Chapter 223: The Pure Land Wants a Share of the Spoils Too

Heaven-reaching sea of clouds, Holy Fire Cliff.

The very moment Duobao Tongzi took out the Buddha statue and revealed his Pure Land undercover identity to recruit the Dark Iron Sword Master, True Person Qingcheng Feixue also arched a delicate brow.

The next second, she raised her head and looked toward Jiangxi.

"That bald donkey wants to stick his nose in too?"

Before the words had faded, within the Pure Land a Buddha-head as vast as a mountain ridge also rose up; a pair of eyes seemed forged of glazed glass, and as its lips and teeth parted, a wave of Buddhist chanting poured forth:

"Not really."

Within the vast empty great hall, a grand voice rang out: "It is merely that a junior wishes to take advantage of this great battle to ferry a few people of destiny to my Pure Land to enjoy blessings."

"Hmph!"

A flash of crimson swept through True Person Qingcheng Feixue's beautiful eyes; she seemed unable to hold back: "Fine, I won't touch that person, so you don't touch him either."

"If he dies in Jiangbei, don't blame me."

"Amitabha, that is only right and proper."

The Buddha-head smiled faintly. The one he had dispatched this time was a great Luo Han at the late Foundation Establishment stage—unless a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator stepped in, who could possibly kill him?

Yet every Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator was busy seeking the Golden Core, and the last thing they wanted was to offend True Persons like them. Who would be so idle as to risk antagonizing a Bodhisattva just to kill a late Foundation Establishment great Luo Han? It simply wasn't worth it—unless that person never wanted to seek the Golden Core for the rest of his life!

So the Buddha-head was very calm.

In his view, True Person Qingcheng Feixue clearly could not withstand the pressure from the Pure Land, the Dao Court, and the Sword Pavilion all at once, which was why she had chosen to soften her stance and yield a step.

"A wise move."

Thinking of this, the Buddha-head withdrew his gaze, his heart stirring with faint anticipation as he recalled that demon lord who cultivated the Nine Transformations Dragon Art, corresponding to 【City-Head Earth】.

Previously, Bodhisattva 【Vase-Water Moon】 had struck, but because True Person Qingcheng Feixue intervened, the attempt had come to nothing.

Now, however, was a perfect opportunity. True Person Qingcheng Feixue had to protect Master Chongguang and had no strength to spare for anything else—exactly the chance to ferry that demon lord over to the Pure Land!

Slaying Dragon Pass,

Gazing at the Duobao Tongzi and the Dark Iron Sword Master before him, the Buddha-light-wreathed Dharma-body nodded in satisfaction and said: "I am called 【Vimalaattva Venerable】."

In the Pure Land, Foundation Establishment equals Luo Han.

And a great True Person at late Foundation Establishment is called a great Luo Han in the Pure Land, and is also a Pure Land Venerable who has attained the three meanings of killing thieves, no rebirth, and worthy of offerings.

Killing thieves: severing all delusions of views and thoughts.

No rebirth: no longer being reborn within the Three Realms.

Worthy of offerings: deserving of the great offerings of the world.

As the name implies, a figure like 【Vimalaattva Venerable】 can at any time draw upon the World-Honored One's realizations, and in cultivating divine powers will almost never encounter a bottleneck.

At the same time, his Dharma-body enters Nirvana within the Pure Land; his soul remains only within the Pure Land and does not enter the cycle of reincarnation. Unless he is slain, he need not endure the suffering of rebirth. Moreover, he can receive offerings from the Pure Land's countless disciples, Dharma Masters, and even Luo Han, laying the groundwork for one day achieving the right fruit and ascending to the Bodhisattva seat.

Only thus does one earn the title of 【Venerable】.

Therefore, upon hearing the newcomer style himself 【Vimalaattva Venerable】, the Dark Iron Sword Master instantly grew excited, and his expression became all the more reverent.

"I beg the Venerable to save us from the sea of suffering."

"No rush."

Facing the Dark Iron Sword Master's plea, 【Vimalaattva Venerable】 shook his head and smiled: "The world is dull-witted, sunk deep in the sea of suffering—I wish to devise ways to save them all."

"This—"

At these words, the Dark Iron Sword Master immediately knit his brows. He had defected to Buddhism to save his life, and now you tell me no rush—then what is the point of my defection?

"Rest assured, since you have chosen to abandon darkness for light and join the Pure Land, how could I possibly abandon you?" 【Vimalaattva Venerable】 smiled faintly, then extended a hand and shot out two beams of Buddha-light: "Take this dharma down and contemplate it. Once you have gathered enough of the required people, it will naturally help you defeat the Holy Sect."

"This is—"

The Dark Iron Sword Master and Duobao Tongzi glanced at the divine sense 【Vimalaattva Venerable】 sent over, and in an instant, a cultivation method was imprinted into both their Sea of Consciousness:

"Great Mighty and Virtuous Ox-Head Wisdom King Empowerment Dharma"!

"This dharma requires men born in the yang year, yang month, yang day, and yang hour as a medium to be performed; only a pure-yang fate-pattern can bear this Daoist method."

"So long as you can find such men and inscribe the scripture of the Daoist method I have passed to you upon their bodies, I can perform the empowerment rite for them, transforming them into 【Mighty Virtuous Wisdom Kings】. With my rank, it is enough to, through them in a short time, unleash battle-power at the peak of mid Foundation Establishment!"

Duobao Tongzi and the Dark Iron Sword Master listened, utterly dumbfounded.

Peak of mid Foundation Establishment!?

That was already a force sufficient to change the course of the battle. No wonder they are called great True Persons—even striking from afar they possess such divine powers!

"I'll go arrange it right now!"

Duobao Tongzi hurriedly sent a message ordering men to be found, while the Dark Iron Sword Master's eyes shone bright: "With the Venerable taking action, we shall surely crush the Mo Sect this time!"

And avenge the Zhang Sect, and the Sword Sect!

"That is not the main point."

【Vimalaattva Venerable】 pressed his palms together and smiled lightly: "The reason my Pure Land has come this time is not for fighting and killing, but to ferry those of destiny."

Duobao Tongzi paused, taken aback: "Who is the person of destiny?"

"I see that Duanmu Yuan Tu of the Mo Sect has great affinity with my Pure Land. Once the battle begins, I will have the empowered 【Mighty Virtuous Wisdom Kings】 seize him at the very first moment."

"Perfect!"

Duobao Tongzi let out a great laugh, anticipation flooding his face. Although it was not his own ability, if he could borrow 【Vimalaattva Venerable】's hand to teach Lu Yang a harsh lesson, then force him to betray the Mo Sect and join the Pure Land, he would have indirectly vented his spite.

And this way he could also prove himself in the process.

Heaven can witness, sun and moon shine bright—I truly am not a Holy Sect spy!

"Then when the time comes, I shall have to trouble the Venerable to act."

"Amitabha."

【Vimalaattva Venerable】 nodded, recalling the Bodhisattva's mission in his heart, and felt that his handling of the matter should not have any major problems.

Personally taking part in the great battle would pile on too heavy a burden of tribulation and karma, making it easy to be called to account afterward.

But by using secret methods to borrow another's body, and without unleashing great True Person-level power in the fight, with a Bodhisattva backing him, there should be little risk.

Moreover, he is rational and not greedy.

As long as he captures Lu Yang and converts him, he can in turn aid the Holy Sect; under the grand scheme of Chongguang seeking gold, he believes no one will hold it against him.

"If one must point out a flaw," Vimalakirti Venerable pondered, "this Great Power Bull-Headed Bright King Empowerment Dharma also has a defect: its requirements for the recipient are too high. The recipient must be a male with a Pure Yang fate. The Mo Sect once even created a specific Dharma for this very purpose."

The function of that Dharma is very simple: it turns men into women.

Once the gender changes, the Pure Yang fate is immediately broken.

The result is that not only does the empowered person die instantly, but under the backlash of the Dharma, even his original body is affected, losing several years of cultivation out of thin air.

"However, that Dharma can only change gender."

Thinking of this, Vimalakirti Venerable quickly regained his composure:

"It is almost useless for any purpose other than countering the Great Power Bull-Headed Bright King Empowerment Dharma; I suppose no demon would bother to cultivate it specifically."

(End of this chapter)