Chapter 624: Slaying the Peacock

Back in Dayin's capital, as Ao Canghai and Yin Shenhua's fight grew more and more intense, their subordinates continued sending them mental transmissions to keep them up to date with regards to the fighting.

"Eastern Aspect, after the death of the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost, the Martial Aspects of Redfrost, Greenfrost, and Indigofrost have all perished at the peacock's hands. The peacock and a growing number of cursed effigies are headed toward another Immortal city to kill the next Martial Aspect now!"

"Your Majesty, Xiao Nanfeng and the Venerable Buddha are repeatedly saving the Marital Aspects from His Highness' assault. Four Buddhas and bodhisattvas have already fallen."

Ao Canghai and Yin Shenhua's subordinates continued to relay information about the fighting to their respective masters. Both cultivators grew more and more frustrated.

"Yin Shenhua, let's stop here. Others are only going to take advantage of our mutual destruction. Why bother?" Ao Canghai fumed.

The two cultivators attacked each other with their palms, then separated. Even so, they stared balefully at each other, as though the slightest provocation would cause them to resume their fight.

Yin Shenhua's face was dour. He was clearly tempted to call a truce. His plan seemed to be unraveling because of Xiao Nanfeng, and the Immortal Emperor of Dachi hadn't chased after the Venerable Buddha as had been planned. He was in a remarkably passive position. Why not cut his losses now?

Just then, both cultivators' subordinates sent them urgent mental transmissions.

"Eastern Aspect, the Venerable Buddha, along with some Martial Aspects, are facing off against the peacock in the Immortal city of Fengdu. The Venerable Buddha is taking on the peacock itself!"

"Your Majesty, His Highness encountered the Venerable Buddha outside Fengdu. A huge fight is about to break out!"

Ao Canghai and Yin Shenhua immediately reacted upon hearing that news.

Yin Shenhua said, "Very well, Ao Canghai. Let's end the fight between us here."

He didn't want to fight any longer, but Ao Canghai's attitude was entirely different. With the peacock killing his confidantes all across Dayin, he naturally didn't want to fight in case his losses grew to an unacceptable degree. Now, however, the peacock was taking on the Venerable Buddha. He would benefit regardless of which side lost out. Why would he give up on such an opportunity?

"End the fight here? Your son has been killing my Martial Aspects. How can we stop just like that? Yin Shenhua, I won't let you leave!" Ao Canghai roared, launching himself toward him.

"Ao Canghai, I'll kill you!" Yin Shenhua thundered, retaliating with a palm.

The two supreme cultivators' fight resumed in the air.

Outside the Immortal city of Fengdu, the Martial Aspect of Lightseeking and several other Martial Aspects whom the black lotus had rescued stared at the cursed effigies before them. They were led by a fierce peacock.

Both sides prepared to take on their opponents.

"Venerable Buddha, you again? You truly intend to hound me, don't you?" the fierce peacock demanded.

"You've committed enough evil," the black lotus replied. "You should have been dealt with sooner."

"Ha! Do you think we're still in the past? Times have changed. You lost to us back then—what good do you think reviving in the present will do for you? All you're good for is being eaten up by me!" the peacock roared, swooping forward.

"Die!" the black lotus shouted, charging forward as well.

The two combatants met in a flaming tempest.

"You've devoured the Past Buddha and are taking advantage of its strength, aren't you? I've fought against the Past Buddha before. Last time, you managed to get away, but not this time! Die!" the peacock roared.

The two combatants struck each other in an intense series of blows.

Meanwhile, the peacock's subordinates surged forward, only to be stopped by the Martial Aspects on the opposing side.

"Die!" the Martial Aspects thundered.

The two forces crashed against each other as they too began to fight in earnest.

A large number of arhats rushed to the scene from afar, only to be held back by Xiao Nanfeng's ten golden crows.

All of Fengdu was mired in the fight. Flashes of flame and howling wind could be seen from far beyond the city.

"Guards of Fengdu, activate the defensive formation around the city to the maximum!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood, City Lord Xiao!" the guards within the city replied.

Xiao Nanfeng had temporarily been the acting city lord of Fengdu in the past, and he had rescued all the civilians within the city more than once. The people adored him; and although there had been some bad press with the commotion at Dayin, the revelation that Yin Shenhua had been devouring his citizens caused popular opinion to turn decisively in his favor.

Meanwhile, the external forces had all heard of the commotion and were secretly gathering in the distance, all hoping to be able to seize a greater fraction of Dayin for themselves. They watched on as the Martial Aspects of the Imperial Court took on the cultivators of Dayin, none stepping in themselves.

The fighting lasted a whole day and night.

The peacock was powerful indeed, second only to Yin Shenhua within Dayin. He had devoured plenty of cultivators and absorbed their strength—but his opponent was the Venerable Buddha.

The Venerable Buddha had taken over the world eighty thousand years ago. Though it was now in a temporarily weakened state, with Xiao Nanfeng's help, it had regained enough strength to have become a peak Golden Immortal. It was gradually starting to suppress the peacock. After the fighting that had lasted an entire day and night, both cultivators had wounded each other severely.

"Five-colored divine light!" the peacock intoned.

A screen of multicolored light shot straight toward the Venerable Buddha, who charged forward and tore apart the screen as it closed in on the peacock.

"No!" the peacock cried out.

The Venerable Buddha tore apart the peacock's chest and thrust through it from the front, bisecting the peacock and tearing his body apart.

"Your Highness!" the Buddhas and bodhisattvas cried out.

The Venerable Buddha transformed into a gigantic black lotus, sucking up the peacock's body from its underside.

The cursed effigies attempted to flee in panic, but the Martial Aspects prevented them from doing so. "Don't you think it's too late to try to flee?"

The cursed effigies were already badly wounded to begin with. Their morale had fallen sharply, while the morale of the Martial Aspects had risen instead. They were roundly defeated.

The black lotus transformed back into the Past Buddha, striking at the gathered cursed effigies and crippling their ability to fight.

Then, it returned to its black lotus form and absorbed them all up as well.

The battle was over. All the Martial Aspects relaxed, sighing in relief. They were all stunned by the black lotus' prowess.

After all, the black lotus had demonstrated incredible strength.

The black lotus rushed back into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape, saying, "Guard me. I'm about to make a big breakthrough."

"Understood," Xiao Nanfeng replied. He turned to the gathered Martial Aspects. "Martial Aspects, please assist me in standing guard over the Venerable Buddha."

"Very well," the Martial Aspects replied smoothly.

The Venerable Buddha had just saved their lives, and none of them were Ao Canghai's confidantes. It was only natural that they would return the favor in kind.

Xiao Nanfeng and the Martial Aspects swiftly left the Immortal city of Fengdu.

He knew that the fight that had unfolded over the course of a day and a night would surely have attracted the attention of external forces. Plenty of strong cultivators had to be lying in wait.

Perhaps there were even Golden Immortals among their number. If any bore him and the black lotus malicious intent, the encounter would surely go poorly. Recruiting the Martial Aspects for help was an obvious decision.

The group of cultivators headed to a remote part of the Eastern Sea.

The black lotus flew out of Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape and landed in the sea, emitting a huge cloud of black fog.

A tremendous aura could be sensed within the fog. It was growing stronger and stronger, causing the Martial Aspects to be taken aback.

"Could the Venerable Buddha be aiming to break through toward the realm of a Boundless Immortal?"

"A Boundless Immortal? From the looks of this aura... that could be the case!"

The Martial Aspects were gossiping among themselves as well.

Xiao Nanfeng watched on intently from the side. He knew that there were six grades of Immortal. The three lower grades were Human, Earth, and Heaven; the three upper grades were True, Golden, and Boundless.

Was the black lotus attempting to break through to the highest realm, that of the Boundless Immortal?

The black fog surrounding the black lotus exploded in an instant as a frightening aura swept across the sea. The seawater caved in as far as the eye could see; by the horizon, tsunamis brewed.

Then, the black lotus absorbed all the black fog it had emitted, as well as the spiritual aether all around its domain.

"A Boundless Immortal—this is the aura of a Boundless Immortal!" the Martial Aspect of Lightseeking exclaimed.

"A Boundless Immortal? The same realm as Yin Shenhua and the Eastern Aspect?" another Martial Aspect gasped.

The black lotus immediately flew back to Xiao Nanfeng.

"Inform Ao Canghai immediately. We'll take on Yin Shenhua right now!" the black lotus commanded.

"Got it!" Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The Martial Aspects nodded seriously.

"With two Boundless Immortals against one, Yin Shenhua will be done for!"

"Not only that, Yin Shenhua doesn't have many Golden Immortal Buddhas or bodhisattvas left, does he? We have a tremendous advantage."

"Quite a few Martial Aspects of the Imperial Court have perished. It's time we take revenge."

The Martial Aspects were all in agreement.

They flew back to land, heading straight for Dayin's capital.

Just then, Ao Canghai and Yin Shenhua continued to take on one another as they waited to hear about the results of the fighting at Fengdu.

"Your Majesty, His Highness perished! He was devoured by the Venerable Buddha!"

"Eastern Aspect, Fengdu was a huge victory. The peacock and gathered Golden Immortal cursed effigies all perished!"

"Damn it!" Yin Shenhua cursed.

Ao Canghai's eyes twitched. He wasn't happy about this conclusion at all. He was hoping that the Venerable Buddha and peacock would both perish simultaneously. How could one side have obtained such an overwhelming victory?

He and Yin Shenhua faced off with their palms once again, allowing each other's blows to propel them back.

Yin Shenhua and Ao Canghai stared at each other from afar as they waited for more news from their respective subordinates.

Yin Shenhua had been intending to rush to the scene to take down the Venerable Buddha, only to have his subordinates reveal that Xiao Nanfeng and the Venerable Buddha had been escorted away by a group of Martial Aspects. Their whereabouts were unknown.

Yin Shenhua stayed where he was as he planned out his next move, as did Ao Canghai. Their subordinates continued to report news from the various Immortal cities of Dayin.

Before long, someone suddenly shouted, "Eastern Aspect, Xiao Nanfeng had me send word. He and the other Martial Aspects are heading straight here to take down Yin Shenhua! He wants you to stall Yin Shenhua and prevent him from escaping!"

"Xiao Nanfeng's coming?" Ao Canghai and Yin Shenhua were both taken aback.