Chapter 656: A Word Decides the Fate of Innumerable Beings; A Single Sword Slays the Bodhisattva Who Descended

Yan Shu stepped onto the green stone steps, and as the surrounding light and shadows shifted, he found himself standing on the Wheel of Rebirth Altar in the Pinghu Blessed Land, his vision suddenly clear—he saw the figure across from him, smiling warmly.

Brother Qian Chen saw Yan Shu's hand resting on the sword case, and rose obediently, calling out: "Yan Yan Shixiong Yan!"

Looking at Brother Qian Chen's utterly sincere and innocent gaze, Yan Shu grumbled: "Qian Shidi Brother Qian, I heard that fragments of the Immortal Han's national treasure, the Dew-Collecting Plate, have surfaced at the Flying Boat Sea Market, and their glow revealed a hidden realm within the Gui Xu, containing elixirs of immortality, golden figures of the Immortal Qin, celestial starships, and countless rare treasures—so much so that overseas factions have forcibly shattered the celestial patterns to peer into that realm!"

"Qian Shidi, you're at the Flying Boat Sea Market right now, aren't you?" Yan Shu regarded Brother Qian Chen with skeptical eyes.

Beside him, Si Princess Qingcheng nodded vigorously—Brother, don't doubt it; it's definitely this man!

"Yan Yan Shixiong!"

Brother Qian Chen pulled a small jade gourd from his sleeve and handed it to Yan Shu: "This is fine wine brewed from Red Water infused with the Elixir of Immortality—more authentic than the Western Kunlun Shang from Western Kunlun's Jade Void Palace. Come, let me toast you, Yan Yan Shixiong!"

Better than Western Kunlun Shang? Yan Shu involuntarily swallowed, then quickly waved his hand and refused outright: "Don't try that trick on me!"

"This matter truly is my scheme…"

Brother Qian Chen, slightly uneasy, explained: "I told you before—I intended to use the Dew-Collecting Plate incident to entangle countless karmic threads and ignite a great calamity overseas."

"The silver plate shattered, its fragments scattered far and wide, now in the hands of countless factions, many still missing. The Sun Gold Plate rests in Long Gong's possession, while the central bronze plate sank into the Gui Xu. Thus, this scheme uses the silver fragments as bait to draw both the scattered silver shards and Long Gong's gold plate into the Gui Xu!"

"Only then can we hope to restore this supreme treasure of the Immortal Han!"

"And…"

Brother Qian Chen sighed: "Penglai and Long Gong have planted deep roots overseas! Of the Three Friends of the East Sea, at least two have received support from Penglai and Long Gong; the Seven Immortal Alliances have been corrupted beyond count. I truly intend to use this calamity to cleanse the overseas cultivation world."

Yan Shu also sighed: "Five hundred years from now, the Eternal Demon Calamity will arrive in the Earth Immortal Realm—we must cleanse the overseas regions to prevent Penglai Isle and Long Gong from invading the Central Lands."

"Our Sect Master has already wished to eliminate those immortal sects overseas that have allied with Penglai and Long Gong; the Zhengyi Sect has even dispatched Master Sun En overseas as a precaution. But none have played as boldly as you—dragging millions of overseas cultivators into this calamity, sweeping across the East Sea, reaching the South and North Seas!"

"Even the Northern Pole Great Radiance Palace, the Cold Moon Palace, and the Southern Pole Dark Sea Alliance have stirred. Our Sect Master once used our Gao Dongming Sword, aided by a fragment of the Dew-Collecting Plate, to peer into this 'Gui Xu Secret Land'!"

Yan Shu paused here, glancing at Brother Qian Chen, and sighed: "Even so, he found nothing amiss!"

"Had you not previously discussed with me the plan to use the Dew-Collecting Plate to purge Long Gong and Penglai forces, and had I not informed our Sect Master, he might never have sensed even a hint of the truth!"

"Our Sect Master asked me to deliver a message to you!"

Yan Shu hesitated here, unsure whether to speak.

Beside him, Si Princess Qingcheng was already intensely curious, her heart itching like a kitten scratching—our Sect Master of Shaoqing Sword Sect? He's the head of a direct lineage of the Three Pure Ones, a figure whose status equals the combined authority of all three Zhengyi Tian Shi!

She once asked her father: how many in the Earth Immortal Realm today surpass him in cultivation?

Master Tao had hesitated long before replying: among the three Zhengyi Tian Shi, this generation's Zhang Tian Shi had half a step more cultivation than him—but Tao Tianshi was unafraid, for Zhang Tian Shi's cultivation, though higher, was merely inherited tradition, rigid and unchanging.

Perhaps with a few ancestral treasures, Zhang Tian Shi could temporarily overshadow him—but as he advanced toward the Primordial Spirit realm, Zhang Tian Shi would inevitably catch up and surpass him.

This was what Master Tao said decades ago; now, Master Tao's cultivation may already surpass Zhang Tian Shi!

Yet Master Tao still mentioned several Daoist True Persons, saying their cultivation far exceeded his current level…

Among them were Shaoqing's Jianmu Xie Xie Zushi, the Supreme Elder of Jade Void Palace, the Supreme Heavenly Demon of Yu Jiuyou Dao, the Blood Sea's Old Devil Zheng Yin, the Penglai Xie Xie Zushi, and a few ancient monsters of the Daoist sects, along with several Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist lineage.

All were beyond the Primordial Spirit realm—now restrained by the Heavenly Court's edicts, they cannot appear!

Below these ancient beings, our Sect Master, Qing Yi, stands among the supreme few True Immortals of the mortal realm, his cultivation and power even greater than theirs.

With his own strength, he suppresses the Four Sea Dragon Kings and several Primordial Spirit elder dragons—his martial prowess is unmatched overseas!

What message could such a great being possibly send to Brother Qian Brother? How could she not be curious? Si Princess Qingcheng quietly leaned in, pulled out the pumpkin seeds Brother Qian Chen had slipped her, and gently bit into one with her silver teeth.

Crunch!

The faint sound made Brother Qian Chen glance at her helplessly, his eyes warning her not to eat his seeds!

Brother Qian Chen tossed the jade gourd to Yan Shu and smiled: "Yan Yan Shixiong, drink this Red Water wine—brewed from the Red Water beneath Western Kunlun's Elixir of Immortality, refined with countless rare treasures, it's a flavor even heavenly immortals cannot match. Extending lifespan and preserving vitality? That's trivial!"

Yan Shu's throat moved again, and he quietly accepted the gourd.

His expression was strange as he whispered: "Our Sect Master told me to say this: though Supreme Louguan's calamity was destined, your emergence as its heir is a blessing for the Daoist sects! He has resolved to support your rebuilding of Supreme Louguan—ignore all moves by other branches of the Supreme Dao!"

"And… don't fear making a mess overseas…" Yan Shu paused, sighing helplessly, his expression disapproving: "Our Sect Master said—now is the age of Daoist rule; a million cultivators can be slain with one sword; billions of sentient beings can be decided by a single word. We Daoists must be thus!"

Brother Qian Chen, stunned by this message from the elder, fell silent.

After a long while, he replied dryly: "Hahaha… our Sect Master has quite a different style!"

Yan Shu sighed again: "Our Sect Master… his killing aura is a bit too heavy."

"Qian Shidi, remember: uphold righteousness, never lose your path; eradicate evil utterly!"

Yan Shu stared at Brother Qian Chen, earnestly: "I'm not afraid you'll hesitate to destroy evil—but don't forget your original heart! The overseas cultivation world is still sentient beings, still human—even if they collude with Long Gong and Penglai, it's human nature. Remember their cultivation is hard-won; leave them a thread of mercy."

Brother Qian Chen nodded slightly: "Since you say so, I'll leave them a thread of mercy."

Ning Ning Qingchen nodded in agreement beside him. Brother Qian Chen noticed a faint silver glow on her, carrying a hint of primordial cold, and smiled: "Congratulations, Ning Ning Shimei Ning—your Core Formation is complete; the Great Dao awaits!"

"I don't dare hope for the Great Dao!"

Ning Ning Qingchen hugged Feng Shi, bowed gracefully, and smiled: "With Yan Yan Shixiong Yan's help, I ascended to Jianmu to refine the Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi, and only months ago succeeded in Core Formation—my core is Grade One, Cold Moon Ice Soul. I'm still in seclusion atop Jianmu, stabilizing my base. Now that my Jin Dan is solid, I'll emerge soon to assist Yan Yan Shixiong!"

Brother Qian Chen nodded: "Your opportunity is near. But since I've set this calamity overseas, if you wish to seize that opportunity, you must obtain a fragment of the Dew-Collecting Plate."

He turned to Yan Shu: "Please ask Shaoqing to lend a hand. I sent He Lu Qilang and Elder Master Feng Han Xian to seek your aid—how are they faring?"

Yan Shu said: "They are disciples of Qiongming True Person, already connected to our sect. He Lu Qilang has now cultivated the Tong Fa; seeing his Yin-dominant constitution, I chose a pure Yang Dao method as his foundation to temper his Yin energy."

"Elder Master Feng Han Xian, aided by you, has profound fortune—he has reborn as a primordial embryonic form, regained his Jin Dan, formed a Grade One core—the Gourd Immortality Elixir—and has already seeded the Great Skill of 'Moon in the Gourd.' He bears the spirit of Qiongming Xie Xie Zushi, equal to our Shaoqing true transmission!"

Brother Qian Chen bowed slightly: "These two are tied to the Dew-Collecting Plate's destiny—they are destined. I obtained this fragment from He Lu Qilang himself. Yan Yan Shixiong, let them join the calamity; they deserve their share of opportunity. All Shaoqing disciples may seek a Dew-Collecting Plate fragment to enter the Gui Xu, train, and seek fortune."

"If not for my arrangements, this place would truly be a blessed land…"

Yan Shu readily agreed—under Brother Qian Chen's covert guidance, entering the Gui Xu Secret Land was a great opportunity; his disciples could test themselves.

He also smiled: "You probably didn't expect this—after He Lu Qilang gave you his original fragment, he found two more fragments sealed by Qiongming True Person, and our Shaoqing Sect has preserved three…"

"Hmm…" Yan Shu paused, then suddenly realized: "You're trying to create the illusion of the Dew-Collecting Plate reassembling?"

"The silver Dew-Collecting Plate shattered so severely, and so long ago—its fragments scattered across the world, hidden in mountains and seas, or collected by Gejia. Retrieving them all is nearly impossible. But if the fragments suddenly converge toward one place, every faction will act—those hidden fragments will emerge. You only need to start it; the rest—Long Gong, Penglai, even our Shaoqing and other major sects—will amplify the momentum, creating the illusion of the Dew-Collecting Plate's restoration!"

And this would inevitably trigger the Dew-Collecting Plate's innate Lingxing response—even fragments buried in mountains and seas would manifest anomalies and emerge one by one!

Brother Qian Chen nodded: "The Dew-Collecting Plate is my designated key to enter the Gui Xu Secret Land—I'm not worried they won't be tempted. This treasure is humanity's supreme artifact, stolen by Long Gong and scattered for too long—it's time to restore its glory!"

"He Lu Qilang, Elder Master Feng Han Xian, plus our three Shaoqing disciples…"

Yan Shu counted: "Plus the Yin Mirror in the Han sisters' hands—once nearly seized by Long Gong because of Han Fei, True Person Jia Wu Yue flew into a rage, seized the mirror, and gave it to her elder sister Han Xiang. Now Han Xiang can come to the Flying Boat Sea Market."

"With all these people converging on the Flying Boat Sea Market…"

Yan Shu drew in a sharp breath, whistling: "Qian Shidi, you're aiming to reduce the Seven Immortal Alliances to ashes!"

Brother Qian Chen waved his hands: "Not that extreme! When we fight over the fragments, the real prize is opening the path to the Gui Xu—at most, a few Soul Transformation cultivators will die; it won't reach the level of mass slaughter!"

Si Princess Qingcheng chimed in excitedly: "Yan Yan Shixiong, our Zhengyi Sect also holds a few Dew-Collecting Plate fragments, forged into a magic treasure—the Dew-Flowing Pure Water Basin!"

"I'll ask my father to send it to the Flying Boat Market. Too bad my cultivation is at a critical stage—I can't go overseas myself to meet you all!"

"I'll report to our Sect Master and ask him to secretly push this forward!"

Yan Shu said uncertainly—our Sect Master was the type who loved stirring up trouble. If he and Qian Shidi Brother Qian teamed up, the overseas cultivation world was truly doomed!

At least, after learning the Gui Xu Secret Land was Brother Qian's scheme, our Sect Master seemed eager to lure a few of our rivals into the trap.

And Brother Qian Brother? He was perfectly aligned—making Yan Shu feel a pang of conscience!

They agreed to meet again in a few months at this place to exchange cultivation insights and discuss Brother Qian Chen's scheme, then dispersed.

With Brother Qian Chen's permission as a Wheel Walker, he could summon his teammates back to the Wheel Realm at any time—he now had a space for constant meetings. After meditating for days in the Pinghu Blessed Land, he saw Yan Shu's message in the teammate channel and used his permission to pull Yan Shu back into the blessed land.

This time, Yan Shu's expression was distant, as if pondering some difficult problem.

Seeing Brother Qian Chen, he sighed faintly and pulled a leaf from his sleeve. On the leaf rested a true dragon, like a fat worm curled upon the green blade, pierced through the chest by a rusted longsword, its wound glowing with terrifying divine radiance!

Brother Qian Chen felt a surge of annihilation in his spiritual sense.

The dragon's body still held life, flowing golden blood that radiated Buddhist light—each drop carried the power to kill a Jin Dan True Person.

Brother Qian Chen knew: though the dragon corpse rested on a single leaf, it was a Jianmu leaf—enchanted by Jianmu Xie Xie Zushi, its interior as vast as a continent.

The dragon's true size must have stretched like mountains—before death, it was likely near the Dao Lord level, yet slain by a Shaoqing ancestor, who even left a celestial sword to seal its immortal body.

"This is the Bodhisattva who founded Konghai Temple—his original form was the Dragon Bodhisattva of the Eightfold Heavenly Beings, once subjugated by the Buddhist sect!"

"It's laughable—the Buddhist guardians' Dragon Division was originally the Naga Division, meaning 'great serpent.' But as Buddhism expanded, they turned their eyes to the dragon race, renamed it Dragon Division, and subdued many true dragons."

"This Bodhisattva who descended from Heaven was one of them—named Eightfold Heavenly Dragon Great Dharma Bodhisattva. He came overseas to spread Buddhism, seeking to convert the dragon race!"

Yan Shu handed the Jianmu leaf to Brother Qian Chen: "After arriving overseas, the Great Dharma Bodhisattva founded Konghai Temple, converted many hybrid dragon-blooded Jiaolong, even several direct heirs of Long Gong became his disciples! The current South Sea Long Wang was once his student."

"Later, seeing Konghai Temple grow powerful and convert many dragons, one of the Dragon Kings allied with our sect and betrayed the Great Dharma Bodhisattva!"

"Our Shaoqing's ascended Xie Xie Zushi descended personally, secretly slew the Great Dharma Bodhisattva, and left behind a celestial sword to seal his body—so even if his true spirit reincarnated, he could never reclaim this past body or restore his cultivation!"

"Konghai Temple only knows their ancestor vanished—they don't know he was slain by our Shaoqing's ascended Xie Xie Zushi. They've been desperately searching for him. This dragon body was long sealed beneath Jianmu. Now our Sect Master has ordered me to give it to you—place it in the Gui Xu, as if the Great Dharma Bodhisattva perished there!" Yan Shu gave Brother Qian Chen a knowing look; Brother Qian Chen instantly understood.

"Understood!" Brother Qian Chen nodded: "The Great Dharma Bodhisattva dared to enter the Gui Xu and met his doom here. When the Konghai monks learn of this, they'll rush to rescue him!"

"Alas!"

Brother Qian Chen sighed, pitying all beings: "How can these monks know the danger of the Gui Xu? This is the place where all worlds perish—death of a few monks is normal!"

Yan Shu stared at him deeply, shook his head again, and sighed inwardly before whispering: "This is the sword technique of that ascended Xie Xie Zushi. Learn it—you can awaken the sword qi within the dragon corpse!"

Brother Qian Chen had been worried his burial ground lacked enough killing traps—he took the "Six Extinctions Dragon-Slaying Sword Scripture" and immediately gave a thumbs-up, thinking inwardly: "He who understands me is Qing Yi True Person!"

Brother Qian Chen was about to act on the dragon corpse within the Jianmu leaf, masking traces of Shaoqing sword arts, when Yan Shu called out: "Wait…"

The big man looked slightly embarrassed, whispering: "Qian Shidi, you know our Shaoqing Sect's purging of demons has drawn many karmic entanglements—many demons and heterodox cultivators have been sealed by our ancestors. Beneath Jianmu once stood a Demon-Sealing Pagoda, imprisoning the lingering threats left by those demons!"

"But now that you have your Gui Xu Burial Ground…"

Brother Qian Chen understood: "Don't worry, Yan Yan Shixiong—I get it. Send any demons, ghosts, corpses, or relics—let them join me in burial. See what tricks they can pull!"

Yan Shu quietly slipped him dozens of Jianmu leaves. Though none held a being as grand as the Great Dharma Bodhisattva, many contained the remains of Primordial Spirit-level heavenly demons and great monsters.

Once reaching Primordial Spirit, cultivators become extraordinarily hard to kill. Powerful sects like Buddhism, which meddle in reincarnation, can easily preserve their disciples' true spirits.

Demons and monsters reaching Primordial Spirit are also nearly impossible to kill outright—they leave countless hidden resurrection mechanisms.

That's why Shaoqing built the Demon-Sealing Pagoda, assigning Jianmu Xie Xie Zushi to guard these remains. The useful organs and parts from those demons had long been harvested by Shaoqing—what remained were those steeped in heavy demonic energy, useless or too dangerous.

But Brother Qian Chen didn't care!

His tomb was meant to bury demonic nature—any demon, ghost, or monster that could rise again beside the Supreme Heavenly Demon and the source of demonic essence? That one deserves the title of Demon Lord!

Brother Qian Chen counted the remaining carcasses of the demons and monsters left by Shaoqing, then asked Yan Shu: "Yan Shixiong brother, ever since Shaoqing suppressed the seas for so long, have you not killed a few Penglai Nascent Souls?"

"Penglai hermits may covet the Central Lands, but they are not demons!"

Yan Shu sneered: "Our Shaoqing has never hindered their reincarnation—in fact, we often intervene to guide them into the orthodox Daoist sects of the Central Lands, cultivating many good karmic ties. Junior brother, as long as they are not demons beyond redemption… and of course, not those irredeemable Buddhist heretics, other cultivators—even if their temperaments are flawed—deserve a thread of mercy. Do not drive things to the extreme!"

"After all, cultivation is not easy!" Yan Shu sincerely advised.

Brother Qian Chen nodded in understanding: "Indeed, cultivation is not easy—reaching such a realm is even harder. Our Daoist path does not require devouring others to cultivate, using other cultivators as fuel. Those who reach such heights through heterodox paths are all beings of great wisdom and unyielding perseverance…"

Yan Shu listened, nodding slightly—he still believed his junior brother could be saved!

But then Brother Qian Chen changed tone: "These people? They are all my sources of wisdom. They were meant to appear in my dreams…"

Yan Shu sensed something amiss and was about to ponder it further, when Brother Qian Chen fell silent and urged him: "Yan Shixiong brother, won't you bury your past-life body in this fengshui treasure? Gui Xu is the place where all worlds sink into ruin—but in its utter stillness, it nurtures terrifying fengshui, perfect for nurturing corpses! If you have a past-life Dao body or an external avatar, come join me—we can mutually cultivate fortune, talent, and innate constitution. You might even revive directly from the Dao corpse in your next life, seeking immortality through the Yin Essence Body Refinement method!"

"Such an opportunity is rare…"

"Junior brother, don't cause any major trouble!" Yan Shu could only warn him this one thing before Brother Qian Chen dragged him off to see his grave!