Chapter 822

Shattered.

In front of so many White Lotus Sect disciples.

In front of so many Sui Chao officials and soldiers.

In front of so many leaders of the native people of the Fuxi Divine State.

The current sect master of the White Lotus Sect, Bai Su Xin, who is hailed as 'Vast Righteousness, Pressuring the Universe,' having cultivated a lifetime of vast righteousness, was shattered by Wu Tie, the petty chieftain of this barbarian small state.

The scene was like an exquisitely carved, supremely beautiful crystal mountain-and-water folding screen, struck by a small, pitch-black fine-steel hammer in a barbaric and violent blow, thus shattering it.

Bai Su Xin was vomiting blood.

His ears were spurting blood.

His nostrils were bleeding.

His eyes were gushing blood and tears, with blood seeping from every pore of his body.

Vast Righteousness is the foundation of the White Lotus Sect; it is the basis for all White Lotus Sect disciples to establish themselves in Sui Chao. Those White Lotus Sect disciples who cannot cultivate Vast Righteousness lack the qualifications and dignity to show their faces as White Lotus Sect disciples.

The strength of one's Vast Righteousness cultivation directly determines the rank of White Lotus Sect disciples.

Besides Vast Righteousness, no matter how profound your skill in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, how extensive your erudition, even if you are well-versed in elegant literature and have read all the classics, even if you can recite backwards all the texts in the White Lotus Sect and Sui Chao imperial libraries… if your cultivation of Vast Righteousness is insufficient, your standing in the White Lotus Sect will be inferior!

Bai Su Xin has flaws in private virtue and shortcomings in teacherly virtue; many senior members of the White Lotus Sect know he has a slight blemish on his jade, and is not a truly gentle and benevolent gentleman.

But his attainment in Vast Righteousness is astonishing, like great rivers and seas, vast and surging without end; once, when aiding in battle on Sui Chao's northern border, a single shout of 'Heretical demons and external paths, not to be tolerated under heaven!' directly killed an army of eight million evil monsters.

With such a 'single heart of righteousness' person, who else could the White Lotus Sect choose as sect master if not him?

For so many years, Bai Su Xin has been hailed as 'Number One in Righteousness'!

But today, in front of so many people, Bai Su Xin's boundless, world-pressuring Vast Righteousness was actually shattered head-on by Wu Tie's Vast Righteousness, which is a hundred or a thousand times weaker in reputation.

This Vast Righteousness method is extremely special, extraordinarily miraculous.

It is the aggregation of a person's faith and belief, having little relation to his Dao cultivation or magical prowess.

One could say that, in the hearts of White Lotus Sect disciples, Vast Righteousness is a memorial archway.

This archway symbolizes the height or lowliness of a person's 'virtue'.

Before our eyes, Bai Su Xin's Vast Righteousness shattered explosively, while Wu Tie's Vast Righteousness remained unscathed; the only explanation is that Bai Su Xin's virtue is inferior to Wu Tie's.

Without a doubt, every disciple of the White Lotus Sect is a 'righteous gentleman'.

Bai Su Xin, this sect master of the White Lotus Sect, is even more a 'model of gentlemen,' a moving memorial archway of the White Lotus Sect.

But now, in front of so many White Lotus Sect disciples, this human-shaped moving memorial archway was beaten to pieces in their presence.

This is even more grave than digging up the White Lotus Sect's ancestral tomb.

Many White Lotus Sect disciples trembled all over, their faces darkening, each staring at Wu Tie like a vicious ghost.

'Heretical demons and external paths!' a White Lotus Sect true transmission disciple screamed hysterically.

'Demons and monsters, how dare you act so wantonly!' a close personal transmission disciple of Bai Su Xin jumped, eyes red, face streaked with tears, roaring.

'The collapse of rites and music, monsters running rampant…… today, my White Lotus Sect will subdue demons and eradicate evil, to rid the world of you, great demon!' Countless White Lotus Sect disciples shouted in unison their feelings.

Heretical demon, Wu Tie is certainly a heretical demon.

If not a heretical demon, it would be impossible for anyone in the world to suppress Bai Su Xin in Vast Righteousness cultivation using Vast Righteousness.

Therefore, Wu Tie must be a heretical demon; he must indeed be a heretical demon.

As for saying, Wu Tie, as a heretical demon, how could he possess Vast Righteousness… haha, that must be the heretical demon's blinding technique; all non-White Lotus Sect disciples present have been deceived by his blinding technique!

As for saying, you must insist that Wu Tie is displaying Vast Righteousness, you must insist that this heretical deity is displaying Vast Righteousness…

Yo yo yo, you heretical accomplice, do you really think White Lotus Sect disciples only know how to read and recognize characters, not wield swords to kill?

Yo yo yo, you heretical external path that has mixed into Sui Chao, which family are you from? Which clan? The civil and military officials of the Sui Chao court, who have thousands of ties with the White Lotus Sect, will surely denounce and punish you, exterminating you and your family completely!

Feng Rong trembled violently all over, he looked in shock and rage at the blood-soaked Bai Su Xin, screaming hysterically: 'Heretical demons and external paths, how dare you act so wantonly… come on, form the formation, form the formation, the Sui Fire Grand Formation, to eliminate this monster for this king!'

Bai Su Xin cannot be defeated.

Oh, no, Bai Su Xin can be defeated.

He can lose to the three present Buddhas of the Red Lotus Temple, he can lose to the abbot of the Azure Lotus Observatory or those several profound mountain guardians and dharma protectors…… but he absolutely cannot lose to a petty chieftain of a barbarian land.

Moreover, he cannot, in front of so many people, be defeated head-on in Vast Righteousness by this petty barbarian chieftain.

What is destroyed is not only Bai Su Xin's personal prestige and reputation, but also the destruction of Bai Su Xin's lineage disciples, and even threatens the very foundation of the White Lotus Sect's foothold in Sui Chao.

The White Lotus Sect is Feng Rong's greatest reliance in his struggle for the Sui Chao divine emperor's throne.

Whoever threatens the foundation of the White Lotus Sect is Feng Rong's mortal enemy.

'Kill him, kill him, kill him!' Feng Rong shouted hoarsely while jumping, he had already taken out that small piece of fire stone, igniting the speck of fire the size of a soybean on it.

Battalions of forbidden army soldiers rushed forward.

But many of the forbidden army troops have already been sent out by Feng Rong, leading allied tribal warriors to pacify the surrounding prefectures and cities; now fewer than ten thousand forbidden army soldiers remain in the city.

A ten-thousand-strong Sui Fire Grand Formation?

Feng Rong also doesn't know how great its power could be, but Feng Rong must slay Wu Tie.

'This is a demon, a great demon; we cannot let him remain to wreak havoc on mankind.' Feng Rong gritted his teeth, pointing at Wu Tie with righteous solemnity and shouting: 'All soldiers, follow this king to subdue demons and eradicate evil; this king will not stint on rewards… not stint on rewards… today, those who form the formation, each shall be promoted three ranks!'

Feng Rong roared loudly, he bit his tongue tip, spraying a mouthful of his life essence blood onto the Sui Fire.

Numbers insufficient, essence blood makes up the difference.

As long as the fewer-than-ten-thousand forbidden army soldiers are willing to fight to the death, they can likewise lay out a formation of immensely powerful Sui Fire Grand Formation. At most, after slaying Wu Tie, everyone falls gravely ill, their cultivation regresses one level—what of it?

Bai Su Xin also trembled as he raised his right hand's white jade ruler, he glared at Wu Tie, his heart ablaze with anger, yet he retained the utmost basic clarity—he absolutely could not admit that he was shattered by Wu Tie's Vast Righteousness, destroying his lifelong cultivated Vast Righteousness.

Absolutely not!

Bai Su Xin straightened his back, as if returning to the White Lotus Sect's classroom, gazing down with immense dignity upon the tens of thousands of students below, extraordinarily solemn, extraordinarily dignified, extraordinarily proper, extraordinarily righteous and stern, he sternly rebuked Wu Tie.

'My White Lotus Sect is where the righteousness of heaven and earth converges, where the literary fortune of humanity gathers; all heretical demons and external paths, retreat three leagues…… today, you great demon dare to defile my White Lotus Sect with evil arts; you, your sins are unforgivable.'

Wu Tie stopped at a place less than ten li away from Bai Su Xin and the others.

On the ground, many tribal chiefs who clenched their teeth and refused to surrender to Feng Rong knelt down one after another, loudly shouting Wu Tie's name.

The clan chiefs and Elders of the Four Ferocious Families, each like insects seeing their natural enemy, shrank timidly into the corners, not daring to show their faces; they were indeed a little afraid of Wu Tie.

「This king, an evil heretic? 」 Wu Tie coldly gazed at Bai Su Xin: «At the very least, this king would not do such a thing as abducting and bullying good families' women. »

「This pill, an evil heretic? 」 Wu Tie pointed his black sword with his left hand at Bai Su Xin: «This king's boundless righteous Qi arises for the life and death of the world's weak common folk, condensing at the brink of life and death… What you cultivate is what kind of dog—shit thing? »

Wu Tie sneered and laughed: «Superficial and showy, lacking substance… Is your righteous Qi truly something you yourselves comprehended, honed, and burst forth from your own original mind, true intent, sincerity, and faith? »

Bai Su Xin stepped back one step.

All the White Lotus Palace disciples' bodies swayed, and they retreated two steps.

«Original mind»?

«True intent»?

«Sincerity»?

«Faith»?

Hehe, what the heck is this?

Nowadays, in the White Lotus Palace, all disciples who cultivate righteous Qi are those whose elders have condensed a seed of their own righteous Qi, planted it into their disciples' souls, and then, using the White Lotus Palace's secretly transmitted cultural treasure, slowly nurtured and grown it.

Nowadays, in the White Lotus Palace, righteous Qi has already become a cultivation method.

Nowadays, in the White Lotus Palace, righteous Qi is no longer a way of cultivating the mind.

Bai Su Xin, his face smeared with blood, flushed and pallid alternating, gritted his teeth and strode forward three steps, loudly rebuking Wu Tie.

「Nonsense, my White Lotus Palace is the orthodoxy of the world, the gathering place of literary fortune. Righteous Qi belongs solely to my White Lotus. You evil heretic, do you even know what righteous Qi is? »

「I do! 」 Wu Tie said slowly, his eyes blood-red, staring fixedly at the White Lotus Palace: «This king certainly understands… The vast is the greatest and strongest. »

「Righteousness means being upright and unyielding. »

「Boundless righteous Qi means having no evil in one's heart! »

A strand of white Qi, like a silk ribbon, shot up from Wu Tie's head to an unknown height of thousands or tens of thousands of feet; the fierce white Qi emitted a booming thunderclap, and a halo of light appeared above his head, within which countless phantasms of living beings appeared.

There was an underage dwarf child, clutching a withered mushroom, curled up in a rock crevice, reluctant to take even a bite……

There was an elderly rat-man, shivering as he darted through the deep cavern, holding a concave stone slab, carefully collecting the spring water dripping from the cave walls……

There was a dwarf with missing limbs, wielding an iron hammer and steel pick, in a mine shaft as tangled as a spider's web, arduously chiseling ore to exchange for a lump of sticky moss or some tuber to fill his stomach……

Moreover, golden light poured down from the heavens, golden flames sweeping the earth; countless oddly shaped figures stood on the ground with arms outstretched, wearing expressions of mingled joy and sorrow, gazing at the brilliant stars filling the sky……

On the ground, those tribal commoners who clung to a single breath of blood in their hearts and refused to submit to Feng Rong, upon seeing the faintly visible light above Wu Tie's head, instantly empathized; they all rose up, exerting their utmost strength, and roared angrily to the heavens.

Especially the children of the weak dwarf, human, and rat peoples, they wept aloud, and though their bodies were small, they emanated a terrifying aura like that of a fierce beast.

The white Qi that shot up from Wu Tie's head, originally no thicker than a sea bowl, rapidly expanded as the countless tribal warriors and commoners below roared in unison, instantly swelling to a thickness of a hundred zhang, like a dragon charging straight into the heavens.

The White Lotus Palace disciples had each originally released their righteous Qi, hoping to join forces to overwhelm Wu Tie.

But at this moment, tens of thousands of White Lotus Palace disciples, together with Bai Su Xin, the sect's Elder, joined their righteous Qi—a continuous, vast sea of smoke—yet it suddenly withered and shrank like mold under a blazing sun, dwindling to less than a tenth of its former strength.

Tens of thousands of White Lotus Palace disciples all spat blood.

This sight is truly shocking.

In today's world, who would have thought that a mere barbarian rustic, relying on the White Lotus Palace's secretly transmitted cultivation of righteous Qi, could overwhelm tens of thousands of White Lotus elites and the nobles of the Spark Dynasty!

Feng Rong was startled and moved; the spark fire in his hand suddenly expanded to about a zhang in size.

Bai Su Xin spat blood again; his eyeballs were bloodshot, and one could clearly see the blood vessels bulging on their surface.

The soldiers of the Spark Dynasty's imperial guards stiffened, each unable to believe their eyes as they watched the White Lotus Palace disciples, overwhelmed, all spit blood together.

This scene completely overturned the image of the White Lotus Palace in their minds.

Oh, the refined gentlemen of the White Lotus Palace!

「Having no evil in the heart… this king… no, I, Wu Tie, merely wish to find a way to survive for those around me. 」

Wu Tie said coldly: «I seek neither power nor status, neither wealth nor riches, neither fine clothes and jade food, nor beauties like clouds… just one garment, one bowl of rice, one beloved woman, a complete family, peace and contentment—this is enough. »

「I only wish that my family may stand fairly beneath the sun, moon, and stars, bathed in the grace of heaven, earth, and the universe. Apart from that, I have no further desires. »

「I, have no evil in my heart! »

「And you? 」

「Who is the evil heretic? Who is the demon monster? Who is… the great devil with evil in his heart? 」

Underground, countless tribal chiefs, Elders, warriors, and commoners who refused to submit to Feng Rong shouted loudly.

「We only wish that our clanspeople, our descendants, may stand fairly beneath the sun, moon, and stars, bathed in the grace of heaven, earth, and the universe. Apart from that, we have no further desires! 」

Bai Su Xin trembled all over, his voice hoarse from shouting: 「Insolent… do you know… my White Lotus Palace… the heaven-and-earth righteous Qi… the literary fortune of humanity…」

A tremendous boom rang out; the Eight-cornered Inkstone, the ancestral spiritual treasure of the White Lotus Palace hovering above Bai Su Xin's head, emitted boundless spiritual light, severing all connection with him.

The Eight-cornered Inkstone was like a small sun radiating light; in a flash it arrived above Wu Tie's head, hovering squarely within his ever-stronger righteous Qi.

The White Lotus Palace disciples all shuddered at once.

「The Eight-cornered Inkstone! 」 some of Bai Su Xin's close disciples screamed as if they had lost their parents.

The Eight-cornered Inkstone, which could almost be regarded as the White Lotus Palace's imperial jade seal, has just… abandoned the current sect Elder like that?

He actually… chose a barbarian chieftain from the barbaric lands?

Good heavens… the myriad ancestors of the White Lotus Palace above, this barbarian chieftain—what does he know of music, chess, calligraphy, painting? What does he know of literary grace and charm? What does he know of the subtleties of the Great Dao? What does he know, what, what, what, what was it again?

Another tremendous boom rang out; the Mind Monkey Paperweight, shaped like a spiritual monkey and clutched in Bai Su Xin's left hand, likewise a secret treasure of the White Lotus Palace, detached from his hand and flew on its own to hover above Wu Tie's head.

Yet another tremendous boom; the Three Powers Ruler, likewise one of the White Lotus Palace's major treasures, which had struck countless disciples of the White Lotus Palace, also forcibly severed its connection with Bai Su Xin and flew to hover above Wu Tie's head.

Wu Tie stared blankly at the three White Lotus Palace secret treasures above his head, then suddenly burst into manic laughter.

「Who is the evil heretic? 」

「Who is… the righteous path? 」