Chapter 227: Hong Ju!

"It's over!"

At this moment, Vemato Venerable's heart turned cold by more than half; he felt his limbs and bones all icy, as if he had just wandered out of an ice cave.

He did not know Hong Ju.

This was normal — after all, even within the Holy Sect, aside from the True Monarchs and the few people connected to 【Blazing Lantern Fire】, no one knew Hong Ju.

After all, when Daoist Daoist Hong Yun had enlightened and produced a True Person at the peak of Foundation Establishment like Hong Ju, it was precisely so that he could become his trump card for reclaiming his position in the future. Since it was a trump card, if it were broadcast to all, how could it still be called a trump card? Naturally it had to be hidden in the dark, only then could it play its role.

Added to that, True Monarch Qingcheng Feixue had deliberately concealed him.

Therefore no one had factored him in.

Just as Master Chongguang was seeking his Golden Body, the entire Jiangbei was within the sight of every True Monarch, and every great True Person at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, even at the peak, was being watched.

Any one of them who moved would be met by a corresponding person from each side.

Only Hong Ju stood alone.

Therefore his appearance was simply the most horrifying thing imaginable for Vemato Venerable, and those eyes, bright as lanterns, seeped straight into his mind and spirit.

'Who on earth is this person!?'

'Every great True Person beneath the heavens at the peak of Foundation Establishment with complete divine abilities — which one of them is not famous and renowned, not already accounted for in the minds of every True Monarch?'

'How could such a person appear out of thin air!?'

A hundred thoughts turned in Vemato Venerable's mind, but in his eyes there was reflected a vast sea of fire, and only then did he realize that his pair of eyes had been set alight.

Flames sprang up from within his body without any warning, burning through his five viscera and six bowels, gushing out from his five features and seven orifices, setting his monk's robe ablaze. From start to finish Hong Ju had not even formed a hand-seal or cast a spell — he had merely exchanged a glance with him, and that alone turned him into a human-shaped torch!

"Ahhh!!!"

Vemato Venerable, transformed into a burning man, suddenly let out a great roar. Buddhist sound like thunder, his mouth wide open, he unleashed an exceedingly profound Daoist art.

"【Heart-Light Escape Art】!"

Where the mind goes, the thought moves and one arrives!

He had been studying this Heart-Light Escape Art for several hundred years; among the Pure Land Venerables, he alone was most skilled in it, and his speed in fleeing for his life was also the fastest.

That was why Pure Land had sent him to Jiangbei.

With this 【Heart-Light Escape Art】, even when facing a great True Person at the peak of Foundation Establishment, he still had a fifty percent chance of escaping with his life — not certain death!

The next second, Vemato Venerable rose into the air.

This turn of events also raised a sliver of hope in his heart, but the moment hope rose, his spirit-platform seemed to be veiled by a layer of dust.

Countless distracting thoughts erupted with a roar.

'This man has humiliated me so — shouldn't I give him something fierce before I leave?'

'No rush, I'll play with him a bit more!'

'I, Vemato, have never lost to anyone in my life! Even if my cultivation is a notch weaker and my divine abilities a fraction inferior, what fear have I of death? It's nothing more than fighting to the death, that's all.'

By the time Vemato Venerable finally struggled free of these distracting thoughts, he discovered that Hong Ju's great hand had already drifted lightly onto the top of his head.

Crack!

One palm — the crown of the skull shattered!

At this moment, Vemato Venerable's eyes went wide; his proud Indestructible Golden Body had not the slightest power to resist, shattering like glass at the slightest touch.

From the broken flesh and blood, his soul emerged.

Only at this moment did a streak of Bai Guang finally appear from the void, enveloping Vemato Venerable's soul to prevent him from falling into reincarnation just like that.

And under the blessing of this Bai Guang, Vemato Venerable finally understood why he had been so muddled and utterly powerless against Hong Ju. He saw that above his head, at some unknown moment, there had appeared an extra book flipping slowly through its pages, bearing a line of brief characters upon it.

【Vemato died at my hand】

"So that is how it was." Vemato Venerable was so angry his soul trembled: "A great True Person at the peak of Foundation Establishment still uses a Fruit-Position treasure to plot against me in secret... the ways of such a petty villain—"

Peak of Foundation Establishment — even a fair fight could have crushed him!

And yet he still had to use a Fruit-Position treasure to plot against him in secret, making him deliver his divine sense over like an idiot — it was simply toying with him, even deliberately humiliating him!

Yet Hong Ju paid no heed to Vemato Venerable's fury.

"The Pure Land's Guiding Light—"

He was seen withdrawing his hand, voluntarily stepping back one pace, and looking up at the sky, only to see the clouds piling up layer upon layer, faintly manifesting a Buddha-head.

Boom! Lei Guang flashed through the clouds and exploded within the Buddha-head's eyes.

"... Bodhisattva, please forgive me." Hong Ju gave a bitter smile at the sight: "This petty one only seeks to live; I ask the Bodhisattva, my lord, to be magnanimous and not take issue with this petty one."

Before his words had finished, a cold snort suddenly came through.

"Bald donkey, scram back!"

In an instant, snow flew in midsummer; a gust of wild wind scattered the Buddha-head clouds in the sky and cut off that angry gaze from Pure Land beyond Jiangbei.

The next second, the various visions vanished, and Vemato's soul thus returned to Pure Land beneath the Pure Land's Guiding Light. This too was the benefit of becoming a great True Person within Pure Land — no need for rebirth; even in death one would only be re-manifested within Pure Land, with no need to fear the suffering of reincarnation.

Seeing this scene, Hong Ju also let out a breath of relief.

Immediately after, he first glanced toward Zhulong Pass, then turned back to look toward the Holy Sect. Very soon, a voice drifted over faintly:

"Pure Land has made one move, and you have made one move."

When the words fell, no side responded, as if tacitly accepting this decision. Seeing this, Hong Ju no longer held back, and at once set his steps toward Zhulong Pass.

In the blink of an eye, he had already appeared within a secret chamber.

And in the secret chamber, Lu Yang was still driving the array, taking in every last wisp of Vemato Venerable's divine sense, and almost immediately looked up.

"... Greetings, senior."

Lu Yang reacted swiftly, almost at once bowing in salute, and said: "May I ask whether that Buddhist cultivator has been dealt with? Is there anything this junior can do to help?"

"... Quick on the uptake."

Looking at Lu Yang, Hong Ju's expression was somewhat complicated — after all, not long ago he had been scheming to take this man's life, yet now he had to save him instead.

"The Buddhist cultivator who struck was named Vemato."

Hongju got straight to the point: "I've touched his spiritual terrace and had him send you several divine consciousnesses—can we now call our past grievances settled?"

At these words, Lu Yang froze slightly.

But he quickly recovered—was this man before him, the Grand True Person of the Sacred Sect, the one who had orchestrated the heavenly and earthly killing intent he had encountered?

Thinking of this, Lu Yang quickly bowed low: "Senior, you flatter me too much."

"Those were merely trivial matters in the past; I never harbored resentment, let alone speak of settling accounts? Please, Senior, do not give it another thought."

"."

Hongju sighed. We are both True Persons of the Sacred Sect—do you take me for a fool?

Not harboring resentment? That means you do harbor resentment. Speaking of settling accounts? That means you refuse to settle them! This man's heart is too petty!

". With the True Lord's permission, I can lend you a hand."

Hongju extended his hand; a golden mist floated in his palm: "This is part of the merit and destiny of that Weimo Tuo—I extracted it."

Then he took out a book.

"This is called the 【Same Fate, Exchange Destiny Record Book】. It requires the consumption of merit and destiny to leave writing upon it; whatever is written will be propelled by Heaven and Earth."

Saying this, he handed both items to Lu Yang.

"I lend them to you now—write it yourself. Only one sentence: From this day forward, our karmic ties are erased. We may still be colleagues in the future—do not pursue this further."

Though his cultivation could outstrip Lu Yang by ten leagues, Lu Yang had powerful backing; if Master Chongguang succeeded in ascending the throne, Hongju would have to survive by his favor. In such a situation, antagonizing Lu Yang—a favorite of Chongguang—what if Lu Yang gave him trouble later?

He could only pay to avoid disaster.

On the other side, Lu Yang stared fixedly at the 【Same Fate, Exchange Destiny Record Book】, his gaze brightening—was this the miraculous treasure capable of triggering heavenly and earthly killing intent?

'Calculations without a single oversight—truly calculations without a single oversight!'

'I wonder whether this was Master Chongguang's hidden move, or the arrangement of Feixue True Lady... With this, assassinating the Prince of Qing in the Qing Kingdom will no longer be difficult!'

(End of Chapter)