Chapter 283: I Will Go Even If It Means Eternal Damnation!

I can’t keep fighting!

Venerable Vimalakirti was horrified. Blood gushed from his shattered golden body, while blazing Mystic Fire crawled over him like snakes.

These fire snakes originating from Lu Yang’s Dharma Body were pervasive. They drilled directly into his internal organs through the cracks left after his golden body shattered and began to burn wantonly. Besides that, the strange force sucking at souls was constantly pulling at his soul.

No matter how one looked at it, he was thoroughly at a disadvantage.

Standing in mid-air, Venerable Vimalakirti pressed his palms together with a ferocious expression, seemingly in immense pain and powerless to resist. Yet his mind was incredibly clear.

Is he going to use that Spirit Sword?

He was waiting.

Waiting for Lu Yang to strike first and unleash that sea-slashing sword light. But he waited for a long time, and Lu Yang didn’t strike, continuing the stalemate instead.

“…Sigh.”

Finally, Venerable Vimalakirti let out a long breath. Instead of joy, his face showed regret. “I truly underestimated you.”

As his voice fell, the Pure Land Venerable shook his body. As if taking off a piece of clothing, he actually peeled off a layer of skin from his body. It fell away, taking with it the many injuries Lu Yang had inflicted and the divine wonders like the Mystic Fire snakes. All were shed with this layer of human skin.

This was his meticulously hidden trump card.

If Lu Yang had really slashed with [Tribulation Wave], he could have used this wondrous method to shed his skin and take the hit, nullifying Lu Yang’s fatal killer move.

But Lu Yang just wouldn’t move.

In this situation, enduring Lu Yang’s attacks further would be like boiling a frog in warm water—the loss would outweigh the gain. He had no choice but to use this technique prematurely.

But he was still puzzled.

How was it exposed?

Among the Pure Land’s many wondrous methods, he had almost never shown this [Burning Body Offering to Buddha] technique to anyone. Logically, Lu Yang shouldn’t have been guarded against it.

Did he calculate it?

But he’s only falsely holding the position of a Great Perfected One. How can he calculate me? Unless he has a supreme treasure of heavenly secrets… in that case, my chances of winning are even lower.

Venerable Vimalakirti felt heavy-hearted.

The truth was exactly as he expected. Lu Yang had seen through his preparations precisely by relying on [Tribulation Wave]’s [Insight] divine wonder to calculate karma.

The next second, Venerable Vimalakirti sighed deeply and pressed his palms together. Infinite light and shadows appeared behind him—they were Buddhist masters sitting in temples, gathered in Zen forests. Chanting scriptures simultaneously, their voices turned into rolling thunder, every word a gem, blessing Venerable Vimalakirti’s body.

“Amitabha!”

A grand Buddhist chant resounded, instantly dispelling Lu Yang’s soul-taking divine wonder. Venerable Vimalakirti’s figure vanished, replaced by an ancient temple.

[Stainless Pure Earth Temple]!

Seeing this, Lu Yang narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself: He even brought out his Temple Dao Foundation from the Pure Land. He’s going all out against me!

Venerable Vimalakirti actually had no choice.

At this moment, besides the [Stainless Pure Earth Temple], he also brought out half his lifetime savings. Dozens of exquisite Spirit Treasures appeared in the Buddhist light.

Prayer wheels, wooden fish, flying knives, command flags, golden bowls, treasure banners, jade bottles… Although most were inferior or middling spiritual treasures, they merged into a cluster. The light of Spirit Treasures flowed like a river, accompanied by a few superior Spirit Treasures, surrounding the temple to protect him firmly.

[Myriad Treasures River]!

The [Treasure-Laden Youth] had first defected to the Pure Land back then, so naturally, he had offered up this method. Now, it was displayed by Venerable Vimalakirti.

Lu Yang didn’t mind.

With a thought, a divine ability brilliance rubbed out from his fingertips, carrying strange magnetic power. Breaking through the Five Elements, it smashed into the [Myriad Treasures River].

[Magnetic Disjunction]!

This Innate Divine Ability countered the Five Elements completely. No matter what spiritual treasure it was, once brushed by the [Primordial Magnetic Severance and Union Divine Light], it would immediately lose its divine wonder.

Under the illumination of the divine light, the [Myriad Treasures River] instantly melted like ice and snow. Spiritual light scattered, unable to sustain itself. Seeing this, Venerable Vimalakirti couldn’t help but look helpless. Clearly, he hadn’t expected that as a dignified Great Perfected One, he would be pushed to this extent by Lu Yang, barely able to hold his defense!

Should I… avoid him for now?

Pure Land Buddhist cultivators had always been flexible. Venerable Vimalakirti felt timid now, thinking that fighting Lu Yang to the death here wasn’t worth it.

I’m not in my peak state right now!

If not for [Hong Ju] killing me once, leaving me with hidden injuries that erupted under the influence of this junior’s divine ability, I definitely wouldn’t have fallen into such a predicament…

It won’t be too late to fight him after I heal my injuries.

Thoughts racing, Venerable Vimalakirti made up his mind. He took a deep breath and expanded the [Stainless Pure Earth Temple] behind him with a boom!

Instantly, the magnificent temple opened and closed like a bloody maw, swallowing Lu Yang whole to trap him. Meanwhile, Venerable Vimalakirti himself rode an escaping light, intending to flee the Foundation Establishment realm directly to the physical world, giving Lu Yang no chance to kill him.

The temple was heavily guarded, making space escape difficult.

Even Lu Yang’s [Determine Intimacy and Distance] was considered by Venerable Vimalakirti, who found a way to seal it.

“Hmph, trying to run?”

Seeing this, Lu Yang’s eyes flashed. Then he shook his body, and instantly Mystic Fire rose. He actually released the [Qian Heaven All-Governing Myriad Phenomena Dharma Body] again!

In the center of the Buddhist temple, above the treasure hall, a towering evil god stood.

Three heads, six arms, blue face, protruding fangs. It kicked Buddhas and scolded ancestors, toppling the Zen forest. Six arms gathered full strength and hammered down on the temple with a boom.

Rumble!

After a loud bang came the soundless silence of heaven and earth. The entire [Stainless Pure Earth Temple] caved in from the center at this moment.

Inside the temple, the light shadows of countless masters and monks chanted Buddhist scriptures in unison, drawing karmic fire onto the Dharma Body. But it didn’t stop its movements at all; instead, it boosted its strength to a higher level. Six arms punched continuously, every blow heavily bombarding everywhere in the temple.

Pfft—!

Venerable Vimalakirti spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

What a demon!

The [Stainless Pure Earth Temple] was transformed from Venerable Vimalakirti’s Dao Foundation. He intended to trap Lu Yang temporarily and recall it across space after escaping.

At most, it would delay some time, and minor damage wouldn’t matter much.

But now Lu Yang disregarded his injuries and forcibly drove his Dharma Body to attack, putting him in a dilemma. He couldn’t really watch Lu Yang destroy his Dao Foundation, could he?

Venerable Vimalakirti wasn’t indecisive either.

In a flash, he made a decision— …Ignore it! Leaving first is priority! Escaping to the physical world takes only an instant; he definitely can’t break my Dao Foundation!

The next second, he leaped out of the Foundation Establishment realm with his escaping light.

But in the very next second, Venerable Vimalakirti felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Because in the physical world, right before his eyes, a young Daoist looking exactly like Lu Yang was holding [Tribulation Wave], looking at him calmly!

But Lu Yang was clearly still inside the [Stainless Pure Earth Temple]!

That clone!?

In an instant, Venerable Vimalakirti remembered the [Immortal Fetus Incarnation] he had slapped to death earlier. He had beaten it into meat paste—how could it reassemble?

Not good…

If he hadn’t focused solely on fleeing and chosen to fight Lu Yang to the death, perhaps the outcome would still be uncertain. But his timidity had pushed him into a dead end instead!

However, he had no time to think carefully.

Because at this moment, Lu Yang’s main body inside the [Stainless Pure Earth Temple] had stopped attacking, focusing his entire mind on the [Immortal Fetus Incarnation] holding the spirit sword.

By stopping, he even released his protective treasure light, allowing the [Stainless Pure Earth Temple] to suppress him ruthlessly. His already serious injuries worsened abruptly. Yet correspondingly, the heavier his injuries, the stronger the [Dharma Body]’s boost to his divine ability and spiritual power became, climbing to the peak almost instantly!

Clang—!

In the clone’s hand, [Tribulation Wave] emitted a high-pitched sword hum. The [Proclaim Might] divine wonder, which had been on cooldown since slashing the sea, was now fully recovered.

At this moment, Venerable Vimalakirti calmed down instead—

“If you kill me, Benefactor, there will be no turning back with the Pure Land. Hereafter, the Bodhisattvas will show no more mercy but will truly devise ways to take your life.”

“Do you really want eternal damnation, Benefactor?”

He didn’t ask Lu Yang to truly give up on killing him. As long as Lu Yang wavered for a split second, he could use a wondrous method to avoid this deadly situation.

But the answer he received was an indomitable sword light.

[Proclaim Might]!

The sea-slashing strike reappeared. Venerable Vimalakirti’s figure was instantly submerged in the sword light, shattering inch by inch, finally turning into sky-filling dust.

Eternal damnation?

I will do it even if it means eternal damnation!

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