Chapter 302: Severing Heaven and Earth to Forge a Path

Brahma Nation, Eight Treasure Table.

The majestic Ancient Chan Forest Monastery now looked rather desolate. Its former grandeur of golden bodies covering the ground and lotus seats filling the sky was completely gone, leaving only ruined walls and broken eaves.

Inside the ancient monastery's main hall, Zhongjian pressed his palms together and bowed respectfully to a wrathful Buddha statue with eight faces and six arms, each holding a different ritual implement. "Master," he said softly, "how did the discussions at the higher-level meeting go? Will my application for a Spiritual Treasure be approved?"

As he spoke, the Buddha statue emitted a faint light.

Bukong's voice rang out from within. "After our deliberations, your request for a Spiritual Treasure has been rejected. The superiors believe your strength is lacking."

"This..."

Zhongjian's face darkened. "Without a Spiritual Treasure, how can I fight the Immortal Gate?" he pressed hurriedly. "Someone on their side had a Spiritual Treasure acknowledge them as its master!"

"I have already made a decision regarding this matter," Bukong replied calmly. "A disciple of my close friend is currently cultivating in a Wondrous Land and is already an exam candidate disciple. I intend to invite her down."

'An exam candidate disciple?!'

Shock appeared on Zhongjian's face. In the Brahma Nation, the status of an exam candidate disciple carried even more weight than a True Transmission.

As the name implied, the primary task of such disciples was to prepare for the Buddhist examination. They were the cream of the crop among Brahma cultivators and were almost guaranteed to become Ascetic Monks in the future. If Jin Hai had survived this Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle, he likely would have become an exam candidate disciple as well. Unfortunately, his luck had been poor, and he had died.

Not to mention, she was cultivating in a Wondrous Land.

The Immortal Gate had Grotto-Heavens, and the Brahma Nation had Wondrous Lands. To receive special approval from the Great Brahma Heaven to open a Wondrous Land, one had to be at least an arhat.

And she was an exam candidate disciple cultivating in a Wondrous Land.

'Nine times out of ten, she is the direct disciple of an arhat. Serving under the eight Supreme Masters, placing her in the Immortal Gate would be equivalent to the direct lineage of a True Person. Her status is sky-high!'

"Don't overthink this," Bukong's voice continued. "I am telling you this not so you will give her special treatment, but to remind you to follow the rules and handle things strictly according to protocol. Understood? Do not look after her just because she is an exam candidate disciple."

"I understand."

Zhongjian nodded quickly. In his heart, he decided that when this exam candidate disciple arrived, he would absolutely double the red envelope he had prepared to show his utmost sincerity.

Handling things according to protocol was a given.

However, the Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle was a special circumstance, and special circumstances required special handling. The two didn't conflict.

Soon, the light on the Buddha statue dimmed as Bukong withdrew his divine sense. Zhongjian breathed a sigh of relief, only to see two figures walking through the main hall doors.

It was Nurong and Suoze.

"Amitabha-fucking-Buddha!"

Compared to the thrilled Zhongjian, the moods of these two weren't nearly as wonderful. They had just returned from the various Chan monasteries of the Brahma Nation.

With Wu Chi heavily injured and Jin Hai dead, the Brahma Nation severely lacked manpower for the sword battle. They could only seek reinforcements from the various Chan monasteries. As a result, either someone was out on an emergency mission or their paperwork couldn't be approved. In short, after searching for the better part of the day, not a single Brahma cultivator was willing to offer help in their time of need.

"Those Buddhist maggots!"

Suoze cursed loudly as he walked. "How can we properly fight the sword battle with a bunch of maggots? A perfectly good Brahma Nation is being ruined by their hands."

"A bunch of cowards terrified of death!"

Back then, they all claimed to be brothers willing to climb a mountain of blades and descend into a sea of fire. But when trouble actually arrived, each ran faster than the last. They even refused to accept voice transmissions.

Even so, Suoze was mostly just venting his frustration. He knew very well that they were all considered veterans in the Brahma Nation. It was fine to brag on ordinary days when they didn't actually have to climb a mountain of blades and descend into a sea of fire. But genuinely stepping up to fight meant people would actually die.

That was a different story entirely.

If it were Suoze, he absolutely wouldn't wade into these muddy waters either. He just had no choice—the mission came from above, and he couldn't push it away even if he wanted to.

The two of them then looked toward Zhongjian at the head of the main hall.

"Master Zhongjian."

Suoze, still furious, dropped all pretense of respect and asked bluntly, "It's been days. Have you figured out a way to handle Wu Chi's situation?"

"What do you want?" Zhongjian glanced sideways at him.

"What about your promise?"

"What promise?"

"Where is your Spiritual Treasure?" Suoze pressed. Wu Chi was still howling inside the Golden Alms Bowl. Scorched by the blazing flames, he looked like he was about to draw his last breath.

Facing the aggressive Suoze, Zhongjian—bolstered by Bukong's assurance—appeared very calm. "Relax, I have everything arranged. Prepare yourselves, my two colleagues. We will head to Jingyuan Pass shortly and show those Biyang bastards from the Immortal Gate exactly what we're capable of."

"Huh?"

Suoze and Nurong exchanged a glance, instantly furious. Given their current state, taking the initiative to attack was just asking to die faster!

"Do not fear."

Zhongjian saw through their apprehension and chuckled softly. "I admit, Dousheng has a bit of skill. But at the end of the day, it's nothing extraordinary."

"When you tally it all up, he's merely a Tribulation Transcending Second Layer cultivator who had a Spiritual Treasure acknowledge him as its master. He defeated us entirely by relying on the power of that Spiritual Treasure. It was an unfair victory. Compared to him, Xianfu is far harder to deal with. After all, that one is not only at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer but also holds a formidable Spiritual Treasure."

"Master truly strategizes with brilliance," Suoze sneered. "Since that's the case, when we go to Jingyuan Pass later, we'll ask Master to block Dousheng while we hold the line for you. How does that sound?"

Zhongjian: "..."

But then again.

"There is no need for me to step in."

Zhongjian shook his head. "My master has already invited an exam candidate disciple from a Wondrous Land. This Dousheng will be dealt with by her."

As soon as these words came out, the deep reluctance on Suoze and Nurong's faces vanished, replaced by immense relief. They understood the weight of a Wondrous Land background and the status of an exam candidate disciple. First, a Brahma cultivator of this caliber had definitely pushed their realm to its absolute peak, far beyond the ordinary. Second, given her wealthy background, there was an eighty percent chance she had her own Spiritual Treasure.

"Which Wondrous Land does this supreme master hail from?" Suoze asked curiously.

Before Zhongjian could answer, footsteps echoed outside the ancient monastery once more, steady and powerful. The group turned to look, only to see another person walk through the doors.

It was a woman. Although dressed as a monk, she kept her long hair. She wore a moon-white kasaya covered in gold-trimmed Sanskrit text. A Vajra Pestle hung at her waist. One hand rested vertically in front of her chest, while the other extended to the side, her palm holding a Seven-Color Gourd.

Wearing a faint smile, she simply walked into the main hall.

She didn't spare a glance at Suoze and Nurong, the two Brahma cultivators under the Wisdom King. Her gaze fell directly onto Zhongjian. Only then did her red lips part into a smile.

"Junior Brother Zhongjian, it has been a long time."

A look of pleasant surprise washed over Zhongjian's face. Recognizing her instantly, he hurriedly returned the greeting. "I never expected Senior Sister Baohu to come in person."

Baohu?

Off to the side, Suoze and Nurong exchanged a blank look. As disciples of a Wisdom King, they naturally wouldn't recognize a Brahma cultivator from a Wondrous Land who answered directly to an arhat.

The woman named Baohu turned her head and smiled at them.

"My elder serves under the Master of Secret Traces. By his grace, I cultivate in the Vajra Wondrous Land and have attained some minor Divine Powers. I hope I haven't made a fool of myself before you two colleagues."

"We wouldn't dare!"

Hearing this, Suoze and Nurong quickly bowed their heads in respect. They had finally gotten a clear look at the woman's face. Her beauty was peerless, yet she bore a pair of green eyes with square pupils.

'Deep Blue Eyes Phase!'

Cultivation in the Immortal Gate possessed Twenty-Four Qi that formed twenty-four paths. While the Brahma Nation judged everything based on superior cultivation, they weren't without similar paths.

Within the Brahma Nation, these were known as the thirty-two marks.

Cultivating a single mark to perfection guaranteed passing the Buddhist examination, making the position of an Ascetic Monk easily within reach. And for Baohu to have cultivated green eyes with square pupils, she was clearly not far from that level.

A second later, Baohu chuckled. She lifted the Seven-Color Gourd in her palm, formed a hand seal, and pointed at it. The gourd's colors instantly shifted. The other six colors faded, leaving a deep purple to encompass its body. She then uncorked the bottle, pointed it at Zhongjian, Suoze, and Nurong, and softly commanded:

"Collect!"

As her voice fell, scorching flames instantly flared around the three of them. These flames had separated from the tinder embedded in Wu Chi, and were now rapidly being extracted.

All three streaks of tinder sank into the gourd.

Normally, extinguishing this tinder required sending out one's divine sense to battle Wang Ping's phantom embedded within the fire. However, Baohu did no such thing.

After the Seven-Color Gourd absorbed the tinder, she simply held it in her hand and gave it a gentle shake. Every trace of profound intent hidden inside the tinder was crushed into nothingness.

'Seven Hearts Linked Gourd!'

Zhongjian stared with burning eyes, recognizing the Spiritual Treasure. Legend had it that an arhat had watered this rare treasure with their own heart's blood to grow it.

The gourd was born with seven colors, and each color represented a distinct profound mystery that could be freely interchanged. To possess such a Spiritual Treasure for protection spoke volumes of this senior sister's status within the Wondrous Land. Given enough time, once she became an Ascetic Monk, she would absolutely be a favored figure under the arhat's seat... Thinking up to this point, his expression grew increasingly respectful.

"I've handled our colleague Wu Chi's situation as well."

"However, his injuries are far too severe, so he will need time to rest and recover."

Baohu smiled. "Before I came, my master explained the details of the sword battle to me. That Immortal Gate disciple, Dousheng, is a matter of grave importance. I will take charge of him."

"There is no rush on this matter. We can take it slowly, but we must absolutely act swiftly."

"Junior Brother Zhongjian, my two colleagues, please come with me to Jingyuan Pass first."

"We wouldn't dare disobey."

The three nodded in succession and followed behind Baohu. They soon exited the Chan monastery and rode streaks of light, speeding all the way until they reached the very edge of the grasslands.

What entered their vision was a majestic fortified pass.

Jingyuan Pass.

"What a formidable pass." Baohu narrowed her green eyes. Light swirled in her square pupils as she sighed. "Placing this pass here was originally intended as a monumental achievement of the Great Rebellion."

"Unfortunately, right up until the Great Rebellion was destroyed, this grand project was never finished."

"Now, it has instead become the battleground for the Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle."

Hearing this sigh, Zhongjian immediately played along to flatter her. "Senior Sister possesses profound knowledge to know such secrets. I was completely unaware of this."

Baohu cast a half-smiling glance at Zhongjian, then shook her head. "I just heard it from my master. He had a definitive conclusion about this."

"Cultivators tread the immortal path and refine their Brahma hearts, sharing the longevity of heaven and earth while severing the twelve causes and conditions."

"Only the Great Rebellion walked its own path, questioned the mortal heart, disrupted the golden age of immortals and Brahmas, and ended up Severing Heaven and Earth to Forge a Path."