Chapter 272 – Heavily Damaged Black Lotus Sect, Fulfilling Samadhi True Fire's Requirements…

Facing an Immortal, even if it was just a single drop of the Immortal’s Origin essence blood, despite the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s extraordinary talents and numerous methods, she was utterly powerless to fight back.

Unlike Lu Chen, who had to exercise extreme caution when executing the ‘Creation Pill Art’ to refine even a trace of Dao charm, Gu Yue True Immortal performed the Creation Pill Art with effortless ease.

Under Gu Yue True Immortal’s control, the Black Lotus Holy Mother’s Heretical Avatar quickly shattered into countless fragments, leaving behind only a ‘Dao Fruit’ resembling a Sharira.

Gu Yue True Immortal looked down at the black Dao Fruit in his hand, showing interest as he remarked, “Hmm? The appearance of this Dao Fruit is rather peculiar. It seems you’ve encountered quite an intriguing individual, young friend.”

To this, Lu Chen replied, “This is an object from beyond our realm, so it naturally possesses some uniqueness.”

Gu Yue True Immortal chuckled and said, “That is true.”

With that, Gu Yue True Immortal tossed the Dao Fruit to Lu Chen.

Then, raising two fingers, Gu Yue True Immortal stated, “Two times. Currently, I can assist you only two more times at most.”

“After these two times, if you encounter any more crises in the future, I will be powerless to help.”

Lu Chen nodded sincerely and said, “This Junior would not ask for more. Two times are sufficient.”

“Haha, it seems staying by your side will bring no shortage of interesting events.”

“Then, until we meet again.”

After speaking, Gu Yue True Immortal vanished from before Lu Chen.

The surrounding Bamboo Forest and thatched cottage gradually began to fade, eventually disappearing completely.

With these obstructions gone, a desolate ancient ruin filled with broken walls and debris appeared before Lu Chen.

Amidst this rubble, Lu Chen recognized many familiar structures.

This place was none other than the White Deer Academy where he had spent considerable time during the previous True Immortal Trial.

However, something had happened to the White Deer Academy—not only was less than one-tenth of the Academy left standing, but even the sky above the Academy appeared utterly dilapidated.

Countless rocks and tiles floated in the sky as if gravity did not exist, presenting a scene of desolation.

Within this ruin, Lu Chen spotted the trapped Jiang Qing and others, as well as the Black Lotus Cultists who had also been dragged into this Immortal Bell ruin.

However, the Black Lotus Cultists were not faring well.

All twelve Zodiac Altar Lords of the Black Lotus Sect had perished, each meeting a gruesome end.

Some were beheaded, others cut in half at the waist, and some had their Divine Souls completely extinguished—truly dead beyond any doubt.

If even the Golden Core Stage Zodiac Altar Lords met such a fate, it went without saying for the Black Lotus Sect lackeys who hadn’t even reached the Golden Core Stage.

Within the entire Immortal Bell space, only Faceless, Lady White Bone, and Perfected Thousand Poisons remained alive.

However, their survival was largely not due to their own Nascent Soul cultivation.

Instead, it was because of the strange Bronze Gu Worms in their possession.

Without the protection of these three Bronze Gu Worms, Faceless and the others would have long been killed by Jiang Qing and her companions.

But with the death of the Black Lotus Buddha Mother, the three Bronze Gu Worms seemed to have lost a certain power.

This caused their strength to continuously decline.

This development was noticed not only by Lady White Bone and the others but also by Jiang Qing and her group on the opposite side.Capturing these three was only a matter of time.

In truth, from the moment the Black Lotus Holy Mother fully activated the Gathering Immortal Bell and entered it with her true form, the failure of the Black Lotus Sect’s plan was already sealed.

Because when the Black Lotus Holy Mother first used the Gathering Immortal Bell, Lu Chen had already passively activated the True Immortal Blood Essence left in his body by Gu Yue True Immortal. At that time, Gu Yue True Immortal had told Lu Chen that as long as he could lure both the Black Lotus Holy Mother and himself into the Gathering Immortal Bell, no matter what methods she employed, Gu Yue True Immortal could easily suppress her.

With this knowledge, Lu Chen’s goal from start to finish was to force the Black Lotus Holy Mother to shift the battlefield into the Gathering Immortal Bell.

Although it seemed like Lu Chen had been suppressing the Black Lotus Holy Mother when he unleashed the Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation earlier, in reality, his Great Divine Power had not inflicted any substantial damage on her. After all, he had only recently entered the Transformation Dao Realm and had not yet fully mastered its power. Moreover, his cultivation was merely at the Golden Core Stage, a full major Realm below the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

His ability to suppress her on the surface was largely due to the fact that she had only manifested a Clone. Without Gu Yue True Immortal’s intervention, while Lu Chen was confident he could escape from the Black Lotus Holy Mother, he would have had no chance of capturing her.

Once the Black Lotus Holy Mother broke free, her eerie Three Purities Buddhist techniques—’Pure Eye,’ ‘Pure Ear,’ and ‘Pure Nose’—would have allowed her to escape effortlessly. Lu Chen suspected that the reason she used this Heretical Avatar within the Immortal Alliance was precisely because this Clone possessed exceptional survival capabilities.

Destroying this Clone today would undoubtedly be a significant loss for both the Black Lotus Holy Mother and the entire Black Lotus Sect.

Just as Lu Chen prepared to assist Jiang Qing and the others in fully capturing Lady White Bone and her companions, the space within the Gathering Immortal Bell began to shake violently. In the next moment, everyone still alive inside the bell felt an overwhelming drowsiness, Lu Chen included.

Within the Mountains and Seas Scroll…

When Lu Chen opened his eyes again, they had returned to the tranquil world of the scroll. However, the scroll world had been ravaged during the battle between Lu Chen and the Black Lotus Holy Mother, now riddled with several passages connecting to reality.

Upon awakening, almost without hesitation, the group immediately pursued Lady White Bone and the others. Though they did not know where the Black Lotus Holy Mother had gone or why they had suddenly been ejected from the Gathering Immortal Bell, those who had cultivated to the Nascent Soul Stage were experienced and shrewd. They understood that hesitation in battle meant wasting a golden opportunity.

Faced with pursuit by multiple Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, Lady White Bone, Faceless, and Perfected Thousand Poisons each revealed their unique abilities. Among them, Perfected Thousand Poisons was the weakest. He failed to even reach the nearest spatial passage before being slain by the Flying Swords of Linjiang City’s Lord, Nangong Hongjiang, his Nascent Soul captured.

Faceless, despite his myriad techniques and ever-shifting faces, was no match for Jiang Qing without the protection of his Bronze Gu Worm. In just two exchanges, his Nascent Soul was severely wounded, and he was captured on the spot.

The only complication arose with Lady White Bone. True to her Daoist Title, her actual form turned out to be a bone spirit.The physical body outside was merely a layer of painted skin.

It was precisely because of this ignorance that the Director of the Linjiang Shanhai Bureau missed his mark.

His seemingly certain strike, intended to severely wound Lady White Bone, instead allowed her to break free from the Mountains and Seas Scroll, leaving behind only a tattered painted skin.

Although Lady White Bone managed to escape by chance, the Director of the Linjiang Shanhai Bureau and Yu Tianqi immediately gave chase, appearing determined not to rest until they caught her.

At this point, the matter could be considered settled.

With the threat of the Black Lotus Sect gone, everyone began searching for the Celestial Artifact, the Gathering Immortal Bell, which had been lost within the Mountains and Seas Scroll.

After all, a Celestial Artifact capable of absorbing the Divine Souls of Nascent Soul Stage cultivators—even if it was incomplete—could elevate an ordinary Nascent Soul Stage cultivator to the very pinnacle of that Realm, provided one mastered its usage.

Yet, despite searching for a long time, no one could find the incomplete Celestial Artifact.

“That Lady White Bone employs sinister methods. I absolutely cannot let her escape,” declared Nangong Hongjiang, the City Lord of Linjiang City, before immediately pursuing in the direction she had fled.

Meanwhile, the Elder from the Jiang Family, whom Jiang Qing had brought along, had already flown out of the Mountains and Seas Scroll even before Nangong Hongjiang finished speaking.

What these two were thinking was perfectly clear to Jiang Qing and Lu Chen within the Mountains and Seas Scroll.

These two old foxes clearly believed that the Gathering Immortal Bell had been taken by Lady White Bone, hence their urgency.

While they certainly had the intention to hunt down the remnants of the Black Lotus Sect and restore clarity to the Immortal Alliance, their true motivation for pursuing Lady White Bone lay with the incomplete Celestial Artifact, the Gathering Immortal Bell.

It could be said that even if Lady White Bone managed to narrowly escape today, the entire Immortal Alliance—whether from the Righteous Path or the Demonic Path—would spare no effort in hunting her down.

In the face of immense benefits, even if hunting a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator was no easy task, many would still be willing to try.

After the two had left, Jiang Qing suddenly turned to Lu Chen beside her and said, “That Celestial Artifact must be with you, right?”

Lu Chen had no intention of hiding it and nodded. “Yes.”

Jiang Qing looked at him with admiration and smiled. “Then, until Lady White Bone is completely captured or you have absolute confidence, it’s best not to use this Celestial Artifact recklessly.”

“Although the Immortal Alliance won’t forcibly take it from you, there’s no guarantee that some individuals won’t resort to underhanded tactics to pressure you into exchanging it.”

“You’re full of surprises everywhere. Even an ancient Celestial Artifact can’t affect you. Could it be that you’re truly the Reincarnation of an Immortal?”

Lu Chen remained silent and did not answer.

Jiang Qing showed no displeasure at this.

For Lu Chen to have cultivated to such a Realm at his age, he must surely harbor some secrets.

However, what has allowed the Jiang Family, or rather, the longevity Families to endure to this day is not merely the ‘Immortality Art’ alone.

It is also their strict Family traditions.

Otherwise, if a Family produced unfilial descendants who offended a future Immortal, even with an Immortal ancestor as backing, it would be difficult for the Family Legacy to continue.

Thus, despite her curiosity about Lu Chen’s secrets, Jiang Qing chose to restrain herself.

“Alright, I will act as if I know nothing about today’s events. As for the matter of the Black Lotus Sect, you can rest assured and leave it to us.””After today, even if the Black Lotus Sect doesn’t perish, we’ll make sure they shed a layer of skin.”

“You should go back and rest properly.”

After saying this, Jiang Qing dispersed the surrounding Mountains and Seas Scroll.

Due to the incident with the Black Lotus Sect, the originally scheduled final round of the college entrance exam was temporarily postponed for one day.

The Immortal Alliance’s explanation for this was that Lu Chen had sustained significant injuries during his battle with Nangong Siying and needed time to recuperate.

Although this explanation was so absurd that anyone who had witnessed Lu Chen’s fight with Nangong Siying would find it unbelievable.

But since the Immortal Alliance had declared it so, what could others possibly say?

Meanwhile, Lu Chen – whom the Immortal Alliance claimed was ‘severely injured’ – had returned alone to his hotel room and entered the game world.

As soon as he entered the game world, Lu Chen took out the Dao Fruit obtained from the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

[Name: Six Desires Dao Fruit]

[Grade: Fourth Realm]

[Effect: After consumption, has a certain probability of mastering the Dao of Six Desires, or can assist in other special cultivation methods]

The Six Desires Dao Fruit – this was what Gu Yue True Immortal had obtained after refining the Black Lotus Holy Mother.

Lu Chen speculated that the reason Gu Yue True Immortal failed to refine an ‘Extraterrestrial Body Dao Fruit’ was because this Black Lotus Holy Mother was merely a Clone – a ‘technique’ rather than a ‘Dao’.

Since it wasn’t a ‘Dao’, naturally no ‘Dao Fruit’ could be refined from it.

In comparison, the Six Desires Buddha Realm was different.

This was a genuine ‘Dao’.

Originally, this Six Desires Dao Fruit would be most suitable for Buddhist cultivators.

Although the Black Lotus Sect’s cultivation methods were distorted, they had genuinely achieved a state of ‘purification of the six senses’.

Therefore, if this Dao Fruit fell into the hands of Buddhist cultivators, it might directly create a living Buddha.

Although Lu Chen wasn’t a Buddhist cultivator, this Dao Fruit was still immensely useful to him.

Because the ‘Human Fire’ required for Lu Chen’s cultivation of Samadhi True Fire was precisely the ‘Fire of Six Desires’ – the legendary heart fire.

According to the original method of Samadhi True Fire, if Lu Chen wanted to cultivate the Human Fire, he would need to properly experience the trials of the Mortal World.

Only after experiencing numerous ups and downs could he possibly cultivate the ‘Human Fire’ among the ‘Heaven, Earth, and Human’ three fires.

But with this Six Desires Dao Fruit, Lu Chen could skip this complicated process and directly cultivate the Human Fire.

This way, among the three fires of Heaven, Earth, and Human required for cultivating Samadhi True Fire, Lu Chen had already obtained two.

The Heaven Fire was the Purple Dawn Divine Fire he had cultivated earlier.

The Human Fire would be the human heart fire cultivated later using the Six Desires Dao Fruit.

As for the final Earth Fire, Lu Chen had known where to find it from the moment he obtained the Samadhi True Fire cultivation method.

It was precisely at Danyang Peak where he resided.

One must know that the greatest feature of Danyang Peak was that it possessed a Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire – the Yangming Earth Fire.

Lu Chen only needed to find a way to absorb part of the Yangming Earth Fire into his body and refine it into his own Earth Fire Divine Ability.

Then he would meet all the conditions for cultivating the complete Samadhi True Fire.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen couldn’t help but marvel at his own good fortune.

The Black Lotus Sect had traveled thousands of miles, braving numerous dangers, just to deliver the Materials he needed for cultivating Samadhi True Fire.

For such great kindness, Lu Chen naturally needed to properly repay them in the future.

As for how to repay them, Lu Chen had already thought it through early on.

Since his Samadhi True Fire would be completed with the help of the Black Lotus Sect…Then in the future, he would use this Samadhi True Fire to burn the Black Lotus Sect—truly a model of returning kindness with kindness.

After this reflection, Lu Chen immediately grasped the Six Desires Dao Fruit in his hand and swallowed it in one gulp.

He then activated the method of Samadhi True Fire and began cultivating his ‘Human Fire’.

[You have consumed the Six Desires Dao Fruit and activated the method of Samadhi True Fire. The Human Fire within your body begins to gather…]

(End of Chapter)