Chapter 722: Third-Rank Enters Tribulation

With the fall of Jin Lei, the last artifact controlling the Profound Heaven Immortal Array also lost its luster.

The thin veil in the sky scattered into points of starlight, and the gray mist and Jinhe also dissipated rapidly.

Shen Zhai returned to silence, and the array's confinement was gone.

But under the gaze of the youth in the courtyard, everyone present felt an unprecedented pressure; they dared not even breathe, let alone slip away.

A junior of the past had, right before their eyes, beaten their master to death with punch after punch.

"..."

Ye Lan stood behind Shen Yi, staring at the back that now seemed slightly thin without the Buddha light swirling around it.

Her shoulders suddenly trembled slightly.

Those ten Hundred Tribulation Golden Pills on Profound Heaven Mountain had indeed been able to exact revenge, causing a Great Luo Immortal Venerable to perish.

This deal, even across heaven and earth, was probably the most profitable one.

A thousand words choked in her throat, and in the end, only two simple words were spoken.

She rubbed her eyes: "Thank you."

Shen Yi turned around, glanced at her, and replied casually: "I take money to do the job; no need for thanks."

In fact, whether Ye Lan was there or not, from the moment Profound Heaven Laozu revealed that greedy, gluttonous look in his eyes, only one of him and this old demon could survive.

Hearing this, Ye Lan's eyes were red and swollen, yet she couldn't help but laugh: "..."

If the life of a Great Luo Immortal Venerable were so cheap, why would the Divine Dynasty have established the Demon-Slaying Bureau? With just the Imperial Qi, they could have bought the lives of the entire Three Immortal Sects.

The grudge of the Pill Peak, though ultimately unrelated to himself, was avenged by the people of Pill Peak.

"What should I call you now, Junior Uncle or Ancestor?"

Ye Lan's emotions fluctuated so much her voice trembled; fear and gratitude mixed, unable to settle for a long time, so she could only skirt around the previous topic with half a joke.

"..."

The corner of Shen Yi's lips lifted slightly, then he quickly hid his smile and looked again at the many Peak Masters in the field.

He did not have to wait long.

Qianfeng Daoist quickly understood his meaning; after a slight pause, he was the first to bow with clasped hands: "We, the unworthy disciples, pay our respects to Profound Heaven Laozu!"

Perhaps within the entire Sanxian Sect, there was no precedent of a Bodhisattva holding an Immortal Vein.

But considering this "Bodhisattva" had just intercepted the True Scriptures that the Puti Sect intended to send to the Imperial Capital of the Divine Dynasty, the relationship between him and that group of monks was probably no better.

Furthermore, since everyone had defied their master's orders, once this spread, any Immortal Gate could execute them in the name of righteousness.

It seemed there was no other choice.

"We, the unworthy disciples, pay our respects to Profound Heaven Laozu!"

With Qianfeng Daoist leading the way, the remaining Peak Masters no longer hesitated and all bowed respectfully to this young man.

The collapse of ritual and music began with the extermination of Pill Peak.

It was because the master had eaten his disciple first.

Since that previous Profound Heaven Laozu had opened this precedent, it seemed everyone had nothing to be stubborn about.

"No need for such ceremony."

Shen Yi lightly waved his sleeve; he was not very satisfied with the title of Profound Heaven Laozu, feeling it was somewhat ill-omened.

But now that the Third-Rank Dao Fruit was not yet formed, he indeed could not produce a new name.

Compared to the endless trouble after killing the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, this time, an old demon who had long been silent in the Realm of Grand Void had perished, and the Sanxian Sect was not as tightly connected as the Puti Sect, so it was not so troublesome.

"Enough, everyone, go back first."

Shen Yi did not have the habit of leaving binding marks inside others' bodies; for things truly involving his own life, he preferred to cut the weeds and dig up the roots right then and there.

Those Peak Masters who were not yet very familiar with this young man, upon hearing these words, were momentarily unable to believe it and looked at each other in disbelief.

As witnesses who had personally seen him "slay his master," could they really escape so easily?

Seeing this, Ye Lan had no intention of persuading them.

Of the eight Peak Masters, two were now missing; one died before everyone's eyes, and the whereabouts of the other, Uncle Mu Yang, could be figured out by anyone using a little brainpower after they returned.

With this warning placed here, who would still be so ungrateful?

Moreover, even if Shen Yi acted as a hands-off master, he was still ten thousand times better than Profound Heaven Laozu, who slept for years and wanted to eat and drink the moment he woke up.

"We take our leave."

Qianfeng Daoist, being very perceptive, withdrew from the courtyard.

If this new Ancestor could reside permanently in the Divine Dynasty and personally participated in the transmission of the scriptures, to say he had no connection with the imperial court would truly be fooling ghosts.

Their staying here would only bring unnecessary trouble to the other party.

"If the Ancestor has any orders, please have Lan'er convey the message; the eight peaks and hundred mountains of the Profound Heaven Immortal Gate dare not disobey."

Soon, the group quietly disappeared from Jianyang Prefecture.

"For the coming period, I will trouble you to help look after these prefectures."

Shen Yi looked at Ye Lan; although the Town Stones could handle most of the demon-suppressing duties, they could not appear to communicate with people, so some official matters still needed her to handle.

"Rest assured..."

Before Ye Lan finished speaking, her entire person froze again.

She saw the other party casually toss over a jade pendant; it was yellow and bright, and just one glance made her heart and spirit tremble.

"This is... the General's Order of the Southern Pacification?!"

"Shh."

Shen Yi quietly stopped the other's exclamation: "I am going to leave for a while; carrying this thing is inconvenient, so you keep it for me first."

The Demon-Slaying Order is equivalent to an Immortal Seal; no cultivator dares to easily transfer it.

Except for Shen Yi.

After all, his experiences along the way had long since stripped him of any reverence for such external things.

The place he intended to go was indeed unsuitable for carrying imperial court items; if even a hint were discovered, not even a hundred or so such plaques could save his life.

Moreover, though the Townstone is powerful, it becomes ineffective against third-rank experts, and relying solely on Elder Yan leaves him feeling stretched too thin.

「……」

Ye Lan was just about to remind Shen Yi to be careful on his journey, but when she looked down at the plaque in her hand, she could not help but wear a faint look of helplessness.

The young man who once needed her help to adjust his realm had now become both Bodhisattva and Great Luo Immortal Lord, and in the blink of an eye, had also become General of the Southern Pacification.

Such a person hardly needs anyone else's concern.

It's just a pity… she truly wanted to thank him properly once.

"I'll wait for you to return."

Ye Lan carefully tucked away the plaque and raised her eyes earnestly.

"Go."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod, seeing off this Miss.

When he returned to the courtyard, the black dog was already waiting at the gate: "Lord Shen, are you truly going?"

"Of course I am."

During this time, Shen Yi had not only gained many Puti Sect methods for subduing demons from the broken fruit position, but had also consulted Master Zhikong on many matters concerning the sect.

Only when you stand high can you see farther.

Only after attaining the true Bodhisattva realm did he realize how terrifying the depth of these Three Sects truly was.

What he had seen before was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Shen Yi still trusted his intuition.

Since the transmission of the scriptures ended, the Three Sects had seemed to sink into an eerie silence—but the quieter it became, the more chilling it felt.

The deaths of several second-generation prodigies were not enough to make them give up.

These gods, buddhas, and immortal lords were clearly hesitating…

Only after arriving in the imperial capital did Shen Yi finally understand the Three Sects' intentions: they truly wished to replace the Human Emperor, but had no intention of making the matter too large.

At least not involving the sect's true high elders.

That was why they sent disciples to handle affairs.

But now, after the second-generation disciples had suffered heavy casualties, the true high elders of these Three Sects now faced a question: was it worth risking their own lives to replace the Human Emperor?

Therefore, Shen Yi must go to South East Xumishan to clarify their current intentions, and also take the opportunity to first resolve the matter of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva's demise.

But before setting out, it would be best to prepare thoroughly, to compensate for the loss of the Demon-Slaying Order.

Even though he had already attained the Bodhisattva fruit position, Shen Yi did not believe he could stir up any waves in South East Xumishan, where a true Buddha resided.

Nowadays, survival techniques mattered more than combat power.

And when it came to survival, what could compare to the Grand Void Fruit?

He returned to the room.

Shen Yi first spent over a thousand and three hundred calamities to reshape the Six-Winged Soul Worm.

This great demon, now restored to life after reaching third-rank, could only humbly submit and quickly recorded a scripture.

【Third-rank. True Image Void Transformation Scripture: Uninitiated】

All scriptures involving third-rank, whether Dao classics or great sutras, must be tied to some form of Heavenly Dao order.

Unlike the "Protective Dao Power" cultivated through the Lingwei Great Scripture, this scripture cultivated the "Void Power," another branch of Heavenly Dao, differing in function, making it hard to say which was superior.

"Hu."

Any clear-eyed person could see that these two branches of Heavenly Dao clearly governed entirely different directions.

This was also why, when he was at fifth-rank, Shen Yi had felt heaven light and earth heavy, nearly falling into that tearing sensation.

Now that he had mastered Protective Dao Power, attempting to master Void Power was undeniably twice as difficult.

But Shen Yi was not particularly worried.

After all…

He glanced at the trembling Six-Winged Soul Worm beside him, then suddenly seized it and incorporated it into his interface, joining him in comprehending this Great Dao.

……

South East Xumishan, realm of the Future Buddha Lord.

Though named a mountain.

But after crossing the two peak ridges resembling ox horns facing each other, one realized it was a self-contained world.

Auspicious mist drifted like clouds, Buddha chants echoed around the ears.

In this pure land, countless mountains—numbering in the ten thousands—lay scattered.

Before the hall of one majestic Gaoshan, young monks came and went, all looking helplessly toward the towering tree outside the gate.

It simply stood there.

On it, phoenixes perched and mandarin ducks cried, their mournful calls even suppressing the Buddha chants for a time.

"Venerable of Mount Tianwu, please enter the hall for a discussion."

A virtuous and respected old monk stood beneath the towering tree, having made this request countless times already.

"Unless it is Pure Jing Jing Shi Pusa, I will see no one else," came a deep voice from within the towering tree.

"The Venerable is indeed occupied with urgent matters and truly has no time to receive guests…" The old monk forced a stiff smile, but his words were cut short.

"Then I shall wait here until I get an answer!" the tree replied coldly.

At that moment, a figure finally stepped slowly out of the hall.

His figure was tall and slender, his face handsome; unlike the other monks clad in yellow robes, he wore a splendid, radiant crimson kasaya, its surface dotted with silver light like countless stars in the heavens.

"What explanation do you want?"

"Since you willingly entered the tribulation, yet cannot afford to die."

"Are you some ignorant brat throwing a tantrum?"

Three sentences in a row added a few shades of viciousness to the young monk's handsome face.

"Cannot afford to die?"

The giant tree flared up in rage: "I only want to know—why is it that we all entered the tribulation, yet the two disciples under my gate died so unjustly, so without a word? My Xuanwu and Qingluan disciples were both heaven-blessed prodigies the likes of which appear but once in an age…"

"If they truly were heaven-blessed prodigies the likes of which appear but once in an age, why would they die? If they were merely empty names, what would be the pity in their deaths?"

One sentence from the young monk left the giant tree utterly speechless.

"Jin Chan!"

The giant tree scattered with the wind, transforming into a middle-aged man in blue robes brimming with fiery Qi: "You junior, with no sense of rank, daring to run wild before this seat!"

The monk called Jin Chan smiled faintly: "By status, I am a disciple personally chosen by the Future World-Honored One, of the same generation as your sect's Slain Hunyuan Daluo Jin Xian; by realm, I have already attained the Bodhisattva fruit position. Would you care to try?"

As he spoke, dense Buddhist light surged from behind him, his majestic aura no weaker in the slightest than the giant tree's had been.

Seeing this, Shenxu Laozu paused briefly, then said with a laugh of exasperation: "Worthy indeed of being the Future Buddha's disciple. The moment you entered the realm, you received this gift of cultivation—even that kasaya was draped on you ahead of time. Aren't you afraid others will accuse you of overstepping propriety!"

Hearing this, the young monk's eyelids twitched slightly, a few shades of indignation appearing in his eyes. He smiled without warmth: "I'm going to wear it eventually anyway, so why fuss over the timing."

As all know, the Future Buddha holds in his palm two paths that lead straight to the lotus throne—one is called Jin Chan, the other is called Jin Chan.

Now the Jin Chan position is vacant.

In other words, from the very instant his Buddha-heart was discerned and he received the name Jin Chan, it was already destined that he would become a Buddha in the future, draped in kasaya, seated high upon the lotus throne.

"Besides, it's not as if only one of your disciples died."

"You don't go shout at Mount Shenxu, yet you come to my Southern Xumi to act like a ruffian. Are you afraid of it, and so bully my Puti Sect for its good temper?"

Though Jin Chan Bodhisattva said not to mind, he swiftly changed the subject and, in passing, tightened the kasaya on his body.

"Afraid of a worm-demon?"

Shenxu Laozu indeed forgot the matter of the kasaya, and scoffed: "If that bookworm dares crawl out of the Great Void, just watch whether this seat will personally tear off its wings."

"Heh."

Jin Chan Bodhisattva could not be bothered to argue further. He gave a contemptuous snort and turned to walk into the hall.

"Regardless, the World-Purifying Bodhisattva will not receive the likes of you, you tantrum-throwing wretch."

"If you truly cannot accept losing, then keep waiting here before the hall. Consider it adding a bit of green shade to this Foshan—rather pleasing to the eye."

"Cannot accept losing…" Shenxu Laozu froze entirely, staring fixedly at the young monk's back, his face twitching madly, until at last it twisted into a savage grin: "You, a cur who hides away on Mount Xumi and won't even come out, who hands off the matter of preaching the sutras to others so you can freeload from behind—yet you dare mock this old ancestor of mine."

"This old ancestor awaits you in the mortal world!"

"If you've the guts, we'll settle it for real within the tribulation!"

Having said this, he transformed straight into a streak of flowing light and fled far away, sweeping out of Southern Xumi in one go.

The remaining monks also ceased their discussion, one after another fixing their gazes on the direction Shenxu Laozu had departed.

That fellow was likely the first third-rank cultivator to declare cleanly and decisively that he was entering the tribulation—it would not be wrong to call it unprecedented!

Beyond their shock, they drew their gazes back and looked once more toward the front of the hall.

"…"

Jin Chan Bodhisattva lowered his eyes, stared at the great crimson kasaya on his body, and slowly came to a halt.

A dark, baleful look gradually thickened in his eyes.

A wild cultivator who couldn't even reach the threshold of Jin Xian, a lowly wretch who scarcely even qualified to sit in on the Sanqing Sect Master's dharma lectures—yet he dared to bluster before me, a true Buddha of the future.

Settle it in person?

"Seeking death!"

(End of chapter)