Chapter 1031: Borrow the Buddha Country's Incense Fire for One Use

The prototype Immortal Dao Fruit is forcibly condensed through the power of incense and faith, a truly shameless method of formation.

"A 'Years Dao Fruit' prototype that's almost complete? Doesn't that mean he can sense the suppression from a fully formed Dao Fruit?"

Lu Yang recalled something and pulled three Immortal-Seeking Tokens from his robes, which he had confiscated from Great Gan cultivators. He originally had four, but since Immortal Ying Tian had already been located, there was no need to carry that particular token. The Immortal-Seeking Tokens were extremely peculiar. Even though Immortal Ying Tian was hidden within the small world of an ancient ring, imperceptible to Grey Doudou, Ghost King You, who held an Immortal-Seeking Token, could sense Immortal Ying Tian's precise location.

"Could these Immortal-Seeking Tokens have been forged using nearly complete Dao Fruit prototypes?" With the Great Gan Dynasty's power, they were fully capable of forcibly condensing four Dao Fruit prototypes. They could then use the principle of "Dao Fruit suppressing Dao Fruit prototypes" to, in turn, locate the Four Ancient Immortals.

"If that's the case, then the wielder of the 'Years Dao Fruit'..." Having deduced how the Immortal-Seeking Tokens were made, Lu Yang quickly connected it to another issue.

"Venerable, can you intervene?" Xin Ding's anxious cry interrupted Lu Yang's thoughts. His voice was fraught with concern for Master Ming Yu's safety. Xin Ding was powerless to intervene in a battle between Half-Immortals; his only hope lay with the mysterious and unpredictable Tofu Heavenly Venerable, who had consistently aided him. Although Tofu Heavenly Venerable had stated that if he were to act, the entire Western Heaven Temple would be reduced to ruins, the current problem was that even without Tofu Heavenly Venerable's intervention, the Western Heaven Temple was already on the brink of collapse!

To Divine Lord Sichen, the future was crystal clear. Master Ming Yu's attacks, formidable though they were, meant nothing if they failed to land. "And even if you *could* hit me, what difference would it make?"

Divine Lord Sichen deliberately took the blow, holding the Heaven-Opening Axe defensively before his chest. He precisely blocked Acala's Wisdom Sword with the flat side of the axe. Divine Lord Sichen only stumbled back a few steps, his hand feeling numb, but he sustained no actual injury. Divine Lord Sichen's primary weakness had always been his lack of effective offensive and defensive capabilities. The Heaven-Opening Axe perfectly compensated for this, making him now virtually complete in his cultivation, with no discernible vulnerabilities. Even if he couldn't discern the nature of Master Ming Yu's Dao Fruit prototype, it was irrelevant; his attacks had no effect on Divine Lord Sichen.

"It's quite a nuisance, constantly blocking me," Divine Lord Sichen muttered. Master Ming Yu was not an easy opponent. Divine Lord Sichen had attempted to leave the Western Heaven Temple with the Heaven-Opening Axe multiple times, only to be intercepted by Master Ming Yu each time. Even with his ability to foresee the future, Divine Lord Sichen found it challenging to escape Master Ming Yu's pervasive, net-like attacks.

"If you won't let me leave, then don't regret what happens next!" Divine Lord Sichen then shifted his attack, heading directly for the monks and commoners of Western Heaven City who had not yet fled, unleashing a torrent of green poisonous gas from his mouth.

"Five Poisons True Scripture!" A single breath of this gas would turn even a Soul Transformation stage cultivator into a puddle of pus in mere moments, let alone those of lower cultivation levels.

Witnessing this, Master Ming Yu's eyes widened in furious rage. His speed surged, and he instantly appeared before Divine Lord Sichen, manifesting his dharma form to block the poisonous gas. "How could he be so fast?!" Divine Lord Sichen was taken aback; Master Ming Yu seemed utterly transformed. His speed and strength had dramatically increased, and Acala's dharma form had become significantly more corporeal. In Buddhist legends, Acala is a protector deity tasked with safeguarding believers. This translates to his Dao Fruit prototype: the more people he protects, the greater his power becomes.

"Buddhist Radiance!" The dharma form emitted a brilliant Buddhist light, like a scorching sun, causing the poisonous gas to hiss and smoke under its luminescence. Legends also speak of Acala's ability to heal diseases, with devotees often praying to him for health.

"This is bad!" Divine Lord Sichen was momentarily caught off guard and enveloped by the Buddhist light, finding himself inexplicably rooted to the spot, unable to move.

"Bodhi Sovereign Heaven!" Acala's dharma form glared with furious eyes, raising the Demon-Subduing Vajra Scepter high, its shaft wreathed in golden Buddhist flames. With this single strike, Divine Lord Sichen would surely perish!

"World time, slow down!""Self time, accelerate!"

Divine Lord Sichen simultaneously activated two abilities of the Years Dao Fruit prototype, accelerating his own movements to an extreme degree. In his perception, the world appeared to stand still.

"Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell!" He executed an evasion technique, leaving behind a mere husk as his true form seized the opportunity to break free from the Buddhist light's embrace.

*Boom—*

Master Ming Yu's charged strike landed on empty air, merely destroying the abandoned husk.

"You junior are courting death!" Divine Lord Sichen ceased his games. Had he not reacted so swiftly just now, he would have perished in the Western Heaven Temple. "Now, experience the might of the Heaven-Opening Axe!" Divine Lord Sichen swung the Heaven-Opening Axe, smashing it into the dharma form and directly gouging a massive hole in its chest! This was merely a fraction of the Heaven-Opening Axe's full power!

The two combatants clashed once more. Although Master Ming Yu grew stronger under the blessing of "Protection," he remained unable to inflict substantial damage upon Divine Lord Sichen.

"Brother Ming Yu isn't losing, is he?" Master Ming Tian asked with deep concern, surprised to see his incredibly powerful senior brother being suppressed.

"That's a Dao Fruit prototype related to time," Master Ming Huai sighed. Karma and time were the most vexing forms of magic, and this held true even at the Dao Fruit prototype stage. No one desired to engage a Half-Immortal wielding a time-related Dao Fruit prototype. "Furthermore, the greatest issue with Brother Ming Yu's Dao Fruit prototype is its lack of specialization. While it's comprehensively balanced, that also means it has comprehensive shortcomings, making it difficult to gain the upper hand against a time-based Dao Fruit prototype."

*Rumble!*

After hundreds of rounds of combat, Acala's dharma form, like a tattered kite, was sent flying backward by a swing of the Heaven-Opening Axe. It crashed through countless Western Heaven Temple buildings before skidding to a halt within the Chaos Forbidden Zone. Following such intense combat, the chaotic mist in the forbidden zone had largely dissipated. Master Ming Yu clutched his chest. Although legends spoke of Acala's healing abilities, even they couldn't withstand Divine Lord Sichen's relentless assault.

Divine Lord Sichen was triumphant, feeling at that moment like an omnipotent immortal who could dictate life and death at will. "Excellent," he declared, "I'll just flatten this so-called Chaos Forbidden Zone and the Western Heaven Secret Realm at the same time!" He then noticed Xin Zhen and Xin Ding cowering in a pit, and a cruel smile stretched across his face. "Perfect," he sneered, "I'll end both of you right now."

Divine Lord Sichen swung the Heaven-Opening Axe in a wide arc, vaguely echoing the ancient gesture of creation. Heaven and Earth trembled in response!

"Heaven-Opening!"

"Brother Ming Yu!" Ming Huai and Ming Tian cried out in desperation, wishing they could teleport to block the attack. However, they were too far away, and there was simply no time.

To everyone's astonishment, an object wrapped in tattered cloth flew forth and collided with the Heaven-Opening Axe, miraculously deflecting the strike! The tattered cloth disintegrated into ash upon impact, revealing an unparalleled immortal sword.

"Who are you?!"

The figure wearing a tofu mask flew out from the Azure Edge Sword, smiling as he gazed at Divine Lord Sichen. "Heh heh, young one," he chuckled, "I have some acquaintance with Immortal Ying Tian. If you surrender now and return the Heaven-Opening Axe, I can spare your life."

"A mere Soul Transformation stage cultivator dares to speak so arrogantly? You truly don't know the meaning of death!" Divine Lord Sichen was initially stunned, then, upon discerning Lu Yang's cultivation level, he realized he had been bluffed.

"It seems you're unwilling," the man in the tofu mask sighed, sounding disappointed by Divine Lord Sichen's answer. "I am bound by karmic ties and find it inconvenient to act. Why must you force my hand?" The man looked up, his eyes calm beneath the mask, and slowly declared: "In that case, I shall borrow the incense and faith of the Buddhist kingdom. Here, I make a grand vow: to revive the World Honored One."