Poor Taoist Qiu Chuji

Chapter 387 Crashing into the Third World
"Uh! You...!"

"This is···!"

"How is this possible!" The Five-Light Flame Buddha was in a state of chaos, even more unacceptable and bewildering than when he had been defeated by a junior like Qiu Chuji.

How long has it been since that person took on a disciple?
How could it be possible to suddenly accept another disciple after such a long time?

In fact, this is also due to the limited vision of the Flame Five Lights Buddha, who is a great immortal confined to a large mythological world.

If he had transcended the limitations of the world, or achieved the greatness of Ronaldo, he wouldn't think that way.

He will know that that person actually has many, many, many disciples throughout the myriad realms.

"Actually, there is no irreconcilable conflict between us."

"Although there is a dispute, I am always the one who suffers the loss!" The Five-Light Buddha of Flames felt extremely aggrieved and was already prepared to temporarily back down. Although he was not convinced and still had his eyes on the Heaven-Mending Stone, he also knew that what the second-generation disciples of the Chan Sect had eaten could not be so easily spat out. That person was famous for protecting his own, and the unity of the Chan Sect disciples was even more famous.

Qiu Chuji looked at the Fiery Five-Light Buddha, who was arrogant at first but obsequious later, and whose appearance was laughable, but he did not lower his guard against him.

Although Ma Shan, also known as the Flame Five Lights Buddha, was a minor character with little memorable moments in the Investiture of the Gods war, that was because there were too many powerful figures who emerged during the war. In fact, being able to survive that great calamity unscathed was itself a testament to his abilities.

Does being weak and inconspicuous mean you can escape a major disaster?

Many people have something to say.

Seeing that Qiu Chuji was merely playing with the Jade Void Bell and was reluctant to make a definitive conclusion about the previous conflict, the Five-Light Flame Buddha was indeed a little flustered.

Although he had the ancient Buddha Dipankara as his backer, the ancient Buddha Dipankara had long since departed to roam the void, and his gaze had not been on this world for a long time. Moreover, compared to the 'numerous and powerful' forces, how could the lineage of the ancient Buddha Dipankara compare to the immortals of the Chan Sect?
As for using his own identity to instigate conflict between Buddhism and Taoism?

The Five-Colored Flame Buddha is still quite capable; he doesn't have the foundation or qualifications for that.

If this stalemate continues, we can't win a fight, we can't run away, and we can't use our power to intimidate others. In short, it's frustrating!

"Compared to me, Brother Dao, you should be more careful of that scoundrel Yin Hong!" The Five-Colored Flame Buddha began to divert Qiu Chuji's attention, ultimately choosing to sacrifice his friend rather than himself.

"Who is Yin Hong?" Qiu Chuji pretended not to know.

Upon hearing Qiu Chuji's reply, the Five-Light Flame Buddha breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "That's the lame Taoist priest whose leg was crippled by Erlang Shen's glare! He is Yin Hong!"

"The second son of King Zhou of Shang, the second crown prince of Yin Shang, the younger brother of Yin Jiao, and the disciple of Chi Jingzi..."

Qiu Chuji said, "So it was him! Shouldn't he have turned to ashes in the great calamity long ago? How is he still alive?"

The Five-Colored Flame Buddha said, "The Yin and Yang energies are the most mysterious. He once controlled the Yin-Yang Mirror for a period of time and hid a section of his Yin body in the mirror. He even managed to avoid the detection of the Red Essence. After the calamity dissipated, this Yin body avoided the cycle of reincarnation in the underworld and quietly reincarnated, regaining a physical body and rebuilding his magical power."

"Now he has made a replica of a magic mirror that can reflect the yin and yang of bones. Although it is far inferior to the real Yin-Yang Mirror, it is still a vicious and ruthless magic weapon. Fellow Daoist, you must be wary!"

In just a few words, the Five-Light Flame Buddha completely betrayed Yin Hong, showing no trace of affection whatsoever.

Logically speaking, although Qiu Chuji had a powerful background, the Five-Colored Flame Buddha shouldn't be so afraid of him.

Moreover, if we really talk about the logic, Qiu Chuji's actions were a case of extortion and plunder, and he wasn't entirely in the right.

But the Buddha of Five Flames understood perfectly. Although Yin Hong was born into the Chan Sect and was one of the third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect in the past, he had long since betrayed it. Later, he found some connections and started to have dealings with the Buddhist sect, but he was just an outsider and was driven to do some dirty work.

This kind of person has no future and no prospects.

What's wrong with betraying such a guy to gain Qiu Chuji's 'friendship' and salvage some of the losses?

Moreover, the Five-Light Buddha of Flames' actions weren't entirely a backstab; he also intended to buy time to prevent Qiu Chuji from taking direct action. Even if he didn't kill him, inflicting massive true injuries that would prevent him from leaving the sect for at least several hundred years would be an unbearable consequence for Qiu Chuji.

Selling some of Yin Hong's less-than-truthful secrets in exchange for a buffer period is a very worthwhile deal for the Flame Five Lights Buddha.

"Why should I be careful of him? No matter what he is, can he really harm me?" Qiu Chuji then asked the Flaming Five-Light Buddha, appearing somewhat 'naive'.

Hearing Qiu Chuji's tone, the Five-Colored Flame Buddha remained silent for a few breaths, appalled by Qiu Chuji's shamelessness, before putting on a smile again.

"The Heaven-Mending Stone is icing on the cake for me. After all, I come from a good family and have been cultivating with my master for many years. Although I have not achieved great success, it is not impossible for me to attain the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit in the future."

"But Yin Hong is different. He does not belong to the three religions and needs to hide his whereabouts in order to avoid being purged. The Heaven-Mending Stone is a method of escape that he has been planning for a long time... His identity and background cannot withstand investigation. If he wants to return to the right path, he must completely hide his past. Only a treasure like the Heaven-Mending Stone in the Three Realms can help him."

"His original intention was to let the Divine Stone Attendant become tainted by worldly affairs in the mortal realm, and after he had a great enlightenment, he would guide him into the Dao. After refining a large amount of the Qi of Creation and completely changing his form and spirit, he would possess his body. In this way, with the creation of the Heaven-Mending Stone and the identity of the Divine Stone Attendant as cover, unless it was... face to face, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal might not be able to see through him directly."

"Now, the Heaven-Mending Stone will be obtained for you, Brother Dao..."

Qiu Chuji played with the jade pendant, saying, "It's mine! Since the Empress didn't object, it's mine!"

"Ah! Yes! Fellow Daoist, you are truly blessed. This item is destined for you. But who is Yin Hong? Is he someone who understands the workings of fate? His years of scheming have come to naught. I fear his resentment will be directed at you, Fellow Daoist!"

"I hope you will make preparations soon!" The Five-Light Flame Buddha said on the surface, but in his heart he thought to himself, "Why is Yin Hong so unreliable? He and Qiu Chuji have been fighting in this outer heaven for so long, why hasn't Yin Hong come yet?"
If Yin Hong were to come, the two of them combined might be able to snatch the Spirit Jade back from Qiu Chuji's hands.

The fact that the Buddha of Five Flames was wary of Qiu Chuji's background does not mean that he was completely restrained.

Ultimately, Qiu Chuji revealing his identity only prevented the Five-Light Buddha of Flames from using his Buddhist authority to intimidate others, and the two sides returned to a direct confrontation.

This submissive attitude is half genuine and half feigned.

The old man's emotions were complex, and his attitude was constantly shifting.

Qiu Chuji, of course, did not relax in the slightest because of the cooperation shown by the Five-Colored Flame Buddha.

He thought that the reason Yin Hong didn't appear was because Yang Jian stopped him.

With its primordial spirit perception possessing the characteristics of a Great Luo, it was able to detect the fluctuation of two auras from a distance of approximately 100,000 miles in the void.

That would most likely be Yang Jian and Yin Hong.

The thought began to fade, and countless thought clones dissipated into nothingness. These thought clones, formed with a thought that bursts forth in an instant as their core and the primordial energy of heaven and earth as their body, are easy to use and convenient, and do not place much burden on the user, but they obviously cannot last long.

If Qiu Chuji could solve the problem of persistence... even if it was just extending the time from a few hours to several months or even a few days, it would be enough for him to take this technique to another level.

After all, the strength of a fleeting thought clone depends not only on one's own thoughts and inspiration, but also on the concentration of the surrounding primordial energy.

If the concentration of primordial energy in heaven and earth is insufficient, and more of one's own energy needs to be drawn to replenish it, then the deterrent power and terror of this battle technique will be greatly reduced.

For example, the Outer Heaven is a place where the primordial energy of heaven and earth surges and swells, so Qiu Chuji and the Five-Light Flame Buddha can freely produce troops and have a large number of thought clones with power levels comparable to their normal state in a short period of time. However, if it were the mortal world beneath their feet, the relatively scarce primordial energy of heaven and earth would hardly meet their needs for producing troops, and this tactic would passively become useless.

Extending the existence time of thought clones means being able to prepare in advance, and when the time comes to open them up, release a large number of thought clones to overwhelm the opponent with sheer numbers.

"Actually, I could also choose to use the Jade Void Bell to gather a batch of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in advance, and then use the Jade Void Bell above my head before the battle to condense a large number of thought clones."

"This is actually quite similar to being in an environment rich in primordial energy." As Qiu Chuji was thinking, he suddenly felt one of the two distant auras accelerate and rush towards him.

Looking closely, the lame Taoist, despite being blocked by Yang Jian, suddenly increased his speed by nearly ten times, and in an instant, he left Yang Jian behind.

“Golden-Winged Roc…!” Qiu Chuji’s eyes flashed slightly. He had also learned a flying technique that imitated the Golden-Winged Roc, so he was quite familiar with the method by which the lame Taoist temporarily shook off Yang Jian and recognized some of its 'essence'.

Without considering the methods of spacetime transformation that bypass speed, let's focus solely on the intuitive speed transfer.

In the ordinary mythological world, the Golden Crow transforming into a rainbow and the Golden-Winged Roc soaring through the sky are both top-tier speed techniques.

Yang Jian couldn't catch up immediately, but he wasn't in a hurry to chase after him. A three-pointed double-edged sword appeared in his hand, and he slashed it out from afar.

The spreading spatial rifts overcame the barrier of distance and stood in front of Yin Hong.

Let the facts tell him that running fast is useless.

At their level, having an advantage based on a single attribute is no longer enough to truly gain an advantage.

Yin Hong plunged headfirst into the spatial rift, his Yin and Yang energies spinning wildly. He was about to be swallowed up by the fragments of the void. If this continued, even if he did not perish, his physical body would be torn to shreds by the turbulent void.

Yin Hong will likely be forced to release his primordial spirit and find a new physical body to undergo further refinement. His thousand years of cultivation will be wasted.

But Yin Hong's reaction surprised everyone present. As the Yin and Yang energies swirled, his primordial spirit partially emerged, controlling the Yin and Yang energies to create a faint, thin yet terrifying and powerful Tai Chi diagram.

Upon seeing this picture, even Yang Jian, whose expression had remained calm, slightly changed his demeanor.

Qiu Chuji became even more alert and with a wave of his hand, he protected the Five-Colored Flame Buddha in front of him.

Even though the spatial rifts spreading before them came from all directions, the area in front of them was still the place with the strongest impact.

Crash!

It was like being pushed onto a sandcastle.

The spatial rift cleaved open by Yang Jian was rotated by the faint Tai Chi pattern, transforming into a terrifying void storm.

As the storm swept in, it was difficult for any living being caught in it to escape.

Yin and Yang can only be considered terrifying, but when Yin and Yang transform into the Tai Chi diagram, it almost encompasses the Three Realms and Six Paths, and all such beings have nowhere to escape.

This is a more advanced form of rule coverage than the Five Elements.

No one expected that Yin Hong had such a trump card hidden.

His original physical body perished beneath the Taiji Diagram, but he actually gained a trace of the true meaning of the Taiji Diagram as a result, which he incorporated into his Yin and Yang energies, hiding it as a trump card until now.

Just as the Five-Colored Flame Buddha said, the Sky-Mending Stone was truly a 'lifeline' for Yin Hong.

If he doesn't want to continue sinking into depravity, becoming a destitute and wandering cultivator who can never rise again, living in constant fear and hiding his tracks, then he must rely on the blessings of the Heaven-Mending Stone to completely change his origins.

Even if he has to use all his trump cards, he will still take back the Sky-Mending Stone.

"Give me back the Heaven-Mending Stone!" Yin Hong's desolate voice echoed and broke out from the turbulent void.

The golden Buddha statue with five-colored flames in front of Qiu Chuji was broken, and golden Buddha blood flowed all over its body, making it look extremely miserable.

He had fought Qiu Chuji for so long without being seriously injured, but Yin Hong's sudden outburst nearly destroyed his golden body, which he had cultivated for many years.

"Yin Hong... aim better!"

"Ouch... You've destroyed at least eight hundred years of my cultivation, you have to compensate me!" Flame Five Lights Buddha said through gritted teeth, but then turned his head and his golden body transformed into three heads and six faces, with twelve arms, each holding a magic weapon, intending to interfere with Qiu Chuji and make Qiu Chuji fall into the void turbulence and be unable to extricate himself.

At the same time, Yin Hong used the power of a wisp of the Taiji Diagram to stabilize the primordial energy of heaven and earth, blocking its flow and preventing Qiu Chuji from rapidly deploying troops on a large scale by generating thoughts.

Qiu Chuji's newly drafted troop-bursting strategy had only shown its power once when it encountered its 'natural enemy' and was utterly destroyed.

"Hold on to the left! Follow me!" Yang Jian's reliable voice came through.

Qiu Chuji subconsciously transferred all his true qi to the left side of his body, while simultaneously raising the Dragon Bone Sword in his hand.

Click!

The void shattered completely. Yang Jian, wielding a three-pointed double-edged sword and clad in silver armor, pressed his spear against Qiu Chuji's dragon bone sword. Using the turbulent void, the two broke through the barrier of this world and entered another world.

Yang Jian's strategy was simple: Yin Hong had already revealed his trump card and had an absolute home-field advantage, so they should not fight under the cover of the Taiji diagram's illusion. Instead, they should move to another place and continue to discuss the outcome.

If Yin Hong could freely use techniques like the illusory Taiji diagram, then he probably wouldn't need to use the Heaven-Mending Stone to alter the original.

This illusory figure must have been the culmination of many years of his work.

(End of this chapter)