Chapter 439 -74 Fierce Battle (Part 4)

This esteemed high monk of the Buddhist Sect, with the aid of the Power of Causality, after a frantic sprint, finally arrived here!

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“Blue Cloud Venerable, is your Buddhist Sect intending to oppose my Tianli Empire?”

The gaze of Crown Prince Yuanqing was dark and ominous.

If earlier, when Zhang Xuanqing took out the Reincarnation Relic Tower and the Ten Directions Bodhi Demon Suppression Rope, he still suspected they were stolen from the Buddhist Sect, now, seeing this man appear, he harbored no further doubts.

“It was Your Highness who insulted my Buddhist Sect first. How can you place a label on me, accusing me of opposition?” Blue Cloud Venerable shook his head.

“Blue Cloud Venerable, this Zhang Xuanqing before us is employing the Demon Clan’s…”

Seeing the two failing to communicate, Elder Jiang Li could not hold back and shouted aloud. Before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuanqing suddenly bellowed from not far away: “Venerable, they have stolen the Reincarnation Relic Tower that you bestowed upon me. They cannot be forgiven lightly. Please block Crown Prince Yuanqing for me while I first slay this Jiang Li!”

Hoo!

As his shout ended, Zhang Xuan had already appeared before Elder Jiang Li, thrusting forth the Cold Nether Sword, sword qi coiling like a dragon.

“Seeking death!”

Seeing him initiate an attack, Elder Jiang Li, paying no heed to explanations, manipulated his cauldron to meet it head-on. In an instant, the two clashed fiercely.

“Out of my way!”

Knowing that Elder Jiang Li was likely not a match, Crown Prince Yuanqing barked coldly, preparing to charge forward.

“Amitabha, Your Highness, stay your step!”

With a flip of his palm, Blue Cloud Venerable unleashed a torrent of force, blocking his path.

“If Jiang Li is killed, your Fruit Position Golden Pill can no longer be forged, and the Bodhisattva will drift farther and farther from you!”

Crown Prince Yuanqing shouted angrily.

“This…”

Blue Cloud Venerable furrowed his brows.

Jiang Li was the only apothecary capable of forging the Fruit Position Golden Pill. If he were truly dead, without the golden pill, the path to the Bodhisattva Realm might forever be unattainable.

“Zhang Xuanqing, why have you come into conflict with His Highness and Elder Jiang Li?”

Realizing this, Blue Cloud Venerable sensed something amiss and couldn’t help but question aloud.

He had rushed here earlier to save the man because this individual was someone he had converted and, more importantly, someone named specifically by the Buddha, a life that simply could not be lost. Yet now, calming down, he immediately recognized inconsistencies.

The Galaxy 7-dan, engaging in combat against the Peak of Life Sea Realm masters, holding his own without faltering—in fact, single-handedly blocking two elite adversaries—both Crown Prince Yuanqing and Elder Jiang Li…

From any angle, this was not someone who could be effortlessly converted.

“They saw my Reincarnation Relic Tower and attempted to seize it…”

Zhang Xuan casually fabricated a tale.

He knew he could not continue manipulating this man for long, but he only needed to stall them briefly—to first eliminate Elder Jiang Li.

Both being at the Peak of Life Sea Realm, once he slew Jiang Li, the strength within the latter’s body would suffice for Zhang Xuan to wield temporarily. Coupled with the multitude of pills he possessed, achieving success in either practicing or escaping would become far more likely.

“Your Highness ought to know, the Reincarnation Relic Tower is a treasure of the Buddha. Should you wish to forge it, you would be opposing my Buddhist Sect…”

Blue Cloud Venerable declared.

“Elder Jiang Li was helping me forge the Peerless Divine Pill, assisting me in condensing the Eternal Heart. This man used the Reincarnation Relic Tower to steal my pills and heart. Thus, I must kill him…”

Knowing he could not leave without clarifying the matter, Crown Prince Yuanqing suppressed his fury and explained.

“Peerless Divine Pill? Eternal Heart?”

Blue Cloud Venerable faltered momentarily before noticing that the prince before him had a large hollow in his chest, his heart clearly missing. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan, with every attack, exuded an inexhaustible surge of strength, overwhelming and powerful.

In an instant, he verified the prince’s words were not baseless fabrications.

“Indeed! This Zhang Xuanqing has just employed the Demon Clan’s power. You speak of him being your Buddhist Sect’s believer—on what grounds?” Crown Prince Yuanqing pressed.

“Using the Demon Clan’s power?” Blue Cloud Venerable found it hard to believe.

Crown Prince Yuanqing nodded, sneering coldly: “The pervasive demonic qi here remains thick. As a high monk of the Buddhist Sect, surely you wouldn’t fail to detect it!”

Blue Cloud Venerable hastily scanned his surroundings, and though much of the demonic power had been dispersed, traces still remained for keen observation.

“This is… Frost Demon Lord’s strength. Zhang Xuanqing, is that Essence Pill in your possession?”

Blue Cloud Venerable seemed to realize the truth, his facial complexion turning crimson.

In an instant, clarity struck him regarding everything.

What he thought to have been conversions was likely a mere trick of this man’s—and he himself was the fool who had fallen for it!

How infuriating!

Leaving aside the hatred over the stolen Essence Pill, the matter of losing the Reincarnation Relic Tower—a treasure of the Buddha—alone presented consequences unbearably weighty.

“Let’s jointly capture him first!”

Seeing him come to his senses, Crown Prince Yuanqing commanded sternly.

An enemy’s enemy is a friend.

No matter the status of the relationship between Tianli Empire and the Buddhist Sect, retrieving the Eternal Heart took precedent above all else.

“Alright!” Blue Cloud Venerable nodded firmly.

“Hahahaha, your reaction is swift. However, for me, the time granted is already sufficient!”

Seeing the two adversaries about to converge on him, Zhang Xuan showed no fear. He instead laughed audibly once more.

Everything was well within his calculations. The trap he laid earlier—was ripe for detonation!

“Love Destiny, devour!”

No longer concealing himself, with an inward growl, the threads of love hidden within the “No Self” Heavenly Mandate unfurled, revealing hundreds upon hundreds of strands in mere moments. Instantly, countless Yuan Power from the Buddhist Sect coursed into his body.

“Burn!”

Knowing he had but one chance, Zhang Xuan’s Eight Orifice Heart thumped violently, causing the Essence Pill, the size of a soybean inside his chest, to melt completely.

Earlier, he could have harnessed more demonic power, but such an act risked complete demonization!

Only through covert extraction of minimal strands of Buddhist Yuan Power could he cautiously mediate the demonic qi, avoiding detection by Blue Cloud Venerable. Boldness for greater theft would have exposed him.

Now, diplomacies shattered, all possible diversionary time achieved, and Elder Jiang Li’s power and weaknesses painstakingly gauged—there remained no reason to maintain his façade or concealment.

Crash!

An immense surge of demonic power roared into his body, neutralizing the Buddhist Yuan Power entirely, granting Zhang Xuan an unprecedented, extraordinary strength in mere moments.

“You…”

Never imagining someone would graft and siphon from his River of Destiny, Blue Cloud Venerable quaked with fury, his entire body trembling as he swung his hand to sever the love threads.

But discovering it now was far too late; fusing both Buddhist and demonic forces, Zhang Xuan bore the semblance of a Demon King enthroned upon Lingjiu Mountain. Wielding the Cold Nether Sword, he slashed ferociously toward Jiang Li.

The Pathos of Heaven!

Though Zhang Xuan had deployed swordsmanship before, this ultimate technique transcending Tianli Empire’s martial ways had never been unleashed until now. Partnered with both Buddhist and demonic strength, coupled with the Eternal Heart of Eight Orifices, his full might exploded outward instantly.

The very fabric of space tore apart like fragile paper.

Unprepared for the astonishing escalation in Zhang Xuan’s power within such a short span, Jiang Li found escape nearly impossible. He hastily deployed three cauldrons as shields in front while turning away to flee.