Entry: I Secretly Cultivate Immortality in the Martial Arts World

276: Chapter 276 If Immortal Venerable Chenyue doesn’t stop, the Buddhist sect might lose several Buddhas!Nash Long Da slew the Demon Emperor Sacred Heavenly Lord Jin Yu and, styling himself as the Lord of the Heavenly Court, aggressively took over the Demon Court’s thirty-six Immortal Domains. The news spread throughout the Immortal Realm, shocking all parties.

However, the Immortal Realm is vast and its factions complex; how could everyone remain silent?

In the east, within a palace deep inside the Immortal Court, three figures sat facing each other.

The Cang Emperor personally poured a cup of spiritual tea and said, ”Brother Lingyangzi, do you know the background of that Lord of the Heavenly Court, Nash Long Da?”

Lingyangzi set down his teacup and glanced at the Cang Emperor. ”If even you don’t know, how would I?”

The Cang Emperor was taken aback, then gave a bitter smile.

Emperor Haotian joined the conversation from the side, saying, ”To my shame, I once secretly attempted to deduce this person’s origins, but I could find nothing at all.”

”But while I couldn’t deduce Nash Long Da’s background, I did manage to trace the roots of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals under his command.”

The Cang Emperor asked hurriedly, ”And?”

Emperor Haotian frowned. ”They are all frustrated Loose Cultivators from the Immortal Realm. Some offended Sects, some had their Dao arenas seized, and some ran into trouble with their cultivation and had nowhere to turn for help. In short, they were all desperate people who were gathered by that Heavenly Court.”

The Cang Emperor was stunned. ”That’s it?”

”That’s it,” Emperor Haotian nodded.

”The highest cultivation among his subordinates is only at the Golden Immortal level; there isn’t even a single Immortal King.”

”Yet it is precisely such a motley crew that is now following Nash Long Da to take over the Demon Court’s thirty-six Immortal Domains, busier than ever.”

Hearing this, Lingyangzi chuckled. ”This person certainly knows how to use people. Frustrated Loose Cultivators lack nothing more than a backer. Give them one, and they’ll sell their lives to you.”

The Cang Emperor and Emperor Haotian exchanged a look, both finding truth in those words.

After a few more words of idle chatter about the Heavenly Court, the topic gradually shifted elsewhere.

Lingyangzi was the first to speak: ”Have you noticed that something is not quite right with this Heaven and Earth Boundless Great Tribulation?”

The Cang Emperor’s expression turned solemn. ”What do you mean, Brother?”

Lingyangzi held up three fingers. ”The Heaven and Earth Boundless Great Tribulation has gone through several kalpas from ancient times to the present.”

”Having experienced them personally, I have some insight into the direction of these tribulations.”

”But this time, only a few hundred years since it began, an existence at the Immortal Emperor level has already fallen.”

”This is something that has never happened in any previous kalpa.”

The Cang Emperor nodded slowly, his face growing increasingly grave.

Emperor Haotian also said, ”I also feel that something is wrong.”

”At the start of a kalpa, tribulation qi usually builds up gradually. The various factions engage in minor skirmishes, and Golden Immortals and Immortal Kings die, slowly accumulating the toll.”

”Only when the tribulation qi reaches a certain density does it affect Immortal Emperors. But this time...”

The Cang Emperor took over, ”But this time, the tribulation qi has just arisen, and an Immortal Emperor has already fallen. And it was an established Immortal Emperor like the Demon Emperor Sacred Heavenly Lord Jin Yu.”

”The strangest part is that although Jin Yu was obstinate and self-opinionated, he was no fool.”

”He knew that drawing Solar True Fire to burn the Immortal Realm would incite public outrage, so why did he insist on doing it?”

”Even if tribulation qi entered his body, he shouldn’t have been so unwise.”

Emperor Haotian frowned in thought and said slowly, ”Your words remind me of something.”

”If Jin Yu had only fought the two of us, even if he lost, he wouldn’t have lost his life.”

”But he insisted on drawing the Solar True Fire, which gave the Lord of the Heavenly Court a legitimate reason to kill him.”

Lingyangzi said, ”Indeed. Without the incident of drawing the Solar True Fire, if Nash Long Da had rashly acted to kill the Demon Emperor, someone from the Immortal Realm’s various factions might have stepped in to help Jin Yu.”

Emperor Haotian nodded. ”That is precisely the logic. Jin Yu was, after all, the leader of a major power. Unless he incited public wrath, who would want to stand by and watch an outsider slaughter him?”

The Cang Emperor sighed. ”So Jin Yu’s death was not only pathetic, but it also handed the Heavenly Court a great gift. Now that Nash Long Da has occupied the Demon Court’s territory, no one can say a word against it.”

The three were silent for a moment.

The Cang Emperor seemed to think of something and changed the subject. ”By the way, what is the situation in the West right now?”

Emperor Haotian knew what he was asking and replied, ”They’re still fighting. I don’t know what kind of gunpowder Immortal Venerable Chenyue ate, but she’s been trading blows with five Buddhas of Buddhism for so long and still shows no sign of stopping.”

The Cang Emperor clicked his tongue. ”Five Buddhas... they are the pillars of Buddhism. Immortal Venerable Chenyue is taking on five of them alone and can actually hold her ground?”

Emperor Haotian said, ”Immortal Venerable Chenyue is among the oldest batch of existences in the Immortal Realm, and her cultivation is unfathomable. Although the five Buddhas have the advantage in numbers, they don’t dare to truly strike to kill, fearing they’ll force her into a desperate struggle.”

The Cang Emperor turned to Lingyangzi. ”Brother, have you calculated why Immortal Venerable Chenyue is at odds with Buddhism? She has always been one to avoid trouble; why did she make such a big scene this time?”

Lingyangzi chuckled and said slowly, ”About this matter, I have indeed calculated it.”

”It’s quite simple, really. A few days ago, Immortal Venerable Chenyue went to a Small Thousand Mortal Realm to find something.”

”To find something?” The Cang Emperor was startled. ”What was she looking for?”

Lingyangzi shook his head. ”I didn’t calculate that. But what is certain is that she didn’t find it. Her mood was already bad to begin with.”

Emperor Haotian asked, ”And then?”

Lingyangzi said, ”Then, Buddhism dispatched a Pratyekabuddha to that Small Thousand Mortal Realm to serve as the Buddha there.”

Emperor Haotian frowned. ”So that Pratyekabuddha went down and happened to run into Immortal Venerable Chenyue?”

Lingyangzi laughed. ”Exactly. Think about it: Immortal Venerable Chenyue was in a bad mood, just staying in that world. Suddenly, a Pratyekabuddha descends from the heavens, wanting to be the Buddha in the place where she’s staying. If it were you, wouldn’t you be annoyed?”

The Cang Emperor and Emperor Haotian exchanged a look, both feeling that this was indeed rather unfortunate.

But the Cang Emperor still shook his head. ”Just because of that? That’s unlikely. Even if Immortal Venerable Chenyue was angry, she could have just killed that Pratyekabuddha; why trade blows with five Buddhas for so long?”

Lingyangzi laughed heartily and wagged a finger. ”Naturally, it didn’t stop there.”

”After that Pratyekabuddha descended, he saw Immortal Venerable Chenyue and developed a lustful heart.”

The Cang Emperor frowned. ”What do you mean?”

Emperor Haotian was quick to react, his expression turning strange. ”He couldn’t possibly have wanted to...”

Lingyangzi nodded. ”He couldn’t see Immortal Venerable Chenyue’s background, so he wanted to treat her as a Cauldron and perform Dual Cultivation.”

The palace suddenly fell silent.

The Cang Emperor opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word for a long time.

Emperor Haotian was also shocked, then shook his head. ”Is this Pratyekabuddha... brain-dead?”

”Whether he was or not, I don’t know,” Lingyangzi said calmly. ”But he did indeed reach out toward Immortal Venerable Chenyue.”

The Cang Emperor sucked in a cold breath. ”He actually made a move?”

Lingyangzi said, ”Before his hand could even touch her, he was killed by Immortal Venerable Chenyue. One slap, and not even ashes remained.”

The Cang Emperor and Emperor Haotian looked at each other, finding the whole thing utterly absurd.

A Pratyekabuddha of Buddhism, no matter how lowly, is still a member of the Buddhist faith with strict precepts.

To have those kinds of thoughts about an ancient existence of the Immortal Realm was beyond being bold; it was simply asking for death.

Emperor Haotian pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, ”What is Immortal Venerable Chenyue’s current state?”

Lingyangzi continued, ”I observe that she also has tribulation qi in her body right now, and her killing intent is immense.”

”If she doesn’t stop soon, Buddhism might truly lose a few Buddhas this time.”

The Cang Emperor and Emperor Haotian looked at each other, both seeing deep apprehension in the other’s eyes.

This Heaven and Earth Boundless Great Tribulation had only been going on for a few hundred years, and a Demon Emperor had already fallen.

Next, were they really going to lose a few Buddhas as well?

...

Meanwhile, in the West.

After taking over the thirty-six Immortal Domains, Long Da was in no hurry to expand; instead, he set about organizing the internal affairs.

He knew clearly that territory could be won by force, but governance could not rely on force alone.

In the Immortal Domains under the Demon Court’s rule, the Human Race had been kept and enslaved by the Yao Race for eons. The accumulated resentment was too deep to be resolved in a single day.

Long Da did not rashly promote great harmony under heaven; instead, he first established rules.

He ordered the drafting of a set of Heavenly Court Decrees. The content was simple, with only two core rules:

First, the Yao shall not harm humans, nor eat them.

Second, Cultivators shall not wantonly slaughter the Yao Race.

These two rules seemed simple, but they actually redefined the order in the former lands of the Demon Court.

Previously, the Yao Race could prey on the Human Race at will, and humans could only kneel and beg for mercy upon seeing a Yao.

Now, no one was allowed to do that anymore.

As for those Yao who had already eaten or harmed humans, Long Da did not kill them all indiscriminately.

Those with heavy sins, such as great Yao who fed on the Human Race or had slaughtered tens of thousands, faced the merciless Heavenly Laws and were all executed.

But there were also some Yao who, although they had eaten humans, did so because it was the rule under the Demon Court and not out of their own volition, or they hadn’t eaten many, and their crimes did not warrant death.

Long Da gave these Yao a way to live: redemption.

How to redeem themselves?

Long Da looked at the mountain of Immortal Domain documents before him and said calmly, ”By farming and doing construction for the Human Race.”

The Immortal Official standing nearby was stunned. ”Far... farming?”

Long Da did not explain much.

He had these Yao who needed to redeem themselves registered and assigned to the thirty-six Immortal Domains.

The Immortal Domains varied in size; the small ones were equivalent to one Middle Thousand Worlds, while the large ones were equivalent to several Middle Thousand Worlds.

The work these Yao had to do was not for a day or two, nor a year or two.

The sentences Long Da set often lasted for hundreds or thousands of years.

Only when they had worked enough would they regain their freedom.

During this period, if they offended again, the punishment would be doubled, and serious offenders would be executed immediately.

When the news spread, the Human Race in the thirty-six Immortal Domains first couldn’t believe it, then wept with joy.

They had been enslaved by the Yao Race for untold generations and never imagined that one day, those high and mighty Yao would be punished by being made to farm for them.

Of course, some Human Race Cultivators were skeptical, feeling that the Heavenly Court was just putting on a show and would revert to old ways before long.

Long Da didn’t care about that.

Now that the rules were set, he would have people monitor them.

Whoever dared to cross the line would be killed as a warning to others.

He did not seek success in a single day, nor did he seek the praise of the masses.

He only needed this part of the Immortal Realm to no longer be in chaos.

...

After handling these trifles, Long Da sat alone in the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, his finger tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

With thirty-six Immortal Domains in hand and the Demon Court destroyed, the Heavenly Court had officially stepped onto the stage of the Immortal Realm.

But he knew this was far from enough.

What True Body Gu Yan wanted was never just thirty-six Immortal Domains, nor the legacy of a single Demon Court.

What True Body Gu Yan wanted was the entire Immortal Realm.

Long Da closed his eyes and thought, taking stock of the remaining major powers in the Immortal Realm.

The Immortal Court, the Divine Court, Buddhism, and those deeply entrenched ancient Sects and Loose Cultivator forces.

Whom to move against first, and whom to move against later—that was the question.

He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the distant horizon outside the palace.

That direction was the West.

The five Buddhas of Buddhism were still trading blows with Immortal Venerable Chenyue, locked in an inseparable struggle.

The corners of Long Da’s mouth curled up slightly.

The one who died in the last round was the Demon Emperor.

In the next round, how about we get rid of Buddhism as well?