Chapter 635: I With One Sword, I Slay the God and Buddha in Your Heart

Dark clouds loomed overhead, and a river of swords permeated the realm. A chilling aura of dread filled the air.

"How presumptuous!"

Before even Gou Wuyue could make a move, someone among the white-robed figures could no longer contain their fury. Undoubtedly, among those present were both Thrones and Path Slayers. While sword cultivators might revere the Eighth Sword Immortal as a deity, the world was not solely comprised of sword cultivators.

"You hunched-back wretch, how dare you speak of slaughtering us?"

With a furious roar, a white-robed figure, whose mind was on the verge of exploding from the alluring Buddhist chants, lunged forward with fierce determination.

"Wang Rang!"

"Don't—"

Cries of alarm erupted in unison. However, preoccupied with their own struggles, no one could stop Wang Rang's advance.

"Boundless Life Creation!"

Wang Rang’s hair and beard whipped wildly as he raised his hand. A profound golden light burst forth, instantly enveloping everyone in the arena. In that instant, the world seemed to fall into complete silence. The wind, the shouts, the clang of swords—all vanished! Only the awe-inspiring green river of swords remained, while even the resonating sound of the Great Buddha, summoned by Ba Zunan's incantation, was instantly silenced.

"A Path Slayer?" Ba Zunan cast a sidelong glance, his eyes unperturbed. This Void Realm technique could indeed temporarily dispel all negative effects detrimental to the white-robed. Yet, even Gou Wuyue had been silenced by his roar. Where did this newcomer emerge from, to dare dictate to him?

"Hunched-back wretch?" Ba Zunan murmured, then let out a soft chuckle. His back was indeed slightly hunched, completely lacking the bearing of a powerful figure. Even standing tall on the peak of the Great Buddha, the immense weight of time still left him gasping for air. Yet, in another time, if Gou Wuyue weren't supporting him, how would this person dare be so brazen?

"That's one," Ba Zunan raised a finger at Gou Wuyue. Gou Wuyue's eyes widened in alarm; he sensed trouble. Green sword energy suddenly erupted from his body, instantly shattering the confining aura. He then raised his sword, charging forward with a powerful counter-attack.

"Reverse River!"

The green river of swords stirred violently, and then endless sword energy surged forth like water breaking a dam. With a resounding crash, Ba Zunan's form was shattered by the torrent of swords. Yet, as his figure dissolved, a faint, mocking smile lingered on his lips, as if hinting at something profound.

"Watch out!" Gou Wuyue reacted instantly, letting out a fierce shout towards Wang Rang. Others might not realize it, but he knew perfectly well that the Eighth Sword Immortal was revered as the faith of Eastern Domain sword cultivators precisely because he had perfectly mastered the nine great sword arts of the ancient sword cultivators! Not merely one, but all nine!

"Illusionary Sword Art?" Wang Rang, clad in white, also seemed to grasp something. He had clashed with ancient sword cultivators before, so he knew this was a sword technique that used space as a mirror to create illusions, and at its peak, could even transform illusion into reality. Yet Ba Zunan had been shattered by Gou Wuyue's sword river. He, however, couldn't detect the opponent's presence at all.

"Where is he?" A chill ran down Wang Rang’s spine. He was a Path Slayer, capable of severing even the Great Dao. Yet, at this moment, he couldn't even perceive the presence of a mere post-celestial cultivator. It was utterly absurd!

"Have you found it?" A laugh suddenly echoed within his mind. Wang Rang’s pupils constricted. His spiritual essence erupted, instantly forming a protective barrier around him. Even his domain abruptly contracted by half. But even then, the echo of that laughter persisted, impossible to dispel.

The terrifying voice of Ba Zunan resounded once more: "Little one, how many years have you cultivated? Thirty, perhaps? Your Great Dao cultivation is still incomplete. Even if you're a swift Path Slayer, there are still aspects you haven't grasped. You may understand the Illusionary Sword Art clearly, but have you witnessed another technique among the Nine Sword Arts—the Heart Sword Art?"

Heart Sword Art? Wang Rang was utterly bewildered. He had heard of it! But this long-lost sword art... Not only had he never witnessed it, he didn't even know its method of attack. Judging solely by the name, could it be that after Ba Zunan vanished, he entered his own... mind?

"Nonsense!" Wang Rang was terrified by his own thought. How could a physical being enter another person's mind? He was Ba Zunan, not Yu Lingdi!

"Not nonsense." Though it was merely a thought, Ba Zunan had read Wang Rang's every intention. With that, Wang Rang’s gaze shifted, and he was startled to realize that within the hearts of everyone present, including Gou Wuyue, a faint, indistinct figure was reflected: Ba Zunan!

"The Heart Sword Art, born from observation, embeds the spirit within physical forms. All who harbor desires, fear, awe, or joy... All eight facets of human emotion manifest, forming shadows in unseen places... What the heart perceives, is spirit, is divinity..."

Wang Rang felt himself teetering on the edge of madness. The enchanting Buddhist chants had initially only consisted of the six syllables, "Om Mani Padme Hum." Yet, as the small figure materialized in his vision, those repeating words suddenly unfolded their meaning directly within his mind.

"No, wait!" A sudden chill ran down his spine. Wang Rang was horrified to realize that the meaning itself was irrelevant. What mattered was that under his "Boundless Life Creation," everything he wished to dispel should have vanished, right? How could those Great Dao Buddhist chants reappear?

As if determined to terrify them to death, Ba Zunan's laughter rang out again. "Little one, did you perhaps underestimate me too much? Someone even Gou Wuyue treats with caution—how could you so easily assume that my Illusionary Sword Art could be seen through so quickly?"

As Wang Rang reeled in horror, the tiny figure he had seen standing within everyone’s hearts instantly vanished. The next second, it transformed into shimmering golden Buddha statues. These statues, unrestrained by physical forms, instantly burst forth from bodies, transforming into colossal, sky-filling Buddhas.

"Om Mani Padme Hum..."

The resounding, bell-like chant shattered his vision and emptied his mind. He didn't even notice that, at the very first note, his temples burst open. As each subsequent syllable resonated, with a series of muffled thuds, his limbs and torso disintegrated.

"Death..." So swift!

"Hah!" As if waking from a profound dream, Wang Rang suddenly gasped, drenched in cold sweat, as if he had stumbled in his sleep. He blinked, then looked up. The moment he realized he still had his eyes and was, in fact, alive, the scene before him left him utterly speechless. He saw Ba Zunan, standing atop the Buddha statue, merely touch a withered branch, and his "Boundless Life Creation" had, from the very beginning, failed to penetrate his body in the slightest. The inflated domain sphere, upon contact with the withered branch, was warped by an unseen immense force. But no matter how much it distorted, it couldn't encompass Ba Zunan, only extending further and further outward. Faced with such masterful control of power, the domain did not shatter; it merely stretched, stretched, and stretched endlessly...

"What?!" The cries of the white-robed figures suddenly erupted. "What just happened?" "Didn't Wang Rang—wasn't he dead?" "I clearly saw his entire body explode! What is going on?" "My heavens..."

Turning his head, Wang Rang was horrified to discover that not only had he been deceived by the Illusionary Sword Art, but every single white-robed figure present seemed to have witnessed the exact same illusion he had. Since he was still alive, that meant the previous scene wasn't real. But such a tangible sensation of death—if it wasn't real, then it could only be...

"The Illusionary Sword Art?" Wang Rang stiffly turned his head, trying to discern something from Gou Wuyue's eyes. But apart from the profound shock hidden deep within them, he found nothing. "So, even the sword river shattering his body—that was fake too? Even Senior Wuyue couldn't see through Ba Zunan's Illusionary Sword Art?"

Wang Rang shuddered. He truly couldn't comprehend how this post-celestial cultivator could achieve such a feat. Even if he was an ancient sword cultivator, the former Eighth Sword Immortal, what about the Martial Prohibition Order? After so many years of suppression, even if he possessed some power to break free, could he truly ignore everything? Furthermore, what about Gou Wuyue? Even as the former Eighth Sword Immortal, he was still just that—the Eighth. He had never earned the title of one of the Seven Sword Immortals, thus not truly considered a master of the sword. Yet now, one of the true Seven Sword Immortals stood before them. And even *he* couldn't see through Ba Zunan's sword art?

"Couldn't see through it, could you?" The laughter echoed in his mind once more. Wang Rang instinctively nodded slightly, then immediately snapped back to reality, staring up in horror at the figure on the Buddha's peak. But that person... Ba Zunan’s gaze was fixed solely on Gou Wuyue. That question wasn't even directed at Wang Rang, but at Gou Wuyue!

"Ignored..." The bitter indignation of being utterly ignored, used merely as a tool to test a stronger individual's power, was something Wang Rang hadn't experienced since becoming a Path Slayer. This feeling of weakness was something he utterly detested. Yet, this reality was inescapable; he was utterly powerless to change it. Cold sweat began to pour from Wang Rang. Gou Wuyue, on his side, was also silenced. His eyes held an expression of disbelief; he seemed lost in thought, as if something had just dawned on him.

Ba Zunan, standing atop the Buddha statue, smiled calmly. With another touch of his withered branch, the domain shattered with a resounding crash.

"If you couldn't see through it, then you couldn't protect this person."

Having spoken plainly, Ba Zunan drew a line with the withered branch in his hand. "The Way, is instant." A streak of silver light sliced across the sky. The Three Thousand Sword Ways—The Way of Instant!

Amidst a flurry of crimson, Wang Rang felt the world invert and spin. In one swirling image, he saw a headless corpse gushing blood... The blood was still warm. And the headless corpse looked strangely familiar.

"Me?" Wang Rang’s eyes widened, refusing to close. Yet the world steadily darkened, and even with his eyes wide open, he could no longer see.

"A Path Slayer?" Ba Zunan lowered the withered branch and sighed, "It's merely one realm." He gazed at the Heavenly Dao, a flicker of sword intent passing through his eyes.

"Boom—"

The rules of the Great Dao manifested, and with that single gaze, they were instantly sliced into countless fragments that withered and scattered. Silence. A deathly silence fell over the entire arena. Everyone watched in a daze. Not a single person could have imagined that, even under the Martial Prohibition Order, someone could shatter the Heavenly Dao with a mere glance, not even granting Wang Rang a chance to revive.

"Observation... Sword... Art?" The white-robed figures uttered in disbelief. Everyone recognized the technique. But for those not of the same era, who hadn't personally fought him, and who had only heard whispers and rumors, imagining them to be exaggerated tales... Under such circumstances, who could have imagined that the Observation Sword Art could be so direct, so decisive? Without a single superfluous word. One glance. And heaven and earth shattered, a Path Slayer beheaded!

"Ba Zunan..." Gou Wuyue’s heart pounded wildly, his brow twitched, and his fingers clenched with a cracking sound. He couldn't believe, and refused to believe, that the former Ba Zunan would truly take a stand against him, as an adversary. And do so in an even more arrogant manner!

"Your cultivation..." Gou Wuyue couldn't finish his sentence. His renowned sword, Nulan, hummed and trembled, seemingly also startled by this single gaze that observed the world and slew the Dao, causing a deep tremor.

"Hahaha!" Ba Zunan threw his head back and laughed heartily. After a long moment, he used the withered branch to scratch his head, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "Gou Wuyue, even now, are you still fretting over such trivialities?"

"This is no trivial matter!" Gou Wuyue’s eyes were wide and round.

Ba Zunan’s expression sobered. A chilling voice descended upon Gou Wuyue: "Then your vision is too narrow!"

A resounding boom echoed in Gou Wuyue's mind, leaving him utterly blank. Vision... Too narrow? Even the hundreds of white-robed figures, each wore an expression of shock, gazing intently at the unbridled man atop the Buddha statue.

Ba Zunan shook his head, his eyes filled with disappointment as he looked at Gou Wuyue. After a moment of silence, he continued: "From the moment I appeared, your focus has been far too narrow, too constrained. You never speak of my aspirations, only wish to impose your own plans and desires upon me. You refuse to listen to others, seeking to encompass everything with your own voice. I must say, the titles of the Seven Sword Immortals and the Sovereign have completely confined you!"

Gou Wuyue’s heart pounded as he, along with the others, looked up. The silhouette of the Great Buddha, bathed in backlighting, grew in aura layer by layer. Even the slovenly man upon it seemed to be imbued with a faint golden, divine radiance.

Ba Zunan paused for a breath, recalling Gou Wuyue's earlier question, and found it quite amusing. He raised the withered branch in his hand, gazed at it for a long moment, then murmured, "From my sword, to my cultivation, to my very appearance... Hunched? Heh!"

Ba Zunan sneered, "I discuss my stance, and you question; I speak of my aspirations, and you talk of strength... Those who willingly blind themselves cannot be awakened, not even by gods!"

Having delivered his final words, he was clearly unwilling to waste any more breath. With a resounding boom, spiritual energy erupted, and Ba Zunan slowly ascended into the air. In that instant, everyone was stunned. Even Haitang'er, hidden within the void, was greatly startled.

"Flying?" Wasn't that exclusive to innate cultivators?

Upon closer inspection, Ba Zunan, whose aura continued to climb, had, in that very moment, clearly broken through to the innate realm. It seemed as if his cultivation breakthrough was entirely at his whim.

Gou Wuyue sensed disaster and wanted to act. But beneath the slowly ascending Ba Zunan, everyone felt an immense pressure descend, causing their bodies to involuntarily hunch and tremble.

Ba Zunan looked up at the sky. The Great Void's wrath summoned dense dark clouds; a renowned sword raised, a river of swords descended. These were nothing! He considered Gou Wuyue a friend, and even with differing stances, he had wanted to enlighten him. But now, there was no need for further words. It was still true: those who willingly blinded themselves could not be awakened, not even by gods. If he truly had to provide an answer, it would be a bloody one, forged in gore.

From atop the Buddha statue, a mournful dirge began to play. Ba Zunan tapped his withered branch. The Buddhist chants reappeared in everyone's minds, each word a pearl of wisdom. It seemed that even their meaning was revealed in the deafening, deliberate pronunciation:

"Dark clouds mock the heavens, the great river flows west against the current."

Everyone's heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable fear descended. The dark clouds blanketing the sky moved without a breeze, beginning to churn and tear apart. The river of swords, which had forged a realm, rippled and began to twist and surge backward. A peerless, peak-level power was manifesting. Everyone was aghast, but the interpretation of the Buddhist chants shifted:

"Moral principles are lost, power bows to servitude."

From scene to character, it was clearly not about himself, yet everyone felt utterly crushed. Their wildly trembling knees threatened to give way, yet their inherent defiance of servitude still kept everyone upright amidst the chants. The Buddhist incantations did not cease for a moment. The man atop the Buddha statue grew in stature, his figure becoming imposing. As the Buddha light diffused, it was as if a deity continued to chant:

"A broken-winged, disloyal bird; a sealed sword, no ordinary body."

As if recounting his own tale, after Ba Zunan's cultivation broke through to the innate realm, he not only freed himself from the fragmented ground but also gained the ability to fly. His spiritual perception also recovered, allowing him to see the entire battle unfolding within the Eight Palaces. He saw every white-robed figure scattered outside, those who couldn't return in time, and those who dared not approach. As golden light swept across the void, he suddenly raised his head, his hunched body straightened, and endless divine light erupted from his eyes.

"Humble bows of fear? I say the heavens are too low!"

In that moment, the dark clouds shattered, and the firmament crumbled. The Great Buddha's silhouette blossomed to its peak in everyone's eyes, its radiant divine splendor captivating them like the lingering glow of a sunset. Everyone watched as the withered branch in the hand of the man floating atop the Buddha statue was shattered by an unseen force, silently breaking into two.

A faint "whoosh." The wind stirred faintly, and the withered branch fell to the ground. A few soft thuds followed. The lingering gazes of all present became eternal.

With a clang, the renowned sword struck the ground, and Gou Wuyue slowly closed his eyes. This scene, in his eyes, also became eternal. What the dying perceived was beauty; what he, an outsider, witnessed was a fleeting silver light beneath hundreds of ascending Great Buddha illusions. It was sword intent. It was also the sword light that severed the Great Buddha. And it was the sacred power that ended the lives of hundreds of white-robed figures!

"Sacred power..." Merely a trace. Yet the outcome was utterly different. There was no pain, no groans, and no cries of alarm. Beneath the Great Buddha's Slash, as the Buddha light dispersed, the world split into layers, and so did the people.

As the thudding sounds of bodies hitting the ground reached him, Gou Wuyue opened his eyes in sorrow. What met his gaze was a sea of blood and floating corpses, yet every single body was serene. He clenched his fists, only to realize that his sword had fallen from his grasp at some unknown moment.

Swordsman...And guest...A single character difference, a world apart!

"Tap." With a soft sound, Ba Zunan’s toe touched the ground. He gazed at the person before him, contemplating for a long time without speaking. He turned aside. As he glanced back and saw the renowned sword on the ground, Ba Zunan paused for a moment before finally stepping forward and choosing to depart.

"My one sword has severed the divine Buddha in your heart. May you conduct yourself well."