BOOM!

For Lü Yang, it all happened in an instant. By the time he could react, the world around him was already receding at an incredible speed.

Building Palace!

True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde’s final attack was a desperate, all-out gambit. He used his completely collapsing Grotto Heaven to draw out the most powerful concept from the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth.

In that moment, Heaven and Earth seemed to crack, collapse, and disintegrate around Lü Yang. It was a potent conceptual attack, like peeling a person from the world, erasing their existence on a fundamental level, like wiping ink from a page.

A deafening peal of thunder, layered a thousand times over, seemed to roar in Lü Yang’s ears.

This was True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde’s do-or-die strike. His Spiritual Essence soared to its absolute peak, brimming with ferocious Killing intent for Lü Yang.

Even a cornered rabbit will bite.

His Dao path was on the line; how could he leave anything to chance? His Killing intent was absolute. Not even the Veil of the Trees could simply erase such resolve!

A brilliant light flooded Lü Yang’s vision. He couldn’t even comprehend what was happening. In fact, it wasn’t just him; even the spectators outside could not see clearly. This was the unique property of the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth—it sealed off the space, preventing any exchange between the inside and outside, leaving Lü Yang with virtually no hope of survival.

BANG!

The light surged and swelled, lasting for several breaths before it gradually dimmed, revealing the figure of True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde once more.

He was stumbling, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

"How is this possible..."

Before him, Lü Yang’s body was plummeting from the sky like a falling star, crashing with a loud BOOM into the Earthly Buddha Country below.

It was a miserable sight.

A tragic fall.

But the problem was... he wasn’t dead!

’How is he not dead!?’

True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde couldn’t understand it at all. A mere Fake Golden Core, comparable to an Outer Dao True Monarch at best—his last Ability should have been more than enough to kill him!

He had paid an enormous price for it. His Grotto Heaven was completely shattered, and the Fruit of Wall-Surface Earth, once so intimate, was now receding at a visible rate. His already strained Spiritual Essence began to plummet. In less than a breath, his full head of black hair had turned frost-white.

But Lü Yang was still alive.

At this thought, True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde nearly ground his teeth to dust. He had tried so hard, so why was this guy still alive?

It made no sense!

After all, unlike himself, the man couldn’t possibly use the fundamental Divine Effect of the Fruit of Lamp-Cover Fire. How on earth did he survive under those circumstances?

Meanwhile, Lü Yang let out a long breath of Muddy Qi.

The answer was simple.

Purple Talent: Skillful! As long as an opponent’s attack was theoretically within the absolute limit of what he could handle, he could definitely handle it!

True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde’s desperate final blow had been handled just like that!

Even Lü Yang himself found the process absurd.

In the nick of time, he had dismantled the Yama Hall and used a portion of his Banner Spirits as substitutes to bear the brunt of True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde’s attack.

After all, Banner Spirits were free.

If one batch died, he could just replace them with a new one and empower them with Incense.

At the time, his actions had been perfectly fluid and exquisitely skilled. Looking back now, however, it was like trying to read a Celestial Book; he couldn’t understand how he had managed it.

In the end, he could only attribute it to a sudden flash of "inspiration."

"Cough, cough..."

Lü Yang coughed up blood. His entire Dharma Body was covered in fine cracks, from which brilliant light occasionally seeped, threatening to widen the fissures.

But he knew that compared to his own injuries, True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde was the one who truly wouldn’t make it. The space between the True Monarch’s eyebrows had already split open, and the Grotto Heaven behind him had shattered, turning into a sky full of falling sparks. Under such circumstances, not even a Golden Core Perfected Lord could be saved.

BOOM!

With another thunderous roar, True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde gave a bitter laugh but couldn’t even utter a single word before his Dharma Body exploded into a sky full of radiant light.

CLANG! CLANG!

Below, within the Pure Land in the West, the cry of a sword shot into the sky, as if cheering for the battle’s victor. A faint Sword Light appeared between Heaven and Earth.

The Fruit of Sword Dao!

This Fruit had not yet fully formed, all because of Bhumba Bodhisattva. She was currently trying to uproot it from the Pure Land.

And Ang Xiao was trying to stop her.

After all, the Fruit of Sword Dao was key to whether the Pure Land Buddhist Cultivators could maintain their Unity. Once Bhumba Bodhisattva uprooted it, their Unity would be restored. The Pure Land could then immediately reclaim the Fruit of Rampart Earth, regain control of the Earthly Buddha Country, and completely suppress Ang Xiao.

Under these circumstances—BOOM! The very next second, Lü Yang, who had just seen off True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde and hadn’t even had a chance to breathe, saw a rosy glow flood his vision.

Bhumba Bodhisattva!

In the current situation, there were no permanent friends. Both Lü Yang and True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde had coveted the Fruit of Sword Dao, making them both enemies of the Pure Land!

Previously, Bhumba Bodhisattva had helped Lü Yang by distracting Ang Xiao, all so Lü Yang could tie down True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde. But now that the True Monarch was dead, Lü Yang had outlived his usefulness. Naturally, she would strike while he was down, finish him off, and solve the problem once and for all!

On the other hand, despite having cursed Lü Yang countless times in his heart, Ang Xiao acted decisively, attempting to save Lü Yang from Bhumba Bodhisattva’s grasp.

But it was too late.

Bhumba Bodhisattva had seized the perfect opportunity, striking at the precise moment Lü Yang had just slain his great enemy, when his Spiritual Essence was at its most relaxed!

SWOOSH!

A gentle breeze brushed Lü Yang’s cheek. From within the rosy glow that filled his vision, he saw only a single, graceful willow branch floating lightly, aimed straight at him.

It flicked upward.

It was such a simple motion, yet it instantly tore Lü Yang’s Dharma Body apart. The sound of shattering echoed from within him, one crack after another!

’The Fruit of Willow-Poplar Wood!’

Lü Yang saw stars, his mind muddled and unaware of his surroundings, but he still managed to recognize the Power of Fruit Position his opponent was using. At the same time, he instinctively began to channel his Mana.

Got a Pair!

The first of the pair had handled True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde; the second was perfect for handling Bhumba Bodhisattva!

In a flash, Lü Yang recovered from the heavy blow, clarity returning to his eyes. But the very next second, he closed his eyes without hesitation.

’I can’t let her know...’

’If Bhumba Bodhisattva finds out this attack failed, she’ll definitely come in for the finishing blow, and I’ve already used up both uses of Got a Pair.’

’One more hit, and I’ll really be dead!’

’...This is a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity.’

’The Hongyun Gold Attribute won’t last much longer. It probably won’t hold out until I can seize the Fruit of Sword Dao. The most urgent task right now is to extend its duration.’

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the nine Foundation Establishment Perfection Gold Attributes he needed.

In that case, his only option was to obtain a complete True Monarch Gold Attribute.

’...Zhengde!’

’Although True Monarch Chengtian Zhengde had fallen, his Soul and Gold Attribute were both intact. Right now, he had merely entered the Netherworld for reincarnation.

If I can get his Gold Attribute, I can continue to maintain my Fake Golden Position!’

In a flash of insight, Lü Yang had it all figured out. Without a second thought, instead of stabilizing his Dharma Body, he rode the momentum and detonated it directly!

BOOM!

With a deafening explosion, Lü Yang’s body disintegrated, shattering into a million pieces. In an instant, a crimson light of blood stained more than half the sky!