Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: One Palm

At this moment, the entire Earth Traveling Boat was practically a wreck.

Billowing Yin Fiend blotted out the sky, and the power of the Buddhist Dharma was waning. The mere contact of their auras was like two towering mountains colliding, creating a thunderous explosion.

”...A truly exquisite technique, benefactor.”

With Su Nu’s appearance, ”Guanghai’s” expression turned extremely grim. He clearly no longer dared to treat Lü Yang as some Qi Refiner he could crush at will.

By all rights, the intervention of outside forces at the Foundation Establishment level was forbidden in a Battle for the Dao.

His ability to display such power was entirely due to a unique loophole exploited by the Pure Land sect.

Strictly speaking, he wasn’t Arhat Fulong. He was still ”Guanghai,” but had temporarily borrowed the Position of Arhat Fulong from the Pure Land.

He was able to borrow it because Guanghai was a disciple of Fulong Temple to begin with.

Pure Land cultivation is a path of enlightenment—realizing that one is part of the Bhagavat. ”I am the Bhagavat, and the Bhagavat is me.” This unity of the self and the divine is their path to achieving the Great Dao.

However, this was not a single-step process.

It required a gradual, step-by-step process. A disciple like Guanghai, for example, could never realize that ”I am the Bhagavat.” The disparity in their Realms was simply too vast.

His enlightenment was to realize, ”I am Arhat Fulong.”

The disciples in the Pure Land’s countless temples and Zen Forests all followed this path: first, they realized the ”I” of their temple’s master, and only then did they move on to realize the ”I” of the Bhagavat.

Such a method of cultivation was bizarre, to say the least.

Its exploitation of Qi Refining Disciples, in particular, was on par with the Stain Sect. If not for such practices, the Pure Land would never have been labeled the Pure Land Evil Sect back in the day.

Undeniably, however, this Cultivation Method did offer many advantages to junior disciples.

But because it was, in essence, still ”Guanghai” and not a true external power, its use in the Battle for the Dao was beyond reproach. This was Guanghai’s greatest trump card.

What ”Guanghai” found hard to accept was that he had risked his very self just to barely borrow a part of Arhat Fulong’s Position. ’So what’s the deal with this Demon before me? Why does he have a complete Foundation-Stage Cultivator on his side?! And what price did he pay for it?’

’...Don’t tell me he didn’t pay any price at all?’

Seeing Lü Yang’s relaxed expression, ”Guanghai’s” lips trembled. A surge of wrath welled up in his heart, and in an instant, a furious gale whipped up out of thin air.

Lü Yang saw this and sneered, ”Did I Hit a nerve?”

BOOM!

Before Lü Yang had even finished speaking, ”Guanghai” stepped forward. The ground shook as Buddha Light poured down, instantly piercing the dark clouds of Yin Fiend overhead.

With that single step forward, ”Guanghai’s” aura soared. A thunderous, boundless Buddhist chant erupted from his lips: ”If, when I become a Buddha, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate at least one hundred thousand billion nayutas of Buddha Countries, then may I not attain supreme, perfect enlightenment!”

In an instant, Buddha Light bathed the world.

All one could see was a single pillar of infinite light that shot into the heavens. It was a brilliant, dazzling gold, extending infinitely upwards and downwards with no end in sight.

The Great Spell of Infinite Light!

The infinite light produced by this Great Spell was said to be capable of illuminating all demonic obstacles in the world. It was the most powerful Great Spell that Guanghai had mastered.

These so-called demonic obstacles weren’t a matter of good versus evil or orthodox versus demonic, but of subjective judgment. As long as the caster deemed something a ”Demon,” it would fall within the spell’s range of influence.

”Today, I shall perform Exorcism and Protection of the Dao and propagate the Justice!”

”Guanghai” wore a solemn, saintly expression as the Infinite Divine Light in his hands suddenly cascaded downwards, sweeping toward Lü Yang with the majestic force of the very heavens falling!

Wherever it passed, great swathes of Yin Fiend were ignited and burned to nothing.

Even Su Nu showed a hint of discomfort. This Great Spell was clearly a terrible match for her; while it wouldn’t cause serious damage, escaping completely unscathed would be difficult.

As for the Stain Sect’s Direct Disciples in the distance, their faces paled, their expressions turning grim.

Even from a great distance, the infinite light made them feel a scorching heat. It was a technique powerful enough to grievously wound them!

Yet when Lü Yang saw this, he burst out laughing.

”Exorcism and Protection of the Dao?”

Then, a mocking grin spread across his face. ”You call me a Demon... Fine. Today, we’ll see who the real Demon is!”

As his voice fell, Lü Yang pressed his palms together.

WHOOSH—!

Behind him, the Myriad-Soul Banner unfurled. Progenitor Tingyou appeared and sighed, ”It took quite a bit of my energy, but I’ve finally managed to finish most of it...”

The next second, figures materialized behind Progenitor Tingyou. Without exception, they were all the Monks who had died at Lü Yang’s hands and been absorbed into the Myriad-Soul Banner. Even at this moment, the souls of Monks slain in the battle outside were still being continuously drawn in.

Immediately, all of these Monks pressed their palms together in unison.

”Amitabha!”

The Buddhist chant was vast and perfectly synchronized. It unexpectedly generated an immense expanse of Buddha Light, which gathered around Lü Yang and coalesced into a phantom Buddha Statue!

A combined-strike Skill of the Monks!

Progenitor Tingyou had actually managed to adapt the Pure Land Technique for the Yama Hall, using a massive number of Monk Banner Spirits to replace the need for a Lay Line!

”Now I have everything I need!”

As he spoke, Su Nu descended and merged into Lü Yang’s body. The boost from her peak state made the Buddha Statue behind Lü Yang grow even more solid.

Theft to Sainthood!

Previously, when Lü Yang channeled this Cultivation Technique, it would condense a ”Saint Appearance.” Now, however, that ”Saint Appearance” had taken the form of a Buddha!

In an instant, all the Yin Fiend vanished, and the world was flooded with pure Buddha Light. It was even more magnificent than the infinite light that ”Guanghai” had unleashed with all his might.

When that infinite light struck the Buddha Appearance, it couldn’t even cause a ripple on its Golden Body, washing over it like a gentle breeze!

”You have seen a true Buddha. Why do you not bow?”

The Buddha’s voice was like rolling thunder, infused with Lü Yang’s Foundation-Establishment-level Divine Sense. The sound rattled ”Guanghai,” leaving him dazed as if in a dream. For a moment, his Heart Spirit wavered.

”H-How is this possible... A Buddha? A real Buddha?”

The next second, the mountain-sized Golden Body of the Buddha offered a faint, compassionate smile. ”Demon,” it said, ”repent to your Buddha.”

As the voice fell, Lü Yang raised his palm.

The Buddha Appearance behind him mirrored the action, raising its own hand and slowly bringing it down. Violent Spiritual Qi burned and crackled in its palm, turning into a torrent of boiling fire.

As the palm descended, the heavens lit up!

At that moment, it wasn’t just Guanghai; every Monk on the battlefield couldn’t help but adopt a pious expression. They pressed their palms together and chanted in low voices:

”Amitabha...”

BOOM!

After the colossal boom, everything returned to silence.

All that remained was a massive palm print pressed into the earth. Every Monk had been reduced to ash, their hundreds of displaced Souls drifting into the Myriad-Soul Banner.

The unafflicted Stain Sect Disciples stared, dumbfounded, at the massive crater left by the palm. They were stunned into silence for a long while. At the edge of the Palm Seal, Guangming—who had been busy fighting Qin Tianhe and had thus luckily escaped with his life for a third time—felt his legs go soft, and he collapsed to his knees.

....

Almost simultaneously, outside the Outer Realm.

”...You who blaspheme the Buddha!”

The Perfected Lord from the Pure Land shot to his feet, his expression becoming utterly hideous. He had clearly sensed the shattering of his Treasure of Fruit Position.

That one palm from Lü Yang had killed nearly every Monk!

The handful who survived only did so because Guanghai had moved out ahead of time, leaving a portion of the Monks behind to catch up.

Even so, the remaining Monks were no longer a threat and could only be picked off at will. In other words, the Pure Land was already out of the Battle for the Dao!

How could the Pure Land True Monarch, who had prepared so much and pinned such high hopes on this battle, possibly accept this outcome?

Meanwhile, World Purger Fei Xue wore a look of mock concern. ”Bodhisattva, don’t be so anxious.”

”Why give in to anger? You’ll lose your dignified bearing for no reason.”

”Victory and defeat are common in war. Look at my Stain Sect. Though we haven’t lost a single Battle for the Dao in recent times, we certainly wouldn’t get angry even if we did.”

These words only made the Pure Land True Monarch even more furious.

If it had been any other Perfected Lords of Stain Sect, he might have let it slide. ’But who doesn’t know that you, World Purger Fei Xue, are the Stain Sect’s famous Mad Woman? You have a long and storied history of this behavior!’

’You’re the one who threw a fit and refused to accept defeat when your sect lost a Battle for the Dao!’

’And now you have the gall to lecture me?’

’That wretched bitch!’