Chapter 227: Flying to Raise the Blessed Land, A Boat Floating in the Sea of Bitterness

Lights shone brilliantly.

The Treasure-Laden Youth stared blankly at everything around him. All he could see were lit torches, and the one burning most vigorously was Sword Master Xuantie beside him.

They were talking at the time.

The two had managed to escape from Zhalong Pass with great difficulty and were discussing smuggling themselves into the Buddhist land of Jiangxi. Then, a glow appeared on Sword Master Xuantie’s body.

Then he spontaneously combusted.

There was no solution, nor any time for them to react. The Treasure-Laden Youth just watched as Sword Master Xuantie’s pair of eyes, filled with despair, turned into two fireballs. His cultivation at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment turned into oil paste, and the flames igniting from his body covered several cities in the blink of an eye.

Heaven and Earth were silent.

Only the flames were quietly spreading. The sky was also burned crimson by the firelight. Standing amidst it, the Treasure-Laden Youth felt as if he were in a pill furnace.

“Jiangbei devils… Primordial Saint Sect… What a Saint Sect!”

At this moment, the Treasure-Laden Youth’s past resentment towards the Primordial Saint Sect was like the million living people, mountains, and rivers under this great fire—all burned clean.

Only ash-like fear remained.

A million people. Plus countless cultivators. Even if he killed them personally, it would take three days and three nights… Yet now, they were all ignited by a single fire!

How were they still human?

In the next second, a breeze blew past the Treasure-Laden Youth’s face, mixed with the intense heat under the flames, making him involuntarily narrow his eyes.

Where did the wind come from?

The Treasure-Laden Youth looked around but found nothing. Only then did he suddenly realize: “Foundation Establishment Realm!? It’s the Bi Wind! This fire is going to burn into the Foundation Establishment Realm!”

Rumble!

Thinking of this, the Treasure-Laden Youth immediately escaped into the Foundation Establishment Realm. Sure enough, what came into view was also a prairie fire with no end in sight.

However, amidst that monstrous fire, he also saw countless jade towers and pavilions being recast in the fire, rising from the ground. Various landscapes changed from initial illusoriness to reality under the roasting of the fire, finally shining brightly in the Foundation Establishment Realm, like a sun about to rise into the sky!

“Rise!”

In an instant, a clear and loud shout resounded in all directions. Then, that sun-like prairie land actually rose towards the sky above the Foundation Establishment Realm!

Ascend to Raise the Blessed Land!

“It really succeeded… Chong Guang has begun to ascend to the position and seek the Golden Core, Ascend to raise the Blessed Land! Once he ascends to the Dao Fruit position and transforms it into a Grotto-Heaven, he will be a Perfected Lord from then on!”

“The millennial tribulation is one step closer!”

Zhalong Pass, Perfected One Yin Shan revealed a look of excitement:

“Zhong Xin… it was actually Zhong Xin! Senior Brother calculated deeply and prepared perfectly this time. With Perfected Lord Feixue protecting the method, this ascension to the position should be ninety percent secure!”

Meanwhile, a man wearing golden clothes also walked out from beside Perfected One Yin Shan. His chiseled face revealed a hint of expectation. It was impressively Hong Ju, who had sent Venerable Vimalakirti back to the Pure Land with one move earlier. However, now his body was covered with fine cracks.

His time was approaching.

After all, after Daoist Hong Yun died, Hong Ju, as his creation, was like water without a source. Every time he took action, he was consuming his meager remaining life.

This time was his final gamble.

If successful, Chong Guang would ascend to the position, and he could extend his lifespan and live freely. If he lost, his soul would return to emptiness, his consciousness would dissipate, and there wouldn’t even be reincarnation.

Although this was the case, Hong Ju was quite calm at this moment.

Because he still retained the memories of Daoist Hong Yun’s ascension back then. In his view, Perfected One Chong Guang’s preparations were much more sufficient than Daoist Hong Yun’s.

“With the Perfected Lord protecting the method, the Pure Land’s claws were cut off when they tried to interfere. The Dao Court and the Sword Pavilion could only tacitly accept. Chong Guang himself has refined complete Golden Nature and blood-sacrificed the entire [Kingdom of Qing], using this Wonder as the driving force for flying to raise his Blessed Land, while also evading the impact of Heavenly Punishment.”

“That is a [Wonder]!”

“Among all the resources available for breaking through to Perfected Lord, a [Wonder] can be called top-grade. If taking it didn’t inevitably incur Heavenly Punishment, countless people would fight for it.”

“And with the enhancement of a [Spectacle], flying to raise the Blessed Land has almost no difficulty.”

“At the same time, he used the method of [Seizure of Power] to reverse the Dao Court rules of the Kingdom of Qing, causing the Son of Heaven to lose his position and order to cease existing. Undoubtedly, this also attracted the favor of the Dao Fruit!”

Thinking of this, Hong Ju looked up at the sky.

Not the sky of the mortal world, but the sky of the Foundation Establishment Realm. There, a golden lamp light slowly lit up. It was impressively the manifestation of the image of [Overturned Lamp Flame]!

At this moment, Hong Ju reached his conclusion:

“The chance of winning… should be ten out of ten!”

That’s right. In his view, the probability of Chong Guang breaking through this time was one hundred percent. There were no flaws. Theoretically speaking, there was absolutely no possibility of failure!

Meanwhile, inside the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Perfected One Chong Guang clasped his hands behind his back. His full essence, energy, and spirit, one Life-Bound Divine Ability, and four Innate Divine Abilities, all perfect Divine Abilities, were enhancing the [Cave Sun Blessed Land] behind him.

The radiance of the [Overturned Lamp Flame] was getting closer and closer.

At this moment, Perfected One Chong Guang felt relieved, like floating up from the deep ocean floor step by step until breathing fresh air.

Before long, everything changed.

What came into view was a void. This was the “sky” of the Foundation Establishment Realm, also where the Dao Fruit resided. Various inheritances had corresponding descriptions for it.

In Jiangnan and Jiangbei, the Refining Form and Ascending Dao described it as “A radiance encompassing the True Realm, the void clear and thoroughly illuminating the heavenly heart.”

In the Jiangxi Pure Land, Buddhist cultivators described this area as “Neither born nor destroyed, clouds disperse leaving the blue sky and mountains pure; neither coming nor going, wisdom returns to meditation leaving the moon wheel solitary.”

In the Jiangdong Dao Court, the description was changed to “Entering the sudden method from the gradual method, entering inaction from action, entering true emptiness from not empty.”

Various descriptions, but in the end, they were referred to by a simpler term:

[Sea of Bitterness].

“Above the Foundation Establishment Realm is the Sea of Bitterness!”

“All living beings in the mortal world toss and turn in the Sea of Bitterness!”

“The Dao Fruit is like boats upon the Sea of Bitterness. Only by achieving Perfected Lord stature can one fly to raise the Blessed Land, float out from the Sea of Bitterness, and enter that boat!”

So where did the [Sea of Bitterness] come from?

Before long, Perfected One Chong Guang generated many senses. In a trance, he seemed to see many cultivators cultivating techniques related to [Overturned Lamp Flame].

Qi Refining cultivators were meaningless.

What was useful to him were cultivators who had built their Dao Foundation. As he ascended to the position, the Dao Fruit as a “boat” was occupied, becoming much heavier.

In an instant, countless ripples were stirred up.

These ripples were not worth mentioning in the [Sea of Bitterness], but falling into the Foundation Establishment Realm below, they turned into a gale with enough power to destroy souls.

[Bi Wind]!

And every Perfected One who had built a Dao Foundation related to [Overturned Lamp Flame], by bearing the Bi Wind, was using their own Dao Foundation and their lifelong cultivation to hold up [Overturned Lamp Flame]. Why were there the three great tribulations of Wind, Fire, and Thunder in the Foundation Establishment Realm? It was because of the Dao Fruit and Grotto-Heaven above!

“So it is like this…”

A look of enlightenment appeared in Perfected One Chong Guang’s eyes. This was a secret only Perfected Lords could see and experience; without becoming a Perfected Lord, one could never master it.

But thinking about it, it made sense.

Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones were [Subjects], and Golden Core Perfected Lords were [Sovereigns]. Looking at the world, where was there a [Sovereign] who didn’t levy various exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous duties on [Subjects]?

This was also one of the reasons Golden Core Perfected Lords controlled the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Because the exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous duties were too heavy. Once there were too many people, they would rebel. But if there were too few people, the taxes paid wouldn’t be enough, which would also affect the Sovereign’s state.

“The mortal world is a great Sea of Bitterness…”

Thinking of this, Perfected One Chong Guang couldn’t help but sigh. However, soon this emotion turned into excitement because he was about to go ashore!

However, just then.

“…Hmm?”

As he got closer and closer to the [Overturned Lamp Flame], he suddenly discovered that the [Overturned Lamp Flame] before him was different from what he had expected, and he couldn’t help but freeze in place.

“This is… but how is it possible?”

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