for his breakthrough had arrived, Sangji’s face filled with joy as he sped toward the location revealed by the fire offering.
“Supre Auspicious!”
In a desolate mountain, Fang Qing had finished setting up the Dark Ice Sky Curtain Array. He inserted spirit stones one by one into the array disk, then stirred his mind and perford a divination with the Plum Blossom Divination. The resulting hexagram was auspicious.
Although divination could not be trusted completely, it was at least a positive on, enough to justify taking the risk.
Once everything was prepared, Fang Qing released his aura and waited quietly.
According to the intelligence he had gathered earlier, no Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Dharma Kings had crossed over to the east. At most there was one Dao Foundation perfection cultivator along with five pseudo-Dao Foundation ones.
He glanced in the direction of the White Bone Dao and perford another divination.
This ti the result was minor auspicious!
Although in the lands of Ancient Shu, even with the Dao-Genesis Pearl enhancing his divination, he could only roughly determine his own fortune and misfortune, this steadily improving trend still filled Fang Qing with pleasant surprise.
“He is here!”
At that mont he saw a streak of light flying toward him, carrying the pressure of Dao Foundation perfection. His heart stirred.
“What an audacious heretic!”
The escape light condensed, revealing Sangji in a tiger-skin kasaya, looking fierce and malevolent. He glared at Fang Qing and shouted, “Why have you not submitted at once?!”
His voice bood like a lion’s roar, carrying an indescribable Buddhist power.
If Fang Qing had not previously converted the Horse-Headed Wisdom King Protector Divine thod, he might have prostrated himself on all fours under this sudden rebuke, begging the Guru to convert him.
To think the man had co alone so impatiently. No wonder the hexagram was minor auspicious.
Fang Qing kept his [Ji Water] mana circulating as he ford hand seals with both hands and sent a stream of mana into the array disk.
Boom!
Black, white, red, yellow, and blue lights shot skyward, transforming into five-colored ice flas that ford a vast curtain across the heavens.
After the Blue Sea Sect had seized this Dark Ice Sky Curtain Array, the array masters had clearly enhanced its power considerably.
A semi-transparent barrier appeared in the void, trapping both Fang Qing and Sangji inside the array.
“A Purple Mansion grand array?”
Sangji jumped in fright. Rainbow light flashed in his eyes, but he quickly relaxed. “It resembles one but falls short. As expected, a Purple Mansion expert is backing this heretic!”
“But our Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain has an agreent with the Purple Mansion experts above the cliff. They would not dare intervene here in Xituo Commandery!”
“Outer path heretic, submit at once!”
Sangji’s mana surged with terrifying pressure. In one hand he held the White Bone Dharma Bell, while several Dao Foundation Buddhist artifacts floated around him: a prayer wheel, a ghee lamp, and a string of skull prayer beads.
Within his body the profundities of his Dao Foundation activated. The entire world seed to transform into a field of black earth.
Fang Qing stood upon this black soil and suddenly felt as if his own flesh and blood were about to slough off, leaving only a white-boned skeleton.
This was the [Nu Earth] Dao Foundation, the White Bone Contemplation!
“Dao Foundation perfection is truly no small matter. If I hold back any longer, I will be the one who dies!”
Fang Qing’s mind stirred. The Dao-Genesis Pearl instantly converted his technique. The Blue Sea Technique circulated, driving the external core Tide Birth Pearl!
A terrifying wave of mana erupted, transforming into profound blue sea waters that washed away the black earth imagery.
This was not a matter of technique but sheer overwhelming nurical superiority!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Fang Qing waved his hand and sent out three talisman treasures. Driven by Core Formation level mana, the talismans activated almost instantly, transforming into a pitch-black ancient halberd, an azure-blue small sword, and a Sea-Suppressing Ring. They respectively t the skull prayer beads, the prayer wheel, and the other Buddhist artifacts.
Above his head floated the magical treasure Sea Transformation Pearl. The pearl shimred with a soft glow, releasing boundless mountain-and-sea heavy water to protect his body. In his hand appeared a white jade flute. He poured his mana into it and blew hard.
Whoosh!
A piercing sound wave transford into a ring of white radiance, faintly forming the shape of a white phoenix. It spread its wings, trailing tails of multicolored rune flas, and swept toward Sangji.
“Puff!”
Sangji’s face flushed red as he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Clearly, facing a sonic attack for the first ti left him quite uncomfortable as well.
However, he specialized in Body Refinent, so his resistance in this area far exceeded that of an ordinary Foundation Establishnt cultivator.
At this mont, looking at Fang Qing who radiated Core Formation realm mana, his expression beca extrely grave. “Whose Consecrated Son are you? Which origin temple made the first move and converted you in advance, stealing this Buddha’s opportunity?”
At this mont, Sangji finally understood.
Why he had repeatedly encountered setbacks in subjugating the outer path heretic. It turned out he had run into internal conflict within the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain!
Of course the many monks of the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain were not in complete harmony. Many high monks and great virtues even debated Buddhist laws with one another, and the losers would directly have their heads cut off as apology!
The so-called Consecrated Son was in fact an upgraded version of a Bright Son.
Those under a Guru were called Bright Sons and Wisdom Consorts.
But at the Dharma King level, they were called Consecrated Son and Consecrated Consort!
Judging from Fang Qing’s current performance, he was not quite at Purple Mansion level but clearly surpassed Dao Foundation perfection by a notch. He must be a Consecrated Son who had been converted by a Dharma King!
“This is too much! Once this Buddha gets out, I will definitely report this to the Great Snow Mountain! A Dharma King interfering with another temple’s Guru’s fate… Do they think the Dharma Kings of our All Beings Formless Temple are dead?!”
Sangji shouted loudly as Buddhist light blood across his body.
Behind him lood a faint white bone dharma image, over ten zhang tall, reaching from heaven to earth, only to be blocked once again by the five-colored ice flas.
‘Damn it, he’s cursing again… and I think his curses are even filthier.’
‘When did I beco a Consecrated Son again?’
Fang Qing grumbled inwardly while his hands moved swiftly. He poured more mana into the white jade flute treasure, transforming it into a white phoenix several tis larger than before. It slamd heavily into the white bone dharma image.
Boom!
A burst of incandescent white light scattered. The jade flute treasure let out a mournful cry and flew back into Fang Qing’s hand.
anwhile, the white bone dharma image cracked inch by inch. Below it, Sangji’s face twisted viciously as he spat out another mouthful of essence blood, clearly suffering severe damage to his vitality.
“Fang Shui Consecrated Son… Even if you use a real Purple Mansion grand array, you cannot trap this Buddha’s true spirit… Since we both belong to the Great Snow Mountain, why not sit down and talk?”
Seeing that several of his Buddhist artifacts were being held back, Sangji sighed inwardly and shouted.
Unexpectedly, Fang Qing’s expression remained unchanged. With a wave of his hand, he hurled out the Sea Transformation Pearl!
He was not actually a Dharma King’s Consecrated Son, so he had nothing to discuss with Sangji.
Moreover, defeating or even killing this person would be completely useless!
His plan from the very beginning had been to stall for ti. Once he gained sufficient strength, he would take the initiative to strike and resolve the threat once and for all!
If he could not resolve it, he would simply flee far away!
This Sangji was a direct-line secret disciple… He could forcibly convert him! With Sangji covering for him, he would truly be safe. He could calmly integrate himself into the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury system. No matter how much he advanced, no one would suspect him, and he would have proper backing and roots.
Ordinary Bright Sons and Bright Consorts already had their lives restricted and could not be converted again.
But this Sangji could!
Fang Qing’s intention was simple: beat Sangji until he lost all ability to resist, then convert him by force!
The Sea Transformation Pearl flew out, carrying layer upon layer of mountain-and-sea illusions as it smashed heavily onto the White Bone Dharma Bell.
The bell let out a mournful cry and began cracking apart inch by inch.
Sangji’s expression changed drastically. He bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of essence blood onto his tiger-skin kasaya.
His kasaya had been tanned from the hide of a great demon close to Purple Mansion level and was sewn with countless living souls and curse power. It was reinforced daily with the Tiger Demon Wisdom King Birth Mantra. The mont the essence blood activated it, the tiger-skin kasaya swelled dramatically, transforming into a massive black tiger demon covered in Buddhist light. It opened its jaws and bit down on the Sea Transformation Pearl!
Fang Qing took a deep breath. Sensing that the mana in the three talisman treasures was nearly exhausted, he felt rather speechless.
If this were a true Dao Foundation perfection cultivator, ten of them would have died from such an ambush.
‘This person’s combat strength really is close to the Core Formation stage. If it were one of the more powerful orthodox paths, I might not have been able to take him down. Fortunately I had insurance.’
The array disk of the Dark Ice Sky Curtain Array appeared in his hand. He quickly adjusted it.
Beams of five-colored ice pillars descended, bombarding the Tiger Demon Wisdom King.
The near Purple Mansion level power imdiately caused the Tiger Demon Wisdom King to roar continuously as it ca under heavy suppression.
The Sea Transformation Pearl leaped once more like a shooting star and struck Sangji squarely in the chest.
The Guru scread miserably. His aura plumted as blood flowed from his mouth and nose. He was frozen solid by the five-colored profound ice ford by the array.
Crack! Crack!
The Buddhist artifacts lost their glow and fell to the ground. The Tiger Demon Wisdom King also transford back into a thangka monk robe and fluttered lightly to the floor.
Fang Qing flashed forward. His mana shifted once more into the Great Sun Empowernt Secret Art as he pressed his palm onto the top of Sangji’s shaved head.
“You… You are actually a direct-line disciple of the Supre Origin Temple?”
Sangji recognized the technique and cried out in alarm. “Ah! You want to convert this Guru by force?!”
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