Cultivation: Being Immortal Chapter 826
Previously on Cultivation: Being Immortal...
Blue Star
Lin Jiang engaged in a guerrilla war, primarily to keep Bodhisattva Kongyan occupied and prevent this paramount Buddhist cultivator from inflicting further grave damage.
He then focused swift assaults on other Buddhist cultivators, aiming not for instant kills but to create openings for his allies.
Yet, the most formidable force on Blue Star was neither Lin Jiang nor the Demon Queen, but the Stone Monster clan. This clan was few in number, with only twelve members having undergone transformation, and besides their Stone Emperor, the others did not even possess the Demon Emperor level.
Despite their scarcity, they fought with exceptional ferocity. The Stone Emperor, in particular, transformed into his true form, a colossal being hundreds of meters tall. He engaged Buddhist cultivators in a brutal contest of physical strength, trading clumsy, direct blows—a pure exchange of power.
Remarkably, the Stone Emperor emerged victorious. Buddhist cultivation strongly emphasizes physical training, with the goal of achieving Buddhahood through the body, bestowing incredible durability. However, in comparison to the Stone Emperor, it paled significantly. An arhat of equivalent cultivation realm was utterly crushed.
"Wretched beast!"
An arhat, witnessing this devastating display, bellowed in fury at the Stone Emperor and unleashed a spell. The Stone Emperor, however, remained unperturbed, fully aware that the magical attacks of cultivators were ineffective against him due to his innate resistance to certain spells.
"Senior brother, this being is a spirit that has manifested as a monster. Our Buddhist magic is powerless against it; we must shatter its physical form."
The Buddhist cultivator signaled a change in strategy to the other arhats.A group of arhats confronted the Stone Emperor. Armed with Zen staffs, Zen swords, and sturdy poles of equal length, they engaged him in the melee. The Stone Emperor absorbed numerous blows amidst the chaos. With a fierce grin, he raised his fist for a decisive strike.
Lin Jiang surveyed the battlefield, noting the dwindling number of living combatants. The Buddhist cultivators, who had initially numbered between six and seven million, were now estimated to be under one million. The Blue Star forces, though fewer in number, deployed a greater quantity of aerial vehicles and space battleships, sustaining at least over a million casualties. Even the Golden Core Stage cultivators, intended as reserves, had suffered immense losses.
"Xia Qingshan, have you managed to suppress the true Buddha's aura yet?"
"Not entirely."
"You useless fool, you are nothing but a waste!"
Lin Jiang’s voice thundered with anger. At this critical juncture of the battle, the aggregate losses among the Tao Achieving cultivators surpassed ten, and when factoring in other combat zones, the number approached a hundred. Failure to suppress the opponent’s aura was simply inexcusable."You know nothing! The opponent is at least several hundred thousand years older than us, and I've only absorbed a fraction of the available spiritual aura."
Xia Qingshan retorted, equally furious. How could this be attributed to his failings? He had absorbed a meager amount of spiritual auras, while the adversary was a being of monstrous power, possibly existing for hundreds of thousands of years. The sheer duration of their existence implied an unfathomable accumulation of power. If the adversary’s true form were to manifest here, he would have no choice but to flee."Break!"
Lin Ying broke free from an opponent and moved towards a colossal Buddha statue. With a sudden surge of resolve, Lin Ying targeted the statue with her sword."Thud."
Abruptly, the Buddha statue, constructed from clay and stone, opened its eyes. A radiant golden light emanated from its gaze, striking Lin Ying’s sword and then Lin Ying herself. Her protective shield disintegrated instantly, her magical robe was ripped asunder, and a gaping wound appeared on her body. Coughing up blood, she was violently thrown backward."Little Ying."
Lin Jiang, witnessing this devastating turn of events, was consumed by extreme rage."Meow…"
With a plaintive cry, Big Shadiao appeared, catching Lin Ying mid-air and soaring away with her. Their escape route was intercepted by an arhat."Get lost!"
Lin Jiang materialized behind the arhat and propelled him away with a powerful thrust of his spear."Big Shadiao, escort Lin Ying to Haigang City, to my villa. The defensive formation there is separate; make haste!"
Lin Jiang produced a life-saving pill, administered it to Lin Ying, and then instructed Big Shadiao. Immediately after, he charged directly towards the pursuing Bodhisattva Kongyan, who swiftly intercepted him, forcing Lin Jiang to engage in a counter-attack."Xia Qingshan, how do we shatter that statue?"
"If all the Buddhist cultivators are eliminated, they lose."
"······"
Lin Jiang was left speechless, finding the statement utterly nonsensical."Quick, get out of the way!"
A desperate shout echoed from high above. Lin Jiang looked up to see a space station, spanning dozens of kilometers, descending in a fiery blaze. Figures were relentlessly striking the station, attempting to alter its trajectory and guide it into the Infinite Sea.The conflict escalated beyond the skies, as a significant number of cultivators and Buddhist practitioners, lacking the skill for prolonged aerial combat, descended to engage on the ground. This dispersed the battle across the entirety of Blue Star. Major metropolises like Huaxia possessed formidable defenses, but in less developed nations, apart from key locations such as Jingdu City, defenses were minimal. Consequently, innumerable ordinary lives were lost in the ensuing chaos.
"Boom"
Emerging from the waters in a particular area of the Endless Sea, Liang Long was engulfed in a radiant glow, his face contorted in agony. He felt on the verge of exploding, fearing he might perish by drowning.
Liang Long's dramatic appearance immediately drew the attention of the Buddhist cultivators. At one point, he found himself pursued by twelve adversaries of comparable strength.
His fight traversed from the heavens to the earth, then from the mountains to the ocean floor. For an ordinary individual, death would have come countless times over. However, his remarkable regenerative capabilities not only sustained his life but also wore down his pursuers to exhaustion.
All twelve opponents were subdued, their spirit energy completely drained by Liang Long, who himself felt on the brink of detonation.
"Breakthrough!"
Liang Long was running out of time. Had he not achieved a breakthrough soon, he genuinely believed he would rupture. While in flight, he pushed himself to absorb energy, his aura surging relentlessly, signaling an impending breakthrough to the Tao Achieving realm. This was an unprecedented event among the billions on Blue Star.
Witnessing this, an arhat descended with a powerful palm strike, nearly reducing Liang Long to mere flesh. Liang Long was sent crashing to the ground, gouging out a deep crater, yet his wounded flesh writhed and mended with astonishing speed.
"Excellent!"
A sense of triumph surged within Liang Long. Despite his injuries, his rapid recovery was precisely what he needed to expend his surplus energy.
········
Lin Jiang remained locked in a tenacious struggle with Kong Yan. While guerrilla tactics could serve as a distraction, true warriors confronted challenges head-on.
Lin Jiang was outmatched by Bodhisattva Kongyan and sustained repeated injuries. Nevertheless, he resolved to fight to the bitter end, consuming healing pills as if they were sustenance.
"Boom!"
Mid-battle, Bodhisattva Kongyan detected a beam of light hurtling towards him. The golden Buddhist radiance flickered, nullifying the incoming projectile. He then gazed skyward, his expression darkening ominously.
The celestial battlefield surrounding Blue Star was reaching its conclusion. Dozens of arhat bodhisattvas had suffered grievous wounds, and more than forty percent of the thirty Space Battleships were lost, leaving both sides severely depleted.
However, the ultimate victor was Blue Star's Space Fleet. The arhat bodhisattvas were exhausted, whereas the Space Battleships retained the capacity to fight.
Additional energy was channeled to the Space Battleships. Numerous engineering robots were engaged in urgent repairs, while some damaged and burning battleships continued to unleash their weaponry, a delicate balance of repair and combat.
The Space Mother Ship, in particular, stood apart. It housed a comprehensive repair facility and even specialized zones capable of manufacturing various components.
Within the Space Mother Ship that day, a multitude of repair robots and engineers worked tirelessly to mend robots and Space Battleships, significantly bolstering the Space Fleet's sustained combat capability.
"Very well, Kong Yan, you have been defeated."
"Amitabha, benefactor. Should you return to our Buddhist fold, you could ascend to become a great Bodhisattva."
"What other trump cards do you possess? Reveal them now, without further delay. Otherwise, your demise is assured this time."
Lin Jiang scoffed. This was Blue Star's domain, their home turf. They had weathered the most perilous phase, and now, the Buddhist cultivators stood no chance of victory.
Key industrial hubs on Blue Star ceaselessly churned out armaments, ranging from antiquated missiles to state-of-the-art warships, perpetually ready for deployment. On other fronts, Buddhist cultivation held no significant edge. The situation was particularly stark on Cape I Planet, where Cao Ying and her contingent maintained absolute dominance. What could their adversaries possibly contend with?
"Insects of summer cannot fathom the depths of war. My Buddha's true spirit is eternal, and the light of Buddha never dims. Lingjing Star is but a minor world within the boundless cosmos of my Buddha's domain. Even if you triumph over us here, what true difference does it make?"
"That is a concern for a future time; it is not my present worry. All I know is that you have lost this engagement. Your options are death or surrender."
"It appears you misunderstand the teachings of our Buddha. The concept of surrender does not exist within our doctrine."
Kong Yan smirked. In his perception, the Buddha's realm had not sustained a defeat. Blue Star had exerted its utmost strength, while the Buddha's realm still possessed reserves. Those remaining represented the pinnacle of their forces.
Blue Star, on the other hand, saw a significantly smaller number of combat-capable survivors.
"Battleship, this is Lin Jiang. Target the Buddha statue on Blue Star and unleash your firepower!"
Lin Jiang guffawed. If surrender is not an option, then today, we shall obliterate the Buddha. Every last one of these Buddhist cultivators deserves to perish.
"Boom! Boom!"
A barrage of dozens of Spiritual Cannons converged on a single Buddha statue. The statue's eyes snapped open once more, unleashing beams of golden light that managed to deflect two shots. Nevertheless, the remaining Spiritual Cannons found their mark, striking the statue.
The golden radiance emanating from the Buddha statue dissipated, leaving it seemingly unharmed. However, it wasn't long before additional battleships joined the assault. Even with the Buddha statue expending all its golden light, its imminent shattering was unavoidable.