Chapter 222: Seeking Release

Inside Zhalu Long Pass.

In the previous great battle, the blood-foul Qi that Yinshan True Person had used Qi Refining cultivators to feed into the formation had been completely purged, and the formation had once again returned to a state of perfect wholeness.

Thanks to this, the various True Persons were in considerably better spirits.

Everyone except Duobao Tongzi.

Because by now he had already been subtly isolated; although the Five Elements True Person said nothing aloud, in his heart he clearly still suspected him of being a Mo Sect spy.

This left Duobao Tongzi with a bellyful of pent-up frustration and nowhere to vent it. He admitted that Diaolong Weng's death had a little something to do with him, but wasn't that just the Mo Sect being cunning, and himself momentarily careless and falling into their trap? How could he possibly be a spy? Back in the day, he'd been robbed by the Mo Sect! With the Mo Sect, that was a blood-feud of the deepest kind!

The reasoning, everyone understood.

Yet the prejudice in the human heart is a great mountain; once a certain fixed impression has formed, no matter how much he explains, it is very hard to move it away again.

In his bitterness, he had no choice but to seek out the Dark Iron Sword Master.

After all, among the True Persons present, only the Dark Iron Sword Master had just arrived, held no prejudice against him, and would not push him out — at the very least, he could exchange a few words.

As for how to get along with sword cultivators, Duobao Tongzi counted himself quite experienced.

Just praise their swords.

"Fellow Daoist, may I touch your sword?"

Duobao Tongzi got straight to the point, and after expressing a few lines of admiration for the Upper Mystery Sword Sect, back and forth, he quickly became well-acquainted with the Dark Iron Sword Master.

"Actually, I felt earlier that Fellow Daoist Five Elements' way of putting it was a bit one-sided." Duobao Tongzi smiled and said: "That Yuan Tu, although formidable, is not unbeatable. With Fellow Daoist's strength, and as a sword cultivator, although you may not necessarily be his match, holding out for a hundred-odd exchanges should be no problem."

The moment these words left his mouth, he had immediately scratched the Dark Iron Sword Master's itch.

After all, earlier the Five Elements True Person's words had left him utterly speechless; now at last he had heard a "fair word" — how could he not be pleased?

In an instant, his good feeling toward Duobao Tongzi increased by several degrees.

"Fellow Daoist is too kind with your praise."

The Dark Iron Sword Master waved his hand: "If that demon really is as Fellow Daoist Five Elements says, then in my Sword Sect I'm afraid only the Zhang Sect could face him in a fight."

"Upper Mystery True Person?"

Duobao Tongzi's eyes lit up at the words, and after another round of praise, he then said: "Speaking of which, I've heard that Upper Mystery True Person is currently attempting to break through to the late stage on this occasion."

"Such a move is far too perilous — the tribulation of heavenly thunder is hard to weather. Fellow Daoist, aren't you worried?"

"Hahahaha!"

The Dark Iron Sword Master, however, burst out laughing at the words: "So-called breaking through to the late stage is merely a false piece of news we deliberately released. How could the Zhang Sect be so reckless?"

"On this occasion, the Zhang Sect received sponsorship from the Yushu Jiange and intends to forge a supreme spirit sword. Once it is forged, he will immediately rush over to reinforce us. That is why I was not worried about anyone sneak-attacking Mystic Sword Mountain before — it's because the Zhang Sect is not in closed-door seclusion breaking through, and can act at any time when a crisis arises!"

"If necessary, I can even get in touch with the Zhang Sect."

At this point, the Dark Iron Sword Master took out a lamp from his sleeve and said: "Before I left, the Zhang Sect specially refined a soul lamp and gave it to me."

"Inside the lamp is a sliver of the Zhang Sect's divine sense."

"By means of the divine sense link, I can contact the Zhang Sect through the soul lamp at any time, to learn the latest situation over at Mystic Sword Mountain — what is there to worry about?"

As the Dark Iron Sword Master spoke on and on, he realized something was wrong.

Because the Duobao Tongzi before him, for some unknown reason, had gone deathly pale in the face, his mouth twitching wildly, a single finger trembling as it pointed at him.

"Fellow Daoist?"

The Dark Iron Sword Master was stunned. He looked at himself — intact clothes, extinguished lamp, intact spirit sword — no problem at all, what could be wrong.

"... Hm?"

The Dark Iron Sword Master froze.

The next second, he was seen to blink, and then this mid Foundation Establishment True Person, unstained by a speck of dust, even went so far as to rub his own eyes — something utterly unprecedented.

He hadn't misread it. It was extinguished.

Extinguished?!

With a clatter, the lamp dropped straight to the ground and shattered to pieces — all because the divine sense and magic power that had sustained its existence had now completely dissipated.

At this moment, the Dark Iron Sword Master actually wished Upper Mystery True Person had been in closed-door seclusion attempting to break through to the late stage, because then he could still console himself that it was the Zhang Sect failing the breakthrough, and that was why the soul lamp had gone out. Yet as things stood, he could not deceive himself: there was only one possibility for Upper Mystery True Person's soul lamp going out —

The Upper Mystery Sword Sect had perished!

"Impossible, impossible!!" The Dark Iron Sword Master's eyes went dim, he muttered in a low voice, and sword Qi erupted from his entire body — his sword heart had actually lost its guard!

Yet the next instant —

"Slap!"

A palm-swing loaded with full force was viciously slapped across the Dark Iron Sword Master's face, jolting him awake, and he stared blankly at the person who had struck him.

It was none other than Duobao Tongzi.

Duobao Tongzi, too, had now changed his appearance: his face was twisted by terror, yet his eyes shone with clarity — coldly calm to the extreme.

"Fellow Daoist, don't panic." Duobao Tongzi said in a low voice: "I have just now sealed off all Qi signatures, so right now no one knows about the matter of the Upper Mystery Sword Sect. This is our chance! Taking advantage of this time difference, let's quickly think of a way to slip away. Zhalu Long Pass no longer needs to be defended!"

Duobao Tongzi saw the situation very clearly.

The instant collapse of the Upper Mystery Sword Sect meant that the strongest reinforcement on the side of 【Qing Nation】 was gone, and Zhalu Long Pass had instantly become water without a source!

By contrast, the Mo Sect's morale was at its peak.

What was there still to fight for?

"Staying at Zhalu Long Pass is just waiting to die. Right now, either we find a new backer to come over, or we run. Or does Fellow Daoist Dark Iron want to reincarnate?"

With his life on the line, the Dark Iron Sword Master also came to his senses.

"Fellow Daoist... you speak rightly!"

After the Upper Mystery Sword Sect's fall, Zhalu Long Pass had become a dead ground. If they didn't run now, once the Mo Sect marched south and swept over, there'd be no escaping!

Yet very soon he sank into dejection again: "Even if we flee, where to?"

South? To the south lies the Yushu Jiange. The Yushu Jiange sponsored his Upper Mystery Sword Sect precisely so that it would fight to the death at a time like this — how could it possibly allow him to desert the battlefield?

East? 【Qing Nation】 would certainly make an example of them to warn others.

"North? Throw in with the Beginner Saint Sect?"

Thinking of this, the Dark Iron Sword Master's gaze toward Duobao Tongzi instantly turned strange.

"You kid… you wouldn't really be a Mo Sect—no, a Saint Sect spy, would you?"

At the same time, Duobao Tongzi also noticed the Dark Iron Sword Master's gaze—half suspicion, half anticipation—and instantly understood the unspoken meaning behind his words.

"I'm really not!"

Duobao Tongzi wore a helpless expression. Right now he actually wished he were a Saint Sect spy, but he truly had not the slightest connection with that bunch of beasts from Jiangbei.

"What I meant was west—throw in with the Buddhists!"

Saying this, he saw Duobao Tongzi reach into his robe and produce a jade-carved Buddha statue: "To tell you the truth, the Pure Land once approached me."

He really wasn't a Saint Sect spy.

He was a Pure Land spy!

"The Great Arhat of the Pure Land promised me that in this great war, as long as I bring people into the Pure Land, the higher my status will be when I later open a temple and establish a monastery within the Pure Land."

Duobao Tongzi said in a low voice: "And Fellow Daoist Dark Iron, you're the first True Person I've found. Joining the Pure Land at this moment brings the greatest benefits. When the time comes, you can also bring people in. The more people you and I bring, the more provisions we'll have for our future cultivation after joining the Pure Land."

"…"

The Dark Iron Sword Master fell into a brief silence upon hearing this, but then thought—his own Sword Sect was already gone, what was there left to hesitate about? He immediately clenched his teeth:

"How do we do it?"

Duobao Tongzi was overjoyed: "Just place your hand on the Buddha statue."

The Dark Iron Sword Master reached out at once.

The next second, he felt a ray of Buddhist light suddenly arise within his sea of consciousness, as if a blazing sun were slowly rising, illuminating his thoughts in an instant.

Immediately after, within that Buddhist light appeared a white lotus platform. Seated upon it was a dharmic body possessing the thirty-two marks of perfection—a fleshly topknot, holding a ritual implement, radiating splendid light, with a face bearing a compassionate smile, and bearing an air of transcendence far surpassing an ordinary Foundation Establishment True Person.

"Amitabha."

Those four syllables of the Buddha's name burst forth from the dharmic body, instantly smoothing away the Dark Iron Sword Master's recent panic and fear, causing him to also reveal a serene and tranquil expression.

Then, he too pressed his palms together and sighed:

"Alas, only today do I know who I truly am!"

"Amitabha!"

(End of this chapter)