My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 320 - Before the Great Calamity I Was the
Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Before the Great Calamity, I Was the Buddha
Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Before the Great Calamity, I Was the Buddha
Pure Land, Border.
In the Gobi of May, there was heavy rain in the morning, and as the dusk cleared, a ground fog arose.
Wisp after wisp of ground fog, while the pure white clouds above constantly drifted higher.
Before their eyes, the desert was a golden expanse, with countless sand and stone ripples rising like petrified waves, stretching all the way to the golden horizon in the distance.
It was as though the entire gravel was in motion, and the distant mountains seemed to move as well.
The gravel danced in the air, constantly spinning, forming a yellow vortex.
The vortex grew larger and larger, seemingly turning into a massive sandstorm.
Upon a closer look, within the sandstorm was a figure.
It was none other than Xi Hafu, who delighted in crushing others’ necks. At this moment, his entire qi mechanism was released, and the surrounding gravel was entirely stirred up by the qi mechanism.
And opposite him was the “Buddha’s relics” that Xi Hafu longed for.
At this moment, in the eyes of the “Buddha’s relics” surged a red light, giving off an extremely evil, fierce, and violent feeling.
Xi Hafu’s surging qi mechanism flowed towards the “Buddha’s relics,” and, receiving a vast amount of qi mechanism, the “Buddha’s relics” seemed to come alive, continuously rotating around Xi Hafu.
A thread of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit escaped the sealing, bringing not only the breaking of the ban on nature’s spiritual energy but also the breaking of the ban on evil spirits.
The “Buddha’s relics” seemed to be very sensitive to the evil spirits, continuously gathering the evil spirits from the world around them. As Xi Hafu said, they seemed to show a trend of coming back to life.
But it was only a trend, for true resurrection was not as simple as imagined.
“It definitely can, the Buddha can surely reappear in the human world,” Xi Hafu said, his eyes filled with fanatical obsession as he looked at the “Buddha’s relics” before him.
This chaotic world needs the Buddha for salvation, and only the Buddha can provide it. Thus, the Buddha must come back to life, even if it means burning oneself up, it’s all justified.
Thinking this, Xi Hafu’s eyes grew colder. Then he brought his hands together and silently recited scriptures.
In the Lingtai Temple, Xi Hafu recited scriptures, surrounded by a golden glow, while the Xi Hafu who was reciting scriptures before him was surrounded by a black light.
This black light, precisely the evil spirits from the surrounding natural world.
The evil spirits that ordinary people dread like tigers were now crazily converging by Xi Hafu’s side.
The black light was as if it had a powerful attractant, continuously pulling the “Buddha’s relics” across from it.
A shocking scene appeared. Under the illumination of the black light, the “Buddha’s relics” began to merge with Xi Hafu’s body.
“All beings suffer. What’s this in comparison?”
This process was extremely painful, causing Xi Hafu’s facial features to twist severely from the agony.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the bones of the “Buddha’s relics” little by little entered his flesh and blood.
Rustle…
Time flew by, and the fierce sand danced around.
Several hours passed, and the “Buddha’s relics” had completely disappeared, completely merging into Xi Hafu’s body. At the same time, Xi Hafu’s aura began to be greatly concealed, seemingly not as strong as before.
The black light also disappeared, and the vortex formed by the gravel gradually returned to calm.
The world became quiet again, as if nothing had happened at all.
Xi Hafu slowly opened his eyes, a flash of crimson light fleeting. Looking at his hands, he muttered to himself, “From today on, I am the Buddha.”
……
Lingtai Temple, within the sanctuary.
Clothed in a golden kasaya and seated on a meditation cushion, Xi Hafu opened his eyes, raised his head in surprise, and looked behind at the Buddha’s golden body.
At this moment, the Buddha’s golden body was surrounded by flickering black light, as if threatening to devour all of the golden light.
“No good!”
Xi Hafu’s face turned pale with shock.
Tianyi Bodhisattva, hearing the commotion, hurried in and, seeing Xi Hafu’s shocked expression, asked, “Junior uncle, what’s wrong?”
Xi Hafu, looking up at the Buddha’s golden body before him, said, “The Buddha’s golden body has been tainted by evil spirits. It seems that the great calamity sweeping across the world is upon us.”
Tianyi Bodhisattva also looked over and was immediately shocked, “Have the chaotic era and the great catastrophe arrived together?”
Now that various countries are attacking Great Yan, with troops at the city gates, it looks very much like a time of chaos. If chaos and the great catastrophe arrive together, how terrifying would that be?
Xi Hafu took a deep breath and asked, “How prepared are the monk soldiers?”
The Buddhist Pure Land exclusively held a piece of land, although barren, it is the key to communicating with Guishuang, making its geographical location very important. How could it not have its defenses and troops?
And the defenders of the Pure Land were the monk soldiers.
The Buddhist faction had already submitted to the Yan Dynasty, receiving resources from Great Yan and the opportunity to spread their teachings. Naturally, they also needed to obey the orders of the Great Yan Emperor.
After the battle in Yujing City, Fa Wu received the orders from the Great Yan Emperor to lead the Buddhist experts and monk soldiers to Jiangnan Dao to assist the Yan army in resisting Zhao Country.
Tianyi Bodhisattva said, “The fifty thousand monk soldiers have already been assembled.”
Xi Hafu walked to the entrance of the Great Hall and looked up at the vast, endless sky, his hands joined together in front of his chest.
“Amitabha!”
The Buddhist sect was now tied to the fate of Yan, and these fifty thousand monk soldiers were soon to be dispatched to the southern region of Yan. How many of them would return alive?
This answer, no one could know.
…..
Conflict with Yan was imminent, about to erupt, and before this oppressive pre-storm atmosphere enveloped everything, the Yu Heng Sword Sect and the Four Symbols Sect, labeled traitors in the battle at Yujing City, became the first to face the punishment of the Human Emperor.
Since Liu Moyuan was only an expert of the Yu Heng Sword Sect’s Ancestor Hall and not the Sect Leader, and since he did not take part in the affairs of the Yu Heng Sword Sect, the sect itself was not implicated much. However, Jia Shiwu of the Four Symbols Sect was the Sect Leader, and with the failure of their coup, the entire Four Symbols Sect faced the consequences.
With a single imperial decree from the Human Emperor, the Four Symbols Sect became a forbidden sect.
The Demon Sect once had several grandmaster-level experts, and during its heyday, the three zaohuangs of heaven, earth, and man, along with the four chief seats, the Sect Hierarch Jiang Shang was a gargantuan figure in Jianghu, and the Sealing Demon Platform even had a top expert like Jun Qinglin. Even so, it became a forbidden sect and ultimately had to withdraw from Great Yan.
The Four Symbols Sect, naturally, could not compare to the Demon Sect, and their fate was sealed.
As the Xuanyi Guard and the court’s army began their encirclement and suppression, the whole Four Symbols Mountain became a scene of chaos.
At the same time, the court issued an order to recruit heroes from all over to join in the suppression of the rebellious Four Symbols Sect.
The Four Symbols Sect, having dominated the Great Yan martial world for hundreds of years, now became fat prey in the eyes of many, who crazily cried out and pounced upon it.
Chaos!
The entire Four Symbols Mountain seemed to descend into madness.
The sounds of roaring, enraged shouting, and fighting echoed from morning to night without cease.
The experts of the Four Symbols Sect fought desperately, which allowed the sect’s top disciple Yang Chong and Jia Shiwu’s granddaughter, Jia Meixian, to escape with their lives.
At this moment, the Xuanyi Guard’s experts were still in pursuit of the two.
In a dense forest, all was deathly silent.
Yang Chong was covered in blood, breathing heavily, and from time to time his eyes would dart around, fearful of the Xuanyi Guard’s Great Heavenly Gang bursting through.
Jia Meixian, on the other hand, seemed somewhat numb. In just a few days, the Four Symbols Sect, once one of the seven great sects of the Great Yan Dynasty, had become taboo. Many of her fellow disciples had died tragically on Four Symbols Mountain. If it weren’t for several elders who had arranged a secret passage for their escape earlier, they too would now be lonely ghosts on Four Symbols Mountain.
After noticing no movement around, Yang Chong turned his head to look at Jia Meixian and asked, “Junior Sister, are you alright?”
Jia Meixian choked up, “Senior Brother, what do we do now?”
By nature kind and innocent, she had grown up under the protection of Jia Shiwu. The complete upheaval of the Four Symbols Sect was as if the sky had suddenly fallen for her.
Yang Chong sighed deeply, “The land of Yan is vast, but I fear there will be no place for us to stay from now on.”
In the Great Yan Dynasty, being labeled as taboo was essentially a death sentence. Only by fleeing far away and living in obscurity was there a sliver of hope for survival.
Hearing this, Jia Meixian was overwhelmed with sorrow, and tears streamed down her face like rain.
Yang Chong thought carefully. The country of Yan was about to fall into chaos; leaving this place might be a blessing in disguise. But where should they go?
Houjin, Zhao Country, the Southern Barbarians, or the Overseas Immortal Island? It was rumored that there were many hidden experts on the countless islands to the east, and Outer Heaven Island was one of the most renowned among them. There was also the Pure Land, and to the west of Pure Land, the mysterious and noble Guishuang?
After a long while, Yang Chong clenched his fists decisively and said, “Let’s go to Zhao Country.”
“Zhao Country!?”
Jia Meixian lifted her head to look at Yang Chong upon hearing this.
Yang Chong spoke earnestly, “Yes, we’re going to Zhao Country.”
“But I’m afraid there’s no chance for that now.”
Just then, a sinister voice echoed through the air.
“Not good!”
Yang Chong’s heart squeezed, and he quickly looked in the direction of the voice.
He saw two figures burst out from the shadowy woods. They were dressed in large cloaks and armed with longswords at their waists, unmistakably the Great Heavenly Gang of the Xuanyi Guard.
Upon seeing this, Yang Chong’s face turned ashen.
The Great Heavenly Gang of the Xuanyi Guard were typically First Grade experts. With his present strength, not to mention facing two such experts from the First Grade realm, he was not even certain he could handle one.
“One is the top disciple of the Four Symbols Sect, the other is the direct granddaughter of Jia Shiwu. This looks to be a grand accomplishment indeed,” one of the Great Heavenly Gang said with a cold smirk, and then he drew his longsword. The sword’s chilling light whistled through the air, slashing towards them.
“Junior Sister, go first!”
Yang Chong’s longsword flashed, emitting an icy sword light as he thrust it directly in front of him, shooting forward like a streak of lightning.
Heavenly Intent Four Symbols Sword Technique! As swift as thunder!
When An Jing had left the Four Symbols Sect, he had imparted the Four Symbols Sword Technique to Yang Chong. Afterwards, as Yang Chong became the top disciple and the Sect Leader candidate, he naturally learned the Heavenly Intent Four Symbols Sword Technique.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Sword light and blade light swept in, and in an instant, a wave of energy radiated fiercely in all directions.
Jia Meixian had just thought about leaving, but it was as if a primordial beast was staring at her. She saw one of the Great Heavenly Gang holding a longbow, gazing at her with a chilling look.
Although Yang Chong was exceptional among the youth, he paled in comparison to the Great Heavenly Gang before him.
The simultaneous cry of swords and blades formed a terrifying metal storm.
Yang Chong slammed to the ground like a kite with a broken string, his body already covered with numerous bloody marks.
“Senior brother!”
Jia Meixian hurried over upon seeing this.
“Damn it!”
Yang Chong, holding his longsword, glared furiously at the two Xuanyi Guard Great Heavenly Gang ahead of him.
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The Great Heavenly Gang holding the long blade revealed a cold smirk, “Two people, just nice for one each.”
With that, he leapt forward, his blade light sweeping in, aiming for the necks of Jia Meixian and Yang Chong.
The blade light was etched in Jia Meixian’s pupils, bone-chillingly cold. She involuntarily closed her eyes tightly, not daring to witness the fierce blade light.
Her parents had died early, and now her grandfather and senior brothers were all dead. She was merely living alone in this world.
Perhaps dying would be a blessing.
Yang Chong’s eyes too were filled with unwillingness. He did not want to die here like this, but at this moment, he was powerless against a First Grade Expert.
“Hum! Hum!”
Just then, the wooden sword at her waist suddenly released a piercing Sword Intent.
“Hmm!?”
The Xuanyi Guard Great Heavenly Gang furrowed his brows sharply, feeling the hair on his body stand on end, followed by his heart starting to pound wildly.
“This….”
The Great Heavenly Gang felt a chill up his spine and hastily retreated backwards, but it was too late.
“Whoosh!”
A wooden sword pierced through the air, creating a white sea of qi that surged forward mightily.
Fast!
So fast it reached the extreme!
The wooden sword was like a ray of light piercing through the darkness.
“Pfft!” “Pfft!”
The wooden sword directly pierced through the hearts of the two Great Heavenly Gangs. Their bodies stiffened, their eyes filled with a bewildered and perplexed expression before they collapsed heavily onto the ground.
The two Xuanyi Guard Great Heavenly Gangs, experts of the First Grade Realm, had now surprisingly perished at the hands of an extremely ordinary wooden sword.
“Huff…”
Yang Chong panted heavily, his heart racing as he gazed at the wooden sword nailed to the tree trunk.
Had it not been for this wooden sword, they would have already perished under that blade light.
Jia Meixian, hearing no sound for a long while, opened her eyes and was shocked to find both men lying in pools of blood, “Senior brother, this is….”
Yang Chong picked up the blood-stained wooden sword from the tree, with a complex expression, he said, “It was Brother Han, no, the Ghost Swordsman’s wooden sword that saved us.”
“It was him.”
Jia Meixian took the wooden sword, the image of that face coming to mind. Her hand involuntarily tightened around the wooden sword, “It seems he has saved me again.”
Yang Chong took a deep breath and then looked at Jia Meixian earnestly, “Junior sister, let’s go to You Mountain.”
Jia Meixian hesitated, “Isn’t that a bit improper…”
After all, they were now fugitives of the Court, would going to You Mountain bring trouble to him?
Yang Chong said, “Heading south to Zhao Country now is also a road to death. Even if we don’t seek refuge with him, we can still help him resist the Houjin army.”
Nowadays, the official roads to Zhao Country were probably filled with Xuanyi Guard experts. The two of them simply did not have the strength to resist.
Jia Meixian was persuaded by Yang Chong and finally nodded, “Alright then, resisting Houjin is also good.”
The two of them quickly gathered their things and headed in the direction of Beihuang Dao.
……
Yujing City, Lv Mansion’s guest hall.
Lv Guoyong sat at the head, having resigned from all his positions in the court. He was now a first-level commoner and had lost the Literary Palace, truly becoming an ordinary old man, yet his complexion was very rosy.
An Jing said with considerable satisfaction, “Elder Lv seems to be getting healthier.”
Lv Guoyong waved his hand and said, “I’m just old bones now, with one foot already in the coffin. You must be here to bid farewell today, aren’t you?”
“Firstly, to thank Elder Lv for your advice at the Dragon Locking Well, and secondly, indeed, to say goodbye.”
An Jing nodded and said, “Since His Majesty has entrusted me with the campaign in Beihuang Dao, and with Houjin’s forces pointing south, there’s no telling when they will move down. I should return and prepare as soon as possible.”
Lv Guoyong cautioned, “Houjin’s soldiers are naturally stronger than those of our Yan Country. Coupled with the many experts from the Great Snow Mountain, you must be extremely cautious on your mission to Beihuang Dao, especially with Zongzheng Huachun. He is someone who doesn’t like to play by the rules, and his nature is somewhat similar to Zhao Mengtai. Both enjoy taking risks with their troops, which can sometimes be incredibly effective, delivering a fatal blow to the enemy.”
An Jing nodded slightly, then pondered for a moment before saying, “Thank you for the warning, Elder Lv. Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
Lv Guoyong responded, “Ask.”
Without hesitation, An Jing went straight to the point and asked, “Zhou Xianming has been getting very close to Princess An Le recently. Is this at your suggestion, Elder Lv?”
As Lv Guoyong had retired from active affairs, Zhou Xianming had naturally taken up the mantle of the Lv Sect’s influence at court. His closeness with Princess An Le spoke volumes without saying a word.
The Confucian Sect, unlike other sects, depends on royal power. If the royal power stands, so does the Confucian Sect; if the royal power declines, so too does the Confucian Sect.
Now, Zhou Xianming’s choice of Princess An Le effectively meant that the Confucian Sect had chosen Princess An Le.
Lv Guoyong shook his head and stood up, saying, “Each person has their own choices to make. You have yours, and so does Xianming. I can’t make decisions for everyone, but I respect each person’s choice.”
“Having retired, I only concern myself with the affairs of the state and the world, not with the matters of the court anymore.”
With that, he walked to the railing with his hands clasped behind his back.
An Jing bowed with his fists closed and thanked him, “I appreciate your clarification, Elder Lv.”
Lv Guoyong’s remarks were indirect, but with careful thought, An Jing could glean the answer he needed.
Lv Guoyong let out a sigh and said, “Alright, I don’t want to preach to you youngsters anymore. Many people understand the principles, but putting them into practice is the hardest part. I need to visit the Imperial Palace one last time for an audience with His Majesty.”
With those words, Lv Guoyong headed toward the door.
“Elder Lv, take care.”
An Jing rose and bowed. Once Lv Guoyong had left, he sat back in his chair and gently sipped the fragrance of the tea on the table.
Just then, Yu Qiurong hurried in, “My lord, there’s news of the Sect Hierarch.”
An Jing set down his teacup and promptly said, “Tell me.”
Yu Qiurong didn’t delay and quickly reported, “Several days ago, the Sect Hierarch and Nangong Weiping went to Cloud Tower, but there was a mysterious expert inside, suspected to be Qi Xuan Dao’s master, the Elder of the Ten Directions. This person’s strength is unpredictable and enigmatic, and he even managed to stop Nangong Weiping. Later, it seemed that the Sect Hierarch and Nangong Weiping couldn’t defeat the numerous experts within Cloud Tower and retreated from the tower riding on the back of Honghu. The experts of Black Ice Platform didn’t pursue, and the two of them are now on their way back to Yan Country.”
What!?
Upon hearing Yu Qiurong’s words, An Jing was greatly shaken, “A mysterious expert stopped Nangong Weiping?”
Nangong Weiping was an incredibly powerful figure, and although she might not be at her peak due to severe injuries, not even a Five Qi Grandmaster should be her match. Yet now someone had managed to stop her!?
Yu Qiurong nodded and confirmed, “That’s right.”
An Jing asked, “What’s the background of this Elder of the Ten Directions?”
Yu Qiurong slowly explained, “The Elder of the Ten Directions was originally a mysterious expert in Zhao Country. His origins are unknown to many, and not many are aware of his cultivation level either. The first time he appeared was within the Cloud Tower on Black Ice Platform. Qin Shan, Qi Xuan Dao, Qu Renlin, and other such top-level Grandmasters are his disciples.”
An Jing furrowed his brow, seeing that the Elder of the Ten Directions was clearly another unfathomable expert. To have stopped Nangong Weiping, he must be at least a top-level Five Qi Grandmaster, and perhaps even a Great Grandmaster. But if he really was at the level of a Great Grandmaster, why would he have hidden himself all this time?
With such an expert at Black Ice Platform, in a showdown between Yan and Zhao, it would undoubtedly be an overwhelming presence, holding a comprehensive advantage. There seemed to be many secrets hidden within the Elder of the Ten Directions.
“Based on Honghu’s speed, Lady should be back in Yan Country soon.”
Something occurred to An Jing, and he asked, “By the way, has there been any turmoil in Jianghu recently?”
Yu Qiurong responded, “After the battle at Yujing City, all has been very calm. Only the Four Symbols Sect was destroyed, but Jia Meixian, the granddaughter of Jia Shiwu, and the prime disciple of the Four Symbols Sect, Yang Chong, managed to escape and their whereabouts are unknown.”
An Jing nodded slightly, “It’s good that they escaped.”
He had imbued his full-strength Sword Intent into that wooden sword, which could protect Jia Meixian’s life at a critical moment. Although it could be used only once and was difficult to make, requiring a person with Inner Strength to activate it, it was still a treasure.
Yu Qiurong continued, “Since a shred of Earth Vein Spirit’s consciousness has escaped, cultivation in the world has become somewhat simpler. Many experts stuck at First and Second Grade, as well as Half-step Masters in Jianghu, have been breaking through their fetters. High-level masters have started to increase, and even two reclusive Half-step Masters have broken through their shackles to reach the Grandmaster level.”
An Jing furrowed his brow and asked, “As of now, has there been anything unusual?”
The escape of the Earth Vein Spirit’s consciousness brought with it not only nature’s spiritual energy but also the aura of evil spirits.
Although it seemed that the shackles of the world had loosened, bringing significant benefits to everyone, there was also a great danger lurking within.
Yu Qiurong shook her head and said, “As of now, there have been no abnormalities.”
Just as An Jing was about to speak, another figure rushed in urgently.
The visitor was neither stranger nor insignificant; it was Li Fuzhou, the Sect Leader of the Human Sect.
Given Li Fuzhou’s temperament, he would not show such a grave expression unless it was a matter of great importance.
Li Fuzhou bowed and said, “My lord, a combined force of six hundred thousand troops from Houjin’s four banners has already assembled in North Field, advancing towards the Heavenly Gate Pass. Among them are experts from various tribes, several Dharma Kings from the Great Snow Mountain, and the experts of Soul Seeker Mansion have also disappeared, seemingly gone to ground early.”
“It seems the campaign of the kingdoms against Yan has begun.”
…….
