With a wave of his hand, a twelve-grade golden lotus broke through the earth, aligning with his own lotus platform, and the petals flowed with the embodied patterns of the Taixu Law, each pattern glimmering with a mysterious light.

The name "True Martial" was uttered.

Those demons and arhats who did not know the background of True Martial exchanged confused glances, while the old monsters aware of the reputation of the demon-suppressing master were frightened to the core. It must be noted that this generation's True Martial had once used the Mystic Water Banner as a template to fuse the essence of nine-tenths of Taixu demons, forging the Heaven-covering Banner. Legend has it that when this flag is unfurled, it can envelop the entire universe, and the patterns on its surface still echo with the wails of countless demons, each cry containing boundless resentment.

Truly, the ultimate nightmare of worldly demons.

"What is there to argue about cause and effect?" True Martial responded indifferently.

With a slight tap of Shakyamuni's fingertips, thousands of golden ropes descended from the dome of the Great Leiyin Temple, weaving the void into the Buddha Country Barrier. The ropes were engraved with ancient Buddha mantras, each line emitting a dazzling glow. As he spoke, each word resonated like a Brahma bell, causing waves to ripple through the space: "I advise you to turn back, do not involve yourself further in the matters of the Heavenly Court."

True Martial stroked the Heaven-covering Banner at his waist, its hidden patterns emanating a faint glow, with sinister demon faces emerging on its surface, and he said serenely:

"In this matter, Shakyamuni, you were involved long before me."

Shakyamuni replied: "I have my own reasons, your involvement only adds to the variables, which is definitely not a good thing." The golden body behind him trembled slightly, emitting even stronger pressure.

True Martial couldn't help but laugh heartily, his laughter shaking Spirit Mountain, causing cracks to appear in the surrounding space: "What is certainly not a good thing, Shakyamuni, your concerns are too many."

The aura around him surged, and the Xuan Water Qi transformed into a massive water dragon that coiled behind him.

Shakyamuni's expression tightened: "For crossing sentient beings, one must involve oneself in conflicts, I apologize!"

Before the words fell, the three thousand arhats received Shakyamuni's Buddha intent decree, shooting golden light from their eyes. The golden light wove the scripture of the Lengyan in the air, each character emitting a sacred glow, transforming into chains to suppress the heavens, roaring towards True Martial.

Wherever the chains passed, the space emitted a mournful cry, seemingly dreading the battle that was about to come.

In an instant, the Heaven-covering Banner burst forth from True Martial's sleeve, transforming into an ink-colored dome that covered the universe. This supreme treasure, forged from the essence of Taixu demons, displayed sinister demon faces, each face emitting soul-reaping howls. The moment a corner of the flag trembled slightly, those roaring Buddha Chains crumbled inch by inch, and the Vajra Demon Suppression Formation formed by the three thousand arhats was like thin paper under the pressure of the Heaven-covering Banner. As the formation collapsed, it emitted a cataclysmic explosion, shaking Spirit Mountain.

"Collect!" True Martial shouted coldly, and the Heaven-covering Banner transformed into a devouring giant mouth, swallowing all three thousand arhats. Moments later, the flag surface exuded a stream of golden Primordial Qi, precisely the fragments of those once arrogant demon cultivators being instantly refined. The Primordial Qi gathered into a golden river in the air, from which screams occasionally emerged, sending shivers down one's spine.

This scene startled Spirit Mountain into tremors, causing countless Buddha statues to crack.

The bristles between Shakyamuni's eyebrows suddenly radiated, revealing a three-yard golden body behind him. His left hand formed the Dharma Seal, while his right hand raised the Tathagata Divine Palm. When this palm fell, it pulverized the void, countless Buddha phantoms surged from the palm patterns, causing the space to crack like glass struck by a massive hammer. The palm wind raised a golden storm, mixed with countless Buddha mantras, its power infinite.

True Martial pointed his sword finger to the sky, and seven strands of mysterious sword light burst forth from his crown, revealing the "Heaven Opening Technique" from the True Martial Absolute Skill "Seven Mysterious Heaven Swords." At the moment when sword light collided with the Buddha palm, dragon roars and tiger roars echoed from the depths of Taixu, shaking countless space-time fragments across a million-mile radius into a flurry.

The first seven Buddha palms exploded in the sword shadows, each explosion emitting dazzling light, illuminating the entire Taixu.

However, when the eighth palm "Ten Thousand Buddhas Return to the Sect" descended, the golden light transformed into billions of Buddha shadows surrounding True Martial. The weapons in the hands of the Buddha shadows glowed coldly, forming an impermeable grand formation, trapping True Martial in the center.

"Pfft!" True Martial spat out fresh blood, his mystic daoist robe scorched with burn marks by the Buddha light, emitting a charred smell. Yet he seized the momentum to thrust the final sword light into Shakyamuni's golden body, and where the Mystic Sky Sword went, Buddha's Blood like golden rain fell, corroding deep ravines into the rocky walls of Spirit Mountain. Golden smoke continuously emerged from the ravines, from which Buddha chants echoed, seemingly mourning the battle.

Shakyamuni's golden body trembled, sighed: "True Martial Daoist, do you truly wish to oppose me?"

True Martial wiped away the blood from his mouth, the Heaven-covering Banner automatically flew back to his waist, the banner surface swelling multiple times due to absorbing a massive amount of Primordial Qi, the demon faces on its surface appearing even more sinister.

"What is bestowed today, will surely be repaid lavishly in the future."

Having said this, the aura of Xuan Water surged around him, transforming into a stream of radiance, fleeing into the depths of Taixu. As he departed, the aura he left behind formed a massive vortex in the air, where remnants of the battle occasionally flashed. At the foot of Spirit Mountain, the refined essences of the three thousand arhats were turning into starlight, merging into the patterns of the Heaven-covering Banner. As the starlight flashed, faint Buddha chants echoed, seemingly narrating the ferocity of the battle.

Shakyamuni did not pursue, he gazed at the direction where True Martial had fled, his eyes deep as an abyss. He was well aware that True Martial, having received one of his palms, would not return for five hundred years. He turned and entered the Great Leiyin Temple, the temple doors slowly closed, as if nothing had happened, yet the lingering battle aura around Spirit Mountain recounted the epic battle that had just occurred.

…

…

True Martial transformed into Heavenly River Mystic Water, descending into the Taixu Illusion Realm.

A monumental building named North Heavenly Gate stood proudly there.

"Great Emperor, who could possibly harm you, was it Shakyamuni?" An ethereal voice of a woman rose, followed by wisps of Tao Qi transforming into a carpet, guiding True Martial into North Heavenly Gate.

True Martial stepped through the gate, in front was an illusory river, like moonlight solidified.

He said softly: "Shakyamuni is more terrifying than before."

In the past when Shakyamuni sent off the four great Daoist sects masters, he did not possess the divine skills he does now.

Over the years, his divine skills have recovered to a more terrifying degree, truly not a good thing.

"He inherently transcends the Three Realms, beyond the Five Elements. His increasing horror signifies that the Taixu Universe..." the woman responded.

True Martial continued: "This signifies the time-space barriers of the Taixu Universe are stronger than ever, closer to the Origin Universe."

The woman, who was the sect master of Taixu Daoist Sect, took a deep breath and said: "Great Emperor, do we still have a chance to escape?"

Shakyamuni is an immensely special presence, his divine skills represent the upper limit of Taixu Universe.

The stronger Shakyamuni becomes, the more it indicates the upper limit of Taixu Universe is continually rising.

In the past, the four great Daoist sects masters could open time-space crevices in battles with Shakyamuni, but now such openings would never occur.

True Martial: "I have faith in that young one. Alas, having suffered Shakyamuni's palm, I cannot go out to help him for five hundred years. This slaughter tribulation is destined to be missed."

The sect master of Taixu Daoist Sect said: "To us, five hundred years is but a fleeting instant. However, will Shakyamuni make a move against the Heavenly Court again?"

True Martial shook his head: "Having suffered my Mystic Sky Sword, although his injuries are lighter than mine, in several decades he would not make a move; otherwise, despite his unique nature, he would be assimilated by part of Taixu Universe's source, and the consequences would be far more severe than the injuries."

The sect master of Taixu Daoist Sect nodded, "The source of Taixu Universe comes from the Great Heavenly Venerate, if Shakyamuni were to be assimilated, he would be like us."

True Martial: "Pity that we have the power to traverse the universe, with means reaching the heavens and earth, yet are nothing more than prisoners."

"Destined to be so from birth, it's truly inevitable. In truth, if Shakyamuni hadn't emerged across empty space, pointing out that all conditioned phenomena are like illusions or bubbles, we could never have realized the truth."

"But he may not have the best intentions."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.