Ksitigarbha!

When Chen Gong and Zhao Churan heard Zhao Chenghuang's shout, they turned to look. Sure enough, a Formation Platform stood a short distance east of the Buddhist Pagoda, and delight lit up their faces.

"Let's head to the Formation Platform!"

As Chen Gong called out, everyone from the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion headed toward the Formation Platform.

Meanwhile, Ye Feng figured Xu Qingyang and the others would not emerge from the Buddhist Pagoda anytime soon, so he led the Nanyang Ye Family's experts after Chen Gong's group.

Inside the Buddhist Pagoda.

The first floor.

Xu Qingyang studied the eight steles cast from glazed bronze stone, a peculiar gleam in his eyes. Something occurred to him, and he smiled. "So these inscriptions describe the Eight Dragon Tribes recorded in the ancient texts!"

"According to the inscriptions, the Eight Dragon Tribes can give rise to a cultivation technique. I wonder if that's true?"

Suddenly, Xu Qingyang saw the inscriptions on the steles turn into streaks of golden light and sink into his body.

Immediately afterward, the eight steles rapidly fused into a single stele covered in flickering runes.

Little Tower, do you recognize this stele?

Xu Qingyang asked inwardly.

The Desolate Tower said, "This is the Human World Stele. It can help cultivators increase their combat strength. A fine thing to have!"

"However, it can only be used seven times. After the seventh use, it will no longer increase your combat strength!"

Xu Qingyang nodded at this, then put away the Human World Stele.

"Oh, right, Little Tower. What were those streaks of golden light that entered my body?"

The Desolate Tower said, "Simply put, those streaks of golden light have no use on their own, but they can help you better control the Human World Stele!"

"Got it!"

Understanding dawned on Xu Qingyang.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Just then, Qin Guanyu, Su Zilian, and Xu Qingying appeared before Xu Qingyang.

"You've come in too!"

Xu Qingyang looked at the three women and smiled.

Su Zilian asked, "Brother Qingyang, you came in so early. Have you found any treasures?"

Xu Qingyang smiled at her question. "I haven't found any treasures yet."

The Human World Stele might have been a treasure in other people's eyes, but in his hands, it was merely something useful.

Xu Qingyang continued, "My guess is that all the treasures in the Buddhist Pagoda should be on the highest floor!"

Qin Guanyu and the other two nodded, clearly agreeing with his assessment.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Xu Qingyang, Qin Guanyu, Su Zilian, and Xu Qingying darted toward the Buddhist Pagoda's second floor.

Unfortunately, they found no treasures on the second floor either.

Two cups of tea later.

They reached the Buddhist Pagoda's top floor as they had hoped—the ninth floor.

Qin Guanyu looked at Xu Qingyang, Su Zilian, and Xu Qingying and said pointedly, "Have you noticed? We reached this ninth floor without encountering any obstacles at all. That's rather strange!"

Su Zilian and Xu Qingying nodded in wholehearted agreement.

Xu Qingyang said, "Instructor Qin, do you mean that something terrifying lies on the ninth floor, so there was no need to place obstacles on the other eight floors?"

Qin Guanyu smiled. "That's probably it. From here on, we must proceed carefully!"

"Yes!"

Su Zilian and Xu Qingying cupped their hands.

Xu Qingyang said nothing. He felt that since Ksitigarbha had left this Buddhist Pagoda behind, they would have to pass a trial to obtain its treasures.

The next moment.

Holding the Red Sparrow Sword, Xu Qingyang immediately unleashed a slash, only to encounter something unexpected.

Not only did his slash fail to cleave the ninth floor's space, but several treasures also appeared out of thin air.

"Something really is wrong!"

Xu Qingyang said, "The means Ksitigarbha left behind can withstand a slash from me. Truly impressive!"

At that moment, Xu Qingying spotted a crimson ancient lamp on a Buddhist altar, along with a Dharma Staff beneath the Buddha statue, Buddha Beads, and a Buddha Seal. Her eyes lit up, but just as she was about to touch them, Xu Qingyang called out.

"Qingying, don't touch those treasures!"

Hearing Xu Qingyang's warning, Xu Qingying stopped in her tracks.

"Zilian, step back!"

Qin Guanyu watched the treasures and warned Su Zilian.

"Grand Armor Technique!"

With a light tap of Qin Guanyu's delicate hand, countless beams of light condensed into a beetle, which immediately landed on the Dharma Staff.

Suddenly, the Buddha statue opened its eyes and shot out a beam of Buddhist light. The sound of sutra chanting seemed to ring out.

Boom!

Rumble!

In that instant, nine-colored light rose from the ninth floor's ground, accompanied by lightning, then spread to engulf the area.

"Have we fallen into a Formation?"

Qin Guanyu stared at the Formation blanketing everything before her, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Su Zilian and Xu Qingying, however, looked utterly bewildered.

Xu Qingyang said, "Instructor Qin, perhaps this isn't merely a Formation."

"If I'm not mistaken, it's also reinforced by the Buddhist Great Dao!"

"What?"

Hearing this, Qin Guanyu's expression changed dramatically. She gritted her teeth and said in disbelief, "The Buddhist Great Dao? Does that mean we're going to be trapped here?"

Xu Qingyang fixed his eyes on the Formation before him and drew a deep breath, thinking, The Dao of formations entwined with the Buddhist Great Dao... Could Ksitigarbha have attained Buddhahood back then?

At that thought.

He shook his head, feeling that it was impossible.

If Ksitigarbha had truly attained Buddhahood, the ancient texts should have recorded it.

Yet over the years, he had read many ancient texts, and none contained any record of Ksitigarbha attaining Buddhahood.

"Little fellow, the Formation Ksitigarbha left behind contains the power of the Buddhist Great Dao. The Desolate Tower is beginning its upgrade!"

"The Desolate Tower's upgrade is complete. Activating invincible Buddhist Dao mode for you!"

Suddenly, the Desolate Tower's voice rang out.

A smile curled Xu Qingyang's lips at those words. The Desolate Tower's upgrade had come at just the right time. I was just wondering how to break through the Buddhist Great Dao within the Formation, and the Desolate Tower activated Buddhist Great Dao Mode for me outright.

"Break!"

Xu Qingyang thrust out his palm, unleashing streams of Buddhist light that crashed into the ninth floor's Formation.

In an instant.

The Buddhist Great Dao within the Formation vanished without a trace.

At the sight, Qin Guanyu's eyes widened. Then she drew a deep breath, her face filled with profound shock.

Xu Qingyang actually broke through the Buddhist Great Dao within the Formation. Could he be well versed in the Buddhist Dao too?

Qin Guanyu exclaimed inwardly.

As for Su Zilian and Xu Qingying, their gazes toward Xu Qingyang held not only shock, but intense excitement.

Immediately afterward, Xu Qingyang raised his palm, and the Formation Spear appeared.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As he unleashed the Formation Spear, the Formation Ksitigarbha had left behind was completely shattered.

"Xu Qingyang, you actually broke this Formation! You've truly opened my eyes!"

Qin Guanyu looked at Xu Qingyang and could not help smiling as she spoke.