Chapter 411: Deep Within the Tiger

In the far western reaches of the Western Bull Continent, howling winds whipped up endless yellow sands, yet vanished before reaching the towering mountain range ahead, neutralized by an invisible force.

Su Chen rejected Qiao Ling's suggestion to retreat.

The three of them suppressed their qi, moved stealthily, and soon neared the Buddhist holy land: Lingshan.

Su Chen walked ahead, then halted and looked upward.

Thousands of miles ahead, golden light surged into the heavens, and the chanting of sutras echoed endlessly.

Vague outlines of countless grand temples floated amid the sea of clouds, while phantom images of the Eight Celestial Dragons circled and roared across the sky.

The immense devotional power, accumulated over countless eons, resembled a tangible ocean, warping the surrounding void with its weight.

There, at the heart of Buddhism, lay the Lingshan Qinghe Daochang.

Su Chen lowered his gaze and turned to look at Fen Chen behind him.

"Fen Chen, stay here. Do not advance further." Su Chen's tone was calm, yet carried absolute finality.

Fen Chen froze, instinctively clenching his fists, and exclaimed urgently: "Master, Lord Lord Tianzun! I beg to serve as your vanguard—even if the path ahead leads to the Great Thunderclap Temple of Lingshan, I dare to press forward!"

Qiao Ling turned and regarded the burly man who had followed him in destroying Buddhist temples, then shook his head slightly.

"Go to your death? Ahead lies the heart of Lingshan, where Holy Beings gather and Luo Jinxian walk like commoners. Your current Xuan Jin Xian mid-stage cultivation base is useless here. If you accidentally reveal your demonic aura, the Buddhist masters of Lingshan will sense it at once—and if they discover our presence, this mission will fail."

Su Chen spoke bluntly, plainly calling Fen Chen a burden, showing no mercy.

Fen Chen's face turned pale; he opened his mouth but had no reply.

He knew well: Su Chen spoke truth. In this place, he could offer no aid—he was merely the greatest liability.

"You need not follow us. Far from Lingshan, you can serve a greater purpose." Su Chen looked at him soothingly: "Beyond the outer reaches of the Western Bull Continent lie countless Buddhist temples and countless deluded mortals. You must spread the Dharma—sow the seeds of the Great Freedom Demon Dao. That is your true duty."

Fen Chen drew a deep breath; the urgency in his eyes faded. He stepped back half a pace and bowed deeply to Qiao Ling and Su Chen.

"I accept your command! Lord Lord Tianzun, Master—take care. I shall make the Western Bull Continent bloom with the flowers of True Self!"

With that, Fen Chen rose and vanished into the boundless yellow sands.

Watching Fen Chen depart, Qiao Ling turned to Su Chen, his expression grave: "Master, that calling grows clearer. It lies at the foot of Lingshan."

"Go." Su Chen did not waste words.

He activated his intent; a dark yellow glow flickered in his third eye.

The heavy Primordial Bell materialized, hovering above their heads.

Su Chen's dantian churned the Primordial Luo Jinxian Fruit; gray-white Primordial magic power surged into the Primordial Bell.

"Hum."

The Primordial Bell emitted a faint chime, and thick streams of dark yellow qi cascaded down like waterfalls, enveloping Su Chen and Qiao Ling.

Under the blessing of this primordial supreme treasure, their qi signatures, karmic traces, and even their very existence were utterly erased from this realm.

"Follow me." Su Chen stepped forward, concealed by the Primordial Bell, slipping soundlessly into the heart of Buddhist territory.

Entering the ten-thousand-li domain of Lingshan, the air subtly carried the scent of sandalwood; the entire world was saturated with vast devotional power.

Thanks to the Primordial Bell's concealment, Su Chen and Qiao Ling moved as if through an empty land.

They strolled openly past a patrol of the Five Directions Head Jiedi, who were highly alert yet sensed nothing despite the two being mere steps away.

Under Qiao Ling's guidance, they avoided flying toward the main peak of Lingshan's Great Thunderclap Temple, instead veering away from the heartland, flying ever deeper into the remote mountains behind Lingshan.

Moments later, they landed in a valley among Lingshan's peaks.

Su Chen scanned the surroundings, his brow slightly raised.

The valley was utterly desolate. Vast expanses of black-brown rock lay exposed, barren of any vegetation, lifeless and silent.

The spiritual energy here was vanishingly thin—even Lingshan's ever-present Buddhist light shunned this place, as if it were a dead land forgotten by heaven and earth.

Beneath the golden and splendid Lingshan lay such a ruinous place—a stark, jarring contrast.

"Is this it?" Su Chen asked.

Qiao Ling's expression turned grave.

His demonic primordial source now boiled furiously, responding to the resonance from deep within the valley.

Qiao Ling carefully sensed, then told Su Chen: "Master, it lies somewhere within this valley, but its exact location is unclear. Yet it calls to me—its response is strong."

Su Chen narrowed his eyes, channeling Primordial magic power into his gaze, activating his Dharma Eye, which swept across the entire valley.

As his Dharma Eye opened, the valley transformed before his vision.

He detected an extremely subtle spatial fold within the valley.

Deep within that fold radiated an ancient, primordial demonic aura.

This demonic energy shared the same origin as Qiao Ling's Great Freedom Demon Qi, yet was far more ruthless, brimming with terrifying, annihilating death energy.

This demonic energy was uniquely concealed; had he not once received Luo Hou's primordial essence, he could never have sensed it.

"So this is it," Su Chen said, his gaze deep.

During the ancient Dao-Demon War, the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou was defeated and self-exploded, shattering the western earth veins and rendering the west barren for countless eons.

The two Saints, Qian Yin and Qian Ti, established the Western Sect upon this ruin.

Who could have imagined that a fragment of Luo Hou's core dao domain had not been utterly destroyed, but instead transformed into a small world, buried beneath today's Lingshan?

This demonic energy was hidden perfectly; without a matching origin, even Buddhist masters could not detect it.

Su Chen did not hesitate. This place was too close to Lingshan's main peak—any delay risked alerting the Buddhist masters. They must act swiftly.

He formed a hand seal and struck it into the miniature Primordial Bell hovering above them.

The primordial runes on the Bell's surface instantly ignited.

Su Chen directly activated the space dao law within the Primordial Bell.

The Primordial Bell trembled slightly, rippling like water; its power to suppress time and space sliced like a blade through the spatial fold.

The spatial barrier there split open silently, cleaved into a gap one zhang wide.

The instant the spatial rift opened:

A jet of solid black, ink-like demonic energy surged forth, rushing straight toward their faces.

Su Chen activated the Primordial Bell, suppressing the outpouring demonic energy to prevent its aura from leaking and drawing Buddhist attention.

"Enter."

Su Chen seized Qiao Ling's shoulder; their forms flashed, and they plunged directly into the spatial rift.

After they entered, the rift sealed rapidly under the Primordial Bell's influence, the valley's space returning to its original state.

The valley sank once more into silence, as if nothing had ever happened.