Chapter 862: The Venerable Buddha, Liu Miaoyin

"You certainly know quite a bit, don't you?" The head of Snowborne, Han Gucheng, smiled coldly.

"No, that can't be. Snowborne has existed for longer than a millennium. You, Han Gucheng, weren't around a thousand years ago! How could you be the head of Snowborne?" Saint Lun Hui cried out.

"You're a man on the brink of death. Why waste your time asking me questions?" Han Gucheng steadily walked toward Saint Lun Hui.

"You must have killed the real head of Snowborne, replaced him, and deliberately got close to me—all to scheme against me and seize my charm of heavenly law! What a schemer you are!" Saint Lun Hui exclaimed, finally piecing everything together all too late.

Han Gucheng ignored the saint's curses. Surrounded by radiant green light, with the charm of heavenly law glowing within his body, Han Gucheng's aura was steadily growing stronger. He drew a longsword and pointed it at the saint.

The saint's avatar, trapped inside the Ice Casket, was unable to move. He watched Han Gucheng approach as his face twisted with terror. "No! Don't come any closer! The heavens won't forgive you for this!"

"You're nothing more than the heavens' lapdog. Do you really think you're anyone of importance? They won't care even if you're dead. Now, die!" Han Gucheng shouted.

He swung his longsword at the Ice Casket, which trembled and opened up slightly—just enough for his blade to reach the saint's avatar within.

The saint's face was a mask of despair as he foresaw his end. With a hateful glare, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Han Gucheng, the heavens won't forgive you! You'll die a terrible death! Now, explode!"

The saint self-destructed, unleashing a massive explosion that shattered the Ice Casket. The blast sent Han Gucheng flying backward, his clothes torn and tattered.

He picked himself up from the ground, his expression darkening with frustration. "What a nuisance."

After thoroughly checking the area to confirm that the saint was truly dead, Han Gucheng turned and flew off, disappearing into the vast expanse of the ocean.

In the Sieve of Heaven, within a grand hall, Xiao Nanfeng's avatar stood before the blue lotus, which emitted faint wisps of black mist. Within the lotus, the voice of the Venerable Buddha could be heard.

"Senior, it's such a relief to have you back. Shall we try to separate your cursed spiritual avatar from my blue moon?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"No! Don't do that."

"Why not?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, puzzled.

"The blue lotus is perfectly suppressing the cursed will of your blue moon, and can protect you from calamity. It's an ideal balance. The fusion is so harmonious that separating us would cause significant damage to your blue moon," the Venerable Buddha explained.

"But if we don't separate, what will happen to you?" Xiao Nanfeng continued, frowning.

"What did you exchange for my life?" the Venerable Buddha asked.

Xiao Nanfeng described how he had sacrificed the golden lotus hoods and black coffin to the primordial altar.

"No wonder. The black coffins were once a powerful cursed king. Unlucky for it, though—its cursed will gave me my life back, and the black coffins themselves imparted me with an unexpected boon."

"A boon?"

"When you performed the sacrifice, you asked the altar to grant me whatever you contributed in excess, and it did just that. The altar communicated its intentions to me, allowing me to bring back a vast reserve of cursed spiritual power and special materials."

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"Additionally, since you absorbed the remnants of Yin Shenhua's cursed spiritual avatar in full, I'll be able to take advantage of this opportunity to use my boon. There may be some discomfort while death chants sound. Bear with it for a moment," the Venerable Buddha warned.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

The blue lotus trembled. Death chants began to ring, but Xiao Nanfeng had long since become immune to them. He didn't feel discomfited by the noise—only to have a second layer of death chants stack on top of the first. Xiao Nanfeng could keenly sense that the two layers were different. The second produced a grating, nails-on-chalkboard sound that made Xiao Nanfeng deeply uncomfortable.

He gritted his teeth and endured, his eyes fixed on the blue lotus.

Thick black fog emerged from the heart of the lotus, condensing into a dark flower bud.

Slowly, the bud grew and unfurled into a black lotus on top of the blue one.

With a hum, the black lotus radiated an unsettling aura as it filled the grand hall with its oppressive presence.

After some time, the black lotus detached from the blue lotus and floated in mid-air. Xiao Nanfeng could sense that all of the Venerable Buddha's energy had been transferred into this new entity.

The black lotus trembled slightly as it stabilized and reined in its aura.

"Senior, just what is this black lotus?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, astonished.

"As I mentioned, I brought back an immense quantity of cursed spiritual power and special materials from the primordial altar, which ultimately came from the black coffins you sacrificed. Using these resources, I was able to create this black lotus, essentially a new cursed effigy."

"A new cursed effigy?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"Well, not entirely new. It's a perfect replica of the blue lotus—an avatar of the cursed spiritual avatar, if you will. Your blue lotus is the main body, and this black lotus is an avatar of it."

"An avatar? Are the two lotuses linked, then?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"They are. Cursed effigies are peculiar in nature. The black lotus possesses all the abilities of the blue one, but it's still an avatar. As such, it's subject to the authority of the original. If you wish to suppress me, the blue lotus would enable you to do so."

"Senior, this arrangement isn't fair to you, and the fact that you're telling me your weakness so readily..."

"Don't worry. Remember what I told you before—I believe in you. I see in you a greater chance to defeat the heavens than I ever had. I'm willing to do whatever it takes for the good of the world. I've already resigned myself to the fact that I alone cannot prevail against the heavens. I intend to assist you in achieving that feat instead. If I must constrain myself to do so, so be it. I don't mind. After all, I even sacrificed my life for you. Now that you've brought me back, why would I be on guard against you?"

Xiao Nanfeng fell silent. Though he didn't fully agree with such self-sacrifice, he was deeply moved by the sincerity of the Venerable Buddha's words.

"Rest assured, Senior. I won't let you down," Xiao Nanfeng replied solemnly.

"No more of that 'Senior', either! My name is Liu Miaoyin. You may call me that."

"Liu Miaoyin?" Xiao Nanfeng was taken aback. It was the first time he had learned the Venerable Buddha's name.

The black lotus trembled, shifting and morphing into the form of a woman clad in sheer black muslin. Her figure was elegant, her beauty unparalleled. Her eyes were as deep as a tranquil lake—gentle, wise, and serene. Though she was dressed in black, her presence radiated purity, as if all the goodness of the world had converged in her.

Although Xiao Nanfeng had seen Liu Miaoyin's visage during their battle with Yin Shenhua, he was once again struck by her breathtaking beauty.

Seeing Xiao Nanfeng's expression, Liu Miaoyin smiled and said, "You, too? Why does everyone look at me like that?"

She was aware of her allure, to some extent. In the past, many had flocked to her not only for her teachings but also for her beauty. Even the Buddha Emperors serving under her had harbored hopes of becoming her partner in cultivation. Such reactions were nothing new to her.

Shaking himself out of his daze, Xiao Nanfeng smiled wryly and said, "Forgive me for staring. Your beauty is overwhelming."

Liu Miaoyin chuckled, not offended. "You've already reached the Golden Immortal realm? How?"

She knew the techniques that Xiao Nanfeng cultivated, as well as how hard it would be to advance them.

"I've had some fortuitous encounters," Xiao Nanfeng replied modestly.

"Oh? Tell me about everything that happened while I was gone," Liu Miaoyin requested, curious.

Xiao Nanfneg nodded and began to recount his recent adventures. Liu Miaoyin's brows furrowed upon hearing just what Xiao Nanfneg had managed.

"In just a few years, you destroyed the divine empire of Dayin, then Hongyue, then orchestrated the downfall of a saint, and then claimed all the treasures of the green knoll hidden realm?" Liu Miaoyin summarized, astonished.

"I was just lucky," Xiao Nanfeng replied modestly.

Liu Miaoyin's eyes lit up. "As expected of the man I favor."

Xiao Nanfeng chuckled. "Senior, your statement's quite easy to misunderstand, you know..."

Liu Miaoyin blinked in confusion before realizing the implications of her words. Her face turned slightly red as she retorted, "You little rascal, what nonsense are you thinking about?"

"Nothing at all, Senior!" Xiao Nanfeng smiled again.

Liu Miaoyin smiled back. She didn't take offense; it was clear she hadn't meant anything by her earlier words.

"As I said, call me Liu Miaoyin, or just Miaoyin if you prefer."

"Very well, Senior Miaoyin," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Liu Miaoyin gave her a slightly exasperated look, but didn't argue further.

Rising to her feet, she said, "From your description, I believe I have a good grasp of the current situation. Let's go. I'd like to meet with Yu Fuli."

"Very well!" Xiao Nanfeng nodded and stood up as well.

He unsealed the grand hall as he and Liu Miaoyin emerged from within.

A large number of Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates were on guard outside the hall. His sudden seclusion had drawn the attention of many cultivators in the Sieve of Heaven, who were spying on him from afar. When they saw the doors to the hall opening up, they cast curious glances toward the hall—only to see Xiao Nanfeng emerge with a woman shrouded in black fog. Her figure was graceful and lithe. The onlookers were taken aback.

"Didn't Xiao Nanfeng enter secluded cultivation alone? Where did that woman come from?"

"She might be deliberately hiding her appearance, but for some reason, I feel a sense of peace when I gaze at her. I almost want to become her follower..."

"Just what was Xiao Nanfeng and that woman doing together all this time in this hall? Could they have been...?"

A wave of whispers spread throughout the crowd. Had Xiao Nanfeng really been indulging in private pleasures while the Heavenly Emperor was taking on a saint?