Buddhist Radiance in the Western Continent, Tianhe's Hidden Move

Zheng Fa looked at the Book of Life and Death for a long time, then turned his gaze to the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor.

Now he roughly understood the Devil Ancestor's purpose.

On the surface of the Book of Life and Death, Black-White Mystic Light lingered, and a faint, clear glow fell.

The surrounding white fog grew thicker and thicker, surging in all directions.

From within the fog, it seemed that new land was emerging.

Zheng Fa had a feeling that the area of Underworld was expanding.

"He's refining a treasure!" the disheveled Nishang Yuanjun shouted from within the light screen, "This is the Incense Power Divine Way!"

Li Sanxian, who was beside her, suddenly changed his expression. "Incense Power and Divine Way? Where did this Incense Power come from?"

Nishang Yuanjun also shook her head.

Although she had Comprehensive Mirror in Government), she couldn't watch the live broadcast.

Currently, within the Tianhe Sect, besides the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's side, probably only Zheng Fa knows the details.

The Nine Nether have put on such a grand show.

Besides seeking revenge, his motivation was to refine a magical treasure—using the Incense Power attracted by the Comprehensive Mirror Aid in Government) to refine it.

There are only tens of thousands of cultivators who possess the Comprehensive Mirror (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), but their strength is extraordinary.

Aside from the disciples of the Nine Mountains Sect, anyone who could afford the Comprehensive Mirror was at least Golden Core cultivator.

More importantly, a single Comprehensive Mirror can be viewed by multiple people.

Therefore, the number of viewers reached is probably far greater than the number of people in the Comprehensive Mirror itself.

"This can even have Incense Power?" Xie Qingxue was a little stunned.

She didn't doubt Nishang Yuanjun; after all, she was a professional.

I just didn't expect the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor to play like this.

The Heavenly Emperor Body pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "The essence of Incense Power lies in faith."

He cultivates the Divine Way of Incense Power and deities, and has gained profound insights into it.

"Previously, we only thought that the power of Incense Power came from mortals' faith in gods."

"But from my observation, the reason why the disciples at Nine Mountains University admire me is not actually because they worship a god, but more like they admire their mentor."

Senior Sister Zhang understood. "That's how the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor is."

"A single live stream, and he's manipulated Four Sects with ease." The Heavenly Emperor Body nodded. "His power and his ideals are enough to command the respect and awe of cultivators."

"Perhaps, the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's previous pursuit of the truth behind the Tianhe Upheaval was also a search for validation."

After one live stream...

It's hard for cultivators not to feel sympathy for, or even faith in, the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor.

These emotions, in turn, were fed back into the Book of Life and Death in the form of Incense Power.

"Actually, I've been wondering why the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, being so powerful, would use the Immortal-Slayer Sword Formation to lure the Four Sects instead of attacking them directly," the Heavenly Emperor Body added. "Before, I thought the Four Sects had their own trump cards, and the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was cautious by nature."

"Now it seems that even the Book of Life and Death has its limitations."

Senior Sister Zhang thought it made sense and was about to speak again when Comprehensive Mirror suddenly trembled.

She looked down and frowned.

"Has something changed in the Western Continent?"

The person who delivered the message to Senior Sister Zhang was Sun Daoyu.

He had advanced to the Nascent Soul earlier and had been sent to the Sea Region to maintain trade routes, where he was stationed on Red Sand Island.

This island is the closest point on the Sea Region trade route to the Western Continent, making it of vital importance. It is responsible not only for dealing with the people of Jade Pool, but also for gathering intelligence on the Western Continent.

Sun Daoyu was highly respected among the disciples of the Nine Mountains and had inherited some of the social skills of his Uncle-Master Pang, which is why he was given important responsibilities.

He felt alright:

With information from Dragon Lord Shuyu, there's not much danger.

Having left the Nine Mountains Realm and found himself in the vast Sea Region, life was mundane and boring.

Fortunately, we can see the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor wreaking havoc on the Four Sects.

Sun Daoyu was watching the live broadcast with great interest.

The more unlucky the Four Sects disciples were during the live stream, the higher the smile on his face became.

Just as they were getting into it, a disciple suddenly ran up to the courtyard gate, shouting:

"Senior Brother Sun! Senior Brother Sun!"

He Comprehensive Mirror tucked the Zizhi Tongjian into his sleeve, his expression serious, and asked, "What's the matter that you're so alarmed?"

"Western Continent... Western Continent Thunderclap Temple..."

"Thunderclap Temple?" Seeing his disciple panting heavily, Sun Daoyu realized something was truly wrong. He flashed out of the courtyard and looked towards the direction of the Western Continent, suddenly feeling as if he were going blind:

Looking out from Red Sand Island, most of the coastline shimmers with magnificent and dazzling seven-colored Buddhist light.

Following the Buddha's light came continuous, resounding praises.

Even from hundreds of miles away, he could smell a faint scent of sandalwood.

Although he couldn't understand what this strange phenomenon meant, he knew that something serious had happened, so he quickly sent a message towards the door.

After reading Sun Daoyu's information, Senior Sister Zhang picked up the Comprehensive Mirror, thought for a moment, and asked the Dragon Lord Shuyu, "Dragon Lord, something has happened in the Western Continent. Do you have any clues?"

The Dragon Lord Shuyu seemed to have noticed this change as well, and responded very quickly:

"I saw it too."

I don't know why.

"But I imagine it's related to the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor."

Nine Nether Devil Ancestor?

Senior Sister Zhang immediately turned her head and looked at the light screen in the main hall.

Sure enough, the situation within the Tianhe Sect changed again:

The Old Monk Zhitong sat cross-legged on the ground, his hands clasped together, and a Buddha appeared behind him.

But the Buddha's facial features were completely different from before, as if he had become a different person.

The compassion in the Buddha's eyes vanished, replaced by an air of self-importance.

The chanting of Buddhist prayers from thousands of households in the Western Continent then resounded.

The thousands of souls in the Wrongful Death City were affected by the chanting of Buddhist prayers, and their faces gradually showed peace and joy.

In the short span of half an incense stick's time.

The once dark and cold Underworld had become peaceful and serene.

The only discordant element was the roar of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor:

"Lu Mo!"

Zheng Fa was startled. Upon closer inspection of the Buddha's face, he felt that he could not look directly at it.

How did Lu Mo get into the Tianhe Sect?

What is he going to do?

Lu Mo smiled, his eyes fixed on the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, as if greeting an acquaintance:

"Benefactor Nine Nether, how have you been?"

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor already hated him intensely, and upon hearing this, he merely sneered, "The Underworld has no gates, yet you've come to it of your own accord! If you were hiding in Thunderclap Temple, it would take me quite a bit of effort to kill you."

Zheng Fa frowned.

He could see that although the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor spoke with a tough tone, his eyes were full of surprise and doubt.

Clearly, Lu Mo's appearance was beyond his expectations.

Lu Mo seemed much more confident than him.

He didn't answer the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's question, but instead looked at the Book of Life and Death in the void, his eyes filled with joy.

"Benefactor of the Nine Nether, I have finally obtained this Book of Life and Death."

"Wait?"

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's expression changed slightly.

"The Transmigration-Calamity Sacred Method can indeed lead to the Grand Unity," Lu Mo replied patiently with a smile, "But what I seek has never been merely the Grand Unity."

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor understood.

"You want the Book of Life and Death to perfect the Tribulation-Transference Method?"

"Benefactor Nine Nether, you are indeed exceptionally astute."

Lu Mo praised with a smile.

Judging from the expression on the face of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, he clearly did not see this as a compliment.

Zheng Fa was also somewhat surprised.

He never expected that Lu Mo was actually plotting against the Book of Life and Death.

But where did his confidence come from?

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor remained silent, but his clothes rippled, clearly indicating that he was not as calm as he appeared.

The Immortal-Slayer Formation Diagram rose slowly from behind Yin Mountain, unleashing countless Sword-Ray.

On the Book of Life and Death, Black-White Mystic Light flickered.

"Tianhe Upheaval back then, what you wanted was the Book of Life and Death?"

He asked slowly.

Lu Mo laughed, not denying it at all. "It's a pity that Venerable Tianhe gave the Immortal-Slayer Formation Diagram to you, benefactor."

A look of astonishment flashed across the eyes of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, then turned to realization:

"So, he did it for..."

His voice gradually lowered until it was barely audible, but his eyes grew even brighter.

Zheng Fa knew what the unfinished sentence of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was:

Venerable Tianhe left the Immortal-Slayer Formation Diagram to the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor in order to protect this fellow Daoist.

In fact, the tragic fate of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor seems to be closely related to the Immortal-Slayer Formation Diagram.

From the perspective of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, it's hard not to have doubts:

You, Venerable Tianhe, know that the Tianhe Sect has problems and is a huge pitfall, so why did you leave this pitfall to me?

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's own explanation was:

No one can be trusted by Venerable Tianhe; it is hoped that he will carry on his legacy.

But Lu Mo's covetousness of the Book of Life and Death led Zheng Fa to another conjecture:

Regardless of whether the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor is the successor of the Tianhe Sect, Lu Mo will not let him go.

The Immortal-Slayer Formation Diagram was actually a means for the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor to save his life.

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor seemed to have also considered this possibility.

His expression was complex, it was hard to tell whether it was joy or sorrow.

"If you had already attained the Golden Immortal and entered my Underworld, I wouldn't be able to do anything to you." The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor slowly composed himself, his complex expression vanishing, and said coldly, "But you are True Immortal..."

Lu Mo laughed, lowered his eyes, and looked at Zhitong.

A smile also appeared on Zhitong's face.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, muttering to himself:

"How can one find liberation when trapped in the deepest abyss?"

"I take refuge in the Buddha, and may I soon ascend to the Jile."

Zhitong kept repeating these two sentences over and over.

In the void, it seemed as if hundreds of millions of people were singing along with him.

The chanting of Buddhist prayers grew louder and farther-reaching.

In the midst of this exchange, Zhitong spontaneously combusted.

Golden flames surged from the rotting earth, spreading from his legs to his entire body.

His flesh was torn open, revealing his bones, and he looked like a lamp wick.

Ten thousand candlelight beams illuminated all directions.

The mud on the ground instantly transformed into crystal.

In the desolate Wrongful Death City, rows of Sal Tree rise from the ground, full of vitality.

The dark Yin Mountain brightened up and transformed into a sacred mountain forged from seven precious materials, shining brilliantly.

The clear, white spring water flows gently down from the foot of the mountain, its melodious sound ringing out.

An indescribable joy welled up within Zheng Fa's Divine Soul.

"This is..."

He looked at Zhitong, utterly astonished:

Zhitong's Divine Soul, spiritual power, and physical body all became fuel.

This Avici Hell was transformed into Glazed Buddha Land.

He knew something was wrong, so he turned to look at the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor. Sure enough, half of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's body was dark and black, while the other half was radiant with Buddhist light.

It's clear that he was being bathed in the Buddha's light.

Zheng Fa naturally didn't know what methods Lu Mo used, but he could roughly guess the principle behind it.

Essentially, this is very similar to Zheng Fa controlling the Green Duckweed Sword.

The Celestial River Method has both advantages and disadvantages.

The biggest advantage is that cultivators can gain combat power far exceeding that of ordinary people.

For example, Xie Qingxue, she was actually only at the Spirit Transformation, but with the Green Duckweed Sword, she was almost invincible below the Loose Immortal.

On the other hand, relying too much on the Green Duckweed Sword means that if Zheng Fa can control the Green Duckweed Sword, he can influence her in return.

Even the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor seems unable to escape this limitation.

Just now, the Book of Life and Death evolved, and the Underworld is also expanding. It is conceivable that the relationship between the Underworld and the Book of Life and Death is like that between the Sun-Moon Bell and the Nine Mountains Realm —they are originally one.

The Underworld is about to be transformed into a Buddhist land.

The Book of Life and Death seemed to be affected by Lu Mo.

Therefore, it seems that the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was also restrained.

This astonishing turn of events left everyone in the Nine Mountains Realm dumbfounded.

"Lu Mo is refining the Book of Life and Death?" the Old Yuan frowned. "This is not good..."

That's really not good.

"Who could have imagined that Lu Mo could make a True Immortal from Thunderclap Temple willingly die?"

It's clear to everyone that the biggest reason Lu Mo's move was successful was Zhitong's sacrifice.

Lu Mo's cultivation level in this world is only that of True Immortal, and he is still an outsider.

Thunderclap Temple is actually able to spend such a large sum of money.

He used the life's accumulation of a True Immortal to pave the way for Lu Mo.

Let's take a look at the Supreme Dao!

Xuanding, that stingy bastard!

To be honest, Zheng Fa was even considering becoming a Buddhist.

Senior Sister Zhang's expression was also very unpleasant. "If Lu Mo refines the Book of Life and Death, he might be able to directly attain the Golden Immortal."

"Very likely..." the Heavenly Emperor Body agreed, "He didn't even care when Loose Immortal Luo died, which shows how eager he was to attain enlightenment."

"His emergence now is likely aimed at attaining the Golden Immortal realm."

The Old Yuan stroked his beard and muttered, "Perhaps they're not just Golden Immortal."

These words plunged the Heavenly Palace Hall into a deathly silence.

According to what Lu Mo just said, it seems that he doesn't even care about Grand Unity when he attains enlightenment.

Yet, a single Golden Immortal was enough to wipe out the Nine Mountains Realm.

"I wonder if the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor can hold out."

Everyone looked at the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor in the light screen. He sat cross-legged on Yin Mountain, and the golden light and black and white light on his body fought each other, neither giving way to the other.

This shows that he was also trying his best to resist Lu Mo's refining.

But everyone could see that the Buddha's light gradually grew stronger, seemingly about to overwhelm the original Black-White Mystic Light.

"The Western Continent... Lu Mo obtain the Incense Power power of the Western Continent!" Senior Sister Zhang exclaimed in surprise, as if she had just remembered something. "In time, the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor will inevitably be defeated."

The people Heavenly Palace Hall grew increasingly silent.

Everyone understands that Lu Mo's attainment of Dao poses a greater threat to the Nine Mountains Realm than the success of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor.

"What should we do?" Uncle-Master Pang asked anxiously. "Should we go and attack Thunderclap Temple?"

"..."

It has to be said, when Uncle-Master Pang gets reckless, he's truly terrifying.

But Senior Sister Zhang frowned, and actually started thinking:

"We have no other choice but to do this. Even if the Supreme Dao Jade Pool doesn't help, our Nine Mountains Sect, with all its strength and the addition of the Dragon Lord Shuyu, might still have a fighting chance."

As she spoke, she drew the Primordial Eight Trigrams in the air, then shook her head after a moment. "There is great danger in Thunderclap Temple."

The Heavenly Emperor Body nodded and said:

"Four Sects should have their trump cards up their sleeves."

"Moreover, it's hard to say whether Dragon Lord Shuyu is willing to risk his life for us."

Uncle-Master Pang's expression darkened slightly, and he murmured, "Then what should we do?"

"Let's try searching for the Tianhe Legacy Treasure first."

"..."

"The Tianhe Legacy Treasure?" Senior Sister Zhang was taken aback. "Is it useful?"

"There's only hope," the Heavenly Emperor Body said, a hint of hesitation in his expression. "If we can find the next step in the Celestial River Method, perhaps we can free the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor from the constraints of the Book of Life and Death."

Senior Sister Zhang nodded slightly upon hearing this. "We can only try to survive against all odds."

The Heavenly Emperor Body, and Senior Sister Zhang didn't hold out much hope.

To be frank, whether finding what Tianhe left behind can change the situation is hard to say.

Many of these things are Zheng Fa's conjectures.

However, Senior Sister Zhang always stood by his side, supporting him almost unreasonably.

In fact, Zheng Fa needed to find the lost treasure, and also had some plans that he couldn't reveal for the time being:

The best outcome, of course, would be if Venerable Tianhe had a backup plan that could counter Lu Mo.

If not, Zheng Fa also wanted to find out the origin of the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant —he wanted to try to move the Nine Mountains Realm to the modern era to avoid Lu Mo's threat.

In the worst-case scenario, he and the Nine Mountains Realm are unavoidable, so he must find a way to sever the connection between the Xuanwei Realm and the modern world.

At the very least, we must preserve the Modern World and retain the last vestige of hope.

He had actually already prepared for the worst.

Uncle-Master Pang asked a crucial question, "How do we find it?"

The Heavenly Emperor Body smiled, waved his hand, and a phantom image of the Immortal-Trapping Sword appeared before everyone.

"During the previous sword formation, I observed many of the Talisman Diagram, and by comparing them with the Talisman Diagram on the Immortal-Trapping Sword, I was able to discern some of the secrets of the sword formation."