Chapter 224: Hong Ju!

“It’s over!”

At this moment, Venerable Vimalakirti’s heart grew cold, feeling a chill seep into his limbs and bones as if he had just taken a stroll through an ice cave.

He didn’t recognize Hong Ju.

This was normal. After all, even in the Saint Sect, apart from the Perfected Lords and a few people related to [Overturned Lamp Flame], no one knew Hong Ju.

Back then, Daoist Hong Yun had enlightened Hong Ju, a Perfected One at the perfection of Foundation Establishment, to become his trump card for regaining his position in the future. Since he was a trump card, if it were widely advertised, what kind of trump card would it be? Naturally, he had to be hidden in the dark to be effective.

Additionally, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue had deliberately concealed him.

Therefore, no one had accounted for him.

At this time of Chong Guang seeking the Golden Core, the entire Jiangbei was within the vision of various Perfected Lords. All Great Perfected Ones at the Late Stage or Perfection of Foundation Establishment were being watched.

If any one of them moved, the various parties would have corresponding people take action.

Only Hong Ju was alone and unattached.

Therefore, his appearance was simply the most terrifying thing for Venerable Vimalakirti. Those eyes, bright as lamp fire, pierced directly into his mind.

‘Who exactly is this person…?’

‘In this world, any Great Perfected One at the Perfection of Foundation Establishment with complete Divine Abilities is famous. Don’t the Perfected Lords of each family know them?’

‘Why would such a person pop out of nowhere!?’

Venerable Vimalakirti’s thoughts raced, but a monstrous sea of fire reflected in his eyes. Only then did he realize that his pair of eyes had actually been ignited.

Flames emerged from his body without warning, burning through his internal organs and spurting out from his five sense organs and seven orifices, igniting his monk robes. From beginning to end, Hong Ju hadn’t even pinched a seal or cast a spell. Just exchanging a glance with him had turned him into a human-shaped torch!

“Ah!!!”

Venerable Vimalakirti, transformed into a burning man, suddenly let out a loud roar. His voice was like thunder, his mouth wide open, displaying an extremely profound Dao Art.

“[Heart Light Escape Technique]!”

Where the heart goes, a thought arrives!

He had delved into this Heart Light Escape Technique for hundreds of years. Among the Pure Land Venerables, he was the most skilled in this technique, and his escape speed was also the fastest.

That was why the Pure Land sent him to Jiangbei.

With this [Heart Light Escape Technique], even facing a Great Perfected One at the Perfection of Foundation Establishment, he had a fifty percent chance of escaping and wouldn’t die for sure!

In the next second, Venerable Vimalakirti soared into the air.

This change gave rise to a little hope in his heart. However, just as hope rose, his heart-mind seemed to be covered by a layer of dust.

Countless distracting thoughts exploded with a boom.

‘This person bullies me so much; should I give him a taste of my power before leaving?’

‘No rush, let’s play with him a bit more!’

‘I, Vimalakirti, have never lost to anyone in my life! Even if my cultivation is slightly weaker and my Divine Abilities slightly inferior, what is there to fear in death? It’s just a fight to the death…’

By the time Venerable Vimalakirti finally broke free from these distracting thoughts, he found that Hong Ju’s large hand had already drifted lightly onto the top of his head.

Crack!

One palm, shattered skull!

At this moment, Venerable Vimalakirti’s eyes widened. The Indestructible Golden Body he was so proud of had absolutely no power to resist, shattering like glazed glass at a touch.

Amidst the shattered flesh and blood, his soul emerged.

Only then did a white light finally emerge from the void, enveloping Venerable Vimalakirti’s soul to prevent him from falling into reincarnation right there.

Under the enhancement of this white light, Venerable Vimalakirti finally understood why he had been so muddled and powerless to resist Hong Ju. Above his head, a slowly turning book had appeared at some point, with a short line of text written on it.

[Vimalakirti dies by my hand]

“So it was like this…” Venerable Vimalakirti was so angry his soul shook. “A Great Perfected One at the Perfection of Foundation Establishment using a Dao Fruit Treasure to plot in secret… such petty behavior…”

Perfection of Foundation Establishment! He could have crushed him even in a frontal fight!

Yet he still used a Dao Fruit Treasure to plot, causing him to send his Divine Sense to someone like a fool. It was simply toying with him, even deliberately humiliating him!

However, Hong Ju ignored Venerable Vimalakirti’s anger.

“The Guiding Light of the Pure Land…”

He withdrew his hand, took a proactive step back, and looked up at the sky. Clouds piled up layer upon layer in the sky, faintly manifesting a Buddha head.

Rumble! Lightning flashed in the clouds, exploding in the eyes of the Buddha head.

“…Bodhisattva, please forgive me.” Hong Ju smiled bitterly upon seeing this. “This humble one only seeks to survive. I ask the Bodhisattva to be magnanimous and not lower yourself to my level.”

Before his voice fell, a cold snort suddenly came.

“Bald donkey, scram back!”

In an instant, snow flew in summer, and a gust of wild wind dispersed the cloud of the Buddha head in the air, also isolating that angry gaze from the Pure Land outside of Jiangbei.

In the next second, many phenomena disappeared. Venerable Vimalakirti’s soul returned to the Pure Land under the Guiding Light. This was the benefit of becoming a Great Perfected One in the Pure Land: no need for rebirth. Even if one died, they would only be reformed within the Pure Land, without worrying about suffering the pain of reincarnation.

Seeing this scene, Hong Ju also breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, he first glanced in the direction of Zhalong Pass, then looked back towards the direction of the Saint Sect. Soon, a voice drifted over faintly:

“The Pure Land made a move once, and you made a move once.”

As the voice fell, no parties responded, seemingly acquiescing to this decision. seeing this, Hong Ju no longer had scruples and immediately strode towards Zhalong Pass.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared in a secret room.

Inside the secret room, Lu Yang was still urging the formation to collect all of Venerable Vimalakirti’s Divine Thoughts one by one. He looked up almost immediately.

“…Greetings, Senior.”

Lu Yang reacted very quickly, bowing almost immediately. “I wonder if that Buddhist cultivator has been dealt with? Is there anything this junior needs to help with?”

“…Quick reaction.”

Looking at Lu Yang, Hong Ju’s expression was somewhat complex. After all, not long ago he was trying every means to take this person’s life, but now he had to save him instead.

“The Buddhist cultivator who took action was named Vimalakirti.”

Hong Ju got straight to the point. “I clouded his heart-mind and made him send you a few streaks of Divine Sense. Can the previous grudges with you be written off?”

Lu Yang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

But soon he realized. The Saint Sect Great Perfected One who had grudges with him… Was the person before him the instigator of the Heavenly Tribulation Killing Intent he encountered?

Thinking of this, Lu Yang hurriedly bowed. “Senior speaks too seriously.”

“It was just a trivial matter in the past. This junior never dared to hold a grudge, so what is there to write off? Please, Senior, do not take it to heart.”

“…”

Hong Ju sighed. Everyone is a Saint Sect Perfected One; do you take me for a fool?

“Never dared to hold a grudge” means actually holding a grudge. “What is there to write off” means unwilling to write it off! This person is too petty!

“…With the Perfected Lord’s permission this time, I can lend you a helping hand.”

Hong Ju extended his hand, a golden smoke floating in his palm. “This is part of Vimalakirti’s Merit and Fate, extracted by me.”

Immediately after, he took out a book.

“This item is named [Shared Fate Changing Fortune Record Book]. It requires consuming Merit and Fate to leave writing on it. The events written down will be pushed forward by Heaven and Earth.”

After speaking, he handed both to Lu Yang.

“Lending it to you for one use now. You write, limited to one sentence… From now on, the karma between you and me is cleared. We might still be colleagues in the future; don’t pursue it anymore.”

Although in terms of cultivation he could leave Lu Yang ten streets behind, Lu Yang had a hard backer. If Chong Guang successfully ascended to the position in the future, he would have to rely on Chong Guang’s favor to survive. In that case, making enemies with a favorite of Chong Guang like Lu Yang… what if the other party made things difficult for him?

He could only spend money to avoid disaster.

On the other side, Lu Yang stared straight at the [Shared Fate Changing Fortune Record Book], his eyes brightening slightly. Is this the rare treasure that can trigger Heavenly Tribulation Killing Intent?

‘Its without flaw, truly perfect!’

‘I just don’t know if it’s Chong Guang’s backup plan or Perfected Lord Feixue’s arrangement… With it, assassinating that King of Qing of the [Kingdom of Qing] will no longer be a difficult task!’

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