The Buddhist Cultivators west of the river walked the "Path of Profound Joy and Nirvana," yet they were able to occupy a corner of the world instead of being forced into overseas exile. This alone was enough to prove the strength of their Dao lineage.
However, unlike the Sword Pavilion and the Saint Sect with their many divine abilities, the Buddhist Cultivators west of the river made no distinction between cultivation techniques and divine abilities. Thus, they did not cultivate anything else, only a single scripture from which all their techniques and abilities were derived. Its name was the "Grand Ascension True Enlightenment Fundamental Scripture."
It was said that this scripture was passed down by the World Honored One of the "Path of Profound Joy and Nirvana." Its purpose was to guide people toward goodness, to achieve nirvana after death, and through this, to seek the "true self." However, this "true self" was not that of the Buddhist Cultivator themself.
Rather, it was the "self" of that World Honored One. When the Path of Profound Joy and Nirvana was cultivated to its extreme, one would extinguish their own self and comprehend the principle of "I am the World Honored One, the World Honored One is me," becoming no different from the World Honored One from then on.
The scripture called this "attaining Buddhahood" and "true enlightenment." Because the World Honored One is a Buddha, my becoming the World Honored One is equivalent to my becoming a Buddha. The same was true for all living beings.
All living beings can become Buddhas. Since "I" am a Buddha, all living beings can become "me." To comprehend this principle is to attain supreme enlightenment.
Within the "Grand Ascension True Enlightenment Fundamental Scripture" were forty-eight great mantras, said to have been established by the World Honored One when he attained the Dao in the past. Each great mantra possessed infinite mysteries and could give rise to countless divine abilities.
A single complete great mantra was comparable in effect to a Great Divine Ability of the Sword Pavilion or the Saint Sect. The more great mantras one mastered, the closer one was to "attaining Buddhahood."
At this moment, facing Lu Yang's Yama Demon Hall, the Dragon Subduing Arhat touched the ground, formed a hand seal, and unleashed one of these great mantras, named "No Three Evil Paths in the Kingdom."
"When I become a Buddha, if in my land there are hells, hungry ghosts, or beasts, I will not attain supreme perfect enlightenment."
The Dharma sound was sonorous, reflecting a clear light. Although it was a benevolent great mantra, its power was not the least bit benevolent. How does one eliminate hell, hungry ghosts, and beasts?
Just kill them. Once they are dead, they are gone. And it was very clear that this divine ability was extremely effective against yin killing qi.
As the rosy light shone down, Lu Yang immediately saw the Yama Demon Hall disintegrate inch by inch. Sunü, who was presiding within it, let out a piercing shriek. This was the true power of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm!
Lu Yang's heart grew cold. Although the Yama Demon Hall had been unstoppable against the Heaven Mending Peak Master, who was only a soul, that was because of a special advantage.
A true mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, with a perfected spirit and body like the Dragon Subduing Arhat in his peak state, could overwhelm the Yama Demon Hall with just a single divine ability. If not for the continuous support of yin killing qi from the spiritual vein of Skull Mountain, it would have probably been breached by now.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Seeing this, the Dragon Subduing Arhat's expression did not change. He tossed the nine-ringed tin staff in his hand into the air, and it immediately let out a thunderous, muffled sound like the clashing of metal.
'Not good!'
Lu Yang's pupils shrank. The Yama Demon Hall, suppressed to the verge of collapse by the Dragon Subduing Arhat's "No Three Evil Paths in the Kingdom" great mantra, could no longer protect him! Lu Yang had failed to calculate this change in time, but the Dragon Subduing Arhat, with his higher Dao attainment, had seized the opportune moment.
He had cast his nine-ringed tin staff before the Yama Demon Hall had fallen, and attacked the very instant it did, giving Lu Yang no chance to mend the fold after the sheep was lost. In the blink of an eye, the nine-ringed tin staff was already before Lu Yang's eyes!
At this critical moment, Lu Yang moved with lightning speed, grabbing the guardian god Sunü from within the Yama Demon Hall and holding her firmly in front of himself.
Boom!
Sunü didn't even have time to scream before her entire body was struck and riddled with cracks. She only managed to endure the blow thanks to the sturdiness of her mock Foundation Establishment Dharma body.
"I can't let this continue!"
Lu Yang casually tossed Sunü back into his Dantian. His mind raced. He knew that if this went on, he would just be passively taking blows, and his defeat would only be a matter of time.
He was thinking of a countermeasure, but the Dragon Subduing Arhat was not about to give him the chance. The nine-ringed tin staff, having failed in its first strike, spun in the air and descended once more. The nine rings on the staff clinked and chimed, a sound capable of scattering a person's soul.
Fortunately, Lu Yang had perfected the "Secret of the Heavenly Silkworm by Severing Thoughts to See the Self." His spiritual sense had long since transformed into a higher form, no different from that of a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master.
Although his head was splitting under the influence of the nine-ringed tin staff, he could still rely on his willpower to move. Using Sunü to grant him Foundation Establishment status, he then formed a hand seal on the spot. In the next second, the nine-ringed tin staff fell.
"Corpse-shedding is the transformation of form, the shedding and refinement of the true self, the escape and change of the physical body!"
Lu Yang offered no resistance, allowing the staff to smash down. With a single blow, his physical body was pulverized into dust, the exploding flesh and blood scattering into a sky-wide red mist. However, in the next instant, the red mist swirled back!
The body that had been turned to dust fled several hundred li away, only reforming at the very edge of Skull Mountain, manifesting a physical body once more! And the injuries the Dragon Subduing Arhat had just inflicted upon Lu Yang, both to his soul and his body, had vanished without a trace after the "corpse-shedding."
Lu Yang had even used this to break free from the Dragon Subduing Arhat's spiritual sense lock. Such a subtle escape art earned a look of praise from the Dragon Subduing Arhat: "Benefactor is truly astoundingly talented!" This was the divine ability of the Corpse-Shedding Immortal.
It was not a combat ability, but an art for avoiding calamity and disaster. Empowered by the Foundation Establishment status, it was even more profound.
"Just a little more stalling."
Lu Yang exhaled deeply. He had long since released the concealment over his heavenly secrets, so anyone connected to him by karma would surely be able to divine that he was in grave danger. At the very least, that Daoist Master Chongguang would certainly be able to figure it out.
And he still possessed the Heavenly Corpse Killing Qi that Daoist Master Yinshan wanted. Considering this point alone, Daoist Master Chongguang and Daoist Master Yinshan would definitely come to his rescue. So, he just needed to hold on until they arrived!
The very instant this thought arose in Lu Yang's mind, he saw the Dragon Subduing Arhat suddenly let out a sigh.
"A pity. I had wanted to preserve this physical body of yours, Benefactor."
Before his words had even faded, the Dragon Subduing Arhat pressed his palms together.
"Amitabha Buddha!"
In the next second, a brilliant spiritual light shot out from the crown of his head, illuminating the entire world. Behind him, the bells of the Dragon Subduing Temple began to toll loudly. Within that spiritual light, a great dragon as majestic as a mountain, its entire body wreathed in blazing white flames, could be seen coiling.
Then, the dragon's head lowered, suddenly becoming illusory and overlapping with the Dragon Subduing Arhat's own head. Both opened their mouths at the same time and let out a resounding roar, spitting out a jet of fire!
Whoosh!
The blazing white flame shot out like a sharp arrow released from a bowstring, striking Lu Yang. The terrifyingly high temperature incinerated his body, turning him into a puff of flying ash in the blink of an eye. But very quickly, this ash gathered again in the distance, reforming Lu Yang's shape.
This time, however, even after he had used the art of corpse-shedding, sparks of fire still remained on his body, clinging to him like maggots to a bone. As time passed, these flames even showed signs of reigniting!
"This is... the Blazing Fire Dragon?"
Several months had passed since the battle with the Heaven Mending Peak Master, and Lu Yang had also gained the inheritance of the Witch Ghost Dao. He was no longer half-ignorant about Foundation Establishment. Thus, he recognized at a glance that this was the manifestation of the Dragon Subduing Arhat's Path of the Dao.
"The Blazing Fire Dragon belongs to the Heavenly Dipper position, Yanfeng. It is pure yang wood, towering and majestic. The wood burns from the Chen position, and the wood gives forth fire. This is called the blazing fire riding the dragon."
In other words, the flames that the Dragon Subduing Arhat was currently spitting out seemed vast and raging, but the fire was merely an external appearance. In reality, it was earth giving birth to wood, and wood fueling fire.
Therefore, any divine ability or method used to counter the element of fire would be utterly meaningless against this Blazing Fire Dragon.
"To break it, I need metal, or..."
Just as Lu Yang's thoughts were racing, he saw the Dragon Subduing Arhat stride through the air and arrive before him, a confident smile on his face.
"Is Benefactor willing to take refuge now?"