Chapter 340: Fleeting Life Demon Domain, Twin Buddha Disciple

Chiguang never expected that his attempt to keep a low profile would be taken seriously by someone.

"Looks like I can't stay low-key this time…"

A piercing, cold light flashed in his eyes as he recalled his master's words about the demonic image of the Twin Buddha Disciple, and fierce battle fire kindled within.

Elsewhere, with the battle for spots imminent within the Flower Wandering Society, Night Ancestor, Qing Ancestor, and others sent word to Li Hao that they were about to arrive in the Canglan Realm to come and support him from the sidelines.

Qing Jiu, upon hearing the news, feigned a pitiful tone, "Isn't anyone coming to see me?"

"You have your master backing you—you don't need us. Qingfeng is a lone wolf," retorted Night Ancestor in a gruff tone.

"Exactly—let's see how long you can keep up that pretentious act," Qing Ancestor added bluntly.

Qing Jiu sighed helplessly, "You all favor others so much, it really hurts my feelings."

"And still having the energy to chatter here—I reckon you just can't keep your itching hands in check," Qing Ancestor said.

Later, upon learning that Night Ancestor and the others were coming, Li Hao sent a message to Zhantan asking her to help with the reception.

Zhantan replied that Li Hao should concentrate on preparing for the battle and not be distracted by such trivial matters.

Having earlier discussed the Dao of Painting with Li Hao, she already felt that it was somewhat hindering him. With the battle imminent, she had received word that many prodigies, under pressure, were making last-minute breakthroughs and leaping a level in strength—which might pose a threat to Li Hao.

As the battle drew near, Emperor Canghai also approached Li Hao, Chiguang, Su Yun, and the others to inquire if they needed any assistance—be it weapons or divine pills.

Su Yun mentioned she was short of Conge Dao Pills, while both Chiguang and Li Hao indicated they were fine.

"If you can clinch a battle spot in the Canglan Realm, you'll receive the blessing of the realm's incense. Exactly how much you get will depend on your performance in battle," declared Emperor Canghai.

He held great expectations for both Li Hao and Chiguang. Previously, he had heavily bet on Chiguang, convinced he would secure a top-ten spot—but Li Hao's recent performance had pleasantly surprised him. If both could represent the Canglan Realm in battle, the Canghai Divine Dynasty would receive two portions of dragon qi!

This is the Heavenly Dao's favor upon the Canglan Realm—a boon that could secure the dominion of the Canghai Divine Dynasty, and even lead to the emergence of a demonic prodigy with a saintly bearing among the imperial clan. Moreover, if he himself were to absorb it, he could use it to cultivate into an Imperial Dao Saint.

Saints form various sects—Sword Saint, Literary Saint, Buddha Dao Saint, and so on—and an emperor of the Divine Dynasty who aspires to sainthood may pursue the Imperial Dao, which requires the accumulation of dragon qi.

On the eve of the great battle, the three major holy lands and dozens of dynasties were abuzz with activity. Even those prodigies who hadn't qualified eagerly anticipated the showdown of the top prodigies in the Canglan Realm.

In just a few days, time flew by, and the battle for spots was set to take place in the Buddhist Holy Land.

Ever since the appearance of the Supreme Prodigy Battle, the venue for the Canglan Realm's spot battle had rotated among the three great holy lands.

This arrangement not only showcased the splendor of each holy land but also attracted prodigies from various Divine Dynasties—and this time, it was the Buddhist Holy Land's turn.

Li Hao, along with Chiguang and the others—being among the Divine Dynasty's top ten—traveled with the imperial family to the Buddhist Holy Land.

From afar outside the Buddhist Holy Land, one could see a majestic sacred peak reaching to the heavens, its skies filled with auspicious omens and radiant Buddha light. It looked as though the sun had descended upon the peak, transforming into a jewel that shimmered with countless rays of Buddha light.

Upon entering the domain of the Buddhist Holy Land, the devout chanting of Buddhist sutras could faintly be heard.

Compared to Li Hao and the contestants, many of the spectators had come here a day in advance by pulling strings, all eager to secure front-row seats for the battle.

At the foot of the holy mountain, two colossal beasts resembling golden lions lay prostrate, exuding the aura of the Half-Saint Realm. Though they appeared as golden lions, any discerning observer could tell they were ancient demon kings concealing their true forms.

These Half-Saint Buddha Beasts guarded the mountain's base, and along the steps, monks offered hospitality—exuding the resplendence of Buddha light and treasures.

"Is this the Buddhist Holy Land?"

"So solemn and majestic—it makes me subconsciously lower my voice."

"There are so many Buddha Beasts! Look, some are even used as mounts—that must be the Half-Saint Realm's mounts, right?"

Murmurs of discussion arose among the crowd.

At the peak of the sacred mountain—a vast expanse—forces from all sides gathered, numbering in the millions. Princes and princesses were everywhere, as were heirs of ancient martial families and legitimate heirs to thrones. Only those with substantial backing could attend the battle in person; others could only watch from home through the Realm Stone.

Besides these influential figures, numerous prodigies had also assembled, creating an imposing spectacle.

Yet, before the assembled crowd, several Buddhist Half-Saint disciples displayed their magnificent treasure forms—towering over a hundred zhang tall. Amid the millions gathered on the peak, they were unmistakably eye-catching.

Their mounts, equally enormous and fearsome, were also beings of the Half-Saint Realm—some blue lions, some golden-haired chimeras, as well as white pigs, peacock kings, and others—all radiating auspicious omens. Before being subdued, these Buddha Beasts were ruthless demons that struck terror into the hearts of many.

Above the Buddha Hall, in the heavens, the saint of the Buddhist Holy Land—the Thousand-Generation Buddha—sat majestically on a resplendent golden lotus platform. His awe-inspiring visage shone like the Dharma aspect of heaven and earth, towering a thousand zhang high. Even those at the periphery of the peak could clearly see the golden Buddha Dao light emanating from his entire being, suffusing the area with auspicious brilliance.

The Thousand-Generation Buddha was also the master of the Buddhist sect, having survived three calamitous tribulations, with one foot already stepping into the Holy Realm.

Rumor had it that his incarnations over a thousand generations had penetrated the fundamental origins of the world—birth, aging, sickness, death, fame, fortune, righteousness, honor, disgrace—and reached a state of great transcendent detachment.

In the Canglan Realm, the Buddhist Holy Land held the highest status, and the Thousand-Generation Buddha was widely recognized as the strongest figure in the realm.

Now, forces from all sides and countless prodigies had glimpsed this supreme being of the Canglan Realm, their eyes filled with admiration and deference.

As the various forces gathered, Li Hao and the others arrived as well. He and Chiguang—being among the Divine Dynasty's top ten—were extremely eye-catching, regarded as hot candidates to secure a battle spot.

Soon after Li Hao and his group arrived, a clamor arose near the steps outside as many saintly sons and daughters from the Wenzu Holy Land also appeared.

Looking back, Li Hao, Chiguang, and the others saw a group of refined figures approaching at the foot of the steps. Men and women alike exuded an air of scholarly elegance, as if they were wandering literati from the mortal world, here merely for flirtatious banter.

This kind of flirtation was reminiscent of the style of Li Sao.

Among them, Li Hao recognized familiar figures—Zhantan and Zhao Qingshu.

However, Zhantan was merely in a supporting role, there just to escort, walking toward the rear on the side.

In the center were Zhao Qingshu and nine other young men and women, all exuding the aura of the Dao Technique Realm.

At the very front stood a young scholar, resembling an ordinary studious gentleman—remarkably handsome, with an air of worldly detachment as if he had read countless books and no longer found anything surprising or novel.

"Is that Lin Shuhai of the Wenzu Holy Land? He looks so plain."

"That's called being reserved—you wouldn't understand. A friend from our Wenzu Holy Land said that with just three words he effortlessly defeated a whole group of prodigies from there. Can you imagine?"

"That's a bit exaggerated, isn't it?"

Many turned their eyes toward the young scholar, their expressions solemn.

Chiguang squinted his eyes; apart from the Twin Buddha Disciple, he was keen to size up this prodigy from the Wenzu Holy Land.

Sensing his battle intent, Lin Shuhai glanced over in his direction, meeting Chiguang's gaze. His expression remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips as he nodded gently.

Chiguang grinned broadly—those fellows from the Wenzu Holy Land were indeed very polite.

Behind Lin Shuhai, Zhantan noticed Li Hao, and her calm, graceful face broke into a gentle, charming smile.

Her appearance made those around glance sideways, some even momentarily dazed. This Half-Saint, with his ethereal, otherworldly features, exuded a noble, untouchable aura; yet at that moment, his charming smile seemed to upend the mundane world, leaving hearts in disarray.

"Night Ancestor and the others have arrived. Once you're finished, I'll introduce you," Zhantan transmitted to Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded.

Soon after the people from the Wenzu Holy Land took their seats, a burst of commotion arose outside near the steps.

A group of imposing figures appeared, each with a distinct aura yet all exuding a cold, piercing presence—none other than Haoyue Saint and others from the Sword Ancestor Holy Land.

"The Sword Ancestor Holy Land has also arrived—everyone's here!"

"What's the name of that Saintess? She looks so beautiful."

"Watch your words—that's the elder of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, Yaozu. Though she was indeed a Saintess a few hundred years ago."

Li Hao turned to look and saw Yaozu alongside Lin Qingying and others—familiar faces that brought a smile to his lips.

Noticing Li Hao's gaze, Lin Qingying and Yaozu both looked in his direction; Yaozu smiled broadly and nodded gently at him.

Earlier, Li Hao had displayed his peerless swordsmanship—and recently, in the Divine Dynasty's Free Combat Battle, he had clinched first place. She knew this battle would be the moment when Li Hao truly made his name.

Seeing Li Hao, Lin Qingying recalled her own insights gained during her recent seclusion, and felt a sense of profound tranquility.

Nearby, Bian Ruxue and the Haoyue Saint, along with other saintly sons and daughters, also took notice of Li Hao; after all, the seats occupied by Li Hao and his Divine Dynasty comrades were as prominent as those in the holy lands.

Recalling the intelligence he'd gathered upon emerging from seclusion, Haoyue Saint's face darkened. Had Li Hao completely disregarded him—not even acknowledging the others—and thought that by defeating him he could clinch first place?

Though incensed, his eyes instead shone even more fiercely. After his significant gains during seclusion, he vowed to avenge his past humiliation!

Bian Ruxue and the other saintly sons and daughters, upon seeing Li Hao, felt no particular stirring; they already knew he was a prodigy in the sword Dao and would only dodge his brilliance if they encountered him.

As the people from the Sword Ancestor Holy Land arrived, the atmosphere grew even more heated.

"Look—there's a Buddha Disciple from the Buddhist sect!"

"Is that the Twin Buddha Disciple? I've heard he masters the Six Ultimate Stages—simply terrifying!"

"Rumor has it that he harbored an inner demon from birth; while others fight external foes, he battles the demon within himself!"

From within the Buddha Hall ahead, ten figures emerged—among them, besides the Buddha Disciple, there were also female Bodhisattvas, all with serene, tranquil expressions, as if untouched by worldly distractions.

At the forefront stood a youthful Buddha Disciple clad in a black-and-white kasaya, with one of his eyes a milky white, giving him an eerily uncanny appearance.

As he stepped out, the once noisy peak of the sacred mountain fell into a profound silence. Many eyes turned solemn—it was the Twin Buddha Disciple of the Buddhist sect, whose fame resounded throughout the three holy lands. In addition to mastering the Six Ultimate Stages, he possessed myriad divine abilities and techniques; legend had it that he was the reincarnation of a Buddha Saint who had sought further advancement.

Seeing him, Chiguang—standing next to Li Hao—grew grave.

He could faintly sense that behind the Twin Buddha Disciple, there lurked a demonic image, terrifying in its subtlety; just its mere presence made his gaze unable to settle.

Likewise, Lin Shuhai of the Wenzu Holy Land casually cast a glance at him; his eyes flashed subtly, yet his expression remained unchanged.

"This is the Twin Buddha Disciple? Terrifying… I've heard he consumed his own sibling in the womb, emerging with both Buddha and Demon natures—a truly fearsome being."

Li Qingyi, her eyes wary, stared at the Twin Buddha Disciple. Sensing that his white pupil might have reflected her own image, a shiver ran through her, and she dared not look any further.

"My master said that some powerful beings begin scheming even in the womb—not purely by nature, but through the methods of the saints!"

Zhao Qingshu said gravely, "We are surely no match; I wonder if Brother Shuhai can overcome him."

They turned their gaze toward Lin Shuhai. Though he appeared as a scholarly gentleman from the mortal world, they knew how formidable he was in battle.

In this clash, if one could secure first place, the reward in incense would be lavish—after all, dozens of dynasties in the Canglan Realm would be watching the battle, surely flocking to bestow incense in admiration.

"This feeling… seems somewhat familiar…"

Li Hao, watching the Twin Buddha Disciple, felt a stirring in his eyes as he recalled the Buddha Master he had once slain—who, too, had pursued a dual cultivation of Buddha and Demon. For Buddha practitioners, while it is exceedingly difficult to penetrate worldly karmic obstacles, breaking one's inner demon is even tougher—a trial that every Buddha cultivator must face.

Being human, one naturally harbors an inner demon; for those who pursue transcendence in the Buddha Dao, subduing or suppressing that inner demon is essential.

Li Hao withdrew his gaze and turned to observe the Buddhist Half-Saint disciples and the Thousand-Generation Buddha.

He could faintly sense that what they displayed now was not their true self but an emanation—a projection.

Even so, it shone like the magnificent Great Sun, evoking in onlookers an overwhelming urge to worship.

Is this then the mightiest of the Three Calamity Saints beneath the Supreme Saint?

Li Hao had learned that the three realms of the saints corresponded to three calamities—each time one transcends a calamity, their strength increases tremendously, but each calamity is also a trial!

Since ancient times, far more saints have fallen beneath the three calamities than have survived.

Yet once a saint overcomes all three, their name is etched into eternity; provided they do not court their own demise, they can live out an incredibly long life until a natural death.

At that moment, as everyone assembled, two enormous, void-like disturbances suddenly appeared in the sky. From within them, two towering figures slowly emerged, immense as if embodying the form of heaven and earth—they were the Sword Saint and the Literary Saint.

Li Hao had seen the Sword Saint before, and immediately recognized that this was merely an emanation—a reflection—much like the phantom incarnation that had once pursued him.

The Literary Saint was similar; it was Li Hao's first encounter with him. The Literary Saint appeared as a great scholar, yet his entire being radiated auspiciousness. The void around him took on the semblance of a blue sea and bamboo grove, as if caressed by a gentle breeze—exuding utter serenity.

Beside the Sword Saint, the light twisted into sword silhouettes, forming a strange sword domain phenomenon.

With the three great saints now assembled to witness the prodigy battle in the Canglan Realm, the scene set the hearts of the numerous prodigies ablaze with ambition.

Alas, they would not have the opportunity to take the stage—otherwise, displaying their prowess before the saints and winning their favor would allow them to soar upward in one bound!

As the emanations of the three great saints descended, the Thousand-Generation Buddha, seated in the heavens above the Buddha Hall on a resplendent golden lotus platform, looked kindly as he exchanged glances with both the Literary Saint and the Sword Saint, who each nodded slightly in his direction.

Without much further pleasantry—being long acquainted—the Thousand-Generation Buddha slowly explained the rules of this contest.

Now, with the three great holy lands plus the free combatants of the Divine Dynasty, there were a total of forty participants. In the first round, instead of direct combat, the challenge was to retrieve a spirit pearl.

The Thousand-Generation Buddha raised his hand, and a strand of Buddha light, like golden fireworks, drifted down and ignited a void passage in the center of the square.

On the far side of the passage lay a forbidden zone where demons lurked.

"This is a spirit pearl, scattered throughout the Fleeting Life Demon Domain. Based on how quickly you retrieve it, the first twenty to do so will advance, and the laggards will be eliminated," the Thousand-Generation Buddha explained slowly.

These rules had already been uncovered by certain forces and long passed into the ears of Li Hao and the other contestants.

Li Hao had been discreetly informed by Zhantan and was not surprised; the disciples from the other holy lands wore calm expressions, already knowing the rules.

Only Su Yun and a few other free combatants from the Divine Dynasty showed a trace of astonishment—revealing that their backing was not strong enough to have discovered the news in advance.

"To prevent anyone from sweeping up all the spirit pearls at once, only one will be released at a time. The Literary Saint and the Sword Saint will jointly witness it, and it will be randomly handed over to one of the demons in the Fleeting Life Demon Domain."

"Whoever can defeat that demon and retrieve the spirit pearl in the fastest time will advance."

As the Thousand-Generation Buddha spoke, the silver-white spirit pearl in his hand transformed into a streak of light and flew into a crevice in the void at the venue.

Li Hao understood that this was essentially a demon-slaying competition.

When the spirit pearl was released, the first to set out were the disciples of the Buddhist sect—and it was that very Twin Buddha Disciple.

Determined by the laws through random selection, everyone was astonished that the much-discussed Twin Buddha Disciple was the first to act. There was surprise and disbelief, but even more anticipation—everyone wondered what his performance would be like.

The Twin Buddha Disciple maintained a calm expression, showing no hint of emotion, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he walked straight into the void crevice.

The venue fell into profound silence; the scenes within the Fleeting Life Demon Domain remained unseen.

The Realm Stone's reflection only showed the ensuing duel.

This could only be considered the preliminary elimination round.

After a single breath, light emerged from the crevice, and the figure of the Twin Buddha Disciple stepped out, holding the silver-white spirit pearl in his hand.

At that moment, someone nearby, responsible for recording the time, announced loudly:

"Twin Buddha Disciple—1 minute 34 seconds!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback; no one expected him to emerge so quickly.

Though no one had a firm concept of what this timing meant, they realized that his speed was remarkable. Considering that the demon guarding the spirit pearl was at least at the Dao Technique Realm—and to locate it, defeat it, and seize the pearl within such a brief span was undoubtedly fast.

Soon after, the second chosen prodigy took his turn. To everyone's surprise, it was Zhao Qingshu, whom Li Hao had seen before.

Zhao Qingshu's expression was solemn as he stepped in after the Twin Buddha Disciple—inevitably drawing a contrast, and he felt rather unlucky.

Yet, as a true prodigy, he was not overly fearful, and he soon stepped forward.

After the spirit pearl was released, Zhao Qingshu ventured into the Fleeting Life Demon Domain.

Time passed—like the span of a teapot… After what Li Hao estimated to be roughly fifteen minutes, at last a figure staggered out from the crevice—it was Zhao Qingshu.

(End of Chapter)