The light slowly faded, revealing the tall figure clad in a White Daoist Robe.
Despair welled up in Subhuti's heart.
The attack he had poured his heart and soul into had actually failed to harm Lord Laozi in the slightest.
Was this the gap between those beneath the Saint Realm and Saints?
Even a Sage's avatar, whose cultivation was infinitely close to the Saint Realm, could not bridge that chasm-like gulf.
The tall figure slowly emerged from the white light, and the despair in Subhuti's heart grew ever deeper.
The bitterness on his face also became increasingly pronounced.
"Is this... the difference?"
Lord Laozi seemed not to have heard him and offered no comment.
He raised a hand and summoned the Taiji Diagram behind him.
The Taiji Diagram flew over while spinning at high speed.
That ancient, enigmatic scroll hovered beside Lord Laozi.
"Subhuti, do you have anything else to say?"
Subhuti shook his head with a bitter expression. "I never expected this venture to cost me my life."
"If your Buddhist School had not been so greedy, you would not have come to this."
"Heh, this was a struggle for the fortune of great sects. There was no room for me to retreat. Would you retreat for the Profound Gate?"
Lord Laozi found his words reasonable and slowly nodded.
"You are Zhun Ti's avatar. Even if I slay you, he can condense you anew after cultivating for several dozen epochs. You will have another day to see the light."
Several dozen epochs.
Bitterness curled across Subhuti's lips. Even to a Sage, several dozen epochs was an immensely long span of time.
Even for a Sage, several dozen epochs could be considered a long time.
Yet because of today's defeat, he had to pay with his life and wait several