An Open Scheme!

"I knew you Buddhist practitioners were wolves in sheep's clothing. Sixteen Bodhisattvas—you've been hiding your true intentions quite well—"

Qingyuan True Lord Wendao stood atop the dark clouds, his green robes fluttering in the wind. Though he had no sword, it seemed as if countless invisible Sword Intent were bursting forth from his pores, shattering the surrounding Buddhist light into fragments.

He laughed loudly, but the laughter was like a sword blade scraping through glass, carrying a domineering intent that could cleave the heavens and shatter the earth.

"May Buddha have mercy - "

Amidst the seven-colored Buddha light, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Bodhisattva, with his hands clasped together, spoke in a deep, resonant voice like an ancient bell, echoing between heaven and earth. "We have long lived overseas, diligently cultivating the Buddha's teachings, all for the sake of bringing the true scriptures back to the East today, to save the world from suffering."

I hope my fellow Daoists will understand my painstaking efforts.

"Understand?"

The countless Daoist runes surrounding Changming True Lord Fuyan suddenly accelerated their flow. He coldly laughed and said, "I have a feeling that you Bodhisattvas are trying to coerce me after failing to entice me with bribes."

Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken.

Another Bodhisattva slowly stepped forward.

This Bodhisattva is dressed in a moon-white robe, with a face like an ancient pine tree. Between his eyebrows is a crystal-clear, luminous mark that slowly rotates, as if it can illuminate the thoughts of all beings.

He was the Mind Lamp Reflection Bodhisattva, his voice gentle yet each word clear. "The Eastern Land is fertile and abundant with spiritual energy. Fellow Daoists, you possess this treasure land, yet you remain complacent and stagnant, failing to make progress."

I, Shi Xiu, live in a harsh and resource-poor place overseas, yet I have still managed to attain the sixteenth Bodhisattva Fruition Status.

The facts are there; it's clear who is diligent and who is lazy.

Fourteen against sixteen.

Another Bodhisattva spoke.

This Bodhisattva is as tall and imposing as a mountain, with dark golden skin. A lifelike phantom of one of the Eight Classes of Devas and Nagas is wrapped around his body, with the dragon's head drooping over his shoulder. The dragon's eyes are majestic, and its voice is like thunder.

Fellow Daoists, arguing is pointless.

Sixteen against fourteen.

The Buddhist bodhisattvas spoke earnestly, yet their words were sharp as knives, clearly pointing out the number of righteous True Lord in the Central Plains, and even their potential hidden strength.

Clearly, their plan to cross the sea to the east was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather something they had been secretly working on to understand the situation in the Central Plains for a long time.

Everything was planned.

"That bald monk is making a racket!"

Qingyuan True Lord Wendao suddenly roared!

"Clang-!!!"

A sword cry arose from nothingness, from the source of the Great Dao, and resounded throughout the ancient river of Sword Dao!

Qingyuan True Lord Wendao waved his sleeve and said no more.

The next moment -

A long sword flew out from his sleeve!

When the sword first appeared, it was only a three-foot-long blade. As soon as it left the sleeve, it swelled in the wind and transformed into a silver ribbon that stretched for thousands of feet, tens of thousands of feet, and even—a ribbon that stretched across the heavens and the earth!

The Ten-Thousand-Li Sword Realm unfolds with a thunderous roar!

The silvery-white sword light, like a bursting dam, swept towards the Wrathful Wisdom King Bodhisattva who was at the very front among the sixteen bodhisattvas!

Before the sword light even arrived, the raging flames that could burn mountains and boil seas were already suppressed by the invisible Sword Intent, flickering uncertainly, as if they would be completely extinguished at any moment!

"Amitabha--

The Wrathful Wisdom King Bodhisattva's three-headed, six-armed form suddenly swelled, each of his six arms wielding a magic Law Artifact to subdue demons. Azure flames shot into the sky from his body, transforming into a sea of fire covering thousands of miles, a Buddhist kingdom that fiercely met the Ten-Thousand-Li Sword Realm!

"Do it!!!"

Almost at the same moment, atop the clouds, the remaining thirteen True Lord no longer hesitated!

"Buzz buzz buzz-!!!"

Between heaven and earth, the Great Dao cries out in anguish!

Fourteen True Lord simultaneously revealed their fundamental Dao Fruit!

Fourteen True Lord, fourteen completely different yet equally groundbreaking manifestations of the Great Dao that have reached the pinnacle of this world!

That kind of power was far beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.

The entire sky above the Southern Yin Buddha Kingdom seemed to be instantly pierced by fourteen "Great Dao Blazing Suns" that erupted simultaneously, dyeing the sky with a bizarre and indescribable chaotic color!

"Namo World-Honored One ---!!!"

Sixteen Shakyamuni Bodhisattvas chanted the Buddha's name in unison, their voices resounding throughout the universe!

Faced with the sudden attack of the fourteen True Lord, they, who were prepared, responded in an instant.

Dragon Elephant Prajna Bodhisattva, Prison-Subduing Vajra Bodhisattva, Wrathful Wisdom King Bodhisattva, Mind Lamp Reflection Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva, Eight Classes Dharma Protector Vajra Bodhisattva ----

Fourteen Bodhisattvas stepped forward simultaneously, each unfolding their most fundamental Bodhisattva Pure Land, Vidyaraja Dharma Form, and Prajna Wisdom Ocean, to greet the fourteen "Great Dao Blazing Suns"!

The remaining two Bodhisattvas Jeweled Tree Adornment Bodhisattva and the World-Purifying Deliverance from Calamity Bodhisattva and Delivering from Calamities, flashed and retreated to the left and right sides of the scroll of the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture, which was still slowly unfolding amidst the seven-colored Buddha light, forming mudras to protect it.

The Bodhisattva addressed the True Lord.

The light of Buddha meets the charm of Daoism.

At this moment, atop Spirit Mountain, before the Little Thunderclap Temple, the most magnificent, powerful, and tragic battle of the Great Dao erupted with a deafening roar!!!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!!"

The indescribable roar was not a sound, but a conceptual explosion caused by the collision of two great paths!

Centered on Spirit Mountain, the entire area spanning millions of miles was instantly and completely dragged into another dimension!

The sky is no longer the sky, but shattered glass, presenting a bizarre scene of billions of colors flowing, disappearing, and being reborn wildly;

The earth groaned. Within the Southern Yin Buddha Kingdom, countless mountains and rivers began to collapse and shift, rivers overflowed, and cities trembled. Even with the protection of the Buddhist light and Dharma domain, those mortal buildings crumbled like sandcastles.

Time loses its meaning here; one moment the sun is blazing, the next the moonlight is shining brightly, and yet another moment the stars are hanging upside down.

The lines of cause and effect manifest, entangle, and break like a tangled mess.

Some cultivators were horrified to discover that their "past" was being altered, and that beings were being born and dying inexplicably.

This is the "boundary chaos" resulting from the full-force collision of the Great Dao realms of the True Lord and Bodhisattvas!

Ordinary cultivators, let alone participate, would have their Dao Foundation shattered and their Divine Soul destroyed instantly if they were even hit by a wisp of the aftershock, without even a chance to be reincarnated!

At the very edge of this devastating battlefield, on that golden plaza paved with seven treasures, now illuminated with a bizarre and dazzling light.

"I see----"

Deep within Qi Yun's Purple Mansion, the consciousness of the original being was frantically operating, deducing, and comprehending.

With the power of [Great Luo Heaven] to control all laws, combined with the telepathic message from the Crown Prince of Southern Yin, Cai Kun's ancient memories, and the earth-shattering scheme and confrontation he was witnessing firsthand—

He finally understood the full picture of this earth-shattering game that involved the fundamental structure of the Xuanhuang Home Realm!

"The righteous True Lord have long known that Shi Xiu possesses this scroll of [the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture], and that it may contain profound mysteries beyond the level of True Lord."

"But they also knew that this item was a priceless treasure of the monk Shixiu, and there was no way they would hand it over easily. So—they chose the easiest way—to let Shixiu take it out himself!"

"They condoned the Southern Yin Kingdom's ruler's conversion to Buddhism, condoned overseas Buddhist practitioners' eastward migration, and condoned their establishment of a Buddhist kingdom on the Central Plains, where they channeled the earth's energy and gathered spiritual power—"

"Everything, everything, is for this day, so that when Shi Xiu believes the time is ripe, he will take out this scroll of [the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture] and reveal it to the world!"

"And what about the Buddhist monks? Did they not know it was a conspiracy? No, of course they knew!"

"But what they really want is to use this opportunity to legitimately return to Central Land, to establish themselves in this fertile land, to spread Buddhism, and to gather faith!"

Ultimately, both sides have absolute confidence in their own abilities!

Qi Yun's eyes flashed intensely, his thoughts racing like lightning.

"The Righteous Path True Lord believes that as long as the Buddhist monks can produce the [World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture], with the advantages of the Central Plains ' terrain and popular support, as well as the absolute strength of their fourteen True Lord, they will definitely be able to seize it!"

"But Shi Xiu believes that they have been secretly working for many years and have already figured out the details of the Central Plains True Lord, fourteen in total, no more and no less."

But they themselves had sixteen Bodhisattvas!

Overwhelming numbers will not only preserve the scriptures but also lay the foundation for the Buddhist kingdom, allowing it to gain a firm foothold in the Central Plains!

Both sides see themselves as the hunter and the other as the prey.

Both sides believed they would have the last laugh.

"What a grand strategy—what a high-stakes gamble!"

Qi Yun slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which instantly vanished amidst the turbulent currents of Daoist energy surrounding him.

Just as the Fourteen True Lord of the Righteous Path and the Fourteen Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist Cultivation were locked in fierce battle, the aftershocks of their clash turning heaven and earth into a chaotic mess—

An unexpected change occurred suddenly, without warning!

The scroll of the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture, jointly protected by the Jeweled Tree Adornment Bodhisattva and the World-Purifying Deliverance from Calamity Bodhisattva *, is slowly unfolding its final ancient seal.

The golden light flowing over the scriptures became increasingly solid.

That supreme will of "I am the only one" and that transcends all laws is like an ancient giant who is about to awaken completely.

But in that very instant, "Sizzle!"

Without warning, the void behind the two Bodhisattvas was torn apart by two hands!

The first hand was as pale as a dead person's finger bones, with long, jet-black nails, and countless wisps of ghostly afterimages, as thin as gossamer threads, emitting mournful howls, wrapped around its fingertips.

The second hand, with its fingers outstretched, seemed to contain a black hole in its palm that could devour everything. There was no light, no color, only pure "nothingness."

"Buzz!!!"

The two bodhisattvas' expressions changed drastically!

Before they could even turn around, the protective Buddhist light and the lotus platform beneath their feet instinctively erupted with all their might!

Behind the Jeweled Tree Bodhisattva, the giant Bodhi tree trembled violently, showering down immeasurable rain of wisdom; beneath the feet of Deliverance from Calamity Bodhisattva, the white lotus spun rapidly, and the purifying Buddha light surged behind him like a tide!

However, it was too late.

The owner of those two hands had already stepped out of the void rift.

On the left was a tall, thin man, as thin as a bamboo pole, wearing a wide black robe that seemed to be cut from the endless night. Thick, black liquid, exuding the smell of the decaying Yellow Springs, dripped continuously from the hem of the robe.

His face was shrouded in a constantly shifting gray mist.

Only one pair of eyes was clearly visible—two slowly rotating "Nine Nethers Vortexes" formed from countless struggling and wailing souls!

Lord of the Yellow Springs Netherworld - Nine Nethers Sun-Devouring True Lord!

The man on the right is tall and straight, dressed in a simple black robe. His face is as cold and hard as ancient iron, with no emotional fluctuations in his eyes or brows, only an icy indifference.

He stood there, without any dazzling or extraordinary phenomena around him, yet he seemed to be the "missing point" of the entire world. Light, sound, and even the concept of "existence" were unconsciously collapsing and disappearing towards him.

The current head of the Wuji Sacred Sect— the Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord!

The two demonic True Lord, upon their appearance, didn't utter a single word, nor did they even glance at the scroll of the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture.

The pale right hand of the Nine Nethers Sun-Devouring True Lord, entwined with the lingering shadows of souls, gently grasped the Jeweled Tree Adornment Bodhi Bodhisattva.

"Crack-Boom!!!"

Behind the Jeweled Tree Bodhisattva, the illusory image of the Bodhi Tree that blots out the sky suddenly developed countless twisted cracks on its trunk!

From within the cracks flowed gurgling, yellowish-brown, viscous "dead waters of the Yellow Springs"!

The rain of wisdom was instantly corrupted, turning into a sky full of foul-smelling, filthy blood!

The Jeweled Tree Bodhisattva's own perfect and immortal Bodhisattva Golden Body also began to "age" at a visible speed. Wrinkles appeared on its skin, and its Buddha light dimmed, as if its lifespan of thousands of years had been taken away in an instant, pushing it into the end of decay!

The World-Purifying White Lotus Deliverance from Calamity Bodhisattva also suffered a severe blow!

The Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord simply extended a single finger towards him in a calm and unassuming manner.

A touch of the fingertip, silent and unnoticed.

The ten-thousand-foot-tall World-Purifying White Lotus at the feet of the Deliverance from Calamity Bodhisattva instantly began to "disappear" at the edges of its petals!

Like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser, it left no trace of its existence!

The Pure World Buddha Light retreated and vanished like a tide, as if it had encountered its nemesis, forming an ever-expanding absolute vacuum in front of the fingertips of the True Lord Wudao, where even the concept of "Buddha" did not exist!

"Puff!!!"

"Ugh!!!"

Caught off guard, the two Bodhisattvas were brutally invaded and severely injured by the Demonic True Lord. They both spat out a mouthful of pale golden Bodhisattva blood, and their bodies were as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, flying uncontrollably in two different directions!

This is the terrifying power of the Demonic True Lord!

Once unleashed, it's a killing move!

In a single exchange, he severely injured both Bodhisattvas.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

From the moment the two demonic True Lord tore through the void to appear, to the moment the two guardian bodhisattvas were severely injured, blasted away, and forced to flee, only a breath or two had passed!

Only then did the earth-shattering roar erupt from all corners of the battlefield, "The righteous and the demonic forces have joined forces?! Despicable!"

At this moment.

[The World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture] There is no one left to guard the area!