Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Failed Golden Core Attempt

BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The world was filled with nothing but the deafening roar of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning.

In an instant, thunder surged through the skies above Cold Crow Pass as countless bolts of lightning descended from the highest heavens.

The Great Arhat’s pupils contracted. He only had time to raise a dim layer of Protective Buddha Light before being submerged in the endless Divine Sky Thunderbolt.

CRACK! With a continuous series of crisp snaps, his Glazed Golden Body, already on the verge of shattering, exploded inch by inch. His Protective Kasaya turned to ash, and his scorched, withered flesh was exposed to the assault of ten thousand bolts of lightning.

A trace of horrified disbelief finally appeared in the Great Arhat’s eyes. He had never expected a mere Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to be capable of unleashing such a Wonderful Technique.

The Great Arhat’s body, reeking of scorched flesh, was blasted out of the lightning like a broken sack. Without a backward glance, he transformed into a streak of golden light and instantly vanished from the Cold Crow Pass region.

His objective was accomplished. If he didn’t leave now and waited for the other Great Daoist Masters from the Primordial Sect to react, he’d be trapped in their territory. If that happened, he might as well start thinking about reincarnation and cultivating all over again.

Certain boundaries existed for a reason.

Since his goal had been achieved, there was no need to linger.

「On the Eastern Wilderness Battlefield.」

The moment the aura of favor from the Dao Fruit’s descent suddenly dispersed, the atmosphere in the core of the Eastern Wilderness battlefield, where a cataclysmic battle had been raging, abruptly froze.

On the side of the Primordial Sect, the hazy Immortal Palace Pure Qi around True Monarch Qing Yuan suddenly trembled violently. The pure Dao Intent flowing within its radiance showed a rare trace of disorder.

He was keenly aware that Chu Chengnan had failed to attain his Dao Attainment Fruit Position.

His face instantly turned ashen, and his bone-chilling gaze locked onto the direction of Cold Crow Pass as he clenched his jaw.

His eyes were filled with fury.

Chu Chengnan was a crucial pawn in a long-standing scheme, one that was key to his own advancement to the Mid-Stage Golden Core realm.

The secret pact to use Chu Chengnan’s "Immovable Profound Mountain" Dao Fruit to stabilize the foundation of his own Dao path was now shattered, creating a sudden upheaval in his cultivation journey.

Boundless regret and rage churned in his chest, but he forcibly suppressed them.

"Amitabha Buddha! All things arise and cease due to karma; cause and effect are cyclical. Donor Chu had shallow blessings. Forcing it would only have created more negative karma."

The Great Awakening Bodhisattva’s grand, resonant voice rang out at the perfect moment. It carried a hint of pity, but his withered old face showed no sorrow at all. Instead, it held a touch of mockery and delight.

Honestly, if he weren’t concerned with maintaining his dignity, he really would have leaped from his lotus throne and started dancing.

’Daoist Mo Xiao, this time Puchen Pure Land has won by a nose. We’re sure to prosper now.’

True Monarch Qing Yuan said coldly, "What a fine scheme, Bodhisattva. A thousand calculations, ten thousand twists and turns, yet I never imagined your Puchen Pure Land had a Great Arhat lying in wait all this time. I wonder which Bodhisattva’s reincarnation he is? Care to enlighten me?"

A slight smile played on the Great Awakening Bodhisattva’s face.

"You flatter me, True Monarch. My disciple is unruly. He stole my Spiritual Treasure and ran off. I never expected him to cause such a mess. I’ll be sure to have a word with him when he gets back."

True Monarch Qing Yuan’s composure almost broke upon hearing this. The Immortal Palace Pure Qi around him surged, threatening to transform into a world-shaking attack, but he managed to forcibly restrain it.

He had lost this game of chess.

He admitted it.

He snorted coldly and turned to look at True Monarch Pu Du.

The Mid-Stage Golden Core True Monarch from the Primordial Sect didn’t even lift his eyelids, showing no hint of displeasure at the Primordial Sect’s defeat.

He had experienced far too many things like this. Compared to newly advanced True Monarchs like Qing Yuan, he was at least tens of thousands of years old.

The victories and defeats he had faced in his life were countless.

He made a beckoning gesture with a claw-like hand. At the spot where the wreckage of the Celestial Spirit and Earth Evil Immortal Peach Tree lay—smashed to pieces by Wukong—dots of glazed Spiritual Light began to converge.

The broken branches mended at a speed visible to the naked eye, and Vitality returned to the scorched Spirit Root. In just a few breaths, a complete Immortal Tree, flowing with precious light and brimming with immortal charm, reappeared on the Eastern Wilderness Land.

True Monarch Pu Du said nothing. He glanced at the two Primordial Sect True Monarchs suspended in the sky, and then, amidst the gentle swaying of the Immortal Tree’s branches, his figure faded away like a bubble, without a trace of hesitation.

"Hehehe..."

A peal of laughter like Silver Bells, laced with biting sarcasm, rang out, piercing the ear like an ice pick.

From the Primordial Sect’s camp, the gracefully poised Nine Abyss Profound Evil Cave Ming True Monarch, her face veiled in black gauze, slowly sauntered out.

The Nine Nether Cold Qi swirling around her condensed into black lotuses, but her gaze was like a poisoned hook, fixed firmly on True Monarch Qing Yuan’s rigid back.

Her voice was low, yet every word carried clearly to Qing Yuan’s ears.

"Senior Brother Qing Yuan, what a brilliant scheme, what a magnificent dream. A pity that no matter how high the mountain in a dream, it’s still just built of sand. The taste of empty joy... I imagine it must be...

unforgettable, hmm? I wonder if that Glazed Dao Heart of yours is still as clear and flawless as ever?"

Her words were laced with an unspoken hatred and a twisted glee, a clear sign of a deep-seated grudge between the two. At this moment, she made no effort to hide the fact that she was kicking him while he was down.

Seeing that the Pure Qi around True Monarch Qing Yuan was churning but he ultimately didn’t lash out in response—only the coldness of his silhouette deepening—Nine Abyss True Monarch let out a few scornful chuckles, transformed into a shadowy wraith, and vanished without a trace.

True Monarch Qing Yuan was naturally seething with frustration. There had long been a rift between him and True Monarch Dong Ming. The only reason she limited herself to snide remarks instead of attacking him while he was down was that the timing was inappropriate. Otherwise, that madwoman would have undoubtedly drawn her sword and charged him without hesitation.

He, True Monarch Qing Yuan, had been the mastermind of this plot. He had paid a considerable price just to get True Monarch Dong Ming to agree to participate.

Now that the matter had ended in failure, True Monarch Dong Ming was naturally happy to watch him become a laughingstock.

Seeing that their cause was lost and that the two core True Monarchs of the Primordial Sect had already departed, the few Bodhisattvas from Puchen Pure Land who were still locked in combat dared not linger any longer.

Although the No Return Sword Intent from the direction of the Wansheng Sword Sect that had pierced the void had withdrawn, it remained coiled and ready, its sharp edge still palpable.

They had just fought a battle with the Primordial Demon Sect. If the Wansheng Sword Sect took up the baton now, they would be skinned alive, if not killed outright.

Those Sword Madmen proclaimed themselves the Leader of the Righteous Path, but they were paranoid and fanatical, and naturally looked down on the Zen Technique cultivation of the Puchen Pure Land.

Buddha Light surged around each Bodhisattva as they gathered up their remaining disciples and Buddhist followers, transforming into streaks of speeding golden meteors. They vanished from the eastern horizon in an instant, terrified that a moment’s delay would get them locked on by that terrifying Sword Intent.

The tumultuous, heaven-shaking battlefield fell deathly silent in an instant, leaving only the lingering Evil Qi and the shattered landscape.

As for True Monarch Qing Yuan, who was the only one left, he wasn’t worried about the Wansheng Sword Sect.

When it came to escaping, the Kunqing Qi Miao Dao True Skill he cultivated was second to none; not even those Sword Cultivators could compare.

True Monarch Qing Yuan hung alone in the sky, his silhouette a picture of desolation.

He slowly retracted his gaze from Cold Crow Pass, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled, as if trying to forcibly suppress all his turbulent emotions.

"The path is long and fraught with obstacles..."

In the end, he paid no mind to Wukong and his three companions below, who were still shaken from the ordeal.

He had his own calculations regarding this matter. If he were to recklessly slaughter the four of them...

...then the very next second, the Tathagata, the Daoist Lord and World Honored One of Puchen Pure Land, would probably descend with a smurf account to teach him what it truly means for the strong to bully the weak—like a max-level character in Divine Armor showing off in the Newbie Village.

With a flick of his sleeve, a Clear Mist Immortal Light flickered, and his figure silently vanished into the void. All that remained was a faint, cold snort echoing across the desolate land.

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