Chapter 939: The Plea of the Buddha's Head

Blue Lantern had been imprisoned in the undying realm for over a millennium, consumed by torment and confusion. He couldn't fathom why Su Qingchan, the love of his life, had betrayed him.

The vows they had exchanged, the life-and-death struggles they had endured, the cherished memories they had created—were they nothing but lies?

He had grieved, suffered, and despaired, but he had never hated Su Qingchan.

It wasn't until he returned to the wild wastes hidden realm and witnessed his father's dying moments—enduring unspeakable agony while waiting for his son—that Blue Lantern finally came to his senses. He discarded his affection for Su Qingchan, and his heart filled with hatred.

The death of his father fueled Qing Deng's determination for vengeance. When Su Qingchan's avatar provoked him, he didn't hesitate any longer and personally ended her life.

But only now was the whole truth coming to light. Su Qingchan had been coerced by her father all along. For the past thousand years, she too had suffered in endless torment in body and soul alike.

She had sacrificed her own life to prove her innocence. For a thousand years, she had endured, waiting for Blue Lantern and seeking to make amends.

How could Blue Lantern hate Su Qingchan any longer? All the hatred in his heart was replaced by an overwhelming guilt. He blamed himself for being powerless, for failing to protect his fiancée and save his father.

Tears filled his bloodshot eyes as he knelt before Su Qingchan. Grasping her hand, he poured his spiritual power into her body, desperately trying to heal her injuries.

Su Qingchan's physical body bore no significant wounds, but her soul was utterly shattered and her truesoul badly damaged.

"It was a Soul Explosion curse—it detonates the soul, erasing body and spirit alike. How could Su Tianxin be so ruthless? How dare he call himself a father?!" Blue Jade sobbed beside him.

"I can save you. I will save you," Blue Lantern cried out, his voice trembling.

Eight bronze compasses appeared and orbited Su Qingchan's body. Blue Lantern directed a torrent of blue energy into her body, attempting to stop her life force from seeping away.

Su Qingchan, however, refused to accept the energy. She rejected it.

"Don't! Let me save you!" Blue Lantern shouted in desperation.

Su Qingchan smiled gently and shook her head. She knew that her fate was sealed. Prolonging her life would only deepen Blue Lantern's pain.

"Don't give up, Su Qingchan!" Blue Jade shouted.

Su Qingchan didn't respond. She reached out weakly to Blue Jade with a faltering hand.

"I'm here. What's the matter?" Blue Jade grasped Su Qingchan's hand immediately.

Su Qingchan didn't reply. She then extended another hand to Blue Lantern.

Seeing her gesture, Blue Lantern, choking back sobs, held Su Qingchan's other hand tightly.

Su Qingchan gently brought Blue Jade and Blue Lantern's hands together.

As their hands met, both Blue Jade and Blue Lantern seemed to realize something.

"Qingchan!"

"Su Qingchan!"

Their voices quavered as they called her name.

Su Qingchan glanced at their clasped hands with a mix of longing, relief, and satisfaction.

She looked at them one last time, her eyes filled with fondness, before her pupils slowly dilated and her smile froze in place.

"Qingchan!"

"Qingchan!"

Her companions cried out for her, but there was no response.

The flame of Su Qingchan's life had been extinguished, her soul completely dispersed. The remnants of her truesoul fragmented into countless tiny stars that hovered around Qing Deng, unwilling to fade. Yet no power could restore her. The lingering specks of light, imbued with her unyielding affection, slowly dissipated as they rose into the vast heavens.

"Qingchan!" Blue Lantern let out a heart-wrenching wail as he cradled Su Qingchan's lifeless body.

Not long ago, when Su Tianxin blocked Xiao Nanfeng's attack with the cursed mirror, a gigantic, pitch-black hand had emerged from the mirror and dragged him within.

Within the mirror, Xiao Nanfeng found himself in a pitch-black space filled with swirling black fog and potent heart force. The massive hand clenched him tightly, so tightly he was unable to even struggle.

The hand delivered Xiao Nanfeng to a monstrous maw.

With a sudden flash of red light, however, Xiao Nanfeng broke out of the hand's grip.

He quickly turned to his captor, a towering two-headed, four-armed giant. One head had a benevolent expression, and its hands were clasped in a gesture of prayer as if it were a Buddha. The other head bore a ferocious, demonic visage. Its claws swiped at him viciously.The demonic head had been the one that had seized him.

Rather than continue chasing after Xiao Nanfeng, however, the demon reached into a mirror before it in an attempt to capture Su Tianxin from the outside world.

Nearby, five massive pure yang pillars lay scattered on the ground. A faint blue compass glowed beneath the giant's feet, trapping its lower body and rendering it immobile. Only its upper body was free to move.

Sensing danger, Xiao Nanfeng cautiously retreated into the black fog.

"Don't leave, my friend. Stay and chat with me," the benevolent Buddha head suddenly called out, turning to Xiao Nanfeng.

"Senior, I have pressing matters to attend to. Please excuse me," Xiao Nanfeng replied warily, even as he continued to step back.

"Why the rush? Surely you can spare a moment?"

The Buddha smiled warmly. With a wave of its hands, Xiao Nanfeng found himself trapped within an enormous golden palm. The fingers rose like colossal pillars, enclosing him within a Buddha's realm of the palm.

"A realm of the palm?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

Indeed, the Buddha's head appeared from the heavens, now even more massive in size compared to Xiao Nanfeng.

"You're quite knowledgeable, my friend," the Buddha said, its voice calm and composed. "Now that we're here, why don't we have a little chat?"

"Senior, why are you trapped here?" Xiao Nanfeng asked cautiously.

"I am not trapped here. Rather, this is my domain. Some evildoer sealed my body and placed a soul-binding formation within it, imprisoning my soul upon my revival."

"This mirror is a cursed effigy, and your double-headed giant form must be your cursed spiritual avatar. Now that you've been bound by the compass formation at your feet, are you unable to control this mirror of yours?" Xiao Nanfeng probed.

The Buddha's head nodded. "Indeed. I have suffered greatly and have been imprisoned for countless years after finally reviving. Don't you pity me?"

"You can't manipulate the heart force here either, can you?" Xiao Nanfeng continued.

The Buddha tilted its head. "How did you know?"

"It's quite obvious. If you could, you wouldn't need to reach out and grab people with your physical body. The heart force dissipates into black fog, which you can't seem to command."

"You're quite astute. I apologize for my demonic half's earlier actions. Forgive me for dragging you in here."

"You can't control the other half of your body?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"It represents my evil side. I can hardly control it," the Buddha replied, laughing.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned thoughtfully.

"This meeting is an opportunity for you. I am willing to grant you several top-tier techniques, on one condition."

"Hm?"

"Stand on the compass formation on my behalf and relieve me of my burden. Are you willing to do so?"

Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes. He neither accepted nor rejected the offer immediately.

"I possess several supreme Buddhist techniques: the Imposing Avatar of Rulai, the Snowfield Buddha's Form, and the Art of the Truegold Minuscule. Stand on this compass for me for just a moment, and I shall grant you these techniques. Have a look."

Golden light flashed before the Buddha, gradually resolving into a golden jade tablet.

"Confirm the techniques in the tablet for yourself," the Buddha instructed.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the tablet. Indeed, within were several supreme Buddhist techniques, so precious that countless holy lands would consider them among their most prized treasures. Even so, Xiao Nanfeng wasn't greedy.

"I apologize, Senior. I'm not interested in these techniques, and cannot accept your request."

"Why not? Aren't they excellent techniques?"

"They are, but I'm not interested in them."

"What do you want? I can give you anything in my possession," the Buddha continued.

"I apologize, but I'm not interested," Xiao Nanfeng repeated.

"State your conditions. Anything will do."

Xiao Nanfeng increasingly felt that something was off. He was convinced that this Buddha was plotting against him.

"No need, Senior," Xiao Nanfeng said with a slight shake of his head. "Since it was your evil aspect that captured me, I won't hold it against you. Farewell."

The Buddha immediately frowned bitterly. "Friend, I've been trapped here for what feels like eternity. I'm pitiful beyond words. Won't you at least keep me company and chat with me? Just humoring me will do."

Xiao Nanfeng furrowed his brows.

"Just pretend to agree with me to make me happy, won't you?" the Buddha pleaded.

Xiao Nanfeng stared at the Buddha's head for a moment. A soft-hearted person might have felt pity and said a few kind words, but Xiao Nanfeng was extremely cautious, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that the Buddha had ill intentions.

"I apologize, but I must go," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

As he spoke, he activated his candleflame powers, escaping from the Buddha's realm of the palm and appearing outside its hands. Just as he was about to depart, the Buddha's compassionate expression was replaced with a sinister, snarling face.

"In your dreams!" it cried out.

It pressed its palms together, forming two massive constructs of energy that trapped Xiao Nanfeng in their center. The collision of the palms unleashed a torrent of flames that caused the void to shudder violently.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The immense force was terrifying. If not for Xiao Nanfeng's Imposing Avatar of Rulai, the attack would have turned him to pulp. However, Xiao Nanfeng emerged unscathed. He activated his candleflame powers once more and escaped to a spot not far away, his body radiating with golden light.

"The Imposing Avatar of Rulai? No wonder you weren't greedy for my techniques at all. You already possess one of the strongest ones," the Buddha murmured in astonishment. Then, with a cold voice, it asked, "How did you realize that something was wrong?"

"I have heard of the rule of substitution, where verbal agreements can be enforced in the form of bound contracts. When word becomes law, one can transfer all sorts of bindings and geases to a scapegoat. I suspect I would have been bound by whatever is trapping you here had I agreed."

"So you knew all along!" the Buddha exclaimed, its expression icy.