Emperor Yi's Heavenly Court.

Two factions of Heavenly Court forces were huddled together in a corner of the star domain.

Not far away, bursts of dharma spiritual light blossomed in the cosmic void, and colossal dharma bodies clashed ceaselessly.

Because of Song Lin's command, the Western Zhou Heavenly Court coalition forces had the upper hand.

With the Western Zhou, Hou Yi, and Witch God as backing across three small thousand worlds, the enemy remained invincible, even occupying parts of this world.

They had been driven into a desperate situation.

Their choices were to either await death or wait for the enemy to kill them—neither offered a path to survival.

A man dressed as a wizard addressed Emperor Yi: "We can't hold on anymore. The priority now is to leave this place; the opponent has already amassed overwhelming momentum."

This man was the Witch God. With witchcraft that was strange and ruthless, he could resurrect even after being slain. Yet, the Witch God had been killed eight times in succession before realizing that the opposing side was not to be trifled with.

It wasn't just the Witch God and his subordinates; many upper-tier members of Emperor Yi's Heavenly Court harbored grievances.

Watching former comrades betray them one after another and thrive, while they themselves suffered blows in solitude, was unbearable for all.

"Return? There's no returning unless the Heavenly Emperor personally intervenes; otherwise, this spell cannot be unraveled from within."

"However…" Emperor Yi paused briefly, casting a peculiar smile toward the Witch God and others as he said, "There's another way to break the deadlock."

"What is it?"

"Sacrifice—the stronger the individual, the better. With someone at your level, it might even directly connect to Emperor Cheng Tang."

"Ah, I see. Then we're saved. But, someone at my level… where would we find…"

The Witch God's words trailed off mid-sentence, stunned as boundless darkness enveloped him and everyone present from the Witch God Heavenly Court.

Witnessing this scene, the survivors were rendered speechless for a long time. Emperor Yi acted with such determination, giving no one even the slightest chance.

These were allies who had fought side by side for over a millennium; to sell them out so easily was heartbreakingly cold.

"Rest assured, this time it will work. The Eastern King's Heavenly Court won't last long."

Emperor Yi held a black ball in his hand, inside which the Witch God and his subordinates were imprisoned.

This time, with so many captives, aside from their use in sacrificing to the Heavenly Emperor, they would also serve to create a divine platform.

The divine platform is also known as breath soil.

It is a celestial substance, the foundational soil enabling the Heavenly Court to transcend the small thousand world and stand tall in the void as a medium thousand world.

The divine platform itself is crafted from breath soil.

Having already suffered immense losses, Emperor Yi thought, "Since we've lost so much already, why not lose even more? Better to go all in and lay the groundwork for establishing the Divine Court."

The Yinn Shang Divine System was distinct from other divine systems. Theoretically, all were Heavenly Emperors, and the ancestral founder Cheng Tang did not restrict his descendants from expansion or establishing their own domains.

Except for Taijia and Wuding, none of the other monarchs were eligible to create a medium thousand Heavenly Court.

Perhaps this could be an opportunity.

By rallying the power of the Four Realms, the foundation for a medium thousand Heavenly Court could be forged, while simultaneously harnessing Cheng Tang's strength to annihilate their enemies.

The plan required time, so for now, he resolved to endure. They would continue battling the enemy as usual, waiting for a chance to concentrate the opposing forces and eliminate them in one decisive strike.

In the Real World, Lingwei Realm, and Western Zhou's story world, an unusual calm descended.

Each side seized the opportunity to develop their forces, aiming to secure victory in the future.

Lingwei Buddha continued to monitor Song Lin's every move, and Song Lin was well aware of this constant scrutiny, behaving as usual in the meantime.

At present, he had spread the Pure World Golden Lotus Sect across ten star domains, amassing eight thousand disciples and 120,000 protectors.

These protectors were disciples recruited from cultivation sects.

Beyond protectors, they also had servants and apprentices who were part of their ranks.

When all combined, their numbers exceeded 300,000.

This was because the Cultivation Path had relatively low entry barriers, and the rate of producing skilled cultivators was quite promising.

Occasionally, a batch of experts could emerge within a few centuries without issue.

The only drawback, however, was the enormous consumption of resources.

Whether in the Real World or the Eight Sceneries, Song Lin had intentionally controlled their scale, fearing it might grow into a locust plague.

Yet now, being in someone else's world, resource depletion was no longer a concern. They could freely plunder without inhibition.

When the opposing forces finally noticed the changes in Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, it would be too late.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Song Lin closed his eyes again to meditate, seeking enlightenment in the Infinite Brightness Dao.

This dao resembled Pure Yang; the nature was similar, but its attack power was comparatively weaker, though it possessed exorcistic and transformative properties.

The exorcistic aspect required no explanation, but the transformative property was particularly intriguing.

Song Lin summoned Guu Yuchan.

"How many people have arrived this time?"

"Seven hundred and five."

"Alright, gather them all."

Song Lin murmured to himself, "This represents the highest echelon of this world's ruling class."

The annual Dao Symposium was held, focusing on the principles of the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture.

Soon, everyone had arrived.

Song Lin began lecturing on the dao.

As he explained, immortal cranes, auspicious clouds, lotus flowers, golden light, and other phenomena appeared in the sky.

Some individuals achieved enlightenment on the spot, entering a state of epiphany.

Song Lin held nothing back, openly expounding upon secret techniques for their benefit.

These individuals represented the core leadership initiating changes within this world.

The method of discerning loyalty was straightforward: the ability to cultivate the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture. If one failed to cultivate it, their mindset clearly did not align with the Taoist School's standards.

At present, there were only 700 individuals, but if the number reached 70,000, the fate of this world would be secured.

The Taiyi Jinhua Scripture encompassed the cleansing of the Spirit Platform, revealing the heart's true nature, and converting Taoist Realm into Donghua Orthodoxy.

Thus, Song Lin had no doubts about the integrity of these high-level members.

If their hearts betrayed the doctrines of Donghua, their attainment of Taiyi Jinhua's realm would fade, causing them to fall from grace.

What expedited their enlightenment was Song Lin's mastery of the Infinite Brightness Dao.

This dao could transform individuals, enlighten all beings, and enable others to comprehend the dao.

Time flowed swiftly.

Song Lin transitioned between three worlds, and his Tao Golden Pill grew increasingly solid, nearing crystallization.

When the Heavenly Court ascended in the Real World, he might successfully form the Golden Core on the spot and step into the Heavenly Immortal Dao.

He sensed this milestone wouldn't take much longer now.

The Upper Pure Demon Tribulation was less than a century away.

Apart from Innate Yang Qi, many other daos had successively achieved perfection.

Benefiting from the Innate Eight Diagrams and the profundity of Buddhist Law, Song Lin was surprised by the newfound utility of Buddhist mastery in accelerating his dao comprehension.

Brightness was itself derived from Pure Yang. With the confirmation from Pure Yang, Song Lin swiftly perfected this dao, elevating it to the Bodhisattva Fruit.

"Still one Jiazi short. One Jiazi marks the Upper Pure Demon Tribulation. Previously, I let Fazang lull Lingwei occasionally; that fellow probably still believes Fazang holds control over the situation."

When Lingwei finally arrives, he would be in for a big surprise.

Wuchao Mountain.

Inside a secret chamber, Song Lin gazed at the Bodhisattva Fruit within himself.

Though called a "fruit," it wasn't necessarily a fruit-shaped entity.

Different daos manifested in varied forms.

Some individuals might find it to be a fruit, while others might see it as a sword, a flower, or a Golden Core.

Song Lin's fruit took the form of a golden lotus, resembling the lotus platform beneath his feet and bearing the essence of Taoism's green lotus.

The dual aesthetic was likely a result of integrating Taoist Cultivation Techniques into Buddhist philosophy.

Overall, it was rather extraordinary.

This avatar had now attained cultivation harmonizing Buddhist and Taoist principles.

"Announce the arrival of Ding Guang Venerable Sage."

"As expected..."

Song Lin mused inwardly. The moment he advanced, this figure promptly appeared.

During his journey to the Western Pure Land, he remained highly vigilant.

Upon reaching the Western Pure Land, Song Lin sensed something amiss.

All the Buddhas of the Ten Directions had assembled.

The glittering golden world, from the heavens to the earth, was entirely populated by Buddhas and monks.

"This is bad!"

Song Lin realized the ominous turn of events, but by then it was too late.

Lingwei Buddha carried a bowl and grinned, lowering it over him.

"You're too late!"

Boom!

Song Lin was trapped within, and outside, the collective Buddhas began chanting scriptures.

The rhythmic Buddhist chants echoed into the bowl, injecting immense power that began refining Song Lin's body from inside out.

"Ugh... Aaah…"

Song Lin groaned in faint cries of agony.

He had foreseen that pulling tricks within a Heavenly Immortal-governed world would never succeed.

Reflecting from the opposite perspective, how could Lingwei fail to notice while Song Lin delineated Fazang's group so early?

Though uncertain about the source of his exposure, perhaps his innate potential proved too remarkable.

Fortunately, before departing, Song Lin had crafted contingency plans with Guu Yuchan. If the Pure Yang Golden Fire extinguished, they would retreat quickly. If the lamp flickered, they would destroy the transmission array and remain hidden in this world.

Suddenly, a figure appeared within the Golden Bowl—it was Lingwei Buddha.

"Do not resist. From now on, you will complete my dao and become part of me. It is your honor."

It seemed Lingwei had not realized Song Lin originated from another world.

In that case, his extraordinary potential must have ignited Lingwei's avarice.

Realizing this, Song Lin felt there might still be room to maneuver.

"Buddha, please grant me…"

Lingwei interrupted before he could finish. Golden mana flooded downward, refining Song Lin's body entirely.

All that remained was a golden lotus.

"What a pure dao fruit, hahaha."

As the golden lotus prepared to flee, Lingwei Buddha grabbed it and swallowed it whole.

Song Lin retained consciousness.

He was powerless against being fused and consumed by a Buddha.

Preparing to use his divine thought to extinguish the Pure Yang Golden Fire Lamp and alert Guu Yuchan's group, a strand of black vapor silently emerged within the golden bowl.

The last vestige of Song Lin's divine thought lingered inside it.

The black vapor was the counterforce of the pure, unblemished golden lotus, brimming with extreme evil energy.

"Hmm, the dao still isn't flawless; there's hidden danger. Yet, this will suffice."

Lingwei Buddha waved his hand, dispersing the black vapor across heaven and earth.

He then declared to the crowd, "The evil demon has been eradicated; you may all disperse."

The once-flourishing Pure World Golden Lotus Sect collapsed overnight.

Song Lin's consciousness dissipated.

Before fading into nothingness, Song Lin experienced profound realization, causing the Pure Yang Golden Fire Lamp to flicker briefly as he instructed Guu Yuchan's group to go into hiding.

"So that's how it is…"

Song Lin's awareness ebbed alongside his vanishing divine thought.

He hadn't departed entirely but had gained insight into the deepest layers of the dao.

He finally understood why the golden lotus harbored such terrifying black vapor within.

To transform Tao into Buddha, and to cultivate both Buddhist and Taoist principles together.

How could the world achieve doubly perfect methods?

His Buddhist cultivation merely scraped fragments of Randeng Buddha's wisdom, falling short of ultimate perfection.

Thus, blending Tao into Buddha would inevitably seed darkness within the Buddhist heart.

Tao—Buddha—Demon.

According to the original trajectory, Song Lin was destined to succumb to madness.

Lingwei's intervention preemptively triggered this crisis, sparing Song Lin from eventual self-destruction.

This wasn't just an issue for his avatar; his main body had also pursued the Infinite Brightness Dao.

Yet the avatar's demise led Song Lin to enlightenment, birthing darkness ingrained with "dao" itself.

The interconversion formed an inherently dualistic dao, embodying both righteousness and wickedness.

In the Real World's secret chamber, Song Lin remained in prolonged meditation, his body enveloped in intertwining golden and black light.

In the immeasurable void, a pitch-black lotus began to bloom.

Duality fused seamlessly: righteous and wicked, orderless and chaotic.

The destruction of his avatar and subsequent revelation rendered his main form trapped in an unawakenable state of perpetual chaos.

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