Wei Yuan wore a look of calm composure, entirely unaffected by the provocation.
The two remained at an impasse across the border of Qingming for a long time before Boundless Radiance let out a soft sigh and said, "Will that dharma body of yours in the Sea of Bitterness never emerge from the water?"
Wei Yuan sneered. At his thought, his dharma body in the Sea of Bitterness moved, ducking downward until only a pair of eyes peeked above the water's surface, leaving even the grand Bodhisattva at a loss for words.
She pointed with a finger, and the Heaven of Joy and Bliss actually began to rise through the Sea of Bitterness, slowly pushing Wei Yuan's dharma body up out of the water.
In Immortal Heaven, within Yanshi's courtyard, Zhu Yan raised his eyebrows and said, "The Pure Land truly goes too far! Do you have any ideas?"
Yanshi gave a wry smile. "What ideas could I possibly have? After all, they are clashing in the Sea of Bitterness, which is the Pure Land's home ground. No matter how far our reach extends, we cannot stretch that far. Who could have known Wei Yuan would place a piece in the Sea of Bitterness? It is far beyond our reach—there is simply nothing to be done."
"And what of the King Buddha? Is it dead? Why hasn't there been the slightest stir?"
Yanshi sighed. "With a figure of that stature, every move carries profound meaning. Failing to guess is only normal; guessing correctly is merely a stroke of luck. It may well be that Wei Yuan is just one of his many pawns."
Zhu Yan rose to his feet and said, "Still, we cannot simply sit by and watch. I'll go slaughter a few of those thieving baldies—besiege Wei to rescue Zhao!"
Yanshi silently pinched his fingers in divination, then shook his head. "It won't work. Even if you besiege Wei, you won't rescue Zhao. Boundless Radiance will surely pay you no heed. Everyone the Pure Land currently has active outside is bait, waiting for you to kill them. If you truly strike, you will walk right into their trap—it will only waste your lethal moves, and those you slay can even use death to attain their Dao."
Zhu Yan slowly sat back down, frowning. "Why must it be so troublesome?"
"The Pure Land is just that troublesome. Moreover, this situation is unique. Wei Yuan essentially built a nest right in their backyard; naturally, they would swarm to attack him."
"Can we truly do nothing but watch?"
Yanshi's expression darkened as he said, "Naturally not! It's just that the Pure Land's path of Dao is peculiar. Slaying their physical bodies does little good; even if both form and spirit are destroyed, so long as the fruition remains intact, a newcomer will emerge before long. Thus, if we want to strike where it hurts, we must target their fruitions!" As he spoke, Yanshi produced a small wooden box and gently pushed it open. Inside lay three lifelike wooden carvings of Arhats.
Yanshi's voice turned cold: "I have been preparing for years, and success is now at hand. These three Arhat fruitions have already been deciphered. However, destroying even one requires consuming at least two immortal artifacts. The price is not small."
Zhu Yan said slowly, "With the Pure Land behaving this way, we must deal them a head-on blow. We cannot tolerate this! Immortal artifacts are merely worldly possessions; if they are spent, so be it. But how certain are you?"
Yanshi said, "Although these three are only fruitions that have newly severed the delusions of view, not particularly high among Arhats, they are nonetheless fruitions that do not enter reincarnation and enjoy perpetual freedom. If we choose one of the three to sever, it is guaranteed to succeed."
Zhu Yan then took out two immortal artifacts, handed them to Yanshi, and said, "These two are artifacts used by the founding ancestor of my Haotian Abbey. Their rank is not low, which should add another ten percent to our odds. Can it be guaranteed?"
Yanshi accepted the immortal artifacts and said, "Guaranteed! But if we do this, we and the Pure Land will become sworn enemies of the Dao, locked in an unending struggle across future generations of disciples. Whether this brings good or ill to future disciples remains to be seen."
Zhu Yan said coldly, "Judging by the Pure Land's actions today, haven't they already treated my Palace of Grand Beginning as an enemy of the Dao? That is a question they should have considered in the first place. Since they do not care, why should my Palace of Grand Beginning be afraid?"
Yanshi nodded and said, "Preparations will take some time. I hope Wei Yuan can hold out. If all else fails, abandoning his foundation in the Sea of Bitterness is no great loss. I just don't know whether he has the resolve to do so."
Zhu Yan said nothing, merely watching the Sea of Bitterness. Yanshi, meanwhile, stood up and stepped into the main hall to begin arranging the formation.
In the Sea of Bitterness, as the Heaven of Joy and Bliss rose, Wei Yuan shifted from sitting to lying flat, yet his body was still lifted uncontrollably out of the water. Only, the first part to break the surface was not the tip of his nose.
Seeing this, Boundless Radiance frowned. "A dignified mortal Realm Lord, yet you display such a vulgar posture?"
Wei Yuan let out a sigh. "I didn't want to either, but there's no helping it. It's just that big."
Even though Boundless Radiance had lived through countless reincarnations, she froze for a moment before realizing what Wei Yuan meant. Not appearing angry in the slightest, she said indifferently, "Since that is so, I shall eliminate this root of vexation on your behalf."
Then, a massive hand of light descended from on high, pressing down toward the Sea of Bitterness! Everything exposed above the sea's surface was to be obliterated.
Wei Yuan was horrified. He let out a strange cry, but the hand of light was already upon him!
The giant hand swept across the Sea of Bitterness, instantly flattening every wave across this patch of water. But Boundless Radiance frowned slightly; she had not felt herself strike anything.
By now, the Heaven of Joy and Bliss had fully surfaced from the Sea of Bitterness, but Wei Yuan was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, ripples surged beside the Heaven of Joy and Bliss. Wei Yuan clutched its rim and poked his head out, looking thoroughly shaken. He yelled at the sky, "You're a grand Bodhisattva, after all—how could you play so dirty? Lewd rogue!"
Boundless Radiance's voice remained tranquil: "In my eyes, all physical bodies are no different from rotting dirt and foul mud. Benefactor clings to appearances."
As she spoke, a finger suddenly descended from the sky, pointing straight at Wei Yuan's head! This finger struck with blinding speed—having only just appeared above the Fifth Layer of Heaven, it was already right before Wei Yuan's eyes!
Wei Yuan reacted just as swiftly, immediately submerging under the water and diving beneath the Heaven of Joy and Bliss. Only after the finger vanished did he poke his head out again. Boundless Radiance had not expected Wei Yuan to disregard his dignity so completely. This seemed entirely inconsistent with the rumors about him. Not to mention, Qingming's newly minted title had already spread across the realms, and even she had heard of it.
She pondered briefly, then called out, "Shanle."
Shanle manifested in the Third Layer of Heaven and gave a bow.
Boundless Radiance said, "The Heaven of Joy and Bliss was originally your place of enlightenment, yet now it has become a hiding place for an heretical villain. I intend to use great dharma power to eliminate this demon and uphold the Dao, which may entangle you in karmic debt."
Shanle said, "Past cause, present effect. The Heaven of Joy and Bliss came into being because of me; the karmic debt naturally belongs to me. Bodhisattva, please proceed without hesitation. All karmic debt shall be borne by this humble monk."
Boundless Radiance nodded. "Good. To plunge oneself into the Sea of Bitterness is boundless merit."
She then reached down. A giant hand descended steadily, gripped the Heaven of Joy and Bliss, and slowly lifted it up!
Within the Heaven of Joy and Bliss, heaven and earth instantly turned upside down. Wei Yuan immediately sensed layers upon layers of killing tribulations forming!
This was because the Heaven of Joy and Bliss was being forcibly hoisted out of the Sea of Bitterness, much like a fish yanked from water. Under such a drastic change of environment, the living beings inside the grotto-heaven would inevitably suffer catastrophic casualties. Within the Sea of Bitterness, karma manifested, unfolding into waves of killing tribulations.
The killing tribulations could not be dispelled. In the blink of an eye, the living beings inside the Heaven of Joy and Bliss were decimated. Beyond a massive number of mirage demons, there were also many people who believed in the Three Realms Dao Path. Some had died of natural causes and been guided here to reincarnate, while others had entered in the flesh to serve as the bedrock of the lineage.
Yet before this cataclysmic upheaval, they were as fragile as foam.
Wei Yuan's face instantly darkened. At the same time, he detected that the karmic debt was being drawn away—not toward Boundless Radiance, but diverted to the side, pointing toward Shanle in the Third Layer of Heaven.
Within three feet of Boundless Radiance, the flow of time slowed to a crawl. All the killing tribulations, karma, and time that should have left their marks upon her quietly flowed around her.
In other words, all the karmic debt from the killing tribulations was absorbed by Shanle. Without a speck clinging to her, without a single thread lingering, Boundless Radiance remained completely flawless, untainted by a speck of dust, compassionate, merciful, and without a single blemish.
A bright moon hung in the void, casting its light across eternity—even if a sea of blood and mountains of corpses lay below, even if filthy karmic consequences churned like stormy waves.
The moon at the heart of heaven remained full, its clear brilliance unchanging.
She simply stood within the moon, her bright eyes radiant and captivating, clear as water, immaculate and undefiled, consummate in virtue.
Chapter 1321