Chapter 726: This Poor Monk Shall Today Ferry the Divine Lord

"You have arrived."

The old Monk slowly lifted his eyelids, his voice sounding like metal grinding against metal, causing one to instinctively frown.

"I come by order of Jing Shi Zunzhe to relieve the Zhengshen Sect of its burdens."

The Eight Extremes Valley is somewhat special, so Shen Yi did not bring Master Zhikong in with him, nor did he recognize which Bodhisattva stood before him; speaking less meant fewer mistakes, so he simply stated his purpose.

Hearing the words "relieve burdens," the old Monk quietly curled the corners of his mouth, spoke no more nonsense, and went straight to the point: "The three great demon clans led by the Southern Emperor previously suffered a great defeat in Songfeng Prefecture; in a single battle, a full eight fourth-rank Demon Immortals perished. Do you know of this?"

"I have heard of it."

Shen Yi's expression remained calm.

Upon hearing this sentence, he had roughly guessed the Puti Sect's intentions.

"Good that you know."

The old Monk smacked his lips and said indifferently, "After this incident, those three great demon clans severed their ties with our sect, hiding in the back to pick up scraps, and have been reluctant to exert effort."

"Jing Shi Bodhisattva is compassionate and willing to give them another chance."

"Not only do we intend to make up for their losses, but we intend to compensate them even more... this is the purpose of our coming here."

Hearing this, Shen Yi still showed no sign of abnormality: "How exactly do you intend to compensate them?"

"Within the Eight Extremes Valley, there are two third-rank Demon Venerables. I have already spoken with one of them to ferry it away from this bitter land, but since you have arrived, perhaps we can ferry both of them away together."

The old Monk's words left no room for concealment.

Perhaps there were still disciples within the Puti Sect who were unaware, still wondering about the changing relationship with the Divine Dynasty, but this certainly did not include the Great Ming King who once slaughtered freely outside the North Flowing River, now the Dragon-Suppressing Tiger-Suppressing Bodhisattva.

Indeed, Shen Yi's eyes held no trace of surprise, he only became slightly more serious: "What about the Zhengshen Sect?"

"Originally, Jing Shi Bodhisattva bestowed upon me a Buddhist Treasure with the intention of accomplishing the matter quietly."

The old Monk slowly unfolded his palm; in his left hand lay a cloth doll, and between his right fingers he held a rusted needle, with more than half of a face already embroidered onto the doll's back: "But now that the Dragon-Suppressing Tiger-Suppressing Bodhisattva has come to assist, perhaps we need not be so troublesome; we can simply act directly and openly."

Even though he had expected it, when he truly heard these words, Shen Yi still fell silent for an instant.

He had thought that after the three sects suffered consecutive setbacks, they would still attack the Divine Dynasty, and their methods would inevitably be far more fierce than before.

Yet he still did not expect that this group of Monks would dare to strike at the Zhengshen Sect!

The incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, the true master of the Immortal Court.

These Zhengshen have existed since the beginning of heaven and earth; the other two sects are merely assistants.

It now appears that the Puti Sect's ambitions have surpassed ordinary imagination.

"Since they are the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao order and are unwilling to participate in idle matters, then they should not occupy the position; the Heavenly Law, when stripped bare, is merely an object, and an object should be held in someone's hand."

The old Monk saw Shen Yi's surprise, and a few more traces of arrogance appeared in his smile: "Do not worry; the so-called rebirth from a drop of blood also requires time. By the time they recover, the grand situation will be settled, and the calamity will have ended. By then, the sky is very high, but our sect is even higher than the sky; what is there to fear?"

Assistants?

When Qi Refiners and Walkers were still摸索ing the path ahead, they could naturally only do menial tasks for these Zhengshen.

But times have changed; now the Sanqing Sect Master has penetrated the Heavenly Dao, and the three Buddhas have seen through the red dust; among the six, two have already taken a step beyond the limit.

In contrast, the Zhengshen remain exactly as they were in the beginning, with no progress whatsoever.

It is time for this position to be changed.

"..."

Shen Yi silently watched the old Monk bare his teeth in great laughter; after a long while, he smiled lightly.

"The Dragon-Suppressing Tiger-Suppressing Bodhisattva likely knows of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva's matter."

The old Monk finally descended from the treetops and said word by word: "Since that Bodhisattva perished, this great calamity has become different; perhaps we Bodhisattvas, who once thought we could stand aside, will also lose our lives on some day. Since that is the case, it is better to be completely free and unrestrained."

"The position of Immortal Emperor, though it may come with some constraints, is still a first-rank position, enjoying heaven and earth forever."

The former third-rank strong ones were all playing with abacuses.

Due to the reason that their lifespans are far too long, entering the calamity is actually a very unprofitable matter.

After all, regardless of who wins or loses, as long as one waits until that Human Emperor is replaced, the Divine Dynasty's long-term accumulations will inevitably be distributed according to rank and merit.

They only need to borrow this abundant Imperial Qi to ascend to the second rank, becoming immortal and indestructible, leaping beyond the Five Elements, and then slowly exploring the path leading to the first rank.

Perhaps it is a bit slow, but the advantage lies in being safe and free.

But the perishing of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva shattered everyone's thoughts.

Even if one is honored as a Great Luo Immortal, honored as a Bodhisattva, one can still die; as long as the calamity does not end, it cannot be called safe and worry-free. Under the circumstance that one must take risks regardless, rather than being forced to wade into muddy waters, it is better to strike first and seize the initiative!

"This old Monk's Dharma name is Wufang; I arrived a while ago. Please, Dragon-Suppressing Tiger-Suppressing Bodhisattva, follow closely behind this old Monk's footsteps and do not wander about."

"After we leave, the merit will be split equally."

Wufang Bodhisattva cast a deep glance, and then led the way forward.

"..."

Shen Yi's gaze swept over the Buddhist Treasure in the other's hand; on this seemingly ordinary object, a certain dangerous aura was overflowing.

Clearly, the Puti Sect did not fully trust him.

In matters concerning the Zhengshen, a newly promoted Bodhisattva almost certainly does not possess the right to act independently.

Having thought this, Shen Yi quietly stepped forward and followed.

Eight Extremes Valley.

A Golden Body over ten zhang high hovered before the gods; as an Immortal General, Lady Qinghua relied on that intelligence accumulated since her humble beginnings to successfully shoulder the responsibility of investigating this entire demon-suppressing land.

Moreover, she successfully located the hiding places of those two old demons.

Even the various arrays the old demons spent years constructing were broken one by one by Lady Qinghua leading the other Zhengshen.

This is what led to today's siege.

"Do not be anxious; you just need to lead the way."

Divine General Qi Feng saw through this young man's thoughts and could not help but feel somewhat helpless; truly, there was no reason for those heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals to complain that the other was greedy for merit and eager to advance, for what they said was indeed true.

"Once we arrive, you just go hunt the demons—this entire Baji Valley is surrounded by immortal arrays; how could they possibly escape?"

It wasn't General Qi Feng Shenjiang deliberately leaving the glory to Lady Qinghua; rather, the True Gods had cooperated for years, and this immortal general truly had no place to intervene—better to let her act freely and slay more minor demons.

"Thank you, Divine Lord."

Lady Qinghua bowed solemnly, her heart gradually burning with heat.

Once the Baji Valley was cleared, she finally had an excuse to return and see her master once more.

Thinking of this, she strode forward with determined steps.

The increasingly thick, eerie white mist obscured the vision of the many True Gods, but the path beneath her feet was already etched into her mind—she could walk it blindfolded without stumbling.

The clouds parted, the sun emerged.

Once they passed through the mist, the open expanse of land before them made every True God unconsciously exhale a long breath.

Finally, we can return!

Though battle had not yet begun, their thoughts had already drifted back to the heavens.

Not a single one believed these demons had any chance of resistance.

The Immortal Court had sent only two third-rank Divine Lords; though this was partly due to insufficient True God manpower, more importantly… even at the same third-rank realm, True Gods could crush great demons.

Especially in one-on-one combat, defeat was simply impossible.

All living beings imitated the order of Heaven's Dao, but they were born as its very embodiments—that was the essential difference.

At this moment, only one person's expression was unusual.

Haochuan Shenjun once again quietly pressed his forehead; his eyes, which should have radiated divine majesty, now seemed strangely unfocused.

That sense of wrongness grew stronger.

This was a flavor he had never experienced before.

"Hah!"

General Qi Feng Shenjun clenched his fists, his rising excitement causing him to overlook his colleague's odd behavior.

The moment the True Gods appeared, countless shadowy figures emerged from the endless demon dens and scattered in all directions, vanishing into the white mist like startled birds from a forest.

No one paid attention to these fleeing demons.

As previously stated, the immortal array had now fully activated—no living thing could escape Baji Valley.

They merely watched in silence the two towering cave mouths at the center.

The next instant, a black, razor-sharp hundred-footed creature burst through the rock wall, its limbs like iron chains wrapping around Gaoshan—one on each side, coiling tightly around both mountains at speeds too swift for the eye to follow.

Its massive body, resembling a centipede, was covered in fine scales and fluttering long hairs; when its two heads emerged from behind the mountains, they were indistinguishable from those of a苍龙.

These were two Thousand-Foot Black Dragons!

The elder was named Wu Huan; the younger, Wu Huai.

Before the True Gods descended to hunt them, these two brothers, at their peak, had been famed enough to rival the Southern Emperor.

After years trapped in Baji Valley, their cultivation naturally fell short of great demons outside—but even so, they were genuine demon lords who had crossed the triple-three threshold.

"To exterminate utterly—is this in accordance with Heaven's will?"

Wu Huan roared in fury, but all could see his weakness—even his own subordinates fleeing were beyond his concern to stop.

Before the True Gods, even with his strength, he could only be called a wild demon of the mortal realm.

"You speak of Heaven's will to me?"

General Qi Feng seemed amused; he even paused his fist-clenching.

Without exaggeration, they themselves embodied Heaven's will.

In contrast to Wu Huan, the other Thousand-Foot Black Dragon remained silent, his gaze constantly sweeping the surroundings, as if waiting for something.

A seemingly certain death, yet another possibility lingered.

Though Puti Sect was no good either, surely harboring malicious intent, all who had reached such a realm knew well: who would willingly throw away their life, if even one more day of survival was possible?

Unfortunately, that尊者 would save only one.

Wu Huai glanced secretly at his elder brother, a flicker of guilt rising in his eyes—but in an instant, he crushed it down.

As long as the green mountains remain, firewood will never run out.

Only by surviving could he one day avenge his brother.

Thinking of this, Wu Huai did not adopt a desperate, fighting-to-the-death stance like his brother; instead, he remained extremely cautious, holding perfectly still, as if waiting for an opening.

Boom!

At that moment, a thunderous crash of a falling body suddenly shocked everyone.

Haochuan Shenjun, just as he took a step, looked as if he'd lost his soul—his massive body swayed unsteadily, then collapsed straight to the ground.

Not only the others, but even Wu Huai, who had been prepared, was stunned.

This… this wasn't what the尊者 had promised earlier.

Brother hasn't even engaged the Shenjun yet—now to act would expose everything!

"Haochuan!"

General Qi Feng Shenjun whirled around, his eyelids twitching violently; his gaze locked onto Haochuan Shenjun's back, where fine golden threads had fully surfaced, forming a grotesque face—half weeping, half laughing.

"Puti Sect's trick?!"

He growled, fury already blazing in his eyes.

What were Sanxian Sect and Puti Sect?

To the True Gods, they were merely long-time servants who ran errands, earning their path to the Dao through diligence and hard work.

Put bluntly, they were no different from the master's servants.

But now, these servants dared to turn on their master!

The remaining True Gods were also stunned by this sight, momentarily thrown into confusion.

"..."

Lady Qinghua clenched her fists tight, her gaze already flicking toward the direction the most demons and monsters had fled.

Something had clearly gone wrong in Eight Extremes Valley.

Today, the odds were high they'd be the ones to suffer.

If that was the case, then she would need even more demon-lifespans to make up for the loss to her master's immortal seal.

"Th-this..."

Wuhuan, who had been in a rage just moments ago, could not help but cry out in pleasant surprise at the sight: "Heaven means to save us."

So saying, it swung its body, wanting to take the chance to break out: "Brother, let's fight our way out together!"

What Wuhuan did not expect was that Wuhuai had actually used its tail to hook around its own body: "Brother, don't be hasty... the one saving you is not the will of Heaven."

As it spoke, it raised its head to look at the sky and said reverently: "It is the great compassionate, great merciful Bodhisattva."

"Might I ask the Venerable One to make clear how we should act?"

Under Wuhuan's startled gaze, from that empty stretch of sky, an aged figure finally emerged.

The old monk pressed his palms together, and behind him Buddhist light surged, gathering into a Bodhisattva dharma-phase that blotted out the sky.

He cast a casual glance at Wuhuai, clearly very satisfied with this creature's performance.

Then, and only then, did he turn his gaze toward the distant Divine General Qi Feng: "This humble monk pays his respects to the Divine Lord."

"..."

From the very instant that Bodhisattva dharma-phase had manifested, Qi Feng's face had already gone dark to the extreme.

Compared to the other party's covert strike against Hao Chuan, for this monk to dare show himself now was a bare-faced provocation of the Zhengshen Sect's dignity.

This showed that the Puti Sect did not even fear the Zhengshen Sect learning their exact identities.

"If you do not give this Lord an explanation today—"

"—then that Future Buddha of yours will have to make a trip to the Immortal Court."

Hearing this, the Wufang Bodhisattva smiled rather than grew anxious.

As cultivators, they were forever a head shorter than the Zhengshen; let alone a bodhisattva, even if one became a true Buddha and donned a kasaya.

Gods, Buddhas, Immortals, Venerables—Buddha still ranked behind God.

Seeing the Divine Lord's ugly face now gave one an inexplicable sense of pleasure.

"It is simply that our Buddha, in his mercy, cannot bear to see more killing wrought. These two Demon Venerables are fellow living beings; they have repented for many years in Eight Extremes Valley and have already laid down the butcher's blade. Thus I wished to ferry them across."

"Such a small matter, why trouble the World-Honored One of the Future over it?"

At this point, the Wufang Bodhisattva slowly parted his palms; the phantom behind him suddenly leaned forward, enveloping all the Zhengshen within: "This humble monk can give the Divine Lord an explanation right now."

Amid the old monk's gentle words, a sudden note of savagery crept in.

Killing intent fully revealed, it left everyone present rooted to the spot.

(End of Chapter)