Xianye

Chapter 497 Heavenly Punishment Axe

The ravines are deep and dark, and the ground is littered with white bones.

In a desolate sky devoid of life and utter grayness, a colossal lion emerged from a boiling ocean, then cried out in terror.

The rumbling sound echoed between heaven and earth, causing the massive amount of seawater to surge and crash in all directions.

The one who spoke was a nine-headed lion, its body enormous, like a divine mountain in the sky, reaching straight to the heavens!

When he stood tall on the sea, the entire ocean seemed to let out a loud, unbearable roar, and suddenly a dark wind blew and the day darkened, making it impossible to see anyone!

"You didn't die in Guixu? You're still alive?"

After his initial surprise, the nine-headed lion's face suddenly hardened. A deep lightning mark stretched from his brow to his neck on his demonic body, which was even more solid than the earth itself, a truly shocking sight.

Rao Jiutou Lion was a wondrous demon of heaven and earth who had attained the Great Dao. He possessed incredible abilities such as multiplying into trillions, creating things from the void, and being reborn from a drop of blood, but he still could not remove the lightning marks on his face.

In order not to damage his dignity, he usually had to use secret methods to cover it up, so as not to invite ridicule from his fellow practitioners.

This was Donggaozi's deliberate act, to punish the nine-headed lion for its evil deeds of devouring heaven and earth and all living beings.

However, if the Nine-Headed Lion had not also possessed divine merit and had once been a subject of the Daoist court, with several friends in the court protecting him.

I'm afraid it won't just be punishment, but a direct strike by heavenly lightning, and even the spirit of the nine-headed lion will be taken back to the Heavenly Gang Transformation Palace to be punished, never to be freed again!
……

Musouten, Jisheng Palace.

Inside a flawless jade palace, a group of red-robed Taoists all looked towards the direction of the Buddhist kingdom, their faces showing a thoughtful expression.

There were twelve Taoist priests in total, and they all had identical faces, expressions, and movements.

They seem to be transformed from the same person, but their auras are completely different, worlds apart.

Its power is so great that it could easily pluck the sun and seize the stars; it seems that with a stomp of its foot, it could crush and pulverize the continent beneath its feet.

The weak are no different from ordinary people, their blood and energy are depleted, their muscles and bones are worn out, and they seem to be blown away by the wind.

"I knew back then that Donggaozi had faked his death to escape, but I was always struggling to find concrete evidence."

How could an immortal who could have harmed me to such an extent die so mysteriously in the Ruins of Return, perishing together with the already weakened Shao Yuan Nie Clan?

A Taoist priest in red spoke softly:
"Today, the land of Pure Treasury Bhadra Buddha has been destroyed, and the great Vajra barrier has also been removed, making everything clear."

Taking advantage of the news of the old Buddha's death, I finally deduced the fate of Dong Gaozi. The thought of finally having the chance to avenge myself fills me with undisguised joy.

Another Taoist in red robes chimed in, "I don't think Donggaozi's current situation is necessarily much better."

What do you mean by that?

“He had been planning to fake his death and escape since ancient times, and he did it flawlessly. Even we couldn’t find any flaws. So why didn’t he clean up the mess after killing Jingzang Bianji Buddha?”

The red-robed Taoist shook his head:
"If he were to use magic to conceal it, it's possible that even the news of Pure Treasury Bianji Buddha's death would be difficult to spread. Even if it were to spread, it would certainly not implicate Donggaozi."

Now it seems that after that battle, Donggaozi may have encountered another misfortune, and it happened in the Buddhist Kingdom... Otherwise, given his cunning, things probably wouldn't have turned out this way!

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the Jade Palace suddenly tightened, and all around fell silent; no one uttered a sound.

"What about us?"

After a while, a Taoist priest in red robes suddenly spoke tentatively.

"Let's wait. Donggaozi originally cultivated the Yin Virtue Great Dao, but now he wants to use Fortune and Virtue to reach a higher realm. Right now, the most anxious ones are not us, Donggaozi's old enemies, but those who are also on the path of Fortune and Virtue."

Suddenly, a formidable opponent like Donggaozi has emerged to compete with them; their thoughts must be quite complex right now.

The red-robed Taoist in the center smiled slowly, then clapped his hands with a touch of emotion at the end:

"The path of virtue is still the best. Even Donggaozi wanted to achieve a higher realm through virtue. That old senior who held the great path of virtue is indeed a famous kind and benevolent person with profound morality."

How tolerant the older generation is of their younger colleagues!
Compared to those other Dao Lords, this one's benevolence is truly admirable and worthy of respect!

……

On Ranluogongshoutian, a bright and vast island, a tall Taoist with a long beard and golden eyes stood with the Longevity God Demon in the clouds.

Before them, a bright white sun shone, clearly reflecting the scenery of the Buddhist kingdom.

After listening to the long-bearded Taoist explain the whole story, the Longevity Demon God frowned slightly, a look of surprise on his face.

He had personally dealt with this Buddhist kingdom because some of his clan's younger members were suddenly killed, including several of his own bloodline.

However, this Buddhist kingdom was impregnable and extremely adept at hiding and escaping. The long-awaited Longevity Demon God only struck the Buddhist kingdom a few times before watching it disappear into the vast void once more, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Because of the Great Vajra Barrier, even though they had interacted before, the Longevity Deity Demon God at that time did not expect that such a great secret of immortals and Buddhas was hidden in the Buddhist Kingdom!
Looking back now...

"Donggaozi, Fude... Heavenly Venerable is also a great supernatural being who has proven Fude. I wonder what his plans are now?" The Longevity Venerable Demon God composed himself and looked at the long-bearded Taoist in front of him, asking.

The long-bearded Taoist withdrew his gaze from the white sun, smiled slightly, and asked in return:
"Should I capture that talented young man from Yu Chen who cultivated the Taiyi Divine Thunder with his Golden Core form and use him to coerce me? Or should I directly attack Yu Chen and force Dong Gaozi to show himself and fight me?"

"None of these are acceptable; the Heavenly Venerable should not do them."

The Longevity Demon God shook his head slightly.

"Yes, let's wait and see who can't help but jump out first. We'll just watch the show."

The long-bearded Taoist priest, his eyes deep and unfathomable, suddenly looked towards the heavens and said with a playful smile:

"Among those of us who walk the path of virtue, Jiao Mingzhu is the most unscrupulous and has the worst reputation."

Look at what happened today, why didn't he step forward?

……

The underworld, the lower realm.

A burly man, sitting cross-legged deep within the spring, clenched his fist slightly, and his blood energy suddenly burst forth, filling the void.

The countless powerful demons and spirits in the lower spring were struck by the blood energy and were unable to utter a single scream before their souls were scattered.

"Donggaozi still has the Thunder Shield... It's truly delightful to see old friends from back then meet again and become like-minded people."

The burly man chuckled and slowly stood up.

……

A storm is brewing, and the flames of calamity are beginning to ignite.

Once the Great Vajra Barrier was broken, the news of the death of Pure Treasury Bhadrakalpa Buddha could no longer be concealed, causing unusual activity in the Great Path of Blessing.

Anyone with ability could not ignore this scene, and they began to pay attention to it.

The old monk, who had personally offered sacrifices to the Buddha and received blessings in return, had long anticipated this situation.

He knew that once the Buddhist kingdom was destroyed, the news of his Buddha's death would be difficult to conceal.

Even if no action is taken against the Buddhist Kingdom, without external intervention, it will inevitably fall apart in a hundred years or so, and it will be difficult to salvage the situation.

Rather than letting it be wasted, it's better to make the most of it and use it to help yourself one last time!
"Fortunately, I acted decisively and withdrew in time. Even if Lei Pai wanted to send a message outside after the collapse of the Buddhist Kingdom, it would probably be too late."

The old monk thought to himself.

With each rotation of the Great Seven Treasures Divine Wheel behind his head, his figure became more blurred, until finally he was half-blurred, appearing and disappearing in the boundless void. With each step he took, he could traverse countless heavens and earths.

"I wonder if, after all these long years, anyone in Baoya Temple has attained Buddhahood? Although the Buddha has passed away, if another Buddha could step forward to uphold the temple's spirit, then—"

Just as the old monk was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a low laugh, as if someone was following behind him.

The old monk felt a chill run down his spine, and his hair stood on end.

Before he could even unleash his supernatural powers, the deep laughter rang out again, saying:
"What a coincidence! I've stumbled upon quite a stroke of luck this time. Monk, since your former master is dead, why don't you come and follow me?"
"I am also a great enlightened being in Buddhism. Recognizing me as your master will certainly not dishonor your status as a supreme treasure of Zen."

"Is it the Demon Buddha of Dasui Temple or the one from Luodi Temple?" The old monk felt a chill run down his spine.

After the laughter subsided, the old monk suddenly felt an immense suction force coming from behind him, pulling him firmly to the side and dragging him backward little by little.

The old monk, unwilling to surrender and await his death, quickly turned the divine wheel behind his head to resist with all his might.

However, the difference in strength between the two sides was indeed quite large. After a while, when the monk could no longer hold on, he suddenly felt a familiar aura approaching this place.

Suddenly inspired, the old monk's eyes lit up, and he shouted:
"Buddha, save me!"

Suddenly, a melodious chanting sound rang out in the air. The old monk felt as if he were being carried up to the sky by clouds and mist. The restraints on his body suddenly lightened, and he quickly seized the opportunity to gather all his strength and finally rushed out.

"The Celestial Venerable is stingy, unwilling to even bestow this small benefit upon me? In that case, I will not trouble you any further."

The person who made the move in the shadows was not surprised by this; he simply smiled and disappeared in an instant.

"Namo Amitabha."

After the Buddhist chant was uttered, the still-shaken old monk felt a bright light shining before his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, an immeasurably majestic ancient Buddha appeared in the great light cloud, its precious form spanning no less than a million miles, vast and boundless, capable of illuminating the ten directions of the great world!
This is called the spotless and pure light, the sun of wisdom that dispels all darkness, able to subdue calamities of wind and fire, and universally illuminates the world!
At this moment, in the Great Bright Cloud, there were bodhisattvas, bright kings, protectors of the teachings, heavenly dragons, yakshas, ​​and garudas serving the Buddha on both sides, with dignified appearances and solemn and majestic demeanor.

The old monk spotted two familiar faces from Baoya Temple among them, but before he could suppress his surprise, his gaze suddenly fell on a tall, eyebrowless man.

The moment his eyes met those of the eyebrowless man, the old monk felt as if he had been struck hard on the back of the head, and he exclaimed involuntarily:
"Huaiyuan, how could you—"

He wanted to know what the current situation of Baoya Temple was, and why Huaiyuan and the others had come here together.

But before he could speak, Huaiyuan shook his head slightly, abruptly interrupting the old monk's doubts.

"..."

The old monk already knew the answer in his heart.

Over the years, Baoya Temple has probably become a mere shell of its former self, as evidenced by the fact that even Huaiyuan followed Cixian Guangfo to his side.

He sighed inwardly, and finally chose to transform into a stone lamp, drifting towards the boundless, bright cloud overhead.

"We parted hastily back then, and when we met again, it was in this state. Although I had a vague idea of ​​what was going on, it still..."

Cixian Guangfo activated his divine eye, looked towards the Buddha's realm, shook his head, sighed, and silently recited a sutra.

The many creatures in the Great Bright Cloud also sighed, some clasped their hands, some bowed their heads, and the monks of Baoya Temple had a sorrowful look on their faces, their emotions sincere.

At this moment, Cixian Guangfo's gaze lingered briefly on Chen Heng.

But before he could speak, Huaiyuan, who had been standing to the side, suddenly knelt down and bowed deeply, saying:
"Our temple's Buddha abbot has unfortunately perished at the hands of Yu Chen Dong Gao Zi. This news has left us like infants who have lost their parents, filled with sorrow and fear. I, your disciple, boldly speak out, and humbly beg the compassionate Buddha Ci Xian Guang to consider our past relationship and stand up for us!"

The old monk was startled upon hearing this. He seemed about to dissuade him, but he saw that the monks of his own Baoya Temple all echoed his sentiments.

The old monk could only awkwardly swallow the words he wanted to say, unable to speak them.

At this moment, not only were all the beings in the Great Bright Cloud holding their breath, waiting for the final answer from the Compassionate and Wise Buddha.

Even powerful beings like the Nine-Headed Lion and the Red-Clothed Taoist all turned their gazes toward this place, wanting to see how the Compassionate and Wise Buddha would respond.

Because of his past service in the Thunder Department and his own temperament, Donggaozi had already offended a number of enemies as early as the ancient times.

Furthermore, now that Donggaozi's secret path of cultivating the Path of Fortune has been exposed, those who cultivate the Path of Fortune are likely wary of Donggaozi and do not want another person to compete with them for the path in the future.

Therefore, the current situation can be described as a mountain of reeds, only needing a spark to ignite it completely!
"Can this old Buddha really stand up for Pure Land Bianji Buddha?"

Looking through that white sun, one could see the compassionate Buddha in the great radiant clouds, lost in silent contemplation.

In the Heavenly Palace of Dylan, the Longevity Deity asked the Long-Bearded Taoist.

"If the Buddha were truly someone who would stand out, he would have died long ago in the Palace of Ultimate Truth in the Heaven of Immeasurable Light. How could he have lost the support of the people?"

To be honest, I think today's events are all bark and no bite. What does it matter if Donggaozi is alive? What does it matter if he changes his fate? Do these people think they can storm Xiaoming Marsh and force Donggaozi to come forward and die?

Do they really think the Jade Emperor's Ranks of Immortals are just for show, and the alliance signed by the Eight Sects and Six Schools is a joke?

The long-bearded Taoist looked at Cixian Guangfo with a slight hint of sarcasm on his face.

He explained to the Demon God of Longevity beside him:
"The reason for this elaborate setup is simply to create some momentum and force Yu Chen to concede some benefits. As for how much benefit to concede, I think there's still room for discussion."

The Longevity Demon God seemed lost in thought, while the Long-Bearded Taoist continued speaking, this time in a somewhat enigmatic tone:
"Yu Chen's power is immense, as can be seen from his younger disciples alone. They have cultivated the Taiyi Divine Thunder from a mere Golden Core stage."
Such a beautiful and talented person, why must they grow in someone else's courtyard? Compared to this person, my disciples are like rotten wood that cannot be carved!

Following the long-bearded Taoist's gaze, the Longevity Demon God saw that the latter's eyes were fixed on Chen Heng, and seemed to regret that this person was not one of his own.

He shook his head, and also made a joke:
"The Celestial Venerable previously said that everyone wanted to create some momentum to force Yu Chen to concede. In that case, we don't need Yu Chen to give up any benefits. On the contrary, we can even give Yu Chen some back..."

Longevity God Demon God One Finger Chen Heng:
"How about we exchange this for the one who will join my Ranluo Gongshou Heaven?"

Hearing the Longevity Demon God's joke, the Long-Bearded Taoist also chuckled:
"Don't make fun of me. Although I also follow the path of virtue and fortune, I don't wish to offend Donggaozi too much. What makes you think I'm forcing Yuchen to concede? Besides, such a disciple—"

Before he could finish speaking, the long-bearded Taoist's face suddenly changed color, and he abruptly stopped talking.

At first, the Demon God of Longevity did not understand.

But when he turned his gaze to Bai Yang, he quickly understood and his expression changed.

Thunder and lightning surged, wind and rain raged, and a magnificent light rose from nowhere, spreading throughout the universe!

In an instant, the world seemed to have been cleaved open, and an ancient stone axe appeared from it with a rumbling sound. An unimaginable power quickly rose to its peak, and even though they were separated by the boundless void, the white sun in front of the Longevity Demon God flickered and seemed to be pressed down, making it hard to breathe!
"Heavenly Punishment Axe... Great Manifestation, it's been many years, yet you remain as fierce as ever."

In the realm of the Void, someone sighed with emotion.

"The Heavenly Punishment Axe? When was this thing repaired?"

On Zhenwu Mountain, a mighty banner of iron and blood flutters, supporting the sky and the earth, and in an instant, it shatters the clouds.

At the same moment, several powerful auras also emerged in various realms.

Donggaozi's message only attracted a lot of attention.

When the stone axe appeared, it drew everyone's attention!
"The Heavenly Punishment Axe?!"

In the Ji Sheng Palace of Wuxiang Heaven, almost at the same time the stone axe appeared, the twelve red-robed Taoists' expressions changed drastically. Without thinking, they clapped their hands, causing the Jade Palace to suddenly rise into the air and then hide deep within the Ji Sheng Palace.

As the red-robed Taoist made this move, the stone axe also emitted a thunderous roar that shook all realms, and slashed forward fiercely!
Cixian Guangfo did not speak, but flew up and exchanged five blows with the stone axe before returning to the Great Bright Cloud.

"Truly a powerful weapon!"

Cixianguang Buddha chanted the Buddha's name once, and without lingering, he turned the great cloud of light beneath him and returned to the Heaven of Immeasurable Light.

In the blink of an eye, in that desolate sky, the body of the nine-headed lion was almost cleaved in two by a stone axe that suddenly appeared.

This is why the nine-headed lion could only follow the example of cutting off its tail to survive and escape into the outside world in time, thus avoiding an even more embarrassing situation.

After severely injuring the nine-headed lion, Thunder Axe did not suddenly flee, but instead slowly circled around, its intimidating intent self-evident.

After about half an incense stick's time, it slowly sank into the dark void again.

As the Thunder Axe completely disappeared, many people breathed a sigh of relief and gradually withdrew their gazes, concealing their auras.

A potential conflict sparked by Donggaozi thus quietly vanished without a trace, no longer capable of stirring up any waves...

"So potent, such a precious baby!"

In the Douyutian Palace, the Taoist Kongkong, who had already stood up, slowly sat down again.

He dispersed the hand seals, his gaze falling on Chen Heng, and sighed:
"You've certainly chosen a good sect!"

　Bonus chapter for Brighton of the Silver Alliance (2/10)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)