Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 581: Chapter 585: Sutra of Salvation

The vast azure lake stretched for thousands of acres. A lone, leaf-shaped boat pierced the waters, arriving with a middle-sized man standing upon it. His straw raincoat was ancient, his bamboo hat tattered, concealing his true appearance.

“Who is this person? He has emerged from the depths of the azure lake. Could it be he entered ahead of us?” Many were perplexed and suspicious.

The lake shimmered with light as the leaf-shaped boat slowed its pace, approaching leisurely. The man discarded his bamboo pole, standing with hands behind his back, yet his face remained unseen.

At that moment, more than a dozen great figures first sensed something amiss. The Emperor of the Central State Divine Dynasty, the Demon Lord of the Southern Mountains, and the War Lord of the Western Desert all felt an inner disturbance, and their expressions changed.

“Who are you?” asked an unmatched Emperor, who had lived for close to three thousand years and regarded the world with contempt, yet now felt a sense of horror.

On the bamboo raft, the man remained unmoved, his hands still crossed behind his back, silently urging the boat forward, untouched by the outside world.

“Who are you, really? Our Emperor is speaking to you, did you hear?” An old man stepped forward, his hair and beard entirely white—a formidable being at the Grand Elder level.

POP!

The man on the small boat cast a cold gaze, raised his hand, and pointed forward. Blood blossomed from the old man’s forehead, and he fell instantly into the lake, dyeing the azure waters red.

An uproar spread through the crowd. Who was this person? To kill someone so recklessly in the presence of an old Emperor was truly audacious!

“Heretic!” A half-step sovereign stepped upon the waves and strode forward. He opened his mouth to spit out a cauldron, which pressed down like a black mountain.

CRACK!

The Great Cauldron was crushed by a single finger of the man in the straw raincoat on the small boat, its fragments falling into the lake like grains of sand.

“Weapons interwoven with Dao and Logic, so easily shattered! This person is too powerful. What is his origin?!” Everyone felt fear, a chill running to their bones.

A cry of alarm arose. The half-step sovereign involuntarily flew forward, his feet scraping the lake’s surface, splashing water everywhere. He struggled fiercely but couldn’t resist and was dragged to the small boat.

The man in the straw raincoat extended one hand, grasping his neck, the other still behind his back, all done very casually.

“Ah…” The half-step sovereign screamed, seemingly encountering the most horrifying thing imaginable. His limbs were lifted from the ground, and he was suspended, struggling in mid-air.

SPLAT!

With a light sound, the half-step sovereign’s head shattered. Blood and brain matter flowed down simultaneously, soaking the man’s powerful hand, yet the man in the straw raincoat showed no aversion.

SPLASH!

He lightly loosened his grip. The corpse fell into the lake, dyeing a vast area of azure water red. The headless body floated, a ghastly sight that no one dared to look at directly.

Now, no one could remain calm. All retreated. Who was this person who could so easily strangle a half-step sovereign? His methods were terrifying!

“He is that presence from the Ancient Tomb! He’s here again!” someone screamed in terror, finally recognizing who he was—precisely the mysterious figure who had appeared after Ye Fan had knocked down eighteen stone mountains.

But even now, no one realized it was a Divine Thought. Not everyone was as learned as Daoist Duan De or the old blind man.

The leaf-shaped boat came breaking through the water, not fast, yet it staggered hearts. The mysterious man stood with his hands behind his back, his sleeves stained with blood and brain matter, yet he seemed unconcerned.

SWISH!

Up in the sky, an Emperor of the Central States along with the War Lord from the Southern Mountains both struck simultaneously, forming Dharma Seals and pressing downward.

BOOM!

Heaven and earth roared, and azure waves surged skyward. They each evolved a red-blood seal and a Big Bell, constructed from divine energy and interwoven with Innate Patterns.

“Central Emperor Seal!”

“Southern Demon Bell!”

Everyone gasped. Though formed hastily, these were built from the laws of supreme masters, fearsome enough to easily obliterate a common sovereign.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The Divine Thought lifted his head. He stood with his hands behind his back and made no other move, yet two beams of demonic light shot from his eyes, drawing long, eerie, and beautiful trajectories.

DANG!

In the sky, the Southern Demon Bell resounded, then rapidly cracked. It seemed to shake out a massive black hole before disappearing without a trace.

CRACK!

The Central Emperor Seal met the same fate. Lines of cracks suddenly appeared, as if it were a bone chewed by wild dogs; it severed, shattered, and vanished into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

“Who is he? Just what kind of person is he?!” People shrieked.

“Could it be the old madman from the Eastern Wastelands has come?” someone voiced their suspicion, for he was the only Saint in this era who possessed such means.

With just two beams of light from his eyes, he had shattered the Law Order constructed by two top figures. It was truly shocking.

“Divine Thought… He is a Divine Thought!” Finally, an old monk from the Western Desert recognized what kind of being he was, his white eyebrows trembling as he recited a Buddha name.

“Divine Thought?!” Many were puzzled, yet those who understood turned pale, shivering all over.

“How can such a thing exist in the world?” The four unmatched Emperors of the Central States were visibly moved and involuntarily retreated, never expecting to encounter such a being.

“Did divine beings truly exist in the world? Otherwise, how could a Divine Thought be born?” The War Lord of the Southern Mountains was uncertain whether to be happy or worried.

At this moment, other cultivators finally understood from what they had learned what a Divine Thought was: an organism born from the death of ancient divine beings, akin to a demon.

“Let’s see what means they have to resolve this,” Daoist Duan De muttered, retreating with an air of indifference.

The old blind man tossed out a handful of turtle shells, divining a hexagram on the lake, saying, “Go east, then south. Overwhelmingly auspicious.”

The barbarian did not believe this charlatan at heart, but seeing Ye Fan and Jue Youqing moving ahead, he followed along.

BOOM!

Just as they withdrew, the man on the leaf-shaped boat emitted a black light, like a black sun, terrifying to behold. It then evolved into a black hole.

“Ah…”

At that moment, an unknown number of people screamed as they were involuntarily pulled forward. Their bodies fractured in mid-air, devoured by the black hole on the boat.

Heads, broken limbs, and torsos were everywhere, blood splattering. It was like a hellish scene on Earth, with hundreds shattered instantly, all swallowed by that single point—the black hole!

The black light vanished, and the dark Abyss disappeared. The Divine Thought reappeared on the boat, his lips and teeth stained with blood; even his coat had traces of small white bone chips.

“He swallowed those hundred-plus people in one bite!”

Many nearly collapsed to the ground. These were all formidable cultivators above the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm—not a single weakling—yet he had devoured them all in one bite.

“In Ancient times, there truly were divine beings! He is a demon spawned after their death!”

This was a demon standing here, an invincible presence in the world. None could contend with him; to attempt it meant death.

The act of crushing hundreds of formidable cultivators at once silenced everyone. Even supreme sovereigns were quiet, a chill running down their spines.

“Unless the old madman comes, or several Ancient Kings are summoned, no one can rival him!”

Unfortunately, the old madman had vanished without a trace, and no one knew his whereabouts. As for the Kings of antiquity, there was no need to even think about them; those ancient creatures were an equally grave threat.

“Amitabha.” An elder monk from the Western Desert intoned this revered Buddhist name and stepped forward. He said, “My Buddha is compassionate. In ancient times, an Ancient Buddha once encountered Divine Thoughts and left behind a Subduing Demon Technique.”

Everyone was taken aback. The Divine Thoughts spoken of by the elder were incredibly mysterious and terrifying, long considered a mere legend, yet Buddhism had truly encountered them long ago.

People couldn’t help but marvel at the ancient, vast, and profound heritage of Western Desert Buddhism, whose depths were such that an Ancient Buddha had once subdued these supreme demons.

“Divine Monk, quickly cast the spell to subdue this demon!” urged an Emperor.

“We must work together. Let’s collectively chant our Buddha’s Rebirth Divine Spell,” said the elder monk.

HMPH!

A cold snort resounded. The demon, the Divine Thought, had spoken for the first time, plunging people into an icy abyss as every hair follicle exuded chills, making their bodies tremble.

This sound seemed to come from the Bottomless Hell, stirring both the souls and fears of the people!

At that moment, the Divine Monk from the Western Desert commenced chanting the Rebirth Divine Spell. He sat cross-legged in the void, his form solemn and majestic, a Buddha Light emanating from behind him, as if an Ancient Buddha had been reborn.

“Everyone chant together to subdue the demon!” shouted an Emperor.

“Eliminate all roots of karmic hindrances, obtaining rebirth in the Pure Land through Dharani…” Everyone collectively chanted, and the Rebirth Divine Spell reverberated throughout the great lake.

One could clearly see, from each person’s body, a beam of light rising up, linking together, pressing towards that demon.

The demon did not act, clearly trying to resist the Rebirth Mantra, pondering its intent. It revealed a sinister smile; though humanoid, it appeared extremely fierce.

“The Divine Curses of Buddhism are truly extraordinary! They can indeed resist that demon!” Dongfang Ye exclaimed in shock.

Beside him, Jue Youqing held a Bodhi Branch, a compassionate expression on her face, Buddha Light surging. She chanted another ancient scripture, the Great Compassion Mantra. Though her voice was quiet, it resounded throughout the heavens.

She manifested as a Bodhisattva, clad in white like snow. A golden lotus mark glowed on her brow, projecting auspicious rays that merged with the Rebirth Mantra, making the Buddha sound even more magnificent.

Not far away, that demon’s body quivered. Its gaze shot two cold lights, devoid of any human emotion. The Buddha Light pushed its skiff away.

“The ancient scriptures of Buddhism are indeed miraculous…” Daoist Duan De expressed surprise, not expecting they could truly suppress that demon.

Within everyone lies infinite potential. Buddhism possesses some scripture techniques that enable ordinary people to manifest specific Divine Abilities. The Rebirth Mantra is such a technique, allowing people to unite and bring enlightenment to gods and demons.

However, if used for single combat, it felt somewhat inadequate—it required other ancient scriptures to supplement and enhance it.

Doesn’t the door to its Dao have similar ancient scriptures? With Divine Texts, chanting together would be even better, Ye Fan mused.

HMPH! The old blind man disliked hearing this. Casting Ye Fan a sideways glance, he said, “The door to its Dao dislikes founding Sects, preferring to be carefree. Today, I too shall chant an ancient scripture to help subdue the demon.”

“You aren’t going to recite some Divination Skill, are you?” Dongfang Ye asked skeptically, feeling this diviner was a fraud.

“Accumulating Yang to Become God, God has form. The form is born of the sun; the sun is born of the moon. Accumulating Yin to Form, form contains God…” The old blind man sat cross-legged on the lake, reciting the True Scripture, involuntarily drawing a group of people to chant along with him.

The old fellow was quite shrewd, understanding the meaning upon hearing the scripture; it aimed to neutralize this demon born of Yin. Dao Light flowed over him, resembling a Golden Body Dao Ancestor.

“The heart’s source is clear, illuminating thousands. A rigid Qi battles, tens of thousands of emotions quiet. With a single heart, observe all things…” The old blind man sat cross-legged in the void, his voice increasingly ethereal, as if transmitting from outside the world.

“This is the legendary Sutra of Salvation!” Many absolute sovereigns changed color, immensely shocked.

The Sutra of Salvation was not an ancient scripture of a human race Great Emperor, yet it possessed extraordinary mysterious power. Its Combat Power wasn’t strong, but it could bring enlightenment to all living beings.

As the Sutra of Salvation resounded, more and more people joined in, collectively chanting. Within the entire realm, an inexplicable power seemed to be stirred.

ROAR!

The demon let out a great roar, transforming into a black light and vanishing from its position. The Buddha Light and this inexplicable power naturally restrained it.

“Don’t stop, or everyone will die here! This demon can return at any time,” a sovereign transmitted his voice.

In fact, there was no need for him to say it; the people couldn’t stop. The emergence of the Sutra of Salvation somewhat suppressed the Rebirth Mantra. With both scriptures chanted together, the people’s latent Divine Ability surged incessantly, making it difficult to cease.

The great lake sparkled brilliantly with countless beams of light. Many were entranced in a strange realm, continuously chanting scriptures.

So everyone possesses such strong and terrifying Divine Abilities… Ye Fan thought, dazed, though he himself had not fallen into the trance.

SWISH!

At this moment, the absolute sovereigns took action, ascending the Nine Steps to Heaven towards the Heaven-Reaching Land, not becoming entranced by the Sutra of Salvation.

Damn it! These old guys make others chant scriptures while they rush up to seize the Great Emperor’s Divine Treasure! Dongfang Ye fumed silently.

“We cannot ascend,” Ye Fan frowned. “At this time, only sovereigns aren’t restrained and can fly. Other people have no way to ascend the Nine Steps to Heaven.”

At this time, the old blind man opened his eyes and calmly withdrew from that peculiar chanting realm. He cast a casual hexagram, and the turtle shell crackled.

“We can ascend as well. It’s all on him.” After his divination, he pointed to Daoist Duan De.

Daoist Duan De cursed, “You old codger! You only know how to swindle and bamboozle, talking utter nonsense!”

“You damned fatty! Don’t waste time! If you’re any later, everything will be snatched by others!” the old blind man glared, his demeanor vastly different from the transcendental aura he had while chanting scriptures earlier.

“You charlatan!” Daoist Duan De’s brow glowed. A Star River flew out, hanging upon the Nine Steps to Heaven and allowing them to ascend with ease.

“This… isn’t this the rumored treasure of the Star River Daoist? He decayed twenty thousand years ago! This invincible King’s divine artifact was buried with him?” The old blind man’s eyes widened. He then asked, “Could you have robbed the ancient tomb of the Star River King?”

“Don’t look at me. I accidentally fell into a pit and picked it up.” Daoist Duan De looked somewhat guilty, then said resentfully, “I, the Daoist, was loaded with treasures, but some damn bastard stole them all! Now I’m seriously lacking.”

Ye Fan: “…”

Barbarian: “…”

Daoist Duan De cursed incessantly, but neither Ye Fan nor the barbarian dared to respond, letting the victim curse continuously, fearing detection.

They finally ascended the Nine Steps to Heaven, continuing upwards until they merged into the firmament, reaching a land of primordial creation.

Here, Spiritual Qi was like water, nearly liquefying. Spiritual medicines were abundant, flora thrived, and even Pure Source was forming, its process clearly observable.

“This is a land from Ancient times!” Several of them exclaimed in astonishment.

“Be careful. Since there are Divine Thoughts here, this place is likely an Ancient Land where gods are buried,” the old blind man cautioned.

CAW! A cry rang out as a golden light streaked across the sky.

“That was… a Three-legged Golden Crow flying past!”

Simultaneously, Ye Fan’s expression shifted; he noticed Xiao Grandmaster and Xiao Zhi flying across the distant mountains.

“This is an Inner World—very small, not vast at all. We must find the ancient coffin where gods are buried!” Daoist Duan De gritted his teeth.

Chant the ancient scripture, request the monthly ticket! All Great Emperors should take action now! Please present the Extreme Dao Holy Weapon and cast your monthly votes!

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