Chapter 383
Under the impact of this vast spiritual power, the mountains within a radius of dozens of miles swayed, and the leaves rustled.
Immediately afterwards, an iron rod, thousands of feet thick, crashed down with tremendous force, like a meteor falling, its power overwhelming and awe-inspiring.
After a deafening roar, towering trees were instantly destroyed, turning into countless fragments that drifted in the air amidst billowing dust.
A burly man with long, red hair stood in mid-air, surrounded by hundreds of monks who were frantically attacking him, trying to kill him. Unfortunately, they could not hurt him at all, and instead were killed one by one by the black iron rod in the man's hand!
The black iron rod appeared to be made from some rare metal. Although its surface was pitted and uneven, it contained a surging and powerful force.
With a single blow, the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, causing the mountains to tremble.
Such terrifying power terrified the many monks, who dared not confront it head-on.
After all, although they outnumbered each other, they were only at the Longevity Realm, while this burly man from the Eastern Pole was already an Immortal Supreme.
"Damn you Easterners, run! Go to Great Sumeru Mountain and ask the World-Honored One for help. I'll hold off this villain!"
Just then, from the crowd, a monk dressed in a gray robe gritted his teeth and roared, then activated the magic weapon in his hand and charged towards the burly man.
"Senior brother..."
"Don't want!"
The monks' expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly tried to dissuade them.
Unfortunately, it was too late; they could only watch helplessly as the gray-robed monk charged into the burly man's range.
The gray-robed monk had bloodshot eyes and a terrifying, bloody aura emanating from his body, clearly indicating that he had burned his very essence.
"Kill!"
The gray-robed monk let out a low shout, and his whole body radiated brilliant Buddhist light, like a blazing sun traversing the void, charging straight towards the burly man.
"Huh?"
The burly man was slightly taken aback, glanced at the gray-robed monk with surprise, and then sneered, "Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, you're overestimating yourself!"
Rumble!
Having said that, he swung his black iron rod and chopped down on his head.
A terrifying staff shadow ripped through the sky, carrying an apocalyptic force, and slammed down on the gray-robed monk.
A loud bang!
As the terrifying shadow of the staff fell, the gray-robed monk instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist and vanished into the void.
The remaining bald monk was stunned, his face filled with grief and indignation, and he burst into tears.
"Ah!"
"Run, everyone! We can't let our senior brother sacrifice himself in vain!"
"Go to Great Sumeru Mountain and invite the World Honored One of Ultimate Bliss!"
The group of monks were terrified and no longer had the courage to resist; they turned and fled for their lives.
"Hmph, trying to escape? You'll all die here!"
The burly man snorted coldly and leaped after him.
In an instant, his speed increased dramatically, turning him into a blur of motion, incredibly fast.
Puff puff puff!
Blood splattered, and corpses littered the ground.
In a matter of moments, all the monks met a violent end, turning into corpses one after another.
The burly man put away his black iron bar, clapped his hands, and a faint, indifferent smile appeared on his lips.
"What a wonderful paradise for spiritual practice, and these bald monks have gotten away with it..."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Suddenly, the entire space went dark, as if plunged into eternal night, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.
That suffocating sense of oppression enveloped the entire venue, making it hard to breathe.
Click!
A beam of starlight tore through the dark night sky, and the blinding light descended from the heavens, instantly piercing through the burly man's body.
"What?"
The burly man was taken aback and instinctively swung his black iron bar to defend himself.
However, the black iron rod in his hand snapped in two instantly.
"How... is this possible?"
The burly man was horrified and couldn't believe it.
This black iron rod was forged with countless efforts by him; it is incredibly tough and, even among supreme magical treasures, it is an extremely top-tier existence!
How is that possible? It's suddenly on sale!
Click, click!
The next moment, the starlight became even more terrifying, causing his flesh to crack, his bones to break, and blood to spray out.
"I'm not reconciled!"
The burly man roared, his skin bulging as he unleashed waves of terrifying power.
"Get out of here!"
He struggled desperately, his feet creating two sparks in the air.
The starlight was so intense that it enveloped him, making him appear like a blazing flame.
Click!
With a crisp cracking sound, the starlight shone even brighter, completely engulfing the burly man!
"Ah!"
A piercing scream escaped his lips, followed by a muffled thud. The burly man's body cracked inch by inch, turning into powder and vanishing without a trace.
An immortal supreme being has died just like that!
The person who killed him never even showed himself.
"Amitabha!"
Suddenly, a kind voice rang out, and then a young monk with red lips and white teeth, dressed in a blue kasaya, slowly walked out of the void.
Behind him followed a large group of monks of different appearances, some old and some young, each with their own style and temperament, but all of them subtly exuding the Zen spirit unique to Buddhist Divine Ability.
Among this group of monks, the lowest level of cultivation had reached the Saint Realm, while the highest level was the Supreme Realm.
The young monk at the head of the group subtly stirred the power of heaven and earth around him, with Immortal Light between his brows, clearly indicating that he was a powerful Earth Immortal!
"You have come from afar, and I have not been able to personally greet you. My apologies!"
The young monk, with a solemn expression, respectfully bowed towards the empty void.
"You're too kind, Master."
A clear female voice rang out. Although she spoke politely, it contained an air of majesty and solemnity, as if an empress were addressing her subjects, high above them all!
The next moment, a ripple appeared in the void, and as the ripple spread, a stunningly beautiful figure emerged.
This beautiful figure possessed an exquisite face and eyes as cold as stars. Her golden-red brocade robe with phoenix patterns accentuated her unparalleled elegance and noble bearing, making her so striking that one dared not look directly at her.
She stood silently in the void, the bright sunlight shining on her face, as if it were coated with a mysterious glow.
Specks of starlight spread around her, like thousands of stars falling to earth, separating her from the surroundings, creating a dreamlike and mysterious atmosphere, as if she were in another small world.
"This..."
The moment they saw her appear, the monks' pupils constricted sharply, and their hearts pounded wildly, almost leaping out of their chests.
This feeling is not admiration for a beautiful woman, but rather a sense of awe and fear!
It was as if the person before them was an empress who ruled over heaven and earth, inviolable, making them feel insignificant and humble.
The woman who appeared here was none other than Xiao Minghuang, who had crossed over from the Endless Sea of the Eastern Pole.
"Amitabha..." Faced with the imposing aura of Xiao Minghuang, even the young monk, a powerful Earth Immortal, couldn't help but tremble. He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and bowed respectfully. "This humble monk, Earth Immortal Jingguang, has come on the orders of the Great World-Honored One of Ultimate Bliss to welcome Princess Xiao, the ruler of the Southern Wilderness, to the Western Land!"
"The Great World-Honored One of Ultimate Bliss?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly. "I came to the Western Land without informing your sect. How did the Great World-Honored One of Ultimate Bliss know that I had arrived here?"
Earth Immortal Jingguang, said, "Princess, you may not know this, but on Great Sumeru Mountain, there is an Immortal Dao Spirit Treasure called the Three Lives Stone. It can reveal the cause and effect of the past, present, and future. All living beings in the world, bustling about, cannot escape the cycle of cause and effect..."
Although not explicitly stated, it is clear that Xiao Minghuang is included among the so-called "all living beings in the world".
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang chuckled and said, "That's interesting. When we meet the Great World-Honored One of Ultimate Bliss, may I have a look at this treasure?"
"Whatever the princess wishes, there is nothing that cannot be done."
Earth Immortal Jingguang bowed slightly.
"Um."
Xiao Minghuang nodded.
Subsequently, guided by the Earth Immortal Jingguang, Xiao Minghuang headed straight for the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, Great Sumeru Mountain.
On the way, the Earth Immortal Jingguang told Xiao Minghuang some information about the Western Lands.
Since the martial law was imposed in the Eastern Pole of the Central Heaven, the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land, located in the Eastern Pole, moved westward and returned to the foundation of Buddhism, the Western Land.
Although the two factions have different ideologies, they are able to work together in the face of crisis, but they still disagree on how to deal with it.
"Does the princess know anything about the origins of Buddhism?"
The Earth Immortal Jingguang asked the question.
"The Buddha's teachings are vast and boundless. I have read some Buddhist scriptures, but I would say I haven't studied them in depth; I only have a superficial understanding. However, I am quite interested in Buddhism and Daoism."
Xiao Minghuang nodded.
"Princess, you are truly talented. Not only have you attained enlightenment in the Xuanmen (Daoist school) and become the ruler of a realm, but you also have the capacity to master Buddhism and Daoism. We monks have spent countless years meditating in seclusion, yet we are afraid we could not achieve even half of what you have accomplished..."
Earth Immortal Jingguang shook his head and sighed.
"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me."
In this era, the Xuanmen (Daoist sect) was at its peak, while the Buddhist sect had long been in decline. Although she was quite interested in Buddhism, she did not follow the path it was meant to follow, and therefore did not deserve the praise of the Earth Immortal Jingguang.
"Princess, you know that our Buddhist sect was not founded by one person, but by two patriarchs. One is the Buddha Ancestor of Ultimate Bliss, and the other is the Lapis Lazuli Buddha Ancestor. The former founded the Buddhist sect in the Western Land and practiced the path of Nirvana; the latter went to the Eastern Pole and founded the Buddhist sect in the Eastern Pole, the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land, and practiced the path of Bodhi."
Both Buddhas had the heart to save all sentient beings, but their doctrines differed. The Buddha Ancestor of Ultimate Bliss advocated saving others by first saving oneself; how could one save others from becoming a Buddha if one did not become one oneself?
"The Lapis Lazuli Buddha Ancestor advocates that one must first help others to become Buddhas. How can one become a Buddha before all sentient beings can become Buddhas?"
The Earth Immortal Jingguang spoke in a gentle, detailed manner, as if recounting a past event.
"I see..."
Xiao Minghuang knew that the Eastern Lapis Lazuli Pure Land had long since declined, with only a handful of disciples remaining, and almost every generation was passed down to a single successor, which was probably related to its cultivation methods.
"If the princess is interested in studying Buddhism, she may visit the Pure Land Scripture Depository."
"Invitation came from the Earth Immortal Jingguang."
"If I have the chance, I will definitely come to bother you!"
Xiao Minghuang responded politely.
She then brought up the matter of the Eastern Pole invasion.
"I have heard that the Holy Academy has dispatched Sacred Lands, Aristocratic Families, and Imperial Dynasties to advance westward in a large-scale campaign. Many beautiful and spiritual lands in the Western World have already fallen into the hands of the Eastern Pole. I wonder what your opinion is on this matter?"
She asked the question directly.
Upon hearing Xiao Minghuang's question, the Earth Immortal Jingguang remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Our Western Buddhist sect has always been detached from worldly affairs and does not concern itself with external matters. The Holy Academy's actions are truly perplexing. In my opinion, perhaps we could send an envoy to the Eastern Pole to inquire about the reasons and resolve the conflict..."
"Fellow Daoist, is that truly your thought?"