Chapter 1160: Jade Shattered

Winds and clouds swept across the sky, and a whitish-gray light gathered. From the supreme Buddhist Pure Land, millions of golden and pink rays descended upon the mountains, illuminating the rocks and earth across the entire landscape.

Several golden statues stood tall at the forefront, their presence immense. Heavenly sounds filled the ground, colorful flower petals rained down, lotus ponds bloomed, glazed tiles scattered, and immeasurable Buddha-lands converged, elevating these Mahas one by one.

The central radiance converged into a single figure. His face was like jade, and his aura was noble. Behind him, it was as if Mount Sumeru leaned and the Four Continents floated. The twelve Buddhist scars on his head glowed like gold.

In his hand, he held a circular purple solar mirror, as large as a human face, resting in the crook of his hand. Rolling iridescent colors, guided by the three Mahas, shone down from the Buddhist Pure Land and into the mirror, converging into a complete purple halo that made the grand formation tremble continuously.

The central figure was none other than Tianlang Zhi, the Desire Sea Maha Liangli.

Dharma bodies stood tall on both sides. One, resplendent in crimson and gold, trod upon a jackal-like creature; this was Ren Shijia, the Sixth-Epoch Guardian Maha. The other, with a towering dark body, held a mysterious jar; this was Xiao Disa, the Sixth-Epoch Earth-Governing Maha!

All the top-tier Mahas of the Great Desire Path had come here with the Desire Sea Maha Liangli!

The Maha holding the mysterious jar performed incantations with one hand, his face solemn, as he whispered:

"Nuzi has fallen by the lake."

At these words, Tianlang Zhi's expression did not change; as if the fallen one was a person of no consequence, he said indifferently:

"In the end, his cultivation was insufficient; he met his demise as destined. Pitiable! Respectable."

The Guardian Maha Ren Shijia's expression shifted, revealing a hint of worry, and he said:

"He has followed the Chief Seat for many years, I'm afraid... it will be difficult to explain to the Chief Seat."

At these words, Xiao Disa swallowed his words. Tianlang Zhi slightly opened his eyes and said:

"Qi Lanyan sought him out to go south, merely valuing his connection with the Carp. This was to restrain us, forcing us to send people to rescue him, thereby leveraging the Great Desire's divine power..."

"Laughable. Since the Carp has transcended the mundane in this new life, that connection is long gone. It's just a pity about Bashan—he was a rare talent."

He spoke of pity, but there was no regret on his face. His eyes calmly stared at the Great Yuan Guangyin Mountain beneath his feet, as if seeing through the mountain's earth colors to the Jade True Radiance beneath, revealing a hint of anticipation and greed.

Watching the formation weaken little by little, Tianlang Zhi's voice grew low:

"Fellow Daoist Liu, do you still intend to resist stubbornly?"

His words echoed, passing through the cracks of the grand formation as streaks of pink, glazed light. They shone into the mountain forests, clashing with the Jade True Radiance and stirring up plumes of white smoke.

On the mountaintop, the Sword Cultivator sat cross-legged, his face pale with a hint of pain. The Jade True Radiance that had always encircled him like green jade was now fragmented, and the halo behind him also showed dark cracks. His gaze was icy, staring fixedly at the sky.

In this decisive battle between north and south at Xianhu Lake, the most intense outbreaks of divine abilities were all in the southeast. Yet, the most dangerous area was not Tingzhou, not Baiye, nor even Xianhu Lake, but Tangdao Mountain.

Liu Bai, the Protector of Jinghai, was facing three Mahas of the Great Desire Path.

Led by Tianlang Zhi, the Eighth-Epoch Maha, with two Sixth-Epoch Mahas assisting from the sides, and great and small compassion descending in profusion, it was the terrifying pressure of the Great Desire's Buddhist Pure Land providing full assistance!

The pressure faced by Tangdao Mountain was actually not much lower than that at Xianhu Lake. Yet, in stark contrast, those defending this place were merely Liu Bai and his master and disciple, Guo Lingfeng!

Their only reliance was the grand formation on Tangdao Mountain.

This grand formation was personally laid out by Yang Ruiyi. Using the "Bestowal of Primordial Energy into Profound Transformation" divine spiritual method, he created this "Great Karma Profound Banishment Spiritual Formation." He used various rare celestial materials and earthly treasures, combining meteorological conditions and the strategic advantages of this, the foremost peak in Jianghuai. It was not only the "Xuantu" among Earth Virtues, but also top-tier among Purple Mansion-level formations.

To put it bluntly, with Liu Bai defending this place, even if Tianlang Zhi, the Eighth-Epoch Maha, attacked with his current power, he absolutely could not take it down in a short time!

"Cough, cough..."

This Jade True cultivator coughed up blood. His tone was cold, tinged with a smile:

"But they are irresistible when they have long planned and come prepared."

What suddenly changed the tide of battle was the purple solar mirror in Tianlang Zhi's hand.

This item possessed extraordinary and unusual divine powers. It clearly did not resemble an item of Buddhism, yet it could gather the radiance of the entire Buddhist Pure Land and connect with the great sun in the sky, gathering the essence of the sun!

Although it was not a wedge for breaking formations, it burned with increasing ferocity, generating endless fire, surpassing anything seen before.

This item forced Liu Bai and Xianyao to leave the formation multiple times to engage the enemy, attempting to disrupt the divine marvel. But under the combined siege of the three, they were forced to retreat back into the grand formation. During their last breakthrough attempt, they almost couldn't return to the formation!

Until this moment, if Liu Bai still couldn't see the Great Desire Path's glaringly obvious ambition, then his over two hundred years of cultivation would have been in vain.

‘This Tianlang Zhi was originally a Central Plains cultivator... He obtained the Jade True legacy from Tianlang Terrace, cultivated to the Purple Mansion realm, but was then stuck at the 'Entering Purple' stage. The cultivation methods of Tianlang Terrace were extremely unique, often involving extreme techniques that harmed one's nature to supplement life, or sacrificed life to nourish nature. Eventually, with little lifespan remaining, he simply turned around and converted to Buddhism...’

Tianlang Terrace was quite famous; it was an ancient Daoist lineage, predating Wanling Heaven by a significant margin. Its patriarch was True Lord Chilang, whose secular name was Liu Yubing. He was precisely the earliest blood ancestor revered by the royal family of Chu!

With the fall of the Chu Kingdom, all the legacies of the Southern Fire Heavenly Mansion were lost. Liu Bai practiced the Jade True lineage passed down within his clan, which also traced back to Tianlang Terrace. How could he not know!

‘He actually had a scheme long ago... He merely endured, waiting for the current intensifying war between north and south, when both sides would be too preoccupied to look after their avatars. Then, he would come with the full might of the Great Desire Path, certain to convert me to their side!’

Under his icy gaze, the grand formation trembled continuously. Streams of white qi drifted down along with the divine abilities. Liu Bai's gaze quickly shifted from north to south, staring at the distant, dark banished qi. He turned his face slightly and whispered:

"Fellow Daoist Lian."

At these words, the old man beside him, who was struggling to use his divine abilities to resist the descending radiance, turned his face. This True Man, who had broken through to the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm using his own Daoist divine abilities, was also at the end of his tether. Half of his face was gaunt, revealing stark white bones, and his voice was mournful:

"Protector... we don't know what's become of Xianhu Lake. You and I have been trapped for months, and we don't know when reinforcements will arrive!"

A crisp shattering sound echoed through the mountains. A sarcastic smile appeared on Liu Bai's face, but he did not answer the old man, saying instead:

"I hear there's also a great battle at Baijiang. You two True Men should flee to Baiye."

The old man and the young man's expressions changed drastically. But they saw that the True Man's expression was calm. He swiftly drew his sword, revealing its stark white blade, and pointed it at the sky!

"Boom!"

Limitless Xuantu light surged forth, rushing towards the sky. That layer of purple light was finally blocked by the dense Earth Virtue. The power of the Buddhist Pure Land erupted, and deafening Sanskrit chants echoed through the sky:

"Fellow Daoist Liu! Our karmic destiny has arrived!"

"Boom!"

Two golden bodies, one crimson and one dark, rose like mountains, enveloping the sky from left and right. The central radiance was incredibly bright, traversing space and time to become a golden mountain that crashed down with a thunderous roar!

Liu Bai's expression remained unchanged. The Jade True halo behind him leaped up, emitting ten thousand feet of milky-white light, soaring straight into the sky, where it violently disintegrated amidst the layered sea of clouds.

This Jade Wheel was born in a Grotto-Heaven, with extraordinary origins. It had been nourished by spiritual energy for a thousand years and then given to Liu Bai by Li Ximing, becoming a Jade True spiritual artifact that resonated with divine abilities. Now, as it shattered, it released millions of white lights, as if a bright moon had emerged from the clouds, pure and radiant!

The brilliant Jade True Radiance resonated with heaven and earth. Even Tianlang Zhi's expression changed, and he tried to evade it. But the bluish-white light converged beneath his golden body, like a narrow, perilous cliff, penetrating and clinging to him, making it impossible for him to move!

Tianlang Zhi and Liu Bai seemed to vanish from the world, falling into another realm.

'Green Jade Cliff.'

Tianlang Zhi was all too familiar with this divine ability. As a cultivator who had obtained the Tianlang Terrace lineage, the Green Jade Cliff had once been his winning magical artifact during his three hundred-plus years. It placed people on a perilous narrow path; while one could forcefully dodge left and right, once they left the jade cliff, even if they merely grazed its edge, the divine abilities they suffered would suddenly intensify, forcing him to face the attack head-on.

In an instant, the layers of radiant light enveloping him like a curtain were violently torn open. Its illumination brought a chill to his face and tears to his profound eyes.

But he had no time to block the Jade True Radiance descending before him. The entire sky seemed to sprout countless eyes, all simultaneously gazing at the Sword Cultivator standing in mid-air. Seeing the burning, blazing light of life emanating from him, Tianlang Zhi's expression changed drastically:

"Stop him at once!"

The moment these words fell, Ren Shijia, with his crimson Dharma body, had his entire face tear open along the brow. Inside, it was empty, containing only countless crimson lights.

Liu Bai's gaze never left Tianlang Zhi. The crimson light, separated by the Green Jade Cliff, had already been diminished. With a movement from his sleeve, an item flew out.

The item was about three inches long, one finger wide, and thick crimson in color. On one side, profound patterns converged, inscribed with the character "Chu." On the other side, radiant purple patterns were inscribed with two characters: "Liu Yi."

As this talisman appeared, heaven and earth changed color. The characters flickered, and crimson-golden light burst forth, sweeping away all the crimson light before them. Under this illumination, Ren Shijia's entire body, from limbs to bones, erupted with separation fire!

Liu Bai had already drawn his sword and advanced, disregarding his severe injuries. His entire being radiated with the dazzling light of life, pointing directly at Tianlang Zhi. The vast sword light and the shattering Jade True Radiance shone brightly together, crashing down upon the Eighth-Epoch Maha in the sky!

"Crack!" A pained cry echoed briefly in the air. The moon-like Jade True Radiance receded like water. Tianlang Zhi's jade-like face gradually appeared in the sight of the world. The shattered marks faded with astonishing speed, until his face was once again perfectly smooth like jade.

But a deep white line gradually appeared on his face. His hand remained covered over his left eye, refusing to loosen. Streaks of white, smoke-like blood flowed from between his fingers, forming a waterfall of white qi that spilled onto the world.

Despite having passed through eight epochs, despite the Great Desire Path being at its peak, despite receiving the full blessings of the Great Desire's Buddhist Pure Land, and facing Liu Bai's attack, which involved self-destructing a spiritual artifact and risking his future and life, Tianlang Zhi was ultimately injured!

Immediately, a cold, grinding voice followed:

"Incorrigible..."

A mountain-like golden palm stretched across the sky. Its palm lines were like ravines. Its five fingers were pressed together, gripping all the Jade True Radiance in its palm, allowing fragmented glazed tiles and jade to cascade down, without loosening its grip in the slightest!

The Protector's long hair was dishevelled, and he was like a speck of white light, tightly clenched in the palm. But his expression was calm, completely unconcerned. All his divine abilities and his very life were relentlessly burning, transforming into a milky-white halo, resisting the surging pressure.

Suddenly, a silence fell over heaven and earth. Tianlang Zhi's gaze slightly changed, and he looked up towards the distance.

Countless wisps of black qi vied with each other, like giant waves overturning mountains. They had already surged up from the south, pushing a constantly swaying mysterious nether-palace, traversing the sky:

Yang Ruiyi!

He bypassed Shanjin without attacking it, swiftly conquered Baiye, and had already arrived here!

His appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up countless waves. All-consuming darkness instantly enveloped the sky, causing the Maha with the dark Dharma body to shift his form, raise the mysterious jar high in his hand, and strike fiercely in mid-air!

"Boom!"

The Great Void trembled as if mountains were collapsing and the earth was splitting. The banished qi that had engulfed the sky choked. Tianlang Zhi's voice, filled with shock and rage, roared:

"Yang Ruiyi? You've even abandoned Shanjin!"

Although the distant scenery was already reflected in the eyes of Liu Bai, who was trapped in his palm, his expression remained calm. He gripped his sword with a backhand, slightly raised his head, and placed the blade against his neck.

At this instant, a chill ran through Tianlang Zhi's heart. His feigned exasperation suddenly vanished, and his voice, carried by divine power, swiftly surged into his palm, urgently pleading with Liu Bai:

"Fellow Daoist Liu! Why go to such extremes!"

Liu Bai's eyes held only sarcasm, as if he had not seen the rapidly approaching Yang Ruiyi, whom the other party had deliberately revealed to him. As his divine abilities surged in his hand, Tianlang Zhi said bitterly:

"Liu Bai! Have you forgotten the blood feud of your nation's ruin and clan's destruction?!"

The True Man's expression finally showed a flicker of emotion. Tianlang Zhi's resentful voice, mingled with divine power, rang out again:

"Whose clan destroyed the Chu Kingdom! Whose clan destroyed all the Heavenly Mansions! When Xiao Ci usurped the throne, who served as his wings? And whose hands were responsible for the downfall of the Liu clan's forces trying to restore their nation! Who left you here to die, without reinforcements for months!"

His words were full of resentment, yet they made Liu Bai's eyes regain their calm. The Sword Cultivator raised his eyebrows. His gaze subtly penetrated the Great Void, settling upon a dark, unsearchable place. An old man in a Daoist robe stood quietly there.

This person had hair and temples as white as snow and frost. A large gourd stood beside him. His gaze was gentle, tinged with pity. He quietly watched Liu Bai through divine power and the Great Void, seemingly waiting for his answer.

In his hand, he held a scroll. It was about three feet wide and not unrolled. Its exposed light blue body, adorned with fish-scale patterns, emitted an elegant profound light.

A slight smile appeared on Liu Bai's handsome face, whether sarcastic or self-deprecating, it was unclear. His long sword finally moved. His jade-like skin split, and beads of blood-red jade gushed forth, sliding down the sword hilt with a clear, pleasant tinkling sound.

"Clang!"

Countless sword qi burst forth from his body. Every inch of his divine power and spiritual energy transformed into surging fuel. Amidst Tianlang Zhi's exasperated roars, the dense Jade True Radiance soared into the sky!

This light, mixed with bluish-white, was astonishing in color, roaring like thunder. It shattered the sky full of fragmented jade, which then scattered down. Immortal palaces and pavilions appeared in the sky, with diligent colorful sleeves, fair hands holding jade, extinguished candle flames, and the moon illuminating silver lamps!

A divine power fell.

The two phenomena above Xianhu Lake had not yet fully unfurled their forms, yet this Jade True Radiance had already risen in the west. This streak of white light, though seemingly gentle, sent shivers down one's spine, as if starkly revealing the bloodiness of this great battle. On the same day, another divine power fell! It was even a third Purple Mansion mid-stage cultivator!

The sky over the entire Jianghuai region changed completely. The accumulated power reached a certain limit, like boiling water. This Jade True Radiance continuously floated upwards, appearing like misty clouds, then piling up like snow, layering upon layer in the sky. For a moment, even the banished qi began to disperse.

In the surging pupils of the black-clad man, the sky full of Jade True Radiance was reflected... This great general of the Song Kingdom, the representative of the Yang clan's interests, stood silently and wordlessly in the distant sky.