Chapter 251: Seeing Suo Huan Seeks the Golden Rank, Lu Yang Battles the Shi Cult

As Lu Yang's words fell, the awe-inspiring killing intent in his speech startled the heart; even Seeing Suo Huan looked deeply at him, revealing a trace of surprise.

But very quickly, understanding surfaced in the depths of his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist has good intentions, but this humble one truly has no way to help you."

Seeing Suo Huan shook his head; Lu Yang dared to offend the Pure Land, but he did not have that confidence, and could only sigh. Seeing this, Lu Yang revealed a contemplative expression.

After pondering for a moment, he still spoke: "Fellow Daoist, forgive my bluntness, but in this quest of yours for the Golden Rank—"

Before Lu Yang could finish, Seeing Suo Huan interrupted him directly, stating calmly: "This humble one has barely survived overseas for six hundred years; in truth, I have already thought of everything."

"This attempt is nothing more than a desperate gamble."

Speaking thus, a touch of nostalgia flowed into Seeing Suo Huan's eyes: "I understand what you mean, Fellow Daoist; it is simply that all parties aiding my quest for the Golden Rank stand to gain something."

"I fear none of them have good intentions."

"But this is already the best method I could conceive; without doing so, if the various parties truly intended to obstruct me, I would indeed have not even a sliver of a chance."

"Back then, when I escaped from the Huan Xu Jie, I received the favor of the Heavenly Dao; before its collapse, it transformed into the Spirit Ruin Blessed Land, and even deduced for me a 'Myriad Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture' to serve as my method for seeking the Golden Rank. As long as I use this secret technique to devour a single Fruit of Position, I can cause the Huan Xu Jie to revive."

This was Seeing Suo Huan's obsession, and also his helplessness.

"I am different from you, Fellow Daoist; I have no concept of a Dao Foundation, nor is it possible for me to reincarnate and cultivate anew. Although the lifespan of one life is long, there is only this single lifetime's true self."

"Your methods for seeking the Golden Rank are all useless to me."

"Only this 'Myriad Spirits Returning to Ruins Dao Scripture' is my path upward, not to mention it can also restore my homeland... Therefore, this path is one I must take!"

Since things had been said to this extent, Lu Yang could only cup his hands: "Then I wish Fellow Daoist success."

Seeing Suo Huan nodded silently, then waved his hand.

The next second, Lu Yang felt the world spinning; he had actually been sent out of the Yuan Ci Divine Mountain, and in the blink of an eye, found himself landing within the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Looking out, he distinctly saw a mass of Buddhist light.

Seeing this, Lu Yang immediately raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing a smile; although Seeing Suo Huan had claimed helplessness with words, in private he had actually helped him a bit.

He had delivered him right before Vimalakirti True Person!

Immediately after, in the present world, from the direction of the Yuan Ci Divine Mountain, a brilliant radiance pierced through the sky, plunging straight into the Foundation Establishment Realm, before rising even higher.

"Seeing Suo Huan has begun his quest for the Golden Rank!"

"A cultivator from beyond the heavens... he is the first!"

In an instant, within the Foundation Establishment Realm, all the Great True Persons lying in wait there turned their heads to look; the journey of every seeker of the Golden Rank was worthy of their attention.

Meanwhile, inside the Yuan Ci Divine Mountain, Seeing Suo Huan stood with his hands behind his back.

Above his head distinctly floated an official title woven from talismanic scripts, named 'Towning the Seas and Guarding the Borders, Protector Duke of the Nation'; it was clearly a First Grade position of the Dao Court!

It was precisely by leveraging this official title that he could display combat power at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, and relying on arrays and methods, slay the Eldest Prince of the Dragon Palace; it was also because of this official title that he was able to stand at the threshold of seeking the Golden Rank, thereby taking the most crucial step:

Condensing the Golden Nature!

The next second, a dot of golden pattern appeared at the center of Seeing Suo Huan's brow, shaped like a hooked moon; compared to Master Master Chongguang of the past, it carried an obvious hue of illusion.

This was normal.

After all, he had condensed it by borrowing external power, whereas Master Chongguang had attained it through self-cultivation; the foundations of the two were worlds apart. One might even say that being able to condense it at all was a heavenly fortune.

"Fortunately, I have other means to make up for it."

Seeing Suo Huan exhaled deeply, raised his head to look at the dome of the sky above, as if seeing several Dharma Bodies spanning the heavens and earth quietly looking down upon him.

He felt not a shred of confusion.

The 'Stabilizing Sea Pearl' at his waist was removed; Seeing Suo Huan communicated with it via spiritual sense, and the next second, a brilliant star above the dome lit up for him.

'Ever-Flowing Water'!

Witnessing this scene, Seeing Suo Huan immediately took out a jade bottle; after pulling the stopper, a dense qi mechanism of the Water Element immediately spread out from the vessel.

'Heavenly Virtue Benevolent Bestowal Divine Water'!

Almost simultaneously, Seeing Suo Huan distinctly felt that the many gazes falling upon him suddenly became sharp, faintly revealing a trace of killing intent.

"Ang Xiao, you have indeed made your move!"

"Unable to trace the karma... when was it delivered into Seeing Suo Huan's hands?"

"No matter; we anticipated this long ago. After all, someone is about to prove 'Ever-Flowing Water'; he could not simply stand by and watch. Let us see what other means he still possesses."

In the boundless heights, several vast spiritual senses intertwined with one another.

Seeing Suo Huan knew nothing of this, nor did he care; he simply drank the 'Heavenly Virtue Benevolent Bestowal Divine Water' in one gulp, then urged his magic power to refine it.

The 'Heavenly Virtue Benevolent Bestowal Divine Water' was a treasure of the Fruit of Position for 'Ever-Flowing Water'; it possessed the virtue of clarity and nourishment, combined with the wonder of benefiting the world and bestowing grace. Consuming it allowed one to find life in despair and flourish; its merit extended to all things. Its imagery perfectly matched his current situation, and in an instant, it caused the heavenly light of 'Ever-Flowing Water' to shine brilliantly!

"Rise!"

The next second, Seeing Suo Huan exerted his full magic power; behind him, the 'Spirit Ruin Blessed Land' manifested, reflecting Buddhist light, before rising from the ground and flying toward the Fruit of Position!

At the same time, below in the Foundation Establishment Realm:

"You say, what chance of success does this Seeing Suo Huan have?"

Vimalakirti True Person shook his head and sneered: "The various Lords are watching from the sky above; how could they truly allow a cultivator from beyond the heavens to seek the Golden Rank?"

"Words cannot be spoken so absolutely. Since this time the goal is to prove 'Ever-Flowing Water' and shake the foundation of that one in the Netherworld, the various Lords may not necessarily care about some cultivator from beyond the heavens. At worst, they can kill him afterward, letting him carry the Golden Nature to reincarnate; in days to come, he can serve as a useful pawn again."

"It really takes your Holy Sect."

Amidst the conversation, Vimalakirti True Person's expression turned ugly; after all, for the Pure Land, the greatest objective of this journey was actually to enable Lu Yang to convert to the Pure Land.

Yet in the end, they had failed by a hair's breadth.

Even his personal intervention had yielded no results; this would inevitably greatly affect his status in the eyes of the Bodhisattva, causing him to involuntarily generate other thoughts.

'Aside from myself, the Dao Court and the Sword Pavilion are also eyeing that Lu Yang like tigers.'

'Taking advantage of Seeing Suo Huan's quest for the Golden Rank, while the various True Persons focus their attention and guard against that one in the Netherworld, if I invite them to act together, perhaps we can surround and kill that Duanmu Yuan Tu?'

Thinking thus, Vimalakirti True Person's mind immediately became active.

"Everyone..."

He had just opened his mouth, but before his voice could spread, he suddenly felt an indescribable absorbing force fall upon him, causing his expression to change drastically.

Vimalakirti True Person's reaction could not be said to be slow; almost the instant a warning arose in his heart, he sacrificed a protective magic treasure, which was none other than the lotus platform beneath him. At this moment, a beam of Buddhist light bloomed from the lotus platform, firmly shielding him in the center, before exploding into a shower of shattering sparks.

"Who is it!"

Vimalakirti True Person's gaze darted urgently, only to discover that the attacking objects were not just one, but dozens, even hundreds; at a glance, they were actually sword lights swift as galloping thunder!

'The Sword Pavilion... no, could it be that junior!?'

While suddenly realizing the truth, Vimalakirti True Person also revealed a trace of disbelief; he had never expected that Lu Yang would actually dare to come seeking him proactively!

Does he truly think he can kill me?

In an instant, Vimalakirti True Person laughed in anger and frustration; he immediately exerted his full magic power, and a Buddhist palm reappeared, directly sweeping aside the sky-filling sword lights to reveal the scene behind them.

Then he saw a towering figure of light.

'Qian Tian Zong She Wan Xiang Fa Shen'!

The Dharma Body sat cross-legged within the Foundation Establishment Realm, possessing three heads and six arms, a green face and fangs; amidst soaring mysterious fire, a sky-shrouding great hand was fiercely reaching out to grab him!

"..."

Almost simultaneously, the other few Great True Persons who had just been chatting happily with Vimalakirti True Person had vanished without a trace, leaving only Vimalakirti True Person alone.

Boom!

A loud crash rang out within the Foundation Establishment Realm; the sky-shrouding great hand was blocked by Vimalakirti True Person, and the surging mysterious fire parted to reveal the young Daoist priest behind the Dharma Body.

Seeing this, Vimalakirti True Person immediately gritted his Buddhist teeth: "Junior..."

Lu Yang, however, could not be bothered to respond; holding his sword and forming a hand seal, he immediately conjured a yellow glow that crashed down upon him with the force of pushing over mountains and overturning peaks, as if the heavens were tilting and the earth collapsing!

(End of Chapter)