Immortality begin with Alchemy Grandmaster Chapter 2674 - 986: The Fallen Buddha, Earthly Buddha Country (Part 2)

With the aid of this treasure, Mahakala, already at the Arhat Realm, could act without restraint, free from all prohibitions.

Should he unleash calamity upon the human realm, who besides a supreme powerhouse like Qi Xia Emperor—someone not of the Mountain Sea Realm—could possibly halt him?

Youli Divine Monarch, maybe?

He holds that strength, yet remains bound by the Fifth-tier Fortune Gu and suppressed beneath the Primordial Energy Ocean, trapped within the confines of Cloud Sea Peak.

"Soon after I departed from the Hanging Temple, the monks within fell under Brother Jia Luo's sway, their natures slowly shifting toward greater extremism. It's even said this fervor spread to countless Buddhists across the Western Desert Buddha Land."

Luo Chen suddenly realized, "No wonder the hosts I encountered at Wutai Mountain, despite their impressive realms, were so eager to battle, lacking any monkly compassion. Were they affected too?"

"Wutai Mountain lies close to the Hanging Temple and once guarded the Cui Lan Screen. They're probably fully immersed in it by now." Master Xuan Du spoke with deep compassion and regret. "The tale of capturing Friend Qingshuang as a Guardian Spirit Beast was just an extreme imitation of their admiration for Mahakala."

Eight hundred years prior, Mahakala had seized the Golden Winged Roc, granting the Hanging Temple a Guardian Spirit Venerable.

Eight hundred years on, Wutai Mountain's monks sought to mimic that feat, only to face not the Golden Winged Roc, but Qingshuang—with Luo Chen by her side!

Defeat was inevitable.

Luo Chen abruptly asked, "Master, you don't plan for us to confront Mahakala, do you?"

Master Xuan Du smiled faintly, "The Alchemy Sect appears quite willing to attempt it!"

Luo Chen responded helplessly, "Where did you get the idea that I want to try?"

Master Xuan Du chuckled, "Entertaining such a notion—isn't that eagerness enough?"

Luo Chen fell quiet, as Qingshuang shot him a curious look.

Indeed, typical folks wouldn't even entertain such thoughts.

Even Qingshuang, who had clashed twice with Divine Transformation Great Powers, never pondered ways to counter such entities.

Master Xuan Du shook his head, "You two are exceptional cultivators, unmatched in the world. Yet an Arhat—on par with Divine Transformation—is far beyond your reach, particularly with your own hidden flaws and risks. Allies could even prove liabilities. I summoned you here solely to request your aid in protecting the Glazed Pure Land, and nothing else."

"Protect the Glazed Pure Land?" Luo Chen looked confused.

Qingshuang suddenly noted, "Ever since we entered, the Glazed Pure Land's entrance has stayed wide open."

Luo Chen blinked in surprise—was that worth pointing out?

The unguarded portal showed their sincerity, letting them depart freely whenever.

But moments later, something felt amiss.

Qi Power flooded his eyes, Origin Force surging into the sockets.

A dazzling golden glow erupted as the Red Eyes Golden Pupils manifested once more!

Through his sight, subtle spiritual mechanisms trickled in from outside, slipping into the Glazed Pure Land and gathering toward the white-robed monk ahead.

"You're collecting spiritual mechanisms!" Luo Chen cried out.

"This pair of eyes—you've refined them masterfully, benefactor!" Master Xuan Du praised Luo Chen’s Spirit Vision again, then openly confessed, "Indeed, I'm readying myself to ascend to the Arhat Realm."

Luo Chen shook his head, "Master, why rush so? Such an advancement can't happen instantly. What if Mahakala disrupts it? Plus, we haven't agreed to assist yet."

"Too late for that." Master Xuan Du replied, dread flickering in his eyes, "Last time, Mahakala struck from afar, crushing the Red Sand Ancient Scorpion—I sensed then he'd embraced extremism. Now, with Hanging Temple's gates flung open, it means he's set to remake the entire Mountain Sea Realm into the Earthly Buddha Country. I have to thwart him!"

Luo Chen frowned in confusion, "Wouldn't uniting everyone under one Buddhist nation benefit all, especially Buddhist cultivators?"

Master Xuan Du replied steadily, "If all lean toward virtue and grasp Buddhist Law, what need is there for a nation? But wielding Buddhist Law as cover for slaughter and domination—that's mere delusion, piling up karmic sins."

"Master truly sees through everything."

Luo Chen offered the compliment succinctly.

Though the words chilled him, touching on worldly doom and the earthly Buddha realm, they didn't stir him deeply.

At heart, Luo Chen remained profoundly self-centered.

His path of cultivation had transformed him, piling on duties and ties, yet his priorities stayed fixed on kin, comrades, and personal progress.

With his Life Soul still held by the Daoist Sect, how could he spare worries for the realm's fate?

Qingshuang mirrored his stance!

Her concerns centered on her sister, Qi Xia Emperor, and Cangwu Mountain.

As long as Mahakala shunned Cangwu Mountain, what matter if the world drowned in floods?

Master Xuan Du appeared unsurprised by their apathy, never pushing since he'd offered partnership from the start.

To their detachment, he stated evenly, "Help me, and I'll not only return your teleportation formation but also purge the hidden dangers afflicting you both."

At those words, Luo Chen and Qingshuang grew gravely serious.

After all, Master Xuan Du had flagged their hidden issues earlier.

Luo Chen could accept it—his eclectic cultivation naturally carried flaws. But Qingshuang felt baffled.

"Xuan Du, what flaw do I carry?" Qingshuang demanded bluntly, cutting straight to it.

Master Xuan Du responded calmly, "Yours mirrors my brother Jia Luo's former issue: too brief a cultivation span, yielding an unstable mind prone to extremes."

Qingshuang scowled, "Demons are inherently extreme—wild joys and rages are normal. How's that a flaw?"

Master Xuan Du retorted, "Then why shield your Divine Soul with a spiritual treasure?"

Qingshuang froze.

She hadn't anticipated him spotting that, uncertain if it stemmed from his prowess or the Glazed Pure Land's secrets.

Master Xuan Du elaborated softly, "I can't fathom how you, Friend Qingshuang, amassed such vast power so young. But for a Divine Beast Cyan Simurgh, you're not yet mature, yet you chase Law’s True Intent and Great Dao insights obsessively. Can you endure the future backlash? Or has another's influence led you to trade tomorrow for today?"

"Silence!"

A sharp cry burst forth.

Qingshuang's expression hardened as she snapped at the white-robed monk.

"I won't tolerate you defaming my sister!"

Luo Chen reeled from the abrupt flare-up.

Yet swiftly, he grasped the implication in Master Xuan Du’s remarks.

Truth be told, Qingshuang’s tremendous strength was anomalous.

Demon Clan lifespans vastly outstrip Humans', with long lives breeding sluggish progress.

Qingshuang’s true nature was the Divine Beast Cyan Simurgh, famed for millennia-long lives.

By standard measure, she remained a juvenile.

Still, she'd mastered Space Law's True Meaning, towering over peers.

Behind those triumphs lurked her glaring frailty: an exceedingly fragile Divine Soul.

In essence, for all her apparent invincibility, Qingshuang harbored a critical vulnerability!

That flaw was presently masked by the Nether Soul Pearl, a Divine Soul Defense Spiritual Treasure from Refining Heaven Demon Monarch.

"Did Qi Xia Emperor push her rapid rise like this?" Luo Chen mused inwardly.

Master Xuan Du stayed unruffled amid Qingshuang’s outburst, declaring simply, "Whether it's defamation lies in your heart. I only offer a way to fortify that weakness, bringing it to match your realm."

This time, Qingshuang held her tongue.

Such quietude betrayed doubt, and doubt hinted at intrigue.

Master Xuan Du dropped the coaxing, turning his eyes to Luo Chen.

Luo Chen grinned, "Master, do I bear hidden dangers too?"

Master Xuan Du’s look at Luo Chen held layers of nuance.

He nodded, then shook his head.

"Hidden dangers exist, but they're minor. I can't grasp how you've reached such heights so young."

Luo Chen got it, "If the risks are trivial, Master, it's hard for you to tempt me with a strong offer!"

Master Xuan Du smiled faintly, "I urge you to give it a shot!"