Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

These words were tantamount to accusing the Dragon Palace and the Netherworld of fault, and even more so, pointing fingers at the Heavenly Court for biased justice, lax governance, condonation, disregard for the law, and causing dissatisfaction among the people.

Although the reality was indeed such, reality does not mean that you can speak so forthrightly!

Are you truly not giving any face, determined to fight the Heavenly Court to the death?

Previously, the case with the Wuqu Star Lord was one thing, but now that Buddhism has intervened, the Great Mercy Bodhisattva has ascended, Eighteen Arhats have descended, with sincerity, face, and status all granted; such a large step laid out before you, yet you cannot take it and step down?

Do you have to make this matter so big that it cannot be settled without a fight to the death?

What, exactly, are you trying to achieve?

The brow of the Arhat of the Descending Dragon furrowed deeply, unable to fathom the answer.

“Amitabha!”

In the end, it was the Arhat of the Subdued Tiger who broke the silence, “I have heard that Zhen Yuan is fond of making bets, and at the Pill Origin Gathering of the past, you gambled with two junior brothers, did you not?”

Xu Yang smiled and nodded, “What are your thoughts, Venerable Subdued Tiger?”

“Amitabha!”

The Subdued Tiger placed his palms together, “Why not, today, I engage you, Sir, in a bet. If I emerge victorious, then I shall invite you to ascend to the heavens. However, if my Divine Power falls short to yours, then we shall leave this place and never meddle with this affair again. How about it?”

“Ha!”

Xu Yang laughed and shook his head, “Alone, you are bound to fail; why bother with the gamble?”

“Hmm!?”

Upon these words, all of the Eighteen Arhats frowned.

The Arhat of the Descending Dragon and the Arhat of the Subdued Tiger both showed signs of doubt and incredulity.

The two of them, the leaders of the Eighteen Arhats, Venerables of four to five tiers, were stronger even than the Southern Sea Dragon King and the Mount Tai Yama, both of the Calamity Immortal tier.

Back then, Zhen Yuan caused an uproar in the Dragon Palace and the Netherworld, making both the Dragon King and Yama flee, and now, after merely defeating a one-tier Wuqu Star, he dared to make such bold claims before the Eighteen Arhats?

Wasn’t that too presumptuous?

The brows of the Arhat of the Descending Dragon remained tightly knitted while the Subdued Tiger, though doubtful, still said, “If such is the case, then you must have profound Divine Power. I am truly no match. However, with such capabilities, why do you refuse to go to the heavens to resolve this conflict?”

“I have my convictions; I hold my beliefs. It is not that I delight in war, but rather that right and wrong cannot be confused!”

Xu Yang, with a sweep of his horsetail whisk, spoke indifferently, “Do you all understand?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

With those words, the two Venerables were silent, the Arhats at a loss for words.

How could they argue back when the other party was occupying the moral high ground?

Any more words from them would seem like coercion, like confirming the accusation.

Could they really give up after such grand preparations, leaving in ignominy?

“Amitabha!”

The Subdued Tiger sighed long and deep, palms pressed together, “If that’s the case, then let me experience for myself your profound skills!”

“I have long heard of the grand Formation technique of the Western Buddhism, the Arhat Formation, capable of subduing demons.”

Xu Yang, holding his horsetail whisk, chuckled, “Why not let me experience it today.”

“…”

At these words, all were silent.

The Arhats of the Descending Dragon and Subdued Tiger exchanged looks, their eyes filled with doubt, caught in a dilemma.

Ultimately…

“Amitabha!”

The Arhat of the Descending Dragon pressed his palms together and spoke solemnly, “If such is the case, then let us witness your Divine Power!”

His solemn voice signified acceptance of the challenge.

“This…”

“Zhen Yuan… senior…”

“Facing the Eighteen Arhats alone?”

Thousands of miles away, atop Qingfeng Mountain, the cultivators observing from afar were utterly shocked.

These were the Eighteen Arhats, the same ones who included six great Calamity Immortals.

Having already astonished the world by besting the Wuqu Star Lord, he now confronted the Eighteen Arhats…

In just a hundred or so years, what sort of Divine Power had he cultivated?

The onlookers were shocked, rendered speechless.

However, Xu Yang was decisive, his horsetail whisk like a sword, “Then let’s proceed!”

“Form up!”

Seeing this, the Arhat of the Descending Dragon didn’t speak further but promptly began to arrange the Buddhist formation.

Xu Yang did not intervene, allowing events to unfold, merely observing.

In an instant, the Eighteen Arhats set up their formation, with the Arhat of the Descending Dragon, the Arhat of the Subdued Tiger, the one on the deer seat, the one of joy, the bowl raiser, and the long-browed—six Calamity Immortals taking the lead, forming groups of threes and sixes; endless and infinite.

“Come!”

Xu Yang smiled and stepped forward, shrinking the ground beneath him as if by magic, and immediately entered the formation.

Within the formation, Buddhist lights shone brightly, radiating tranquility and auspiciousness, as if in the Holy Realm of the Tathagata.

The Eighteen Arhats settled into meditation postures, with what seemed like a multitude of thousands behind them, 500 Arhats, and 3000 powerful spirit guards.

It was the Great Arhat Array!

Endless and boundless in threes and sixes, under the Buddhist Law’s universal salvation, more than eighteen Honored Ones were present.

“`

“Ha!”

In the midst of the Great Brahma Formation, one could see the Dao Practitioner laughing as Xu Yang’s horsetail whisk swept across, releasing a sword-like Supreme Purity Radiance heading straight for the Arhat’s descending dragon seat, the Lotus Throne.

The Descending Dragon said nothing, hands together in prayer, as dragon shadows coiled around his body, dissipating the sharp Golden Divine Light.

However, Supreme Purity produces gold, gold generates water, and in an instant the Five Elements were formed; it was a feint to the east to strike west, attacking the other five Honored Ones.

Eighteen Arhats and six great Calamity Immortals had six central nodes and twelve support points. To break the formation, these six points must be attacked; anywhere else, even if damaged, could be swiftly repaired, resulting in a futile effort.

“Boom!”

The Five Colors Divine Light split apart, uncertain in its reality, feinting east to strike west, and with a loud crash, shattered one of the meditation seats, startling the Arhat seated on the deer to leap up.

“What divine power!”

Long-Eyebrow’s gaze intensified, his snow-white eyebrows sweeping out, with the support and augmentation of the Divine Powers of the two Arhats sitting in meditation and contemplation to his left and right.

The Meditating Arhat possessed boundless strength, as immovable as a mountain.

The Contemplating Arhat, held secret true skills and had extraordinary Divine Powers.

Bolstered by the two Arhats to his left and right, Long-Eyebrow’s Mana surged like a sword sweeping and a whip lashing out, attacking the body of the Dao Practitioner.

One could see…

“Crack!”

With a burst of thunder, lightning was cast, and the horsetail whisk lashed out like a whip, entangling Long-Eyebrow’s eyebrows in an instant, knotting into a deathly calamity.

“Hmm?”

Long-Eyebrow’s eyes sharpened as he quickly urged his Buddha Power, invoking samsara.

He was called Long-Eyebrow because his Arhat’s fruition was not achieved in a single lifetime but over countless births and deaths in samsara. In every life, he cultivated until old age; his physical body decayed, his Primordial Spirit entered extinction, but his long eyebrows remained eternal and unchanging, even following him in reincarnation, born with a pair of snowy white eyebrows; hence his name.

These eyebrows were indeed a manifestation of his fruition, containing the path of life and death, the principles of samsara.

To the Dharma eye, one could see within them the energies of life and death entwined, secretly forming the six paths of reincarnation, cycling endlessly.

Indeed a marvelous Buddha Fruit, no wonder he could pass through three levels of tribulations, his Cultivation second only to Subduing Dragon and Tiger.

These eyebrows, entangled in the horsetail whisk and aiming to entwine the body of the Dao Practitioner, sought to utilize the cycle of life and death to dissolve the enemy’s Divine Power.

“Roar!!!”

“Roar!!!”

Seizing this opportunity, the five great Venerables, including Subduing Dragon and Tiger, changed their offensive, initiating an action, aiming to achieve victory in one strike.

But unexpectedly…

“Rumble!”

A loud boom caused the heavens to startle and the earth to change.

Above the horsetail whisk, thunder surged forth, lightning crackled and flashed.

The will of the heavens, wielding thunder, stirred with the horsetail whisk and shattered the cycle of life and death, causing Long-Eyebrow’s eyebrows to explode and disintegrate.

“Spurt!”

Long-Eyebrow’s body trembled, his eyes bulging slightly, and from the corners of his mouth, a streak of startling vermillion blood spurted.

“Boom!”

At the same time, Subduing Dragon and Tiger, along with the attacks of the five directional Venerables, bombarded the Dao Practitioner, the Buddha’s light shining brilliantly as the sea, seeking to extinguish Taoism.

One could see…

“Rumble!”

Thunder roared, lightning exploded, and a figure swelled tumultuously, entwined with lightning, instantly extinguishing Buddhist Law with its radiance.

“Heavenly Heart Five Thunder?”

“Divine Power Dharma Body?”

Subduing Dragon and Tiger’s gaze sharpened as he immediately altered the Formation, switching from offense to defense.

“Rumble!”

No sooner had the Formation shifted than the Dharma Body expanded immensely, as if Thunder Ancestor himself was in a rage, causing the very skies to darken.

Amidst the flashing lights and peals of thunder, the Dao Practitioner raised his sleeve, withdrew the whisk, and produced a treasured sword.

What kind of treasured sword?

Its shape was elusive, but one could see the Big Dipper, shining with overlapping radiance.

“He is called Sovereign of the Big Dipper, Purple Majesty of the Central Ziwei aligning with the Seven Stars!”

With the Big Dipper aligning, the stars responded, truly the count of Ziwei.

Centered on the Great Emperor of Ziwei the North Star, ancestor of emperors, who governed the laws of heaven and earth, commanding all celestial bodies, controlling ghosts, gods, and thunder, he is one of the Four Imperial Protectors, the Emperor of Thunder Ancestor, according to the World of Dao and Law lineage of Immortal Gods, belonging to the position of Xuanyuan’s Ascension.

Now, with the force of Nine Rites Xuanyuan, Xu Yang wielded the Heavenly Heart Five Thunder Righteous Skills, increasing the might of this Divine Power, far surpassing the limits of the Dharma Body.

Suddenly, with thunder on the move, sovereign might emerged ferociously within the Arhat’s Great Array, the Buddhist Pure Land, and Tathagata’s Holy Realm.

“Such might?”

“Could this be beyond Mahayana!”

Seeing such a scene, even Subduing Dragon and Tiger could not help but change their complexion dramatically, immediately stabilizing the Formation and defending with all their might.

“Rumble!”

Amidst the thunderous heavens, Xu Yang brandished the treasured sword, invoked Dao and Divine Power, deepened the Ziwei Astrological Figure, and with a sweep of the Emperor’s sword, targeted the six great Honored Ones.

“Boom!”

Far away, atop Qingfeng Mountain, a Mahayana Cultivator performed a spell, reflecting illusions and echoing voices.

The outcome was just a tremendous thunderclap, breaking through the vast Buddha Light; the thunder shattered the Formation, the momentum failed, the Arhat’s meditation seats crumbled, the Lotus Thrones collapsed, and only a dozen figures flew away.

In the end, the mirroring lights shattered mysteriously under an unknown assault and dissipated in an instant, causing the face of the spell caster to turn deathly pale.

…

On Mount Longevity, Wuzhuang Temple, in the high heavens, victory and defeat had been decided.

Subduing Dragon and Tiger, along with the Eighteen Arhats, were scattered in all directions.

The face of the Descending Dragon turned pale, the corner of Subduing Tiger’s mouth was tinged with red, the clothes of the Arhat on the deer were tattered, and the previously seen smile of joy was nowhere to be found…

The Eighteen Honored Ones each sustained heavy injuries!

Turning back to the arena, the heavens of thunder receded, leaving only the Dao Practitioner unchanged.

Xu Yang sheathed his sword, dispersed the thunder, and looked at the group of Arhats: “The splendid array of Buddhism is indeed impressive.”

“Spurt!”

A word of praise, yet it triggered his injuries, and once again, vermillion blood spurted from his mouth.

“!!”

Descending Dragon looked as if his face were made of golden paper, faintly turning pale, but still he struggled to stand: “Your Divine Power is indeed extraordinary, we admit defeat. We will return and report to the Bodhisattva, and will no longer interfere with this matter!”

“Ha!”

Xu Yang smiled and did not make it difficult for them: “Then, please do.”

Having said that, he turned and returned to the mountain, unconcerned with the reactions of the others.

“`