Chapter 488: Winds and Clouds Unfurl for Ten Thousand Li

At this moment, Fu Lao halted his steps and carefully studied Chen Hang, seeing his entire aura like misty clouds surging, tides rising abruptly, as if an endless ocean, impossible for ordinary people to fathom.

And within Chen Hang’s eyes, faint golden sparks flickered intermittently, appearing and vanishing like a flower blooming and withering in an instant.

Yet that boundless, vast, and overwhelming aura could not be concealed.

It seemed ready to surge forth at any moment, smashing every obstacle before him into dust!

Fu Lao’s face once again broke into a smile, nodding repeatedly in praise:

“Excellent, very excellent! To have cultivated the Taiyi Divine Thunder at the Golden Core realm—you stand out among the vast cosmos!”

But did you injure your meridians while circulating qi? Don’t take internal injuries lightly—this damage stems from the Taiyi Divine Thunder; if not treated promptly, this minor wound may become a chronic ailment, severely draining your essence and qi.

By then, remedying it will require considerable effort!”

Chen Hang nodded with a smile, indicating he was unharmed.

The Taiyi Divine Thunder is truly utterly ruthless; wielding it is like forcibly riding a furious dragon from the abyss—slight misstep invites catastrophic backlash, and before harming others, you yourself will lose your soul and spirit.

This is why only Primordial Spirit True Persons in the Yucheng Sect dare attempt this technique.

Not merely because Golden Core cultivators lack sufficient talent or Dao cultivation.

More so because, compared to Golden Core cultivators, Primordial Spirit True Persons surpass them vastly in both magic power and control over internal qi.

Though not a chasmic difference, the gap is still considerable.

Yet even Primordial Spirit True Persons inevitably suffer damaged meridians and shattered acupoints when cultivating the Taiyi Divine Thunder.

For this reason, Yucheng’s Danfu Hall maintains over a hundred types of elixirs specifically for such conditions—some to be taken beforehand to protect meridians and organs, others to heal and replenish afterward.

Countless varieties, over a hundred in total.

Though Chen Hang had not yet unleashed the Taiyi Divine Thunder in practice, he still suffered minor meridian injuries and faint internal wounds during the cultivation process.

Yet due to his cultivation of the Tai Su Jade Body, his flesh and bones had hardened beyond divine iron—blades could not cut, fire could not burn.

Such minor injuries would heal with mere quiet meditation and breath regulation, leaving no lingering consequences…

After carefully inquiring about Chen Hang’s current sensations and confirming he was truly unharmed, Fu Lao finally relaxed.

Fu Lao was puzzled why Chen Hang had chosen the Tai Su Jade Body, a flesh-to-saint method, but he knew each person had their own destiny and did not press further.

He shifted the topic, asked about Chen Hang’s cultivation, and occasionally offered enthusiastic guidance.

But when Chen Hang described his experiences upon touching the Divine Thunder Dao prohibition, Fu Lao’s expression turned strange.

The ancient elder fell into a long, silent contemplation, saying nothing.

“Strange… truly strange… Grand Master Da Xian had indeed left a thread of divine intent deep within the Dao prohibition, but that was merely to sustain its operation—normally, it lay dormant and never manifested.

Since Yucheng’s founding, countless cultivators have practiced the Taiyi Divine Thunder, yet none have ever reported seeing Grand Master Da Xian’s divine eyes open upon touching the prohibition.

At least during my time in Xiao Ming Marsh, I never heard of such a thing…”

After a long pause, Fu Lao finally spoke carefully, his face solemn:

“Could it be because you, at the Golden Core realm, have already cultivated the Taiyi Divine Thunder?”

The Lord of the Thunder Bureau’s Celestial Capital, the founding ancestor of the Yucheng Immortal Sect—

Among the Eight Sects and Six Clans, Yucheng, Chiming, and the Primordial Demon Sect…

These three held a higher status than other Daoist and demonic sects.

Not merely because they possessed more True Immortals and deeper foundations, but because their founding ancestors were stronger than those of the other eleven sects.

Each of these three founding ancestors had been high ministers of the Ancient Dao Court, wielding authority over heaven and earth, renowned figures among all celestial deities, possessing boundless power!

Among them, the Yucheng Ancestor had served longest in the Dao Court and enjoyed the greatest prestige.

Yet Chen Hang recalled another widely circulated anecdote concerning these three ancestors.

Just before the Ancient Dao Court’s collapse, all three suddenly ceased manifesting.

Even the great True Immortals of the three sects could no longer hear their ancestors’ teachings—they had lost contact entirely.

Since all three held prominent positions in the Dao Court, this sudden change could not be concealed, leaving many colleagues bewildered and filled with speculation.

Some claimed they had suffered grievous injuries and were secluded to nurture their Dao fruits; others said they had jointly discovered a great boon and were silently contemplating profound Dao.

Later, after the Dao Court’s collapse, a rumor spread that many believed to be true:

It claimed these three had already perished just before the Dao Court’s fall…

That unprecedented catastrophe not only caused the Dao Court’s emperors to vanish mysteriously and the celestial sages to disappear, but also made the Xuan Jie Heaven never reappear, plunging the myriad heavens into utter lawlessness.

Likewise, this catastrophe claimed a group of Dao Court ministers as its first victims!

Upon hearing this, many opportunists stirred with hidden intent, eager to exploit the moment and carve a piece from these three sects.

But soon, after Tai Chang and Xu Du erupted into fierce bloodshed, and the Dragon Throne Emperor suffered a devastating defeat, his fate unknown—

The rumor faded into silence, dismissed as nonsense…

Even though the three founding ancestors rarely appeared afterward, even during the Zhong Lang Catastrophe, none had personally intervened, yet no one believed they had truly passed away.

Only one who could secretly unite the colossal dragon clans beneath the Dao Court’s gaze, forging them into a single force to command,

And at the dawn of the calamity, decisively ally with disciples and subordinates to rise in rebellion, slaying the then-Tai Chang Heavenly Sovereign, seizing governance, and proclaiming himself emperor, commanding awe across the myriad heavens—

Whether in divine power or cunning strategy—

That former Dragon Throne Emperor was undoubtedly among the greatest; none could underestimate him!

Yet such a mighty being,

With countless true dragons as his claws and fangs, billions of Tai Chang cultivators as his wings, commanding legions of yin demons, and personally leading armies into battle—

Could he have been utterly defeated, bloodied and broken, at Xu Du Heaven?

Though the Eight Sects and Six Clans were all formidable, each capable of standing alone, with profound foundations,

Had it not been to quell the Tian Yi Yan Rebellion, these colossal entities, viewed as giants by outer sects, would never have gathered at Xu Du.

Yet only one who could inflict such heavy losses upon the Dragon Throne Emperor, leaving him dead or missing after battle—

In the eyes of the astute, could only have been achieved by the combined efforts of the three founding ancestors!

At this moment, after brief thought, Fu Lao raised the topic of Grand Master Da Xian again, his expression filled with nostalgia.

When he had once followed Dong Gaozi, he had seen this ancestor often, even received personal guidance from Grand Master Da Xian on his cultivation.

But soon, as Fu Lao’s enthusiasm rose,

A strange drumming sound echoed from the sky, like water droplets striking tiles, crisp and clear.

A ball of fire suddenly blazed up; within moments, the flames grew fiercer, cascading like a waterfall from the clouds down to the earth.

Wherever it passed, whether mountains, hills, or barren deserts, all ignited instantly, moving with terrifying speed, leaving no time to react.

In mere moments, the vast Buddhist Pure Land became suddenly radiant…

“I had guessed he had some strength, but never expected this—this monk is truly willing to sacrifice everything. Very well, let me see how he ruins his own legacy.”

Seeing this, Fu Lao shook his head and fell silent.

He blew gently, and a cool breeze arose, lifting Chen Hang and himself high into the clouds.

…

…

Burning earth, scorching heaven, like a lamp plunged into flame—everything seemed destined to be utterly consumed, nothing could stand in its way!

At this moment, Chen Hang gazed afar and saw countless magnificent Buddhist pagodas, gardens, and palaces engulfed in flames, blinding red radiance, rolling smoke and light.

Yet strangely, amidst such inferno, the structures—already decayed and ready to collapse from wind—remained unmoved, as if untouched.

Light ignited light, endless and unbroken, like the sun expanding, never ceasing…

Though immersed in this burning heaven and earth, Chen Hang felt no thirst, hunger, or heat—instead, cool breezes carried comfort through the air.

It seemed the scene before him was but a mental illusion, not real.

Yet when he closed his eyes and carefully sensed, the Buddhist Pure Land’s Four Elements had fallen into chaos.

Like an old man near death, violently shoved to the ground, breathing more out than in, his life-light fading, mere moments from extinction.

“When the fire calamity arises, mountains and rivers, earth and land all blaze fiercely; all plants and terrestrial things melt like hot wax; the world becomes empty, utterly vanished…”

Fu Lao, hands clasped behind his back, sighed:

“This Buddhist Pure Land was personally established by Jing Cang Bian Ji Buddha, existing since ancient times, pure and unshakable, free from afflictions—a supreme, majestic sacred land.

Who could have foreseen it would not be destroyed by Dasui Temple, nor shattered before the Supreme Palace of Wuliangguang Heaven, nor broken by my lord’s divine thunder—but ruined by its own people…

That old bald monk truly fears Yucheng like a tiger! When did he devise such a brutal method? Why so unwilling to go to Xiao Ming Marsh?

Thinking on it, it’s rather amusing…”

Though unable to fully comprehend the Pure Land’s wonders, thanks to its aid, the old monk had matched Fu Lao evenly, even gained the upper hand, pinning Fu Lao down.

Yet due to improper use, the already decaying Pure Land’s foundation was further damaged under the old monk’s unrestrained extraction.

Still, the Pure Land’s power remained formidable—no one could fathom how much effort Jing Cang Bian Ji Buddha had poured into forging such a majestic realm.

Later, Fu Lao, leveraging his enhanced Dao cultivation, suddenly unleashed overwhelming force and sealed the old monk.

Yet even with Dong Gaozi’s residual magic power aiding him, Fu Lao could not successfully send a spiritual message to summon aid—this was precisely the old monk’s deliberate act.

He preferred to be sealed and lose half his true consciousness rather than withdraw the Great Vajra Barrier the Buddha had placed upon the Pure Land.

Even as he was sealed, he secretly added even greater force, strengthening the Great Vajra Barrier further.

Afraid Fu Lao still had tricks to thwart his plan.

The old monk knew well: such a Chan treasure, even if stripped of true consciousness, as long as a trace remained, could eventually be restored—though it would take years of arduous cultivation.

But if he withdrew the Great Vajra Barrier and allowed Fu Lao to send a message, calling forth several Yucheng immortals—

Then all would be over.

The old monk, even if he did not wish to join Yucheng, would have no choice but to join.

Even his life and death would lie in another’s whim…

“Pity—I still lack sufficient Dao cultivation. Even with my lord’s residual magic power, I could not break through the Great Vajra Barrier; had I sent a message then, how could I have delayed until today?”

I must admit, the monk also had some courage.

I originally thought that under such a seal, he would be cornered and destroy the Vajra Barrier to escape—perfectly fitting my plan—but I never expected his resolve to be so unshakable; he didn’t lift a finger.

Left with no choice, I could only seize half of his true consciousness; as the saying goes, spilled water cannot be retrieved—the divine power left by the Master had already been exhausted within the seal, as for my original intent..."

Master Fu shook his head, raised a finger toward the sky, and explained to Chen Heng beside him.

With the aid of Donggaozi’s divine power, Master Fu had also suppressed the old monk for five years.

After five years, when Donggaozi’s divine power had completely dissipated, the old monk finally broke free.

After years of secret experimentation, the old monk finally devised the last resort he had long dreaded.

That was to destroy the very foundation of the Buddha Land himself, in order to extract its remaining secret power and use it to strengthen himself, completely breaking free from Master Fu.

At this moment, Chen Heng saw the blazing flames suddenly extinguish; the once vibrant world instantly lost its color, leaving only black and white.

The old monk, suddenly appearing, gathered a primordial essence beyond description, simply opening his mouth to swallow it—then, slowly, a magnificent Seven-Jewel Divine Wheel emerged atop his head.

The old monk pointed at Master Fu and burst into loud laughter:

“Ha! Old Taoist, you never imagined, did you, that I meant to destroy the Vajra Barrier to let you escape or send a message out? Not a chance!

And you thought losing half my true consciousness would leave me under your thumb? I still had this trick up my sleeve! Heaven itself aided me, allowing me to devise this method while sealed!”

He let out a long, piercing howl and cried:

“Today we part ways—next time we meet may be hard to come by. I’m off!”

As soon as he spoke, a crisp sound of shattering glass echoed through the surrounding void.

The old monk transformed his body into a radiant beam of light ten thousand zhang long, piercing upward and instantly breaking through layer upon layer of empty space.

Master Fu made no move to stop him; as fellow supreme artifacts, if the monk was determined to flee, he likely couldn’t stop him anyway—especially now that the monk, having sacrificed the Buddha Land, had gained immense power.

With the Buddha Land destroyed, the Vajra Barrier was finally shattered, and now the inner and outer realms were connected, with no further obstruction.

The Vajra Barrier over this Buddha Land was painstakingly established by Jingcang Bianji Buddha, capable of deceiving all heavenly omens and sealing off the four directions of space; at the very beginning of their clash, Jingcang Bianji Buddha had drawn Donggaozi into the Buddha Land.

His intention was to easily recuperate after defeating Donggaozi here, preventing outsiders from exploiting the opportunity to gain an advantage.

But despite his good intentions, Jingcang Bianji Buddha himself never got to use it.

“Now that this barrier is broken, the lingering traces here will no longer conceal the events of the past. As for the Master’s survival and Jingcang Bianji Buddha’s death…”

“How great a storm will these two events stir up?” Master Fu murmured thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, in Douru Heaven.

Kongkong Daoist, who had been sitting cross-legged on a rocky cliff, suddenly sensed something—he glanced toward the Buddha Land, and a faint, enigmatic smile slowly spread across his face.

“Looks like there’s going to be quite a show.”

He laughed heartily.