Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 564: Chapter 564: You Are the Vanguard

"As Vanguard Commander for this expedition to the Celestial Realm, your responsibilities will be heavy. Have you made any detailed inquiries about that Outer Heaven?"

Xu Yunfan’s heart stirred. He knew the real business was about to begin. Lu Chuan hadn’t left, which naturally meant he intended to share the inside story. Xu Yunfan immediately sat up straight and listened intently.

"I was just about to ask. Senior Brother, you mentioned before the Sect Leader that the Wansheng Sword Sect is eyeing us covetously. While I understand the risks, I don’t know the origin of this Celestial Realm, nor the mysteries of its Outer Heaven. I would like to hear the details."

Lu Chuan set down his teacup and began to explain.

"In the Sect’s archives, this world is designated the ’Spirit Ruins Realm,’ but we usually just call it the Celestial Realm.

As for its origin, it’s no fledgling world that just appeared. As far back as 60 years ago, our Sect’s void-patrols detected this realm’s fluctuations.

At that time, it had only recently intersected with our Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm. Once its world membrane dissolved and it acquired the coordinates to our Great Realm, they actually sent quite a few spies over to test the waters—mostly just small fry at the Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment levels."

He let out a cold snort, his eyes filled with disdain.

"With the Primordial Sect’s profound resources, all of them were naturally captured without exception. After Soul Searching and Soul Refining, we had tortured this realm’s coordinates and the habits of its Celestial Dao out of them within a few months.

True Monarch Pu Du observed it in silence for many years, waiting until he had a thorough understanding before finally giving the order to attack just recently.

How could we allow anyone else to get a piece of a plan we’ve spent 60 years laying out?"

At this, Lu Chuan suddenly sighed, a trace of regret on his brow.

"A pity! The world is unpredictable. Thirty years ago, this matter was somehow leaked, and that band of Sword Cultivators from the Wansheng Sword Sect caught wind of it.

Those Sword Cultivators are as fanatical as rabid dogs. They followed the scent and have been like maggots on a bone ever since, making it impossible for us to have it all to ourselves.

Now, the Sect can only hold its nose and accept it, pushing the invasion onto the agenda. If this gets any bigger... Hmph, the Puchen Pure Land’s bald donkeys might even stick their oar in. A three-way brawl would be the real trouble."

Once a war between the Three Sects began, it would be far more than a matter of a few Qi Cultivation disciples dying. It would be common for Foundation Establishment cultivators to perish, their Dao extinguished. Even Golden Core True Monarchs could fall.

A chill ran down Xu Yunfan’s spine. Lu Chuan’s underlying meaning was exactly what he had feared.

On this trip to the Celestial Realm, he would face not only the native Celestial Emperor but also his greatest opponents: the Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivators of the Wansheng Sword Sect.

’My Array Dao is powerful, but I still have to be cautious and plan carefully when facing Sword Cultivators, who are said to be unparalleled in slaughter in the Immortal Dao.’

"Senior Brother is right," Xu Yunfan said in a low voice. "If the Pure Land gets involved, that’s when it would become truly perilous. May I ask what the specific situation is in this Celestial Realm? Could there really be a native True Monarch presiding over it?"

Lu Chuan waved his hand and smiled, his expression relaxing. "No need to worry too much! One of their Celestial Emperors did manage to obtain the world’s Dao Fruit and proclaim himself its ruler, acting all high and mighty, but what’s there to fear?"

His face filled with contempt. "In the eyes of our Sect’s True Monarchs, he’s just a country bumpkin. As for the other living beings, they’re nothing but a bunch of worthless trash, not even worth mentioning!"

He spoke with absolute conviction, clearly possessing extreme confidence in the Sect’s power.

Xu Yunfan, however, did not dare to be complacent. He pressed for a few more details.

"What is its Celestial Dao like? If the Dao Fruit is with someone, will the world’s will flare up intensely?"

Lu Chuan answered each question, his speech steady and clear.

"There are indeed signs that the Celestial Dao will flare up, but you hold the authority as the vanguard. You can naturally set up arrays to channel and neutralize it. Don’t worry, the True Monarchs will act in secret to suppress the Celestial Realm’s Celestial Dao. We’ve already come to an understanding with the Wansheng Sword Sect on this. When it comes to carving up other World Heavens, we do share some small amount of tacit agreement."

A hint of mockery flashed in Lu Chuan’s eyes.

The Wansheng Sword Sect might be called Sword Madmen, but they knew who to pick fights with.

"The native creatures are mostly at the Qi Cultivation Level. Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators are already few and far between. As long as you handle them with some care, there won’t be a problem."

Xu Yunfan carefully committed this to memory, then asked about the locations of Spiritual Lands and common treasures within the realm. Lu Chuan simply offered three words of guidance: let fate decide.

A World Heaven that had fully nurtured a Dao Fruit was not some barren place like the Divine Martial Realm.

It was naturally filled with countless treasures. The Vanguard Commander’s contribution would be immense, and those who survived would be free to take what they could.

Of course, if a True Monarch took a fancy to something, you just had to hold your nose and accept it.

After this round of questions and answers, Xu Yunfan had a general idea of the situation.

Although the Wansheng Sword Sect was eyeing them covetously, the expedition wasn’t exceptionally dangerous.

Seeing Xu Yunfan’s expression settle, Lu Chuan suddenly changed the subject.

"Enough. There’s no point in talking more about this Celestial Realm. With your skills, you can handle it.

However, there is another important matter I must mention. The movements of that flock of bald donkeys from the Puchen Pure Land in the Eastern Wilderness are likely to trigger a massive change in the world."

Xu Yunfan was taken aback. "The Eastern Wilderness?"

Lu Chuan nodded, his face turning grim. "Are you aware that the ’King Buddha Ritual’ laid down by the Puchen Pure Land’s World Honored One Tathagata is nearing completion? Sanzang and his party have been traveling through the Eastern Wilderness for decades, combing the Earth Veins, slaying demons, and cleansing filth. The immeasurable Merit they have accumulated is like a river flowing into the sea.

The True Monarchs made a special divination. In about twenty more years, the Ritual will reach Perfection.

At that time, the Buddhist Sect intends to have the ’Zizai King Buddha Fruit Position’ descend, transforming the Eastern Wilderness into an Earthly Buddha Country.

That World Honored One Tathagata is truly shameless, personally intervening in secret to fan the flames, trying to encroach upon the foundations of the Primordial Sect and the Wansheng Sword Sect’s power. The whole affair... is utterly despicable."

As he said this, Lu Chuan seemed a bit unnerved, his eyes darting around as if afraid the World Honored One Tathagata might hear him and personally descend to teach him a lesson.

But his confidence quickly returned.

It wasn’t as if his Primordial Sect didn’t have a Daoist Lord of its own.

Xu Yunfan was inwardly shaken. He had always known the Buddhist Sect’s methods were secretive, but he never would have imagined that...

...the magnificent World Honored One would stoop to interfering personally.

"Will our Primordial Sect and the Wansheng Sword Sect just stand by and watch?"

His words were urgent, clearly worried for the Sect’s grand enterprise. If the Eastern Wilderness fell and became an Earthly Buddha Country, the Puchen Pure Land would likely gain several more Bodhisattvas. The balance of power between the three factions would be shattered, and a great calamity would surely befall the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm.

Hearing the question, a cold, mocking smile crept onto Lu Chuan’s lips.

"Intervene? Of course we’ll intervene. Otherwise, wouldn’t our reputation as a Demon Sect be for nothing?"

"Junior Brother, the True Monarchs aren’t making a move, but it’s not because they lack a plan. In truth, they are waiting.

When the Buddhist Sect’s Ritual is near completion, the Wansheng Sword Sect’s Sword Madmen and our Sect’s True Monarchs will summon hordes of demons from the Outer Heavens to descend upon the world. That is when they will face their ’Human Tribulation’.

All their Merit, their Buddha Country... in the face of that slaughter, it will all prove to be nothing but a fleeting dream.

Heh, we’ll let that flock of bald donkeys from the Puchen Pure Land have a taste of what the might of true demons really is!"

***

「Three days later.」

Above a boundless sea of clouds, the Primordial Sect’s massive floating platform hovered just outside a relatively weak node in the void.

On the platform, figures milled about, and an air of grim lethality hung in the air.

Xu Yunfan stood at the very front of the platform. Behind him was a dense, dark crowd of nearly ten thousand Qi Cultivation Stage disciples of the Primordial Sect.

These disciples came from various peaks and lineages, their expressions a mix of excitement, nervousness, confusion, and ferocity.

But the vast majority possessed the quality of the Primordial Sect—a tenacity befitting a Demon Sect.

Those who had been chosen to participate naturally had some skill.

These people would be the cannon fodder on the front lines of the invasion into the Celestial Realm.

How many would survive this brutal vanguard assault would depend entirely on their own destiny, their strength, and a little bit of luck.

Ahead of them, seven other figures stood slightly behind and to the sides of Xu Yunfan, radiating a Spiritual Pressure that far surpassed the Qi Cultivation level.

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