Chapter 271 – A Gift Across Ten Thousand Years—You Actually Want to Use This Seat's…

The incomplete Gathering Immortal Bell failed to affect Lu Chen, a development that greatly surprised the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

Although Lu Chen had now revealed his Golden Core Stage cultivation,

no matter how prodigious his talent, the Divine Soul strength of a Golden Core Stage cultivator like him could never compare to that of Nascent Soul Stage experts like Jiang Qing and the others.

Even seasoned Nascent Soul Stage cultivators like Jiang Qing had fallen under its influence.

There was no reason why a mere Golden Core Stage cultivator like Lu Chen should remain unscathed.

No matter how she thought about it, the Black Lotus Holy Mother couldn’t fathom the reason.

But with the facts laid bare before her, no matter how perplexed she was, she couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

Although she had currently managed to control Jiang Qing and the others, the “Dreamweaver’s Chime” of the Gathering Immortal Bell was actually indiscriminate, affecting both friend and foe.

She herself was only able to barely maintain clarity because she had prepared in advance.

Otherwise, the moment the Gathering Immortal Bell rang,

she too would have fallen into the bizarre dreamscape like Jiang Qing and the others.

Fortunately, although Lu Chen was immune to the Gathering Immortal Bell’s influence, he was merely at the First Revolution of the Golden Core Stage.

Thus, even though the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s strength in this “Heretical Avatar” had plummeted due to sacrificing her Physical Body to forcibly activate the Gathering Immortal Bell,

she was still far beyond what a minor Golden Core Stage cultivator like Lu Chen could overcome to turn the tide of battle.

But just as the Black Lotus Holy Mother prepared to make her move, intending to directly capture Lu Chen and swiftly remove him from the sub-space of the Mountains and Seas Scroll,

a terrifying sword aura erupted from Lu Chen.

This sword aura was immensely more profound and heavy than what Lu Chen had displayed when dealing with Nangong Siying.

Moreover, its intangible sword pressure had become so dense it could visibly affect the surrounding environment.

“You… you are a Great Divine Power practitioner?!”

The Black Lotus Holy Mother’s pupils constricted sharply as she saw the four Immortal Swords materialize above Lu Chen’s head.

Although she had tried to estimate Lu Chen’s capabilities as highly as possible,

even anticipating that he might be a Golden Core Stage cultivator,

she never imagined that Lu Chen would be a legendary Great Divine Power practitioner.

Achieving Great Divine Power status at the Golden Core Stage was something unheard of throughout all eternity.

Faced with this near-miraculous reality, the Black Lotus Holy Mother was utterly stunned.

So much so that when she saw Lu Chen deploy the “Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation,” she failed to react immediately, hovering in mid-air in stunned bewilderment.

“Rise.”

With Lu Chen’s utterance, the four Immortal Swords high in the sky descended with thunderous force, landing in specific orientations.

Boom!

As the ethereal Immortal Swords made contact with the ground around the arena, they produced massive tremors as if they were solid entities.

It felt as if four great mountains had landed around the arena, completely encircling those within.

This tremor jolted the Black Lotus Holy Mother back to her senses.

Gazing at the surrounding Immortal Swords, she immediately unleashed her exclusive Nascent Soul Stage Divine Ability… the Law of Heaven and Earth.

Instantly, Sanskrit scriptures filled the air.

These scriptures were not only diverse in form and complex in stroke,

but their entire bodies also exhibited a viscous, pitch-black hue.

A single glance at them could induce splitting headaches and near-madness.

Once these black Sanskrit scriptures appeared, they swiftly coiled around the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Nascent Soul, completely enveloping it.Dense black Sanskrit script, like repulsive worms crawling over the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s body, intertwined to form a massive black cocoon-like structure.

This cocoon, after appearing for a brief moment, slowly peeled away like an onion, revealing the true form of the Black Lotus Holy Mother within.

A colossal, indescribably eerie Bodhisattva.

This Bodhisattva’s face was dignified and exquisitely beautiful, carrying a hint of temptation within its holiness, as if capable of arousing the most primal desires hidden deep within the human heart.

Unlike the female-form Bodhisattvas of the orthodox Buddhist traditions within the Immortal Alliance,

the Bodhisattva manifested by the Black Lotus Holy Mother possessed a male body with feminine features.

Though the countenance of its dharma form was that of a woman, its body was unmistakably male.

From this dharma form, Lu Chen clearly perceived both the ultimate beauty of femininity and the masculine vigor of a man.

These were clearly two opposing qualities,

yet the Black Lotus Holy Mother had perfectly fused them together.

And this was the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Law of Heaven and Earth… the Vast World Pure Bodhisattva.

This Vast World Pure Bodhisattva sat cross-legged upon a gigantic black lotus, its upper body bare.

Its left shoulder was hollowed out, bearing a distinct wound.

The right shoulder grew four arms, with one hand holding the Gathering Immortal Bell while the other three hands each held different ritual implements of the Black Lotus Sect.

This clearly demonstrated the tremendous price the Black Lotus Holy Mother had paid for forcibly activating the ‘Gathering Immortal Bell’.

After all, ordinary flesh wounds meant nothing to a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

As long as the Nascent Soul remained unharmed,

even decapitation could be reversed through Rebirth by a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

Similarly, once the Nascent Soul suffered severe damage, even if the cultivator showed no outward injuries, it would still constitute fundamental damage to their foundation.

The price the Black Lotus Holy Mother paid for forcibly activating the Gathering Immortal Bell was precisely the latter.

She had used the Divine Soul of this Clone, combined with her unique Divine Ability,

to barely compensate for the missing fragment of the Gathering Immortal Bell, allowing it to unleash partial power.

And repairing this damage to the Nascent Soul was not something that could be accomplished in a short time.

Though she had already manifested her Law of Heaven and Earth, the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s methods were far from exhausted.

The Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Vast World Pure Bodhisattva sat upon the black lotus, looking down at Lu Chen below.

In a dignified, androgynous voice, it declared: “Though plans have changed, everything remains within my control.”

“After all, executing a Great Divine Power at the Golden Core Stage cannot be easy for you either.”

“Moreover… you are not the only one in this world who possesses Great Divine Powers.”

As she spoke, strange Sanskrit chants began to resonate around the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

Appearing along with these chants was an incomplete Buddha-land.

This Buddha-land overall displayed a layout of six palaces, namely: ‘Pure Eye Palace’, ‘Pure Ear Palace’, ‘Pure Nose Palace’, ‘Pure Tongue Palace’, ‘Pure Body Palace’, and finally the ‘Pure Mind Palace’.

These six palaces precisely corresponded to the six desires in Buddhism:

Eye: desire to see, craving beautiful sights and rare objects.

Ear: desire to hear, craving pleasing sounds and praises.

Nose: desire to smell, craving fragrances.

Tongue: desire to taste, craving delicious food and drink.

Body: desire to touch, craving comfort and pleasure.

Mind: desire to think, craving sensory pleasures, fame, profit, and all other vain glories.The Buddha Realm manifesting around the Black Lotus Holy Mother at this moment was not the complete Six Palaces of Buddha.

Only three palaces—’Eye’, ‘Ear’, and ‘Nose’—had appeared.

This indicated that the ‘Great Divine Power’ currently unleashed by the Black Lotus Buddha Mother was incomplete.

Lu Chen speculated that this might be related to the fact that the Black Lotus Holy Mother before him was merely one of her Heretical Avatars.

Her true form dared not set foot in the Immortal Alliance, likely out of fear for their Celestial Artifact, the Nine Provinces Cauldron.

Otherwise, if the real Black Lotus Holy Mother were standing before him,

what appeared would not be a fragmented Buddha Realm, but a complete one.

In that case, even if Lu Chen wished to escape, it would be utterly impossible.

Yet even an incomplete Great Divine Power still displayed its terrifying might.

As soon as the Three Palaces of Buddha emerged, Lu Chen’s Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation was immediately affected.

Not only did the four Immortal Swords begin to tremble violently,

but Lu Chen himself felt a force pulling against him, as if in a tug-of-war.

He and the Black Lotus Holy Mother stood on opposite ends of this contest,

vying for control over the very fabric of the heavens and the earth.

Though they had not yet engaged in direct combat, the mere clash of their Great Divine Powers

had already reduced the original gymnasium to utter ruin.

Reinforced concrete and countless rubble floated mid-air,

while the massive stadium had completely vanished,

replaced by a terrifying, kilometer-wide abyss.

Fortunately, the moment Lu Chen activated his Great Divine Power: Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation, he had pulled Jiang Qing and the others behind him.

And the instant he made contact with them, he understood the true cause of their unconsciousness.

Jiang Qing and the others had become mere hollow shells,

their Divine Souls already drawn into the Gathering Immortal Bell.

This method was identical to what Lu Chen had encountered during the True Immortal Trial.

Knowing the effects of the Gathering Immortal Bell, Lu Chen formulated a rough countermeasure in his heart.

However, the Black Lotus Holy Mother still held firm control over the bell, leaving few openings,

preventing Lu Chen from immediately rescuing the others’ Divine Souls.

He had to wait for the perfect moment—

and he believed it would not be long.

After a fierce confrontation, the two Great Divine Powers reached a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.

Since Lu Chen had unleashed a complete Great Divine Power, his Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation fully enveloped the Black Lotus Buddha Mother and her ‘Six Desires Buddha Realm’.

Yet this encirclement did not equate to suppression.

Seated within her Buddha Realm, the Black Lotus Holy Mother retained her full strength, unaffected by the sword formation’s influence.

This was her greatest advantage.

Apart from wielding a Great Divine Power, the Black Lotus Holy Mother was also a Great Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage.

Her cultivation and Nascent Soul manifestation partially offset the advantage of Lu Chen’s complete Great Divine Power.

In fact, compared to Lu Chen, her advantages were by no means insignificant.After all, once Lu Chen activated the Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation, his true form could not move beyond its range.

For the Black Lotus Holy Mother, who had transformed into a hundred-meter-tall Bodhisattva, this made him an ideal target.

She could easily injure him.

This was clear to the Black Lotus Holy Mother, and equally clear to Lu Chen.

Therefore, to further leverage his advantage, Lu Chen immediately controlled the sword formation to launch an attack on the Black Lotus Buddha Mother.

Four Immortal Swords, embodying four great Daos of heaven and earth.

As multicolored light radiated from the four Immortal Swords, four special laws descended within the sword formation.

First came the white sword light of the Fiend-Trapping Sword.

These white sword lights transformed into countless sword chains, swiftly assaulting the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Nascent Soul Dharma Form—the Vast World Pure Bodhisattva—not far away.

Facing the onslaught of “Fiend-Trapping Chains,” the Vast World Pure Bodhisattva, manifested by the Black Lotus Holy Mother, immediately raised one arm.

In its pure white palm, it held a rattle drum resembling an “ear.”

As the Black Lotus Holy Mother shook the rattle drum, strange Sanskrit chants suddenly emerged.

In an instant, the “Pure Ear Palace” within the Six Desires Buddha Realm also underwent a change.

Countless earless devotees sat cross-legged in the Pure Ear Palace, continuously striking the wooden fish before them.

Upon closer inspection, the wooden fish were actually composed of stacked skulls.

And the rod-like objects they used to strike the skulls were their own severed ears.

When these two streams of Sanskrit chants merged, they formed a massive invisible barrier around the Black Lotus Holy Mother, blocking Lu Chen’s “Fiend-Trapping Chains.”

Witnessing this, Lu Chen’s expression turned extremely grave.

‘Those who crave sound sever their ears to purify hearing, thus freeing themselves from greed for sound.’

He had not expected that these fanatical Black Lotus Cultists, after fully devoting themselves to the Black Lotus Sect, would willingly become part of the Buddha Realm.

Transforming into weapons for the Black Lotus Buddha Mother to wield against enemies.

This was not the first time Lu Chen had encountered the madness of the Black Lotus Sect.

Previously, in the special instance—the Sword Formation Ruins—Lu Chen had met Bai Yu, a Black Lotus Sect Elder from the post-Azure Cloud Sect era.

Through hundreds of rebirths, Lu Chen had learned many secrets about the Black Lotus Sect from Bai Yu.

Including their doctrines, their Dao lineage, and the forms their high-ranking Buddhist figures took.

The Black Lotus Sect’s methods were simple and brutal.

Their way of helping followers purify desires was to directly remove certain organs.

For example, the Black Lotus Cultists now appearing in the Pure Ear Palace were “Pure Listeners” who had their ears severed.

Generally, those who purified one desire could become formal Black Lotus Cultists.

Those who purified two desires could become senior disciples.

Those who purified three desires could become Missionaries.

Those who purified four desires could establish altars as Protectors.

Those who purified five desires could become sect-guarding Elders.

Those who purified six desires could transform into living Buddhas.

Initially, Lu Chen found it strange why the Black Lotus Sect he encountered in the Immortal Alliance was completely different from the one in the game world.

After all, in the game, every Black Lotus Cultist was a debauched, frenzied fanatic.

Yet the real-world Black Lotus Sect was not nearly as insane.

They seemed to merely use the Black Lotus Sect’s name to gather troublemakers and cause disturbances, without any clear doctrine.

However, after learning some of the real-world Black Lotus Sect’s secrets, Lu Chen quickly understood the reason.

In reality, due to suppression by the Immortal Alliance, the Black Lotus Sect had to prioritize establishing a foothold within the alliance.If ordinary people truly followed the doctrines of the Black Lotus Sect and carried out the act of “physically extinguishing desires,” they would undoubtedly stand out like fireflies in the night under the current well-ordered Immortal Alliance, impossible to conceal.

Thus, in reality, the Black Lotus Sect remains fundamentally in the elementary stage of recruiting followers. Moreover, to avoid easy detection by the Immortal Alliance, they must diligently restrain themselves, ensuring their cultists maintain the appearance of normal individuals. This is why Lu Chen had not encountered many of the crazed and twisted Black Lotus Cultists like those in the game.

Facing the Black Lotus Holy Mother, who had blocked his “Fiend-Severing Sword” with a method of Buddhist chanting, Lu Chen immediately launched a second attack. The massive Fiend-Slaughter Sword glowed with red light, transforming into countless Karma Immortal Swords that shot toward the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

This time, the Black Lotus Holy Mother raised a palm, clutching a string of Buddhist beads made from various eyeballs. The eyes on the beads all turned to gaze in the direction of the Fiend-Slaughter Sword. Soon, the Karma Immortal Swords released by the Fiend-Slaughter Sword turned transparent on the spot, passing through the space around the Black Lotus Holy Mother and landing harmlessly.

“Those greedy for sight gouge out their eyes to purify vision, thus ending greed for sight.” The Greed-Seeing Beads, combined with the “Pure Sight Palace,” manifested a Divine Ability effect that nullified whatever they saw. It perfectly demonstrated the principle of “I see, therefore I am; if I do not see… then it does not exist.”

Such a bizarre method left even Lu Chen somewhat helpless. Fortunately, this “Pure Sight Divine Ability” seemed to have certain limitations. After nullifying the attack from Lu Chen’s Fiend-Slaughter Sword, it could no longer apply the “Pure Sight” effect elsewhere. Otherwise, this single “Pure Sight” technique would have been enough to render most of Lu Chen’s methods useless, placing the Black Lotus Holy Mother in an invincible position.

Lu Chen’s two attacks had now been neutralized by the Black Lotus Holy Mother using two “Buddhist Divine Abilities,” resulting in a temporary stalemate.

Seeing that conventional attacks could hardly harm the Black Lotus Holy Mother, Lu Chen suddenly spoke. “Using a Great Divine Power through a Heretical Avatar—I imagine this Clone of yours cannot be sustained for long, can it? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have needed to go to such lengths earlier, sacrificing part of your Nascent Soul to borrow the power of an ancient Celestial Artifact. After all, this single Six Desires Buddha Realm alone would have been enough for you to suppress everyone present, wouldn’t it?”

Hearing this, the Black Lotus Holy Mother frowned slightly. She was not surprised that Lu Chen had deduced the limitations of her Clone. What puzzled her was how Lu Chen knew so clearly that this Clone was a “Heretical Avatar.” Could it be…

Under the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s astonished gaze, two figures identical to Lu Chen suddenly appeared beside him. Seeing these two figures, the Black Lotus Holy Mother finally understood why Lu Chen knew the nature of her Clone. It turned out that the “Black Lotus Dao Fruit” bloomed from the “Sacred Seed” Lu Chen had devoured years ago was also one of the Black Lotus Sect’s supreme Divine Abilities—the Extraterrestrial Body.

It must be understood that in the Black Lotus Sect, the effect of the Extraterrestrial Body was not merely about summoning a few Clones. They could use these Extraterrestrial Bodies to achieve “purifying desires without harming the self”—eliminating the six desires while maintaining absolute purity. This was also the highest Realm pursued by the Black Lotus Sect… desireless, wantless, dustless, and stainless.The reason the Black Lotus Holy Mother could become a holy mother was because the innate divine ability she awakened back then was the very Heretical Avatar that Lu Chen was currently displaying—the supreme divine ability of the Black Lotus Sect, the Extraterrestrial Body.

Were it not for the existence of the Extraterrestrial Body, the Black Lotus Holy Mother would have been unable to cultivate the Black Lotus Sect’s Buddhist teachings to such a profound Realm while maintaining her purity.

Upon careful reflection, it becomes clear that not all clone divine abilities can perfectly replicate all the capabilities of the original body.

Nor can they allow the original body to flawlessly inherit all the memories and sensations of a dissipated clone without paying a significant price.

From the very beginning, the Heretical Avatar was destined to be no ordinary divine ability.

Its potential far exceeds what its manifestations reveal.

And the higher the Realm, the more this holds true.

Because the separated Heretical Avatar does not affect the strength of the original body.

Observing Lu Chen’s Heretical Avatar, the Black Lotus Buddha Mother’s eyes displayed a rare flicker of emotion.

She discovered that Lu Chen’s Heretical Avatar had actually inherited a full ninety percent of his original body’s cultivation.

It must be understood that special divine abilities like the Heretical Avatar cannot be enhanced through personal cultivation.

Her own Heretical Avatar had barely reached the third Realm.

Moreover, unlike Lu Chen’s two Heretical Avatars, which both possessed identical cultivation levels,

Her Heretical Avatars existed in a hierarchy.

The one she currently displayed before Lu Chen was the weakest of her Heretical Avatars, with a cultivation level that could only reach the sixth revolution of the Nascent Soul Stage.

The second Heretical Avatar could achieve Perfection in the Nascent Soul Stage.

And these two Heretical Avatars were the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s limit.

Yet Lu Chen had not only condensed two Heretical Avatars at once but showed no signs of exhaustion.

This greatly surpassed the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s expectations.

After all, every time she used her Heretical Avatar, she needed a long period to expel the influence of the clone’s memories on herself, preventing her original self from experiencing a shake of her “true self.””

But judging from Lu Chen’s stable cultivation and mental state, his Heretical Avatar seemed to lack these issues.

Was his Heretical Avatar inherently different from hers, or did he possess some unique talent that neutralized the side effects of the Heretical Avatar on his original self?

For now, the Black Lotus Holy Mother could not determine the answer.

Yet regardless of which it was, it solidified her resolve to claim Lu Chen at any cost.

Her intense greed even stirred long-dormant desires within the Black Lotus Holy Mother, who had long been “free from the six roots of sensation.”

This greed was so overwhelming that she could no longer suppress it, almost becoming an obsession in her heart.

Devour him—she must devour him at all costs!

As she watched Lu Chen manifest two Heretical Avatars, the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s gaze grew fervent.

This shift in her mental state caused her own Buddha Realm to distort slightly, nearing the point of collapse.

Strangely, the Black Lotus Holy Mother seemed oblivious to this, her eyes fixed intently on Lu Chen as if beholding a peerless beauty.

Though Lu Chen was somewhat surprised by the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s reaction, he felt this might not necessarily be a bad thing for him.

Because by breaking her state of “freedom from the six roots of sensation,” the Black Lotus Holy Mother had, to some extent, “negated” her own Dao.

After all, the Six Desires Buddha Realm was built upon the foundation of “freedom from the six roots of sensation.”The Black Lotus Holy Mother, with her six senses still impure, found it no easy task to unleash this Great Divine Power again.

Fortunately, she was no ordinary individual after all.

In a sudden move, she resolutely gouged out her own eyes.

Though this act caused her cultivation to drop once more, descending to merely the Second Revolution of the Nascent Soul Stage,

it thoroughly stabilized her Buddha Realm, preventing her Divine Abilities from dissipating.

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.

Seeing such a golden opportunity arise, Lu Chen naturally wouldn’t let it slip by.

Lu Chen’s two Heretical Avatars respectively connected with the ‘Fiend-Slaying Sword’ and ‘Fiend-Severing Sword’ within the Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation.

He himself retrieved an ordinary Azure Clouds Magic Sword from his Storage Bag and assumed a common opening stance.

Executing a Great Divine Power at the Golden Core Stage was far from as simple as outsiders might imagine.

After all, the Divine Soul strength at the Golden Core Stage paled in comparison to that of the Nascent Soul Stage.

Lu Chen couldn’t unleash the full power of the Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation—the fusion of all four swords—in one go within a short time.

The only thing he could do was control and activate the Immortal Swords one by one.

However, exceptions exist to every rule.

While Lu Chen alone couldn’t control all four Immortal Swords,

he wasn’t fighting alone.

The Heretical Avatars were essentially other versions of himself.

His purpose in summoning two Heretical Avatars was precisely to have them help control and activate the remaining two Immortal Swords.

As for himself, he naturally intended to execute the heretical sword technique he had recently mastered… the Immortal Severing Sword.

Although the Black Lotus Holy Mother had blinded herself to avoid desire through non-perception,

this didn’t mean she couldn’t sense changes in her surroundings.

The moment Lu Chen assumed the opening stance of the Immortal Severing Sword, the Black Lotus Holy Mother vaguely sensed a looming danger.

This threat stemmed from her inability to counter Lu Chen’s strike through any means—she had to face it head-on.

Without any hesitation, the Black Lotus Buddha Mother immediately activated her final Six Desires Divine Power… Pure Nose.

As the Black Lotus Buddha Mother raised her last arm, the pagoda composed of countless noses on that arm slowly ascended.

This pagoda hovered high above the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s head, voraciously absorbing all energy from the surrounding heaven and earth like a whale consuming the ocean.

Simultaneously, Lu Chen’s Fiend-Slaying Sword and Fiend-Severing Sword… launched their attacks together.

First, the law-destroying purple light of the Fiend-Severing Sword illuminated the Black Lotus Buddha Mother’s surroundings.

Causing her Buddha Realm to tremble violently, as if suffering severe damage.

Fortunately, the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s ‘Pure Nose Pagoda’ could absorb all things, even including part of the Fiend-Severing Sword’s power.

Thus, in a clash of attack and absorption, the two forces actually canceled each other out.

But Lu Chen’s assault this time wasn’t limited to just the Fiend-Severing Sword’s sword technique.

The Fiend-Slaying Sword arrived above the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s head and began descending slowly.

Facing this attack, the Black Lotus Holy Mother had no choice but to withstand it with her own Law of Heaven and Earth.

Instantly, a dense Buddha light permeated the Black Lotus Buddha Mother’s entire body, clashing with the descending Fiend-Slaying Sword above.

Boom!

The tip of the Fiend-Slaying Sword paused three feet above the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s head, struggling to descend further.

However, the Black Lotus Buddha Mother’s Law of Heaven and Earth proved incredibly resilient, further reinforced by the Six Desires Buddha Realm.

This prevented the Fiend-Slaying Sword’s ‘Sharpness Principle’ from achieving its full effect.

It could only continuously sever the Buddha light surrounding the Black Lotus Buddha Mother, unable to directly injure her true form with a single strike.

With Nascent Soul cultivation and a Divine Soul infinitely approaching Deity Transformation,

the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Law of Heaven and Earth far surpassed that of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

“Sever.”

Just as the Black Lotus Holy Mother blocked Lu Chen’s Four Fiend-Slaying Swords, the sword in Lu Chen’s hand… was unleashed.

It was an utterly ordinary slash.

When the sword moved, there was neither earth-shattering sword momentum nor extraordinary celestial phenomena.

Yet this very strike genuinely wounded the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

Because this sword neither severed the Physical Body nor cut the Divine Soul.What he severed was the Karma upon the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

Without cause, there is no effect; without form, there is no manifestation. When the body perishes… the soul naturally extinguishes.

This was the truth behind the Immortal Severing Sword—strikes that never miss, and strikes that never fail to kill.

However, Lu Chen did not choose to strike a vital point on the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

Because he understood clearly that a single strike from him could never sever the intricate web of Karma upon her.

What he aimed to do was stall the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

To hold out until other powerful cultivators from the Immortal Alliance arrived.

Or until his own Clone collapsed from the backlash of the Great Divine Power.

Thus, what Lu Chen severed was the arm of the Black Lotus Holy Mother that held the ‘Gathering Immortal Bell.’

Although this arm appeared to be fused with the Celestial Artifact, the Gathering Immortal Bell, making it the strongest part of her body,

For the Immortal Severing Sword, it was the weakest point of her entire form.

Because the Karma between the ‘Gathering Immortal Bell’ and the Black Lotus Holy Mother was the most fragile.

It was the most suitable place for the Immortal Severing Sword to exert its power.

Squelch!

Amid a shower of blood raining from the sky, one of the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s hands was severed on the spot.

Along with it, the Gathering Immortal Bell she controlled slipped from her grasp.

This turn of events took the Black Lotus Holy Mother by surprise.

Yet, almost the instant the Gathering Immortal Bell left her hand, she immediately activated her Nascent Soul power to rapidly regenerate her arm.

As the severed hand continuously underwent Rebirth, she reached out first to reclaim the Gathering Immortal Bell hovering in mid-air.

But as fast as she was, Lu Chen was faster.

Golden Core Dharma Body… Shangqing Lingbao Heavenly Lord!

Lu Chen’s Golden Core power erupted completely, materializing as a colossal phantom behind him.

In the next moment, a semi-transparent Trigram Celestial Robe draped over Lu Chen.

And at the center of his brow, three petal-like marks appeared.

However, among these three petals, only one displayed an Azure Profound Color, while the other two remained as mere outlines, lacking substance.

With his Dharma Body manifested, Lu Chen raised his hand and immediately began contending with the Black Lotus Holy Mother for control of the Gathering Immortal Bell.

Under normal circumstances, unless one’s cultivation utterly overwhelmed the opponent,

Attempting to seize the opponent’s Magic Treasure right before their eyes

Would be nothing short of a fool’s dream.

But Lu Chen’s Supreme Purity Numinous Treasure Heavenly Lord Dharma Body was different.

In this state, he could use the power of his Dharma Body to directly influence Magic Treasures within a certain range around him.

It was a unique power, straddling the line between Divine Ability and Great Divine Power.

As if it were a law of heaven and earth.

It was precisely because of this trump card, the Supreme Purity Multitreasure Celestial,

That Lu Chen had the confidence to seize the Gathering Immortal Bell.

If he could master this Celestial Artifact and find a way to unleash its effects,

Victory in this duel would firmly belong to him.

But for the Black Lotus Holy Mother, who had cultivated all the way to the Deity Transformation Stage,

Her long years and vast experience allowed her to make the correct decision in an instant.

“Impressive skill. Since things have come to this, why not join me in this grand dream?”

Boom!

It was unclear what the Black Lotus Holy Mother did, but the Gathering Immortal Bell suspended in the air trembled once more.

This time, the Celestial sound it released was far more intense than before, and even those outside the Mountains and Seas Scroll heard a deep, resonant toll.

Seeing this, a flicker of strangeness passed through Lu Chen’s eyes.

As if everything he had done was merely to wait for this moment.

In the next instant, Lu Chen suppressed a certain power within his body, allowing the Gathering Immortal Bell to draw his Divine Soul in along with it.Together with the Black Lotus Holy Mother, they entered the great dream within the bell.

“Young friend, you have indeed not disappointed me.”

Lu Chen opened his eyes to find himself in a familiar yet unfamiliar bamboo forest, along with a dilapidated thatched hut.

Inside the hut, an elderly man sat lazily at a small table, smiling as he looked at him.

Upon seeing the old man, Lu Chen immediately spoke respectfully: “This junior Lu Chen pays respects to Gu Yue True Immortal.”

Gu Yue True Immortal waved his hand and said: “I dare not accept such formalities. Though I am but a drop of Origin essence blood, unaware of the changes that have occurred over ten thousand years in the outside world, I have a vague feeling that you and I should be considered equals.”

“Calling you ‘young friend’ is merely because this drop of my Origin essence happens to be slightly older than you in this lifetime.”

As he spoke, Gu Yue True Immortal turned to look beside them.

“Young friend, how do you plan to deal with him?”

In the corner of the thatched hut, the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Heretical Avatar had reverted to its initial childlike form and was tightly bound by Gu Yue True Immortal.

He looked at Lu Chen and Gu Yue True Immortal with terror, seemingly completely unaware of what had happened.

Perhaps sensing the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s shock, Gu Yue True Immortal said with a playful expression: “Using my own possession against me – you later generations certainly have courage.”

Although she had vaguely guessed the truth, when these words came from Gu Yue True Immortal’s mouth, the Black Lotus Holy Mother was utterly astonished.

It must be known that Celestial Artifacts possess spirits – even when damaged, they do not lose their form.

If Gu Yue True Immortal still existed, even if the Black Lotus Holy Mother employed all her methods, without Gu Yue True Immortal’s consent, she couldn’t control the damaged Gathering Immortal Bell in the slightest.

Thus, throughout history, there have only been two circumstances under which one could wield a Celestial Artifact.

One is when the Immortal has died, leaving the Celestial Artifact masterless.

The other is when the Immortal gives permission, or one possesses the Immortal’s Bloodline.

The Black Lotus Holy Mother’s ability to control the Gathering Immortal Bell relied on the former circumstance.

Yet now she was being told that the Gathering Immortal Bell had always had an owner.

She had even used this Celestial Artifact against its original master.

Such a reversal, even for someone of the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s great determination, couldn’t help but shake her resolve.

She looked at Lu Chen with despair in her eyes, fully realizing that she had fallen into Lu Chen’s trap.

From beginning to end, Lu Chen had been waiting for her to make a desperate move, to fully unleash the Gathering Immortal Bell’s power.

At that point, she herself couldn’t preserve her true self and would be dragged into the Gathering Immortal Bell like Jiang Qing and the others before her.

However, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for her.

Because as long as a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator’s Nascent Soul doesn’t perish, they can achieve Rebirth through another vessel.

Especially since this was merely her Heretical Avatar.

Once inside the Gathering Immortal Bell, the Black Lotus Holy Mother had countless methods to safely evade the Immortal Alliance’s pursuit and return to hiding.

Thus, with her Divine Soul entering the Gathering Immortal Bell, she was practically in an invincible position.

But despite all her calculations, she never anticipated that Lu Chen’s body actually contained a True Immortal!

And this particular True Immortal happened to be the original owner of the Gathering Immortal Bell.

For a moment, the Black Lotus Holy Mother didn’t know whether to call her luck too bad or too good.

Two impossible circumstances had converged, creating a special miracle unseen throughout the ages.

Her defeat was not unjust.

As Lu Chen looked at the Black Lotus Holy Mother, he seemed to have long decided how to deal with her.He then looked at Gu Yue True Immortal and spoke: “I ask the True Immortal to allow this junior to experience the true method of creation.”

Hearing this, Gu Yue True Immortal seemed to have anticipated it, immediately laughing heartily: “Very well, then let this little friend see clearly what truly constitutes… eliminating the false to reveal the true.”

As he spoke, Gu Yue True Immortal raised his hand, aiming toward Black Lotus Holy Mother in the corner…

(End of Chapter)