Ch. 721Third Brother?!
Chapter Summary: “Yellow Wind Ridge”
Key Plot Points and Events
- Great Sage Yellow Wind confronts Auspicious Spirit Bodhisattva, also known as Lingji, who has confined him to Yellow Wind Ridge for countless years.
- Yellow Wind’s cultivation has advanced dramatically. His Samadhi Divine Wind is now powerful enough to overwhelm Lingji’s Flying Dragon Treasure Staff, forcing Lingji to rely on the Wind-Calming Pearl.
- Lingji accuses Yellow Wind of preparing to leave the ridge and cause trouble again. He demands that Yellow Wind submit to Buddhism and become his disciple, threatening to take him to Tathagata and imprison him beneath Five-Finger Mountain if he refuses.
- Yellow Wind rejects the offer with contempt, arguing that Lingji only defeats him through the use of Tathagata’s treasures and is inferior in cultivation and divine abilities.
- Lingji attacks with the Flying Dragon Treasure Staff, which transforms into an eight-clawed golden dragon. Yellow Wind counters by unleashing the full power of his Samadhi Divine Wind, scattering the treasure and throwing the battlefield into chaos.
- Lingji then uses the Wind-Calming Pearl, which naturally counters Yellow Wind’s divine ability and begins suppressing the gale.
- Yellow Wind attempts to disrupt the pearl with his newly cultivated Golden Blade Soul-Slaying Art. Though the attack shakes the pearl, it cannot destroy or overpower it.
- Using the brief disturbance, Yellow Wind tries to flee. Lingji regains control of the Flying Dragon Staff and prepares to capture him.
- Just as Yellow Wind is about to be seized, an unknown Daoist in green robes arrives. He simultaneously removes the Flying Dragon Staff and Wind-Calming Pearl, rescuing Yellow Wind.
- Yellow Wind recognizes the mysterious newcomer as his missing third sworn brother, Pure Boy, now apparently transformed and powerful enough to intervene in the battle.
Character Developments
- Great Sage Yellow Wind: His years of secluded cultivation have greatly strengthened him. He is now confident enough to challenge Lingji directly, though he remains aware that Tathagata’s treasures and Buddhist authority still threaten him. His desperation to escape is intensified by concern over Pure Boy’s disappearance.
- Lingji: His confidence and patience have deteriorated. Watching Yellow Wind surpass him has created resentment and imbalance in his state of mind. His offer to accept Yellow Wind as a disciple is partly motivated by Buddhist conversion but also by a desire to secure merit and prevent Yellow Wind from growing stronger.
- Pure Boy: Previously a newly transformed bamboo demon of True Immortal cultivation, he was protected by Yellow Wind because of his connection to the Heavenly Dao Sect. His dramatic return as a powerful green-robed Daoist suggests that he has undergone major development and may now possess formidable abilities.
- Huang Tianhua and Yang Ren: They observe the confrontation and provide assessments of Yellow Wind’s strength and techniques. Huang Tianhua is impressed by the Samadhi Divine Wind, while Yang Ren correctly identifies the Wind-Calming Pearl as Yellow Wind’s greatest obstacle. Yang Ren ultimately chooses not to intervene with his Five-Fire Seven-Bird Fan.
- Tathagata: Though absent, he remains a major force in the conflict. His treasures give Lingji the advantage, and his authority is the reason Yellow Wind fears that escape from Lingji may not mean freedom from Buddhism.
Significant Themes
- Freedom versus submission: Yellow Wind’s struggle is fundamentally a fight against being controlled and absorbed by the Buddhist School. He refuses to trade physical safety for spiritual and political subjugation.
- Power and dependence: Although Yellow Wind’s cultivation has surpassed Lingji’s, Lingji remains dangerous because of Tathagata’s superior treasures. The chapter contrasts personal cultivation with institutional resources.
- Loyalty and mixed motives: Yellow Wind originally protected Pure Boy partly to gain access to the Heavenly Dao Sect, yet his concern for his missing brother has become sincere. His feelings blur the line between strategic alliance and genuine brotherhood.
- Suppression of outsiders: Yellow Wind reflects on how various major sects treat demons and nonhuman beings. His hope lies with the Heavenly Dao Sect, which appears more accepting of unusual beings who attained immortality through unconventional paths.
- Strategic cultivation: Yellow Wind’s new Golden Blade Soul-Slaying Art is promising but incomplete, showing that powerful techniques require time and mastery. His victory depends more on timing and preparation than on overwhelming strength alone.
Important Character Interactions
- Lingji and Yellow Wind exchange hostile accusations, with Lingji portraying himself as a merciful Buddhist guardian and Yellow Wind condemning him as dependent on borrowed treasures.
- Yellow Wind’s mockery wounds Lingji’s pride and prompts him to escalate the battle.
- Huang Tianhua and Yang Ren analyze the fight from above, recognizing both Yellow Wind’s improved strength and the limitations of his newly developed technique.
- The chapter ends with Yellow Wind joyfully recognizing Pure Boy, turning what seemed to be an impending defeat into a sudden rescue and setting up a major reunion and possible shift in the balance of power.