Chapter 1346: Chilu (I)

The Heaven-Venerating Gate was itself a manifest display of Bright Yang, majestic in bearing and dazzling in brilliance. If one spoke of sheer grandeur, no other art seen so far surpassed the Heaven-Venerating Gate. A radiant pass descended to suppress all beneath it. It was vast as a mountain and shone in all directions, frightening the temple tenants of the north into worship and driving the common folk of the south to prostrate themselves.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The three Merciful Ones struggled to move under the burden of mountains. Heavenly light shone downward as an unending force of refinement and suppression surged from the Heavenly Gate, pressing down layer upon layer. Li Ximing raised his hand again and brought it to his lips.

"

Hoo!

"

Red and white shifted before finally transforming into the resplendent Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard, which cascaded downward toward the base of the heavenly gate. Blazing Bright Yang purple flames surged alongside it, instantly turning the area into a sea of fire.

The three were immediately drenched in sweat. Spots of golden lacquer flowed across their dharma bodies, dripping into the golden flames and quickly evaporating as they rose, causing the divine ability to suppress them even more firmly.

But even more fatal, as the light of the Buddhist land in the sky was cut off, the wisp of multicolored radiance that protected their bodies and safeguarded their lives visibly weakened. Only the innate treasure light upon their dharma bodies continued to flicker, barely holding back the surging flames.

No matter how miserable the three below appeared, Li Ximing sat steadily atop the radiant pass, a quiet realization forming in his heart,

So this is why Daoist Master Kuiqi needed to call me back. It seems the Heaven-Venerating Gate is particularly effective against the Merciful Ones, especially this refinement and suppression that cuts off divine ability energy. It strikes them right where it hurts!

Every divine ability had its own strengths. The Heaven-Venerating Gate was famed for refinement and suppression. Although it could not grant Li Ximing the decisive power of Yehui or Changxiao, once the Heaven-Venerating Gate gained the upper hand, it was like Mount Taishi itself, upright and imposing. The Merciful Ones, lacking true divine abilities of their own, were suppressed completely.

The white heavenly gate continued to bear down with ever increasing weight. The two Merciful Ones behind hurriedly looked to the one in the lead, and one said in a low voice, "Master Pingling, we juniors have only just ascended to the Buddhist land. Our faith is weak and our seats are low. We beg you to borrow the divine ability of the Buddhist land to preserve all our dharma bodies."

The three-eyed Merciful One in front appeared hesitant. His condition was somewhat better, though sweat was still pouring down his body. While channeling mana together with the other two to resist the suppression, he watched golden lacquer drip from them amid the True Fire. Gritting his teeth, he sent a thought transmission, "This divine ability is downright bizarre. Do you think I do not want to borrow it? You and I stand within the Buddhist land, so our pleas can naturally reach it, but its light may not necessarily descend. I am not under the Golden Lotus Throne or endowed with enlightenment. Where would I get such immense faith energy?!"

The two were not fully convinced, their faces betraying looks of doubt. After all, if the fire continued to burn without pause, Pingling might last until reinforcements arrived, but the two of them likely would not. Understanding that he did not want to bear the cost alone, they could only say softly, "We are willing to lend the master our aid!"

Joy appeared on Pingling's face, but before the words were fully spoken, a brilliant white beam of light burst through the flames. Using the overhead Radiant Light as cover, it darted forward like a venomous snake. The hammer wielding Merciful One only had time to raise his dharma artifact before letting out a cry of pain.

"

Ah!

"

His iron golden eyes were struck by the light, and his left eye instantly exploded into a spray of golden powder. The three Merciful Ones dared not hesitate and simultaneously formed seals to cast their arts.

The three-eyed Pingling urgently chanted, "The boundless of the eight directions are all illusions. Right and wrong are all empty thoughts... Under the illumination of treasure light... lies inconceivable merit. Only our Buddhist land seeks true proof. This humble one earnestly beseeches divine ability!"

Li Ximing was urging his Heaven-Venerating Gate to grow stronger and stronger when he suddenly raised his head and felt the great void tremble. It was as if a fragment of heaven and earth were drawing near to manifest in the world. Auspicious clouds appeared in the sky, and a wisp of multicolored light descended.

The radiance was no larger than a human head, like a beam of light breaking through the clouds. It sought to fall upon someone, yet halted above the Heaven-Venerating Gate, shining upon the divine ability instead.

Li Ximing immediately frowned as a searing pain arose. The Mountain-Charging Profound Veil hurried to intercept it, only to find that the multicolored light was entirely unhindered. It was merely compressed smaller and smaller by the Heaven-Venerating Gate's power of erosion and severance. By the time it passed through the Radiant Light, more than half of it had dissipated, and only then did it fall upon the head of the three-eyed Merciful One.

After receiving this light, the Merciful One Pingling's eyes gleamed with brilliance as dense runes lit up across his body. Two arms burst forth from his back, bracing against the base of the Heaven-Venerating Gate as he attempted to heave the heavenly gate upward.

Li Ximing glanced downward as heavenly light re-gathered between his brows. He snorted as his eyes gradually turned white gold. His hands formed seals and his heart grew steadily colder as he thought,

Very well. You do not try to flee with divine abilities, yet you dare try to overturn the Heaven-Venerating Gate?! Then try!

Thus he spared no effort. Mana circulated at full tilt. The radiance upon the divine ability grew even more pronounced, and the heavenly gate itself blazed with dazzling light, bleaching heaven and earth white.

This made Pi Jia glance sideways in the heavens and Daisi shake his head on the ground. On the other hand, Kuiqi was not surprised at all. Whether it was True Fire or the Heaven-Venerating Gate, Xukui Dao Gate clearly knew of them all, and he merely exhaled a mouthful of black qi.

Daisi looked gloomy. Even though he had long expected those three fools to ruin things, he had not expected them to be crushed so quickly.

His strength surpassed Chen Yin by a margin, and with the Kongsijiang Demon Bowl containing the opponent's Mansion Water, he already held the upper hand. He shook his head inwardly at this scene and began to ponder,

They said Chen Yin and Li Ximing were stretched thin, yet both have arrived. Could Zhelu have lacked confidence and instead tricked me into charging ahead? If that is the case, surely there is not another Ling Mei waiting in the great void.

Schemes within the Buddhist land were no fewer than those of the Immortal Dao. Daisi and Zhelu were both Mahas of the Emptiness Dao and stood on the same side. Zhelu's strength far exceeded Daisi's, and Daisi himself had been promoted by Zhelu, so he had accepted being directed as a junior. Even so, his vigilance toward Zhelu was not light.

He reflected,

You command many Merciful Ones, Zhelu, and there are plenty beneath the Golden Lotus Throne as well... Yet you were unwilling to send even two. Meanwhile five under my command went out and two dharma bodies were lost at once. Damn it... Both Tinglan and Qiuhu could not surpass Kuiqi at the early Purple Mansion Realm. Calling out a Maha is one thing, but how could they possibly hold back a whole group of Merciful Ones?

After all, the formation core dharma artifact suppressing and containing Tinglan and the other belonged to someone else. Daisi could not grasp the situation and could not obtain any word from Zhelu. A sense of wrongness welled up in his heart. He formed seals and stood still. Half of one eye instantly turned into a round orb dense with runes. Peering through the great void toward the Buddhist land, he urgently requested reinforcements.

On his own battlefield, Pingling the Merciful One was even more frustrated. His four arms were being pressed down by the increasingly heavy radiant pass until they flickered in and out of light. The two behind him, shielded by his protection, barely managed to catch their breath, yet their expressions were just as grim.

It was not that Pingling had insisted on resisting to the bitter end and refused to flee. The multicolored light from the heavens was a divine ability bestowed by the Buddhist land, and limited to only a few forms. Whatever was granted was what it was. He was not a Maha with freely wielded wondrous divine abilities. The Heaven-Venerating Gate had shaved away sixty percent of it, so what great use could it still have?

But misfortune never came alone. Li Ximing would not wait. White light darted through, and Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light descended once more.

Fortunately, the two had gained a moment to breathe and hurriedly intercepted with their dharma artifacts. The hammer wielding Merciful One took a heavy blow and coughed up some golden powder. Unexpectedly, a streak of Radiant Light galloped through the sea of fire. Heavenly light flared sharply, and a white gold sleeve carrying golden flames swept out from within.

This move had long been prepared by Li Ximing. The Supreme Yang Resonance Radiant Art could not perfectly coordinate with True Fire, but he had descended in person with his Dharma Body. Using Valley Wind Leading Fire, he gathered who knew how many layers of flame in his palm and finally caught the hammer wielding Merciful One off guard, slamming it fiercely into his chest.

Since Li Ximing did not possess a Body Divine Ability, the hammer wielding Merciful One had a chance to react, but one arm holding the hammer had already been deflected by Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light. His other arm was about to be burned by fire. He was half a beat slow and had no choice but to take the palm strike head on.

Boom!

Blazing True Fire erupted. The Merciful One managed only a single howl as Purple Mansion Realm True Fire, bright as a pillar of light, pierced through his chest in an instant, blasting out a spray of golden fragments. The three-eyed Merciful One's eyes widened as he retracted all four palms at once. He forcibly struck into the fire while enduring the heavenly divine ability.