The Wisdom King descended, thunder and fire devoured the Buddha

He Liuhun was dead.

Just moments ago, the safeguard Li Fuchan had left on him had ceased responding altogether. Most likely, the "Three Lights Method" had swept his consciousness out of existence.

Li Fuchan sat beside the Wisdom King's Dharma Form. Below him, the monks chanted scriptures in unison, their Sanskrit voices surging outward in wave after wave.

He concentrated on listening for a few more lines, then suddenly sensed something amiss. The scriptures these monks chanted had a strange cadence and uncanny rhythm, unlike anything he had ever heard. His gray-black eyes shifted toward Sangha Deva, and he asked, "Master, what scripture is this?"

Sangha Deva pressed his palms together and bowed respectfully. "Wisdom Consort, this is the Great Radiance Sutra Spoken by the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King."

Li Fuchan pondered briefly and searched his memory, confirming that he had indeed never heard of this scripture. Relying on the peculiarities of this body, which had led the monks to recognize him as the Wisdom Consort, he simply asked boldly, "I have never heard this Wisdom King's honored name in the Northern Lands."

Sangha Deva smiled faintly, an unfathomable significance appearing on his face, and said slowly, "For the past two hundred years, the Great Compassionate Venerable has not been seen. For eight hundred years hence, compassion shall shine upon all."

Li Fuchan turned these words over in his mind, his eyes full of bewilderment.

His Dao Attainment really was insufficient. He could not fathom their meaning.

The typical thinking of a lesser cultivator: a few words were enough to leave him lost in clouds and mist.

Sangha Deva offered no further explanation. He merely extended a finger toward the distant Southern Lands, his face brimming with joy. "The Wisdom King is returning north."

Darkness swirled in the depths of Li Fuchan's eyes. There was no telling what he was thinking.

Jade Rooster Mountain, Langya Commandery, Youzhou Prefecture.

A stern-faced, middle-aged Daoist in a white-and-gold robe stood at the summit, gazing far to the south. A moment later, a figure rode the wind down and bowed to him. "Reporting to you, sect master, senior brother: I have borrowed the Severing Array from Abbey Master Quan and sealed off a hundred li around Longzhu Forest. We have also brought back the Fei Household from the Southern Border. Their family head has died, and his offspring has now succeeded him."

The Daoist nodded slightly. "The Severing Array cuts off all qi, and the Mountain Lord has driven every trace of qi out of it. That region has now become a domain of Great Compassion Spirit Miasma. It should be of some assistance to the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King. As for the Fei family, let them cultivate at the foot of the mountain. In thirty years, there will naturally be a use for them."

The cultivator below hesitated, then said, "Senior brother, Sect Master, there is one more matter. Abbey Master Quan's personal disciple, the one named Mu Liang'er... was also inadvertently sealed inside the Grand Formation. Should we find a way to bring her out?"

Quan Yong cherished his three disciples deeply, and he was now on the verge of achieving Outer Scenery Great Accomplishment and becoming a True Person. At such a juncture, it would be best not to let fresh branches grow from the trunk of trouble.

The man in the white-and-gold robe slowly withdrew his southward gaze and turned it toward the mountain peak in the Northern Lands. Golden Light glittered in his eyes, as though he could see through rock and stone to the middle-aged abbey master cultivating diligently within.

"True Person Quan Lian had twelve disciples while he lived. Quan Yong was the least talented among them." He suddenly asked, "Do you know why he was the one who ended up becoming abbey master?"

The cultivator pondered briefly, then shook his head.

"Within just two years of Quan Lian's death, of those twelve disciples, only Abbey Master Quan Yong and Jia Hua, an unrestrained wastrel who neglected his proper duties, remained. Quan Yong took three disciples. Southern Peak and Zilu have not appeared in public for ten years. To outsiders, he only says that one is in seclusion and the other has left the mountain. And it was precisely ten years ago that Quan Yong completed his 'Nature-and-Fate Root.'"

He paused, his gaze darkening and his voice sinking. "Now that the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King is returning north, every faction is making its move, hoping to forge a favorable karmic bond. You all think Quan Yong knows nothing, but he made his preparations long ago. Mu Liang'er... that is the royal surname of the Zhao Kingdom."

The Daoist stared into the distance with burning eyes and quietly uttered:

"The master of Peaceful Way Abbey puts people first? He has deceived every one of you. I fear that dear junior brother of his is still completely unaware, taking every fault and every consequence upon himself while scheming on his dear senior brother's behalf."

A chill ran down the cultivator's back.

Huaishuo Town.

Jia Hua stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, silently working through his Tribulation Divination, his gaze deep and dark.

"The Zhao Kingdom has always favored Buddhism, and Liang'er cultivates the 'Pure Spirit Iceheart Art.' On this return north, there is an eight- or nine-in-ten chance she will catch the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King's eye. I only hope senior brother will not blame me later for acting on my own... The Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King attaining his path and returning north to establish the Wisdom King’s Sanctuary is an upheaval unseen in two hundred years. The entire order of the world will change. If Peaceful Way Abbey cannot seize this opportunity to forge even a thread of favorable karma with him, the Southern Return to our homeland will be nothing but a joke."

He paused, his expression turning cold, then murmured again, "That vicious Flood Serpent, however, must have gained ample experience in killing and magical combat this time. Once the Grand Formation opens, he will immediately flee without a trace. Fortunately, he has already cultivated Thunder Arts and been seen by the people of Jade Rooster Mountain. Sooner or later, he will come looking for me. When that time comes, with the two of us working together to clear the road, Peaceful Way Abbey's Southern Return Road will be free of future troubles."

At this thought, Jia Hua finally exhaled the turbid breath that had knotted in his chest for years.

Keeping everything from his senior brother, he had exhausted his heart and mind, fortifying every step. All he sought was to let his senior brother fulfill his lifelong wish and bring Peaceful Way Abbey back south on the Southern Return.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. Gao Gonglu had come to see him.

The visitor wore a pleated robe and looked like a young man, with a broad face, square forehead, and exceptionally wide shoulders. Yet an ineradicable gloom lingered around his brows and eyes. Since Gao Xianxiang had entered seclusion, the weight of the entire clan and the burden of the family had fallen upon his shoulders. Though he appeared taciturn, the vicious-wolf cruelty unique to the Gao Household had not diminished in his eyes in the slightest.

He stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Daoist master, word has just arrived. The person you were seeking has been found."

Hearing this, Jia Hua was immediately overjoyed.

"Hahaha! It really did fall to the Gao Household! This time, Peaceful Way Abbey has seized every advantage."

He sprang to his feet and asked urgently, "Where is he? Take me to him!"

Jia Hua seized Gao Gonglu's wrist. Gao Gonglu's brows tightened almost imperceptibly before smoothing completely, and he merely said quietly, "That man is not originally of Zhao blood. A woman from our family's Second Lineage took a fancy to him and threatened to kill herself unless she could marry him. That was how the matter came to my attention..."

After hearing this, Jia Hua did not hesitate at all. "In that case, Gonglu, please make the decision. Have him marry into the Gao family and bestow a name upon him."

Gao Gonglu nodded, his expression as respectful as ever. "Daoist master, you are an envoy from the higher sect. Please bestow the name yourself."

Jia Hua considered briefly, then said slowly, "Togetherness brings joy, harmony brings delight, and hearts and minds united make happiness. Since it was through this fine marriage that we found him, and your family's custom when granting names to outsiders is to use a single-character given name... let him be called Gao Huan."

Gao Gonglu lowered his eyes in agreement and sighed softly:

"A fine name indeed."

The Wisdom King's temple, Longzhu Forest.

The monks had stopped chanting, and silence settled over the hall.

Sangha Deva looked up. The enormous, scorch-covered Dharma Form of the Wisdom King towered before him, its hideous flesh crisscrossed with charred black marks. An aura impossible to distinguish as compassion or murderous solemnity pressed heavily upon the temple.

He bowed and prostrated himself, all five points of his body touching the ground.

Behind him, the monks chanted together, their voices rolling like a tide and shaking the ruined hall until it hummed:

"Homage to the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King, who illuminates all dharmas, subdues all demons, delivers all from suffering, and attains all wisdom... We reverently welcome the arrival of the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King!"

On Zongshedu Mountain, every demon and beast had lost its savage aura and Blood Qi. All prostrated themselves, bowing toward the distant Wisdom King. Those with cultivation and those without, those who could speak and those who could not, all chanted the Buddha's name. The Mountain Lord raised his head, gazed down the mountain, and murmured, "Today, my Dao Path shall continue. I am off."

With that, he revealed his original form and vanished in a whirlwind. When he appeared again, he was already prostrate beside the Wisdom King's Dharma Form, his patterned fur completely faded, his form that of a white tiger.

The lingering voices still coiled among the rafters.

Suddenly, an old monk stepped out from the crowd.

He wore a ragged gray Kasaya, its fabric riddled with slits pierced by sharp weapons. Through the tears, his shriveled belly showed, covered in blade wounds, flesh curling back around gaping black holes—a horrifying sight.

Yet he seemed utterly oblivious to pain. Looking at the hideous fleshly Dharma Form of the Wisdom King, his face filled with wild joy. He began to chant:

"The Light-and-Fire Celestial Host reverently welcomes the descent of the Wisdom King, the Great Compassionate Venerable, who illuminates all dharmas, subdues all demons, delivers all from suffering, and attains all wisdom..."

As his words fell, he took a step forward, walked directly into the hollow abdomen of the Wisdom King's Dharma Form, and sat cross-legged.

The next instant, pitch-black flames abruptly erupted all over him, blazing and billowing without a sound.

The black fire spread down his mutilated body. The moment it touched the Dharma Form's charred flesh, it leaped up, igniting the entire fleshly Dharma Form of the Wisdom King once more.

Flames soared into the sky. A faint fragrance of gardenias spread from within them, its fresh sweetness carrying an indescribable hint of extinction. In an instant, it filled the entire temple.

The monks knelt prostrate, their expressions devout and joyful, cheering without cease.

As if in a dream, Sanskrit chants began issuing from the temple. The black fire ceased burning, the Illuminating Light gradually withdrew, and the hideous fleshly Dharma Form of the Wisdom King had become a golden body, with a white tiger bowing beside it.

Sixteen feet tall, it sat upon a white lotus. Its six arms extended, one hand holding a gardenia, golden light gleaming over its solemn, majestic form. Beneath the lotus seat, a few gardenia petals had yet to wither completely, faintly releasing a cool fragrance.

Beside Li Fuchan, a young monk in a gray Kasaya slowly took his seat. He had red lips and white teeth, ears that hung to his shoulders, and a white tuft between his brows that shone brilliantly. His blue-black eyes were limpid and clear. Raising a flower, he smiled. "Monks, please rise."

"What?!"

Only when this cry left his mouth did Li Fuchan's deathly still thoughts explode awake. He stared at his side in horror, yet within his spiritual perception, that place remained utterly empty.

After bidding the monks rise, the young monk looked up at the sky and proclaimed:

"I, Mu Suli, have today attained the Great Compassionate Wisdom King Rank. Through reverence and diligent cultivation of the [Nirmanakaya Shakyamuni Aspect], I have attained unhindered Divine Ability. In seven days, I shall establish the Great Compassionate Wisdom King’s Sanctuary in You Province. I welcome all fellow practitioners to attend the ceremony."

Having spoken, he tilted his head as though listening, only stopping after a while.

Then he turned his gaze upon Li Fuchan.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Evil Spirit!!!!!

Evil Spirit!!!!!

Evil Spirit!!!!!

"Li Thunder" shook violently!

Li Fuchan suddenly felt a chill atop his head. When he looked down, all his black hair had fallen out, his black robe had crumbled apart, and a gray Kasaya already draped his body. His palms pressed together against his will, and his throat instinctively prepared to chant homage. As his mouth opened, Golden Thunder burst between his lips and teeth, filling all seven orifices with lightning. The blow of this Thunderbolt granted his mind a fleeting thread of clarity.

Beside the young monk stood an uncanny youth in a Kasaya, smiling at him.

"The false body... it's the first false body I sent in. I already destroyed 'Mirage Pavilion.' How is this possible?!"

The thought had barely arisen when the young monk frowned slightly. "Hm? Which senior planted this Destiny? It is only an ordinary Destiny, probably of little use beyond giving Emperor Zhao something unpleasant to swallow. Yet it has benefited this poor monk."

He looked at Li Fuchan, held Divine Ability within his mouth, and thundered, "So you are the vile flood dragon I held in my palm, yet you managed to escape. Return at once!"

This shout was meant to forcibly alter the Destiny of that Flood Serpent roaming the rivers into that of a guardian Flood Serpent beneath his seat, completing the imagery of "Dragon-Subduing, Tiger-Taming."

Yet Li Fuchan did not transform into a Flood Serpent and soar upward. The monk was momentarily taken aback. "Hm?"

At that moment, Thunderbolt had filled every one of Li Fuchan's seven orifices and internal organs. With each breath, lightning and Li fire gushed forth. His narrow eyes were half Buddhist radiance and half lightning, every worldly hue stripped away. He lifted his head slightly and looked at the young monk. Feeling the sky-high fury of "Li Thunder," he actually felt a thrill of satisfaction curl at the corners of his mouth.

"I've kept you suppressed for so long. Today, I'll give you something big."

He looked toward the uncanny youth standing in attendance, lightning seeping between his teeth. "He is the Wisdom Consort... then who am I?"

The young monk did not answer, merely watching with keen interest.

Li Fuchan answered his own question. "Thunder."

Boom.

Lightning exploded, and radiant fire filled the sky.

High in the heavens, beyond the sight of human eyes, an enormous barrier of blooming Gardenias had already been tottering on the verge of collapse. This bolt of Thunderbolt struck it head-on and shattered it.

The sixteen-foot golden body.

The young monk.

The twelve hundred monks.

Longzhu Forest.

All were swallowed by thunder and fire.

In the Unseen Heavens, something turned its gaze toward them.

Mu Suli repelled the Thunderbolt and stepped beyond the bounds of Zongshedu Mountain. Only then did his expression finally change. "'Li Thunder' cast its gaze here?! Which senior has made a move?" The scene shattered.

The scene shattered.