Chapter 1761 : Clash of Celestial Titans

"So be it," spoke the Ancient Buddha with a benevolent countenance, raising his palm to press down in suppression. Seeing this, the others immediately unleashed their Divine Abilities one after another, intending to join forces to subdue the fiendish demon. In an instant, the two sides clashed together, shaking heaven and earth, causing the mountains and rivers to tremble and the stars in the Nine Heavens to flicker uncertainly. "Boom—" Xander Chen gripped the Immortal Iron Staff and swept it across all directions, while a Celestial Dragon flew from his back, intertwining with the Immortal Iron Staff to unleash a divine power that could overturn the heavens and shake the earth. In such a grand battle, Xander Chen fought one against four, yet never once fell to a disadvantage. After more than six thousand exchanges, Xander Chen still had not been suppressed, while the four Heaven Immortal Buddhas [enlightened beings who have attained Buddhahood] were already beginning to show signs of faltering. "An Imperial Son Level Figure [a figure whose power and status are comparable to that of an Imperial Son]," the Golden Lion Arhat exclaimed with a slight change in expression, finally calling out, "Two Ancient Ancestors, we beseech you to act and subdue this demon." "Alas—" At that very moment, a sigh echoed from the Void Heaven above. Everyone looked up to see two figures striding forth from the depths of the Endless Void. One was clad in a blood-red Kasaya [a Buddhist monastic robe], his face solemn and dignified; the other held a treasure wheel, resembling a wrathful Vajra Buddha, exuding an incomparably fierce aura. "Blood Nirvana Buddha, Treasure Wheel Arhat," Xander Chen murmured, his expression turning grave for the first time. The Blood Nirvana Buddha was the founding Ancient Ancestor of the Blood Dragon Ancient Temple, a Flawless Celestial Immortal [a Celestial Immortal whose foundation and cultivation are perfect, without flaw] who had lived for over a hundred million years, his cultivation having reached the Sixth Heaven Celestial Immortal realm. The Treasure Wheel Arhat was the founding patriarch of the Vajra Temple, having lived for eighty million years; he was also a Flawless Celestial Immortal Foundation, his cultivation having attained the Fifth Heaven Celestial Immortal realm. These two were the true rulers of the Great Desert Celestial Sands Domain. As for the other places like the Literary Heart Ancient Temple or the Celestial Melody Wonderful Land, they only had one or two Flawed Celestial Immortals [Celestial Immortals with imperfect foundations or cultivation] remaining, far inferior to these two Buddha Arhats. However, upon seeing Xander Chen, these two supreme beings were unexpectedly amiable. The Blood Nirvana Buddha smiled gently, holding a flower, and said calmly, "Benefactor, you have overstepped. Today, you have committed a sea of bloodshed. By principle, you should be cast into the Eighteen Hells [the eighteen layers of Buddhist hells for punishing sinners]." "Yet, our Buddha is compassionate. If you cease now, I am willing to transcend the souls of all those you have slain and cleanse you of this sin." "And if I refuse?" Xander Chen spoke, the Immortal Iron Staff in his hand radiating Baleful Qi [a malevolent, killing energy]. The Treasure Wheel Arhat's face turned cold, his gaze profound as he said, "Then we have no choice but to capture you and send you back to the Abyssal Grotto-Heaven." As his words fell, the Treasure Wheel Arhat struck. A Golden Alms Bowl [a magical bowl used by Buddhist cultivators] smashed down, intending to suppress Xander Chen on the spot. But at that very moment, a dazzling spear radiance pierced from the edge of the Void Heaven. The spear radiance was entwined with the light of the Yin-Yang [the dual forces of passive and active, dark and light] polarities, carrying the power to pierce through all things, knocking away the Golden Alms Bowl and continuing its momentum to strike at the Treasure Wheel Arhat. "The Yin-Yang Immortal-Slaying Spear!" exclaimed the Blood Nirvana Ancient Buddha. He instantly moved to assist, flicking his sleeve to summon a Blood Dragon that soared into the sky, colliding with the Yin-Yang Immortal-Slaying Spear and blocking this god-slaying, immortal-piercing sharpness. Only then did everyone see a figure clad in Yin-Yang Infinite Immortal Armor striding forth. "Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang." Seeing this, the Blood Nirvana Ancient Buddha drew a sharp breath and could not help but say, "Your Highness, the Imperial Son is of noble status. Why must you interfere in this matter?" "Hah—" Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang let out a cold laugh. He clearly held the Buddhas of the Great Desert Celestial Sands Domain in contempt. Holding the Yin-Yang Immortal-Slaying Spear, he spoke calmly, "Today, I have come under orders to take your lives." "Both of you, prepare to die." As his words fell, he took a step into the void, charging toward the highest heavens with unparalleled sharpness. An epochal battle erupted then and there. Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang Fighting One Against Two, facing two Flawless Celestial Immortals, yet did not fall into a disadvantage. They fought their way to the Nine Heavens Above, each strike unleashing heaven-overturning power. Simultaneously, Xander Chen attacked again. The dragon-patterned Immortal Iron Staff swept across all directions. With his own power, he confronted four Early Celestial Immortal Realm cultivators, yet never once fell into a disadvantage. After another thousand exchanges of fierce combat, Bodhisattva Wenshin let out a soft sigh and suddenly withdrew from the battlefield in the Central Realm. Seeing this, the Golden Lion Arhat and the others immediately cried out in alarm, "Bodhisattva Wenshin, are you betraying us?" "Alas—" Bodhisattva Wenshin did not answer. He only looked at Xander Chen and said, "Back then, I deceived you into coming to the Literary Heart Ancient Temple, ruining your million years of cultivation. This old monk has carried guilt in his heart." "Now that you have returned, recovered, and ascended to an even higher level, this old monk's wish is fulfilled. It is time to repay the karma I owe you." "I am willing to transform into a Sariras [Buddhist relics], to aid your cultivation of the Buddhist Dharma, as a way to make up for the debt of that year." "As for this body's immortal spiritual Primordial Source [the foundational, original life-force energy], let it return to nourish all living beings within the Heavenly Layers [the layered realms of heaven]." With these words, Bodhisattva Wenshin struck the crown of his own head with his palm. Instantly, his Physical Body and Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] began to disintegrate, transforming into an immensely vast Dao-Transformation Light [the radiant light emitted when a being dissolves into the Dao] that dissipated into the Heavenly Layers. A Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme figure among Heaven Immortals] transforming into the Dao released a torrential surge of Primordial Qi [the primordial, foundational energy of creation] that swept through all directions. In that instant, the area for billions upon billions of Li-lengths was filled with boundless Immortal Spirit Qi [the spiritual energy of immortals]. Within the vast mountain ranges, one could see with the naked eye as grasses and trees sprouted, transforming into an expansive forest. After the Dao-Transformation Light completely dissipated, only a single Sariras [Buddhist relics left after a high-level cultivator's passing] remained on the spot. "Master..." Seeing this, Xander Chen was left speechless. A trace of tears even slid from the corners of his eyes. His feelings toward this Bodhisattva Wenshin were actually very conflicted. He hated evil as if it were a personal enemy, his nature was unyielding and domineering. In his early years, while traveling through the Immortal Domain, he had slaughtered Divine Spirits, slain Immortals, and killed direct descendants of Grotto-Heavens [a type of blessed, independent realm], thus offending many enemies. If not for the protection of Bodhisattva Wenshin, he might have long since died under the pursuit of Heavenly Immortal Paragons. Yet, during the Dao Tribulation [a heavenly trial related to comprehending the Dao], Bodhisattva Wenshin, unable to withstand the pressure from three great Grotto-Heavens and the Celestial Xuan Ancient Sect, and in order to protect the legacy of the Literary Heart Ancient Temple, lured him to Literary Heart Mountain and betrayed him. A huge rift had formed in their relationship since then. Now, facing each other again in battle, Xander Chen's feelings toward Bodhisattva Wenshin were complex. On one side was the boundless hatred from being betrayed; on the other was the debt of gratitude for the protection in those early years, making it difficult for him to deal a fatal blow to Bodhisattva Wenshin. Now that Bodhisattva Wenshin had taken his own life, he finally understood that Bodhisattva Wenshin had also been trapped in years of regret over that decision. "One thought becomes Buddha, one thought becomes Demon." "Is this the difference of a single Eldrin?" "So this is the thought between Buddha and Demon. I have attained enlightenment!" Xander Chen suddenly attained enlightenment. In that instant, Buddha Radiance [the radiant light of a Buddha] shone all around him, transforming him into the Buddha Tathagata of the Buddha Light Treasure Elephant. Then, in the turn of a Eldrin, he seemed to fall into a Demonic Abyss, becoming a Buddha Tathagata with a ferocious, menacing visage. This repeated, until finally, Buddha and Demon merged into one, transforming into a Holy Tathagata that seemed both compassionate and wrathfully ferocious. Great Compassion and Great Mercy and Great Malice and Great Evil converged within a single body. His pair of pupils—the left eye like a bottomless Abyssal Depths, the right eye like a Great Sun hanging in the sky—radiated an unprecedented, supremely powerful aura. At this moment, Xander Chen, with Buddha and Demon united, transformed into the Holy Tathagata of Great Awe and Thunderous Voice, seemingly breaking through some kind of Immortal Dao Ultimate Limit [the ultimate boundary of the Immortal Dao], startling the Myriad Celestial Immortals and Buddhas. "This is..." Above in the Firmament, even Taiyang, the Imperial Son of Tai Cang opened his eyes, his gaze turning grave as he looked over.