Within the Glazed Pure Land, an earth-shattering roar suddenly erupted.
Rolling outward from within like a surging ocean, the sound swept across the realm.
The first to notice was naturally Master Xuan Du, who was in the midst of breaking through to the Soul Formation realm.
With merely a stir of his divine sense, the sights within the boundless pagoda forest were reflected in his heart.
The moment he caught sight of Luo Chen's true form, he could not help but frown slightly.
"Why do the three heads have different appearances and face in different directions?
"Though this golden body was clearly constructed from a Buddhist divine ability, why does it carry such an eerie, demonic aura?
"Just what sort of thing did he cultivate?"
Luo Chen had mastered Three Heads and Six Arms at such astonishing speed that even Master Xuan Du, who had gifted the technique, could not fathom whether Luo Chen's path of cultivation was right or wrong.
Yet at this juncture, Master Xuan Du had no time for worry or regret.
With the collapse of the Lesser Eight Cold Hells, Luo Chen's long roar had already reverberated throughout the entire Glazed Pure Land.
The gathered experts who had entered the realm instantly felt an overwhelming, towering might surging directly toward them.
Dafan Tianzi shot into the sky, soaring over layer upon layer of pagoda forests to gaze toward that "monster."
With just a single glance, his pupils shrank.
"Three Heads and Six Arms?
"No, that isn't right!"
As the foremost powerhouse of the Monan Royal Court, an eminent Great Cultivator acknowledged across the entire Western Desert, he was no stranger to people wielding this divine ability.
Yet not one of them had ever been so bizarre.
Behind him, Xiao Yan, Tapo, and the Tuluo Sangha had caught up, gazing from afar at the giant roaring toward the heavens.
Shock involuntarily crept into their eyes.
Right at that moment!
One of the monster's heads turned to look from afar, its crimson eyes and golden pupils flaring with a biting divine light.
"Are these the enemies who wish to hinder Master Xuan Du's breakthrough?"
Amidst the rumbling resonance, the monster's six arms pinched incantation seals in unison, drawing vast quantities of world spiritual qi toward him.
Without a single superfluous word, the arts took shape in the blink of an eye!
A colossal palm print struck across the void, plowing through a thousand zhang straight toward Dafan Tianzi.
Not only that, but behind that colossal palm print, a fire phoenix spread its wings, scattering trails of fiery shooting stars with extraordinary majesty. A flaming dragon descended upon the world, its roars threatening total annihilation.
The azure palm, the fire phoenix, and the flaming dragon—all three techniques unleashed together, targeting all four figures!
Dafan Tianzi's eyes gleamed sharply. "Taking on four alone? What audacity!"
Without hesitation, he thrust out a palm in kind. The surrounding world spiritual qi stirred with his movement, condensing into a swastika palm seal.
It was none other than the Dafan Sacred Seal with which Dafan Tianzi had made his name!
Under an undeniable impact, the two colossal palm prints, one azure and one gold, collided.
*Boom!*
The clash of extreme magic power and the surging discharge of boundless spiritual qi whipped their robes into frantic snaps and caused their skin to tremble.
The other two attacks, however, were not so easily weathered.
Xiao Yan and Tapo shared a close relationship. With silent rapport, they struck together, releasing their magic treasures to parry the winged fire phoenix.
Meanwhile, the haggard, gaunt Tuluo Sangha loosened his monastic robe to reveal bulging muscles, throwing a punch straight at the descending flaming dragon!
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Almost simultaneously, violent detonations echoed throughout the Glazed Pure Land.
Moments later, two figures coughed up blood, tumbling backward several dozen zhang in disarray.
The Tuluo Sangha let out a muffled grunt as well, his feet sinking deep into the earth.
Only Dafan Tianzi remained standing in the distance, hands clasped behind his back.
Yet a closer look would have revealed a faint tremor in the right hand he had struck with.
Frowning, he called out in a resonant voice, "Fellow Daoist, it is a misunderstanding!"
Amidst the hazy currents of qi, a figure suddenly flew out from the white pagoda forest.
The grotesque visage of three heads and six arms was nowhere to be seen; there was only a tall, straight silhouette outlined in a white Daoist robe, a handsome face beneath a flat mountain high crown, and a pair of eyes whose restrained divine light seemed capable of seeing through all creation.
The moment Luo Chen emerged from the forest, his gaze fell upon the four of them.
"A misunderstanding? Could it be that you did not come to obstruct Master Xuan Du?"
Beholding Luo Chen's true appearance, particularly in contrast to the monster from moments ago, Dafan Tianzi felt a pang of admiration.
He explained immediately, "Though I revere the Buddha, I am no blind devotee. Entering this place was merely to catch a glimpse of the legendary Pure Land's scenery."
"Oh? Is that so?" Luo Chen raised a brow, then turned an ambiguous smile toward the other three. "What about you?"
Xiao Yan glared in fury. As the sovereign of a nation, born to noble stature, he had never been reduced to such a pathetic state.
Striking without a single word of discussion—the man was an utter brute.
More humiliating still was that even joining forces with Tapo had nearly failed to withstand that single strike. It was a glaring disgrace.
Yet before he could speak, the enchantingly lovely Tapo pulled him back.
Tapo gave him a grave shake of her head, then turned toward Luo Chen with a graceful curtsy.
"Fellow Daoist worries overmuch. The two of us merely came inside to look as well."
Luo Chen let out an "oh," his gaze falling upon the ascetic monk whose mottled golden body remained sunk deep in the ground.
The Tuluo Sangha raised his head, meeting Luo Chen's gaze without subservience or arrogance.
"As an eminent expert from beyond this domain, how could you fall to the path of heretical demons?"
Luo Chen gave an easy laugh. "It seems this fellow Daoist has come to vanquish demons and subdue monsters. In that case, I need have no reservations in my strikes."
Amidst his hearty laughter, his figure vanished before everyone's horrified eyes.
Only faint, dazzling sparks of fire remained in his wake.
The Tuluo Sangha's expression shifted drastically. He instinctively threw a punch forward.
*Boom!*
The fist struck as though hitting a solid reef, unleashing boundless waves of qi.
Amidst the scattering sparks, Luo Chen's figure slowly materialized.
In the distance, Dafan Tianzi murmured under his breath, "A fire escape art."
Xiao Yan and Tapo exchanged a bewildered glance.
It was not that they had never seen the Five Elements Escape Arts, but they had never witnessed a fire escape technique so sublime.
Carrying not the slightest trace of smoke or fire, and without visible incantation seals or mantras, he had simply melted away into the void like a phantom.
How had he accomplished this?
They did not know, and only Dafan Tianzi's face betrayed uncertainty.
An ordinary fire escape art certainly could not achieve this degree of mastery.
Yet if someone had comprehended the Fire Origin, they could naturally capture the fire-attribute spiritual qi ubiquitous throughout heaven and earth, slipping away with effortless grace.
Rumors held that Luo Chen of the Eastern Desolation's Danzong was an unmatched prodigy who had comprehended the true intent of laws ahead of his time. Could it truly be this Fire Origin?
No one answered their doubts.
As the one directly involved, the Tuluo Sangha felt an unmatched, mountainous force crashing down upon him like toppling peaks and churning seas.
Even more, a crude and primal force surged through the point of impact, coursing violently through his entire body.
His sleeves snapped back, shredding inch by inch.
His tendons bulged; his blood boiled.
Seeing this, Luo Chen raised a brow.
"An ascetic discipline? Quite the defense!"
Giving a word of praise, Luo Chen suddenly withdrew his step, then closed in with fluid speed.
Melting into a blur, he took spectral steps, circling around the Tuluo Sangha.
Though his movement was fleeting and ghostly, his strikes fell like a raging tempest.
Fingers, palms, fists, claws, flicks, slaps, catches, smashes—eight interconnected styles infused with source power, detonating all at once.
Overlord Sheds Armor!
Having executed this, Luo Chen drifted back.
The Tuluo Sangha remained standing in place, his eyes somewhat blank.
The next instant!
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Across his gaunt yet mighty physique, burst after burst of blood mist exploded in succession.
"*Ah!*"
A shrill scream ripped through the air.
In midair, Dafan Tianzi's pupils constricted.
"The Tuluo Sangha's Candana Golden Body has been broken!"
As the most renowned body refinement expert in the Monan Royal Court, the Tuluo Sangha's Candana Golden Body was famous far and wide—a formidable Flawless Golden Body reputed to withstand true artifacts with bare flesh.
This had been plain to see earlier, when he had resisted Luo Chen's Flaming Dragon Descent all on his own.
Yet in just two exchanges, the man had shattered it.
*If it were me, how many moves would it take?* Dafan Tianzi asked himself, but the answer was already obvious: it would take well over a dozen.
"Stop!"
"Don't!"
Cries of alarm rang out from the side.
Looking again, Dafan Tianzi saw an exceedingly sharp platinum sword qi condensing at the white-robed Daoist's fingertips.
He intended to deal a lethal blow!
With his golden body broken and his protective astral qi hemorrhaging outward, the battered Tuluo Sangha knelt half on the ground, watching the white-robed Daoist approach step by step, his eyes filled with despair.
Suddenly, Luo Chen's steps halted.
He looked helplessly toward the Buddhist temple veiled in moonbeams in the distance.
"Master, you asked me to protect you, yet you also want me to stay my hand. You are making things quite difficult!"
Though he grumbled, the platinum sword qi in his hand truly dispersed.
He glanced at the Tuluo Sangha with a light snort, uttering no mockery, and flew off toward a gazebo.
Xiao Yan and Tapo exchanged a glance before descending cautiously to help the Tuluo Sangha up, producing medicinal pills to treat his wounds.
Though given to luxury and enjoyment, they too revered and offered devotion to the Buddha.
Ascetic monks like the Tuluo Sangha commanded their deepest respect.
Dafan Tianzi took a look, then strode into the gazebo alone.
"Fellow Daoist mentioned protecting Master Xuan Du. Might I ask who the enemy is?"
Luo Chen glanced up at the tall, richly attired man who looked like a heavenly deity, the corners of his lips curving slightly.
"You know my background, yet I do not even know your name. Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
Dafan Tianzi paused, then let out a self-deprecating laugh.
He enjoyed immense renown in the Western Desert, and few high-tier cultivators failed to recognize him, which had made him overlook the formality.
Luo Chen had hailed from another continent and had risen to prominence relatively recently; it was only natural that he would not know him.
Forming a Daoist salute, he said solemnly, "I am the ruler of the Monan Ludou Kingdom. The world calls me Dafan Tianzi."
Hearing his title, Luo Chen looked upon him with a touch of newfound regard.
Though Dafan was not part of the mainstream Buddhist sects revered across the Western Desert, he was hailed as a creator deity among several branches.
For this man to adopt such a Daoist title and still thrive spoke volumes of his extraordinary capability.
Moreover, having withstood a strike of his earlier on his own only underscored his remarkable strength.
Seeing that the other had taken the initiative to show goodwill, Luo Chen waved his hand, placing a wine pot upon the stone table in the gazebo.
Seeing it, Dafan Tianzi smiled wryly. "This is a Buddhist pure land, after all. Imbibing wine might be somewhat sacrilegious."
Thinking this over, Luo Chen agreed and stowed the wine away. "Then you do the honors!"
Dafan Tianzi shook his head in resignation. He brought out an exquisite tea set, ignited true fire to boil water, and began brewing spiritual tea, though the curiosity in his eyes had not faded in the slightest.
With the stage set, Luo Chen had no reason to withhold anything.
He said slowly, "The Hanging Temple!"
The Glazed Pure Land's great enemy was the Western Desert's sacred ground, the Hanging Temple?
Just about to pour the tea, Dafan Tianzi's hand froze in midair, his face etched with disbelief.
"How is that possible?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Luo Chen countered.
Dafan Tianzi blurted instinctively, "The Glazed Pure Land originally came from the Hanging Temple, and Master Xuan Du was once the First Seat of the Medicine King Court, one of the eight great courts. Why would the Hanging Temple move against him?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly, taking the teapot of his own accord to pour himself a cup.
"You know that Master Xuan Du came from the Hanging Temple. In that case, who else in the entire Western Desert would dare make an enemy of him besides the Hanging Temple?"
Dafan Tianzi fell silent.
That logic seemed unassailable.
He suddenly recalled Master Xuan Du's warning when they had first entered the Glazed Pure Land.
A Buddhist Tribulation?
An internal catastrophe within Buddhism!
Dafan Tianzi could not help but chuckle bitterly. "I have truly walked into an unwarranted disaster!"
Luo Chen took a sip of the spiritual tea and nodded slightly in appreciation; the tea was exceptional!
He chuckled. "It is not too late to leave now."
To his surprise, Dafan Tianzi shook his head.
"Having come this far, how could I simply leave? I also wish to see how you will display your divine might and drive back such a formidable foe when the time comes."
Luo Chen gave him a half-smile. "I only hope that you won't turn your coat when the moment arrives."
Dafan Tianzi waved a hand dismissively. "Lest you misunderstand, years ago the Hanging Temple invited me to assume the position of First Seat of the Prajna Hall, and I declined. In the battle to come, I hold no allegiance whatsoever; I am merely an onlooker."
Then, he asked curiously, "When will the monks of the Hanging Temple arrive?"
"I do not know, but they will come eventually."
"How many experts will they bring?"
"I do not know that either, though likely quite a few."
"Do you have confidence, Fellow Daoist?"
"Alone, it might be somewhat strenuous. But I am not alone in this battle."
Dafan Tianzi instinctively turned his gaze toward another direction.
A boundless sea of bamboo, lush and emerald green.
With his divine sense, he could naturally detect another formidable aura coiled in reserve within.
Was Demon Emperor Qingshuang, reputed to be the foremost figure below the Soul Formation realm, taking part in this battle as well?
According to intelligence, Luo Chen of Danzong had once engaged in a life-and-death clash with Demon Emperor Qingshuang in the vast desert.
If he had previously doubted that Luo Chen possessed such terrifying strength, their brief exchange earlier had thoroughly convinced him that this Eastern Desolation expert stood as Qingshuang's equal.
With the two strongest individuals below the Soul Formation realm in today's Mountain Sea Realm joining hands, what sort of lineup would the Hanging Temple need to dispatch to defeat them and stop Master Xuan Du from breaking through to Soul Formation?
Dafan Tianzi did not know, yet his curiosity was entirely stoked.
Pursing his lips, he smiled. "Waiting is always tedious. Do you play weiqi, Fellow Daoist?"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up. "I dabble, but I am hardly a master. If you wish, I would be glad to accompany you for a game or two."
"No, allow me to accompany you."
With a light chuckle, Dafan Tianzi brought out a board and stones, setting them upon the stone table.
A clear breeze swept out from the bamboo sea, and the gazebo fell tranquil.
Their conversation had not been concealed, so Xiao Yan and the other two had overheard it as well.
Learning that the Hanging Temple would soon invade, their expressions shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions.
The Tuluo Sangha, whose golden body had been shattered by Luo Chen, wore an especially restless, eager look.
Luo Chen seemed utterly oblivious, focusing his attention within the square boundaries of the board.
His chess skills were indeed far from masterly; he had merely received a few pointers from Fu Qinglan during idle days in the Central Plains.
Playing against Dafan Tianzi, he soon fell into a disadvantage.
Yet he did not care, hardly investing much thought into the game at all.
All of his attention was turned inward.
After achieving initial mastery in the Three Heads and Six Arms divine ability, though the fundamental quality of his physical body had not grown vastly stronger, his actual combat strength had truly surged.
This improvement stemmed from the separation and refinement of his internal powers.
Now, the magic power coursed along his meridians and acupoints to converge within his Purple Mansion, source power saturated his flesh, bones, and tendons, and other elemental energies were distributed among his viscera.
Once battle began, his magic power responded like an extension of his arms, while his source power was ubiquitous.
He reasoned that even if Qingshuang were to employ her old methods again, she would likely be unable to suppress his flesh rebirth, allowing him to maintain peak condition at all times.
And should he unleash the Three Heads and Six Arms divine ability, his strength would soar even higher.
Because once his powers were partitioned, he would no longer be constrained by the dilemma of only being able to execute one or two methods simultaneously.
When the time came, his profound divine soul foundation and mighty, ever-shifting physique, paired with his myriad energies, would allow him to cast numerous techniques all at once.
Just like before—the Qingyang Great Handprint, Fire Phoenix Conflagration, and Flaming Dragon Descent, all three arts unleashed in a single breath!
And that had merely been a trial run.
If paired with his various magic treasures...
*I wonder what my odds would be if I fought Qingshuang again now?*
Without realizing it, game after game had concluded upon the board.
Dafan Tianzi maintained the upper hand throughout, leaving him ample leisure to observe Luo Chen.
To his astonishment, not once from start to finish had the man displayed the slightest hint of worry.
It was as though a formidable foe like the Hanging Temple could not faze him in the least.
*Is it arrogance, or supreme confidence?*
No one answered him.
The only test would be the impending battle.
And that day...
"They're here!"
Three days later, Luo Chen swept away the board where he was hopelessly losing.
Dafan Tianzi cried out in exasperation, "I was just about to win!"
Luo Chen rose slowly to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back as he gazed into the distance.
Playing chess wasn't his strong suit.
Flipping the table, however—that was something he had plenty of experience doing.
Chapter 989