Outside Dayu State, within a hidden stretch of mountain range.
The surrounding mist was thick, and human presence scarce.
Two figures silently appeared, descending into a secret hall atop a mountain peak like specters.
“Just got the news, the Buddha Lord who sought our cooperation before, he’s dead!”
One of the figures, a black-robed youth, whispered.
Beside him was a graceful lady with purple patterns on her cheeks, and if Li Hao were here, he could recognize that these two were the same Desolate Gods from outside Qingzhou City before.
In front of them, an enormous old man crouched on the ground with a hunched back, resembling a heavy boulder, holding a dark, curved cane that resembled an ancient tree in his hand. At the top of the cane was a human face, its eyes constantly rolling, occasionally narrowing into a sinister smile.
“Buddha Lord?”
Hearing the youth’s words, the old man turned around, eyes drooping with wrinkles, and looked at the black-robed youth, asking:
“Is the news confirmed? What about Demon Luo?”
The black-robed youth nodded: “The information came from the Tianji Palace Master himself, there can’t be a mistake. Demon Luo is dead, too. After hearing the news, we went to investigate and found residual Demonic Qi and undissipated Dao Power. He must have fused with Demon Luo.”
“So you mean, he was killed after entering the Tao Comprehension Realm?”
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, the multiple overlapping wrinkles on his eye sockets seeming to lift somewhat.
“That kid didn’t show all his powers in Qingzhou City, or maybe he had a breakthrough these past few days, reaching the Tao Comprehension Realm. Regardless, to kill the Buddha Lord after he fused with Demon Luo, without giving him a chance to escape, I’m afraid the assailant might possess the combat strength of the Dao Law Realm…”
The lady with purple patterns spoke softly, yet her face bore a serious expression.
Had their true selves appeared outside Qingzhou City before, something major might have happened.
“Are you certain that when you battled him before, he was only at the Four Stands Realm?” the old man asked again.
The black-robed youth nodded: “We couldn’t possibly be mistaken about this, it’s absolutely true. He couldn’t have concealed his cultivation realm during the great battle, that would be too exaggerated. After all, according to the information we received, he’s only sixteen years old, which is already beyond…”
He changed his expression slightly, choosing not to continue.
“It might also be possible that our battle with him led to his breakthrough.”
The lady with purple patterns grimly said: “But that’s unlikely; it’s only been a few days. The Buddha Lord cultivated for two thousand years and only recently comprehended the Tao. Compared to him, didn’t he live in vain?”
The old man pondered, leaning on his cane and strolling slowly:
“Hard to say, such an extraordinary monster must not be viewed with ordinary eyes. Geniuses always defy ordinary people’s imagination, a single day of cultivation could equal a year for others.”
“To comprehend the Tao, what is it to comprehend? Without enlightenment, even a hundred or a thousand years would ultimately be mundane. But with enlightenment, one could transform into a dragon overnight!”
Hearing his words, the two cloaked in black remained silent.
They too knew that peering outside a door for a hundred years would not allow them to glimpse the dust within.
Entering the threshold is the hardest step.
Reaching the Tao Comprehension Realm isn’t achieved through simple painstaking cultivation, and they heard from that being that some people comprehend the Tao before they cultivate, progressing a thousand miles in a day, which is incredibly exaggerated…
“It’s just a pity that the Buddha Lord was too greedy; had he chosen to join us and ambush him, even with formidable powers, the Saint Heir would not have escaped Mount Wuliang. Alas, he was too concerned about his reputation, using only Demon Luo to contact us, for fear of being tainted by us should we be exposed. Now, his death truly serves him right!”
The lady with purple patterns stated.
“It might not have been about reputation; he might have been cautious of us, since we all entered Mount Wuliang… he likely couldn’t rest easy,” replied the black-robed youth.
The lady with purple patterns raised an eyebrow, snorting softly:
“So now without the Buddha sect’s support, doesn’t our plan have to change?”
The old man with the cane pondered and hummed thoughtfully, but suddenly, a slight disturbance traveled through the air.
The old man looked toward a certain direction, his expression changing instantly as he bowed respectfully:
“Greetings to the Saint Heir.”
Hearing the old man’s words, the two figures in black robes reacted quickly, looking toward a small temple-like structure inside the secret hall.
They saw a young man dressed in a silver-white long robe emerging, emanating a holy and noble aura, the edges of his eyes a pale silver as if endless silver radiance flickered within.
“Greetings to the Saint Heir!”
The two were startled, scrambling to kneel in salute.
“A year in the Holy Land, a decade outside. How are things progressing here?”
The young man in the silver-white robe spoke with an indifferent gaze, not allowing them to rise, accustomed to looking down from above, his tone disdainful.
The three exchanged glances, the elder motioning with his eyes for the others to report the situation.
The black-robed youth immediately gathered his courage and recounted the recent events in detail.
“Why didn’t you immediately take action to kill him after he defeated your incarnations in Qingzhou?”
As soon as the Saint Heir heard about the Buddha Lord’s death, he interrupted the youth, his eyes filled with the intent to kill as he questioned.
The heart of the black-robed youth trembled, and he hurriedly replied:
“Sir Saint Heir, we had planned to take action, but considering your previous instructions to avoid exposure before the major event is accomplished, lest we be traced back to you, plus the Buddha Lord approached us later, claiming he could take care of this person for us. But after, the Buddha sect wanted to replace Daoism and demanded that we no longer harm the people of the Nineteen Provinces…”
“What a nice thought.”
The Saint Heir scoffed coldly, saying: “Using our hands and the Jiang family’s soil to gather Incense Fire, only for him to reap the real benefits in the end. A truly bold idea!”
“Benefits?”
The lady with purple patterns was puzzled.
The Saint Heir, growing impatient, asked, “So now, what are your plans?”
The black-robed youth quickly replied: “The Buddha Lord lured the young man there with the intention of ruining his reputation, causing a rift between him and the court. Although the Emperor dotes on the young man, public opinion is fearsome. The Emperor governs with benevolence, unlike the Late Emperor Dayu, who acted alone and decisively. If successful, it would have been a great way to eliminate a problem for us without bloodshed.”
