Houtu and the Demon Lotus

To demonstrate that the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus Platform was indeed causing trouble, and to absolve himself of any involvement in the death of the Sect Master Jieyin, the Buddha's disciple wielded the Seven-Jeweled Tree and smashed it indiscriminately.

"Did the black lotus, a remnant of the demon's bones, enter the twelfth-grade golden lotus platform?"

It wasn't until he questioned Divine Lord Zhenyuan that Zhang Xuezhou understood why the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus Platform of the Sect Master Jieyin had suddenly rioted.

This top-tier treasure of the Three Realms, lacking the control of the Sect Master Jieyin, was shattered and downgraded by the Seven Treasures Tree, and further influenced by the Black Lotus, thus transformed into a great cultivator with a twelve-petaled golden lotus platform as its body.

It's not hard to understand why the other side launched a soul attack on Zhang Xuezhou and Donghua.

This black lotus could easily defeat both Zhang Xuezhou and Donghua in a single soul attack; Zhang Xuezhou would flee in disarray, and Donghua might suffer a minor defeat in the soul clash, leaving a slight regret. However, the black lotus could not withstand the combined attack of the two.

Once they escaped the underground environment, the opponent's advantage became irrelevant, especially since Zhang Xuezhou and his group had many helpers.

At this moment, the Buddha's disciple was repeatedly striking with the Seven Treasures Tree. The Seven Treasures Tree's ability to break magic caused the twelve-petaled golden lotus platform to repeatedly emit azure light to protect it, and also caused countless roots and lotus leaves to continuously shrink.

Who has shattered my golden body and severed my fortuitous opportunity spiritual growth?

Donghua believed that the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus Platform had transformed into a spirit, while Zhang Xuezhou and others believed that the remnant soul of a demon had possessed the treasure through a strange means.

The Buddha's disciple sought to dispel evil, and thus determined the cause of the Sect Master Jieyin.

No one considered the Golden Lotus Platform to be alive until the Law Treasure emitted a roar caused by a mental shockwave.

While Donghua and the others only showed signs of discomfort, Zhang Xuezhou changed drastically.

He was all too familiar with that sound; it was the sound Houtu Niangniang made when she expressed her anger through the Void Heaven Palace.

"She clearly chose that scorpion demon as her physical body, so how did it suddenly transform into a twelve-petaled golden lotus platform? Could it be that the demon bones were truly left behind by the Goddess Houtu?"

Zhang Xuezhou's mind raced as he quickly searched for the truth, and he couldn't help but slightly shift his body to the side, leaning towards the outside of the stone chamber.

"You have ruined my temple; your sin is unforgivable!"

The roars continued, but the Seven Treasures Tree still greeted the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus Platform.

This is the most powerful magic-breaking treasure in the Three Realms. Even the demonic Divine Ability of the Peacock Great Wisdom King are inferior to the Seven Treasures Tree. When the Buddha's son wields the Seven Treasures Tree, he cannot possess the power of the Zhunti Master. However, the Buddha's son's power is truly strong, and each strike brings physical destruction.

This is almost exactly the same situation as when Divine Lord Zhenyuan suppressed Sect Master Jieyin. Even if he didn't break Sect Master Jieyin's body, this powerful attack method would cause chaos.

"Die!"

The anger caused by the Seven Treasures Tree continued to accumulate and eventually reached its peak.

Compared to the helpless resistance of the Jieyin Sect Master Jieyin, the twelve-petaled golden lotus platform controlled by Houtu Niangniang was clearly not like that.

Zhang Xuezhou saw that the roots of the Golden Lotus Platform grew wildly like hair, instantly occupying the stone chamber and then rushing towards the Bifeng Cave.

Even Zhang Xuezhou, standing on the outermost layer, couldn't dodge them; he either had to kill these roots or charge into the Bifeng to escape.

"Walk!"

Divine Lord Zhenyuan urged him on, and Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly, his mind resonating as he quickly communicated.

How could this be?

Upon learning that Zhang Xuezhou's true body was beside the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, and that his current physical body was a temporary construct that couldn't even be restored to its original form, lacking the strength of his normal physical body, he could hardly believe such a stroke of good fortuitous opportunity.

According to rumors, this was fortuitous opportunity that only Western Sect could create.

"I didn't want it to be like this, but I probably couldn't control my greed!"

Zhang Xuezhou hid behind Divine Lord Zhenyuan, using Divine Lord Zhenyuan's sweeping attacks to cover his body.

He could feel the roots relentlessly pursuing him, and he also realized that these roots had no soul at all, so his mental suppression was ineffective.

Donghua was in the same situation as Zhang Xuezhou. Donghua seemed to have some requirements for his physical body. The body he transformed was not even perfect yet, let alone any physical strength. He could only run away with Zhang Xuezhou.

If Zhang Xuezhou had known that following Donghua in his schemes would only grant him a physical body, he wouldn't have been so keen on acquiring the essence of heaven and earth. After all, he already possessed two bodies, and he had no interest in acquiring another one, which he then repeatedly invested in cultivation and exploitation.

What would be a top-tier fortuitous opportunity for others was nothing special for Zhang Xuezhou.

"Get it!"

Donghua, hiding behind Divine Lord Zhenyuan, was equally disheveled, yet he kept encouraging the Buddha's son in the stone chamber, and even Vishnu offered his support and encouragement, uniting almost everyone.

"Who is he?"

Divine Lord Zhenyuan glanced at Donghua, who bore a slight resemblance to Zhang Xuezhou, but couldn't recall ever hearing of him.

"I am his son!"

Without waiting for Zhang Xuezhou to speak, Donghua directly revealed his new identity.

At this critical moment, and on the verge of regaining his physical body, he clearly didn't want to cause any accidents. He wanted to survive as much as possible and chose the easiest way to build closer relationships.

"He... is kind of my teacher!"

Zhang Xuezhou didn't acknowledge Donghua as a son; he couldn't afford to have one like him.

Donghua is not Jin Wanliang. If Zhang Xuezhou is not careful, Donghua may surpass Zhang Xuezhou's strength. Zhang Xuezhou does not want to gain an advantage in words and then have to pay back later.

He and Donghua were competitors, and Donghua was also Zhang Xuezhou's mentor.

Although the conflict between the two was irreconcilable, Donghua genuinely led him onto the path of cultivation, and he continued to improve by leveraging his ability to travel between worlds, until he reached the present moment.

The teachings given to Zhang Xuezhou by the Emperor, Ren Yisheng, and others were not daily routines, but rather a starting point. Zhang Xuezhou always considered himself a student, and Donghua University also gave him a starting point, so he truly deserved that title.

Donghua's words were pleading for survival, the same kind of talk Zhang Xuezhou used when he became Zhang Xuezhou's godfather. Zhang Xuezhou's words, on the other hand, were the truth. Donghua was somewhat taken aback, realizing that the conflict between him and Zhang Xuezhou hadn't escalated to the point of life or death.

"You have teachers like this?"

Divine Lord Zhenyuan exclaimed in surprise, and as he clapped his sleeves repeatedly, he also protected Donghua more thoroughly, showing no favoritism.

This was not the time for detailed explanations; he quickly chopped at the steel-wire-like roots.

Even after being severed, these roots could reattach themselves and even sprout more roots. With a flick of his sleeve, Divine Lord Zhenyuan pushed these roots directly into the Bifeng wind.

The fierce wind relentlessly crushed and shattered these roots, making it difficult for even the most resilient lotus roots to survive.

Zhang Xuezhou and Donghua, who were hiding from the disaster, exchanged a glance; they had clearly noticed something was wrong.

"Send this demonic lotus into the wind, let it be swept away!"

This demonic lotus was controlled by the Goddess Houtu. Relying on the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, it grew in a state similar to that of tiger feathers, and could grow almost endlessly until the spiritual essence of heaven and earth was exhausted.

The power of the demonic lotus is boundless, while human strength is finite. Even if Divine Lord Zhenyuan and Tathagata Buddha's son currently hold the advantage, it cannot last.

If the stalemate continues, there is a very high chance that Zhang Xuezhou and his men will be defeated.

However, there is no problem in using the natural product of Bifeng to fight against it. As long as the demon lotus is sent into Bifeng, all the roots that are forced to grow will turn to ashes, and the demon lotus will surely defend itself.

Without human assistance, Zhang Xuezhou and others even doubted that the Demon Lotus would be able to leave the Bifeng area.