Chapter 2319 Earth Treasury Emperor

Cangzhe.

This was a divine beast created from the wishpower of the living, which was awakened by the sacrifice of an Emperor Ancestor’s life and cultivation...

Lin Xun couldn’t help but inwardly shiver at this bizarre and incomprehensible notion.

“Emperor Ancestor Niejin might appear to have died, but isn’t this also a form of rebirth since his spirit has merged with the divine beast Cangzhe? It is exactly what he has always been seeking: an opportunity to ascend past the Emperor Ancestor Stage!"

In the distance, Buddha Emperor Xufeng murmured as his eyes shone with fanaticism.

"Lin Xun, destroy that black Buddhist niche! Otherwise, even if I kill this evil creature, its power will be absorbed by the statue of Earth Treasury Emperor, which will highly likely allow him to complete the golden body of virtue and come back to life!"

Xi's transmission made Lin Xun's heart shudder. It turned out that the faceless Buddha statue was truly made in the image of the Earth Treasury Realm’s founder!

Earth Treasury Realm had been collecting the wishpower of the living for countless years to allow Earth Treasury Emperor to create a golden body of virtue and be reborn as a ‘god!’

Lin Xun immediately swooped towards the black Buddhist niche in the distance.

"Subdue!"

Buddha Emperor Xufeng raised his hand. The black rosary floated into the air, drawing the surging taboo law power towards it as it rushed down at Lin Xun.

In front of Lin Xun, the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron glowed with the gorgeous aura of the Phoenix Flame of Order, ready to meet the incoming foe.

Boom~

The collision between rosary and sword cauldron was akin to a clash between two different law powers, and produced numerous torrents of destructive energies.

"You’re also capable of wielding law power?" Buddha Emperor Xufeng’s eyes narrowed slightly as if surprised. A hint of graveness soon surfaced on his cold and indifferent expression.

Previously, he thought that Xi was the key reason why Lin Xun had managed to crush the Holy Illumination Ancient Sect.

Otherwise, it would be wishful thinking for a mere fourth realm supreme Emperor to destroy the mighty Holy Illumination Ancient Sect.

Only now did Buddha Emperor Xufeng realize that he had focused too much on Xi and ended up underestimating Lin Xun's strength!

"Attack!”

Without hesitation, Buddha Emperor Xufeng launched an all-out attack, now regarding Lin Xun as a formidable foe.

Rumble!

Buddha phantasms emerged around him. Some sat in the sky, some smiled while holding a flower, some glared with angry eyes, some only revealed their backs...

Buddha Emperor Xufeng’s aura rocketed to its peak in an instant, making him resemble the ruler of the holy land of Buddhism. He displayed supreme Buddhist arts as he directed the taboo law power, painting an extremely terrifying sight.

"To overcome adversity is the way. Those who refuse to repent will be doomed to destruction!"

He chanted as taboo law power transformed into divine chains and wrapped around the black Buddha phantasms. Space caved-in and collapsed under their endlessly terrifying pressure, producing deafening explosions.

Lin Xun faced it head-on with the sword cauldron. Brilliant and boundless sword qi furiously unfurled and filled the sky, as the faint cry of a phoenix resounded across the nine heavens and ten lands.

The Phoenix Flame of Order’s power was released to its fullest at this moment.

Rumble!

The two clashed with unmatched intensity, exchanging hundreds of blows in an instant. They fought until the sky turned dark and dusky while the sun and moon lost their light, leaving horrifying scenes of destruction everywhere.

This made Buddha Emperor Xufeng’s expression grow increasingly grave. He never imagined that he would fail to defeat a mere fourth realm supreme Emperor like Lin Xun even after unleashing the full might of his cultivation and the taboo law power.

At the same time, Lin Xun couldn't help but frown.

If not for the taboo law power, the likes of Buddha Emperor Xufeng would never be able to withstand his attacks.

"Open!"

With a loud shout, Lin Xun circulated his cultivation to the limit. He began to boil like a raging abyss as a terrifying aura engulfed the nine heavens and ten lands.

Under his control, the Limitless Abyss Dao Sword poured its entire essence into executing ‘No Return.’

Buddha Emperor Xufeng’s pupils shrank upon sensing the horrifying power of the sword. He immediately prepared to defend with everything he had.

However, a blinding wave of misty white light suddenly burst from Lin Xun, causing the surroundings to pause for a moment.

Plop!

A muffled groan was heard.

Buddha Emperor Xufeng struggled to raise his head and gather his focus as he bitterly spat out, "So the second stage of the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer does exist..."

Before he could vocalize the next word, a line of blood spread from the top of his head to the bridge of his nose, lips, chin, throat, chest... Next, his body split into two and fell apart.

Before any blood could flow out, he turned into dust inch by inch and scattered with the wind.

Tak!

A string of black beads fell to the ground, creating a small dust cloud. The beads scattered across the ground, now dim and without any spirituality.

Lin Xun took a deep breath. Without looking back, he headed straight towards the black Buddhist niche in the distance.

"ROAR!"

While locked in battle with Xi, divine beast Cangzhe suddenly unleashed an earth-shaking roar as if something had triggered it and tried to stop Lin Xun.

However, how could Xi let it do what it wanted? She attacked with her full power, her law power spear raining down like a torrential downpour to suppress Cangzhe.

For a time, Cangzhe could only roar incessantly, unable to extricate itself.

Meanwhile, Lin Xun had already arrived in front of the black Buddhist niche. His gaze swept across the statue of Earth Treasury Emperor as he suddenly took a step and sent forth the sword cauldron.

Rumble!

Torrential dao radiance unfurled from the sword cauldron as it clanged loudly, churning with an unprecedented amount of power.

However, a strange scene occurred at this moment.

In the black Buddhist niche, the closed eye on the forehead of the faceless Buddha statue suddenly opened.

It was as if a blazing sun had suddenly appeared in the night sky, releasing infinite light that could cover the nine heavens and ten lands.

Rumble!

In a flash, Lin Xun felt a sharp pain in his spirit as he seemed to fall into a vast, dark world.

Inside this vast world, a faceless Buddha towered like a pillar supporting the sky. It felt as if even the endless expanse of the cosmos could not hide the entirety of his being.

He was simply too majestic and humongous. He seemed to overlook the heavens like the lord of the universe: an existence that was eternal, indestructible, and immeasurable.

On his forehead, a lone eye shone like the sun, illuminating the entire world!

When compared to it, everything else in the world seemed as insignificant as a mere drop in the ocean.

Anyone who saw this sight would likely prostrate themselves on the ground in complete awe and worship.

After the initial shock, Emperor light rapidly grew in Lin Xun’s heart, dispelling shock and other influences.

His pupils contracted as he looked at the faceless Buddha in the sky and indifferently said, "If my guess is correct, this is an illusory world created from the wishpower of the living. It can be seen by the spirit and felt by the heart, but it is still ultimately just an illusion."

"This young friend's heart is forever illuminated by Emperor light and untainted by the world. How rare and precious."

A voice sounded like a Buddhist chant that reached straight into the heart, "If you convert, you will one day attain eternity and enjoy infinite freedom forever."

Every word rang out with kindness and compassion. The words shook and stirred Lin Xun’s heart. For an instant, he was almost convinced and wanted to fully surrender himself and submit.

However, that only lasted for an instant.

As Lin Xun circulated his cultivation, his heart became as stable as a boulder. All ripples were suppressed as his thoughts returned to unwavering calmness.

"For countless years, you’ve been using such methods to bewitch people to manipulate the wishpower of the living. That’s why generations of the Earth Treasury Realm disciples have been so firmly under your control, right?"

Lin Xun sneered, "An ordinary Emperor might have been taken over by you and enslaved, but such methods do not work on me."

He stood tall and straight with clear black eyes and an even clearer mind and heart, growing increasingly composed by the moment.

After a brief silence, countless figures suddenly emerged in the dark world, spreading endlessly from the darkness.

A hundred thousand.

A million.

Ten million.

...there were ordinary people, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, kings and generals, and others from all walks of life.

There were also cultivators ranging from the lesser five cultivation realms to the King Stage, Saint Stage, Quasi-Emperor Stage, and Emperor Stage...

In the end, the entirety of heaven and earth was filled to the brim with countless figures. They numbered in the billions and seemed to crowd the whole cosmos!

When the figures appeared, they knelt down, kowtowed devoutly, and chanted, "Wherever Earth Treasury shines is the eternal kingdom of our Emperor."

Their uniformed voices resounded across the world!

"See? These are the 'living beings' who follow me. Their will is my will, and their lives are my life. Even if you do have the power to kill me, if I die, all of them will also perish."

The grand and ethereal voice sounded again, "This means that you will slaughter billions of living beings! I doubt that you, Lin Daoyuan, can bear the burden of such a heavy and bloody crime!"

Swish!

Countless gazes looked at Lin Xun.

Although he knew it was an illusion, Lin Xun still couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. The figures before him must belong to owners of the wishpower of the living collected by Earth Treasury Realm over countless years.

These were billions and billions of lives, a number so huge that it was impossible to imagine.

Although Lin Xun had fought for many years and killed countless enemies, his total kill count was nowhere near even one ten-thousandth of the people here.

"Collect the wishpower of the living to build a golden body of virtue. In this way, one can replace their wills with one’s own, thus enslaving them. While this method may allow one to revive or perhaps even step beyond the Emperor Ancestor Stage..."

Lin Xun sighed, his eyes as calm as an old rippleless well. "At the end of the day, it's still not a proper path."

The grand voice sounded again, "Those who refuse to change their ways are heretics. The people of this world will never forgive you."

As soon as the words fell, the billions of figures simultaneously stood up, glared at Lin Xun as if he was their hated enemy, and rushed at him without any hesitation.

Boom!

The world rippled violently as billions of people charged together. It was a scene that would make anyone despair, making one feel as if the entire world was against them.

Lin Xun nonchalantly said as he walked forward, "All I know is that you have yet to complete the golden body of virtue."

Ethereal dao light flowed around him as his clothes fluttered. He was calm and composed as if the endless figures swarming towards him didn’t exist.

In this manner, he walked towards the faceless Buddha who overlooked the heavens.

Along the way, multitudes of people flooded in from all directions like an endless dark sea, seeking to drown and swallow the lone tiny duckweed swimming against the flow.