"Yin Fenghai is here! He truly came!" someone shouted in excitement among the many martial artists gathered before the mountain range.
"Nonsense, didn't he already say back in Kunyun Commandery that he would wait for Huang Tian to become a Celestial Being before deciding who is superior? Of course he would come. Why else would we be waiting here?"
"To think ten Celestial Being experts would gather today—what a magnificent spectacle!"
"There are certainly more than ten. A few Celestial Beings haven't shown themselves before us."
"True enough. Who would miss such an epochal battle? Anyone who received word would likely be here."
"..."
Amidst the noisy clamor, Zhou Tu's expression was solemn. "Tell me, who is stronger between Huang Tian and Yin Fenghai? Can he win?"
Yu Jingcheng stroked his beard in thought. "Perhaps they are evenly matched?"
Bai Yuanfu, however, said with confidence, "Huang Tian is bound to be stronger! While still at rank one, he was already capable of overpowering Senior Shen and Master Longding to claim fifth on the Celestial Being Ranking, putting him on roughly the same level as Holy Monk Baojia and Perfected Sanmiao. The gulf between rank one and the Celestial Being realm is immense. Now that he has stepped into the Celestial Being realm, his strength must have grown by leaps and bounds. He has a considerable chance of defeating Yin Fenghai."
"Let us hope so..."
Atop the summit, ten of the world's most formidable Celestial Beings stood together.
Looking at Yin Fenghai's calm, leisurely demeanor, everyone except Huang Tian wore grave expressions.
It could not be helped—the pressure Yin Fenghai exerted upon them was simply too immense!
Among them, not a single one had not been bested by Yin Fenghai. Some could not even withstand two or three of his moves!
It was only because they had traversed long paths, endured countless trials, and possessed unyielding wills that their Dao hearts had not shattered!
Pavilion Master Xuanji's gaze lingered on Yin Fenghai for several breaths. Then, cupping his hands to everyone around, he said, "Knowing my own meager strength, I shall not spar with you all."
With that, he stepped into the air and flew off, settling down cross-legged atop a thick bank of clouds. With his movement, Shen Dongming, Master Longding, and Abbey Master Yunxiao also knowingly stepped across the void, joining him atop the clouds to sit or stand.
Further away within the distant horizon's sea of clouds, more than a dozen faint silhouettes could vaguely be seen. Those figures were evidently Celestial Being experts as well, though for various reasons, they had no intention of revealing themselves for the moment, choosing only to watch the battle from afar.
Now, only six people remained atop the solitary summit of Yupan—the top six experts of the Celestial Being Ranking, including Huang Tian!
Perfected Sanmiao stroked his sparse, short beard and said with a smile, "This is the first time the five of us have gathered in one place, isn't it?"
Holy Monk Baojia said, "Were it not for Benefactor Huang breaking through to the Celestial Being realm, it would likely have been impossible for the five of us to assemble together."
Fu Yunjue rested his hand on the long saber at his waist, his expression detached. "Did you come here to reminisce? Let us make our moves early and settle who is superior."
Wan Shenyang looked at Fu Yunjue. "Speaking of which, Fellow Daoist Fu and I have never exchanged blows. Meeting today, I am rather looking forward to it."
Although Fu Yunjue was ranked above Wan Shenyang, the two had never fought in earnest, which led many to dispute their rankings.
In particular, among the martial artists of Great Gan, even if rogue wanderers and major sects did not care much for Wan Shenyang, they all revered his strength, believing that the Demonic Cult Master whose terrifying reputation intimidated five nations might not necessarily be stronger than Wan Shenyang.
Fu Yunjue glanced coldly at Wan Shenyang. The blade at his waist hummed softly, as if ready to streak forth like a rainbow at any moment!
"Fellow Daoist Fu remains as impatient as ever."
Suddenly, Yin Fenghai spoke with a soft chuckle. The tense atmosphere melted away instantly like ice and snow, causing Fu Yunjue to frown slightly.
"I know you have made another breakthrough, but I have not remained stagnant either. Who wins and who loses can only be determined through combat!" An invisible force radiated from Fu Yunjue, rippling the air.
Yin Fenghai did not answer him, turning instead toward Huang Tian. "What does Fellow Daoist Huang think?"
At these words, Fu Yunjue and the other three turned their gazes to Huang Tian in unison. Some were calm, some domineering, some chilly, and some scrutinizing. The force carried in their gazes practically solidified, exerting an overwhelming pressure.
If an ordinary mortal were present—no, even a Grandmaster-level martial artist—facing their gazes would leave them trembling with sheer terror, shaking like a sieve!
Huang Tian, however, treated it merely as a gentle breeze brushing his face. He offered a faint smile. "Since everyone has gathered and Fellow Daoist Fu is rather eager, let us test our hands early and discuss the Dao through martial arts."
With that, he looked around at the assembly and nodded. "Why do you not all come at me together?"
The moment those words were spoken, the air froze.
Even the drifting sea of clouds overhead dispersed and collapsed under the towering, awe-inspiring auras that surged into the sky!
Yin Fenghai pressed his lips together in silence. Fu Yunjue's gaze turned chillingly stern. Wan Shenyang's battle intent soared. Holy Monk Baojia looked surprised, while Perfected Sanmiao frowned.
Meanwhile, several Grandmaster-level figures outside the mountain range overheard Huang Tian's words, thoroughly shaken.
"He! How does he dare?!"
"Challenging five people alone—even Yin Fenghai wouldn't dare to be so arrogant!"
"Perhaps he is supremely confident in his strength."
"Commander Huang should be on par with Yin Fenghai. If the two fought one-on-one, the outcome would be uncertain, but add in the Chief Commander and the others... Sigh, I cannot see how he could possibly win."
"I believe Senior Huang is no fool. Since he dares to say this, he must have the foundation to back it up."
"Sigh, I only hope an epochal battle does not turn into a farce in the end."
"For Huang Tian to act this way, all is well if he wins, but if he loses, it might become a laughingstock."
"You and I haven't even reached rank one, so let us not judge Senior Huang through our own narrow horizons."
"..."
The mountain wind whipped fiercely, snapping everyone's sleeves. Perfected Sanmiao was the first to speak: "Fellow Daoist Huang, isn't that being a bit too conceited...?"
He took a step forward and said in a grave voice, "Allow this old Daoist to experience your brilliant arts alone first."
"Please," Huang Tian replied calmly.
Perfected Sanmiao scrutinized him attentively for several breaths before suddenly pushing against his sword hilt with a finger.
Clang!
A dragon's roar rang out, clear and piercing through the clouds. A silvery-white long sword flew from its scabbard, the blade vibrating incessantly, rippling concentric circles of palpable, silvery-white cold air through the air.
Whoosh—
A silvery-white banner of light cascaded down like the Heavenly River spilling from the highest heavens. Its brilliance was dazzling and biting, blotting out the blazing sunlight the instant it appeared, becoming the sole luminous hue between heaven and earth!
The long sword swept across the sky like a meteor piercing the sun, like a rainbow tearing through the void!
Midway through flight, the silvery-white banner suddenly burst, like hundreds of millions of ice mirrors shattering at the exact same instant, splintering into countless fine yet sharper strands of sword qi!
Each strand was shaped like a willow leaf, thin as a cicada's wing, radiating chilling frost. Wherever the sword qi passed, the air shrieked as it tore apart, trees snapped, vegetation was obliterated, and the earth fractured into myriad ravines.
Even the martial artists watching twenty li away felt countless frigid strands of sword qi stabbing straight toward their brows, making their hairs stand on end and their scalps tingle as if struck by electricity!
Looking toward the peak of Mount Yupan from afar, while the lingering hum of the sword still echoed in everyone's ears, a vast deluge of silvery-white sword rain completely engulfed Huang Tian!
Yet.
In the next instant, the torrential tempest of tens of millions of sword qi abruptly froze in midair.
Because Huang Tian had raised his fist.
With one fist moving, the momentum of the entire world seemed to move with it, as if heaven and earth themselves were being drawn along by this single strike!
Countless strands of sword qi resembled hundreds of rivers returning to the sea, transforming into a surging torrent that was involuntarily pulled toward that fist.
At the same time, boundless golden light erupted from the edge of Huang Tian's fist. The faint phantoms of myriad mountain ranges and vast plains could be seen rising and falling, bearing the pulse and profound weight of the earth, before blasting outward like an artillery shell firing from its barrel!
Beneath this single punch, the air rippled like water. When the torrential, pouring rain of rainbow-like sword threads touched the mountain-heavy fist wind, they produced the ringing clatter of clashing metal and stone, subsequently shattering like colored glass!
The golden divine fist surged boldly upward against the torrent of sword rain, sweeping away all resistance until it collided with the autumn-water-like long sword.
Clang!!
The moment fist and sword struck, a blinding, dazzling brilliance detonated, and a surging, circular shockwave expanded outward like a rolling tsunami!
Across the vast sky, the dense, cotton-like clouds were instantly shredded and dispersed. Dozens, even a hundred mountain peaks shuddered violently, and countless boulders tumbled from the cliffs, raising plumes of dust like mud dragons descending the mountains!
At the same time.
A vast and peerless fist astral qi passed through the sword blade, carrying a force capable of crushing everything, and stamped firmly onto Perfected Sanmiao's chest.
Spurt!
A spray of vivid blood burst from his mouth. As if struck head-on by an ancient divine mountain, his entire body transformed into a blurred streak of light and shot backward.
He flew back thousands of zhang!
He crashed straight through three mountain peaks in succession!
Each pierced peak shuddered briefly before erupting in a colossal boom, collapsing downward and kicking up billows of dust, like three grayish-yellow mushroom clouds suddenly blooming across the towering, rolling Yupan Mountain Range!
Thud—
Finally, Perfected Sanmiao embedded deeply into the belly of a fourth mountain, carving out a massive, human-shaped crater, from which hundreds and thousands of thick fissures spiderwebbed outward!
Absolute silence fell over everything!
Every spectating martial artist was left dumbstruck, their minds reeling!
"Th-this... Am I dreaming? Have I not woken up yet?"
"One punch—with just a single punch, he sent Perfected Sanmiao, who once sat firmly at fifth on the Celestial Being Ranking, flying?!"
"Completely powerless to fight back! He couldn't even fight back!"
"How could the gap be this wide? Commander Huang clearly just broke through to the Celestial Being realm, so why does it seem as though he's crushing him from an entire realm higher?"
"No wonder! No wonder Senior Huang dared to claim he could take on all five at once! To batter Perfected Sanmiao like this in a single move, even if all five attacked together, they truly might not be able to defeat him..."
"..."
The crowd of martial artists buzzed with discussion.
Atop the summit of Mount Yupan, Huang Tian lowered his fist and stood still. His gaze pulled back from the battered, disheveled Perfected Sanmiao crawling out of the mountain crater, coming to rest on Yin Fenghai and the others.
"Fellow Daoists, whether you come one by one or all together, I shall take you on."
His calm words made their expressions sink. They had anticipated that Huang Tian's combat prowess would surge after stepping into the Celestial Being realm, but they had not expected it to increase to such an absurd degree!
For a moment, the atmosphere grew stifling. After several breaths, Holy Monk Baojia, clad in a moon-white monastic robe, stepped forward. His face held a benevolent expression, and his hands were pressed together. His voice resonated like a great bronze bell.
"Amitabha!"
As the chant fell, a complete, soft halo emerged from behind his head.
The halo was initially condensed like moonlight, but it swiftly expanded. Wherever it passed, even the light seemed coated in a moon-white luminescence, and a strange fragrance of sandalwood permeated the air.
Whoosh—
Enveloped directly within the halo, as far as Huang Tian's eyes could see was a boundless sea of golden lotuses!
Countless golden lotuses grew out of the void. Some were buds awaiting blossom, their petal tips condensing dewdrop-like Buddhist light; some were in full bloom, their lotus pedestals wide as bushel measures; there were also lotus leaves stretching to the horizon, a dripping verdant green, setting off the golden lotuses with even greater sacred solemnity.
As each golden lotus bloomed, its petals trembled slightly, shedding specks of golden radiance. When that golden radiance touched the ground, it gave birth to new lotus pistils, cycling endlessly in perpetual life.
The fragrance of lotus drifted, incomparable to any floral scent in the mortal world. Inhaling it left one enchanted and intoxicated, distracting thoughts instantly vanishing.
Yet what was even more astounding than this ocean of golden lotuses was the Sanskrit chanting filling this world.
It was not the chanting of one person, nor a hundred, but the unison recitation of a hundred thousand, a million, ten million monks!
Countless low voices chanted scriptures, every word distinct, as though imbued with supreme wisdom and compassion. Each was unique, yet they blended seamlessly, converging into a vast, magnificent torrent of sound!
A single person's mind had birthed a Buddhist realm!
Standing at the center of this boundless Buddhist realm, Huang Tian was completely surrounded by tens of millions of golden lotuses and the grand Sanskrit chanting.
This sound, naturally, was not intended to convert him. For one, that was impossible; for another, doing so would unmistakably mean a fight to the death. Daring to shake another's martial will was an absolute recipe for a blood feud. The chanting and golden lotuses were merely meant to cause Huang Tian to lose focus for a split second, thereby creating a golden opportunity for Holy Monk Baojia to strike!
For experts of their caliber, a split second was enough to decide victory and defeat!
Regrettably.
Huang Tian remained utterly unaffected, merely observing everything within Holy Monk Baojia's mental world with a hint of appreciation.
Suddenly, he lifted his eyes. His gaze crossed the endless golden light and sea of lotuses to meet Holy Monk Baojia's.
His lips parted slightly. Though his voice was not loud, it clearly overpowered the grand Sanskrit chanting of millions of monks, piercing through all obstacles like a sharp blade to detonate within Holy Monk Baojia's heart.
"Baojia, when you look upon me... who do you see?"
That soft question fell into Holy Monk Baojia's ears like thunder exploding from the highest heavens!
Boom!
He felt a wave of dizziness, and the world before his eyes blurred for an instant. When he refocused and looked toward where Huang Tian stood, he froze as if struck by lightning.
He stood paralyzed on the spot, his pupils contracting violently. The compassion and solemnity that had remained unchanged upon his face for over a century turned into sheer terror and bewilderment!
For Huang Tian's silhouette had vanished, replaced by an existence of infinite light, infinite life, and infinite solemn majesty!
His form was towering, seemingly filling heaven and earth, yet appearing perfectly harmonious, melding flawlessly with this Buddhist realm. His skin was like adamantine lapis lazuli, pure and flawless, radiating warm brilliance and a wondrous fragrance—a scent neither sandalwood nor musk, which seemed to enhance wisdom and dispel all vexations upon a single breath.
His countenance seemed to unite all the compassion, wisdom, and dignity in the world. His earlobes hung to his shoulders, their rims distinct, bearing the marks of complete fortune and wisdom, and the white curl between his brows shone with brilliant light.
He was draped in a reddish-gold kashaya, and six beams of brilliance rotated behind his head, condensing into an esoteric wheel of light.
Within the wheel of light were flourishing and withering, birth and destruction, rise and fall, as though all living beings were evolving, rising, and sinking within it.
His eyes were half-open, his downward gaze carrying both boundless pity for all sentient beings and supreme wisdom that saw through all things. A single glance meeting that gaze shook Holy Monk Baojia's spirit to its very core.
"The... the Buddha?!!"
Chapter 144