"Boy, what's your cultivation level? Even if I had fully recovered my cultivation, I still couldn't break through a ninth-grade formation barrier with my bare hands!"
The methods of Monk Heng truly shocked the Nun.
She naturally knew the power of a ninth-grade formation. Even as the Empress, Mu Qiuyao didn't have a ninth-grade formation to protect the entire Immortal Dynasty.
Shen Zhao smiled faintly, "My current cultivation situation is quite complex, but one thing is certain: I am stronger than you think."
"Realm of Ascension?" Mu Qiuyao was stunned. "Only a Realm of Ascension, which is above the Emperor realm, could possibly possess such terrifying strength."
The Realm of Ascension is also known as the Realm of Divine Beings, meaning the closest realm to the gods. It could be said to be the most extreme cultivation a cultivator could endure before ascending to immortality.
It was just a pity that, currently, on the Immortal Martial Continent, those who could reach the Realm of Ascension, regardless of whether they were human, demon, or beast, were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Moreover, after reaching this realm, they generally no longer concerned themselves with worldly affairs, instead focusing on concealing themselves in the mountains and forests to pursue the true path of immortality.
Shen Zhao shrugged, "You don't need to ask about that. I can't explain it clearly right now. What I need to do is..."
"Monk!"
Before he could finish, the air pressure around them plummeted, thick with killing intent.
The next moment, the Wrathful King of Light and Desire of the Fallen appeared simultaneously.
At the same time, Zhou Yu immediately rushed towards Desire of the Fallen, kneeling on the ground and saying, "Head, this commoner has followed instructions and brought the murderer of the Monk here. I wonder about my sisters..."
"Shut up!" The Wrathful King of Light roared, interrupting Zhou Yu's words, "Your matter will be discussed later. Step back!"
Then, he turned to Shen Zhao and Mu Qiyao, "Demonic cultists, heretical deviants, do you think these petty tricks can fool this one?"
Desire of the Fallen was furious, "Daring to kill within the Buddhist Kingdom, and even a Ling Mountain Monk, you truly deserve to die!"
Shen Zhao widened his eyes, staring fixedly at Zhou Yu: "Bitch, you dared to betray me!"
Zhou Yu lowered her head, not speaking.
The Wrathful King of Light laughed, "Hmph, within the Buddhist Kingdom, all are followers of the Buddha, how could they be bought by heretics? From the moment you killed the Buddha's disciple yesterday, the City of Corpses had already received the secret letter she sent, and already understood everything."
Shen Zhao's face darkened: "So, from the very beginning, you knew I was the fake Monk Heng? Then why didn't you make a move in the Buddha Hall?"
The Wrathful King of Light: "If this seat is not mistaken, the Seat of Wisdom under this seat also died at your hands. Since you can kill a supreme expert, you should be quite strong.
So, this seat simply played along, deliberately maneuvering with you, the purpose was to lure you to this Hall of No Buddha, to see if you could use your hand to break open this Lapis Lazuli Formation!"
Shen Zhao: "How did you know I could break this ninth-grade Lapis Lazuli Formation?"
"It was just a test. Even if it failed, the Buddhist Kingdom wouldn't lose anything, just a waste of time with you." The Wrathful King of Light looked confident, "It's just that, this seat didn't expect you to really be able to break the formation. In this case, the great plan of my Buddhist Kingdom will surely succeed."
Desire of the Fallen sneered, "At this point, you've outlived your usefulness. It's time to end this farce."
Wrathful King of Light said, "But to thank you for your contribution to breaking the formation, this one allows you to choose a dignified death!"
"Oh ho~"
Shen Zhao cracked his neck, looking at them with amusement. "Judging by your words, you seem to think you've already got me?"
Wrathful King of Light: "Do you think you'll be able to leave here alive today?"
Desire of the Fallen: "Senior brother, no need to waste words on them, just quickly deal with them."
"Ha~"
Wrathful King of Light immediately activated his energy, and a vast aura descended upon him, revealing that he was actually at the eighth rank of the Supreme Realm.
"Without the formation, the Hall of No Buddha will be destroyed today!"
The Swastika symbol seal appeared, and the Wrathful King of Light slammed a palm towards Shen Zhao.
Shen Zhao, who had looked gloomy, suddenly shouted, "What are you waiting for!"
As soon as the words fell, Mu Qiuyao, who had been motionless, suddenly burst her clothing, restoring her black robe and flashing forward to meet the Wrathful King of Light with a raised palm.
The Wrathful King of Light's coldness intensified, "A mere Qi Condensation Realm ant, dares to try and stop My might?"
But just as the Wrathful King of Light thought he could blast Mu Qiuyao apart with a single palm, an unexpected event occurred.
At the moment of their palms meeting, the Wrathful King of Light felt as if he had struck a sea of mud. At the same time, the spiritual energy in his sea of qi poured into Mu Qiuyao without end.
"What? This is? Why is my spiritual energy..."
Wrathful King of Light was greatly surprised.
As the Buddhist sect's supremely yang spiritual energy rapidly flowed towards Mu Qiuyao, Mu Qiuyao's hair once again visibly turned black and beautiful, and the color on her face became even richer.
"Not good!"
Desire of the Fallen saw that the situation was not right and decisively stepped in to help.
But Shen Zhao took the lead and directly blocked him with a punch.
Bang~!
Boom~!
A muffled sound accompanied by a slight explosion of the air, and Desire of the Fallen was directly pushed back more than ten yards away.
Feeling his incredibly sore and numb arms, Desire of the Fallen's eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Such a formidable power. Who... exactly are you?"
Shen Zhao immediately burst his clothes. Amidst the flashing light and shadow, he restored his original, valiant appearance.
"Surprised, Senior Brother?"
A playful remark, laced with provocation, twisted Desire of the Fallen's face, causing him to twitch uncontrollably.
"Ah~"
Seeing his cultivation being drained, the Wrathful King of Light roared, burning his lifespan to borrow power, finally breaking free from Mu Qiuyao's restraints.
However, the Wrathful King of Light's complexion was now grim, covered in cold sweat, and his cultivation had also fallen to the second rank of the Supreme Realm.
"What, what's going on?"
As the words left his mouth, Desire of the Fallen let out another miserable scream.
It turned out that Zhou Yu, at some point, had plunged a Vajra Pestle deep into Desire of the Fallen's waist.
Then, taking advantage of Desire of the Fallen's surprise, Zhou Yu quickly ran to Shen Zhao's side.
"You, you…"
Now, Desire of the Fallen and Wrathful King of Light finally realized they had been tricked.
They just couldn't believe where things had gone wrong.
"Surprised, are you?" Shen Zhao, now in control, wore a playful expression.
The Wrathful King of Light and the Desire of the Fallen remained silent.
Shen Zhao said, "The most perfect hunter often lures their prey by appearing as the prey itself. When you thought I was the one who fell into the trap, you had already stepped into the trap I set.
Last night, I had Zhou Yu write and deliver the news of Monk Heng's death to you. The purpose was to make you wary of me.
Only then would you fall into my plan."
Mu Qiuyao continued, "And your cultivation, those of you in the Realm of Divine Beings and above in the Buddhist Sect, your spiritual power is just what I need to lift my restrictions. Although I haven't fully succeeded, I'm more than capable of dealing with you now!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Qiuyao's cultivation of the sixth rank of the Divine Realm was fully displayed, and an imperial aura emanated from her, making people want to worship her.
What Mu Qiuyao had just used was the Heavenly Assimilation Chaos Technique: Assimilation Verse, which Shen Zhao had taught her overnight.
It uses external force for one's own use, breaking through the restraints on one's body. Upon reaching the Great Perfection stage, it can directly form a powerful vortex around the user, inhaling all spiritual energy from the surrounding world, breaking through any shackles and restraints.
Although she had only cultivated for one night, Mu Qiuyao quickly grasped the method of absorbing the spiritual energy of others' cultivation. Thanks to this unexpected advantage, her cultivation recovered surprisingly fast.
"Who are you?"
"Mu Qiuyao, the Empress of the Xuantian Immortal Dynasty!"
"A fine Xuantian Immortal Dynasty, and a fine Empress Mu Qiuyao!"
The Wrathful King of Light gritted his teeth and looked at Shen Zhao, saying, "Using yourself as bait, not hesitating to risk the City of Corpses, young man, your courage is commendable. But have you ever considered how to escape!"
Shen Zhao sneered, "Ten thousand years ago, Master Xuanzang didn't hesitate to travel west to save the Buddhist Kingdom from evil corruption. Compared to such a grand ambition, what does this matter?"
The Wrathful King of Light said, "You really came for the Xuanzang inheritance. It seems you know quite a lot."
Shen Zhao's expression was serious, "What the Buddhist Kingdom does goes against the righteous path. Cultivating for personal gain and exploiting the people is no different from beasts! You, are not worthy of being Buddhas!"
"We are not worthy of being Buddhas? Are you worthy!" Desire of the Fallen roared.
Shen Zhao put his hands together in a prayer: "I am Shen Zhao, dharma name Ranxiu. Today, I will complete Master Xuanzang's unfinished path, sever the karmic hindrances, and restore a pure land to the Buddhist Kingdom!"
"The Buddhist Kingdom is inherently a pure land, where does the talk of karmic hindrances come from!"
"Killing people to take their blood, leaving behind a legacy of harm for ten thousand years, how is that a pure land!"
"People are divided into high and low, they progress in order, eliminating the barriers, and wholeheartedly turning to the Buddha, that is a pure land!"
"The Buddha says all beings are equal, your words are heretical!"
"The suffering of all beings is all due to a stinking skin, clinging to the external, and will ultimately suffer the Desire of the Fallen!"
"Then why don't you take the lead in abandoning this stinking skin?"
"How dare you!"
Defeated in the debate, the Wrathful King of Light was furious. Darkness flashed between his brows as he slammed a palm towards Shen Zhao's head.
However, Shen Zhao didn't dodge.
Just as the palm force was about to reach within three feet of Shen Zhao, the Lapis Lazuli Formation, a ninth-grade formation, activated once more, directly blocking the blow and sending the Wrathful King of Light reeling back over ten yards.
"This is…"
The Wrathful King of Light was stunned.
Even Mu Qiuyao, who was beside Shen Zhao, was stunned.
"Surprised? Actually, I didn't destroy the Lapis Lazuli Formation."
"Impossible!"
The Wrathful King of Light roared, "I saw it with my own eyes, how could I be mistaken? If you didn't destroy the formation, how did you get in?"
Shen Zhao didn't bother to argue with him, and said to Mu Qiuyao and Zhou Yu, "Let's go, to the Hall of No Buddha."
"Okay!"
Watching the three of them leave.
Enraged, the Wrathful King of Light tried to stop them. But as soon as his hand touched the edge of the formation, he was again repelled by a surge of powerful Buddhist energy.
"Damn it!"
With an angry shout, the Wrathful King of Light wanted to forcibly break the formation, but was stopped by Desire of the Fallen: "Senior Brother, don't waste your energy."
The Wrathful King of Light had no choice but to give up. He went to Desire of the Fallen and pulled the Vajra Pestle from his waist. "I will heal you first."
Just then, Sigh of Sorrow and Joy arrived with his people.
Seeing the scene before him, he asked with confusion, "What exactly happened?"
"Don't ask too much. Help me heal the Second Seat's injuries."
Sigh of Sorrow and Joy didn't say much and immediately sat cross-legged to heal Desire of the Fallen.
On the other side, as Shen Zhao and the other two entered the Hall of No Buddha, they saw a high-ranking monk, his body wrapped in bandages, sitting cross-legged in the empty room.
Mu Qiuyao couldn't help but ask, "Kid, I clearly saw you destroy the ninth-grade Lapis Lazuli Formation, so why..."
"Shh, be quiet." Shen Zhao quickly stopped her. "The ninth-grade formation was indeed destroyed,
"It's just that when I was talking to that idiot, I secretly recast the remaining force. The current Lapis Lazuli Formation is at the end of its strength and can only last for three days at most."
Mu Qiuyao immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "Damn, I really didn't expect you to have such skills. Unfortunately, I'm uneducated, so I can only say 'awesome' to describe it."
"Stop the chatter, Your Majesty the Empress. It's your time to shine!"
"Mm!"
Mu Qiuyao walked in front of the high monk and then closed her eyes, activating the Great Profound Dao Body within her.
In the next moment, a phantom appeared behind Mu Qiuyao.
At the same time, the high monk sitting on the ground also radiated with Buddhist light.
As the two converged, Shen Zhao walked in front of the high monk at the right moment and knelt on the ground, making a sincere bow.
"Master Xuanzang, your disciple, Ranxiu, wishes to inherit your legacy, sever the karmic hindrances, and restore a pure land to the Buddhist Kingdom!"
Suddenly, the Buddhist wheel behind Master Xuanzang's remains shone, and Shen Zhao directly entered a void of consciousness.
-----------------------
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