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Chapter 360: Interception
🕑 Added 2024-10-19 09:47:16 +0000 UTCAs Li Hao and his group set off, numerous other sacred lands from various realms also saw their participating geniuses and influential figures embark on their journey to the Tianyuan Realm of the Upper Three Realms. Along with the competing geniuses, many who had failed to qualify and individuals of authority across different realms hurried to witness the grandest event in the Lands of Saints.
From all corners of the universe, streams of light converged upon the Tianyuan Realm, resembling a rain of countless beams of radiance.
In the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land, the Swordmaster appeared within the courtyard of the Sword Saint and calmly said:
"Let me personally escort the youngsters this time. It has been a while since I've roamed outside. You can remain here and oversee the sacred land."
The Sword Saint was slightly surprised by his elder brother's words. The Swordmaster had always preferred seclusion and avoided such grand spectacles. It was unusual for him to volunteer to attend this time.
After some thought, the Sword Saint didn't refuse. "I'll leave it to you then, Brother."
The Swordmaster nodded slightly and then disappeared, returning to the Sword Tower.
"Old friend, it's time for another trip. This time, there might be an unexpected surprise. If the opportunity arises, I will strike for that child—this will be worth another fishing session," the Swordmaster muttered softly to himself in front of the Sword Tower.
The chains wrapped around the Sword Tower trembled slightly, causing the countless cultivation techniques and secret scrolls stored within to shake off some dust.
Soon after, a shadow flew out from the Sword Tower—a manifestation of the sword spirit.
The shadow quickly shrank and entered the Swordmaster's fingertip. With his hands clasped behind his back, the Swordmaster turned and left.
In the Buddhist Sacred Land, the Buddha Lord sat on his lotus seat, his compassionate eyes tinged with a deeper meaning as he listened to the words delivered by a Bodhisattva:
"It seems that the allure of the three heavenly treasures has indeed tempted him. He's actually daring enough to come."
Before the Buddha Lord, the Twin-Buddha Child's eyes gleamed with a hint of bloodlust. "As long as he shows up, that's good. I feared he would just stay holed up."
"The Dao Theft Saint has requested the aid of a Mojia Saint, hoping to use the name of a Saint to protect him. I will draw Yuan Zhou away when the time comes. You all will ambush and kill him," the Green Lantern Buddha said calmly.
As they spoke, the void rippled, and two powerful auras descended upon the Buddhist Sacred Land. Though their presence was subtle, both the Buddha Lord and the Green Lantern Buddha noticed them immediately and turned their gazes towards the newcomers. One of them was a familiar face—the Void Saint. Accompanying him was another Saint—the Yang Saint.
"They have departed," the Void Saint announced as he stepped into the Buddha Hall, not wasting any time with pleasantries.
"They've split into two groups. While observing the void outside the Dao Theft Sacred Land, I noticed that Huang Tian Sheng is also involved, taking what seems to be a doppelgänger with her. She's a master of deception and trickery, so it's no surprise she's masterminding this. With a true and a false target, I've heard that your Buddhist Sect possesses the Great Mahayana True Law, capable of discerning truth from falsehood. Can it reveal which one is real?" the Void Saint asked.
The Buddha Lord frowned slightly and replied, "The Great Mahayana True Law can indeed see through all falsehoods, but Huang Tian Sheng has passed the Three Calamities, and she may very well deceive even herself. If she has convinced herself, relying on this law may only lead to error."
The Green Lantern Buddha's expression darkened. "They are aware of the Great Mahayana True Law, so they must have precautions in place. If Huang Tian Sheng is only leading a doppelgänger away, we could be wasting our time."
The Void Saint had some reservations about Huang Tian Sheng's deception abilities, and hearing that the Great Mahayana True Law would be ineffective, his apprehension grew, but he still provided more details.
Ever since Li Hao made his name in the Heavenly Battlefield, the Void Saint had stationed an avatar outside the Dao Theft Sacred Land, waiting for an opportunity to strike. If he ever saw Li Hao venture out alone, he was prepared to abandon his avatar to ensure a lethal blow. However, Li Hao never emerged and remained secluded, continuously cultivating.
"They've taken such precautions and enlisted the help of the Mojia Saint. They must have anticipated our surveillance. It's highly likely that Huang Tian Sheng has deliberately revealed her whereabouts, leading us to believe she is escorting the real body, but in fact, it's just a doppelgänger," the Buddha Lord mused.
The Void Saint furrowed his brow. "That's what I thought initially, but Huang Tian Sheng is skilled in subterfuge. If she anticipated that we would think this way, she may have reversed her strategy. The real body might indeed be with her."
"If she knew we'd think that way and predicted we would assume she was reversing her plan, it could still be a doppelgänger," the Yang Saint chimed in.
The Green Lantern Buddha remained silent.
Truth and falsehood—how to discern?
"And what of the obvious target, traveling with Yuan Zhou and the Dao Theft Saint? They've made it so conspicuous, leading us to think it's a decoy, but it might indeed be the real one, or it could still be fake!" the Void Saint continued.
Being naturally suspicious, he had always disliked dealing with Huang Tian Sheng.
"If it's so hard to tell, then there's no need to decide. We can split into two groups as well," the Buddha Lord suggested.
The Void Saint nodded in agreement. He had been considering the same approach. If the enemy insisted on making them guess, they could just divide their forces.
"Since the Void Saint believes that Huang Tian Sheng is with the real body, I will pursue her. You two go after the Dao Theft Saint," the Buddha Lord said.
The Void Saint and Yang Saint exchanged glances, understanding the Buddha Lord's reluctance to confront Yuan Zhou directly, given that the Mojia stood behind him.
"I must remain in the sacred land to guard it. I will send an avatar to accompany you both," the Green Lantern Buddha spoke up, offering to join the Void Saint and the Yang Saint in their pursuit of Yuan Zhou. This was also a statement of the Buddhist Sect's commitment to the task.
Hearing this, the two Saints felt more reassured and nodded in agreement.
"There's something else we need to address. Ordinary methods may not be enough to kill that prodigy. He has cultivated the Tongli Ultimate Realm and possesses Divine Blood, meaning he has already transformed into a godly being!" the Void Saint suddenly warned.
The Buddha Lord's eyes flickered, though he wasn't particularly surprised.
Only the Yang Saint showed a moment of shock. "The Tongli Ultimate Realm? How daring. Is he aiming to achieve Extreme Dao Sainthood? Wait, if that's the case, then during his time in the Heavenly Battlefield, he must have gathered enough Extreme Dao Energy!"
His expression turned serious. If Li Hao were truly aiming for Extreme Dao Sainthood, it would complicate matters. Their assassination attempt might fail. However, there was an upside—they could reveal his actions and let other Saints intervene. After all, a godly being had been sealed in the past, and another could be sealed again. As long as he hadn't yet crossed the threshold of the Three Calamities, dealing with him would still be feasible.
"This is not a cause for concern. His ambition is high. Over the past months, Canglan Realm has continued to offer him Incense Flames, which means he hasn't severed the flow. He seeks to cultivate both Incense Flames and Extreme Dao, aiming to merge both paths and break an ancient barrier no one has ever surpassed," the Buddha Lord explained calmly.
He had already noticed Li Hao's Tongli Ultimate Realm progress during the qualification battles. The Extreme Dao Energy in the Fusheng Demon Domain had significantly decreased, which indicated that Li Hao had absorbed much of it.
As a precaution, the Buddha Lord had instructed his followers to keep an eye on the cities offering incense to Li Hao. Since the flow of Incense Flames had not been cut off, it was evident that Li Hao was still pursuing both paths simultaneously. He had not yet achieved Extreme Dao Sainthood, nor had he become a true Saint.
The Void Saint and Yang Saint exchanged a look of understanding. It seemed that, for now, there was no immediate danger of Li Hao achieving sainthood. The Void Saint continued:
"That's fortunate. His ambition is high, but also his greatest weakness. He wants both paths, but taking such a gamble is beyond dangerous. Merging Incense Flames and Extreme Dao is something no one in history has ever successfully accomplished. His failure is inevitable."
The Buddha Lord's gaze remained calm, though there was a deeper intent in his eyes. "Even though he has yet to reach sainthood, we mustn't underestimate him. If we allow him to progress further, especially in the Tongli Ultimate Realm, it will only become more difficult to deal with him."
Yang Saint nodded solemnly. "Yes, if he truly manages to integrate Divine Blood into his being and continues cultivating both paths, even if we kill him, the process of his rebirth will make him nearly impossible to stop. With his regenerative ability, killing him once may not be enough."
The Green Lantern Buddha furrowed his brows, deep in thought. "In his current state, even if we manage to kill him, we must ensure that his Divine Blood is completely extinguished. Otherwise, he will have the chance to resurrect through even the smallest fragment of his blood."
The Void Saint, recalling the time Li Hao managed to escape his grasp by hiding in the void for ten years, clenched his fists, his expression darkening. "Last time, he escaped by a hair's breadth. He used his Divine Blood to survive the harsh conditions of the void for a full decade, and we believed he had perished. But he endured."
The Buddha Lord's serene voice cut through the tension. "No matter how resilient his Divine Blood may be, it can still be dealt with. I have a technique, the Great Causal Art, capable of tracking down every piece of his Divine Blood. Wherever it is scattered, as long as it originates from the same source, I can trace it back and destroy it."
This technique, developed through countless lifetimes of cultivation, was one of the Buddha Lord's most formidable abilities. Its strength lay not only in its ability to sever cause and effect but also in its capacity to track down those linked by the same fate.
The Void Saint's eyes narrowed at the mention of this skill, clearly impressed. He nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "If we can't kill him outright, we'll seal him, just as was done with the ancient godly beings. Let time weaken him. Once his Divine Blood weakens enough, we can finish him."
Even though this process might take years, or even decades, they were prepared to see it through. Sealing him now would prevent Li Hao from growing into an unstoppable force. In the past, they had used similar methods to eventually wear down other powerful beings.
As they discussed their strategy, the Twin-Buddha Child, who had been listening quietly, grew more sullen by the moment. He harbored a grudge against Li Hao that ran deep. With his connection to the human world, he had inherited the memories of countless lives. His pride was stung that a mere youth, likely not even twenty, had caused him so much trouble and had eluded death multiple times.
Finally, the Void Saint declared, "Enough discussion. It's time to act!"
With that, they split into two groups. The Buddha Lord, accompanied by the Twin-Buddha Child, would go after Huang Tian Sheng. The Void Saint and Yang Saint, along with the Green Lantern Buddha's avatar, would pursue the Dao Theft Saint, hoping to find the real Li Hao among them.
On the grand flying treasure that carried Li Hao, Yuan Zhou, and Feng Bo Ping toward the Tianyuan Realm, Li Hao was engaged in a leisurely game of chess with Hong Yue. As the game progressed, Li Hao calmly placed his pieces, building toward a decisive victory.
"You've grown much stronger in chess, my lord," Hong Yue remarked, recognizing the impending endgame. "I fear I can no longer keep up with you."
Li Hao smiled faintly, his demeanor as relaxed as ever. "It's just a diversion. There's no need to take wins and losses too seriously."
Hong Yue pouted slightly, thinking to herself, But you never say that when you're losing.
As the flying vessel gently swayed, Yuan Zhou and Feng Bo Ping sat nearby. Seeing that Li Hao was still in the mood to play chess, Feng Bo Ping grinned, used to his casual demeanor. However, Yuan Zhou was slightly taken aback. To think that Li Hao, knowing he was being targeted for assassination, could still remain so calm and composed. It was as though nothing troubled him at all.
"Young friend, you truly have a calm heart," Yuan Zhou said with a chuckle.
Though Yuan Zhou himself was fond of chess, seeing the depth of strategy between Li Hao and Hong Yue's game made him hold back from joining. Both their skills surpassed his own, and he didn't wish to embarrass himself in front of them. As a Saint, losing to juniors in a game would certainly bruise his pride.
Li Hao simply smiled in return, his gaze thoughtful as he replied, "I have two powerful guardians beside me. I have no reason to worry."
Yuan Zhou exchanged a knowing look with Feng Bo Ping, both understanding the deeper meaning behind Li Hao's words. Feng Bo Ping, grinning with satisfaction, added, "That's right, young one. Leave the heavy burdens to us. You can focus on your task."
Yuan Zhou turned to Feng Bo Ping, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "The Buddhist Sect and the Void Saint must have also made their move by now. How do you think they'll proceed?"
Feng Bo Ping's eyes glimmered with amusement. "I trust in Huang Tian Sheng's abilities. She's a master of deception. Whoever tries to play the game of truth and lies with her will only find themselves trapped in her web. The best outcome they can hope for is to not engage her at all and simply split their forces."
Yuan Zhou smiled at that, nodding in agreement. "It's as we expected then."
The plan had been laid out by Huang Tian Sheng herself, and both Feng Bo Ping and Yuan Zhou had full confidence in it. She had predicted that the Buddhists and Void Saint would attempt to figure out the real from the false, and in doing so, they would be forced to divide their forces.
Li Hao was well aware of the dangers that awaited him, but he also knew the strength of those protecting him. He could feel the weight of the upcoming battle on the horizon, but he remained resolute.
Some battles are decided long before the first move is made, he thought to himself.
He gestured to Hong Yue, inviting her for another round of chess. Time was of the essence, and while the journey was still underway, this was the best moment to continue honing his strategic mind. Although his gains from playing against Hong Yue were minimal now, compared to when they first started, the concentrated experience of each game far surpassed any other opponent.
In the void of space, Huang Tian Sheng and Li Hao's dark-sided doppelgänger swiftly traversed the realm. Her eyes, though calm, reflected the confidence of someone who had planned for every possible outcome.
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light appeared in the distance, radiating an aura of righteousness. It was an unmistakable presence.
"Buddha Lord?" Huang Tian Sheng muttered, her lips curling slightly into a smile, though her eyes betrayed a hint of gravity.
The Buddha Lord stepped out from the golden light, flanked by the Twin-Buddha Child. His smile was gentle, yet it carried a subtle undercurrent of hostility. "Huang Tian Sheng, it's been years. I see you've taken an interest in meddling in others' affairs."
Huang Tian Sheng's smile widened slightly, mocking him. "It has indeed been years, Buddha Lord. And yet, you still fancy yourself as a redeemer of souls."
The Buddha Lord chanted a soft mantra, knowing there was no point in engaging her in a war of words. Huang Tian Sheng's tongue was as sharp as ever, and she had a reputation for weaving lies so skillfully that even the truth seemed uncertain. Instead, he allowed his golden robe to billow as his Saint Dao manifested, conjuring an enormous Buddha image that stood tall in the void, stretching into the stars above.
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