Journey to the head

The golden light within the Pure Land flickered and vibrated continuously, causing ripples to spread across Prajna Heavenly Lord's body. His expression changed drastically, and he stared intently at Ye Xiao, calling out urgently.

"Lord Wonderful Dharma, I didn't know she was your prey!"

But a chaotic, cold, and ominous fluctuation had already risen from the depths of Ye Xiao's soul. It was an attack launched to defend his territory, provoked by Prajna Heavenly Lord's actions!

Originally, kings should not meet, and two tigers cannot share one mountain, let alone true immortal celestial lords!

"Wait a minute! Lord of Wonderful Dharma!" Lord Prajna's body trembled like water, the golden lotus beneath him vanished quietly, his robes lost their golden radiance, and the Abhaya Mudra he held in his hands had long since scattered.

“We can cooperate, we can discuss it. Ye Xiao is just an add-on to me, and I can give you everyone else too. I only want Wei Zhaixing!”

Unfortunately, the other party was like a deaf and blind person, and all the promises and concessions I made were useless.

Only then did the extremely weak Prajna Heavenly King realize the state of Wonderful Dharma, and he was extremely angry, heartbroken, and helpless.

"Soul fragments... So they are the Soul Fragments of the Mysterious Dharma!"

Soul fragments have no intelligence and are incapable of communication or negotiation. They are merely an obsession, a force that provides coordinates for the true form of the Mystic Law, and also seizes the opportune moment to suddenly exert its power when the host's fortune is at its lowest, sending the host into a deadly predicament.

To my former self, mere soul fragments were nothing more than a flick of the finger to dispel. But now, in terms of level, I am on par with those soul fragments.

Moreover, they are quite inferior in strength!

Soul fragments cannot directly confront the host; they can only be deeply hidden within the soul, making them difficult for ordinary cultivators to find and remove. Then, they can unleash their power in an instant to kill someone using another's strength.

He himself couldn't even withstand the divine sense of a minor cultivator in the mortal realm, so he could only gradually lure them into abandoning all defenses and resistance.

So, at least the soul fragments can still erupt for a moment, but I'm already so weak that I'll dissipate even if I'm left alone!

Now that a conflict has broken out, how can we resist it?
Even though Prajna Heavenly Lord used all his skills, that formless and shapeless wave still swept across the entire Lotus Pure Land. In an instant, the golden light dimmed, the golden water in the lotus pond dried up, all the golden lotuses withered, the shriveled lotus leaves turned to ashes, leaving only a bare, dry lotus seedpod, as if it was about to dry up in an instant.

Within the entire space, the dazzling displays of flowers and golden lotuses that sprang from the ground had long since vanished, and the incomparably mysterious chants and magnificent sounds of the Great Dao had all ceased.

Just then, apart from Ye Xiao, who was still terrified by the soul fragments, the other four finally awoke from their reverie, feeling inexplicably terrified and their souls filled with dread, as if they had just experienced a terrifying nightmare.

"Holy Master?" Xiang Kong looked up in a panic, and everyone's gazes converged on "Prajna Heavenly Lord," and they were instantly dumbfounded.

The Prajna Heavenly Lord, with his tall, imposing, and solemn figure, and eyes that shone with boundless compassion and peace, rapidly changed his appearance amidst the fluctuations!
A celestial being with a face as beautiful as jade and wearing a tall crown and wide belt appeared. His otherworldly face was now filled with resentment, fear and pain.

Wei Zhaixing exclaimed incredulously, "The Supreme and Holy Heavenly Lord of Fortune!"

It was none other than the second Heavenly Lord, Heavenly Lord Tianyun, who was suppressed by Heavenly Lord Prajna!

And now, something emanating from Ye Xiao is viciously tearing at him.

In that instant, they suddenly understood.

There is no Prajna Heavenly Lord. From beginning to end, everything, including this so-called Lotus Pure Land, is just an impersonation by the Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune!
He opened his mouth wide, speechless, wanting to make a sound but unable to utter a single word.

Is it all fake? The Pure Land is fake, the holy teachers are fake, the teaching of disciples is fake, and the sermons are fake—

No, the preaching is real!
Just now, flowers rained down, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, and grand chants of Buddhist hymns resounded like morning bells and evening drums. The wondrous rhythms of heaven and earth and the origin of the Great Dao flowed in and out, cleansing and purifying me in turn. My understanding of the Great Dao rapidly increased, and my Vajra Demon-Slaying Dharma Form mysteriously emerged again, reaching the realm of four heads and twelve arms. This is all genuine.

Most importantly, the holy teacher before us is a fake, but the Prajna Heavenly Lord who passed down the direct teachings and my direct teachings, the direct speech, the peaceful mind, the good deeds, and the self-discipline have always been real!
"Boundless Holy Master!" Xiang Kong clasped his hands together, boundless rage erupting from the depths of his heart. Veins bulged on his face, making him look exceptionally ferocious. "You fiend, how dare you impersonate my sect's Holy Master?!"

The Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune completely ignored him. The fluctuations of the wondrous Dharma Soul Shards were still eroding his last bit of spiritual light. The pressure of the immortal on his body had completely dissipated, leaving only wails and lamentations echoing continuously.

"Why, why did this happen? I was about to succeed!"

"I have waited for more than 20,000 years to finally get this opportunity. Heaven, have you completely abandoned me?"

"Wonderful method! I never imagined that my last chance of survival would be lost at your hands!"

"If I had known things would turn out this way, my brother should never have taken you as his disciple!"

"Wonderful method, if I hadn't fallen to this state, how could I possibly have lost to you—"

With a furious roar, the four-headed, twelve-armed Vajra Demon-Slaying Dharma Form rose into the sky, unleashing a barrage of magical treasures like a storm, striking at the Heavenly Lord of Heaven and in all directions.

Once they regained their senses, Wei Zhaixing, Wudi Daoren, and Dingshu Zhenren each unleashed their own attacks.

These acts of resistance were the final straw that broke the camel's back. Tianyun Tianjun let out his last lament and vanished in an instant.

The broken illusion space also disappeared, and everyone's souls returned to their bodies. When they opened their eyes again, the various attacks they had just launched had already caused the entire mountain belly to rumble and crash down, with large chunks of rock falling down and terrifying cracks extending in all directions.

The group quickly activated their techniques, especially the Bottomless Daoist, whose mind shifted, causing the ground to tremble slightly. One stone pillar after another rose from the ground, supporting the collapsing hall.

As soon as he made his move, he felt that his understanding of the Earth Element Dao had become several times more profound, which surprised and delighted him.

"What happened?"

At this moment, Ye Xiao suddenly woke up. She felt cold sweat soaking her clothes and a chilling feeling lingered in her heart. Before losing consciousness, she heard the voice of the Heavenly Lord of Wonderful Laws.

The soul fragments of the Heavenly Lord of Wonderful Dharma have been activated!

But I didn't die, so what happened?
Wei Zhaixing gave her a deep look. The fragments of Miaofa Tianjun's soul had already disappeared again and were completely undetectable.

This time, it was actually the soul fragment that was supposed to take lives that saved several of our people. The way of fate is truly mysterious. Did the Second Emperor, who has the name "Heavenly Fortune," foresee this?

However, even if the Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune was extremely weak, the Soul Fragment must have expended a great deal of power in order to erase his existence, right?

Just as everyone was wondering, they heard another series of crackling sounds. The immortal statue of the Heavenly Lord of Destiny, which had stood for ten thousand years, suddenly became covered with cracks and fissures. Then, with a loud bang, it was crushed by the Prajna Heavenly Lord above it!

The ground shook violently, sending stone chips flying everywhere. Pieces of rock rained down like a torrential downpour, striking the protective light shields around the group with a crackling sound.

However, amidst the swirling dust, a glimmer of golden light flashed faintly.

Wei Zhaixing's expression changed drastically. He simultaneously activated the Star Enclosure Shield and the Starry Sky Robe, and illusory images of star rivers rippled within his body. The others also gathered together, each using their own methods, their magical treasures and supernatural powers surging together.

Upon seeing the scene before them, the group was startled once again.

Then the statue of Prajna Heavenly Lord had also collapsed, and standing before it was a faint, hazy, and illusory figure. His appearance was none other than Prajna Heavenly Lord, who had been impersonated by Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune earlier!
The person before him was so weak that he could be blown away with a single breath. There was no divine aura about him, and all the warmth, light, compassion, and peace that once permeated his being had vanished.

He was like an ordinary mortal, gazing at everyone with gentle eyes.

Their eyes met, he clasped his hands together, smiled slightly, and his voice was almost inaudible.

"Thank you, my friends, for finally erasing the last lingering resentment of the Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune from the world. This is a great deed and a blessing for future generations."

Is he the true Prajna Heavenly Lord?!

Just then, a flash of sword light appeared. It was Xiao Tianci, who had been guarding the mountain above, who had noticed the tremors in the mountainside and rushed in to provide assistance.

Wei Zhaixing quickly waved his hand to stop them, making Xiao Tianci stand with him.

None of them spoke, and even Xiang Kong dared not worship casually.

Prajna Heavenly Lord did not care: "I perished together with Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune, but my remaining power has been entangled until now, and it is gradually being suppressed by him and is about to be annihilated. However, he took advantage of his familiarity with me and transformed into my appearance to deceive people."

“I saw everything just now. It’s truly a marvel of fate, something to celebrate. Young friend Ye possesses a wondrous soul fragment, which has instead thwarted the Heavenly Fortune’s conspiracy. Otherwise, you would all have become puppets of the Heavenly Fortune.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Lord Prajna, do you have a way to remove the soul fragments?"

Prajna Heavenly Lord shook his head: "Even the remnants of Heavenly Fortune cannot withstand the fragments of the soul. I am about to dissipate, and there is nothing I can do. But just like this time, my young friend has turned misfortune into blessing. It can be seen that among the myriad causes and conditions in the world, who can say for sure whether they are a blessing or a curse?"

"At least this time it is a great opportunity for you." He laughed. "In order to confuse your minds, the Heavenly Mandate is preaching the Great Dao and pointing you to your true nature. The heavenly flowers and golden lotuses that sprang from the earth are all real. With this enlightenment, your path will be boundless and you will hardly encounter any bottlenecks from now on."

"I hope you will maintain good relationships and do good deeds, so that you can uphold the right path in the future."

Ding Shu Zhenren was still thinking about what Tian Yun Tianjun had said at the end about the "Magnetic Element Five Extremes Mountain," and couldn't help but swallow hard: "Were all those divine skills and wonderful methods that Tian Yun Tianjun mentioned at the end true?"

Prajna Heavenly Lord shook his head helplessly: "Foolish child, that is precisely his method of controlling you. How could he truly impart the Dharma to you?"

His gaze suddenly fell on Wei Zhaixing.

"If there is one genuine cultivation method among them, it is the 'True Explanation of Reversing Heaven's Fortune and Changing Fate.' It is the foundation for his enlightenment and the immortal method of destiny. One must have great enlightenment, great fortune, great luck, and be able to bear great karma in order to cultivate it."

“Young friend Wei, the Heavenly Lord of Heavenly Fortune has waited for ten thousand years, not to appear because of my disciple Xiang Kong, but for you.”

At that moment, Wei Zhaixing felt a chill run down his spine.

But Prajna Heavenly Lord just smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have eliminated all his remnants in the myriad worlds. Today, Heavenly Lord of Destiny has completely disappeared, and everything related to him is safe."

"It's a pity you didn't get this immortal technique, otherwise I would suggest you study it carefully."

"Being valued by the Heavenly Lord of Destiny is enough to show your exceptional talent in the path of destiny. I only hope that you will strive to improve and not cause chaos in the world like the Heavenly Lord of Destiny in the future."

Just as Wei Zhaixing was about to ask about the calamity of the True Immortals, Xiang Kong had already knelt down.

"Are you truly a holy teacher?"

Prajna Heavenly Lord nodded: "Xiang Kong, Tian Yun was not wrong before. You have profound wisdom and great compassion. You bear great karma and great vows, and you will surely be able to revitalize our religion."

"It's a pity that I'm about to dissipate. All these wonderful methods are incredibly heavy, and I can't even utter a single word."

"However," he smiled expectantly, "all the myriad wonderful methods are created by people. You may very well be able to innovate upon the direct teachings and create your own Vajra method. Xiang Kong, I believe in you."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Kong was overcome with emotion and shed tears.

The figure of Prajna Heavenly Lord became increasingly indistinct, when Ding Shu Zhenren suddenly remembered something and asked loudly.

"Heavenly Lord, that cauldron that steals fortune and robs wealth to create elixirs—"

Prajna Heavenly Lord's voice was barely audible: "What alchemy cauldron? That's called the Life-Devouring, Fortune-Stealing, and Prosperity-Crossed Cauldron. It was originally Heavenly Lord Heavenly Fortune's immortal artifact for achieving the Dao, but I knocked it down from the Dao level with my profound magic power. Now it's just a pseudo-immortal artifact."

"Although this object is against the natural order, good and evil are determined by one's own will. If it is used to uphold justice, how can we know that it is not also an instrument of compassion?"

"Therefore, I have left you a jade pendant to teach you how to use it. Be sure to use it for righteous purposes."

The ancient jade tablet inside the cauldron, inscribed with instructions on how to use it, was actually left behind by the Heavenly Lord Prajna!
He glanced at Xiang Kong one last time and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Xiang Kong looked sorrowful and kowtowed to the ground.

Prajna Heavenly Lord closed his eyes: "Dependent origination and emptiness, that's all."

This last glimmer of golden light dissipated within the mountain's interior.

In an instant, a loud rumble resounded, and the stone statue of Prajna Heavenly Lord shattered!

A moment later, the group withdrew from the tunnel. Now that both stone statues had collapsed, there was nothing left to worry about inside the mountain.

The group gathered together to discuss the matter and decided to report it to Biluo Peak immediately, so that the Yunshan Sect could decide whether to report it to Taiyi Paradise.

Ding Shu Zhenren couldn't help but feel a little worried when he thought about the teachings he had just received from the Heavenly Lord.

Wei Zhaixing smiled and said, "Sect Leader Ding Shu, rest assured, this is your destiny. No one can take away your enlightenment of the Great Dao. Taiyi Paradise is the leader of the righteous path and will definitely not do anything. As long as the inspection is completed, it will be fine."

Ding Shu Zhenren thought about it and realized it was true. Besides, the Taiyi Paradise was so noble, and it was rumored to be protected by the Heavenly Emperor. Why would he do something that would lower his status?
Thinking back on this experience, he felt extremely fortunate. If he hadn't brought the Yunshan people into the heart of the mountain to see it for themselves, he didn't know when or what kind of trouble Tianyun Tianjun would have caused.

This great opportunity was also obtained through the Yunshan Sect. Although he was dull-witted, having received the teachings of the Heavenly Lord, the Great Dao was no longer out of reach. He was overjoyed and left with profuse thanks.

After listening to the whole story, Xiao Tianci felt a little envious, but his gaze remained calm. He had severed his inner demons and transformed his core into an infant, and he was full of confidence in his swordsmanship, certain that he was no less capable than others.

Half a day later, an urgent message came from Biluo Peak.

Upon reading the letter, Wei Zhaixing was instructed to have Xiao Tianci, Wei Zhaixing, and the others remain stationed at Liangyi Mountain and not to make any rash moves. Taiyi Paradise was about to conclude its secret mission on the Star Sea and was returning to Yuheng Continent. This matter was of great importance to the Heavenly Lord and the others, and True Lord Lianxu would soon be coming to investigate. Everyone was instructed to welcome and cooperate with the mission and answer all questions.

Just as they saw this, spatial ripples appeared on Liangyi Mountain, and two Refining Void True Monarchs led many Primordial Spirit Mystic Monarchs out of the void.

"Wu Zhuo, the garrison commander of the twenty-three western prefectures of the Jade Balance Continent, together with Hai Langming, the True Lord of the Sea Clan, are investigating the disappearances of the Second Heavenly Lord and the Thirty-Second Heavenly Lord!" (End of this chapter)